Although my husband and I booked this cruise many months ago through RCI Cruisers, we didn't actually think about or plan for it until the last month or so before departure on May 25. Finding Cruise Critics was a huge help since we couldn't find many answers on the Celebrity website. We attended the CC Meet and Greet on our first morning and met several really nice people, and really enjoyed the 'Cabin Crawl' (saw five different types of cabins). We had a stateroom with veranda on Deck 6, very near the forward elevators. Great location! Booking a veranda cabin was one of our best decisions, since we could sit and enjoy a glass of wine or cup of coffee without being amid the throngs of people, constant chatter and music that was present nearly everywhere else on board. There are a few quiet areas tucked away here and there but our veranda served that purpose for us. I do think that maybe Celebrity might consider having more quiet areas with lounge chairs for people who really don't appreciate listening to music all the time. Here are our other pros and cons about this cruise.

PROS: 1. Food- We were fortunate to have a wonderful table for 8 in the Trellis Restaurant, very rear (stern end) of the room, window wall across the entire back of the room, and great table-mates. Our service from Edi and Anna was just wonderful, and also Jerry, our sommelier. We ate all dinners at this restaurant- never had a need or desire to go to the restaurants charging extra fees. The food was at least 4 star every night. Breakfast and lunch were at the Oceanview Cafe (buffet) or the little cafe by the Aqua Spa area. These were also good, but not great- typical for buffets. The made to order omelets were nice to have each morning.

2. Beverages- We opted out of buying a beverage package although we seriously considered it right up until departure. We're so glad we didn't! For us, rather than spending $44 a day per person, we ended up with a bar tab of less than $20/day per person. We had wonderful wines with each dinner, a few martinis and were totally satisfied. Being able to bring two bottles of wine on board helped keep costs down. The martini bartenders were worth the cost of the martini sampler ($15 for 6 samples). They have a show going on mixing and pouring these drinks- try it!! Read more