Celebrity Beyond Review and Insights

Debuting in Summer 2022, the third out of five Edge-Class series, Celebrity Beyond truly takes guests beyond expectations. The magnificent Celebrity Beyond is slightly larger at 140,600 gross tons compared to the two sister ships, Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Apex, each 129,500 gross tons. This third ship in the series is also slightly longer and includes an additional deck, two more pools, hot tubs, and an additional specialty restaurant. 

Stepping onto the ship is a warm greeting from the crew and the first impression that this ship is truly something wonderful. A short walk to the forward or aft elevators greets you with state-of-the-art technology where the lights around the elevator doors flash green for up or red for down. Not only is it a cool feature, but hearing-impaired guests will find this an easy way to recognize when the lift is ready to board. 

Across the ship, sunlight fills the public areas during the day, and in the evening, the ship is transformed by beautiful soft lighting. Public areas are easily accessible for all guests, and the decor is modern, fresh, and simplistic but without being boring. The art throughout the ship is interesting, with a few pieces being playful and downright giggle-inducing. 

Dining

The main dining restaurants, Cosmopolitan, Cyprus, Normandie, and Tuscan Restaurants, are all beautifully decorated and themed with menu options to match and standard selections available at all locations. Additional included options are Eden Cafe, Mast Grill, Oceanview, and Spa Cafes for more casual dining.

Adding to the dining options are an abundance of specialty restaurants such as Blu for Aqua-class and Luminae for Retreat guests. Other flat-fee specialty venues include Dinner on the Edge, Eden Restaurant, Fine Cut Steakhouse, Le Grand Bistro, Le Petit Chef, Le Voyage, Magic Carpet, and Raw on 5. 

While the time onboard was limited to just two days, I was able to get a reservation at Raw on 5 to experience the sushi and other seafood options available. Overall the menu had a nice variety of options at a la carte pricing. The spicy seafood soup was just the right mix of heat and flavor, chalked full of seafood, and had my husband raving. In fact, he proclaimed it to be the best soup he had ever tasted. A high compliment indeed from someone who considers himself a soup aficionado (amateur league, of course). The Lotus seafood plateaux was plenty for two people to share and included some of the largest oysters I’ve ever seen. 

Overall there is not a bad choice to be made when it comes to dining onboard Celebrity Beyond. Be sure to book specialty dining options as early as possible to ensure first choices are available. 

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Cabins

Spacious, light, and bright are just a few adjectives to describe the cabins onboard Celebrity Beyond. The spacious aft-view Sunset Veranda (category SV) cabin, similar to all the balcony categories, offers one of the largest bathrooms at sea in a non-suite category. Guests will find a huge walk-in shower, plenty of vanity space, and multiple shelves offering plenty of storage for up to four passengers. The closet included a few drawers and a stand-alone dresser next to the room vanity for more storage. The lighting at the sit-down room vanity offered the perfect place for hair and make-up, with several plug options available in a decorative box (see pic). 

All staterooms are equipped with a touchscreen control panel for lighting and air conditioning settings. Additionally, all stateroom bathrooms have full-size shampoo, conditioner, and body wash affixed to the wall in the shower, as well as body lotion on the sink vanity. Regardless of category, all staterooms have plush bath robes to enjoy during the cruise, a mini-fridge, a hairdryer, and interactive television. 

Room service is available 24 hours a day, but there is a late-night delivery fee of $4.95 for orders placed between 11 pm and 6 am. The room service menu offers a variety of options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night munchies. 

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Activities/Entertainment

There is no shortage of things to do and experience while onboard. Dance the night away in The Club or Eden, take in a Broadway-style show in the state-of-the-art main theatre, try your hand in the casino or enjoy the music in the Grand Plaza. The ship is filled with comfortable bars and nooks. Honestly, there is no shortage of live music throughout the day and evening hours. 

A truly unique opportunity is the Hot Glass Class for learning about glass blowing. Pulse Barre, HIIT, and other fitness classes are available to get your blood pumping. 

Families can put their heads together for S.T.E.M. at sea or take a behind-the-scenes galley tour. The popular Deal or No Deal game show is a great family-friendly experience. Kids aged 3 to 17 can experience more than 500 activities in their own dedicated area, Camp at Sea. For teens aged 13-17, there is a dedicated Teen Spa. 

The spa offers a plethora of relaxing treatments to calm the mind, body, and spirit, or take in a morning yoga class on deck. 

Deck 14 is where you find the main pool area and hot tubs and the solarium pool and hot tubs. Upward to Dec 15, the Rooftop Garden area is home to two infinity pools with amazing sea views, and for suite guests, Deck 17 is home to The Retreat pool and hot tubs. 

The daily program and onboard app will provide all entertainment and activities details. Also, be prepared for theme nights and special events throughout your cruise. 

Honorable Mention

This may not be what you are expecting in a ship review, but I have to say the public restrooms throughout the ship are the nicest at sea. These public facilities are noteworthy, from the automatic door that opens with the wave of your hand to the beautifully decorated stalls. Each one I visited had plenty of stalls and handwashing stations, so there was never a line. Equipped with paper and linen hand towels and lighting that can only be described as flattering, it made the public restroom experience one that I would be remiss in not mentioning. 

I can only attest to the loveliness of the ladies' rooms, but my husband assures me that the men's facilities were equally as nice, but as he reported, “I didn’t spend much time hanging out noticing the decor.” Typical man. 

Final Thoughts

Truly one of the most beautiful ships at sea, Celebrity Beyond delivers an experience to exceed all expectations and, as the tagline says, Journey WonderFULL. While my time onboard was limited to only two nights, it has certainly left me wanting more and looking forward to a longer voyage on this exciting new ship. It has also left me eagerly anticipating Celebrity Ascent debuting in late 2023 and the fifth ship in the series, which has yet to be named and is expected to be delivered in 2024. 

Solo travelers, couples, and families with children of all ages and multi-generational families are sure to make memories to last a lifetime. Celebrity Beyond is perfect for travelers looking for a sophisticated atmosphere, a plethora of dining options, and all the amenities of the most renowned land-based resorts. 

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