Celebrity Flora Cabins

Celebrity Flora offers 50 roomy suites, though only the four Royal and Penthouse suites (two of each) are true suites in the sense that the bedrooms are separated from the rest of the space. All have either a true balcony or what the line calls an "infinite veranda," a solarium-style space with comfy seating and a floor-to-ceiling window that can be lowered half-way to bring in fresh air. (Note that with the window open, the A/C in the room does shut off.)

Each room is assigned a butler who can help with a variety of tasks, including tidying up and folding any clothing you leave lying around.

All suites have a capacity of just two people, but feature beds that can be separated into two or pushed together to form a king-sized bed. Life jackets are stored under the beds, so there is less room for a suitcase than usual. You'll be able to fit one under one side of the bed, but you'll have to put a second suitcase in a closet.

Rooms are spacious -- the smallest is 330 square feet -- and feature neutral colors, wooden accents, lots of glass and shiny chrome, stone countertops and built-in faux-wood cabinetry (plus desk-side drawers and bedside cubby and drawer) that provides more than enough space for two people traveling in the Galapagos for a week. Inside the closets, you'll find a safe, binoculars to use while on the ship or a shore excursion, plush robes and slippers. The rooms are immensely comfortable with a divan-style couch and wicker-style chairs (including an oblong, bowl-like chair) to sit in and just stare at the amazing scenery.

Each room also has its own water fountain, and cruisers are given a reusable water bottle that can be filled from the fountain, which has a filter underneath it so the water is perfectly safe to drink (and not bad tasting either!). There's also a mini-bar in every room stocked with complimentary sodas and beer.

The desk area provides one 110 and one 220 outlet, as well as one USB port. There's also a 110 outlet on one side of the bed, but no bedside USB port. There's a large flat-screen TV with a variety of programming, including several on-demand movie choices (for an extra fee).

Bathrooms are also oversized, with most having large sinks with a faucet on each side, plenty of counter space and drawers (one of which has the hair dryer) under the counters, and small wall shelves. There's a bar of soap by the sink, as well as a pump bottle with body lotion. In the glass-enclosed shower are pump bottles with shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. There is also plenty of hanging space for towels and two chrome pegs in the shower for wet items.

The biggest problem with the rooms (at least in the 46 Sky suites) is the glass divider between the bathroom and the rest of the space. Though the lower half of the divider is frosted (the higher the frosting, the streakier it is so as to give it an artsy modern look), you can see directly from the living/bedroom area into the bathroom and right into the shower. For anyone traveling with someone other than a significant other, it makes for a very awkward situation.

The room temperature, plus the blinds by the infinite veranda or balcony are controlled by a touch-screen panel by the door. It can be a little confusing, so ask your butler to show you how to do everything. You can also move the blinds using buttons by the verandas, infinite or otherwise; another button in infinite verandas lowers and raises the window. The bathroom has a nightlight, which we never did figure out how to turn off.

There are a handful of connecting rooms for families traveling together.

Sky Suite: The bulk of the cabins (46) are one of four variations of the Sky Suite. Of these, most are a Sky Suite with a real balcony (22) or a Sky Suite with an infinite veranda (16). These are all 330 square feet including 75 square feet of balcony space. The seven Premium Sky Suites have infinite verandas as well but are slightly larger at 337 square feet, but with only 65 square feet of "balcony" space. The single Ultimate Sky Suite is 365 square feet including an 86-square-foot infinite veranda.

Sky Suites are one large room, with the bathroom and bedroom/living room space divided by a partially frosted glass wall that permits anyone in the living space to see pretty much straight into the bathroom and, more importantly, the shower.

The Premium and Ultimate Sky Suites have the bathroom off to the side, while the standard Sky Suite and Sky Suite with balcony have the bathroom closer to the entrance of the room. The Premium and Ultimate suites also have a spa tub in addition to the shower, both of which face the floor-to-ceiling veranda window.

Royal Suite: The second largest rooms on the ship are the two Royal Suites, each sized at 559 square feet including a 129-square-foot balcony. The bedrooms is around the corner from the small living area and has almost a full wall of closets; the bed faces a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, with a door leading out onto the balcony. The living area is cozy with comfortable furniture for watching TV and floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto the balcony.

Even the bathroom, which is directly connected to the bedroom (and separated by frosted glass), has floor-to-ceiling windows with a jetted hot tub located right alongside one window that faces the outdoors.

Penthouse Suite: There are two Penthouse Suites on Celebrity Flora (one each on Decks 5 and 6), each with about 1,288 square feet of space, including an approximately 321-square-foot balcony. (Square footage varies slightly between the two suites.) The separate bedroom is massive, with a king-sized bed, and is surrounded almost entirely by floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the front of the ship. There's even a golden telescope if you want to see the stars at night or see what's on shore without moving from your bedroom.

The bathroom, located right behind the bedroom, is similarly large (nearly 200 square feet) with so much closet space we don't know how anyone could fill it up -- and there's even more storage space in the living area. Inside the bathroom, you'll find dual sinks, a glass-enclosed shower with body jets and a jetted hot tub with a view looking out.

The living area has a large couch, a dining table with room for up to six people and a wet bar. There's also a powder room with toilet for guests. The enormous balcony offers plenty of space for wildlife viewing and star gazing, as well as comfy loungers.

The one problem with these gorgeous rooms is that with all the floor-to-ceiling glass (nearly 87 linear feet of windows), you need to keep your drapes closed to keep the room from getting too hot and to protect your privacy.