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December12, 2005 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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Greetings, Cruise Fans, Pat and I are just back from 5 days aboard the Celebrity Zenith and I want to write a review of the ships and ports while everything is still fresh in my mind. But first, a bit of cruise news... For the 12th consecutive year, Carnival Cruise Lines has been named a "best cruise value" by Ocean & Cruise News, the monthly publication of the World Cruise & Ocean Liner Society, comprised of highly experienced cruise enthusiasts. Carnival received top honors in the High Superior Four Star-Plus Category and was named the "Best Short Cruise Value" in the publication's annual " best value" awards, which recognize those cruise lines that provide a high quality product at the best prices. In the overall value rankings, Carnival Cruise Lines placed second behind its sister company, premium operator Holland America Line but ahead of other premium lines. The awards are featured in the Nov. 15, 2005, issue of Ocean & Cruise News. Carnival, which quietly launched a product improvement program several years ago, was acknowledged for its upgraded dining and service standards, high quality entertainment, spacious accommodations, interesting itineraries, and affordable pricing. " Carnival just continues to improve in all key areas of service, dining and entertainment. Its product upgrades have really paid off for the line and its passengers. All this, combined with moderate prices, makes Carnival a real value winner. The line's product upgrades have not only moved the Carnival product up in the overall value rankings but also forced every cruise line above them, even the most deluxe, to keep a watchful eye over their shoulder," said Ocean & Cruise News Editor Tom Cassidy. Pat asked me to remind everyone that a cruise makes a great holiday present! Who wouldn't like a week in the Caribbean or three or four nights in the Bahamas? It may not be easy to wrap, but it's a gift that's sure to fit everyone! If you'd like to shop, give Pat a call. 1-866-424-1090 is his toll-free number - and he's love to hear from you! Visit the website for gift ideas, www. 7seascruises@msn.com. If you'd like a gift suggestion, I'd say the Celebrity Zenith would be the ideal "one size fits all" gift. Celebrity is a delightful upscaley-sort of cruise line, but they offer the " X Club," their children's program. I'd say the Zenith is the perfect gift because the current 5- night itinerary is sure to please. The cruise feels like a relaxing getaway, since you actually call at 3 ports, but it's only really 5 nights, which keeps prices low. The ship sails from Miami and calls at Key West, then hurries across the Gulf for an afternoon and evening in Cozumel, then heads down the Mexican coast for a full day in Costa Maya, Mexico. The trip concludes with a sea day before you arrive back in Miami. Of course, our cruise was backwards since there was a "miscommunication" with the Coast Guard but that was okay, too. The M/V Zenith is a worthy older vessel. It has no balconies, but cabins are spacious and fitted out for a world cruise, with more drawer space than I've ever seen on a ship. Bathrooms are adequate and the shower, while not large, is roomier than the new-fangled "sanitation tubes" that Royal Caribbean is installing (which almost make reaching up to wash your hair an impossible task). We had an obscured ocean-view, but we did have daylight and we could peek around the lifeboat to see the water. Adequate for a five day trip. This is Celebrity's oldest ship. It is very handsome, but plain. And it is deliciously small. There are no lines for anything (except perhaps the 5-cent slot machines). It is easy to get from upstairs to downstairs, from port to starboard, or from bow to stern in just a couple of minutes. There are two nice pools and a spacious and underused outdoor hot tub out back. Lots of comfy padded lounge chairs around the pool and on the open decks. At capacity, there might be 1300 people on board, but you'll doubt it. Often it feels like there are more staff members around the informal restaurant than guests. Food is of exceptional quality. Not fancy, fussy or oversauced, but well prepared so the quality of the meat or seafood is apparent. The dining room service is very attentive, although somewhat rushed during early seating. For us, dinner was an adventure. Pat and I shared a little two-top table in the middle of the dining room, right between two major routes between the diners and the kitchen. In effect, it was like sitting between the two big runways at O'Hare or LAX or Logan or Kennedy or DFW-you know. When the waiters would come soaring over us with those huge, loaded trays, it was like 747s on approach. No mishaps, but not exactly a relaxing dining experience either! Lester and Gede, our waiter and