Just off the Zenith - 1/15

[KAJOKG]

We just returned from the Zenith yesterday. Happy to answer any questions. It was a very, very nice cruise. Very satisfying.

[asmitty]

Glad to hear that. I'll be going in a little over a month. This will be my first Celebrity cruise and hearing so many positive things about Zenith gets me more and more excited.

How was the weather? Did you take any tours in Costa Maya? Did you have children along with you? I would love to hear more about the kids program.

Also, what time did you board? We are in a predicament because family in Miami has offered to drop us off at the pier on their way to work and keep our car for us so we don't have to park in the deck, but this could be really early. I am thinking that 11:00 is probably the earliest they let you go thru embarkation stuff.

Oh, and here's the most important question of all...did you have lobster?

[BrooklynGirl2]

asmitty...I did reply to your questions about Zenith's childrens program on the thread you started. I think it's on page 3 now.

[DGF]

Katy

 

When convenient, would you mind providing us with info on the following:

 

Cabin- which cabin were you in? Had it been refurbished when ship was in dry dock in fall 05 and what was its general condition? We note many negative comments on the conditon of the cabins and in particular the beds- "hard as a rock", "hard as bricks". How did you find the bed (I injured my back on a tennis court and from time to time my back can be sensitive)

 

Food- how did you find the food in main dining room, the Windsurf Cafe and The Grill (Marina Deck). Up to Celebrity standards?

 

Service- how did you find the service?

 

We are trying to put a group of our friends together for New Years Eve, Dec 29, 06 departure from Tampa and trying to collect information to determine if Zenith is back up to Celebrity standards

 

Thanks

[Ships R Great]

dgf---if you ask your cabin steward he may be able to get you a mattress pad that will be more comfortable. I have never, in five cruises, found the beds to be uncomfortable on Zenith. Hope you find the same.

[KAJOKG]

Katy

 

When convenient, would you mind providing us with info on the following:

 

Cabin- which cabin were you in? Had it been refurbished when ship was in dry dock in fall 05 and what was its general condition? We note many negative comments on the conditon of the cabins and in particular the beds- "hard as a rock", "hard as bricks". How did you find the bed (I injured my back on a tennis court and from time to time my back can be sensitive)

 

Food- how did you find the food in main dining room, the Windsurf Cafe and The Grill (Marina Deck). Up to Celebrity standards?

 

Service- how did you find the service?

 

We are trying to put a group of our friends together for New Years Eve, Dec 29, 06 departure from Tampa and trying to collect information to determine if Zenith is back up to Celebrity standards

 

Thanks

We were in Cabin 6050 on the Caribbean deck. I think it was redone. But I found the ship to be in remarkable condition. It's the oldest ship in the fleet. Mattresses are uncomfortable. I asked for a mattress pad...not a foam one, but it was far better.

 

The only negative for us was the dining room. The chairs are back breakers, so we only dined there once and the food was ok. We switched to the Windsurf Cafe which is casual dining and you need reservations. It's not buffet. They have a limited menu, but the food is ok there too. Not as good as HAL, but ok. Soups and desserts are very good.

 

This was our first Celebrity cruise and I don't think the Zenith is quite the same as other ships from what I understand. But for 5 days we had a great time. The crew is great, especially guest services.

 

To Asmitty - We don't have kids, but the programs seemed to be quite active. Did not take an excursion in Costa Maya. I'm recovering from a broken wrist and did not want to chance falling among the ruins. We did go ashore where they have a very nice shopping are with LOTS of bargaining. It was warm in Costa Maya, but not as hot as it usually is in Mexico. Definitely go prepared as it is always hot in Mexico.

 

Warning to AOL users.....They do not have that provider on this ship.

 

In spite of the one dining negative, we had a really nice time. It was a pleasant experience, and we certainly did not go hungry. It was a very nice cruise.

[slotaddict]

I am wondering about the weather both in florida and once you get into the carribbean. I have never done a winter cruise and I am wondering if I am packing correctly. Also if did you go in the water in Mexico, is it warm enough for snorkeling? I don;t want to lug my equipment if I am not going to use it. We are doing the beach break in Costa Maya and that is the only snorkeling I am contemplating. Thanks for any answers. What room were you in?

 

Roe

[slotaddict]

Okay, I see you answered most of my questions, how about the weather, key west? I what I want to know is are we going to need any jackets?

[DGF]

Slodaddict

 

Thanks for your response

 

Web site we always use is www.weather.com, in "Local Weather" type in Key West and then go to "Averages & Records"

 

We have found this site extremely good to figure out clothing options

 

We will be there at the end of the month aboard the Disney Magic and can give you on site advice if that would be of help

[DGF]

Slotaddic

 

Our Disney Cruise takes us to Georgetown; and we have booked a trip to "Stingray City" to snorkel. Never thought about water temp.

 

Checked www. weather.com and average air temperature is High 81 F- low 73 F. Following site has average water temp- http://www.turtle.ky/weather.htm- says "Water temperature ranges between 78°F and 82°F"

[londonlad35]

Hi

 

Also back from this five nighter - here's my thoughts, which I hope are balanced!!

 

1. Ship in excellent condition. I couldnt fault this. Also on Caribbean deck and new carpets etc. New carpets in dining room, everything was in VERY GOOD condition.

