01-17-2010 Disembarking in San Diego

We arrived in San Diego early Sunday morning, with clear cool skies and fresh air. Even though our ship docked at 7am, we didn’t disembark until after 10 am. Once more the heightened terror alerts seemed to slow the process way down, at least that was the excuse given. With a plane to catch before noon we were both getting a bit stressed, but we didn’t realize that the airport was just a few blocks from the dock. Everything went smoothly and we made our flight in time. It helped that our flight was delayed a bit.

Thinking back on the cruise, we decided that we liked many things about Celebrity. Little things matter, and the service throughout the entire cruise was impeccable. We especially appreciated the little things like fresh water and ice in our room every single morning and evening and not having to buy bottled water.

The fancy folded towels were missing, but water meant a lot more than towel animals on the bed at night! We were also provided with comfy terry robes which were replaced each time we used them. Our cabin was very spacious and comfortable, the beds were great and the bathrooms were especially roomy.

The food was fantastic. This was my fifth cruise and it was the first one that met the ideal of what I imagined '”cruise food” to be. The Grand Buffet’s twice at brunch was a great idea. The Seaside Cafe salads were always amazingly fresh and tasty. The food in the dining room at dinner was always very good and the service was wonderful all the time. Ice cream was free, but it certainly wasn’t Ben and Jerry quality.

The ship was small, but still felt roomy, and there were lots of places to hang out that didn’t feel crowded. Sometimes it seemed as though there really wasn’t enough entertainment, with the two mid ship bars often closed and dark. We used them anyway to play cards, but it would have been nice to have some afternoon music and light in them.

The production shows were fabulous, top quality shows, with excellent talent. Perry Grant in the piano bar was funny and entertaining, but it would have been nice to have more entertainment overall. It was a quiet ship with an older clientele. I think we saw less than 10 children on the ship, maybe less than 5, and only one baby.

The lectures were informational and entertaining. They had a scrapbooking class but it seemed expensive. They also had language lessons, but the timing was often wrong for trying to get in on the lectures. What I would wish for on a ship would be art classes, watercolor painting, pastels, or something like that. I would also love some cooking classes, and would like for things to be scheduled at different times so you could actually enjoy everything.

We loved the fact that the ship had excellent elevators with clear signs and maps in good locations showing exactly where you were on the ship and how to get where you were going. Getting around was very easy, without having to wonder whether we were fore or aft, port or starboard.

Overall, it was a good cruise and a lovely ship. However, I still find myself looking forward to going again on one of the really big ships like the Oasis of the Seas. It’s funny, when it all comes down to it, some things are good, some not so good, and most cruise lines I have been on have something to enjoy. I think maybe Princess might be my favorite for the time being.