Just back from Zenith to Bermuda!

[ecowen]

Just back from a fantastic cruise aboard Zenith to Bermuda. Celebrity's service and food were top-notch, as good as any of the 6 Celebrity cruises I've taken in the last 5 years. We stayed in cabin 1021, a Zenith Suite, and our 6 friends stayed in category 6 cabins, outside on the 4th deck.

 

The Zenith Suite was well designed, very comfortable space, and very clean. But the decor is way past its prime (white plastic seemed to be the theme). There was also quite a bit of noise from the pool deck above, an overhang that blocked some of the sky, and the lifeboats below that blocked the view of the water. Why they put the most pricey cabins in the worst location is beyond me, and judging by the M-class suites which are in a middle deck I think they learned their lesson. Also, the suites are situated far foward, making for a very bouncy ride.

 

The seas were calm, but Zenith still bobbed quite a bit. Not enough to make anyone sick, but we all took Bonine just to be safe.

 

One very pleasant surprise was the quality of the production shows. Living in NYC, I see lots of Broadway shows, and unlike anything I've ever seen on Celebrity these singers and dancers actually came pretty darn close to the real thing! Especially the lead female singer -- her performance was as good as any I've ever seen on stage. I was quite amazed, actually looked forward to the shows and wished they were longer!

 

The bad news is that the show is only running for another few weeks. :( But hopefully Celebrity will take notice of the rave reviews and start hiring more talented singers.

 

As for the rest of the entertainment on board, well, let me just say that everything else absolutely paled in comparison. The lounge singers were so bad, the worst I've ever seen or heard. They literally chased us away from the martini bar, normally our favorite pre-dinner spot, and so we bacame regulars at the Fleet bar, as far from them as possible.

 

Back to the positives, let me tell you that I was travelling with a group of very critical New Yorkers, some real foodies, and we all loved everything. Dinners were fantastic, with the best service imaginable. Celebrity has this down to a science. We never sent back anything, had seconds of many things, and really enjoyed every minute of it. :p

 

Bermuda, by the way, lives up to its reputation as one of the finest cruise destinations in the world. There will only be a few more sailings to the island this year, so I won't go into detail except to say that none of us wanted to leave.

 

Big fans of Zenith probably don't want to read what I'm about to say, so if you are easily offended please skip this paragraph. The ship is way past due for a complete makeover. Frankly I was embarrassed , after telling my friends how beautiful Celebrity ships are (I've been on Millennium, Summit, Galaxy, and Mercury). I could not believe that the ship was built a mere 12 years ago, it looks so dated. Personally, I think adding balconies is a bad idea; the money should be spent on a complete refurbish. There was hardly any artwork, some of the ugliest furniture I've ever seen on land or sea (those burgundy leather couches look like they belonged in a brothel) and the outdoor areas are devoid of any style whatsover.

 

Of course, we still had a fabulous time. None of us could remember laughing so much, eating so well and feeling so pampered. It really was a vacation that none of us will ever forget. I think I might have converted my "I'll never go on a cruise " friends to "We should do a cruise every year " friends. Great job, Celebrity!

 

I'd be glad to answer any questions!

[dmarch@islc.net]

Good honest review. I love the old girl. I'm with you, don't really care about the balconies (never thought I'd say that) but she could use a little help from Martha. For me it's all about the food. Give me fabulous food and I can overlook just about anything. Give me mediocre food and all of sudden every stain, carpet tear and rust spot become amplified.

[letsgonow]

Thanks for the informative review. We will be boarding the Zenith on October 23 - the last trip to Bermuda for the season. Can you tell me how the embarking and disembarking went? What time did you arrive at the pier and how long did it take to get through security? Also, did you notice if it was easy to get a cab when you returned? Thanks so much!

[HELENROSE]

Zenith still keep all the loud speaker announcements to one in the morning and one at noon? I love that, it is so nice and quiet.

 

Did they have the warm chocolate crossants in the cove lounge?

 

Where there any lounge chairs aft on Atlantic deck?

 

Do you remember when the life boat drill was? Right after sailing or the next morning?

