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Celebrity Reflection vs Carnival Celebration
The Celebrity Reflection was built in 2012. It's 10 years older than the Celebration, which was built in 2022. The Celebration is named after the original Celebration that sailed with Carnival from 1987 - 2008. It has two unique zones not found on its sister ships: The Gateway, an area dedicated to travel and Carnival's history, and 820 Biscayne which has a retro-Miami vibe.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
Ship Size
The Reflection is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,047 feet long and 123 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.9 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Carnival Celebration, the Reflection is 31% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Celebrity Reflection holds 44% fewer passengers than the Celebration based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Reflection has more space per person compared to the Celebration. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
The Celebration uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Celebrity Reflection | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Solstice | Excel |
| Gross Tonnage | 126,000 | 183,521 |
| Length | 1,047 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 123 | 137 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,030 | 5,374 |
| Crew | 1,293 | 1,735 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 35 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Reflection has seventeen different dining options like AquaSpa Cafe, The Porch, and Blu. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.
The Celebration has eleven more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Blue Iguana Cantina, JavaBlue Cafe, and The Chef's Table. nineteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Celebration might be a better choice. It has 65% more dining options than the Reflection.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Celebration might be a better choice then the Reflection. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Celebrity Reflection | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 17 | 28 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 19 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 53% | 68% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Reflection serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. The Celebration serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Celebration below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Celebrity Reflection has a total of 3 pools and 6 hot tubs.
Carnival Celebration has more pools than the Reflection and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Celebration. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Reflection.| Celebrity Reflection | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 6 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 2 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Reflection, 64% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Celebration, only 61% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Celebrity Reflection | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bingo | ✓ | ✗ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cooking Class | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lawn Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outdoor movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Roller Coaster | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Celebrity is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.
Carnival, on the other hand, is considered a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Celebrity Reflection | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $4.00 | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 | $8.75 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $65 - $95 | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
We sailed aboard the Carnival Celebration
Follow along on our sailing on the Carnival Celebration. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Miami
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Cozumel
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Costa Maya
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Roatan
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 6 - Sea Day
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 7 - Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on Carnival Celebration
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