celebrity-centuryms101798

Note -this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Marc Shannon
Email: Marc.Shannon@Innosoft.Com
Age: 32
Occupation: Software Developer
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: 10/17/98
Itinerary: W. Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 87
CabinComfort: 91
FoodRoomService: 70
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 94
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 82
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 96
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 88
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 97
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 82
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 92
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 89
OverallPortsofCall: 83
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 92
CruiseActivities: 88
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 89
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 88
Stabilization: 86
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 92
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Dec 1998
Time: 09:38:21
Remote Name: 192.160.253.143
Remote User:

Comments

10/17/98 1:35 pm Arrived at embarkation terminal. Got priority #15. I don't know whether that's good or not. They just announced
7 & 8. It was amazing. We saw the ship as we approached on the rental car's shuttle. Once we saw the Century, I knew that it
was really 'real'. The crowd in this waiting room is a lot larger than I had anticipated. The thought that these 1,000+ people all
decided, like us, to take a cruise on the Celebrity Century is a bit overwhelming.

10/18/98 10:09 am This morning I get to watch the waves of the ocean roll by as I sit by the pool bar. To recap some of
yesterday's events, we got checked in, went up the escalator, crossed the gangway, and were led to our cabin, 4019. The cabin
is on the lowest passenger deck, an outside 'Category 7' near the front on the port (left) side. When we stepped into the cabin, a
wave of feelings overcame me. For one, it was as 'real' as it was going to get. [As I write this, sitting in the covered part of the
Resort deck, by the pools, a rainstorm has rolled in. Most everyone from the uncovered pool chairs ran inside, but the twelve
people in the hot tubs are continuing to enjoy their vacation, rain or not.] The room is ample in size. Quite a few steps down from
the Embassy Suites room that was my home during the past week while I was working, but certainly room enough for the two of
us for the next week. I was surprised to find the bathroom fully stocked including soap, hand lotion and shampoo (in dispensers),
and the other little toiletries one might expect even including cotton swabs and an emery board. We needed to run a couple
errands, so we thought it would be a good a time as any to take a quick self-guided tour of the ship. Despite its size, finding
places really wasn't that difficult. Each of the three major staircases and elevator lobbies featured deck maps and floor directory.
Within minutes, we managed to get wherever we wanted to be. Our first stop was at Guest Relations to drop off some little
presents for Captain Adamidis' son, Haris, upon recommendation from Peg (of PegNDerek fame). We picked up a couple
California-themed T-shirts and since we had lots of points at Dave 'n Busters, we picked up a little stuffed Heathcliff doll. Next, we
just wandered around a bit. As it was about 3:30, we returned to our cabin to be ready for the lifeboat drill. While in the cabin, we
used the TV to order our excursion tickets. Right now, we're planning on Dunn's River Falls at Ocho Rios and Stingray City
Snorkeling at Grand Cayman. By the time that we returned from dinner, the tickets had been slipped under our door. It's hard to
beat that convenience. A bit more about the TV and the selection of in-cabin movies. First, the system includes a nice
combination of information, news, music, and interactive services. Information channels include an excursion channel that goes
over the various excursion packages, a channel for some of the ship's services like the art auction and the ship's port shopping
lecturer. For news, they offer CNN, ESPN, and a text-screen of the latest headlines and stories. Music includes five channels
with pop, adult contemporary, jazz, country, and a classical channel that shows live video from some deck on the ship from
where you can watch the waves while listening to Ravel's Bolero. Celebrity touts their interactive television and I must admit that,
despite its quirks, it does add some conveniences to one's experience in the privacy of his/her cabin. The interactive features
include access to room service, in-room gaming, shore excursion browsing (you can buy tickets, too, as we did). On top of all
this, they have two channels of relatively current movies (those released to video) plus a fair number of on-demand pay-per-view
movies for $8.95. Promptly at 4:00, as advertised, an announcement came over the loudspeaker telling us that the lifeboat drill
was to start immediately. As soon as the announcements were finished in English, Spanish, German, and Italian, the coded
alarm began (7+ short bursts and one long burst). We headed promptly to our muster station (the Celebrity Theater), heard some
more announcements and then proceeded to our lifeboat station. All said, the drill was handled well by both the crew and the
passengers. After it was over, a general sense of 'now the vacation can begin' seemed to permeate the air. Next up: the party by
the pool while the ship left Port Everglades. Barry thought it would be fun to join Jim, the Cruise Director, in learning some new
dance steps. He and 40 of his new, closest friends learned dances the Macarena, the Electric Slide, and others. As an incentive,
Jim offered a bottle of champagne to one lucky participant. Barry was standing next to the winner. :-) Before we knew it, it was
almost 6:00 and time to head off to the Grand Dining Room for dinner. It didn't take us long to realize that in all the excitement,
we had forgotten to eat lunch and we were more than ready to have a fine dinner. We were lead to our table... a cozy table for 2
(contrary to our request to the TA for a table for 6), right beside an entrance on deck 6 and nestled between the live music and a
corner. In general, we weren't pleased with this outcome, but it was resolved quite well a bit later on. Our one-night waiter was
Arnel (although the card on the table said Ahmet) and the busboy was John. After dinner, we spoke with Sanjay, the maītre d',
and he directed us to the seating reservation table downstairs. We were quickly reassigned to a table for 8 on deck 5 right by a
window on the starboard side. There was only 1 other couple currently assigned there. We were a bit tired so we took a brief nap
in the cabin before the show. Soon it was time for the 'Welcome Aboard' show that introduced us to many of the entertainment
and service people on board. The sampling included an a capella group called Home Run. We are really looking forward to seeing
them again on Monday night. Still having some pep left thanks to the evening nap, we indulged our appetites and curiosities at
the Midnight Buffet in the Islands Cafe. The theme this night was Italian and it was fantastic. By the time we fell asleep at almost
one in the morning, we had definitely had a full day, and it only really started that afternoon.

