Opinions about Zenith - from recent cruisers

[Treacher1]

ANyone recently back from Zenith? Please tell us condition of ship and level of service, food, entertainment etc. Soon going to Bermuda - just anxious to hear about it - want a preview - THANKS

[greeneg]

As of January this year, Zenith was an experience that certainly did exceed expectations. It was our second trip on her in two years and we had another wonderful time.

 

Zenith is smaller and older than the rest of the fleet, so she isn't "new" and doesn't have some of the amenities that newer ships ( particularly balcony staterooms) that they do. However, what you will find is a ship that is well maintained, clean, and a crew that is very proud of their ship and commited to making their passengers vacations every bit as nice as can be. The crew and the passengers like Zenith because of her size; the crew tends to stay on board, which leads to consistant quality of service, and you will be suprised at the number of your fellow passengers who are repeat cruisers on the Zenith. Zenith is more intimate than some of the larger ships and a relaxed atmosphere that is appreciated by a lot of people.

 

Food and service are outstanding; Zenith consistantly ranks at the top of the Customer Satisfaction Surveys.

 

Zenith is a great way to "kick back" and relax and, at least for me, that's what cruising should be about. I think that you will enjoy her. :)

[catmommy]

I'm just off the May 28th sailing. I have a review up.

 

I really liked her. She was clean and well taken care of.

 

Service I thought was overall excellent.

 

I would not hesistate to sail on her again anywhere.

 

Calm seas,

Caroline

[chunky monkey]

Just returned yesterday. Enjoyed the ship so much have already rebooked for next year. Bill

:D

[Treacher1]

Thanks for your input - it sounds like we will have a great time - smooth sailing to all

[DENNAS]

Question for you recent Zenith cruisers... Did all the men wear a blazer/jacket on the informal evening? We do have it ready, just wondering what the mix was of men wearing vs. not wearing it. Thanks.

[dmarch@islc.net]

As of January this year, Zenith was an experience that certainly did exceed expectations. It was our second trip on her in two years and we had another wonderful time.

 

Zenith is smaller and older than the rest of the fleet, so she isn't "new" and doesn't have some of the amenities that newer ships ( particularly balcony staterooms) that they do. However, what you will find is a ship that is well maintained, clean, and a crew that is very proud of their ship and commited to making their passengers vacations every bit as nice as can be. The crew and the passengers like Zenith because of her size; the crew tends to stay on board, which leads to consistant quality of service, and you will be suprised at the number of your fellow passengers who are repeat cruisers on the Zenith. Zenith is more intimate than some of the larger ships and a relaxed atmosphere that is appreciated by a lot of people.

 

Food and service are outstanding; Zenith consistantly ranks at the top of the Customer Satisfaction Surveys.

 

Zenith is a great way to "kick back" and relax and, at least for me, that's what cruising should be about. I think that you will enjoy her. :)

 

 

I'm with Ed. I love the Zenith. Very laid back. Service was much better than the Millie. Best ship going to Bermuda!

[NancyCapri]

Hello,

Just returned from Bermuda yesterday, and my DH and I did not think too highly of the Zenith. We dont think we will ever sail on the Zenith again. Before I go on, please

keep in mind that we are in our early 30s and this is just our opinion. I do not want anyone to get offended.

Firstly, this is a very very old ship and we felt like we were stepping back into time. Due to its age, our toilet broke down 4 times and it was disgusting. Each time I called the front desk, they indicated that there were having problems with a main pipe or something to that effect. Secondly, the elevators were too slow and one was broken throughout the entire cruise. Thirdly, although the evening shows at the lounge were very good, the entertainment elsewhere was very boring and the entertainment at the pool area needed updating. Lastly, we thought the food was just okay -- nothing to brag about. In addition, the majority of the passengers were senior citizens.

I will admit that the service (waiters, bartenders, etc.) was excellent. The front desk received poor comments in the questionnaire due to the way they handled our toilet situation. To make the long story short, we asked to be moved to another room, and their response was that there were no available rooms. A day later we heard an announcement indicating that the grand prize at Bingo was an upgrade to a suite. This made us very furious, and we had a bit of a nasty confrontation at the front desk.

