Celebrity Century
Eastern Caribbean
May 5-12,2001
by David Miklas
My wife and I cruised on the Century
from May 5-12, 2001 on the Eastern Caribbean cruise (San Juan, St.
Thomas, St. Maarten, and Nassau). I will give some info & tips
about the ship first and then some info & tips about each of the
ports. My goal in writing this is to give an overview of what I would
have found helpful prior to cruising. If this is your first cruise and
you do not understand how the tipping works or what an excursion is,
or how you can order multiple entrees if you like, then please read
some of the other postings concerning this cruise ship as well as the
travel forums. If you have time, I suggest reading about 10 other
cruise review postings to get a flavor of what other people have to
offer as suggestions. This can be helpful because people don’t
always mention the same things (like you can buy loose gemstones such
as topaz and amethyst for $10/carat on the ship) because it did not
matter to them, or they had not even known about it. For example, I am
certain that people who actually used the spa (unlike me) can give
some insight to you as to the value of the massages (which appeared to
be priced at the same rate as a massage in the states). If you are not
sure how to obtain other reviews (doubtful since you are reading this)
simply type in something such as CRUISE REVIEWS in any search engine
(such as Excite.com).
Info/Tips About the Ship:
The Century is very clean and the crew is always cleaning it. The ship
is very well kept - However, do not expect the same level of
"fun" that you would get from Carnival. Although Century has
plenty of events planned, it is a little more of a relaxing ship than
you would get if you traveled on Carnival, which bills itself as the
"fun" line.
For example, on the Century, you will
receive NO announcements to let you know that there is a pool party
going on at 2pm or that there will be an excursion talk at 4pm - just
read your little daily newsletter that they give you and you will be
kept up to date. However, the ship does record the excursion talks and
the shopping advice talks and replays them all day long (which you can
view on one of the channels on your cabin TV).
The crew is all very polite. The ship
is focused on the 30-50 age group and that is about what the majority
of people on it are. There were a handful of children on the ship –
but hardly any – so if you don’t like to hear kids screaming and
whining, this is a pretty good cruise for you.
The cabin was great. We had an inside
stateroom on the 9th floor and it was wonderful. 3 big
closets for storage and our 3 big suitcases fit under the bed. The
bathroom is equipped with a hairdryer (but my wife still brought her
own from home and used her own because it was more powerful). They
also give you shampoo and soap (but my wife still used her own shampoo
& conditioner from home). They also provide terrycloth robes ($50
each if you try to steal them), a safe to store your jewelry and
passports (about the size of a shoebox), and about 12 hangers for the
closet (if you want to hang more than that, bring some hangers from
home). They give you a free canvas carrying bag (that you can use to
carry beach stuff (such as sunscreen)). They also provide you with big
beach towels that you can take on the islands (but if you lose them,
expect to pay $26 / towel). Out by the pool, they provide smaller
towels, so don’t worry about that.
Our cabin steward also brought us ice
and fresh water twice a day and at night gave us a mint and a card
that informed us what the next day’s weather was expected to be.
The ship has a gym that is pretty
nice as far as cruise ships go. It had three stair climbers, about 15
treadmills and 15 bikes and about 15 pieces of Nautilus equipment and
a few benches and freeweight dumbbells. The view is great while
working out, but if the seas are rough, then it will be hard to do the
treadmill!
The ship has a movie theatre (a room
with seats that are the same kind that you find in a real movie
theater) and shows 2 different movies daily (I am not positive but
there are about 10 different movies that will be shown during the
week) – 2 different movies each day but they replay a couple of them
later in the week. They always showed one of the movies in the early
evening (beginning around 6 or 7 or 8 p.m.). Since we had second
seating dinner (8:30 p.m.) we pretty much were not able to make the
second movie. Furthermore, we were usually too busy to even make the
first one that was showing (showing earlier in the day – such as at
10:30 a.m. and again at 3:30 p.m.).
As you walk around the ship, you will
see about $1.5 million worth of art throughout the ship. Also, there
are several art auctions (selling other pieces). The ship also
provides seminars at the AquaSpa (such as tips on eating habits and
how to take care of your nails) but expect them to use this as an
opportunity to offer their services to you (such as a fat reduction
wrap and cream).