10/18/98 This is our first of two days at sea and this will be a terrific opportunity to size up Celebrity's offerings and the Century in
particular. While Barry was in the shower, I thought I'd try the in-room gaming. After a few tries at each of slots, blackjack, and
video poker, I ended up 50¢ (2 credits) up. Barry tried video poker once, got a flush and won another dollar. Little did we know
that his winning was just beginning... For breakfast we decided to venture back to Islands and get some standard breakfast fare.
In general, the fruit was fantastic (especially the melon), and the servings were plentiful, but the scrambled eggs were a bit runny.
Also, the drink cups (both hot and cold) are a bit small, but the wait-staff are very good about filling at least two glasses of juice
(apple, grapefruit, and orange were available) for guests. Our first activity in the morning was TV Tunes Trivia, hosted by Jim, the
Cruise Director. We had some trouble finding the event at first as it was supposed to be poolside, but it was raining. We weren't
waiting long before an announcement came over the PA stating that it had been moved to the Hemisphere Lounge. It was a fun
and friendly crowd of couch potatoes, and potato-wannabes. We 'only' got 13 out of 21, so I don't know if that was good or bad,
but we could name the four characters of the TV show featuring the title song including the words 'Thank you for being a friend'
('Golden Girls' - Blanche, Sophia, Dorothy, and Rose). After trivia, we proceeded downstairs to the Celebrity Theatre for some
bingo. We both purchased the 'value' packs (4 games of 3 cards each) for $20 apiece. I personally think I would have preferred to
play for free and win cute trinkets instead, mostly because the payouts are so modest compared with card sales, but I wanted to
try it out. The first game was a 'Loser's Bingo' game where the last person to mark a space on their card wins. Everyone starts
standing until they have no cards with any matching numbers. I managed to make it through 6 numbers or so. Barry made it
through about 10 before he sat down. To our surprise, not only did he sit down but so did the other two remaining players. So
they all won and each got $31 plus a treat from Robby, the ship's port shopping lecturer. Barry got a Grand Cayman rum cake
(which is what he wanted). The other two prizes were a bottle of rum and a bag of Jamaican coffee. That was a nice surprise, but
Barry wasn't phased -- 'See? The only way I win is by being a loser!' It's time for lunch and we decide on burgers and fries at the
Grill by the pool, but with the chilly and wet weather, we eat inside at the neighboring Islands Cafe. After lunch, we went back to
the room to take a nap and rest up for the first formal night. There was a message on our phone from Joyce, the Captain's wife
inviting us to join her for drinks at Tastings, the coffee bar that evening. Now, that would be fun. This is the first time I've ever had
to wear a tuxedo, so that was a bit unusual for me, but the rental tux that had magically appeared while at the lifeboat drill fit just
fine (although Barry's pants were a bit too long - I guess we were a bit off on his inseam). Our new table was definitely in a much
better location and Erkan, our new waiter, is really quite nice, as is our busboy whose name we haven't yet caught. Tonight we
met our new tablemates George and Betty, an older couple from Scotland. We had very pleasant conversations during dinner and
just plain had a good time. We did stop by Tastings, but we didn't see Joyce (who said we'd find her with a two year old) there.
Maybe tomorrow night.

