Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Elaine Gamer
Email: gamer@escape.ca
Age: 46
Occupation: Hotel Director of Sales and Marketing
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: November 27,1999
Itinerary: W. Caribbean
Cabin: 9226 Category 9
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 99
CabinComfort: 96
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 97
CabinQuietness: 97
FoodMidnightBuffets: 98
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 99
ShoreExcValue: 98
GoodForHoneymoon: 99
CasinoStaff: 99
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 98
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 99
BeautySalonStaff: 94
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 99
EntertShowLounge: 94
OverallPortsofCall: 97
BeautySalon: 97
EntertainmentPoolside: 98
CruiseActivities: 99
Casino: 98
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 97
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 97
ShopsOnBoard: 96
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Jan 2000
Time: 11:24:21
Remote Name: tnt03dla112.winnipeg.escape.ca
Remote User:

Comments

I have been the quintessential trip planner all my life. I have always believed that most of the fun of
travel is the enjoyment you have in planning the vacation. With that in mind, planning our 25th
Anniversary experience was an experience unto itself. My husband has never been a sun
worshipper and given that my first thought for our vacation would possibly be an all inclusive
Mexican resort, I figured that by day 3 he would be a very unhappy camper. He loves history and
although I have been on a few occassions, he has never been to London. The thought of a fall trip
to the U.K. made me realize that I would not get my share of sun and therefore this was not a
compromise. I started lookinging into cruises and realized that we would both have the best of all
worlds. As, well, being the hotel and hospitality industry all my life, and exposing Harv to the same,
we are known Foodies. So the criteria needed to be warm weather, interesting ports and geat food
and service-all of course for a responible value. I spent a lot of time reading reviews and lurking on
rec.travel.cruises. It was apparent that I had been under the misconception that we would have to
pay more due to the prices listed in the brochures. I was focusing mostly on HAL, Princess, and
Celebrity. The itinerary that I initially thought would work was a Panama Canal cruise but I was
talked out of it by several experienced cruisers saying that it was too long for a first cruise. Then
we contemplated the Southern Caribbean and we were told that it was very Port intentive and we
wanted at least 2 days at sea. So we finally selected the dates and W. Caribbean on the Century. I
chose to use a Travel Agent over the internet, George Leppla in Countryside PA. His name and
reputation was obviously respected and we were not disappointed at all. We arrived on
Thanksgiving Day, Thurdsay November 25, in Miami for a Sat departure from Fort Lauderdale. We
took the Super Shuttle for $23.00 per person from the frnt door of the Miami Airport. It dropped off
some other passengers first in a seedy side of Miami and I was a little concerned but we were
dropped off within an hour in Fort Lauderdale at the Holiday Inn Select on 17th s.e the causeway.
It was adequate and I would probably try something else the next time although it was clean and
breakfast service was fine for a lite continental. Air Canada lost one bag and delivered it first thing
the next morning. We took the train trolley to the waterfront where even though it was
Thanksgiving, it was a happening place with lots of restaurants and bars. We went both nights and
I recommend it highly. Went on Friday via transit bus ($1.50 per person) rather than the shuttle
option of $50.00 to the Swap and Shop. Biggest swap meet I have ever seen. Caution. the bus
ride felt a little scary from a touris perspective but after we got there, about a 40 minute ride, I had
a great day and didn't have any concerns about the ride back. This was an adventure and where
we were staying was a distance from Sawgrass Mills Mall. A great place for leather,
electronics,sunglasses and ladies laungerie. They even have a circus for the kids.

Embarkation We arrived at Port Everglades at noon. Picked up some duty free wine for our cabin.
Although we received a #3 embarkation pass, we were not sent through until about 1:30 pm-a little
longer than I thought was going to take place. Aside from freezing to death in the terminal we were
so excited that nothing bothered us. Going onto the ship was impressive and a dream come true.
The porters and ladies in black and white maids uniforms aligned both side of the atrium and as
we told the gentleman our cabin number, we were promtly escorted. The cabin was spacious
compared to what we had actually imagined and we quickly started our sightseeing to get
acclamated with our new surroundings for a week. Eventually we got hungry and ended up in the
Islands Cafe for a buffet lunch. it was very extensive although simple and tasty. Our luggage took
a little while to arrive and at 4pm we went for our Muster Drill Very orderly. At 4:30pm it was Sail
Away! From a new cruisers prospective I thought I was going to jump out of my skin. The boats
that accompany along side the ship and the well wishers that come out of the Condos in the Port
as you depart makes you feel like your walking in heaven. I hope I will always feel that way and not
forget the first time. The steel band Vibes played Caribbean tunes while we partook of the sail
away drink and danced some crazy local dance-hard to believe this was my Mr. Conservative
husband!

