Willdra’s Celestial Carnival Celebration May 28-June 4 Cruise Review

[willdra]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

When I got down to Deck 8, I passed by a guy bracing himself, then hippity hopping barefoot

across the hot deck. I stood there and watched him too because. Mister. They make shoes for that. Your feet shouldn’t feel (or look) like bratwurst on a grill.  Protect your puppies. Thanks for coming to my TedTalk.

 

W text me at 1:43 to remind me to get food since some places would be closing soon. I will NEVER go hungry (neither will he) around him. Food is his love language, and I'm here for it. I finished what I could, then went to GBJ. Bodies were returning to the ship by then, so it was packed but it moved fast. When I got back to our Serenity seat W went to Big Chicken. He also stopped and got me some Tiramisu Gelato on the way back. Whooo that was mm mm good. I ate then I got really really sleepy. I was also tired of people still coming up by our chair talking about the pool being closed. So I went to take a nap in my cool cabin. The conditions were perfect for a nice bear-like slumber.

 

I slept until around 6 when W came back to the cabin . I was so glad that I opted for a nap. That’s exactly what this body needed. I didn’t want to get up, and could’ve easily slept until the next morning. My only motivation to return to the land of the living, was hunger. I'm so weak.

 

 

 

[willdra]

That night's MDR menu wasn’t our fave, so we all opted to do the Cucina del Capitano.  After we were done ridding ourselves of that days dirt, W had us all checked in. The wait time was about 30 minutes.

 

Since we're all fam here, I'm gonna keep it a buck with y'all. That dinner was crazy from go. Shortly after being seated, a lady behind us started to FaceTime someone using her speakerphone. What is it with speakerphones on this ship? Is there a supply chain issue with airpods or earbuds that I'm not aware of? This video call went on for a good while. During that time, we were all wondering for why would she FaceTime somebody on speakerphone while she was at dinner? Wouldn't this activity have been more appropriate elsewhere like maybe her cabin or somewhere private? I guess not. She didn't stop. Face palm. Eyeroll. Slow wall slide.

 

A little while later a guy walked in with his beard in cornrows and beads. I had so many questions. First of all, what possessed you to have somebody braid the hair on your face, then decorate it with beads? Was it painful? You paid someone to do that to you? How long did it take? Did they sanitize the comb and beads first? How are you going to sleep? Are you training to be a pirate? Otherwise, this was a huge uh uh. Sorrows. Sorrows. Prayers.

 

We sat there for 5-10 minutes and we received bread, but no butter. We sat another 15 minutes, and just as K was about to start drinking the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a server came and took our orders. Fantastic. Maybe 4 minutes after that, another server stopped by to take our orders. Huh? Something is way off here. We are not in Kansas anymore. It was at this point that we knew there would be more problems. We were correct. Our food took a long time to arrive.

 

When our food finally arrived, the appetizers were all good. We got Arancini, Nona’s Meatballs (which was really just one Meatball), and Cured Tuna. For entrees T and I got Spaghetti Carbonara. K and W got the Grilled Shrimp. That grilled shrimp dish was weird looking and strange tasting. T and I ended up sharing our Spaghetti Carbonara with W and K. The shrimp was inedible.

 

We ordered desserts, which also took a long time. Maybe because another server came over after we ordered, and asked us to repeat our orders. Huh? This is what we're doing? Alright.  So T, K, and I ordered again. W didn’t order dessert. He said that he had PTSD from the shrimp incident (yes in his mind, it was upgraded to an incident). A great while later, they brought the desserts.

 

K got the wrong dessert.  Of course. She ordered the Apple Crostata but she got the Baba Napoletano. She kept saying “This should be apples, but there’s an orange slice on it”. I was thinking “Why does it look like a Bundt cake tho?”. Not wanting to send them back again, and take longer, she decided to eat it. She said it was good, but just not what she asked for. They also brought W a Tiramisu, which he did not order. He also gave up and just thanked them. T and I got what we ordered. The Tiramisu was quite delightful. We ate the "polite" amount of everything, then got out of there as fast as we could. Life is too short, and there's too much quality cruise time left to be upset about pastries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

I wanted (needed) a drink after that, so we went to Alchemy. I was going to order one at dinner but no telling when or what I would’ve received. Alchemy was a little busy. T and K went to find us seats in the Grand Spectrum Theater for Family Feud while W and I waited for my drink. The Alchemists were trying to do a shift change at Alchemy, that’s why everything was taking a long time. I could see that they were working on trying to get lots of drinks out which is stressful, so I patiently waited my turn. When he was done with the other orders, I asked Cornelius for a Remedy, and he made it for me before he left for his break. I tipped him extra because I heard him tell another bar tender that he was late for his break, but he couldn’t just leave one guy there with all of those guests to serve. I really appreciated him not walking out and leaving us hanging. He totes did not have to do that. He could've chucked the deuces and slid out. He didn't tho, and that was fire. 

