Centruy 2/9 The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

[mrclean1]

My DW and I are early 50's, have sailed Carnival, Princess, Cunard and now this our 1st trip on Celebrity. This trip was an anniversary celebration (our 29th) and we sailed with another couple who had never cruised before. We used a Limo from Boca Raton rather than drive down and park, our driver picked us up at 11:00 and we were in the Port Of Miami by 11:50. Embarkation went very smoothly and we were on the ship by 12:15 where we were greeted with champagne, though no one escorted us to our cabins. We had inside cabins on deck 12 and our cabins were ready so we left our carry-ons toured the ship.

 

The Good:

 

First order of business was to find the asst. Maitre'd and review our dinner seating, he had us at a table for 6 and I requested one for 4 he was very accomodating and closed our table so lower level table 520 became a table for 4 (he rates a 10). We proceeded to the Island Cafe for lunch where we found it relatively uncrowded and the food to be just OK.

 

The Bad:

 

Our cabin steward (Bernie) proved to be a continual disappointment. This was the first time on any ship that I was not greeted by our Steward shortly after arrival. Not having met him I called down for 2 additional pillows, long story short it took 2 more calls and I finally got the pillows 24 hrs. later. He did apologize and indicated he confused us with another cabin and thought we had them, all he had to do was knock on the door and ask if everthing was OK and all would have been well. Ice was another irratation, I asked him to keep it full at all times and found myself continually asking to have it filled. He did do a fine job of keeping the cabin clean and stocked with towels, etc. He never addressed me by name and was probably the least attentive steward I have ever had to deal with (he rates a 3).

 

The Good Again:

 

Dinner service was a very pleasurable experiance and after the normal mass confusion on the first day our server Rogelio and his assistant were very attentive to our every need (they rate a 10). I know food is a very subjective thing, so take this with a grain of salt. I found the food to be generally very good, I would compare it favorably with Princess and would give Celebrity the edge especially with their beef dishes, I think Princess does a better job with fish, I had both Halibut and Flounder and both were just OK, I think the quality of the food was very high, though the menus were kind of boring. Do not want to start about the dress code, but on formal night I saw everthing from tuxedos to jeans and shirts, for my part if you are going to have a policy then enforce it or just eliminate it. Heck we are probably just a few years from it being gone anyway as it seems less and less people are dressing up!

 

We met Sudi at the pool bar shortly after boarding, what a character! He told us he would hold seats for us at the Martini Bar that evening and sure enough when we arrived he spotted us right away and did have the seats for us, no small feat when you consider how small that area is. We visited him again most evenings (he rates a 10).

 

The Ugly:

 

The pool area on this ship is no where big enough for the number of passengers aboard. Our first sea day found not a chair available anywhere at 11:00. I have never had a problem getting a lounge on Princess or Carnival, but this was impossible and when people started moving around to chase the sun it was difficult to walk accross the deck. At 70,000 tons and apprx. 2000 passengers there is just not enough space here a real disappointment (rates a 3).

Drink service was generally good, though if you did not specify a brand they would always pour the most expensive. A vodka and tonic would range from 6.30 for well vodka (Gilby's) to 8.05 for Grey Goose. I had words with the pool waiter more than once and did not finally get my point accross until I started sending them back! Why they feel like they have to nickel and dime us at every turn is beyond me, I know it is a small amount, but it is more the principle than anything else. (rates a 5)

The ship itself surprised me, while the cabins were very nice, she is showing her age and maybe I was expecting something more after a 50 million dollar renovation. Last year we sailed the Sun Princess which is about the same age with no renovation I would rate her just as high as the Century. I come from a commercial cleaning background and could not help but notice the condition. Carpets were worn or dirty, the mirror in our bath was cracked and I could go on, minor maintenance issues to be sure, but they are not being taken care of. Why is it they design with all that glass and then they never clean it, it could look much better than it does with very little additional effort. (rates no more than 5)

 

The Good Again:

 

The Captain was very personable and approachable, I met him twice during our trip. The casino gods smiled upon us and on the last day hit a jackpot of 720.00 on a quarter machine. The sushi Bar was very good and we enjoyed it nightly. Pizza was just so-so and we never did try the pasta though it looked pretty good. The poolside grill was a hit with everyone and very enjoyable.