Dining Room The 2 story Grand Dining Room on the Century is beautiful. We were seated at table
501 for late seating at a table of 10. Except for one couple who had just got married the day
before and were very focused on each other, we had a great table of new friends. people of
different ages from different walks of life -3 couples who like us were first time cruisers. Dinner
every night had a choice of Appetizer, Soup salad, Entree and dessert. Followed of course at
midnight by more food either by Buffet of Passed trays of smoked salmon, and ton of anything else
you can imagine and delectible desserts. I found dinner to be good, with nice attention to detail
and tasty. I did not find it to be 5 star cuisine and felt slightly rushed. I was not disappointed but
because of my experience actually expected a little more. Our server Mircea was from Romania
and our assistant waiter Radik was from Poland. Both were extremely accomodating and not overly
intrusive. They did an excellent job and were well deserving of their gratuities. I was shocked to
see that on the last night in the dining room, when gratuities are being passed out, many people
do not come for dinner to avoid tipping their hard working staff. This is rude and cheap after
receiving the service all week. These people, regardless of any glitches, deserve to be
remeunerated-They are far from their home trying to serve us and then just to save $25 someone
chooses to go elswhere for dinner on the last night.

Excursions We went to Dunn's River falls and enjoyed ourselves but as you read in all the reviews,
Ocho Rios citizens are extremely aggressive and if I ever have the need to be there, I might just
stay on the ship. When you go to the Falls, they wind you through a marketplace on the way out
and it is like visiting hell. They verbally attack you and call you racist names if you won't buy
souvenirs from them. Be warned-this was the worst port. Planned on going to Stingray City to swim
with the rays and try out first time at snorkeling but it was cancelled due to turbulent water. I was a
little disappointed but we ended up walking to 7 mile beach and swam in the turquoise blue water.
This is a sight that I will remember forever. Spent several hours lying on the beach and playing in
the water. Walked back and went to the shops. I found they had some beautiful things especially
jewelry but very expensive so we just looked around, caught the last tender and made it back to
the ship for 2:30pm. Really enjoyed the day but next time I hope to go to Stingray City. There were
locals offering the tour right at the dock, but we were advised due to the fact that if you missed the
ship you were on your own not to go with them. We heard many people did and for about @29.00
had an enjoyable day. Cozumel, Mexico was the best port for us. We booked an excursion to
Chaankanab Park and got our first snorkeling lesson. We are not that athletic and had a little
trouble getting started. We let the others go ahead and kept at it and snorkeled on our own.
Unbelievable! Get an underwater camera for some really good shots that people won't believe
when you go home. In the afternoon, went shopping and bought leather and silver jewelry. Didn't
have time for carlos and Charlies but it sure looks like it is the place to be in Cozumel. Caught a
quick $2 cervesa at Fat Tuesdays at the dock before we got back on the ship-lots of people and
lots of fun! Key West was interesting and we just walked around the shops. A lot of t shirt shops.
We had the most fun at Sloppy Joes Bar where we met some tablemates for lunch and drinks. This
is one of Hemmingway's watering holes of which I think there were many. You can go deep sea
fishing and get good hand made cigars which according to my husband were very good.

