Chandris Cruises(Celebrity)? Who remembers them?

[hajekfam]

Our very first cruise was on Celebrity back when it was owned by Chandris. It was 1992 and we cruised on the Zenith in its inagural year. At that time there were three ships in the line - Meridian (formerly the Galileo from Chandris Fantasy cruises), Horizon (which was originally ordered for Fantasy cruises) and Zenith. We went to a travel agent when we finally decided to take a cruise and he asked us a ton of questions about our likes and dislikes and our thoughts of an ideal vacation. He thought about our answers and told us he thought we would like this fairly new cruiseline with a brand new ship. We loved the Zenith and decided that cruising Celebrity met all the criteria for an ideal vacation. On disembarkation day while waiting in one of the lounges with our carry-off luggage, we saw some passengers being escorted off the ship way before everyone else. We asked who they were and were told that they were Captain's club - so naturally we joined paying the $35 fee.

On our second Zenith cruise the next year, at the captain's club meeting we were told about the new ship that was being built. We came home and told our travel agent to book us on that maiden voyage no matter what.

We did the Century maiden voyage in 1995. It was an experience that we will never forget. You had a choice of doing a 10 day cruise out of NY or a joining the ship in Ft. Lauderdale for a 7 day cruise- we opted for the 10 day. The entire Chandris family was onboard including relatives. We sailed out of New York, but a blizzard hit the day before sailing (it was an late moring departure so most had to arrive the day before) and our very early flight from Chicago was one of the last to land in NY before the airports were closed. Because of that blizzard, there were only 300 passengers on board until we hit Ft. Lauderdale where the remaining passengers as well as those that weren't able to make it into NYC boarded. So we got to know the Century, crew, and entertainers onboard very well before we got to Ft. Lauderdale and the ship was full.

The Cova cafe was introduced on the Century. We spent a lot of time there during the day on the three days from NYC to FLL.

We also miss Michael Roux - even though some of the signature presentation items started disappearing after the merger with Royal Caribbean in 1997 - like the scallion tied string beans, etc.

[Ma Bell]

Yes, I remember those times very well. Our first cruise was on Princess in 1974. We shared time between Princess and Royal Viking until Celebrity came along.

 

I sometimes wonder if it's that things were really better then or is it because it was new and exciting. I know there were a lot fewer passengers aboard those cruises but there certainly weren't the number of options available that there are today. When I look at photos of the food and accommodations it doesn't seem as nice as many of the newer ships of today. I also know that each cruise is different from another and some are definitely better than others, regardless of the time period.

 

Karen, funny thing is we had the green bean bundles and potato baskets just last year on Mercury.

[Muushka]

My very first cruise was Britainis in circa 1980. My fondest memory was going through the Buzzards Bay Canal past all the summer 'camps' and waving to the vacationers. My worst memory was the cabin. Bunk beds, tiny port hole and community bathroom.

 

Funny that I came to appreciate Celebrity as a more-grown up!

[Napi's Mom]

Our first cruise was on the Meridian also...Eastern Caribbean 11 days...from San Juan to Miami '92 or 3, now was Celebrity. Hit almost a port a day,what would now be called an Exotic trip I think...Grenade from the first. By the end of that cruise...we loved the ship, tho she was a Grande Old Lady already. But we still judge ships by her style, and most fall short. The Renn. ships came closest. She wasn't as large as the newer ships. But that glorious chapel and the 2 story movie theater, the real teakwood decks, etc. (The new stuff I don't think is really teak) Service was really classy. Had an inside, all we could afford but it was large...up front on the top deck by the suites...with a door you could walk out of the Hall onto a small forward deck.. She was an eye opener for us. We'd seen the tiny cabins on LOVE BOAT and this was so different!:D

[BOB AND PINKIE]

Great cruise on the Horizon, must be about 20 odd years ago

Dem were the daze.

Just got back on the Connie.

Still great time. Never had a bad time on X.

Took a last minute Sovereign of The Seas a few years back

Did not really like it. Thought that I was caught in a K-mart

Blue lite special . Staff was constantly trying to sell me something

that I "needed right this minute".

Not worth the pressure , just to get to watch an ice show at sea.

[Mary El]

Our first cruise was on the Merdien, Baltimore to Bermuda. Fell in love with the Meridien and decided to stick with Celebrity. Ahh those were the days. You left your shoes outside and bingo they were polished. They brought the daily "newspaper" to your room (now you have to be in a suite) every day. The food was great. Everything was super. Loved it. What I would give to go back ....

 

Wouldn't it be great if Celebrity went back to being a truly premium line vice a mass market. I remember that when Celebrity was sold to Royal Carribean that it was purposely kept as separate. Now there is very little difference.