We did not attend any of the shows so cannot give you any input there, from what I heard they were OK.

Our ports were Jamaica and Grand Cayman. Jamaica showed us nothing, was dirty and if you enjoy being accosted every three feet it is the place for you. We did have a great lunch with a group from Princess which was also in and it was a lot of fun. Grand Cayman was very crowded with 6 ships in port, but I will say that tendering went very smoothly both in and out with little wait (rate that a 10).

Overall we had a good time, it was not the best cruise experiance I have had, but it was very cheap and a nice little getaway. Would I do it again? Probably not, our intention was to use this as a test prior to booking a 10 day next Feb. while on board, we did not book it. Perhaps my expectations were set to high after reading these boards, I guess I expected a premium product as described by many here along with Celebrity's description of itself, but what we found was an average mass market product, not really what we were looking for. Looks like it is back to Princess for us.

 

I really tried to be fair here, so if you need to flame away...

 

Steve

[cruiseacecat]

Hi,

 

No flames from me. I am just sorry Century did not meet your expectations. She was my first Celebrity ship, and still remains my favorite. I suspect part of the problem is that these 4 and 5 night cruises are very hard on a ship and just do not reflect what a Celebrity cruise experience can be. I hope you will give this ship another chance, if they ever move her to a longer caribbean itin. Century in Europe is a wonderful experience.

Enjoy your future cruises whatever they may be.

 

Anne

[Xcruiser]

OP, can I ask what cabin number you were in? :confused:

[mrclean1]

We were in 1227 our friends in 1223.

[nps001]

I'm surprised to hear about Bernie. That's a shame. Bernie was our cabin steward a year ago and he was so great I actually mentioned him by name in a letter to Celebrity.

[Xcruiser]

We were in 1227 our friends in 1223.

Thanks, we’ve found that the cabin stewards on Celebrity more than often offer above and beyond service. It’s always luck of the draw and on our last cruise on Millie we came up a little short as well. My first cruise was on Century and we really loved the ship. It’s much smaller than the M-Class ships and doesn’t have the same space to pax ratio. I’ll be back on Century shortly and sure hope they are taking care of this great ship. Thanks for your review.

[Yahtic]

I would say your experience and impressions mirror my own concerning the Century on our recent Trans-Atlantic from Barcelona to Miami. The disrepair you experienced was evident then so it is not a result of the 4 & 5 night cruises, it was in bad shape when it left the Med.

 

We have found the Princess experience far superior to the Celebrity now. Previously we were big Celebrity fans as evidenced by our cruise history; however they have been going downhill for a couple of years.

[Jade13]

I would say your experience and impressions mirror my own concerning the Century on our recent Trans-Atlantic from Barcelona to Miami. The disrepair you experienced was evident then so it is not a result of the 4 & 5 night cruises, it was in bad shape when it left the Med.

 

We have found the Princess experience far superior to the Celebrity now. Previously we were big Celebrity fans as evidenced by our cruise history; however they have been going downhill for a couple of years.

 

How did you rate/compare Century to your experiance on the Rotterdam and HAL in general? Both are mid size ships.

[Yahtic]

I think the Rotterdam was a nice ship and HAL service and food were ok; however I do think they are overpriced for what they offer. I would put them even with Celebrity. I just expected more from HAL given the price and reputation; so from a price/value aspect I was a little disappointed.

 

As with all cruise lines each of them does something a little different that you miss when on others but overall at this time I am leaning heavily towards Princess as the line that best provides ME with what I am looking for, to each his own.

[swscruiser]

We've done Carnival, HAL, Princess, Costa, RCCL, and Celebrity. We've had the complete opposite experiences you've had. Besides Costa which was just awful, Princess is our least favorite line.

 

Keith

[Jade13]

I think the Rotterdam was a nice ship and HAL service and food were ok; however I do think they are overpriced for what they offer. I would put them even with Celebrity. I just expected more from HAL given the price and reputation; so from a price/value aspect I was a little disappointed.

