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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Janet Putney
Email: janetptny@aol.com
Age: 46
Occupation: self-employed proofreader
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: 3/20/99
Itinerary: western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 97
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 99
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 99
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 06 Apr 1999
Time: 18:54:10
Remote Name: spider-tp074.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
Before going on this cruise, I wasn't even sure I would enjoy cruising. Now I'm ready to
book another cruise as soon as my
family wants to go! The Century is a beautiful ship with a friendly and eager-to-please
crew, wonderful food, good service,
and diverse activities that accommodate the many different types of passengers aboard.
First, the ship itself: It's huge, very
well maintained, and never seems crowded except on afternoons at sea around the pool. We
rarely encountered other
passengers in the hallway as we went to and from our room; elevator service was fast; and
everywhere we went we could
easily find a seat.
The crew we encountered all seemed to sincerely enjoy their jobs and be happy to be there
with us. They seemed to want
us to have a good time, despite how very hard they were working while we were playing.
The food was great, not only in the dining room where the service was immpeccable, but
also in the Island Cafe where buffet
style dining was fun and let us help ourselves to a few too many delicious desserts! Sure,
there were a few dishes we didn't
think were great, but nothing was bad. In the dining room, the chef's suggestions for
dinner were nice, although he
suggested tenderloin on the night lobster was served, and everyone at our table, and the
other tables I could see, ignored
his suggestion! Our waiter and his assistant had just two tables to serve, and they were
busy the entire time, very
unobtrusively, too.
Next time I go on a cruise, I won't worry so much about what to wear. Just as the
passengers are diverse, so is the dress. I
wore a formal for the two formal nights, but not every woman did; and the dress on the
semi-formal (informal, they called it)
nights was even more undefined. A nice but not too dressy dress or a pretty skirt and
sweater set would seem right for those
nights. My husband wore a tuxedo for the formal nights, a jacket and tie for one
semi-formal night, and no jacket or tie for
the night called informal/casual. On casual nights, nice slacks and top were appropriate.
During the day, shorts were fine.
Bottom line, dress nicely but not too fancy and you'll be fine. Oh, it can be pretty cold
in the dining room and the lounges; a
shawl for fancy dresses and a sweater for other times will come in handy.
We had fun off the ship too. Took a tour in Jamaica that included Shaw Park Botanical
Gardens (beautiful) and Dunn's River
Falls. Jamaica is so lush and lovely, but very poor. We didn't climb the falls, but lots
of people of all ages did. It didn't look
like an easy climb, though! Went to the beach in Grand Cayman; very pretty water and silky
white sand. Shopped in
Cozumel. Tablemates took the Mayan Ruins of Tulum tour and didn't think it was worth it.
Spent a lot of time traveling to and
from the ruins. I'd have liked to have seen more of Cozumel than the shopping area,
though. Key West was a fun place to
visit. All passengers got a free trolley ride into town and back to the ship because the
land between the pier and town is
owned by the Navy and civilians aren't allowed to wander through. So we also got a free
little tour of Key West.
If you bring your family's/friends' e-mail addresses with you, you'll be able to send them
c-mail complete with a digital picture
for about $10.00. It's a fun way to keep in touch with people at home.
Name: donna mcnicholas
Email: d.mcnicholas@worldnet.att.net.com
Age: 42
Occupation: dental assistant
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: April 3rd
Itinerary: western carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram: 75
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Apr 1999
Time: 20:49:56
Remote Name: 1cust220.tnt1.freehold.nj.da.uu.net
Remote User:
Comments
I want to start by saying this was our families first cruise and what a delight. if you've
never cruised before this ship is a real
treat. my husband, myself and our boys ages 9 and 11 completely enjoyed ourselves. The
entire staff on this ship was
extremely friendly. This was a cruise I will never forget. the weather in the carribean
was absolutely gorgeous. The water on
the islands was pleasantly cool and refreshing. the shore excursions were terrific. I
would definitely choose a shore
excursion again. the trip to xcaret was our favorite place of all the island excursions we
had taken. We thought Jamaica was
about the worst of all the places we visited. We didn't get a warm reception there. As a
matter of fact, they checked our
duffle bag on our return trip from the Jamaican Queen party boat before we got off the
boat at the dock. It sort of spoiled our
fun time we just had. We also saw a native being handcuffed at the pier shops in front of
children which scared them a bit.
Grand Cayman was absolutely beautiful!We went to the 7 mile beach and really enjoyed it.
The food was expensive
however. 4 hamburgers cost $28. We could see our cruise ship from the beach. Parasailing
was abundant every island you
go to. As a matter of fact, every time we docked at a port the first thing we saw was a
parasailor outside our cabin window. If
you like shopping Key West has a lot of shops on Duval St. We ate at Sloppy Joes a party
place with a live country band. A
really fun place. The shop keepers are a bit pushy watch out for that. Also, everywhere
you go bargain if you like something.
