Queen Victoria- Mexican Getaway - Feb, 2011
The good:
It was great spending time with family & friends.
The cabins are nice, although the storage is terrible.
The bad:
Entertainment - Ugh, just awful. The show about colors which looked like it might be some sort of homage to Pageant of the Masters was especially vile.
Spa -Facilities were okay, but spa staff just wanted to sell product. There's no better way to ruin a relaxing massage or pedicure than to have someone tell you that you must buy an overpriced lotion.
Crowds - Everything was crowded. Lines for the shows, the pub, the pool bar. On a ship this size I don't expect to feel crowded. It was very confining I thought, although other guests said they thought it was "intimate"
The so-so:
Food - It was mostly fair to good..
MDR was pretty good, service was just okay, no bonding with the staff (maybe because it was a short 4 day cruise?)
Lido Buffet -Okay, nothing special.
Golden Lion Pub - Very good. Best food I had on board. Too bad they aren't open for dinner.
Queens Room for Tea - Scones were some of the best I'd ever had.
Conclusion:
All in all I don't think I'll sail on QV again. While I love the QM 2, the QV left me cold. It's hard to believe that they are both Cunard ships. Oh well, different strokes....
Friday, February 18, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Celebrity Century - December 2010
I just got back from my first cruise with Celebrity Cruises, on the Century. First of all I'd like to say it's probably a very nice product, but I've been spoiled terribly by SeaDream Yacht Club.
The good. Celebrity did try hard to please:
1. Free Champagne on embarkation and for New Years
2. Cool towels and drinks when returning to the ship
3. Free tote-bags - very nice! (SD, are you listening?)
4. Cheese & crackers in the afternoon delivered to your cabin
5. Very extensive room service menu - Loved the eggs with asparagus
6. Balconies.
There was lots to love. And I did - mostly.
Now for the not so good.
1. Loud music all day long at the pool. I like to listen to my iPod, or read quietly - not easy to do with the same soundtrack playing the same songs over & over. I still have them stuck in my head - ugh!
2. Bartenders who could not make a decent drink , even at the martini bar. I had a cosmo that I had to throw away and I'm not that picky! Same for a mojito I had on Coco Cay - it was vile! We did have the drinks package so we had pre-paid for all inclusive drinks. That meant I could reorder drinks if necessary, but I do hate being wasteful.
3. Hard sell of products after my massage (I WAS relaxed before the spa therapist tried to force me to buy some gel that I had no use for).
Some things surprised me.
1. I LOVED the fake-o private island of Coco Cay. Lots of chairs for everyone, plenty of quiet spots and BBQ lunch was included. Very nice indeed!
2. The number of passengers, 1600 (including lots of kids) or so, was not that big of a deal either. My group seemed to have no trouble finding venues that we liked that were not crowded at all. And by not crowded, I mean 20 people or less. There were lots of cozy places to hang out.
3. The artwork was fantastic! It was like going to a very select private museum. Warhol's, Hockney's, very artsy & edgy B&W photos from the 30's & 40's - great art!
Conclusion
All in all, I might sail on Celebrity again, but only if I were travelling with friends with children. If it's just us adults - It's SD for me baby! Celebrity offered a nice holiday and I feel like a churl for being such a snob, but SD really cannot be beat in the Caribbean. At least, not yet!
The good. Celebrity did try hard to please:
1. Free Champagne on embarkation and for New Years
2. Cool towels and drinks when returning to the ship
3. Free tote-bags - very nice! (SD, are you listening?)
4. Cheese & crackers in the afternoon delivered to your cabin
5. Very extensive room service menu - Loved the eggs with asparagus
6. Balconies.
There was lots to love. And I did - mostly.
Now for the not so good.
1. Loud music all day long at the pool. I like to listen to my iPod, or read quietly - not easy to do with the same soundtrack playing the same songs over & over. I still have them stuck in my head - ugh!
2. Bartenders who could not make a decent drink , even at the martini bar. I had a cosmo that I had to throw away and I'm not that picky! Same for a mojito I had on Coco Cay - it was vile! We did have the drinks package so we had pre-paid for all inclusive drinks. That meant I could reorder drinks if necessary, but I do hate being wasteful.
3. Hard sell of products after my massage (I WAS relaxed before the spa therapist tried to force me to buy some gel that I had no use for).
Some things surprised me.
1. I LOVED the fake-o private island of Coco Cay. Lots of chairs for everyone, plenty of quiet spots and BBQ lunch was included. Very nice indeed!
2. The number of passengers, 1600 (including lots of kids) or so, was not that big of a deal either. My group seemed to have no trouble finding venues that we liked that were not crowded at all. And by not crowded, I mean 20 people or less. There were lots of cozy places to hang out.
3. The artwork was fantastic! It was like going to a very select private museum. Warhol's, Hockney's, very artsy & edgy B&W photos from the 30's & 40's - great art!
Conclusion
All in all, I might sail on Celebrity again, but only if I were travelling with friends with children. If it's just us adults - It's SD for me baby! Celebrity offered a nice holiday and I feel like a churl for being such a snob, but SD really cannot be beat in the Caribbean. At least, not yet!
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