 

I took my Remedy then W and I walked down to the Theater. The G Rated Family Feud was just beginning. That show can be so hard to play. I’m awful at impromptu things, and quick wit, so I know that I would be miserable in something like that. My family would vote me off the island for shizzle. That would be very wise of them.

 

 

 

[willdra]

Before Family Feud was over, W went down to the Punchliner Comedy Club to get us seats for the Adult Game Night. We joined him as soon as we could. We weren’t really sure what to expect, but it seemed like it would be entertaining at the least. Sure enough, it was a little chaotic and clunky at first, but when it got going, it was good. It began as adult trivia, using the same questions as the one we went to on the Horizon. It evolved into “telephone” with adult demos sprinkled in. Real Raunchy. We didn't leave. We needed to see it play out. I did suffer some second hand embarrassment for all of the contestants tho. I got my money's worth. 

 

Once that deed was done, we went back to Grand Spectrum for Adult Family Feud. It wasn’t as bad as it sounded. A few of the questions were slightly colorful, but it was the answers to some of the questions that made it adult material. Draw your own conclusions.

 

When that was over, we went and got my hot water for tea, then we went back to the cabin and I started talking to y’all while W read. I also got my clothes and bag ready for the next day, which was San Juan day.

 

Before I fell asleep I said a prayer thanking God that W isn’t a guy who’d ever like to be on stage competing in something. He would rather pour honey on his foot, then stick it in a bed of fire ants, or walk thru hades with gasoline soaked underpants on, than volunteer for those activities. For that, the world and I breathe a collective sigh of relief. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ItsADryHumor]

5 hours ago, willdra said:

That night's MDR menu wasn’t our fave, so we all opted to do the Cucina del Capitano.  After we were done ridding ourselves of that days dirt, W had us all checked in. The wait time was about 30 minutes.

 

Since we're all fam here, I'm gonna keep it a buck with y'all. That dinner was crazy from go. Shortly after being seated, a lady behind us started to FaceTime someone using her speakerphone. What is it with speakerphones on this ship? Is there a supply chain issue with airpods or earbuds that I'm not aware of? This video call went on for a good while. During that time, we were all wondering for why would she FaceTime somebody on speakerphone while she was at dinner? Wouldn't this activity have been more appropriate elsewhere like maybe her cabin or somewhere private? I guess not. She didn't stop. Face palm. Eyeroll. Slow wall slide.

 

A little while later a guy walked in with his beard in cornrows and beads. I had so many questions. First of all, what possessed you to have somebody braid the hair on your face, then decorate it with beads? Was it painful? You paid someone to do that to you? How long did it take? Did they sanitize the comb and beads first? How are you going to sleep? Are you training to be a pirate? Otherwise, this was a huge uh uh. Sorrows. Sorrows. Prayers.

 

We sat there for 5-10 minutes and we received bread, but no butter. We sat another 15 minutes, and just as K was about to start drinking the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a server came and took our orders. Fantastic. Maybe 4 minutes after that, another server stopped by to take our orders. Huh? Something is way off here. We are not in Kansas anymore. It was at this point that we knew there would be more problems. We were correct. Our food took a long time to arrive.

 

When our food finally arrived, the appetizers were all good. We got Arancini, Nona’s Meatballs (which was really just one Meatball), and Cured Tuna. For entrees T and I got Spaghetti Carbonara. K and W got the Grilled Shrimp. That grilled shrimp dish was weird looking and strange tasting. T and I ended up sharing our Spaghetti Carbonara with W and K. The shrimp was inedible.

 

We ordered desserts, which also took a long time. Maybe because another server came over after we ordered, and asked us to repeat our orders. Huh? This is what we're doing? Alright.  So T, K, and I ordered again. W didn’t order dessert. He said that he had PTSD from the shrimp incident (yes in his mind, it was upgraded to an incident). A great while later, they brought the desserts.

