Celebrity Beyond: 10 Things We Loved and Hated
The Celebrity Beyond cruise ship is one of the industry’s most talked about cruise ships. It’s the third ship in Celebrity’s Edge Class series. The cruise ship is classy and beautiful. The first American female Captain is at the helm with her hairless cat, named Bug. It’s one of those cruise ships that you want to experience first-hand and see what all the fuss is about.
We sailed on the Celebrity Beyond for ten nights in the Mediterranean, which was the selling point for us. It was a wonderful cruise with a great itinerary.
On every cruise we sail, there are pros and cons, and there are things we loved and didn’t love so much on Celebrity Beyond. If you have sailed on this ship, tell us in the comments what you loved and hated on the Celebrity Beyond.
We Loved the Decor and How Spacious the Ship Felt
Even though we had access to The Retreat, we spent much time exploring and enjoying the ship outside the suite areas. The decor on the ship is so classy, unique, and fun. We loved walking around, finding random and distinctive artwork and sculptures throughout the ship.
We were pleasantly surprised by how spacious the ship felt throughout our cruise. The busiest time was peak hour at the Buffet, and even then, it wasn’t so bad.
At one point, we chatted with an officer, who confirmed there were around 3300 passengers on our sailing. Their max was 3600 passengers. We were shocked by those numbers as we expected the max to be 1-2k more.
The ship has so much stylish, cozy indoor and outdoor seating. Everything is so beautifully done that you want to grab a drink and find a corner to relax and enjoy.
We Loved The Buffet Layout
We loved what Celebrity did with the buffet layout on this ship. They organized it to flow to keep people moving and from creating traffic jams.
- There were multiple sinks to wash your hands before you entered the buffet.
- Across the way was the ice cream station. So you didn’t have to enter the buffet for ice cream. You could avoid everyone trying to get lunch or dinner.
- Cafe al Bacio and the bar were next. You can stop to get your specialty coffee first thing.
- The pizzeria was moved to the back, giving it its own space and seating area not far from a bar and more outdoor seating.
- The buffet was huge, with multiple stations serving various foods. Even a bakery is showcasing rising croissants and other baked goods.
- It was bright, airy and open.
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We Loved that The Pizza Station Was Open Until 1 am
Celebrity ships pizza is one of our favorite things to eat and snack on, especially when everything else is closed. I would rather have a slice of pizza while enjoying the ship than return to my cabin to order room service. This station, located in the back of the buffet, was open until 1 am, which is nice since there are no other late-night venues with food on the ship.
We Loved Captain Kate and How Accessible She Was to Passengers
If you’re worried about never seeing Captain Kate, don’t. As long as you’re not hiding out in your cabin, you will probably run into her at some point. We saw her several times throughout the cruise and even ran into her outside the port with Bug.
Unless she’s on vacation (three months on and three months off), she usually hangs out near Le Grand Bistro and Cafe del Bacio.
My husband brought her a gift from work; she was gracious and kind. Later on the cruise, we ran into her at Cafe del Bacio, and she even remembered his name. We did all three take a photo together, but sorry, I won’t be sharing.
What truly impressed me about Captian Kate is how genuinely open and happy she is to meet fellow passengers.
We Loved Eden
Eden is a cafe, bar, and specialty restaurant that felt hidden on the Celebrity Beyond. You’d miss it if you didn’t truly explore the ship or make reservations to eat here.
We loved this part of the ship because it was so pretty and different, and we had the best meal and drinks at Eden. Yes, we did at Le Voyage as well. It was good, but not as good as Eden.
During the day, this is a part of the ship where you can easily find a quiet corner. They also serve a quick lunch at the cafe. Late nights, they have special shows that we suggest you get there early for.
We Loved the Theater’s Size and Grandious Screens
The state-of-the-art theater on Celebrity Beyond is outstanding, with screens that span the theatre, and felt like we were in an iMax. We didn’t see many shows in the theater (I suffered from bad jetlag throughout this cruise), but what we saw was amazing. It was almost like an immersive experience. There is not one bad seat in the house.
