Zenith - Crowded on Pool Deck?

[pog27]

I'm booked on both the Norwegian Dawn and the Zenith for Christmas. The final payments are due in just a couple days and I'm having a lot of trouble deciding. I know the food and service are supposed to be better on Celebrity but my main concern is the lack of a balcony. The rooms I have booked are on the Atlantic Deck forward just below the pool deck so it would be easy to get outside for some sea air but do people ever have trouble finding a chair? How crowded does it get up there on a sea day? Any insight is appreciated.

[Leela]

I've sailed on both Horizon and Zenith (they were sisters) and, like with anything else, "it depends."

 

If you don't require a seat in the shade and don't mind if you are on the smoking or non-smoking side and don't mind if you're behind the band or not next to the pool etc. etc. etc. and it's the kind of nice day where people are using both the pool deck area and the sun deck area on the next level, then you'll be able to find seats (chair hogs or not). But if it's one of those days where people only feel comfortable congregating on the pool deck because of the wind, then it's not easy. My Mom & I purposely take 2nd seating for dinner so that, in the late afternoon, we can sit by the pool. All the 1st seating people have left and there's *plenty* of room to relax and swim and have an umbrella cocktail or two before going in to dress for 2nd seating dinner.

[VPIcruiser]

On the Zenith on 9/2, there were a lot of people out by the pool in the sun and the shade. I had no trouble finding a chair on the upper deck on sea days.

 

I have not cruised on NCL but it seems like the main difference is the freestyle dining versus traditional dining. We chose Celebrity over NCL for our cruise to Bermuda because we wanted traditional dining. We did miss having a balcony, but we made the right choice for us.

[drfun48]

Personally,I don't understand the need to be near the pool. It's much more crowded,loaded with (other people's bratty ; ) )kids ,and heavy traffic going to the dining areas. I much prefer the deck above,either around the pool if you want to listen to the music and people watch,or get a better view of the sea,particularly in the stern.If you need a dip it's only one flight down...Burn those buffet calories.

As for the pool deck,Yogi said it best,"No one goes there anymore because it's too crowded."

[fjb3cpa]

Personally,I don't understand the need to be near the pool. It's much more crowded,loaded with (other people's bratty ; ) )kids ,and heavy traffic going to the dining areas. I much prefer the deck above,either around the pool if you want to listen to the music and people watch,or get a better view of the sea,particularly in the stern.If you need a dip it's only one flight down...Burn those buffet calories.

As for the pool deck,Yogi said it best,"No one goes there anymore because it's too crowded."

True that, double true! - well put