Century 4-night, just returned

[niborHS]

I just returned from the 2/22 sailing on the Century. This was my 3rd time on Century, 6th on Celebrity, and 16th overall. We were on the Century the first year it sailed, and last February for a 5 night, just to give you some background.

We flew down to Miami on Wednesday night, and stayed overnight at the Sleep Inn by the airport. Seeing as we didn't arrive at the hotel until 9 pm, and left at 11 am the next morning, it was perfectly fine, especially for the $98 it cost. We took a free shuttle to the hotel, then paid $10 per person for the shuttle to the pier. The shuttle was a few minutes late, but the company was excellent about keeping in touch with the desk about the traffic delay.

We arrived at the pier around 11:30, had a porter take our luggage, and immediately walked in and were able to check in. It was not crowded at all at that point, so I didn't even bother to wait on the Captain's Club line. As soon as we walked onto the ship we were told that we could drop our things in our cabin. This was the first time that I ever sailed in an inside cabin, and it worked out fine. There is more than enough storage space for everything, the bathroom has a stall shower, but a much larger one than I remember from the last time I had a non-tub bathroom, and space to keep what we wanted in it without a problem. Beds were fine, lighting was good, desk/make-up area was great. The mirror over the desk concealed the safe plus plenty of shelf space. The condition of the room was great, and the cabin steward did all that he should to keep the room clean, water pitcher filled, and the number of towels I asked for. I gave him $10 up-front, and asked that he bring some extra hangers, which he did. Also asked for 2 extra towels. I was also pleasantly surprised that there were robes in the cabins, I thought that was only in suites.

We waited for friends to arrive, and then had lunch. It is true that some of the salads seemed to be repetitious, but there was enough of an assortment to not have the same lunch every day. It was only a short cruise, and we weren't even eating lunch on board while in Cozumel. There was a carving station, assorted hot items, a pasta bar, pizza bar, a stir-fry station, sandwich station, salad bar and ice cream bar. Just outside was a grill with hotdogs, hamburgers and tacos. The hamburgers were a little disappointing, but the fries were great, as were the tacos. On the opposite side of the pool is the Spa Cafe. We had lunch there on the last day, and were sorry we did not discover it earlier. The food there was great, and it was a quiet and lovely place for lunch.

The breakfast buffet had a waffle/french toast area, scrambled eggs with various meats, cold and hot cereals, and 2 omelet stations. There was rarely a wait for omelets, which was great. We had 1 breakfast in the dining room, which was fine. I got my eggs benedict fix until the next cruise.

We had dinner in the main dining room each night. There was an excellent assortment of appetizers each night, 2 salads, 2 or 3 soups, and 6-8 entrees. There were only 2 things I ordered that were poor choices. The quail was rather boney, but the accompaniments were excellent and I wasn't hungry by then anyway. The stuffed flounder I had on the last night was just terrible, but that didn't matter either because I had enough with the other food, and knew I would order dessert. Aside from the changing list of a la carte items, there were also certain things you could always have, caesar salad, shrimp cocktail, NY Strip steak, salmon and chicken cutlets I believe. Overall the dinner menu was above average for cruise ship fare, and there were some things that I would have enjoyed if I ordered them in one of my favorite restaurants. We chose not to go to Muranos. I know that there are plenty of people who rave about it, and we did eat there last year, but I frankly do not think it is worth the extra $30 per person. I know that someone on this board from Miami said that if you liked things like fois gras, it is excellent. Rest assured that I am happy to have a fois gras appetizer, but I prefer to have it at a restaurant like Chef Allen's, than to pay for it on a cruise ship. Our dining room waiter seemed to be relatively new at it. On the third night he rushed us through dinner, and then said that we would have to wait 1/2 hour if we wanted baked Alaska. The next night we asked that he slow it down. He explained that he had to do it quickly because of the baked Alaska parade. So, it seemed that his timing was really off.

It was a little cold in Key West, in the mid 60's, but it was very pleasant for what we were doing. We bought the self-guided walking tour tickets from the excursion desk for $19. The Audubon House was the best of the 3, and luckily where we started. The only good thing about the other 2 homes was the fact that it gave us a direction to walk. We were told to go to the Blond Giraffe for Key Lime Pie on a stick. We stopped in at the "factory", but they were sold out. They directed us to another of their locations, that only had 2 left. We took those and split them between the 4 of us. They were terrific as promised, and 1/2 each was the perfect treat.

We docked in Cozumel and the announcement came on even before 11:30 that we were cleared and could leave the ship. We took a short cab ride to Playa Uvas, where we had reserved for a snorkel tour and lunch with open bar. It worked out to be a great afternoon for us. We went back to the pier and shopped there. There are loads of shops, but the shopkeepers are trying to get high prices for their goods. They ask high, but you can bargain them down quite a bit. I bought a pair of cufflinks for my husband, for example. He told me they were "regularly" $90, I ended up paying $25.