10/18/98 10:29 pm We've just come from the 'Around The World'. I must admit that the nightly shows are some of the things that
I've enjoyed most thus far. This show featured the Celebrity Dancers and Singers performing an hour-long collections of various
songs defining music 'around the world' including contemporary country, songs from South Pacific (Bali Hai and Honey Bun), and
show classics like Tiny Bubbles, Viva Las Vegas, and New York, New York. We spent a little time in Fortunes and donated
~$20 to their coffers. Now we're hanging out in the Crystal Room to hear pop classics (played by Moses and the High Brows)
from the 50's and later. They had just finished a couple slow love songs including 'Woman in Red' and now they're on 'Wooly
Bully'.

10/18/98 11:12 pm On to Rendez-Vous Square to listen (not to participate) to some Karaoke. A man is now singing 'My Girl', and
quite well, too. Alas, after some time in here, it's time for bed. No midnight buffet for us tonight.

10/19/98 5:11 pm We just pulled away from Jamaica. I wish I knew what it was about watching the port shrink away that seems
so calm and refreshing, but I do certainly seem to enjoy it. Today was quite an adventure. We started this morning, as I'm sure
the rest might be, by waking to the sound of the telephone ring with our wake-up call. A quick shower 'n shave and we were off to
our Ocho Rios highlights and Dunn's River Falls excursion. A short stop for pancakes, bacon, and coffee/juice at Islands made
the (early) morning complete. I missed the custom-made omelets at the end of the buffet, so I'll have to try and remember that
they're there for the next time. Since we were docked there were no complications in getting to the pier. Once there, we easily
found the line for the Highlights tour and our group was introduced to Cassandria, the tourguide on the bus, and Bubba, the driver.
Our first visit was to Fern Gully, a long, steep, and winding road that was supposedly a riverbed until an earthquake rerouted the
river. Now it's the home of numerous varieties of fern plants, hence the name. At one point up the hill, we got a beautiful view of
the Century down through a green valley. I hope that picture came out well! Our next stop was at Shaw Park, a botanical garden
featuring many colorful flowers and several trees that were new to us such as the banana, coconut, and Banyan trees. Abraham
was our guide here and he took time to photograph us in front of a beautiful natural waterfall as well as describe many of the
plants they featured, including the carefully planted crabgrass. Shopping in Ocho Rios is no surprise to anyone here. The vendors
are insistent, and sometimes downright pushy. There was one shop at Soni's that I really did enjoy on that hot and humid
morning: TCBY for a Tropical Fruit frozen yogurt! It was so refreshing that it almost made up for the weather for a while. While
walking around, we were offered taxi rides countless times and even on the bus, men with carved items tried to sell to us through
the windows. Anyway, we finally headed to the falls. Once there, with rubber 'booties' donned, we started down the steps. I didn't
realize it was so far down, never mind to have to climb all the way back up. At the bottom, our guide, L. Dillon, lined us up in a
chain of 40 or so and we began our trek up the falls. I must admit that it was a lot harder than I had anticipated it would be.
Several times, Barry or I thought of bailing out and looking for some escape stairs. All in all, we did finish and I suppose there is
some sense of accomplishment there. There had been an offer to have a videotape of our climb made for ~$30, but no one in our
group wanted it. Afterwards, Barry kind of wished he had said yes. Back to the bus where we waited for two couples who got
confused between quarter to one and quarter after one. Finally, though, we headed back to the pier. Neither of us wanted to do
anything else in Jamaica, so we were perfectly happy to get back on the ship. We decided to spend the evening relaxing, so we
ordered room service instead of having dinner in the Grand Dining room. Around 6:15, we used the TV to order a pizza, some
soup, cheese and crackers, a slice of apple pie, and some drinks. After completing the order, the screen promised it would arrive
within 15 minutes and that we should call if there were any problems. 25 minutes later, there was no food yet, so we called and
were told that it was on its way right then. Another 10 minutes and I called back to make sure that I had heard her correctly. She
confirmed that it was on its way. Yet another 10 minutes and George, our steward, appeared with the food. Unfortunately, the
pizza was cold (the cheese on the pizza had almost completely hardened) and the coffee was equivalently cool. The cheese and
crackers were okay, as was the apple pie. Overall, though, the whole room service experience was quite a bit less than
satisfying. Anyway, the real excitement started this evening when we finally met Joyce, Haris, and Captain Iordanis Adamidis.
We had a wonderful chat with Joyce, and even met two other new acquaintances of hers, Anna and Ariella (Anna's adult
daughter). Joyce asked her husband whether we could see the bridge and he said that we could the next day when we pulled
away from Grand Cayman. How cool!

