Celebration Debarkation & Final Thoughts

It's hard to believe our Celebration cruise is over! We had a blast, we drank a lot and truly left feeling refreshed. With this being my last post about the trip, I will talk about debarkation day and then my overall feelings of this cruise.

Debarkation can be stressful because everyone on board has to get off all at the same time! We always carry our bags off the ship with us so we can get to our car/airport faster. Carrying our bags can lead to some interesting adventures since the elevators fill up fast so often we end up carrying our bags down many flights of stairs. But somehow, on debarkation day we hopped on a fairly empty elevator. Once off the elevator it was time to get into the long winding line of passengers trying to get off the gangway.

Carnival does a great job of organizing passengers and making sure everyone is where they are supposed to be. We made our way to the gangway fairly quickly with little trouble. Once off the ship it is time to go through customs. This part used to be extremely stressful with passports needing to be out and checked but since COVID it has gotten so much better. After waiting a few minutes, a computer takes your picture and you are sent on your way home!

We parked fairly close to the ship right at the port of Miami, once we loaded our suitcases in it was time to pay for our parking and start our 12 hour drive home. Another blog post coming soon about why we choose to drive the 12 hours versus fly to each port.

Final Thoughts

We went on the Celebration because last year we absolutely loved the Mardi Gras as a ship but not the staff/experience so we wanted to give the newest ship a try. We loved the crew on this ship and felt they truly loved being there and getting to know their guests. We loved the specialty bars and dining that we went to, and the variety that each had to offer.

Cory loved the many options of smoked drink and whiskey. I loved the different shows, game shows and entertainment on ship. Of course we loved the Serenity Deck and the opportunity to sit in the shade or sun depending on time of day.

Overall, we had a good time on this cruise. We still recommend this ship to our friends, family and clients and share what we know to help them have the best vacation. We wish we took more pictures of us together, and wish there was more late night entertainment (not just deck parties and the casino).

After this cruise we decided it was time to venture to other cruise lines to check out what they have to offer. We have booked a cruise for September on a Celebrity Cruise which we are expecting to be much different than a Carnival Cruise but we are so excited for the wake pictures to come and soaking up some much needed ocean air! Come back for our next post to learn more about cruising and let us show you what we have learned through our years of cruising!