The bad bits mentioned here only, to help you decide if you can accept these compromises. We will stick to small ships and developed destinations from hereon.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very swift and easy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Celebrity has taken away so many facilities just to fit in more cabins. Not even a good store on board for buying holiday essentials - well not unless you need bad art and overpriced jewellery. Murano Specialty Restaurant was lovely with great service. Qzine was noisy with staff hovering around tables talking loudly to diners. Tuscan was good but basic. They all served the standard of meals we were used to on previous cruise ship general dining rooms. Guessing if they keep the main dining room food poor, then passengers will pay to eat at the Specialty Dining Rooms. The buffet was good but remained unchanged for the full 2 week cruise.
Champagne Bar / Martini Bar
5 out of 5
This was the centre point of our entertainment for 2 whole weeks. The bar staff there did more to entertain us than anyone else. No wonder it was difficult to get a seat there each evening.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Indoor swimming pool only. Outside is one paddling pool and one dip pool for thousands of passengers. Plenty of cabins though! Fitness centre was always overcrowded.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
f you are in the UK, you'll understand when we describe the entertainment as Butlins style! Very amateur and, other than those theater shows each night, there was very little else. A couple of dances by the pool but few went to them as everyone seemed to be in bed by 10pm. We were the only 2 people in the nightclub on more than one occasion - and we are grandparents!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
As usual, the staff rely on their added tips so, of course, the service is always good.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Cleanliness is first class but this is a big block of floating hotel rooms and not much else. Who ever thought that passenger wanted THIS kind of cruising over the former smaller ships that provided so much more entertainment, pools and facilities? Madnes!
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
No one told us that, by paying extra for the sunset verandha at the very back of the ship, we would not be able to open our balcony doors at night or use the balcony in the mornings due to the excessive smoke and soot from the ship's funnels!
Ship tip
This is no more than a floating hotel room. Very few facilities on board so not one to be stuck on with days at sea.
More third world than Mombasa Kenya! Filthy and unsafe. Stay on the ship! I did venture out to hug a Sloth though so that was the only good thing about this place. The roads were full of holes and treacherous.
Nothing here but a man made port full of souvenir shops and some trapped Dolphins forced to swim with hoards of passengers and their kids. Chitchen Itza is the only trip - very far away and very costly.
This was the better port. We took the 7 hour coach journey that went from the Caribbean Ocean over to the Pacific Ocean. A very quick look around Panama City (which was clean and more developed), then over to Miraflores Locks where we saw NO SHIPS on the Panama Canal. Not One! If you don't get there after 3:30pm, you will never see a ship on this part of the Canal. Celebrity Reflection refunded only one third of the cost of the excursion for wasting our time.
Plenty of shops near the port. We went to Mr Sanchos All inlcusive Beach Resort a few miles away. Paid $15 for a taxi each way and $49 each to get in. It was a tiny little beach full of sunbeds with lots of souvenir shops and a bar and grill.
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