Celebration
by Travlin T
Western Caribbean
February 9, 2004
My husband and I were first-time cruisers. We had been planning a cruise for our 20th wedding anniversary for quite some time. We decided on the Carnival Celebration because it left from Galveston and we like the five-day itinerary.
We thought the docks where you unload the luggage were not well-marked and hard to figure out. We had to double back after asking a police officer how to get around. We parked in the designated parking lot, and my husband wished he had parked in the Dolphin parking lot where they let you carry your luggage on the shuttle; that way we could of stayed together. (Also when we came back we could have taken the shuttle with our luggage and been delivered to the car.) I don't know what the Dolphin parking lot costs, but we would definitely check it out next go around. But all in all it was not too bad; I checked the luggage and met my husband upstairs.
Once we got on the ship, they sent us up to the 10th floor to the buffet line. I thought the food was mediocre at best. Everybody bragged about the pizza. Trust me, I know pizza, and I didn't think there was anything that special about it. They were stingy with the ingredients, if you ask me. I realize how many people they are tying to feed at one time and I promise you I never went hungry. In the dining room it seemed more about presentation. We're just country folks and I wanted my potatoes and vegetables. Also, we're southern country folks and we love our iced tea. They served instant tea. Yuck! The food in both the main dining room and the buffet reminded me of the buffet on the local gambling boats: it looks so appealing, but when you get through you realize you're full but not really satisfied. That's just how we felt. It was just okay.
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We then got to go to our cabin. What a pleasant surprise! I was really worried about the size. We had a 6A room, one with a window. If this is your first cruise, I highly recommend a window. It was well worth the little extra money. The beds had already been pushed together and made a very comfortable bed. Neither one of us had a bit of trouble sleeping. I thought there was plenty of room in the cabin. We had a desk with several drawers, four closets, and a big table to put out suitcases on. Lots of things would also have fit under the bed had we needed it. In the bathroom there was a little shelf, a nice sized shower, a sink and a toilet. If my husband of 6'7", 325 pounds had no problem with the size of the room and bathroom, no one should. The window also made a convenient nightstand for that side of the room. I'm also claustrophobic and had no problems.
Things we found we didn't need: the over-the-door hanger, nightlight (plenty of light came under the door), tape, clothespins, post-its, plastic bags and lanyards. Inside our room we found two bathrobes, two beach towels, hangers, and a bowl with a flosser, toothpaste, shampoo and Tums. Inside the shower was a shampoo and soap dispenser, and there were several bars of soap in the bathroom. Things I did use included plastic mugs and highlighters. They also have Cokes and water in your room for a price. I asked the steward to remove those so we could use that space.
We did smuggle booze on board. We brought champagne and wine in our carry-on, which was never opened, just x-rayed. Inside our checked luggage we carried lots of Cokes and bourbon. We left these out in room and the cabin steward kept us supplied with ice the whole cruise. We only bought two frou-frou drinks and carried around our own drinks in the plastic mugs I brought. Our sign and sail card only came to $50.
My husband is about as country as you can get, but even he loved the dining room experience, even formal night. He just wore slacks, a button-down shirt, tie and boots. The men mostly wore suits and the ladies had everything from formals to nice pantsuits. All the other nights it was slacks or jeans with nice shirts and shoes. Our waiters were out of this world. We had so much fun with them. We weren't sure we would like sitting at a table with strangers, but it turned out great. Carnival did a good job of matching us: We were all close to the same age, we were all celebrating 25 to 30-year anniversaries, and we got along great. I highly recommend everyone experience the dining room. The waiters put on a show several nights and it was terrific.
There is always something going on: games, seminars, shows or the casino. You can stay as busy as you want, or be as laid back as you want. We saw several groups sitting on the deck or by the windows playing cards. Every night your room steward will leave you the ship's schedule for the next day's event (here's where your highlighter comes in handy). Try not to miss any of the shows. We were never disappointed in any of them.
I paid for 30 minutes of Internet time; it was $20 for 35 minutes. I wanted to touch base with my kids. This was perfect.
I am prone to motion sickness so this was a real worry for me. I decided on the patch. I put it on the evening before we left, just to be sure I had no ill side effects. It did not bother me in the least. I may have noticed a bit of dry mouth, but the tradeoff was worth it. The water was pretty rough our second day. The swimming pool looked like a wave pool. I was so glad to have the patch on. I know I would have been sick without it. I did drink in moderation with my patch on and had no problem. There was a constant humming or vibration on the ship, some places worse than others. This did bother me a little bit. I would be very curious to know if bigger ships have the same hum and vibration.
Wednesday we called at Cozumel. We had hired Adrian Romero to be our private guide. What a great choice! He took us shopping and helped me find just what I was looking for and at the best prices. His family has lived on the island forever so he is very informative. He took my husband -- a fireman -- by the fire station and took us to a tortilla company. (YUM- wish I had had some butter and taco sauce). He took us to the ruins and hired a guide. Neither of us thought we would enjoy that very much, but we both found it very interesting. Then it was on to Coconuts, what a view! We then took a drive along the coast. From these boards I had an address for a real cheap place to call home and he helped me find it. I talked all I wanted for $2.25. Then he wrote a postcard to my daughter (2nd year high school Spanish student) in Spanish. I can't wait for her to get it. If you would like to have more information on Adrian please feel free to email me. We ended the day going to Senor Frogs. Everyone should go to Senor Frogs. Even if you don't want to drink, go to watch the people. What a hoot! We got such a kick watching the waiters and waitresses, not to mention the patrons.
I hoped I answered some questions. I know a month ago I couldn't imagine what it was going to be like. One thing that made our cruise was the people. Everyone spoke to you and asked where you were from, etc. I was in shock when I got back home and tried speaking to everybody at WalMart. Boy, did I get some looks. They're not nearly as friendly as our group on the ship. I wonder if all cruisers find that when they get home? Anyway, our cruise took a turn for the worse and I will continue that another time.
