I also am in the Elite Plus category of Celebrity. For a first time cruise, I would suggest a 10 night Western Caribbean cruise. You will have some nice ports with great beaches. I would not suggest a Christmas cruise - these are the most expensive and most crowded of the year. The perfect time for a Caribbean cruise is April or October. Least expensive time of the year and pretty much perfect weather in the Caribbean.
For a good on-line travel agency, I would recommend CruCon.com. They will give on-board credits and usually will include all gratuities prepaid.
Tell them you are Florida residents over 55. That is a discount. On some cruises with Celebrity, you also get a discount if you are a veteran or if you own stock with RCL.
Have fun.
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