Hey there, Carnival Celebration — it’s been a hot minute, but I’m back! This ship holds a special place in my cruising history, as it’s the one I’ve sailed on quite a bit since her launch just a few years ago and has become a personal favorite. My last cruise on Celebration was over Halloween 2024 for a western Caribbean run, so when a last-minute casino offer popped up on Thursday, I jumped on it and made my way back to one of my favorite ships — even though I already have a cruise booked on her for August.
Before we dive in, a quick disclosure: this cruise was comped as part of a casino offer. I paid a $100 cruise fare, which was returned to me as onboard credit, plus $333.22 in taxes and fees. Anything else — Cheers! package, Wi-Fi, specialty dining, etc. — comes out of my own pocket.
Carnival Celebration launched in 2022 and is the second ship in the Excel class — currently the largest class in Carnival’s fleet, though not for long. The upcoming “Project Ace” ships will take that crown soon with ships that hold a whopping 8,000 passengers. Celebration followed Mardi Gras, with Jubilee sailing next, and two more ships on the way: Festivale and Carnivale, which will close out the class.
These Excel-class ships can carry up to 6,500 guests and are packed with dining venues — including some that aren’t found anywhere else in the fleet — plus the BOLT rollercoaster (which, fun fact, won’t be featured on the next two new ships).
The goal for this trip is to see what’s changed since my last time onboard. Even on Day 1, I’ve already noticed quite a few updates, which I’ll get into as the week goes on. I’ve written plenty of Celebration reviews in the past (which you can check out below), so for this one, I’ll keep it focused and skip repeating too many ship basics.
- Carnival Celebration Western Caribbean Cruise – April 2023
- Carnival Celebration Eastern Caribbean Cruise – June 2023
- Carnival Celebration Southern Caribbean Cruise – July 2023
- Carnival Celebration Eastern Caribbean Cruise – February 2024
- Carnival Celebration Western Caribbean Cruise – October 2024
This is an Eastern Caribbean itinerary with stops in Amber Cove, Dominican Republic, plus two of my favorite ports — San Juan, PR, and St. Thomas, USVI — before heading back to Miami.
Brightline from Boca Raton to Port Miami
Since I live in Delray Beach, FL, getting to either PortMiami or Port Everglades is easy. And when it comes to heading south, I ditch the car and take Brightline — the high-speed train that helps you avoid the soul-crushing traffic on I-95.
I booked Brightline’s Premium service, which comes with roomier seats, access to the Premium lounge, complimentary snacks and drinks onboard, and a $10 Uber credit each way.
I parked at the Boca Raton Brightline station for $10/day and arrived about 30 minutes before departure. One thing to know if you’re taking Brightline: they recently changed their policy regarding oversize bags (yes, the kind we all bring on cruises). These now cost extra and must be checked — except when traveling to or from Boca Raton and Aventura, where there’s no bag check service. Premium passengers get one free oversize bag, but extra bags or those traveling in Smart class will pay $20 each.
Because Boca doesn’t offer bag check, I was allowed to bring my large bag onboard — it was tagged so the crew knew it was approved. That’s good news for me, though it may be a hassle for others. Still, I get why they did it. On my last Brightline ride, the luggage racks were overflowing, and bags were sitting in the aisles. This change likely helps cut down on that chaos and improves safety.
The train ride to Miami was a smooth 55 minutes. Once there, getting an Uber is as easy as heading down two escalators and walking out the front doors. My ride arrived in under five minutes, and 10 minutes later I was at Terminal F, ready to board Celebration.
Checking in at Port Miami Terminal F
After handing off my bag, I headed to the priority line for embarkation, where my boarding pass and passport were scanned. That’s when something unexpected happened. Since I booked the cruise just 24 hours before sailing — after the manifest had already closed — I was told I needed additional screening because my background check hadn’t gone through.
In case you didn’t know, cruise lines quietly screen all passengers before boarding. It happens behind the scenes, and you’d never know it — unless, like me, you book super last-minute. The manifest gets submitted for review ahead of time, and if a guest raises any red flags (such as a felony record), they may be denied boarding.
So my priority boarding was interrupted. I was redirected to regular security, but not before lining up with a group of passengers to have the drug-sniffing dogs check our carry-ons. As the dog made its way around, I took out my phone to record. A moment later, the person next to me was pulled from the line as the dog picked up a scent. Off she went for secondary screening.
This isn’t the first time I’ve seen someone get caught with “questionable” items in their luggage, and it won’t be the last. Carnival’s taken a hard stance on guests bringing weed onboard — and yes, that’s exactly what the dogs are sniffing for.
After getting through the first checkpoint — the dog sniff and metal detector — I was taken to guest services for further review. They checked my booking, then walked me back to security where my bag was re-inspected, I got a full pat-down, and my passport and personal details were noted for the background check.
Eventually, I was cleared and allowed to board. The whole process took about 45 minutes, which honestly wasn’t terrible. It’s just something to be aware of when booking these very last-minute deals. In the past, I’ve also had no room assignment until check-in, trouble activating Wi-Fi or drink packages, and other quirky issues. It’s part of the tradeoff.
Once onboard, I headed to my stateroom — an interior on Deck 11, all the way aft.
Carnival Celebration Interior Stateroom 11519
I’ve stayed in quite a few interior cabins on the Excel-class ships, but this one was new to me. It’s stateroom 11519, a square-shaped interior tucked into a strange spot — with crew and mechanical areas on either side, and extended aft balconies and suites across the hall.
The room itself is surprisingly spacious, thanks to that square layout. It feels more like a regular bedroom than your typical cruise cabin. There’s ample space on either side of the bed, and the setup is actually… great! I’m not usually a fan of interiors, but when it’s free, you roll with it — and this was a small win.
The cabin has two twin beds that convert to a king, plenty of closet space, USB ports on both sides of the bed, four more at the counter, three U.S. power outlets, a phone, a cooler, a safe, and a large TV.
The bathroom is tiny — standard for Excel-class interiors — but the shower makes up for it. It’s roomy and has a glass door instead of a clingy curtain like older ships.
One hiccup: the safe wasn’t working. I let my stateroom attendant know, and while someone came to take a look, they couldn’t fix it. Another crew member tried later — still no luck. She said someone else would come by, but as of Monday afternoon, it still isn’t working. I’ve asked again for a follow-up.
Sailaway was scheduled for 3:30 p.m., and we finally left around 4, following Carnival Horizon out of PortMiami. It was immediately obvious that this was going to be a packed sailing — school’s out, summer’s here, and the ship is full of families, kids, and people… everywhere! But hey, just 6,500 of us, right?
A quick walk around the ship led me to a jam-packed buffet, a newly added Indian quick service spot (more on that later), a long line at Shaq’s Big Chicken, and a very overwhelmed crew member working the soft-serve machine, which had the longest ice cream line I’ve ever seen.
I got back to my room around 5 p.m., and my luggage showed up about 30 minutes later. I’m an unapologetic overpacker, so I was relieved to find enough hangers for all my cruisewear.
Video Tour of Stateroom 11519 on Carnival Celebration
Dinnertime on Carnival Celebration
After unpacking, showering, and getting dressed for the evening, I went out in search of a cocktail and dinner. I ended up at one of my favorite spots — the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse bar. Unlike the Alchemy Bar or Pig & Anchor, it’s never too crowded. It’s a chill place to grab a drink while folks wait for their dinner reservations.
Plus, it’s the only place onboard to get a proper G&T. Not the soda gun stuff — we’re talking Fever Tree tonics, your choice of gin, and garnishes like lemon, lime, thyme, cucumber, and more. As I sipped a refreshing cocktail, someone — who clearly had the drink package and was using it — stumbled by and “refunded” their beverage right in the main thoroughfare. Housekeeping swooped in fast to clean up, but it was only 6:30 p.m. Yikes.
I sat at the bar chatting with the bartender and a few fellow guests while scrolling through restaurant menus on the HUB app to figure out dinner plans. Celebration has tons of dining options beyond the main dining room (MDR), including:
- Fahrenheit 555 – Steakhouse, $52 per person
- Rudi’s Seagrill – Celeb Chef Rudi Sodamin’s signature seafood restaurant, $52 per person
- Bonsai Teppanyaki – Japanese teppanyaki, $49 per person
- Bonsai Sushi – À la carte sushi and ramen
- Emeril’s Bistro – Emeril Lagasse’s a la carte seafood and New Orleans-style dishes
- Seafood Shack – À la carte, located on Lido
- Chibang – A blend of Asian and Mexican, free for first visit, $8 after
- Cucina del Capitano – Italian, free for first visit, $8 after
- Lido Marketplace – Buffet with MDR-style options
- Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse – Guy Fieri’s complimentary BBQ joint with additional $ options
Main Dining Room Menu Day 1
For those looking to dine in the main dining room, here’s a peek at what was on the menu for the first night of the cruise.
As I browsed, I noticed both Fahrenheit and Cucina del Capitano now offer some upcharge menu items in addition to their standard cover charges — clearly an attempt to boost onboard revenue by offering premium selections.
It was a toss-up between the steakhouse and Italian, but I flipped a virtual coin and Cucina won. I checked in via the app and was surprised when it told me my table was ready immediately.
The restaurant was quiet with plenty of open tables. I was seated in a nice, peaceful spot, and my server came over to introduce herself and take my drink order.
Carnival Celebration Cucina del Capitano Menu
I’ve eaten at Cucina before, so I decided to try the new upcharge items — supposedly pulled from the Il Viaggio menu on Carnival’s “Fun Italian Style” ships, such as the Carnival Venizia which I was on in February and you can read about here..
First up: Tartare di Salmone ($8), which was minced salmon with fish roe, capers, and dill sauce. Unfortunately, it was a bit too mushy for my taste, and the flavor was overly fishy. Not a great start.
Next: Nonna’s Meatballs. Despite being plural in name, it was — as usual — a single meatball. Still, it was tasty, and the sauce had great flavor.
For the main, I ordered the Lombata Milanese ($20), a traditional veal chop pounded thin, breaded, fried, and served with salad. This one was disappointing. The chop was very thin, more breading than veal, served room temp, and a bit greasy. The breading was bland, and overall the dish was chewy and forgettable. I didn’t finish it.
The unexpected winner? A side of Rigatoni alla Siciliana — baked rigatoni with Bolognese, ham, eggplant, and loads of mozzarella. Now that was delicious.
I skipped dessert.
Service was excellent, but the upcharge items fell flat. Next time, I’ll stick to the regular menu — whether I make it back this week or on my August sailing.
After dinner, I strolled the ship a bit, then headed back to my room to catch up on world events and get some sleep.
FunTimes for June 22, 2025:
