LProcter

Just home from sailing Century last week. BIG MISTAKE!!

We have sailed 18 times previous (RCI, HAL, DISNEY, Celebrity) so while not as many as some I think it still gives us a fair base to make some comparisons.

The ship needs attention. Holes in the finish of rails, chunks of deck missing, chipped furniture and so on. I didn't get a break for sailing a scratch and dent sale so I think it reasonable to expect a clean and tidy ship. By comparison we sailed the old Westerdam on her 5th last voyage. She was spotless.

The entertainment was, well, painful comes to mind. The director should have chosen songs that his cast could actually sing. They simply didn't have the range to do justice to many of the tunes. This was this cast's last sailing. Rather than going out with a bang and a great deal of energy they just showed up and went through the motions. I have never sailed when the cast has not received a standing ovation for their efforts. Everyone, well, those who continued to torture themselves by going to the shows, stayed firmly in their seats.

The food, as some have noted, was average at best. On the last night four of the folks at our table of 8 barely touched their Steak Diane which had been recommended by the waiter. Now, other cruises we've been on would have seen a flurry of activity from the waiter and head waiter to see if there was a problem or if we wanted anything else. There was not so much as an acknowledgement as to if there was a problem with the food. Many nights it was a struggle to find something that we actually wanted.

On day one we were joined for lunch by a disabled (wheel chair bound) gentleman and his wife. A crew member came around asking if they wanted a drink. They both asked for coffee. This so called waiter looked at him and said "I mean a drink from the bar, the coffee is right over there." Only a blind man would not have noticed the wheel chair. His wife immediately got up and got the coffee.

Our cabin attendant kept the cabin in good order but that was it. No apparent effort to go above the minimum required.

We popped in on the "Things to do on Catalina Island" chat. The presented, frankly, didn't have a clue. He read, verbatim, the shore excursion info. One lady asked the cost of golf cart rentals. He looked at her and said he didn't know. Seriously? While not a "ship excursion" it seemed like a reasonable question.

So, just so you think that we didn't find it all bad...The fresh ice cream was very nice and the young lady, Lia, who served it always had a smile.

In a complete opposite to the waiter who wouldn't get a coffee, I did see a bar waiter ask a lady if she wanted a drink. She too asked for coffee. He went to one of the non bar staff and passed on her request and she got her coffee. As it should have been.

Our assistant waiter, Edgar, seemed to try to make up for the shortcomings of our waiter. But there was only so much he could do.

Emma gave a pleasant greeting with the hand sanitizer most mornings when entering the Islands Cafe.

The folks in the washrooms who had the thankless task of cleaning up after passengers were ALWAYS pleasant.

By way of an observation, I found it interesting that those who benefitted from the mandatory gratuities (which I call a tax) just seemed to show up and go through the motions.

Someone said that they would sail Century in a heartbeat. Not even if mine was stopped would I cross the gangway to this ship again.

Many thanks for your time and, as always, these were the observations and thought I have based on my experience.

We wouldn't pay extra for any of the services listed.

If they keep this up cruise lines are going to lose customers. We all pay good money for our cruises and if we have to pay extra to get off the ship first in ports, get a seat by the pool, decent seats at the show - then we'll be treated like second class guests - and that's not the reason we cruise!

If you want a good seat by the pool or at the show - get there early like the rest of us!