Report on my Century Cruise, just back!

[lookingforward]

Hello everyone! We returned from our four night Century cruise today. First off, I did not ask about late 2008, so I am sorry that I can't say where the century will be sailing. Booking onboard is really not that great a deal in my opinion, although I did sit down and price some future cruises out. We are planning another adults only cruise on the century for January.

 

Here is a review of my cruise..it was wonderful...

 

Embarkation: This process was very smooth, although I forgot my online registration form that I printed out. No problem, we were on the ship within 20 minutes. We parked directly across from the terminal so that was really easy...bring cash, as they do not accept credit. The terminal itself is pretty awful, it is makeshift at best, but who cares! I was going on a cruise

 

We boarded fairly late (1:30p.m) so the ship was already buzzing with people and the standard first day traditions. Yes, I do want a glass of champagne!

Our suite, 1220 (sky) was very nice. The bathroom is kind of small for a suite although all I have to compare is the millenium's royal suite (the bathroom was not refurbished). I enjoyed the new bedding and comfortable bed, although the chairs and sofa seemed just slightly worn. Our butler was waiting and was really sweet. He, Alwi,and the room attendent , Michelle, both explained the room and ammenities. The balcony was quite large and we really enjoyed it later on.

 

Alwi checked our dining reservations (table for two) and confirmed all was what we requested. A card from Muranos was also there reminding us of our specialty dining reservation for Saturday. There is plenty of closet and drawer space for much longer cruises and the flat screen television was really nice. They were running pay per view first run movies like Dreamgirls, Rocky, etc. for 11.98. On the first night we rented Dreamgirls and it stopped in the middle. I called the customer service number for credit and the women who helped me thought it was an adult movie (evidently they will NOT credit half watched adult movies ... I had to explain to her that Dreamgirls was not a porno movie...the credit was given. It was hilarious.

 

I am going to describe different aspects of the cruise...if you have any questions please let me know...

 

Service: Overall the service was very good to excellent. Most employees were friendly and eager to please the passengers. Our wine steward was always complaining about how busy she was which was a little weird but she provided good service. Room attendent was quick, we would leave our room and return a half hour later and the room was picked up and fresh. Very nice. Our butler was so kind, he even walked with me on the first day to show me the way to the spa. Breakfast was set up with white linens on the balcony exactly at the time we requested. It was lovely.

 

Our dining room waiter was good, nothing special, but my husband thinks this is because we were at a table for two and we were used to being with our three kids. He did his job well but lacked the special something. On our last night the three tables of two that were together (we made friends with our dining neighbors) all requested lobster AND prime rib on the same plate. Our waiter flat out refused to do it saying that it was against company policies. He said he could bring us one plate first and then another but was forbidden to combine the two on one plate. HUH? We have cruised countless times and this has never been a problem. He served us the prime rib and then split a lobster tail about ten minutes later and slipped it onto the plate. No big deal, just kind of strange.

 

One small problem was the customer service center. When you called to ask a question we were ALWAYS put on hold for at least five to ten minutes. There is speaker phone in the rooms so you can do other things while waiting, but the time delay was annoying. Room service also took thrity to forty minutes if not ordered through our butler (late night snacks, etc).

 

Wrapping up service...no comment cards were handed out to us. First time ever.

 

Food: Excellent to very good, celebrity has wonderful beef entrees. Their prime rib is amazingly good, lobster tail was okay. Appetizers were limited, but all good. We ate at Muranos one night and it was absolutely wonderful! The goat cheese souffle was amazing. Definately worth a visit!

 

Buffets were very good. Lunch had so many choices, sandwiches, pasta, hot meals, hamburgers, healthy spa food, etc. The sushi bar from 5 pm to 10 pm was top quality and you could grab some and sit out on the patio looking out at the sea. They even have japanese beer, wonderful!

 

Breakfast is not my favorite meal so not much to say. My husband loved the waffles and they did have eggs cooked to order as well as omeletes.

 

Activities: Standard cruise activities, great staff. We won at bingo, although not the 3200 grand prize on the last night. The casino was way too small for a short intinerary (lots and lots of gamblers). It was next to impossible to get a seat at a blackjack table after 7 p.m. (bad for late diners) and there was actually a waitlist for the texas hold em tournaments. The dealers were much nicer than other lines and I still managed to win a little.

