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Celebrity Infinity Deck Plans & Reviews

Celebrity Infinity

Activities & entertainment

• Acupuncture *
• Canyon Ranch SpaClub *
• Celebrity iLounge *
• Demonstration Kitchen
• Enrichment Lectures
• Fitness Center
• Fitness Classes *
• Hair Salon *
• Hot Tubs (4)
• Jogging Track
• Persian Garden *
• Sports Deck
• Team Trivia
• Therapy / Treatment *
• Video Arcade *
• Fun Factory
• Casino Tournaments *
• Celebrity Theater
• Comedy Shows
• Constellation Lounge
• Disco & Dancing
• Featured Films
• Fortunes Casino *
• Rendezvous Lounge
• Drink Specials
• Mixology Classes *
• Wine Tasting Seminars *
• Blu - Aqua Class
• Oceanview Café & Grill - Casual
• Café Al Bacio - Coffee Bar *
• Tuscan Grille - Contemporary Italian *
• Pool Grill - Fast Food
• Spa Café - Healthy Fare
• The Trellis Restaurant - International
• Crush - Martini Bar *
• Martini Bar - Martinis *
• Mast Bar - Pool Bar *
• Oceanview Bar - Pool Bar *
• Luminae - Suite Class
• Michael's Club - Suite Class
• Sushi on Five - Sushi *
• Gelateria - Sweets *
• Qsine - Unique Fare *
• Wine Cellar - Wine Bar *

Reviews We perform checks on reviews. Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines , the review is not published. When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site. Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines . Learn more about our review moderation.

• Excellent 52
• Very Good 32
• Terrible 13
• All languages ( 146 )
• English ( 137 )
• Spanish ( 6 )
• Danish ( 1 )

Upcoming itineraries

Celebrity Infinity

Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises |

Find a Cruise on Celebrity Infinity

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Launched in 2001 and most recently refurbished in October 2018, the 2,170-passenger Celebrity Infinity boasts updated suites, an Italian steakhouse and a rooftop terrace. Other highlights include a wine bar and Le Petit Chef, an interactive augmented reality luxury cuisine experience. The ship is set to be fully refurbished in the near future; improvements will include brand-new staterooms, elevated technology, new lounge areas and more. 

Infinity offers a total of nine dining venues, ranging from a casual pool grill to four specialty restaurants that require reservations and an additional fee. While recent cruisers felt that specialty dining was worth the cost, many noted that food quality was hit or miss in the main dining room.

When it comes to activities and entertainment, kids ages 3 to 17 can participate in youth clubs while adults get treatments at the spa or learn a new skill through a variety of enrichment courses.

As for accommodations, cruisers can choose from four lodging options: Inside, Ocean View and Veranda staterooms and Suites. For more luxury, passengers can upgrade to an Aqua or Concierge Class suite. All cabins are outfitted with flat-screen TVs, small sitting areas and 24-hour room service.

Celebrity Infinity sails throughout Europe.

Pros & Cons

Ship fitted with a rooftop terrace

Recent passengers felt food quality was hit or miss

• Expert Rating » 4.0
• Traveler Rating » 4.1
• Health Rating » 4.8

Celebrity Infinity ranks # 10 out of 13 Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ships based on an analysis of expert and user ratings, as well as health ratings.

• # 10 in Best Celebrity Cruises
• # 30 in Best Affordable Cruises
• # 33 in Best Cruises to the Mediterranean
• # 36 in Best Cruises for Couples
• # 40 in Best Cruises to Europe

Celebrity Infinity offers a wide range of accomodation options. Browse cabins to find the stateroom that suits your needs.

Celebrity Infinity contains 11 decks. Find out which features are available on each Celebrity Infinity deck.

Traveler Reviews

A ship’s traveler rating is provided under license by Cruiseline.com , which manages one of the largest databases of cruise reviews and ratings by travelers. A total of 1077 guests have reviewed Celebrity Infinity , giving it a rating of 4.1 on a scale of 1-5.

Cruiseline Travel Rating:

Reviews by traveler type.

Ship Photos

Disclaimers about ship ratings: A ship’s Health Rating is based on vessel inspection scores published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If a ship did not receive a CDC score within 22 months prior to the calculation of its Overall Rating, its Health Rating appears as N/A; in such a case, the ship’s Overall Rating is calculated using the average Health Rating of all CDC-rated ships within the cruise line. All ship Traveler Ratings are based on ratings provided under license by Cruiseline.com.

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• Holiday Rentals
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• Things to Do
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• Add a Place
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• Travellers' Choice
• Help Centre

