The pullmantur cruise was very awesome .There was a very good service An amazing experience, We had A lot of fun together ,it was a pleasure being a part of the pullmantur cruise. we enjoyed our selves very much .there were fantastic activities .Everyone was very friendly (including :the room service, the receptionist,the waiters in the restaurant , the photographer. ) We also enjoyed our selves in the swimming pool, the jacuzzi. There were very different kind of food which were very tasty if it was breakfast,lunch or dinner .it was beautiful looking at all the different dress codes from every day ,the parties were very fun .also it was very relaxing when you sat on the deck and just watching the beautiful blue sea water. sometimes you could see airplane passing from there .the entertainment group of the ship was very spontaneous so were the passengers too and the organization was top Read Less

The big concern is the sanitary conditions of the non flushing toilets. This should not be part of anyone's vacations nor my problem or should not have to deal with calling & waiting around due to repetitive toilet issues and running around looking for a working toilet in the middle of the night. This is not sanitary with overflowing toilets with feces and blood. This is not anything new to the crew on the ship and the comments made that it is and old ship and will be docked for an over haul in November. When we booked this cruise were never told the language was going to be ALL In Spanish. My travel agent was not informed either. We could not even book excursions because they could not guarantee us that it was going to be in English. If we had of known it was all Spanish we would NEVER have gone on this cruise line. What we were told once we were on the ship was they only speak English depending on how many English speaking people are on the cruise. This is the Caribbean why would it NOT be English? This trip was our 1st trip together as mother and daughter and possibly our last trip due illnesses and my mother being 80 years old. We have been on many cruises and never have experienced anything like this one. WE were hoping for fond memories of our time together as mother and daughter. This was not a great experience and not the memories we were counting on. we were not informed anywhere on line or on the reviews that it was not an English speaking ship. The bigger issue is unsafe sanitary conditions and all the inconveniences we experienced from the toilet problems with time wasted calling and waiting around. Read Less

This was an attractive cruise both price-wise and because of the itinerary. The boarding process went very smoothly. The cabin was well-appointed. We had a balcony which I would always recommend. Because this is an older ship, it is in need of maintenance occasionally which happened with our toilet (wouldn't flush) on three occasions, the water out of the tap on the last day was rust-coloured and our curtains came off the rails. In each instance a maintenance person was on the problem within five minutes. It was very impressive. The carpets in the cabin hallways were worn and in need of replacement. Everything else was in very good order. The food was excellent with many options at each meal. The dress requirements for the dining-room were not really enforced which was to our liking in a hot climate. What was most impressive though was the crew. We had only 650 guests for a crew of 650. Normally this cruise would have up to 1850 guests. So, the service was impeccable. We like to get to know our crew and what was remarkable was that almost all of the staff had been on that ship 5 - 20 years. It spoke volumes about the cruise line. Most of the entertainment was in Spanish which we did not speak and was geared for a somewhat younger crowd. We did not visit the disco or see a show. The pool music was disco/pop. What surprised me though was that there were no options for Spanish lessons which we would have jumped at. Here was a missed opportunity. The gym had several machines that needed maintenance. Our shore excursions were private so that we could speak to the guides directly. Disembarking was equally smooth and effortless. They seem to have that well-organized. I would definitely book a Pulmantur cruise again. Read Less