 

Ports: We did not even get off the ship in Key West as we live in south florida and visit there often. Cozumel is what it is. We walked around for an hour then relaxed on our balcony and enjoyed a quiet day.

 

One hint...we did not know that when they turn down the beds on the last night they will lock your minibar (and left my activia yogurt out in room temp) as well as strip your room of any food. We had requested two of our favorite desserts from the selection the butler brings around each late afternoon and had planned on enjoying them but they were gone. No big deal, but plan ahead.

 

Disembarkation: We were given the cinema as our meeting place but half the ship was off already while we waited with other suite passengers to be "escorted" off. We decided to just stroll off the ship and it took all of five minutes. VERY easy. It was kind of interesting when three people in front of us presented their shipboard cards (required to leave) and when they inserted it into the machine to check the passenger off the ship alarm bells rang out. (REALLY Loudly). The ships officer told them that they could not leave the ship without getting the "banks" approval. Problems with their credit cards, etc. Very embarrasing and one women was very angry.

 

I really loved the ship. It was classy, more sedate than other lines and offered great service and food for a very reasonable price. There were no big groups of spring breakers and the ship never seemed crowded (except in the casino). Except for the drunk guys who split tens and did not hit on a twelve when the dealer was showing a ten the passengers were a very nice group of people...all different ages. You will enjoy the Century.

 

Any questions...please let me know!

__________________

http://www.cruisecritic.com/countdow...ebrity Century

 

 

Boca Raton, FL

[Host Anne]

Thanks so much for takking the time to share your experiences. We were on Century in December and loved her new "look and feel." Please be sure to submit your review to the REVIEWS section here on Cruise Critic as well!

 

Thanks again!

[Cruisenouvelle]

Thanks for taking the time to review Century for us! We'll be on her for our 'maiden' cruise in a few weeks. Especially the inside tips re: fine quality beef dishes and the mini-bar being stripped.

I learn so much from these boards, it's scary!! Thanks again, Lookingforward.

[excitedofharpenden]

lookingforward, thanks for your review. Glad you enjoyed Century. We'll be on her in a couple of weeks and can't wait!

 

Phil

[AnDeNo.UK]

Thanks lookingforward for the great review. We will be on the Century in April, in the very SS you had 1220. I am so looking forward to it.

 

A couple of questions................

 

Did you have dinner on the balcony at any time ? If so, was the meal brought to your room all at the one time, or, were you served course by course. I have read conflicting posts on this subject so, would like to know exactly. :confused:

[excitedofharpenden]

Ann, I'll answer that question from experience. Your butler will serve it to you course by course if you ask him, but I would say that giving a bit of notice would be a good thing to ensure he is prepared. Say a couple of days beforehand. It wouldn't harm to mention it to him when he first introduces himself either. Then all you need is for the weather to cooperate!:)

 

I'll be in 1208, getting back the 7th April and I'll post here what I thought of the ship.

 

Phil

[AnDeNo.UK]

Ann, I'll answer that question from experience. Your butler will serve it to you course by course if you ask him, but I would say that giving a bit of notice would be a good thing to ensure he is prepared. Say a couple of days beforehand. It wouldn't harm to mention it to him when he first introduces himself either. Then all you need is for the weather to cooperate!:)

 

I'll be in 1208, getting back the 7th April and I'll post here what I thought of the ship.

 

Phil

 

Thanks for that Phil, now I now what to do/expect.;)

The last two T/A's we have been on, the weather has been fantastic.......for us anyway. The first crossing on the Constellation, the sea was like a Mill Pond, even the Captain said it was the best T/A crossing he'd ever done. Last year on JOS, we had one day that was very slightly choppy, other than that, nothing. A couple of days when we were getting 'nearer home', we had the hot tub all to ourselves. People asked us if we were mad, 'cos it was so cold. It was in the HIGH 60's. ;):D

[lookingforward]

AnDeNo, we did not have dinner on the balcony but I am sure he will do whatever you want for your dinner. Alwi is very nice and very sweet, he was always trying hard. The butler "pantry" is right across from 1220, I think this is where they prepare the carts, replenish things, etc. We did have breakfast on the balcony and the food arrived hot. This was not true when we ordered room service late at night, the food was cold. The butler works 12 hours a day! It is so beautiful on the balcony, sitting at your table with white linens, looking over the water!

