Plans changed on the way south to Florida so I was more concerned with resting than touring. My wife and her sister went shopping. We always enjoy Celebrity and weren't disappointed.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
To explain the title, we were scheduled to take the Autotrain from Virginia to Florida. We arrived on time, gave Amtrak our car and settled in to wait for boarding. At 2:30 they announced boarding was to begin at 3:30. At 2:45 they announced that there was a freight train derailment blocking the tracks in Georgia and our train was cancelled. On top of that corporate legal told them they couldn't back the cars of the transport carriages because of liability issues. They eventually arranged to haul four of the carriages down the track at a time, turn them around, push them back to the station so that the cars could drive off forwards. We were in the first 30 cars unloaded. We got our car close to 7 pm. We then had to do a 17 hour drive to get to Ft. Lauderdale to get to our pre cruise hotel the next evening.
Once we got to the port, things were great. We were booked into the Retreat. Special line, private security screening, fully stocked waiting room. (I had smoked salmon and roast beef sandwiches while waiting to board.) RHIP.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We ate in Luminae for breakfast and dinner and most lunches. We did Sushi on 5 for one lunch. Both were excellent.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
My wife enjoyed the activities she attended. I brought an e-book.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
As always, everyone was well trained and attentive. The wait staff at Luminae were superb.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Small but adequate balcony with a view of the bridge wing control station. Great windows looking out over the bow of the ship. We had a dining area, a living room with a couch, a sitting area by one of the front windows, a good sized bedroom but a relatively small bathroom.
Ship tip
Understand that this line caters to an older crowd and is more elegant than glitzy.
Fast and efficient. My sister in law has trouble walking so we accompanied her wheel chair off the ship through a lower deck to avoid the multi story gangway. The only problem was the long walk to the parking garage and then the drive back to pick everyone up.
Your post confirms why we all MUST arrive at our departure point well in advance, at least the night before, and not try and be clever by cutting things tight.
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