“Evaluation of the 14-night cruise by Dr. Richard Julien”
Dear sir/madame,
As a frequent cruiser (7 times?) with Celebrity, this one was the worst adventure. While the food and service were consistently good, we only once had access to a pool or hot tub.
Specifically, we were never made aware that it was considered a family cruise and the 650 kids metaphorically took over the ship. The two outdoor pools are basically wading pools but are usually a cool respite from the 30-33C sun.
However, the adult pool became the children's pool as well because the cut-off for a child was listed as 12 years of age. Really. So unfair. We only got near to the pool when there was a series of excursions to Rome. We stayed aboard.
The kids even invaded the adults' section (hot tub) of the Solarium without being told to leave by Celebrity staff, and were also at the many bars with their parents. While the parents drank cocktails, their children had soft drinks. This left little space for many of the passengers.
On a two-week cruise, this was a great inconvenience to what we had been accustomed to with Celebrity. We have informed our travel agent who should have alerted us to the notion of a family cruise on a ship that is ill-equipped to address the needs of both adults and children simultaneously.
Sincerely,
Dr. Richard Julien