assistant, were terrific! Even the Maitre D' worked-bussed tables and did whatever else he could to help. Impressive! Like all Celebrity ships, there is a major emphasis on wine, including some great ones. So along with the good food and lovely little ship, why else would the Zenith make a great gift? Well, for one thing-the price. Pat has excellent prices on this sweet little ship. And the other good reason is the itinerary. Key West is as funky as ever. Elegant shops with quirky goods, serious brawling bars, some history, a lot of charm and one of the best non-stop freak shows in the whole country. Every night at sunset, Mallory Square is the place to be for mimes and jugglers, the drummer, the guacamole lady and a host of jewelry makers and other craftspeople, plus a few characters that defy description. Winter is pretty quiet at sunset, but also less crowded. Next stop, Cozumel. In ten trips or so to Mexico' s party isle, the one thing I have always looked for is an honest tradesman and a nice silver store that I could have confidence in. I don't love the bargaining. I do it, but I would be just as happy to find the jewelry shop where the owner was willing to offer a reasonable price without all that silly haggling. Well, I have found it! Sergio Hernandez runs a charming little shop at the far end of Plaza Confetti. (You'll find Plaza Confetti on the right side of the Plaza as you face it from the water. Sergio's shop, Sergio's Silver & More, is the last one at the very end of this little pedestrian street of shops. The others may tempt you, but resist until you have met Sergio and shopped at his store!) His dad, Sergio Sr., also has a shop in the heart of town on Avenue Juarez. The family comes from Taxco, the silver capital of Mexico, so many of the pieces offered are family-made and unique. Some have lovely opal and opal inlays. All pieces are at least .925 silver (sterling silver). Many are . 950 which is that lovely bright shiny silver that polishes so perfectly. And Sergio, who looks a bit like Johnny Depp, is the nicest young man you' ll ever meet! Pat and I really enjoyed meeting him, learning how the family coped with Hurricane Wilma, and meeting Sergio Sr. A great family of enterprising merchants with excellent merchandise and great prices. Please stop by and tell him that Pat and Teri from 7 Seas Cruises recommended that you visit. Sergio (who incidentally is called 'David" at home, so as not to be confused with his dad) promised me that he will offer you the very lowest prices in all of Cozumel! I believe him! At last, I have found my jeweler! Any other shopping you want to do in Mexico - pharmaceuticals, pottery, onyx chess sets, vanilla, etc.-be sure you do it while in Cozumel. Your next stop, Costa Maya, has much to recommend it, but except for Kahlua, we found NO exceptional values in Costa Maya. Perhaps because there is no competition yet. What there is in Costa Maya is the beginning of a Cancun-like development. In 10 years or so, I predict this will be a hot spot. Right now, there is space for two, perhaps three, cruise ships and a lovely portside development that includes a couple of bars/restaurants, a saltwater swimming lagoon, and a ring of shops that offer typical Mexican goods - leather, silver, pottery, etc. at ridiculously high prices. So, you can head to the beach, swim at the lagoon, have a cerveza or several, or take advantage of the coastal village' s proximity to two recently discovered collections of Mayan ruins, today only partially uncovered and made accessible to tourists and scholars alike. Chacchoben or "the place of the red corn" in Maya, where Pat and I went via ship- sponsored shore excursion, was fascinating. Wear the safest walking shoes you own. The ground is uneven and the temple steps are mossy and very tricky to climb. I managed to fall up one of the temples (better than down!). No harm except to my public image. (big laugh here!) Winter is best for exploring. The temperature was in the humid low 80s when we were there. In summer, it's the humid 100s. And the Mayan settlements are inland ( except for breezy Tulum), so cooling winds off the ocean are not an option. Go, sweat, and enjoy. This particular four-square-mile settlement was once home to about 15,000 people (at the peak of the Mayan classic period around 900 AD). On a tour, you'll learn Mayan mathematics, Mayan religion and a genuine appreciation for a very interesting people who are with us still, giving a very distinctive look to many of the people who call the Yucatan home. For more about Chacchoben, try this webpage: http://www.locogringo.com/ past_spotlights/feb2004.cfm Ready to go? Give Pat a call. 1-866-424-1090. This one gets a big 4+ stars from me. It may be the best short cruise experience out there! Until next week - when we'll let you in on some other things Celebrity is up to - smooth sailing! Teri |
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