Just Back From Zenith March 11 - A "Different" Kind of Cruise

[Ships R Great]

Hey, C2C! Don't put down my beloved Zenith. She doesn't deserve it. She is a sweet old lady. I am sorry they have subjected her to short cruises this year but that will change in October, after Bermuda.

 

BTW, since you were not on board we won at Trivia 80% of the time (woo-hoo)!!! And they have new prizes! New questions, too. Some were really tough! We won the Sports Trivia, poolside, with only 7 correct answers out of 18!

 

When are you sailing next?

[Sky Sweet]

Prior to my cruise on the Century in 2002, I expressed concern to my travel agent about the ship's age since I had previously sailed on Celebrity's newer ones. At the time, she told me not to be concerned because Celebrity is consistent about its standards throughout their fleet, while some other cruise lines use their aging ships to attract passengers who can't afford their newer ones. After reading this thread, I think Celebrity may be starting to lean in that direction. If so, I think it is a big mistake because a bad experience on one ship in their fleet will discourage people from trying their other ships. This morning my dentist told me that he took one Celebrity Cruise and will not use that cruise line again because of his personal experience on the Zenith last year, and that type of reaction is not unusual.

[Host Anne]

Life is so funny sometimes! I was just reading the report Cruise Critic's editor, Carolyn Brown wrote about a panel discussion of several cruise line executives this week at the annual Seatrade convention in Miami. I found a quote by Dan Hanrahan to be hysterical (sorry, that's the only word I can use). Considering he made this quote the day we disembarked Zenith, it couldn't be more ironic. Know that I will refer to it in the letter I'm sending ;) . We sure didn't experience the same terrific experience on Celebrity's smaller ship that we receive on her bigger ships! I know, size really wasn't the issue here....but it's still pretty darn funny!

 

"Celebrity's Hanrahan, which recently announced its biggest-ever Solstice class, says that "I'm not sure size matters. Whether you stay in a small Ritz-Carlton or a large Ritz-Carlton you'll be guaranteed the same kind of terrific experience."

 

Read the entire report here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=1550

[Cruise or Lose!]

Granted, my cruise on the Zenith last summer was my ONLY Celebrity cruise (the second one will be a European cruise in July). However, the Zenith is a wonderful ship, and my experience was completely opposite the one reported in this thread. Friendly pax, lots of great activities, beautiful Bermuda in its finest glory.

 

My mother and I had never taken a vacation without other relatives, and we loved it! She did her thing, I did mine, and we enjoyed getting to know our fabulous (and funny!) tablemates.

 

In fact, the Zenith helped convince my mother that cruising really was for her. We had done two HAL cruises and a Uniworld cruise before our Celebrity voyage, and have since done a HAL cruise at Christmas and plan our next Celebrity cruise for July '06. She is almost ready to consider a cruise for NEXT Christmas - I think I've created a monster :P

 

If that NON-CRUISE last week was your first Celebrity cruise, please continue to sail with Celebrity. I can almost guarantee that the Zenith will never disappoint you again. I am very excited to try the Millie after being onboard the Zenith :D

[Host Anne]

Cruise or Lose ~ I can't tell you how much I WANT to continue sail on a Zenith size ship with Celebrity. But if you can recall the condition of Zenith (forget about the spring breakers for the moment) I think you'll see a tremendous difference between the condition of Zenith and the condition of Millennium. Admittedly, I cruise frequently and probably am more critical of maintenance issues than many but unfortunately, there is no comparison when you look at the M-Class ships and the C-Class ships with Zenith. I'd be more than happy to pay a higher fare to sail Zenith if she was in top condition (and I'm not talking about the color of a bedspread) but until I've heard she's undergone a serious outside renovation, we won't be going back. Rusting out shower stalls and deck chairs that are questionable to even sit in aren't part of any other Celebrity ship....and they shouldn't be a part of Zenith, either. Trust me, I'm going to plead that they give this lovely lady the clean up she deserves. But I'm guessing Celebrity just isn't going to sink any money into her at this point. :(

 

Have a wonderful time on Millennium. The outdoor deck off the grill at the back of the ship is a wonderful place! Enjoy.

[C 2 C]

Hey, C2C! When are you sailing next?

