Well, the final day of this 7-day western Caribbean cruise has arrived and it’s time to do a quick rundown of the day and a recap of the week onboard the newest ship in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet, the Carnival Celebration.
The last day of any cruise is always one where you’re either ready to get off or wishing you could stay on board. Quite a few people are doing back-to-back cruises so they definitely have a leg up on those of us having to disembark in the morning.
Which category do I fall into?
I won’t answer that yet, I’m going to force you to read more!
Today is the second of two consecutive sea days as we head back to the ship’s home port of Miami. The crew has done an amazing job of packing the sea days with activities to keep everyone on board busy and entertained.
One of the biggest complaints I hear all the time about MSC is the lack of entertainment and things to do during the day, especially for kids. Now for me, I cruise to relax and just chill out spending my time people-watching or staring out into the open ocean. The number of activities during the day doesn’t matter to me, but I can definitely see where it is a concern for those who like their vacation packed with fun things to do.
So I definitely give the crew of the Carnival Celebration five stars for planning what seems to be an endless amount of stuff to do from the time you get up in the morning until way past my bedtime. Kids and adults will have no problem finding something to occupy their time on this ship.
I started the day writing the day six report from an area of the ship I had just discovered! With the ship being so large, there are things you may miss if you’re not an intrepid explorer or one who walks around with the ship’s deck plans pulled up on your phone to you don’t miss anything!
The area I turned into my “office” is located on an outside deck mid-ship near 820 Biscayne, the Miami-themed area which is home to 820 Bar, Miami Slice (pizza), and Deco Deli (sandwiches). A colorful seating area awaits those who want to take the slice or sandwich out and enjoy it al fresco.
I was the only one out here for the longest time until it got closer to lunchtime. People quickly started filling the area and playing cornhole with the setup that was nearby. Since it was time for lunch, and on a cruise is the only time I ever eat breakfast or lunch, I decided that today was going to be a seafood day with lunch coming from the Seafood Shack and dinner at Rudi’s Seagrill.
Seafood Shack is one of four food stalls located up on the Lido deck towards the front of the ship, opposite the buffet. You’ll also find Time Fries, which offers loaded-up French Fries; Steam Dream, which serves bao buns and other steamed Asian items; and Mad Sizzle where you can get kebabs and satays.
Open for lunch and dinner, Seafood Shack is the place to go for fresh lobster, shrimp, crab claws, oysters, and also fried seafood buckets. Unlike the other three food outlets here, Seafood Shack is not free and most items are market price and noted on a blackboard. Here was the price for the fresh seafood being offered this particular day, for reference is April 22, 2023:
- Steamed Lobster – $40 per pound
- Snow Crab – $34 per pound
- Steamed Peel & Eat Shrimp – $3 each
- Oysters – $2.50 each
If you’re saying, “$40 a pound for lobster are you kidding me?” No, I’m not. Considering you can get a full meal WITH a lobster tail for $48 at Rudi’s Seagrill, this pricing is a bit out there.
I placed an order for an $18 lobster roll that came with fries. I was given a pager and in about ten minutes it was ready for pickup. For some reason, I was given two lobster rolls but only charged for one.
Served on a buttered New England roll, there was a good amount of chunk and shredded lobster along with an obscene amount of mayo. So much mayo that it became the dominant flavor and after eating half of the first roll, I had enough. If the lobster wasn’t swimming in mayo, this would have been a good lobster roll as it contained a lot of meat, however, it was a fail – unless you like a mayo roll with lobster.
Props for the fries tho. This was the first time I saw crinkle-cut fries served on the ship and they were crispy and well seasoned – better than the fries at Guy’s Burger Joint.
I spend the rest of the day walking around the ship trying to find any other spots that I may have missed before heading back to begin the dreaded packing.
Earlier in the day, the cruise director held a disembarkation talk in the ship’s theatre. I didn’t attend but watched it on the stateroom TV later in the day to get an idea of what time we would be “kicked off” in the morning.
On Carnival Celebration, you have the option to self-disembark if you’re able to carry all your luggage off the ship yourself, without assistance. This option is perfect for those who are up early and want to be among the first off the ship.
The other option is the traditional way of leaving your luggage outside your stateroom between 8 pm – 10 pm. It then is collected and you won’t see it again until you’re off the ship and searching for it in the terminal the next day. If you’re choosing this option, you are required to pick up luggage tags that are not delivered to your stateroom but are placed on racks in public areas for you to pick up on your own.
For those who are Diamond or Platinum status, you WILL receive luggage tags and instructions in your room, and you will have priority disembarkation for both methods.
Let’s talk packing for just a moment. With self-disembarkation lugging around two suitcases is frankly a pain, so I have a little trick I use that makes it a heck of a lot easier for me. I have a big suitcase and a smaller one that can fit inside the big one. At the start of the cruise, I pack things neatly so they don’t require ironing once unpacked, but at the end of the cruise, everything is getting washed, so no big deal how it gets packed.
