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October 20, 2019

The Zenith full Reportage by Kai Ortel. Don’t miss also the → Zenith Review.

 

The Zenith was built in 1992 as the sister ship of the Horizon (1990), both vessels were the first newbuildings conceived by Celebrity Cruises which had just been founded in 1988. In 2007, the Zenith was sold to the Spanish cruise operator Pullmantur, with the Horizon following in 2009. At 1,400 passengers, the two ships were mid-sized upon introduction, nowadays however, they may be regarded as small. Furthermore, even for 1990s standards, the Horizon and Zenith were quite traditional when built – for instance not featuring a breathtaking glitzy five-storey atrium, but a more restrained art déco-like lobby down on deck 5.

Pullmantur itself had been founded as a hotel travel chain in Madrid in 1971, only entering the cruise business in 1997 with the subsidiary Pullmantur Cruceros. In 2006 and in order to extend the Pullmantur fleet, Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCC) took over Pullmantur. In 2016, Royal Caribbean sold 51% of its shares in Pullmantur to Springwater Capital. The current Pullmantur fleet includes the Horizon and Zenith (to be retired in 2020) as well as the former Royal Caribbean International vessels Sovereign and Monarch.

In 2019, the Zenith has been cruising in Northern Europe from Trondheim/Norway and Malmö/Sweden during the spring and summer months, and in the Western Mediterranean and the Canary Islands between September and April. The Horizon is deployed in the Red Sea in wintertime and in the Eastern Mediterranean during the summer months with the two other ships also sailing in the Caribbean and in Latin America.

Onboard the Zenith, there are no less than 18 cabin categories, from inside cabins on deck 4 (15 square metres) to the Penthouse Suites with balcony on deck 11 (25 square metres). Guests of the Junior Suites and the Penthouse Suites have free access to the Waves club (deck 8) and the Waves sun deck (deck 12 forward).

With regard to the dining venues onboard, passengers can choose between the main restaurant Atlanticó on deck 7 (two sittings), the buffet restaurant Delicias de Mercado on deck 11 and the outdoor grill station Brasa Grill on the aft sundeck (11). One may argue that the quality and presentation of food in the buffet restaurant leaves a bit to be desired, but dining in the Atlanticó restaurant is very relaxed, and the food there is both delicious as the portions are generous. Pullmantur has an “all-inclusive” policy, so even soft drinks, beer and wine are included in the cruise fare.

Reaching an astonishing passenger/crew ratio of 2.0, the Zenith lies far ahead of the smaller ships of rival operators MSC and Costa and even 25 years after their introduction remain almost on the same level as ships from companies like NCL or Princess Cruises. Most crew and staff members on board the Pullmantur ships speak Spanish, but you also get along well with English.

In terms of sports and wellness facilities, the Zenith features a main swimming pool and a smaller kids pool amidships on the sundeck (deck 11) and three separate jacuzzis aft on the upper sundeck (deck 12). Adjacent to the jacuzzis, there is also a gym and the Spa del Mar as well as a small beauty salon and solarium.

The large two-storey onboard theatre on deck 7/8 is used for evening shows almost daily. Additionally, the discotheque Luz de Luna (deck 8 aft) and the Pura Vida Bar (deck 7) come to life in the evening and in the early hours of the night. Furthermore, the casino Marbella (deck 8) features a small stage as well where live bands and musicians perform regularly. A room with video games rounds off the entertainment facilities on board. But remember that the Spanish and Portuguese like to party and dance a lot and quite late as well, so depending on where your cabin is situated, you may hear noises or music from the public lounges until later in the night. Also note that the daily program is not available in printed form anymore but only as a pdf download for mobile devices.

The excursions offered range from simple bus transfers to the next sandy beach (20 €) to a five and a half hour long “gastronomic experience“ which includes a visit to a local market, an on site cooking lesson and subsequent dinner (119 €). On my particular cruise, Pullmantur even offered post-cruise excursions for passengers with a late flight back home.

Pullmantur’s main target group is Spanish or at least Spanish speaking. Naturally, Spanish is onboard language, but the main announcements are made in English as well (although some are more and some less comprehensible). However, Pullmantur cruises are being marketed all over Europe, so on some cruises, the passenger mix concerning nationality and language is as colourful as on the ships of other pan-European cruise operators like MSC and Costa.

If your main occupation on a cruise is shopping, the Zenith has the Village Shopping Center on deck 8 which offers a nice selection of tax-free clothing, bags, souvenirs and travel accessoires. Unlike the daily program, a leaflet called “Best Deals“ is brought to your cabin in printed form, notifying you of the latest special offers for the shop, the spa and the casino.

The dress code onboard the Zenith is most casual. Apart from the rare gala evening, there are no formal nights onboard and therefore no dedicated dress code recommendations. However, there are a few motto evenings/parties where it is always nice to be dressed accordingly. (Be sure to wear sunflowers in your hair!) After 7 p. m., bathing attire and shorts are not allowed in the restaurants, but don’t expect harsh controls or penalties. Pullmantur isn’t Cunard after all.

The Zenith brings you back to an age of cruising when the overall experience was not all about water slides, cart races or laser-tag arenas. Instead, the Zenith features large outside decks with plenty of spaces to relax and to enjoy the (Spanish) sun. Of course, there is some salsa, samba and rumba music and dancing onboard as well, and your meals come with a complimentary glass of Spanish wine (or two). The Zenith is not the Celebrity Edge and does not pretend to be either. She’s just a wonderful little cruise ship to enjoy the ports and the sea with a lot of Spanish charm.

Read all the Reviews of Zenith and all Pullmantur cruise ships and make your own Reviews on Cruising Journal!

Kai Ortel

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