NACTA Seminar at Sea

Celebrity Cruise Line's Century
Sailing Date 11/20/99

Ports of Call: San Juan, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Scheduled Stop St. Marten cancelled due to hurricane damage. Stop at Catalina Island (beach day) and Nassau, Bahamas.  Two full days at sea

Pros
Nice variety of ports

Cons
Not enough time in San Juan and too late of an arrival

Restaurants (in Port)
San Juan:  El Patio Mexicana
St. Thomas:  Green House, Victor’s

  Cabin Accommodations & Amenities

 Pros
Great bed linens
Plenty of closet space & drawer space
Plenty of bathroom cabinets and sink space
Safe behind the dressing mirror a great idea
Good desk for doing work
Mini bar a nice touch, but should not have to ask for key
Nice shower facilities
Bathrobes a nice touch

Cons
No fresh fruit in the cabin
Bed pillows too hard
Not enough electrical outlets

Entertainment

Pros
Nice variety for most age groups
Musicians are very talented
Plenty of activities for children
Good variety of movies

Cons
Some shows seem too late in the evening
Popcorn in the movie theater would be a plus

Dining Room

Pros
Ambiance especially nice, good lighting
Especially nice to be seated center of the dining room on the first level allowing good view of the large window and high ceilings.
Music during dinner very nice
Enjoyed the fact that the Photographers were not snapping silly theme pictures
Menu selection very good
Viewpoints on service varied from good to mediocre
Good size portions, not too big and not too small

Cons
Sometimes had to request an iced tea three times
Tables seem a bit close together, hard to get around for the wait staff
Overheard discussions between management and wait staff (seems it should be done more discreetly)
Comments were made that the food on this line is billed as being 4/5 star and it did not meet expectations
Some agents did not feel the service in the dining room was consistent, some waiters and bus boys being much more attentive then others
One agent felt the dining room staff was inexperienced
Music should play throughout dinner
Food for the most part was unimaginative
Inconsistent in serving “ladies first”
Dining room opened late each night

Islands and The Grill

Pros
Wide selection of choices but repeated often during the week
Waiters very helpful and friendly, taking you to a table and assisting with coffee and trays
Nice touch with the linen placemats
Fresh cut cheeses and fruit was a nice feature

Cons
Closing too early at breakfast
Sometimes closing while passengers were still in the line getting food
Should post a menu in the buffet identifying items or at least have signs above the items
Desserts were displayed lovely but were rather bland in taste
Should have one side open all the time serving something

Alternative Dining (Sky Bar, on Deck 12 aft)

  Pros
Very casual dress and menu
Reservations necessary but can only be made on the day requested
Hours are 6:30p to 8:30p
Variety of one appetizer, 1 soup, 2 salads, 4 entrees, and 2 desserts

Bars 

Fortunes
Nice bar, limited seating, smoky atmosphere, cold marble counter, no food available Poker on bar counter

Cryst al Room
Lovely bar, excellent service, soft music Martini bar, caviar Allows for conversation

Michaels Club
Mans bar, rich wood tones, similar to a “hunt” room
Tremendous cigar selection coupled with a complimentary after dinner drink selection

Rendezvous Bar
Centrally located, nightclub atmosphere
“Clubby” entertainment
Conversational pits, “night bar”

Hemisphere Bar
Excellent service, attentive staff

Pool Bar
Poor service, long wait time

Room Service

Pros
For the morning service ordered the night before they call before delivery
Food arrived at the correct temperatures for the items ordered
Again, nice linen service on the trays

Cons
Inconsistent service

Housekeeping

Pros
Rooms consistently kept immaculate

Cons
The entrance to the Kids Room (Mates) on Deck 4 had a very bad smell since the first night.  Seems to be something that would have been noticed and taken care of.

Shore Excursions

Cons
Several passengers (including 2 first time cruisers) complained that trip in San Juan was so late they could not even see the Fort which was the main focus.  They wanted refunds…..?
Buck Island snorkeling delightful tour, personnel were friendly, professional and the boat beautiful.
Snorkeling spectacular.
Staff at times on tender were seated and did not make room for passengers

Casino  

Pros
Plenty of slots, video poker, Blackjack tables, craps table, roulette tables as well as Caribbean Stud Poker tables.
Staff in the casino was very helpful and friendly
Hours of operation varied depending on port schedules
Dealers were nice about teaching folks how to play the games

Cons
On the night where the late dinner seating show was early, this made the casino way too crowded.
Considering how popular it is on a full sailing, perhaps more space for it

Pool Deck  

Pros
Seems to be kept very clean (as best as possible with the crowds)
Nice feature of having a lifeguard on duty from 9a-5p
Good number of hot tubs
Nice pads on deck chairs on the pool deck, very comfortable
Plenty of towels available throughout the day
Pools kept very clean

Cons
Swimming pools seem to rock a bit too much, pretty serious waves on rough seas
Adult spa or time allotted
Possibly an adult only pool

Steiner Spa and Gym Facilities

Pros
Plenty of gym equipment and room is kept as cool as possible
Those using the treadmills honored the reservation time on the charts, unusual often times on other ships
Steiner staff very helpful and friendly
Appointments kept on schedule
Nice hair/nail facilities, pleasant music and ambiance was very nice
Full body massage was very good. Technician skilled but overworked.

Cons
Need more variety in free weights, more varied pounds
Need more space to use the free weights, more than two benches
Too much hard sell on products in the beauty salon and massage
Manicure and pedicure poorly done but did try to rectify problem

Kids Program

Pros
Younger children had crafts and seemed to be enjoying them
Older kids enjoyed basketball, shuffleboard and play stations
Kids 10 and older are free to come and go anytime (some cruise lines have sign in/out procedures)
Group activities include seeing stage shows as a group
During formal nights, the kids can be left with the kids programs
Plenty of counselors per child, ratio is about 5-1

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