10/20/98 2:30 pm Today was the Grand Cayman Stingray City adventure. The hardest part of the whole adventure was getting up
at 6:00 for our 7:45 excursion. It turns out that it was well worth it to go at such an early hour. 6:00 was probably most
distressing because it was completely dark outside with sunrise still an hour away. We watched the sunrise through the clouds
while we finished our breakfasts and then headed down to Rendez-Vous Square for preparation for our excursion. From there, all
80-100 were led to our tender (one of the lifeboats - it's good to know that they really do float) and we all packed in. We headed
off to the dock where we waited a short while and then headed off to the buses. The bus ride was longer than we had anticipated
but was a very pleasant ride nonetheless. George Town appeared much more inviting than Ocho Rios and we were actually
looking forward to doing tourist shopping after we returned. After about 15 minutes, the buses finally stopped at an otherwise
deserted docking area where we all boarded the M/V Stingray. The boat ride took another 30 minutes for us to get to the sand
bar where the stingrays hung out. As luck would have it, the sun came out as we approached the bar. One of the guides hopped
in first to feed the stingrays some squid and to make sure everything was okay. Then it happened. Everyone jumped into the
water and the shrieks and screams started. People were shouting and moving and twisting around... and having the time of their
lives. It wasn't long before the stingrays were everywhere. What startled many of us was the feel of them as they shimmed by us,
brushing our legs as the passed. As we got braver, we could bend down (snorkel and mask being extremely useful) and actually
'pet' them as they continued to pass by us. The guides held up large stingrays for us to hold (and even 'kiss'). These creatures,
despite their hermetic nature, seemed welcome to allow us in their 'personal space', if only because we brought them dinner.
After twenty or so minutes of sheer excitement, the stingrays started moving away as a couple other boats arrived, presumably
with a fresh supply of squid. We loaded back up on the boat and headed back to land. So, too, did the sun leave with us as it
started to rain lightly. It was very fortunate that the Century had first 'dibs' on tendering (either by schedule or chance) so that we
could be the first ones out to that sand bar this morning. Once back by the docks, we decided to do our tourist shopping. After a
quick tour of some of the shops (and making mental notes of where we wanted to return), we headed around a few corners and
found Maxin's, a quiet restaurant featuring French and Caribbean food. We ordered fish and chips. While neither French nor
Caribbean, it was quite good, albeit a bit expensive at US$30 for the two of us. Perhaps we should have ordered one of the lunch
specials. On to shopping. Our first stop was 'Gotta Glow T-Shirts'. They had Cayman Islands themed shirts that added colors
when exposed to sunlight. We also went to another souvenir shop and picked up some 'regular' T-shirts, a rum cake, some small
bottles of rum (airplane size - appropriate for us since we don't drink much), and a cute little stuffed stingray (now named Sally).
After we returned to the ship, it was time to meet Joyce to see the bridge. She took us through a 'Crew Only' door where we met
up with Anna and Ariella and all five of us then went to the bridge. Considering that Celebrity's policy is not to permit tours of the
bridge, we felt very special being allowed up there. We met Chief Officer Nikos Prandzis who explained all the controls and
panels to us and answered our questions. I would have thought that pulling out of port with a 70,000+ tonne ship would be more
hectic on the bridge, but instead it was the epitome of calm and ordinary. The only way we might have known it wasn't ordinary
was that there were seven officers on the bridge instead of the usual three. Once we were out of port, I took some pictures of the
bridge and the view from there. I know I have photos of the ship from angles that most passengers don't. The evening was rather
tame comparably. We did get two new tablemates for dinner (John and Peggy, a thirtysomething couple from Florida). Peggy
hadn't been feeling well the night we met George and Betty, so we missed out on seeing them then.

