sue58

is this area of cabins really that bad????

I think this area is THAT BAD. I would try to get a cabin in any other location if possible and would only stay in this area again if I really wanted to go on a specific cruise very badly, couldn't get a cabin in a different area and if I could get an extremely good deal.

I'm sure it would depend on the staff/entertainers on the cruise - if they like to stand in that hallway and talk after the last show of the evening or if they just move through the area. I'm pretty sure the doors slam because they are fire doors, maybe that wouldn't bother everyone. Also it would depend on what your schedule is like when you cruise. I tend to get up very early and so might be winding down or in bed by 11 some nights, also it might be hard to take an afternoon nap because of staff coming and going. Just things to consider.

The cabins I'm talking about are 3001 - 3011. I think the entertainers might be in 3001? - closest access to backstage. I think any numbers above 3011 would be normal noise-wise.

I think along with the noise of the cabin what bothered me almost as much was the apparent lack of concern or interest shown by the staff at customer service. Tell me there is absolutely no chance of changing cabins when I first ask, don't keep me in suspense for days on end by telling me you'll look into it.

Also in the spa area -and the area that spa customers may be asked to wait for their services, is another relaxation area OPEN TO ANYONE but rarely used by anyone other than spa customers. These padded, comfy lounges face the ocean at the front of the ship and this area is one of my very favorite quiet zones. I think this really is one of the few rare "secret" locations on the ship. Personally I'm glad so few take advantage of it.

We were on the Eclipse for the first time in December and found the very secluded relaxation lounge on deck 11 forward. I asked if it was a private area and was told by the spa staff that it was open to everyone on the ship but very few people knew about it. They told me to feel free to go in and help myself to water or tea if I wanted some.

I was the only person in there for about an hour. It was also one of the very few places on the ship that was quiet - no music being piped in. I did find it a bit too warm after a while because there was no air/con but it was very, very relaxing.

On a cruise in June I didn't find the robes in my stateroom and thought it might be another cutback. I asked my stateroom attendant and he brought me one immediately - it was just an oversight when preparing the room between cruises.

On our cruise this month two robes were in the closet when we arrived.

I always use the robe and am glad there is one less thing I have to pack. I don't think Celebrity sells the waffle weave robes any longer - just the plush ones now?

SHIP: Eclipse

CABIN #: 6307

DECK #: 6

CLASS: SV

AREA: Aft

BED NEAR: Balcony

QUIET?: Yes very, unless you have neighbours who let the doors slam when coming and going.

BALCONY VIEW: Wake of the ship and beyond - lovely for stargazing at night.

BALCONY SIZE: Seemed about 1 1/2x deeper than a standard side balcony.

WIND A PROBLEM?: No

SOOT A PROBLEM?: One or two specks some days but never an issue.

PROBLEMS/COMMENTS: *As most people in SV cabins will mention it is a fair walk to the elevators but I never had a problem with it as I like to walk a lot - DH commented several times how far it was.

*The cabin seemed narrower than the cabins on the M-class ships and it definitely looked a bit narrower than an inside cabin we also booked on this ship.

*I was a bit worried that there would be no privacy on the balcony from above but this was not the case - if you sat on the balcony near the doors you had complete privacy, you would only be seen from above if you stood at the railing. Could not use if it rained or at times if you didn't like full sun.

*The roof of the Tuscan Grill extends out beyond the balcony floor but that didn't detract from the excellent views of the wake.

*You often would feel the vibration of the engines, especially when travelling at night. I didn't mind it but it bothered DH.

*I would not hesitate booking this cabin again if I ever did another S-class cruise.

I suppose it's technically not spam but I returned yesterday from a 2-week cruise and found 16 emails from Celebrity in my inbox with assorted offers/deals. There seem to be so many of these emails offering deals lately they tend to blur together and I don't give them much attention.

The 16 emails don't count the emails I received from booking on board that were incorrect, which I tried to correct two days later and then again a day after that. The corrected emails don't show a correction and the rebooking emails never came through. Luckily I have learned from past experience and got photo copies of everything while on board.

off the top of my head, I think its five years. I travel for work a few times a year, plus we do 3 or 4 shopping trips in buffalo, add to that flying out of BUF ..... it made nexus a worthwhile investment. I got tired of sitting in a lane at fort erie, and watching the nexus lane breeze by. We just had our interviews in July .... next weekend is our first trip to the US where we'll use our cards.

Thanks Queen of Oakville - it sounds like a good price for five years of convenience, definitely something to think about. Love those mini trips to the States. We're heading to the States for a few days next week - luckily we can avoid weekends so the lines usually aren't too bad.

Nexus cards are awesome, and if you don't have one, I highly recommend it. It's $50 per adult.

