celebrity-zenith8

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Tom Kanitra
Email: tkanitra@worldnet.att.net
Age: 48
Occupation: Assoc. Director, Engineering
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Zenith
SailingDate: August 21, 1999
Itinerary: Bermuda
Cabin: 6112, Cat 4
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 98
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 99
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 99
LoungeService: 96
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Jan 2000
Time: 12:22:20
Remote Name: 76.newark-05-10rs.nj.dial-access.att.net
Remote User:

Comments

Our summer 1999 cruise on the Celebrity Zenith to Bermuda was our ninth cruise, and third cruise
with Celebrity Cruises. We have also been on the Celebrity Century, Galaxy, Royal Majesty, Nordic
Empress (twice), Norwegian Wind, Leeward, and Grandeur of the Seas. Our itinerary to Bermuda
was 2 days in Hamilton and 2 days in St. Georges. We were a party of four, my wife Linda and I, and
our two children Jonathan and Lara, ages 12 and 9.

The Zenith was our third Celebrity ship. We had sailed on the Century during the summer of 1997
and the Galaxy in March 1999. Therefore, we had very high expectations. We were not disappointed
in the least. We had a wonderful time, made even better by the opportunity to meet some r.t.c.
friends on the day we embarked.

The Zenith offers a wonderful cruising experience. It is an upscale cruise, stylish, not glitzy. The
passengers on our cruise ranged from young children to mostly middle age, with the majority of
passengers in the 35-50 year old range. There were not many seniors. Most of the passengers
were from the New York, New Jersey area. There were approximately 300 children on board
because our cruise was during the summer. It was a bit more of a party crowd than we have
experienced with Celebrity before. This ship offers a high degree of refined service, with wonderful
food on a classy vessel. Being one of the first generation Celebrity ships, the Zenith is not as large,
nor as magnificent as the newer and more opulent Galaxy and Century. However, that is
understandable, given former owner John Chandris' quote that 'they [the Galaxy and Century] are
the ships I've always wanted to build.' One negative for us was the large number of smokers on the
ship. It was difficult to get away from smoke, particularly cigar smoke. Up on deck in the evening
cigar smoke permeated the air. It detracted from the overall wonderful experience.

For us, going to Bermuda was opportunity to visit a completely new island paradise. The itinerary
includes two days at sea, one each, going to and returning from Bermuda. In Bermuda the ship
docks for 2 days in Hamilton and 2 days in St. Georges. Our plan was to find a good place to
snorkel at every port. We were partially successful.

Living in New Jersey, and with the ship departing from Pier 88 in New York City (I believe the same
Pier 88 where the legendary Normandie sank), we did not have to travel by air to reach the ship. We
arranged with a local limo service, owned by a family, which we know, to take us to the pier. We were
picked up at 11:30 in the morning, but the dad, who arrived right on time. They have children in
school with our kids, and had just gone on a cruise themselves - on the Norwegian Sea out of
Houston. Traffic wasn't a problem, and we were in New York City, within 45 minutes.

When we arrived at the pier area we first saw the Norwegian Crown. She looked great in her all
white colors. In a few moments, we saw the large white X- on the Zenith's funnel. In the car we all
played the game: 'I'm gonna be the first to see the ship.' When we saw the funnel we all claimed
victory. The Zenith also looked great in her dark blue and white colors.

We were dropped off, proceeded to check in our luggage, and rode the escalator up to the second
floor. We had arranged prior to sailing to meet fellow r.t.c.'rs Ken G. (who we first met on the
Grandeur last summer) and Ben and Claudine S. We immediately saw Ken who came running up to
us with a big smile. Ben and Claudine weren't there yet, but we chatted with Ken for a short while.
We decided to check in and get the rest of our gang on the ship. Then I'd come back and chat with
Ken for a while.

Embarkation was very easy. We are Captain's Club (repeat passenger program) members. There
was a huge line formed, but we were asked at the door if we were members to which we replied
'yes'. We were sent to an agent against the side, and then escorted to the Captain's Club check-in
agent. It took only about five minutes to register, and we were off toward the ship.

After our 'obligatory' embarkation photo, we proceeded to board the vessel. We have a full
collection of embarkation photos, except for the Leeward, which we boarded from the side of the
terminal since it was raining, and therefore didn't get one. We boarded the Zenith on the fifth deck
by the lobby and were met by white-gloved attendants. One attendant escorted us to our cabin. On
the way, he inadvertently pressed the wrong button in the elevator. We rode the elevator down to
deck 4, and realizing the mistake, I pressed the button for deck 6. Upon arriving at the right level, we
followed the attendant to our cabin, 6112.

Traveling with our children, we booked one of the Cat 4 outside cabins, roughly mid ship. It had 2
lower and 2 upper berths. While not as roomy as the larger family cabins on the larger Century
Class ships, it was sufficient for our needs. Our cabin steward Miguel and his assistant, who were
always around, never seemed to be in our cabin. Yet everything seemed to get done. Their timing
was very good. We did notice some brown tint to the water at first, and had a lack of hot water in the
shower for 2 days. We called about the lack of hot water, and it was quickly corrected.

After settling into our cabin, I walked out to talk with Ken G. a little longer. By that time, Ben and
Claudine S. had arrived. They were chatting with Ken, and when I walked up we warmly greeted
each other. Over E-mails, I'd previously promised to take Ben snorkeling, and though we've never
met before, we had exchanged many messages and knew a little bit about each other. Ben had
pictures of ship Norway that he had recently toured. I was very interested in the pictures, since it is a
ship we were considering. As I looked through the photos, Ben explained many of the areas aboard
the ship.