10/21/98 3:03 pm Okay, a warning first... As I write this, I'm sitting on the beach at Chankanaab looking at the ocean. The sun
comes out periodically, warming up the sand in contrast to the cool breeze. You know the Corona beachside commercials
('Change Your Latitude')? Well, I'm the one with a latitude change! This morning was to be our trek to the beach and/or shopping,
but as we walked from the boat, it started to rain lightly as it had yesterday in Grand Cayman. A light rain is really not bad since
it's warm, but as we got further away from the docks, it started raining heavier. Our score: Rain 1, Cozumel 0. Back to the ship
we went and we inadvertently took a brief nap. About 1:00, we tried to head off again. After a light lunch, Barry decided to go to
the 'Learn to Massage' class at the AquaSpa instead of braving the elements again. I, obviously, proceeded on. A quick and easy
taxi ride led me to Chankanaab. It's very nice that right outside the international terminal they have a board with the taxi prices to
various locations. I asked the taxi driver how Cozumel compared to the rest of Mexico. He told me that since everyone on the
island has a job, there is virtually no crime and it is very safe unlike mainland Mexico. It's interesting to note that Cassandria had
mentioned that Jamaica wasn't a good place to live right now because people didn't have jobs. Two islands so relatively close to
each other each relating their local society's happiness to the availability of employment. Anyway, once at the beach, I found a
free palm leaf umbrella and set up my mini-home. The first order of duty is some swimming. I headed down into the lukewarm
water and was immediately surprised by the number of fish in the water by the rock-stairs. Some people are obviously feeding
them often enough to keep them close. It's a nice treat. It wasn't long before I realized that almost everyone in the water was
snorkeling (and having a lot of fun, too). Part of me wished I had brought my snorkel and mask, but I came here for simple beach
time and swimming. I floated out in the water for a bit more than half an hour, just watching the boats go by, seeing the Century
off in the distance, and trying to avoid the snorkelers who were too busy looking down to see me in them. Now, back in the
shade on the sand, I'll spend some time catching up on my notes while enjoying my Coke and listening to the waves. One thing's
for sure... after I'm done writing here, there's going to be a little time left for another dip into the water.

10/22/98 10:17 am After getting cleaned up from the beach and returning to the pier and buying some obligatory souvenir
T-shirts. Back on board, it was time to get ready for dinner. This night's attire was listed as 'Informal/(Casual)'. Barry asked what
that meant and was told that the official dress code for the evening was informal, but the weren't going to be enforcing it. Indeed,
the vast majority at dinner, if not all, was dressed casually. I certainly didn't mind not having to wear a coat and tie in this warm
and humid weather. During dinner, the ship pulled away from Cozumel, but then it stopped moving. During Tuesday's departure
they were doing some rudder tests, so I thought that's what might be happening. We saw Joyce in Tastings after dinner and
asked her. It turned out that a couple had missed the boat and the Captain was waiting for them (but was _not_ pleased about
it). We skipped the show and instead played some more bingo. This time it was my turn and I won during the last regular game
splitting $84 with one other winner. Ever loving the challenge of the 'coin pushers', we ventured back to the casino and used the
$42 to play the machines for almost an hour during which we won bonuses of two $1 chips, $5 and $15 in bills. Since it was
getting close to midnight, we headed up to the pool area for the Tex-Mex buffet. Barry even did all the line dances including a
bizarre game featuring hat swapping that he sort of won and they gave him an 'I'm a Celebrity' T-shirt! By 1am, we were both tired
and went to bed. We wanted to try breakfast in the Grand Dining room, so we had to get up early on our second, and last, day at
sea.

