We have previously sailed with Princess Cruises rated by many as 4 Star. Celebrity on the other hand is marketed as 5 Star and, if our experiences on Princess were anything to go by, this cruise was going to be something really special. It wasn't!

Boarding at Civitavecchia was efficient and uneventful and we gained access to our Stateroom at about 16.30. It was clean and well appointed except for storage space which was somewhat limited. We had an unobstructed balcony view and being close to the elevators, access to the Cuvee Dining Room and Ocean View Cafe was perfect. Our first impressions of the ship were very favourable and a systematic tour of the public areas and facilities confirmed that we had made the right choice. Or so we thought.

It is difficult to be negative when there were so many positives, but the food and dining room experience let Celebrity down. We chose Celebrity Select (Anytime) dining which worked well at first. We had a great experience on the first two evenings, and were told we could reserve the same table and wait staff for the remainder of the cruise. Result! However the following evening we were shunted elsewhere and the experience couldn't have been worse - indifferent staff, noisy location and exceptionally poor service. We waited for what seemed an eternity to get served and had to chase the Sommelier to take the drinks order. After dinner we asked to see the maitre d' and quietly voiced our concerns. To his credit he took on board our criticisms and personally supervised the service on subsequent evenings which was exemplary. Read more