Fresh Off The Zenith -- Long Post!

[Merrilymeggily]

Wow, I am really FRESH off of Zenith. It's 3PM Saturday, the 21st, and just five hours ago, I was sitting in the Rendevous Lounge waiting to disembark. Here's a detailed recount of our voyage, for anyone who's interested. If you have any specific questions, let me know. Sorry these are general ramblings, with some missing details, but I wanted to get it all down before I collapse! This is just shipboard stuff. I'll write a little about Bermuda in a separate thread.

 

Let's see.... where to start: In a word, the experience was spectacular.

 

While the Bayonne port area leaves much to be desired -- there is NOTHING even remotely lovely to look at -- both the embarkation and disembarkation processes were flawless. My traveling companions discovered at the last minute before leaving for the port that they did not have their state-issued birth certificates. All they had were their raised-seal, hospital-issued certs. Not a problem at all, not even an extra moment at check in. All was fine, despite a very nervous drive to Bayonne, not knowing if they'd get on or not. We got to the port around 11:00 and were on board before noon. We were even able to drop off our carry-on bags in our room (#6111) before the OK was given. There was still vacuuming to be done, but we were able to drop off our bags and skedaddle. Everyone from the curbside porter to the woman guiding us onto the shuttle bus and the check-in staff was courteous and friendly and helped get the excitement started.

 

Coming home, the experience was the same. The disembarkation process was leisurely and relatively painless. In the luggage area, all but one piece of our mountain of luggage was waiting for us when we arrived. Turns out that the tag had fallen off, and the first person we spoke to was able to guide us to it without any problem. As a matter of fact, when I asked about it, SHE described it to ME. We sailed through customs with very little wait, and there was just a little bit of congestion when we were loading the luggage into our car at the curb. But, brother, is it DEPRESSING to set sail from beautiful Bermuda to wake up in Bayonne. Sigh... but take note.... on sailway from Bayonne, you get an awesome and awe-inspiring view of Lady Liberty, and it's great fun to look up as you pass under the Veranzano-Narrows Bridge.

 

Once on board, I must confess that my first impression was, "Ugh... this is the pits." The main foyer/Guest Relations area is rather plain. Neat, clean and functional, but plain. I'm a three-time Century veteran and love her open, glitzy feel. My disappointment continued while we were walking the unadorned halls on our cabin deck. And even once inside the cabin. There was just not that feeling of elegance that I had come to expect and look forward to. Please don't misunderstand... everything was spotless and well maintained. Some of our group -- first-time cruisers -- were dumbfoounded and couldn't believe I was disappointed.

 

I carried a rather crappy attitude with me for the first few hours, but then I got over myself -- thanks in part to threats from my traveling companions! -- and I started to see this lovely ship for what it is -- and what it's not. It's NOT the Century, but it is elegant and beautiful in its own right. It's proud and nearly vibrating with the feel of simpler, marvelous times at sea.

 

The Caravelle Dining Room is one floor and, again in comparison, is nothing too fancy. Chrome fixtures; grey patchwork seat fabrics on one side of the room, reddish seat fabrics on the other. But once I got past the lack of glitz, I could see very elegant touches that hearken to days of old, where glamour was more understated , especially the mirrors and glass partitions etched with a sophisticated deco motif.

 

The Windsurf Cafe, where the buffet meals are served, also seemed plain at first glance but, again, on closer inspection, has a feel of days-gone-by elegance: large, high-backed booths and shiny wooden tables with old-time photos under heavy layers of resin; more deco touches; and soothing colors.

 

I was less thrilled with the actual buffet area on Zenith. It's not conducive to an easy flow of guests and is arranged in such a way that you could miss whole sections if you didn't know what to look for. The food was really good and varied, however, and the area was always kept clean. There was an occasional bad smell, and I never did figure out its source. We especially enjoyed the fun sushi service from 6-10 each evening. The sushi was very pretty and fresh and abundant, and the whole atmosphere was fun. There was even warm sake.

 

And we just love the burgers at the grill at lunchtime. Plus it's always nice to have the option to choose from a few different kinds of pizza and at least three types of sauces for pasta each day.

One of my favorite places was Michael's Club, which is totally deco themed, with sleek light fixtures, velvet-y chairs and buttery leather sofas. The Martini Bar is also very elegant, with incredible tilework tables and hip stained-glass accents.