The ship has a nice library from
which you can check out books and even play board games such as
checkers or scrabble. There is also a separate card room, a basketball
court, a video arcade (which takes quarters) and shuffleboard. The
ship has some festivities by the pool (such as pool volleyball) and
there is a mediocre band out by the pool that plays music such as
Jimmy Buffet and Bob Marley. The selection of music is apropos
for a cruise (such as "Hot Hot Hot"), but the quality of the
band was just so/so, unless you get really drunk, then they will
undoubtedly sound better.
The ship always has a drink of the
day, which costs $7.00 each, and you get to keep the souvenir glass
(which you will probably sell at your next garage sale). The first day
that you board the ship, they really push the drink of the day and
many people do not realize that it is not free. You do not need to
carry any cash on the ship (obviously you will need to bring some cash
for the taxis and stuff on the islands). On the ship you just use your
room key for all purchases (including drink purchases).
The ship has a photographer and as is
to be expected, the prices of the pictures are expensive. Bring a
camera with you to dinner (at least on the formal nights) and have one
of your tablemates (or better yet, the busboy) take a picture of you
all dressed up.
There is a golf pro on the ship and
you can get golf lessons and use a simulator to improve your swing (I
have no idea how much that cost). There is a comedian (who does an act
involving balancing on a ladder) which was enjoyable, and a singer
(Mark Preston) which we missed. There are a few "shows"
which are Las Vegas style shows, which involved 4 singers and about 10
dancers. Their performances were nice to watch but not worth missing
anything else for. Although some of the singers and dancers were
really good, the rest were just average, college level performances. I
overheard a few people commenting that the shows would have been more
enjoyable if the dancers lost some weight.
The disco opened at 11:00 p.m. and
there were at least 2 nights where people sang Karaoke. There were
dance lessons available but it is scheduled when other things are
going on, so you may have to choose. You can watch pay-per-view videos
in your cabin and can even play casino games in the cabin (which
charge your losses to your beverage card). The ship’s casino is
pretty nice and on the very first day of the cruise they give out
instructions on how to play some of the popular games (such as
Blackjack). You can buy fresh flowers on the ship (also no clue as to
the price), and one of the last few days there are designer watches on
sale for $70. They also sell some fake costume jewelry (I think the
rings were $25) and real loose gemstones for $10 per carat (obviously
the gemstones available at this price do not include the emeralds,
sapphires or rubies (but did include blue topaz, amethyst, garnet and
one of the ugly yellow stones). There is an opportunity to "guess
the fake" ring (most people guessed the largest stone as being
fake, but it was actually a real stone that cost about $9,000).
They also sell something called
"inch of gold" and I don’t care what they tell you, it is
not real gold if it only costs $1.00 per inch. Anyway, if you ran out
of money – this may be an option. Also, it is a neat gag gift. You
can select one of the gaudy types of chains that they have and for
about 10 bucks you can have a nice gag gift to give someone when you
return and tell them that you got it for them in St. Thomas.
The ship has designated smoking areas
and smoking is forbidden in the library, theatre, Grand Restaurant and
the Islands Café. In the pool area (there are 2 saltwater pools and 4
hot tubs (at different temperatures) smoking is permitted on the port
(left) side of the ship (and that is where the ash trays are located).
I have a tip that will allow you to
minimize your waiting in line for buffet lunch at the Islands Café.
There are two buffet style lines that serve the exact same food. For
some reason the line on the port (left) side of the ship was always
longer than the other side. Most people never realized this until the
last day or two of the cruise.
There is an ATM on board and if you
blow all your money in the casino, they will even extend a $1500 per
day advance to you. I even overheard some lady telling someone that
they even would give her a title loan on her car!
Many of the reviews that I read prior
to my cruise remarked about problems
with the cabin TV (which allows you to order excursions (without
waiting in lines), ordering room service, and checking the status of
your account (the beverage card). Our TV had no problems. However, a
day or so before the end of your cruise, you will receive a
preliminary account summary and I noticed an error (they charged us
$20 for buying something at one of the bars – when we never even
visited that bar). I immediately went to the front desk and they took
care of the matter and a few hours later I used the TV to review my
account and it confirmed that the error had been removed.