Long and behold they just happen to have a regular size room with a window available for an additional $500. We basically told them to go screw and further that we were never going to book another cruise with them and I will definitely spread the word around.

 

We have sailed Royal Carribean twice, and there is no comparison whatsoever. The only reason we booked Zenith was because I was told that the bigger ships cannot dock in Hamilton and St. George. So, we did not have a choice. Bermuda was absolutely beautiful. We are planning another trip to Bermuda, but if the Zenith and Horizon are my only choices, then we will be booking a hotel stay instead.

 

Nancy

[Monthend]

We are also just back from the Zenith. We were on the Zenith last year and loved it so much we had to return. I have to agree with Nancy on the toilet situation. Last year we were on deck 5-this year deck 4. We had alot of trouble with the main pipe. Other than that we enjoyed the trip. I thought the entertainment was fantastic this year. The

food was good-gained ten pounds so I guess I really liked it. We are senior citizens and actually felt like youngsters compared to 60% of passengers. I must say that I don't think I would have enjoyed the lounge entertainment if I were in my 30's.

 

The service and warmth of the staff had us not wanting to leave the ship. I thought the ship itself was in very good shape especially considering that it is getting ready for dry dock.

[cruiseforus]

I have to say I agree with Nancy also. We just got off the Zenith yesterday. The ship was old but I thought it was in good condition considering it's age our cabin was fine no problems but my main complaint with the Zenith was the Cruise director and his staff. They did NOTHING to enhance the cruise and in fact we found the Cruise Director to have no personality. DH & I have been on 8 cruises in the past 4 years and he has been the worst Cruise director so far. The food was good and the service in the dining room was good but in my opinion the food is no better than Royal Caribbean (really no complaints on the food on either Cruise line) but the service on Royal Caribbean is so much better. Entertainment is also so much better on Royal Caribbean.

[Susan-M]

I was on Zenith for a second time last month - both times we cruised to Bermuda and I wouldn't hesitate to book again. This time we were on Deck 6, oceanview...liked the location & had no problems. Agree with all of the positive comments above re food, service, cleanliness, great entertainment - the only negative was that the cabins could use a little updating (bedspreads, carpeting, bathrooms). The public areas have all been updated and are very nice. And I liked the convenience of having the ship docked in Hamilton and St. George - we were on and off the ship several times/day.

 

Dennas, I found that most people dressed according to the suggested dress code, or exceeded it. There were exceptions with some people dressing more casually, but I think your husband will probably want a sports jacket.

[catmommy]

Question for you recent Zenith cruisers... Did all the men wear a blazer/jacket on the informal evening? We do have it ready, just wondering what the mix was of men wearing vs. not wearing it. Thanks.

 

The dress code in Celebrity Today for the informal night was jacket and slacks for men. No mention of tie.

 

I saw men wearing a range of dress from jacket, dress shirt, and tie to just dress shirt and jacket. There were even a few in just dress shirt and no jacket.

 

DH says he recalls a slight majority wearing jackets.

 

I also saw shorts and jeans, but only on a very few folks, that is why they stood out, in the dining room on casual nights and as, as far as I know, no one was turned away due to the dress code.

 

We had late seating.

 

Calm seas,

Caroline

[eileen & jay]

 

Zenith is smaller and older than the rest of the fleet, so she isn't "new" and doesn't have some of the amenities that newer ships ( particularly balcony staterooms) that they do. However, what you will find is a ship that is well maintained, clean, and a crew that is very proud of their ship and commited to making their passengers vacations every bit as nice as can be. The crew and the passengers like Zenith because of her size; the crew tends to stay on board, which leads to consistant quality of service, and you will be suprised at the number of your fellow passengers who are repeat cruisers on the Zenith. Zenith is more intimate than some of the larger ships and a relaxed atmosphere that is appreciated by a lot of people.

 

Food and service are outstanding; Zenith consistantly ranks at the top of the Customer Satisfaction Surveys.

