This was our second cruise on Celebrity, having done the Constellation last year. (see review if you like) The BBW (Beautiful blonde wife) and I have done some 27 cruises, including two Worlds, but had not done Celebrity until our Constellation voyage. BBW Carol and I booked via an internet agency based on email flashes, and will never plan to use this (name not given out of mercy) particular one again. We flew on Continental from our home city of Miami to San Diego, changing planes in Houston. The flight was pleasant and uneventful, typically what one could expect from domestic coach, with the exception of outstanding help at the check in counter with tags and luggage. We are grateful for this, being both retired seniors. Our three day pre-cruise stay may have been so termed with liberties, arriving late afternoon in San Diego, a full next day with included city and area tour, and departure the next morning. The hotel, a very pleasant surprise, being a Best Western, we were not expecting the 14 story hotel/inn with a very large room and good sized bathroom, perhaps best termed more a Jr. Suite than a standard room. We dined one night in their restaurant and found the food to be absolutely outstanding, a very pleasant surprise. A respectable complimentary breakfast was included, very basic but including scrambled eggs, pastry and cereals, hot and cold, and the usual beverages. A shuttle to the hotel was provided from the airport, an approximate ten minute ride. On departure, and that is where the fun did NOT begin, was by bus to the ship, the tour group quartered at the hotel departing as its own group. Though we had queried the booking agency both in person and by email as to luggage tags et al, we were told none would be needed and they would be provided at the dock. We are still waiting for this to happen. Imagine two busloads of people with luggage to be loaded onto buses with no luggage tags and expecting them to be taken to our rooms, and had been promised. The unexpected and welcome salvation? A fellow passenger with a roll of duct tape and a marking pen, who helped everyone mark their luggage with the ship name and cabin number. We were told the luggage would be unloaded some distance from the ship and we would not have further access to it until it arrived at our cabins. Can you imagine the hectic scene sans the guardian angel bearing duct tape? The tour guide on the bus said he had never seen this happen before.

Happily, it got better quickly, passing through a well organized and friendly and efficient embarkation area, with helpful staff at every turn, from counter help to actual boarding personnel. Having pre-boarding papers was a big help. Surprise! Our (inside) cabin 2128 was both spacious and efficiently planned with more than ample storage, more than we have found on two World Cruises on different lines. A major plus. Not plus? No carpet in the hall of our floor, but this was remedied overnight with new matching carpet, and no disturbance during the night...Elves to the rescue? We never knew, and it was never explained, our steward Anthony stating he had no idea why, there was a considerable soft spot in the floor adjacent to the bed, one which I was reluctant to put any weight on not knowing what the result might be.

We then had a quick lunch in the 10th deck buffet, titled the OceanView Cafe. As opposed to the prior two cruises, we were able to find seating without time consuming wandering about with a tray looking for an empty table. Serving staff were as helpful as they could be, considering there appeared to be even more language difficulty than usual on most ships. Food in the buffets continued to be of generally good quality though not the best we have experienced. Read more