10/22/98 10:01 pm We're back in the Crystal Room, all decked out in our formal attire one last time. Moses and the High Brows
is playing again... pleasant music if you're not too close where it can get too loud for conversations. Being an at sea day, we had
thought we could sleep in, but we wanted to try the Grand Dining room for breakfast. It was quite nice and the company was very
pleasant, but I think I prefer the more casual (and faster) self-serve buffet. [Barry just ordered some caviar. He thought it was
appropriate considering the way he's dressed.] For the most part, we wandered around and did little things like Napkin Folding
and a Q&A session with the Cruise Director about living at sea. The one notable thing we did was attending the art auction. We
had intended on bidding on a cute hand-painted and signed Chuck Jones cel, but the minimum bid was much higher than we
wanted to spend. I did find another lithograph that was starting at $35 (with a supposed appraised value of $200+), so I bid on
that. No one else bid, so I got it. They'll be sending it to us in a few weeks. The only downside is that the shipping is $30 for up
to five items. Perhaps we'll find something else cheap to bid on tomorrow. The 'Farewell Dinner' was interesting including a Baked
Alaska parade by the waiters and busboys followed by a group singing of Auld Lang Syne. Tonight's show was 'On Broadway', a
collection of hits from various Broadway musicals including Grease, Phantom of the Opera, and 42nd Street. By now, I've grown
tired of seeing these song-and-dance shows. While well done, I'd prefer to see a show with continuity and a plot. We're now
listening to the 'Call My Bluff' word game. We would be playing, but they didn't assign a team where we are. The fake definitions
of the words given were really creative (including words like 'blennophobia' (fear of slime, but not a fear of blenders) and succubus
(female devil who has sex with men while they sleep, but not a succulent plant)). And, in the grand tradition of the ultimate
midnight buffet, tonight featured 'Le Grand Buffet'. They opened the doors at 11:45 for pictures and then again at 12:30 for eating.
I, like almost everyone else, took lots of pictures of this 1,400 man hour creation. Overheard several times: 'I can't believe I'm
taking pictures of food.' The pictures will remind us of the amazing things they did with food: vases filled with a bouquet of
'flowers' made from vegetables, other vases decorated with bread 'flowers', ribbon bows made from sugar, and much more. And,
of course, this being Celebrity, the food was all excellent.

10/23/98 This being the last day of the cruise was a day to start wrapping things up. We went with Anna and Ariella to Key
West. In order to get to the downtown, we had to take a tour 'train' or 'trolley' out of the Navy base where we docked. We
wandered around for a while and browsed several stores. We even stopped at Margaritaville. After the other three ports, Key
West seems tame and not so special. We were just as happy going back to the ship for the last art auction that afternoon. On
the 'trolley' ride back to the ship, Keith, the driver, shared his personal Georges experience even including a recollection of a
phone call from his family during the storm. I personally wish he would have either talked about the island as a whole or nothing
at all. Barry didn't mind his story much, so I guess I'm just harder to please. :-) We made it back to the ship right in time for the
auction preview. We chose a couple items to be put up for auction (no obligation to bid, fortunately). As before, the auction was
educational and mildly entertaining. Most of the pieces put up went back down quickly without a bid. The few that did get bids
usually had only the initial bids and were 'won' at the minimum bid. The items that we wanted to see started higher than we could
afford, so we didn't bid on them. Item after item went up and we passed them by. They had a lot Dali lithographs (?) from Dante's
Inferno opening at ~$170. The idea of owning 'a Dali' was very appealing, but since we hadn't budgeted that money, we passed on
them, too. After all the works went by, we didn't have anything new which was somewhat disappointing. Once everything was
finished, we spoke with Tamara about the cel from yesterday trying to find places where we could find it. She offered to go ahead
and let us have it for the minimum bid since no one bid on it when it was up. We talked about it briefly and decided to go for it (so
we wouldn't have any regrets) and we're looking forward to getting the two 'won' pieces in a couple weeks. After our surprise
purchase at the auction, it was time for our last dinner with our tablemates. Lots of pictures were taken and addresses, phone
numbers, and (!) e-mail addresses were exchanged. After dinner we went to Tastings to say our goodbyes to Joyce, Captain
Adamidis, and little Haris. Finally, the night and cruise was finished with a farewell show with both comedians as well as Duke
Daniels, a singer from the Platters. They also showed a video of highlights from the cruise. I even saw Barry in it (when he was
up dancing on Tex-Mex night). It's too bad that they don't offer copies of the video for sale.

10/24/98 8:06 am It's that time. Soon they'll be calling for people to get off and we're in the first group since we're now members
of the Captain's Club. Celebrity handed out different color tags for people (since our white tags said Early Debarkation, I'm
presuming white is first), but they don't advertise the order of the colors. I wonder why not. It's been a fabulous trip and we now
understand why the readers of r.t.c are such cruise enthusiasts. We, too, can now start planning for our next cruise.

