Century poor reviews - what gives?

[sanjoseca]

You're right - everyone is entitled to their opinions. What he was commenting on wasn't your opinions, but your snotty, snobby, elitist comments towards another poster which I quoted above. You're NOT entitled to that, and it's not out of line to call you on that!

 

Sent from my Galaxy S4 via Tapatalk

 

Look, the poster told me the problems that she had and chose to overlook them and minimize my comments. I couldn't overlook them myself, so I assumed that I had higher expectations of Celebrity....or, higher standards as I said. A lot of this is noise, including your comments, towards me for making observations that are not what some want to hear. I apologize if the poster was offended by my comment. But I am not apologizing for stating my observations of the ship and crew on here....they're real to me

 

I see you are sailing Century on April nineteenth and I hope you have a wonderful cruise. At least from the comments that many are saying, not just mine, you can lower your expectations and not be disappointed.

[takemewithyou]

I am also just back from sailing on the Century last week...and yes...it was my 1st cruise on Celebrity so I have nothing to compare it to, other than my prior cruises on Royal, Carnival, HAL...and a bunch of other lines who are no longer sailing...and for me I found the service to be very sadly lacking! My cabin was fine..a bit small..but I knew that going in...cabin steward was great...but when I sit for 20 mins. in the special "elite" morning breakfast event & have waiters walking by without so much as a glance in my direction that upsets me...so much so that I left...only to have the same thing happen in the evening cocktail event...I travel solo and do not need to be fussed & fawned over...but when I make eye contact with a waiter...raise my hand for service & then get ignored I don't consider that to be an enjoyable cruise experience at all!

this worries me as I am sailing on Century and I know this kind of thing can happen. For those that do not believe it, I am here to say it happened to us on Silhouette and it was the first time ever on X...it was a TA in Dec, 2012 and I was not happy! We were ignored at happy hour time with Elite coupons and we were ignored at the Elite breakfast on several occasions. And I haven't cruised since that time....

 

Things can take a turn for the worse on a cruise and I do not know what causes it. I hope things improve on Century.....

[Montana]

Seasoned Celebrity cruiser. We stayed in a sky suite, but standards on this ship have certainly fallen. I am hoping this is not a fleet wide experience since we will be on Solstice in June. I have been a great fan of the Celebrity experience in the past, but would spend my dollars elsewhere if the trend continues. I will wait until my June 13 cruise to determine my cruising future.

[ratacake]

Hi,

 

Do you think the standards may be slipping because of the crew's attitude to the sale of the ship, and fear for their jobs?:confused: What other reasons could there be?

 

 

ratacake

[Dandylyon]

OK Left Coast, here's another:

 

We (12 of us) just returned from the April 5 Pacific Coastal on Century and were really disappointed.

 

It was clear from the relatively poor condition of the ship that they are investing little money in her upkeep. The door to our balcony kept unlocking itself and partially opened at night when underway. The shower had mildew and missing grout and the woodwork was scratched and warn. The balcony deck was squishy and when you walked on it dirty water came up through the cracks. The balcony furniture was dirty and not very inviting. The bed was comfortable though.

 

I thought that the food in the main dining room was just average and found myself struggling to pick something each night. The food presentation was good, but the selection of items, with the exception of a couple, seemed to be low cost options. I found the wait staff to be just "phoning it in", no friendly conversation or attempts to use passenger names. The only interaction from the staff was with our eight month old grand daughter. The head waiter was cold and quite sullen and was just going through the motions. I always try hard to build a positive relationship with the wait staff early on in the cruise, but it didn't work this time.

 

We had preordered food for the eight month old ahead of time as specified in pre boarding information, but it didn't show up even after multiple enquiries until the third day. (Yes, I had to pay the full third person rate for her).

 

You often hear that Century Crew is extremely outgoing and friendly..... Almost as an excuse for other short comings on the ship. However, I never saw anything better than I had seen on other ships of the line. I would see groups of officers in Islands Cafe, but they never seemed to make any attempts to interact with passengers. The stuck to themselves as far as I could tell.

