CELEBRITY SOLSTICE SEPT 29 2011 BARCELONA TO VENICE WE LOVED THE ADVENTURE!! Captain Yannis Berdos, Master of the Vessel

I flew in to Barcelona from Florida. The departure from the airport to the ship was not complicated at all. . If you paid Celebrity to collect your luggage, they will wait until they fill a bus, and then transport you to the ship. If you are an independent traveler, You get your luggage, and hail a cab. I prefer not to wait. You can also team up with other shipmates you may meet in the terminal building and split the price of a van or cab. The cabs are lined up out front; ready to whisk you away to either downtown or straight to the ship, and the trip takes approximately 20 minutes. I came the day before to relax from the international trip, staying at the Hilton del Mar Diagnonal, close to the water, and to be more accustomed to the time zone of our ship. It was well worth the extra day, as I was not exhausted, fully rested, and ready to start a well anticipated adventure of a lifetime.

At 11:15, I checked in, receiving my Sea Pass card, and at 11:45, I had been through Duty Free for wine and pictures (predeparture). I am Elite on Celebrity, which means there are plenty of add on activities complimentary from Celebrity that will keep even the easily bored occupied! But the true BONUS was that we booked through Costco Travel, and were on a wine cruise as well, so we had plenty of wine tastings, wine tours ashore, and culinary experiences as part of our package. Read more