After wondering for the better part of two years whether cruising was for me (my life has been filled with adventure vacations), I planned and booked a cruise on Celebrity Millennium, along with my sister, with four Eastern Caribbean stops (San Juan, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, Campos de Camp in the Dominican Republic and Labadee, Haiti.

I live in Broward County, Florida so getting to the boat was as simple as asking a friend for a 15 minute drive. Embarkation went slower than normal (according to cruise veterans), in large part because the Millennium had just crossed the Atlantic and as a result Immigration, Customs and Coast Guard inspection took a big longer. Nevertheless, we were on the ship within 90 minutes of arriving at the terminal, feeling positive and ready for my new adventure.

Things were going right from the start. My sister's pre-booked Spa times were in place, our excursion tickets were in our room, so we have plenty of time to explore our new ship (home) of the next seven days and have a buffet lunch up on Deck 10. The muster drill went well and I am sure by the second cruise will be a big bore. Now, on to the particulars: Read more