The entertainment on the ship was mixed. The Celebrity singers and dancers were the most amateurish of any I have ever seen on a ship. The comedian was fair, and the acrobats are not my thing, so won't make a comment on that. There was an accapella group that sang a few songs the first night. They were great, and we wanted to see them again. They were performing at the Cova Cafe one evening. We had late seating dinner, and when we arrived, the group was talking to some man who they must have thought was an agent or something, and we never heard them sing. We enjoyed the pool band. Not the greatest musicians, but certainly did a more than serviceable job. We also enjoyed a singer named Franklin, who performed a wide variety of songs, from oldies to very new songs. There was a singer in Michaels one night that we only heard when passing by, as well as a dance band in the Rendezvous Lounge. We did not go to the Hemispheres at all.

My biggest complaint is that the coffee is awful. The dining room was no better than the Lido, and the cappucino that I had at the Cova Cafe was not great either. There were more good points though than bad. The age range of passengers was younger than I expected and have experienced on past cruises, although seemed to be more women than men. Part of that could be that this was a soap opera cruise, and supposedly there were 500 people on board for that. There were 15 soap stars, but the only one I knew was Cameron Matheson, because he was on Dancing With The Stars. He was very friendly, was on with his family, and flew back to NY on our flight.

I did not book any spa treatment on this sailing. After looking at the prices, I felt that they had increased them over the last year, and it really wasn't worth it. There is only so much more than I would have to pay at home that it is worth. I can go to Elizabeth Arden's Red Door Spa for less than what they wanted. I am curious if they book up at those prices. The cruise itself though was an absolute bargain. Seeing as we just slipped in to the over 55 category, we paid $289 each, and were on the Vista deck. I have paid more than that for dinner in New York, so it was the bargain of the century in my book. I would do it again in a heartbeat, no questions asked.

If I left anything out, please ask, I would be happy to tell you. However, please don't ask me how much they charge for beer.

[alicam]

Thanks for the review...we're booked onto the Century in March 2010 for our 25th anniversary...looking forward to it...once again...thankyou

[Lois R]

Hi Robin, thanks for the review:) I am guessing you live in or near

the Big Apple?

Most Spa stuff on the ship is more $$ than at home.

I have always found bathrobes in the cabin and I book your

basic inside or windows.

I do agree with your coffee assessment. It is always consistantly

inconsistant:eek::(

Sounds like you had a good time though:)

 

I am sailing her again in April for 4 nights:Dwill be great to

sail her one more time!

[Xcruiser]

So how much did they charge for beer? :D– Just kidding

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise on Century. We did the 5 nighter last year in our first inside cabin and were really surprised how well it worked out. I was hoping for some improvement in the coffee after they changed suppliers this year, I guess not. I agree that these Century cruises are a fantastic bargain. The only other short cruise we did was a 4 nighter on Carnival Sensation in 2003 at a higher per diem and there is no comparison. We liked it so well last year that we are doing the same on Century’s 2-9 sailing in less than 2 weeks.

 

Thanks again for posting your review, I can’t wait to get onboard her again. :)

[vplsh]

Thanks so much for your review. We're booked on Century for the 4 day for 12/26 and are really looking forward to it!

[niborHS]

Hi Lois, yes, we live in Western Nassau County, Long Island. We are about a half hour from the city. The hot stone massage on the ship was 75 minutes for $193. At the Red Door Spa it is $190 for 80 minutes. At another fancy spa without the name, it is $115 for 55 minutes. And, they don't try to sell you product. The 55 minute is long enough, and that is a pretty big price difference. The prices across the board were up quite a bit from what I remembered last year.

However, I did not feel that the bar prices were high. The martini sampler is a great buy at $9.95. I know some people complain it is not cold enough, etc., but we enjoyed it.

[librarylady19]

Thanks for the review - It is so nice to see positive reviews of Century prevailing again!;)

[niborHS]

Actually, when I think about it, my 2 recent sailing on the Century are both towards the top of my list of enjoyable cruises. We hadn't been on since it's first year, which was fantastic as well. Of course we are not looking for rock climbing and ice skating, so there is enough offered for us.

[jt1120]

Isn't it always about the coffee! ITA with you, Robin. Even on the Solstice, the coffee wasn't great, but better than I remember on the Century, which was awful. Come on =X=, if RC still has that deal with Seattle's Best, maybe you should swipe a few bags.

[tortugas]

Great review! We are looking at Century for April. Any additional comments on night life/dancing on the ship? I like to have one late night of dancing... other than that, we are not out toooo late.

 

thanks again1

[niborHS]

Sorry, but can't comment on late night dancing. I know they have a DJ in the Hemispheres, and there is a live band in Rendezvous, depending on what kind of dancing you are talking about, but I assume you mean the DJ variety. We weren't there, but know they promote it.

[cruiseacecat]

Thanks for the very concise review. I will be doing a b2b on Century beginning 25 Feb. and am happy to hear she has not lost her touch. She is my favorite of all the ships. Even without Captain Pagonis. :)

Can you tell me if there was a guitarist and what his name was? Thanks :)

 

Anne

[Lois R]

Hi Anne:)too bad we will miss each other!

I am going in April...keep her in good shape for me:D;)

[cruiseacecat]

Hi Lois :)

 

I will keep a seat warm for you in the Martini bar.:D I do believe this is an addiction. :p But such a nice one.

