Since the cruise started in Venice I arrived a few days early to enjoy that beautiful city and surrounding area. To keep costs down I booked a hotel in Padua/Padova (Hotel Al Cason) and paid half the cost of my sisters staying in Venice. The train ride was 15 minutes and depending on the train you choose was 3-9 euros each way. The hotel was an easy 5 minute walk from the train station.

EMBARCATION: The day of embarkation was easy. We walked from the train station over a bridge to the "people movers" (moving sidewalk) that took us to the dock. I had all the Celebrity boarding papers, Turkey VISA, and passport at the ready so it was smooth. We did wait for our son who had nothing ready, but it still did not take long. We boarded by group numbers and so we waited in comfortable seats and Celebrity provided cold water. Not as fast as my last departure from Fort Lauderdale, but ok. Immediately after boarding the ship we greeted and served champagne and/or juice. Our party of 10 split up to check our rooms and agreed to meet for lunch at the Ocean View Cafe.

CABIN: Our cabin was 6126 - unobstructed balcony. I usually check this out, but we discovered we were above the Equinox Theatre and could slightly hear the music when entertainment was in progress. We were usually out so this did not bother us too much considering the price we paid for the cruise which included a free beverage package and credit. The room was nice and the bed very comfortable. The bathroom amenities were nice, but we noticed they were not replaced as often as on previous cruises. We had to ask for shampoo and soap as the little bar got thinner and thinner. Also, the nightly mint on the pillow is gone - we had one chocolate coated oreo cookie one night only. Read more