I take all the small stuff, socks, underwear, and t-shirts, and stuff them into… shoes! The rest of the clothes get packed tightly in the smaller suitcase, as at this point – wrinkles don’t matter! I place the smaller suitcase INSIDE the larger one and place the shoes around the smaller one filling in the empty space. Zip up, and voila, you now have one suitcase, although now heavy as heck, to carry off the ship!
As I mentioned earlier, I was making today seafood day, so I booked dinner at Rudi’s Seagrill – the specialty seafood restaurant onboard the Carnival Celebration and Carnival Mardi Gras. It gets its name from Chef Rudi Sodamin who has a long tradition of working with Carnival Corporation and the cruise industry in general.
Rudi’s Seagrill is the first time Chef Sodamin has had a restaurant on a Carnival cruise ship. For years, he has been closely associated with sister line Holland America, serving as their Master Chef since the early 2000s. On HAL ships, Rudi’s Sel De Mer restaurant is the go-to spot for French cuisine.
Carnival Corporation has tapped Rudi more and more lately, most recently announcing that his talents will be expanded to their Princess-brand ships with him being named Head of Culinary Art at Princess Cruises.
The Catch by Rudi debuted on Princess’ Enchanted Princess when she emerged from dry dock earlier this month and will soon be added to three more of the line’s newest ships. Rudi’s new restaurant is the first Princess one devoted to seafood, much like Rudi’s Seagrill.
Rudi’s Seagrill features traditional seafood offerings such as stuffed lobster, Dover sole, snapper, and more. The restaurant is a bit on the small side, with indoor and al fresco seating much like Cucina del Capitano. Dining at Rudi’s will set you back $48 per person.
I was seated in a rather awkward location – smack dab in the middle of two 2-tops with about 8 inches of space in between tables. On my left was a father and son who didn’t speak English, and on my right was a couple enjoying their last night onboard. I definitely felt like a fifth wheel, but considering there were no other seating options, I had no choice but to be the ham in this sandwich.
Dinner started off with an amuse-bouche which was a sampling of fresh ahi tuna.
For an appetizer, I chose the calamari which was not your standard frozen fried variety you can get just about everywhere. Thick rings of calamari had a light breading which was crispy and had a bit of a zing to it. They were cooked perfectly, not chewy, and went well with the small size of marinara.
Next up was a traditional, hearty seafood dish, cioppino. This “fisherman’s stew” was loaded with mussels, clams, whitefish, heads-on shrimp, and a lobster claw in a savory broth. Not going to lie, I could have made a meal out of this as it was packed with seafood, all equally delicious. The broth had amazing flavor and the toasted garlic bread this dish came with was perfect for soaking up every last drop.
For my main entree, I went with the crab-stuffed lobster tail imperial. The lobster meat was sweet and tender and the crab stuffing was loaded with crabmeat and was simply delicious.
Not that there was much room for dessert, I went with my server’s recommendation – the bread pudding. Served warm with a scoop of ice cream and vanilla sauce on the side, the bread pudding was moist and the perfect way to cap off… here it comes…
THE BEST MEAL OF THE CRUISE!
Yes, Rudi’s Seagrill takes the number one slot and it’s funny because I didn’t intentionally save the best for last!
If Rudi’s is number one, where do the rest fall? Well, the runner-up would be Bonsai Teppanyaki for the food and overall experience, and in third place is Fahrenheit 555, the ship’s steakhouse. Even though the second time I ate at Fahrenheit 555 the food was not as good as the first, it takes the spot just above Chibang! While the Peking duck at Chibang! my first night was fantastic, a second visit proved it is just a Pei Wei or Panda Express.
Dead last on the list is Cucina del Capitano. The food was average at best, and even though it’s the Italian restaurant onboard Carnival Celebration, the main entrees aren’t even served with a side of pasta. For an Italian restaurant, it’s no better than an Olive Garden.
As I mentioned in yesterday’s report, for this cruise I didn’t dine in the ship’s main dining room at all.
Now let’s go for a quick recap of this 7-day western Caribbean cruise on Carnival Celebration!
The Ship: Big, beautiful, and of course fun! This cruise ship is the largest in the Carnival fleet and is currently the line’s flagship having just been launched in November 2022. With accommodation for more than 6,000 people, the ship doesn’t feel crowded. There is no shortage of lounge chairs around the pools and sun decks on sea days, and all around the ship, there are plenty of spots to pull up a chair, have a drink, and people-watch.
The ship is easy to navigate, with restaurants and bars spread out among the decks to avoid overcrowding in areas. The new, modern design of the ship’s interiors is a welcome change from the over-the-top gaudy design of older Carnival ships.
I do have two areas where I feel things fell short design-wise, the first I wrote about almost daily – Celebration Central. This three-level show area which you can consider the atrium of the ship has horrible seating for a performance area. Unless you’re on the first level, in front of the stage, no other view is a good view. The tiered seating on the upper two decks is not angled enough to give a clear view of the stage.
The second issue, not really a complaint, is the lack of a Promenade deck. Modern ships are getting away from the wrap-around promenade and are using that space for “services” such as restaurants, bars, or even lanai-type staterooms. Call me old-fashioned, but there’s nothing like a walk on the teak deck of the promenade first thing in the morning, or before retiring for the night.
