The Tribe has Spoken!! Carnival Celebration - 1/14/2024 (with pics)

[MeganGC1983]

3 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

Our final thoughts and ramblings. 

 

Patti and I don’t normally like sailing in January. Patti and I don’t normally like sailing from Miami. Patti and I don’t normally like sailing for “only” seven days. But when our friends Jim & Pat told us about the Tribe cruise, we jumped right on it, even though it was “only” seven days, from Miami, in January.

 

This was a chance to meet a whole bunch of people that we had been “talking” to for years here on Cruise Critic, and this experience did not disappoint. In fact, the only disappointment was that the cruise ended much too soon. We want to say that it was an honor and a pleasure to meet and cruise with each and every one of you. We would cruise with any one of you again in the future. So thank you Pam, Ellen, Vic & Donna, Amy, Heather & Peter, Lorraine & Roger, Beverly, Karen & Gerald, Megan & Brian, Sid, and Jim & Pat, for making this cruise so special!

 

You may have noticed that I used their real names. That’s because these are real people. We sometimes forget that there are real people posting behind the screen names they use. If you have been following this thread you should be able to match the real names to the screen names, but in the end, these are all just great real people.

 

Patti and I have our own personal Hall of Fame of prolific Cruise Critic Reviewers that we have had the honor and pleasure to have met and cruised with. This cruise provided us with two more inductees. This is our updated list, somewhat in the order of appearance: jimbo5544, Mitsugirly, Saint Greg, willdra, MeganGC1983, & sid_9169. If that looks like a who’s who of prolific reviewers, that’s because it is. There are quite a few more out there that we would love to meet and sail with.

 

Now, as for the Celebration, we did give our final thoughts after our first cruise on her last April, but I’ll re-hash some of our points. Patti and I really enjoyed our time on the Celebration, but the Excel Class is still not our favorite. We still enjoy the Spirit Class, and the Vista Class if having a Havana cabin, better. Everyone has their favorites, right?

 

As like the first time that we cruised on the Celebration, we never ate in the MDR except for the Diamond Lunch. There are just so many dining options there is no need too. There were a couple of days where we just wanted a quick meal up at the Marketplace. We had no problem finding something that we liked, and most of what was on the dining room menu that day, was available here.

 

Once again we have to say that even with over 6,000 passengers on board we really didn’t run into many crowding issues, other than embarkation day where everyone heads to the Lido Deck. Yes, you had to line up for the 18+ comedy shows at the Punchliner, but the PG comedy shows at the Limelight Lounge were no problem. It was almost impossible to get a seat at the Alchemy Bar. In fact, I don’t remember having a drink there the whole cruise! We didn’t have any problems getting a seat at Latitudes or Golden Jubilee.

 

 If you want a good seat at the Grand Spectrum Theater, get there a half hour early. Now the Center Stage is a different animal. There aren’t many seats on any deck that give you a clear view of any show. If you want one of those, get there an hour early. Patti being hearing impaired likes to sit as close as possible, so you’ll find us down on the floor amongst the props and set pieces. It’s pretty cool to sit down there, but even down there you can’t see everything. With the huge video screens, you feel like you’re “inside” the show, and during some of the shows the cast will interact with you. Pretty cool. Just one thing to know that if you sit down there, you can’t leave once the show starts. Well, you can, but there is a procedure that the crew will explain to you before the show.

 

We enjoyed our ports of call. Our Pool Cabana in Amber Cove, Patti walking around Old San Juan while I utilized the Cheers Program, and our day at Coki Beach in St. Thomas were all very enjoyable.

 

We love the cabins on this class of ships, even if the bathrooms are a little smaller. On all four of our XL cruises, we have had extended balconies on the “hump”. I believe that these are the only balconies on the ship, other than the cove balconies, that you can look down directly to the water. We will have the same cabin that we had on this cruise (11358), when we sail on the Jubilee next year. 

 

As far as embarkation and debarkation went, it was as almost perfect as it could possibly be. I would highly recommend that you get passports if you haven’t already. Though not needed to travel on these cruises, getting through customs is a breeze if you have one. Step up to the facial recognition and you’re out of there. If not, you’ll have to wait in what could be a lengthy line to see an agent. It’s your choice. 

 

Patti and I are not crazy about sailing from Miami anymore. For us, Port Canaveral is much easier, since most of the time we drive to Florida, and can save about eight hours of driving by cruising from there. I also know that it’s much easier to fly to Miami to board a ship, than it is to fly to Orlando for PC departures. Whatever works best for you. 