2. Weather was warm - late 70's, early 80's F. Cozumel day rained quite alot from what I remember! Last two days very hot and sunny!

3. Costa Maya. The little village was great - water was warm enough to swim (dont get me wrong, it wasnt hot but warm!), and the 20USD massages on the beach were superb for 45 minutes!

4. There was excesssive cleaning on the ship with lots of bleach everywhere.

5. Food was very very average, and I was disappointed for Celebrity. Steaks only cooked to well done, for example. One night, a desert wasnt available as "the kitchen staff hadnt read the menu properly" according to the waiter!

6. Stateroom attendants okay. He didnt empty our wastebasket once in the entire five days though!

7. There have been some comments about the entertainment on board. Suffice to say its a small ship so you dont expect West End or Broadway shows!

 

All in all, the cruise provided value for money, undoubtedly. As for providing the usual Celebrity standard, that I am not sure of. But the ship is in great condition, and with good weather, anyone will have a very nice cruise!

[KAJOKG]

I am wondering about the weather both in florida and once you get into the carribbean. I have never done a winter cruise and I am wondering if I am packing correctly. Also if did you go in the water in Mexico, is it warm enough for snorkeling? I don;t want to lug my equipment if I am not going to use it. We are doing the beach break in Costa Maya and that is the only snorkeling I am contemplating. Thanks for any answers. What room were you in?

 

Roe

We were in Cabin 6050. Outside cabin on the Caribbean deck. Winter months in Florida can be tricky. I live in FL and it is quite chilly here now. But chilly here is usually a little warm to those of you up north. (I used to live in NJ). Mexico is almost always quite warm even in winter. We were in Costa Maya last week and it was on the hot side. Plan for warm, but bring a light jacket for use in Florida.

[KAJOKG]

Okay, I see you answered most of my questions, how about the weather, key west? I what I want to know is are we going to need any jackets?

We were in Key West on Jan. 10 and it was very pleasant. Needed a light weight jacket in the morning, but afternoon was very comfortable. It's always a good idea to bring a light weight jacket -- not wool or lined. Key West rarely gets very hot as it does in the rest of Florida, even in the summer.

[Ships R Great]

And you will need a light jacket for those cold spots on board---Rendesvouz Lounge (always) and dining room (depending on your table location) for example. Steer clear of cabins aft/port on deck 9 (disco noise) and NEVER, EVER accept 6084 or 6085 as cabins. We learned the hard way. We booked an inside guarantee---never had done that before and we would never book an inside guarantee again. 6084 is really small feeling, has a wierd configuration and has about half or less storage that other cabins. I learned my lesson allright!

 

A while back there was a thread where a guy measured his cabin and complained that it was not 172 sf. This must have been the cabin he was in. They very nicely upgraded us to an outside two days into the cruise.

[slotaddict]

Slodaddict

 

Thanks for your response

 

Web site we always use is www.weather.com, in "Local Weather" type in Key West and then go to "Averages & Records"

 

We have found this site extremely good to figure out clothing options

 

We will be there at the end of the month aboard the Disney Magic and can give you on site advice if that would be of help

 

When will you be there, our cruise leaves on the 23rd and we'll be in Key West on the 24th. Thanks for the site info, I will be sure to use it.

[slotaddict]

Londonlad

What room were you in?

[slotaddict]

We were in Cabin 6050. Outside cabin on the Caribbean deck. Winter months in Florida can be tricky. I live in FL and it is quite chilly here now. But chilly here is usually a little warm to those of you up north. (I used to live in NJ). Mexico is almost always quite warm even in winter. We were in Costa Maya last week and it was on the hot side. Plan for warm, but bring a light jacket for use in Florida.

 

Where in NJ did you live? We just bought a house in Florida, West Coast, Hommassa Springs. It won't be a permanent residence (I always be told never say never).

[londonlad35]

Hi slotaddict, was in 6156, aft end of the ship..rooms were in good condition huh?

[oceanluvr]

Loved this cruise! The Zenith is a nice ship, quite clean, very good service, and I loved the little special touches. BEWARE: They are cleaning the handrails with undiluted bleach all the time and they don't wipe it off! Several people I met had blisters on their hands and others had ruined clothing. We did the shore excursion in Costa Maya to the ruins in Chacchobben. Really cool ruins but I was dying of thirst on the way there (1 hr. in a nice bus). Make sure you bring some water. The tour guide was OK, kept trying to sell us things. The snorkelling was disappointing everywhere. We snorkelled off the beach in Playa San Francisco in Cozumel and saw very few fish. I heard the snorkelling in Costa Maya was similar. It rained in Cozumel, but the weather was not bad, still pretty warm, even on the moped we rented. The weather in Miami when we got back was freezing - and I'm from Colorado! We were in cabin 9090 and had no problems with the noise from anywhere. We also brought along an egg crate foam mattress pad and it made all the difference! And yes, we had lobster! Some of my table mates even ordered 5 of them each!! :) :eek:

[DGF]

Slotaddict

 

We will be in Key West on Sunday Jan 29. Ship then goes on to Grand Cayman, up to Nassau, on to their private island and back to Cape Canaveral