Bermuda: Zenith Vs. Crown

My girlfriend and I are planning to go from NYC to Bermuda the first week of September. We are new to cruising and can't decide between the Norwegian Crown and Celebrity Zenith. We are both in our early 30s, but going on 60, and would prefer an older, quieter crowd--though we like a good disco at night. We also aren't loaded, so cheap is also good. And we'd like plenty of space at the pool. Any opinions from cruisers who've been on both/either Crown and Zenith are much appreciated.

Also, any info on what Bermuda is like in early September would be great!

THANKS!

We were just on a 13 day repositioning cruise on the Crown which included a 2 day stop in Bermuda. Last September we were on the Celebrity Horizon Phila to Bermuda. Overall my husband and I prefered Celebrity. We are 50. Most of the passengers on both ships were much older than us. Most of the activities on the Crown seemed to be geared to the older crowd. The entertainment was lacking. We were on a Caribbean cruise and there was not a steel drum or any caribbean music anywhere. The Crown's pool was nice and since we got there early we easily got a chair. Last September on the Horizon we greatly enjoyed all of the entertainment. Although the guests were a bit older than we they were fun and we had a ball. NCL is generally less formal and has the option of free style dining. The folks on the Horizon dressed almost every night for dinner and we often felt underdressed in our "resort casual" clothes but that was our problem, not a Celebrity issue. Celebrity has some nice touches that NCL lacks. Given the choice of both lines going to Bermuda, we would take Celebrity. We were there the third week in Sept. and the weather was beautiful. The water at Horseshoe Bay was warm and clear. The beaches there are beautiful. The Crown docked at Kings Wharf for the 2 days. On Celebrity we docked in Hamilton for 5 days which was much nicer since you got off and on the ship and were right in the center of town. There was always something going on. Have fun deciding on the two. Either way I'm sure you'll have a great time.

Did you consider the Empress of the Seas? She is getting a total overhaul right now and is sailing to Bermuda out of NYC! I was looking for a nice pretty ship and after all my research came up with the Empress(aka Nordic Empress...she has a lot of fans!

Sharon

p.s. the age range and activities are perfect also!