 

My mind has gone blank, so if you have any questions at all we’ll be more than happy to answer them for you. If I think of anything else, I’ll be sure to post it.

 

And now here are our future cruise plans. On April 14th 2024, we will be back in Port Canaveral for B2B cruises on the Carnival Vista to the Eastern and Southern Caribbean. We have the same Havana inside cabin booked for both legs. Two weeks of the “Havana Experience”. Sweet! Based on our experience with Cheers on the Celebration, we will be purchasing Cheers once again!

 

Then on August 31^st  2024, we will be boarding The Carnival Venezia from our homeport of New York, on B2B cruises to Bermuda and Canada. It just so happens that Lee Mason will be boarding the ship the same day as us, to take over as Cruise Director. It should be fun.

 

2025 will be a special year for cruising for us. To start off, we will be making a mega road trip that will take us to New Orleans and Galveston, two ports we haven’t sailed from, on two ships we haven’t sailed on. On March 31^st, 2025 we will be boarding the Carnival Valor in New Orleans for B2B 5 day cruises to the Western Caribbean. Upon return we will head over to Galveston where on the next day, April 12^th, 2025 we will board the Carnival Jubilee on a 7 day cruise to the Western Caribbean. That should be some adventure!

 

Then in September we will be flying out to Seattle, where on September 26^th, 2025 we will be boarding the Carnival Spirit for a 15 day cruise to Hawaii. It will be great to go there once again! Will any of you be sailing with us? If not, we’ll be bringing the cruise to you! 

 

Before I end this, I have to thank my beautiful wife Patti. I couldn’t do these adventures, these reviews, or live life without her. She is my best friend, my rock, and a heck of a photographer! 

 

Speaking of photography, the photos you see on these reviews are only a small portion of all the photos Patti takes during our cruises. If you would like to see the whole package, there is a link in my signature for our Cruise and Vacation albums. Feel free to check them out if you are so inclined. 

 

So, until next time, may you have blue skies and calm seas!!!

Love you both so much! What an outstanding couple you are!! And you definitely have my wheels turning on when we can sail together again. Give Patti a big hug for me. Miss you both. 

[MeganGC1983]

1 hour ago, Webecruzen said:

Great review!  Thank you and Patti for all your time and work on helping us relive a much needed great week with great people.  

I’m so glad your dad is doing better and that yall were able to cruise. You two are also AMAZING people. We gotta do it again. 

[#55worktoplay]

Thanks to both you and Patti for a wonderful review and pictures. I hope to meet you both someday. 

[dmet0225]

On 2/22/2024 at 5:47 PM, Jamman54 said:

This is the Star Flyer. You won’t catch us on that thing!.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would 100% ride that ride.  Even though I get queasy just looking down from inside a high rise, I love the thrill rides.  One of these days, I might even find myself jumping out of a perfectly operating airplane.  
 

8 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

Post Cruise  -  (January 27th)  -  The final push home! 

 

 

We arrived back home in Somerset, New Jersey around 1pm. Another great cruise and vacation completed. THE END!

I guess I just have glossed right over the fact in previous reviews that you live in Somerset.  In a precipitous job live, I spent time there doing some consulting work for a hospital there.  I even played in that hospital’s fundraiser golf tournament at the Hamilton Farms Golf Club in Gladstone.  That was one fabulous golf course!

 

Finally, it was clear from this review that I really missed out on meeting all of those great Tribe folks.  It was great putting faces to their onscreen names.  More importantly, it was obvious from comments of those Tribe-sters that you and Patti are one classy couple.  That became even more obvious in your comments about them in your final thoughts.  
 

Excellent work!

[Roscoe13]

1 hour ago, dmet0225 said:

I would 100% ride that ride.  Even though I get queasy just looking down from inside a high rise, I love the thrill rides.  One of these days, I might even find myself jumping out of a perfectly operating airplane.  
 

I guess I just have glossed right over the fact in previous reviews that you live in Somerset.  In a precipitous job live, I spent time there doing some consulting work for a hospital there.  I even played in that hospital’s fundraiser golf tournament at the Hamilton Farms Golf Club in Gladstone.  That was one fabulous golf course!

 

Finally, it was clear from this review that I really missed out on meeting all of those great Tribe folks.  It was great putting faces to their onscreen names.  More importantly, it was obvious from comments of those Tribe-sters that you and Patti are one classy couple.  That became even more obvious in your comments about them in your final thoughts.  
 

