Just back from the Zenith:

[SEPyle]

I agree flahagan, I really didn't notice people who were not dressed appropiately. Of course when I cruise I try to not be the fashion police of the day, but if someone was way off target, I would notice. This was a 'girlie' cruise for us, and we all wore long dresses. So if someone wants to really dress up, you won't feel out of place, that's for sure!

[bsdmhutch]

Slotaddict, actually there was an informal night - the last night of the cruise (sea day). First night was casual, second (Key West) was formal, third (Cozumel) was casual. It seemed most people dressed nicely, very few tux or long dresses, but certainly most wore after-five type apparel for formal night, and on informal night, nice dresses or pants outfits for the women, dress shirts and slacks for the men (many wore sports coats). Hope this helps with the packing!

 

Sorry... my brain must have not been engaged. I guess I looked at it wrong.

[Northcountrycruiser]

Does anyone remember what time they boarded in Miami? Thanks, Tim

[bsdmhutch]

We were on board by about 11:15 am. From the time we gave our bags to the porter to the time we stepped on deck was probably no more than 10 minutes or so. There was hardly anyone else there that early. It was great.

[Barry ATL]

On the 12/3 cruise we were on board by a little past 11 AM. They were not carrying bags to the rooms as we got on because the rooms were not ready. Did not bother us in the least. We went to our cabin anyway and dropped our carry-on.

 

Before anybody says it, I know we should not have a carry-on. I just cannot bare to hand the laptop over to the luggage people.

 

Anyways, we dropped it off in our cabin and introduced ourselves to our cabin steward Jose. Within minutes we had our soda cards and were on our way to see how much of the ship we can tour in an hour. At least Ken says it that way. I think we took longer and it was a little more leisurly. He says I get a little too excited when I first get on a ship. :)

[Northcountrycruiser]

Thanks for the info - that will help with our morning plans in Miami!

[slotaddict]

Thanks for the info, by the way why wouldn;t you have a carry on. I always do.

[robbie500]

NewmexicoNita,

Yes, we were in cabin 1052. We sailed 12/8/05. The room was clean and can be considered a "normal" cabin. After knowing the ship had been in dry dock, I was just expecting totally new "stuff". To get down to nitty grittys of the cabin, here you go, the desk chair had a spill stain which looked like someone spilled a glass of milk in the chair, the small sofa had a tear in the fabric, the mirror in the closet had a big crack that was taped with 2" packing tape. The carpet has stains, and the bedspreads, curtains and other furnishings looked to be "aged".

None of the things listed were bad enough to cause any sense of "displeasure" with the total cruise. This was an inexpensive getaway weekend that was fantastic. The more you cruise and use these boards, the more you tend to pay attention to details and comments you have heard on-line and want to see if they are really true.

Who knows, for all I know the mirror could have broken the cruise prior to ours and could be replaced by now. I did mark the mirror as broken on my guest survey, so I am sure it will be taken care of shortly.

Zenith is a great ship. I just wish they would offer a 7-day caribbean in Sept. - Nov. 2006 from florida. The earlier comment of the Zenith being sold, I would imagine will take place mid to late 07. RCCL has another start-up line running in the Med. that is where Horizon went, and I would suspect the Zenith to go there within the next few years.

[Inshape]

We are a family with 2 kids cruising with us. I am looking for a Jan 2007 cruise, since our 2006 is booked and we are going on mariner of the seas, rcl. Would like to look into our next cruise now so that I can make up my mind about changing lines or booking on rcl and getting the credits. Zenith caught my eye since it is a whole lot cheaper than others and it is 10 days. But the kids will be at that time 10 and 12. Is there anything for them to do? Going from Carnival which got boring to them with the water slide, to Rcl (this will be our 2nd, eos a few yrs ago) which has sooooo much to do.... will a 10 day on this ship bore them to tears? We find that cruising in jan there are not many kids in the kids clubs, and they are on the rather quieter side of most kids.... ds is the younger...! The thought of a 10 day cruise is fantastic for me since 7 is just not enough...LOL. When I compare this Zenith cruise to the Brillance on RCL the price difference is staggering.... Celebrity has better what compared to RCL and not as good what? Thanks for the input and help. We usually get 2 cabins but wondering if there are cabins with 2 separate sleeping areas for parents privacy this way the cost is even cheaper paying 3rd , 4th rate for the kids. But cramping us all in one cabin with no room is not my idea of a vacation...so pls give me any insights since i know nothing about Celebrity. Thanks in advance.

[marshabear]

we sailed on the dec 8th cruise...i posted a review on the roll call board-

 

go to celebrity roll calls...then look under the Zenith...then look up the Zenith Zingers dec 8th sailing.....

 

we loved this ship and Celebrity...will definitely cruise with them again!!

 

Marsha

[tootiesmom]

Inshape,

 

This is just my opinion. We just went on the 12/8 Zenith cruise. Our 1st cruise with Celebrity. We're extremely late 40's and early 50's and several cruises under our belt with Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean. Although we found the service, food, production shows to be outstanding, I would have to say that I think that kids would get very bored with 10 days on this ship. Our cabin was on deck 9 near the rear. We would go out on the back of that deck alot. There were 2 ping pong tables, a "3 hole" putting green and a net enclosed square I think that was used for practicing hitting a golf ball. Rarely was that deck used and I never saw anyone in the netted area. There were a few games in the Arcade (maybe 10). There's only 1 pool area. There are 3 whirlpools at the back of the ship on the top deck. If your kids enjoyed Royal Caribbean, I think I would stick with that. In comparison to the other cruises we've taken, there were very few children. This was also the smallest ship we've ever sailed on. My husband and I remarked that after the 8:45 show there really wasn't that much onboard that interested us so we got alot of sleep and rest. I'm sure that this ship really fits certain cruisers. We like the larger ships with lots of activities that go late into the night, etc.

Our TA emailed us 1 week prior to this sailing with a deal that we could not resist. We agreed that we could not sample Celebrity at a price any lower so we booked it. We also agreed that from the food, service and quality of the production shows standpoint, we would consider going on a Celebrity cruise in the future......just not a small ship.

 

Like a said, this is just my opinion. There may have been someone onboard with kids that can give a better insight to your questions. :)

 

tootiesmom

[Shmobo]

I have to agree with Tootiesmon. Kids will be so bored on the Zenith for 10 days! Especially if they usually cruise on RCL ships.

[Inshape]

Thanks for the input. Here I was imagining a more quiet relaxing vacation without being pulled here and there all over the RCL ships.... I was daydreaming that I can actually sit and relax, with the husband and kids relaxing too.. HA! Well you shook me from that fantasy.... maybe in another decade when they kids are all gone..... Thanks. And happy cruising whichever line you take.....

[flahagan]

I hate to add this, but for honesty's sake, I feel I should. Last year at this time, we took the exact same cruise, only with Carnival's Fascination. It was our first experience with Carnival, it also was an older ship, and we weren't expecting much. But I have to say that for all 8 of us, that cruise far surpassed any expectations. The food was consistently better than any cruiseline we've taken so far (HAL, Celebrity), really outstanding, and the service matched it. The entertainment was superb, the ship was decorated beautifully for the holiday season, and the cabins were much more comfortable (as were the public areas). And that was REALLY a cheap cruise - $250 for an inside, plus a $50 Mastercard gift card, plus a $50 shipborad credit. So I don't think we should make excuses for a line based on the prices of a specific itinerary. The competition is out there.

[SEPyle]

Flahagan, by all means post your honest opinions, and in that same vein I post mine as well.

 

I'm a TA and I learned long ago that there's no 'best' cruiseline for everyone. We all have different tastes and preferences. Carnival is a very successful cruise line and didn't get to their present ranking by delivering an a product not appreciated by a wide range of people.

 

I will say however that last May I had a large group of repeat clients who decided to sail on the Fascination because the price was right. It was their first time on Carnival. They came back with just let's say, less than possitive feedback on the Fascination, with pics to boot of the bad condition of the ship. Actually they were so turned off I was reluctant to sell that ship for a while. But your post reminds me what I know as fact. We all have different tastes and preferences, and my job as a travel agent is to listen to what people are looking for in a cruise and then guide the client to the best option for them.

 

I just finished reading another post from one of the people returning from our Dec 8th cruise. She had an amazing cruise just like I experienced. It was her first cruise on Celebrity and it's evident that Celebrity is a fit for her!

 

Isn't cruising great - there's something for everyone!

 

Sharon

[slotaddict]

Question - on the Zenith is there a shampoo/soap dispenser in the shower?

[marshabear]

we had a shampoo dispenser but not a soap dispenser-there was a small bar of "french " soap....there was also a lotion dispenser but i didn't try it...my hubby tried it and in the process, knocked the dispenser right off the wall cause he was trying hard to get the lotion to come out!! LOL luckily, it was plastic or we would have had glass all over the bathroom!!! LOL

 

 

Marsha

[slotaddict]

:D Thanks:D

[kryos]

Oh, my, you are right. Our ice bucket was filled at least twice a day. And we always had our napkins placed for us. We had second seating too. Don't know what side of the room you were on, but mom and I were at the table with the reindeer. If you saw them, you know what I mean. They were hard to miss.

Same here. I just returned from the 12-12 to 12-17 sailing, and my waiter always greeted me when I arrived in the dining room and placed my napkin in my lap. The ice bucket in my cabin was replenished twice a day, and the cabin was kept immaculate. It was funny, but I could swear that the room stewards keep an eye on when you leave the cabin. One day I left the cabin to go to my class (I was traveling with a group and we had classes onboard). I stopped up in the Windsurf to get a cup of coffee first and then realized that I had forgotten my group badge. I went back down to the cabin to retrieve it and was shocked that in the 20 minutes or so that I had been gone, my cabin steward had made my bed and cleaned up the bathroom.

 

The only criticism I would have regarding the ammenities involved the lack of a small refrigerator in the cabin. I always sail in inside cabins, but I've always had a small refrigerator or mini-bar. Without one, the ice in the ice bucket would melt long before it could be replenished on the cabin steward's next round through the cabin.

