Zenith 2/19/07 Cruise Any Thoughts

[retdon]

Hello to everyone :confused: , 6 of us have just booked this cruise and I am looking for comments from folks who have been on the ship in the past couple of months.

I was told the ship was completely redone last fall, is this true? How does it look now. I sailed on her in 1992 and it was a beautful experience.

 

Going on the 11 day out of Tampa, any suggestion on that port as we usually go out of Ft. Lauderdale. We will be driving from Orlando and according to the map it look fairly easy to get to.

 

We have booked Cabins #6120, 6126 and 6228 on the Caribbean deck and hope they are not too far back that we will hear engine noise, etc. On the deck plans it looks like these cabins are directly under the dinning room and possible kitchen. Has anyone been in this area of the ship and were the cabin(noise, ect.) OK?

 

How can I find out about the special night activities such as Caribbean night so we can bring appropriate clothes?

 

Any one who has been to Tortola, need suggestion on tours, etc or just hiring a local to drive us(we usually do that when returning to a port we have been in before).

 

Any other suggestion on this cruise, will be talking with you all later and we will add 6 more to the party so maybe it will gel and we can have one on board. LK ;)

[CaribbeanBound]

We sailed Zenith to Bermuda just before the drydock in Charleston. We arre heading out again on Nov 3. I understand that it doesn't look improved in any way except I have heard a few comments about some carpet replacement and some new beds/linens in some rooms (but definately NOT all).

 

Tampa is a very easy port to get to. It is also a nice terminal.

 

Tortola...

There is no need to prearrange any excursions here. Taxis line up at the pier to take you anywhere you want to go. Several passengers hopped into taxis and got the exact same tour that other passengers paid double for through the ship. Our sights were set on visiting Virgin Gorda. We got off the ship just after 8:00 am and walked 15 minutes to the red-roofed ferry terminal off to the left of the pier. Speedy's and Smith's both offer service to Virgin Gorda. However, only Speedy's could get us back before our 3:00pm departure. So we caught the 9:00 am Speedy's Ferry over and the 12:30 pm ferry back. Cost was $25 per person roundtrip, including roundtrip Speedy's Taxi service from the Virgin Gorda docks to The Baths. (You will not want to attempt to walk to The Baths from the dock). We brought our mask and snorkel with us. Rentals are available at The Baths. We sat upstairs in the open air seating atop the ferry. Cool winds and great views. 30-35 minute ride each way followed by a 10-minute taxi to The Baths. There is a $3.00 (adults) and $2.00 (children) entrance fee to The Baths which are part of the BVU National Parks Trust. The 5-minute walk down to The Baths was rocky and uneven. At the bottom, single-use-only lockers can be rented for $2.50 each. They are large enough to hold a beach bag or backpack. The Baths are an incredibly fun experience. Here is a detailed map of The Baths at Virgin Gorda. The Baths were really fun to explore. Highly recommend water shoes, a water camera, and a swimsuit. A beautiful beach with crystal clear waters awaits visitors on the other side of the rock maze. While not the greatest snorkeling site for fish, the coral formations were interesting. The water was nice and clear. We would have liked to stay another couple of hours, and look forward to another visit. Highly recommended!

 

Here is a VERY detailed review of the Zenith.

http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/bermuda.html

 

Here are our Secrets of the Caribbean!

http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

These are our very detailed personal reviews, hints, and tips for ports of call that you will be visiting.

[retdon]

Thanks Caribbean Bound, The travel agent we used had booked a wedding in Dec. for 30 cabins and those folks said the ship was in great shape and beautiful. I sure hope so. I know the food was good when we went on the Zenith and 2003 on the Summit. We are generally easy to please but some folks we are traveling with are not. L&T:rolleyes:

[raymac46]

We sailed to Bermuda on Zenith at the end of September. She is in fine shape, but definitely an older ship and has NOT been completely redone in the past year.

Beds and staterooms were clean and well maintained. Most of the public areas were fine and the Cova Cafe is really nice. The crew is wonderful and we got great service and excellent food. All in all a most pleasant experience.

Our tablemates at dinner had a cabin where you'll be located and sadly they heard a fair bit of kitchen noise one night - mostly banging and chopping. We were on deck 5 - one deck lower - and did not hear anything.

[Sky Sweet]

My husband and I had an opportunity to sail on Zenith for free and turned it down. I guess that answers your question :)

[Compass Rose Monica]

I was on the Zenith on 10/7/06. Yes, it's an older ship, but we loved the smaller size ship - always ran into friends throughout the week. Our room (4102) was in a perfect location, near the aft stairs, so we would head up to the buffet for breakfast - 7 flights. Yes, it's worn here and there but certainly not that noticable. I'm very picky with hotels and if the carpeting is worn, I keep shoes or socks on. Our cabin's carpeting was very clean and I had no problems being bare footed. The bedspread showed its age but things like that weren't important to us: Service and food are! Both were excellent! Everyone was friendly and the food was outstanding. I felt the food to be better than on my other two Celebrity cruises (Millie and Connie).

 

If an absolutely perfectly clean ship is what you want, then no, the Zenith isn't for you. If you want great service and food, sail on the Zenith!! Relax and enjoy the cruise.

 

Monica

[Chall70]

Zenith is in fine shape. A classic cruise ship. Great service and food.

 

Sky:

For Free? And YOU turned it down. I guess Zenith is subpar for some of our more cultivated cruisers.