This was my first cruise and I admit, I was nervous. My daughter and I were joining 18 other family members (cousins, aunts, uncles) for a 5 day trip leaving from Miami and stopping in Key West and Cayman Islands. We flew into Miami airport and were greeted at the baggage claim area by a Century staff person who escorted us to a bus off to the ship. The only time we had to carry our own bags were when we checked them at the airport. Boarding the ship was seamless. It took only a matter of minutes between the time we got off the bus and into our room.
The room was beautiful! I had expected a cramped, claustrophobic room, but I thought ours was perfect. There was more than enough storage space, even for an 18-year-old girl! There wasn't a lot of counter space in the bathroom amenable to "preening" but if one of us got ready in the bathroom, the other could get ready in the cabin where there was a desk and mirror. We had a balcony room. I wasn't going to spend the extra money for this, but I'm so glad I did. A couple of mornings we ordered breakfast in and sat on our balcony and watched the sun rise...priceless! I don't have anything else to compare it to, but my expectations were exceeded every step of the way. We had the best table in the main dining room, looking over the back of the ship with a great view of the sunset every night. Our waiter and his assistant greeted us by name every night after being introduced only once. Celebrity's staff treated us like Celebrities! I can't wait to go on another cruise.
Our cruise agent advised us to wait until we were on board to book cruise excursions and we're glad we did. We did not book any through the ship, we just disembarked and played it by ear. In Key West, we walked the length of Duval Street all the way to the southernmost part, had our pictures taken, and walked back down Duval to the ship. My daughter enjoyed all the shops along the way and we had a nice day. When we got to Grand Cayman, we spent the morning walking through the shops. We then caught a taxi to Hell. I've been to Hell and back so many times, I wanted the proof to show it! There really isn't much to Hell, and I don't think I'd go there more than once, but it was fun sending postcards from Hell and picking up a couple of souvenirs proving I was there. We took a bus from Hell to the 7 mile beach. That was awesome! I have never seen such crystal clear water and pure white sand. I could have spent all day there.