Celebrity Infinity Deck Plans & Reviews

Celebrity Infinity

Activities & entertainment

• Acupuncture *
• Canyon Ranch SpaClub *
• Celebrity iLounge *
• Demonstration Kitchen
• Enrichment Lectures
• Fitness Center
• Fitness Classes *
• Hair Salon *
• Hot Tubs (4)
• Jogging Track
• Persian Garden *
• Sports Deck
• Team Trivia
• Therapy / Treatment *
• Video Arcade *
• Fun Factory
• Casino Tournaments *
• Celebrity Theater
• Comedy Shows
• Constellation Lounge
• Disco & Dancing
• Featured Films
• Fortunes Casino *
• Rendezvous Lounge
• Drink Specials
• Mixology Classes *
• Wine Tasting Seminars *
• Blu - Aqua Class
• Oceanview Café & Grill - Casual
• Café Al Bacio - Coffee Bar *
• Tuscan Grille - Contemporary Italian *
• Pool Grill - Fast Food
• Spa Café - Healthy Fare
• The Trellis Restaurant - International
• Crush - Martini Bar *
• Martini Bar - Martinis *
• Mast Bar - Pool Bar *
• Oceanview Bar - Pool Bar *
• Luminae - Suite Class
• Michael's Club - Suite Class
• Sushi on Five - Sushi *
• Gelateria - Sweets *
• Qsine - Unique Fare *
• Wine Cellar - Wine Bar *

Reviews We perform checks on reviews. Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines , the review is not published. When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site. Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines . Learn more about our review moderation.

• Excellent 52
• Very Good 32
• Terrible 13
• All languages ( 146 )
• English ( 137 )
• Spanish ( 6 )
• Danish ( 1 )

Upcoming itineraries

• Celebrity Cruises

Infinity Review

By Terre , September 13, 2022 in Celebrity Cruises

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Wonderful! Exciting! Too Short…

Ship:   Celebrity Infinity

Dates:   August 27, 2022 – September 3, 2022

Cabin:   6144 C1, Concierge Class

Ports of Call:   Key West; Belize City; Cozumel; Bimini

Captain:   Captain Yannis

Cruise Director:   Angela Clark

Our Cruising Experience:   49 total, 10 with Celebrity

Before I begin, everything in this review is entirely my opinion and my experiences of this particular cruise.   I try to be as objective as possible, while giving you all the information you need for your future cruise whether it’s on the Infinity, or any other cruise.   I break my reviews down into sections so you can read what you want and skip over what you don’t care about.   Pictures and videos will be at the end because it’s just easier for me.   Also, I apologize for the length, but I hate to leave anything out.    Are you ready…here we go!

Wow!   Where do I begin?!   This cruise had wonderful entertainment from a comedian to singers, dancers, a magician, and on to games! Excitement included a rescue of six men in a tiny boat in the middle of nowhere in the ocean!   Seven days is just not long enough.   As soon as I unpacked, I found myself packing to leave.   I am happy to say that we really didn’t have any issues to complain about and it was an exciting cruise, but it was also relaxing.

Embarkation day : We arrived later than usual because we had to take a later flight than we usually do because American canceled the first one to FLL.   We did get there in time for lunch, however, and since we had booked a Concierge Class cabin, we were able to have lunch in the Trellis Dining Room rather than the buffet after boarding.   Lunch was good, but I don’t remember what we got because I didn’t write it down!   Talk about old ladies…

The Ship & Cabin:   The ship is older and has recently been moved from Europe to the U.S. with a Caribbean itinerary.   It does have some signs of old age, but for an old lady, she is a beautiful ship and we enjoyed her very much.  

There are many bars and lounges so you won’t be at a loss finding one.   Our favorite was the Rendezvous Lounge.   Our bartender was Jerome from Jamaica.   He made sure our glasses were never empty, and he was such a pleasure to talk to.   The bar waiters there were very good as well.   We didn’t use any of the other lounges.

The Martini Bar was always packed, as it is on every Celebrity ship!   There is always a demonstration of some kind that draws a crowd.

The decor is very nice, not gaudy, not too old, and our cabin was a good size with a comfortable bed.   We had a pillow “menu” and after the third night, I ordered a pillow that was just right for sleeping.   It was a memory foam type pillow that is close to what I use at home, so I was finally able to sleep well.   The cabin could use some updating, i.e., more outlets, both plug-in kind and USB kind.   With all the chargers we have, and with using the plug-in kind that gives us two or three USB ports, there still wasn’t enough outlets for plugging everything in.   After dealing with this for three cruises now, I decided to purchase a U.S. converter to plug into the European outlet.   It will give me four more regular plugs that don’t need the three-prong outlet, one outlet with the three prong, and three more USB ports for charging.   The rest of the cabin was actually laid out nicely.   The closet has plenty of hangers and space for all of our items.   It did not have a desk-type drawer at the vanity and I missed that for keeping brushes, makeup, etc. put away.   On the vanity, however, there were three shelves on either side with doors that kept everything hidden.   There is also storage under the TV.

The cabin also has a loveseat and a small table.   The balcony was very nice and large with two lounge chairs with foot stools and a rather large round table.   There was plenty of room on the balcony and we enjoyed it, especially on port days when docking.

Our cabin was very hot, staying around 75-78 degrees at night.   I had requested a fan from special needs for my asthma and I’m glad I did because I would not have been able to breathe without it.   I have a small magnetic thermometer that sticks to the wall that reads the temp and humidity.   The humidity was so high in that cabin, that it registered the humidity as wet the whole time.   Everything in the the cabin felt damp and the bath mat would get soaking wet during the night. I would put our swimsuits on the balcony to dry, but after bringing them inside for the night, they were damp again.   That was really my only complaint.

