Celebrity's Century
A Star Quality Makeover
When Celebrity’s Century came out of its five-week, $55-million dry-dock late this May, many were curious to see if the makeover was worth it. Anyone who questioned the wisdom of renovating the 11-year-old, 1,814-passenger ship need only step inside – and marvel at what Celebrity has achieved.
Among the additions are 314 more verandas, the upscale Murano specialty restaurant, a trendy new Martini Bar, 14 new suites, 10 new staterooms ranging from inside to veranda category, an expanded number of ConciergeClass category staterooms, a newly designed Aqua Spa and a series of features and amenities that typify the line’s popular Millennium-class fleet.
New carpeting, new draperies, new artwork, new bedding — nothing has been overlooked in making the Century, a mid-size (71,545-tons) ship, a major contender in the premium market.
Staterooms have been totally redone. Bedding and linens have become increasingly important to today’s cruisers, and the Century obliges with comfy new mattresses, soft Egyptian cotton linens (the towels are a bather’s dream) and lightweight, but warm enough, duvets.
The Grand Restaurant, with entrances on Decks 5 and 6 aft, is a lovely place to dine. This is the ship’s main dining room and also serves open seating breakfast and lunch and an elegant tea from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Boulevard area, which has been decorated tastefully, is also a popular stop for frozen yogurt and homemade ice cream, served from noon to 7 p.m., and for tea time, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Coffee, tea and juices are available 24 hours. During the evening, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., a section of Boulevard is converted into the Island Café, a truly good restaurant. Reservations are recommended, although you can sometimes get a table without them. Another Boulevard choice at dinner is the Pizza & Pasta Corner, open from noon to 1 a.m. Several types of pasta are offered in addition to the night’s special, with a choice of sauces. There’s also a superb sushi café open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The outside grill is a “hot spot” from noon to 7 p.m., serving hamburgers, hot dogs and daily chef’s specials. The Cova Café on Deck 6, a staple on Celebrity ships and modeled after its famous Milan namesake, features a small coffee bar and a number of tables. With a selection of coffees, teas and hot chocolate, the café also offers complimentary croissants and Danishes from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and pastries and cookies from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Celebrity Cruises Entertainment
Passengers have a wealth of choices for their evening entertainment. One of the most popular is the new Martini Bar, with its ethereal white chairs and kinetic lighting that regularly changes the venue’s color. The Bar features a liquid wall that freezes to form a sparkling crystalline appearance and a bar counter that freezes into ice-cold stone, while a solid block of ice creatively displays bottles of liquor behind the bar. As if this weren’t enough, the Bar serves 30 martini versions.
All other clubs and lounges onboard were entirely refurnished, including the Crystal Lounge, Rendezvous Lounge, Hemispheres observation lounge and disco – and a favorite hangout, Michael’s Club, with its piano player and comfortable atmosphere. There’s also a Fortunes Bar located in the very large casino. Casual bars include the Mast Bar on Deck 12, the Pool Bar and the wraparound Sunset Bar, both on Deck 11.
While the thalassotherapy pool in the totally redone AquaSpa has been eliminated, the soothing spa has added new features, such as the Persian Garden relaxation room, featuring Turkish steam baths and heated tile loungers, and a Beauty Salon Barber Shop and tooth-whitening area.
The Gym (Resort Deck) offers a range of equipment; Pilates and Spinning classes are held in the AquaSpa ($10 fee). There’s a virtual golf simulator and a PGA golf professional who offers golf lessons, clinics and golf excursions in many ports of call. A cozy library featuring mainly fiction can be found on Deck 6 and Online@Celebrity Internet stations are located on Decks 6 , 7 and 12.
Celebrity’s Century offers 4- and 5-night roundtrip Caribbean cruises from the Port of Miami through April 2007.