We chatted for a while, took a few photos, exchanged good-byes and I returned to the Zenith to join
my family for some lunch. We walked to the Windsurf Café, the buffet restaurant. The lines were
huge. There are two buffet stations. On the Galaxy and Century, there are 4 buffet stations, for only
about 200 more people, so there are rarely lines. But for the 1700 passengers on the Zenith, the
two buffet stations frequently had long lines.

After lunch, we went to Harry's Tavern, where we had arranged to meet r.t.c.'rs PegNDerek. Piphy,
another r.t.c poster, was also with them. We chatted for nearly an hour over martinis and sodas for
the kids, until it was time for muster station drill. PegNDerek gave us a wonderful bottle of wine,
which we will save for Christmas dinner. I showed Peg a small oil painting that I had sketched of the
Zenith docked in Bermuda. I just copied it from a picture in the brochure and though the Captain
might enjoy having it. I could always do another one some evening for myself anyway. We talked a
while longer, took some photos, exchanged good-byes and went back to the cabin to get our life
jackets, while Peg, Derek and Piphy went ashore.

We attended muster station drill, and immediately after the ship began to pull away from the dock.
We ran up to deck 11 to watch as we sailed out of New York harbor. Living in the New York area, we
have visited Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Liberty State Park many times, but it
was still a tremendous thrill. Cameras clicked as we sailed under the Verrazano Bridge, everyone
carefully checking to see how much clearance there was between the top of the funnel and the
bridge. After clearing the bridge, we were out to sea.

After, we went out to explore the ship a little. The ship is kept in immaculate condition. While not as
new and as fancy as the Century Class ships, it is kept up just as well. Cabins on the ship range
from Deck 4 up to Deck 10. Deck 11 is the pool deck, which also houses the Windsurf Café and the
Fleet Bar. Deck 12 is the wrap around sun deck, which encircles the pool area, only one level
higher. Deck 12 houses the health club.

The Caravelle Restaurant, the main dining room, is on Deck 7. Many of the tables are located
against windows for a great view. There are glass partitions and mirrors strategically placed to give
a more intimate feeling. Decks 5, 7 and 8 contain the other public areas, including the Rendezvous
Lounge, the Library, the gift shops, the photo gallery, Harry's Tavern, the Celebrity Theater, the
casino, the Rainbow Room, the Scorpio Disco, the purser's desk and guest relations. There is no
multi level atrium like on many newer ships.

Unfortunately, there is no wrap around promenade deck. There are partial side promenades on
Decks 8 and 9 (near the front of the ship), but they do not wrap around in the front. Most of the
decking on the ship is beautiful teakwood, however the pool deck has a unique kind of heavy
'burlap' type of material for preventing skipping. It is kept in excellent condition, showing little to no
wear. But it is a bit unusual, none the less.

The food on the Zenith was very good. Very comparable to the food on the Galaxy, which we had a
few months earlier. For breakfast we always went to the Windsurf Café. We ordered fresh omelets
on several occasions. We also had blintzes, which were great. Unique on the ship from many others
we had been on, the staff serves almost all the buffet items to you. They are not left out, to be
picked through by earlier passengers.

Service in the Windsurf Café was second to none. That's right, service in the Windsurf Café, the
buffet restaurant. Celebrity ships are the only ones where staff will come up to the buffet line and
carry children's trays to tables. That has become our benchmark for great service. We have not
seen it on Royal Caribbean, Norwegian or Majesty Cruise Lines. Only Celebrity pays that level of
attention. Continued excellence!

Aside from the embarkation buffet, we only had lunch on the ship three days. These included
Sunday and Friday, our days at sea and Thursday. The buffet food was good, not great, but good.
It was comparable to the buffets on Royal Caribbean. In addition to the hot items and cold meats,
salads and vegetables, there was a hot carvery item or two. Desserts, which looked great, really
were not, similar to what we experienced on the Galaxy. They were OK, but that's about it. We had
lunch in the Caravelle Restaurant on Friday. Lunch in the dining room was comparable to the buffet
lunch.

On all other days, we spend lunchtime at the beach, snorkeling or splashing in the waves. We
typically went out late morning, returned to the ship around 3-4:00 in the afternoon, and had pizza
and frozen yogurt at 4:00 in the Windsurf Café.

At dinner we were seated at a table for eight. The other family, also from Central New Jersey, had
two daughters, ages 12 and 9. On the Royal Majesty we were at a table for four, and did not make
any friends on the cruise. Since then, we've always requested large tables with other kids. We
quickly became friends with George, Roxanne, Briana and Jenna. We even exchanged E-mail
addresses.

Food in the Caravelle Restaurant for dinner was wonderful. The only negative was that the dinner
menu was a day for day repeat of the menu we had on the Galaxy, 4 months earlier. The Fillet
Mignon and lobster were great. The lobster, at the recommendation of Daniel our waiter, was nice
and firm, almost crisp. I mentioned to him that some passengers on an earlier sailing (the r.t.c. SGC,
Summer Group Cruise 2 weeks before) had complained about mushy lobster. He quickly replied,
'not at my table.' So we took his recommendation. He said he'd put his neck on the line. It was a
great choice. We also liked the chilled soups. There were some unique items such as pasta with
escargot and scallops, plus there were nice lamb and veal dishes.

Vegetables were not over cooked. Deserts in the Caravelle Restaurant were a bit better than those
in the Windsurf Café. Especially good were the tiramisu and the crème brulé. We were not served
crepes like on the Galaxy. There was a kid's menu. And kids could place a special order (like
chicken fingers) for the next evening even if it was not on the menu. For our fussy peanut butter and
jelly eater, the Maitre d' kept a supply of PB&J supplies at the table every evening. Overall the food
was wonderful. I would rate it superior to the food on Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line.
But perhaps a notch below the food we had on the Century during the summer of 1997, before the
Royal Caribbean takeover.

Service in the Caravelle Restaurant was superb. Our waiter, Daniel was excellent, as was his
assistant. Daniel spent considerable time with our children, and, even personally made a gigantic
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for our daughter one evening. The Maitre d', visited us nightly, to
see how things were. Even he was part of the PB&J routine.

After dinner the first evening, we walked around the ship a little, until the show. Jonathan mentioned
that he noticed someone on board from his class. Linda though, no way, it must be someone who
looked like her. Well, a few minutes later, who do we run into on the ship, the entire family. Jonathan
was right. We went to the show for a while. We all started getting tired after about 15 minutes and
left to back to the cabin. Linda and the kids went to sleep while I walked around for a while. I went to
the gift shop and bought 2 shirts. One for me, and one for Ken G., who promised to get our son a
towel from the Nordic Empress in exchange for the T-shirt. Jonathan lost his Nordic Empress towel at
summer camp. Later, I eventually found a lounge chair overlooking the stern, relaxed for a while,
and fell asleep. I awoke before midnight, and headed back to the cabin for the night.

Sunday, which was our first full day on the ship, was our first day at sea. The ship spends over one
full day getting to Bermuda, and over one full day returning to New York. We awoke late (after 9:00
a.m.) and went to breakfast in the Windsurf Café. Afterward, we explored the rest of the ship. We
checked out the shops, the pools, the casino, the theater, the library and all the other nooks and
crannies. And we picked up a copy of the trivia sheet from the library and tried our luck. We love the
daily trivia on Celebrity ships, because the daily winner gets a small prize.

During the day, we tried our luck at bingo - or should I say lack of luck. Every winner called seemed
to be from either New York or New Jersey. We did lunch in the Windsurf Café. In the afternoon, we
just kind of took in easy.

Sunday was the day of the Captain's Cocktail Party, and our first formal night. So we dressed in our
best formal outfits. Jonathan and I both wore bow ties, dressed to kill. That evening we posed for the
mandatory formal night photos. We also stopped at the library to discover that we did pretty well in
the written trivia contest. At the Captain's Cocktail Party reception line, I took the opportunity to
present my small painting to Captain Michael Karatzas. He seemed sincerely thrilled for the small
gift.

After returning to our cabin later in the evening, we discovered a small prize in our cabin. It was a
key chain. We had won the trivia contest. YES!

Sunday evening, we attended the show after dinner. The show featured the Matrix Dancers. We
stayed the entire show, even though Lara fell asleep during the show. We went back to the cabin
after the show. Linda and Lara went to sleep while Jonathan and I went out for team trivia. We didn't
do too well, but when we returned back to our cabin, we got a phone call - a bit unusual for 11:00 at
night. The caller said that we were invited to go up to the bridge for our entry into Hamilton Harbor
on Monday morning. Many thanks to Peg who I'm sure arranged this wonderful treat.

We awoke Monday morning around 7:30 a.m. Linda and Lara didn't know about the visit to the
bridge, since they were asleep when we got the call. We got dressed and I got some Danish from
the Windsurf Café. At 8:30 we went to the Rendezvous Lounge, where Officer Vassilis Polychronakis
met us. He escorted us to the bridge just as the ship was rounding St. Georges. We were still about
40 minutes from Hamilton. Four chairs were set up near the window where we watched our entry into
the harbor. Looking out the window, we noticed our dinner friends up on deck 12. During the
maneuvers, Captain Karatzas walked over to us briefly and asked me if I had painted the picture. I
replied yes. He asked if I was an amateur or a professional (that was nice of him) but I'm just an
amateur. But he again thanked me for the picture.

After the ship docked, we offered our final thanks to Captain Karatzas and went to breakfast in the
Windsurf Café, and afterward, packed up our snorkeling equipment. We decided to go to either
Church Bay or Elbow Beach. On the way off the ship, we stopped at the library and again filled out
the trivia contest. When we got off the ship we found a taxi at the Hamilton dock, and asked the
driver which beach would be better for snorkeling. He indicated Church Bay, so we asked him to
take us there. It was about a 10-15 minute taxi ride. Less than $20 for the 4 of us. When we got out
of the cab, Linda asked about getting back. The driver said that we were on a main road and that
we should just hail a taxi. While the beach was beautiful, the surf was very rough, and snorkeling
was almost impossible. It was much too rough to go out to the reef, which lies about 50 yards off
shore. After swimming and playing in the surf for a few hours, we packed up our gear and walked up
to the road. We waited a while for a taxi to come. One stopped when he saw us. He asked if the kids'
bathing suits were wet. We said that we had towels that the kids could sit on. He declined to give us
a ride, and suggested that we either hail a cab with 'leatherette' seats, or wait 30 minutes in the sun
till the bathing suits dried. Off he drove. Soon another cab came. We hailed him, put our towels
down on the seats and headed back to Hamilton.

