As a relocation cruise this cruise was extremely enjoyable. Currencies didn't have to be exchanged and Ports of call were all excellent. The officers, (who were highly visible and accessible on a number of occasions) staff, and crew on this ship are some of the very best we have ever encountered in our vast sailings. They went above and beyond to make certain your expectations or request were exceeded. They made this voyage extremely enjoyable. The ship although a little dated is comfortable. If the shore excursions situations had been better and the chaos at embarkation and the long wait at disembarkation had not occurred we would have rated this as one of our best cruises. As it is it was very enjoyable and we would not hesitate sailing on the Infinity again.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
Embarkation in San Diego was maybe our worst ever and we have sailed over 560 days. Only 2 security (TSA) agents we waited in que for well over an hour just to get to scanners. Maybe it would have better earlier or later as we arrived at the pier around 1:00 PM
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
I have seen many criticisms of the premium drink package, it worked exactly as promised we did not pay for one drink or the taxes on them or the service charge once we were onboarrd. The food was simply outstanding. We dined in Luminae and the service and presentation and the taste was phenominal, simply superb. Wehad dinner in the Tuscan Grill 4 times and the service by Bob abd Walter was outstanding. The first night I had the 9 oz filet medium rare and it may have been the best steak I have ever had. I cannotg say enough about Tuscan and I would recommend to all. We also dined in Chic - now Le Petitie Chef and the concept was entertaining and very different from other cruise lines we've been on. One should try it because of its novelty. The staff was extremely attentive and eager to please.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We enjoyed the wine and food pariing and the around the world with wines very much and felt both were worth the additional charge. We also took the behind the scenes tour and found this enlightening and fascinating and it was nice to see how the ship runs. Unlike other ships we were allowed in the engine room and on the bridge both of which were very well presented.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our room staff, our butler, the Michael's club concierge Shelia and its bar tenders Francisco and Anna were some of the best we have had at sea. They went out of their way to assure that our expectations and requests were met or exceeeded. The Matre D's at Luminae, Tuscan Grille and Le Petite Chef were wonderful we never waited longer than 2 -3 minutes to be seated. The staff's of each of those restaurats we're extremely attentive yet not obtrusive. Celebrity Infinity food and beverage personnel deserve 6 stars on a 5 star scale!
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship is aging a bit, and the decor is obviously older. Some areas are crowded and not easily negotiated during busy times.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Ship tip
I would give the cabin a 5 as it was the biggest suite we've ever been in with a seperate bedroom and a dining living room area with floor to ceiling windows looking out on the narrow verandah and ocean. The design of the bathroom and shower are not as nice as on other ships the drop floor the tub/whirlpool to the floor is almost 3 feet and there are no rails to hold onto. Also guests who need to use the restroom have to go through your bedroom. Still we would have given it a 5 except we were directly under the Lido deck and the moving of tables and chairs began some morning around 4:00 AM. Once we made this known they pushed back the rearraninging of Ping Pong tables and dining tables and chairs until a little later 5:30- 6:00 AM but it was still there.
We had a wonderful time on the Wine Edventure tour our guide was knowledgable and imparted many educational points regarding wine and wine making in and around santa Barbara.
We love Monterey and there is much to see there, the aquarium, Carmel, Pebble Beack, 17 mile drive. However I believe that because this was a relocation cruise Celebrity's excursion department didn't have established relationsjips with shore vendors, hence there were some issues. Monterey is a tender port and after tendering to shore our group waited over an hour on the dock in a cold, damp mist. We were told there simply were'nt enough buses. How can that be you know how many tickets you've sold ? Once on a bus our guide was amazing and she made up for the bad start with her wit, humor and knowledge she was absolutley superb. However upon retruning to the ship we found that others had been crammed onto shore excursion busess some folks even having to stand during portions of their drives.
We've been to San Francisco many times and so the first day we went out on our own. The second day our Napa valley wine train excursion was supposed to depart at 6:15 AM for the 8:45 train departure out of Napa and tgwo winery toours plus a gourmet luncheon on board. When we got to the designated assembly point we were told we wouldn't be departing until 8:30 AM no explanation was given just meet in the parking lot at 8:30. At 8:30 we assembled in the parking lot only to wait until 9:20 for a bus to arrive. Our drive to Napa was uneventful but upon arrival at the station we were told we would be taking just the train ride and having our gourment luncheon. NO WINERY TOURS as advertised and explained during the shore excursions presentations, and that our ride up to the end of the line and then only half way back as we had to get back to the ship. Since we had time in the train station I asked the personnel if the 8:45 departure and vineyard tours had been cancelled and was told it went off on time visting Robert Mondavi and Opus 1 wineries. I also asked what the ride and luncheon we were going on cost and was told $ 139.00 about 1/3 of what we had paid.
Victoria Island is a gem. Our excursion to Butchart Gardens and Craigddoch castle was excellent and our driver even allowed some of us to be dropped off in the bustling city center.
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