Given the great price of the cruise and the age of the ship, we were ready for anything. But this was a great cruise. The outside of the ship is well weathered, but the inside was great - easy to navigate and plenty of good places to hang out. The ship is small, and less than one thousand passengers on our cruise, but it was homely and friendly, and even though the primary language is Spanish it was easy to feel part of the atmosphere. Its not going to compare to the larger US based ships, but we're seriously considering a return cruise to do the alternate itinerary. The highs were the itinerary and the friendliness of bar and entertainment staff. (The included beverages were quite extensive - you have to drink a lot to make the $70 total drinks package worth it. The extra charges on premium beers and wines amounted to $1 or $2 per drink,) We had cabin 1107 - a family balcony. Cabins are only cleaned once a day, but our cabin steward Eduardo was great. Bathrooms are small. Balcony was weathered, but useable. Buffet dining surpasses any ship I've been on (we've done most mainstream cruises). The buffet area is compact but complimented by two covered terraces on the back of the ship. The dining room service was good, the food was often the same as served in the buffet. There is no late night food anywhere on the ship. Morning coffee starts as 7 p.m. Food service closes at 10 a.m. 2nd dining however is at 9.30 p.m. Embarkation was superb, however getting in and out of Dominican Republic is something else. If you stay for more than 24 hours you have to buy a $10 tourist card, plus pay $20 import tax before boarding the ship. Prepaid shuttle from airport to ship is the best way to travel, then take a Santo Domingo excursion on the last day. Ship leaves at 9 p.m. and gets back at 9 a.m. Everyone was off by 11 a.m. Enrichment activities were limited. My partner did the yoga class on four days. No art auction, no hard selling. There was a cooking show in which both cruise director and captain participated in. There were daily craft workshops and spa seminars. The Entertainment team and Animation team were outstanding. Only one show a night in between 1st and 2nd dining, but three of them - the Halloween show, the Abba show and the Rock Never Dies were great. Lots of interaction between crew and passengers. Neither of us speak Spanish but rarely did we feel excluded. Staff remembered us through the week. The coffee lounge was a great hub. Most of the specialty coffees are included, as are cocktails and some wines and liquors. Disco seems underused and didn't start until 11.30 p.m. Theme nights every night - Gala (one formal), tropical, terror, white, black & white and rock. Great itinerary - Martinique, Barbados, Grenada & St. Vincent. We booked the Island tour in Barbados, and Spice & Rum tour in Grenada. Great fun. Wished we'd have done an excursion in St. Vincent. Beware - excursions are in Spanish, however English is the first language for the tour guides - a bizarre scenario. (Martinique is French). Best value for money. Wide age range though not many kids. Singles rates are really good, therefore many single travelers on board. Read Less

This my very first cruise so I don't have a lot to compare it too. I live in Curacao, and get to see A LOT of cruise ships. Compared to those who visit the island, this one was small. But I received the cruise as a gift so I cant complain. The ship is an older smaller ship. There was not a lot of diversity. Two buffets, One main dining room, one bar, one club. We had the ocean vieuw room on deck 10 and it was ok. Our room was nicely cleaned EVERYDAY! We had the all inclusive drink package and regularly took drinks to our room. Didier was awesome in cleaning everything up. The diner was good. Didn't eat anything twice. Our waiter Vedi was amazing. He always knew what pairing to recommend and no request was too outrageous. He and Diana gave us exceptional service everyday. So much that I was looking forward to dinner. The entertainment and activities were very limited. There was always something to do, but there was not many options. And also I had the feeling that it was all focused on a much older crowd. The ports and excursions were ok. I only booked an excursion at Cartagena, the hop on, hop off bus. I think it was ok. I wouldnt go on this cruise again, but I will recommend it to an older or elderly couple. Read Less

We chose this cruise (our first) mainly because of value for money. We paid $1,500 per ticket and that included the round trip flight from Quito to Panama. Cartagena was forgettable but we did do the Mud Volcano excursion through Viator. Nothing quite like getting completely immersed in volcanic mud. On Curacao we did the Tugboat snorkeling excursion (Viator also) and that was very good. On Bonaire we snorkeled off of Klien Island and that was by far the best water time we had of all three islands. By far the most to see (turtles, many fish, moray eels and much more). I could have stayed in the water for days on Bonaire. On Aruba we did a glass bottom boat and snorkeling tour with Watersports and Tours Aruba after a literal last minute cancellation of a Catamaran excursion due to the boat being rented out from underneath us by a private party. NEVER WILL I DO BUSINESS AGAIN WITH ARUBA WATERSPORTS CENTER. Now about the ship. The embarkation and disembarkation was orderly and mostly hassle free. The security did arrest my utility tool as it contained a knife but gave it back to me at the end of the cruise. I saw a lot of clothes irons also under house arrest due to potential fire hazards. The service as quite exceptional. Five stars to all the Food and Beverage staff from the Manager and Head Waiter on down. Those folks are keepers and I would hire them myself if I owned a ship. The food was very good and met my expectations and then some. There was the buffet with good food and generous hours and the dining room with fixed times and seating - I enjoyed eating at both. The cabin (exterior superior) was nice. We had a king bed and the shower was spacious enough. My wife likes the evening shows and we took a few in. They were good also and a good way to end the day. There were many activities that we did not partake as my main goal in taking the cruise was rest and relaxation with emphasis on rest. We also found housekeeping to be quite good and did a good job of keeping the cabin clean. I know very little Spanish but all the staff I encountered spoke great English and I met a lot of the staff. For TV in English, there was the BBC and a movie station. The ship sponsored excursions were not of interest to me but then again my wife and I are experienced world travelers and can manage time schedules. The Moka Coffee shop and bar was my first stop in morning for cappuccino and I found it amusing that they could not make a moka for lack of chocolate. I also met a lot of great passengers and had many good conversations on the boat. It's a value for money cruise and yes, I would definitely sail with them again. Read Less

This is our third trip on Pullmantur and have we have been very impressed with the quality for the price. For the last two trips we have booked room of Junior Suite or higher to get the advantages not only of more space but the Waves Club amenities. Embarkation in Cartagena can be super chaotic with Pullmantur but with the advanced boarding with the Waves Class rooms this is avoided and you get on with minimal hassle. To avoid some of this check in online, print it out, and sign it. Then after you arrive go the line where your passports are checked. Colombian nationals will have to pay a exit tax, your passport is stamped but this is not immigration. Then get in line for immigration. The Zenith is a relatively small ship with around 1400 passengers and the junior suites are spread throughout the ship. There are very few balconies on this ship. Our room was a junior suite without a balcony and was a very nice size, bigger than an NCL mini suite, with full bath. There was a large flat screen TV but we never turned it on. Our only complaint is the room needed to be cleaned better, but once it was pointed out it was done quickly. The Waves Club was a small but nice interior area on the 8th floor, I understand it was the old "cigar lounge" when it was a celebrity ship. The room is dark without any exterior windows, but has a library feel with a nice ,marble fireplace and a big screen TV above it. My recommendation here are, if it is going to be a Wave's Club only area, you need to put in a card key entry. There were always people coming that were thinking it was the library, computer room, or games room. Also when you order a drink at the bar many times the person attending the bar has to go to another area of the ship to get the drink, leaving the area unattended. Just food for thought if Pullmantur reads this. The nightly shows were excellent for the size of ship. They are mostly in Spanish and there is very little English spoken on the ship other than the announcements, but if you need help the staff is multilingual. The buffet is recently remodeled and the food was very good. I can not fault anything there. In the back of the buffet there is an outdoor grill area for hamburgers and hotdogs as well as plenty of outside seating on that deck and the one below. That is one thing bout the Zenith, there is a lot of outdoor space. The main dining room was incredible. It was one of the nicer dining rooms I have been in on a ship. There was a piano player almost overnight, the service was very good, and the food was excellent. Remember the dinners are late. Early seating at 7:15 late seating 9:30 PM. The gym is very small, 3 working elliptical, four normal sized treadmills, two leg machines, and a four-sided multipurpose weight machine. There were also a incline bench and flat bench with dumbbells. It was just a very tight space and usually full. The spa, hit and miss. Spa manager a little aggressive with the sales pitch. The prices good. Massage, one good one not so good. The area is not super tranquil, there is a deck area outside the spa and three doors that go in an out of the area. Wish they could find a different area for the spa to be placed. We paid the $10 dollar/day charge for the upgrade in drinks. The canned Diet Coke alone was worth it, but Absolute didn't hurt either. We did all the tours on our own and have taken to getting resort passes for the bigger islands when we are in the Caribbean. So, I can't say anything about the Pullmanturs tour program. Overall, a great value for the money. Have patience in the boarding process, Have your expectations in check as it is an older ship but has been maintained well. This is primarily a Spanish speaking cruise, but there is always staff to help that can speak English if you need help. This is a family cruise, usually three generations and extended family. If you looking for a quiet cruise it may not be for you. Enjoy. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it left from Colon Panama where and we were visiting friends in Panama. The itinerary was original too. Colon, Cartagena, Colombia, and the ABC islands. As I am learning Spanish, this cruise was a great language immersion experience for me too. The fact that alcoholic drinks were included in the already low price was also a positive. However, the service was not as good as on other cruises, the restaurants staff in general do not show any enthusiasm, and seem a bit bored. On the first evening dinner, we had a couple of waiters that were simply difficult to deal with. We requested a change and had a great pair of friendly waiters for the rest of the cruise. In the buffet, cleanliness seems to be a problem and the table towels appear to be reused without any wash, with visible stains, and a smell that does not resemble that of a freshly cleaned towel. As opposed to the formal dining restaurant where all is up to standard or better. The cabin, an inside one, is surprisingly larger than many other cruise ships, with plenty of storage space. When reported, an issues are quickly resolved. So in summary, this a good cruise ship and line but only if you are not to picky about Read Less

This boat had mixed emotions from me....I thought I would have enjoyed it, but unfortunately I'm monolingual, and they're more concerned with their Spanish and French Guest. The TV stations were all in Spanish, well barring CNN and one movie station, which showed the same thing over and over. The food was okay, it had it's moments... The staff were friendly, even though one crew member openly told me he hated his job. The kids club was in spanish and my son, had serious challenges....but still went along, because there was nothing else to do. My cabin, So my cabin was huge, a lovely ocean view, huge bathroom....BUTTTTT let me tell you, clearly disinfectant and bleach is a no no, because the bathroom was horrible...we were told not to flush toilet paper, but place it in the bin. so image what happened when you had to number two..... Im not sure how sanitary that is, for us or the housekeepers. The towels were dingy, there were no facetowels, the sheets were not that clean either. A whole floor on the boat couldn't flush their toilets, and the pee and feces was floating in the public toilets...I was not.......impressed and if I had not cruised before, I wouldn't attempt to do it again. Read Less

I chose the cruise because I wanted to cruise the Caribbean visiting places like Santo Domingo which I do not usually go to. The cruise was good, the food was good too. The staff were helpful and friendly. I was very disappointed that the Teen Club was never available for my daughter whenever she went there was some excuse or the other - "we have only boys today", "or we are dealing with the new children today.". Service was good in the photo shop and the Spa. However, dinner time service was the best and I must commend Waiter Mr. Julian Martinez and Assistant Waiter Mr. Santiago Assume who gave excellent service. I enjoyed the nightly shows with the singers and dancers. However the stand up show was disappointing to me as it was in Spanish and I am English speaking. My recommendation would be to pay more attention to the non -Spanish speaking passengers during the entertainment segments so that all passengers can have a better experience. Read Less