Spa:   I booked a massage for our day in Belize.   I called to ask about a port day special and was told they had one called the Manager’s Special for $169 that included a Swedish massage, a facial, and a foot and ankle massage.   After the therapist finished the massage, she said we were all done.   I told her about the facial and foot and ankle.   She said the massage I got is the Manager’s Special.   I said no, and told her again what I was quoted over the phone; I was nice about it, but firm.   She left for around 10-15 minutes and when she came back I got my facial and my foot and ankle.   I have to say my therapist, Jesusa, did an excellent job with the whole thing and was I very relaxed while I got my Manager’s Special.

Ports of Call:   Key West was our first port of call.   We had been here many years ago and the only thing I really wanted to see was the buoy at the Southern most point.   We got off the ship quite early because we wanted to hopefully, get everything in we wanted to do before it got too awfully hot.   Trust me…it’s hot and humid and if you do a lot of walking, you’ll want to be out and about early.   We had researched, well, my husband had researched the ports, and he found that the Duval Loop bus is free and comes around about every 20-30 minutes.   We walked to a corner he read about to wait and the bus didn’t come.   We asked someone who said, yeah it should be coming.  

After waiting for around 20 minutes we started walking. As we walked down Whitehead St. a bus stopped and the driver asked if we were looking for the Duval Loop bus.   We hopped on and he told us the Whitehead & Green St. stop had been moved.   He dropped us off at the Naval Air Station entrance, which is the correct stop.   Said he’d be back in around 30 minutes and told us how to get to the buoy.   We had been headed in the right direction and would have been there eventually.   We walked a little way more after we got off the bus and there it was!   We were the only ones there and got some great shots of it!   After a few minutes, other people began showing up.   A rainbow appeared behind the buoy, and I got a picture of the buoy with the rainbow in the background.   This let me know it was going to be a good cruise!

After a few more pictures, we headed up to the Naval Air Station entrance to catch the bus.   By this time I was already drenched from the humidity and was so glad we went early.   It was also nice to walk around and get pictures of the place with no people in my shots.   The houses are so cute, and the streets are two lanes, everything was so quaint, I just loved it!  

We had waited just a few minutes when we saw the bus coming.   He was exactly 30 minutes from when he dropped us off.   Dropped off at the last stop, we walked back to the dock area and walked around getting pictures of the sailboats and other things that made good memories.   Only a few shops were open at this time and I tried to find a ceramic thimble with Key West on it (I collect these from the places we visit), but the shops that were open didn’t have any.

After we went back to the ship, we had the rest of the day to hang around the pool and enjoy the nice, empty ship for a few hours.

Belize City was our next port.   We had already decided to stay on board the ship since we were just here in March and have been here before doing fun things like cave tubing, visiting the Altun Ha ruins, touring, etc.   The weather was rainy and we were glad that we’d stayed on board.   I felt bad for those who did go into port or it was their first time here.   We were able to get some sunshine in though.

Cozumel was our next stop and we had planned to go to Nachi Cocum.   It is our go to place when in Cozumel.   It’s a nice, relaxing place on a stretch of beach that your $59 per person buys chairs on the beach with a thatched umbrella, a pool, a hot tub, all you want to drink for the day along with a three course meal, plus your very own waiter for the day. It has paddle boarding and an open air massage at an extra cost.   Unfortunately it was cloudy and we decided not go into port.   We’ve been there before when a storm blew in with torrential downpours and it was not fun.   Of course it did clear up and we had a fun day, but we were a little younger then and just opted to stay on board this time.   We were able to catch some rays at the pool so it was not a wasted day.

Our last port was Bimini .   We have not been here ever, so with my husband’s research, we decided to rent a golf cart and tour on our own.   We did this in Bonaire a couple of years ago and it was so much fun.   With his research, we learned to take the free tram and get off at the third stop which is Fisherman’s Village.   This is supposedly the best place to rent golf carts.   Actually, the tram takes you right to the golf cart rental to get off.   Once off the tram, we walked around some and again we started early because of the heat.   We rented our cart and took off down the road; don’t forget that they drive on the left.   We went to one end where there is a beautiful view of the ocean.   The beach was not that great, but that view is magical!   I walked around taking pictures and found an old cemetery with the ocean as a beautiful backdrop (I love cemeteries) and took some pictures there as well.

Back on the cart we are again on our journey exploring Bimini.   We stopped at a park called Heroes Park and I got some shots of the “heroes”.   From there we drove to the other end of the island and saw a fire at a fiberglass plant.   We watched as the flames got bigger and the smoke got blacker and higher covering the area.   It was hard to breathe and finally the fire truck came.   We left and drove around another area trying to find a beach to spend some time on.   We found some beautiful scenery and a beach that we went down to, but the sand was so soft it was hard to walk on.   My husband got in the water for a bit, but I noticed on a huge rock I was standing on, something swimming very fast back into the water as the waves rolled in and pulled out.   I tried getting out when I saw that it was a big spider that looked like a tarantula and was fuzzy!   I stayed out of the water after that!   On our way again, we passed a beach with chairs, but didn’t stop.   We drove down some back roads, off the beaten path and they were typical of the islands with old brick homes and buildings.   We’d seen enough and decided to go back to the ship.  

