Five Nights on Celebrity Century: Miami, Roatán and Cozumel

In April 2010, Joanna Hall joined Celebrity Century for a five-night Western Caribbean cruise from Miami to Roatán in Honduras and Cozumel in Mexico. Century left the Celebrity fleet in 2015; as at September 2026, the former Celebrity Century sails for TUI as Marella Explorer 2. These are Joanna's despatches from the voyage.

Day one: sailing from Miami

As I write this I am sitting in my Deck 8 stateroom on Celebrity Century, listening to an old band on my MacBook called Bad Company, which evokes fond memories of the hit TV show Miami Vice. We are preparing to sail from the port of Miami, but the weather isn't playing ball. It's been overcast and windy all day, threatening rain too, but having just popped outside to photograph the view, I can see blue skies behind us, and the wind has subsided, which are all good signs of better weather to come. In the parade of departures that is a daily occurrence in the Port of Miami, Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas has just sailed ahead of us, there's one ahead of her which I can't identify, and I reckon we are next to go!

I am on Century for a five-night Western Caribbean cruise. She's a ship that is making headlines in Australia, as she will be coming Down Under for the 2011–12 season. We have only two ports of call on this trip, Roatán in Honduras on Wednesday and Cozumel in Mexico on Thursday, and on either side are two sea days for onboard exploring and relaxation. Before I know it I'll be back in Miami to board one of Century's younger sister ships, the brand-new Eclipse, for a formal media launch. Cruise fans may recall that Eclipse's big launch celebrations in Europe were upended by the Icelandic volcano eruption: her planned promotional cruise was cancelled when she was sent to Bilbao to bring stranded travellers home, although her naming ceremony still went ahead in Southampton.

Embarkation was quick and smooth, we've had the mandatory safety drill, and I have booked my tours, made a spa appointment for tomorrow and set up my internet access. The ship is entirely wi-fi, which means I can write this from my stateroom. Speaking of my stateroom, a quick word on that. It's a reasonably sized balcony stateroom with nice maroon and beige styling and a compact bathroom. Amenities include a minibar, a flat-screen TV and a half sofa which converts to a third berth for anyone travelling with a child.

I haven't had much of a chance to explore the ship beyond grabbing a quick, late lunch in the buffet and taking a quick spin around the spa. I have also made friends with a nice Serbian barista in the Cova Café, who made me a cappuccino to be proud of: triple shot, and just a little hot foam on the top. After a week in the US drinking filter coffee and airline lounge offerings, I was desperately in need of a real caffeine fix!

Day two: a sea day off Miami

Starting a cruise with a sea day is great. For me, it was a chance to finally put my jet lag to rest with an uninterrupted sleep-in, and to explore at my own pace. Last night I went to dinner in the Grand Dining Room and was assigned to a table of eight at the 8.45pm seating. To be honest I am not a fan of fixed-seating dining, but I can appreciate the advantages if you are travelling solo, as four of the ladies on my table were. They were a nice, diverse group, and we ended up chatting until 11pm. The food was pretty good too.

Today I explored the ship from top to bottom. A sea day is a great way to judge how much space a ship has and how crowded it can feel; with everyone on board at the same time, things can get busy. Carrying 1,800 guests, I can report favourably that the ship doesn't feel crowded. At the casual lunch in Islands Café there were plenty of places to sit and enjoy the view, and minimal queues at the various food stations. There was a good deal of choice with the food too, everything from salads and pizza to a carvery, sandwich bar, and pasta and Asian dishes station.

The pool deck was busy, given it was a sea day and we were en route to Honduras with temperatures in the 20s. Earlier there were some whitecaps on the ocean, but by afternoon there was a gentle swell. We were heading south-west, cruising north of Cuba, and although a bit cloudy in places it was a lovely day.

Although not a young ship by today's standards, Century has really benefited from her 2006 makeover. The public areas are bright and airy, with a nice modern design. There's plenty of top-quality artwork around the ship, adding a real sense of style, and good use of bold colours enhances the decor's contemporary feel. There are plenty of sizeable lounges for relaxing in; favourites of mine include the elegant Martini Bar, perfect for a pre-dinner cocktail, and Hemispheres, boasting a high-up panoramic view and the place to head for sunset. I haven't found the Ice Bar yet. That's still on my list of things to do one evening.

The gym is a good size and right at the front of the ship, with nice ocean views. After working off my lunch, it was time to head into the AquaSpa for my hot stone massage, a favourite treatment of mine that adds a nice twist to the traditional massage. The spa is a good size, with 11 treatment rooms, and the spa brand of choice is Elemis, which to those in the know is top quality with a cult following. They also sell another trendy brand, Bliss.

Tonight is a formal night, and I have a bottle of Mumm French champagne to pop on my private balcony. My stateroom is so nice and comfortable, I am half tempted to opt out and just relax by myself with room service and a movie on the interactive TV system. After all, isn't that what holidays are all about?

Day three: a rainforest hike on Roatán

I threw back the curtains of my stateroom on our approach to Roatán and wasn't especially impressed by the overcast conditions. It was threatening rain, and by the time I headed up to Deck 11 for breakfast at the spa café, it was pouring: not exactly great conditions for a hike up a mountain! When I disembarked at 9.15am, however, the rain had stopped, and the six ladies in our group breathed an uneasy sigh of relief.

Although Honduras is famous for its reef, diving and snorkelling, I'd opted to stay on land for my shore excursion. We would drive a short way north from our docking point, Coxen Hole, to Carambola Botanical Gardens, and from there hike up the mountain to the top for a view of pretty Anthony's Key. First, however, I was delighted to discover the gift shop, not for its nice array of souvenirs but for the four kittens which lived there and really wanted to make friends.

The hike was a little sloppy due to the rain, but it was a gradual ascent which took half an hour. Along the way our guide, Gina, told us a little about the fascinating fauna and flora of the island and showed us a variety of plants and herbs which are still used by local people to cure all manner of ailments, from ovary pain to flu. At the top we enjoyed the view, took photos, got to know our fellow hikers and caught our breath. Even though it was one of Honduras's cooler months, it was still hot and pretty humid. Two of my fellow hikers were a mother and daughter from Nashville, and the other four were neighbours from Cincinnati, Ohio, who'd known each other forever.

We descended pretty quickly, although we had to be careful in spots as it was steep and sloppy, and boarded our minibus to head to the western end of the island, at West End. As Gina explained, it's the tourist end of the island, with shops, restaurants and places to stay, and where you can organise activities such as diving, horse riding and boat trips.

There, our first stop was the Barefeet Bar, where we had a rum punch and decided the walking had given us an appetite for an early lunch. Calamari, fish sandwiches and chicken sandwiches were the go. From there we had time to walk back into the thick of the strip and shop, mostly for local crafts including wooden bowls, jewellery, cloth bags and cigars, both Honduran and Cuban.

My fellow hikers were great fun. The mother and daughter were travelling by themselves as a birthday gift to the mother, and the other four were also without their husbands and kids, having a girls' trip away. There were plenty of laughs and jokes, and they stimulated the local economy just a little.

Back at Coxen Hole, they decided to check out the duty-free shops at the port, while I ventured back on board to rehydrate, take some shots of the ship in this lush, green environment and make ready for a yoga class. Tomorrow I go to cooking school in Cozumel, Mexico. Namaste!

Day four: cooking school in Cozumel

My task for the day in Cozumel was Mexican cooking school at Playa Mia, a beach club about a 20-minute drive from where we were docked at Punta Langosta.

As we arrived, we were shepherded into a whitewashed building with a view of the beach, home to a pristine kitchen with multiple stations. There we were introduced to Luis, the head chef, Jimmy, his assistant, and the most important man of the morning, Moises, who was charged with bringing us the drinks! And even though it was barely 11.30am, most opted to imbibe with a classic margarita.

Luis was great fun, very young but well travelled, and he spoke fluent English and French. A native of the Yucatán peninsula, he had been teaching at the school for three years, or rather, as he called it, sharing his secrets of cooking techniques and Mexican cuisine. We worked four to a station, in my case three. I joined a lovely young couple from New York called Kristina and Henry, fans of Mexican food, with Kristina on her first ever cruise.

Our job was to prepare a three-course lunch: mini huaraches, which are like flat tortillas topped with Spanish sausage and potato; Veracruz-style fish topped with tomato, capsicum, onion and olives; and a rice pudding tower to top it all off. And as the margaritas went down, the banter and laughter escalated. This was no Hell's Kitchen, but designed to be fun and educational, and you get to eat what you cook!

We spent about 90 minutes cooking, working on each course in various orders: the dessert first, as it needed to cool, and the appetiser last, as we would eat that first. Towards the end, as a reward and as is tradition in Mexico, we enjoyed a shot of tequila, then headed upstairs to the dining room to eat our spoils, and I have to say it was excellent! A few more drinks, then it was time to enjoy the facilities of Playa Mia before heading back to the ship.

This beach club is fabulous for anyone who wants to spend a day at the beach. There are various packages to choose from, covering food, drinks and the rental of beach sports equipment such as snorkels and kayaks. If you felt like it you could also lounge around the pool or on loungers on the beach, relax in a hammock, have a massage, play beach volleyball… you name it and you can do it.

By 3.30 we were on our way back to the ship, with full stomachs and in a very relaxed mood, probably due to all the alcohol in our systems. Back at the port, some opted to continue into the nearby shopping mall and duty-free shops, but I sought sanctuary in my balcony stateroom and a mini-siesta ahead of sailing at 6pm, which is happening now as I write this.

Tomorrow is a sea day, then I literally jump ship in Miami, head for the Everglades on an early-morning tour, and join Celebrity's newest ship, Eclipse, for her media launch.

Editor's note. This article brings together UTM's original Celebrity Century Western Caribbean despatches, first published as a series, into a single piece. Consolidated and fact-checked on 21 September 2026.