Highlights and Disappointments We would highly recommend the Century and would not hesitate
to go back or try any of the other Celebrity Cruises. There was one day that they was a mid sea
rescue from the U.S. Coast Guard as a crew member fell ill and needed to be rescued. Quite
dramatic and very well communicated to 2000 cruisers. Our Cruise director, Scott, was very
approachable and an excellent speaker. We enjoyled Tom the Port specialist who gave his little
talks on where to shop and what to buy in each port. Most of the entertainment staff where good
but a few were cold with the guests-a little burned out on the service industry and should move on.
Breakfast buffet daily in the Island Cafe was great! I must have consumed my weight in pineapple
and smoked salmon. Hot Dogs and Burgers with great french fries were a daily highlight upon
returning from port or out by the pool at sea days. Pizza later in the afternoon was 'to die for'
Lunch buffets in Island Cafe did not have the type of food that we liked-more ragouts and lamb
shanks at lunch than we wanted. Coffee was poor and the best cup I had was at the coffee bar
Tastings. I had to pay for it but it was much needed when I needed a caffeine fix. We didn't order
room service but it was a limited menu. The in room movies had a very poor selection in English
but if our German or Italian was better we could have watched Lethal Weapon or Mickey Blue
Eyes. Our cabin steward was thoughtful and speedy and I didn't realize how much of a difference
he would make to our experience. We suggest taking the stairs-it's quick and helps keep you
excercising. I swear I lost weight on the cruise and still ate whatever and whenever we wanted. At
port, we walked lots and lots of miles too. Saw cruisers of all ages and the younger kids looked like
they had a lot of fun too. Debarkation was efficient although it took a little longer than I expected.
Being a non U. S. Citizen, on the morning of Key West, all of us had to go to Immigration on the
ship at 7:15am to clear while the U.S. Passengers wait. At 8:50am they were still paging one
couple and 2000 people were looking for them as they announced their cabin number over the
loudspeaker. That was annoying because we got up on time!

We have actually booked our next cruise to include our 17 yr old on the Sea Princess in
Feb-similar itinerary except they have their own island instead of Key West. Thanks to all who
helped me the first time. i think I am hooked and will be working to cruise for the next few years!

Name: Jesse Horton
Email: JCH81648@cs.com
Age: 51
Occupation: Professor
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: June 20, 1998
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: 8221 cat.10
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService: 98
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: na
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 100
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities: 100
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 93
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 Feb 2000
Time: 14:22:14
Remote Name: 209-184-113-10.accd.edu
Remote User: 

Comments

We took this trip with a couple with whom we had been friends for many years. Melissa had sailed on
a number of ships, and she picked the Century for our cruise. We could not be happier with the
choice. Let us begin withf embarkation. Guests are given assignments for boarding which is done as
fast as can be expected for a large ship. Captain's Club members have priority boarding, and since
we sailing again in July 23, 2000, we have joined the Captain's Club. Once aboard ship one is
shown to one's cabin with luggage to follow. There is a buffet open for those who are hungry. The
food in the buffet is a good sign of things to come. Food, yes, yes yes! Celebrity is known for its
food, and the reputation is well deserved. The Grand Dining Room is something out of the glorious
past of great and gracious ocean liners. The food is supurb, the service is excellent and the
ambiance is nonpareil. The buffets were a good place to have breakfast and lunch. There was
plenty of choices and the quality was quite good. The lines were relatively short, and the staff was
there to take your tray to your table. The midnight buffets were super. The grand buffet with ice
sculptures and chocolate creations was a visual and taste delight. The entertainment was varied.
There were games such as sports trivia and the like, dance lessons shuffle board, a golf simulator,
to name but a few. There was a cinema with recent movies. If you are bored, it is your own fault! In
the evening dinner is the first grand event. Most people dressed well for dinner with more than a few
in tux and gowns. The service in the dining room was truly first class. Ourt waiter learned our
preferences and remembered them for the whole cruise. The food choices were many and varied,
with the preparation being remarkable for a setting of hundreds of people. We were never rushed,
and enjoyed every meal. After dinner we would go to the show lounge. It is a two level theater with
shows that are good but not great. This is not a carnival cruise. The entertainment was well
presented, but not spectacular. The routines were always tasteful, and children while few in number
would not be offended by any of the shows. The evening often ended with us either dancing in one
of the night clubs, and there is a good choice of clubs with different types of music. The casino was
noisy, busy and a lot of fun. We decided to limit our gambling to a hundred dollars each. It took us
five days to loose it all. We thought it an entertainment bargain. The swimming pools and hot tubs
were sometimes crowded, but most of the time we had plenty of space to relax and enjoy the water.
Deck chairs could be hard to find at times, but we always managed to find some. As for the cabin,
well it was larger than most similar size ships. There were two beds that could and were joined
together. The cabin had a refrigerator, honor bar, and a safe. There was plenty of closet space for
a seven day cruise or longer. The cabin was so quiet that we often overslept. The whole ship was
spotless. CLEAN describes the Century. Not only is it a beautiful ship inside and out, but it is
maintained with a near fanatical attention to detail, and we liked that. The crew and staff were
gracious, helpful and professional. To not tip ABOVE the recommended amount would be a crime.
My wife and I travel often. We go to Europe every year and to Hawaii every other year. Since our
cruise on the Century, we are going to curise more often. I thought I would feel closed in on a ship
and would get sea sick. Was I ever wrong. The Century is a floating resort that sails smoothly and
effortlessly to beautiful and exotic ports of call. If you are going to take one cruise this year, take the
Century. 

