Revel in endless fun aboard Carnival Celebration

It’s time to take adventure to the next level with a holiday on Carnival Celebration! As a thoughtful nod to the original MS Celebration, Carnival Celebration cruises look to bring travellers a treasure trove of unending exploration and excitement, no matter the destination. Offering inviting staterooms, delectable dining, as well as a wealth of onboard activities, you’ll never find yourself bored or running out of things to do while sailing on Carnival Celebration.

Taking inspiration from the stunning Mardi Gras, this Carnival ship boasts six ‘zones’, each with a specific theme and direction that aim to combine similar activities and dining venues in similar areas. Whether you want to take a splash in their waterpark, race along the exhilarating BOLT rollercoaster, or unwind at the Cloud 9 Spa, Carnival Celebration will definitely have something for you and your family. With a selection Carnival Celebration cruises on offer at the lowest prices, make sure to make your next booking here at Cruise Guru!

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Spec	Detail
Age:	4 years (entered service 2022)
Class:	Excel class
Length:	344.5 metres (1,130 feet)
Beam:	42 metres (138 feet)
Tonnage:	183,521 gross tonnes
Capacity:	5,374 lower berth (6,338 maximum)
Crew:	~1,735
Speed:	23 knots

What is the Carnival Celebration?

Carnival Celebration is a 344.5-metre Excel-class ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line, and at around 183,500 gross tonnes she is one of Carnival’s largest ships. She is the second of the line’s Excel-class ships, after Carnival Mardi Gras and ahead of Carnival Jubilee. She carries 5,374 guests at lower-berth capacity, with around 1,735 crew on board, which makes her a genuine megaship. Her design splits the ship into six themed zones, and her headline attraction is BOLT, Carnival’s all-electric sea coaster and the second roller coaster at sea in the fleet, after Carnival Mardi Gras.

Built by Meyer Turku in Finland and powered by liquefied natural gas, Carnival Celebration entered service in November 2022, the year of Carnival’s 50th anniversary, at a cost of around US$1 billion. Her maiden voyage was a transatlantic crossing from Southampton to Miami, and she was christened by Cassidy Gifford at PortMiami on 20 November 2022. The 50th-anniversary theme runs through The Gateway zone and its destination bar, The Golden Jubilee, which display vintage memorabilia from retired Carnival ships. She sails year-round from PortMiami on Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries of 3 to 10 nights, and she is registered in the Bahamas.

How many decks does the Carnival Celebration have?

Carnival Celebration has 19 decks, with cabins on 11 of them, so your stateroom sits on one of those. Like her Excel-class sisters she skips the number 13, so the labelled decks run 1 to 12 and then 14 to 19. The public spaces are organised into six themed zones: Celebration Central, the multi-deck atrium at the heart of the ship; The Gateway, themed around Carnival’s 50th anniversary; Summer Landing; 820 Biscayne, with a Miami flavour; Lido, the main pool deck; and The Ultimate Playground, the top-deck activity park.

What cabins does the Carnival Celebration have?

Carnival Celebration carries around 2,640 cabins across four core tiers. You can book:

1. Interior cabins, the entry-level option, including larger Premium Interiors.
2. Ocean View cabins, which add a picture window.
3. Balcony cabins, with a real private balcony. Two Excel-class layouts are worth knowing: the Cove Balcony sits lower in the hull and is enclosed by design, so it trades open views and sun for shelter, and the Junior Balcony pairs a full-size balcony with a smaller cabin footprint.
4. Suites, which run by size from the Ocean Suite up through three Excel Suite tiers, the Excel Suite, the Excel Corner Suite, and the Excel Aft Suite, to the top-tier Presidential Suite, of which there are only two on board. Excel Suite bookings add access to Loft 19, the top-deck suite retreat, along with an Excel concierge.

Three themed stateroom enclaves layer on top of those tiers, and each one’s perks belong only to its own room categories:

1. Havana Cabanas, on Deck 8, come with direct access to the Havana Pool and Bar until 7pm and carry a minimum age of 12.
2. Family Harbor staterooms, on Deck 4, add a dedicated Family Harbor Lounge, complimentary kids’ meals at most venues, and free Night Owls late-night babysitting.
3. Cloud 9 Spa staterooms add priority spa reservations and unlimited access to the thermal suite.

What does the Carnival Celebration itinerary look like?

Carnival Celebration sails from Miami across four Caribbean regions. You can choose:

1. Eastern Caribbean voyages of 6 to 8 nights, calling at ports such as Nassau, Half Moon Cay, San Juan, Amber Cove, Grand Turk, and St. Thomas.
2. Western Caribbean voyages of 6 to 8 nights, calling at Cozumel, Mahogany Bay on Roatán, Belize, Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, and Ocho Rios.
3. Southern Caribbean voyages of 7 to 10 nights, calling at Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, La Romana, and Barbados.
4. Bahamas voyages of 3 to 5 nights, calling at Nassau, Half Moon Cay, Princess Cays, and Freeport.