We got back to the ship around 3:00 in the afternoon and changed out of our bathing suits. We
went for pizza and frozen yogurt, and later changed for dinner. Monday was informal night. After
dinner we went for a walk in Hamilton. We went to see the event of the season. The street was shut
down and everyone was in town to watch. They were going to move these three large electrical
power station units that had been sent by ship to the island. They were going to move the units, one
each evening, by huge articulated vehicles, from the dock area to the power station. The units were
about 30 ft. high and weighed over 200 tons each. The vehicle traveled 3 miles per hour, and
everyone followed along. It was like a circus atmosphere. Later, we took some photos of the ship lit
up at night, walked around for a while, and then went back on the ship. There was no trivia for the
evening, so Linda and the kids went to bed, while I just wandered around the ship till I was tired.

On Tuesday, we decided to take the ferry over to the West End. We wanted to try snorkeling at
Snorkel Park based on a recommendation from r.t.c.'r Kate 'By the Book'. As we walked up to
breakfast, we saw the Norwegian Crown docked behind us. It had docked early in the morning. After
our traditional breakfast in the Windsurf Café, we packed up the snorkel gear, filled out the daily
trivia sheet in the library and walked off the ship to the ferry dock. We bought tickets and boarded
the ferry. In about 15 minutes we sailed past the Celebrity Horizon, which was docked at the West
End Dockyard. The ferry docked, and we walked to Snorkel Park. At first look, it wasn't very
impressive, compared to the beach at Church Bay. But once we got onto the water it was excellent
for snorkeling. Being on the North Shore, the water was very calm. We all snorkeled for about 2
hours and then walked over to the Maritime Museum. We paid the entrance fee, and walked around
the museum for a while. While walking outside on the museum grounds, we noticed that a storm was
coming toward us on the horizon. So just as it started to rain, we began heading back for the ferry.
There was a boat right there waiting for us, so we jumped right on. About half way back to Hamilton
we hit heavy rain. It began to pour. Water was coming into every opening on the boat. We managed
to keep mostly dry, but it was raining very hard. We could barely see anything when the ferry
docked. We put our towels over our heads and walked back the Zenith, which fortunately was close
to the ferry dock. The rain continued through the afternoon, and into the evening. Lara wanted to
take a horse and carriage ride that evening, but the rain ruined her plans. We'll have to do it our
next time in Bermuda. After getting back to our cabin, we changed and went for Pizza, finger
sandwiches and ice cream. Soon it was dinner. Tuesday was semi-formal. After dinner, we went to
the show. Lara again fell asleep. After the show, Jonathan and I went to trivia, while Linda took Lara
back to the cabin to sleep. When we got back to the cabin, we discovered another prize from the
daily trivia. Another matching key chain. But, we didn't do as well at evening trivia. No prize. Oh well.

Wednesday, we awoke at around 7:30 am, with the ship already out of Hamilton Harbor. We were
heading along the north shore, sailing toward St. Georges. I quickly dressed while everyone else
lounged in our cabin. I saw the Nordic Empress heading toward us. We would exchange berths with
her on the island. Ken G. was on the Nordic Empress. I took some photos of the Nordic Empress as
we quickly passed. The Nordic Empress was our first ship, so we have a warm spot in our hearts for
her. Soon we rounded Fort St. Catherine; the ship did a 270-degree spin in the water, and headed
toward the narrow inlet into St. Georges. We docked in front of the Norwegian Majesty. The Majesty
has the better location; it docks at Ordinance Island, which is a center of action in town. The Zenith
docks a few blocks away, but it's only a short walk.

After breakfast, we again packed up the snorkel gear and took a taxi to John Smith Bay. This time,
we asked the driver to pick us up. Again, there were large waves, just as at Church Bay, also on the
South Shore. It was impossible to snorkel, but we had fun jumping around and swimming in the
waves. After a few hours, our taxi driver picked us up. He was right on time. We returned to the
Zenith, had our traditional pizza, ice cream and finger sandwiches. Dinner on Wednesday was again
casual. After dinner, we went to the show. There was no trivia, so we walked around St. Georges a
little while. I loved St. Georges. It is an old town, the former capital of Bermuda. It has numerous
small shops. It is very upscale for such an old town. It reminds me a bit of the town of Chester, in the
UK. In fact, given my choice, I think that I would prefer to spend the entire time in St. Georges.

Thursday would be our last day in Bermuda. We packed our snorkel gear and after breakfast
headed to Tobacco Bay. We took the minivan, but should have just taken a taxi. The minivan was
actually more expensive for the 4 of us. Tobacco Bay was perfect for us. On the north shore, the
water was very calm, just like at Snorkel Park at the Dockyard. The snorkeling was wonderful. There
are large rocks providing shelter. Unfortunately, a jellyfish stung Jonathan. It was about the size of a
ladies shower cap. We took Jonathan to the shack bar / gift shop, where the gift shop lady was very
helpful. She found a first aid kit with a bottle of vinegar. She put vinegar on a cotton swab and
placed it on Jonathan's finger - where he was stung. Soon he was back in the water. While at
Tobacco Bay, we noticed our dinner companions had come as well. The kids played in the water
together for about an hour. As time drew near for the ship's departure, we headed back. We
changed, went for our pizza and ice cream, and watched the ship sail for home. We didn't know it,
but Ken G. rode his scooter from Hamilton to St. Georges to watch us off. He was down on the pier,
but unfortunately we didn't notice him. After again passing through the narrow inlet, we soon were
watching Bermuda disappear in the distance. We went back to our cabin and changed for our
second formal night.

After dinner, we went to the show, and then we all went to team 'Trivial Pursuit' trivia. We did pretty
well, but not good enough to win.

Friday was our last day aboard and our second full day at sea. We used Friday as a leisurely, quiet,
relaxing day, after actively running around the past four days in Bermuda. Our most strenuous
activities were bingo, shopping in the gift shop, playing shuffleboard, throwing darts, and playing
ping-pong. As a change of pace, we had lunch in the Caravelle Restaurant instead of the Windsurf
Café. The food there was comparable to what was available at the buffet. In the afternoon, we
began that most horrible chore - packing up all the dirty clothes for our trip home. That's the point
when we realize that the cruise is almost over. Dress our last night was casual. We handed out our
envelopes at dinner and exchanges E-mail addresses with our dinner friends. After dinner we went
to the last show of the cruise. Lara fell asleep one last time. This time so did Jonathan. We went
back to the cabin, and Linda and the kids went to bed. I decided to go to trivia myself. I teamed up
with friends that I had made while we sailed out of New York harbor a week earlier. It was TV trivia,
but we didn't know the answers to 'what was the alien's name on the Flintstones?' and 'what was
Alf's name back on his home planet?' One team actually got 21 out of 20 questions (counting 2
bonus questions).

Saturday I awoke around 7:00 am. I didn't close the curtains at night, so the sun would wake me up.
While Linda and the kids slept a bit longer, I quietly put on my clothes and went up on deck to watch
the ship sail into New York harbor. I could see the Verrazano Bridge appear out of the mist. We
sailed under the bridge with a great big moon still out in the early morning. The sun rose shortly
after, just above the mist over the buildings of Brooklyn. As we approached our pier, we saw that the
QE2 was already docked right next to where we would be. And on the other side of our dock there
was a beautiful 4 masted, tall ship. With the Norwegian Crown already there as well, it was a great
day for ship watching in New York.

We had breakfast in the Windsurf Café, and picked up our carry on bags from our cabin. Being
Captain's Club members, we were given tags with #2 on them. We were among the first groups off
the ship, around 9:45 in the morning. We bid the Zenith farewell, picked up our bags, hailed a porter
for our luggage, and met our limo driver. This time, instead of the dad, it was the mom who picked
us up. Soon we were in the car, headed for home. Our vacation was over. We still had one more
chore though, a trip to the veterinarian to pick up our shaggy dog Penny, our golden retriever. As
soon as the kids and I entered the office, we could hear her barking in the back. After a short ride
home, we were back to normal.

Now there's only one thing left to do. I have to switch my computer 'wallpaper' from the Zenith to our
next ship.

The Zenith is a wonderful ship. It is for passengers who appreciate great service, a sleek and
fashionable ship, which is stylish rather than glitzy, and who enjoy very good food. But it is not for
everyone. Those seeking a more active experience would be happier elsewhere. But for us, we had
a wonderful time.

Overall, it was a wonderful summer vacation. We will definitely go on the Zenith again, possibly in
the summer of 2001.

Name: Keith Robinson
Email: keithrob@ntlworld.com
Age: 60
Occupation: Retired Bank Manager
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Zenith
SailingDate: March 19th 2000
Itinerary: San Diego Panama Canal San Juan
Cabin: 1080
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 97
FoodRoomService: 97
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 97
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 97
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 70
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 65
DiscoNightclubs: 50
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 06 Apr 2000
Time: 13:17:20
Remote Name: m220-mp1-cvx1b.man.ntl.com
Remote User:

Comments

Comments.

Our Flight tickets and information did not arrive until 4 days before departure and I then had to phone
because it was unclear how we were to get from Los Angeles to San Diego after the overnight stay. The
Celebrity representative was not obvious at Los Angeles airport on arrival and many people from the UK
missed her and arrived at the hotel not knowing what the onward arrangements were.

We were due to leave by coach at 1pm for San Diego, but eventually left about 1-50pm, after much
confusion over how many people were actually due to travel by coach. On arrival at the pier at San
Diego formalities were dealt with fairly quickly probably because we were the last passengers to board,
eventually reaching our cabin at 4-15pm. We had been told there was a buffet on deck 11 but by the
time we got there it had closed and we had to go straight to the lifeboat drill at 4-30pm.

We were delighted with the layout of our cabin which had a king size bed and room underneath to stow
our cases. The bathroom was also more roomy than on our previous cruise. Service by our attendant
Isobella and her assistant was exemplary with no request too much trouble and done immediately with a
smile.

As we were celebrating our wedding anniversary during the cruise we had purchased an Anniversary
Package which was delivered to our stateroom on the second day at sea. We were delighted with it,
thoroughly enjoyed having a full breakfast in our stateroom on the day, and then the traditional
restaurant celebration during dinner. Altogether good value for money.

The design of the Restaurant meant we were in one of the two wings furthest from the kitchens and we
felt shut away from the main area. We were put on a table for four but never saw our table companions
again after the first night, which we did not mind as we then had more room on the table which was much
too small for four people to dine on. Our waiter Ogie gave us superb service despite the long walk he
had on each visit to collect our food. We used the Restaurant occasionally for breakfast and lunch and
every waiter who we met gave us the same friendly and efficient service. The variety and quality of all
the food was excellent. The same cannot be said about the cost of wine which was exorbitant even for
moderate wines on the list. I raised this with the Restaurant Manager who said it was company policy,
but the very low sales on our cruise should tell Celebrity something.

