I’m Onboard Celebrity Century – Got Any Questions?

[caviargal]

Carolyn, now that your cruise is coming to an end, are you still feeling that Century is not a "happy" ship?

 

Can you talk a bit about the live music venues aboard?

 

I look forward to your complete review:)!

 

CG

[wishingtocruise]

How is the pool deck? :)

[ACCagent]

I would also like to know about some of the music. Do you know who all of the trios, duos, piano players, etc are? That's usually a big plus on Celebrity. Hope you enjoy the rest of the cruise. We will be passing you in Amsterdam as we are on the August 2nd sailing. Hope those crew faces "get happy"!

 

Pooh2005, I doubt you will be bothered by noise near the elevators. We've been near them on other ships with no problem. Have a great cruise!

[SheilaNC]

Carolyn,

I join the others in my concern about the crew's lack of interaction and communication with passengers. The warm and friendly interactions with crew and officers has always been one of the most endearing things about cruising X. Do you know if there have been any senior officer changes that might have affected the work environment onboard? Sad and disappointing to hear about this.

[phbr]

Don't know if you have time but the best way to see Berlin is on one of the many 'Walking Tours' that sart at Zoo Station for about euro15 per person. Takes about 2.5 hours. It gets into areas where coaches can't and does all the sights, Hitlers Bunker, the new Holocaust Memorial, the Victory Column, (still has the bullet marks) and loads more.

 

There is very little left of the Berlin Wall except one piece near Fredrichstrasse and the former Gestapo Headquarters, but there is a painted 'trail' all over the city on the road where the wall ran.

 

Checkpoint Charlie was a bit of a let down. Plenty of souvenir stalls selling Russian hats and cap badges, not much else.

 

Go to the Reichstag and the Brandenburg gate. Awesome.

 

K'damm is the main shopping area, some great shops and restaurants

[caviargal]

Don't know if you have time but the best way to see Berlin is on one of the many 'Walking Tours' that sart at Zoo Station for about euro15 per person. Takes about 2.5 hours. It gets into areas where coaches can't and does all the sights, Hitlers Bunker, the new Holocaust Memorial, the Victory Column, (still has the bullet marks) and loads more.

 

There is very little left of the Berlin Wall except one piece near Fredrichstrasse and the former Gestapo Headquarters, but there is a painted 'trail' all over the city on the road where the wall ran.

 

Checkpoint Charlie was a bit of a let down. Plenty of souvenir stalls selling Russian hats and cap badges, not much else.

 

Go to the Reichstag and the Brandenburg gate. Awesome.

 

K'damm is the main shopping area, some great shops and restaurants

 

I was in Berlin in 1972 when the wall was in place and Checkpoint Charlie was in its heyday. As a teenage student, it was a life changing experience.

 

I visited again three years ago and the difference was amazing! I find Berlin to be a vibrant city of many contrasts and look forward to returning soon for a longer stay.

[cruisintwinsmom]

One downside of the ship is that it’s really quite rare – even now on day 6 – that any crew member (and most officers come to think of it) spontaneously and genuinely greet you as you pass in the corridor. I’ve looked some in the eyes as a prelude to saying hello and they’ve actually looked away. It’s unsettling.

 

Carolyn

 

Our experience was quite the opposite. We had tons of smiles and hellos (the only exception would be the shops). We were on deck 4, so most of the stewarts we ran into were there, always with a big hello. I'm sorry that the crew has taken an unhappy turn.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, can't promise anything since I didn't stay in either but this is not a noisy ship and there aren't too many folks running around at all hours so I wouldn't imagine the elevators to be noisy. I thought the sunset verandahs were nice...you might get the hum of cocktail party chatter below....

 

Carolyn

 

 

Carolyn,

 

We will be taking the Norway Fjords cruise on Century August 26, 2007 with another couple. Want to have verandas to enjoy the view. We have been offered 2 choices. The first would be cabins 8133/8128 - They are immediately adjacent to the mid ship elevators. This arrangement would make it easy to go from one side to the other to enjoy the view from either location. My concern would be noise from folks using the stairs and elevators at all hours.

