This was our 8th cruise. We have sailed with Celebrity before. Also RCCL, NCL, Princess, and the line once connected with Disney known at the Big Red Boat. We enjoyed this cruise VERY much.
Booking with the cruise line directly was a breeze. We wanted a cabin next to family who were going with us and it seemed the best way to go. We got exactly what we wanted and where. The price was also almost too good to be true.
We drove to Miami. Embarkation was very simple. We did online precheck in. Those in the other cabin traveling with us did not. Doing it online did not seem to save any time so I wouldn't panic if you weren't able to do so ahead of time. We were prepared in advance (thanks to a cruise critic review) to pay for parking ahead of time -- and cash only. This was not mentioned in the Celebrity info.