 

As with all cruise lines each of them does something a little different that you miss when on others but overall at this time I am leaning heavily towards Princess as the line that best provides ME with what I am looking for, to each his own.

 

Thanks! HAL is def more expensive.

[katscruise]

I have been and Princess twice and Celebrity 3 times. As far as food and service goes Celebrity does a better job. We went to Alaska on Princess and found the food could not compare to Celebrity. Thats why we are afraid to try another line like HAL. We are booked in April on Century. I have read the good and the bad on these boards. I guess I will just have to wait and see.:)

[TeacherSus]

Just to offer another perspective - my husband and I were on the same cruise as the OP, along with another couple, all of us in our 30's. This was our first sailing on Celebrity, but we are "seasoned" Princess cruisers.

 

We were amazed at the level of service on the Century. EVERYONE was friendly and eager to please. All crew members seemed to go out of their way to assist passengers and each other. The crew members were visible (with the exception of the Captain!) and even the Cruise Director and other "higher ups" would stop on the pool deck to chat with passengers and even clear dirty plates and glasses. This did NOT happen on our Princess cruises.

 

Another glaring difference we found was the friendliness of the passengers. We spent our whole last Princess cruise TRYING to meet people. On the Century, EVERYONE said hello and was eager to chat and get to know one another. It was a much nicer atmosphere.

 

As far as food goes, I think Princess and Celebrity are tied. Princess KILLS Celebrity in the dessert department (NO comparison) but Celebrity's buffet is far superior to Princess in terms of layout and ease of use. I preferred the grill, pizza and sushi on Century, but my husband (the pizza expert said Princess was better). I also felt much less "nickel and dimed" on Century (less hawking of pop cards, ice cream, etc.). The Cova Cafe pastries were a very nice touch and the coffee was excellent. The one thing I thing Princess wins on is the "as much as you like" mentality. On Princess the waiters encouraged seconds, trying different entrees, etc. On the Century I asked for a second lobster tail and the waiter said, "I'll see if they'll give me one." Our friends pre-ordered berries for dessert and were told the next night by our waiter that there weren't any. GIVE ME A BREAK. I don't know if this was just our waiter (Cesar) but I don't want to know about friction between the kitchen and the waitstaff, I just want my second lobster tail and my berries (oink, oink).

 

I felt the ship was in fantastic condition. We were amazed at the cleanliness and tip top shape. I really think this issue is really a glass half-full or half-empty kind of thing. I'm sure if I was looking for imperfections I could have found some. A spot on a carpet just really doesn't affect my cruise enjoyment.

 

Well this went on for longer than I meant it to...Bottom line is I would cruise either line again. I think I my first choice would be Celebrity (everyone just seemed happier to be there!) but I'd be happy to be back onboard a Princess cruise as well (either way there's no snow, right?).

 

Again, just wanted to offer another perspective. Same cruise, WONDERFUL experience.

[nps001]

I am always surprised at 2 different perspectives being so totally different on the same cruise. It surely lends credibility to the saying "different strokes for different folks."

 

Meeting passengers and getting to know the staff always seems to make the cruise extra special for me, and all of the sailings I have done with X always seem to afford this. To me, it's the difference between a great cruise and a wonderful cruise.

[niborHS]

We also just returned from the Century 2/9 sailing. First I will say that this was our 6th Celebrity cruise, our 15th overall. We have been on HAL & Princess each in the last 2 years, plus 4 NCL, 1 RCCL, 1 Carnival and 1 other. We were in a sky suite on deck 12. I had read various things about the ship, etc. over the past few months, and can say that I agree with some, disagree with others. I did not find that there was a problem with things being worn. As a matter of fact, I saw them replacing carpet the first day on board. Boarding the ship went very smoothly, as mentioned. We drove down from Aventura just before noon, and everything went very smoothly. Our room was also ready, so we were able to leave our carry-ons. We checked out the location of our dining room table next, because our first time on Century we were originally seated along the back edge, and the vibration can be a problem. We were at a table of 8, all couples, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Our waiter was Ace, who was very good and eager to please. We had dinner at Murano's once, and had a great meal. We thought of trying it a second time, but wanted to spend the time with our table-mates. We are from NY, 2 of the other couples were also from NY, plus one older couple from Toronto who were great to have with us as well. There was only 1 meal for dinner that I did not enjoy because my halibut was dry, but enjoyed everything else. I felt that the buffet lunches are really not as good as I have had on other ships, including other Celebrity ships.