Name: Susan Blom
Email: sblom@umassd.edu
Age: 42
Occupation: Secretary
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: Jan 15, 2000
Itinerary: Southern Carribean
Cabin: 8137
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: 
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess: 
ExerciseFacilities: 
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 
EntertainmentPoolside: 
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities: 
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 Feb 2000
Time: 14:28:51
Remote Name: sblom.bio.umassd.edu
Remote User: 

Comments

I have been on the HOL - Westerdam, Hol- Rotterdam, the Celebrity - Horizon, the RCI - Grandeur
of the Seas and the Enchantment of the Seas and now tried the Celebrity Centruy. I will compare the
Century to the Enchantment and the Grandeur which were similar. 

I couldn't beleive food could be better than the Enchantment and the Grandeur, because it was so
good, but found the Century even better. The food was excellent, perfectly cooked and so much
variety and beautifully presented. 

I found the Enchantment and Grandeur to have more parties, like Talent shows, toga parties,
masquerade parties, country and western parties, 50 parties, etc. The Century was a more
sophisticated ship. Their talent show was cancelled for lack of participation, yet the karoke night
club was filled with people! The Century also offered a cinema with current movies which the
Enchantment and Grandeur did not have. 

All 3 ships had fantastic child care. My 9 year old daughter never wanted to be with us because she
was having a ball with all the activities they had her do, such s making shirts, crafts, playing cards,
games, etc. etc.. 

I found on the Grandeur and Enchantment the crowd to be younger and family orientated and really
wanting to participate in all activities. I found the crowd on the Century to be older, but with great
finese. They were not into participating in lots of parties as they were older but the people were so
enjoyable. I loved the sophistication of it and the extra fine dining as I am not an active participator
in activities myself so even though I am much younger, I felt very comfortable on this ship. 

Too me it appeared the Grandeur and Enchantment had their casinos thriving constantly and I had
a hard time getting onto a machine. On the Century, the casinos didn't appear to be as active. 

The rooms on all 3 ships seemed to be quite comfortable and roomy with lots of storage area. I had
the large window. 

The shows on the Enchantment and Grandeur were fabulous! I had read that the shows on the
Celebrity line were not as good and prepared myself. Well, they must have improved, because too
me they were just as good!!! 

I don't really have anything negative to say about these 3 ships. They are totally different but I enjoy
the ships for what they have to offer and hope to try the new Holland ships soon. I highly
recommend Century but am anxious to see the beauty in other new ships 

I did find that the two older Holland ships I sailed on were much different but they were suitable for
their time period. They are not as glamorous as the new ones. 

Embarkation and Disembarkation went very well with the Century. They gave us a number and
called our number when it was our turn to go in. 

The Century offered a tour in Nassau called the "Dolphin Encounter" in the Blue Lagoon. That was
the highlight of our trip. It was 94.00 each. They took a video of us kissing the dolphins, dancing with
them, hugging them, etc. And took a family picture with the dolphin. I highly recommend this. It was
well worth it. The video sells for 48.00 but it again is worth it! 

We also took the city tour and mini sub tour in St. Marteen. Again this was worth it. Too me it was
better than sitting in a bus for 3 or 4 hours. You got to see the Dutch side and the French side of St.
Martin and then take that min sub under the water and see the fish and the coral. 

To summarize the comparison, it really depends on what you want. Century is a quiter sophisticated
ship with its European elegance and the Enchantment and Grandeur are very glamorous ships
catering to families who like to stay active. I would definitely go on all three of them again! 