Excellent work!

They are classy!  Even if they are from Jersey.

 

I owe Jeff one beer from my lap around the lazy river.  Deep down we both know that it means we have to cruise again for me to pay you back, with interest!!

[Jamman54]

6 hours ago, dmet0225 said:

I would 100% ride that ride.  Even though I get queasy just looking down from inside a high rise, I love the thrill rides.  One of these days, I might even find myself jumping out of a perfectly operating airplane.  
 

I guess I just have glossed right over the fact in previous reviews that you live in Somerset.  In a precipitous job live, I spent time there doing some consulting work for a hospital there.  I even played in that hospital’s fundraiser golf tournament at the Hamilton Farms Golf Club in Gladstone.  That was one fabulous golf course!

 

Finally, it was clear from this review that I really missed out on meeting all of those great Tribe folks.  It was great putting faces to their onscreen names.  More importantly, it was obvious from comments of those Tribe-sters that you and Patti are one classy couple.  That became even more obvious in your comments about them in your final thoughts.  
 

Excellent work!

Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words. There are a ton of great golf courses in New Jersey. You should come back and visit! 😃

[Jamman54]

5 hours ago, Roscoe13 said:

They are classy!  Even if they are from Jersey.

 

I owe Jeff one beer from my lap around the lazy river.  Deep down we both know that it means we have to cruise again for me to pay you back, with interest!!

Yep, and soon! The interest compounds weekly! 😁

[Indiansbaseball]

I am very excited for your second review on Venezia ! We are missing you by a couple of cruises 🙁   I too am excited that Lee Mason will be with us !   He is my favorite by far ! 
We are looking at going to Europe for a cruise, so after Venezia, nothing is booked. Have you been on a European cruise ? Any recommendations if yes ? 
Happy Travels 

Jen
 

Edited February 24 by Indiansbaseball

[Princess Cruiser27]

Thanks Jeff and Patti for the review and photos of the Celebration cruise.  

[Jamman54]

33 minutes ago, Indiansbaseball said:

I am very excited for your second review on Venezia ! We are missing you by a couple of cruises 🙁   I too am excited that Lee Mason will be with us !   He is my favorite by far ! 
We are looking at going to Europe for a cruise, so after Venezia, nothing is booked. Have you been on a European cruise ? Any recommendations if yes ? 
Happy Travels 

Jen
 

We are looking forward to spending another two weeks on the Venezia! We have not been on a European cruise as of yet, but that can change in 2026. 😎

[AmyJA]

Thank you both.

[Hogladyrider]

@Jamman54 another outstanding review!  Jeff, you and Patti are an awesome team and a class act together.  I have been following your reviews for years and they keep getting better and better, just like the both of you.

 

Still hopeful someday to meet up on a cruise!  Looking forward to your future travel reviews!

[Jamman54]

32 minutes ago, Hogladyrider said:

@Jamman54 another outstanding review!  Jeff, you and Patti are an awesome team and a class act together.  I have been following your reviews for years and they keep getting better and better, just like the both of you.

 

Still hopeful someday to meet up on a cruise!  Looking forward to your future travel reviews!

Thanks Susan for coming along for the ride once again and for your kind words. We would love to sail with you guys in the future. 😃

[TravelE]

What a wonderful review. The joy that you and Patti have for life is contagious!

 

I have been eyeing that 7 night Bermuda cruise on the Venezia. My last Bermuda cruise was rerouted to the Caribbean due to a hurricane. I might have to join you and Patti!

[Jamman54]

32 minutes ago, TravelE said:

What a wonderful review. The joy that you and Patti have for life is contagious!

 

I have been eyeing that 7 night Bermuda cruise on the Venezia. My last Bermuda cruise was rerouted to the Caribbean due to a hurricane. I might have to join you and Patti!

Thanks for reading! Book that cruise! Three days in Bermuda with two overnights is the bomb! 😃

[PrincessPatti]

A huge thanks to you and Patti for an amazing review and for taking us all along.  It is making me really excited about my B2B on the Celebration this October!

 

I hope you two enjoy your future travels!

[sid_9169]

Thanks for the honorable mention Mr Jamman... It was great reliving the entire cruise all over again! I've also never cruised from Galveston, and did a little "looking into" The Jubilee for next year, and maybe even on the same cruise as you... We'll see what the Cruise Gods lead me to...

