Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Brad Willis
Email: bwillis@san.rr.com
Age: 36
Occupation: Financial Advisor
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: 09-26-98
Itinerary: Mostly Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 94
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 92
CabinAmenities: 92
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 97
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 99
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 97
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 99
CasinoStaff: 92
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 92
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 87
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 92
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 93
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Oct 1998
Time: 02:13:44
Remote Name: 24.94.11.2
Remote User:

Comments

This cruise was originally scheduled for the eastern Caribbean. However, due to Hurricane Georges, the itinerary was changed to the western
Caribbean, with the exception of our last stop which was changed from Key West (western) to Nassau, Bahamas (eastern) due to Georges.
Because of Georges, we departed almost four hours late.

The Century is most impressive and the crew keeps it in immaculate condition. Overall, the food and service were suburb. The Grand Restaurant is
stunning and would be one of the finest dining establishments in town in many major cities. I had heard a few complains about Celebrity's food
being overrated, and I must strongly disagree. The quality and quantity of food was most impressive. Our waiter (Josko), Busboy (Mehmet), and
Maitre D' (Mario) did a fine job ensuring that our every need was satisfied.

I brought several bottles of my own wine and I would suggest that you do the same. Though this is officially against the rules, the Wine Steward will
uncork it for a $6 fee and will not look down upon the fact that you have purchased your own wine. Just give one bottle of your wine to your Cabin
Steward the day of your dinner and tell him your table number. When you arrive for dinner, your wine will be uncorked and waiting, or in the case
of Champagne corked and chilled. One of the highlights of the trip was being invited by Social Hostess Sonia Brandi to dine with the Captain,
Iordanis Adamidis and several other lovely couples. This was on the first formal night and was the only time that the Captain, a bright and
interesting man, dined with the passengers. We were really treated like VIPs that night, although we were treated pretty special every night.

My girlfriend and I stayed in room 9062, which is a category 4 ocean view room on the 9th floor. If you are considering staying in an inside room to
save a few bucks, my advice is don't. The window is large and not having that wonderful view would have made things less enjoyable. Our Cabin
Stewards, Michael and Glory, were nothing short of amazing. When we would leave our room even for a short time, by the time we returned the
room was restocked and spotless.

I thought the entertainment was good, but not great. I did enjoy the band Prodigy, that played next to the pool most days. The shows were glitzy
with fair content. What the cast lacked in talent, they made up for with enthusiasm. That's not to say that the cast was without talent. Several of the
singers had wonderful voices.

I think that you should bring the following: a small blow dryer, a heavy-duty extension cord, a travel alarm preferably one that lights at night, 2 or
more 2 liter bottles of soda and maybe a few cans too, a bottle of the liquor of your choosing. Don't worry about pillows as they are just fine, nor
do you need to bring insulated tumblers as there are plenty of glasses to use. We brought Bonine, but didn't even consider taking it due to the
ship's stability. Be sure to bring plenty of film and sunscreen.

Ocho Rios is beautiful, but the people are pushy, rude and obnoxious. Jamaica derives over 55% of their GNP from tourism, but the residents are
so aggressive that they blow it. I could envision a day when the cruise lines eliminate it as a port-of-call. I suggest that if you are in good health
take a cab to Dunn's River Falls and climb it. It's beautiful, but somewhat physically demanding. The round trip cab fare should be no more that
$22. When you get back a couple of hours later, walk to the touristy Taj Mahal shopping center. If you like great coffee, buy plenty of the Jamaican
Blue Mountain coffee. Don't pay more that $15 per pound. Buy some rum for the rest of your trip. Then return to the ship as there isn't much else
to do there. You could snorkel, but I didn't really feel very safe. When you get back on the ship they will ask you if you have purchased any booze.
If you say yes, they will take it away from you and not return it until the last night. Your bags will not be searched if you say no, so you make the
call.

Grand Cayman was beautiful and the residents were kind, helpful and classy. The only shore excursion that we took was the Sea World Explorer.
This is a boat where you sit about 6 feet under the water. It holds about 30 people and at $33 per person, I thought that it was a good value.
There is much to see such as beautiful coral formations, masses of tropical fish, even shipwrecks. Don't confuse this tour with the glass bottom
boat or the submarine.

We tendered to shore and the process was quick and efficient. When you arrive, you will see a fleet of vans which will take you to the 7 mile beach
for $3 per person. The vans will drop you of at some hotel, which will hit you up for another $5 a head to use their beach. I think that a better
alternative is to pay a bit more and take a taxi to Cemetery Beach, which is about 10 minutes beyond the hotel. It is much less crowded and the
beach is beautiful and immaculate. If you snorkel, this is the place to be as there are coral formations just off shore. I am not much of a swimmer,
but I saw many beautiful fish which were as interested in me and my watch as I was in them. This beach has bathroom facilities and there is no
admission fee. Bring back some Tortuga rum cakes (yum), which are the number one export of the Cayman Islands. Small cakes are $4 each and
are nice little gifts.

Our next stop was Cozumel, and this is a great place to rent a convertible Jeep or the like (about $55 for the day) and drive around the small
island. Great snorkeling at Playa Corona. Great food at La Ochoa, which you will have to ask directions to. Big party time at Carlos and Charlie's.
Unfortunately, we missed the ruins as they close early. Let the ruins be one of your first stops so you don't miss them too. My impressions of
Cozumel were very favorable.

The last stop was Nassau. I had heard that the people were pushy, but that wasn't true. The people were wonderful. When you get off of the ship,
walk around Downtown for awhile and check out the shops. There is an old interesting church within walking distance, and the Governor General's
residence is also nearby. The soldier at the gate even let us onto the property, and I was able to take a photo of the Governor General, as he
entered in his limo with armed escort. The soldier told us that he wasn't supposed to let us onto the property. I told him that I hoped that the
Governor General wasn't irritated by my presence and photos. He said that he didn't know, but he hoped not. Be sure to take a ferry to Paradise
Island ($2 per person). Head toward the casino, but walk through it and stop at the beach. The casino is part of the Atlantis resort, which is
stunning. The beach is beautiful and the people are friendly. Be sure to walk through the resort's cave, which is the nicest aquarium that I have
seen. It is complete with hundreds of exotic fish, sharks, rays etc. All of them appear to be in wonderfully healthy condition. Spend a little time
walking around the grounds of the Atlantis. You will be impressed.

