Carnival Celebration Crowd Questions

[hawkinsh]

I hope I will not have a situation on my hands, but I am concerned.  My wife and I will be celebrating our 25th Anniversary on the Celebration for a week starting July 21.  We are taking our 3 kids with us and have two cabins.  One deck 5 Cove Balcony and one inside cabin across the hall.  We decided to invite family to travel with us.  My mom, sister & aunt decided they would travel with us, and will be in a cabin a couple doors down.  However, I do have a couple concerns for them.  I am hoping you have some advice.

 

Issue #1:  One of them is crowd adverse.  By that I mean, she is not good in crowds especially when she is unfamiliar settings.  This is completely new, as they have never cruised before.  She will often have an anxiety attack, and then she struggles to get it under control. I know that it will be impossible to avoid crowds, but I hope to acclimate her more slowly, until she is more comfortable to the environment.  Does anyone have any suggestions that might help her, especially on the first couple days as we get used to the boat?  I want her to get out of her cabin and have fun, but I do know we will have to have a plan to navigate the crowds.

 

Issue #2:  One of the people in the room has some mobility issues. This is a huge ship.  Any advice on getting around?  I keep pushing for a scooter, but she is not receptive to the idea.  She does not use one in her daily life, and seems to see it as a non-idea.  However, she does not walk that much in her normal day either.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice and suggestions you have.

[mz-s]

I'm not sure I would recommend a Summer cruise on Carnival's largest capacity ship to someone who is "crowd averse".

 

The first day of the cruise will have the worst crowds as everyone is going to the same place - the buffet, to eat lunch. After sail away everything opens up so the crowds are dispersed. But during embarkation everything is closed except Lido and a few other restaurants so the crowds are concentrated.

 

So maybe choose a later arrival appointment? That way you avoid crowds at the pier, your cabin is already ready so worst case she can just go to her room, etc.

 

If somebody who can't walk refuses to use mobility aids then I'm not sure what we can do or say to help that situation. They'll have to hit rock bottom first. At least make them bring on a cane or walker. The last thing they want is to fall in port.

Edited February 22 by mz-s

[csoud68]

That first issue is crazy..best of luck.

I just got off the Celebration on Sunday and I'd probably just keep her in the room for awhile to reset after boarding.

 

Then I'd take her celebration central on deck 6 and plop her in a chair or couch. Or use the forward elevators to take her to serenity on the 18th deck..find the pool with the couches and tables..someone will have to go get the food and bring back..

 

Issue 2 is tricky with a stubborn person..I'd call special needs group in miami and get a scooter..I think we paid $199 for the week..they deliver directly to the port and u meet someone there personally..

 

The only issue with that is when you put it in the room to charge at night it's tight...at least you have it there. Carnival has push wheelchairs for free and I foresee someone having to ruin their time for this individual..

 

 

 

Edited February 22 by csoud68

[Hoosierpop]

It’s hard to know what level of crowd will cause her anxiety but I’ve been on the Celebration several times now (on it as a write this) and for as big as the ship is, I feel less crowded than smaller ships. I think that’s mainly because there are a lot of areas on the ship instead of everyone funneled to the same area. Avoid the main lido and take the forward or aft elevators as much as possible. 

 

On the first day, I suggest going to the far back of the ship. Deck 8 at the Pig and Anchor area for example. But the first day always seems crowded until cabins are open at 1:30. 

I can’t help much with the mobility issue other than there are a lot of scooters I see. People don’t seem to complain much other than elevator slowness. 

Edited February 22 by Hoosierpop

[Riles34]

8 minutes ago, Hoosierpop said:

On the first day, I suggest going to the far back of the ship. Deck 8 at the Pig and Anchor area for example.

This is exactly what I was going to say. Get on the ship and go to the back pool on deck 8. Hang there until things settle down. I was on the Celebration with 108% capacity. Never felt overly crowded.

 

As far as mobility, be prepared for extremely slow elevators and when it opens for you, it will most likely be full. I gave up on the elevators and took the stairs everywhere. Hope it goes well. 

[ninjacat123]

My mom uses wheelchair assistance at embarkation and debarkation.  The rest of our cruise she holds on to my arm for stability (or someone in our family if they are along on the cruise) to get from point A to point B.  She doesn't want to use a walker, cane or scooter either so this is how we manage.