Food:   We had anytime dining in the Trellis Dining Room, and would go around 6:00 every evening after an hour with Jerome. I made the reservations on line as soon as I was able before we left home. I liked that even though we used the X app to see the menu, they always gave us a printed menu in the dining room as well.   On all of our cruises since Covid, the app was all we had to use.   On our first night, we of course had prime rib, shrimp cocktail, and for dessert I had the banana blueberry crumble.   Oh my gosh!   That was the best crumble I have ever had, I guess because I don’t really like crumbles, but that was really good.   Those flavors melded so wonderfully together and when they passed over your taste buds, it was indescribable!

The second night we both got the roasted trout.   I didn’t see a soup I wanted on the menu so I ordered the tomato soup from the kids’ menu.   Tip:   the kids’ menu isn’t on the menu they give you in the dining room, but is on the X app. I guess if you have kids with you, you would get a kids’ menu.

Next night, I ordered crab cakes and corn soup as appetizers and the Steak Diane for my main.   My husband ordered the shrimp scampi for his main. It’s very colorful and makes a pretty plate. We both liked what we got.   The Steak Diane is always a favorite of mine.   The gravy is very nicely blended and is so good with the steak.  

For our day in Belize, we both ordered the broccoli soup, and for our mains, I ordered the penne primavera and my husband got the braised short ribs.   Both were very good.   I tasted his short ribs and wished I had gotten that, it was much better than the primavera.

The next day was Cozumel and that evening we booked the Tuscan Grille simply because there was nothing on the menu that either of us wanted; it was a good choice.   The Tuscan Grille is nice and cozy and of course Italian.   From where we sat, you could see the kitchen and there were pasta noodles hanging on a rod – obviously freshly made.   I ordered the crab cake, Kalamata Bruschetta, an eight ounce broiled filet mignon with garlic mash, and a side of jus.   Ohmigosh, y’all!   I can’t even put into words how good all that tasted!   The filet was so tender, cooked perfectly, and just melted in my mouth!   Once it hit my tongue, I just closed my eyes, and said mmmmm…   Yes, I was in heaven!   My husband had a 12 ounce rib eye that he really liked and had the limoncello cheesecake while I had spumoni donuts for desserts.   I tasted his cheesecake and it was very good.   My spumoni donuts consisted of four donut balls, all with a different flavor inside and they were all scrumptious!

On our second sea day, we both ordered lobster tail.   My husband ordered one lobster tail and the Beef Wellington. The lobsters were very rich and flavorful, and he said his Wellington was tender and flavorful as well.   Our desserts were chocolate cake, and the brandy cherry ice cream…talk about flavorful!   That was some dang good ice cream! I got a cone of it from the buffet the next day!

The last night I ordered the Israeli Couscous and it was very good, much better than I expected, which is why it’s good to try new things, right?   My husband ordered off the everyday menu this night.

Other soups we ordered and liked were creamy butternut squash, French onion, cream of pea soup, wild mushroom soup.   My husband ordered tomato soup one night that got delivered to the table next to us.   The lady who they brought it to, said she didn’t order that and gave it to her husband…my husband never got his, so we think that table got it.

The buffet was not that great in our opinion, and is much smaller than most ships.   When we went up late at night, there was pizza, some sandwiches which were good, as well as pasta dishes.   Most days for lunch we ate in the dining room or got a hamburger by the pool.

Entertainment:   Okay, this is the “Wonderful” part!   We had some of THE best entertainment I think we’ve had for a while on a cruise, and this was our third cruise this year and fifth since COVID.   I hope I can remember everybody’s names because I left my daily newspapers in the nightstand when I packed.

First, I have to say that our Cruise Director, Angela Clark and her team are amazing!   They have put together some fun games for the Constellation Lounge, and when we boarded and saw them I was so excited!   We had her and her husband, who does the games, on the Silhouette in March and knew we were in for a treat!   Of course we stopped to speak to her.   She is absolutely wonderful, very personable and always stopped to speak to me even when I didn’t see her.   As we left, I got a hug from her, probably because my bottom lip was sticking out in a pout...   If she is ever the CD on your ship, know you will enjoy every minute of entertainment.

We had a Whitney Houston tribute singer, we had a group of men who could sing just about anyone and anything!   We had a magician, and a comedian.   We also played and/or went to some of the games in the Constellation Lounge that were a lot of fun.   One of my favorites is the Liar’s Club in which the Captain is a panelist.   We make a point of watching that on every Celebrity cruise.   And of course, I can’t leave out the singers and dancers and those magnificent aerialists!   They scare me to death, but I love watching their beautiful, graceful movements and am amazed at their strength.   Okay, some details…

Cheaza:   Cheaza gives a beautiful and chilling tribute to Whitney Houston.   We got a little history of her story and her family’s connection in the music industry, along with some clips of Whitney.   Cheaza sang Whitney’s songs so beautifully and sounded so much like Whitney, that you will forget it’s not Whitney singing.   Honestly, y’all, she made me cry with some of the songs she sang.   Her performance is absolutely flawless and amazing!   You’ll feel like you are at a Whitney concert.

The Other Guys:   As much as I loved Cheaza, I loved these guys more.   If you close your eyes, you will think you are listening to the Bee Gees, The Four Seasons – and whomever else’s songs they were singing because they sounded so much like the original artists, you wouldn’t know the difference.   The first night they performed, the show was “Legends Live”.   They started out with some Bee Gees, some Four Seasons, and moved on to other well known artists.   They sang some Lady Gaga, Cher, and others, and did very well with that.  