By now you've figured out that we really enjoyed this cruise and would strongly recommend the upscale Century. One final note, if you enjoyed the
service please tip well. The vast majority of the personnel's income comes from tips and tipping guidelines should be considered minimums.
Keeping these people happy will help to ensure considered superb service and will give these hard working employees the compensation that they
deserve.

Name: Richard Davis
Email: rdavis1@visus.jnj.com
Age: 34
Occupation: Scientist
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: 10/17/98
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService:
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 100
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 26 Oct 1998
Time: 13:11:45
Remote Name: 208.153.7.9
Remote User:

Comments

My family (myself, wife, daughter 6, and son 4) decided to try our first cruise, and after using
this web site, we selected Celebrity Century western caribbean as our choice. The vacation was
wonderful, easily exceeding our expectations.

Some advice I have read on this database bears repeating while traveling on the Century. Bring
your own adult beverages and water for shore excursions. Empty the minibar, and stock your
goodies. We brought a blender, margarita mix (strawberry and regular) lots of drinking water in 8
ounce bottles, a six pack of bud, some rum, and pringles for the kids. This saved us considerable
money, which we spent elsewhere on the ship.

Nothing compares to a cruise vacation for families. Our children loved the shipmates (ages 3-8)
program and my wife and I loved the time alone. The ship never felt crowded and the staff was
marvelous with the kids. The ports were a nice collection, and we all loved Dunn's River falls and
Stingray city. The choice of many guests on Cozumel was to spend the morning at one of the
beaches and the afternoon shopping. Key West was very nice, and the conch train saved my
feet from miles of walking. Each one of us had a ball!

Late dinner seating worked out well for us. We were able to use all the allotted shore time, take
naps, and then have a leisurely dinner. The dining staff was a highlight of the cruise.

The lectures on the ports were very informative, the shows were ok, and the activties were
many and well planned. The lounge singers were something out of a bad Saturday Night live skit.
A guy played the electric piano and the woman sang old ballads in a thick eastern european
accent. We still danced to them, but it was hard not to giggle.

Shopping on board was excellent. Periodic sales brought attention to the already reasonable
prices.

The ship, crew, staff, and the whole experience was splendid. Elegant, refined, and completely
relaxing are words were were tossing around after the cruise. I'm reluctant to try another cruise
line. I think my pre-cruise investigation was correct and Celebrity is the premiere cruise line for
the money.

Name: Jeff Hobbs
Email: Hobbsey@aol.com
Age: 41
Occupation: Sales Manager
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: Oct. 31, 1998
Itinerary: Western Carib
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 99
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 92
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 Nov 1998
Time: 12:07:58
Remote Name: 206.15.115.65
Remote User:

Comments

Celebrity Century Oct. 31, 1998

This was our honeymoon and I obsessed over this trip for 9 months. I wanted to pick the perfect
ship and the perfect itinerary and have the best vacation of a lifetime. I don't think I could have
done much better.

We arrived a day early and stayed in a prenight hotel of Celebrities choosing. It wasn't great but
it wasn't bad. We stayed in the Airport Sheraton which is very convenient to both the airport and
to Port Everglades. the room was smallish and the air conditioning wasn't working very well. But
the bell service and breakfast were very good. Best of all, when we looked out the window at the
airport and watched the planes coming in we couldn't hear a thing. And better yet, when we
looked out the next morning, off in the distance, we could see "our" ship waiting for us.

With the Pre-night packages comes transfers to the pier. Check out time was 12 noon, no
exceptions, but Celebrity wasn't planning to pick us up until 1:30. Luckily my father lives near by
and had offered to drive us to the ship. So we notified the cruise line that we would not wait for
them and arrived at the embarkation lounge at 12:15.

Since we were in a suite we had priority embarkation, and in fact we were the first to be checked
in. We went up to the final waiting area and sat for about 40 min. With the ship right next to us
through the glass the wait seemed much longer.

Soon we were aboard and delighted with what we saw. The Century is elegant and subdued.
Very classy. A Steward grabbed our bags and led us to our Sky Suite, number 1207. We had
booked a Cat. 2 on a guarantee but got this marvelous upgrade!! The cabin was spacious, by
shipboard standards, the bathroom and storage areas nicely arranged, and the veranda was
huge. At nearly 150 sq. ft. it is as large as some ship's cabins. It had two lounges, two chairs and
a nice size table.

Even if the other aspects of the ship had been substandard (and they weren't) this cabin and the
great Butler and Stewardess assigned to us made this trip truly special. Every morning we ate
breakfast al fresco with the ocean or another Caribbean paradise just over the railing.

Other reviewers have gone into great detail regarding the splendor of the Century so I won't
carry on to far. She is kept in immaculate shape. Constantly, all day and into the evening, there
is cleaning and polishing and scrubbing and vacuuming and painting going on. I never noticed a
dirty window all week long. The public rooms are large and warm and comfortable. The Theater is
spectacular. The musicians, singers, dancers and comedians much better than average.

The dinning room is very beautiful and not as noisy as you might expect, although it seemed to
be noisier upstairs than downstairs. The food was, for the most part, very tasty and well
displayed. I did have some over cooked and tasteless fish one night. The Duck L'Orange was
great!! The desserts were sinful. The famous dinning room vibration was present form time to
time but not really very noticeable.

The Islands buffet area is very roomy and with four separate serving stations there are very few
lines. The grill area was never crowed except at pizza time and the fresh pasta made here at
lunch time was tops. Please note however, that there is no free soft drinks after 2 pm. Bring
along a "keep cold cup" and fill it for later.

Our favorite watering hole before dinner was Michael’s Club. The quiet ambiance encouraged
relaxation and conversation. The warm and clubby atmosphere was perfect for me and for my
wife too.

The other "favorite" spot for us was the Aqua Spa. What a wonderful place. We did a Rasul
together; a couples mud and steam bath treatment that is very enjoyable when shared with the
one you love. Later in the week I got the best massage of my life and my wife (I love calling her
that!!) got a French Spa hand treatment and manicure. Almost daily we spent some time in the
Thallasotherepy pool. That, combined with a steam and/or sauna was ust the ticket to relax
aching legs and feet after a day in port. Not once did we encounter the reported pushy
salesmanship of the spa personnel, and believe me there were plenty of chances for them to try
it out on us.

Other activities we enjoyed were the daily trivia contests (we came in second once and got some
Celebrity fanny packs) and pool volleyball against the crew. The crew team has never been
beaten but we came close, losing by just one point.