What are the top facilities on the Carnival Celebration?

Carnival Celebration has eight standout facilities:

1. BOLT, Carnival’s all-electric sea coaster, with an 800-foot track that reaches up to 40 mph (it carries a per-ride fee, and is the second roller coaster at sea in the Carnival fleet, after Carnival Mardi Gras).
2. The six themed zones, from the Celebration Central atrium to the top-deck Ultimate Playground.
3. Carnival WaterWorks, with the Blue Lightning and Orange Thunder racing slides, a Twister spiral slide, and a tipping bucket.
4. The Golden Jubilee, the 50th-anniversary bar lined with vintage memorabilia from retired Carnival ships.
5. Loft 19, the top-deck sundeck with an infinity whirlpool.
6. SportSquare, with its mini-golf, basketball court, and ropes course.
7. The Cloud 9 Spa, with its thermal suites.
8. The Serenity Adult-Only Retreat.

What is the onboard experience of the Carnival Celebration?

Carnival Celebration‘s onboard experience covers six areas:

1. Dining
2. Bars and lounges
3. Entertainment
4. Activities and pools
5. Wellness and fitness
6. Kids and teens programming

Dining is built around two main dining rooms, Carnivale and the two-level Festivale, with anytime seating across breakfast, lunch, and dinner, alongside the Lido Marketplace buffet. The included casual outlets are spread across the zones: Big Chicken for Shaquille O’Neal-branded fried chicken, Bonsai Sushi, Guy’s Burger Joint, Street Eats for international street food, the Cuban-leaning Deco Deli, Miami Slice for 24-hour pizza, the BlueIguana Cantina for tacos, and ChiBang! for an Asian and Mexican mix. Specialty (extra-charge) venues include Emeril’s Bistro 1397, the Emeril Lagasse Creole concept named after her hull number, Rudi’s Seagrill for fine seafood, the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Bonsai Teppanyaki, Cucina del Capitano for Italian (your first visit is included), Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse, and the Seafood Shack. JavaBlue Café handles premium coffee.

Bars and lounges map onto the themed zones. In Celebration Central you’ll find the Tropicale Bar, the Aquaria Bar with its two-deck glass mural, and Piano Bar 88. The Gateway holds The Golden Jubilee, the 50th-anniversary destination bar, and the Alchemy Bar for theatrical cocktails. Bar 820 in the 820 Biscayne zone pours Cuban coffee, the two-deck RedFrog Tiki Bar anchors the Lido, and Summer Landing carries The Watering Hole and the Heroes Tribute Lounge, which honours US military service members and veterans. The Havana Bar sits beside the Havana Pool on Deck 8, and Latitudes rounds out the specialty cocktail spots.

Entertainment centres on the two-level Grand Spectrum Theater, where Carnival’s Playlist Productions shows take the stage, with a line-up that includes The Most Magnificent Circus, We Are One, Color My World, Celestial Strings, and Amor Cubano. Center Stage runs rotating live entertainment in the Celebration Central atrium, the Punchliner Comedy Club plays family-friendly and adults-only sessions, and Family Feud Live brings the TV game show on board. The Limelight Lounge takes karaoke and late shows, and the Empress Casino covers the gaming.

Activities and pools lead with The Ultimate Playground and BOLT, Carnival’s all-electric sea coaster, the second roller coaster at sea in the fleet. Carnival WaterWorks runs the Blue Lightning and Orange Thunder racing slides, a Twister spiral slide, and a tipping bucket, while SportSquare carries mini-golf, basketball, and a ropes course. The open decks hold the main Lido pool, the Havana Pool (reserved for Havana cabin guests until 7pm), the Patio Pool, and the adults-only Serenity Adult-Only Retreat. Loft 19, the top-deck sundeck with an infinity whirlpool, is included for Excel suite guests, with cabana rentals available to others.

Wellness and fitness centre on the Cloud 9 Spa, with a full menu of massages, facials, and body wraps plus thermal suites, alongside a hair and beauty salon. The Fitness Centre on Deck 6 carries cardio and weights with paid group classes, and the adults-only Serenity Adult-Only Retreat doubles as a quiet relaxation zone.

Kids and teens programming runs through Camp Ocean for ages 2 to 11, split into Penguins (2 to 5), Stingrays (6 to 8), and Sharks (9 to 11), with a NASA-inspired Space Cruisers sub-program developed with the Kennedy Space Center. Circle C covers tweens 12 to 14 and Club O2 covers teens 15 to 17, while the Turtles program looks after the youngest guests from 6 months to 1 year. Seuss at Sea runs storytime and character experiences, Night Owls is paid late-night babysitting (free for Family Harbor guests), and Cherry On Top is the candy shop.

