Dec 19 Christmas Cruise - Carnival Celebration

Carnival Celebration Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 35

Overall rating:

4.5 out of 5
Verified Review
Carnival Celebration

8 Night Eastern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 19, 2022

Ship: Carnival Celebration

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 14295

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Overall the ship is great, as one would expect with a new ship, and the crew seemed eager to please. We have sailed on Carnival in the past so know what to expect in terms of service, meals, and entertainment. Despite being at near capacity of 6700 passengers, deck chairs at the Lido pool or in the vicinity were not hard to come by. There are several pools, and the Serenity area seems to be larger than on smaller ships. Bar service and restaurant service was great, sometimes excellent, sometimes just okay, but with a new ship and probably some new crew members, all in all they did a great job. We have been to all t he ports in the past, and everybody has their own opinions of what they want to do or see in a port, so to me it is really what you want to do that counts, not so much the actual port. We did choose this cruise to experience the new ship, since we have been to these ports, but certainly had a great time in all 4 ports. I will say that the change to the sliding door on the balcony cabins to the balcony and the solid glass shower door that has been used on the Mardi Gras and Celebration are very welcomed upgrades from previous ships. Some say it makes the bathroom feel smaller, but it is still a cruise ship bathroom, and it is what it is.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Children's Programs

Our kids are older (college age)

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Ship still similar to previous Carnival ships, but with some improvements in cabins, as well as added features. Plenty of restaurant options, especially if on the Your Time Dining option.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Loved the new sliding door out to balcony, and the solid glass shower door.

Ship tip

The main showroom is fine, and seating provides good view angles. The Center Stage area however, is not designed very well, in my opinion, as views are cut off by the ceiling on deck 6, as well as the surrounding shops add noise to the show. The views on decks 7 and 8 are better, but very few seats. Carnival should add repeat times for the shows each day to accommodate all who want to go.

Ports of call

Grand Turk Island

4 out of 5
A good intermediate stop, but outside of the beach and Margaritaville resort, the sightseeing on the island is still limited. Not the fault of the island or Carnival, its just a quick port to break up sea days in my opinion.

Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic

5 out of 5
There is actually a lot to do in Amber Cove, both with Carnival excursions or independently, and all can be very adventurous.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

3 out of 5
We visited post-COVID and after Hurricane Fiona went through a couple of months earlier, and sadly, a lot of the tourism industry has suffered and has reduced the opportunities available for the cruise ships. In addition, our port time of 11:00 am local, was a little late to enjoy any of the most adventurous activities, since they started earlier than that. Also, it probably didn't help it was 2 days before Christmas.

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

5 out of 5
Always love this port, lots to do, beautiful scenery and warm air and ocean no matter what time of year you go. We always seem to take an excursion that has on the water and in it, but it is such a beautiful place to explore.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Despite the ship being at capacity, they had everyone's luggage off the ship and ready for all passengers to leave by 915 am with a 630 am arrival. The new terminal in Miami is well equipped to handle the number of passengers on this size ship, and departure form the ship was smooth and easy.
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6 Comments

Cruisersnoozer    1 year ago

Thanks for the review!

Gwbigdog    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise

lsbs    1 year ago

Thanks for the review.

javawoody    1 year ago

Thanks for the detailed review

AuntPinkie    1 year ago

Appreciate your very detailed review. Glad you enjoyed your cruise on this newest ship.

Wiser1    1 year ago

Thank you for your honest review. I can’t wait for October.

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