Sometimes it pays. The positive side of our trip is numerous. We had fun the moment we
stepped on board. The Bahama
Mamas were everywhere. Beware if you take one you will pay $6.50 which includes the
souvenior glass they serve it in. We
ordered something else that was a little cheaper, we ordered a lot of drinks over the 7
days including sodas for the kids
which is also a charge by the way, so, the bill was quite expensive at the end of the
trip. Some other positive aspects of the
trip were the cabin cleanliness and effiency of the cabin steward. we were in room 8052
which is an outside room with a
beautiful view. We were on the starboard side so we had a great view of the islands as we
came to port each day. Our boys
stayed in bunks above us, which they loved. It was a little tight but managable. We had
the most wonderful waiters, Ratan
and Vladamir. We had a great time with them. The food was terrific however, by the last
day we realized we were getting
tired of the breakfasts at the islands cafe which served the same breakfasts every
morning. I guess you could go to the main
dining room for a variety. We didn't do that. If you are looking for a great time take the
century! Some of the negative points
to this ship I would say is that the lines are long the food is sometimes not consistent
and the pools are too small. My young
son couldn't go in without swimmies because the depth starts at about 4'7" which is
too deep for him. He is almost 10 years
old and just about that height. Also, some of the entertainment was not geared for
everyone. One night they had oldies type
entertainment which at our age 42 was much too tough to take. There were a lot of people
on this cruise that were younger
than us too! Easter vacation we had a good mix of people. 480 kids 197 teens about half of
the leftovers were in there 40's
and above and the rest under 40. If you have any questions you can e-mail me. I would be
glad to answer any questions I
can.
Name: Steve Sorrentino
Email: fundaddy22@aol.com
Age: 41
Occupation: Consultant
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: June 20, 1998
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 89
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 79
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 82
FoodVariety: 92
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 60
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 70
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 60
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 75
BeautySalon: 92
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 88
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 69
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 60
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 70
OverallCruiseValue: 69
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 18 Apr 1999
Time: 22:05:10
Remote Name: spider-wj032.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
My family (wife and children 7 and 5) and I expected to have a very relaxing vacation on a
luxurious ‘Five Star Family
Friendly Cruise’ as Celebrity describes it in their brochures. It didin't take us
long to figure out that it wasn’t going to be quite
that way. Don’t get me wrong, the cruise did have its good points, but, by and large,
we felt very disappointed.
Here are some of the positives:
The ship itself is gorgeous. We stayed in a suite with a nice balcony and the room and
balcony were very well appointed.
Our private butler and cabin steward was very good. The suite came with a number of
special features (butler service, hors
d’oeuvres, tea, special snacks, etc.), and they lived up to our expectations.
Also, the meals were very nicely presented and the food was very good. I would rate the
food quality with four stars (I think
all star ratings given to cruises are inflated by one star) and the service three stars
(more on that in the negative section).
The whole idea of being on a cruise is very fun and exciting. The idea of a floating hotel
that allows you to visit several ports
without having to pack and unpack is great. We enjoyed that part of the cruise.
Here are some of the negatives:
While Celebrity advertises the ship as good for families, it is not. The kids club was
disorganized and the activities left much
to be desired. Signing children in and out was chaotic. The computers that were in the
kids club were never made available
to the children, as piles of boxes blocked them. The counselors were not very motivated
and were just putting in their shift. I
frequently heard children saying things like, What do I do next? and What else is there to
do? On the day before the last day
of the cruise, I found out that my son encountered a bully earlier in the week. My calls
to the manager of the kids club to
discuss this were never returned.
The ports themselves were fine (although Nassau was nothing special), the problem was how
little time we had at each port.
It was always a mad rush to disembark so that you’d have enough time to go on your
excursion and return. We had only 5
hours or so for swimming excursions in St. Thomas and St. Maarten. That just wasn’t
enough.
I felt that we spent way too much time at sea. I calculated that we spent 80% of our time
at sea. Many of the frequent
cruisers on the ship felt that this was unusual too. When I complained to Celebrity about
this, they said we knew the itinerary
ahead of time. A major side effect of being at sea, is that all the amenities of the ship
are strained. Since we were at sea
most of the time, we experienced over-utilized amenities much of the time. At times we
felt trapped, as we had difficulty
finding ‘space’ to rest and relax. Thank God we had a suite with a balcony.
Otherwise, I think we would have disembarked
the ship permanently at the first port.
The cruise director was very artificial. Everything he said seemed forced. You’d
think such a large ship could get a more
talented and genuine director than that.