Our only criticism of the buffet in the Windsurf Café was the difficulty in finding space for the tray whilst
getting a drink or dessert. Again the quality and variety of the food was very good – particularly the
desserts!

The entertainment in the Show Lounge was excellent with the production shows featuring the resident
artists from Matrix Entertainments worth special mention for their variety, energy and professionalism.

The Cruise Director and the other entertainment staff were always prominent and friendly with everyone,
but the same could not be said of the Captain and his officers. Apart from his obligatory appearances at
the official cocktail parties the only other time we saw him was at the Poolside Tex Mex buffet where he
stood for a long time looking over it from Deck 12 flanked by two of his officers before moving to the bar
area again with his `minders`. The rest of the Officers were no more friendly and invariably passed us
without even a smile let alone any sort of greeting.

We used the Rainbow Room a lot partly because we enjoyed the quiz`s , but mainly because we thought
the Caribbean band On Lyne who also played on the Pool deck were quite superb and could play any
type of music. However when they took a break and the DJ took over we left as did everyone else as he
did not have a feel for our ages and musical taste and seemed only interested in playing very loud
modern music for his own enjoyment. For a quiet drink we found the Fleet Bar and the Fleet Duo very
relaxing.

We were very disappointed with the quality of photographs by the ship`s female photographer who
seemed only capable of taking full face close-ups.

There was plenty of room on the Pool Deck, but the usual problem of many people, invariably Germans
reserving sun beds and deck chairs despite the regular reminder in the Zenith Daily to refrain from
doing this. Indeed these people were placing towels on not one but two sun beds – one in the sun and
one in the shade, and it was disappointing that the deck staff rarely took any action.

There was the usual chaos to get off the ship at every port of call - this seems something that no cruise
company can overcome and long waits in the lounges and queues for coaches for the trips were the
norm. Street vendors and beggars made a stroll in both the Mexican stops Cabo San Lucas and
Acapulco something of a challenge, although the Acapulco city tour which took us to see the cliff divers
was an interesting morning.

All the Costa Rican tours had long coach journeys so we took the shortest to Sarchi but still spent 3 ½
hours out of 5 hours on the coach. We enjoyed a stroll around Punta Arenas after lunch and found the
Costa Rican people very polite and friendly. We took the Cartagena tour in Columbia and would have
liked more time than the four hours allocated to see what appeared a beautiful city. Also the guide was
very difficult to understand particularly as four groups always seemed to be in the same place at the
same time. This was a feature of several tours and I guess will get worse as ships get larger and larger
with greater numbers of passengers buying excursions.

The highlight for everyone came with the transit of the Panama Canal and we were on deck before 6am
as we had an early time for entering the first lock. We spent most of the day around the decks until late
afternoon when we reached Cristobal after passing through the third lock. Due to timings we had a two
hour wait before entering this lock which gave everyone time for lunch and a brief respite from the heat
and humidity. The commentary was good when one could hear it, but was inaudible in many parts of the
ship.

We took the Island tour in Aruba and were lucky in that our driver/guide not only spoke good English,
but was an excellent communicator who made the trip a real enjoyment. Unfortunately due to a late start
we only had a few minutes to look around Oranjestad when we got back.

Our last stop was at St Thomas where we docked at the alternative pier , but with taxis plentiful it did not
take long to reach downtown and the big shopping mall alongside the main pier. Also the only time when
we did not have to queue to get ashore.

Unfortunately dis-embarkation the next morning saw the worst waiting of the whole cruise despite being
up before 6am. The arrangements to get luggage labels from American Airlines in the Show Lounge
were terrible and the system of giving everyone numbered tickets fell apart when they started to be
re-used and people coming in late were given early numbers and were then getting in front of those with
later numbers who had already been waiting an hour or more. Some lucky passengers who got their
luggage labels early and had low disembarkation numbers were able to get off soon after 8am, but most
of us were kept waiting for over an hour at the gangway because Customs wanted all the rest of the
luggage off before they would allow any more passengers to disembark. Then they decided to use
sniffer dogs on the luggage which caused a further delay.

Eventually we got to San Juan airport only to endure more hassle as we were sent to 3 different places
to check in . We arrived in New York at 4-45pm for our onward flight to London at 6-20pm and then it all
went wrong. We boarded our flight at 5-50pm and sat on it whilst a tyre was replaced only to be told just
before 8pm that a brake fault had then been discovered. A change of plane and a new take off time of
9-15pm was announced and we got off . We had a quick snack then arrived at the new gate to wait –
and wait and wait. Eventually sometime after the 9-15 take off time we were told that the plane was still
being cleaned and serviced . Later still we were told a fault had now been discovered on this plane
which was being dealt with, and we finally boarded and took off at 12-10 am. About 20 minutes into the
flight there were two large bangs and the plane returned to New York and made an emergency landing
at 1-10am. We spent the next 2 hours queuing to re-book a later flight without any announcement of
what was going on or offers of food or drinks. We finally arrived at a hotel at 3-40am for a shower and a
couple of hours rest before returning to the airport at 6-30am to check in for the 8-30am flight to
London. Thankfully this was uneventful and we at last arrived home at 10-45pm - only 14 ½ hours later
than scheduled.!!