EMBARKATION
– This was very well organized and went very smoothly. We arrived at
the port at 11:00 am and we filled out some paperwork and we were on
the ship by 11:15 am. The cruise documents say that you can start
boarding at 2pm, but if you get there earlier, you get on earlier.
They claim that Captain’s Club members (pay $35 and you are in the
Captain’s Club for life) get priority boarding, but if you get to
the port early enough, you will get on the same time as the
Captain’s Club members.
Bringing on Soda and Booze
– Your cruise documents tell you that soda and booze is not
permitted to be brought on the ship, but if you put it in your
suitcases (which you check curbside) it will make it on the ship
without any hassles. I brought a 12 pack of Pepsi (they only sell coke
products on the ship ($1.95 per can)) and a bottle of wine (I bought
the exact same bottle of red Georges DeBeuf wine that they sell on the
ship for $23 except that I paid $8.95 at the grocery store and then a
$6 fee for them to open the bottle at dinner).
Excursions
– I had planned on going on one or two shore excursions prior to
taking my cruise, but when we got on and saw the excursion talk, the
woman was so boring and unexciting that we lost the excitement that we
had prior to boarding (Celebrity really should replace the lady who
gives the excursion talks on the Century). Also, it rained when we
were in St. Maarten, so they had to cancel the only snorkeling
excursion that we planned on attending. If you are interested in the
excursions offered, I think Celebrity’s website covers that
material.
Food
– I have read postings about people complaining about the food on
Celebrity not being that great, but this is nonsense. My wife is a
very picky eater and she agrees with me that the dinners were really
good. She ate red meat (mainly steak) everyday on the ship and it was
always cooked to perfection and tasted great (I always tasted her
food). I usually had seafood and was very happy. The lamb and veal are
also really good. The one thing that I would avoid is the stuffing
(available at the lunch buffet) which was quite spongy. The desserts
could use some help. Although I am not complaining, the desserts
really were not the greatest that I have had. Certainly the best
desserts were available on the Thursday of the cruise (the grand
midnight buffet) where they have 6 different types of cheesecake
available. At this big buffet, they let you take pictures for about ˝
hour prior to letting passengers eat the buffet.
My wife loves pizza and said the
pizza (available from 3-5 p.m. by the pool) on the Century was edible,
but not great. However the hamburgers, hotdogs and French fries were
good. The fries really were pretty good – nice and crunchy. While my
wife would usually grab a burger or hotdog outside by the pool, and I
would get food just inside the doors by the pool (the Islands Café) I
would usually come outside and get a helping of fries and we would
carry our trays inside for a nice seat in the a/c. Generally after
lunch there is frozen yogurt available. Unlike Carnival (which allows
you to pump your own frozen yogurt from the machine that is on all day
long) the yogurt is usually only available from about 3-4 in the
afternoons (when the crewmember is there to pump it for you).
Concerning the dress code in the
dining room, there are 2 formal nights and the rest of the nights are
either informal or casual. However, there really is not that much of a
difference between casual and informal. However, the Century does not
provide irons or ironing boards for free, but you can have your
clothes pressed (or even laundered) for a fee (I noticed that it cost
about $5 to iron a shirt and pair of slacks). I suggest picking up a
cheap travel iron to bring with you. Wal-Mart sells a small travel
iron (with steam) for about $20.
Seasickness – FYI the worst part of
the cruise is the first night because that is when you are in the
Atlantic Ocean (as opposed to the Caribbean) and you are going
"against" the waves (the gulf stream flows from the south to
the north and the ship is heading south). Anyway, the 2nd
day on the ship (first day of breakfast) found many people seasick.
Although neither my wife nor I were sick (my wife enjoyed a greasy
breakfast), but we witnessed some people visibly ill and the breakfast
area was only partly full. We saw many people later wearing this
wristband that touches some pressure points in the writs (available at
the gift shop) and that supposedly worked for some. Also others talked
about visiting the ship doctor for some shot (which is followed up by
pills) and the visit ran $86.