 

Of course, maybe Celebrity does things differently than the other lines I've sailed on (Princess and Holland America). Maybe they just don't provide mini-refrigerators in the lower cabin classes.

 

But all in all, I had a wonderful cruise and would never hesitate to sail Celebrity again if the opportunity presented itself. In fact, my whole group felt pretty much the same way ... and just about all of us had inside cabins on the same deck. Several of us made the comment that if the Zenith (the oldest ship in the fleet) is this nice, what must the other larger, newer and more elaborate ships be like?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Cruisin Gomer]

The only criticism I would have regarding the ammenities involved the lack of a small refrigerator in the cabin. I always sail in inside cabins, but I've always had a small refrigerator or mini-bar. Without one, the ice in the ice bucket would melt long before it could be replenished on the cabin steward's next round through the cabin.

 

Of course, maybe Celebrity does things differently than the other lines I've sailed on (Princess and Holland America). Maybe they just don't provide mini-refrigerators in the lower cabin classes.

--rita

 

Newer ships including the Century; Galaxy and Mercury have refrigerators in the cabins. I agree, I'm used to them, but we made due asking for an extra ice bucket.

 

I've sailed on the Century, Mercury and the Summit. Of course they are newer than the Zenith, but I agree, the Zenith is a great little ship!

 

OOps, I just realized I posted under my husband's screen name. Trust me, he wasn't on our 'girlie cruise' and when he saw the pics of our 'girlie fun', he says he's glad he wasn't with us!

[momofmeg]

We are a family with 2 kids cruising with us. I am looking for a Jan 2007 cruise, since our 2006 is booked and we are going on mariner of the seas, rcl. Would like to look into our next cruise now so that I can make up my mind about changing lines or booking on rcl and getting the credits. Zenith caught my eye since it is a whole lot cheaper than others and it is 10 days. But the kids will be at that time 10 and 12. Is there anything for them to do? Going from Carnival which got boring to them with the water slide, to Rcl (this will be our 2nd, eos a few yrs ago) which has sooooo much to do.... will a 10 day on this ship bore them to tears? We find that cruising in jan there are not many kids in the kids clubs, and they are on the rather quieter side of most kids.... ds is the younger...! The thought of a 10 day cruise is fantastic for me since 7 is just not enough...LOL. When I compare this Zenith cruise to the Brillance on RCL the price difference is staggering.... Celebrity has better what compared to RCL and not as good what? Thanks for the input and help. We usually get 2 cabins but wondering if there are cabins with 2 separate sleeping areas for parents privacy this way the cost is even cheaper paying 3rd , 4th rate for the kids. But cramping us all in one cabin with no room is not my idea of a vacation...so pls give me any insights since i know nothing about Celebrity. Thanks in advance.

 

 

Well I was on Mariner in Oct. and will be on the Zenith in Feb. so after my cruise and after your Mariner cruise maybe we can compare notes.

 

I will say this-I did not care for Mariner-we had 3600 passengers on our cruise and it was super crowded on sea days and there were 3 sea days-also the rock climbing wall and inline skating etc. were closed on sea days because of the wind-we were told they were not safe-so everyone crowded by the pools and even the adult's only pool was super crowded.

 

Johnny Rockets was like an hour wait.

 

But I will be honest with you-I am a middle aged woman with a grown 21 yr. old "kid" so my needs are differant from yours. Mariner was defientely geared towards families and not people like us.

 

I had no interest in inline skating or rock climbing but my daughter and my husband did and they were disapointed in not being able to do these things. My daughter did ice skate several times though and she went to a couple of the movie screenings so she did have a fairly decent time -just not great.

 

I myself felt-if all these extras cannot be enjoyed on sea days for the most-why have them-as on port days we are off ship-I would have prefered more of a pool area myself.

 

I also felt the food was mediocre at best except for Chops where you pay an extra fee.

 

But the little parades were nice-and as we had atruim cabins we were able to enjoy them from our windows so the crowds did not bother us for that. I can see also how a family with kids would like that very much.

 

One thing too you mentioned Brilliance of the Seas. Now that is not a voyager class ship-it will have the rock climbing (I think-not sure)-but no inline skating or ice skating and I am not sure but I don't think a Johnny Rockets either-so if you really like voyager class ships for your kids-I don't think you will like Brilliance. So you may want to book a voyager class ship again instead of Zenith or Brillance.

 

If you like Mariner-she has two ittenaries-you may want to book western if you are doing eastern or vice versa.

[DGF]

Thanks for the up dates on the Zenith.

 

We are booked for our next New Years cruise on the Zenith, Dec 29, 06 departure (10 day western Caribbean); cabin 6094

 

Given the negative comments posted we are monitoring closely to see if refurbishing corrects the problems or we should jump ship

 

Really appreciate the informative comments

[vaccardi]

DFG,

 

Rest assured that Zenith is in better shape than ships half her age. It is definitely geared toward a middle aged crowd, like most of Celebrity, and does not have the "Las Vegas" flash that some ships have, but it does have class. I have been on 20+ cruises on all the majors, and would rank my mid-December cruise in the top quarter, with the staff being among the best.

 

You will have a great time. Enjoy yourself.