The exercise facilities were inadequate for the number of guests on the ship. They should
have had a better system for
having people use and sign up for the equipment. It was just chaos while the ship was at
sea. They also should limit the
number of people allowed in the exercise area. When I complained about this, I was told to
use the exercise equipment when
the ship is a port. That’s a nice tradeoff!
The deck space and pool situation left a lot to be desired. You had to wake up at 6am to
reserve a pool side deck chair (a
policy that is technically not allowed, although everyone did it). That’s relaxing
– wake up at 6am so your children can have a
deck chair.
There were only two pools to accommodate 2000 passengers. The Celebrity brochure indicated
that there would be five
pools. The pools were not appropriate for children since the shallowest point was 4 feet
and 7 inches. The Celebrity
brochure indicated that they offer special pools for children, but they didn’t. The
lifeguards and the kids club counselors
admitted that the pool situation was strained and especially inadequate for children.
The initial embarkation was less than gratifying. We were made to wait like cattle in a
large room for three hours without
enough seating. This was a lot of fun with two young children. The final disembarkation
was quicker, but much more
disorganized. Basically, fend for yourself, as you search for your luggage in a huge
warehouse where the luggage is thrown
about in chaotic fashion.
While the food quality at dinner was good, we did feel rushed through our dinner. We
figured out that this was because our
bus boy was concerned about getting us through our courses quickly so that he’d have
enough time to set up for the late
dinner seating. After we mentioned this to the head waiter, it got better.
We noticed that after we left the gratuities for the help on Friday evening, the service
deteriorated markedly (we left more
than 150% of suggested amounts, and we still got this treatment).
The phone system on the ship was inadequate. It typically took 20 minutes to get cabin or
guest services to pick up the
phone.
To add insult to injury, I wrote a very comprehensive letter to Celebrity about our
discontent with the cruise. That letter
detailed many more inconveniences than I have stated in this review. I asked them to
reimburse me for 25% of the cost of
the cruise plus long distance charges that I incurred while I contacted my travel agent
(by the way, the travel agent was
Cruiseworld and they were useless) to see if she could help us with some of the problems
we were experiencing. I
specifically told Celebrity that I did not want a discount on a future cruise. Why would I
want to pay more of my own money to
be subjected to another one of their cruises?
In the end, after many phone calls and letters to Celebrity, all that they would offer is
a 25% discount on a future cruise.
Another interesting point about this is that technically my credit card company could have
unilaterally credited my credit card
for 25% of the cruise costs after I proved that I incurred ‘damages’. However,
that avenue was taken away from us because
the credit card laws only allow for such unilateral crediting when the charge is made
within 100 miles of one’s home. I
charged the cruise at the local Cruiseworld travel agent (10 miles from my house), but
Celebrity handily booked the charge
on my account through their Florida address (which is 1,500 miles from my home).
My only recourse at this point is to try to communicate to as many future cruisers as
possible, in as honest a way as
possible, the experience that my family and I had while we cruised with Celebrity. By the
way, when I told Celebrity that I
would disseminate my experience as much as I could; their response was ‘you’re
free to do as you please’.
My lifetime experiences tell me that whenever a business wants to be paid in full prior to
providing their merchandise or
service, that you should be very wary as a buyer of this service. I thought I was
protected through my credit card, but
Celebrity found a way around that too.
Caveat Emptor with Celebrity!
Name: Joy Katzung
Email: Joyce@EVcom.net
Age: 50
Occupation: Rehabilitation Administrator
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: 1/17/98
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 96
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 97
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 97
CabinAmenities: 97
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 97
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 94
GoodForHoneymoon: 96
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 94
LoungeService:
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 96
BeautySalonStaff: 85
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 97
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 97
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 97
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 20 Apr 1999
Time: 20:48:03
Remote Name: wpb-tcr1-82.dyn.evcom.net
Remote User:
Comments
We had an inside cabin. We heard no noise from neighboring cabins and no creaking. There
was adequate cabin space
and storage space for 2 people. The inside of the Century is elegant giving the appearance
of a 5 star hotel. Staff members
were friendly and eager to be helpful. However, communication between staff members and
guests was often difficult and/or
inaccurate due to the fact that staff members come from a variety of countries and, often
had minimal mastery of the English
language. Our cabin steward didn't understand much of what we said to her. The excursions
were great. The seas were
often choppy. I was seasick twice but only for short periods of time, recovering after
taking dramamine and laying down for a
nap. Dining room meals were always delicious and the service was prompt and doting.
