My First Review, Celebration B2B May 5th to 18th

[LaRue1975]

This was our only sea day this cruise so we spent the whole day on our incredible balcony. We started with an al fresco breakfast from room service. I don’t think there is a better spot on the ship for that. We used our tub for our own personal swimming pool, cooling off so we could stay in the sun most of the day. I was the drink runner so I did get at least a little exercise, Mai Tais and Margaritas to go please! 

[LaRue1975]

Tonight was Elegant Night and we had the reservation for the Steakhouse. They seated us at a good table and the tables on each side were empty so we were satisfied. After we ordered drinks the hostess came over and asked if we wanted to move to a window table. I think the reservation service for Exel Suites must be new. We moved because the window tables are more private but there really isn’t a view.  Hubby ordered the cowboy rib eye and I got the lobster. My lobster was fabulous but hubby’s steak was as tough as an old cowboy, lol! This is the second time in a row that’s happened so I think he is done ordering it. No, he will never send anything back and everything else was great. I  do have food pics, yay! 
 

Of course we stopped at the Steakhouse Bar after to see Yesenia and get another Watermelon Martini and then another, lol! Looks like we also stopped by Latitudes for a bubble martini. I figured out you are supposed to drop the cherry blossoms on top to burst the bubble. I had seen videos of people kissing the bubble from the Fortune Teller Bar on Mardi Gras. It is a completely different drink on each of the Exel class ships with the bubble on top. Can’t wait to try the one on Jubilee in November! Back to our room and balcony until we were washed out again! 😜 Grand Turk in the morning! 

[LaRue1975]

4 hours ago, 4hunters said:

Wow!  What a great review so far!  Thanks for taking the time to put it together for us.  😁

You are most welcome, I am enjoying putting it together. I’ll get it done tonight so it doesn’t drag on too long. 😜

[beshears]

You brought a smile to my face when you said your husband (I believe twice) had another bad experience with his steak, but would NOT send it back, and my husband is the same way. I have always told my husband there is nothing wrong in letting them know you are not happy with the food, and can still do it in a NICE way, compared to some people, but he doesn't.

[LaRue1975]

Grand Turk is definitely Grand! This is our first time here but I did my research so I’m determined to go to Jack’s Shack. I think we docked at 8 and we off shortly after. The beach is gorgeous and we thoroughly enjoyed the walk to Jack’s along the waterline. Found a few pieces of sea glass along the way which was a treat! For us it was an easy walk but we are pretty active, I would guess it is a 1/2 to 3/4 mile walk. We rented two beach loungers front row and of course no umbrella. I think the chairs were $13 each. I went to the bar to get us a couple of tropical drinks and they let me start a tab with a card. I did take a lot of pics so won’t try to describe it but we LOVED Jack’s. It was exactly as advertised and 100% our kind of place. 
 

The bartenders were great, friendly and they made yummy strong drinks. Great drinks and a gorgeous beach, what more could you ask for? They have a good sized gift shop so hubby was able to get a t-shirt. We had the conch fritters which were good but I forgot what they actually are and that I don’t like them. 🤣🤣 Our bill was around $100 with 3 rounds of drinks and two orders of conch fritters plus $30 tip. After a couple of hours it was getting busy but not too bad. Then we saw the Freedom pull in. Once those masses unloaded it was going to be packed so we packed up and headed back down the beach. Plus our balcony was calling. 

[LaRue1975]

Our walk back down the beach was even better and we walked through the Margaritaville area to check it out. The pool and beach there are very nice and the regular beach chars are free. It’s a little too crowded for us so will probably stick to Jack’s if we come back. 

[LaRue1975]

I love this pic so I’ll post it all by its self. ❤️😎🛳️🛳️😎❤️

[LaRue1975]

Back to the balcony and another gorgeous sail away. ❤️❤️

[LaRue1975]

I don’t have any photos or memories from tonight so I’ll throw out some sunset shots. Next up, back to Amber Cove, this time a beach day. 

Edited June 14 by LaRue1975

[MEUB1112]

We love Jack's Shack, sure do miss Jack and Janet, and of course, Topher. Can't believe how the Celebration dwarfs the Freedom. 

[LaRue1975]

I booked the all inclusive Amber Beach escape for or return to Amber Cove. I was tempted to not book anything and spend the whole day on our balcony but this excursion was only a few hours early in the day. Another great decision! 😎 We met in the terminal in the center of the port area and were quickly ushered to busses. It was a short but interesting ride through a non touristy area to the beach. It was interesting to see how the locals live. The guide on the bus was informative and fun. The beach club is strictly for Carnival passengers. It is spacious very well taken care of. The beach was big and the water was warm, clear and shallow. I liked that you could just sit in it and just relax. We walked both directions on our beach walk and found a lot of sea glass. 
 

As soon as we were settled in our loungers a server came to get our drink order. We tipped him when he delivered the first round and kept them coming. Our guy was great and our drinks were excellent. 

[LaRue1975]

The lunch buffet was served in a nice area away from the beach and you could eat whenever you were ready. It wasn’t fancy, chicken and sausages with a bunch of different sides and salads. We are simple though so it suited us perfectly and it tasted great. 

[LaRue1975]

I almost forgot. Before we left for the beach we walked all over the port and climbed to the top of the hill. That was enough t know we will never book a Hillside Cabana! 🤣🤣

[LaRue1975]

A few more pics. Amber Cove is not an impressive port to sail in and out of but I think once you are there it has a lot too offer. 

