Century...in my humble opinion.

Century, Feb 19/05...Eastern Caribbean.

I'll do this in installments on this thread...

Day 1....Off we head to Toronto...5am.

We pick up Matthew from college in Barrie. Pick up some sailboat parts here and there, buy Matt some much needed clothes and shoes, and find our way to the airport to catch the 3pm flight to FLL. This is the first time I have flown in a day early and I must admit I enjoyed the lack of stress.

After all the government money (some of it mine) that we have plowed into Air Canada over the years....they will now SELL me a sandwich for $8...I don't really care for this airline, but the flight staff are very nice. The flight leaves and arrives on time...FLL airport might want to invest in some way to identify which carousel has which bags from which flight!! It looked like a very large football game with hundreds of players moving from area to area when the "quarterback" in the crowd yelled out that he/she was sure they had seen their bags 100 feet away...once we got our bags it quite amusing to watch the other poor souls.

We land in FLL...a cab ride later we are at the Holiday Inn...when I walk into the lobby, I immediately walk out...this must be a service entrance!! No, It's the lobby :eek: . I'm sure I've stayed in hotels that were more tired...I must have?? However it's clean and it's only one night.

A late dinner at an Irish pub, McSorley's, and off to bed...a restful evening of listening to Harley-Davidsons cruise up and down the street between us and the beach.

I'm beginning to not like south east Florida...too many people, too many cars, too much traffic...however it is a great change in weather from home and for that I am grateful.

Sat 11 am...off we go to the ship...another short cab ride and we see Century!! She looks like new!! Clean, crisp, very large and very white. We drop our bags with a porter at the curb and in we go.

Check in...I must give this cruise line their due...this gets smoother every year. Within 20 min we are onboard. We are informed that the cabins will not be prepared until 1 pm but we are welcome to eat and use the publice areas. we head to our cabin just the same to stow our carry-ons and check out our home for the next week. The cabin is indeed ready and our smiling stateroom attendant, Edy, tell us it's all ours. So the time is 11:45 and we are here...and I, for one, am happy.

Our cabin is outstanding...9247...cat3 that has to be 40% larger than a standard cabin, with a sliding partician between the living and sleeping area. The cabin is cosmetically showing some signs of fatigue...but it is VERY clean, the washroom is in great shape, it's in very quiet area and it's only 20 feet from a secluded "deck" area. This was a great choice!!

Matthew (6-1, 155 lbs) seems to be able to eat a full meal every 2 hours that he is awake...I expect that whatever food budget X allows per pax may become slightly skewed this cruise...I'll try to eat less to offset it ;).

I'm all typed out...next up, Our day at Sea.

Hi Dan:) thanks! Waiting for part 2.

Danno...looking forward to the rest.

Same here folks, athough Danno's initial impression was the same as ours.

Unfortunately, we got home on Sunday, and both have been sick and as of today are still sick - stomach cramps, flu like symptoms, diareara. We were very diligent in washing our hands, indeed scrubbing them, and always used the little containers that Celebrity provided. We noticed that the other ships did not have those liquid containers at their gangways.

Oh Charlie, I am so sorry:( you and Nedra are both ill!!!

Feel better soon!

Charlie,

Did you and Nedra eat at the Riverwalk in Ft. Lauderdale? You were looking for a restraunt when we 1st ran in to you. Hope you and Nedra feel better! I have been cold from all the snow we have been getting but otherwise feel great. So is Nancy and we ate and drank all over the ship.

You're correct that the containers on Century are something new! I used them whenever I was getting ready to eat.

Looking forward to part 2. We loved the Century!

Part 1(a)...Random thoughts

Danno in bed...:eek: ...I sleep on my side. In rough seas, as in day one and two, the motion of the ship kept rolling me onto my back and waking me...I complained to Guest Relations!! I want compensation!! I'm entitled!! **

Kids on the ship...there we more than on most of our cruises. For a bigger group than usual, they seemed amoung the best behaved we have seen...compliments to the parents.

To the mom and teenage daughter in the next cabin...could you yell at one another a little quieter if we ever have the misfortune of sharing a wall again.

The food is still quite good but the presentation has declined. At one time you got good food and "food for the eye" on your plate...now you get food.