Waiters remembered what we like
and provided our favorites or extras without our having to ask. The buffets had good
quality and variety of food with waiters
to help with our trays and get us drinks. Excursions, room service and pay per view movies
could be ordered from our cabin
on interactive TV. A current listing of purchases via a cruise card hooked up to a credit
card could also be seen via
interactive TV. Cabins have a stocked refrigerator to choose from. Items consumed are
charged to the cabin account and
the refrigerator is restocked as items are used. Books and games can be checked out of the
Century library. The casino
Blackjack rules are good for the player. Casino staff were friendly. The casino opened
between 9:00 and 10:00 when we
were at sea and closed when the players dwindled to just a few people. The entertainment
was good but nothing
spectacular. Public areas were not crowded. The ship appeared to be kept clean. I was so
pleased with the Century that I
cruised the Century again in May of 1998, in order to visit the Western Carribean. My
review of my second cruise on the
Century would be the same as for my first cruise on the Century.
Name: Shelley Goff
Email: goff@pacifier.com
Age: 41
Occupation: Homemaker/part-time sales
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: 04/17/99-04/24/99
Itinerary: Western Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 75
CabinAmenities: 97
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 89
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 92
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 83
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 92
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 May 1999
Time: 18:08:39
Remote Name: ip245.pdx9.pacifier.com
Remote User:
Comments
We love to cruise! Cruising is a good value for the money and we enjoy unpacking once but
being able to see and
do a variety of things. This cruise was wonderful, with one exception - a theft from our
room, which I will detail later.
I'll try to hit the highlights, answer questions I had before going, and also mention a
couple drawbacks.
My husband and I cruise every 5 years on our anniversary. This year was our 20th
anniversary and we decided to
renew our vows at sea. Two other couples (long-time friends we have cruised with before)
also sailed with us. The
Century is an elegant ship - the public areas are hued in blues with gleaming brass and
glass. I have never seen a
ship so clean! The staff was constantly polishing - in fact, sometimes it was a bit
distracting! I felt like I didn't want to
get fingerprints on the chrome stair rails! The Grand Foyer is lovely and I liked the way
the shops and sitting areas
wrapped around the spiral staircase.
We had an outside room mid-ship #9129. We have found being mid-ship generally has less
motion and was again
the case on the Century. One of our friends had an inside cabin across the hall. The room
was identical to our, but
no window. If you are at all clastrophic, pay extra and get the window! Inside rooms are
very dark! Our other friends
were next door. We found the soundproofing to be pretty good - could hear mumbling but not
their conversations! In
comparing our cabin to other ships, the size was similar to those we had on Carnival, but
the layout and amenities
were much better. There are two closets, lots of drawer space and shelving. The corner
vanity in the room itself
allowed my husband to get ready in the bathroom while I did my hair and makeup at the
vanity. One of the best tips I
read from other reviews was to bring along an additional outlet plug. There is one on the
vanity, but if you want to
plug in a hair dryer and curling iron at the same time, you will need to bring along an
extension.
Each room is also equipped with a safe that is big enough to hold jewelry and perhaps a
small camera or other
valuables. You are able to set your own code, so it is easy to access. We strongly advise
you use it. As I mentioned
above, we had a theft from our room. We had taken a brand-new, still in the box, small
radio/cassette boombox
which we planned to use during our Vow renewal ceremony. It was too large for the safe, so
we placed it in one of
the drawers. A few hours before our ceremony we found the radio was no longer in the
drawer. We called the front
desk and a staff member said a manager and security would be up shortly. After an hour of
waiting in our room, I
called the desk again and had to speak to someone different. They sent up our room steward
who helped us take
out drawers etc to make sure it hadn't slipped away. Still no security person showed up.
We said we needed to get
ready for our ceremony and would contact security later. I also requested on my first and
second phone calls that
they assist us in locating a cassette player as we needed it for our ceremony. They were
unable to locate anything.
But our resourceful friend said she remembered a boombox playing in the beauty salon
earlier that day and
marched down and negotiated to take it for an hour - the salon was hesistant, but my
friend is very persistent and
persuasive! I don't know why the cruise staff couldn't have come up with the same
solution! We finally had to go to
the front desk the next day to file a theft report. Even after that no one ever followed
up with us. We were very
disappointed in their lack of concern. The only people that are supposed to have access to
your room are the cabin
steward (who seemed trustworthy and attentive) and his housekeeper assistant. I did notice
on two occasions
though that I came to my room after being on deck and found my cabin door propped open
with a cleaning cart, but
no cleaning personnel was in the room. So it is difficult to say whether the radio was
stolen by staff or a passing
passenger. Use caution!