I suggest trying to make it as many shows as possible.
We Loved Destination Gateway On The Ship
This is probably odd to love, but the Destination Gateway on Celebrity Beyond is the gangway on and off at ports. You can tell that Celebrity puts some thought into this important part of a cruise ship and cruising. On most cruise ships, the gangway almost seems like an afterthought when you get off a ship.
One cool thing about it is that this is where you also tender. The magic carpet comes down and meets up with Destination Gateway on Deck 2.
We Loved Our Sky Suite Cabin
Many cruisers hate the Infinite Veranda on the Celebrity Beyond, preferring regular balconies. Unfortunately, we can’t speak to these cabins personally because we stayed in a Sky Suite cabin.
The Sky Suite Cabin was our favorite part of our cruise ship experience. The cabin’s layout, with the bed facing the balcony view, is what every cruise cabin layout should be like.
It was a spacious cabin with a beautiful bathroom, plenty of closet space, and a large regular balcony where we loved to sit, relax, and read.
We Normally Love Cafe al Bacio, But Their Specialty Coffees Can Be Weak
On this Celebrity cruise, Cafe al Bacio felt a little more like Starbucks on land with a coffee-making conveyor belt. They pour espresso shots and steamed milk together in a fly and move on to the next person’s order. Most of the time, you could barely taste the espresso. I will say that you would get a nicely crafted order when it was empty.
We get it. We understand that there are numerous passenger orders to fulfill. However, we experienced exceptional service on a recent cruise with Starbucks onboard. Despite the busy environment, the baristas consistently crafted high-quality beverages with care and attention. I was so impressed that I stated in my review that the Starbucks on the cruise ship surpassed the quality of its land-based counterparts by tenfold.
While we enjoy Cafe al Bacio and its wonderful setting on Celebrity, as coffee lovers, we couldn’t help but feel that the quality is not what it used to be.
I resorted to ordering macchiatos– a double shot of espresso with a touch of steamed milk–to get my caffeine fix.
Tip: Always ask for extra espresso shots if you like to taste your coffee.
We Were Disappointed with The Retreat
The Retreat has some nice perks, like a sun deck, pool, and restaurant, but it wasn’t all we hoped for or expected. The food was inconsistent. The personalized service is not where it should be. Overall, it was disappointing because it did not live up to the hype and what was advertised.
If you read our review of The Retreat on Celebrity Beyond, you know the value is not worth what it costs these days. It’s a shame because it has potential, or at least I hear from veteran Retreat cruisers that it used to be exceptional.
Cruising is getting more expensive, and amenities are being taken away. So, while you may be paying for luxury, you’re not getting that luxury experience.
Where is Celebrity Beyond Sailing 2024?
The Celebrity Beyond will be sailing the Caribbean in 2024.
What is an infinite veranda on Celebrity Beyond?
The infinite veranda cabins on Celebrity Beyond are crafted to maximize your interior living space. Instead of a traditional door or sliding door leading to a balcony, these cabins feature a floor-to-ceiling window that offers the sensation of a built-in sunroom or extension within your living quarters. With the simple push of a button, you can transform the top part of the window, providing open-air access to the sea, effectively creating a balcony experience at your discretion.
From this list, you can tell that we did love the Celebrity Beyond cruise ship. We hope we can sail her again in the future.
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Kathy Ava
Meet Kathy Ava, a food, travel, and cruise writer based in Los Angeles/Pasadena, and the owner and main writer of Tasty Itinerary. With over 20 years of experience planning trips and logistics at her full-time job and for herself, she's become a pro at crafting unforgettable tasty itineraries. She's always on the hunt for delicious, fun travel destinations and cruise itineraries. She firmly believes that life is short and we must make the most of it, so always say yes to dessert.