The water in the bathroom comes in two temperatures...hot and hotter.

The aft facing cabin is quite nice and the window is very large...there is more than enough room on the window sill for an adult to sleep...ask my son, he had a nap there and said it was quite nice.

The fresh pretzels at the deli are great...as is the deli, waffle bar, and pasta station...all good ideas that have evolved over the last few years...that said, a good salad bar is over due.

Bigger glasses for drinks and coffee may well cut down on the number of people milling about the Island Cafe.

Seven days and NOT A SINGLE elevator ride...gained only 4 lbs, not bad. However walking the sport deck for an hour is a whole new experience in boredom...I gave up after 3 days...it's mind numbing.

Where did the chilled strawberry soup go?? None on the last three cruises.

Thanks to the X bar staff who pretty much allowed my son some leeway (within reason)...he was cleared for beer and wine but that eliminates the great tropical drinks...he's legal at home...and he conducts himself properly. They seems fine with it as long as I used my card.

Won one trivia contest...I've come home with loot on the last three cruises...anyone need a Celebrity mouse pad!!

To the old girl who berated the staff member for being a couple of min late for trivia, as she might be late for BINGO...I'm was more than delighted to beat you by one point. I also took special delight in the fact that it was a HOCKEY QUESTION (answer...Guy LaFleur)!!! I didn't even want the little X cooler bag but there was a certain warm feeling that came with taking it from her :D .

Lost the earlier trivia on an Elvis question...to a group from Memphis...who would have thought he played racketball!!!

The beef was VERY good on this week...very good!!

The Queen Mary 2 is one of the prettiest ships I have seen in a long time...way too big, but very pretty.

Charlie...I didn't use those hand wash stations at all and we have all been fine. I fear becoming a germ-o-phobe more than getting a virus...sorry you've been sick but I'm glad it happened after and you enjoyed your cruise.

See ya....

Danno

** kidding....I'm kidding!! ;)

Hi Dan:) I hope I will be able to finish reading your review before I leave on Friday;) that would be NEXT Friday, 3-11:D

Great Review, Danno ! :)

You are making me laugh !

Charlie,

 

Did you and Nedra eat at the Riverwalk in Ft. Lauderdale? You were looking for a restraunt when we 1st ran in to you. Hope you and Nedra feel better! I have been cold from all the snow we have been getting but otherwise feel great. So is Nancy and we ate and drank all over the ship.

 

You're correct that the containers on Century are something new! I used them whenever I was getting ready to eat.

Hey, Larry we are happy that you and Nancy got home safely. Yes we did eat at the Riverwalk. It may have been something that we got on the planes, since we were on a plane for four and half hours from FLL to Phoenix, and then another hour and half from Phonenix to Reno. Anyway, we are not feeling that great, but have three dogs who are very worried about us, and are huddling around us.

Dan ~ you told us the HOCKEY answer, but hockey fans want to know WHAT WAS THE QUESTION?????

Glad you had a good cruise....you are way too funny!

;)

What Montreal Canadien's hockey player won three scoring championships in the 70's??...pretty easy eh??

Danno-

We had strawberry soup for lunch in the grand room. I'm sad I missed the pretzels. I saw them and wanted one SO bad, I just ran out of stomach.

Day 2...life at sea.

One of my favorite things about cruising is the first day on an intinerary that has the first full day at sea...it is so nice to relax, sleep in a bit, explore the ship, nap, eat. The only down side to this day was the high winds on deck...but there were high winds at home...with snow...this was just fine as far as I was concerned.

I went to the library to explore for a while...probably the worst library layout on any X ship to date...(but no snow, so this is ok too)!!! After not finding any books that caught my eye it was back to the cabin to unpack, uuggg.

The amount of storage room in this cabin is HUGE!!! There is room for all the clothes for 3 people...drawers empty to devote to dirty laundry...and still more areas we didn't bother to investigate. Oh ya...bring some hangers, there are not enough hangers.

So after a relaxing day, off we went to dinner...formal night...only saw one guy not dressed as requested and he was having quite a heated discussion with the head MD....never saw him again...(jeans and a tee shirt, way to much gold jewellery).

