Table Of Content
While the pandemic has brought economic pain to all cruise lines, Bahamas Paradise’s financial devastation has been particularly acute. Whether you want to wind down, stop by the spa, chill by the pool, or kick back in your stateroom, every second aboard Margaritaville at Sea is a chance for adventure. Sadly (due to the Coronavirus crisis), in January 2021, the 34-year-old vessel was beached at Alang India and soon scrapped. In 2017, Bahamas Paradise had booked ~250,000 passengers, around half of whom were from South Florida. The liner was last drydock refurbished in 2017 (at Freeport's Grand Bahama Shipyard). Take the plunge with your favorite barbeque dish at Plunge Grill.
Island Time
The Grand Celebration cruise ship cabins page is conveniently interlinked with its deck plans showing deck layouts combined with a legend and review of all onboard venues. Grand Celebration staterooms (751 total) are accessed via plastic (hotel-style) punch cards. Room service is complimentary, soaps and towels are provided in the cabins' ensuite bathrooms. The ship doesn't offer family or connecting cabins but has 18 wheelchair-accessible cabins, 2 of which Suites. Only 12 passenger staterooms have balconies and these are in the Suite categories. The 1896-passenger cruise ship Grand Celebration was operated by IberoCruceros until November 2014, when it was transferred to Costa Cruises.
Grand Classica
The cafe serves specialty coffees with complimentary, fresh-made pastries and gelato ice-creams. Plunge Grill is a small, open-air buffet restaurant located close to the swimming pool area (La Piscina) on Lido Deck. It serves hot dogs, burgers, and fries at lunch and transforms into an omelet station for breakfast. The venue serves a late breakfast (10-11 am) and lunch items all afternoon. Amenities include a TV, desk, a private bathroom with shower, hair dryer, and ample storage space.
Margaritaville at Sea
Perks in this exclusive category include a mini-bar, priority debarkation and a spa tub. Feel rested on your queen-sized bed that can convert to twin beds and enjoy the living space. Entertainment abounds on Grand Classica with venues around the ship featuring live music, Vegas-style shows, action-packed casino and comedy.
Cabin Review
The Holiday-class Grand Celebration had two sisterships - MS Holiday/CMV Magellan and Henna (Carnival Jubilee). Until 2008, the vessel was named "MS Celebration" and part of CCL-arnival Cruise Line's fleet. In 2008, it was briefly operated by the Spanish company IberoCruceros (Carnival Corporation-owned brand/now defunct). Select from a variety of staterooms that were created for your comfort. Whether you stay in an Interior, Oceanview or the stunning Terrace Suites (some with a balcony) and accommodating up to four or five guests.
The humanitarian mission started in St Thomas Island USVI on September 23, 2017. Wine tastings kick off in the afternoon, as do steel drum band performances and pool parties. Welcome aboard orientations, ship tours, martini tastings, and casino gaming lessons keep travelers occupied until the sun goes down. The ship has a total of 8 elevators (passenger-accessible lifts) interconnecting all cabin decks (5 out of 12). Annually, Port Palm Beach received ~USD 4 million from the Grand Celebration ship in port fees and cruise parking fees.
Carnival reveals details about private destination Celebration Key - Travel Weekly
Carnival reveals details about private destination Celebration Key.
Posted: Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
In August 2016, he became CEO and President of the Las Vegas-based Scientific Games Corporation (a leading developer of technology products and services for the worldwide gaming and lottery industries). The company's other owner (with 50% stake) is Oneil Khosa (the India-based Blue Ocean Cruises company's CEO and Managing Director). Until 2014, Blue Ocean operated short breaks (1-, 2- and 4-nights itineraries) leaving from Mumbai-Bombay and Mormugao-Goa. Reportedly, a worker at Alang revealed that the ship will be beached (tides permitting) in January's first week. However, on Nov 17, the ship's AIS continued to report "FREEPORT OPL" as next destination. On November 16, Anchor Shipbroking Inc (Greece) released a weekly report with Grand Celebration listed there for demolition.
The ship’s decks have been named to reflect the vibrant islands of the Bahamas; for example, deck 5 is the Bimini deck and deck 8 is the Abacos deck. All the ship’s activities and entertainment take place on decks 8 through 14 where guests will find a wide range of dining options, as well as live entertainment, large casino, spa, pools and more. Grand Celebration's itineraries aren't varied, but they are reliable. The ship sails exclusively to Freeport in the Bahamas, shuttling between the island and the mainland every evening.
Cruise & Stay
(There are no sea days.) In addition, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line offers two-, four- and six-night Bahamas resort stays through a partnership with the Grand Lucayan in Freeport, so you can extend your time ashore. If you dig the island lifestyle or just feel like lying on the beach for a day of sun and sand, it's a tried-and-true bet. While you're there, you can choose from excursions that include beach breaks, dolphin swims and snorkeling. If you choose to stay at the resort, shopping, bars and restaurants are right across the street, and the property has restaurants, bars, beach access and an extensive wraparound pool area on site. Beginning with the first sailing, Bahamas Paradise will be the only cruise line to offer daily departures to Grand Bahama Island from the Port of Palm Beach becoming the largest provider of tourism to the Island.
As the only cruise ship company operating roundtrips out of Palm Beach, Bahamas Paradise provides its customers with expedited boarding (30-min embarkation/disembarkation) and valet parking (at the cruise terminal). Cruise passengers are also offered Bahamas "cruise and hotel" packages in Bahamian hotels. These deals offer 2-, 4-, and 6-night Bahamas hotel stays to be combined (booked together) with the Palm Beach roundtrip voyages.
The Legends Grand Theater – A two-level theater located on decks 8 and 9, where live Vegas-style shows and performances featuring the Grand Classica singers and dancers will be held, along with comedy shows. There is also a bar and lounge area outside the theater for those who want to enjoy a cocktail before or after the show. Those instances raised questions about the safety of cruise ships in the face of a virus that spreads rapidly and is particularly lethal for seniors, a critical customer base for cruise lines. The Celebration (also known as Grand Celebration) was a cruise ship originally built for Carnival Cruise Line. She was the last of three ships to be built in Carnival's Holiday Class of cruise ships.
Margaritaville at Sea is your new off-shore resort experience, sailing from Palm Beach and Tampa to Grand Bahama Island, Mexico and Key West. On this floating island vacation, you can unwind, enjoy the endless activities and entertainment, or just relax and soak up the sun. Bahamas Paradise not only offers an overall experience that's fun and affordable, but the line has found an untapped niche that caters to a specific market of drive-to passengers.