 

The Rendevous Lounge -- a favorite pre-dinner hangout for us on the Century -- wasn't as comfortable for us this time around, so we didn't spend much time there. But our beloved Cova Cafe was even more comfortable and pleasant than its counterpart on the Century. It's not as sleek, but it's a little more closed off from foot traffic and has a terrifically funky tilework bar. If you go, tell Nicollina from Macedonia that you read about how sweet she is. She was our favorite server at Cova.

 

The Rainbow Room was very much like the room of the same name on the Century, only a little smaller. Very nice. And the Fleet Bar at the front of the ship offers an impressive panorama of the waters ahead and the horizon, but it's not nearly as grand as the Hemisphere Lounge on the Century.

 

Our dining room staff consisted of David Walker from Prague, Rao from India (?) and our sommelier from Russia (sorry, don't recall his name right off). They were terrific. David is handsome and warm, completely lovely. And Rao was so pleasant and sweet. A little girl at the table next to us fell completely in love with David and he was so, so sweet to her. It just seemed to make her night, every night, when he paid special attention to her. If you're lucky enough to get this team, you're in for a treat. David heads home in six months.

 

Service was wonderful, though I think I recall it being just a teeny little bit less rushed on Century. But, really, no complaints. Every meal was lively and pleasant, and everyone from assistant maitre 'd to assitant waiter was accommodating and friendly. David laughed when I asked him to meet me on Saturday morning in the Rendevous Lounge so I could put a luggae tag on him and bring him home. (But, alas, he didn't show up.)

 

Food in the dining room met the standards we've come to expect from X, though I do admit that I would like to see some new menus some time soon. The meals did NOT have a mass-produced feel and with just a little suspension of disbelief, you can convince yourself that each dish was made just for you. Isn't that part of the fun?

 

Our cabin was kept spotless by Jacristo, our attendant. During one televised session, our cruise director, Donelle, joked that people think their attendants hide under the bed because they are so quick and so thorough in taking care of the cabins. It was a joke, but I would believe it if you told me that's what they did. We rarely saw Jacristo, but we were always aware of the fine job he did. When one of our travel companions had a medical problem, Jacristo worked extra hard to make sure his needs were met. On that note, the ship's hospital staff also was great, with the doctor making many follow-up visits to ensure all was well.

 

When our bathroom door locked mysteriously on its own from the inside, Jacristo was unable to open it and had a maintenance person out very quickly to do the job.

 

Our cabin was very nice; the quilts were a little worn, but certainly not bad. The mattresses and pillows were very comfortable and, as usual, there was way more than enough closet, drawer and storage space. We had three adults in our cabin and rarely felt crowded, though obviously we're not strangers so it was easy to be comfortable. We didn't even use all of the drawers.

 

Let's see.... any complaints that come to mind? OK, the shower in our cabin had a mind of its own. No matter where you set the temperature, it vascillated wildly from waaay too hot to waay too cold. It became a game to figure out how long you would have at a good temperature before you had to duck out of the way.

 

The same seemed to be true of the cabin temperature control, meaning the in-room thermostat didn't respond readily to adjustments. Usually, it was too chilly, which in my book is better than too warm.

 

The tray-carrying service at the buffets was not as attentive as I'm used to. No problem, really, but that is one of the little niceties I enjoyed on the Century. I could count on one hand the number of times I've had to carry my own tray to a table on my Century criuises. I didn't really bother me, but I noticed -- especially when I saw many attendants standing idly by while passengers carried trays past them. My only thought on this is that there were a lot of seniors on board, so maybe the attendants were catering more to them than to my group of 40-somethings. Not a big deal.

 

A number of people in our group are smokers and are very respectful of other guests and the rules about where smoking is prohibited. But it was very annoying for them to be having their cigarettes in the designated areas only to find that there were no (or very few ashtrays) to accommodate them. One of our favorite places for morning coffee is on the back of Deck 11, behind the WIndsurf Cafe. We always sit on the appropriate side to accommodate the smokers, and on most days they had to go in search of the one or two available ashtrays. On the Century, there was usually an ashtray on each of the tables in the smoking area.

 

Other things that were lacking: darts and golf balls on the sports deck.

 

The pool area was very clean and usually had enough ashtrays on the smoking side. We didn't spend much time there, but when we did, we didn't see much lounge-chair hogging. There was rarely a lack of lounge chairs, and most folks seemed pretty happy with the situation. The whirlpools were just the right temperature for us and were never too full. I would prefer them to be in the pool area, though. And I did miss the thallossotheraphy pool. Didn't spend any time in the spa or gym at all.