Met our servers, Alan and Gary, our table mates...two couples from San Diego, really nice folks. They made us feel welcome and certainly went out their way to include Matt in the conversation.

We had the table directly in front of the captains table...great spot...with the very high ceilings in that area, noise is less a factor and there is a sense of grandure created by the openness and huge windows.

The food was very good...I had the fish...the soup was chilled pear and honey, WOW. It's my new favorite. All the meals seemed fresh hot and tasty. The only shortcoming would seem to be a very blahhh presentation, just food on a plate.

I think I meantioned it earlier but the dining area seems to be short staffed...I never saw our servers quit hustling...but they simply weren't able to give the steady service that I have become used to on this line. Water was late being filled...bread was not renewed...dinners didn't come out for everyone at the same time...I repeat, this was in spite of the best efforts of Alan and Gary!!! Somehow I think X reads these boards and hope they don't pin this on our servers...I have 6 employees, I know a good effort from a bad one.

It was early to bed....watch some of the crappy in cabin TV...why do they run the same few episodes of CSI, Beverly Hillbillies, King of Queens, Bonanza, over and over and over...I swear some of these were exactly the same ones I saw on Zenith in October...then we listen to Mom and daughter leave their corners for round 2 in the cabin next door. I've got $20 on mom!! I know she's the underdog but I like her moxy!!

see ya soon with day 3

Dan ~ now that really wasn't a fair question for a Canadian, was it???? Amanda knew the answer and she's only 18 and American !!!! :)

Lovin your review!

Being on the same cruise as Danno, I had some impressions which were the same as his, and some which were different.

First for dinner on our second night at sea, Lawrence our butler served us dinner in our suite, so we missed the first formal dinner. The reason was that we were moving towards San Juan at 20 knots in 9 foot swells and my dear Nedra was not feeling well. I even went to the store and bought her those little torture devices that you put on your wrist.

For the dinners which we had in the dining room, I thought that the presentation of the various dishes, entrees and deserts was comparable to those which I had for over 40 years in the resturants of San Francisco. We found the selections as well as the actual food was excellent.

With respect to the TV - ugggg! When is Celebrity going to discover Fox News, and understand that CNN has been entirely discretided and made really irrelevant. And hours of Bonanza! Why? What we did was bring a number of CD's, five of which were "Music For Lovers", "Phantom of the Opera" and "Johnaton Livingston Seagull" [Neil Diamond] and had just nice music playing all the time. Lawrence our butler loved it.

I agree also with Dano that the dining room service staff work very hard to please, and are so very pleasant. I doubt that I would be able to smile that much under that pressure and strain. But, I am very biased, and the staff on Century is exemplary.

I agree also with Dano that the dining room service staff work very hard to please, and are so very pleasant.

No argument...I just found, as I once did on HAL in the same situation, that these people are working so hard that I hesitate to ask for anything as they are already scrambling to keep up...I also missed the casual conversation with that DR staff when they actually have time to talk for a minute.

This situation we can see why included tips wouldn't work...it may not be fair but I'm sure part of what drives these fine folks to work this HARD is the knowledge that to work less hard, might have financial implications...

I just got back to the boards after having neck surgery and I must say I am enjoyed your reviews on this thread.

We really enjoyed the Century in January and had wonderful service and food. This was our first X cruise, so we did not have any others to compare with. Look forward to the continuance and thank you.

Patti

What about the night life? Did you do any dancing and where? :)

Great review, Danno. Keep it coming!

Danno, good review so far, keep them coming.

In jest, you've never had a "humble opinion". ;) But the better for you. Glad to see the cruise got you over the PCS (pre-cruise syndrome) that you had before. Amazing, is it not?

PCS...a nasty condition brought on by fatigue and old age. Half of the disease is treatable ;) .

Dan ~ now that really wasn't a fair question for a Canadian, was it???? Amanda knew the answer and she's only 18 and American !!!! :)

 

Lovin your review!

If I recall she's also a hockey fanatic...I expect her tough decision is looming. Good luck to her.

When is Celebrity going to discover Fox News, and understand that CNN has been entirely discretided and made really irrelevant.

On this, I respectfully disagree.