This was my first Celebrity cruise, and based on my experience, I will consider cruising with them again, but probably on a smaller ship, and depending on the destination.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very quick in Sydney. Took only about 15 minutes. BUT, they de not warn you that a special visa for New Zealand was needed. I had them, so no issues. But heard lots of complaints from others.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Overall, good, but there were a few dishes that were over-salted or over-cooked. Nice selection of options, and a nice display of chocolate related items for Easter.
Cyprus Restaurant
5 out of 5
Our main restaurant with a nice table for two. Wait staff was excellent, knowing your name and needs from day one. Able to order food from any of the dining rooms was a big plus.
Eden Café
2 out of 5
Not as good as expected. Bread options for the standard sandwiches were a little odd and sometimes stale. Carvery was erratic as one day as a nice cut of meat while the next day was a paper-thin wafer. Breakfast options were similar. I wouldn’t have anything except the salads in the future.
Mast Grill
3 out of 5
Too limited in only hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries.
Café Al Bacio
3 out of 5
Always crowded, but they worked to get things done quickly.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Lots of fun with the Trivia games. Prizes for the winners were only little trinkets.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The speakers and musicians were excellent. The broadway style shows were average.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Magic Carpet was nothing special. Entrance to Eden was a sort of mystical forest. Fun at first walk-through … getting a little weirder every time after. Oceanview Cafe was a little tight with the chair layout.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Size was ok, and infinite veranda was a nice touch. This room was just below the Cafe, which meant a little extra noise in the morning. Worst part as that the cafe meant that the floor above us was extended out by at least 10 feet. This limited the views when we were in port or viewing the Sounds. It would be better to be on floor 9 or 10 in the same style room.
Ship tip
Go with standard dining and order from any menu. Wait staff takes good care of you from day one. I didn’t see a need for any of the specialty dining.
Amazing views of all of the sounds. According to the cruise director, we had the best weather of any of the previous times they had traveled here. We had an incident with a passenger needing immediate medical transport. Luckily the local airstrip was within tender distance, so we watched as the person was taken ashore and flown onto the hospital - probably in Dunedin. I hope they did well.
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