[Jamman54]

1 hour ago, sid_9169 said:

Thanks for the honorable mention Mr Jamman... It was great reliving the entire cruise all over again! I've also never cruised from Galveston, and did a little "looking into" The Jubilee for next year, and maybe even on the same cruise as you... We'll see what the Cruise Gods lead me to...

Cool! We would love to have you join us.  Patti needs some more ducks! 😁

[BohJang]

Thanks Jeff for this great review & Patti for the wonderful pictures. We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise & meeting you guys. 
 

i sincerely hope we can cruise with you again & the other Tribe peeps that we met on the Celebration. It was really a great group of friendly fun people. 
 

 

[ninjacat123]

23 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

 

Then on August 31^st  2024, we will be boarding The Carnival Venezia from our homeport of New York, on B2B cruises to Bermuda and Canada. It just so happens that Lee Mason will be boarding the ship the same day as us, to take over as Cruise Director. It should be fun.

 

Awesome review as always!!  Craig and I will be sailing on Pride out of Baltimore on Sept 1, 2024 to Bermuda!!  Is your B2B to Bermuda first then Canada? Inquiring minds want to know😄

[Jamman54]

12 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Awesome review as always!!  Craig and I will be sailing on Pride out of Baltimore on Sept 1, 2024 to Bermuda!!  Is your B2B to Bermuda first then Canada? Inquiring minds want to know😄

Yes it is! It appears that we will be there for two days together. We'll have to make plans to meet. 😃

[Jamman54]

24 minutes ago, BohJang said:

Thanks Jeff for this great review & Patti for the wonderful pictures. We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise & meeting you guys. 
 

i sincerely hope we can cruise with you again & the other Tribe peeps that we met on the Celebration. It was really a great group of friendly fun people. 
 

 

Thanks Lorraine! It was great to meet you and Roger! 😃

[ninjacat123]

Just now, Jamman54 said:

Yes it is! It appears that we will be there for two days together. We'll have to make plans to meet. 😃

YAY!!!  Looking forward to sipping on a rum swizzle with you and Patti!!👏😸

[mamiamjo]

19 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

Cool! We would love to have you join us.  Patti needs some more ducks! 😁

Looks like we will just miss you on Jubilee, we get off when you get on. Oh well maybe another time we’ll get to cruise with some CC royalty. 😉

[ramref]

On 2/23/2024 at 6:51 PM, Jamman54 said:

Our final thoughts and ramblings. 

 

Patti and I don’t normally like sailing in January. Patti and I don’t normally like sailing from Miami. Patti and I don’t normally like sailing for “only” seven days. But when our friends Jim & Pat told us about the Tribe cruise, we jumped right on it, even though it was “only” seven days, from Miami, in January.

 

This was a chance to meet a whole bunch of people that we had been “talking” to for years here on Cruise Critic, and this experience did not disappoint. In fact, the only disappointment was that the cruise ended much too soon. We want to say that it was an honor and a pleasure to meet and cruise with each and every one of you. We would cruise with any one of you again in the future. So thank you Pam, Ellen, Vic & Donna, Amy, Heather & Peter, Lorraine & Roger, Beverly, Karen & Gerald, Megan & Brian, Sid, and Jim & Pat, for making this cruise so special!

 

You may have noticed that I used their real names. That’s because these are real people. We sometimes forget that there are real people posting behind the screen names they use. If you have been following this thread you should be able to match the real names to the screen names, but in the end, these are all just great real people.

 

Patti and I have our own personal Hall of Fame of prolific Cruise Critic Reviewers that we have had the honor and pleasure to have met and cruised with. This cruise provided us with two more inductees. This is our updated list, somewhat in the order of appearance: jimbo5544, Mitsugirly, Saint Greg, willdra, MeganGC1983, & sid_9169. If that looks like a who’s who of prolific reviewers, that’s because it is. There are quite a few more out there that we would love to meet and sail with.

 

Now, as for the Celebration, we did give our final thoughts after our first cruise on her last April, but I’ll re-hash some of our points. Patti and I really enjoyed our time on the Celebration, but the Excel Class is still not our favorite. We still enjoy the Spirit Class, and the Vista Class if having a Havana cabin, better. Everyone has their favorites, right?

 

As like the first time that we cruised on the Celebration, we never ate in the MDR except for the Diamond Lunch. There are just so many dining options there is no need too. There were a couple of days where we just wanted a quick meal up at the Marketplace. We had no problem finding something that we liked, and most of what was on the dining room menu that day, was available here.

