Zenith Trip Report, 3/6/06

[dawne577]

PRE-CRUISE

We arrived two days early in Miami and stayed on Miami Beach at the Sheraton Bal Harbour. This was a relaxing prelude to our cruise and included two very good local restaurants (reasonably priced), an outstanding pool, and a great experience swimming in the ocean.

 

We obtained this hotel through Hotwire. It was a four star hotel which cost us $139 a night. In addition, it cost $23 a night to park there. This was a good deal, but according to the employees it is not one that is going to last. The hotel is supposedly marked for demolition next month to make way for a more expensive St. Regis hotel.

 

Our first evening there the ocean was unusually warm and the surf was high. It was no doubt a great sight to see a group of middle aged, middle class folk jumping waves and body surfing in the moonlight. As night fell, we retreated to the canal-like pools and to the steaming hot tub.

 

That night we ate at nearby Flanigan’s, a very informal (and a little too noisy) restaurant that specializes in hamburgers—big thick ones with mushroom sauce and Vidalia onions. The restaurant is rated 9.0 on City Search.

 

We spent the next day on the beach in one of the hotel’s blue and white cabanas. That night we drove to the mainland to eat at Paquito’s Mexican Restaurant. This is an excellent little restaurant tucked away in a strip mall on Biscayne Blvd. Portions were large, presentation was exceptional (they even managed to make a taco salad look romantic), the tortilla chips and sauce (very tasty, with just a bit of a kick) flowed without stop. They even had a strolling Mariachi band.

 

We don’t always have time for pre-cruise stays, but it is much better than hopping on an airplane, landing, rushing off the plane, and speeding in a taxi to the port.

 

Hot Tub at Sheraton

[BrooklynGirl2]

Thanks Dawne. Looking forward to reading the rest of your review.

[Lois R]

Me too.......

 

Hi Brooklyngirl, I have a feeling it will be in the same

genre as Host Anne's.......from what she said the week of 3/6

was quite unsettling too:eek: (that is being kind).

 

Dawn, beautiful picture of that spa:)

[BrooklynGirl2]

Hi Lois... yes, I'm afraid you are correct. I like to keep up with the Zenith reviews because we made a lot of crew friends on board during our 2 cruises last summer. After reading Anne's report I know why I haven't heard from them in a couple of weeks. They are probably too exhausted to email. I really feel for them...putting up with so much **** and then probably not even getting the appropriate tips for their trouble. My 7 day cruise experiences were the polar opposite of what I've been reading lately. Such a shame. And they plan to have a newly refurbed Century do this itinerary next year. What are they thinking? I'm not sure these 4-5 day cruises leave most new cruisers (to Celebrity and otherwise) with a favorable impression. It actually may do more long term damage to their reputation.:(

[Lois R]

I know what you mean.....really, really out of character for our

"Usual Celebrity Cruises".

You know I am going back on Zenith next month. It is a 6 nighter and

I am really hoping things will go more smoothly.

 

That one month difference...I sailed for 5 nights last month

and don't recall any of those things happening.

 

And Easter Weekend should be calmer (we can only hope).

[dawne577]

EMBARKATION DAY

Monday, the 6th of March. The day is sunny, breezy, but warm.

 

We left the Sheraton at 10:30 a.m. and drove towards South Beach, turning onto 5th Street—which at water’s edge becomes the MacArthur Causeway. We stopped briefly at the Walgreen’s on 5th to buy last minute items (cheaper than buying them onboard).

 

The causeway straddles Biscayne Bay where various islands (including Fisher Island) house the rich and famous. About half way across—on the left—is the Port of Miami and the cruise ship docks. The first sight of your ship is always special: and there was the Zenith, trim and elegant looking, on the far side of the port.

 

To get to the port you need to drive to the mainland and get off at the Biscayne Blvd. exit. Two lights up you turn left and then turn back to the Port. It was here that we ran into our first problem. They had a flashing sign saying, “Zenith passengers, stay in the right lane.” Wrong.

 

We were soon in an excruciatingly slow moving lane, trapped in a hoard of semis. In the meantime, everyone in the far left lane was moving along at a rapid pace. A Miami police cruiser came from behind us and—using a bullhorn—announced in not very diplomatic terms (generally questioning our intelligence) that we were in the wrong lane (like we didn’t realize this!). Our friends, who were driving in a separate car behind us, were able—after a fair amount of verbal abuse--to move over. We were not. We moved forward at a snail’s pace.

 

Once into the port, we moved quickly and efficiently. We dropped our luggage off at the front of the terminal and the drivers parked the cars. The parking garage is across the street, less than ten yards away, though you have to drive around to the front to park ($12 a day--$60 total).