 

We have three more cruises booked with Celebrity, but for the first time, I will have to consider using other cruise lines if reports on Solstice begin to sound like the many that I am now seeing on Century.

 

You can take this all with a grain of salt if you wish, it's merely a synopsis of what I saw and felt on Century and it matters to me.

 

I should have paid closer attention to what host Andy was saying after the dry dock and lowered my expectations considerably.

 

My husband and I are also just off the April 5 sailing of Century. I'm so sorry your experience was not as great as ours was! It's hard to believe we were even on the same ship.

 

We had a veranda cabin on deck 8. We loved everything about it.There were great storage options (we didn't come even close to using the available storage). We found the condition of the ship to be wonderful. What a beautiful and thoughtfully designed ship!

 

The food in the MDR was wonderful. We had no difficulty choosing delicious items from the menu each night. My standby dessert was the creme brulee--yum! Ditto the food in the buffet. I enjoyed the Indian curry dishes with fresh raita and papadums at lunch time and dinner, the made to order stir fry, omelets and eggs made to order at breakfast time, freshly made waffles and/or pancakes, made to order pasta station, pizza, grill items, and the made to order sandwiches outside by the pool. They always had something at the buffet that was satisfying and tasty.

 

The Cova Cafe was a great place to hang out--LOVED those chocolate croissants at breakfast time, and various pastries to try at other times of the day.

 

We found the service to be wonderful. Our only (small) complaints were regarding the embarkation and debarkation process, when we encountered long, slow lines. Also, there weren't as many trivia sessions as I would have liked, and too many of them were "specialty" trivia. Pretty trivial complaints, though, eh?

 

I would book another cruise on Century in a heartbeat!

[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.

[happy cruzer]

I appreciate all the reviews. Thanks for the good and also the negative.

 

I do notice that many of the negative mention not liking the choices on the mdr menu. Celebrity uses the same menus on all the ships and only changes them every few years. Did you like the choices before?

 

Again thanks for the details.

[cruzsnooze]

I appreciate all the reviews. Thanks for the good and also the negative.

 

I do notice that many of the negative mention not liking the choices on the mdr menu. Celebrity uses the same menus on all the ships and only changes them every few years. Did you like the choices before?

 

Again thanks for the details.

I got off the Century Saturday. I thought the menu and food was better then average. I thought the entertainment was better then average. The service was awful to down right insulting. We also asked for an ice Tea in the buffet and was rudely told "serve yourself it's over there" as he pointed to the beverage station. I wouldn't sail on the Century again it was not up to par IMHO.

[4seasidegal]

We just got back from the April 5 sailing of Century and found the trip to be enjoyable. Food in the buffet and assigned dining in the MDR was very good in my opinion with lots of choices. Our waiter and his assistant could not have been nicer to us. I loved the ice cream bar in the buffet. I found the serving staff in the buffet to be very pleasant and helpful. Tried the fresh pizza and it was good too. The condition of the ship was fine. It's a pretty ship and I grew fond of her. One negative was that our cabin was quite noisy sailing between Santa Barbara and San Francisco but was resolved by guest relations. Cabin was aft of ship on deck 9. The toilet would not flush one day but that was quickly resolved too. Cabin was spacious with a lot of storage room, bathroom nice, good bed. Our steward was polite, friendly and kept our cabin clean and well stocked.

 

I was disappointed with the main theater entertainment and after two shows did not go back there. I did enjoy the band on deck and at some of the smaller showrooms. I was very disappointed with the lack of hosted activities on board. This seems to be the way it is going now. Was on another line in February and had the same complaint.

 

Just have to add that if you have never sailed into San Francisco before this is a grand experience. I've done it three times and it still is such a thrill to go under the Golden Gate Bridge and to sit on the ship and look at the beautiful city by the bay. Don't miss the dancing lights on the Bay Bridge. They are a little difficult to see but watch closely. Yes I do love San Francicso.

 

Maybe the Century is not as grand as she used to be but she is pretty and yes I

would sail on the Century again.

[VegasMark]

Views on the Century seem to vary very wildly on food, ship condition, service, entertainment, and maybe everything and anything else! It still boggles my mind that we all sailed on the same ship. On other cruises, it seems like there were a couple outliers who disagreed with the masses on a couple areas, but on this ship there seem to be equal opinions of really good and really bad with a few smatterings of average. I think a lot of people who find the negatives are nitpicking details about scratches and worn surfaces and the positive views are maybe people who sailed Century years ago when they may have offered a better product, or maybe have sailed more recently but are clinging to their past views. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

So can we all at least agree that there are some inconsistencies on this ship?

[Dandylyon]

This was our first cruise on Century, but we have been on Summit a couple of times. Loved Century!

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[juggledude]

So can we all at least agree that there are some inconsistencies on this ship?

 

 

Probably on this and every ship, truth be told. I've always found that my attitude and preconcieved notions had the greatest effect upon my experience. Ever had a really good day and not been brought so low by a flat tire? Ever had a really bad day and and not enjoy someone offering a gift as much?

 

An attitude of gratitude is something I actively try to cultivate.. it just makes everything more fun.

[CU64]

Probably on this and every ship, truth be told. I've always found that my attitude and preconcieved notions had the greatest effect upon my experience. Ever had a really good day and not been brought so low by a flat tire? Ever had a really bad day and and not enjoy someone offering a gift as much?

 

An attitude of gratitude is something I actively try to cultivate.. it just makes everything more fun.

 

Yes, I am always surprised at some of the comments and wonder what is going on with their own experience?

[seabass23]

I’m mostly a lurker and don’t comment much, but figured I’d give a comment and ask some questions about Celebrity and Century. We didn’t have a great experience in 2006 with Infinity and didn’t sail Celebrity again until 2012 on Solstice (Singapore to Sydney) and then again late 2013 on Silhouette (13-day Rome). We loved these trips enough to book the “Golden Gate to Sydney” cruise on the Century. I’m not concerned about the food, entertainment (we find some of the terrible acts hilariously enjoyable) or even the service, as we’ve seen the good, bad and ugly on just about all cruise lines, survived and have had a blast. My bizarre questions about the Century, if anyone can answer, are: How is the pool and pool area? Is it thrashed and gross or kept up nicely? How is the basketball court area? The fitness center? And my daughter wants to know about the arcade area and games in the arcade??? (Good luck finding someone to answer that one.) Hopefully those said venues are not in disrepair. Also, is there a golf simulator or golf netted area? One more question, does anyone have an idea if they will do the Elite Cocktail hour(s) in one venue or will they do the vouchers? Anyway, we’re still looking forward to a fun 24 days on the Century!

[sanjoseca]

Well, I now feel better about Celebrity. Host Andy posted not very positive reviews about Century back in late February. Now he is aboard Eclipse and his tone seems to be very positive about just about everything.

[Johnandlinda52710]

I’m mostly a lurker and don’t comment much, but figured I’d give a comment and ask some questions about Celebrity and Century. We didn’t have a great experience in 2006 with Infinity and didn’t sail Celebrity again until 2012 on Solstice (Singapore to Sydney) and then again late 2013 on Silhouette (13-day Rome). We loved these trips enough to book the “Golden Gate to Sydney” cruise on the Century. I’m not concerned about the food, entertainment (we find some of the terrible acts hilariously enjoyable) or even the service, as we’ve seen the good, bad and ugly on just about all cruise lines, survived and have had a blast. My bizarre questions about the Century, if anyone can answer, are: How is the pool and pool area? Is it thrashed and gross or kept up nicely? How is the basketball court area? The fitness center? And my daughter wants to know about the arcade area and games in the arcade??? (Good luck finding someone to answer that one.) Hopefully those said venues are not in disrepair. Also, is there a golf simulator or golf netted area? One more question, does anyone have an idea if they will do the Elite Cocktail hour(s) in one venue or will they do the vouchers? Anyway, we’re still looking forward to a fun 24 days on the Century!

