Pros and cons from a Young Latino Couple

Celebrity Century Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 43

Overall rating:

3 out of 5
Verified Review
Celebrity Century

15 Night Panama Canal Eastbound (San Diego To Ft. Lauderdale)

Sail date: December 21, 2013

Ship: Celebrity Century

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: GTY

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 10 years ago

Review summary

Staff was friendly and very accomadating, representing several different countries which was great because most passengers were 40-80 year old europeans. Be prepared not to get the best night's sleep unless you have ear plugs and sleeping pills, because there is a lot of squeaking and shifting and engine noises depending on sea conditions. The stops/ports were great but the time at each port was too short and most locations you land in had a mix of tourism and locals. We suggest venturing as far from the port to get a better glimpse of the life in each countrry.  Pre-purchased tours that you find on board for each destination are very expensive, so we suggest looking for the right price when you get off the ship. Rule of thumb; The price is ALWAYS negotiable.

The service at the Grand Restaurant was great but the meals there became a bit repetitive and lacked a bit of love and craftsmanship. The buffet had a range of tasty options but after a while your options also become trite. Formal nights can be a bit stiff and if you do not dress excessively nice you feel a bit left out. Also, you don't receive adequate descriptions of what to wear so it may subtract from your overall enjoyment. 

Shops on board are limited and expensive so make sure you bring all your toilletries, snacks and booze. Drinks are very expensive, although there are happy hours, times are limited and so are the drinks. 

The activities can be a little dull and limited especially for folks our age (late 20's-early 30's). The 'educational' speakers were a bit boring and often dumbed down the information and history of the places to visit. The nightly dj was very average to say the least and dissapointing, especially since there isn't much to do after 10 pm. 

They have an arcade on board, however the games were very few, outdated and very expensive. 

The ship overall shows it's age, but still very nice and maintained. 

Sunbathing on the deck is cool and the pools are small-medium sized but still fun. We would have liked to see better quality entertainment and world music and also cuisine and food related to the ports we visited. 

Also, they take your suggestion form very serious and will question and or follow up. 

Overall we had a good time, it was our first cruise and it was 15 days! 

 

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

1 out of 5

Entertainment

1 out of 5

Children's Programs

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

Ship tip

Make sure you work out and stay active, since you have time to do so AND you will gain weight from overeating.

Ports of call

San Diego, California

3 out of 5

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

5 out of 5

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

5 out of 5
Make sure to check out and walk around the local neighborhoods, they are very scenic.

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

3 out of 5
The port is just a port, but head to Antigua because it's beautiful.

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

3 out of 5
The port is a bit dirty and in general expensive. A lot of locals.

Panama Canal Transit

5 out of 5
Scenic, historic, a bit boring after a while.

Colon, Panama

1 out of 5
The port is very bad and abandoned but Old Panama City is nice.

Cartagena, Colombia

5 out of 5
Our favorite stop, you can walk from the port to the city, very nice port.

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

3 out of 5
It is what it is, it's very busy and nothing to do but do visit Ft. Lauderdale Beach and must visit South Beach in Miami.
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1 Comment

cruisellama    5 years ago