While I am discussing negatives, I will also reinforce what I have read in some other
reviews. The cruise staff was
someone aloof (with the exception of dining staff). Celebrity does not allow their
Captains to perform marriage
ceremonies. They have 3rd party packages available, but we decided to do our own informal
ceremony. We
received very minimal assistance from the cruise when we explained we wanted to find a
quiet place on deck on a
formal night for our vow renewal. Although we did find a wonderful back deck and had a
romantic sunset ceremony,
it was mostly because we did the planning ourselves. Once again I was disappointed with
the staff's general lack of
interest.
Now I will return to the positives, because our trip really was a memorable and overall
favorable experience! The
dining room was spectacular, the meals first rate and service very cordial and
accomodating. We met another
couple before even boarding the ship that we bonded with, so immediately upon embarking we
went to see about
changing our table for 6 to a table for 8. This request was readily granted and worked in
our favor - we ended up
with a table right by the huge picture window (I think it was 510, near the Captains
table) We had late seating, so
occasionally got to see a beautiful sunset! Don't miss the soups - they we're to die for!
We often tried two or three!
Our head waiter was very patient about bringing us additional menu items after we tried
someone elses and decided
we had to have that too! The buffet service in the Islands Cafe was very good - we ate our
breakfasts and lunches
there. Be aware that there are two ends to the buffet as well as two sides. We found that
aft end often had very few
people at it and there is also a lovely outdoor eating area too. If you have late dinner
seating, stop by the Cafe at
4:00 for light sandwiches and tea items - a nice tide-over till dinner.
We had questions before going about taking our own wine and liquor. We took a couple
expensive wines with us
and were charged a $6.00 corkage fee. The wine list on board was pretty good and priced
similarly to good
restaurants. We enjoyed our wine stewardess very much. Just before boarding ship, the duty
free sales people
approach you. You are able to purchase wine and hard liquor before boarding. Actually you
have to board ship,
then at 3:30 just proir to sailing you go down to the dock to pick it up. Our friends
bought wine and liquor then and
fairly decent prices. If you want to have cocktails available in your room, pick up your
liquor from the duty free, and
pack some mixers. We found no one hassled us if we discreetly carried our drinks on deck.
On board drinks are
moderately priced, especially if you watch for the specials of the day!
PORTS:
Jamaica - We took the Jamaican Queen Party Boat excursion, which was a reasonable value,
to Dunns Falls. We
loved climbing the falls and since we had a couple with us that had done it before, we
didn't stick with the group to
climb. I'm glad we struck out on our own. They tried to have the group of 25+ climb
together holding hands. Our
group of 8 assisted one another in stepping up the steep parts, but I think it would have
been difficult with the larger
group. It was a real rush! Don't forget to take time to look around while you climb -
there was beautiful foilage and
flowers. The boat then took us to a small beach at a hotel resort, but our stay was brief.
The water was rough and
the boat was having trouble at the little dock - it too much time to get on and off. Then
there was rum punch and
dancing on deck on the way back to ship. We would recommend taking a ship excursion in
Jamaica because of the
troubles there. In fact, those that went into town saw some scary things - there was
rioting the day we were there
because of a hefty gas tax. Some roads were blocked and several islanders were killed
later in the day. We heard
they closed the port the next 2 days.
Grand Cayman - We tendered to shore very easily (although we didn't go early with the
excursion groups) Two
couples went scuba diving with the ship's excursion. They said the diving was mediocre and
would probably make
their own arrangements next time. The rest of us took the Sting Ray City tours offered by
the locals on the docks for
$25/pp. It was an experience to pet and feed the sting rays. They take you to a reef area
about 25 minutes out from
shore and you jump off the boat and snorkel. One of the tour guides held a ray for us most
of the time that we could
pet and feed, but there were lots of others swimming around that you could approach on
your own. We also
wandered in the shops and found it to be a clean, friendly town.
Cozumel - What a day! Several of us took the taxi's that are readily available at the pier
to Chaakanab Park ($4/pp)
The state owned park charges $7 admission and it is well worth the money. The sandy beach
is long and lined with
grass hut like umbrellas and lounge chairs for shade. You can rent snorkel gear for a
modest price and swim with an
array of fish. We also spotted Mayan artifacts underwater (a tablet, a sculture, a cannon)
Waiters serve you cold
margaritas! How could life get any better! They is also a beautiful botanical garden, an
arena where you can swim
with dolphins (for a mere $125), outdoor restaurants, and a Mayan temple. There was no
ship excursion here, but
easy to do on your own. Then after a late lunch on ship and a quick clean up, we went into
town to shop for silver
jewelry and trinkets. But if you're looking for FUN go to Carlos and Charlies. Our group
definately tied one on in a
couple hours and joined the rest of the partiers dancing on tables! Be careful to keep
track of time - we had barely
gotten on board when the departure horn blew!
