Cruise Line: Celebrity
Ship: Celebrity Century
Date of Cruise: August 16 - August 23, 2003

Western Caribbean on the Celebrity Century
By: Steve David
sdavid@lrtd.com

My wife and I just returned from our second seven-day cruise on board the Celebrity Century. My review of last year's cruise appears at this link on About Cruises for anyone who's interested.

As much as we enjoyed last year's Century cruise to the eastern Caribbean, we enjoyed last week's cruise to the western Caribbean even more. Our dinner companions were delightful, the weather was hot but clear, the seas were calm, our waiter and cabin attendant were wonderful, and the location of our cabin and dining room table were terrific. More on these below.

Unlike last year's cruise, the embarkation process went extremely smooth and quick, possibly because this year I took the opportunity to complete my embarkation form on-line a few weeks before we sailed, and also because we boarded the ship a little late (2:00 p.m. since our luggage arrived on a later flight), so the terminal may have been less congested. Or maybe Celebrity just became more efficient at putting passengers on board. Whatever the reason, we were on board within five minutes of arriving at the pier.

I never thought that the cabin location made much of a difference, but I was wrong. In the past, we always purchased the lesser expensive inside cabins on lower decks because we spent so little time in them. This time, we had a cabin on deck 8, right in the center of the ship, with a window. Believe me, it's worth the extra expense. The window makes the cabin brighter and more inviting, and the location meant walking down just one or two decks to the casino or dining room and walking up only four decks to the pool and gym (instead of walking eight). I also took advantage of the cabin window to "moon" the island of Cuba as we sailed past. Fortunately, my wife resisted the temptation to take a picture of this event for the kids.

Our table for dinner was number 557, late sitting, located dead-center in the dining room at the foot of the Grand Staircase. I believe it was the best placed table in the house. The six people we were lucky to be seated with were diverse in almost every conceivable way, but we made a most harmonious group. It was a pleasure joining them for dinner. Our Turkish waiter, Cenkis, was not only extremely efficient and solicitous, but had a wicked sense of humor which we loved. He kept the whole table entertained and happy. The menu was identical to last year's and the food was delicious and beautifully presented, particularly at dinner. If you cruise to eat like we do, you will not be disappointed.

Except for Ocho Rios, Jamaica, I enjoyed the other ports of call at George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; and Key West, Florida. Compared to the other ports, Jamaica looked poor and depressing, although there was a new shopping district near the pier which was very nice. It was the only port, by the way, where a local offered to sell me dope. Also, be careful if you visit the famous Dunn's River Falls in Ocho Rios: One of our dinner companions was injured when he slipped on a wet stepping-stone. The other ports, however, were beautiful with plenty of shore excursions and shopping opportunities. In Cozumel especially, be prepared to bargain aggressively with the shopkeepers for lower prices.

Join the Celebrity Captain's Club. There used to be a membership fee but now it's free. The benefits don't really kick in until your sixth-or-so cruise, but there is a cocktail reception during the week for members and you can drink at Celebrity's expense for an hour. It's worth it.

Despite the following negative comments, they did not detract from my enjoyment of the cruise, but I mention them anyway. Occasionally, I saw some litter on a landing or a deck. It was quickly cleaned up, but the ship was not as immaculate as I remembered from last year. Or maybe last year I just wasn't paying as much attention. The on-board "entertainment" was only fair. The "Celebrity singers and dancers" were basically kids who couldn't make it on Broadway, but they were still good. So was the Celebrity orchestra. However, there was a magician and "improv" comedian who were just mediocre, and another comedian from last year's cruise whose act had changed very little. Moreover, Nick the cruise director and showtime "emcee" had the annoying habit of urging (almost ordering) the audience to "make some noise" for the entertainers, including standing ovations. I personally prefer reserving my applause for those who deserve it. The lounge performers were adequate, but nothing more. My one negative comment about the food is that the breakfast pastries were not as fresh as I had remembered them, and the cheese danish had, well, no cheese inside. The cabins still don't have enough electrical outlets.

In the long-run, though, the only reason we might sail with a different cruise line next time is not because of the comments in the foregoing paragraph, but just the opposite: We're afraid that our next cruise on this ship will not (indeed, cannot) equal the wonderful time and experience we were lucky enough to enjoy last week.

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