 

K got the wrong dessert.  Of course. She ordered the Apple Crostata but she got the Baba Napoletano. She kept saying “This should be apples, but there’s an orange slice on it”. I was thinking “Why does it look like a Bundt cake tho?”. Not wanting to send them back again, and take longer, she decided to eat it. She said it was good, but just not what she asked for. They also brought W a Tiramisu, which he did not order. He also gave up and just thanked them. T and I got what we ordered. The Tiramisu was quite delightful. We ate the "polite" amount of everything, then got out of there as fast as we could. Life is too short, and there's too much quality cruise time left to be upset about pastries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are so right about the speaker/ face time calls. A woman next to us called her teenage son on FT and proceeded to rip him a new one over something he’d done. 
 

For 20 minutes.

 

Then, she called a relative and rehashed the whole thing. 
 

People nearby were turning to look at her - you know the look! - and she just carried on, oblivious.

 

Ma’am? You did not need to take this whole section of the Lido deck on this journey with you. No consent was given. And yet, she stuffed us all in her proverbial trunk for the ride. 😭

[Hogladyrider]

@willdra..WOWZA you have some FANTASTIC photos!  Thanks for sharing them with us.

 

Quick question, what app do you use to put your watermark on the photos and do you have to add the watermark to each photo or is it a template....TIA.

 

That pool at Amber Cove reminds me of the pool at Margaritaville in Grand Turk....a HUGE bath tub/toilet waiting to happen....no thank you.....a quiet day on the ship here I come! 

[Debowah]

Thank you Willdra for taking the time to capture the ENTIRE ship and sharing your experiences and insights with us.  Your reviews are always informative and entertaining. Wishing you many more fun adventures with W by your side.

[Cinnamon2]

Thank you for your entertaining and informative review!   I always look forward to reading your words, especially your humor.   

[mamiamjo]

Loving your report so far 🙂

We haven't sailed on any of the Excel Class ships yet, but are booked for the Celebration next May.

I've been looking at the deck plans and it seems to have very different layout from the other class of ships. Was it hard to find and remember where everything is at?

[Journey11]

WONDERFUL PICTURES. WONDERFUL REVIEW. THANK YOU.⭐️😊

[teacher34]

I am so excited to find your latest review ! I love your sense of humor and your pictures are fantastic !! Can’t wait for more !

[maxandmolly]

Great pics!  I never have the patience to take pics. DH is in charge of all pics when we’re cruising. 

[willdra]

14 hours ago, ItsADryHumor said:

You are so right about the speaker/ face time calls. A woman next to us called her teenage son on FT and proceeded to rip him a new one over something he’d done. 
 

For 20 minutes.

 

Then, she called a relative and rehashed the whole thing. 
 

People nearby were turning to look at her - you know the look! - and she just carried on, oblivious.

 

Ma’am? You did not need to take this whole section of the Lido deck on this journey with you. No consent was given. And yet, she stuffed us all in her proverbial trunk for the ride. 😭

 

LOL🤣🤣! I don't mind eavesdropping on drama when it's interesting, but when it's not, I feel as tho I should be compensated for being forced to listen to nonsense and foolishness. Especially if I have to hear it more than once. That's uncomfortable and unethical. 😂

 

[willdra]

11 hours ago, Hogladyrider said:

@willdra..WOWZA you have some FANTASTIC photos!  Thanks for sharing them with us.

 

Quick question, what app do you use to put your watermark on the photos and do you have to add the watermark to each photo or is it a template....TIA.

 

That pool at Amber Cove reminds me of the pool at Margaritaville in Grand Turk....a HUGE bath tub/toilet waiting to happen....no thank you.....a quiet day on the ship here I come! 

 

Thanks, and LOL about the bath tub/toilet 🤣!

 

I use SmugMug to house my pics. There is a feature on there to add a Watermark in the Settings. Mine is super simple. To make it, I just typed "WILLDRA" on a blank page on my phone. Then I took a screenshot of it to make it an image. I uploaded it to SmugMug, and their system automatically applies it to all of my pictures. 

[willdra]

8 hours ago, Debowah said:

Thank you Willdra for taking the time to capture the ENTIRE ship and sharing your experiences and insights with us.  Your reviews are always informative and entertaining. Wishing you many more fun adventures with W by your side.

 

Thank you! 😍🥰

[willdra]

7 hours ago, Cinnamon2 said:

Thank you for your entertaining and informative review!   I always look forward to reading your words, especially your humor.   

 

Thank you so much, this really means a lot! 😃

[willdra]

6 hours ago, mamiamjo said:

Loving your report so far 🙂

We haven't sailed on any of the Excel Class ships yet, but are booked for the Celebration next May.

I've been looking at the deck plans and it seems to have very different layout from the other class of ships. Was it hard to find and remember where everything is at?

 

I absolutely love the Mardi Gras and Celebration. They are beautiful and have a lot to offer. However, the strangest thing to me on those ships, is that Lido is on Deck 16. I kept getting on the elevator and wondering "Why the heck is everyone going to Deck 16 all of the time?". When W said "That's the Lido" it all finally made sense. Until I forgot it again. 😁

[Hogladyrider]

8 minutes ago, willdra said:

 

Thanks, and LOL about the bath tub/toilet 🤣!

 

I use SmugMug to house my pics. There is a feature on there to add a Watermark in the Settings. Mine is super simple. To make it, I just typed "WILLDRA" on a blank page on my phone. Then I took a screenshot of it to make it an image. I uploaded it to SmugMug, and their system automatically applies it to all of my pictures. 

Awesome thanks for the info!

[willdra]

2 hours ago, Journey11 said:

WONDERFUL PICTURES. WONDERFUL REVIEW. THANK YOU.⭐️😊

 

Thanks! 😘

[willdra]

1 hour ago, teacher34 said:

I am so excited to find your latest review ! I love your sense of humor and your pictures are fantastic !! Can’t wait for more !

 

Thank you I appreciate this! ❤️

[willdra]

59 minutes ago, maxandmolly said:

Great pics!  I never have the patience to take pics. DH is in charge of all pics when we’re cruising. 

 

Thank you! It's a whole job, and this reminds me that I need to share the picture taking love with W more! 😆😂

[willdra]

San Juan

 

 

We got up at 9. I peeked out of the curtain, and saw the ship still pulling into port. Our arrival time was supposed to be at 10. W and I were mostly ready to go,  so we washed up the important parts, gathered our belongings, then went to the Lido. Everybody and their grandmama was down there. They had the cheek, the nerve, the gall, the audacity, and the gumption to be where I needed to be. Le sigh.

 

As I was making my way downtown, walking fast, faces pass, I was Blue Iguana bound. I stopped there first to get my breakfast of queens. I wasn’t alone. There were other queen wannabe's in front of me. I was fourth in line with more line forming behind me. Most of the time there’s only a handful of people in these lines. Now there’s a lot. Who keeps allowing this rebellious behavior?

 

I waited my turn, got my staples, then went inside to find W. He told me that seat choices were at a minimum, so he was going straight to the omelet line. Sensational. That means that I get to pick out a table, go tell him where it is, come back, watch him walk past my light pink and purple hair, then jump up to go get him as soon. That’s exactly what happened, and in that same order. W and I have been married for so long, that I usually look up right when he’s passing me. I can feel his energy, or maybe I hear him silently cussing under his breath while he’s looking for me. Either way I jumped up just in time.

 

 

 

[willdra]

We ate fast since this breakfast was pretty basic. Then we went to the midship elevators. They were busy as expected. I told W we should just walk forward first. He said “it’s gonna be the same” I said “no it’s not”. If I I’ve learned anything from my travels, it’s that you can always count on people going to the closest elevator first. We walked forward, and I was right. Nobody was shocked. We got an elevator about a minute after we got there.

 

I think this is the most crowded ship I’ve ever been on. When there’s a late port arrival like this day, thousands of people are on Lido eating around the same time. We were fighting for our lives as soon as we got up there. We wouldn’t have chosen that time of year to cruise on our own. We typically go when schools are still in. But it was the only time we could go with T and K cuz of their schedules. We really took one for the team on volume of people, and the price. Thankfully W and I won't have to sell bottles of water on the freeway exit ramps, cuz we always have savings specifically for cruises. This one just took a bigger chunk than normal out of it. Great Value this cruise was not. Cruise responsibly. 

 

When we got off we walked through a tidal wave of bodies to get to the terminal. There were signs setup for excursions in the building. We found ours, and got in the long line. We did the Beach Escape at Vivo Beach Club with lunch. The tour guides divided the line in half, and took us out in 2 groups. We were in the second group. We found out why this wasn’t ideal when we got to the beach. If you take this excursion get to the terminal earlier so that you’re in the first group.

 

The bus ride over was quick. Maybe 15 minutes. When the bus parked, we got 1 instruction. Pickup was at 2:30. Hmmmm. Now what? I snapped a picture of the front of the bus quickly so that I would remember it, then we walked into the beach club.