 

The terminal is not quite as nice as Disney’s (but close) and definitely better than the old warehouse that Princess uses in Fort Lauderdale. We buzzed through the lines and the picture taking and went into the security check area and into our second problem.

 

When our carry-on bags went through the x-ray machine, they flagged us over to the side. “Do you have any bottles of liquor in your bags?” they asked us. We immediately replied that we did, but only a bottle of champagne for sailaway, expecting that this was permissible. Not allowed, we were told, and our champagne was confiscated.

 

After another picture was taken, we were given the choice of a glass of champagne or a Mimosa (champagne and orange juice). This was a great, elegant touch. Our room, 5118 on the Europa deck, was already ready, and it was only 12 noon. This was the soonest we have ever been able to get into our room. But here is a hint from Celebrity newbies: your sea pass is not your door pass. We closed our door before realizing that the sea pass would not open our door. The door passes are in a small box just below the thermostat. A trip to the service desk quickly solved this problem.

 

Our room steward introduced himself and asked if everything was ok. We told him about our champagne. Later, when we returned to our room, we found a bottle of Celebrity champagne on ice waiting for us. Celebrity had won our hearts back and saved one of our traditions: toasting with champagne as the ship leaves the harbor.

 

A second tradition of most people is the embarkation buffet. The Zenith’s buffet was very good—especially the vegetable dishes, though it was a little light on entrees. Of course, the staff would not think of letting anyone carry a tray to the table. Whatever complaints people have about this ship, they surely cannot say that the service is bad.

 

Promptly at 5, the ship began to rumble and vibrate as we moved sideways away from the dock. We took our champagne and went to 11 aft and watched as we moved away from the Miami river and Miami’s gorgeous skyline. The pilot boat was soon speeding along with us. As we got closer to South Beach, the other cruise ships could be seen trailing behind us—a lovely and somehow moving sight. Another cruise had begun.

 

The picture is of Zenith steaming past South Beach and out of the Port of Miami.

[BellaBaci4]

Thanks for the review so far. Excellent details. I have been on the Zenith twice, and never get tired of reading reviews. Keep up the good work!

Bella

[BrooklynGirl2]

Beautiful pictures, Dawne. Thanks. Tell us about the cruise.

[dawne577]

Thanks for the review so far. Excellent details. I have been on the Zenith twice, and never get tired of reading reviews. Keep up the good work!

Bella

 

Bella,

 

Your name intrigues us; it could be Italian, but my DH's grandparents were Hungarian immigrants. When he was a boy, one of his friend's parents (also Hungarian) used to call him Bela Bachi (this is phonetical--not sure of the actual spelling). He was told that it meant something like "Bill, old chap" or "Bill, old boy." Any connection--or just a fluke?

 

Dawn

[BrooklynGirl2]

Bella Baci means beautiful kisses in Italian. The "c" in Baci is pronounced "ch".

[dawne577]

EMBARKATION DAY CODA

For months now, there has been discussion about the condition of the ship. In fact, we nearly cancelled after reading negative posts, but decided against it because we wanted to try a small ship, because the Zenith had been recommended to us by our traveling companions, and because it was such a bargain. Now we’re glad we sailed on this ship and would do it again.

 

Our stateroom was in excellent condition, though it had the “advertised” scratched sink, worn tiles, and even a small (about two inches) of exposed metal in the corner of the shower. But this is something (the exposed metal) that we had seen in the public restrooms on the Disney Wonder—which is a lot pricier. Still, the overall condition of our stateroom was excellent and the public restrooms appeared in fine condition.

 

We noticed that the lounge chairs on the decks had black spots on them. But we quickly realized that this was soot coming from the smoke stacks, and not something that the staff could control. We simply put towels down to avoid getting our clothes dirty. For some, this is unacceptable. For us, it was not even a minor inconvenience.

 

Spring breakers. Ahh, well this was not a positive. What we can say about it was that they were at least amiable drunks (but most of them had to be in shock when they saw their bar bill at the end of the trip!). There were several nights when at about 2:30 in the morning we were awakened by drunken shouts coming from the hallway. And we never even attempted to use the pool because it was totally taken over by them (they weren’t chair hogs though—they were actually there). That’s ok; we had other things to occupy our time.

 

Dinner that night was great. Service was some of the best we have ever had. We found that, generally speaking, the chef’s recommendations were the best. Just about everyone in our party had an appetizer that consisted of mushroom sauce over a flaky pastry. The chef’s recommendation for the entrée was a fish dish—Hake. It was excellent. And, as with the buffet, the vegetables were superb. Unlike our Princess cruise, the salad greens were crisp and actually green—not brown.

