We chose this cruise because it was 5 nights and fitted in with our plans perfectly. Also Celebrity had been recommended to us by neighbours as being a little more "upscale" than Royal Caribbean, NCL, MSC and P&O, and probably similar to Cunard. After 27 cruises mostly on MSC, NCL and RC this was the 1st time on Celebrity and we were excited about getting on the ship, particularly as we had purchased the premium drinks package!

Embarkation was smooth and relaxed; we'd flown in from London a couple of days before and had had a great time in Fort Lauderdale so we were chilled anyway. We walked around the ship and were very impressed generally with the state of the ship - some of the previous reviews I'd read gave the impression that it was practically rusting away with just flaky paint and faded wood holding it together! Not true at all, the odd sign here and there that it is a sea going vessel and has been for many years! The deck areas were clean and the inside areas were fresh and the ship looked well maintained.

We then went to the buffet for a snack and a drink, and that was fine - clearly a bit hectic as it was embarkation day but we managed to find a table without any problem. After the announcement that staterooms were ready we went to ours (9000) and were greeted by Jan, our cabin attendant. He was very friendly and proved to be an excellent attendant for the whole of the cruise, always keeping our stateroom immaculate. A big thank you to him. The cabin itself was impressive - an ocean view but with a sofa and an additional table and two comfortable chairs. Beds were great too. Read more