 

On our last cruise, Infinity to South America, one evening on the MDR I flipped over the menu and lo and behold printed on the back was an older menu. I told the waiter that I wanted to order from the older the menu.

 

Oh well, am looking at other lines -- Crystal, Seabourn, etc. There are deals out there.

[Loracpin2]

Our first 2 Celebrity cruises were under Chandris ownership - Horizon to Bermuda out on NY in 1993 and Century to Western Mediterranean out of Genoa in 1998. This is when Celebrity was a premium cruise line and both cruises were fantastic. Service and food quality and presentation (I did a food demo on the Horizon with Michael Roux) were 5 star. Our cruise experiences prior to this were NCL and there was no comparison. The next time we were on the Century, it was part of RCCL and we started seeing little changes. Celebrity under RCI and Celebrity under Chandris are not in the same league. If you think about though, we're not paying much more, or maybe less, than we did in the 90's. If we want those levels of service and food again, the option is for Celebrity to charge a lot more or move back to premium cruise lines.

[Skimble1973]

So many people are complaining about the decrease in Celebrity's quality.

 

Any results? Everything becomes even worse.

 

Since Michael Roux has gone, the food is just fair, not special any more. When you cruise Celebrity today you get a RCCL-cruise, but you don't get the entertainment and activity options of RCCL-ships. In my eyes Celebrity isn't a premium line any more!

 

I'll have a final try on Christmas. After that I'll probably try HAL oder Princess. Everything depends on Celebrity, now.

 

BTW: My first cruise has been on Britanis, too! The ship was old and small, but the whole cruise was wonderful!

[kelmac]

So many people are complaining about the decrease in Celebrity's quality.

 

Any results? Everything becomes even worse.

 

Since Michael Roux has gone, the food is just fair, not special any more. When you cruise Celebrity today you get a RCCL-cruise, but you don't get the entertainment and activity options of RCCL-ships. In my eyes Celebrity isn't a premium line any more!

 

I'll have a final try on Christmas. After that I'll probably try HAL oder Princess. Everything depends on Celebrity, now.

 

BTW: My first cruise has been on Britanis, too! The ship was old and small, but the whole cruise was wonderful!

 

Guten Morgen Eric,

 

Sometimes I think our memories filter and purify the past. We did several cruises on Celebrity back in the Roux days and the dining room food was very good, but the best meals I've had on a Celebrity ship was last month on the Solstice.

People remember the great individual things that got us hooked on cruising, and the past becomes bigger than it was.

For example -- don't you recall the limited selections at the buffet; with precooked eggs, faux bacon, strange cuts of meat? Don't you remember disembarkation day with almost nothing to eat and the stewards rushing you out of your cabin.

The worst food I had on a Celebrity ship was back on the Zeinth in 1998.

 

You might want to cruise the Sostice before you give up on Celebrity! Holland America is close and Princess is a distant third when it comes to onboard cuisine.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[cruznjan]

We cruised the eastern Caribbean on the Amerikanis in the 80's, and we had a ball. The ship was great and the servce was excellent.

Edited April 16, 2009 by cruznjan

[Infi]

I've gotten a kick out of reading everyones' memories of Chandris and "old" Celebrity. I sailed many times on Chandris - the Amerikanis, Britanis, Victoria, and then some - and remember those cruises fondly. Chandris was quite the budget line in its day, so how they made the food and service so good I'll never know. Chandris and early Celebrity (pre RCI takeover) put a lot of love into their ships, part of it being a family line - your family's reputation was at stake back in those days. The ships weren't much to speak of, Britanis especially, she was pretty old (50 or 60 years old, I think) before they finally put her out to pasture. My parents and their cruising friends always referred to Britanis as "that old tub" - good enough for a weekend jaunt out of FLL but not much else by the end.

 

Count me in as another one who paid for Captain's Club membership back when it began - $35 for a pin (still have it!) and membership goodies like personalized luggage tags and the newsletter. Celebrity also used to count cruises on Chandris for CC membership, which was nice of them...that's all gone now, unfortunately. Nowadays you're lucky if a CC rep isn't confused when you mention "Zenith" or "Horizon"! :p

[ctragdoll]

Wow, reading these posts has brought back some wonderful memories for me of my first cruise. I cruised on the Britanis from NY to Bermuda in September 1985, exactly one week after Hurricane Gloria. It was certainly a very old ship in need of some TLC, and my cousin and I had what I think was one of the smallest inside cabin ever made! Neither of us had ever been on a cruise so we knew nothing about the cabins. We had bunk beds, one small dresser and the tiniest bathroom; we kept the door open except when we were getting dressed because that room was claustrophobic! But the food was outstanding, as was the service, and we had a great time. I have since been on about 10 cruises but will always remember the Britanis. I sailed on Celebrity two times, both on the Zenith, in 2000 and 2001. That was a gorgeous ship with the same outstanding food as on the Britanis. I haven't sailed on Celebrity since then and am sad to hear the comments about the quality not being what it used to be. I know things change but I am very glad I was able to experience cruising the way it used to be.