We really liked that you can walk all the way down the decks on staircases at the back of the ship. But we did miss the wider decks. Shuffleboard just wasn't the same, though it's fun no matter where you play. A really nice thing about Zenith is its smaller size. We never felt crowded, and we got to know the ship right away. It takes no time to cover it from front to back. Though I do like the mid-size ships such as Century too. It was a little annoying that many of the passages from front to back on Zenith are blocked and there's more zig-zagging and maneuvering to do than on Century.

 

A note on dress codes: It seemed to me that most people followed them. I did notice a lot of the elderly passengers dressed nicely on all nights and a little more nicely on formal nights but definitely didn't go for what counts as traditionally "formal." That didn't bother anyone in my group at all. Though on the first formal night, there was a young man, perhaps in his 30s, who came to dinner in khakis and a golf shirt. Very casual. I admit, I would like to have seen him asked to change. But beyond that first, fleeting impression, we didn't give it much thought. It certainly had no bearing on our enjoyment of dinner.

 

The artwork on Zenith is eclectic and interesting, and I was thilled to see my favorite Century print -- the black-and-white image of a female dancer captured in mid-movement from behind -- on display outside of Michael's. We also really liked the photo of the dog on the leather chair taken by the photographer famous for such dog shots (argh, his name escapes me -- wagerman, maybe?)

 

The entertainment was touch and go. The Thoroughly Broadway revue was high energy and lots of fun. Comedian Joe Mulligan was a riot, especially considering that he had to keep it clean. I thought that the mariachi-like band at dinner was less than soothing, but at least they didn't play the theme from "Titanic" every night like the Century orchestra did (!) The trio that played in the Cova Cafe (I want to say Three Amigos, but I'm not sure) were fun and very enthusiastic, even though their heavy accents made for some interesting musical interpretations. And Betsy the pianist was, well, a lounge pianist, although she seemed like a very nice lady.

 

The casino was well kept, though tiny. But I did hear some slot machines paying off fairly big. Not that I personally won a cent!

 

Overall, the ship was lovely. Little signs of wear and tear could be seen here and there, but nowhere near enough to say that the ship isn't kept up properly. Yes, it's an older ship. Yes, it's a less glamorous ship than some others. But the unabashed love that the staff has for her is touching. Each ship has its own personality and makes for its own unique experience.

 

Whew, OK, enough for now. Suffice to say, at last, that the Zenith served us well. Any questions, give a holler and I'll try to answer them. I'll talk more about Bermuda and some other shipboard experiences a little later.

[Treacher1]

Thanks so much for your detailed review - we are sailing Zenith in 5 weeks - can't wait. One question - did you have smooth sailing to and from Bermuda - after sailing Voyager last year not even feeling like on a ship - just curious.

Thank you.

[GaryThePhotog]

I've done two 2 week cruises the last two years on the Zenith out of Jacksonville. And if they were offering it again, I would do it again. The rooms are spacious, getting around is easy, and the passenger size is comfortable. I've been on other bigger ships, like the Millenium class, and those ships are nice, but the Zenith offers a certain comfort level, a closeness, that the larger ships can never give, simply because of the their size.

[mahdnc]

Terrific review, Meg. I am looking forward to reading more from you on Bermuda, etc.

[Merrilymeggily]

Thanks so much for your detailed review - we are sailing Zenith in 5 weeks - can't wait. One question - did you have smooth sailing to and from Bermuda - after sailing Voyager last year not even feeling like on a ship - just curious.

Thank you.

 

Treacher... we had slightly rough sailing our first night; the wind kicked up during the sailaway party and by nightfall there were waves in the swimming pool. But on Sunday, it was fine. Weather was perfect while we were in port Monday through Thursday. It got a little rough Thursday night, calmed down a bit on a very dark and rainy Friday, then got treacherous on Friday night. That night, you weren't allowed to open the doors on one side of the ship. And it was a chore to open them on the other side. There was sea spray up to deck 8. But like I said in my second post, it was absolutely awesome, another amazing facet of life at sea. But overall, the weather was gorgeous, even in mid May. I would advise to bring either a seasick patch or SeaBands or Bonine or something else prescribed by a doc. You can get free tablets at Guest Relations, if you want. Just stay away from Dramamine; it's knocked out everyone I know who tried it. Have a wonderful cruise! You will love the Zenith, and Bermuda is breathtaking.

