Celebrity’s Century:

A Star-Quality Makeover

By Carol Eannarino

When Celebrity’s Century came out of its five-week, $55-million dry-dock late this May, many in the travel industry were more than curious to see if the makeover was worth it — especially considering that the line has contracted for three SolsticeClass ships, with the first slated for fall 2008.
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.
Beautifully decorated, our outside cabin with veranda, at 175-square feet, was designed to give the feeling of more space. We had plenty of room for storage and a flat screen television and wireless Internet access. The bathroom included an oversized shower and raised sink bowls.
Since we had a ConciergeClass cabin, there were some nice extra touches we appreciated: particularly the fresh flowers, daily hors d’oeuvres, help with restaurant reservations and a ConciergeClass breakfast menu that features fare such as pancakes, omelettes, fresh squeezed orange juice, yummy smoothies — and some à la carte goodies for those who like caviar in the morning. Our veranda had a solid table and chairs for dining al fresco.
As passengers who want options to the nightly routine of dining in the same place with the same people, we found that the Century offered some nice choices.
The Grand Restaurant, with entrances on Decks 5 and 6 aft, is a lovely place to dine and the food and service was quite good. 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.
We particularly liked the Casual Dining Boulevard on Lido Deck 11 aft. Made-to-order omelets, homemade breakfast waffles and pancakes and a breakfast buffet are served from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., with a late breakfast buffet from 10 a.m. to noon — a boon for those who like to sleep late.
A lunch buffet is served from noon to 2:30 p.m., with a sandwich, soup, salad bar and baked potato station open from noon to 3:30 p.m.
The only 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 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. The menu is basic but delicious – the chicken was the best we’ve had in years – and the service friendly and efficient. There’s a $2 per person suggested gratuity. The Café was a wonderful alternative for those evenings when we wanted a lower key option to dinner in the dining room.
Another favorite was the AquaSpa Café on Deck 11, which has been given its own space right next to the Spa. A Light & Healthy Breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. with Healthy Choice All Day Dining from noon to 8 p.m. Served cafeteria-style (waiters bring trays to the table), the tasty entrees are portion-controlled but surprisingly filling — and the light desserts are delicious.
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. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. there are complimentary “savories” and a choice of a Cova Wine Tasting at a lamp-lit table for $8.95 per person, accompanied by live music.
For us, the dining highlight was the new Murano restaurant, offering superb à la carte dining for a cover charge of $30 per person – and well worth it. The room only holds 66 passengers, so reservations are definitely required.
The atmosphere is understated elegance, with beautiful rose-toned wall sconces and chandeliers – handcrafted of Murano glass, of course — providing pleasant, subtle lighting. A harpist plays during dinner.
Murano’s menu has been designed by Celebrity’s longtime culinary and wine consultant, Master Chef Michel Roux – and he’s done a masterful job.
There are two menus — one is a four course à la carte version, while the other, termed “exceptionale,” includes an extra course with a different glass of wine served for each. The latter is $100 per person with a $15 service charge replacing the $30 fee.
We opted for the à la carte menu and found that the portions were just right, the food extraordinary and the service top notch. A cheese cart containing an extensive choice of French cheeses is rolled out before dessert, and your server will explain (and serve) whichever you choose. A couple who had ordered from the “exceptionale” menu told us it was “simply incredible.”
Of course, there’s also 24-hour room service, which, along with the usual fare, allows passengers to order lunch and dinner from the dining room.
The Celebrity Today leaflet listed a Late Night Buffet from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., with “Gourmet Bites” available in all lounges,
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.
As it was explained to us, 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 our 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.
The Celebrity Theater, on Deck 6 and 7, with excellent sightlines, is the venue for post-dinner shows and concerts. The show we saw featuring the in-house troupe, The Celebrity Singers & Dancers, centered around Broadway show music (as is often the case on cruise ships) and was a cut above the rest, with talented singers and dancers.
A fairly current movie is shown four times daily in the Cinema (which also doubles as a conference room) on Deck 6.
Although there were few kids onboard during our mid-October Mediterranean cruise, we went to peek at the Fun Factory, home base for the supervised program divided into four age groups: Shipmates (ages 3 to 6). Cadets (ages 7 to 9), Ensigns (10 to 12) and Teens (13 to 17). We found a friendly counselor playing a board game with two girls who seemed to be around 8 and 11 years old. The counselor informed us that during the summer there are often 300 to 400 children on board, but only 15 were on this cruise. The well-spoken 11-year-old, who could moonlight as a spokesperson for the —treasure hunts. Slumber parties are offered to ages 3-12 from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Teens have their own “X-Treme” lounge and video arcade which includes a dance floor, juice bar, jukebox and karaoke, along with computers offering Internet access.
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.

Managed by Steiner, the AquaSpa offers the gamut of treatments by a very competent staff. Erica, the manager when we were onboard, can help tailor your treatment to your needs. A 10% gratuity is added to your bill – and if your clients end up buying a slew of products, remind them to get papers at the spa for a VAT (Value Added Tax) refund. Right around the corner from the spa is an area dedicated to acupuncture — and it appeared to be doing brisk business.
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.