The Zenith cruise ship departs from thePort
of Miami, FL. Throughout the year, she offers ocean cruises to Bermuda
and Western Caribbean.
Check Dates & Prices for cruises to Bermuda and Western Caribbean.
Began service: 1992 Guest capacity: 1,374 Total staff: 657 Length: 682 feet Passenger decks: 9 CDC
inspection score: 95
Zenith Overview
Zenith is one of three original Celebrity
ships. Celebrity
positions itself as a premium level cruise line, meaning that their
target guest is looking for a cruise experience that includes some
of the amenities of the luxury lines without losing the element of
fun. Zenith concentrates on sophisticated levels of food
and beverage service often associated with pricier lines: martini
and champagne bars, cigar lounges and caviar service, while not skimping
on shipboard activities for passengers who like to let their hair
down.
Cabins
Zenith has 687 cabins; 541
are outside cabins with windows or portholes and
22 suites, none have balconies. There are no staterooms
with obstructed views, and cabins have plenty of storage space. Room
service is available 24 hours, and guests may order from the dining
room menu during mealtimes. Eight staterooms are handicapped-accessible.
Amenities in all categories include toiletries, hair dryer, Interactive
TV system, telephone with voice mail, minibar, and safe. Suites have
VCR's. The hairdryer in our cabin was showing its age and we recommend
bringing your own.
Dining
Celebrity is synonymous with cuisine; their
menu is designed by Michelin 3-star chef, Michel
Roux. The cuisine is classical and basic. The menu features nightly
spa and vegetarian choices. There is a children's menu on request,
and special diets can be accommodated if requested at the time of
booking.
There are two facilities serving the pool area, the Windsurf
Cafe and the Grill. The Cafe is the basic
lunch and dinner buffet with a good variety. The Grill serves tea
in the afternoon and pizza at various times during the day. They also
have burgers and hot dogs at lunchtime. The Grill serves an alternative
casual sit-down dinner on long port days, for which reservations are
necessary.
Entertainment
Celebrity Theater is one of the best designed we've
seen. The absence of obstructing columns combined with a fairly steep
raked floor create a room with no bad seats. The second level balconies,
broken into separate units descending along the sides of the room,
reminded us of the private boxes of classic opera houses. The production
shows are still your basic cruise fare. However, the ship did have
an extensive slate of individual performers and lounge acts, including
two comedians, two pianists, individual singers, and an acappella
group. We also liked the the String Quartet that
played at various times and places throughout the ship.
Mayfair Casino is popular and offers the usual
blackjack tables, craps, and one roulette table, plus video poker
and slot machines. The ability to gamble in-cabin
through Zenith's interactive TV system might be why the casino didn't
seem overcrowded.
Fitness & Recreation
The AquaSpa fitness/spa
facility has been upgraded on Zenith. There are many treatments
rooms for Rasul, facials, seaweed wraps, massage, etc. The gym is
well equipped with up-to-date treadmills, Stairmasters and other exercise
machines.
The main pool and sunning area is amidships on Marina
Deck, with two pools and whirlpools with plenty of deck chairs.
Other fitness offerings include a short jogging track on Sun
Deck.
There are numerous daytime activities, even on port days, including
all the standard cruise fare. Movies are offered in the Celebrity
Show Lounge cinema. Public Areas
We found little overcrowding and
few lines. At one extreme are Zenith's dramatic, large public
rooms, such as the Celebrity Show Lounge and Marina
Deck's spectacular Fleet Bar, her top-of-the-ship,
forward-looking observation lounge. There is an elevated bar and additional
seating area in the center so everyone has an unobstructed view. Then
there are the smaller intimate lounges around the main public gathering
areas of the vessel. Rendezvous Square fronts the
two-deck entrances to the Caravelle Restaurant with
its piano music, makes an excellent pre-dinner cocktail and meeting
spot.
Kids
Celebrity offers the basics with
their Youth Program. In-cabin sitting is available
for $8 per hour (two kids max); requests must be made onboard through
the ship's Guest Relations or Stateroom Services departments. Group
baby-sitting is available in the children's playroom for ages 3-12
from 10pm - 1am.; cost is $3 per hour for one child, $5 per hour for
two or more kids in the same family. "Parent's Night
Out" is a formal-night only program where counselors
host kids for a pizza party; there's no charge. Celebrity has an "unlimited
soft drinks" program for those under 18; cost is $4.50 per day
plus 15 percent tip.
Expert Zenith reviews are edited by Michelle, and provided by Ian and Cruise Critic.com,
an award-winning cruise community. This objective information can
help you choose just the right ship for your next cruise vacation.
Check Dates & Prices
for cruises to Bermuda and Western Caribbean.
Zenith cruise reviews
Celebrity Zenith "Sean
Andrews is a STAR!!!" Date: January 28, 2006 Reviewer: Miami Beach 411 User, Dartmouth, NS
I recently thought about having a rare opportunity of seeing perhaps
one of the most talented actor/singer/performer to ever grace the
stage. Sean Andrews is absolutely one of a kind, and never fails to
please... or find an opportunity to take his shirt off! Signed a loyal
fan forever!
Cruise Ship Inspection Report
All passenger cruise ships arriving at US ports are subject to unannounced
CDC inspection. Zenith Score:
95
