We had a great time on this trip, on our first Transatlantic Cruise.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
There’s always a lot of hubbub and confusion when arriving but these guys had a speedy and efficient process. The main pinch points were on-boarding ramps big enough for two people or more but monopolized by one person with physical difficulties or handicaps, or just plain slow people who seemed to be unconcerned about others. It was a lot like driving on the freeway and being behind someone driving 35 mph.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
I really had trouble with the food, although I don't think this was the experience others had. I have to eat "clean" because of severe allergies, and avoid certain things. The main dining room doesn't go far enough to accommodate this so we only ate there twice on a 15 day cruise. The buffet gave us more choices like a salad bar, but there are still lots of processed foods used in their recipes. That's a shame, since I think there are some talented chefs on board.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
You have to pace yourself on a transatlantic cruise and spend time getting to know people, which we enjoyed. You can hang out with a book, or go to the spa, or take part in any of the activities, games and events scheduled all day long.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We thought their theatre performers were top notch. The house band, which plays in the atrium every night was also very good.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
We experienced very good service and friendly staff. The ship was clean and well cared for, and the staff always went out of their way to answer a question or deal with an issue
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
We've been on several cruises and this was one of the nicest ships. The Persian Garden in the spa was something we paid extra for and were very happy with that.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was virtually identical to the balcony cabin on the Celebrity Solstice, which we we went on the year prior. A small refrigerator held the bottle of champagne we brought onboard with us, and there's a hairdryer one can use by the desk. Note- there are no useable plugins in the bathroom unless you're really tall and can reach the ceiling, so if you use an electric shaver or hair dryer, keep this in mind. The shower was fine and has lots of adjustments for position, temp and pressure.
The port is easy to reach if you're staying overnight at a nearby hotel (some have shuttles, and the taxis are inexpensive). It's well laid-out to accommodate throngs, but the area is also beautiful.
It was easy to walk around, and go see the museum right next to the port. It's well worth it. There's not a lot of typical cruise line "shopping" which can be a plus if you're tired of the usual ports that want to sell you jewelry. Grab an excursion for the day if you want to learn more about Ireland and cover more territory. Well worth it.
Surprisingly fun stop, although it was short and we had to be on board by 3 pm. It was enough time to go through a couple museums and grab a meal. Shops are nearby and there's lots to do within walking distance. Bravo to the Liverpool port management for the splendid send-off with wonderful music and confetti! That was an absolute treat and so memorable. I can't imagine they do this for every ship, but it was such fun. We also found people lining up along the street and honking and waving as the ship pulled out.
Fascinating town and so much to see and do here. Grab a hop on hop off bus tour and let that be your intro to Dublin, and then adventure out from there. We also booked a trip on Viator for a visit to Galway and Cliffs of Moher, which is all do-able within one day, with enough time to hang out at the pub afterward.
Easy peasy. Your bags will be waiting for you in the port, and these were easy to spot. We grabbed a cab which was not difficult. The loading of the cabs was a bit tedious, and could have been set up better so that more people could be loaded and packed up at the same time, but this was a minor issue that can be easily fixed.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
