Onboard Experience:
As the oldest ship in the Celebrity fleet (currently), Zenith belongs in that class of older vessels built before the majority of cabins on any given ship were balcony cabins. She is a small ship by today's standards at merely 47,000 tons, and so the experience is what one should expect; intimacy, smaller stage shows, quieter onboard ambience, slightly less professional but more congenial service.
Warmly decorated with large cabins that include terrific standard amenities, in-cabin massage, and dining off the restaurant menu, this gorgeous ship is an definite frontrunner for the Biggest Bang for Your Buck award in the mid-price category. Three-star Michelin chef Michel Roux's beyond-words cuisine is served by waiters who make a point of remembering your name. There's a Celebrity signature "Michael's Club" piano bar aboard, the fitness facilities are first-rate, and there are lots of planned activities.
Decor:
Zenith is a ship of subdued sophistication. Marvel at the collection of Greek art and reproductions thereof donated by John and Tina Chandris, who unmistakably put a lot of love into this ship back when it actually belonged to them. The couple used to sail aboard their own cruise ships quite regularly, and Tina is known to have hand-selected much of the artwork. Unfortunately, the love for the original decor sometimes comes into conflict with updated areas causing an uncomfortable juxtaposition between nautical, clubby, plush, and warm versus '80s metallic modern.
Public Rooms:
The most active spot for pre-dinner dancing is the expanded Rendezvous Lounge, while the Fleet Bar, the forward observation lounge with comfortable chairs and near 360-degree viewing, is a great place to watch the scenery go by. "Michael's Piano Lounge," is is the place to meet and mingle with new-found friends. Zenith's public rooms are numerous and varied enough to allow just about anybody to find one in which he or she feels right at home. The show lounge features nicely spaced tables, and excellent sight lines. The chic Martini Bars have sophisticated art deco decor and an extensive drink menu.
The Cova Cafe Milano serving specialty coffees and pastry is a wonderful spot for quiet contemplation or getting that afternoon coffee & sugar buzz, while the boutiques of the Galleria a marvelous venue for self-administered retail therapy. The improbably wide indoor promenade gives passengers the feeling of strolling along a bona fide boulevard ashore. Fronting the two-deck entrances to the Caravelle Restaurant, Rendezvous Square makes an excellent pre-dinner cocktail and meeting spot.
Restaurants:
Century's dramatic, two-level "Caravelle Restaurant" offers gourmet cuisine with ocean views, fine china, fresh flowers and unobtrusive service. It has a sweeping staircase at one end and two-deck-high glass windows for natural light and sea views at the stern. The wide classic columns and cherry wood finishes offer a more intimate feel than one would expect of a dining room this size.
Casual breakfast and luncheon buffet are served in the Lido restaurant, adjacent to the pool, the setting for more casual nighttime alternative dining. The Windsurf Cafe and the Grill both serve the pool area. The Café, the basic lunch and dinner buffet operation, offers good variety, and a handful of staff to help passengers to their tables. The Grill serves tea in the afternoon, pizza at various times during the day, and burgers and hot dogs at lunchtime. On long port days, it serves an alternative casual sit-down dinner for which reservations must be made.
Service:
Zenith's international staff and crew are pretty nearly the equal of the food. As mentioned, this is a small, homey ship, so expect the staff to be more personable. Life is easier in a small town, the pace a little slower.
Tipping:
Celebrity suggests a per person per day gratuity of $3.50 for the waiter, butler (Suites only) and stateroom attendant; $4.00 for stateroom attendant in Concierge Class; $2.00 for the Assistant Waiter; .75 for the Assistant Maitre d' and the Assistant Chief Housekeeper. For children under 12 who are the third or fourth person in the stateroom, half the amount is recommended. Tips can be added to the passenger's shipboard account upon request.
A 15 percent gratuity is automatically added to all beverage tabs. Gratuities for room service, spa, casino and other staff are at your discretion.
Entertainment:
The Celebrity Theatre's staunchly mainstream cruise ship entertainment -- two production shows per week, comedians and cabaret singers in lounges - seems to keep most passengers reasonably amused. And even those few who aren't will take pleasure in the ornate second level balconies' resemblance to private boxes in classic opera houses. Casino Royale is normally packed to the rafters at night, not least because it offers all the major games of chance, as well as plenty of slot machines.
A String Quartet pops up at various times in various places playing classical music. Movies are screened in the Celebrity Show Lounge cinema.
Cabins:
If you have your heart set on a balcony, book another ship. All standard cabins, both inside and out, are pleasant and airy, and even the lowest category cabins have space for bulky wardrobes. Standard inside and outside staterooms are 172 square feet, with ample closets, small refrigerators, TV with CNN, and bathrobes. The good-size bathrooms have showers.
While you can safely book a lower grade stateroom and still enjoy all the perks, do note that Category 7 stateroom views are obstructed by lifeboats.
Six cabins are positioned all the way aft, and thus enjoy remarkable views of the ship's wake. Bear in mind, though, that the children's playroom is right in the midst of these cabins, so if you're sailing when school's out and looking forward to quiet meditative afternoons in your cabin, vigorously avoid these.
Suites have butler service, marble bathrooms, and additional luxuries.
Fitness/Spa:
Marina Deck (the pool deck) has two large pools. if the music gets too loud you can usually find a spot of solitude on the other side of the smoke stack. The fitness center is smallish, get there early for a treadmill. The Spa by Steiner's of London offers the usual massages and beauty treatments, nothing like the exotic offerings of newer Celebrity ships. The short jogging track on Sun Deck doesn't top passenger cabins, and therefore has no time constraints.
Attire:
On the two formal nights during a one-week cruise, many men show themselves to be party-poopers by wearing dark suits instead of tuxes. By day, everyone dresses casually.