The Stateroom: No complaints here at all! While the bathroom was tiny, the shower was large. There was plenty of closet space and more than enough storage drawers. The Carnival Celebration features a higher bed frame that easily allows suitcases to be slid underneath. The balcony was spacious enough with comfortable furniture.
The room itself was laid out well with plenty of power outlets and an abundance of USB ports to keep devices charged without having a bunch of power bricks all over the place. The muted colors and tones throughout the room are a welcome change from the teal and peach found in other Carnival ships.
I did feel the room was warm, as I woke up several times each night overheating despite the AC being turned down all the way. The bed was very uncomfortable and I always found myself stuck in the middle of the two mattresses where they come together to make a full bed (they start out as two twins). A backache was a daily wake-up experience.
Finally, I didn’t hear any noise coming from either room next to mine, despite one having a family with kids.
The Food: I think I covered enough about the food in today’s recap as well as other installments of this review. But in general, with the exception of the top 3 specialty restaurants I talked about above, the food on Carnival Celebration is average at best with the buffet having a minimal amount of options.
If you’re not booking specialty dining and will be relying on what’s included with your cruise fair, for breakfast and lunch you’ll probably be ok, but for dinner, I firmly believe you will be disappointed. Many others I’ve talked to onboard, have expressed similar thoughts about the food, many blaming it on the current financial situation of the company and cutbacks post-COVID, which can be expected.
Fellow Passengers: There was quite a mix for sure! Families, spring breakers, 60+, you name it, it was a variety of ages and walks of life. While there was plenty of fun and partying on board, I didn’t see any drop-dead drunk antics, rights, or rowdiness. The ship did have a large security presence out during deck parties, in the clubs, and made themselves plainly visible which probably helped deter much of that.
Pot smoking was rampant! And an issue that Carnival needs to get a handle on. I made a comment to one of my travel companions on the 6th day of the cruise. I said, “I was able to enjoy the balcony again today without smelling weed.” He responded back, “I haven’t smelled much either, they must have run out!” Which is probably the case.
The smell of weed was pretty much always around when I would be out on my balcony. In the open-air decks and in the smoking area, you could also smell it and nothing was being done to curb it. For some, this may not be an issue, but there is just something about the smell of weed to me that is highly unpleasant.
Entertainment: As I mentioned earlier, there’s plenty of it so you’ll never be bored! Great job Carnival!
Embarkation: With the exception of the nightmare that is PortMiami, which I discussed in detail in the day 1 report, embarking Carnival Celebration was a breeze! Everything was well organized, and easy, and made for an outstanding experience.
Disembarkation: Once again, smooth sailing! I did self-disembarkation where I carried my own luggage off the ship. We docked at PortMiami around 6 am, and they started letting Diamond and Platinum guests who were doing self-debarkation off starting at 6:45 am. I got to deck 6 around 6:55 and waited.
At 7:15 am the rest of us got the OK to proceed to the gangway. The line moved quickly and when we reached Customs, facial recognition software was used, so no passports needed to be out, just a quick scan, a green checkmark, and out the door! I was in my car at 7:45 am making the total debarkation time a mere 30 minutes. Once again, a great experience.
Value: Here’s where I have an issue and so did others onboard. There is a LOT of nickel-and-diming once onboard. From paying $4 for popcorn, which used to be free on movie nights, to $15 to ride Bolt – the ship’s roller coaster, to the $40 quick service steamed lobster, extra charges seem to lurk around every corner.
If you don’t have the Bottomless Bubbles package, soda will cost you $0.21 an ounce from the self-service stations, and $2.75 a can at bars and restaurants.
Specialty dining costs are on-par with other lines, but it would be nice if Carnival offered a package deal like MSC and Royal Caribbean for either a set number of experiences or an unlimited number for a flat or discounted rate.
Here’s what this cruise cost me at the end of the day:
- Cruise Rate – $1748 (single supplement, balcony stateroom assigned by cruise line)
- Port Fees & Taxes – $144
- Premium WiFi – $170
- Cheers! Beverage Package – $420
- Gratuities, Special Dining Charges – $542
- Port Parking – $152
The total for this cruise came to $3176 which is an insane amount for Carnival. For comparison, a 7-night western Caribbean cruise on an equivalent MSC ship, MSC Seaside, would cost $1654 for a balcony stateroom, with the single supplement, plus $157 in port fees and taxes for a grand total of $1811 and that fare includes WiFi and the alcoholic drink package – an instant savings of $671 over Carnival’s base, taxes, wifi, and Cheers! add-ons.
So to answer the question, if given the opportunity to stay onboard another week, or disembark, which would I do?
I’d opt to stay on board. With the exception of the food and the weed, I would not hesitate to book the Carnival Celebration again. While Carnival is not my preferred line, this ship, and I’m sure sister Mardi Gras as well, redefines what a Carnival cruise is about.
Thanks for following along on my 49th cruise… where will the 50th take me? Be sure to follow along here or on my Scott’s Cruises Facebook page.