And speaking of the crew. The new entertainment staff on the ship is great. The cruise director,
Simon Weir, just came over from the Horizon. He is very energetic and interested in getting
people involved. But fear not, there were nver any annoying shipboard announcements that were
not absolutely necessary. If you want to be involved with activities then you must read your
daily schedule.

We made some good shipboard friendships and found it fun to do port time with these great folks.
We shopped, climbed the falls, shopped, snorkeled, shopped and snorkeled again and finally,
shopped one more time. We also hosted a party on our veranda one evening before dinner. Even
with Mitch (the hurricane) jumping back into the sea north of us we had great weather and made
every port. My vote for the place I most want to revisit goes to Cozumel.

If I had any disappointments at all they would be: the golf simulator was down for the week, the
waterfall is not working in the lobby and there was no master cigar roller in Michael's. Also, we
couldn't find a single portrait that we really liked of ourselves, so we bought none.

Disembarkation was very easy. One of the benefits of having late seating is that you don't have
to go to breakfast as early the last morning. Islands only serves a continental breakfast so the
dinning room is the place to eat that last meal. Celebrity allows you to roam the ship before
disembarking now, so there was no endless waiting in an over crowed lounge.

Off the ship, past customs, find the bags and back to reality; just that quick. We watched the
Century fade in the rearview mirror by 9:30 am.

There are so many ships and I have so few funds, but would I sail the Century again? You bet. If
you have questions feel free to contact me at hobbsey@aol.com

Name: Joel Soukup
Email: joel.soukup@erols.com
Age: 31
Occupation: Consultant
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: Oct-31-98
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 65
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 65
CruiseStaff: 70
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 60
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 50
ShoreExcVariety: 75
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 65
CasinoStaff: 86
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 50
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 60
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 Nov 1998
Time: 14:42:50
Remote Name: 207.172.99.22
Remote User:

Comments

My wife and I travel frequently and thus far have cruised on Carnival, Royal Caribbean,
Windjammer and, most recently, on Celebrtiy. We were thoroughly unimpressed with our Celebrity
vacation. Personally, we had a better time and found far better values cruising on Carnival and
Royal Caribbean.

Celebrity tries to sell itself on the quality of its food. It was our understanding that prior to being
acquired by RCL, Celebrity had the best cuisine afloat. Unfortunately times seemed have
changed. Although the cuisine on the Century was very good at times, it was spotted with
obvious cost-reducing short-cuts and seemed to stress presentation over quality. Please note
that none of us are to be considered 'foodies' and have all had our share of mediocre assembly
line cooking. In fact, three out of the four in our vacation party served together in the Army and
have braved chow-halls and field rations. Still, it is our unanimous opinion that Celebrity’s cuisine
is highly over-rated and is, at best, on par with its lower priced competition.

The Century breakfast buffet consisted of pans of scrambled eggs, breakfast meats and waffles
under heat lamps and a selection of fresh and canned fruit, breads and pastries. On several
mornings omelets were cooked to order. Simply stated, you could get a more appetizing breakfast
from your local Denny’s for around five dollars than you could from the Century breaklfast buffet.
Breakfast in the Century dining room was a little better with eggs being cooked to order. Still the
majority of the breakfast items were precooked, prepackaged or cold.

Lunch on the Century was also available in either the dining room or from the buffet and was
usually pretty good consisting of a selection of hot and cold salads and soups, sliced meats and
cheeses and several hot entrees. Nothing terribly ambitious, but everything prepared reasonably
well. Burgers, franks and pizza were available for most of the day at the poolside grill. Again
nothing fancy, but nothing offensive (although the pizza crust was of the pre-made
"bread-frisbee" variety).

Dinner was probably the biggest culinary disappointment on the Century, especially considering
the surroundings in which it is served. The Century’s main dining room is by far the most beautiful
room on the ship with two dining levels connected by a grand staircase (similar to the one in the
movie 'Titanic'). The entire back wall of this room is a multi-paned, two-story window that
dominates the ship’s stern. On a clear night the view from this room is nothing short of
spectacular.

The dinner menus themselves were an absolute joy to read; each one offered four or five
marvelous sounding selections for each course, although, in our humble opinions, only about half
of the items lived up to their descriptions. The biggest problems were a lack of fresh, quality
ingredients, which was most noticeable in the seafood dishes, and the general impression of the
meals being mass-produced for people with relatively bland tastes.

We had the worst luck with the appetizers. They were, as a whole, impressive in description but
cheaply prepared. I was a little irritated when I ordered a shrimp cocktail and received a
tablespoon of defrosted ˝ inch salad shrimp with (what appeared to be) lightly seasoned ketchup
spooned over them. My wife ordered a fresh spring roll and received a bland little package of pale
veggies that obviously came out of a microwave. The spinach pastry was nice, as were the fruit
salads. None of the seafood appetizers, however, were fresh or exceptionally notable other than
the trout pate (which loses little from being de-canned or defrosted). For the most part the hot
appetizers seemed to be microwave finger-food.

The soup course was consistently good, albeit bland and little more than a mouthful in size. There
were cold selections available on every menu including vichyssoise and several unique fruit soups,
which we did enjoy.

The salads were relatively fresh, very nicely arranged, but consistently boring in both content
and selection of dressings. A typical salad course would be several leaves of fresh spinach, a few
tomato slices and some crumpled bits boiled egg and bacon. - Good, but hardly of the gourmet
standard that Celebrity advertises. I expected exotic greens, cheeses and a dressing selection
more interesting than thousand-island, vinaigrette or bleu cheese.

The entrees were pretty much hit or miss. Some were exceptional, others downright laughable.
The steaks were more of the quality of Sizzler than a 5-star resturaunt. The cuts were large and
of good quality but obviously pre-frozen and prepared en-masse. On the two occasions that
steak was ordered at our table, it was not cooked to order the first time and unnecessarily tough
the second. The salmon was decent and was available several times throughout the week. The
fowl was definitely a gamble; the chicken supreme was fine, the duck and Cornish hen were
greasy, shriveled and tasteless. A safe bet was usually the pasta dish.

Dinner deserts on the Century were very good. There was always a large selection of quality
pastries, cakes and pies as well as such exotic treats as baked Alaska and crepe suzette
(complete with flames). You may be surprised to hear that we have no complaints about the
desert menu.