[MrPete]

We watched you come in:

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/349976054sNdWkH

[DENNAS]

Thanks Meg, that was a thorough review.... we are also going in 35 days !

Glad to hear you sailed past "Lady Liberty". Wondered about that. It will be an awesome sight !

[signman]

Michaels Club..........Is is still just a cigar bar, or is there some sort of entertainment, piano player, etc. Hours? Thanks.

[Merrilymeggily]

Michaels Club..........Is is still just a cigar bar, or is there some sort of entertainment, piano player, etc. Hours? Thanks.

 

There are no cigars in Michael's Club on Zenith, and I don't think cigar smoking is allowed there. There's a piano and most of the entertainment there consisted of Betsy singing and playing piano and guitar. A lovely room.

[Merrilymeggily]

We watched you come in:

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/349976054sNdWkH

 

Yes, Peter! We watched your ship overtake us as we passed under the bridge! You guys were moving! BTW, was that a waterpark we saw on the back of the Legend? We're looking to book a cruise with a bunch of younger folks -- 16-20 -- and a little one (age 4) next year. Would the Legend be a good choice?

[MrPete]

was that a waterpark we saw on the back of the Legend? We're looking to book a cruise with a bunch of younger folks -- 16-20 -- and a little one (age 4) next year. Would the Legend be a good choice?

 

LOL ;) A waterpark! It's just a slide. And it's been closed for a couple of months unfortunately. I've been on the some of its sister ships slides, and they are fun! Here's a close up view:

http://image40.webshots.com/40/4/6/28/349940628XdjrVI_ph.jpg

 

The Legend is a good ship for ALL ages! And convenient. We are going back next year, ten of us, from 8 to 70!

[maryanngup]

Two questions, merrilymeggily, are there hair dryers in the rooms, and since you got on board early which we plan to do, was lunch served at the buffet as soon as you boarded. Thanks for a great review and also your second post. We leave June 25 and of course are getting excited.

[Merrilymeggily]

Two questions, merrilymeggily, are there hair dryers in the rooms, and since you got on board early which we plan to do, was lunch served at the buffet as soon as you boarded. Thanks for a great review and also your second post. We leave June 25 and of course are getting excited.

 

Maryann, yes there are dryers in the room, but they are very, very low power. They get pretty hot, but there's hardly any power, at least in the one that was in my cabin and my friend's cabin. I wouldn't count on them for much.

 

The buffet lunch began at noon on embarkation day.

 

Have a great, great time. I'm sure you will!

[signman]

Meg, Thanks for the reply about Michaels.

[Chorts]

Maryann, yes there are dryers in the room, but they are very, very low power. They get pretty hot, but there's hardly any power, at least in the one that was in my cabin and my friend's cabin. I wouldn't count on them for much.

 

I brought my own hair dryer and it wouldn't work. Not enough power to run it. I had to continue to use the one in the bathroom, it just takes longer. Actually, that's better for your hair anyway. The lower heat is kinder to your hair.

[lynwebs]

Will be sailing the Zenith November 14th....wondering if pools/hottubs close in the evenings???

[SteveNJ]

Thanks Meg, that was a thorough review.... we are also going in 35 days !

Glad to hear you sailed past "Lady Liberty". Wondered about that. It will be an awesome sight !

 

FYI - You do not sail past the Statue of Liberty. Bayonne is just south of there. You can see her, up river from the port and as you leave and return, if it is clear out (not foggy, cloudy, rainy - as on our 4/23 sailing). But you will not go past her.

[MarYSol]

Thanks for a great review. We just booked on the Zenith. We are first timers on Celebrity and have no idea what to expect, but after reading your Review I am feeling a lot better. We have cruised on HAL, RCCL, NCL and have loved them all! OUr favorite being HAL - who knows it might become X after this Cruise.

 

My questions are these - I love to snorkel unlike DH - and have not been able to pull up any of the Shore Excursions. Did you take any of the Excursion and which ones do you recommend? How do you get around to find those beautiful pink beaches? Have you tried renting scooters and if so, how safe are they? We are not "young ones", but daring enough to give it a try!!!

 

Again, thanks for all the info.

 

Gloria

[Merrilymeggily]

Thanks for a great review. We just booked on the Zenith. We are first timers on Celebrity and have no idea what to expect, but after reading your Review I am feeling a lot better. We have cruised on HAL, RCCL, NCL and have loved them all! OUr favorite being HAL - who knows it might become X after this Cruise.

