Celebration Review (5/16/05)

[HF Nut]

Well, where do I start? This was my first cruise and overall I had a good time. I sailed on the Celebration for a 5-nighter out of Jacksonville (5/16/05 thru 5/21/05).

 

The home port (Jaxport): was a breeze to get to. Just get off I-95 one exit South of the airport exit and follow the cruise line signs. Hint: the Celebration will be the first big ship on ya right!:D There are plenty of porters to help you with your luggage. It took us about 1 hour to go through the check-in before we boarded her. By the way, if you get there early you can go ahead and board early and eat lunch on the ship. On this cruise we sailed at 4:00 pm but there were a lot of people boarding her at 12:30 pm when we did. I believe that you could start as early as 11:30.

 

Getting off the ship after the cruise went like this: we arrived back at 7:00 am Sat morning and the ship cleared customs by 8:00 am then they started letting everyone leave that was carrying all of their own luggage. After all of these folks were gone then, the cruise line started calling each deck. We were called at 9:30 and were processed through customs and out of Jaxport by about 10:00 am. Pretty fast concidering the number of folks involved here.

 

Pre-cruise things: PACK LIGHT!!!!

 

Clothes: Man, we carried way too many clothes for this one! You need: only one formal outfit for the formal night (I carried 2 tuxes, but one nice suit/dress will do on this ship!), casual oufits for the rest of the nights (nice slacks and polo shirt / nice dress will do, Please don't wear bluejeans in the main dining area! No one did on this cruise and you will look out of place if you do) and shorts/swimsuit the rest of the time.

 

Extension cords: well, if you have a lot of things to plug up...ok, but we didn't bring one and didn't have any problems. Only one plug in our stateroon.

 

Booze: We carried 3 bottles in our checked luggage and it all got to our room with no problems. Given the price of drinks on the ship, I would definately carry some if you plan on partying a lot.

 

Soft drinks: I carried 2 12-packs on board with my carry-on luggage. I didn't have a problem with this either.(Hey, I gotta have my caffene;) !) This sure beats paying $38 for a soft-drink card (watered down fountain drinks too!).

 

Register on-line before you go will make things much easier for you when you board in Jacksonville.

 

More to come....

[HF Nut]

Celebration Review (Part 2):

 

The ship itself:

This ship is an older one and it shows. The bars and dining areas have a distinct Late 70s-early 1980s look about them. There is a little bit a wear around the edges too but the ship's crew does a pretty good job keeping the ole girl looking good despite her age! Kinda like some girls I have dated! Oops....:eek:

 

The outside decks were pretty nice to me, the crew were constantly working to keep this area clean despite our best efforts to mess things up;) ! The main pool area is rather small and is the focal point for most of the ship's outdoor activities. You have to get there early in the morning if you want to secure a deck chair in this area. Bring your own beach towel and a book to claim your spot.

 

My main gripe about this ship is the difficulty in finding the main dining areas. With this ship's design you need to go up to the pool deck (lido deck I believe, deck 10) and then go back down to deck 9 to get to the dining areas. Poor design if you ask me. Just keep your deck plan at hand until you figure your way around (this took me about two days! (yeah, I'm kinda slow...)

Our stateroom was on the Rivera Deck(steerage) (R 16). This room is all the way up in the bow, the second most foward room on the port side. Our room had a porthole rather than a standard window in it which I thought was pretty cool. It gave the stateroom a real nautical feel to it. The stateroom's foward location made for some "interesting" sailing though. This room moved up and down and rolled quite a bit. The trip down to Key West wasn't real bad (although my gf felt a little sick the second day) but when we got into the open seas between Key West and Nassau things got a little rough down there! All I can say is if you book a room in the bow, don't drink too much before ya go to bed!:p Overall, I really liked this room though. It was cool watching the water over the top of the porthole when the seas were rough! Capt'in take her down!:D

 

Food:

Let me say this before I start on this subject; I don't see how the cruise line makes money concidering how much food is consumed each day! Man, they must have one big cargo hold! The food was pretty good in the formal dining areas. I had the quail one night and it was really good. My gf did say that the lobster was a little tough though. The deserts were outstanding every night! The best part of the menu in my book! Save some room for it if you can!:)

 

Ports of call: I can't really say about the packaged tours here as we did our own thing. I had been to Key West before, so I knew the places to go to. We rented a scooter in Nassau and drove around the island when we were there. We happened upon what appeared to be a voodoo "holy spot" on the south side of the island when we stopped the scooter for a break. Really Cool!!!! It was interesting to see how the people on the island really live. I highly recommend this if you get the chance to do it.

 

 

Well, to sum things up, would I sail on the Celebration again? As the saying goes, you get what you pay for and looking at things this way, I can say that we got a pretty good value for the money we spent but if I take another cruise I will probably go with one of the newer, much larger ships.

 

Happy cruising....

Ron

[suseg]

Ron:

 

First, I'm glad that you had a good time. Your review is great. I think that it's wonderful that you The Celebration's age in to account. Yes, she is older but I don't think the age of ship should reflect upon the enjoyability of the cruise.

 

We're sailing on her in October....I hope things are as pleasant when we're aboard.

 

Thanks....

[TSoccer5]

Thanks so much! We will be pulling out of JAX on her this time next week!

I can not wait!

[suzyaz]

Boy hidieee Sept. is not getting here fast enough....

I can't wait.

[tocruzagain]

We sailed on the Celebration last October for our first cruise. It's a nice ship, but you do see a little wear and tear in some areas...like the aft pool etc. However, we had a teriffic time and it's a great deal for the cost of that cruise. We also were on the Riviera Deck, but more midship so we did not feel quite as much rocking and rolling. We had some rough seas getting out of the channel of Jacksonville. Key West was nice. We caught a cab over to Stock Key and took a guided tour in our own mini boat all around Key West...http://www.jungletours.com It was a blast and left us plenty of time to shop along Duvall Street before heading back on the ship. You will enjoy your trip. We are booked on the Glory in November and can't wait to do a newer bigger ship!!

[kdickers]

HF Nut,

 

Thanks for the informative review. All in all it sounds like you had a good time and I'm glad to hear it since I'm sailing out VERY SOON myself!!!!!

 

What were your favorite desserts (I'm a horrible sweet-tooth myself and chocolate is my ultimate downfall . . . I describe myself as the ultimate chocoholic!!! ;) )?? What are the MUST TRYS???

 

Also . . . how was the midnight buffet??

[AboutTime57]

I will be sailing on the Celebration in September, and have R119 booked. My TA says I can change to guarantee if I want.

 

Looking at the deck plans, there is a large "open" space about 5 cabins aft of R119 that I don't see on any other Carnival Riviera decks.

 

I'm wondering if this area is (gulp) the engine?? :eek:

[Gatorcruiser]

Thanks for the review HF Nut. I leave Thursday on the Celebration for a mini vacation. I went on this ship many many years ago and thought I would give it a try again since it's right here in my home town. I see TSoccer5 gets on it when I get off. Hopefully we will all have good weather. I've been reading about it being a little rough out there but I have my patches so I should be okay. Can't leave without those.

 

Cant' wait to go on the Mariner in Oct. All of us are already counting down.

 

TSoccer5 - have a safe trip down and hope you enjoy your cruise.

 

:)

Linda

[100cruisesorbust]

HF NUT,

 

Do you by chance have a picture you can share of the porthole room. We are lookng to book that room and I have not been able to find a picture of it.

 

thanks ted

[ta1911]

Hey HF Nut, do you have the capers from your trip. If you do, could you post some of the events that take place on ship.

[HF Nut]

I did save all of my Capers and I have several pictures of our stateroom. I will try to post these when I get the pictures developed and scanned.