I should mention that our waiter was painfully aware of the dinner menu’s unpleasant surprises
and, after graciously suffering through a night or two of our complaining, took it upon himself to
alert us of the dishes he felt were 'lacking' at the beginning of each meal. He was, in every way,
a joy to cruise with.

The wine steward (I wish I could remember his name) was a prize jerk. We brought our own wine
supply on this cruise, which is perfectly allowable as long as you are willing to pay a $6 per bottle
corking fee to Celebrity. The wines we brought along were those that we had enjoyed in the
past, some were expensive, and some were not. Some may have complimented the ship’s menu
better than others. We simply wanted the gentleman to uncork and our wine selections, not give
us his opinions (either verbally or through facial expression) on them. Still, he patronized us by
explaining the contents of every bottle we brought to dinner with and how appropriate it may or
may not be for the occasion. Trust me, he was not being helpful, he was being smug. He acted
as if we had absolutely no idea of the quality or type of wine we had brought and were simply
trying to avoid the expense of ordering from the ship’s wine list. Funny how the same eight dollar
bottle of Pepperwood Pinot Noir that my wife brought along was listed there for thirty two. So
maybe he did catch us trying to save a few dollars. I hope the personal satisfaction he got from
insulting us was worth the damage done by our complaints about him (in case anyone from
Celebrity is reading this posting, we were sitting at table 513, late-sitting, the wine steward was
tall and thin with black hair and a moustache).

This cruise was also very expensive. Aside from bottles of wine to be consumed at dinner,
Celebrity does not allow guest to bring their own beverages. Meals are included in the price of
your ticket. Beverages, however, must be purchased (with the exception of juice and coffee at
breakfast). We ran up a bill of around $300 on drinks alone, which really wasn't alot of celebrating
considering $4-6 per alcoholic drink, $2 for a soda and $3 for a bottle of water. The spa is also
horrifically over priced (I'll spare you the details - if you're interested Celebrity will provide you a
services/price list).

We decided to sail on the Century partially because we had heard so much about its
technological trappings, art collection and the fact that it was only three years old. We were not
exactly disappointed with the condition of the ship. We simply felt that we missed out on some of
the enjoyment experienced by passengers on prior Century voyages due to poor maintenance.

The ship itself was elegantly appointed and kept very clean. Much of its technological selling
points, however, did not seem to be in the greatest state of repair – which was very surprising to
us considering the amount that Celebrity vaunts the Century and its Sony-provided
entertainment technology.

First, the video/water sculpture in the ship’s Grand Foyer seemed to be broken for the entire
length of our cruise. The monitors were occasionally on, but always with the same images and
the fountains remained drained. The whole assembly looked pretty pitiful. In case you aren’t
familiar with this piece; it’s a 3-story stack of large screen Sony video monitors over and through
which water is supposed to cascade while random (supposedly profound) images flash across the
screens. My guess is that it’s pretty compelling when it’s operating correctly.

Next, the Hemisphere Lounge; which is supposed to be a high-tech observation room/disco built
directly over the ship’s bridge: Over half of the telescopes were inoperable due to missing or
broken knobs and eye-pieces. Three of the four multi-media computer kiosks had been disabled
and the one working unit played only Windows solitaire and break-out pong.

The Images lounge, which can be best described as a high-tech sports bar, also suffered from
broken and malfunctioning electronics. The Sony play-stations, conveniently embedded in the
tables were almost always malfunctioning or simply turned off. We found only two of them to be
working at all, and even those two were turned off for the majority of the cruise. The big-screen
TVs, which covered the walls of this lounge, suffered from frequent disruptions in their satellite
feeds (as they frequently indicated through error messages).

Other nit-picky gripes about the ship’s equipment: The large strings of lights between the ships
masts had bulbs missing and were never turned on. A good number of the virtual-reality cycling
simulators in the gym were broken. Our stateroom bathroom flooded (and then drained itself) due
to a slow shower drain. Our state-room temperature control did not work (we could not turn off
the AC at night). Ok, enough already. I hope you’re beginning to see a trend, we certainly did.

Despite these maintenance problems, the Century is still a beautiful ship. Of special note is the
art collection, which is simply stunning. We just wish Celebrity was taking better care of it.

And now for a comment on our fellow passengers. Simply stated, our party of four, ages 26 to
32, did not fit in terribly well with the majority of the passenegers on our Celebrity Cruise. We
were just too young.

Celebrity seems to be targeting middle to high-income couples in their 50s and 60s. I wish we had
known this before we decided to sail on this line. Most of the entertainment on the Century is
bland, wholesome and inoffensive, not to mention boring (at least to our tastes). The bars and
Casinos closed early and most of the lounge entertainment groups were either easy listening or
big-band dance. There was a token Reggae band (in khakis and polo shirts), but they only played
UB40 and Ziggy Marley covers and spent most of their time trying to sound as stereotypically
Jamaican as possible without making references to anything a blue-haired couple from Utah might
find offensive. Funny, I think they were the only people of African decent we saw on the ship.

Okay, enough comments. With out further belaboring the point, I will simply repeat our opinion
that than we feel Celebrity cruises are overrated, a poor value and not a heck of a good time for
anyone under 50.

Thanks for your patience.

Name: Jill Humbert
Email: jillhumb@msn.com
Age: 35
Occupation: cruise consultant
NumberOfCruises: 11
TravelAgent: Yes
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: May 23, 1998
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 98
CruiseStaff: 96
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 100
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 96
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 96
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 98
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 98
LoungeService: 98
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 88
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 98
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon: 98
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 60
Casino: 100
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Nov 1998
Time: 06:37:57
Remote Name: 153.34.63.77
Remote User:

