Generally wonderful first cruise. Now if they fix the a/c...
Celebrity Infinity Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
Contributor Level:
Second Mate
Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Reviews: 5
Helpful Votes: 230
5 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)
Sail date: November 24, 2018
Ship: Celebrity Infinity
Cabin type: Suite
Cabin number: 8117
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
This cruise is perfect for first timers, people who want to relax (this is not a party boat although there were some fun parties), and people who enjoy being pampered. If you're used to doing a lot on sea days you might be disappointed, although we filled every day with some type of activity. We did spend time in our cabin on the balcony, just relaxing. We loved the Silent Disco (there were two but we only attended one). We met some interesting people and made some new friends that I expect we'll meet up with later on. If you're old enough to be an AARP member I recommend booking through them. We got and extra $200 in on board credit from them. We also booked the Go Better, Go Best package. If I remember correctly, it cost us $300 each - above the basic suite rate. This package comes with the Premium drink package, free internet for 2 devices (you can use the log in on any device but only 2 at a time), free gratuities, and $300 in on board credit. This was a great deal, I think. Watch for it. I saw it offered on Balcony and Oceanview cabins. The credit is based on the total cost of the cabin you select. Our only real complaint had to do with the a/c. As I mentioned elsewhere the problem was fixed for our cabin but a/c was inconsistent throughout most of the ship. The Celebrity Theater, Luminae, Blu, and most other restaurants we went to had decent a/c. Public gathering areas - bars, lounges, the casino, and the Emporium - all had fluctuating a/c. The ship had engineers working on it (we were told) but you could never count an a space to be constantly cool. One evening the ice bar at Crush was melting in spots. But everything else was so good I can't really let the a/c issue lower my score. We went on just 1 excursion and while that wasn't perfect we did learn some things about Cozumel.Embarkation
We arrived early (around 10:30. Celebrity gets people off the ship by 9:45 which allows them to start boarding by 11. We had priority boarding as suite guests and were first on board around 10:45. Super effecient process.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Every meal was very good or excellent. Most meals were in in Luminae (for suite guests). I'd book a suite again just to eat there. Excellent service every meal. Tuscan Grille was very good. Sushi on 5 was excellent. The buffet (lunch twice) was very good. Lots of variety. However, finding a table in a cool area was a challenge. Some guests did not understand buffet etiquette. There's a line. If a certain dish is getting low there will be more - you don't have to jump in front of someone to get the last piece of something.
Onboard Activities
Because this was our first cruise we had plenty to do on sea days. However, after sitting through a seminar on booking excursions (nothing new here that we didn't already know from researching ahead of the cruise) and one on shopping in Cozumel (do people really go there to buy jewelry, watches and expensive sheets?) we could have spent that time more wisely. Bingo was exciting even if expensive. $39, $49, $59 depending on how many cards you played. There were only 3 games but the last game was where the excitement was - the prize was $40,000 if you got a blackout bingo in 45 numbers or less. No winners this cruise although someone one the previous cruise. We spent a lot of time just walking around, discovering the ship.
Entertainment
I managed to get to only 2 shows but both were excellent. The first, iBroadway, was a Broadway review. All the performers were great singers and dancers. They covered a lot of shows, ending with Hairspray which brought down the house. The other show was a comedian who had me laughing out loud the entire show. Don't show up late to this one! A guy caught a fish...
Service and Staff
Everyone we encountered was friendly and ready to help with anything we needed. Our butler, Rene, was the best. Our concierge, Sheila, was also very helpful. We love Olga, the Customer Service Manager.
Ship Quality
As this was our first cruise we felt the size of the ship was just right for us. I know newer ships have more modern design but Infinity looked like what I expected an ocean liner to look like. I noticed staff continually cleaning.
Cabin / Stateroom
This is a Sky Suite 1, a lower level suite. The room is wider than most cabins, with a bigger bathroom which included a tub. We also had a full size sofa that was also a comfortable double bed and an easy chair. There was plenty of storage. The closet was huge. We brought a lot of clothes (we were doing a back-to-back) and didn't fill the closet. There was room under the bed for our 3 smaller (carry-on size) suitcases. Our larger suitcase went into the closet and was out of the way. The balcony was wider, of course, and had 2 chairs that could be adjusted as loungers. When we entered the cabin the first time we were greeted with a tray of apples, fresh flowers, and an ice bucket holding a bottle of champagne. The bathroom had plenty of storage, as well, including space on either side of the sink. The toilet was not tucked into a corner. There was no outlet in the bathroom so the hair dryer was in a cabinet attached to the desk/vanity in the room. We had a chair with a back for the desk. There were 2 US outlets and 2 European. We brought a portable outlet extension but did not use it. Instead we used a European outlet adapter that had one US plug and 2 USB outlets. That gave us just enough outlets and nothing took up any desk space. We had a problem with a/c when we first boarded but it was not specific to the cabin. The entire deck was hot. There was an issue with a/c the entire cruise but the cabin got nice and cool by the evening of embarkation day and stayed cool the entire cruise. We would go back to the cabin when other areas of the ship got too hot.
Ship tip
Get a Sky Suite for the extra space, priority boarding and THE BUTLER!!!
Thumbs up
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Ports of call
We booked the Best of Cozumel with Shopping through the Cruise Planner when it was on sale. This is a small bus tour that stops at Discover Mexico Park, Playa Mia for a chocolate demonstration, El Mirador on the east coast, a tequila distillery in the center of the island, and a small tourist shopping mall in town. Knowing what I know now, I will rent a car next time to I can spend more time at Discover Mexico Park and try to go to El Mirador at low tide when the coral/limestone bridge is visible. Discover Mexico Park also does chocolate and tequila demonstrations so one stop there will eliminate two from this tour. I did not appreciate the push for us to buy black coral at a store at the distillery. My understanding is it's illegal to bring into the US, regardless of how it's harvested. I would also have preferred to spend more time in town. Cozumel is hot and humid most of the time so I could skip some outdoor venues if I travel on my own. There are several beaches close to the port and I understand it's only a few dollars to take a taxi to them. Some of them are resorts and charge a fee for access.
Disembarkation
Wow! 15 minutes from the lounge (where we waited for word that our bags were in the terminal) to the taxi. Another reason to book a suite. Our bags were in the first area you see when you get to the baggage area. There was a porter there to help us. We passed the long line (that was moving pretty quickly) and went to a dedicated line for suite guests. It happened so fast it's almost a blur.