 

A couple of more things:

 

Take some sea-sickness meds with you and it really shouldn't be a problem. We found the really rough seas to be between Key West and Nassau. It liked it though, it added to the adventure. It made it feel like you were really sailing as opposed to being on a large floating hotel!

 

About the infamous "vibration problem": The only time we felt it was in the main dining rooms. we never experienced it anywhere else on the ship, including the outside decks. The vibration wasn't really all that bad anyhow, you could feel it but I really wouldn't call it annoying. Kinda like hearing the engines on an airliner I think. As I said earlier, our stateroom was all the way foward on the bow so it was very quiet up here. As a matter of fact, late at night you could turn the air conditioner off and listen to the seas lap against the sides of the ship! It made for very relaxing "sleeping"!;) I can't say anything about the rooms toward to rear of the ship as I haven't been there.

 

More about the food: ALL of the deserts were outstanding! I'm a big chocolate fan so, I tend to lean towards these, but everything I've tried was really good! You can sample everything if you want too just leave lots of room!:)

 

For the main courses the Lamb, Quail, Turkey and dressing really stood out! Especially the Quail! If you are into chicken you need to try this! The best dish on the boat! My gf had lobster that night (which btw she thought was too tough) until she tried some of my plate then she ordered a plate of Quail for herself!

 

The breadfast-lunch buffets were pretty good although we thought the food was better in the main dining areas. You don't have to dress up for these, shorts are fine. I told my gf that the wheelhouse buffet reminded me of an army mess hall when I was a younger man <sigh>..... Actually, the food there wasn't bad and there was plenty of it but I didn't care to fight with the crowds to eat lunch. You get your food as fast if not faster in the main dining rooms. The pizza bar was ok. Not great but good for a quick snack between meals. I really liked the ice cream machine. I must have had at least a dozen cones. Yum...... My diet had to wait until i got home. Hey, that's what you are here for.

 

I didn't try the midnight buffet as I was usually in bed by then or otherwise "occupied"!;)

 

All in all, I can say that we had a really good time as there are lots of places you can explore on this ship....all I can say is please be carefull, ok!

 

The ship is the backdrop to YOUR vacation; it is not the vacation.

 

Hope you have a safe and happy vacation: Gatercruiser, TSoccer5 and everyone!

 

I'm the jealous one now!!!:)

Ron

[Gatorcruiser]

Thanks again Ron. I will give a report when we return. We are packed and ready to go and the weather here looks great and hopefully it will stay that way.

 

:)

Linda

[suseg]

I am, truly, looking forward to your photos and your copies of the CAPERS....

 

Our cruise is turning into a family reunion. Cousins, who I haven't seen in 14 years, are joining us...right now we're a party of 26...and I seem to be the "cruise director". We're in a suite (much to one of my cousin's ire....*L*...he told our aunt..."Susan's in a suite, some things never change, we tried to get one but they're all sold out. So, once again, the brat reigns supreme!"...gotta love it when my cousins know their place!!

 

I've decided to have a Bon Voyage/Welcome Aboard Party in the suite...some appetizers, cookies, wine etc...from 3:00-4:00 PM...basically just prior to sailing...what do you think? What time was the emergency drill?

 

So much to do...guess I need to think about shirts for everyone, for the first day. Heck, I'm not sure if I'll even recognize my cousins....

[HF Nut]

Hi Suseg,

 

I would try to schedule your party to start about 5:00 pm. The reason I say this is that the lifeboat drill starts about 3:30 and usually ends about 4:00. The ship sets sail right after that and passes under the big bridge within a few minutes. This is a must see and the best place to watch this is on the top deck looking aft toward the funnel. Really cool!!!! Try to get there as soon as you can to claim your spot! The trip out ot Jacksonville was really fun as the Navy gave us an (unoffical-official) helocopter escort up the bay past the big Navy base there!

 

If you would like, I could give you a rundown of the events on the ship that we attended.

