We arrived in San Diego from Seattle just before noon on embarkation day. The day before, I received an automated call from Celebrity informing us that we would be unable to board prior to 3PM, but with less than 24 hours notice, there wasn't much we could do, so we just went with it. I'm a patient sort. Read on, but verdict: Embarkation was messy. I was okay, but there was certainly a dull roar of grumbling (and even yelling) going on.

Upon arrival at the airport baggage claim, we spotted the folks running the Celebrity transfer to the pier and stopped to ask a few questions. We had not purchased transfers, but weren't sure if we should head directly to the cruise terminal or kill some time elsewhere. The man was very helpful....told us it would be much cheaper to grab a cab (and directed us to the taxi line) than use the transfer, and that we could bring our luggage to the terminal where it would be held. It's a ten minute ride (or less) by cab to the pier (about $10), so off we went.

Our luggage was stowed at the terminal, and we were able to complete all of our check-in tasks, and received boarding tickets. The staff member then advised us to come back around 5 or 6PM. There was a lunch buffet set up, and large TV screens, but seating was limited so it was recommended to find somewhere else to go. They offered free tickets to the nearby maritime museum, and a free trolley tour of Old Town San Diego as well. As we exited the terminal around 2PM, we could see the Century slowly approaching the dock. We opted for the trolley and were delightfully surprised by the two-hour, very entertaining tour. San Diego is a lovely city! We returned to the pier at 4:30ish, and were able to board on Deck 6 without difficulty. There were lots of friendly staff with trays of mimosas and sparkling wine. Happiness! Read more