Queen of Oakville - how long are the Nexus cards valid for, years? I would also love a quicker way across the border or through the lines at the airport. :)

We've done the Panama Canal twice - both times from west to east. We were lucky enough to get an aft/corner balcony cabin and spent most of our time out on the balcony. If we can score another FV cabin on any future P C cruises I'll gladly sign up again.

I'm not a history buff but found the whole story of the Canal interesting - yes I did read The Path Between the Seas, forced myself at times to keep reading, and I enjoyed the five lectures given by the Canal expert on the ship. The transiting of the canal and the actual canal itself were nothing like I had imagined.

My favourite part of the whole cruise was going across Gatun Lake and how peaceful and calm it was when you were gliding through the water. I also liked all the different things we saw along the way from the start to the end - the landscapes on each side, birds, buildings, people, bridges, locks, etc.

I think back on the Panama Canal cruises as being peaceful and relaxing - the length of the cruise, the sea days, the different ports, some of which we spent very little time exploring and just an overall enjoyment of the cruise.

I agree with the OP and wish the term Elite could be replaced by something else a bit more neutral.

While I do like and appreciate some of the perks of the level I don't need the implied "status"? of the label.

Yes, I know, it's just a word but I would prefer a different word to describe this level like Silver, Level 3, Marlin or Magnificent!:D

I am a bookcrosser.

I was too. :)

If I had ever spotted any bookcrossing books on any of the ships I have been on I would definitely have picked them up and continued their journey. I didn't see any of the dozen or so books I left in the library over the past year. Hope you got at least some of the books you left last time registered.

The library on the Summit in June was just sad. There were a lot fewer books available than in the past year or two and close to 50% of the books were in languages other than English.

I always bring 3-5 books to read and leave on the ship. I also put a note, in the books that I leave, that I brought these books and if the person doesn't finish it on the cruise they are welcome to take it with them....so they don't feel guilty about taking it. Hopefully anyone who takes one of these books will pass it on when they have finished reading it.

I still love to read "real" ;) books and do like the library on the ships but with the concierge at a desk on 9 and people sometimes using the library to play board games it isn't the quiet hideaway it once was.

I would also like to add my thanks to you for posting this fabulous review, I am so enjoying each post! :)

DH and I did this same cruise back in June of 2011 and loved it even though we had rain for at least part of each day we were in port. Luckily our pre-cruise days in Amsterdam were sunny so we enjoyed our time there. I would love to do this cruise again but without the rain next time.

We also used TJ Travel in St. Petersburg and would not hesitate using them again, I think we might have done the same itinerary. Even though I did love seeing all of those places everything became a blur after a while and like you said, there was so much time spent travelling from site to site and then being herded through the crowds at some of the busier places it became a bit exhausting. If we're ever in StP again I would like a far more relaxed and "real" people view of the city.

It would be nice to get something when you book a single cabin - coupons for a few drinks, a coupon or two for Bistro on 5, an extra gelato or two. How about paid gratuities or an excursion or a Celebrity robe or some OBC or ????

I know many people have the drink package so the free drinks might not be a big deal and a free meal or two or gelato might also not be a big deal but it would be very nice of Celebrity to do something for those of us who book single cabins on a regular basis. :)

Yes, I know, it's a business so it's about the bottom line.:cool:

Thanks Cruise Raider - The fact that this cruise was starting and ending in San Francisco is what got me so excited. I love San Francisco and have been wanting to get back there for many years. I spent a lot of time trying to decide on this cruise but have decided to give it a miss....there was too much indecision as opposed to some other cruises which were instant and easy decisions.

I will keep looking at the cruises out of San Francisco because I do like the idea of that as the home port. There is a cruise next year on the Infinity to Alaska for 14 nights that could be good.

I have to say though, you have some AWESOME restaurants:D

Agree with you on the restaurant choices. Toronto is such a multicultural city we have so many different foods available as well as restaurants at all different price points. :)

But personally, I might think twice about booking her to Alaska. Since her last retrofit ('06?), Century has no solarium, and no indoor pool. Late season Alaska cruising tends to be too cold for use of the outdoor pools and hot tubs. When we cruised to Hawaii on Century ('12), we only had one day that wasn't too cold/windy to use the outdoor pool. I really missed having a solarium and T-pool, on that cruise! :(

But then, if you're not a "pool person", this wouldn't be an issue for you. :cool:

I'm not really a pool person (on a ship). I only tried the outdoor pool on Millennium once on my first cruise but I LOVE the T-pool and used it 1+ hours a day on my other cruises....when I could manage to find it without too many people in it. I don't use the hot tubs at all. The T-pool is one of my favourite features on the M-class ships, going to miss it on a future S-class cruise.

