Carnival Celebration Eastern Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 7: June 28, 2025

It’s the final day of this 7-day Eastern Caribbean cruise aboard the beautiful Carnival Celebration as we sail back to PortMiami after visiting Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. As I always do in my final-day recap, I’m going to talk about some of the highs and lows of the cruise and share an overall review of my time onboard.

But before diving into that, let’s talk about today’s highlights. The first event worth mentioning was the Platinum and Diamond VIFP Member Reception, held at 2:30 p.m. in the ship’s main theater. This gathering is exclusively for Carnival’s top-tier loyalty program members—VIFP stands for “Very Important FUN Person.”

If you’ve been off the grid this past week, Carnival recently dropped a bombshell: a MAJOR change is coming to the loyalty program. The current VIFP program, which rewards guests based on the number of cruise days sailed, is being replaced by the new Carnival Rewards program. The new model flips things around and will instead reward passengers based on how much they spend on their cruise fare, onboard purchases, and casino play. This revamped system will go into effect in 2026.

Since this cruise is the first to sail after the news dropped, not everyone onboard was aware of the upcoming changes. Some were surprised, while others were already pretty vocal about how they felt. I was especially curious to see how the cruise director would handle the topic during the Platinum and Diamond event, so I made sure to attend.

After the usual introductions of the ship’s senior officers and the presentation of awards to the youngest and oldest cruisers—as well as the guest with the most sea days—someone in the back of the theater yelled, “The new program sucks!”

The cruise director addressed the situation with as much diplomacy as possible. He acknowledged the recent announcement and mentioned that many loyal Carnival cruisers had already shared their opinions. He assured the audience that the folks at corporate were listening.

He also pointed out that he, like us, found out about the changes at the same time as everyone else. He made it clear the decisions came from corporate higher-ups who don’t interact with guests like the shipboard crew does—people who often implement ideas that sound good in theory but may not translate well in practice.

He then told a story from his days managing a restaurant. There was an older woman who came in every single day for tea and toast, spending less than $2. Even though she didn’t spend much, she was one of their most loyal guests and was treated as such. The message? Under the new program, whether you spend $1,000 or $10,000, Carnival still sees you as a loyal guest, no matter what tier you fall into.

It was pretty clear from his candid remarks that he too was surprised by the changes. He encouraged everyone to keep giving feedback, because corporate is listening. With enough input, maybe they’ll tweak things so that both occasional cruisers and frequent flyers feel recognized.

Earlier in the week, I spotted a Carnival Rewards podium hidden away in an elevator lobby near Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse on Deck 8 aft. A crew member in a Carnival Rewards t-shirt was posted there to answer questions about the new program. I stopped by and asked him what kind of feedback he’d been hearing. He said not many guests had stopped by yet—probably because it was still early, and many weren’t aware of the change.

Frankly, the location probably didn’t help. Tucked away like that, it’s no wonder people weren’t lining up. When I passed by again this afternoon, the sign was still up, but the podium and crew member were gone.

Main Dining Room Dinner Menu

Now, let’s talk about dinner. Here’s a peek at tonight’s main dining room menu.

Dinner at Cucina del Capitano on Carnival Celebration

I decided to give Cucina del Capitano—Carnival’s Italian specialty restaurant—another try. In my Day 1 report, I mentioned that both Cucina and the steakhouse now feature some additional à la carte upcharge options. I sampled a few on the first night and wasn’t thrilled with the entrée I paid extra for.

Tonight, I went back around 8 p.m. and was seated right away—the restaurant wasn’t very busy. My server filled my water glass but didn’t ask if I wanted a drink. A few minutes later, he returned to take my order, and I added a beer.

A table of three was seated next to me shortly after and placed their order right after mine.

Fifteen minutes passed—still no drinks for any of us, and no bread either. All we had was water. I flagged down a manager and asked if he could check on things. He sent someone to deliver drinks to the table next to me and someone else brought bread. He apologized, then disappeared.

I started off with a new $15 upcharge menu item—the Salumi Formaggi Sampler, a charcuterie board with meats and cheeses. It’s meant for two, but I handled it solo just fine.

Next was the Caprese Salad—classic tomatoes and mozzarella.

For my entrée, I went with the $25 upcharge Osso Buco, a dish I’ve enjoyed before on previous cruises. It didn’t disappoint—fork-tender meat, flavorful sauce. It’s usually served over polenta, but I opted for baked rigatoni instead.

I skipped dessert. And as for that beer I ordered? It never showed up. I didn’t bother reordering—I was curious to see if it would eventually appear. It didn’t.

The food this time around was good, but the service was not. It felt like the staff was stretched thin—maybe because it was the last night of the cruise, or maybe just an off night. My server looked flustered as he rushed from table to table.