Ports of Call
San Juan
– you are supposed to get in this port at 4:30 p.m. Even if you
immediately take a taxi or an excursion that goes to El Morro (one of
the two forts in old San Juan) do not expect to actually get inside
the fort because they close it at 5pm and kick people out at 4:50.
However, it is a nice place to get some pictures (and there is an
adjacent cemetery that is pretty neat). The 19th century
cemetery is called Cementario San Juan and has elaborate tombstones
and a circular neoclassical chapel dedicated to Mary Magdalen.
Actually, you can see the top of the chapel as you walk up the path
towards El Morro (it will be on your right with an orange top). This
view reminded me of the rooftops in Santorini, Greece. On your walk
from El Morro (back towards the shopping district (and the ship)) you
will come to Plaza del Quinto Centenario (Quincentennial Square) which
has a neat totemic monument that symbolizes the island’s
500-year-old history. When you walk around town, you will walk on neat
blue-colored cobblestone streets.
If you decide to walk from the ship, the main shopping district (which is mainly on a street called
Calle Fortaleza) is a 10-minute walk (if you dock in one of the first
4 berths). Otherwise if you dock in berths 5-10 then you will have to
take a taxi to get to old San Juan. Be warned, the walk from the ship
to the shopping area is up hill (but the walk back to the ship is down
hill!). Pretty much since several of the shops close at 6 p.m., you
probably want to make a bee line to them first and then head up to El
Morro (also up-hill). Even if you don’t want to buy anything, there
is a neat store/gallery called Butterfly People & they have a
bunch of butterfly stuff (I know this sounds weird, but it is pretty
neat) – essentially it is a bunch of dead butterflies that are
mounted in such a manner that it looks like they are flying. This
butterfly place is only open until about 6, so go there first and then
head up to El Morro. After getting some pictures around El Morro &
the cemetery, walk back to the shopping area and hit the rest of the
shops that are open until 9pm. If you walk from El Morro to Calle
Fortaleza street, make sure to take a look at Plaza de Armas (old San
Juan’s main square), which is just off of Calle San Jose. This 16th-century
plaza was originally the grounds for training troops and later became
the city’s principal social gathering place. There are 4 statues,
over 100-years old, which represent the 4 seasons.
I priced rum (Don Q and Bacardi) and
actually found it to be cheaper in both St. Thomas and in St. Maarten
than what was available in San Juan! However, there was one place that
advertised Bacardi for $6.50 right when you get off the ship – but
when I went to that store (Barrachinas) – which was recommended by
Celebrity – the Bacardi was $8.95. Regardless, the Bacardi on St.
Thomas and St. Maarten can be found at several locations for under $7.
The Shopping advice from Celebrity
said that a store in San Juan called Touch of Gold had great prices
and a big selection. Well, don’t expect much here! There was an
average selection and the prices were pretty much what you would pay
in the states. My wife had priced a few specific pieces (bracelets and
a gold Omega necklace) in the states and found them to be about the
same price at Touch of Gold in San Juan. Specifically, a 16 inch 3mm
Omega necklace in the US costs about $600. At Touch of Gold in San
Juan I got them down to $590 (FYI, several shops in St. Thomas sold
them from $200- 250).
So, the bottom line is don’t expect
too much from San Juan. Because this ship comes in so late in the day,
you really can’t go to the beaches or to the rain forest, so expect
average shopping or a historical tour when you are in San Juan. Even
if you don’t get the excursion through Celebrity, there are about 30
taxi drivers and tour guides waiting for you right where you get off
the ship.
FYI – on the walk back to the ship
I stopped in a drug store and got a 2 liter of Pepsi for 69 cents and
brought it right on the ship in my backpack. I saw several people in
front of me carrying on several 6 packs of beer in white plastic
shopping bags – no problem. This is a good way to minimize your bar
bill.
Right around the docks there are some
telephones. Since San Juan is under the American Flag, you can just
use your normal calling card and expect the typical rates.