 

FYI, on certain days we got a LOT of sun laying in the chaise lounges on our balcony. They are covered but the sun does come in and you can sunbathe there in privacy.

[RDangerIII]

I leave this Saturday on the Century and can't wait. I have a few questions if you don't mind. You said the Casino was crowded, was the 3 card poker table crowded as well? Also what movies were being shown in the cabins and at the theater. And lastly where were your ports of call? Thanks for any and all info.

 

RIcky

[Centurybound]

Thanks for the great review. We sail on 4/12/07. Did you notice if there was a store to puchase wine at the terminal?

[jerseygirl3]

We'll be in SS 1220 on April 2 sailing. Glad to hear Alwi is a good butler! He'll be our first!

[Boo's Mom]

...enjoyed your review.

The Century was our very first cruise..

and silly as it may sound,

she has a special place in our heart. :)

 

...someday,

we will sail on her again.

 

[kruisecat]

...enjoyed your review.

The Century was our very first cruise..

and silly as it may sound' date=' [/color']

she has a special place in our heart. :)

 

...someday,

we will sail on her again.

 

 

 

We feel the same way! She was our first and second cruise and we loved her so much! We hope to sail her again in a few years for a TA :)

[lookingforward]

I leave this Saturday on the Century and can't wait. I have a few questions if you don't mind. You said the Casino was crowded, was the 3 card poker table crowded as well? Also what movies were being shown in the cabins and at the theater. And lastly where were your ports of call? Thanks for any and all info.

 

RIcky

 

Ricky, the casino was only crowded in the evening, especially after 10 pm when all dinners were about over. I am not a poker player but they seemed fairly busy. Blackjack, craps and texas hold em seem to be the most busy, though.

 

In the theater they were showing Perfect Man, The Family Stone, etc. Movies that have been out for a while. In the cabins they have first run movies, which impressed me. We had to pay for them but I didn't mind. We would watch a movie really late and then sleep in. One word of advice, if you change the channel in the middle of the movie you have lost it forever. I did not know this and my movie stopped midway through after I accidently pushed the channel button instead of volume. The first customer service person I spoke with insisted I was out of luck and would have to purchase it again, but when i asked to speak with a supervisor she removed the charge and I then just charged it again.

 

Have a super time!

[lookingforward]

Thanks for the great review. We sail on 4/12/07. Did you notice if there was a store to puchase wine at the terminal?

 

No, not in Miami. The terminal looks like an abandoned building. Check out the lights as you ride the escalator up to board. Scary! You can't buy anything there at all.

[lookingforward]

We'll be in SS 1220 on April 2 sailing. Glad to hear Alwi is a good butler! He'll be our first!

 

You will love the suite and the service! I was supposed to be on the 4/2 sailing but changed to March. Of course, now I wish I had stayed with April! Enjoy every moment, it is a wonderful ship.

[jerseygirl3]

Can you tell me what kind of hair dryer you had in the Sky Suite? Was it just the low wattage, wall-mounted type, or did you have two different ones (like those in Concierge Class cabins), the second one being a regular, higher wattage hand held dryer.

[Texed]

I'll be in 1208, getting back the 7th April and I'll post here what I thought of the ship.

Phil

 

Have a great cruise, Phil. :)

[lookingforward]

Can you tell me what kind of hair dryer you had in the Sky Suite? Was it just the low wattage, wall-mounted type, or did you have two different ones (like those in Concierge Class cabins), the second one being a regular, higher wattage hand held dryer.

 

There was only one hair dryer, the wall mounted kind in the bathroom. I brought my own because I prefer to dry my hair at the vanity while my husband takes his shower. The bathroom was a bit small compared to other suites we had, but larger than regular staterooms. I would recommend you bring your own. There is a ton of storage space in the bathroom, though.

[lookingforward]

One more thing, the Cats Pajamas were awesome! Really personable and totally enjoyable, we even purchased their CD. Also, the comedian was good, not great, but funny. His shows were packed. The stage shows were standard cruise shows, but a definate step above carnival. Shows were fairly well attended.

