Celebration
by Patsy and Gene Shepherd
Western Caribbean
January 2, 2000
Embarkation:
This was a breeze. We arrived around 11:30(too early) and were onboard before 12:30. After unpacking (we chose to carry our luggage), we explored the ship and put in a request for seating change in the dining room from a table for 4 to a table for 2. A card informing us of the change was slipped under our door before 9pm. We did enjoy our tablemates Omar and Emma from Texas, and managed to stay in contact with them for the rest of the cruise, and also exchanged email addresses.
Cabin:
Our cabin was at the very back of the ship. We immediately pushed the twin beds together and the steward made them up that way after that. Robes and soap were provided. There is an almost constant vibration in this room, but we loved it. It put us to sleep every time we laid down. The engine noise is more noticeable while going down the Mississippi River. It actually woke us up once before we got out into the Gulf, but after that we never even noticed it. You cannot hear anything in the next rooms.
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Food:
Dinner in the dining room was very good. The soups (lobster bisque, pepper pot, cream of spinach etc) were delicious. Lobster, steak (very tender), shrimp dishes, trout, and desserts were also delicious. Breakfast in the Wheelhouse was french toast, omelets, bacon, sausage, and oatmeal....and we ate their almost every day. The eggs were spongy though. Lunch was buffet style here and was ok, but nothing to rave about. We did make it to a couple of the midnight buffets and they were good also. The Gala Buffet was more beautiful than tasty, but not to be missed. Also, pizza on this ship is great!
Staff/Crew:
Everyone was friendly and helpful in all areas of the ship, but Jose and Ibrahim were fantastic. They did everything possible to make sure that we were taken care of and well-fed (sometimes too well-fed). Jose's recommendations were perfect and his jokes very funny. Ibrahim made sure our glasses and cups were never empty. He and Ibrahim worked very hard, but always found time to talk with us about the ship, our different countries, and our families. They also sang Happy Anniversary to us one night, and Happy Birthday to me another night. We really miss them. We only saw our room steward, Peldid, in the hallways but he was always friendly. The towel animals were very cute, and the chocolates on our pillows were a nice touch. Beach towels were left in our room without having to ask for them and our room was always clean.
Activities:
The shows in the Astoria lounge were good and the x-rated comedian was very funny. There were always games around the pool. Although we did not participate, we did enjoy watching everyone have fun. They also had bingo, newlywed game, horse races, trivia contests, and bridge and galley tours. There is always something going on.
Ship:
We really fell in love with this ship.....I guess because it was our first!!!! The topless deck was very crowded on the days at sea, but there are several other decks and plenty of lounge chairs. We found a quiet spot on the side deck behind the bridge (dark at night) to sit and listen to the waves and look at the stars (very romantic). There is also the deck above the bridge that is wonderful to watch the sunrise over the mountain as you are sailing into port at Jamaica. It is very windy here, but the view is well worth it. There are several lounges with a variety of music to suit your taste. The band on the Lido deck around the pool was very good also.
Ports:
The people in Jamaica were very friendly to us, even when they weren't trying to sell something. Our taxi driver "Teacher" was very informative, although he did have a problem talking to us and watching the road at the same time. This led to a very interesting ride into town and to the beach. We came to relax and that is what we did at Doctor's Cave Beach......very pretty. In Grand Cayman, we had to take a tender to the pier and I would have been happy to ride on it all day in the slightly choppy water, which was the most beautiful I have ever seen. We did not take a tour, but the ones that did, enjoyed Stingray City. Be careful of the rum cakes here.....very tasty, but lots of rum. Beautiful beach here also. At Cozumel, we took a taxi into town and shopped for souvenirs($5 taxi to town). Chankanaab Lagoon is a very nice place to go here. There is also a small beach in front of La Cieba hotel close to the pier. We really enjoyed everything here, but would like more time in port.
As you can see, we did not take any tours on this cruise. We came to relax and that is just what we did, although we walked so much that we didn't gain a single pound. My husband was not too sure about taking a cruise, but now he says he wouldn't take any other kind of vacation. We hardly ever knew what time it was and didn't care. The ages of the people on this boat were from 9 months to about 90 yrs, and all looked liked they were having a great time. We met passengers from England, Scotland, Canada, and all over the USA. We will definitely cruise with Carnival again, and if the Celebration were still in New Orleans in October....we would book the ship again (even after the fire). My husband did remind me that on Saturday at breakfast the ship started vibrating really bad, and then the engines stopped. After an hour or so, they started back up, and we were on our way again. This may have been an indication of the problem that happened this week, however I would still sail on her again. We are going to book the same route again and this time we will be taking some of the tours. I am sure that I left out so many things, but I am still coming down off of the natural high of being on the ship surrounded by all that water.
