My Honest Carnival Celebration Review: What I Loved, What I Didn’t, and Would I Sail Again?

Carnival Celebration is one of those cruise ships that people seem to absolutely LOVE. And before I start this review, I feel like I need to say that because I am going to try really hard not to sound too grumpy. 😂 This was my second time sailing on Carnival Celebration, and while I absolutely think the ship is beautiful and understand why so many cruisers love it, I have finally accepted that she just may not be my favorite Carnival cruise ship.

We sailed on Carnival Celebration from July 5 through July 12, 2026, on a seven-night cruise from Miami. We stayed in a Havana interior stateroom, while our friends were directly across the hall in a Havana Suite. This was also my first time sailing on Celebration during the summer while kids were out of school, and I do think that played a part in my overall experience.

Our Carnival Celebration itinerary included Nassau, Celebration Key, Amber Cove, and Grand Turk. I have been to all four of these cruise ports before, and I enjoy every one of them for different reasons. I would absolutely go back to all four, although Mother Nature definitely had some opinions about our plans this week.

Our Carnival Celebration Itinerary and Port Experiences

Our first port was Nassau, Bahamas, where we tagged along with friends to Blue Lagoon Island to watch them do a dolphin swim. Our original plan was to enjoy a beach day after their dolphin experience, but the weather had very different plans for us. A severe storm rolled through and even briefly knocked out the power at the facility.

Was it the relaxing beach day we planned? Absolutely not. But we still had an enjoyable time. The staff at Blue Lagoon did everything they could to keep guests entertained and, most importantly, safe during the storm. At the end of the day, they can't control the weather. I would absolutely visit Blue Lagoon again, and I still think it is a great option for cruisers looking for a Nassau excursion.

Next up was Celebration Key, where we reserved an over-the-water cabana in Calypso Cove. Our concierge, Niko, was incredibly attentive, and we really enjoyed having the cabana as our home base for the day. We eventually wandered down to the food hall for lunch, and I was impressed with the number of food choices available. I ended up ordering a Mediterranean bowl, and it was fantastic.

Amber Cove was our next stop, and after getting caught in the storm at Blue Lagoon, we decided we weren't interested in testing our luck with the weather again. We canceled our planned excursions because of the threat of rain and instead spent some time wandering around the Amber Cove cruise port, shopping, and checking out the pool area.

Carnival Celebration and Carnival Vista were both in port, so the pool area was crowded and seating was limited. We stayed for a little while before deciding to head back to the ship and enjoy the pool onboard instead. Sometimes one of the best cruise port decisions you can make is realizing you don't have to force an activity just because the ship is in port.

Our final port was Grand Turk, and once again, the weather was a little hit or miss. My friends headed down to the beach without me and unfortunately ended up paying for beach chairs and an umbrella because they didn't realize there were free beach chair options available closer to the cruise port.

I know the beach right off the ship in Grand Turk is popular, but it is not my favorite beach experience. The water and beach are beautiful, but farther down the beach it was crowded with boats and people selling inflatable rides and other activities. Having to dodge boats while trying to enjoy the water definitely took away from the experience for me.

My Grand Turk cruise port tip is this: if you really want to swim, I recommend staying closer to the pier instead of walking farther down toward all of the beach chairs and umbrellas. If you do head farther down the beach, expect a longer walk and potentially a $20 per chair cost depending on where you stop.

You can also walk to Jack's Shack using the road instead of making the entire walk through the sand. And yes, there are taxis that can bring you back toward the cruise port if you've had a little too much fun or simply decide that walking back sounds terrible. No judgment from your cruise bestie. 😂

My Honest Thoughts on Carnival Celebration

Let's talk about the actual Carnival Celebration cruise ship.

The ship is beautiful. I love the different neighborhoods, and there is always something happening somewhere. In fact, I rarely left decks 6, 7, and 8 because most of my favorite places to eat, drink, and hang out are located on those decks.

Summer Landing on Deck 8 aft is easily one of my favorite areas on Carnival Celebration, along with the Havana deck and Havana Bar. Celebration Central spans decks 6, 7, and 8 and is the Excel-class version of the traditional cruise ship atrium experience. This is where you'll find activities, parties, shows, Deal or No Deal, Bingo, and plenty of other entertainment throughout the cruise.

One thing that seemed to confuse a lot of passengers was the location of Guest Services. Instead of being located near Celebration Central, Guest Services is on Deck 8 aft. If you're a first-time Carnival Celebration cruiser, that is one little ship navigation tip that may save you from wandering around wondering where it is.

The Lido Deck is Deck 16 and is home to the aft pool, the Beaches Pool, the Lido Marketplace buffet, Masala Tiger, Street Eats, BlueIguana Cantina, Big Chicken, and several other food options. Guy's Burger Joint is the outlier and is located on Deck 17 behind the RedFrog Tiki Bar.

Here's where my personal opinion comes in. Carnival Celebration is just a really big ship, and I think it may simply be too large for me.

Surprisingly, the ship rarely felt overly crowded. There are so many different neighborhoods and spaces that passengers tend to spread out. My issue wasn't necessarily the number of people. My biggest frustration on this particular summer sailing was the behavior of some of the teenagers and young adults onboard.

We personally didn't experience the middle-of-the-night “ding dong ditch” games that other cruisers repeatedly complained about, but we did witness teenagers being rude and mouthy with crew members and security. That was a huge turnoff for me.

And while we're talking about behavior, can we please have a quick lesson in cruise ship elevator etiquette?

On embarkation day, my friend and I basically became unofficial elevator security. Along with a member of the spa staff, we stood near the elevators asking people to step back and allow guests using wheelchairs and scooters to board. People kept rushing onto the elevators and blocking guests who actually needed elevator access.

Most of the elevator banks had six to eight elevators, so outside of embarkation day and the rush returning from port, I didn't find the elevators to be a major problem. But a little patience and common courtesy would go a very long way.

One of the absolute highlights of this Carnival Celebration cruise was sailing with Cruise Director Deon. I LOVE sailing with Deon. He is easily in my top three Carnival cruise directors. His energy is contagious, and he brings so much fun to the ship.

I didn't interact with the Fun Squad as much on this sailing outside of attending Deal or No Deal and Bingo a few times, but the parties were a completely different story.

DJ Cue did an amazing job hosting the Evolution Party, and this is one event I absolutely recommend adding to your Carnival Celebration cruise schedule. The combination of Deon and DJ Cue is what really made the entertainment stand out for me. Their banter, their interactions, and the overall energy between the two of them made the parties so much fun.

Deon was filling in as cruise director during our sailing while Jackie was out on medical leave, according to Jackie's social media. On my next Celebration sailing, Joey Boyes will be the cruise director. I've never sailed with Joey before, but I've heard great things and I'm excited to experience a different cruise director on the same ship.

I didn't attend the production shows during this particular sailing, so I'm not going to pretend to review shows I didn't see. I will be back onboard Carnival Celebration with my family next week, and I plan to make time for more of the shows on that trip.

Carnival Celebration Food and Dining Review

If you're wondering about food on Carnival Celebration, let me make one thing very clear: you are not going to starve.

Carnival Celebration has 26 different places to eat when you combine included and extra-cost dining options. The challenge isn't finding food. The challenge can sometimes be finding the specific restaurant you want open when you want to eat there.

Because this Carnival Celebration itinerary had more port days than sea days, I felt like our lunch choices were a little more limited. Many of my favorite lunch spots were only open on sea days or had very specific hours. Lunch and occasionally breakfast were really the only times I spent much time on the Lido Deck during this cruise.

Breakfast had plenty of choices. Carnival Celebration has multiple omelet stations where you can order an omelet or have up to three eggs cooked your way. There are also several buffet areas serving different breakfast selections. Bagels at Sea is located in the Street Eats area, BlueIguana Cantina serves breakfast, and you can always check the schedule for brunch in the main dining room.

For lunch, Street Eats, Guy's Burger Joint, and BlueIguana Cantina were some of the regular choices. We never ate at Guy's Burger Joint on this sailing. I know. Take away my Carnival card. 😂

On sea days, additional restaurants such as Guy's Pig & Anchor and Chibang offered included lunch options. Unfortunately, I never made it to Guy's Pig & Anchor for lunch this trip, and I was genuinely disappointed about that. I attended the Diamond lunch on one sea day, and on the other sea day, our schedule didn't line up with the restaurant's open hours.

Cucina del Capitano was also open for lunch on the final day of our cruise, but only from noon until 1:30 p.m. My biggest Carnival Celebration dining tip is to check restaurant hours early. If there is somewhere you absolutely want to eat, plan it into your schedule because having a lot of restaurants onboard doesn't mean every restaurant is open all day.

