Carnival Celebration is a beautiful ship. It's in it inaugural season so there may be a few hiccups but I had no issues that would prevent me from sailing on her again. Carnival does casual dining the best out of all cruise lines, and Celebration continues this tradition. I prefer the traditional pizza shop to that of Miami Slice, but I see the need to offer pizza in slices versus entire pies to try to reduce waste. The ship never seemed crowded; notwithstanding the elevator congestion or busier wait times at prime dining hours. The staff were overwhelmed at times but were always professional if not always obsequious and fawning.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation went smoothly but could have gone better had they organized and adhered to zones versus the free for all they accommodated. Embarkation still wasn't horrible, it just could have been less jockeying. Rooms were ready when we boarded. That's always a plus and you can't beat the new Muster process.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
I enjoyed the meals. Portions were noticeably smaller. I actually found this to be a positive. I prefer to ask for seconds rather than waste food. The Thanksgiving Day meal naturally wasn't how it would have been cooked at home, but I didn't expect it would be. Shaq's Big Chicken is a definite win. Cucina del Capitano was a win, but I prefer the restaurant menu and experience on other ships where the venue isn't complimentary. I thought the service in all dining venues was pretty good. They were busy and learning a new ship so it took time to get into a groove. Dining service was noticeably better towards the last couple of days.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The usual with the inclusion of Bolt. I didn't try it. Trivia, karaoke, dance class, bingo, movies under the stars.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Live entertainment was plentiful and great. Production shows were a miss for me. Center Stage is a fail and not enjoyable for how they tried to use it. The first formal night entertainment in the Main Theatre was Love and Marriage. I like this show but I didn't think it was sufficient for a formal night presentation in the Main Theatre. I can wear my shorts and jeans to see this no need to dress my best to watch Love & Marriage. Next night Family Feud in Main Theatre with other performances in the Grand Central Station they call Center Stage which is not a suitable venue for the pre/after dinner entertainment I've come to expect while cruising. Once they finally got around to presenting an actual production show, I had lost interest in trying to catch a stage performance presented in the right venue. If you want to sip cocktails and listen to live music throughout the ship, then this ship will accommodate that. It does not compete on the scale of entertainment offered by NCL or RCL or even CCL ships in the smaller class where you can reliably count on dinner and a show.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I had a wonderful room steward, Putu, Deck 9 forward. Rooms are still only being serviced once daily, morning or afternoon. That works fine for me. Dining staff were overwhelmed and on a new ship, but I found them friendly, engaging, and eager to please. Bartenders across the ship did their thing.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
I was fine with the ships design and layout for the most part. Elevators need work. They are plentiful but small. It was often necessary to go down to go up. Midship Elevators cause congestion in a major throughway on Deck 6. It seems with modern technology they can employ a system of having Elevator assignment the way modern office buildings work to herd people going to same place versus the system of not knowing which Elevator will open on what floor and although you've been waiting for some time the Elevator further away opens and is filled by those that just showed up. Timing is everything in those Elevator banks.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
As a soli traveler, I had plenty of room in this fireard facing balcony stateroom. The bathroom is a tight squeeze but functional with glass shower door. The balcony view was disappointing. I expected water views but it looks out onto the deck below. The balcony partition is paneled not clear glass. It's smaller than expected to be called extended. It has to chair's and a table. The lights are keyboard controlled. If you like a dark room, the keycard needs to be removed for the always on bathroom light to turn off but this of course also turns the air off which they seem to turn off at a certain time anyway causing the room to get hot and sleep slightly uncomfortable.
Ship tip
Use forward and aft elevators. They are typically less busy than midship elevators. Check-in to dine sooner than later wait times were as long as an hour some nights.
Beautiful beaches. Guided city tour in an air-conditioned bus with lunch provided some of the history of this beautiful island and allowed a glimpse into the daily life of islanders.
First time at the Carnival port. I like that the passport stamp spot is right there in the center of things. Ventured out to top 10 spots including Central Park, the baseball stadium, umbrella street. Great locations for photos. So much to see and do or makes for a great beach day as well.
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