I am probably the last person on earth who has not taken a cruise. This blog was written on the Celebrity Silhouette en route from Antigua to St. Maarten. We had a great time! Three formal nights were scheduled, and one was New Year’s Eve. As we cruised from St. Maarten to the Bahamas, we crossed the time line and celebrated New Year’s twice! Our butler, Jesus, was tops. He took care of our every need without being intrusive. We always had breakfast in the room and enjoyed tea service in the evening. Jesus made all the necessary reservations and made the trip very enjoyable. Meals were spectacular, as was the friendly and attentive service of everyone on board. The holidays were celebrated with Christmas shows, songs, movies, decorations and a delicious Christmas brunch.

Celebrity used to run some great television commercials which showed returning guests back in their real world lives. One was particularly poignant. It featured a man taking out the garbage in front of his house. He slipped into a daze as he dropped the bag into the waste can for pick up and said, “My butler delivered tea at 4 p.m. every day.” I think I know what that will be like after a worry-free trip full of opulence.

— Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO