Tell me about the Century

[Cruise Raider]

Hi everybody....

Just booked a cruise on the Century and was kind of surprised at myself for doing this as it is missing that all important indoor pool -- which is important for me. However, our TA just offered a great deal that I couldn't pass up and I do love, love, love Celebrity.

I have sailed several times on the Infinity and Mercury (bless her soul) and more recently on a couple of S-class ships -- so now I am spoiled.

 

So, my questions are:

 

We aren't particularly fond of formal dress(for us) and didn't book the AQ (don't even know if they have AQ on the Century), so we won't have Blu. Are there any great specialty restaurants we should try out on the formal nights?

 

Compared to the Solstice class, are the beds and pillows comfortable?

 

What type of balcony furniture do they supply for the Concierge class? Is it similar to that on the Solstice and if so, do they have footstools with the chairs?

 

If you want to use the thelasso therapy pool in the spa, is it co-ed and is there a charge for that?

 

What other special touches are available on the Century that you won't find on the larger ships? I did love the Mercury but the last time I sailed on her, it was years ago. I just remember it was such a friendly ship and definitely contributed to this addiction I have to cruising. This was furthered by my sailings on the Infinity and now by the Equinox and Solstice. Not sure what to expect with the Century. I read several reviews and they are all over the place...seems like reviewers either loved her or were really disappointed in her.

Well, I probably will be in the former category, although will miss that solarium area. Other than that, I cannot imagine it being a bad thing. I won't be working, after all.

Just any tips you could give me are most appreciated.

[wwcruisers]

There is no Aqua Class on Century -- but they do have a nice Persian Garden, for a fee;

There is no Thallo pool on Century -- it was removed in the '06 rennovation;

There is only one specialty restaurant: Murano;

The outdoor furniture on Century is old -- none of the nice balcony chairs with footstools.

And, you are correct -- no Solarium; there are two outdoor pools, and 4 small hot-tubs, around them.

She is due for a short dry-dock in early February -- she'll probably be "spruced-up" then -- but no major renovations are expected.

She is an older ship, with a lot of class. When we sailed on her last year, we thought her crew was outstanding!

Edited October 6, 2013 by wwcruisers

[Cruise Raider]

There is no Aqua Class on Century -- but they do have a nice Persian Garden, for a fee;

There is no Thallo pool on Century -- it was removed in the '06 rennovation;

There is only one specialty restaurant: Murano;

The outdoor furniture on Century is old -- none of the nice balcony chairs with footstools.

And, you are correct -- no Solarium; there are two outdoor pools, and 4 small hot-tubs, around them.

She is due for a short dry-dock in early February -- she'll probably be "spruced-up" then -- but no major renovations are expected.

She is an older ship, with a lot of class. When we sailed on her last year, we thought her crew was outstanding!

 

Ah, surprising they only have the one specialty restaurant but don't think the Mercury had even that when we last sailed on her. Glad to hear you were happy with her, though. Any comments on the bedding? The Princess bedding has scared me to death -- painful hips after sleeping on those blocks of cement.

[wwcruisers]

Ah, surprising they only have the one specialty restaurant but don't think the Mercury had even that when we last sailed on her. Glad to hear you were happy with her, though. Any comments on the bedding? The Princess bedding has scared me to death -- painful hips after sleeping on those blocks of cement.

 

To me, most cruise ship bedding is the same -- firm. I think they will bring you an egg-crate pad, if you request it. We are hoping that the dry-dock will result in a much-needed replacement of some of the soft-goods (carpet, draperies, upholstery), that are showing their age.

 

Didn't like Murano as much as the ones on Solstice Class ships -- but, the MDR food was some of the best we've had on X. The pool grill is quite good, and the Aqua Spa Cafe was an excellent alternative for lunch. We're not big buffet fans, but Century puts out a very nice Sushi spread every evening, and they have a good stir-fry station at lunch.

[Cruise Raider]

To me, most cruise ship bedding is the same -- firm. I think they will bring you an egg-crate pad, if you request it. We are hoping that the dry-dock will result in a much-needed replacement of some of the soft-goods (carpet, draperies, upholstery), that are showing their age.

 

Didn't like Murano as much as the ones on Solstice Class ships -- but, the MDR food was some of the best we've had on X. The pool grill is quite good, and the Aqua Spa Cafe was an excellent alternative for lunch. We're not big buffet fans, but Century puts out a very nice Sushi spread every evening, and they have a good stir-fry station at lunch.

 

Good to know about Murano. Actually, there is not a restaurant or a food in the world to make me want to dress formally -- so may just forget about the specialty restaurant and order room service or eat at the buffet those nights.

Oh...by the way, the beds on the Equinox and the Solstice were heavenly...being in the AQ and CC. We are on the CC on the Century, so hopefully the same mattresses and pillows. So comfy. I don't care which class we choose on Princess -- those mattresses are just hard as rock. I ordered an egg crate once on that line, saw it just sitting in the hallway without any covering -- it was disgusting -- all sorts of stains all over it. Maybe they are all like this - it was just gross to see it with my own eyes. I had bed bug bites all over by the end of the cruise. They inspected my room and did find bed bugs. I swear -- it was that egg crate. I know it can happen in the mattresses as well -- it is just a direct observation of mine with that egg crate -- now I am turned off by ordering one.

[spookwife]

but Century puts out a very nice Sushi spread every evening, and they have a good stir-fry station at lunch.

 

 

Sushi?! where's this, the buffet?! we lurve us some good sushi and will actually hit the buffet if so.

[Vol fan]

Sushi?! where's this, the buffet?! we lurve us some good sushi and will actually hit the buffet if so.

 

It's in the buffet area. I think they put it out from about 5 to 6 or so. Maybe 5:30 to 6:30. It's nice, but not extensive.

[wwcruisers]

Sushi is usually served in the buffet around 5pm. It's pretty good, and they also have a nice miso soup.

[wwcruisers]

Good to know about Murano. Actually, there is not a restaurant or a food in the world to make me want to dress formally -- so may just forget about the specialty restaurant and order room service or eat at the buffet those nights.

Oh...by the way, the beds on the Equinox and the Solstice were heavenly...being in the AQ and CC. We are on the CC on the Century, so hopefully the same mattresses and pillows. So comfy. I don't care which class we choose on Princess -- those mattresses are just hard as rock. I ordered an egg crate once on that line, saw it just sitting in the hallway without any covering -- it was disgusting -- all sorts of stains all over it. Maybe they are all like this - it was just gross to see it with my own eyes. I had bed bug bites all over by the end of the cruise. They inspected my room and did find bed bugs. I swear -- it was that egg crate. I know it can happen in the mattresses as well -- it is just a direct observation of mine with that egg crate -- now I am turned off by ordering one.

 

We prefer firm mattresses, so cruise ship beds tend to be ideal. :cool:

[Vol fan]

Good to know about Murano. Actually, there is not a restaurant or a food in the world to make me want to dress formally -- so may just forget about the specialty restaurant and order room service or eat at the buffet those nights.

Oh...by the way, the beds on the Equinox and the Solstice were heavenly...being in the AQ and CC. We are on the CC on the Century, so hopefully the same mattresses and pillows. So comfy. I don't care which class we choose on Princess -- those mattresses are just hard as rock. I ordered an egg crate once on that line, saw it just sitting in the hallway without any covering -- it was disgusting -- all sorts of stains all over it. Maybe they are all like this - it was just gross to see it with my own eyes. I had bed bug bites all over by the end of the cruise. They inspected my room and did find bed bugs. I swear -- it was that egg crate. I know it can happen in the mattresses as well -- it is just a direct observation of mine with that egg crate -- now I am turned off by ordering one.

 

The bed was a tad hard, but not too bad.

 

One really nice thing about the Century is the aft staircase. The Solstice class ships don't have those and you have to do a lot of walking if you are aft and want to go up or down a deck. Our cabin was aft and we could just pop up to the aft bar for a drink and to watch the sunset! So handy!

 

The old world feel of the dining room with all of the dark, polished wood, is just lovely. Sitting in the back against the wall of windows, one can watch the sunset every evening if the ship is heading the right direction, of course.

 

Such a charming ship. I just love her.

Edited October 6, 2013 by Vol fan

[Lois R]

Glad to see there are still a few of us left who do love her:)

 

Yes, she is older and smaller......I love her too. She was my first

Celebrity ship and I have sailed all of them...M class and S class.

I will be sailing her again in February and very much looking forward

to it.:)

[Cruise Raider]

The bed was a tad hard, but not too bad.

 

One really nice thing about the Century is the aft staircase. The Solstice class ships don't have those and you have to do a lot of walking if you are aft and want to go up or down a deck. Our cabin was aft and we could just pop up to the aft bar for a drink and to watch the sunset! So handy!

 

The old world feel of the dining room with all of the dark, polished wood, is just lovely. Sitting in the back against the wall of windows, one can watch the sunset every evening if the ship is heading the right direction, of course.

 

Such a charming ship. I just love her.

 

I am glad to hear she is an oldie but goodie. I think she will remind me of the mercury. We are aft and so will be using those stairs.

For the bed, I will request a bunch of pillows. Hopefully, that will help.

I read somewhere that someone was going to bring their own mattress topper. That might be a bit much for the luggage. :eek:

[Lois R]

I am glad to hear she is an oldie but goodie. I think she will remind me of the mercury. We are aft and so will be using those stairs.

For the bed, I will request a bunch of pillows. Hopefully, that will help.

I read somewhere that someone was going to bring their own mattress topper. That might be a bit much for the luggage. :eek:

 

If you are a Mercury fan? You will love Century too:D

I sailed Mercury 7 times before she left the fleet and this will be #7

on Century for me:)

[elena7seas]

I am glad to hear she is an oldie but goodie. I think she will remind me of the mercury. We are aft and so will be using those stairs.

For the bed, I will request a bunch of pillows. Hopefully, that will help.

I read somewhere that someone was going to bring their own mattress topper. That might be a bit much for the luggage. :eek:

 

I was on the Century in October 2012 and July 2013. I really love her too :D.

 

I have a bad back, but find the mattresses on the Solstice class ships to be very comfortable. On Century, they are a bit firmer, so I ask for the "egg crate" mattress topper first thing when I get in the cabin. I also ask for two extra feather pillows and the "body pillow", which I just love. I think they have the same selection of pillows on Century that they have on other Celebrity ships...the feather type, the polyfil type, the isotoner pillow...the body pillow.

 

I found the food in the MDR to be very good. We usually book Aquaclass to have Blu as our restaurant, but I must say that I enjoyed the food and service in the MDR very much. The buffet is a bit more limited on Century than on the Solstice ships, but they had some really good offerings of food from around the world each day...great South Asian food, Puerto Rican food, Indonesian food...very nice. The sushi area at the back of the buffet is a nice choice as well. It seemed a bit more extensive than it is on some Celebrity ships. The no-charge ice cream in the buffet is excellent as well. If you have a beverage package, I highly recommend the freshly squeezed orange juice.

 

We were in Murano twice on the last cruise, and the food was very good, but perhaps not the best food we've ever had in specialty restaurants. However, the service was first class, very attentive, warm and friendly. Actually, the service is great all over the ship. I think that Century has a wonderful crew....it feels like a "happy ship".

 

Century doesn't have the bells and whistles of the Solstice class ships, but she is lovely in her own way...I especially appreciate all the wood and brass, as in the Crystal Room. I always have the feeling that the Century is more like what cruising used to be in years gone by.

 

The Cova Café (or Tastings?), the equivalent to Café Al Bacio on Solstice ships, is one of my favourite places. I was sad to see in July that they had discontinued the savoury items and small sandwiches that they used to serve from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm.

 

The AquaSpa café is particularly nice on Century, as it has a space of its own and a nice view. It's a very peaceful place to go for lunch. I didn't enjoy the food as much in Aqua Spa Café in July, as they have discontinued the grilled-to-order fish, chicken, beef and pork entrées which were always very tasty. It was my favourite place to go for lunch. I have dairy allergies, so the extra-charge yogurt parfaits are not something I would order. They have good coffee in the Aqua Spa Café though.

 

I am doing a back-to-back on the Century in February and can hardly wait. Century is having a very brief drydock before the first cruise, so it will be interesting to see what has been done.