We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and will certainly consider using Celebrity again in the future although
we would want more information about pre cruise travel arrangements and assurances that American
Airlines havee improved their staff training so that their ground staff are fully prepared to deal with flight
delays and cancellations in a professional manner which they certainly did not do at New York on April
2nd 2000 with flight AA 100.

Name: Richard J. Servatius, Ph.D.
Email: rjservatius@home.com
Age: 40
Occupation: neuroscientist
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Zenith
SailingDate: 5/20/2000
Itinerary: Bermuda
Cabin: 4070/8
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall:
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 May 2000
Time: 21:54:39
Remote Name: proxy1-external.vron1.nj.home.com
Remote User:

Comments

After a wonderful initial cruise with Celebrity to the Southern Caribbean aboard the Galaxy, we really looked
forward to our Bermuda cruise aboard the Zenith. So much so, that we invited our sister and brother-in-law
along. The cruise sails out of New York harbor, spends a full day at sea, stays two days in Hamilton, two days
in St. George, then sails a day back.

Our cruise had an inauspicious start. The Zenith was delayed in taking of from St George, so the start of our
cruise was delayed by 6 hours. We received word of the delay Friday evening -- enough time for us to
change our transportation arrangements. Those unfortunates that arrived at the appointed time were
transported to a nearby Sheraton and were served a buffet. While Celebrity could not affect the cause of
delay, their response to the delay was their responsibility. Judging from a number of passenger reactions,
Celebrity's response was appropriate. For our part, this experience reinforces the utility of booking the cruise
through a reliable, responsible travel agency (Liberty Cruises). Cruises are not immune to delays!

As for embarkation and disembarkation, we have nothing to compare Celebrity to. Joining the Captain's club
did allow us to board first, but since our companions were not members we waited with every one else. Still in
all it seemed smooth.

The trip out of New York was a bit rough. Our group, except for myself, was green around the gills that first
day at sea. And they were certainly not alone. If you are unsure of your sea legs, be prepared. The option of
flying to Bermuda and sailing back (6-day cruise) may be better. Or simply go to the Caribbean where the
seas are a bit smoother. I stayed in our room as everyone slept the sickness off, reading in the window alcove
and watching the sea. Boy, can than make your butt sore!

The food aboard Celebrity is excellent. For the number of dishes to prepare, it is simply amazing to me -- a
cook myself -- that they can prepare rare rack of lamb and a tasty eggs Benedict. Given that the kitchen is
floating, I would rate the kitchen with the three and four star Manhattan restaurants. As good as the food is, it
is very important to be with a good group for dinner. On our first cruise we dined alone. On this one we dined
at a table for eight and were lucky enough to dine with two personable, flexible and genuinely pleasant
couples. Also the wait staff is consistently excellent aboard the Celebrity. We chose Celebrity for the food; on
board cuisine is our main concern. We have not been disappointed. Remember, if you do not prefer any dish
a polite request for another is always obligingly met.

In contrast, we are not very demanding with regards to the on board activities. I get enough stimulation at
work; vacation is for relaxing. We were satisfied with ping-pong, laying about, reading and sunning. Judging
from the activities available, Celebrity seems to be targeting passengers such as we.

Unlike our previous cruise, the average age of the cruisers appeared to be closer to our own. This probably
reflects the metro New York crowd.

My brother-in-law and I planned our vacation around golf. We had the hopes of golfing all four days in port.
The delay, coupled with the inability of the ship to dock in St. George, limited our opportunities to 27 holes (1
1/2 outings). This was very disappointing. Because of the delay and the change in itinerary, Celebrity gave all
passengers a ship board credit of $50 per person. I called Celebrity upon our return. After explaining our
disappointment to the customer service representative, we were given $200 credit per person for a future
cruise. I feel this was more than satisfactory. I also feel vindicated for not constantly complaining during the
cruise!

Bermuda was lovely, of what we saw. The beach at Horseshoe bay was nice with pink tinged sand. Flowers
everywhere. The people were consistently nice and friendly. Especially, Captain Neil with whom we sailed
around the islands.

Once again, Celebrity met our expectations. They can not guarantee good weather. They can be expected to
meet with adverse conditions positively. Their tender schedule crimped our plans, but Celebrity compensated
us fairly. Compensation or not, we would have sailed with Celebrity again. On to Alaska!

Name: Forrest Murphy
Email: formur@aol.com
Age: 60
Occupation: chemist
NumberOfCruises: 8
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Zenith
SailingDate: April 2, 2000
Itinerary: Orinoco River
Cabin: 341/6
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 91
FoodRoomService: 91
CruiseStaff: 91
CabinAmenities: 88
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 91
CabinQuietness: 88
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 91
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 91
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 91
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 87
CruiseActivities: 89
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities: 88
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 88
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 88
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 15 Jun 2000
Time: 15:27:47
Remote Name: 163.st-louis-103-104rs.mo.dial-access.att.net
Remote User:

Comments

Orinoco River cruise aboard the Zenith Apr 2 -16, 2000 San Juan to San Juan.

Good things first, the hotel staff aboard the Zenith out did themselves. The Assistant Hotel manager had a
good feel for the passengers and made adjustments where needed.

One has to question if the new Celebrity Line has any feel for the traditions of the great liners. Captain
Pappas was not very social but certainly a skilled master, the tugs would stand-by but never be used.
Possibly, because we did most of our cruising at night, the ship's officers were seldom seen. The bridge and
engineering area were not available to visit. It appeared as if the ships officers were not interested in the
passengers. The customer relations officers, (formally assistants to the purser), all wear two gold stripes,
even the trainees. This leads to confusion on the part of the passengers; an officer with two stripes should
be senior enough to make things happen all of the time.