Worth noting: Cucina del Capitano is different on Excel-class ships like Mardi Gras, Celebration, and Jubilee. Like Chibang!, your first visit is free, and additional visits cost $8 per person. The menus on these ships are also different from what you’ll find on older ones.

Now, on to overall review!

Carnival Celebration Embarkation

As I mentioned in my Day 1 report, I took the Brightline train from Boca Raton to Miami—a flawless trip as always. It’s easily the best way to avoid the chaos that is PortMiami. From traffic to parking, the headaches are endless. But with Brightline, I hopped in an Uber at the station and was at the port in ten minutes.

Because I booked this cruise last-minute, my background check hadn’t cleared in time, which caused a delay during check-in. What’s usually a quick process at Terminal F took an extra 45 minutes, but no complaints from me—it was handled professionally and smoothly once the paperwork was squared away.

Carnival Celebration Interior Stateroom 11519

I stayed in an interior stateroom (11519 on Deck 11 aft) that I got as part of a casino offer. It was one of the square layouts, which I prefer because it feels more like a traditional bedroom than the narrow hallway-style interiors. Tons of space on both sides of the bed.

The room had two twin beds that convert into a king, no pull-downs or sofas, so it only accommodates two guests. There was a flat-screen TV across from the bed, mini cooler, hair dryer, safe, and lots of closet space.

The bathroom was small, as expected, but had a roomy glass-door shower instead of a curtain—an improvement over older ships.

Power options included four USB ports on the desk, one on each bedside lamp, and two U.S. outlets—no European ones.

The room is in a strange spot, surrounded by crew and mechanical areas as shown in the deck plan below, which made for some constant humming and A/C noise. I likened it to white noise—it didn’t bother me. I didn’t hear neighbors all week and would gladly stay here again.

Carnival Celebration Food

There’s no shortage of food options on Celebration, and since my last sailing in November 2024, a few new ones have popped up.

Breakfast spots include the buffet, BlueIguana for burritos, Emeril’s Bistro for small bites, and Shaq’s Big Chicken for biscuit sandwiches. On port days, the main dining room offers an express breakfast; on sea days, it transforms into Sea Day Brunch.

Lunchtime options are just as plentiful: Guy’s Burgers, Big Chicken, Street Eats, BlueIguana, Seafood Shack, Deco Deli, and Miami Slice for pizza. On sea days, Cucina and Chibang also open for lunch. Bonsai Sushi and Teppanyaki are available for a fee.

New buffet additions include Masala Tiger (Indian), Empanada & Pie, and All Things Wings (which also serves wings at Pig & Anchor in the evenings).

Dinner is where Celebration excels (no pun intended), with options like Rudi’s Seagrill, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Chibang!, Cucina, Bonsai Sushi, and Teppanyaki. There are also plenty of free spots like the deli and pizza.

Here’s how I’d rate the restaurants I tried:

• Main Dining Room – Didn’t try
• Buffet – ★★
• Pizza – ★★
• Deli – Didn’t try
• BlueIguana – ★★★
• Seafood Shack (à la carte) – ★★★★
• Cucina del Capitano – ★★
• Chibang! – Didn’t try this trip
• Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse – ★★★★
• Emeril’s Bistro – ★★★★
• Bonsai Sushi / Teppanyaki – Teppanyaki gets ★★★★★
• Masala Tiger, Just Wings, Empanada & Pie – Didn’t try
• Chef’s Table – Outstanding. Check Day 6’s report.

Carnival Celebration Passengers

It’s summer, schools are out, and families are cruising. There were about 1,900 kids under 12 onboard, along with several large family groups—some 20 to 30+ people strong.

Carnival Celebration Entertainment

Celebration delivers nonstop entertainment—production shows, live music in the lounges, comedy, movies on the big screen, Family Feud, Deal or No Deal, pools, water park, and the Bolt roller coaster.

The shows in Grand Central—Celestial Strings, The Greatest Circus, etc.—are still the same as when the ship launched in 2022, so if you’ve seen them before, don’t expect anything new.

Carnival Celebration Service

With the exception of tonight’s dinner, service throughout the cruise was excellent. Every crew member I encountered was upbeat, friendly, and helpful. The ship itself is in pristine condition, and the crew works nonstop to keep it that way.

Carnival Celebration Debarkation

Debarkation is easy with the Carnival HUB app. You choose whether to carry your luggage or leave it out, then select your preferred departure time.

I left mine out, got my app notification around 7:50 a.m. for my 8:15 departure, walked off the ship without a wait, grabbed my bag, and had an Uber pick me up in five minutes. I was at the Brightline station ten minutes later.

Couldn’t have been smoother.

Overall Rating

Carnival Celebration continues to be one of my favorite ships. There’s so much to do, so many great food options, and the ship is in top condition. This cruise lived up to my expectations, and I’m already looking forward to the next one in August.

Thanks for following along on this journey!