What a ship!! I just got back from an amazing 7 day Caribbean cruise (January 23rd) on the brand new Celebrity Beyond with Celebrity Cruises. We had ports of call in the Bahamas, Costa Maya, Cozumel and the Cayman Islands. I love, love, love, love this ship. I had such a wonderful and relaxing time. So to celebrate this love I wrote an in depth review of every aspect of the cruise. I hope it makes your travel research just a bit easier. Maybe even inspire you to take this cruise. (I can be quite inspirational.) So keep scrolling for the ultimate cruise review of the Celebrity Beyond cruise ship.
As always, any recommendations from Pragmatic Travelers are based on my own experiences and pictures are only from my cell phone.
Need cruise shore excursion ideas? Check out our budget friendly excursions with the beautiful beaches in Costa Maya, a self guided walking tour of Nassau and the very best beach on Grand Cayman Island. Need a beach club in Cozumel, check out our review of Nachi Cocom. Need help packing?
Embarkation and Disembarkation
This couldn’t have been easier. For embarkation, we had to book a set check in time. As soon as we arrived, we dropped off our bags. (Print your luggage tags ahead of time.) Then went straight in for the check in process. Check in was quick with security/looking over the check in barcode on the app/our passports. Then we were onboard. This took less then 10 minutes. INCREDIBLE. Our stateroom keys were on the door of our room which was ready at 12:40! Disembarkation was just as easy. We kept our bags with us and just walked off the ship. This took less then 10 minutes as well. So easy, smooth and quick!
Pool Deck
The Celebrity Beyond has one massive pool, two hot tubs overlooking the pool and two plunge pools. The Pool Deck and surrounding decks above it are absolutely gorgeous with beautiful artistic features and so much seating. You’ve got lounge chairs, couches, seats, stools. There are loungers on the pool deck, above the deck, all around the pool deck. You’ve got every kind of seat possible. There is no need to run out and claim your chair early. The hot tub in the evening was usually empty and had stunning views of the pool deck. I mean look at that above picture!
The Ship Itself
Just have to say how beautiful this ship is. There is interesting and beautiful artwork everywhere from the rooftop garden to the Grand Plaza. There are so many small details and thoughtful design features that it feels more like a luxury beach resort rather a cruise. Seriously, it is a beautiful ship.
Main Dining Restaurants
Unlike the large banquet halls on other cruise ships, the Celebrity Beyond breaks it down into four different restaurants. Each restaurant has it’s own theme with exclusive dishes as well as Celebrity classics (same every day) and Celebrity signatures (change each day.) Restaurants include Normandie, Tuscan, Cyprus and Cosmopolitan. The food was delicious, varied, creative and did I mention DELICIOUS. Each course was well cooked, fresh, well thought out and well spiced. (Lots of well!) Service was friendly and excellent. Some of my favorite dishes were from Normandie such as Beef Tenderloin En Croute and Marmite Diepoise. I also loved the small dips that came with the bread service. We were never required to sit with other people. The only thing I didn’t love was the sit down breakfast. The food and service was fine but found the buffet to be better.
Interior Stateroom
We stayed in an interior stateroom on deck 10 in room 163. This room was incredibly clean, with red touches amongst muted colors. The bathroom and, really, the room itself was huge with so much storage. You could control the lighting, AC and tv with the app. I liked the different lighting features that stimulate sunset and sunrise. I didn’t miss having a window, at all. The bed and pillows were so comfortable. Some of the best we have ever slept on. I really loved this room and our stateroom attendant. She decorated our room for our anniversary. I would definitely stay in the room again. I loved it!
All Included Package
We elected to purchase the all included package for this cruise. This included the classic drinks package, basic WIFI and gratuities. This package worked perfectly for us as we do enjoy alcohol on our trips. The basic drinks package covers $10 a drink which was easy to find on the ship. It also covered the first $10.00 of more expensive cocktails so you would just have to pay the remainder and the tip of the remainder. This package also covered premium coffee, bottled water, juice, soda, etc. We did some basic math and needed over 2 drinks each per day for it to be worth it which is easy to rack up on a sunny holiday. No regrets at all with this. We got our moneys worth between coffee and cocktails. The basic WIFI was way better then I expected. I had no problem sending text messages and receiving emails. It was a bit slow to search the web. It worked but just required patience. If you are someone who enjoys a few cocktails on a trip and just wants access to texting, the all included package might be for you!