 

Happy cruising,

Ron

[TSoccer5]

I would love a rundown of what you attended! and what you liked!

 

Thanks in advance!

[kdickers]

Susan,

 

It sounds like you all will have a BLAST . . . I sure wish you all were scheduled for our sailing!!!!! :D Just let those cousin's eat their hearts out . . . You scheduled this WAY before they did!!!!

 

So . . . the "top" deck would be which one (for sailaway)????? Lido . . . Verandah or Sun?????

[HF Nut]

Kim,

I believe the Sun deck is the one you should look for or anywhere that gives you a good view aft toward the funnel.

 

TSoccer5,

I am going though all of my things from the trip and trying to round up all my Capers. As soon as get it all together I'll give you a rundown on what to expect.

 

Some things off the top of my head:

 

The newlywed - not so newlywed game was a riot!! Must see!! The cruise director does a really good job with this one.

 

The Captain's Cocktail party on the formal night was a lot of fun too!! Dancing on stage with the ship's band playing...very nice!

 

The Extreme Country Show was pretty good too!

 

We did the Slot Tournement, very exciting! Even if you don't play, just step into the Casino for a few and watch the player's reactions when they hit a big payout!

 

Towel Folding class: yeah I know, it sounds pretty lame but actually it's quite interesting. Learn a new "skill" and have fun too.

 

Afternoon tea: Hey don't laugh!!! This was fun. They serve really nice pastrys and sandwiches too.... The one main British contribution to society.... I couldn't see sailing without it...wouldn't be "proper"!;)

 

Ron

[TSoccer5]

Very cool, I have seen pics of the towels they do look like fun! LOL not sure my DH will be up for that though...

can't wait to see what else you recommend, I hope to hit the slots a bit

[RMS95]

Wow, Great Review! Thanks!! Leaving Out On Her In Just 9 More Days!!! Cant Wait!!!

 

 

:d

[Victrola]

Kim

 

You really do need to be at least on the sun deck and forward. If possible be on the left hand side. The locals who wish they were with you will be on their docks waving at you. If you go all the way up to the top optional deck its closed in with panels to cut down on the wind if it's too windy. You can also see both sides of the river as you make your way out to the mouth of the river.

 

You guys will have a blast. Not sure who we will get to keep up with once your gone, it obvious you are ready to have a great trip.

 

Happy sailing!!!!:)

[BettyB2]

Ron - thanks for the review and all the details!! This is one of the ships I am considering for a March/April cruise.

 

 

I appreciate it and cannot wait for the pics either....

[kdickers]

Kim

 

You really do need to be at least on the sun deck and forward. If possible be on the left hand side. The locals who wish they were with you will be on their docks waving at you. If you go all the way up to the top optional deck its closed in with panels to cut down on the wind if it's too windy. You can also see both sides of the river as you make your way out to the mouth of the river.

 

You guys will have a blast. Not sure who we will get to keep up with once your gone, it obvious you are ready to have a great trip.

 

Happy sailing!!!!:)

 

Victrola,

 

We're on the Verandah deck (V4) so I was wondering if the deck forward of us (under the bridge) would give us the same view?? Otherwise . . . is there some stairs leading directly up there from that area??

 

I KNOW we'll have a blast!! :D I've already started packing and still have just over 10 days until we leave.

 

Thanks for all your info . . . I hope I'm as helpful to the next member asking questions about their cruise and . . . I'm SURE there'll be more to follow me (the Celebration sure seems to depart with a full manifest at every sailing).

 

Kim

[Victrola]

Kim

 

Yes there is a set of stairs right next to the gym on deck 11. Go up to the next deck which is the sun deck. You can also go forward and watch the deck hands tie up when you come into port. The hallway on V deck leads you out to a walkway that over looks the forward part of the ship.

Hot in Jax right now bring lots of sun screen. I know you folks will enjoy yourselves.

:) :)