I was not that happy with our cabin steward, although we loved our cabin. I found her and the butler to be more of an annoyance than normal, as far as not cleaning the cabin when we were out, then wanting to clean when we were there, and the butler would be ringing our bell to bring in different things when we were relaxing in the cabin.

The pool area I found to be just as crowded as on any other ship. Most people are up earlier, so it always amazes me when people come down at 11 am and expect to have their pick of lounge chairs. I did not find it to be a problem to find one where we wanted. I found many fewer "reserved" chairs, and also found that people gave up their loungers when they did not expect to return, which I have never seen happen before. I also agree with the fact that people were very friendly on the ship. I had some nice conversations with people I sat next to at lunch or breakfast. My husband is often up early, and has breakfast before me. Whether I was in the dining room or at the Buffet, I was not alone.

As far as the ports go, if the OP has been on as many ships as he says, I am surprised that he has not been to these ports before. Each port has plusses for those who have never been, and I would recommend taking a tour of some kind at each. Climbing Dunns River Falls is an experience that anyone she have at least once. We also had a very nice tour of a Plantatin in Ocho Rios once, and the pottery factory is also interesting to see. In Cayman, sting ray city is fun, and for those who are beach/snorkel/diving lovers, they can certainly have a nice day. Tendering in Grand Cayman did go very smoothly.

As far as the show goes, I do not like the fact that they have late seating show before dinner. The reason I like late seating is to have plenty of time to rest up from the day and get ready for dinner. If I wanted to be ready at 7 pm, I would go for early seating. The one show I did go to however was not very good. The performers never seemed to be in sync with their dancing, and the singing was hard to hear. There were various performers in different areas of the ship who were good, so there was always something to do. We also had a great time at the karoake, listening to one of our table mates performs, and others who were fun to listen to.

The gym had the standard machines, which were fine for a work-out. My biggest complaint there was that they did not have cups by the water fountain (which who would want to use anyway), so if you didn't bring your own water bottle, you were out of luck, especially since it got hot later on in the day. The Persian Garden is nice and relaxing, and although someone reported that you can only use it if you book a couples massage, that is absolutely not true, but you do have to buy a pass for the cruise for $69. I did not get any of the treatments, but did have a manicure and pedicure because I did not have a chance at home. They were both good, but not the as promised "exfoliated arms and legs" more like wrists and ankles, and rather expensive.

For all those who are interested, the internet service on the ship is the fastest connection I have seen on a ship yet. It is expensive, but we use it for keeping in touch with work, so it is worth it.

One last thing, a few weeks ago, someone remarked about how bizarre they thought the artwork was on the ship. I thought that was an odd comment, until I was on board. I will say, much of the artwork is bizarre.

[signman]

Robin, Were you late seating and wearing blinking things each evening? Ace was my waiter too. Sorry we never met.

[niborHS]

Yes, that was us. The man from Canada kept giving them to us, so it was kind of a joke. I know what table you were at. Were the mother/daughter at the next table from your group? They were talking one day in the Persian Garden while I was there. THey were sure that it was a perk when they were on the last time in a suite, but I did not remember it as such. I thought we had paid for it on the Connie, which was 3 years ago. Ace was a good waiter, but I did not think that his assistant was helping him out that much.

[signman]

Robin, I think you are referring to my friends who were at a table for 6 just forward and starboard of your table. Jesus was their waiter. My table of 5 was just a bit aft and starboard of yours. You are correct, Bennett was not much help to Ace insofar as getting food from the kitchen, but after a day he knew to keep the coffee refilled for 2 at my table who take it with their meal, and that my sister and I like ice always when our water glasses are refilled. Were you ever offered pepper for your salads from the tall pepper mill. We thought it a bit odd that we never were, while the table just aft of us always was. Not a big deal though. I was still satisfied with the food, and if I tell you that I was the guy who looked like he never saw a meal he didn't like, you might remember seeing me.

