We are a couple in our mid-50s and have cruised twice before, once on RCI's Nordic Empress and once on Celebrity's Galaxy.

We made our own air arrangements and arrived a day prior to our sailing date. Once at the Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale we learned that our confirmed reservation was not in the hotel's computer but luckily we were able to obtain a room just the same. The hotel itself was adequate and the cost ... We were in the older section in a smallish room with an odd odor that we think was deodorizer connected in some way to the air conditioning unit. With no real lodging alternatives and no car we chose to stay. The staff was polite and accommodating, but the main allure was not the facility but its location on Los Olas Boulevard. Our stay coincided with a rather large outdoor art show that was interesting and a nice diversion. Add a wide variety of eateries and watering holes and you've got a great place to be entertained. Too bad the hotel wasn't better. RATING?? Hotel 5 out of 10; location 10 out of 10.

On our sailing date we checked out of our hotel at 10:30, took a brief cab ride to the pier and were on board the Millennium and in our cabin, by 11:25!! Each and every Celebrity staffer was cheery, polite and helpful. EMBARKATION RATING? 10/10. Read more