On their second night’s performance, they did a tribute to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.   The show was called “The Four Sea Sons”.   Y’all, they sounded just like the Four Seasons.   I have a video clip from both shows, and I promise, if you close your eyes you will not believe that it’s not the Bee Gees or The Four Seasons.   I’m hoping my links work (I had some computer issues with the videos), because I really want you to hear them.   I keep hearing Sherry in my head over and over so now I have a “song headache” that I can’t get rid of.   That’s okay though, because that was one of my favorite Four Seasons songs.   If they happen to be on your cruise, do not miss them!  

Mark Simmons:   Mark Simmons is the comedian and he was very funny.   We went to his late night show, which is adults only, and it was raunchy at times, so keep in mind that you will have that and bad language if that bothers you.   He wasn’t as bad as some we’ve had on other ships, though.   He had a day time performance, but we missed that one.

Magician:   I can’t remember the magician’s name because I didn’t write it down, but we had seen him before.   He’s sort of a magician comedian, but his magic is pretty good…it was hard to figure out how he did some of those tricks!  

The Celebrity Singers and Dancers:   Of course these shows are usually good.   The first night we saw them perform “Star Factory” and I enjoyed that show. It is one we saw in March and I think once before that.   The second show was “Broken Strings” and we did not watch that as we have already seen it on three ships now and didn’t care to see it again…I was not impressed with it either of the previous times.

The Rescue:   And this leads us to the “Exciting!” part…the rescue!   Yes, that’s right, we rescued six men in a tiny boat stranded in the ocean with no signs of land anywhere around.   It started around 7:30 p.m. when we were in the buffet.   A lady comes running passed us to tell a buffet worker that there was a small boat in the water waving white flags.   He calls the Bridge and they had already seen the boat and were in the process of turning around.   We watched them as the ship took about 30 minutes to get turned around.   We went down to the lifeboat deck along with hundreds of other passengers after the Captain made an announcement about it.  

By this time it was dark, but we could see the boat and men once the ship was as close as it could get to them.   They rowed over to the open door and the crew helped them inside as everyone cheered for them!   I was very happy that they had been rescued, but I was a little apprehensive at the same time because we had no idea if they were pirates, if they had guns, drugs, or what in that little boat.   Nevertheless, I was glad for them and praying for them during the whole thing.   It has to be scary out in the middle of nowhere in the ocean, with no land anywhere in sight, waiting to be rescued.   We learned that they were Cuban refugees and I can’t imagine how bad it must be to set sail in that little boat and head for the United States, risking your own life for the freedoms that we take for granted every day; we should all be more thankful.   The Captain and crew saved their lives that night; however, I’m afraid they were probably sent back to Cuba.   The Captain made an announcement later that they had been given “fresh clothes, showers, beds, and food, and the Coast Guard was on the way to pick them up.”   I pray that those men will be okay.   It was exciting to watch, chilling, and grateful all at the same time.   We have seen the Coast Guard air lift someone off a ship with a medical emergency and they are amazing, but this was something that was extraordinary to watch.

Now for the “Too Short” part.   Seven days is not long enough.   It just isn’t…we have gotten used to sailing on 10 and 11 day cruises for the last several years, and seven days is too short.   Still, we had to leave, they made us, we tried to stay on, but they just wouldn’t let us, so to quote Angela, “it’s not goodbye, it’s ciao for now!”   We are booked on the Silhouette in November, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us!   It will be our third time on the Silhouette and I love that ship.   I would love it more if Angela and her team are there!

Debarkation:   Debarkation was as easy as embarkation.   We got off around 8:30 and found our luggage right away.   We made our way pretty quickly to a Customs Agent who looked at our passports, asked if we enjoyed the cruise, and we were on our way to the airport.

Miscellaneous Stuff :   One event for the concierge class cabin passengers, and I assume for anything above concierge class, that we actually went to was the Welcome Aboard on the Helipad.   That was very nice and I met Benjamin from our Facebook roll call.   We didn’t go to any other Elite or Concierge Cabin Class events.

Some little tips that may help someone else, maybe even a first time cruiser:  

1. I take some magnetic hooks and clips to hold our itinerary, and all those invitations and important papers you don’t want to lose.   The walls are magnetic and it is a huge help to get them off the desk/vanity and you don’t throw away something important.   I use the heavy duty hooks that hold a lot of weight on the walls for hanging things like my husband’s pants, pool bag, etc.   The walls are not as magnetic as the door and the framing around the bathroom door, but they can hold quite a bit.   A word of caution, though, the magnets are hard to get apart if stuck together and you can get pinched so be careful when trying to get them apart and don’t let any skin get between them.

2. Don’t forget about the kid’s menu on your X app.   There may be something there you might want for dinner… a grilled cheese sandwich maybe?

3. Try new dishes, do as much as you want or do nothing – it’s your cruise and you make it what you want.  

4. Go with a great attitude and chill out, loosen up and have fun…make a fool of yourself, you will never see these people again!

Ciao for now!

The Other Guys

The Others Guys 2

Aerialists 2

Celebrity Dancers

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Thank you for taking the time to write such an informative review.

Totally agree with you 7 nights just isn’t long enough!