[AnDeNo.UK]

AnDeNo, we did not have dinner on the balcony but I am sure he will do whatever you want for your dinner. Alwi is very nice and very sweet, he was always trying hard. The butler "pantry" is right across from 1220, I think this is where they prepare the carts, replenish things, etc. We did have breakfast on the balcony and the food arrived hot. This was not true when we ordered room service late at night, the food was cold. The butler works 12 hours a day! It is so beautiful on the balcony, sitting at your table with white linens, looking over the water!

 

FYI, on certain days we got a LOT of sun laying in the chaise lounges on our balcony. They are covered but the sun does come in and you can sunbathe there in privacy.

 

Thanks for the heads up on the balcony.

Dh and myself will be having dinner on the balcony a couple of times, Phil gave me the gen on that.;) We just love eating breakfast every morning on our balcony.

 

Some more questions.......

 

Did you get any noise at night from the Pantry? Also, did you receive a tote bag ? Was there flowers in the cabin during your trip? :confused:

 

Thanks.:)

[lookingforward]

Thanks for the heads up on the balcony.

Dh and myself will be having dinner on the balcony a couple of times, Phil gave me the gen on that.;) We just love eating breakfast every morning on our balcony.

 

Some more questions.......

 

Did you get any noise at night from the Pantry? Also, did you receive a tote bag ? Was there flowers in the cabin during your trip? :confused:

 

Thanks.:)

 

We did hear a little noise from the pantry area one morning but it could have been vacuuming, not sure? The floor is very quiet as only staterooms are there and there is minimal foot traffic. We did get a tote bag but there were no flowers at all in the stateroom. Fruit was replenished every day and there was a complimentary bottle of champagne. The only frustration with the pantry being so close to the room was that at times (many) there was an empty serving cart there or they parked the afternoon tea carts there after they loaded them up and before they served them. Kind of got in the way of the hallway.

[AnDeNo.UK]

We did hear a little noise from the pantry area one morning but it could have been vacuuming, not sure? The floor is very quiet as only staterooms are there and there is minimal foot traffic. We did get a tote bag but there were no flowers at all in the stateroom. Fruit was replenished every day and there was a complimentary bottle of champagne. The only frustration with the pantry being so close to the room was that at times (many) there was an empty serving cart there or they parked the afternoon tea carts there after they loaded them up and before they served them. Kind of got in the way of the hallway.

 

thanks for that, seems like the cart may have to go missing. :D

Only kidding. ;) I'm getting sooo excited, 3 weeks today we leave for Fort Lauderdale. :cool:

[jax23]

No, not in Miami. The terminal looks like an abandoned building. Check out the lights as you ride the escalator up to board. Scary! You can't buy anything there at all.

 

Lookingforward - a few Q's-

Is this the same terminal in Miami that Royal Caribbean uses, or does X have their own separate one?

 

And did you see any flyers about baggage service direct to the airlines? American?

 

Is that an extra charge for course-by-course dinner on the balcony?

 

When did you reserve your Murano's time - before you got on the ship, or your Butler made reservation? The TA I booked with said we have a dining credit there, but I have no info in travel docs and was wondering how that worked.

 

Thx for nice review! We are in 1209 April 12!

[lookingforward]

Lookingforward - a few Q's-

Is this the same terminal in Miami that Royal Caribbean uses, or does X have their own separate one?

 

And did you see any flyers about baggage service direct to the airlines? American?

 

Is that an extra charge for course-by-course dinner on the balcony?

 

When did you reserve your Murano's time - before you got on the ship, or your Butler made reservation? The TA I booked with said we have a dining credit there, but I have no info in travel docs and was wondering how that worked.

 

Thx for nice review! We are in 1209 April 12!

 

I am not sure if it is RCCL terminal but I kind of doubt it. It is like an abandoned terminal that was quickly set up to handle passengers. It is termiinal 11. I don't know about the luggage service as we live about 40 minutes from Miami and drove to the port.

 

There is no charge for course by course but I would make sure he knows that is how you want it.

 

We booked our Murano dining time before we cruised as we were captain club members. I would take care of the reservations first thing when you board. The butler can do it for you! Have a fantastic time. :)