Name: Ned Ashby
Email: nashby@uswest.com
Age: 41
Occupation: Computer Analyst
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: 01/22/2000
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 1129
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService: 
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService: 
ShoreExcValue: 
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 
TenderService: 
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess: 
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 
MedicalFacilities: 
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 28 Feb 2000
Time: 15:27:26
Remote Name: dsotm.uswest.com
Remote User: 

Comments

After our first cruise on the NCL Seaward (now the Norwegian Sea) in October of 1996, I promised myself
I would write a review of our cruise and repay all of those helpful people that had written cruise reviews. I
just didn't ever get around to it and have felt guilty ever since. Now that we have just returned from our
second cruise aboard the Celebrity Century I am going to try and redeem myself by giving my opinions of
the cruise. I want to stress that these are only my opinions and my experiences. Others will have different
experiences and opinions. A person's expectations have a huge part to play in whether or not they are
satisfied with a cruise. Even if their expectations are unrealistic. I also want to stress that although I will be
giving some critique, this was a WONDERFUL vacation. I'd do it again in a second and look forward to the
day when we can cruise again. 

This was a cruise to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We are in our 40's and have 5 daughters.
The trip has been in the planning for over two years and has been booked for over a year. Traveling
along with us were two good friends that we met on our last cruise. Bill and Natalie from Cleveland. Since
our last trip we have corresponded with them regularly, and taken two fun trips to Las Vegas with them.
People you meet on a cruise really can turn out to be life long friends. They are about the same age as
us, but have much more cruising experience. They have been on about 17 or 18 cruises. 

We arranged our own air and pre-cruise hotel. We flew into Ft. Lauderdale a day early and stayed at the
Ft. Lauderdale Airport Hilton. Despite booking our room 9 months in advance we were given a room with
2 double beds. I could tell you stories about this hotel that are worse than most of your nightmares. Motel
6 would have been better. It has no relevance to the cruise so I won't go into it. But my recommendation
is that you steer clear of the Airport Hilton and stay elsewhere. Customer service is not their specialty. In
fact, it's not in their vocabulary at all. I'll give them a break and say that their breakfast buffet was very
good. 

This cruise was a little bit different than most. To our surprise, about 1200 people on this cruise were all
with one big group. The Royal Bank group (mostly from Canada). We found this out the first day of the
cruise when we tried to get a table on the lower level of the Grand dining room. We were told that the
bank had all of the lower level tables and that everyone else had to be upstairs. This was no big deal but
it did kind of set the mood for the entire cruise. Right or wrong, the rest of us were made to feel like
illegitimate stepchildren. It was THEIR cruise and we just happened to be along for the ride. I must admit
to having some resentment (and probably jealousy) here because those of us that paid our own
hard-earned money were not the focus of the cruise. Even all of the video screens in the main lobby had
the Royal Bank Logo on them all week. Don't get me wrong. Many of these people were very nice and
being on 'their cruise' had its advantages. For example, most of the people on the cruise were in our
basic age group. There were very few children and seniors. Again, don't get me wrong. I have nothing
against children or seniors. I have 5 children and 2 parents of my own. Our feeling was that Celebrity was
NEGLIGENT in not disclosing that we were booking into a cruise that had as its central theme the Royal
Bank yearly convention. We feel that we should have been given the courtesy to choose in advance if we
wanted to be part of this cruise or choose a different week. That's all. Our complaint is not with the bank,
but with Celebrity. For groups that large they should either make them buy the entire cruise or else tell
other customers what is going on at the time of booking. 

THE SHIP: At the recommendation of our travel agent we booked a Category 9 (highest inside) cabin with
a guarantee. To those that are new to this game, a guarantee means that we did not choose a specific
cabin with the hopes of being upgraded. Since we booked over a year in advance before the cruise our
travel agent was certain that we would be upgraded at least two categories to an outside cabin. I'm sure
that this strategy might have worked had it not been for the fact that the Bank group owned almost all of
the other cabins already. The cruise was over booked and there was no upgrade. If we had been told in
the beginning about the bank group, we would have picked our own cabin and been in the middle of the
ship instead of the one aft that we were assigned by Celebrity. Live and learn. The cabins were very nice
and much larger than on our previous cruise. They were very comfortable. Lots of storage space. Much
of it we didn't even use. The shower had lots of room and plenty of hot water. The shampoo was in a
dispenser and there was lotion in a dispenser. There was also a shower cap, Qtips, cotton balls, and a
baby nail file. Celebrity has now started putting bathrobes in all staterooms. Very nice. 

