Great Room and Islands, Food Lack Luster in Some Areas

Carnival Celebration Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 23

Overall rating:

4.2 out of 5
Verified Review
Carnival Celebration

8 Night Southern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 12, 2023

Ship: Carnival Celebration

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 12515

Traveled as: Family (young children)

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

I recently had the opportunity to dine at a certain establishment, and my food experience was a rollercoaster of emotions. While there were standout moments, there were also disappointing aspects that I cannot ignore. Let's start with the negative side of things: the buffets. Sadly, they were a letdown. The variety they promised was overshadowed by the lackluster quality of the dishes. It felt like quantity was prioritized over quality, resulting in a bland and uninspiring selection. This was especially disheartening as buffets are often expected to be a delightful indulgence of various flavors. Additionally, the main dining room experience fell short of expectations. It lacked the usual charm and excellence that I had come to associate with it from previous visits. However, the review isn't all grim. There were definite highlights in the culinary journey. The burger and chicken place stole the show with their excellent offerings. The flavors were on point, and the execution was impeccable. It's refreshing to see that amidst the disappointments, there were spots that still delivered on taste and satisfaction. Another positive aspect was the secondary restaurants that came without an additional cost. These eateries exceeded expectations and provided a much-needed respite from the earlier letdowns. The fact that you could only visit these establishments once each, due to recent changes, was a downside though. These were the spots that offered decent food without the burden of extra charges, making the dining experience more affordable and enjoyable. In summary, my food experience at this establishment was a mixture of highs and lows. The buffets and main dining room were sorely disappointing, failing to deliver the culinary excellence they had promised. On the brighter side, the burger and chicken place, along with the complimentary secondary restaurants, provided a glimmer of culinary delight. The recent change of restricting visits to these secondary restaurants is a letdown, as they were the saving grace in an otherwise underwhelming food lineup. With improvements in some areas and reconsideration of recent changes, this establishment could once again become a must-visit for food enthusiasts.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5
I recently had the opportunity to dine at a certain establishment, and my food experience was a rollercoaster of emotions. While there were standout moments, there were also disappointing aspects that I cannot ignore. Let's start with the negative side of things: the buffets. Sadly, they were a letdown. The variety they promised was overshadowed by the lackluster quality of the dishes. It felt like quantity was prioritized over quality, resulting in a bland and uninspiring selection. This was especially disheartening as buffets are often expected to be a delightful indulgence of various flavors. Additionally, the main dining room experience fell short of expectations. It lacked the usual charm and excellence that I had come to associate with it from previous visits. However, the review isn't all grim. There were definite highlights in the culinary journey. The burger and chicken place stole the show with their excellent offerings. The flavors were on point, and the execution was impeccable. It's refreshing to see that amidst the disappointments, there were spots that still delivered on taste and satisfaction. Another positive aspect was the secondary restaurants that came without an additional cost. These eateries exceeded expectations and provided a much-needed respite from the earlier letdowns. The fact that you could only visit these establishments once each, due to recent changes, was a downside though. These were the spots that offered decent food without the burden of extra charges, making the dining experience more affordable and enjoyable. In summary, my food experience at this establishment was a mixture of highs and lows. The buffets and main dining room were sorely disappointing, failing to deliver the culinary excellence they had promised. On the brighter side, the burger and chicken place, along with the complimentary secondary restaurants, provided a glimmer of culinary delight. The recent change of restricting visits to these secondary restaurants is a letdown, as they were the saving grace in an otherwise underwhelming food lineup. With improvements in some areas and reconsideration of recent changes, this establishment could once again become a must-visit for food enthusiasts.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
The rollercoaster was always closed when we tried to get reservations. I real let down when you have kids begging to get on it. Very limited hours of operation and costly but still couldn't get on the thing to ride it. Has over 9 appointments and not one was fulfilled.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Children's Programs

4 out of 5

Service and Staff

4 out of 5
Everyone was great except the main dining room.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Will go to this cabin again very spoiled

Ports of call

Miami, Florida

5 out of 5

Oranjestad, Aruba

5 out of 5

Bonaire, Netherlands Special Municipality

5 out of 5

Willemstad, Curacao

5 out of 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Was this review helpful? 23

7 Comments

cruiselifers    1 year ago

Just off the Celebration. Went to the two specialty restaurants multiple times with no charge and no restrictions.

kimmbers155    1 year ago

Why can you only visit once? Haven’t heard this.

Doug7856    1 year ago

Thank you for sharing your experience. Sad to hear about the food quality and the rollercoaster.

Mmjay    1 year ago

Which restaurants were secondary and why could you only go there once? This is the first that I have heard of this?

Dumfy75    1 year ago

Don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone having the same expectations as you for the buffet, more likely expecting it to be food for the masses where you can get a quick and easy breakfast and lunch. Glad you enjoyed some of the food on your cruise!

javawoody    1 year ago

Not sure of the review, was it good or not?

cruising2004    1 year ago

Thank you for sharing your cruising experience.

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