 

We are sailing with letsgonow on Oct 23 and can't wait, 3 more weeks. Thanks for the info.

[cruise pup]

Glad you had a good cruise, Ed and happy birthday too. So no good artwork? I guess that meant no Fragonards. I did a Halloween cruise on Zenith so we did have the benefit of a jack-o-lantern display in the lobby.

[robbyxoxo]

Ecowen:) welcome home.......Zenith will be my first Celebrity cruise after 11 straight Carnival sailings....im a lil scared that it may be hard to find any real entertainment after dinner each night....what kind of music options can be found after 10 pm?

[dmarch@islc.net]

Where you been man? Don't worry, there's about as much entertainment as Carnival after dinner, just not as late. She turns into a gost ship after midnight. You can always make your fun!

[ecowen]

Thanks for the informative review. We will be boarding the Zenith on October 23 - the last trip to Bermuda for the season. Can you tell me how the embarking and disembarking went? What time did you arrive at the pier and how long did it take to get through security? Also, did you notice if it was easy to get a cab when you returned? Thanks so much!

Embarking was a breeze. We arrived at the pier around 1:30 and there were no lines at all. We were on the ship in less than 10 minutes.

 

Disembarking was the best I've ever encountered. The first passengers are let off at 9:45, meaning that there is plenty of time for a full breakfast and no rushing to vacate the cabins. As select Captain's Club members, we were invited to the Fleet Bar where they served coffee and croissants. Other passengers were told to report to specific public spaces at a given time. So, no announcements were made.

 

Once off the ship, wait in a short line for a porter, find your bags, and zip right through customs. No one even looked at my passport or asked a single question.

 

Now here's the tricky part: To catch a cab, you need to get a ticket from the dispatcher -- sort of like waiting for cold cuts at the deli counter. They do this because it would be impossible for people with all those bags to line up, and it means there's no fighting over cabs. Some people waited for several minutes before realizing they needed a number, but our porter got us a ticket right away. There was about a 5-10 minute wait for a cab, not because of a shortage of taxis but because it takes time to load each cab and there's quite a bit of traffic they have to get through. Our driver was upset that he had to wait 30 minutes and we were only going to mid-town -- he was hoping for an airport ride. We told him all about Bermuda, which he thought was somewhere near Texas, and tried to explain that you couldn't drive there when he asked how long it would take by car.:D

[ecowen]

Zenith still keep all the loud speaker announcements to one in the morning and one at noon? I love that, it is so nice and quiet.

 

Yes - no announcements!

 

Did they have the warm chocolate crossants in the cove lounge?

 

Didn't notice. But the espresso was excellent!

 

Where there any lounge chairs aft on Atlantic deck?

 

There were lounge chairs aft on the 12th deck. On the 11th deck aft there is a lovely area with tables and chairs near the grill. On the 10th deck. . .well, there may have been lounge chairs but I don't remember! In any case, I'm sure one of the pool butlers would be happy to bring one to wherever you want!

 

Do you remember when the life boat drill was? Right after sailing or the next morning?

 

The lifeboat drill was at 3:45 PM the day of departure, an hour before departure. Two of my friends weren't even on the ship yet. It's nice to get it out of the way so quickly!

 

We are sailing with letsgonow on Oct 23 and can't wait, 3 more weeks. Thanks for the info.

Hope you enjoy your cruise!

[ecowen]

Ecowen:) welcome home.......Zenith will be my first Celebrity cruise after 11 straight Carnival sailings....im a lil scared that it may be hard to find any real entertainment after dinner each night....what kind of music options can be found after 10 pm?

Robby, most of us Celebrity fans have learned to accept that a cruise line can't be all things to all people, and that entertainment is not Celebrity's best feature.

 

Still, you should be able to find something enjoyable. . .for example, the piano player in Michael's Club is good, and a very nice place for after dinner drinks. For fun, try reading some of the old books they have on the shelves -- they are hilarious!

 

Also, the DJ played a decent mix of old and new dance hits. There's also a Mexican trio that plays in the Cova Cafe, and they're not too bad.