I don't think I can adequately express how clean and beautiful the ship is. Elegant and classy is all I can
say. The beauty and layout of the ship have been covered by many people so I won't do it here. The ship
is just so nice. The color selections are excellent. I just can't say enough nice things about the ship itself. 

Our only real complaint about the ship is that the exercise facilities had almost no ventilation. We went up
to work out at 6 AM on several mornings and it was very hot and stuffy. Some of the equipment was
broken and needed service. And they played the same music tape over and over all day long. Whoever
chose the music selection had strange taste. That would have been OK if it had just been rotated a little
bit. This is very petty and just an observation. While on the subject of the exercise room I will say that the
exercise program is very lacking. On our previous cruise they had a very good aerobics class that was on
deck at least a couple of times a day. It was non-existent here. The one class they had was at 5 PM. We
had main seating dinner at 6:15. There was no way to do the class, get ready, and make it to dinner. If
there wasn't money in it (like paying to have your body fat count taken) they didn't do it. We were in the
exercise room everyday and never once saw the fitness instructor there. Many people came in to try and
use the machines but there was nobody to show them how to work the equipment. They would eventually
just leave. 

Embarkation. We arrived at the terminal at about 11:30. We were given a boarding number of 1. Right
after us they started giving out number 2 and 3. We were given a questionnaire to fill out that included
information about our returning flights, etc. These are important to fill out. They will determine the order
in which you are called for disembarking on the last day of the cruise. The information is also given to the
airlines so that you can check your bags in for the return trip home. This saves you from having to drag
all of your bags to the airport. At noon, groups 1 and 2 were called. We had to pass through an airport
type security check and then lined up to show our cruise tickets and show our passports. Our friends are
Captains Club members and went through a different line. We actually got finished first and had to wait
for them. So much for the Captains Club preferential treatment. We then went up the escalators to a
holding room where fruit punch was served. We were told that they would start letting people in at 1:00. In
the next 45 minutes the room swelled with humanity. So much for having a boarding number of 1. When
the doors were opened to move to the ship it was almost a mob scene. If you had tripped and fallen down
you would have been trampled to death. The process didn't take long however and we were on the ship
by around 1:30. White-gloved stewards were lined up to show us to our cabin. We were instantly
impressed with the beauty of the ship. After dropping off our carry on luggage at the cabin we headed to
the Crystal Room to check out our dinner table assignment. This is where the news was broken to us
about the bank group. Then it was up to the buffet on level 11. On our last cruise the embarkation buffet
was used to get rid of all the leftovers from the last cruise. We were expecting a similar situation. Not so.
The buffet was excellent. A huge selection including fish entree's and carved turkey, beef, and ham. In
our opinion, it was wonderful. 

THE FOOD: I've read all sorts of reviews from good to bad about the Celebrity food. Although there were
a few things here and there that didn't appeal to me, most things I found to be very good and very well
presented. I gained 5 pounds in 7 days and that was with an hour on the exercise bike for 5 of those
days. Although I realize that not everyone loves the food, I did. All things on the ship are actually made
from scratch. Salad dressings and all. Everyday at lunch and dinner they have fantastic homemade ice
cream. It's easy to get sucked into the fancy desserts but try the ice cream. I think you'll be pleased. One
criticism that I have is that if you want to try two things at dinner (for example, both the lobster and the
prime rib) you are required to order both full meals. That means two baked potatoes, two vegetables, etc.
Not many people can eat that much food so food goes to waste. It would be better if they could just slide
a lobster tail onto the same plate with the prime rib. On the first night we found the salmon to be some of
the best we've ever had. I usually like beef but wasn't one bit sorry to have ordered the salmon. Other
entree's we found to be winners were: the tornadoes of beef tenderloin, the lobster (bigger than
expected), prime rib, and pork roast. We're not much for lamb so didn't try it. If you order something that
you don't like just mention it to the waiter and they are more than happy to get you something different.
They really want that gratuity at the end of the week and will do anything to make sure you are happy.
There were so many good desserts. The cherries jubilee and the baked alaska were my favorites. 

