This was our 4th Celebrity Cruise. We could not be more pleased with the service provided by the entire staff and, particularly, the customer services staff. We had an issue with our stateroom. They showed extreme concern and tried to resolve the issue. When they were unable to do so, they relocated us to another cabin and gave us a generous voucher for a future cruise. This was way more than we expected. This was our 34th cruise and we rarely have issues. We had one several years ago (not on an RCCI ship) and we received no help whatsoever. They couldn't have cared less. I even sent a post cruise letter and received no response. What a difference with Celebrity. It was so wonderful to cruise with a company that truly cares about your comfort.
The Western Med cruise itinerary was fantastic.
Shore Excursions - We took 3 shore excursions that were great - St Paul de Vence; Portofino; and Malaga Tapas Tour. All tour guides were knowledgeable and easily understood. We did a few tours on our own. It was unseasonably hot so we chose not to go into Rome (92 degrees) since we will be there for 3 days next May when it will be significantly cooler.
We actually went to La Spezia rather than Livorno. We toured on our own by taking a ferry to Portovenere and Cinque Terre. Wonderful and easy. We weren't in port long enough to get off at all of the Cinque Terre towns.
It was 92 degrees in Rome. We did not feel like taking an 8 to 10 hour tour to Rome having to spend 1.5 hours each way in the bus. Many people who took the tours were complaining about the heat. We will spend 3 nights there in May after our Celebrity Reflection transatlantic and we anaticipate much cooler weather.
We love Lisbon and wish we were in port longer. It would be a great port for an overnight stay. We had been here before so we took a train to Sintra, a beautiful mountain town recommended by our friends. Unfortunately, time in port didn't allow enough time to thoroughly explore since it was a 30 minute walk to train station and 40 min train ride each way.