We are independent travellers who normally rent a home for a week or two and travel around by car on our trips to Europe. When we first started planning this trip, I read a lot of posts on this site to give us a feel for what to expect. I must say after reading the posts I was a little apprehensive about our choice of vacation. I read complaints about service, food, crowds, you name it! I can honestly say, with few exceptions, we had a nearly perfect experience.

Embarkation & Disembarkation We booked our flights independently but purchased airport transfers from Celebrity. The process couldn't have been easier. As soon as we entered the baggage area we saw agents from Celebrity with placards. After we collected our bags, we were whisked to a waiting bus. Check-in at the port was quick and our cabin was ready when we boarded. It took a couple of hours to get our luggage but we had carried on a change of clothes and essential items so that was no big deal. Disembarkation was as easy. We booked a night at the Airport Hilton on our return and our bus driver actually dropped us off at the hotel even though we expected to have to walk from the airport to the hotel.

Ship A lot has been written about the beauty of the ship so I won't spend a lot of time rehashing this info. I was surprised about how empty many of the public areas were considering the number of passengers on board. With the exception of the main pool area, the fitness center and the Martini bar, venues were rarely crowded. Even the pool area was manageable. We never had an issue finding a deck chair. The Pool Butlers did a good job of keeping vacated chairs cleared of towels. Our favorite areas of the ship were the Solarium and Persian Gardens relaxation at its best! Read more