On the same cruise,  it was a great cruise overall, wonderful staff and very good food.   Negatives:  Hot cabin and bad internet, downloading a two page document took 17 minutes.   The cruise was FAR too Short!  Complete agreement!  

Thanks you for taking the time to write such an informative review.

Much appreciated.  I will be sailing this Saturday on Infinity!

Thank You for your review. We were thinking of doing the golf carts on Bimini, but heard they get stolen. Apparently you had a great experience.

PaperSniper4

Great review - thanks for posting that along with all those great photos. I have our cabin's AC works better than yours!

We're going to be on this same ship and itinerary in a few weeks and we're considering renting a golf cart like we did in Bonaire. Can the OP give any more detailed info on the carts?

33 minutes ago, cruzfiend said: Thank You for your review. We were thinking of doing the golf carts on Bimini, but heard they get stolen. Apparently you had a great experience.  

Oh, wow, I hadn't heard anything about them getting stolen!  We rented one while we were there in February.  We did however always take the key out of the ignition whenever we stopped and parked - just as you would with your car, you don't leave your key behind.  Plus the island is super teensy, if someone stole one of these, I can't imagine they'd be able to go very far!  Lol!   We will be in Bimini again next month and plan on renting a golf cart again and heading straight to Radio Beach - outstanding local BBQ there and a stunning beach with great views of the ship docked in the distance.  

Cajuntraveler

Thank you, so much, for the review!  We will be on the Infinity next week and I'm more excited about the cruise after reading your review.

TickledBlue

Thanks for the great review.  We'll be on Infinity in 4 weeks with the same itinerary as you.  Do you remember how much it was to rent the golf cart?

What an absolutely wonderful review. So thorough and descriptive with lovely pictures. Thanks for taking all the time it must have taken to write it.

kywildcatfanone

Thanks for your review.  Ugh, I was hoping the A/C issues were resolved.  I would be banging the captain's door down if I had what you experienced.  We board in a couple of weeks, and I'm going to be extremely upset if I have a warm cabin.  I sure hope not as I'm looking forward to the cruise.

1 hour ago, TickledBlue said: Thanks for the great review.  We'll be on Infinity in 4 weeks with the same itinerary as you.  Do you remember how much it was to rent the golf cart?

We rented a golf course in Bimini at same place as the original poster, in February - and we paid $60 - cash - they only accept cash.  US dollars.  

14 hours ago, Terre said: 4. Go with a great attitude and chill out, loosen up and have fun…make a fool of yourself, you will never see these people again!  

I love this bit of your advice!  That definitely pertains to me at the Silent Disco!

Thank you for this great review, you're a terrific writer!

Great review!  Thanks.

PS-- I certainly agree. . . . 7 days in not long enough.  You get on the ship. . . . get your mojo going. . . and in a flash it is time to pack and head home.  Glad you had a wonderful time.

4 hours ago, Cajuntraveler said: Thank you, so much, for the review!  We will be on the Infinity next week and I'm more excited about the cruise after reading your review.

We’ll be there with you.

3 hours ago, lexmiller said: We rented a golf course in Bimini at same place as the original poster, in February - and we paid $60 - cash - they only accept cash.  US dollars.  

2 minutes ago, Terre said: $90

Now that's inflation.

4 hours ago, kywildcatfanone said: Thanks for your review.  Ugh, I was hoping the A/C issues were resolved.  I would be banging the captain's door down if I had what you experienced.  We board in a couple of weeks, and I'm going to be extremely upset if I have a warm cabin.  I sure hope not as I'm looking forward to the cruise.

We have found it to be that way on every ship.  Seems they started doing this back in the '90s.  If I hadn't requested the fan, we would never have slept.

5 hours ago, TickledBlue said: Thanks for the great review.  We'll be on Infinity in 4 weeks with the same itinerary as you.  Do you remember how much it was to rent the golf cart?

6 hours ago, PaperSniper4 said: Great review - thanks for posting that along with all those great photos. I have our cabin's AC works better than yours!   We're going to be on this same ship and itinerary in a few weeks and we're considering renting a golf cart like we did in Bonaire. Can the OP give any more detailed info on the carts?    Doug

We got it at Fisherman's Village.  It was $90 and took us all over the island.  Bimini is small, not like Bonaire so you don't need a map.  They drive on the left.

Just now, Terre said: We got it at Fisherman's Village.  It was $90 and took us all over the island.  Bimini is small, not like Bonaire so you don't need a map.  They drive on the left.

Do you remember if the magician was named Nick? I can't remember his last name. We saw Nick on a cruise several years ago and I'd love to see him again. 

2 minutes ago, patty1955 said: Do you remember if the magician was named Nick? I can't remember his last name. We saw Nick on a cruise several years ago and I'd love to see him again. 

Wow, maybe...I honestly don't remember.  He had a lisp.

7 hours ago, emdmistycc said: Thanks you for taking the time to write such an informative review. Much appreciated.  I will be sailing this Saturday on Infinity!   elaine

I'm sure you will love it.  I hope the same entertainers are on it.  They are all great!

59 minutes ago, Terre said: Wow, maybe...I honestly don't remember.  He had a lisp.

Thanks. Great review.

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Celebrity Infinity

Former name: gts infinity.

