I chose this cruise because of the ports and the opportunity to try a TA. I really was pleased with all of it. The days at sea were quite filled with enough activities to keep me occupied. Celebrity did a fantastic job of providing enough entertainment and lecturers (6) to provide a variety of interesting opportunities for enrichment. One of the lecturers worked in the White House for 8 years and was a White House historian, and her lectures were tremendously informative and fun. During the day, I enjoyed the dancing classes and the Spanish and French classes. The trivia is always fun, too, for a fill-in. I didn't find enough books in the library, as they all seemed to be checked out all the time. The evening entertainment was top notch...the comedian was hysterical and clean, for the most part, and we all laughed the entire time. The Tenors of Rock was a highlight, and the other performers were so varied in scope and modalities that each night was something to look forward to. I didn't love the juggler or the magician, but other than that, they were phenomenal. The production shows were quite good, with Pearl being excellent and Life being a bit ho-hum. I was disappointed that there wasn't an activity on the lawn, as I had enjoyed a jazz concert with wine and cheese on the lawn on a previous cruise. The themed parties in the Sky Lounge were fun for late evening music and dancing.

I can't say enough about the Cruise Director John, who was professional and excellent. He even did a lecture one day about his previous life as an actor and stunt man, which was delightful. Another highlight of this cruise was the food. I have cruised extensively, and this time the food was the best I've ever had. I really appreciated the reasonably sized portions and the beautiful presentation. We chose late dining so that we could get to know our waiters well, and they were perfect. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food in the Oceanview Cafe (buffet), and looked forward to lunches there out on the back open deck. They have removed the 5th deck bistro and replaced it with Sushi, which I don't like, but that's a personal preference. I still appreciate the free pastries and dessert at Al Baccio, but wish you could get a free cup of coffee there to go with them, rather than having to pay.

I will say that the drink prices are exorbitant, but so many folks on this sailing were Elite level cruisers, who were entitled to 3 free drinks an evening. Many other guests had the drink packages, but they are terribly expensive. My sister and traveling mate was Elite status, and the extra perks, like free laundry, a wine tasting, a high tea, a backstage tour, and some free internet, made a huge difference in the amount of activity provided and the affordability of alcohol. I would say that traveling without the Elite status could really make this cruise expensive if you wanted to drink much alcohol. Read more