On Wednesday we returned late from Cozumel and so we ate in the Sky Room which has been converted
to a casual alternative dining room. Reservations are required. The menu is more basic, with salmon,
steak, or chicken. We found the service to struggle a bit. The waiter also didn't ever stop back to see if
everything was to our liking. It was OK but not great. At the end of the meal we were unsure if we were
supposed to tip them separately or not. 

We went to two of the midnight buffets. The Italian and the Tex-Mex buffets. These were OK. It's not that
the food wasn't good. It's just that we aren't accustomed to eating that late at night. It was hard to get up
much of an appetite because we were very tired from getting up at 6 AM each morning to exercise. There
was also a Tropical fruit and sherbet buffet, as well as the Grand Buffet. On the other nights they have
what is call Gourmet Bites. On those nights, waiters were in different areas of the ships serving finger
foods. We didn't ever try the Gourmet Bites. We also missed the Grand Buffet. By the time Thursday
night rolled around, we were just too beat to make it. Loafing all day can be very tiring. 

We didn't ever order room service, so I can't comment on that. I had good intentions all week to order a
pizza to the cabin and watch a late night movie. It just didn't ever happen. We were usually too full from
dinner, too tired, and there was never anything good to watch on TV. 

THE PORTS: Jamaica is pretty much as most reviews have described. It is very green and beautiful. We
did not do any of the ships excursions on this cruise, so I can't report on any of those. In the morning we
walked to the Taj Mahal Shopping Center which is about 150 yards away from where you walk out of the
gate at the pier. The sidewalk and street are lined with people trying to get you to take their taxi, or go
with them for a tour of the island. Most are pushy but give them a firm NO THANKS! and just keep
walking. The shops are mostly just souvenir shops with a few jewelry stores. My wife was looking for a
watch but the prices were higher than in the states and much higher than on the internet. If you're
thinking of such a purchase you should do a little research before the cruise to know if you're getting a
good deal or not. Bill and Nat bought Blue Mountain Coffee to give as gifts. We checked out some
T-shirts but they weren't cheap and the washing instructions all said COLD WATER WASH/LINE DRY.
This can usually be interpreted to mean GAURANTEED TO SHRINK TO THE SIZE OF A BARBIE DOLL.
We passed on the shirts. We walked back to the ship for lunch and then got a taxi to Dunn's River Falls.
Our driver dropped us off and set a time to come back for us. The cost was $22 for 4 people roundtrip.
We rented a locker at the falls for our towels and stuff. It cost $5 which was a rip off, but needed. There
are guides that group people together to lead them up the falls. There is no cost for this other than tips.
Some of the guides try to amass huge groups together to make more money. We just walked down the
trail to the bottom and started climbing up ourselves. We did link up with a small group a little later. The
climb isn't that strenuous and is a real kick. It looks scarier than it is. I wish we had gone to the bottom
and done it twice. I recommend it very highly. It was one of the highlights of the entire trip. 

GRAND CAYMAN: I wish I could report on Grand Cayman. We had lined up an independent excursion
with Captain Marvin's Watersports before the cruise. We were really excited for this one. The skies were
cloudy and the seas were rough. While we were eating breakfast the announcement was made that due
to rough seas the Grand Cayman Port Authority would not allow any cruise ships to disembark
passengers. One crewmember told us that this only happens once or twice a year. Bad luck all around.
After a few minutes the ship sailed for Cozumel and we had an extra day at sea. We weren't given any
kind of compensation or refund of port taxes already paid. 

COZUMEL: In the morning we took a taxi into town and shopped for about 4 hours. The taxi cost $5 plus
tip. This is the best shopping on this itinerary. If you are a shopper you could easily do a whole day just
shopping. There were 6 cruise ships in port and it was VERY crowded. I think it would be a nice place to
spend some time if there were fewer people. In the afternoon we took a taxi (8 bucks) to Chankanaab
Park. I recommend this very highly. I must admit that I can't remember how much it cost to enter the park.
Somewhere between 5 and 10 dollars. It is a beautiful beach with some historical stuff mixed in. The
snorkeling is good but I think the site is better for divers. The water gets deep immediately. There is a
reef about 50 yards out but the water is deep and most snorkelers wouldn't venture out that far. They
rent all sorts of snorkeling gear right at the beach. My wife rented a snorkeling vest for $3. We had our
own masks and fins. They also have dolphins in an area that you can pay extra and swim with them. We
didn't do this but watched them being fed. It was neat. 