Cruise line Celebrity Cruises

• Piraeus-Athens (Greece)
• Barcelona (Spain)

Celebrity Infinity current position

Celebrity Infinity current location is at Aegean Sea (coordinates 40.31040 N / 22.85976 E) cruising at speed of 16.2 kn (30 km/h | 19 mph) en route to Thessaloniki. The AIS position was reported 52 seconds ago.

Current itinerary of Celebrity Infinity

Celebrity Infinity current cruise is 10 days, round-trip Greece Turkey . Prices start from USD 1495 (double occupancy rates). The itinerary starts on 06 May, 2024 and ends on 16 May, 2024 .

Specifications of Celebrity Infinity

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

Celebrity Infinity Itineraries

Celebrity infinity review, review of celebrity infinity.

The 2001-built Celebrity Infinity cruise ship is the second of the Millennium-class Celebrity liners, with sisterships Constellation , Millennium , Summit . Celebrity Cruises Infinity ship underwent a "Celebrity Revolution" drydock refurbishment  in February-March 2021.

The vessel (IMO number 9189421) is currently Malta- flagged (MMSI 249048000) and registered in Valletta .

History - construction and ownership

Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1988 as the Greece-based Chandris Line (cruise shipping operations between 1974-1996). In 1997, Royal Caribbean International (RCI) merged with "Celebrity Cruises Ltd" to become "Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd" (RCCL). The "X" on ship funnels is the Greek letter chi (standing for "Chandris").

Common features of Celebrity Cruises ships include aft located glass-walled dining rooms, signature alternate dining venues, bars and lounges, spacious Atrium lobby areas, a large number of balcony staterooms, large sundecks with swimming pools, The Retreat (adults-only sundeck with full-size swimming pool, Jacuzzi, cabanas, poolside full bar service). Rooftop Terrace (top-deck outdoor lounge-restaurant-cinema), large Spa (with Thermal Suites), premium retail shops selling top-brand merchandise.

The 2200-passenger ship Celebrity Infinity started with novelty special features like a 2-story Library, a retro ocean liner-themed restaurant and a lovely bank of all-glass sea view elevators. Amenities and new tech things like grass cover and solar power, as well as the company's basic dedication to art, natural woods, and sleek Scandinavian styling, make Celebrity Infinity stunningly elegant. Celebrity Cruises considered that a significant problem with Infinity was a recurring pod propulsion issue on the Millennium-class vessels that led to a number of canceled and shortened cruises. In 2010, Celebrity's parent company RCCL settled a longstanding lawsuit with Rolls-Royce, one of the creators of the faulty pod system, for USD 65 million. An RCCL press statement from the time noted that the two companies have been "clever in improving the reliability of the design".

Decks and Cabins

Celebrity Infinity staterooms (1085 total, in 28 grades) include 50x Suites, 573x Balconies, 244x Oceanviews, 212x Inside cabins. Most staterooms are sized 170 ft2 / 16 m2. Around 60% of all passenger accommodations have a private step-out balcony. Most cabin balconies are sized 40 ft2 / 4 m2. Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 26. The largest are the Penthouse Suites (1430 ft2 / 133 m2 with wraparound terrace sized 1100 ft2 / 102 m2).

During drydock refurbishment 2024 was introduced the new cabin category "Sunset Suite" (with aft-facing terraces) replacing the "Family Balcony" category. These staterooms offer unobstructed stern views from their extra-large balconies. The new category provides as complimentary amenities The Retreat services (by dedicated Butlers), exclusive dining (at Luminae) and unlimited access to The Retreat Lounge (Deck 4 midship).

The boat has 12 passenger decks , of which 7 are with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Trellis Restaurant is Celebrity Infinity's main dining room. It offers formal breakfast, brunch on one of the sea days, lunch on select days, and dinner. The highlight of the 2-tiered restaurant is its huge, paned showcase window, extending from floor to ceiling. The Oceanview Cafe is the Lido-buffet restaurant, situated aft on the pool deck. Tea, coffee, and juices are available 24 hours a day. Food is served from 6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Set up in one long U, the buffet also has three stations that are hidden away at the back, and are easy to miss: these sections feature different from the regular buffet offerings. The Pool Grille is forward of the buffet and offers veggie burgers, hamburgers and hot dogs from 12-noon to 6 pm.

Follows the complete list of Celebrity Infinity restaurants and food bars.

• Tuscan Grille (130-seat specialty steakhouse restaurant which during 2015 refurbishment replaced the SS United States (reservations-only, at a surcharge; dinner-only - 6-10 pm, with Mediterranean cuisine). The Tuscan Grille steakhouse offers fresh (on the ship made) pasta, Italian cocktail menu, Italian wines list, premium meats (including oven-roasted USDA dry-aged steak).
• Trellis Restaurant (1,150-seat aft Dining Room, with open seating Breakfast 8-9:30 am, Lunch 12-1:30 pm, Afternoon Tea 4-5 pm, and two fixed Dinner seatings - at 6 and 8:30 pm)
• Bistro on Five (60-seat creperie all-you-can-eat restaurant; offers lunch and dinner with table-side service)
• Blu (98-seat AquaClass passengers only restaurant, reservations required; also serves Suite guests upon availability)
• AquaSpa Cafe (116-seat complimentary Solarium and Spa bar, self-service; offers healthy food choices for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
• Oceanview Cafe & Grill (650-seat indoor/outdoor self-service buffet restaurant, complimentary; open between 6:30 am - 1 am for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, with a variety of food stations)
• Luminae at The Retreat (suites-only restaurant)
• Mast Bar (alfresco burger bar, poolside; offers complimentary lunch)
• Qsine (86-seat, dinner-only specialty restaurant; reservations recommended)

