This was to be our last continent to see - Antarctica, with stops in South America. We spent around $15,000 including airfare and excursions and a days stay in Buenos Aires before cruise. We had a balcony room in the concierge group. That was a joke to get this grouping. It afforded us to miss one long line in boarding. There were a few perks, but not nearly enough for the extra money. The ship is old and worn, but very clean. The food is regular dining was average. To get a superb meal, you must eat in specialty dining at the additional cost of $45/person! Entertainment was good.

The problems came with a notice one week before departure that one engine’s propulsion was damaged. They knew this before, probably at booking, but did not notify passengers until one week out, without possibility of canceling. They put out a entirely different schedule; canceling Port Madryn where we would have seen large groups of penguins. Then because the ship could not travel top speeds, we were very late ( later than the second schedule) arriving into Ushuaia. We had booked an “end of the world” train ride (rip off) instead of seeing one type of penguins because we had thought we would wait to see 3-4 varieties in Port Madryn and Port Stanley. BOTH OF THESE EXCURSIONS WERE CANCELED. WE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND SAW NOT ONE PENGUIN ON LAND! Port Stanley was canceled due to storms. The ship rocked, rolled, and jumped during 50 mph winds and 15-20 ft. Waves. This ship was NOT sea-worthy, and Celebrity risked everyone’s life knowing this well in advance. Another huge disappointment was the shops were so undersupplied. THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY ANTARCTICA T-SHIRTS TO SELL. WE WERE ON THAT SHIP 12 out of the 14 day cruise with little to buy or do.....miserable! We had excellent wait staff and cabin steward. They were overworked because of 12 days on board without passengers leaving ship. If you are planning a cruise AYWHERE, please do not use Celebrity or Royal Caribbean’s ships; same company owns both. They lie and misrepresented their cruises and ships!