Comments

This was our 2nd cruise on the Century, this time was a family reunion, with several young children in our group, including our 5 year old daughter. I
highly recommend purchase of Captains Club Membership for $35 for the whole family, for a lifetime. We were the first ones on board! We chose a Cat.
3 family cabin, which consists of two small rooms, and actually sleeps five, with a great view off the rear of the ship. Only drawback, lots of vibration in
the morning when the ship is docking. I'm an early riser, so didn't really affect me. Once again, Celebrity did not disappoint with their food. The buffets
still amaze me, compared to other cruise lines. The variety and freshness each day at breakfast and lunch is fabulous. We also love the linen napkins
and china, and assistance with trays, especially for seniors and children. But I must admit, I enjoy the extra pampering too! Highlights are the
wonderful spa - try the "Rasul" for two - very romantic and affordable. Watch for spa specials during the week, then book them quickly. Great way to try
without breaking the bank. Michaels club is a beautiful, restful atmosphere, hardly used by passengers! (As long as cigar smoke doesn't bother you)
Our whole party used this hideaway frequently as a meeting/talking place. Kids counselors were great - even for our hard to keep busy 5 year old.
Although the facility is smaller, compared to some of the newer ships, they did not lack at all in things to do and the kids loved it! Also, every other staff
member on board went out of their way to make the cruise special for our children. Once, when breakfast had been cleared from the buffet, and my
daughter wanted bacon, our Maitre'D spotted us, and took the time (I think on his break!) to search the kitchens for her. The food is still tops for a
cruise in this price range - especially the buffets for breakfast and lunch. Not to mention the pizza ovens, and pasta cooked to order. Our waiter at
dinner was not extremely accomodating, but this is the luck of the draw. Luckily, our Maitre'd went out of his way to make up the loss by our waiter.
This was our third cruise on this line and won't be our last. While I still feel they need a boost in the entertainment area, you can't beat them for a truly
pampering experience. Don't cruise Celebrity if you are looking for all night parties, neon lights, and singles galore!

Name: John Mills
Email: cruiseaholic@hotmail.com
Age: 39
Occupation: Senior Programmer/Analyst
NumberOfCruises: 20
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: 11/21/98
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: n/a
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: n/a
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: n/a
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: n/a
MedicalFacilities: n/a
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 02 Dec 1998
Time: 10:49:44
Remote Name: 198.124.130.98
Remote User:

Comments

Celebrity Century, Eastern Caribbean, 11/21/98

My travelling companion, Carol Carlson and I flew from Washington, Dulles to Ft. Lauderdale on Friday, November 20, 1998 where we met up with
some friends. We then proceeded to our hotel, the Best Western Marina. Arriving at this hotel, I was immediately taken with the notion that we should
have stayed somewhere else. I had read a review that said it was a throwback from the seventies. This is putting it mildly. While our room was on the
back of the hotel, overlooking the water and a yacht brokerage firm, it was clean and basic. The carpet and bedspread looked as if was fairly new, but
the drapes had seen better days. The rest of the hotel looks as if it belongs in a Brady Bunch episode. The lobby was downright tacky, the restaurant
(food was average) décor was very worn and outdated. Overall, this hotel was shabby, and while it was ok for one night, I won't stay there again.

After checking into the hotel, we grabbed a quick lunch and headed off for walk, ending up at the beach (approximately a 1 1/2 mile walk). A visit to
happy hour by the pool and then dinner ended up our day. It had been an early one and we were tired.

On Saturday morning, we awoke to sunshine. Looking out the hotel window I could see the Century sitting majestically in the harbor off in the distance.
Even after nineteen cruises, the anticipation began to build. After breakfast, the hotel shuttle took us to the pier at the Century. There were already
people there when we arrived at around 11:45 a.m. Celebrity needs to work on perfecting the embarkation process. We were given a number upon
entering the terminal. I looked at the young lady handing them out when she gave them to us and told her that we were supposed to have priority
embarkation since we had a suite (the same goes for Captains Club members). She then handed me four 'priority' tickets without verifying anything.
We then sat and waited until 12:30 when they opened the priority embarkation. We then went into the check in lines and were checked in and on the
ship in less than fifteen minutes. All this time, Celebrity in no way tried to verify that we were supposed to be in the 'priority' embarkation. Non-priority
passengers were still sitting in the terminal.

We were escorted to our Sky Suite, 1222, a spacious and well laid out room. Ship designers really used this space efficiently. There is more than
adequate storage, twin beds that make up as one, a sofa, table and chair. The bathroom was a welcome size also. It was marble and had a tub with
jacuzzi jets in it and a large vanity and sink opposite the toilet. There was even a phone in it. The room is approximately 246 sq. ft. and is a welcome
change from the normal size stateroom. The verandah on this room is approximately 179 sq. ft. and accommodated a round outdoor table and two
chairs and two chaise lounges. It was absolutely wonderful. One thing that passengers should be aware of with the Sky Suites is that the verandah is
75% completely private. Your neighbors could not see into your verandah unless they hung over the side of the railing and looked around. However,
the verandah is only partially covered and part of it from about 3/4 width to the railing is not covered and can be looked down onto from the deck
above. With all the discussion I have read lately about the Grand Princess and her balconies, I thought that this too should be mentioned on the
Century.

We met our cabin stewardess Anna and the butler, John. Both were friendly and helpful individuals, but we found it interesting the Anna only
straightened up the room, made the beds, etc. She had an assistant who cleaned the bathroom and it was then John who took care of everything else.
John was courteous and helpful. One evening we had a small party for some new found friends and he iced down the champagne, brought the
appetizers that we had ordered and even surprised us with some we hadn't ordered. He was absolutely wonderful, taking care of everything we
needed or wanted without being intrusive.

The Century is kept in immaculate condition by a constantly hardworking staff. The focal point of the ship is the Grand Foyer, a three-story marble,
brass and glass arena reminiscent of a shopping mall, beginning on deck 5. It is from here that you pass when going from one end of the ship to the
other, as much of the ships evening activity takes place on decks 6 and 7. The shops are located conveniently in the foyer as is the bar Tastings and
the Guest Relations and Shore Excursions desk and the bank. It is decorated in pleasing hues with a modern feel to it.

The Celebrity Theatre is a two story showroom with excellent sight lines from the lower level, which is sloped. However, the second level is angled in
such a manner that you have to sit sideways to see the stage, and strain over the high railing. The shows presented were quite good, however, I felt
that the production shows, while the dancers and singers displayed enthusiasm, the shows lacked pizzazz. One of the best acts on board, which I had
seen on the Horizon was Home Run. A male quartet and they are absolutely fabulous.

First and second seating meals are served in the Grand Restaurant, at the opposite end of the ship from the Celebrity Theatre. It is one of the most
beautiful ship restaurants I have ever seen. A grand entrance can be made into dinner down the grand staircase. The room is decorated in rich, dark
hues and is accentuated by the stately columns encompassing both levels of the room. Service here, by our waiter Robert (from Croatia) and Serge
(from Lithuania) was first class. These two young, energetic gentlemen were there to take care of our every need, and they did so. Their command of
the English language was perfect and by the second day, they had gained a good report with their tables.

