Bahamas Celebration Review
Had a great time - BUT please manage expectations!
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Additional details
I, like most others who used this site for its reviews of this cruise, was very hesitant due to the negative reviews for the ship. I had already booked this for an anniversary getaway with my girlfriend and expected it to be pretty bad, but ultimately neither of us had been on a cruise before nor had we been to the Bahamas. If it was going to be bad, we were going to suffer through it together and maybe laugh at it down the road. BUT - SHAME ON ALL THE BAD REVIEWS!
When we got to the port and saw the ship I was pleasantly surprised. It might not have been as big as other newer ships, but it was a decent size! Again, first time on a cruise so what could I compare it to? Embarkation was also a breeze, very unlike what some people here might lead you to believe! Like the airport, they scan your luggage, then you check it, then (carry-on in hand) you proceed to fill out a few forms, get on line, and check-in. Simple! Expect to stop and take quite a few pictures along the way though, some for ID others for souvenir. If you are reading this, I would like to give my first piece of advice: DO NOT AGREE TO SIT FOR THE TIME SHARE LUNCH! I had read in a review to decline any offers for this, but we had not eaten yet for the day and the lady came up to us offering a free lunch. We did not realize, as all of our meals were included, that we could have gotten a free lunch anyway once we got on board. I SHOULD HAVE STAYED TRUE TO MY GUT! It was a complete waste of time (about 2 or 3 hours) that we could have spent walking around the ship and checking things out. Have you ever been to a car dealership in hopes of buying/leasing a car? Well the sales process is VERY similar to this. They will pull out all stops to get you to sign up. I used to sell cars so I realized the "tricks of the trade" right away.
We didn't go in the pool, but only because we didn't have time. The pool is small in a half-circle kinda shape. Not good for Olympic laps but decent enough to hang out in and beat the heat. There were 2 hot tubs on each side of the pool that were always full. Bummer there. The breakfast buffet was decent with your usual breakfast selection. It reminded us of breakfast in the cafeteria in college. Dinner was good too. We didn't realize until the 2nd day that the dinner menu is the same no matter where you go (except maybe the Cove for $25 per person? We did not eat there) the difference is in the way that you are served. In this realization: STAY AWAY FROM THE RIO. The service there was plain awful! Its like half buffet-half sit down restaurant. Um hello, you can't be both! I would stick to the fancier Crystal Restaurant, which is the best overall (look your best to eat here) or the Trattoria Di Gerry which serves your typical Italian spread but is open late. We ate here on two occasions after a night of drinking and fun and we just needed something to eat before we passed out in our rooms. The food here was good as well (ate here when we were sober too!).
Cabin Review
Cabin 8422 - The cabin was another pleasant surprise. We had an oceanview cabin on the 8th deck with a queen size bed. From what I hear, our cabin was in a coveted location (I would like to think this was because the guy I booked it with was very nice!). I was expecting the room to be A LOT smaller then it actually was. It was perfect for 2 people. There were 2 upper berths though so if you're talking 3 or 4 people to a room then it can be overwhelming. The thermostat in the room worked just fine. I travel a bit for work so I had my own travel plug which converts US standard plugs to UK and European outlets. My second piece of advice: I suggest you do the same! They are $10-15 at your local CVS/Rite Aid type store. You can probably buy one a lot of other places as well. Good investment! We had no problem using our hair dryer, curling iron, cell phone chargers, etc.