[fent33]

Our first cruise was on the S.S. Britanis. At the time of our sailing, she was the oldest sailing passanger vessel. It was a great trip. The rooms were very small. All the ladies dryed and curled their hair in this long hallway with a mirror that covered the entire length of the hallway. The women were in their robes and doing makeup and hair. The food and service were OUTSTANDING! The showroom was nothing larger than that of an elementary school classroom. Did you know this ship has sunk and is resting on the bottom of the ocean? I am 48 years old and we did this cruise when I was 27.

 

I have been told by a few Celebrity people that Britanis was used for a while in Gitmo Bay for the prison camp after 9/11 - don't know if it's still there

[fent33]

I have fond memories of cruises in the 80's on BRITANIS, AMERIKANIS, and

GALILEO.

 

They weren't fancy, but were an extraordinary value for the low price paid.

 

And it was fascinating to explore these old ships looking for traces of their

previous names & ownership, like the Hawaiian artwork throughout the

BRITANIS from her days as the LURLINE.

 

It's a shame someone doesn't try to market a ship like this in North

America today, there are still a few interesting ones sailing for Classic

International Cruises, Louis Cruises, etc. in Europe.

 

 

Surely there are 700-900 people a week who would enjoy and support

a smaller, older "classic" ship sailing from NY or Florida?

 

 

Definitely remember the Galileo which did cruises to nowhere out of NYC on weekends in the early 80's. Great (OLD) ship, good food - lot's to do but the entertainment was so so (for a guy in his 20's) Remember the lack of 110 current, bunk beds, small windows, if any, the good pools on sunny weekend days, the sexy massage therapists (both M and F) and late nite discos. Did the Britanis out of Miami for a week and it was a great time also with Charter by Tower Air to Miami. Memories abound

for these ships

[Napi's Mom]

Great cruise on the Horizon, must be about 20 odd years ago

Dem were the daze.

Just got back on the Connie.

Still great time. Never had a bad time on X.

Took a last minute Sovereign of The Seas a few years back

Did not really like it. Thought that I was caught in a K-mart

Blue lite special . Staff was constantly trying to sell me something

that I "needed right this minute".

Not worth the pressure , just to get to watch an ice show at sea.

We were on the Meridian in 1993 I believe, and Horizon was just being built...so it couldn't be 20 yrs ago!!

[kelmac]

We were on the Meridian in 1993 I believe' date=' and Horizon was just being built...so it couldn't be 20 yrs ago!![/quote']

 

Napi's Mom,

 

They started building the Horizon in 1989 and it went into service in 1990. So it's pretty close to 20 years old. Lauren and I did our first Celebrity cruise on the Horizon (9 nights) December 18th, 1993.

 

Celebrity Horizon - Ship Facts

 

46,811 tons

Passengers: 1,354

Crew: 642

Length: 682 feet

95 feet wide

9 passenger decks

Registry: Bahamas

Entered service: 1990

Major refit: 1998

 

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[barbon2]

Yes, our first Celebrity experience was on the Century, I believe we were on her third sailing. Everything about that particular cruise was outstanding. There were many Celebrity executives on that sailing and I believe Mr Chandris was among them. We were hooked on Celebrity after that. Our last few cruises were on HAL due to itineraries, but are returning to Celebrity again in December.

Barbara

[themirsk]

Our very first cruise together was a 7 day Mediterranean cruise on The Bon Vivant. The ship was a 7700 ton little gem !!! We didn't realize at the time........but looking back at photos much later noticed the big X on the stack !!! Found this picture...... M&M's

[themirsk]

Forgot to mention.......the Bon Vivant cruise was in 1974. Hardly seems possible it was 35 years ago !!! :eek:

[trustee55]

Hi!

 

Our very first cruise, back in 1985, was on the VICTORIA.

It was a seven-day Caribbean cruise and we loved it.

After that experience, we were hooked and now have almost 30 cruises under our ever-growing belts!

 

Happy Sailing,

Carol Ann

[tromvest]

Molly361 we sailed the Cunard Countess as well. Our first cruise was our honeymoon cruise in 1985 on the Cunard Countess. We did a b2b 14 night caribbean cruise out of San Juan that visited 13 islands in 14 nights. We booked an inside cabin with 2 twin beds that converted to sofas during the day. Not fancy by any means but we loved it so much that we booked again the summer of 1986 and did it again. In those days, one could tour other cruise lines ships while in port and we went aboard the newly built Royal Princess that Princess Diana christened. (1986) We were really wowed. Soon after that touring ships was not allowed due to heightened security. Although we have sailed on the latest and greatest new ships, the Cunard Countess holds a special place in our hearts.

