We’re sailing to our first port of call on this 7-day Western Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Celebration, and today we’re spending the day at sea. With a fully booked ship, it’s going to be “one of those days!” By that, I mean all areas around the ship will be buzzing with people taking part in activities such as bingo, art auctions, sunbathing, and… drinking.
Soooo… Let’s Talk Drink Packages
While food is covered in your cruise fare (except for specialty restaurants), beverages besides tap water, coffee, tea, and juice are not. If you’re looking to quench your thirst with a soda, crack open a beer, or cool down with an Aperol Spritz, you’ll need to pay per drink or buy a beverage package.
On average, across all cruise lines, a soda will set you back around $3.75, a beer around $8.50, and a well cocktail around $12. Whether purchasing a drink package makes more sense is up to you, but generally, you’re better off buying either a soda package for around $12 a day or an alcoholic beverage package, which includes soda, for about $60. Some lines charge more; others less. Since we’re talking Carnival, you can use this handy beverage package calculator to determine if buying the package is right for you.
Carnival’s Cheers Beverage Package
For this 7-day cruise, the drink package was $59.95 per day + 18% service charge. You’re not obligated to tip on top of that, but if you’re given great service, it’s often advisable to tip more! By purchasing the Cheers Beverage Package, you’re entitled to 15 alcoholic beverages per day. Unlike other cruise lines where you simply pay for each drink above the 15-drink limit, Carnival enforces a strict limit: no more alcoholic drinks once you’ve reached 15. However, someone else can buy you a drink if you’ve maxed out, and soda has no limit.
If you prefer non-alcoholic beer, you’ll still need to purchase the alcoholic beverage package, and those NAs are also subject to the 15-drink limit.
Carnival Cruise Line’s Alcohol Policy: What You Need to Know
Finding a Spot on Deck
While people were working on hitting their 15-drink limit, the outdoor spaces were packed. There are plenty of chairs on the top decks, but the prime locations around the lido pool were taken early in the day.
Another VERY popular spot this cruise, besides the pool and casino, is the… smoking area. There are two smoking areas on Celebration, one on Deck 17 aft and one on Deck 8 mid. When it was time to enjoy a cigar, I headed up to Deck 17, which has more shade, but every chair was occupied. The Deck 8 area, mostly uncovered, was equally busy with people puffing away.
Smoking is allowed in the casino (if you’re playing), but cigars are banned. There’s also a sizeable non-smoking casino for those who prefer to play without the smoke.
A Lucky Break in the Casino
Before dinner, I had some time to kill, so I went and dropped $50 into a slot machine. Lady Luck was on my side as that $50 lasted me around an hour and a half, and I hit a couple of hundred-dollar jackpots, making the play last longer. Of course, every penny went back into the machine, and I left with $0.
Carnival recently changed how points accumulate with slot play and when you’re entitled to free drinks while playing. It used to be that every $2.50 cycled through earned you 1 point. Now, it’s $2.00 per point. However, getting free drinks while playing takes longer, as you now need 2,000 points for that perk, up from the previous 1,500 points.
Evening Entertainment and Elegant Night
Entertainment tonight included stand-up comedians in the Punchliner Comedy Club, the Love and Marriage show in the ship’s main theater, and Celestial Strings in Grand Central. This is one of the original shows from the ship’s initial launch, and it’s still going strong. Billed as a mash-up of symphonic rock and pop, it shines the spotlight on the ship’s string instrument performers along with dancers and aerelists.
Tonight was also the first Elegant Night, where passengers dress up, take pictures, and toast with the captain. However, it was clear that many passengers didn’t embrace the “elegant” theme. While some dressed up and looked fantastic, quite a few were not into it. Even during dinner hours, it wasn’t uncommon to see shirtless adults or teens wandering through the ship or lining up at guest services. Bare feet were also a common sight.
While it didn’t impact me, there may be others who feel differently. Hey, it’s vacation, and you do you, but a basic dress code — especially in the evening — would be nice.
Elegant Night Main Dining Room Menu
For those opting to have dinner in the main dining room for Elegant Night, here’s the “Feast” that was being served:
Dinner at Bonsai Teppanyaki
For dinner, I had a 9 pm reservation at Bonsai Teppanyaki, which has always proven to be a winner and a great value. The restaurant has three teppanyaki tables, but only two were filled for the 9 pm seating. Unfortunately, I ended up at a table where nobody was talking to each other, two people left early due to seasickness, and the rest weren’t into the “fun” this experience usually offers.
For $42 per person, you get two appetizers (tuna and pork belly), the choice of a salad or miso soup, two pieces of shrimp, your entrée (filet, chicken, shrimp, salmon, lobster, cod, or a combo of two), fried rice, and six desserts served in a bento box.
First thing I noticed was that the tuna appetizer, which used to be two raw pieces served over ice, had changed to cooked tuna with a less impressive presentation. Another change is that you now choose between soup or salad, rather than getting both. I opted for the salad, which was underwhelmingly small.
I chose the filet and chicken for my entrée, and they easily accommodated my request for the filet to be cooked blue, which isn’t always offered. The food was still solid, though, and despite the small changes, Bonsai Teppanyaki remains one of the best specialty dining values on board. If you get the chance, don’t pass it up!
Nightcap at the Golden Jubilee Lounge
After dinner, I headed to the Golden Jubilee lounge for a quick nightcap. The Backyard Band, usually found in a larger venue at Guy’s Pig and Anchor BBQ, was performing here, relocated to accommodate the World Series being shown in the larger venue. The band was fantastic and kept everyone entertained until 11 pm when they wrapped up, and the bar closed.
Arrival in Cozumel, Mexico
We arrive in Cozumel, Mexico, in the morning, where we’re expected to go ashore starting at 8:15 am. More on that tomorrow. Thanks for following along!
FunTimes for Day 2:
The Fun Times for October 28, 2024 can also be downloaded as a PDF by clicking here.
Personal Day-By-Day Carnival Vista Cruise Review: