This was our 8th cruise on the 5th different cruise line (Carnival, RCL, NCL and Holland America). It was our 20th anniversary cruise and I was really excited to try Celebrity because RCL is probably our overall favourite line and Celebrity is supposed to be a notch higher. While it was certainly a nice ship with all the amenities, I was disappointed that some things were the same or not even up to par with the other cruise lines.
The embarkation in New Jersey was fast and efficient.
Food -- I found the food in the buffets was below average. I normally eat omelets, eggs benedict, etc. for breakfast but they weren't that good. I ended up eating granola, yogurt and the whole walnuts which were really tasty. Lunch was average too so I ate pizza, burgers and hot dogs by the pool which were good. The food in the dining room was much better but the best food we had was in Qsine (really different) and Normandie (the best!!!) which was like eating in a five star restaurant in Paris. They were each an extra $40 per person which is the most I've ever paid for a specialty restaurant but it was worth it.