 

After dinner, we ordered Irish coffee, ala Chesterh. They asked us if we wanted the “show,” which we did. This consists of lighting the whiskey and pouring it from container to container. Then it was poured—still flaming—into a wine glass and covered with coffee, then topped with a thick, rich cream. Great! (and it was reasonably priced—about $6).

 

The show that night was very good—not quite Disney quality, but good. The theater was great with lots of leg room and a small table to put your drinks on.

 

The Irish coffee “show”

[Momto5]

We had the same sommelier-I loved him!!!

[dawne577]

Bella Baci means beautiful kisses in Italian. The "c" in Baci is pronounced "ch".

 

That's a great handle!

[jessemon]

That's a great handle!

Dawne577...great job on your review so far. We will be doing the "Zenith" at Christmas. Has the crew said anymore about the (rumored) sale of "Zenith"?

Baci/Bacce Ball is also a game of kissing. Behave all...this is a "G" rated site.:D

Jeff

[dawne577]

On our last night the asst. maitre'd said that talk of the ship being sold are still circulating. My DH and I have decided on a 10-day next March aboard the Zenith but are wondering what would happen if the ship were sold?

[Host Anne]

Dawn ~ I spoke with the Hotel Director last week on Zenith and I got the impression from him that Celebrity is committed to Zenith at least through it's scheduled itineraries into early 2007. However, after that he couldn't say what might happen.

[jessemon]

Host Anne & dawne577,

This reminds me alot of the fate of the "Horizon". You know what I mean...all the rumors that happened with that ship. I agree that this ship will make it til early 2007. The thinking on "X's" part is what ship to use for Bermuda in 2007. Bigger means different docking arrangements in Bermuda.

Also if they will stick Tampa again or what ship will be brought here in fall 2007. They pulled out of Tampa last year and did'nt replace the "Horizon" then either..:eek:

Guess Tampa is the "Redheaded stepchild of RCI & the big X".:( JMO

Jeff

PS: Sorry if I get off on a tangent once in a while but, my understanding is that we built a new terminal so RCI would port a ship here year round. To date...that has not happened.

[jessemon]

Dawne577,

Sorry, I did not intend to go off point on your thread. I have loved your review and pics so far. I just get "stupid":o sometimes.

Jeff

[Ships R Great]

jessemon---you are not stupid. I second your remarks but would substitute "Jacksonville" for Tampa. We are so disappointed that X has pulled out of there.

[dawne577]

DAY TWO: KEY WEST

Early Tuesday morning, we could see lights coming from what was probably the Middle Keys. Once again, the boat began to rumble as we made our way past the beaches and the salt ponds and towards the tip of Key West. Soon we could see the markers and buoys of the harbor. By 7:30 a.m., we were docked.

 

Breakfast that morning for us was in the Windsurf Café on 11 aft—the buffet. We always managed to find a table next to the window or outside on the deck so that we could see the sights of our new port. For breakfast, there were the usual choices as well as blueberry blintzes and the famous Celebrity waffles.

 

Today, we were going snorkeling on the Fury catamaran. We booked the excursion ourselves (though it is the same as the ship excursion—but for only $30). This led to a minor misadventure.

 

Fury had emailed us saying to catch the boat from the historic seaport boardwalk down Front St. We have driven to Key West and stayed there several times in the past and have even used Fury. The seaport boardwalk is where we had always caught the boats on our previous snorkeling trips, so we had no reason doubt their instructions.

 

We got off the ship on 3 forward and started our walk (about a mile) down Front. It gave us a chance to walk through parts of Old Town. For most people, Key West has a charm. There are the well-preserved old houses and the island’s history of pirates and stubborn individualism. But most importantly, there are the characters who live in Key West. The Celebrity daily described it as a “unique haven for the world-weary” and a mecca for artists—to say nothing of drag queens, bikers, alcoholics and other assorted crazies.

 

When we arrived at the Fury booth near the docks, a somewhat befuddled lady told us, “Oh no, you aren’t supposed to be here. That trip leaves from near the Hilton hotel.”

 

Now a bit of panic arose. We were running short of time and when we asked for directions, she just said, “Down there,” nodding to Greene St., and then mumbled a few other undecipherable words.

 

But luck was with us. As we picked up our pace, we ran into a young man with a clipboard who was a Fury employee. He told us not to worry, just follow him. And to our amusement (well sort of), the Hilton was directly in front of the ship and the Fury catamaran literally left within a few hundred feet of the dock. We had come full circle, ending where we began.