 

Once again we have to say that even with over 6,000 passengers on board we really didn’t run into many crowding issues, other than embarkation day where everyone heads to the Lido Deck. Yes, you had to line up for the 18+ comedy shows at the Punchliner, but the PG comedy shows at the Limelight Lounge were no problem. It was almost impossible to get a seat at the Alchemy Bar. In fact, I don’t remember having a drink there the whole cruise! We didn’t have any problems getting a seat at Latitudes or Golden Jubilee.

 

 If you want a good seat at the Grand Spectrum Theater, get there a half hour early. Now the Center Stage is a different animal. There aren’t many seats on any deck that give you a clear view of any show. If you want one of those, get there an hour early. Patti being hearing impaired likes to sit as close as possible, so you’ll find us down on the floor amongst the props and set pieces. It’s pretty cool to sit down there, but even down there you can’t see everything. With the huge video screens, you feel like you’re “inside” the show, and during some of the shows the cast will interact with you. Pretty cool. Just one thing to know that if you sit down there, you can’t leave once the show starts. Well, you can, but there is a procedure that the crew will explain to you before the show.

 

We enjoyed our ports of call. Our Pool Cabana in Amber Cove, Patti walking around Old San Juan while I utilized the Cheers Program, and our day at Coki Beach in St. Thomas were all very enjoyable.

 

We love the cabins on this class of ships, even if the bathrooms are a little smaller. On all four of our XL cruises, we have had extended balconies on the “hump”. I believe that these are the only balconies on the ship, other than the cove balconies, that you can look down directly to the water. We will have the same cabin that we had on this cruise (11358), when we sail on the Jubilee next year. 

 

As far as embarkation and debarkation went, it was as almost perfect as it could possibly be. I would highly recommend that you get passports if you haven’t already. Though not needed to travel on these cruises, getting through customs is a breeze if you have one. Step up to the facial recognition and you’re out of there. If not, you’ll have to wait in what could be a lengthy line to see an agent. It’s your choice. 

 

Patti and I are not crazy about sailing from Miami anymore. For us, Port Canaveral is much easier, since most of the time we drive to Florida, and can save about eight hours of driving by cruising from there. I also know that it’s much easier to fly to Miami to board a ship, than it is to fly to Orlando for PC departures. Whatever works best for you. 

 

My mind has gone blank, so if you have any questions at all we’ll be more than happy to answer them for you. If I think of anything else, I’ll be sure to post it.

 

And now here are our future cruise plans. On April 14th 2024, we will be back in Port Canaveral for B2B cruises on the Carnival Vista to the Eastern and Southern Caribbean. We have the same Havana inside cabin booked for both legs. Two weeks of the “Havana Experience”. Sweet! Based on our experience with Cheers on the Celebration, we will be purchasing Cheers once again!

 

Then on August 31^st  2024, we will be boarding The Carnival Venezia from our homeport of New York, on B2B cruises to Bermuda and Canada. It just so happens that Lee Mason will be boarding the ship the same day as us, to take over as Cruise Director. It should be fun.

 

2025 will be a special year for cruising for us. To start off, we will be making a mega road trip that will take us to New Orleans and Galveston, two ports we haven’t sailed from, on two ships we haven’t sailed on. On March 31^st, 2025 we will be boarding the Carnival Valor in New Orleans for B2B 5 day cruises to the Western Caribbean. Upon return we will head over to Galveston where on the next day, April 12^th, 2025 we will board the Carnival Jubilee on a 7 day cruise to the Western Caribbean. That should be some adventure!

 

Then in September we will be flying out to Seattle, where on September 26^th, 2025 we will be boarding the Carnival Spirit for a 15 day cruise to Hawaii. It will be great to go there once again! Will any of you be sailing with us? If not, we’ll be bringing the cruise to you! 

 

Before I end this, I have to thank my beautiful wife Patti. I couldn’t do these adventures, these reviews, or live life without her. She is my best friend, my rock, and a heck of a photographer! 

 

Speaking of photography, the photos you see on these reviews are only a small portion of all the photos Patti takes during our cruises. If you would like to see the whole package, there is a link in my signature for our Cruise and Vacation albums. Feel free to check them out if you are so inclined. 

 

So, until next time, may you have blue skies and calm seas!!!

 

Edited February 25 by ramref
Hey Jeff great review as always. Thanks to you and Patti it was as if we were on the ship with you. Cant wait for our Hawaii trip