Who is the Carnival Celebration best for?

Carnival Celebration is a strong fit for you in four scenarios:

1. You’re a US-based cruiser who wants one of Carnival’s largest, most recent ships from Miami, with the six themed zones, BOLT, and the Loft 19 sundeck on one hull.
2. You’re a multi-generational family and want the full age band, from the Turtles program for the youngest through Club O2 for teens, with Family Harbor cabins that bundle kids’ meals and free Night Owls babysitting.
3. You’re a foodie, since the specialty roster, from Emeril’s Bistro 1397 to Rudi’s Seagrill and Bonsai Teppanyaki, runs broader than on older Carnival ships.
4. You’re a suite seeker after Carnival’s top product, the Excel Suites with their Loft 19 access and Excel concierge.

Carnival Celebration runs at full megaship scale, with around 7,100 people on board at standard occupancy, so she’s less suited to you if you prefer a smaller ship. And she has no Australian itineraries, so for local departures the Carnival Australia fleet, Carnival Adventure, Carnival Encounter, Carnival Splendor, and Carnival Luminosa, is the relevant option.

Where does the Carnival Celebration dock in Miami?

Carnival Celebration docks at PortMiami in Florida, sailing from Terminal F, the Carnival Cruise Line terminal. This is her year-round homeport, a short drive from Miami International Airport and South Beach, and the starting point for all her Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean and Bahamas voyages. Pier assignments can vary by voyage.

Carnival Celebration FAQs

How old is the Carnival Celebration?

Carnival Celebration entered service in November 2022 as the second of Carnival’s Excel-class ships, which makes her 4 years old in 2026. She was built by Meyer Turku in Finland, is powered by liquefied natural gas, and made her maiden voyage as a transatlantic crossing from Southampton to Miami. She was christened by Cassidy Gifford at PortMiami on 20 November 2022, the year of Carnival’s 50th anniversary.

How many passengers can the Carnival Celebration carry?

Carnival Celebration carries 5,374 guests at lower-berth capacity (standard double occupancy) and around 6,338 passengers when every upper berth and sofa bed is filled, with some counts running closer to 6,500. With around 1,735 crew, that is roughly 7,100 people on board at standard occupancy.

How long is the Carnival Celebration?

Carnival Celebration measures 344.5 metres (1,130 feet) in overall length, with a beam of 42 metres (138 feet). At around 183,500 gross tonnes she is one of the largest ships in the Carnival fleet.

What are the noisy rooms to avoid on the Carnival Celebration?

Three cabin positions on the Carnival Celebration are worth avoiding if you’re a light sleeper, based on researched architectural patterns for the Carnival Celebration and the Excel-class hull:

1. Forward-facing balcony cabins on Decks 8 to 12, including the 8L Forward Extended Balcony category, which are exposed to strong wind when the ship is underway, an effect amplified by the height and forward position of the Excel-class hull.
2. Mid-ship cabins on Deck 9, above the Celebration Central atrium, which pick up atrium DJ and Center Stage entertainment noise rising through the open vertical space below.
3. Deck 8 cabins above the Deck 7 venue cluster, where the Limelight Lounge, Empress Casino, and Aquaria Bar sit directly below and floor isolation only goes so far.

Call Cruise Guru on 13 13 03, use Contact Us, or submit a Request a Call Back form, and a consultant can advise on specific deck and cabin numbers within the category you are considering.

Does the Carnival Celebration have a water slide?

Yes, Carnival Celebration has waterslides at Carnival WaterWorks on the upper decks, with the Blue Lightning and Orange Thunder racing slides, a Twister-style spiral slide, and a giant tipping bucket. They’re included in your cruise fare and open during scheduled pool hours, weather permitting. Her headline thrill ride, BOLT, is a separate all-electric sea coaster that carries a per-ride fee.

Can Australian cruisers book the Carnival Celebration?

Yes, Australian cruisers can book the Carnival Celebration, but you’ll need to fly to the United States to join her. She sails year-round from PortMiami in Florida on Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries, and has no Australia, New Zealand, or South Pacific departures. Fares vary by season and sailing, so check the live pricing on this page. For Australia-homeported Carnival cruises, the Carnival Australia fleet (Carnival Adventure, Carnival Encounter, Carnival Splendor, and Carnival Luminosa) is the relevant option.

Facts

• Passengers: 5,374 (Double Occupancy)
• Length: 1,130 feet
• Beam: 137 feet
• Cruising Speed: 17 knots
• Onboard Crew: 1,735
• Registry: Panama
• Gross Tonnage: 180,800