ONBOARD THE
ZENITH -- Celebrity Cruises entered the western Caribbean market in
November with alternating four- and five-day sailings from Miami at
rates many passengers said were too good to ignore.
[My wife] saw the
cruise on the Internet and called our travel agent, said Dave
Couvillon, a frequent cruiser from Windsor, Ontario. It was about
$450 per person for an outside cabin for five nights. One hundred
dollars a day or less is good.
This was the
Couvillons first time on the Zenith, Celebritys smallest (682 feet
long) and oldest (14 years) remaining member of the fleet.
Classified as a medium-size ship, its staterooms, at 172 square
feet, are considerably larger (about 30 square feet larger) than
most cruise lines standard cabins.
The four-day
cruise calls in Key West, Fla., and Cozumel, Mexico. Of the two
five-day sailings, one docks in Key West and George Town, Grand
Cayman. The other, which I took in late January, calls at Key West,
Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico, with one full day at
sea.
In Costa Maya,
Zenith passengers had a chance to compare visually the sizes of the
Zenith and Royal Caribbeans Radiance of the Seas, a 2001 build,
docked side-by-side at the pier.
The Zenith is
half the tonnage (47,255 vs. 90,090) and has half the capacity
(1,374 vs. 2,501) of the Radiance. A sturdy-looking ship,
aesthetically the Zenith cannot come close to the Radiance, with
its myriad balconies and big windows.
Yet the smaller
ship was sailing full.
When people come
to the Zenith, they come knowing this is the baby ship, explained
Anya McLeod of guest relations. We were the first, and [Celebrity]
learned as we went along. We have an Internet cafe, but everything
is just smaller.
I noted in my
reporters pad, Internet cafe, and promised myself to check it out
later.
The interior of
the Zenith is darker than the post-millennium ships with their
walls of storied windows and their glittery atria, but it offers a
convivial atmosphere not found on the megaships. People seem
friendlier, and by the end of the five days, they look familiar.
When you get off the elevator and say See you later to the folks
inside, you really mean it.
The Zenith has
many of the perks found on Celebritys newer ships. The Elemis spa
may lack a steam room and thalassotherapy pool (OK, no Jacuzzi,
either), but it does have a decent menu of massages, including sea
wraps and hot stones, as well as teeth-whitening
treatments.
The ship has a
martini bar; the cozy Michaels Club with a pianist at night; a
casino; a cafe serving cappuccino, liqueurs, chocolates and
pastries; a fitness center; a pool; four hot tubs (but they close
at 9 p.m., some passengers complained); and a golf pro onboard for
personal instruction.
The Caravelle
Restaurant is the main dining room (there is no specialty
restaurant). Theres a buffet with indoor/outdoor seating and a
poolside bar and grill.
Also onboard are
a library and a card room; a video game room; specialty boutiques;
an art gallery; late-night lounges with live performers; and the
Celebrity Show Lounge where wonderful shows are produced
nightly.
Its a ship that
passengers find easy to navigate. Relative smallness has its
recompense in shorter walks from here to there.
You might notice
that I omitted the Internet cafe in the amenities. On our one day
at sea, I checked my notes and set out to find the onboard Internet
stations, aka Online@Celebrity.
I found them
inside the library. The single row of
computers comprising the Internet cafe brought to mind McLeods
words, Everything is just smaller.
Signs listed the
charges: 50 cents a minute for the Internet, and 50 cents a minute
for Word, PowerPoint and 1-2-3, with a maximum charge of $6.95.
Evidently, smaller does not mean cheaper.
As for the
library itself, the Zenith is following what seems to be a trend in
cruise ship libraries. The books were locked behind glass doors
because passengers often walk off with them, said a library
monitor.
As this lover of
literature can attest, leafing through books is one of lifes
greatest pleasures. Twice more I visited the library, and both
times no one was there to open the glass doors.
The Zenith will
sail the western Caribbean through March, when the Century, fresh
from a $55 million makeover, will begin operating four- and
five-day cruises from Miami.
With everything
that will be added to the Century, essentially bringing it up to
our Millennium-class standards, it really will be the best
short-cruise product sailing from the Port of Miami next year, said
Elizabeth Jakeway, manager of corporate communications for the
cruise line.
The Zenith will
sail seven-day Bermuda cruises from Bayonne, N.J., April 22 to Oct.
14 and will cruise the Caribbean from Tampa next winter.
To contact
Managing editor/Supplements Margaret Myre, send e-mail to [email protected].
Get
More!
For more
details on this article, see:
" Boomers are No. 1, but Celebrity seeks young cruisers,
too
" Excursion tips for Celebrity cruisers