 

My questions are these - I love to snorkel unlike DH - and have not been able to pull up any of the Shore Excursions. Did you take any of the Excursion and which ones do you recommend? How do you get around to find those beautiful pink beaches? Have you tried renting scooters and if so, how safe are they? We are not "young ones", but daring enough to give it a try!!!

 

Again, thanks for all the info.

 

Gloria

 

Gloria, we didn't book any excursions and we didn't regret it. But I know there are quite a few snorkeling trips available through Celebrity. We did find that most of the beaches have some sort of equipment-rental or buy opportunities, so you can get fins, a mask and tube right there. Or bring your own and snorkel at any beach. Even without equipment, we saw lots of fishies. But of course not as many as if we had ventured out to a shipwreck or other official snorkeling site.

 

We used public transportation to visit the beaches.

 

I don't mean to sound like a fretter, but I caution folks who have no experience about renting scooters. I know the overwhelming majority of people do just fine on them, but I would hate to be the one who broke a leg or worse on vacation. Not only do you have to contend with driving an unfamiliar vehicle, but traffic everywhere in Bermuda is crazy. There's the whole "wrong side of the road" thing to deal with, as well as more speed, hills and twisty streets than you're probably used to. I mentioned in my post that there was a newspaper story about the record number of scooter-related deaths in Bermuda this year. I'm not trying to discourage you, but I do warn you to be careful! Even people who had no accidents on their scooters have told me they spent so much time getting used to them and trying to find their way around, that they wish they had just relied on buses instead!

[Merrilymeggily]

Will be sailing the Zenith November 14th....wondering if pools/hottubs close in the evenings???

 

Lyn, they do close in the evening. I don't recall what time, but i would say around 7, give or take an hour either way. It's kind of a bummer, because i love night swimming, but it's necessary for cleaning.

[tee99]

Hey Merrilymeggily-

 

Thanks for the great review- We will be sailing on Zenith in August and we will be in the same room that you had (hopefully the water temp. in the shower will be fixed- I hate a cold shower!). This will be our second cruise- our first was aboard Century in August 2003. I am glad that you had good things to say about Zenith as I was worried that it would not compare to Century since it is a smaller ship. I know that you said you travelled with two other adults but I was wondering if you knew if there was an arcade or movie theater on the Zenith ( my kids spent alot of time in the arcades on Century). Also, as you know on Century the hot tubs were near the pool so you could still enjoy the entertainment (band, games, etc.), Is there any entertainment by the hot tubs on Zenith?

 

Thanks!

[Merrilymeggily]

Hey Merrilymeggily-

 

Thanks for the great review- We will be sailing on Zenith in August and we will be in the same room that you had (hopefully the water temp. in the shower will be fixed- I hate a cold shower!). This will be our second cruise- our first was aboard Century in August 2003. I am glad that you had good things to say about Zenith as I was worried that it would not compare to Century since it is a smaller ship. I know that you said you travelled with two other adults but I was wondering if you knew if there was an arcade or movie theater on the Zenith ( my kids spent alot of time in the arcades on Century). Also, as you know on Century the hot tubs were near the pool so you could still enjoy the entertainment (band, games, etc.), Is there any entertainment by the hot tubs on Zenith?

 

Thanks!

 

Hi, tee. There is a video-game arcade right next to the casino on Zenith, and I do believe there's a movie theater but I'm not 100 percent sure. I know you can get pay-per-view movies in your cabin. There's no entertainment in the hot tub area, unfortunately. They're at the back of the ship on the spa deck. But it is nice because there's not a lot of people and it's relaxing. When you get out of the hot tubs, you can lay on a lounge chair and look off the back of the ship. We love watching the ship's wake, so it worked out fine for us. Have a great trip! Give my regards to "our" room!

[SteveNJ]

There is a small arcade next to the casino - very small - maybe like 8 to 10 machines. And no, there is no movie theater - but they did use the show lounge to show movies - maybe like 2 or 3 times during the cruise.

[Girlsnightout]

I'm thinking of booking this last minute...Bermuda is one of my favorite spots. I've done 4 land-based trips there and one cruise on the Nordic Empress. If the price is right and we can getaway, we'll be going soon.

 

How was the deck space? Was there entertainment at night when you docked? There wasn't any when we were on the Nordic Empress (Empress of the Seas), something to do with an arrangement RCL made with Bermuda dept. of tourism, they wanted you to spend your money off the ship.

 

Thanks.

[moai]

Just notice the prices went down for this summer. Must be a good time for you to book. :)