 

 

We just returned from the Century in March and previously sailed Century in 2010. I must say though the Century is a far cry from the Solstice class ships you've sailed in the past - much more intimate and fewer than 2000 passengers. The Century is the smallest and oldest ship in the fleet. However it is a grand old ship! The pool area is well kept and there is no indoor pool on the Century. We really enjoy the Millennium class ships that have the indoor pools. The basketball court looked fine- there were always a few players out there but not I! I don't recall a golf area, but the arcade is small with about 6 gaming consoles and I'm sorry I have no clue about their names. I am certain they had an Elite cocktail party and it was in the large panoramic lounge on the top deck. They also hosted a Celebrity Connections party so be sure to register for that. Despite the Century being sold next year, has not fallen in disrepair. Oh yeah,fitness center was more than adequate.and all but one elliptical machine was out of order. Have a great time

 

 

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[Lois R]

I’m mostly a lurker and don’t comment much, but figured I’d give a comment and ask some questions about Celebrity and Century. We didn’t have a great experience in 2006 with Infinity and didn’t sail Celebrity again until 2012 on Solstice (Singapore to Sydney) and then again late 2013 on Silhouette (13-day Rome). We loved these trips enough to book the “Golden Gate to Sydney” cruise on the Century. I’m not concerned about the food, entertainment (we find some of the terrible acts hilariously enjoyable) or even the service, as we’ve seen the good, bad and ugly on just about all cruise lines, survived and have had a blast. My bizarre questions about the Century, if anyone can answer, are: How is the pool and pool area? Is it thrashed and gross or kept up nicely? How is the basketball court area? The fitness center? And my daughter wants to know about the arcade area and games in the arcade??? (Good luck finding someone to answer that one.) Hopefully those said venues are not in disrepair. Also, is there a golf simulator or golf netted area? One more question, does anyone have an idea if they will do the Elite Cocktail hour(s) in one venue or will they do the vouchers? Anyway, we’re still looking forward to a fun 24 days on the Century!

 

Good morning, I was also on Century back in February.....same cruise

as Host Andy....I had a wonderful time:)

 

Your questions about the golf simulator, years ago they had one

but I believe it has been removed. You can ask about it once on

board the ship though. The reason I remember they had it a long

time ago? On some of my earlier cruises, back in '03 and '04 I

met the golf pro and saw the simulator....it was upstairs towards

the back of the ship. You can ask if it is still there but I don't

think they offer it anymore.

 

And the voucher question? It depends on how many Elite Members

are on board your particular sailing so you will have to wait and be

surprised because there is no way to know before hand. We had

our Elite Cocktail Hour in the Crystal Room every night.

 

I can't help you with the arcade question...sorry!

Edited April 16, 2014 by Lois R

[Johnandlinda52710]

Darn auto correct---ONLY one elliptical was out of order in the fitness center.

 

 

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[curtdesilets]

I’m mostly a lurker and don’t comment much, but figured I’d give a comment and ask some questions about Celebrity and Century. We didn’t have a great experience in 2006 with Infinity and didn’t sail Celebrity again until 2012 on Solstice (Singapore to Sydney) and then again late 2013 on Silhouette (13-day Rome). We loved these trips enough to book the “Golden Gate to Sydney” cruise on the Century. I’m not concerned about the food, entertainment (we find some of the terrible acts hilariously enjoyable) or even the service, as we’ve seen the good, bad and ugly on just about all cruise lines, survived and have had a blast. My bizarre questions about the Century, if anyone can answer, are: How is the pool and pool area? Is it thrashed and gross or kept up nicely? How is the basketball court area? The fitness center? And my daughter wants to know about the arcade area and games in the arcade??? (Good luck finding someone to answer that one.) Hopefully those said venues are not in disrepair. Also, is there a golf simulator or golf netted area? One more question, does anyone have an idea if they will do the Elite Cocktail hour(s) in one venue or will they do the vouchers? Anyway, we’re still looking forward to a fun 24 days on the Century!

 

You Will Have a Great Time . . .

 

Especially so because it is a long and unique itinerary, crossing the Pacific.

 

We just got off the Century 2 weeks ago. Here is a link to my review:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=253120

 

- The pools were great, although both are outdoors. One pool was heated to about 80 deg and the other was pretty cool. The Jacuzzis all worked great and were very warm, almost too warm, at least in the early morning when I tried them.