 

Regarding the crowd issue at embarkation, I think the later check in time is a great suggestion.  I would eat in the MDR for breakfast (check in with the app) and arrive a few minutes later after the hordes for your MDR dinner time.  Serenity is a great place for smaller adult crowds.  For shows in the theatre, I would get there early and leave after the crowd dissipates. I would avoid Lido and the buffet.

 

I hope you all have a wonderful cruise!!

[csm5986142]

29 minutes ago, Hoosierpop said:

It’s hard to know what level of crowd will cause her anxiety but I’ve been on the Celebration several times now (on it as a write this) and for as big as the ship is, I feel less crowded than smaller ships.

I was going to say the same thing.  I try to avoid the crowds and I really like the Excel class ships.  Being the middle of July, there will be a lot of families/kids/teens but I find it pretty easy to avoid the places they are likely to hang out (serenity deck was usually calm/quiet).  Recently on embarkation day, for lunch we went Pig & Anchor.  While the crowds up on Lido were kind of crazy, there were only about 10 other people in Pig & Anchor and no line at all.  Of course this will vary depending on passengers, but the Excel ships do a pretty good job of spreading people out with multiple options at the same time.  Same for breakfast - Pig & Anchor was typically a calm quiet breakfast venue (almost like people didn't realize it was open).  Just check your app to see what is open/available.

I agree, the first day is the worst (when nobody can get into their cabins) but I was still able to find some quiet deck space outside (usually on deck 8 - it seemed like people hadn't discovered it yet and congregated on the familiar upper decks.  I think the Excel class ships have a lot more interior common space (especially on 7 and 8).  Recently on Jubilee for New Years Eve, the ship was extremely full, but my family was always able to find a quiet table inside somewhere on deck 7 to work or play games.

The Excel class ships were built for a lot of passengers so I feel like they handle the crowds much better than the smaller ships that Carnival renovated to add more passenger cabins (reducing common space).  I love the deck space on Radiance but if the weather is bad, you won't be able to find a place to sit inside except your cabin.

Have a great trip!

[Homosassa]

Be aware that if you do decide to rent a scooter, the scooter must be kept in the cabin when not in use Leaving it in the hallway causes problems for other passengers and crew that are trying to walk, push cleaning carts, or use other mobility devices such as strollers, walkers or scooters.

 

All cabin doorways are not wide enough for all scooters to enter.  Call special needs to determine if the cabin can accommodate a scooter.

[kwokpot]

My dad, who is 94, went with us on a Christmas cruise on the Anthem of the Seas this past Christmas. He is mobility challenged but at the time wasn't ready to use any mobility assistance devices besides a cane. It didn't work out well. He was so exhausted just walking to and back from the buffet and dining rooms that at dinner time he kept falling asleep mid-bite. The cruise ended on NYE, and we had asked him if he still wanted to go to Atlantic City, NJ (The cruise was from Bayonne,NJ, so no flying was involved) for one night to celebrate NYE. He wanted to go, and we tried to minimize walking from his hotel room to the restaurant. Three days later he was at a regularly scheduled doctors appointment  and he fell asleep while the doctor was examining him. The doctor recommended he go to a hospital for a full checkup. He was admitted into the hospital and they literally did every test under the sun. The good news is there was nothing was wrong with him. The doctors kept saying, well, he's 94. In the hospital he was complaining to the doctors that on the cruise he had to walk back and forth from his room to have his meals. And then he had to do the same on NYE in Atlantic City. Mind you, it was my dad's idea to go on the Christmas cruise and my parents treated the whole family. 

In hindsight we should have gotten him a wheelchair or scooter.  My mom and dad did use wheelchair assistance getting on and off the ship. 

Edited February 22 by kwokpot

[vnyislesv]

On 2/22/2024 at 6:36 AM, hawkinsh said:

I hope I will not have a situation on my hands, but I am concerned.  My wife and I will be celebrating our 25th Anniversary on the Celebration for a week starting July 21.  We are taking our 3 kids with us and have two cabins.  One deck 5 Cove Balcony and one inside cabin across the hall.  We decided to invite family to travel with us.  My mom, sister & aunt decided they would travel with us, and will be in a cabin a couple doors down.  However, I do have a couple concerns for them.  I am hoping you have some advice.