Key West - Another wonderful day. We spent the morning strolling around the shops and
museums. Had lunch at
Jimmy Buffets Margarittaville restaurant (which has a great gift store but we were
disappointed with the rest - they
weren't even playing Jimmy's music in the restaurant!) Then we rented motor scooters and
cruised around the
island with the wind blowing in our hair! It was a great way to see the small island and
stop whereever we wanted.
Not many sandy beaches in Key West - rather rocky and kelpy, but beautiful none the less.
The scooters were $25
for 2 hours, which was just the right amount of time.
Random Thoughts: You don't need to pack beach towels. You can get large towels each day as
you get off the ship
if you want. Our embarkation/debarkation went very smoothly. We had very little waiting
time and were impressed at
how smoothly things went. The pools were a bit small and like most ships, deck space on at
sea days was at a
premium. But they did have lots of chairs and we generally sent someone from our group up
early to stake out a few
chairs that we rotated through during the day. Entertainment was mediocre - but since we
had our friends along we
had built in entertainment. After dinner, the guys usually went to Michaels cigar bar,
which they loved, and we girls
would check the evening shows. The singers and dancers certainly put their hearts into
their work and the numbers
were generally good. The poolside band 'OPUS' was good, especially when performing island
or pop rock music.
They sometimes played in the Hemisphere Lounge later in the evenings, which is where we
40's crowd headed.
Although we often found we had the dance floor and lounge to ourselves much past midnight.
There was another
band that played in the Crystal Lounge for the big band crowd. The age mix on the ship was
pretty dispersed. Some
older, some middle age and some with small children.
Some of the on-board activities we enjoyed included the martini tasting the first night in
the intimate martini lounge in
the Crystal Room. Not being a martini drinker it was fun to attend. There were about 30
people and the bar tendress
made 7 different flavors which everyone got to sample (tiny plastic cups) The little
lounge became our evening
meeting spot for cocktails! We also enjoyed the Card Rooms with their picture windows and
beautiful wood. We
would often meet there in the late afternoons or after dinner for Pinoccle with our
friends. I think there were
organized Bridge games going on often too. As always, read your daily activity sheet the
night before, if you can
keep yours eyes open. There is so much going on! They even offered computer training
classes - beginners
Internet, word processing, etc. for about $69.
Enough of my rambling...overall this was an enjoyable cruise and the ship was lovely. If I
can answer any specific
questions you might have, send me an E-mail. Bon Voyage!
Name: Christine Pinto
Email: mbank@concentric.net
Age: 25
Occupation: educator
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: 12/26/98
Itinerary: western caribean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 11100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 70
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue: 100
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 70
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 70
Casino: 100
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 May 1999
Time: 00:13:27
Remote Name: ts005d08.hil-ny.concentric.net
Remote User:
Comments
The Western carribean cruise was my first cruise vacation. My boyfriend and I had a
wonderful, relaxing time. We
were very pleased with the cruise experience and look forward to our next one. I have many
comments about the
cruise which I hope you find informative. The majority of my comments are very positive
due to the fabulous service
provided by Celebrity.
Our cruise itinerary included the following ports: Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, Cozumel,
and
Key West. I will comment on our ports of call and our shore excursions first because I
enjoyed each one greatly.
Ocho Rios was Okay, despite what many people might say. Quite a few people advised us not
get off the boat. They
claimed that the natives would hassel us into purchasing their merchandise. However, that
did not happen to us. We
browsed the local store without any harrassment. The one negative thing was that on the
way back to the ship we
were the only non-native people around, I suppose that would make some people nervous, we
felt fine about it.
Also, on the way back we were offered marijuana by two gentlemen passing us. We simply
said, 'No, Thank you' and
they left us alone.
The shore excursion that we chose for the day was the one to Dunn's Rivers Falls. It
was such an
enjoyable time, we have some great pictures. I will admit that at first I was frightened
to climb the falls, I am not the
outdoors type of person, once I had started the climb I was having so much fun I quickly
forgot about the steepness
of the falls. It was a great adventure that I highly recommend. People of all ages were
participating, if a five year old
child can do it, so can you. It was also refreshing, the water was constantly splashing
against you. The excursion
that took us their was the Jamaican Party Boat, the people who ran the boat were sooooo
friendly. Our next port of
call was Grand Cayman, we had fun there. That day we went on two excursions, the Flight
Seeing excursion on a
small turbo prop and StingRay City.
StingRay city was outrageous, if you are going to go make sure you go at 7:30
a.m., not 10:30 a.m. I know its early for some of you, I love to sleep late, however when
you go this early you will see
soooo many StingRays, you'll love it. If you go at 10:30 you won't see too many Beautiful
StingRays because they all
have eaten for the day thanks to the 7:30 excursion. The boat ride to the sandbar was
breathtaking. Our tour
guides were most pleasant and informative, we learned all about Stingrays. When we got to
the sandbar I was
excited, but there was not one StingRay in sight. However, as soon as our tour guides
entered the water with food
they began to come one by one. They are so adorable, I would love to have some as pets.