St. Thomas
– this is the longest day that you will have in port so you will
have time to get a lot done. This is a great island for shopping
because of the selection, quality, prices, and the high duty free
amount (totaling $1200 per person, which is much higher that the other
islands). This means if a married couple buys jewelry on St. Thomas
and it costs $2400 or less total, then you will not have to pay any
duty (tax) on it. If it totals more than $2400 for 2 people, then you
will have to pay duty on the part above the $2400. We shopped in the
morning before it got hot and then we went to the beach in the
afternoon. There is shopping right off the ship at the port. This area
is called Havensight and is a cluster of about 6 large buildings that
have a bunch of shops inside. Many of the jewelry stores that are
located downtown have smaller shops right there at the portside in Havensight
– but the selection is not as good as downtown. Plus the portside
shopping lacks the cobblestone streets, culture and history that the
downtown shopping provides. If you decide to go to the Havensight
shops, make sure to see the small fountain with the little mermaid.
This is particularly neat for those who realize the significance.
Although most people are aware of St. Thomas’ pirate history, but
see, St. Thomas has Danish influence (which is visible in the street
names). Well, in Denmark, one of the attractions is a bronze mermaid
that sits on a rock. Well, the mermaid at Havensight is much smaller
but a neat reminder of the Danish heritage of the Island.
It is only $3/person to take a taxi
to downtown Charlotte Amalie and the shops open around 9 a.m. (some
earlier). There are great prices to be found on jewelry and booze. Try
A.H. Riise for booze, and Diamonds International for diamonds. Other
reputable stores are Columbian Emeralds (average prices for St. Thomas
but great quality and selection), Cardow Jewelers (great quality and
reputation), Little Switzerland, Omni Jewelers, Princess World
Jewelers, and Amsterdam Sauer. There are also a bunch of smaller
jewelry stores that may have even better prices than the big ones (but
because they are smaller, their selection is not as broad). We saw
good quality baseball caps for $7. Also of interest is the lace (there
are a few different places, one of which is called Mr. Tablecloth) –
but the prices are about average from what I have seen elsewhere (I
have been to Belgium). A lot of people liked this store called Del
Sol, which sold stuff that changed color in the sun (they also have
the same store in St. Maarten and Nassau).
After a few hours of shopping, we
took a taxi back to the ship (probably the best place to catch a taxi
back to the ship is at Emancipation Gardens) and had lunch on the
ship. After a quick lunch, we grabbed our beach gear and took another
taxi from the port to Coki Beach. I had heard that this was a great
place for snorkeling and I was very disappointed. There apparently
used to be a reef right off the beach but the last hurricane that went
through really wiped that out! Although you will see some fish when
you snorkel here, very little coral or other reef life remains. Since
Coral world is located right off Coki Beach (and Coral World feeds the
fish) there will be more fish on the right side of the beach (near the
rocks). Anyway, if you don’t snorkel at this beach, don’t expect
too much else. The beach is only about 150 yards long, but there is an
area for changing clothes and a hose to clean your feet/gear. There
are plenty of venders across the street and taxis nearby to bring you
back to the ship. The next time I go to St. Thomas, I will not be
returning to Coki Beach – I will try one of the many other beaches.
FYI – one of the excursions went to Coki Beach and cost a lot more
than just taking a taxi there! However, I think the excursion included
the snorkel, mask & fins and maybe a lunch. Since we brought our
own snorkel gear, and had lunch on the ship, those aspects were not
important to us. If you are not interested in snorkeling, and just
want a great beach, head to Magens Bay (one of the top 10 beaches in
the world).
St. Maarten
– You will arrive at the port early and can get off the ship at 7:30
but this is pointless if you are going downtown to shop because the
stores do not open until 9:15 – 9:30. The shopping is pretty much
all on Front Street. In general, the prices downtown were about the
same as on St. Thomas but the salespeople were not as friendly as on
St. Thomas. My wife found them to be quite pushy (we went into
approximately 30 jewelry stores) and the salespeople often tried to
physically place pieces of jewelry on her fingers, wrists, etc. If you
tell them that you are "just looking" this will not deter
them from aggressively following you around and occasionally hounding
you. Not all of the shops do this, but a surprisingly many did employ
this tactic. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that we
cruised in May when the season had just ended and only 2 ships were in
port (so there are many less shoppers than just the few weeks prior).