KEY WEST: The ship docks at a government military pier. You are not allowed to walk to the town, so
there are trolleys provided at no cost. The one thing I can say for certain is that I've never seen that
many T-shirt shops in my life. Not even in Hawaii. It is a fun little town to walk around in. Since it's back in
the good old USA there is no more of that duty free/tax free stuff. Prices aren't that cheap either. We
have always been big fans of Key Lime Pie. We love it. If you love Key Lime Pie you won't be
disappointed here. We had two pieces each at The Key Lime Shoppe which were excellent but I'm sure
almost anywhere in town would be good. We also bought some bottles of Key Lime juice to take home.
We made 2 pies on our first day home, and they were great. The recipe is very easy. The juice can also
be ordered over the internet. We also walked down along the wharf area. It's a charming little town. If you
go here you'll probably see the Gold Elvis and the Silver Guy. You'll know what I mean when you see
them. We happened onto a great little leather shop called Kino Sandals. They make all of the goods right
on the premises. They have a great selection of sandals in many colors. My wife tried them on and fell in
love with them immediately. They are very cheap at $7 a pair. She bought 3 pairs in different colors.
Natalie bought 2. They wore them to dinner on Friday night. They also have belts and purses. The shop
is on Fitzpatrick and Green right behind the Hog's Breath. Easy to find. You won't be sorry. 

ENTERTAINMENT: My opinion is that this is Celebrity's weak link. We didn't see all of the shows but we
did attend 2 shows by the Celebrity Singers and Dancers and a show with a singer named Pamela Blake
and a comedian named Noodles Levenstein. I REALLY didn't like Ms. Blake. She was very dramatic and
had an opinion of herself that was bigger than the whole outdoors. My wife thinks I am too hard on her
and that she wasn't that bad. I don't think so. I thought the comedian was very good. He performed in the
show that we saw and at a midnight show that was more adult oriented. We didn't see that one. He was
well worth seeing but unfortunately was the second act in this show. We didn't catch the Liars Club or the
Newlywed Game. We did go one night to the cinema and watched the movie Entrapment. This was not on
the TV. Only in the cinema. Otherwise I could have used it for that late night pizza and movie in my room.
On our last cruise on NCL there were several good movies on the TV. We were expecting similar here.
Not so. There were a couple of good movies in Spanish however. The TV subject brings me to another
gripe. The Royal Bank used 4 of the TV channels throughout the entire cruise to show their meetings
over and over in both English and French. This really added to the resentment since we suspect that
much of our entertainment was dropped so they could use the channels. The reception on the TV was
also very bad at times. We're not sure what was up with that. Possibly they tried to cram more channels
on for the bank and the system capacity couldn't handle it. Regardless of the reason, we found the TV,
and what was on it, to be pretty worthless. There was a good acappella group that performed around the
ship named Grand Slam. We also really like the resident band Vibz. They were very good in our opinion.
They played up on deck and around in different lounges. 

SHOPS: The onboard shops weren't that great. Marilyn bought a watch in the Fossil shop that was nice
and reasonably priced. We also bought some silver chains in the jewelry store for our daughters. Our
friend Natalie wanted to buy a Celebrity sweatshirt. They only had 1 or 2 sizes. They said that they
couldn't get other sizes from the storeroom until all that they had was sold. Natalie waited all week for
some 300 pound person to buy those 3X sweatshirts. It didn't happen. The same was true in the clothing
shop where Marilyn wanted to buy a costume diamond and ruby ring. There wasn't one in her size and
even though there were more in the storeroom the policy was not to get more out until most of the rings
were all sold. To me, this makes no sense. 

SUMMARY: To reiterate what I said in the beginning. This was a WONDERFUL vacation and I would do it
again in a second. I would sail on Celebrity again because the ship was beautiful, the food was great, and
the cabins were very roomy. The service was great as well. Waiters would even carry trays for women in
the buffet. I would certainly ask in advance if I were booking into a cruise with a large group however. I
would be happy to answer any questions at my email address. Happy Cruising. 

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