 

- The fitness area is well maintained and large for this size ship. It was busy, but there was rarely a wait for equipment. I'd say the equipment is less than 5 years old. The locker rooms are clean and have large showers and a small but functional sauna.

 

- The Persian Garden is a great retreat.

 

- The Basketball court was good, the balls were pumped up, but it is on the top deck which adds a wind element if the ship is moving, which it will be across the Pacific.

 

- The Arcade did look small, and she might get bored with it after a few days. The Ping Pong Table is near the elevators on the 12th deck AFT. it was widely used and seemed to be in very good shape. Although some punks broke the paddles towards the end of the cruise ! :mad:

 

 

- You will have a great time. She is an intimate ship, and this will be a friendly cruise I'm sure.

Edited April 16, 2014 by curtdesilets
added link

[MsSoCalCruiser]

I’m mostly a lurker and don’t comment much, but figured I’d give a comment and ask some questions about Celebrity and Century. We didn’t have a great experience in 2006 with Infinity and didn’t sail Celebrity again until 2012 on Solstice (Singapore to Sydney) and then again late 2013 on Silhouette (13-day Rome). We loved these trips enough to book the “Golden Gate to Sydney” cruise on the Century. I’m not concerned about the food, entertainment (we find some of the terrible acts hilariously enjoyable) or even the service, as we’ve seen the good, bad and ugly on just about all cruise lines, survived and have had a blast. My bizarre questions about the Century, if anyone can answer, are: How is the pool and pool area? Is it thrashed and gross or kept up nicely? How is the basketball court area? The fitness center? And my daughter wants to know about the arcade area and games in the arcade??? (Good luck finding someone to answer that one.) Hopefully those said venues are not in disrepair. Also, is there a golf simulator or golf netted area? One more question, does anyone have an idea if they will do the Elite Cocktail hour(s) in one venue or will they do the vouchers? Anyway, we’re still looking forward to a fun 24 days on the Century!

 

Hello, my cruise on the Century ended April 12th.

 

I walked through the gym with full attentions on using it but with our port intensive itinerary, I never found the time. That said, they have a nice gym.

 

I do agree with the posters who are stating they are letting the ship fall apart. I saw chunks of deck, cracked and missing (if I knew how to post a picture I would). I also touched the back of the chair in the theater and the top of it fell off.

 

I can't think of the name of the area right now, but it was one of my favorite places on the ship. This is the area in the front of the ship, on deck 12, I believe. The windows in that area had terrible problems. Things that could and should be taken care of.

 

I also had issues with service. I bought a soda card. The first night at dinner I ordered a caffeine free Diet Coke. I was brought a Diet Coke with caffeine. Again, I asked for a caffeine free Diet Coke. This time a caffeine free regular Coke was brought to me. Again, I asked for a caffeine free Diet Coke. I was told... well maybe tomorrow. I finally had to tell the person that I bought a soda card, i've already paid for it for it, and I would like caffeine free Diet Coke tonight, with my dinner. Finally I was brought a caffeine free Diet Coke and one every night after that. We had very good service after that.

 

It was also hard to get a soda to drink in the buffet area. At times I would finish eating before I saw someone. On princess cruise lines someone basically follows you to your table in the buffet. They ask what you would like to drink and they bring it to you. It doesn't matter if it's lemonade, water, ice tea, coffee, or soda... They bring it to you, right away. Great service that would would've been nice to see on Celebrity.

 

We did walk through the teen area. I'm sorry, I remember seeing a foosball table but I don't remember which video games were in the arcade. I will ask my friends if they remember what games they saw. It may take a few days but I will do my best to find out.

 

And, I have also written about an odor problem in a thread that I started.

 

That was a small list of the misses. There are also plenty of hits. Maybe I'll write some more when I get home from work.

 

I want you to know we had a wonderful time. I always enjoy a cruise. I love to cruise so if I had to pick between the century or no cruise, I would pick the century. If I could choose between the century and a different ship, I would probably pick the other ship. But that is only due to cosmetics.

[seabass23]

Thanks you kindly for your help and information! I’m sure we’ll have a wonderful time!