The second choice would be to get a pair of Sunset Veranda cabins which look directly astern over the Sunset Lounge. This also could be noisy. Your thoughts and those of other experienced cruisers would be very welcome

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, NJ Gal from one NJ gal to another. Thanks for the nice note.

 

Re the ports. While I am covering them here, briefly, you really should go to our destination section (the Baltic is our destination of the month, in fact, and stories are on the home page). There we offer definitive info on how to get around, what to see, how to get from port to town, etc.

 

I will be writing a separate story about the Moscow excursion -- WOW -- when I get back, so stay tuned.

 

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn,

Thanks for all the info you have posted. It sounds as though your first night was unpleasant, but you have gotten past all that. My husband and I wil be taking the Constellation to the Baltics August 07. We picked that ship & date mainly because of the ports. In the past, we have been taking RC cruises, but this itinerary appealed more than the RC ones. I know that crew wil be different next year, but not the ports. Keep sending info and hints on the ports, where the ship is docked, best way to get into town, is it safe to just walk around, or should we take a ship tour. I have found these boards to be so helpful for past cruises. Cruise critic members are so knowledgeable.

 

NJ Gal

 

Rotterdam

Celebration 93

Vision of the Seas 99

Summit 01

Voyager 03

Veendam 04

Enchantment 05

Brilliance 06

[agpotter]

Hi Carolyn!

I am enjoying your blog! BTW, is the "cat lady" still doing the circus thing in Helsinki? Do you think we could get our cats to do this? (See attachment).

 

Say "Hi!" to the hubby!

 

Best,

Anita

[travelchick79]

One downside of the ship is that it’s really quite rare – even now on day 6 – that any crew member (and most officers come to think of it) spontaneously and genuinely greet you as you pass in the corridor. I’ve looked some in the eyes as a prelude to saying hello and they’ve actually looked away. It’s unsettling.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn,

I was on Century last October and everyone I met was always smiling and saying hi and the the service was unbelievably wonderful! The crew really made that cruise so much better than any others I've experienced so far. But maybe you're right in sensing that something is wrong. I have kept in contact with a crew member and just last week he made a comment about maybe wanting to leave the cruise business. As spengle said, have there been any major changes to management that could have caused this? I'd really hate to think that they're all so unhappy now. I'm sailing on the Century again in November and hope that whatever is wrong will be corrected by then and that it will be as wonderful as last time I was there!

[Lois R]

Carolyn,

I was on Century last October and everyone I met was always smiling and saying hi and the the service was unbelievably wonderful! The crew really made that cruise so much better than any others I've experienced so far. But maybe you're right in sensing that something is wrong. I have kept in contact with a crew member and just last week he made a comment about maybe wanting to leave the cruise business. As spengle said, have there been any major changes to management that could have caused this? I'd really hate to think that they're all so unhappy now. I'm sailing on the Century again in November and hope that whatever is wrong will be corrected by then and that it will be as wonderful as last time I was there!

 

Michelle...every cruise I have sailed on with Celebrity has had

smiling, friendly, always "wanting to assist" staff and crew.

Century was my first ship with X and she will always hold a special

place for me.

I also hope whatever is wrong is corrected for you.

 

That is what makes it all so weird:confused:...from such wonderful

details to "looking away"......just doesn't make a lot of sense

to me.

[C 2 C]

 

That is what makes it all so weird:confused:...from such wonderful

details to "looking away"......just doesn't make a lot of sense

to me.

 

We had the same experience on our Galaxy cruises in May. It was so obvious because it is so rare.:confused::(

Our own cabin steward was always smiling and eager to please. Our waiters and assistants were also grand... but several corridor meetings were so atypical.

[Lois R]

We had the same experience on our Galaxy cruises in May. It was so obvious because it is so rare.:confused::(

 

The staff and crew were not good on your sailing? So sorry

to see that!

Were they rude to you? Not up to par overall?

 

Hope your next cruise is better!!!

[Blazerboy]

Excuse the sidebar...

 

Ms B. Thank you for that gracious post. Honestly, I so enjoy it when we can keep things civil.:)

 

Again, appreciate your responding.