 

Enjoy the planning period before your trip...that is always a fun part for me. Century is a wonderful ship and you will have a great cruise.

Edited October 7, 2013 by elena7seas

[Oz_Steve]

Cruise Raider

 

Are you on the alaskan cruise that terminates in San Francisco? We have booked that one (2 couples) but we appear to be the only ones. :D

[BrusselsGirl07]

Another vote for Century, we loved sailing on her! We were on for 13 nights for Christmas and NYE 2011/12 and then a few weeks later got back on for an 18 night cruise. We did not miss the solarium or the indoor pool, as we found other favourite places to sit such as the Hemisphere Lounge, the Sunset Bar, and the Cova Cafe.

 

If you walk down the stair case at each side of the Sunset Bar at the very aft of the ship on deck 11, there are small secluded areas with great aft views on the base of the stairs on decks 10, 9 and 8 until you get down to deck 7 which has the promenade deck that continues right across the aft.

 

They have a great Aqua Spa Cafe, and we loved Murano so much we ate there 3 times on the first cruise and 5 times on the second. The staff welcomed us like royalty each time we arrived. In fact, the staff on Century were the nicest, friendliest and most engaging staff we have come across. We enjoyed the MDR as well.

 

I hope you love the Century as much as we did!

[Xport]

Good to know about Murano. Actually, there is not a restaurant or a food in the world to make me want to dress formally -- so may just forget about the specialty restaurant and order room service or eat at the buffet those nights.

 

You will find that the dress code in their Specialty Restaurants--such as Murano on Century--is "Smart Casual & Above" every night [including nights on which Formal Night is observed in the Main Dining Room]...

[Cruise Raider]

Yes, I did love the Mercury -- was on her for my 40th birthday through the Panama Canal and again from SF down to Mexico. She is one of my favorites....actually, all my favorites are in the Celebrity fleet. But yes, it will be nice to revisit the days of ships with all wooden and brass detail. It really has a more nautical feel, I believe. So glad to hear of so many fans. It is definitely confirming my choice.

 

We decided on the March Pacific Coastal cruise. There was a special buyer's choice cruise offered -- very limited sale. I know I cannot recommend TA's on this site -- but if it sounds interesting, just check around. It's a group thing with several private events. It is very limited -- I think about 100 passengers only. We had on that on our last cruise on the Solstice -- it was something special, let me tell you. The private 4 course wine pairing luncheon just topped it off....NICE!

 

So, I might just break down and request the egg crate and definitely lots of pillows. Glad to hear they are the same as on the Solstice class. I just slept so well on those beds with that fabulous body pillow.

 

I may book Murano for at least one formal night -- have to give it a try. On the Solstice, that is where they held our fire drill -- and it smelled so strange in there that I never wanted to eat dinner there. It was probably a combo of fish that they were throwing out and cleaning products but it made me queasy. Plus, we had Blu, which I absolutely loved.

 

Have to run to work now.....

thanks everyone.

[Northern Aurora]

We just left the Century this morning after spending 22 nights on her (a set of B2B cruises). We were last on the Century for a fifteen night cruise in October 2012 and also did an eighteen night cruise on her in November 2011.

 

We thought that we saw more wear and tear on the ship than we remembered in 2012 (those chairs in the Crystal Room need to be replaced), but the ship is incredibly clean. Our stateroom was incredibly clean, as were the public areas.

 

We also thought that the MDR meals were much better than we remembered them to be in either 2011 or 2012. While we didn't have many complaints regarding the MDR in either 2011 or 2012, be thought that the meals were better on this trip. For example, my husband and I both like rare beef, and the beef actually was rare.

 

There is no longer any stir fry offered at lunch. Stir fry is only available after 6 PM. I asked the Food and Beverage Manager about the stir fry, and apparently they were getting a number of complaints about the wait during the lunch time (even though there were two chefs doing the custom stir fry), so they eliminated the stir fry at lunch. And the sushi is now offered at 6 PM (not 5 PM), with a greater selection than we remembered from prior the two prior Century cruises.