Although I did not
believe that they would be friendly, they were. They are harmless gorgeous creatures that
love to glide right by you,
often brushing up against your body. We have some great pictures of them.
The sandbar was amazing, the sand
was so fine and shell free, I could have spent hours there, I didn't want to go. My tired
feet quickly grew attached to
the feeling of the powder-fine sand as well as the crystal-clear water. Well, before we
knew it we were on our boat
ride back and ready for our flightseeing trip. The flight was about 45 minutes long and
the view was magnificent, I
love Grand Cayman, too bad I can't live there, it's absolutely gorgeous there. Our third
port of call was Cozumel,
what a fun and lively place. The buys are great, I wish I had purchased many more things
that I liked. I just couldn't
because I need that option of being able to return an item if I change my mind. Although,
next time I go there I am
going to buy something if I like it and that will be the end of it! We decided to go on a
snorkeling adventure, it was
my first time snorkeling. It was terrific, I can't wait to try scuba diving. One thing
though, I hope I don't encounter any
sharks.
The one negative thing I will say about Cozumel was the crazy, fast, taxi ride. The
taxis there are like Adobe
cars (Adobe cars are from a Saturday Night Live skit a few years back) I thought the
wheels were going to pop off. I
will give the taxi driver credit, he sure did know how to manuever the car, but I did not
need to feel like I was in the
Indi 500. Our last port of call was Key West. Key West is very cute, we liked it with the
exception that we were caught
in a terrential downpour that lasted the whole day, the streets were flooded with water
about one foot high. Despite
the discouraging weather we managed to cover a lot of Key West. It is a hopping place
filled with lots of shops and
restaurants/bars. It was a great destination before our trip back to Fort Lauderdale. All
of the shore excursions were
worth it, we were glad that we booked them through Celebrity. As soon as we got on the
ship we booked all of our
excursions for the entire trip, I highly recommend this due to the fact that they close up
rather quickly. To avoid any
dissappoint make sure you book them immediately.
Our two days at sea were not as exciting as our port days, but
they were excellent also. I loved relaxing by the pool, swimming and eating. One thing
that I completely disliked, that
was sooooo upsetting to me was that if you went to the pool deck in the afternoon forget
about getting a lounge
chair. Everyone must have went to the pool at around 8:00 a.m. We could never find a place
to lay down. By the
time lounge chairs were available it was around 4:30 p.m., it was disturbing. Also, every
time I went to get a towel by
the poolside, there were none due to the high volume of sun bathers. The ship should have
been more efficient in
guaranteeing that towels be available at all times. I had to wait at least 15 minutes for
a towel, I got so fed up that I
wanted to go back to my room and take a towel from there. They need to get on top of the
towel sitiuation. Other
than that our sea days were fun.
Moving along to dinner time. We highly recommend the late seating time. After a
long day we wanted some time to take a nap before going to dinner. I loved dinner time, it
began at 8:30 p.m. and
ended at about 10:30 p.m. It is a five course meal paced nicely. Although I looked forward
to this time my boyfriend
thought dinner was too long and could have been shortened. I also liked the music
accompanying our dinner. It was
great! The deserts are delicious. You can order as many as you like. Our room was nice and
very clean. The ships
overall cleanliness was shocking, everything was sparkling clean from the bathrooms to the
carpet to the staff. I
have a few complaints that I consider minor, however I feel that they are easily
correctable and see no reason why
they should not be corrected. Firstly, the hair dryer was inefficient. The hot air came
out slowly, it took forever to dry
my hair and the handle became hot very quickly, I couldn't bare to hold it. Be sure to
bring your own. Secondly,
when you leave dinner they have a bowl of mints on a table right outside the restaurant
doors. Whenever I reached
my hands in, the bowl was empty. They could have made certain that the bowl was filled.
What would it have taken?
I would have been more than happy to do it for them. Lastly, we got tired of eating the
same food for lunch and our
afternoon snack. They could have varied the food a little. I look forward to going on
another cruise, I hope you have
as good of a time as we did. Bon Voyage!
Name: Dan Sealy
Email: dsealy@pacifier.com
Age: 41
Occupation: Police Officer
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: July 1998
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 88
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 70
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 86
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 88
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 70
AirSeaProgram: 60
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 May 1999
Time: 14:20:44
Remote Name: ip201.ast2.pacifier.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was our 3rd cruise with Celebrity. We did the Western Caribbean on Century during her
first year. We did
Alaska on Galaxy the year after.