First off, please know I'm writing this review from MY perspective. This was cruise #68 for me. I'd read the reviews about the Zenith, while it was in the Mediterranean, however all of those were before it came out of drydock before coming to the Caribbean. Needless to say, I was a little apprehensive. I had sailed on the Zenith before, with Celebrity, and had good memories. We embarked from Santo Domingo, which was one of three ports you could board/disembark in. The other two were St. Maarten and Barbados. Boarding was quick, from the cab to the room was 20 minutes. The ship itself was up to date in some areas, and well worn in others. The lighting in some places was screaming the 1990s, with the brownish looking fixtures and dim output, yet other areas were up to date with LED lights. The room was okay, but the bathroom had water backing up from the shower into the bathroom floor UP THE DRAIN, plus black mold growing on the tiles. This was reported the first night and fixed immediately. The beds were definitely firm! Our cabin was under the galley, and aft. I wouldn't recommend decks 4,5,6 aft if you're a light sleeper. It was very noisy from the propellers, creaking, vibration, and movement overhead from the galley. Pullmantur only has limited cabin steward hours, and they only clean once per day. Don't expect turn down service, as they are done at 500pm! The majority of the guests on our cruise were from France, Spain, and England. I was worried about communication, however that was unfounded, as the crew is overwhelmingly multi-lingual. The announcements on board were in multi languages. The dining room for breakfast and lunch both are only buffet. There is no menu for those dining times. The selection was somewhat larger in the dining room versus the actual buffet, but not by much. Pullmantur has a version of "all-inclusive" that works for me. Your soft drinks, and a large assortment of alcoholic beverages are included. if you wanted something that did incur a charge, there is no service charge added! That's a nice surprise! This is not a cruise for the people that want to continually dress down. The Europeans dress for dinner, and it shows. There were a few people in shorts and jeans, but a very slim number. They stood out! Dinner seatings were 715pm or 930pm. Plan at least an hour and half to get through 3 courses! Food is subjective, so I won't say too much about that, other than we always found something we liked. One thing about the food, BEWARE that there is not always food available in the buffet, there is two to three hours in the morning and afternoon that the deck 11 buffet is closed. Everything from room service is a charge, so plan accordingly. Also, some staples such as shrimp cocktail or a filet mignon steak incur an additional $10 charge at dinner! Shows on board were mainly musicals or magic, something that transcend language barriers. You won't find trivia on board, but you will find activities starting in the disco at 1230am! Disembarking was quick and easy, with only a few hundred getting off the ship at time, due to the three embarkation ports. I'd consider going again on Pullmantur, but only for the right price... It was inexpensive, when you figure in all the service fees and beverages. Read Less

We paid for the upgrade to the "waves club" and were not siddapointed.. Our hostess Josianne was an amazing lady - so friendly and accomodating in every way. The staff in the Waes lounge were the same. We were treated like royalty all the way. The food was fantastic - not what we were expecting on an all inclusive cruise - a large variety of different things in the two main restaurants and dinner was al a carte everynight in the restuarant on the 7th deck. our cabin staff who cleaned the cabins everyday were helpful, friendly and very polite. We had cabin number 1024 and only had one problem. Every day at the same time we had a loud vibrating noise that was pretty loud coming from the floor below us. at first we thought it was the AC but it turned out to be something mechanical in the ceiling on the floor below us. We had to call the front desk to get them to sort it out. we had to call every day. that was the only complaint until the end of the cruise. They lost one of out bags in between taking it the night before disembarkation. When we docked at the port we were taken off the boat to go through customs to get our bags. we were there for almost 2 hours looking for our bags. The coach wa delayed to the airport and we almost missed our flight. we got the the airport at the time of boarding and it was busy. we had to be rushed through the line ups to be ablet oget on the flight. up until them we had an amazing cruise. everything was perfect. but the losing of our luggage was someting that completely spoiled our holiday. whenever we think back about this amazing holiday we will always have a bad memory of them losing out bags. All the souveneirs that we bought and the gifts for our families were in the lost bag.. very upsetting. but the cruise itself was fabulous. the excursions were very well co ordinated and all were exactly as described. Read Less