I sailed on the Century in February and was in a FV cabin on deck 9 (9245). While I enjoyed the ship, I would never book the FV cabin again. One of my major issues was the way the bed is located in the cabin. One side of the bed is against a wall (the bed faces toward the veranda, rather than perpendicular to it). Thus if there are two people, the one on the inside would have to climb over the other to get out of bed. Also there is no bedside table which for me was a huge problem. The veranda was large and quite nice. The cabin was very noisy (there was an exit door nearby that had stairs up to deck 10), and the engine noise woke me very early each morning as we went into port. I have no issue with the ship, just with the aft cabins.

 

Carolyn

I noticed that the bed was in an awkward position and would also miss the convenience of not having a bedside table. I have been in cabins where there were doors constantly slamming because of people coming and going and it drove me crazy.

Thanks everyone for your input. :)

Thanks Lois. :)

I am reading as many threads as I can find about the Century. As with all ships there seem to be pros and cons but the pro side seems to be ahead.

I'm hoping to be able to get enough information to make a decision while the sale is still on but if not I'll take my chances and see what happens over the next few weeks. It's always a bit of a scramble to figure out flights, hotels and other details when these sales come up.

Well the weekend Celebrity sale seems to be working - I'm looking at a cruise to Alaska on the Century. Alaska was never on my wish list but this sailing from San Francisco looks good and I'd love to hear your opinions on this too - it goes on Sept 4.

I'm familiar with the M-class ships and am looking for some opinions on Century - how does it compare? I like the size of the M-class and what they offer. I've had the FV corner cabins on the M-class ships and loved them but don't expect the same wow from the Century FV's. Does anyone know about the FV aft cabins on Century? I have one on hold for deck 9 but would like to know more before I finalize anything. I get the feeling the cabins are a bit smaller and maybe the layout is a bit awkward?

I appreciate any help and insight you can give.

May I ask how many days/weeks until your cruise and which destination? I have read about cabin upgrades and was curious how near/far they are offered before your cruise.

Also, how were you notified of the upgrade offer?

I do pack clothespins when I travel and find they come in handy for all sorts of things. It really isn't a big deal not to have the clothesline but I did get used to it.

I was out looking for the magnetic hooks yesterday.....nothing at Lowe's and only cheap ones at Home Depot. I do have some magnetic clips I bought but they aren't very strong.....I'll keep looking. Might be something to put on my "next time in the States" shopping list. :)

Thanks Turtles06. My clothesline has clips on each end so the line can go around something and then be secured to the line.

Thanks for the replies.

I'll pack my travel clothesline.

Do the S Class cabins have the retractable clothesline in the bathroom like the M Class bathrooms do? I use the clothesline in the M Class bathroom almost daily when I cruise. So if they aren't in the S Class bathrooms where do you hang your wet bathing suits, bits of hand washed clothing, etc?

I was assuming that all cabins had this clothesline but after reading prim8keeper's trip report where he commented on them I'm no longer sure.

I also couldn't believe it when I came back to my cabin one day and found those Pringles & candies sitting on the desk - I mean, seriously? you want $5 for those?

When I ate at Bistro on 5 I also ordered the steak. I ordered it medium-rare and it arrived medium - cooked a bit too much for my liking but it was still good. Maybe the trick is to order it one setting rarer than you want it to be.

Really love seeing your photos of the art on the ship. So many of the pieces are unique - agree with you about those glass birds and there are so many pieces throughout the ship it makes exploring fun. My favourite piece of art on the Summit is the verdigris figure that is lying prone on deck 10 by the pool - love this! I like the majority of the art although I find some of the beaded busts of women in the stairwells to be kind of terrifying.:D

My first time on the Millennium there was an art tour you could do yourself. You picked up an i-pod at Customer Relations and walked around the ship (top to bottom) and found out about all the paintings, sculptures, etc. It was a very good idea but I don't think any of the ships do that anymore.

Eagerly awaiting more of your review. :)

Please, heal me. What shall I do?

 

-Joel

I also usually get sad (and cranky) the week we get home from a trip.

Before you go on your cruise how about planning a weekend or even a night away for when you come back home? Go to a town/city close by or to a country inn or stay home and explore your own city (movies, plays, dinner out, art gallery, etc) for a few days. Even a few nights away after you have been back from your cruise for a week or two might be something nice to look forward to. It's hard to get back to "real life" after a good cruise/trip.

Another high recommendation for the Donna Leon Inspector Brunetti series of books set in Venice. I think I read all 22 of this series in about a year thanks to our public library....oh, I just googled this and see there is a new one...will have to put a hold on it. :)

Stockholm - Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series

Iceland - Detective Erlendur series by Arnaldur Indriðason - mostly set in Reykjavik but give some insight to the rest of the country too.

Panama Canal - The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough (nonfiction)* this has been mentioned several times already - it is a bit tough going at points but overall it is very interesting.