Experience has taught us that unless you plan to arrive days early for embarkation, you are best to chose
the Air Sea package offered by the cruise line. Even if your plane is delayed it becomes the cruise lines
responsibility to get you and your luggage to the ship and at no additional expense. Our airplane arrived
timely, there were not any Celebrity Line personnel at our gate to greet us. When we and the other
passengers finally found people from the Cruise Line, we are herded into lines and told to wait. No chairs
were provided or explanations given. After almost a an hour of waiting we were herded into buses that would
transfer us to the peer. It was the general feeling among the passengers that Celebrity Line/Royal
Caribbean needed to improve the airport end of their operation. Check in at the peer when very smoothly.
Our stateroom was exactly where it was supposed to be.

The Cruise Ship Port at San Juan has been improved and is still under going improvement. On Sunday
afternoons, a bazar is held in the area near the Cruise Ship Port; this contributes to a massive traffic jam, as
well as provides entertainment for those passengers awaiting departure. In as much as our luggage did not
magically appear in our stateroom, we joined the bazar until the tropical rains came. Eventually our luggage
did appear, although very wet from the aforementioned rain, and one suitcase was damaged. The ship
arranged to have the wet clothing dried and the suitcase repaired.

Almost all of the staterooms on the Zenith are the same size, about 172 square feet. (There is not a reason
to pay a premium for a large stateroom.) This size is more than adequate. The closet and dresser space
was ample and would hold without problem six suitcases worth of clothing etc. The bathroom was roomy; the
head was mounted a little high, to the point that one's feet would not touch the floor (deck) when seated.
Our stateroom attendant, Roger, was excellent and the cabin would almost magically become orderly.
Forget the hair dryer provided unless you have a crew cut, we brought our own and suggest other do the
same.

We found the tipping policy to be somewhat offensive ... The cabin attendant merits financial reward - but
not the head house keeper who left a note "leave my tip with your cabin attendant." The waiter and his
assistant waiter work for tips but who is the food service manager?

The elevators left a little to be desired, this could be remedied with better programing of each bank of
elevators. The public space was spotless. The entire ship was clean. The public space was a little tight, this
became most evident when an outside theme party was forced inside by rain. The frequent cruiser party
was held in the show lounge; this also a little tight and did not permit mingling. The life boat drill had to be
interesting in as much as two of the life boat station were 'Harry's Bar' and the 'Scorpio Bar' neither of which
appeared on the ship's maps. It must be said that the ship was going through a rename process as we
sailed.

The shopping on board was typically Greyhound; those passengers who purchased duty-free liquor could
not take the purchases to their cabins for consumption. The 'logo' wear was a little pricey and the sizes
limited. Expect to pay at least $50 for a logo golf shirt. The shop staff was very friendly and would
occasionally have sales and special promotions. Film was twice the price we paid on shore.

The main dining room required two seating. We choose the late seating. The dining room staff were very
good and provided prompt and attentive service. The food itself was for the most part well prepared and
beautifully presented. The menus were organized by a French chef (Roux?) at Celebrity Line headquarters,
his idea of Veal Oscar and the Veal Oskar that I have had at five star restaurants are entirely different. The
descriptions of many of the entrees and desserts were confusing, to the point where we would order the
'pear thing.' The beef entrees could have been more tender. Forget about Cherries Jubilee or Bananas
Foster prepared table side.

The causal dining (Windsurf Café) was for the most part acceptable, the ice-tea was dispensed from a
machine and tasted awful , the lemonade came from the same machine and required dilution with water to
reduce the acid taste. The toasted bagels were never warm. The chocolate chip cookies were the best.
Often we would be served, rather than help yourself, and the wait staff would offer to carry our tray. The
hamburger prepared at the Grill were a mistake, over cooked and flavorless.

The smoking areas on the Zenith were limited and often occupied by non-smokers who complained. The
cigar smoking club did not permit passenger to smoke their own cigars— the cigars had to be purchased on
board.

Entertainment - the production shows were very good, the jugglers comedians, magicians, for the most part
were also worth watching, half way through the cruise the late diner shows were before dinner. The two
musicians providing the entertainment in the Rendezvous Lounge were great and easily for dancing. The
Cruise staff were for the most part young and energetic; they contributed to the enjoyment of the
passengers.

The Ports of Call were all worth visiting, if just to say you have been there done that. The shore excursions
could have been better organized. The shopping specialist on board did not contribution nor did he appear
to be very knowledgeable about many of our Ports of Call. The Orinoco River cruising and Devils Island
were the highlights of the trip. Puerto Ordaz was most interesting but not a tourist destination, we enjoyed
the city and the people even if we could not change dollar for local currency.

One would hope that as Royal Caribbean, the new owners of Celebrity, digests this up-scale acquisition, the
Captain's Club members would receive aboard credits and the 'special event' would be at least be special
and better timed rather than a thirty minute party at noon requiring informal dress. As a Captain's Club
member, we did receive priority disembarkation and boarding.

We would recommend the Zenith and the Orinoco River cruise. Most of the other passenger we met had
cruised before and many aboard the Zenith. All planned to cruise again on the Zenith. The ship is smaller
than many of the current ships and offers a friendly attitude. The Zenith is a wonderful ship. It is for
passengers who appreciate great service on a ship that is fashionable, stylish without being glitzy.

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