 

Anne

[cruise dancer]

Thanks for the great review. We are doing a family cruise (11 of us :eek:) on Century in 12 days! And I was excited already but reading your review really helped excite me even more. I am so ready to get into some nice weather, 60's sounds like heaven right now.

2 questions for you:

1. Were the safes programable with a number or are they the credit card type, and

2. (I know you may not be able to answer this) Did it seem like there was much ballroom dancing? Sounds like the Rendezvous lounge would be the best place for it.

 

Thanks!

 

Lisa

[TNT123]

We are going aboard the four-night Century cruise in mid-March. This will be our first cruise, so I'm definitely excited, yet a little nervous about what to expect. Thank you for giving such a fair, detailed report. Reading posts like these help to give me an idea of what actually happens!

 

We are looking forward to Key West and Cozumel, but feel we won't have much time in Key West (from 7:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. I think). Are most of the shops/restaurants open that early? I don't think we're going to plan an excursion there, just sightsee. We would like to snorkel in Cozumel, but still have a lot of questions on that one - like if there are nice places to change and if there are lockers available?

 

Thanks for any other advice from your experience, especially on Century!

Lisa

[CanWeGoYet?]

Isn't it always about the coffee! ITA with you, Robin. Even on the Solstice, the coffee wasn't great, but better than I remember on the Century, which was awful. Come on =X=, if RC still has that deal with Seattle's Best, maybe you should swipe a few bags.

 

 

Oh no! I live on coffee. :( Doesn't have to be espresso, but I do end up getting the americanos if good basic coffee isn't available. Where to have coffee aside from the dining rooms - is the cova cafe the only option?

[Gailia]

Cruisedancer - the Century cabin safes are programmable. Easy instructions are posted right on the front.

 

TNT - We just left Century Monday morning. We didn't book an excursion in Key West, but had ample time to enjoy our visit. We toured the Hemingway House, sampled the award winning key lime pie at the Blond Giraffe, and shopped for handmade leather sandals at Kino's. Back on board for a leisurely lunch and some R&R before primping for formal-night dinner. There are tons of things to do in Cozumel, including snorkeling (we happily shopped in San Miguel). If you'll go to the Cozumel port of call board here on CC, you'll find lots and lots of ideas.

 

Have a wonderful cruise ! (I'm jealous..........)

[Schasz]

Great review! We are looking at Century for April. Any additional comments on night life/dancing on the ship? I like to have one late night of dancing... other than that, we are not out toooo late.

 

thanks again1

 

The last evening of the cruise was our late night for partying. We met up with a couple who sat at our dinner table for Karioke. There were a few suprisingly good singers that night. We were joined by the comedian on board whose name was Steve...don't remember his last name. He did a very funny version of You Don't Send Me Flowers.

 

Later we went to Hemisphere which is the disco for some more drinks and some dancing. For the last night, I found it to be a pretty happening place. The DJ actually played some rock and roll which I liked as neither my wife or me are very big on disco music.

[Lois R]

Oh no! I live on coffee. :( Doesn't have to be espresso, but I do end up getting the americanos if good basic coffee isn't available. Where to have coffee aside from the dining rooms - is the cova cafe the only option?

 

It is sort of trial and error:eek:...sometimes the coffee is very good

while other times....not so much:confused:

Cova charges for all the beverages~just an FYI for you.

Most of their coffees are really good:)....latte, americano, or

the wonderful ASPEN:D

 

They also have coffee machines upstairs at the buffet.

 

Not sure if it is just Celebrity. I read an article recently that

seemed to infer most coffees on cruiseships are less than

delicious.:rolleyes:

[katscruise]

How was the food on the 4 day. We have been on the 5 day before and the food was great. I read one post that said the food was not that good. Also anyone have the menus. Please tell me there is still escargo:eek:

[NewCruiserCaryNC]

Thanks for the info. I will be on the Century starting this coming Saturday for the Smooth Music Cruise. Therefore there won't be any issue regarding the music :) Interesting to learn about the coffee. Last year I stopped drinking coffee entirely, and I'll be bringing my own tea bags with me, so I'm covered. I'm looking forward to the food. My only other cruise experience was on Princess last year, and it sounds like Celebrity will be similar. We will all be seated at the same time in the dining room (I presume this is because the charter won't be at full capacity). We will go to Key West, but then to Coco Cay and then Nassau, then back to Miami.

[dnewscruiser]

Thanks for the review---my mom and I are sailing on Century next week and I can't wait any longer! It's great to hear you had a good time---we expect to as well!

[librarylady19]

Another recent post about dress code implied that on shorter cruises you were even more likely to see people ignore dress code (i.e. shorts at dinner). Was this your experience OP?

Personally, I'd rather be overdressed, so will follow the dress code but just curious what you saw recently.

[sandravb79]

I'm looking for a 4 or 5-day cruise on the Century in April.

 

How big are the rooms, is there a lot of storage room? (disclaimer: while the cruise might be ony 4 or 5 nights, we have to lug our luggage for 2,5 weeks vacation with us)