Drinks and Cocktails
You are spoilt for choice with drink options on Celebrity Beyond. Every where you turn there is a bar but luckily this ship doesn’t attract a big party scene. It is definitely for someone who enjoys a quiet vacation with a great cocktail in hand. The bartenders are incredibly talented and have a wide knowledge of cocktail recipes. They were quick to make cocktails that matched the classic beverage limit. The drinks were tasty, refreshing, consistent with a wide range of choice. Check out the list below for my favorite drinks at my favorite bars:
- Sunset Bar: Located in the back of the ship with gorgeous views. The bar itself is beautifully designed with plenty of seating. Easy to grab a drink yourself or from one of the many attendants.
- Favorite cocktail: Dill-icious. (Included in classic drinks)
- Retreat Pool Bar: Location is self explanatory. Bartenders are quite talented.
- Favorite cocktail: French Caribbean (blended with blackberry liquor) (Included in classic drinks)
- World Class Bar: Located on the 5th deck overlooking the Grand Plaza. Great place to sit while watching live music.
- Favorite cocktails: Aviation, Martinez and Manhattan (Required a few dollars more since not in classic drinks package)
- Il Secondo Bacio: They serve premium coffee next to the buffet. They also make one of my favorite cocktails AND it is covered by the classic drinks package.
- Favorite cocktail: Espresso Martini made with Mr. Black espresso liquor.
Coffee
Speaking of coffee, my favorite place to grab a coffee was on the 4th deck at Cafe Al Bacio. I particularly loved the Iced Americanos. Word of warning for my fellow coffee fiends: sometimes they make espresso ahead of time and it is just sitting out on the counter. So you have to figure out the right coffee order to get a freshly made espresso. Didn’t love having to do this but not a huge deal. Also coffees are around $5.00 each or are included in drinks packages.
Oceanview Café
I was pretty blown away by the buffet on Celebrity Beyond. I usually avoid a buffet at all costs; not the case on the Beyond. I preferred eating at the buffet for breakfast. The food was fresh and had so much variety. In particular, the scrambled eggs and poached eggs were phenomenal. Also don’t skip the cinnamon rolls, banana bread and sticky buns…OMG so good. The lunch wasn’t as good as the breakfast but still had so much to choose from with rotating dishes. I loved the butter chicken and salad bar.
Eden
I didn’t eat at Eden or have a drink but I loved how beautiful it was. More importantly, I loved the ample seating and quiet outdoor seating areas away from everyone else.
Excursions/Ports of Call
We didn’t participate in any Celebrity organized shore excursions except for one. We did the behind the scenes tour of the ship. This was fascinating and well worth the money. We were able to visit the bridge, go into the engine room and learn about the kitchens/laundry services. Absolutely worth every penny!
I thoughts the ports we stopped at were great! I don’t love the Bahamas but did enjoy the stops in Mexico and the Cayman Islands.
Check out our shore excursion guides: for sunny and relaxed Costa Maya, beach club vibes in Cozumel, a historical walking tour in Nassau and the best beach ever on the Cayman Islands.
SEA Thermal Suite
While we didn’t have any specific Spa treatments, we did book a day pass to the SEA Thermal Suite for $82.00 each. It lasted a full 24 hours and was well worth the price. We spent hours in this quiet and relaxing area. The thermal suite includes a Turkish bath, mist room, rain therapy, floating swings, and more. The best part of the suite were the heated lounge chairs with great views of the front of the boat. A very restorative experience.
Entertainment
You will not be bored on the Celebrity Beyond. Everyday is filled with your typical cruise activities like trivia. Since the ship is filled with art, there are several art activities you can enjoy as well. The boat was filled with live music ranging from acoustic guitarists to cello players. While I don’t love the big shows on a cruise, I was impressed with the technology. There is a huge screen behind the performers that just adds to the overall immersion of the show.
Fitness
The gym is large and has the latest in gym equipment but my favorite was the jogging track. The gorgeous views inspired several laps in the morning before breakfast. The track is the green path in the picture above.
Pros/Cons
- Pros:
- The artwork on the ship and the overall beauty of it. Feels so high end.
- The food and cocktails were fantastic
- The jogging track
- Ample seating to enjoy the pool and/or ocean views.
- Service. Everyone was so friendly and accommodating.
- Cons:
- The breakfast at the sit down restaurant was just ok.
- Coffee was hit or miss.
- Didn’t love stopping at the Bahamas.
Final Thoughts
I loved this cruise and would happily go on it again. I stand by every word in this complete and ultimate review of the Celebrity Beyond. It was a wonderful and relaxing experience. It is definitely the type of cruise for someone who isn’t a huge partier. My only word of advice is the rooms get expensive fast. So if you are trying to stick to some kind of a budget don’t worry about the interior stateroom it was perfect. Do this cruise. Book it.
