This was our 11th cruise but first on Celebrity. Previous cruises were mainly on HAL but also on Princess and Norwegian. We are not committed to Celebrity after this fantastic cruise on the Equinox. Some particulars - I am in early 60s and DW is mid-50s. One note about DW - she has celiac disease and MUST be gluten free. This concerned us but I must say, all the dining venues, especially BLU went well beyond expectations in meeting our needs in this area. More later on this.

Pre-Cruise

We had a stressful year so wanted to maximize the vacation time. We drove to FLL from D.C. area and spent 3 wonderful days in Fort Lauderdale, including New Years Eve. We stayed at the Hyatt Pier 66 and had a fantastic room on the 17th floor with huge balcony and incredible views from the ocean to city. Although the hotel was very busy, staff were excellent. Rented bikes one day and rode to the beach and beyond. Somehow ended up with the wrong bikes and they were not in the best of shape. But, it was fun. We also took an Everglades tour with a ride on an airboat which was also fun and worth the money. Highlight was NYE dinner in Hollywood at a Crab restaurant on the intercostal waterway - I can't remember the name but it was fabulous. We had a private cabana on the water and the crab was the best ever. Read more