This was a once in a lifetime itinerary to see the Rio Carnivale. There were 6 ships in Rio de Janiero during Carnivale, so Rio is packed with tourists at this time of year. This means that seeing Sugar Loaf / Christ the Redeemer statue and beaches, is a tedious and restrictive venture. The traffic is horrendous with holdups due to 'Block' parties that arise unknowingingly. The drivers are very good in negotiating these obstacles but patience is needed for all excursions. Nevertheless Carnivale is amazing and a must-see, despite the price of the seats, the late time and the masses of people.

To the ship - well it was somewhat of a dissapointment having been on other Celebrity ships. If you are driven by the itinerary then you make the best of it, and since we are Elite, many of our perks helped greatly.

The menu, quality and creativity of the food presented in the main Dining room, The Treliss, was very ordinary and the food in the Ocean View Cafe had little variety. What was accesible was good but I survived each lunchtime on the Indian curries because they were very tasty and the alternatives - salad and roasts, were not. Read more