Great Cruise-Service Above and Beyond...
Celebrity Beyond Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 51
6 Night Bahamas Mexico & Cayman (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)
Sail date: September 15, 2024
Ship: Celebrity Beyond
Cabin type: Suite
Cabin number: 10100
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 2 months ago
Review summary
This cruise was to celebrate our 30th anniversary. I'm so glad we chose this ship, the room, the date, etc. I don't think much could have been better. Celebrity Beyond is a very classy ship and they really know how to treat their guests.Embarkation
Embarkation was so fast. I can't speak to having a regular cabin. We were Retreat guests this trip and that was amazing.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
We did not eat in any of the main dining rooms during this cruise. We ate at the Retreat restaurant, Luminae most nights. The service there is amazing as well as the food. We had breakfast and lunch in the buffet. The options every day were amazing. I loved being able to try foods from other countries. The desserts were hit and miss. There were so many to choose from, but a lot of them all taste the same. Different "flavors" of cake, didn't taste different. We had dinner one night at the specialty, The Rooftop Garden Grill. The meal was just ok. The service was awesome. The pizza place wasn't great, just ok and room service was pretty good too.
Onboard Activities
This was our first time on Celebrity. We have only been on Carnival ships previously and the only thing I was used to on those was the trivia and silly pool games. On Celebrity, there were so many things to do throughout the week that had to do with art. I loved it. I'm an artist myself and enjoy learning new art "stuff". There were several sketch classes with their resident artist, Aurora. They also had several adult coloring events using colored pencils and watercolor markers. I was pleasantly surprised. The pools are nice, but crowded on sea days and in the evenings. I did use one of the hot tubs in the Retreat area, that was nice. I didn't use it, but I loved the idea of the solarium pool area. It's completely covered. You could hang out in the pool even if it was raining.
Entertainment
We attended more shows on this ship than we have in the past. They alternate and coordinate the two show times very well. The magic show and the comedy was great. The music was nice and the singers could actually sing; unlike some of those on Carnival's ships.
Children's Programs
My children are all grown and don't travel with my husband and I, so we didn't experience any children's programs.
Service and Staff
The name of this ship describes the service! Beyond! They all go above and beyond, more than anywhere we've experienced. We stayed in a suite. Giving us access to a butler, which we didn't know what to do with. Our butler, Audrey was amazing. She was so friendly and would go out of her way to try do things for us. My husband and I aren't the "need a butler" kind of people, so this was new for us. We tried to make the week as easy for her as we could. I know there were a lot of guests there that are used to having people wait on them, demanding things. Our room attendant was also amazing, Sedine was his name. Same with him. We don't go out of our way to make their life difficult. He even mentioned how surprised he was that on days that we slept in and he only had to clean in the evening, that our room wasn't a mess and didn't take him long to pick up. LOL Not just those two, everyone we had contact with was amazing.
Ship Quality
I really like how the ship is laid out. You don't have to go down different elevators and walk half the ship to get to different areas, like you do on Carnival ships. The only time that was necessary was when going up to the rooftop area, you have to take the aft elevators. Everything is always so clean and well taken care of. The large art pieces all over the ship are great. The staff in the buffet area kept the tables cleaned. The public restrooms are strategically placed in common areas and kept very clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
We have not experienced a suite before this cruise. The size of the room was wonderful. There is so much space in the room itself that you don't have to turn sideways to walk around anywhere in the room. The bathroom was larger than my bathroom at home. I love that there is a water closet for the toilet. The bathtub is very large also (wide, not deep). I took a bath, while on a cruise. Can't say that very often. At least I couldn't. The bed faces the balcony doors, which is great. You can sit in bed and watch the water or sunrise/sunset (depending on what side you're on). The ability to control the lights, temperature and the curtains from your phone through the app is very nice. Made us feel like home, since we normally use Google Home for the same things.
Ship tip
Just like with any other big ship, get to events early. If you want to participate with the coloring or lessons, get there early.
Thumbs up
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Ports of call
This wasn't our first time to this port. I didn't go on any excursions, but I got off the ship alone to do a little shopping. Make sure you keep your bag close to you and just tell the merchants "no, thank you" and keep walking. If you are looking for souvenirs during your trip, this is the cheapest place to get them. Also, don't pay $35 for one tee shirt. You can negotiate or haggle with most of them.
Do wait to go shopping here, prices of merchandise is the same as it is on the ship. Outrageous. Also, be prepared to walk almost two miles before getting to anything, unless you wait for their shuttle. There is a free beach right past the pier, you don't need to pay for an excursion to go to one. There isn't much to do on this island.
Disembarkation
Disembarkation was just as fast as embarkation. Plus, if you aren't declaring anything, it's even faster.
Traveler Photos