Edited June 14 by LaRue1975

[LaRue1975]

I kind of remember now what we did the evenings after Grand Turk and Amber Cove, not much at all. We just hung out in our beautiful suite. We watched movies both nights, they are complimentary with the suite. We ordered room service for dinner one night and I think we went to the buffet the other.  I know we didn’t get cleaned up for dinner, we were in full relaxation mode.  The next day was a sea day which we spent on the balcony. We must have walked around at some point because I have one lonely pic of Grand Central. Tomorrow we’re off to Nassau, last stop and last day of the cruise. We are almost to the end of the story. 

[LaRue1975]

We were the first to arrive in Nassau, the Liberty would be joining us later. The sail in was pretty but there was a light cloud cover. We were disappointed that we docked on the far outside dock even though there was not another ship in port. We went to Atlantis for a week in  2017 so had been to Nassau but never made it to the port area. We wanted get off to explore before it got hot so I think we were waiting for the door to open again. At least we know where the medical center is if we ever need it. 😜

 
We walked around and shopped for quite awhile. Hubby wanted t-shirts because we don’t know if we will ever be back. He usually likes flea markets so we went in there too. The shops were good but walking on the street the hustlers were like locusts and the flea market was even worse. We have a very high tolerance for them, usually a quick no thank you keeps them at bay. This the first time we have felt under siege and couldn’t wait to get out of there. I had a mission to find The Bearded Clam, it sounded like the ultimate dive bar that would be right up our alley. I tell you it was not easy to find and when we finally did it was in an alley, lol! And don’t ask me how to get there, I still don’t know. 
 
It was so worth it, I give it 5 stars in the Ultimate Dive Bar category. The bartender was sweet, she made us tasty tropical concoctions with heavy floats of dark rum, perfection! We have been to their sister property, The Liquid Lizard in Belize so I made hubby wear his t-shirt from there. It took us awhile to finish our drinks but we were having so much fun hanging with the bartender. Hubby made friends with the t-shirt lady and she found him the perfect Ultimate Dive Bar t-shirt. Not sure where is going to wear it! 😜

 

 

[LaRue1975]

When we got back to port the Liberty was unloading so we sat in the square for a bit to relax and people watch before getting back on the ship. The guy in the this pic was selling chariot rides through the city and other tours. He was a good barker and totally entertaining so we stayed longer than we otherwise would. He was so funny, I couldn’t believe some of the stuff he was saying. 

[LaRue1975]

Back on the ship for the ultimate in port balcony afternoon. No more complaints about the north 40 pier. Now that the sun is high in the sky the view is spectacular! I think I had to pinch myself again when I walked out there. It was the perfect ending for a fantastic cruise! 

[LaRue1975]

Another thing I forgot is we went to the MDR the second elegant night. We weren’t dressed elegantly but Zoey said that would be fine for the MDR. She texted me a few times before the first Elegant Night in the Steakhouse that hubby needed to wear long pants. Yes Zoey, he does have pants! 😜 We were treated like royalty in the MDR, it was kind of cool. They sat us at the perfect Ocean view table and the maitre-d checked in on us two or three times to make sure we had everything we needed. I don’t think the MDR is a hot spot for most Exel Aft Suites guests, lol!  I found our pics from the first Elegant Night and we took one in the MDR too. 

[LaRue1975]

8 hours ago, 4hunters said:

Wow!  What a great review so far!  Thanks for taking the time to put it together for us.  😁

You are very welcome! I’ve had fun with it and I am almost done, whew! 

[LaRue1975]

3 hours ago, beshears said:

You brought a smile to my face when you said your husband (I believe twice) had another bad experience with his steak, but would NOT send it back, and my husband is the same way. I have always told my husband there is nothing wrong in letting them know you are not happy with the food, and can still do it in a NICE way, compared to some people, but he doesn't.

It does not like to make waves, even on the high seas! 🤣🤣🤣

[LaRue1975]

11 hours ago, beshears said:

I just discovered your review on the Carnival Celebration. My hesitation for ME is that it is a larger ship than I have ever been on, and there will be 7 or 8 of us that plan to do this cruise next year. I will look forward to reading your pros/cons of this ship. Happy Anniversary too.

Don’t hesitate, the Celebration is perfect! The ship is huge but is so well laid out with so much to do it was rarely crowded. The Grand Central does get clogged for the shows but we didn’t go to any except Deal Or No Deal both weeks. I would do this with a group in a heart beat but it’s all the way across the country. Our groups were all on the Panorama where we can drive to the port. 

[LaRue1975]

2 hours ago, MEUB1112 said:

We love Jack's Shack, sure do miss Jack and Janet, and of course, Topher. Can't believe how the Celebration dwarfs the Freedom. 

This was our first time so can’t compare. I have heard a lot of people miss the old owner and complain about how things have changed. A lady complained to me about it the moment we walked up. I thought it was great and the service was friendly and fun. The dog looks like he was a kick though, we would have really enjoyed him! Now they have a bunch of cats, not my thing. The Celebration dwarfs just about everything! 😜

[LaRue1975]

8 hours ago, Sexygrandma2013 said:

Why would you ever leave that balcony?  Oh my goodness!!! Looks amazing..

No kidding! I think we made the most of it, it was truly amazing! 

[beshears]

I believe I am at the end of your cruise reporting, and I have enjoyed all of it, especially along with the pictures. You also mentioned you are "people watchers," that is ME as well, especially if I am at the airport, etc.