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Name: Janet A. D'Agostino
Email: jad52@hotmail.com
Age: 46
Occupation: Marketing & Public Relations Consultant
NumberOfCruises: 50+
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: 9/5/98
Itinerary: Western Carib
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 85
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 65
GoodForSeniors: 75
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 Sep 1998
Time: 16:19:49
Remote Name: 130.132.56.35
Remote User:
Comments
I know you will all find this difficult to imagine, but the single thought that finally
got me off the Century last Saturday was that I'd be able to finally my
opinion to the cruise review site! Here I am, and here I go. The Century is a gorgeous
ship. The dark woods, the gleaming brass, the sparkling
glass, the plush carpeting, the exquisite artwork, all add to her beauty and class. More
importantly, however, theCentury is a magnificant ship
because of her staff and crew. I have travelled extensively in these last 25 years, mostly
by ship. Other than an era in the mid-70s to late 80s
when I had the privilege to travel on a long-gone cruise line, Home Lines, have I ever
experienced such warmth, caring, and genuine concern as I
have with Celebrity. Call be a cock-eyed optimist, but this lines may have captured what's
been missing aboard ships for a quite a bit of time now.
I didn't feel like I was experiencing 'assembly line' cruising, as I call it. I wasn't
just a number to be herded onto the ship with 1900 other people, to
then be hawked to in the hopes I would purchase a beauty package, an over-priced
excursion, untold amounts of liquor, and as many t-shirts as I
could pack into my suitcase. Almost instantly, I began to feel surrounded by friendliness
and caring. The steward who wanted to know what it was
really like to live in Connecticut where 'Yale' is; the officer who wanted to share
stories about really old ships we had both had the joy of sailing
aboard; the waiter who wanted to talk about is impending marriage and his plan to open his
own architectural firm (since he got his degree in that
field from the university 4 years ago!); the bartender who asked and then remembered my
name and where I like to sit each time I walked into the
lounge, the busboy who always knew where to direct me when I was looking for my two
friends in the Island's Cafe. These were all the faces and
characters that make the Century so special. Oh yea, all ships these days are gorgeous, or
glitzy, or mega-sized, but this ship has a soul which
sets her apart from the others. She is almost a living & breathing entity all her own.
I won't continue to go on and on and on. I won't talk about all the stuff that everyone
else has already said, either. I will, though, make a special
note to say that Celebrity has it just about right, with a few flaws. No complaints about
embarkation or disembarkation. Got there early, am a
Captain's Club member, having sailed on the Meridian twice in the early 90s. Great,
spacious cabin, kinda small bathroom but lovely shower - big
enough to shave your legs in! Food, very good, despite some folks who have complained in
other reviews. Best mini-cheese croissants in the
history of bread baking served at 4:00 tea. Entertainment is tolerable. Why would anyone
go on a ship and then stick themselves in a darkened
showroom each night, anyway? The show is outside, on deck, under the stars. Just gaze
upwards at the sky, or outwards at the ocean. That's
enough enterainment to last a lifetime! Great late-night band and DJ - dancing until 3 am
on a packed floor! Age group varies from 18-20 year olds
to 55-60. Not many seniors that I saw.
Excursions are relatively awful. Ruins at Tulum, too long, too hot, too touristy. Tender
service into Grand Cayman was awful. Completely enclosed
lifeboats utilized for tender service in rough waters packed to the rafters. You figure
out how unpleasant that was, why don't ya. Jamaica was
relatively okay, for a change. Been there hundreds of times, swear I'm not gonna get off
the ship, then I do anyway, and this time it was quite nice.
Go figure! Keep away from the Aqua-Spa unless your very into badgering with your body
massage. Buy, buy, buy, and then buy more, is definitely
their mission. Every awful thing you've read about hard-sell comes to life at the
Aqua-Spa. They literally stand outside their shop and virtually try to
drag you inside figuring once they've gotten a hold of you they've really quite gotten you
for good!
Excellent service in the dining room, from the Restaurant Manager to the 'bar boy' whose
sole purpose on the ship, we believe, was to carry an
empty tray completely around the dining room during dinner, both levels, looking very
intent and then when he was absolutely right back where he
started from, to do it again. Waiter and busboy were absolute gems. Very concerned when we
would 'forget' to order the soup course or neglect
to choose a salad. Wanted to make sure we didn't get off the ship under nourished, God
forbid! Tastings for coffee was a big favorite. Like sitting
on the Via Veneto in Rome sipping a flavored coffee and just waiting for someone you know
to walk by and sit down in the empty chair to join you!
(Its guaranteed, you know, on the Via Veneto that you someone you know will pass by, and
if that's the case in Rome, imagine what the guarantee
is on a cruise ship!)
Does it sound like I would go on another Celebrity cruise? Why, as I sit here inputting
this review I'm waiting for my precious travel agent to call me
back with prices on a back-to-back sailing of the Century in either November (oh my God!)
or January. Does that answer your inquiry? Feel free to
email me at jad52@hotmail.com for any specific questions any of you might have, or just to
chat about cruising. Its one of my favorite subjects, and
pastimes, but I bet you could figure that out, heh? Bon Viaggio, friends.
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