Honestly, we choice this cruise because it fit the dates that I needed it to fit in but we were extremely happy with the cabins, food, and customer service of the employees that worked on the boat and the employees on land. Dinner had a nice variety of food and even had a later night on the upper levels. Because I usually missed the meal time for the main dining, I ended up eating up above a lot and I liked it. The port was enjoyable but I have to bring special attention to Santo Domingo. I feel many people on the ship did not enjoy themselves at this port because they were confused as to what to see and or do. The Colonial Zone is a must and while many went there I don't think they experienced it the way we did. You have to take the walking tour. You can find the guides on the street, they will approach you and ask you if you want the walking tour. I believe many of the guides speak different languages but I only speak English and our guide spoke it perfectly. I am not sure if this is a company or just individuals doing it but all the guides that I saw on the street had backpacks on. Not sure why but you can recognize from their backpacks. HaHa... I did a lot of reading about the ports before I left so I already had a good idea of what I wanted to do and see. Don't let yourself waste this port like I saw so many on my ship do. This is a world heritage city and dates back 500 years. The architecture and ruins are beautiful to walk around. I found this reveiw of the Colonial Zone most helpful because it gave a great review of the museums, etc. http://www.santodomingotaxi.com/blogs/post/The-Colonial-Zone/. Read this onea and a 1 or 2 others so you can make the most of your time. Back to the ship since that is what we are reviewing. I had never heard of this ship but I enjoyed it more than the better named ships. Great people that work there and I was able to relax and have a great time. Zenith is definalty worth the money and the ports were enjoyable. Read Less

The stops along the cruise is variable in origins, since dutch/french island, to old English Colony. All stops had choices of nice beaches and historical sites, as well as shopping places. The piano bar and singers during cruise were very warm and friendly. The coffee place Moka with its Cappucino was a must every single dinner, as the Rendezvous bar for dancing. The cabin was clean every single day, with privacy. The baggage take in and off board was smart too. The dining options were very fancy for a large restaurant. The fine option to eat at Flamboyant was paired to carefully chosen waiters, speaking at least two languages. While the take it all restaurant at 11th floor had a wider range of open time, just in case one misses the downstairs restaurant. The drinks are free, and the choice is wide to every taste. Barmen were very fast serving so many people at the pool. Read Less

I took a cruise that was to take me to La Romana, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Antigua, Barbados and Grenada. First disappointment: without any explanations, the stop at La Romana was cancelled. the company decided to give USD 100 per cabin. On one of the islands, the stay was cut for three hours, also no explanation. I purchased an internet package consisting of minutes, but the account was charged based on megas, meaning you very quickly used up the "minutes" you had purchased. a rip-off. Second rip-off: the beverage package. Half of the listed beverages are not available. The cruises organized by the ship are disastrous and expensive. When you complain, you are exposed to a Spanish lady at the tour office who treats you in a disrespectful and rude manner. The food served on the ship is nowhere near the gastronomic experience of other ships (i.e. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity), it's very normal food to calm your hunger. This is a Caribbean cruise, but no seafood (shrimp, smoked salmon, etc.) is ever served. The menu is oriented for the large percentage of Spanish passengers that are on board. The "night with the captain" is another deception. You are to dress elegantly and are then sent to and seated at an auditorium, where you listen to the captain on the stage talk and introduce you to part of his staff. Then you can have your picture taken with him (picture for which you have to pay). And then the event is finished. We were charged USD 108 per person for a so-called "service tax", which we assumed was the tips you are supposed to give. But this is not so. We were told that we were free to give tips, so I have not idea what that money is for. I got no answer when I asked why we were given a 100-dollar-compensation per cabin, and not per person, if the service tax was charged per person. Nobody would give me an answer. Summarizing: a very disappointing experience with this company, which I will not recommend to any of my circle. For the price I paid, I could have gotten twice as much service on another cruise. This is no luxury cruise at all. Read Less

The ship was fairly nice on the inside. Some of the ceilings on the 11 deck need attention and it seemed a lot of rust on the ship had been painted over. At times when you first turned on the water it came out a very dark brown. The mattresses should have be replaced about five years ago. The ship does not have stabilizers and did a lot of rocking. The food was average. In the mornings some of the food was cold. Great crew and staff, all very friendly and helpful. The entertainers in the theater were great. I did not like that on this cruise the drinks were free. A lot started drinking before 10am. I would guess that some drank over $200 worth of drinks which my ticket helped pay for. Read Less