Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2017 (Berlitz Cruise Guide) (2016)
Grand Celebration
★★★
Berlitz’s Ratings
Ship: 291 out of 500
Accommodation: 121 out of 200
Food: 216 out of 400
Service: 247 out of 400
Entertainment: 66 out of 100
Cruise: 235 out of 400
Overall Score: 1176 out of 2000
Grand Celebration Statistics
Size: Mid-size Ship
Tonnage: 47,262
Lifestyle: Standard
Cruise Line: Iberocruceros
Former Names: Celebration
IMO Number: 8314134
Builder: Kockums (Sweden)
Original Cost: $130 million
Entered Service: Mar 1987/Jun 2008
Registry: Panama
Length (ft/m): 732.6/223.3
Beam (ft/m): 92.5/28.2
Draft (ft/m): 25.5/7.8
Propulsion/Propellers: diesel (23,520kW)/2
Passenger Decks: 10
Total Crew: 620
Passengers (lower beds): 1,494
Passenger Space Ratio (lower beds): 31.6
Passenger/Crew Ratio (lower beds): 2.4
Cabins (total): 747
Size Range (sq ft/m): 184.0/17.1
Cabins (for one person): 0
Cabins (with private balcony): 10
Cabins (wheelchair accessible): 14
Wheelchair accessibility: Fair
Cabin Current: 110 and 220 volts
Elevators: 8
Casino (gaming tables): Yes
Slot Machines: Yes
Swimming Pools: 3
Hot Tubs (on deck): 2
Self-Service Launderette: Yes
Dedicated Cinema/Seats: No
Library: Yes
Onboard currency: Euros
A child-friendly ship for cruising with some Italian flair
Overview. This ship is a floating playground for young, Spanish-speaking active adults who enjoy stimulation. There is a wide range of entertainment and passenger participation activities, and it should prove a good choice for families with children.
The Ship. Grand Celebration, now more than 25 years old, has extremely short bows. It also has a distinctive, large, swept-back wing-tipped blue funnel just aft of the center of the ship. The swimming pools are smaller than one would expect, and the open deck space can be extremely crowded.
It has a double-width indoor promenade and a good selection of public rooms, including a large casino. Facilities include a library and Internet center. Children are split into two age categories, with facilities for each: Club 5 (5-10-year-olds), or Club 10 (10 years and older). Note that in November 2014, the ship will be transferred to Costa Cruises to become Costa Celebration.
Accommodation. There are four accommodation grades, and several price categories: suite with balcony; junior suite with balcony; outside-view; and interior cabins. The cabins are quite standard, are of fairly generous proportions, except for the interior cabins, which are quite small. A 24-hour room service menu is provided. The best living spaces on board are in 10 suites, each of which has much more space, its own private balcony, a larger bathroom and more closet, drawer, and storage space.
Dining. There are two dining rooms: Vista Hermoza, with 550 seats, and Riazor, with 450 seats. They are quite cramped when full, and extremely noisy. There are tables for four, six, or eight (none for two). The decor is bright and extremely colorful. Dining is in two seatings: 8.30pm and 10.30pm. Meals for vegetarians and special children’s menus are available, as is a snack at midnight.
The presentation of the dishes is simple, and few garnishes are used. Some meat and fowl dishes are disguised with gravies and sauces. There is much use of canned fruit and jellied desserts. This is all about banquet catering, with all its standardization and production cooking. There is a decent wine list, but no wine waiters. For casual meals, there’s the 280-seat, self-serve Buffet Triana, although the meals are basic and repetitive.
Entertainment. The Astoria Showlounge is the main venue for large-scale, high-volume production shows and major European cabaret acts. Almost every lounge/bar has live bands and musical units, so there’s always plenty of live music in the evening.
Spa/Fitness. The Spa is located on the ship’s uppermost deck. It has a gymnasium with muscle-pumping cardiovascular machines, men’s and women’s changing rooms, and saunas. The beauty salon is elsewhere. Massages, facials, pedicures, and beauty treatments cost extra.