 

The trip out was a pleasant one. The crew—with a little help from one of our traveling companions—soon had the sail up and set and we were bouncing along at a fine clip. We would be snorkeling off a reef—the third largest in the world, according to the Fury crew. The crew brought around pitchers of water, especially for those who might have been partying the night before (one passenger, with his head over the side, obviously had been).

 

Our spot to anchor was near an erector-set like structure that jutted out of the water; it was a lighthouse, we were told.

 

We had been checking water temperatures before leaving for our cruise and knew that it was cold—about 72 degrees. Some of our party had bought wet suites on E-Bay (we won’t say which had the good sense to do this, but they were both of the same sex and one of them is writing this). DH and I were the first off the boat. You can jump off, or scoot on your butt down a retractable stairs. We decided to scoot. But this was not easy; there was a stiff breeze and the sea was rough—rollers were crashing into the steps causing them to bounce. We were warned not to grab for any of the side ropes as this would fling us into the air.

 

Wet suit or not, the first rush of ocean water was freezing. This was not yet the reef and the bottom was a good forty feet below us. Because of the waves, it was hard swimming and the water was slightly murky from the disturbed sand. And did I say that it was cold?

 

We never got too far onto the reef, but there were a fair amount of fish—not quite as many as we have seen on other snorkeling adventures, though. And this time—unlike the last time—we did not see any barracudas. We did see divers below us and often swam through their bubbles.

 

After about forty-five minutes, we decided to head back. This, perhaps, was the most difficult part: getting back onto a stairs that was bouncing up and down two or three feet. As we swam up through a large school of blue colored fish (the most we had seen on the entire swim), the wash from the bobbing stairs pushed us back, making it very difficult to get even a hand on the stairs. But we managed and obeyed orders—scooting backwards onto the boat.

 

We sat, covered in towels, shivering. But the crew, young, friendly and enthusiastic, helped soothe the discomfort by offering us a seemingly unending supply of beer. We had a chance to talk to them, especially one pretty, young girl, just out of college. She had much to say about the economics of Key West and about how her and her boyfriend (the same helpful young man with the clipboard) had been living all year in the back of their van. They had arranged with the Hilton to use its bathrooms and showers. Some of their other friends were living on boats.

 

Soon everyone was back aboard and we began the trip in. On next stop was to be the Hogs Breath Saloon.

 

To be continued…

 

This picture shows where we actually boarded the Fury catamaran.

[redheadskier]

We booked the Conch Train Tour instead that day and did Fury at Cozumel. For what is it worth, don't book thru Celebrity - walk down the street about 1/2 mile to the Conch Train Tour Depot - their trains were 1/2 empty - ours was overful to being uncomfortable. :eek: PLus we wasted over an hour between the supposed debarking time, walking to the "train" then waiting 20 minutes again. This stop was not long enough to lose that much time

 

In fact, the Trolley was a better deal - from what I hear you can get off then get back on - that would have been a nice option if we knew about it!

[flashdog_1]

I had taken the conch train tour a couple of years ago as a non-cruise ship tourist. Then I took it again with my husband from a cruise. It was shorter! I couldn't believe that they didn't go all the way around the island! Same price, just more waiting and shorter trip from the cruise line.

[BellaBaci4]

Hi Dawn,

 

I missed your post, sorry. Yes my name is of Italian orgin. It is a combination of names. Baci was our little dog, who is no longer with us. I can't believe there are tears in my eyes as I write this. I am such a sap! We do have many happy memories.

Happy Sails,

Bella

[dawne577]

I had taken the conch train tour a couple of years ago as a non-cruise ship tourist. Then I took it again with my husband from a cruise. It was shorter! I couldn't believe that they didn't go all the way around the island! Same price, just more waiting and shorter trip from the cruise line.

 

Our personal opinion--for what it's worth--don't use Celebrity to book any of your excursions in Key West. First, Key West is a small island; you almost never have to worry about time. But if you are, just book the same excursion that Celebrity is offering (at the same time) and you will save money and have the same safety comfort of knowing that the ship won't leave without you.

[dawne577]

Hi Dawn,

 

I missed your post, sorry. Yes my name is of Italian orgin. It is a combination of names. Baci was our little dog, who is no longer with us. I can't believe there are tears in my eyes as I write this. I am such a sap! We do have many happy memories.

Happy Sails,

Bella

 

Not a sap at all. And like we said in our earlier post (DH and I work on these together), it's a great name. Beautiful.