Embarkation was a snap. We were on line early because we hoped to buy a pier upgrade, since we'd seen about 6 balconies available online a few days earlier. They started boarding around noon and we went straight to the pier coordinator's desk and he wasn't there yet, although a list with the same balconies was sitting on the desk (ok, I'm nosy). We were hopeful but he flatly said there would be no upgrades available. I looked at his list meaningfully and he said once again there were no upgrades. I was dismissed.

Kudos to Celebrity for a quick embarkation process. They had a duty free shop in the terminal and we were told that as long as we put the bottles in our bags, we could take them on. This proved true.

Cabin: Our cabin was bright and cheerful and seemed quite functional. For a ship only a few years old, it was a bit worn. The caulking in the shower was discoloured and there were stains on the fabric of the chair and sofa. That said, we enjoyed our room and found it a nice retreat. The storage was ample and we appreciated the safe and that the maid emptied the fridge for us. Being on deck 2 was great as we could just walk up one flight to the room after ports and the room didn't creak in the night the way the ones on higher decks do (due to the ship flexing). Read more