Dinner offered plenty of included choices. In addition to the standard dining options, you could eat at Guy's Pig & Anchor, enjoy one included dinner at Cucina del Capitano, and one included dinner at Chibang.

Carnival Celebration also offers several extra-cost specialty dining restaurants, including Emeril's Bistro, Rudi's Seagrill, the Chef's Table, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Bonsai Teppanyaki, and Bonsai Sushi.

We ate at Bonsai Teppanyaki, and it was my favorite meal of the entire cruise. Teppanyaki continues to be my favorite paid restaurant on Carnival ships and is really the only specialty dining experience I consistently pay extra for.

In the main dining room, my favorite meal was still the short rib. It was cooked to perfection and continues to be one of my favorite dishes on Carnival's new main dining room menus.

I also decided to give the spinach and cheese manicotti another chance after being disappointed with it on Carnival Venezia. On Venezia, the manicotti noodles were barely cooked and were hard and crunchy. The manicotti on Carnival Celebration was so much better. The pasta was still al dente but wasn't hard, and I actually enjoyed it this time.

If you want my full opinion on Carnival's new main dining room menus, I have an entire separate review dedicated to the new menus and everything we tried. There were definitely some winners and a few dishes that did not live up to my expectations.

Is the Havana Area Worth It on Carnival Celebration?

For me, yes. Absolutely.

We stayed in a Havana interior stateroom, and my first impression was that the cabin felt smaller than the interior stateroom I recently stayed in on Carnival Venezia. It may actually be smaller, or it may simply be the layout, but it definitely felt tighter to me.

The soundproofing, however, seemed much better. We didn't hear nearly as much exterior noise from the hallway and surrounding areas. Maybe we got lucky with our cabin location and hallway, or maybe the soundproofing is simply better on Celebration, but I noticed a definite difference.

The bathroom also felt a little smaller, but the shower was much nicer. I love the glass shower doors instead of dealing with a shower curtain. My only minor complaint was that I couldn't adjust the pressure of the water coming from the shower.

The shower included shower gel and shampoo. I brought my own shampoo and conditioner this time and didn't use the provided shampoo.

The Havana Bar bartenders were fabulous. I really wish I had written down their names because they deserve recognition. They remembered our drink orders, were incredibly friendly, and added so much to our experience.

The Havana deck itself was quiet, charming, and exactly the kind of space I enjoy on a cruise ship. The Havana pool was rarely crowded, although I do want to set realistic expectations about the pool. This is not a swimming pool. It is sized more like an infinity-style hot tub or soaking pool. You're going to sit, cool off, and enjoy the water. You're not swimming laps.

The Havana area is restricted to guests ages 12 and older, and I do think that contributed to the quieter atmosphere, especially considering some of the issues happening with younger passengers throughout the rest of the ship.

For me, the Havana area on Carnival Celebration is definitely worth the upgrade. I have only sailed in Havana on Celebration so far, but my next sailing will be in the Family Harbor area. I'm really interested to see how the Family Harbor experience compares to Havana, especially while sailing with my family.

So, would I sail Carnival Celebration again?

Well... considering I'm getting back on the ship next week, I think the answer is obviously yes. 😂

I like Carnival Celebration. I just don't love her the way some cruisers do. The ship is beautiful, the neighborhoods are fun, the dining options are extensive, and there is always something to do. I can completely understand why Carnival Celebration is a favorite ship for so many people.

For me, I think the Excel-class ships may simply be a little larger than I personally prefer. I tend to love ships where I quickly learn the layout, find my favorite spots, and settle into my cruise routine. Celebration has so much happening that it can almost feel like you're missing something somewhere else on the ship.

My next Carnival Celebration sailing will give me the opportunity to experience the ship from Family Harbor instead of Havana, and after that, I don't currently have another Celebration cruise scheduled until 2028.

My next Excel-class cruise ship will be Carnival Mardi Gras in February 2027, and I cannot wait to compare Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration. Will I discover that Celebration just isn't my Excel-class ship? Or will I decide these ships are simply too big for me?

I guess we're going to find out.

Until then, my honest Carnival Celebration review is this: it is a beautiful ship with an incredible amount of food, entertainment, and activities. If you love large cruise ships with constant energy and endless options, you may absolutely love Carnival Celebration. If you prefer a slightly smaller ship and a quieter cruise experience, you may feel a little more like I do.

And if you're considering the Havana area on Carnival Celebration? That is one upgrade I would absolutely book again.