 

Zenith introduced us into non-stop activities back in Nov 2004. Nothing has come close in our X cruises since then. It depends so much on the Activities staff on board. We are sailing Galaxy from Galveston to Rome and on to Istanbul in May. Probably will do the Century crossing in October to get my hours back:D.

I think Zenith will be on the chopping block soon... and I don't think it will survive the launching of Equinox/Solstice

[Host Anne]

:( Makes me sad to think that with just a little effort, Zenith could be kept in good condition for those of us out here who really like to sail on smaller ships. But I fear your predictions will come true, Arno (C2C). Wish we could do that transatlantic on Galaxy. Ahhh....to be retired!

[ecslady]

I, too, have often read that one person in a stateroom has to be 25 years or older. However, it seems that Celebrity has changed its policies. I am looking at my 06-07 Caribbean brochure book, and the phrase under "Unaccompanied Minors" states " Guests under the age of 21 must be booked in a stateroom with an adult who is 21 years or older." However, when I look at my 05-06 Caribbean brochure book, it states "Guests under the age of 21 must be booked in a stateroom with an adult who is 25 years or older."

[Ships R Great]

Arno---Shawn Cavanaugh is the CD on Galaxy now. He was on Zenith, Nov. 11/04, also. Tell him Ed and Patty send hellos.

[jessemon]

:( Makes me sad to think that with just a little effort, Zenith could be kept in good condition for those of us out here who really like to sail on smaller ships. But I fear your predictions will come true, Arno (C2C). Wish we could do that transatlantic on Galaxy. Ahhh....to be retired!

Let's try this.

Host Anne...I mentioned in an earlier post that I had seen several post by people that have come off the "Zenith" that the crew is saying she will be gone. Even one saying that their Maitre d' had mentioned this. Is she on the chopping block as "C2C" said? Several agents I know say yes. But not for a while.

We sailed on the "Horizon" for Christmas in 2004. This was a week or two after X" announced that the "Horizon" would be transferred out of the fleet to a RCI sub as the "Island Star". The funny thing is after the transfer she has been refurbished and balconies added. Makes me wonder why not do this and leave this ship in the fleet? I know...dollars and cents. I am with you...we would pay more to cruise this size ship. (Notice the pricing on HAL's Statemdam Class...a little more than the Vista Class ) Does size make a difference. PAX seem to be willing to pay it. We did this past Christmas.

The worst part is that "X" pulled the "Horizon" out of Tampa and did not replace her the next year. We in this area built another terminal to accommodate "RCI" and "X" and guess what...one ship short for a season. Wonder who picked up that tab?:(

We will be sailing on this wonderful ship again this Christmas. I won't make the same mistake I made the last time on the "Horizon". I'll take alot more pictures before they put her in someone elses pasture.

"Cruis or Lose" We will be on the "Zenith" for Christmas.:) We love this size ship and the crew.

Jeff

[Host Anne]

Jeff ~ now that we are just down the road from the port of Tampa (recently relocated), we would LOVE to see more Celebrity and RCI ships sailing out of Tampa. We'd do Zenith again once she moves to Tampa next fall if she had a little work done. Looking forward to the late 2007 itineraries coming out. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

[Cruise or Lose!]

Honestly, I didn't notice the issues many are reporting about the Zenith. I just don't pay all that much attention to the overall condition of the ship. However, since pax are unhappy with the condition of this lovely lady of the sea, perhaps Celebrity should consider a refurbishment.

 

I know the "Signature of Excellence" program on HAL has made a huge difference.

[jessemon]

Jeff ~ now that we are just down the road from the port of Tampa (recently relocated), we would LOVE to see more Celebrity and RCI ships sailing out of Tampa. We'd do Zenith again once she moves to Tampa next fall if she had a little work done. Looking forward to the late 2007 itineraries coming out. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Hello Anne,

And just down the road would be where from Tampa?

Also...don't give up on the small things that need to be done with the "Zenith". I like you look at everything because of what I have done for a living. In this case I think at the moment (no offense) you might be a bit touchy about the ship. I'm sure you might not have been quite as critical if the children were under control. I'm sure she is still a nice "smaller" ship when the proper clientele is on board.;)

[Host Anne]

Jeff ~ we're in Sarasota. Drove through Tampa (around it actually) when we took our daughter up to Orlando to catch a flight back to school.