 

Just don't expect there to be a big crowd anywhere after 11:00, except maybe in the casino. Celebrity doesn't attract a lot of late night partiers, and if you are on one of the Jacksonville 14-day cruises, expect a very sedate crowd. One of the crew joked that the Jacksonville cruises attract 2 types of passengers: Wheelchairs and scooters. I'm sure that's an exaggeration, but I can almost guarantee that those sailings will be almost deserted at night.

[robbyxoxo]

ECOWEN :) thanks!....i guess i better go order my scooter now! lol.....i think we will be ok as long as they keep something going til midnite....my days of staying up late are prolly nearing an end anyways...closing in fast on the FORTY mark.....DMARCH:).....im still here and waiting for you to recruit enough people to fill up the required number of people we need for a cruise critics party ;)........lets not cut it too close:)

[tuggers]

As a 40 - something who loves doing the 14 nighters out of Jax, I am taking exception to that remark!!! Last one had maybe 5 people with scooters and a couple of people using regular wheelchairs. Under ten for sure and one of those was a young disabled person who loved to get on the dance floor in the disco.

 

There's usually a show after dinner that lasts until 11 or 11:15, then the disco goes on for a while. I do usually go to the casino after that but now that I've read about the piano player in Michael's Club I will definitely try that in Jan on my next Z cruise!

[dmarch@islc.net]

No worries Robby, worst case we'll have our own party. Last year I don't think we hit 25 until about a month out.

[TinLemon]

 

Now here's the tricky part: To catch a cab, you need to get a ticket from the dispatcher -- sort of like waiting for cold cuts at the deli counter. They do this because it would be impossible for people with all those bags to line up, and it means there's no fighting over cabs. Some people waited for several minutes before realizing they needed a number, but our porter got us a ticket right away. There was about a 5-10 minute wait for a cab, not because of a shortage of taxis but because it takes time to load each cab and there's quite a bit of traffic they have to get through. Our driver was upset that he had to wait 30 minutes and we were only going to mid-town -- he was hoping for an airport ride. We told him all about Bermuda, which he thought was somewhere near Texas, and tried to explain that you couldn't drive there when he asked how long it would take by car.:D

 

We actually found a better way to snag a cab.... instead of going into the taxi stand line, go downstairs to where the buses are, cross the street at the crosswalk and there was another taxi stand (with taxi attendant organizing everything) and we were the ONLY ones there. We figured this out because Carnival was unloading at the same time we were, so all the cabs never made it down to our pier. We were 10th in line with a ticket, and after 30 min. I decided to talk to the police officer who leaned over to me and whispered the "big taxi secret"... kind of funny.

[Cruisinita]

Can answer a few of your questions

 

QUOTE=HELENROSE]Zenith still keep all the loud speaker announcements to one in the morning and one at noon? I love that, it is so nice and quiet.

 

Did they have the warm chocolate crossants in the cove lounge?

 

Not sure if they were warm, but there was a pastry cart there.

 

Where there any lounge chairs aft on Atlantic deck?

 

Yes, they are still there.

 

Do you remember when the life boat drill was? Right after sailing or the next morning?

 

Drill was right before sailing. Have never been on a ship where the drill was the next day.

 

We are sailing with letsgonow on Oct 23 and can't wait, 3 more weeks. Thanks for the info.

[Cruisinita]

We were on the Zenith at the beginning of September, but our opinion differed slightly from yours regarding the shows. We enjoyed them, and the cast members certainly gave a great performance, but the shows had very basic costumes and props. Totally agree, the lead singer Kelly was fabulous, but the rest of the singers, including the male lead, were not of her caliber. Comparing it to our last cruise on Carnival, Carnival's production numbers were much better. We agree on the decor of the ship, but from what I hear, most of the ship will be under renovation soon. We just received a 2005-2006 brochure that commented that deck plans on Zenith and Horizon will change in late 2004.

[Evosbein@aol.com]

Sailed last year on the sister ship, Horizon, and loved it so much, we're going on it again in November. Most ships now do their life boat drill even before you sail, although some resort to waiting until you actually sail, perhaps within a few hours of sailing.