 

Andrew

[C 2 C]

The staff and crew were not good on your sailing? So sorry

to see that!

Were they rude to you? Not up to par overall?

 

The cruise activities staff were great. We did not care for the maitre'd who just replaced our favorite Mario on Century (@#$%). The cruise staff on Galaxy was not as friendly from top to bottom except for Hotel Director, Captain's club hostess..(wonderful!!) and a few others. We did not care for the captain (we love Century's). Overall Galaxy was just less friendly and staff less helpful in the buffet for people requiring help... a real plus for all the others cruises we have been on. The officer's cocktail party for Elites was very poorly attended by officers... a reflection of the captain's attitude.

We are booked for 34 days on Century in October because our experience there last year was the best experience X has given.

I am extremely upset to hear that certain individuals are given inferior service because of traveling solo. I will make a point of scouting the Rendezvous for individuals in the future to invite them over.

[ND Traveler]

Carolyn,

We had the same experience when we boarded Century. We had been on many cruises of all kinds. When we boarded we were usually met and taken to our suite. On this cruise (6/15 Century) we boarded mid-afternoon to avoid the rush. We went on Board and were met by a group of uniformed personnel--I handed our boarding papers to someone who seemed to be in charge--he said your suite is(pointed towards the aft and said it is up several decks) we waited for a minute--then since nobody out of the group offered to show us where we were supposed to go we set off on our own. We were a little suprised because we had been led to believe that we would be well attended and especially so since we had a suite. After a few unsure minutes I stopped by Muranos to make reservations and one of that staff explained how to go. We never had any discourse with senior staff--except as mentioned earlier. Several of the bar staff we met were departing the ship very soon and were not going to sign another contract with Celebrity. Although they were on their last cruise they were very very nice.

[ND Traveler]

Andy,

 

The more I read the posts on this thread the more I feel that something went awfully wrong with our personal experience. We were in a suite. Included as extras was a pillow menu(never saw it) no fresh cut flowers (bought our own ashore)I asked and was told I was mistaken, leather key holder (what was that?)Priority departure(never mentioned or explained) Priority baggage delivery on boarding(asked about it and was told that we would get ours in due course, what ever that meant--it came about 2 hours after we boarded--I guess I should be glad I had "priority" baggage service--if I didn't I might not have gotten it for several days.)Private portait sitting( never got that)---These are all things published on the web page---Not only do I not "feel like royalty" I am starting to feel more like a serf who the master just kicked off the farm. I know many of you love Century and indeed the ship is beautiful--ports of call very good--some of the service was wonderful---but overall we were not satisfied. I truly hope Century is the exsperience many of you describe...and I am sure in most cases it must be or has been--It was just not our experience.

[4 cruisers]

I wonder if the crew isn't too happy about the new 4 and 5 day itineraries (like many of us!:( ). It seems that it creates more work for eveyone and less time to get aquainted with passengers when they are preparing to haul luggage, clean and get ready for the next group every 4 or 5 days! Not saying there is ANY excuse...just that it could possibly be a morale killer!? We're going on Century for the 5 day cruise before Thanksgiving. Hope it isn't a disaster! :rolleyes:

[caviargal]

I wonder if the crew isn't too happy about the new 4 and 5 day itineraries (like many of us!:( ). It seems that it creates more work for eveyone and less time to get aquainted with passengers when they are preparing to haul luggage, clean and get ready for the next group every 4 or 5 days! Not saying there is ANY excuse...just that it could possibly be a morale killer!? We're going on Century for the 5 day cruise before Thanksgiving. Hope it isn't a disaster! :rolleyes:

 

Well, now they are on the longer itineraries so it seems to me there is more to it than that:confused:.

 

I am on Century in November and sincerely hope the cruise is "happy" by then!