[niborHS]

Yes, that is who I was talking about I am sure. I don't like pepper, so I never would have noticed that. I will say that I think I know who you are. Did you end up playing trivia? My husband was probably there at every one. He was the one who knew who the first woman in space was. (I think he was the only one in the room who knew that). It was a nice 5 days. The weather could have been better, but it was the rest that we needed.

[Vacationahead]

I'll chime in. My wife and I were also on this sailing. It was our fifth time with Celebrity (third on Century) and thirteenth overall. We were with a group of 17 and had a great time. We have been sailing more on RCCL in the past few few years, and I thought the food on Century was a big improvement over Royal Carribbean. The beef, and the sauces, were much, much better. Murano was terrific.

 

We were also in a cabin on deck 12. We found everything to be fine with our cabin and with the hallways. I agree that Bernie had a tough time keeping ice in the cabin--We were out most of the time. I thought he and our butler Paul did an adequate job--nothing special.

 

In my experience, all ships show a bit of wear in different places. It' has to be difficult to keep everything in perfect condition when you have thousands of people moving in and out each week, with no real "down time." Overall, though, I thought the Century was in fine shape.

 

In terms of the pool area, I would agree that finding a lounge chair in the shade could be a challenge. But, with a little patience, it was easily done. In fact, on the last sea day, nearly our entire group wound up sitting together. As chairs would open, they would move in. If you like to be in the sun, I thought there were a number of chairs open during the day, both around the pool and on the deck above.

 

Everybody sees things differently, but the 17 of us had a great time. Most of our group was new to cruising, but we're already talling about where to go next!

[DGP1111]

I was not on the same sailing as the OP, but was on the following one (departing Valentines Day, and returning earlier this morning).

Once I get some of my notes together, I'll post a review here for others. I feel SOOOO very lucky to say the the title of mine will probably be "The Good, The Better, and The Best".

Every expectation was exceeded.

Unfortunately at the end, debarkation this morning turned into a real cluster, and for a while I thought a few altercations might break out inside the port building. My flight was not for a while, so I was not adversely affected, but I felt sorry for those who were first off (the White 1 tags) and they had no luggage for quite a while. Eeek!!

Thank You, Celebrity Century, for a great relaxing vacation experience!! :) :)

[jt1120]

I would say your experience and impressions mirror my own concerning the Century on our recent Trans-Atlantic from Barcelona to Miami. The disrepair you experienced was evident then so it is not a result of the 4 & 5 night cruises, it was in bad shape when it left the Med.

 

We have found the Princess experience far superior to the Celebrity now. Previously we were big Celebrity fans as evidenced by our cruise history; however they have been going downhill for a couple of years.

 

I respectfully and TOTALLY disagree. My wife and I tried Princess last year. Won't go back any time soon. They do not hold a candle to X. Consistency is the key, and nothing was consistent with Princess. With X we find the service better, the food better, the entertainment better. The only thing we liked about our Princess cruise was the cabin (Emerald Princess). One of the best we have ever had. Other than that, we are looking forward to our next TWO voyages, both with X.

 

Obviously, to each his or her own, but I wanted to weigh in with my two cents.

[mo&fran]

I would say your experience and impressions mirror my own concerning the Century on our recent Trans-Atlantic from Barcelona to Miami. The disrepair you experienced was evident then so it is not a result of the 4 & 5 night cruises, it was in bad shape when it left the Med.

 

We have found the Princess experience far superior to the Celebrity now. Previously we were big Celebrity fans as evidenced by our cruise history; however they have been going downhill for a couple of years.

WE were on the same Century as you, and I disagree. We had one of the new SS on 12, and had no issues. The butler and steward were very good. The norovirus issue was a pain, but that has nothing to do with Century.

We thought that the food was not as good as previous X cruises, but I understand there was a logistics issue with them recieveing supplies.