After much research on this site and a few others, we are leaning heavily toward taking the Century out of Ft Lauderdale on March 9th. It is going to Grand Cayman, Ochos Rios, Aruba, and Curacao. We also considered Princess, but I like this itinerary the best. It is a 9 day cruise with lots of sea time and 4 great stops. Anybody been to any of these places?

I noticed that the Century has a "card room" with a bunch of tables and chairs. Do people generally bring cards/games to play in this area? Can I bring my case of poker chips on board so we can play poker? The Casino seems sort of limited, both couples in our party like to play poker. Do they have poker tables in the Casino?

A couple of general things I want to address as a newbie here and a novice cruiser. The experienced cruisers on this board are unbelievably helpful and are very generous to provide so much information! It seems like once cruising gets in your blood, you are hooked and dont mind sharing your wealth of knowledge in the area! I want you guys to know that us novice cruisers really appreciate all of your help. So thanks to one and all!

One observation is that there doesnt seem to be alot of brand loyalty in the cruise business, even among the most experienced cruisers. You guys seem to be like the guy who wants to try a little bit of everything at the buffet! I completely understand that, but with most products and services people tend to be brand loyal to varying degrees. It seems like you really experienced guys are just as likely to cruise a line that you have never been on as to cruise one that you have done 3 other times. Even when you are enthusiastic about say, Celebrity, you are typically very complimentary of other lines as well and would go on them too. I dont know if that is making sense, but I found it interesting. Any thoughts?

quote:

After much research on this site and a few others, we are leaning heavily toward taking the Century out of Ft Lauderdale on March 9th. It is going to Grand Cayman, Ochos Rios, Aruba, and Curacao. We also considered Princess, but I like this itinerary the best. It is a 9 day cruise with lots of sea time and 4 great stops. Anybody been to any of these places? >>

Great choice. The Century is a great ship! You can find detailed information about the ports that you are visiting at http://www.CaribbeanPortReviews.com Let us know if you have any specific questions about them.

<<I noticed that the Century has a "card room" with a bunch of tables and chairs. Do people generally bring cards/games to play in this area? >>

They offer a wealth of games and cards right int he game room to use.

<<Can I bring my case of poker chips on board so we can play poker?>>

I doubt that there would be a problem unless you were actually gambling and money was on the table.

<<The Casino seems sort of limited, both couples in our party like to play poker. Do they have poker tables in the Casino?

>>

I am not sure that there are. I know Caribbean Stud, Blackjack and other card games are run on every ship, but I am not sure about poker. Sorry.

Thanks for your comments regarding this site. For many of us, talking about crusing in just another way to enjoy it. Also, you are right about brand loyalty not being a trait of frequent cruisers. Cruising is like dining out. While my wife and I have our favorite restaurants, we love trying new ones for the experience. Ditto for cruise lines and even specific ships. They are all great....but different.

Have a great cruise.

Tom

Thanks Tom! We are still not 100% sure if we are going on the Century. We are still considereing the Princess Sun Princess leaving out of Ft Lauderdale on March 5th and going to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Montego Bay, and Princess Cays. I dont like this itinerary as much, but it is a 7 day cruise. The two ladies in our party are afraid that the 9 day cruise on the Century may be a little too long away fron the kids! We have a 4 year old and a 23 month old, while the other couple has a 20 month old. The Princess line appears to be in the same sort of category as Celebrity. My preference is the Century, but either would be good and I want to accomodate the wishes of all 4 people.

Jeffs,
Crusing is not like buying a GM car over a Ford. Cruising is in my blood. For me it's the excitement of just being on a ship. It's about seeing new ships and new places. Experiencing something new and different. Some cruise lines stay mainly in the Caribbean. I went on a Windstar cruise in Tahiti, NCL to Hong Kong/Vietnam/Thailand. RCL & CCL would never do those itineraries.

Well, we decided to go on the Princess Star Princess instead of the Celebrity Century. I really wanted to try Celebrity but the cruise was for 9 days rather than 7 days. The ladies in our party thought they would be too long and hard on the grandparents who are keeping the kids. I am looking forward to my Princess cruise and will post about it in that forum.

Here something from a Celebrity newsletter, we received today:

Following a five week multi-million pound makeover, Century will emerge more stylish and luxurious than ever.

An enriched and revitalised Century isn't only about her new elegant look. It's also about the exceptional choice of itineraries that we offer you.