One of my favorite rooms on the ship was the Crystal Room, which is a favorite gathering place in the evening to have martinis before dinner. The room
has several interesting decorating features, most notably, the water filled columns with bubbles flowing in them. Quite a pleasant room, as are all the
other ones on board the Century.

As I have said, the Century is a beautiful ship, immaculately kept. The service provided on board was great. I won't go into detail about all of the public
rooms, service and ports and excursions since there are many reviews about the Century, but will make comments that I think should be noted.

1. The evening city drive tour in San Juan was an absolute joke. The driver spoke virtually no English and made almost no narration during the
two-hour tour. Additionally, many passengers made the comment that the stop (not arriving until 4:30 in the evening) was worthless.

2. The Islands Café staff had to be constantly prodded by the supervisors to keep the tables clear and to carry trays for passengers. On several
occasions, we sat and watched the staff talk to each other while a passenger had to carry their tray to a table (no problem usually, but for the elderly
and physically impaired, it was a problem).

3. The Grand Restaurant was very noisy. Now, we may have just had a noisy bunch on board, but there were no partitions, etc that could act as a
shield to cushion the sound. It got almost unbearable when the string quartet, however lovely the music, was playing.

4. The menu and food in the Grand Restaurant was delicious, but an 'always-available' option would be nice. There are times that something on the
menu just did not appeal to you and you would want a plain piece of chicken, fish or a steak. The head waiter/matre'd were not flexible with requesting
something not on the menu.

5. More outside tables at which passengers could eat would be most desireable. Outside, aft of the Island café, there less than ten tables, but space
for at least twice as many without cramping anyone.

6. The Sky Bar is virtually unused. Rumor has it that this is going to be converted into an alternative dining room. No one on the ship could confirm or
deny this. This room was supposedly used for teen activities and in later evening, converted into a teen disco. The teens onboard were 'bored'. Our
suite was the last suite before the Sky Bar and never once was any music playing or a DJ present for the teen disco. They would occasionally gather
there, but I never once (and this was confirmed by conversations with several of the youth) was a cruise staff there to organize anything for them. This
age category seemed to be in a 'black hole', too young for the regular disco, etc but no place to call their own. The teens would attempt to get into the
disco, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. The security guards who were supposed to monitor the ages entering the disco did so in a very
random fashion. Also, there seemed to be a good bit of underage drinking going unmonitored.

7. The selection on the onboard shops was not as good as I would have expected and a wider variety of shirts, etc would have been nice.

Overall, this was a wonderful cruise and I would cruise on the Century again.

Name: Melissa Schneider
Email: mschneid@h2l2.com
Age: 31
Occupation: Planning Consultant
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: 11/14/98
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 89
CruiseDirector: 99
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 92
CabinQuietness: 70
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 92
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 75
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: na
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 89
BeautySalonStaff: 70
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 85
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 68
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: na
MedicalFacilities: na
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 91
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Dec 1998
Time: 13:31:42
Remote Name: 207.245.112.7
Remote User:

Comments

Since this was my husband and I’s first cruise, you may think it will be difficult for us to be objective. However, I did a great deal of research
before and after choosing Celebrity and the Century so I thought I had a fair idea of what to expect. If anything, hopefully, this review will be
particularly helpful to those deciding to go on their first cruise or deciding to go with Celebrity for the first time. We basically chose Celebrity for
its reputation as being ‘sophisticated and elegant’ and for having excellent food, beautiful and clean ships, and great service. We kept
hearing about how it was a step up from other lines such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean (yes, I know Celebrity is now owned by RCL), and
Norwegian. We chose the Century strictly for its itinerary. - we knew we would get to see several islands that we would probably never stay at
for an entire week. (Our previous Caribbean vacation was to Cap Juluca in Anguilla - highly recommended, in part because there are NO
cruise ships!!) So, did Celebrity and Century meet our expectations? YES and no.... The food and service were for the most part very, very
good (not always excellent though). The ship was definitely beautiful and clean (did they really need to be vacuuming and spraying that smelly
sand colored stuff on the floor while we were walking around on ship though???). The ports were very interesting - some more fun than
others. As far as sophistication and elegance, that’s where we were a little disappointed. I don’t believe that we are by any means snobs,
however, I would not describe our experience as a ‘high end’ vacation. As I go further in my review, this comment will hopefully make more
sense. That realized, however, we just relaxed, learned to ignore some of the more obnoxious passengers, and ended up having a great
time.

EMBARKATION We did not use Celebrity’s air/sea program for two reasons: 1. it was less expensive to fly on our own. 2. we decided to use
frequent flyer miles (in part earned through the purchase of the cruise itself!!!) After reading comments about embarkation on this and other
web pages and us not being Captain’s Club members, I was a little frightened. Well, we arrived at 12:45 and were on the ship before 2:00. NO
problem except it was a little annoying that the people in front of us had not filled out forms. Even though everything Celebrity sent us said to
fill out forms ahead of time, I was amazed at how many people either ignored, could not read, or overlooked this request. Here’s where a lack
of sophistication/elegance begins to occur: Throughout the cruise, I learned that many passengers constantly ignored, did not understand, or
overlooked, Celebrity’s requests (i.e. smoking, dress code, port disembarkations). Regardless, since getting on the ship was SO easy, I was
pretty excited. Once we got on the ship, however, a small wave of disappointment hit. I couldn’t tell you what level we arrived on but it
DEFINITELY was NOT the grand foyer or anything impressive. It was basically a narrow hallway overrun by confused and travel-weary
passengers. We came onto the ship and were immediately heralded into the elevator despite the fact that there no one to show us to our
room or give us keys. (Don’t count on getting a full view of the ship until you get off in Ochos Rios)

THE ROOM We had an inside stateroom on Level 9 - Vista Level located towards the back of the ship (aft). The room worked out terrific as we
decided to splurge on spa treatments instead of a window. Plus we both like it REALLY dark when we sleep. As far as being located aft, it was
the last available room on that level when we booked (a GREAT level to be on - no public areas below or above us!!). So my first bit of advise -
esp. for first time cruisers - go mid-ship and check out what is above and below you. If you are in the rear of the ship, expect to be awoken /
shaken out of bed every morning around 7:00 when the ship docks. I didn’t really mind being awaken because I loved sitting outside and
watching as the ship docked in each port. The room itself was plenty big for the two of us though the bathroom did get a little crowded when
both of us were in it. The interactive TV was very helpful and fun too (I won $30 playing blackjack on TV!). Kudos to our cabin steward as well
(Rossell). He was fairly new and while he did not know a lot about the ship or ports, he kept us constantly supplied with towels...