[wwcruisers]

 

We also thought that the MDR meals were much better than we remembered them to be in either 2011 or 2012. While we didn't have many complaints regarding the MDR in either 2011 or 2012, be thought that the meals were better on this trip. For example, my husband and I both like rare beef, and the beef actually was rare.

 

There is no longer any stir fry offered at lunch. Stir fry is only available after 6 PM. I asked the Food and Beverage Manager about the stir fry, and apparently they were getting a number of complaints about the wait during the lunch time (even though there were two chefs doing the custom stir fry), so they eliminated the stir fry at lunch. And the sushi is now offered at 6 PM (not 5 PM), with a greater selection than we remembered from prior the two prior Century cruises.

 

Thanks for the food updates, as we (like several others here) are booked on the February Caribbean/Bahamas itineraries. So glad to hear that you had no trouble getting your beef cooked rare. It was a struggle to get anything rarer than medium, on our Century to Hawaii cruise, last year. Appreciate the heads-up on the times for sushi and stir-fry stations. One of our cruises is a 3-niter, and we're seriously considering just skipping the MDR, on that one. Nice to know the timing of the alternatives. :cool:

[Blue Lagoon]

Century passed her Center for Disease Control inspection while 'docked' at Catalina Island yesterday - 98/100 points. :)

[wwcruisers]

Century passed her Center for Disease Control inspection while 'docked' at Catalina Island yesterday - 98/100 points. :)

 

Thanks for the great news! :cool:

[SandyR5]

Hi - We just returned from the 11 night West Coast Wine cruise. We would not cruise on Century again. (We have about 30 X cruises already.) The ship shows lots of wear and tear. We were in a concierge class cabin. If you put white socks on and walked from the bed to the balcony door, your socks were filthy. The furniture in the Crystal lounge, where the Elite cocktail hour is held, was shabby to say the least. 3x during the cruise we had to have the plumber come to our room. As the water went down the shower drain, it came up the bathroom floor drain. Quite the flood 3x. Had to have stateroom attendant clean/sanitize floor each time and 2 of the 3 evenings were on formal night. As far as the inspection went, the captain did not do a good P.R. job. The buffet was out of coffee/juice/trays/plates/milk and had only 1 line for eggs. A buffet maitre de said it was because they had to shut the dishwashers down for inspection and they were having trouble getting the pressure back up. They should have told people as they entered for breakfast. You had lots of angry passengers. We still had a wonderful time because we always see the "glass as half full, not half empty". We loved the ports and the entertainment was the best yet. I guess if you know in advance you won't be taken aback by the condition of the ship. As the previous poster said, the public areas were clean, but it wasn't for us. One more thing...the slot machines still use quarters, so expect dirty hands. :o Guess they'll update that during drydock!

[Redtravel]

I am elite. i have been on Azamara, Celebrity and others many times. I sailed on the Century twice. It works. My favorite.

[ccruisequeen]

Hi - We just returned from the 11 night West Coast Wine cruise. We would not cruise on Century again. (We have about 30 X cruises already.) The ship shows lots of wear and tear. We were in a concierge class cabin. If you put white socks on and walked from the bed to the balcony door, your socks were filthy. The furniture in the Crystal lounge, where the Elite cocktail hour is held, was shabby to say the least. 3x during the cruise we had to have the plumber come to our room. As the water went down the shower drain, it came up the bathroom floor drain. Quite the flood 3x. Had to have stateroom attendant clean/sanitize floor each time and 2 of the 3 evenings were on formal night. As far as the inspection went, the captain did not do a good P.R. job. The buffet was out of coffee/juice/trays/plates/milk and had only 1 line for eggs. A buffet maitre de said it was because they had to shut the dishwashers down for inspection and they were having trouble getting the pressure back up. They should have told people as they entered for breakfast. You had lots of angry passengers. We still had a wonderful time because we always see the "glass as half full, not half empty". We loved the ports and the entertainment was the best yet. I guess if you know in advance you won't be taken aback by the condition of the ship. As the previous poster said, the public areas were clean, but it wasn't for us. One more thing...the slot machines still use quarters, so expect dirty hands. :o Guess they'll update that during drydock!

 

Hopefully all your complaints will be fixed after Drydock in February. I can't wait to try her in March!