This was my fifth cruise; first on Celebrity and first Transatlantic. I was travelling with my fiance on our pre-marriage honeymoon. We are both in our thirties and we upgraded from an inside cabin to an FV when it became available. The cruise left from Miami, made stops at the Bahamas and Bermuda (overnighter), crossed the pond, and then made calls in Cherbourg France, Le Havre France, Dover England, and finished up in Amsterdam (we also flew to Iceland for a few nights at the end of the cruise).

Pre-Cruise: We spent two nights at the Royal Palm Resort in South Beach. The hotel has a great location (right on the beach and very close to lots of fun restaurants and bars). I obtained a cheap rate through an internet travel agency and was placed in a room with a balcony overlooking the beach and ocean. I could see cruise ships as they set sail every afternoon. The hotel was a great deal for the money, but I probably would not have been as happy had a paid full price.

Embarkation: The port was a shot cab ride away (approximately 15 minutes). We arrived around 10:20am and began boarding around 20 minutes later. It was extremely fast once we started and were among the first on board. We were greeted with a glass of champagne as we boarded (a nice touch) and set off on our beginning of cruise ritual - booking specialty restaurant reservations, shore excursion reservations, and spa reservations before hitting the buffer lunch (the rooms were not ready until 1pm). Read more