THE SHIP The ship was a perfect size for us. Not so big that you get totally lost or tired walking from one end to the other but big enough that
they could offer about a million (OK - I am exaggerating) things to from relaxing by the pool, dancing, gambling, bingo, art auctions, eating.
going to the spa, playing shuffleboard etc, etc., etc.. There seemed ALWAYS to be something fun and interesting to do from 8:00 am to
3:00am. Possibly, in part because of the ship’s size, it was also always easy to find a couple inside or outside spaces for us to be alone. The
variety of places and spaces was definitely one of the best parts about the cruise. I am in the design business, so from a professional
standpoint, the ship was really remarkable. Just as attractive than many of the new high-end hotels I have visited. The furniture was especially
well thought out and helped to create the many different ambiances on board.

PASSENGERS If you think, that the behavior of your fellow passengers won’t affect your cruise experience (esp. if it’s your first), you are
either VERY thick skinned or wrong. First, despite what I had read on the internet, we were still VERY surprised at the large number of people
smoking. This may be in part related to the large number of European and South American passengers on the cruise (another major
surprise) but we didn’t think smoking was still so popular! I will skip a lecture about why smoking is bad but I wish the smokers could have
been more considerate and the staff could have been / should have been a lot better in enforcing the port side only smoking policy. We could
not get on an elevator, go to the pool, or enter the Grand Restaurant without walking through a cloud of smoke. (This - by the way - is one of
my biggest complaints about the ship). I also don’t understand how people can act surprised or angry when it is a formal or informal night,
and passengers are requested to dress up! If you don’t want to dress up for dinner than why did you decide to go on a cruise - let this cruise
line??!! It says in the brochures, ticket packet, and in the daily itineraries (which by the way I loved!) what the ‘suggested’ dress is. So, my
husband and I followed their guidelines and packed accordingly. My husband owns his own tux, and we go out often to black tie and
semi-formal events so we thought we thought we knew what to expect. I think it took something away from the whole experience when we
would get dressed up and go to the dining room and see men in collarless shirts and women in shorts on nights that coat and tie were
required. Maybe the cruise staff saw that passengers did not abide by the dress code on the first informal night but that was no reason to
CHANGE the next night to informal/casual mid-cruise. My husband was one of maybe a dozen men in ties for that night, and I definitely felt
overdressed. So, my advise is simply, check out the requested dress code of a cruise because it is the cruise lines attempt to set a certain
tone (‘elegant and sophisticated’). If you don’t like it, pick another line! Also, if you bring your children aboard, understand that the dress
code is also partially supposed to apply to them. They look out of place when at dinner you are in sequins and they have a T-shirt and jeans
on (yes, we saw quite a bit of that). A quick note about children aboard. Seeing as this week was not a typical time for school vacations (a
major reason why we chose to cruise that particular week), we were amazed at the large number of kids of all ages on board. If you are
going to bring your children and not enroll them in a kid’s program, hopefully you will be responsible enough to supervise them / keep an eye
on them. (If I want to see teenagers smoking and getting drunk, I will just go my local mall).

FOOD/RESTAURANTS As has been said many times before the food on this line is very good. However, there is a difference between quantity
(‘wow, that’s a lot of food!’), presentation (‘wow, that sure looks beautiful’), and quality (‘wow, this is really outstanding tasting’). Possibly
because I have grown accustomed to the high caliber restaurants we have here in Philadelphia and New York, I found the food to be very
good but - for the most part -no better than any of the other gourmet restaurants I have been to before. I was also expecting a bit more
creativity or innovation. I do not consider escargot (which were excellent, by the way) or wild mushrooms to be exotic foods. I also do a fair
amount of ‘gourmet’ cooking myself and so perhaps I am a tougher judge. Speaking of tough.... an interesting example of the quality of the
food came on the second to last night. A tablemate and I both ordered prime rib the exact same way - medium rare - his came out (at the
same time as mine) still mooing and mine was a lovely shade of pewter (dark gray). Several tablemates ordered the lobster tail, and my
husband lucked out in that his was the only really edible one! The salad dressings were really delicious though towards the second half of the
cruise, one or both salads already came ‘dressed’ and there was no interchanging. Dinners would probably also have been more enjoyable if
we could have truly ‘dined’ - not eaten whatever was thrown in front of us as quick as possible before the busboy or waiter yanked or
plate/bowl away. We were in the late seating and still can not understand why they were rushing us so much. Being efficient is one thing but
everyone at our table felt like we had to guard our plates and keep our utensils in the air for fear that they would be taken away if we paused
for more than two seconds (honestly, this is not an exaggeration!!). Our waiter was nice but difficult to understand due to his heavy accent.
Once we met some of the other waiters later in the week, we also realized how ‘stiff’ ours was. (He did warm up in time for tips though!)

Actually our favorite dining experience was lunch in the Grand Restaurant on our second day at sea. We got a table for two and found the
wait staff to be MUCH more relaxed. We also really enjoyed the egg white omelets from the Island Cafe. It was really nice to sit outside and eat
breakfast though we had to avoid or put up with smokers. If you like curry - don’t miss the Lamb Curry for lunch. We know of many people
who go back to the ship for lunch when the boat is docked. Lunch would probably be worth a trip back (esp. if you’re on a budget) except
there are some really good places to eat on shore as well. As for the actual restaurants, there is currently only one real choice for dinner -
the Grand Restaurant which is very beautiful. Before the cruise, we had - according to our travel agent - been confirmed for a table for 6. We
ended up at a window table for 10 on the lower level of the dining room (near the Captain’s Table - I don’t know how that happened!) While
our table as located well in that respect, we all were surprised at how much we could feel the motors. I must mention that we had a REALLY
great tablemates and would recommend a large table if you want to meet new people. I recently read that Celebrity is adding a causal dining
option to the Celebrity by the end of the year (1999?) and to the other ships a little sooner. On Celebrity, dinners will be in the Sky Bar which
is a super idea as this is a light and open space that is totally underutilized.

