Great ship and great cruise!

Item: Carnival Celebration
Rating: 4.7
Author: cruiselifers

Carnival Celebration Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

cruiselifers

Contributor Level: Cruise Director

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 11

Helpful Votes: 349

Overall rating:

4.7 out of 5

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 20, 2023

Ship: Carnival Celebration

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 15287

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 9 months ago

Review summary

I was not expecting much from this cruise. Not because of the ship but due to the multiple storms in the Atlantic Ocean. Carnival decided to reverse the itinerary and to my amazement, we were rewarded with beautiful weather, calm waters, and sunshine in every port. The ship was beautiful. The service from our cabin attendant Pande was great. Nicholas who was a bar server in the casino was the best as was service throughout the ship. The food options on this ship were the most numerous and best-tasting I've ever experienced, this included a variety of specialty restaurants at no upcharge. This is a big ship with around 6,000 passengers but most times never felt crowded. Plenty to do and plenty of chairs in all areas of the ship including the pool areas. Great Ship--Great trip!!

Embarkation

3 out of 5

Ship was late arriving at port due to a medical emergency. A little chaotic between passengers who were departing and embarking.departing king

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Excellent dining options throughout the ship. Even some of the specialty restaurants were included at no upcharge. Best food selection of any cruise I've taken to date.

Cucina del Capitano

5 out of 5

This is another no-charge specialty restaurant with great Italian cuisine. Use the carnival app for faster seating.

Lido Marketplace

4 out of 5

Streamlined food selection from past cruises. It definitely cuts down on food waste. With all the other food options available I did not miss the larger buffet.

The Carnival Deli

5 out of 5

First stop to eat on the cruise. Great sandwiches day and nite.

Street Eats

5 out of 5

Great for afternoon snacks. Opens during limited times.

Miami Slice

5 out of 5

Surprisingly good pizza. Was a great late-night snack.

Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse/Brewhouse

5 out of 5

This place does it all. Has a breakfast buffet. Great BBQ for lunch and dinner. Has a late-night buffet as well as a band every day.

Guy's Burger Joint

5 out of 5

As always my go-to lunch joint. Long lines sometimes but it moves pretty fast. There's something addictive about these burgers.

Chibang!

5 out of 5

Great no-charge specialty restaurant. Use the carnival app to make reservations For faster seating.

Carnivale and Festivale Restaurants (Main Dining Rooms)

5 out of 5

Only ate here once but the service was timely and the food was good.

Big Chicken

5 out of 5

Great chicken sandwich. Also breakfast biscuit egg sandwiches and omelettes

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Bolt rollercoaster, rope course, waterworks, golf, basketball, pools and more. Much as you want to do.

Casino

5 out of 5

Spent quite some time here losing money in the slots but Nicholas the bar server eased the pain of losing with his whiskey and cokes!

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Lots going on in different venues. Center stage multi-level seating can be crowded. Never had a problem getting a seat in the theater shows. Family Feud in the Theater was a great show.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Our room steward Pande was efficient and always available if needed. Nicholas in the casino was great with bar service and the whiskey and cokes made my losses on the slot machines go down a little easier. All throughout the ship service was excellent.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

The ship design was fantastic. Once you learn the layout I found it very easy to easily get around. Very clean and maintained as expected. As some have mentioned the rubber steps around the pool area stairs are cracking but being repaired. No big deal just watch your step!

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

This is a beautiful accessible balcony cabin. Plenty of room and plenty of storage. The two twin beds were definitely on the narrow side. The balcony has a nice covering that juts out a few decks overhead which is nice if it ever rains.

Ship tip

Learn which decks go the length of the ship then take the elevator or stairs to specific locations. For example taking deck 16(Lido deck) you can go from the rear of the ship to the front and take stairs or elevators in between to where ever you to go.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Miami, Florida

4 out of 5

If you are leaving out of this port learn your terminal and preview directions before arriving. Port garage parking is convenient but about 22 dollars a day.

Thumbs Up 1

Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic

5 out of 5

Great carnival port. Beautiful scenery and plenty to see right in the port plus the many available excursions. The sky bar is nice for a drink and a scenic view. Zip lines and a large swim-up pool/bar plus a large shopping area all within easy walking distance.

Thumbs Up 0

San Juan, Puerto Rico

4 out of 5

Took a tour of the Fort on the tip of San Juan harbor. Walked from the ship to the fort. It was hot and basically all uphill but once there it is very impressive and I believe about 500 years old. The good thing is that it is downhill back to the ship with plenty of opportunities to stop for some refreshing Puerto Rican rum along the way.

Thumbs Up 1

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

5 out of 5

One of my favorite ports. Shopping in the port and beaches within walking distance of the ship. If you venture to the left from the port there is a sidewalk that leads to the beaches. You can also take a short ferry ride. Once at the stretch of beach, you will find bars and restaurants. As an example, you can set yourself up on the beach with two lounge chairs an umbrella, and a bucket of beers for 25 bucks. Cant be beat!

Thumbs Up 1

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Did self assist. Off ship by 8:15

10 Comments

Other reviews of this sailing

Not impressed

Had a great time

The ship was way to big for my liking. Your smaller ships were a lot more fun as we have been on the Fascination (2 times. ) Imagination ( 2 times) the Valor, the Glory. and the Fantasy.