This was our 7th Celebrity cruise out of probably 25 cruises total. I know a lot of people know exactly how many cruises they have taken, but frankly, I have lost track. We do like the Celebrity ships and service. This cruise was better than the previous 3 on the Millennium class ships (Summit and Infinity). We previously cruised on Reflection when it was only a few months old. It shows little sign of wear and tear. There have been some minor changes. The Porch restaurant which was previously a nondescript sandwich type of eatery is now a terrible seafood restaurant. We tried it for lunch on embarkation day. There is a $30 extra charge and if I have to be honest, the buffet was better. There was absolutely nothing redeeming here. The "seafood tower" was a small plate of cold shellfish. The shrimp were undercooked and limp. Don't waste your money here. It was empty most of the week, not surprisingly.

I was surprised at how well maintained the ship is after almost 4 years. It looks virtually new inside and out. The only noticeable problem was the grass on deck 14 was is sad shape. It was beautiful on our last go around. We had cabin 1601 (Aqua class) on deck 11. It has an extended balcony and is very close to the main elevators. The cabin was in good shape, clean and comfortable. The Millennium class ships have a lot more storage space. There is very little drawer space and the closet is small and could use a shelf. The stateroom attendants were excellent, as usual.

We tried most of the restaurants. Blu was very good as it always is. Our main server, Paul, was amazing. However, I wish they would update the menu. It has been the same menu on the same night on every cruise for the past 5 years. They said there were some new items, but I could not find them. We tried the MDR for the first time ever and while the food was good, the service is not nearly what it is in Blu. It is a beautiful room. We ate at Tuscan Grille the first night and it was excellent. Well worth the upcharge. My only minor complaint was that they did not have the new menu which was available on Infinity. Some of the new options on Infinity were excellent. We also ate at the Lawn Club Grill which was also excellent. Food and especially the service were great here. Murano was, well, overpriced and just okay. They need some better food options-the menu is a little tired. Bistro on 5 is now an a la carte sushi restaurant. Good, but expensive and only open for dinner. The buffet was, just that, a buffet. Nothing exceptional and nothing really terrible either. It was crowded on sea days. I think the Aqua Spa Cafe needs more selection. We did not eat at Quisine this time but we always enjoyed this venue in the past (except on Infinity where the service was subpar). I really like that they did away with formal nights. Being an attorney and having to wear a suit most days, I don't like having to dress up on vacation. Nice change Celebrity! Read more