 

Truthfully, and this really surprised me, the condition of the ship actually bothered me personally more than the rowdy kids on board. For the most part, once we knew what the crowd was going to be like, we just avoided them (as much as possible). Didn't go to the pool on sea days until late afternoon; avoided rowdy lounges at night (the Cova was always pleasant so you could get away). In general, I'm pretty forgiving on ship conditions. We sailed Mercury last month and before we left, there were many here on CC that said Mercury's condition had declined significantly. I actually found her to be in great shape. Sure there were things like carpet getting worn (which they were actually replacing while we were on the ship) but overall, Mercury was in darn good shape. I couldn't come close to saying that about Zenith (except for the public lounges). Some of the neglect has been going on for quite some time. Deck rails for example that are being sanded and varnished on other ships appeared as if they hadn't been varnished on Zenith in a year. The rails were grey and dull. It bothers me when things aren't clean and are in disrepair. I've sailed five Celebrity ships. None of the others had conditions that compared to Zenith. And yes, you are right ... she is a nice ship...but one that Celebrity is allowing, sadly, to decline.

 

The great thing is that we are now fortunate to live where the sun shines most of the time, people are pleasant and we're lucky enough to even be able to take vacations ;) .

[teajak]

Jeff ~ now that we are just down the road from the port of Tampa (recently relocated), we would LOVE to see more Celebrity and RCI ships sailing out of Tampa. We'd do Zenith again once she moves to Tampa next fall if she had a little work done. Looking forward to the late 2007 itineraries coming out. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

We are also just down the road from Tampa in Ellenton. Yes it is the Mall exit, everyone knows how to find us. Going on the Zenith 11/27/06. We have one of those great cabins on deck 10,last one before the aft deck. Almost like having a balcony, hoping for the best with this great ship.

[redheadskier]

Wow - our cruise was so different than yours!! But we booked a CC room on deck 10 - no college kids there!!! And no engine noise!

 

I did think the college kids were a bit rude at times, but not out of control like you experienced! We avoided the pool area, tho, which was rocking with college kids when we arrived. :eek: The other areas where much quieter!

 

I was told that only one person had to be over 21 to book a room. Our cruise was booked 100% so there was no ability to change rooms. Too bad they don't kid people off!

 

Unfortunately as my husband is a college professor, Spring Break is a way of life for us. :rolleyes: If and when I cruise again I will plan on booking amore expensive room to stay clear of them

 

I did enjoy the Zenith - despite our abbreviated itinerary. Service was great:D

[Host Anne]

Tea ~ I know exactly where you are. Not far at all. We've driven to Tampa for business flights a few times since moving here and drive past Ellenton all the time. You are in a perfect spot on Zenith. You'll love it back there and being close to that wonderful back deck. You'll have a great time, I'm sure.

 

Redheadskier ~ I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise. That's all that really matters. We did much the same as you and I don't think I would have been nearly as aggravated with the kids had the situation at the front desk with the two guys verbally abusing another passenger hadn't happened on the last night of the cruise. You did the right thing on your cruise. Several crew, including the Captain's Club Hostess, informed us that the crew felt the student on your cruise were worse than ours. But your deck location and avoiding areas where things got rowdy probably helped a lot. Hope you'll come back and sail Celebrity again.

[semetz]

Anne- just curious; Do you get paid to "Host" these boards? How are you compensated as a moderator?

Sharon

[Lois R]

:) Hi Sharon, all the moderators are volunteers.

[semetz]

Thanks Lois for clearing that up. Are you also a moderator? I notice 11,000 plus posts to my mere 34 and I've been noodling around on these boards a year longer. What does 5000+ charter member mean? Thanks for your input.

Sharon

[Lois R]

Hi Sharon, no, I am not a moderator, just a member of CC.

Alot of those postings are from when I first started on here.

I sort of went nuts:eek:

 

I have cut way back on my postings (though at 11, you would never

know it).

The 5,000 is from when they changed over to the new

format.......summer of 2005 I think:confused: or was it 2004?:eek: I can't

remember.

[GiniB]

First of all I thought I'd already posted this, so if it shows up twice I apologize.

 

Anne,

 

Will you be kind enough to share with us any response to your concerns you receive from Celebrity? I'd be curious to see how they respond.

 

I personnally love older, smaller ships, feeling that they are much more intimate and classy than the newer "Las Vegas strip casinos at sea." One of our favorite cruises was an 11-day aboard the Empress of the Seas last year. We didn't miss the brand-new, fancy-dancy, in-your-face, state-of-the-art, rock-around-the-clock, (running-out-of-hyphenated-adjectives) that the megaships have.

 

It is sad that Zenith is getting long in the tooth, but hopefully RCCL will refurb her back up to their standards soon without taking away her charm. It'd be sad to see her sold. They did a fabulous job refurbishing Empress and I think there are no problems keeping her pretty full.

 

We've booked a 10-day "Ultimate Caribbean" cruise on Zenith for next February, our first cruise with Celebrity. We are looking forward to trying out Celebrity and comparing their "grande dame" to the Empress. Of course, the cabin size on Zenith alone beats the Empress out right from the gate. Hopefully by next year they'll have her in better shape.

 

I do want to hear what folks have to say about the concierge class room category. That's what we booked in and it seemed to provide a lot of services and perks for very little extra money.

 

Gini

[tomatopa]

Gina, we are booked on the Zenith's February 19, 2007 sailing...is that the one you have booked? we sailed on the Summit in January. it was our first X cruise and we loved it.

 

where is the middle of the USA?

 

Judy

[looking_forward]

I traveled on the Zenith on 2/2-2/6 with my 11 year old daughter and then again 3/16-3/20 with my sister. What a difference a month makes!

 

Our trip in Feb was impeccable. The service was outstanding and the food sensational. Our cabin steward seemed to always be there to open the door for us.

 

This March trip also had quite a few spring breakers, but they seemed to be a bit older. There was partying going on, but nothing like what was described in this thread, thank goodness! We paid for concierge class, and were sorely disappointed. Our cabin steward in the cheap seats (Feb 2006 room 4103) did a better job than the woman serving the concierge class. She did her job, but nothing extra.

 

In the main dining, the server (Hugo) was excellent as was Paolo in Feb. No complaints about main dining. Feb wait staff at the buffet were helpful, not overly so, but okay, but in March they almost were non-existant. I asked one to provide a rag so I could wipe off the table and cigarette ashes which were on the chairs (outside deck by the grill) and he basically sneered at me and just did a little flick with his hand. Duh! I could have done that, there was black soot from the cigarette all over the chair and I didn't want to wear it on my white shorts for the rest of the day. The person busing the dirty dishes cleared the dishes but didn't wipe the table down, which had spilled cigarette ashes and coffee on it. I was willing to do it myself, but napkins were non-existent without going through the crowd all the way to the front.

 

Admittedly this March trip they had a full ship, and in Feb I believe they had about 900-1000. I don't know that their staff is adequately trained to assist the younger crowd (And provide a little guidance regarding this being a family ship... During the King of the Zenith contest one of the "contestants" tried to chase the female activity director around and grind against her backside. She was uncomfortable, but none of the other staff stepped up or chastised him.) A little innuendo is okay, but come on.

 

Different experiences, but both very nice. The crew did comment to me that the 3/11 cruise was full of rowdy kids. I will consider Celebrity in the future, but just hope they decide where they want their reputation to be, and that they have staff adequate for the crowds.

[Host Anne]

semetz ~ we're volunteers. I do this because I thoroughly enjoy it and all the great people I've met here on Cruise Critic. :)

 

GiniB ~ we've wanted to try Empress as well. If she weren't sailing out of San Juan that would be our next choice. I will come back and let you know if I get a response from Celebrity. And I hope you are correct that they decide to spend some money and get her back in shape. What a wonderful ship!

 

looking_forward ~ I'm not one to defend bad attitudes or lousy service but I do think that after the past couple cruises on Zenith, the crew was pretty burned out. They all needed a break but unfortunately, they don't get one. And unfortunately, you were on board during the "cool down" period. Cruises like ours have a domino affect that could last a couple of weeks until things get back to normal. I'm glad to hear you had a great cruise on her back in Feb. and enjoyed this one, too, even tho the service wasn't the same.