[C 2 C]

There's a thread that Celebrity has struck again in offending solo passengers. It seems that X is getting rid of its dance hosts. How dumb can management get if this is new company policy. Just as the baby boomers will witness a die off of its male passengers in ever larger numbers, X is alienating the survivors. I hope that I don't offend anyone with this statement but us guys just aren't built for longevity. Is X suggesting that there should be an exodus of the grey-haired crowd to attract younger couples?:mad:

[flutepilot]

"Very often I come across negative reviews on these Boards from passengers who had unsatisfactory experiences and did not bring this to anyone's attention, assuming that it couldn't be fixed. Of course, you should not have a bad experience in the first place, but everybody screws up sometimes! All cruise lines have problems. Good ones fix them; bad ones ignore them. But they can't fix the problems if they don't know they're there! So, I do not subscribe to the "grin and bear it" theory."

 

 

I had a bad experience with our wine server on Century in April. She managed to get our port to the table well after the dessert was finished one night, then did not even show up another night - no wine menu, nothing! Upon being asked about our dining experience by Guest Relations, I mentioned that things were great except for one person. I was asked who, and I told the above story. That night, the sommolier himself showed up at our table. After I ordered the wine for the evening, he gave us the bottle gratis. Talk about fixing the problem!

 

Dan & Judy

[sesh]

Hi, Lois, and thanks to all who are kind about my horrid experience.

Lois, I wrote the following message before my disastrous and frankly appalling experience at dinner tonight. The irony is that much of the food that was ultimately delivered to my cabin (particularly the escargots, the shrimp and the delicious calvados apple tart) – albeit COLD -- was (still) exceptional. But the experience leaves a bitter taste nevertheless. One would hope that Michel Roux, the line’s celebrity chef, would understand the disparity – he certainly has improved the cuisine but the service is so poor….

And yet Princess, which has less of a reputation for food, was, in my experience on the new Crown Princess, much more savvy in service. Sure you expect the extra-fee alternative restaurants to deliver (and if they don’t you should complain, loudly). But the dining rooms? I sampled Crown Princess’ different dining rooms – on my own – for each of three meals – and was pleasantly comforted by food AND service at each.

Ultimately, when you weigh one or the other, if you can only deliver, er, one or the other, I’d say deliver good service. Treat people with respect and they’ll forgive a lot of failings. Treat people poorly and the food itself doesn’t so much matter. But Celebrity’s marketing machine naturally elevates expectations.

I question myself: Would I have felt so humiliated if I were not alone? A. that’s not the point; people who cruise expect good service regardless. And b? I would have been angry and annoyed and might have left the restaurant (but I will admit that I probably wouldn’t have gotten tearful). Even so, the whole thing was unacceptable. Absolutely, after 100 cruises plus, unacceptable.

It’s an embarrassment to Michel Roux and to Celebrity.

To my mind.

What do y’all think?

 

Carolyn

Sorry to hear of your torrid experience onboard, however must disagree with your comments saying Princess offers a better service for dining. We recently had a Princess cruise and I can say that the service in respect to dining (especially the anytime option) was extremely shoddy.

 

It would seem endemic that these cruise lines that have expanded rapidly have lost the 'service ethos' that made them great in the first place and I hope that Celebrity are thoroughly embarassed by their faliure to provide even the most basic rule of service; courtesy - after all it doesn't cost anything for the crew to be polite and attentive.

[ItalianGuest]

Gent. Mrs Carolyn,

 

before all, sorry for my english... :( I'm italian and I'm starting now to learn and use it !

 

 

I'd like to know if on board Century there are some people who can speack italian, as I have apprecite on Millennium and Mercury; in particular about the main dining room staff, the International Hostess, the Social Hostess and the Shore Excursions staff.

 

Thankful since now,

 

ItalianGuest

 

 

PS

Enjoy your cruise !:)

[lucky white heather]

As of the last cruise we did B2B caribbean / transatlantic on ML April / May 06 the HD was a youngish man ( maybe late twenties/ early thirties)...can't remember his name but we had seen him before at least once on a previous cruise as well which we did before these two B2B's/// possibly Italian ??????

 

Brenda Meyer was the Capt.'s Club hostess supported by Justin for part of the cruise and the Marketing Manager was Karen Blair during this trip.Perhaps you can get the current HD name by contacting either of them if still aboard????