Name: Harriett J Cole
Email: rcole@ameritech.net
Age: 43
Occupation: Communications Manager
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: 12-5-98
Itinerary: Eastern Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 100
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 100
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90100
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 100
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Dec 1998
Time: 21:02:16
Remote Name: 199.179.190.76
Remote User:

Comments

We've only been home two hours. I wanted to submit this review right away while everything was fresh in our minds.We thought
our cruise was just a dream come true. Even though we had heard nightmares about the Embarkation,it went very
smoothly.Please make sure you have all of your documents filled out before you get in line,there were several people in another
line that didnt and they're line backed up. We had a Sky Suite on the 12th floor and it was conviently located close to the
elevators and sports activities.Even though we were on the Sports deck,there was never any loud noise or annoyances.The Butler
and the Cabin Steward were very attentative without being a bother.Make sure you take along a power strip or extension cord
because there is only one outlet in the room and it's not in the bathroom. This is one piece of advice we took from another person
doing a cruise review and we're glad we did. Our biggest complaint was that we didnt arrive in to San Juan until 6:00 pm and by
the time we got off the ship it was time for dinner(Late Seating).This made San Juan a 'wash'. We used the local taxi for our
shore excursions and I think we got a much better deal. We just negoitated a price and got a very good narrated tour from a
'local'.The only other thing I think Celebrity could improve is the crowd control for the shows in the Celebrity Theatre..they let the
guests coming to the second show in before they cleared the guests from the first show out.We bought our liquor at the duty free
shop just before we got on,this saved us a lot of money because we would have a coctail in our cabin.We also brought our own
spring water and soft drinks too.

Name: Dave Olszewski
Email: cruises@fdt.net
Age: 40
Occupation: Airborne Express Handler
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: 12/5/98
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess: 100
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 23 Dec 1998
Time: 08:45:43
Remote Name: 209.212.146.93
Remote User:

Comments

On our first day on ship. They hosted us to our cabin #5043 on Plaza Deck near elevators and stairway. Our room steward
opened the door for us and show us everything and safebox behind the mirror. We were surprised that we have twin beds
together. We alway have split twin beds because of third bunk for three of us. I did not have trouble getting on third bunk because
of ladder while twin bed are still together. The shower looks big and have enought room for two peoples together there. We liked it
the best of our past cruise ships. Regal Empress was worst because of size.

The ship was very clean. They just decorated Xmas tree and stuffs on the ship before we come aboard. It was pretty.

The dining room was beautiful. The food were very good and have bigger meats there than other cruise lines. They have good
basket of rolls and breads. Our waiter and busboy serve two tables there so they come and check us more often than other
cruise lines. They only have one show there. It was Baked Alaskan cake.

The Islands Cafe have four service lines at corner. It was big and it was not alway long waiting on line there. We alway picked
service line at stern and have seat at stern so we can have viewing of the sea on side and stern. Also homemade ice cream cart
was there. They were very good. They served sandwiches from two grills at poolside. Also they served pizza at grill at other time
but not during lunch time.

They had Midnight Buffet about three or four nights a week. The rest of night were Gourmet Bites at public areas. It was good
idea so everyone don't need to eat big foods every Midnight.

The shows were okay. I don't like to see video on wall at stage everytime they have show. They caused everyone to look at video
wall instead of actor or actress. The theater were nice and big. They were comfortable. I am deaf. I don't know if the music was
good or not. My parents said it was good. I just like to watch the actor or actress dance and run around.

They have wondeful 2 swimming pool and 4 hot tubs. Two of four hot tub were hot and other were warm. We choice which on to
soak in. I wish they have heater for swimming pools. It was alway little cold but I swim there almost everyday.

The crews were friendly on the ship. We enjoyed with them very much. I did not like Captain party at Hemishere Lounge because
they were small for everyone there. They should have it at Crystal Lounge because they are bigger with good dance floor.It was
hard for everyone to see Captain and his staffs on stage there. We glad we picked the right table and chairs so we can see it
from there.

They have nice Promade Deck but they need more lounge seats there. It was nice place to sit and relax and watch sea. We
played shuffles there.