 

Issue #1:  One of them is crowd adverse.  By that I mean, she is not good in crowds especially when she is unfamiliar settings.  This is completely new, as they have never cruised before.  She will often have an anxiety attack, and then she struggles to get it under control. I know that it will be impossible to avoid crowds, but I hope to acclimate her more slowly, until she is more comfortable to the environment.  Does anyone have any suggestions that might help her, especially on the first couple days as we get used to the boat?  I want her to get out of her cabin and have fun, but I do know we will have to have a plan to navigate the crowds.

 

Issue #2:  One of the people in the room has some mobility issues. This is a huge ship.  Any advice on getting around?  I keep pushing for a scooter, but she is not receptive to the idea.  She does not use one in her daily life, and seems to see it as a non-idea.  However, she does not walk that much in her normal day either.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice and suggestions you have.

so issue #1, my best friends sister had an anxiety attack the first day and they had to take her to medical.  Once she calmed down they let her go back to the room.  If you know of potential problems, why not take precautions?  Anxiety meds, whatever calms them down?  
 

 

#2, my father had major back surgery and now that he’s 73 and refuses a scooter, he uses a cane and sits when necessary.  Make due with what you have.

 

I highly suggest getting anxiety meds, panic attacks are no joke.  Good luck.

[staceyglow]

I don't mean to be harsh, but if I were the OP, I would have never booked this cruise given the issues they would have to deal with. 

 

Crowds are everywhere on all mass market cruise ships - and you can even encounter them unexpectedly, so I am not sure you can adequately prepare for every potential situation. 

 

And as far as the person with limited mobility is concerned, not getting a wheelchair or scooter would be a deal breaker for me. It isn't fair for that person to seriously hinder everyone else's enjoyment of the vacation because they are stubborn about this. 

[hawkinsh]

On 2/25/2024 at 10:23 AM, staceyglow said:

I don't mean to be harsh, but if I were the OP, I would have never booked this cruise given the issues they would have to deal with. 

 

Crowds are everywhere on all mass market cruise ships - and you can even encounter them unexpectedly, so I am not sure you can adequately prepare for every potential situation. 

 

And as far as the person with limited mobility is concerned, not getting a wheelchair or scooter would be a deal breaker for me. It isn't fair for that person to seriously hinder everyone else's enjoyment of the vacation because they are stubborn about this. 

I understand.  However, the cruse is for my family.  They were invited to go if they wanted.  I just wanted them to have as much info as I can.  I I can do is let them know, and hope they make the best decision for them.

 

[ninjacat123]

10 minutes ago, hawkinsh said:

I understand.  However, the cruse is for my family.  They were invited to go if they wanted.  I just wanted them to have as much info as I can.  I I can do is let them know, and hope they make the best decision for them.

 

I just remembered that Carnival has a "sensitivity to noise" or something like that available.  Like noise reducing head phones, etc.  Might be something that could help.

https://www.carnival.com/about-carnival/special-needs

[Sabalon]

On the crowds...  Perhaps FttF may help - get isolated out of the main cattle call to get on board, get on board early and start getting acclimated to the ship before it's full of people.

Learn different routes to get from A to B.  I find that if I'm in the aft and my cabin is more fore, I'll take the elevator down to my deck and walk through the hallway rather than try to traverse Lido or the other "activity" decks.

Find the out of the way areas - there is usually a few seating areas that aren't as heavily populated as others...nice place to hang out.  

At least for breakfast, wake up early, beat the crowds and lines.

While I'm not bothered by crowds (I got to DragonCon with 80000 people), what does get to me is the miscellaneous noise - multiple conversations going on that you can just pick up on  makes my brain go nuts trying to hear it all.  My airpods help somewhat with that...and just avoiding those areas if possible helps too.

[bmraar]

I get a bit claustrophobic when I am in large crowds.  I wouldn't characterize my issue as anywhere near what you describe, but I do get anxious and have to calm myself down.  The only time I felt uncomfortable on the Celebration was when we were getting off the ship in one of the ports, and everyone was trying to get off the ship at the same time using only one route.  It took about 45 minutes, and we were all backed up in a stairwell.  I would recommend waiting to get off the ship until the initial crowd dies down.  I have rarely had issues with crowds at embarkation.  I try to be one of the first onboard to get to the food before the crowds arrive.  Even so, I strongly recommend finding an alternative place to get lunch the first day, do not go to the buffet that can get very crowded very quickly.  Personally, I like the deli on day 1.  I loved that on such a big ship the crowds were spread out and it was easy to find a quiet corner to relax and people watch.  Have a wonderful time!