Once again, this was a fantastic cruise. I would recommend the Eastern Caribbean over the
Western for ports,
excursions, and value. The whole cruise seemed much more relaxed than on the Western
Caribbean. Not that I'm
complaining about the Western cruise, it's just that we all enjoyed the Eastern more.
Pros:
We were a group of 6 (Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Son & Daughter). We booked
connecting cabins on the 10th
level. (We had a suite with veranda about 6 cabins away on our Western cruise, but we felt
the price was too high
for what you got with a suite.) Since you so much time on deck away from your cabin, we
didn't really miss the
veranda. Also, if you select a cabin just aft of midships, you have almost a private
access to a nice little area on the
aft of the ship, just down the hall from your cabin. This is actually a stairway area with
landings, but almost nobody
uses them! We often grabbed a deck chair, and sat for hours just watching the water go by.
Great!
By all means, if you have a large group, book early and get connecting cabins! This way,
you have double
everything. Two bathrooms, three beds in each room, two TV's, etc. With the door open, it
feels like twice the space!
(We found that the connecting door was of a much better design on Century than Galaxy. The
door on Galaxy
wouldn't stay open, and was restricted to how far you could open it. It seemed to always
be in the way. Not so on
Century!)
The food was up to Celebrity's usual excellence. If you want fantastic food, sail with
Celebrity! The pizza at the grill
next to the pools was some of the best we have had. The kids and I made several trips to
and from our cabins to
bring back pizza. It was late and we were all tired from the shore trips, so pizza in the
room hit the spot! Another
good reason to spend the few extra dollars to have a cabin on deck 10 - one floor from the
buffet restaurant
upstairs and the pools, yet VERY quiet.
Speaking of quiet, I've read a few reveiws about the cabins creaking from ship movement.
We went around
Hurricane Alex on this trip and had a day of fairly rough seas. Rough enough for the water
to splash with great force
and produce 6 foot waves out of the pool! (We LOVED the rough seas...even the kids...I
realize that some complain
about the weather and the seas, but when you take a cruise, that's part of the fun!)
Nobody we saw or talked to got
seasick in the slightest. The Captain diverted around the storm and we got into San Juan
late, but so what? When
you are on vacation, you have to roll with the punches!!
In any case, the creaking cabins were non-existant. We have never had a problem with this
on any of our cruises
with Celebrity ships. Our cabins have been quiet and well maintained. Perhaps we've been
lucky, who knows?
The service was up to Celebrity's usual high standards. It's truly amazing to leave your
room in the morning and
come back to find it spic-and-span like new. One day I intentionally came back just 40
minutes after we left the
cabin, and the steward had already come and gone!
Debarkation was a breeze. Really a great system.
I really can't say more about the great value you get on a cruise with Celebrity.
Cons:
Only a couple of minor things:
First, we noticed with sadness that there was some vandalism to the elevator displays
(they look like little computer
screens) in the elevator cars. Somebody had scratched the stainless steel and the screens
themselves. Celebrity
shouuld fix things like this immediately. It really detracts from the spotlessness of the
ship. I realize it's a small thing,
but the world is made up of small things. Having sailed on her when she was brand new,
it's sad to see her showing
her age so soon.
Second, the embarkation could be a bit smoother. Since we are Captain's Club members (one
of the best values
around), we had priority boarding, but we waited for a very long time in the terminal in
Ft. Lauderdale, and there is
NOTHING to do there!
Third, we booked a tour of San Juan by bus. Unfortunately, we got into San Juan late
because of Alex, and the tour
was in the dark. We really didn't see as much of San Juan as we would have liked, but it
was fun. Perhaps a good
reason to go back and see what we missed!
That's about it for the bad things.
Finally, when you take a cruise (or any vacation for that matter), remember that things
happen...it will never go
EXACTLY as you planned it. Be prepared. Bring a change of clothes with you in a backpack
or other carry-on.
Expect the unexpected. Roll with the punches. If something is truly wrong, or you really
can't live with something, talk
to the person who can help you. Notice I said talk. Don't yell, don't scream, don't call
names, don't threaten. Treat
the other person as you would like to be treated. Just because you are a paying passenger,
it doesn't give you
license to treat another person poorly. Believe me, if you are polite yet firm, you will
get a lot more than if you try the
other way! (Once on a flight from Seattle to Hong Kong, I noticed a very rude fellow
complaining about his seat
assignment. He was VERY vocal about it. I politely mentioned that I wasn't really looking
forward to a 14 hour
non-stop flight in coach (I'm 6'6" tall). In less than a minute, I was upgraded to
Business Class both ways, and the
rude fellow was still screaming as we walked to the gate!)
Bottom line: Sail with Celebrity! You won't be sorry!!!
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