All in all this 12 day Mediterranean cruise was wonderful. Embarkation in Venice was quite simple. We took a water taxi from our hotel, the Duodo Palace to the ship. As you get off the taxi, you put your luggage right on a conveyor belt that virtually extends into the water. Check in at about 1PM was fast with no hassle. Celebrity provides its passengers with a free shuttle boat to San Marco Square and it is right next door to the vaporetto stop. We used the shuttle on Monday and Tuesday.

The ship is very clean but you can definitely see it can use some sprucing up. The furniture is somewhat threadbare in spots. The shower could use a grouting. The carpeting also could be replaced. However, the ship is spotless. Our cabin which is was a standard outside was fine. There was plenty of storage space and the closets were quite adequate. Our cabin steward, Gleno was excellent. He was never in our way and we would leave and he would enter.

The food is of excellent quality. However, the menus could be more varied. You could see this is a standard menu, fleetwide. No longer are there special menus for the specific ports of call. Service in the dining room was excellent. Our waiter, Angel, was very accommodating and quite friendly. Service in the dining room for breakfast was also quick and efficient. We never went to the dining room for lunch. The breakfast buffets had many choices, with an omelet station and pancake and waffle station. Lunch had many choices at the buffet, including a pasta station, pizza station, sandwich station and your usual lunch specialties. There was also hamburgers and hot dogs by the pool. I have to say though Princess does have better food. Read more