At the last moment we decided to do this cruise after having already booked a cruise on another cruise line that was leaving right after this cruise. We decided to do an ocean view cabin and compare it to a veranda cabin, our typical choice. As always, Celebrity offers a very fine, pleasant experience. We found the art work that decorated the ship to be very muted in tones, but it was fine. For us, this was the first time in a very long time that we ate in the main dining room and our first time with "anytime" dining. We enjoyed our experience and enjoyed a number of interesting conversations each evening as we sat with new diners. However, we missed building a personal relationship with our servers since we never sat in the same area on any of the nights. As always, the food was good and we enjoyed the choices that were offered.

It was the first time we ever booked an ocean view cabin on an S-Class ship. There are many good things to say about this type of cabin over any of the veranda cabins. Of late, we have been booking aqua class cabins. Although there is less room in an ocean view cabin, the layout of the cabin provided greater convenience. Because the mirror and desk area were against the far wall (adjacent to the port hole) my wife and I were able to dress at the same time (while she is putting on her makeup) without my bumping into her as I walked around the cabin. Perhaps a minor point, but it made our time in the cabin more relaxed. Further, we found there was more storage space for our clothes and it was easier to access. The lower price is another advantage of this type of cabin over a veranda. However, I must admit, I missed going out on the veranda and enjoying the ambiance of the Caribbean.

Another difference that I found on this cruise over others was our booking a cabin on Deck 3 rather than on a higher deck. We found that the cabin was not as stable as higher decks. This surprised us since we had always heard that lower decks tend to be more stable. Also, we found the lower deck was noisier because we could hear the crashing of the waves against the ship. This was a new experience for us, too. Read more