We would like to come back with that cruise line again. But maybe we should try different cruise line like Holland America Line
or Priness line. We never try it. I found out from my Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise ships that they have five stars.
I would like to try Mercury or Galaxy next time. Email me if you have any question.

Dave

Name: Deborah Dudley
Email: Deb999@webtv.net
Age: 48
Occupation: Self-employed
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Century
SailingDate: 12-26-98
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 99
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities: 100
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 04 Jan 1999
Time: 00:58:37
Remote Name: 209.240.197.36
Remote User:

Comments

My husband and I are in our late 40's and our son is nearly 12. We have cruised before on Carnival Sensation and had a very
pleasant cruise, but we liked Celebrity Century much better. Here are some of the reasons:

The food was better, and the portions were larger. We were seated at a table for 10, and many different items were ordered. All
selections were very much enjoyed. Highly recommended were all beef selections, including the veal. I do not remember one
criticism of any of the entrees, which included lobster one evening. The soups were exquisite, especially the Roasted Tomato
Bisque, the Cream Caroline and the Cream of Broccoli. And the desserts..... you must try the swan 'thingee' and there was a
marbled cheesecake that I am still dreaming about. Even the ice cream, particularly a chocolate/chocolate chip, was wonderful.

There are many places and times to eat and the variety is great. The hamburgers out by the pool are excellent, and the pizza is
very good. If you get hungry around midnight and don't feel like leaving the room, call room service for pizza. It arrives quickly,
hot, and tastes like they made it from scratch.

The ship was very clean and beautiful. It was not as gaudy as the Carnival ship, with more wood and classy carpeting and mirrors
(always clean) in the elevators. And very few announcements were made over the PA system. Celebrity thinks you are capable of
remembering when dinner is served, etc. I really didn't realize how many announcements there were on Carnival until I heard the
peace and quiet on the Century!

Since we traveled the week between Christmas and New Years, there were many children on board. My son met a wonderful boy
his age at our table, so they did not participate in the children's programs, but a 12 year old girl at our table really enjoyed the
programs. Whenever we would see a group of children in one of the programs, they seemed to be having a wonderful time.
Celebrity seems to keep the children busy and well-behaved, I saw no problems with children annoying passengers, etc. I also
saw no drunk teenagers, as we have heard about on other cruises.

I also want to mention that I have read complaints about the smoking. I really dislike breathing cigarette smoke, so I notice it
right away, and I saw very few people smoking in public areas. Maybe I just got lucky, but there was not a smoke problem.

If you want to do shore excursions, please book them as soon as you get on the ship. You can book them right on the interactive
TV. The good ones fill up fast. I think you should try the Stingray City. We could not get in because it was filled, so we got off the
ship and booked our own. Instead of taking us to the shallow water to pet the stingrays, they took us to water about 15 feet
deep. it was beautiful, and the stingrays did come to us, but some of us were not comfortable swimming in such deep water. So
book early if you are not a good swimmer! And bring an underwater disposable camera. Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Key West
were lovely, friendly places. We would go back to any of them for a vacation. I did not go to Ocho Rios because I heard about the
pushiness of the locals, but my husband had quite a thrilling ride with a cab driver who showed him all around for $30. He said
the driver went very fast, hit every pothole, went off the road and on the wrong side if he needed to, and screamed at all the other
drivers. And they screamed back at him. He also said he was offered drugs and women.

The waiters and cabin steward were friendly, polite and very efficient. We had an outside cabin on the 8th floor and the room was
very spacious, with lots of storage and drawers, and a huge window. The bathroom was a good size. We noticed lots of nice little
extras, like shampoo, lotion, nice soap, even a place in the shower to hang your wet bathing suits. There is a refrigerator and a
handy safe in the room. Bring an extension cord, because there is only one outlet. And the hair dryer provided doesn't work real
well, so bring your own.

The only problem we had was the Air part of the package. We let the cruise line book for us and instead of a direct 2-1/2 hour
flight from Cincinnati to Ft. Lauderdale, we had to fly at 6:50am to Chicago (wrong direction), wait there for 3-1/2 hours, they fly
south to Ft Lauderdale. We did not get to the ship until nearly 4pm. That is a long day. And the arrangements home were not
much better. So we will book our own flights next time. But the cruise was so nice, it made up for everything. If anyone wants to
know more, just email me. Deborah in Cincinnati

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