 

Zenith is a great way to "kick back" and relax and, at least for me, that's what cruising should be about. I think that you will enjoy her. :)

 

 

Evidently the Zenith is sailing out of Tampa in late 2006 & early 2007. Just booked a March 2, 2007, 10 night Ultimate West Caribbean cruise on the Zenith. We liked the unusual Central American itinerary: Tampa - at sea -George Town, Grand Cayman - at sea - Puerto Limon, Costa Rica - Colon, Panama - at sea - Roatan, Honduras - Cozumel, Mexico - at sea, - Tampa.

Looking forward to this cruise adventure.

 

Also, late fall 2004 there were negative postings in regard to how the Century was looking. We were on the Century's, Jan. 2, 2005, sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale and found the ship in great shape, food & service excellent and, in general, had a wonderful experience.

[DaisyL]

Last year we were on deck 5-this year deck 4. We had alot of trouble with the main pipe. Other than that we enjoyed the trip.

I'm concerned about this plumbing problem; we're sailing with 2 other couples Oct 15 , and we all have cabins on deck 5. We're midship interior, midship OV, and aft OV. How does one handle a problem like this while on board ship? Obviously, after numerous complaints, 1 poster had to 'deal' with it and was not moved to a more acceptable cabin. That just won't 'cut-it' for me !!! :mad:

 

BTW, we've sailed on the Horizon (sister ship) to Bermuda also, in 1999 and 2002 and were quite pleased with the ship and loved it, although it was showing it's age at that time. That's why we decided to cruise on the Zenith this year and with the great rates we got, felt it will be worth it...

[peanutter]

Thanks so much for all the info. We were on the Horizon last October and absolutely loved it (first & only cruise)! We have been struggling with whether to take the Zenith in Feb 2007 out of Tampa or branch out to a new ship/line. Aside from the plumbing problems (I will stay away from the 4 & 5 decks), I just can't find anything that compares. I will be calling this evening to make our reservations!

[Krasdude]

 

Do you know what is going to be done during this dry dock and when it is?

 

TIA

[Longboysfan]

Check the review section....

[dmarch@islc.net]

When is the Zenith going into dry dock? Would love to book a ten day out of Tampa after the refurb.

[Krasdude]

When is the Zenith going into dry dock? Would love to book a ten day out of Tampa after the refurb.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=178805&highlight=dry+dock

[Krasdude]

When is the Zenith going into dry dock? Would love to book a ten day out of Tampa after the refurb.

 

According to Celebrity’s web site, the earliest you can leave out of Tampa is 17 Nov 2006... least if I am reading it right ...

[Monthend]

I'm concerned about this plumbing problem; we're sailing with 2 other couples Oct 15 , and we all have cabins on deck 5. We're midship interior, midship OV, and aft OV. How does one handle a problem like this while on board ship? Obviously, after numerous complaints, 1 poster had to 'deal' with it and was not moved to a more acceptable cabin. That just won't 'cut-it' for me !!! :mad:

 

BTW, we've sailed on the Horizon (sister ship) to Bermuda also, in 1999 and 2002 and were quite pleased with the ship and loved it, although it was showing it's age at that time. That's why we decided to cruise on the Zenith this year and with the great rates we got, felt it will be worth it...

 

Actually they repaired the problem within a half hour each time. The first time it was smelly in the halls. Hopefully they will correct this problem during drydock. The maintenance man said that he has pulled out apples and bananas from the line. People are crazy!

[Host Kewlguy]

We had an enjoyable cruise on 4/30, but the ship is definitely showing some major signs of age. We had the worst stateroom and stateroom attendant we have ever had on any cruise we have ever been on (including Carnival). Dining room service was great though. We loved Bermuda.

[NJtomato]

Kewlguy,

 

Which cabin were you in???? We sail Saturady!

[Host Kewlguy]

Our cabin was 4056. We had major plumbing issues any time we had any motion. It was not just our cabin either. Gross.

 

Lets just say we were visiting guest relations on a daily basis for various reasons.

[NJtomato]

kewlguy,

 

Oh goodie, our room is in that same interior quadrant but on the other side. How bad is it? Im not delicate, so just say it!! I'd like to be proactive if need be.

 

aside from the potty, how was the room?

 

did they do anything for you?