However, we did get some really good deals on jewelry and booze (I got
a 1.5-liter of Absolut Vodka for $6.50). Expect to see the following
shops on (or just off of) Front Street: Tanzanite International,
Little Europe, Del Sol, Columbian Emeralds, Little Switzerland,
Amsterdam Diamond Gallery, Diamond Creations, Goldfinger Jewelry,
Omni, about 4 different Joe’s Jewelry stores, Majesty Jewelers,
Gurlink, Kay’s Fine Jewelry, and Super Jewelers.
We also bought some good chocolate at
the Belgian Chocolate Shop. Directly across from the pier where the
water taxi drops you, there is a courthouse (with a carved pineapple
on the roof) and adjacent to the courthouse is a nice eatery called
the Kangaroo Court café.
Since it rained when we were in port,
we decided against the beach. Celebrity has umbrellas available as you
get off the ship if it is raining (and if you lose the umbrella, you
get charged $11). We saw the Norway in port and their passengers all
had clear ponchos. The ponchos were a pain in the stores because if
the person wearing a poncho bumped into anything (or anyone) the
poncho was still wet and dripping – either way, don’t wear shoes
that can’t get wet, because with an umbrella or a poncho,
everyone’s shoes were wet. We spoke with a couple that took a taxi
to one of the beaches on the French side of the island in hopes that
it would be dry, but when they arrived, it was still raining & the
taxi dropped them off & left them there - in the rain. It took 3
hours for another taxi to come around & meanwhile they walked the
beach with umbrellas.
In addition to taking a taxi
somewhere, there are guys that solicit you in town (where the water
taxi drops you off) and you can rent scooters or other vehicles. For
example, an SUV type vehicle was $45 for the day. Also, there are
several casinos downtown at which you can make donations.
The "new" pier is now open,
and Celebrity has not gotten the proper info on the pricing for taxis
yet. Celebrity advised us that we could take a water taxi into town
for $3 / person or a land taxi for $5 / person, but Celebrity highly
recommended the land taxi because the water taxi may drop you wherever
they want and thus is unpredictable as to where you will end up. This
was not accurate. When we got off the ship, the water taxi was not
running (probably because it was raining), so we took a land taxi into
the downtown shopping area and it cost $3 /person. When we got dropped
off, we walked around a little and immediately saw the dock (where the
water taxi would drop you off, called the town pier) which was located
in the main shopping area, smack in the middle of things. Therefore,
if you want to take a water taxi and they are running, don’t be
persuaded by Celebrity to take a land taxi if you don’t want to.
If you want to make a telephone call
back to the USA, this can be done at the main "new" port
(there is a big room where they have about 20 phones) or at the little
pier downtown (where the water taxi drops you). There are about 4
phones outside at the small pier and the phones at the "new"
port are all inside in the quiet room with a/c. I made a call at the
big pier in the room (they also had computer access). Beware of the
pricing! You can call via your phone card (not a prepaid phone card
though) or by buying a phone card from the attendant, or by putting
coins into the phone. I asked the attendant how much it was to make a
call to the US with my Sprint card & he didn’t have a clue, he
directed me on how to reach the operator and upon asking her, she
informed me it would cost $21 to connect and for that price I could
talk up to 5 minutes (that means a 30 second call will cost $21). I
decided to put in quarters and it cost be $2.50 to make a 4-minute
call (the attendant made change).
Nassau
– You will be in port from 2:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Let me suggest
that you go to a beach here and not plan on shopping the whole time
you are in port. This port is your most expensive stop. Do not plan on
buying any jewelry or booze here as it has even higher prices than
does San Juan! See, there are many cheap cruises from Florida to
Nassau, so they are used to American tourists who are willing to pay
higher prices.
FYI – Paradise Island is a small
Island just off of the city called Nassau. The ship will dock in
Nassau. I suggest getting on a deck in the front of the ship before
the ship docks and you can see the ship come into port (Paradise
Island will be on your left) and when the ship gets into the compact
port, the ship actually will turn around and back in! This is really
neat to watch. When the ship docks, you can grab your last slice of
pizza to fill your belly and head off the ship.
