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Deck 7 on the second story of the Grand Central atrium just off the casino is the Grand View Bar — aptly named for its location next to the atrium’s massive floor-to-ceiling windows. The Limelight Lounge — a space that hosts various activities — has its own bar, with the popular Pharmacy-inspired Alchemy Bar also nearby. In The Shores zone, an area of the ship inspired by beachside boardwalks and piers, passengers can grab a slice of pizza at Coastal Slice or order a panini or hot dog at Beach Buns. TPG's Ashley Kosciolek accepted a free trip from Carnival Cruise Line to attend a behind-the-scenes voyage of new ship Carnival Jubilee. The opinions expressed below are entirely hers and weren't subject to review by the line.
Day 2 & 3: Fun Day at Sea
It's kitschy but classy in the most unexpected and delightful ways. I knew there was a reason I was drawn to the Center Stage Bar on Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Cruise Line's newest ship and the third in the Excel Class. The bar — along with several other dining venues and the onboard shops — wasn't open during my two-night sailing prior to the ship's first voyage with paying passengers. But each time I passed by it in Grand Central, one of the ship's six zones, I couldn't help staring. Passengers link credit cards to their onboard accounts or put up a set amount of cash to charge against, using their keycards as a means of making purchases. The only time you might want to have some bills handy is for tipping your room steward, bartenders, room service delivery people, luggage porters or shore excursion guides.
Entertainment on Carnival Jubilee
While the beach is free, pretty much everything else will cost you extra money though. For lunch today, we decided to check Shaq’s Big Chicken off the list. Though, the lines here and at Guy’s Burgers can get quite long, so plan accordingly. There’s also the main dining room and several specialty restaurants like Bonsai Teppanyaki, Rudi’s Seagrill, and Fahrenheit 555. Cruisers will be happy to know that Cucina del Capitano and Chibang are still complimentary on this ship too. The ship offers 82 accessible rooms, and elevators are located forward, midship and aft, as well as small, single-floor elevators to help guests move between decks 18 and 19.
Dinner and a Show
In the camp inspired-space, kids play games, participate in sing-alongs, have dance parties, do arts and crafts, play video games, and more. Parents don’t even have to worry about picking their kids up at mealtime if their littles want to stay — meals are served to kids through Camp Ocean as well. Down on deck 6 in the underwater-inspired Currents zone is a fun octopus-themed bar called Dr. Inks Ph. D. On the bottom floor of the atrium is the Center Stage Bar with the ship’s lively Piano Bar 88 just around the corner.
Gwen Stefani christens new Carnival Jubilee cruise ship in Galveston - Houston Chronicle
Gwen Stefani christens new Carnival Jubilee cruise ship in Galveston.
Posted: Sun, 25 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Let’s see what else… debuting right here there’s Dear Future Husband, an interactive pop-wedding adventure. Smoking (including electronic cigarettes) is allowed but only in designated outdoor areas on Deck 8 mid-ship on the starboard side. Smoking is also allowed on the starboard side of the casino, but it's for cigarettes only. All types of smoking are forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies.
Chibang and Cucina del Capitano are both open for lunch on sea days with a reduced menu. Cucina del Capitano has a few apps and entrees along with pasta bar. Chibang’s menu features Asian noodle bowls and Mexican rice bowls. While I got ready, Don spent about 1.5 hours collecting content from various areas around the ship. When he returned with our morning coffees, we decided to join the virtual queue for Sea Day Brunch. Sea Day Brunch is a complimentary offering on Carnival ships that takes place in the main dining room and features some great menu options.
NEXT-LEVEL FUN IS MAKING BIG HEADLINES
She has a Ph.D., pet butterflies and extensive collections of both books and fashionable eyewear. Every so often, she'll appear on the screens above the area to chat. The first one opened late, and despite my order being the first one of the day, it still took more than 20 minutes to be served. When I received it, the bun was soggy, and no garnishes or sauces were offered until I went back to the counter to ask for coleslaw and tartar sauce, neither of which helped the flavor. No Carnival sailing would be complete for a carnivore without a visit to Fahrenheit 555, the onboard steakhouse.
Interior, oceanview, balcony, and suite accommodations are all available. There are 41 Premium Interior cabins on the ship, which are a bit larger at 205 square feet. They can sleep up to four guests and feature a sofa — something that standard interior cabins don’t have. Carnival Jubilee’s Ultimate Playground houses all the activities you could dream of doing on a cruise ship.
Kids’ Clubs and Activities on Carnival Jubilee
In fact, if you want to see and do it all, you might find yourself a bit overwhelmed. On other cruise lines, guests have the option to make pre-cruise reservations even with flexible dining. Over-planners like ourselves appreciate this option as we can schedule our day and not stand around waiting. Even on land, we never go to a restaurant without a reservation.
On voyages six days or longer, a family Zumbini class is also available. This fun Dr. Seuss-themed kids’ library space offers reading events and character appearances. The Camp Ocean space is conveniently located on the same deck as the Family Harbor staterooms and Family Harbor Lounge. Those looking for a fun workout in a group setting can partake in fitness classes such as yoga, pilates, indoor cycling, and boot camp.
Here are offered full bar service, swimming pool, sunbathing area with cabanas, deckchairs and sun loungers available for rent. The cabanas are fully stocked with beverages, chilled towels, plush bathrobes and provide dedicated concierge service with lunch delivery and fresh fruits. Carnival Excel Suite passengers enjoy priority cabana reservations. The decor is marked by floor-ceiling windows (wall-to-wall), heavy red and green, with gold accents, a colorful dragon (at the entrance).
This area of the ship features one of the best attractions at sea, Bolt. This electric rollercoaster at the top of the ship is certainly a thrilling experience, albeit an up-charge activity. Cruisers can also enjoy a ropes course, Carnival Waterworks with 3 slides, and mini-golf which are all complimentary.
Wanting to test out as many dining options as possible for this Carnival Jubilee review, we chose to dine at Chibang tonight. With Your Time Dining, cruisers simply join a virtual queue in the HUB app and wait for a notification. Once a table is assigned, head to the restaurant of choice where you’ll be escorted to the table.
Because there were no passengers, their responsibilities turned to readying the vessel. That meant I was able to see them more relaxed as they worked on nailing every last detail before the big first sailing. They include drawings by children from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Dr. Seuss characters and wildlife scenes that will make you feel like you're sailing in different areas of the world. For example, the pool deck, with its citrusy color scheme and vintage smokestack design, is like something straight out of the '70s.
Since we were part of a small media group hosted by the cruise line on this sailing, we had a private transfer from the airport to Galveston. Though, Carnival does also offer transfers to the port on embarkation day. There are several hotels located on the island which are all a short drive from the cruise terminal. Of course, Carnival cruisers will find many familiar favorites onboard Jubilee as well.
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