[nycruiser80]

Such great stories. Brings back my memories with Chandris!!! Back in 1988 I took my second cruise which was on the Amerikanis from NYC to Bermuda. I was 7 back then!

 

In 1989 I took the Galileo from NYC to Bermuda. It was that year I read a blurb in the Berlitz guide that came with your stationary in the cabin .....it talked about a new ship called Horizon.

 

Then in 1990 my mom's aunt was a travel agent and she brought to our house a brochure on the new ship and line...Celebrity Cruises. I wish I could find that brochure.

 

Nevertheless, Chandris/Celebrity was a big part of my childhood and introduced me to cruising. As a result I became a travel agent at 17 and as of last year left the business...but I have an obsession with cruise industry.

 

The Chandris and the early Celebrity ships had a homeness about them. As many said in earlier posts this is probably b/c it was a family run outfit.

As the story goes John D. Chandris wanted to make an upscale cruise line and in 1988 plans moved into place to create a new ship from the Meyer Werft shipyards in Germany. Construction began in late 88 on the Horizon and she debuted in 1990. Celebrity Cruises itself began operation in 89 and in 1990 they 1st took delivery of the ss Meridian (former Galileo) then a little later in the year they took delivery of the Horizon. In 1992 Celebrity debuted the Zenith a near sister ship to the Horizon.

The company was still family owned until 1994 or 95 when some big company (forgot the name) purchased a large stake in Celebrity. This purchase helped finance the building of Century and the other Century class ships Galaxy and Mercury. Even after Century's debut John D. Chandris still stayed active in the company until Celeb was sold to RCI in 1997. I do feel the line changed after that...still a great cruise line.

 

Some things I remember from Chandris Fantasy/Celebrity:

-Carpeted walls in the cabin on the Amerikanis

-Small TV's in the room on the Amerikanis (this was VERY novel back then)

-Smoking in the dining room.

-Deck buffets for Breakfast and lunch (there were no buffet or action station restaurants!)

-Greek staff and Greek food

-A Berlitz guide that came with the cabin stationary. It was made specifically for Chandris and Celebrity. The guide highlighted the ports you were going to visit and had a blurb about the cruise line. It was a nice touch I have two of them somewhere.

- And as one poster mentioned...kids were free!!! Thats how I went on so many cruises.

Edited May 11, 2009 by nycruiser80

[cruising cockroach]

I am trying to remember the Chandris ships I sailed on nearly 40 years ago in the early/middle '70s. One itinerary was Bruge, Belgium up to Norway (stops in Trondheim, Stavanger and North Cape), crossed to Scotland for Edinburgh before ending the cruise in Tilbury. This would have been in August (too late for the midnight sun).

 

The other cruise was Southampton round-trip to Portugal (think it was Sintra), Madeira, and the Canaries.

 

Unfortunately I remember very few specifics about the ships.

[Nebr.cruiser]

I *think* the first cruise line we sailed on was Chandris and maybe? the ship was the Regina. Anyway, it was a 7-day Caribbean back in the mid-70's and cost about $399pp including airfare from Omaha.

 

We actually got a huge room that was at the very front of the ship--it was actually prow-shaped. But, no stabilizers on the old dear, and I was pretty sea-sick for the first day before I got my sea legs. That very forward cabin was like riding a bucking bronco at times.

 

That said, she was a great old ship and we enjoyed it immensely. The food was fantastic--we still remember the cream of onion soup fondly (never tasted anything like it again and I can't seem to recreate it) and you should have seen the lobsters! Really almost plate size, and our waiter kept them coming as long as we could take it.

 

I know it can't compare to the mega-ships of today, but we adored the whole cruise, especially the Greek crew.

[johhnnyt]

I remember it well, I spent $799 for the cruise and proceeded to spend almost that much in liquor on board. I remember the beautiful seafood midnight buffet.

I met a man whose father was Captain Zannis Xenios of the Patris. He was Captain of the Patris from 1950-1969. The Patris was the first ship in the Chandris fleet.

It's funny though what happened to Chandris Lines. Mr Chandris never had children so when he died, the sons of his brother were the new owners. They disliked the old stuff, crew, even officers,and wanted to change everything" Went onto say they sold Chandris and kept a few cargo ships, and his father felt they would have run Chandis into ruins had they kept it longer.

He also said his "godfather, was Dimitri Kaparis,who was the chief nautical engineer of the company,a real genius" and got so fed up with the new owners he left as well before he saw the company fall into a continuing downward spiral.

Fascinating book on the whole Chandris/Celebrity story I just bought from an Australian publisher, saving it and going to read it on my next cruise