When you get off the ship, you just
walk to the end of the pier and voila – you are in downtown Nassau.
Or the excursions are available right at the pier. Look at the map
that the ship provides you and you will see Bay Street. Pretty much
all of the shopping on and just off of Bay Street. This street has a
bunch of jewelry stores that have fairly high prices and you will find
that the rest of the shops along Bay street are pretty much tourist
traps. If you want to buy 3 T-shirts for $9.00 there are several
stores that will provide cheaply made shirts to meet your demand.
Also, the typical tourist stuff is available (key chains, shot
glasses, coffee mugs, etc).
As you walk around Bay Street, make
sure that you take a left on Parliament Street and see the House of
Assembly, the Courthouse and the Public Library (which used to be a
jail). These buildings are historic and located in a well-landscaped
area which makes for a nice backdrop for pictures.
Just off of Bay Street is the Straw
Market. This is pretty much an open-air market that sells some real
junk. You can buy purses and hats that are made out of straw and will
take up space in your closet when you get back home. I also noticed a
lot of African type art. You can bargain with the venders if you like
these wares. If you are interested in conch shells they are available
at the straw market at one location for $15 each. If you keep walking
through the straw market, you will see more conch shells priced 2 for
$5. The entire straw market is only about 100 yards long and can be
seen quite quickly (certainly you should not spend too long at this
location).
You can go to Paradise Island 4
different ways (all of which are available right there at the pier):
1) Take an excursion; 2) Take a land taxi for $7 / person each way; 3)
Take a ferry for $6 / person each way; or 4) Take a water taxi for $3
/ person each way. If you take a land taxi, you will get dropped off
right where you want to. If you take the ferry or water taxi, you will
be dropped off at a dock that is about a 10-minute walk from the
Atlantis hotel. FYI – they have ferries that charge $6 and drop you
at the exact same location as the water taxis. Some people I saw
thought that the $6 ferry was a price for round trip, but they later
found out that it was a one-way price. If you go by water, make sure
of what the price will be BEFORE you board the vessel (which sometimes
may be overloaded in order to maximize profit).
I am aware of one of the excursions
that is called the Dolphin Encounter where costs each person $100 and
you get to enter a water pen (fenced area) and there is a dolphin
there that you can pet. Don’t expect to be able to swim with the
dolphin by holding onto its fin or anything like that.
I had read of several postings on the
bulletin boards prior to my cruise, which discussed the worth of the
$25 to visit the Atlantis hotel. Let me explain – anyone can
enter the Atlantis. In fact, they want everyone and their mother to
visit the hotel because there are plenty of expensive shops inside the
hotel and a fancy casino inside the hotel. The Atlantis is in fact,
about 4 old hotels that Lloyds of London bought & gutted and made
some additions to and painted the same color. It is a really neat
collection of buildings and it is the first thing that you will see
when the ship comes into port. If you just walk in the doors, you will
pass the shops and reach the casino. After making a donation to the
casino, you can continue your walk and you will arrive at the
aquarium. Here you will find about 50 feet of floor to ceiling glass
walls where you can see a bunch of cool-looking fish (they even have a
big manta ray). You can take pictures of these fish (turn flash off or
angle the camera so the flash doesn’t reflect back into your picture
and blind you). At this point you can decide whether you want to pay
the $25 /person to go into a little tunnel and see more of the
aquarium and here some info about it. Big money maker for the hotel.
My advice... boycott their moneymaker and spend the money in the
casino where you have a chance of winning (I played the quarter slots
with $10 and walked out 10 minutes later with $45). I have heard that
the Atlantis opens the $25 section up for free in the early evening
(around 7 or 8 p.m.) when most cruise ships have left. I don’t know
if this is true or not, but if you are there in the evening on a
different cruise, you may want to look into that.
Anyway, if you want to hit a beach or
snorkel, go ahead & do it. It was cloudy and cold when I was there
and we decided the beach was not the best idea for the day. Since we
live in Florida, we will be back and do some of the other stuff
available in the future.
Photo--Courtesy
of Celebrity Cruises
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