PORTS / EXCURSIONS Since we did not use any of the ship’s excursions, I can’t really comment on them except to say that they seem very
overpriced and overcrowded. Here’s what we did on shore:

Ochos Rios, Jamaica After we swallowed our fears and got past the hassling taxi drivers and hair braiders, we walked around to the
Renaissance Jamaica Grande Hotel and spent most of the day on their beach. This is the resort with several pink towers that you will see to the
left when the ship docks. They have several pools (including a swim up bar) and two nice beaches - One with a great view of the ship.
Normally, you have to pay $10 per person to use their beach or pool but no one bothered us so I guess we got lucky. We felt it was really
nice to spend our first day not at sea at the beach instead of battling the tourists at Dunn’s River. On the way back, we stopped at Cafe
Mango for a terrific lunch of jerk chicken sandwich and jerk chicken pizza and a huge pitcher of pina coladas. Very laid back and clean and
tropical. Cafe Mango is located about 2 blocks past the Island Square Shopping area and we HIGHLY recommend it. From there we did a little
shopping - Cuban cigars are cheapest in Ochos Rios so if you want them, you should load up here as they will be $5 to $10 more expensive
in Cozumel. Talking to others on the ship, it seems we probably had a better experience than most had in Ochos Rios.

Grand Cayman This was my husband’s favorite port. Probably because it felt so clean and safe and since he is a banker he found it to be very
interesting and possibly worth revisiting. We also went to Sting Ray City. Two pieces of advice: 1. Don’t miss it! 2. Don’t go with the ship’s
excursion!! When you get off the boat, you will see one if not two people holding signs with pictures of the sting rays. We went with Ray’s and
it was AWESOME!! $25/person (compared to the ship’s $39/person), and he took a small group of us out. The guide got in the water with us
and told us what to do and what not to do and held the sting rays for us to touch and kiss. The ship excursions seemed to each have about
50 - 75 people (we had 15), and the guide did not get in the water. Since we weren’t with a large crowd, we spent more time bumping into the
sting rays instead of each other!!! Overcast skies and traffic into town prevented us from going to 7 Mile beach. Next time, we will time
ourselves better and hope for sunny skies. We hear the beach is marvelous.

Cozumel This was my favorite port in part because we had a lot of time to check out different things. We went to Chankanaab Park and it was
GREAT. The snorkeling was pretty good and the beach is nice too. I don’t think they allow ship excursions here which made it even better. We
ate lunch at the restaurant there and then wandered through the peaceful botanical gardens before heading (by cab) farther south to Playa
San Francisco. I had heard such wonderful things about this beach and was a little disappointed though we enjoyed jet skiing and being away
from crowds. Again - very relaxing and laid back. So far, we had avoided most of the crowds however we thought our trip would not be
complete without going to Carlos and Charlies. If it was 87 degrees outside that day it was probably 107 degrees in C & C’s. Like a huge frat
party with lots of sweating people and loud music. We decided to pass on staying for their overpriced drinks and instead went shopping and
settled in for yummy margarita and nachos at Pancho’s Backyard in the back of Cinco de Soles. Got some great deals at Cinco de Soles on
minor souvenirs (painted wooden napkin rings). For those interested in seeing the ruins, some of our tablemates went to Tulum and said it
was interesting but saw lots of pushy vendors and were disappointed in the lack of guidance/narration.

Key West Do not make the same mistake my husband did and think of this as a beach day!! Key West’s beaches are HORRIBLE!! I had wanted
to take the catamaran ride to the snorkeling reef but he thought we could go to the beach and swim. So, we rented a scooter (lots of fun and
the best way to really see Key West) and went to the beach that the scooter guy half heartedly recommended. It was mostly dirt and slime. We
could not even really go in the water!! After that fiasco, we ‘scooted’ around a little more to check out the town. There are some really funky
art galleries down Duval Street (away from the more touristy area). The scooter helped us get farther that we would by foot but parking is a
real pain in the neck. Once we returned the scooter, we went directly for our ‘cheeseburgers in paradise’. I am a HUGE Jimmy Buffett fan (NOT
a parrothead though!) and was happy to finally pay homage to Margaritaville. We got there around 1:00 = maybe it was an ‘off’ day - but
there were NO crowds at Margaritaville. Sloppy Joe’s looked very crowded though.

ENTERTAINMENT I know that staff changes frequently so many who read this will not get to experience Simon Weil as Century’s cruise director
but we have to say that he was truly excellent. Funny and sociable without being pushy or tacky. We went to four of the shows and as long as
you realize that this is NOT Broadway (there is a reason why these entertainers are on the ship and not in New York or LA!!) you can enjoy
the shows... One comedian was very very good though you won’t miss anything if you don’t see the other shows except try not to miss the
Newlywed and Not-so-newlywed game. Of curse, we are probably biased as my husband and I were actually contestants!! (After almost 3
years, we qualified as Not-So-Newlyweds.) We had an absolute blast and it seemed that everyone in the audience really enjoyed the show as
well. They show it on the closed circuit TV’s in everybody’s rooms so by the next day (an at sea day no less), we were minor celebrities. Crew
members were actually coming up to us to say that this was one of the best shows that they had seen!! The credit of course goes back to
Simon who MC’ed the Game. We also really enjoyed Vibz, the new band playing at the pool and lounges. The Crystal Room is a cool place to
meet before dinner. Great furniture too. They have jazz or big band music playing. One night our whole table met there before dinner and I
definitely think we were the oldest ones there by about 30 years!! (we are all in our 30’s!). Like I said before, one of the best things about this
cruise was the variety of activities. We really tried a little of everything, and I recommend other first timers do the same.

SPA In short, great treatments at reasonable prices (compared to Philadelphia or New York) but the hard sell ruins the whole experience.
The best thing to do is probably to tell them from the start that you will not be buying any products and do not want to hear their pitch. I
unfortunately, didn’t do that and was persuaded to spend $60 on products I don’t really like and may never use again. The woman who gave
me a facial actually got angry and criticized me when I would not purchase the moisturizer - and this is after I bought the cleanser and toner
(not to mention $70 for the facial)!!! The workout facilities are very nice and located at the front of the ship so you can look out the window as
you work out. ADVICE: if you have the late seating for dinner, try to work out around 6:00 - 6:30ish, most of the equipment is available then.

I realize this is a particularly long review but if I hope I’ve provided some new insight into cruising on one of the most reviewed ships on the
web..... Despite some minor disappointments, this cruise was a fabulous experience - one that I would recommend to anyone - old or young,
married or single. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at mschneid@h2l2.com.

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