During drydock 2015, on Deck 12 was added the Rooftop Terrace - a multi-functional venue with modular furniture and cabanas. It is operated as an outdoor bar lounge during the day. By night, Rooftop Terrace is transformed by decorative lighting, and on its large LED screen are showcased movies and other entertainment. The unique open-air experience is combined with food options available for purchasing. Signature dishes are presented in unique serving vessels themed after the cruise itinerary destination or the special occasion.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Celebrity Infinity guests tend to be well-traveled adults in the 45 to 65 age range. The Celebrity adventure is ideal for the "baby boom" generation. Most of the customers are North American, with Britain and other European nations included. The modern Infinity Theater is where most of the entertainment action takes place onboard Celebrity Constellation. The banquet-style seats are quite comfortable for the hour-long programs. The 2-tiered theater is 3 decks high and hosts Vegas-style productions, focusing on pop and Broadway hits. Other evening headliners include musical acts, veteran singers, stand-up comedians. Evening entertainment elsewhere onboard emphasizes on music. Bands in the Rendezvous Lounge perform the '40s and '50s jazz standards, pop songs, and other danceable classic hits. The Reflections venue serves as an observation lounge and a quiet place for craft and dance classes by day.

Follows the complete list of Celebrity Infinity lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Infinity Theatre (900-seat show lounge for grand musical and show productions; hosts daily trivia games, bingo, classes, movies)
• Infinity Atrium “Grand Foyer” (3-deck open floor area with live music entertainment)
• Cinema (also used as Conference Center)
• Martini Bar; Crush Bar (with a 12-seat table filled with ice cubes in the middle)
• Photo Gallery & Shop
• Infinity Fortunes Casino
• Celebrity iLounge (24-hour Internet cafe/computers room; sells Apple computers; classes available)
• Rendez-Vous Lounge & Nightclub
• The Emporium shopping alley (Atrium boutique shops for duty-free alcohol and tobaccos, watches, luxury jewelry, accessories, fashion clothing, logo items)
• Cafe Al Bacio & Gelateria (72-seat a la carte specialty coffee, patisserie, ice cream; with the Gelateria - Italian Gelato ice cream bar)
• Cellar Masters (24-hour Wine Bar; features an Enomatic wine tasting system; provides Sommelier consultations in the evenings)
• Art Gallery; Library
• AquaSpa & Fitness complex with Persian Garden (Thermal Suite - rain shower, steam room, sauna, heated loungers), Therapy and Treatment Rooms, Hair & Beauty Salon, Solarium (adults area) and Aquaspa Cafe (spa bar)
• Fitness Center (with separate Aerobics area)
• Solarium Pool area (with adults-only Thalassotherapy Pool and seawater lap pool; 2 Whirlpools)
• Breezes Pool (with Splash Pool for kids and 4 Whirlpools, outdoor pool bar, served by the Pool Grill)
• Sunset Bar (120-seat, alfresco bar, selling fine cigars)
• Infinity Lounge (observation lounge during the day, show lounge & dance club in the evening)
• Kids clubs by age (Fun Factory 3-11 yo, Shipmates 3-5 yo, Cadets 6-8 yo, Ensigns 9-11 yo, with supervised age-appropriate activities, like arts-crafts, themed parties, games, movies, toys, interactive games, scavenger hunts)
• X-Club (teen-only disco and lounge area); Video Games Arcade
• Tennis Tables, Shuffleboard; Power Walking/Jogging Track; Multi-sports outdoor court; Sun Deck area.

In 2023, Celebrity introduced pickleball playing (at the sports courts) fleetwide. The sports facilities are complimentary, including the pickleball equipment (net, paddles, balls) but operated with separate scheduled playing times for adults and families (with kids older than 6).

Pickleball Court's locations vary by ship class - on EDGE ships is at the Rooftop Garden (Deck 15), on SOLSTICE ships is on the Sports Deck (Deck 15), on MILLENNIUM ships - at the Multi-Sports Court (Deck 12).

During drydock refurbishment 2024, Michael’s Club (piano bar on Deck 4) was transformed into The Retreat Lounge (suite-only venue), while Luminae at The Retreat (suite guests-exclusive restaurant) was expanded.

Itineraries

Celebrity Infinity itinerary program is based on Antarctic cruises in South America, Alaska roundtrip deals from Vancouver BC , and some Caribbean sailings with departures from Fort Lauderdale/Port Everglades Florida .

Due to the Coronavirus crisis, the Celebrity ship Infinity was paused for 2+ years (March 2020 thru June 2022). Operations were scheduled to restart on June 25, 2022 (Caribbean itineraries from homeport Fort Lauderdale), followed by a South America winter season (2022-2023, with homeporting in Buenos Aires Argentina and Valparaiso Chile ) and a European program (2023) with deployment in the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean program (2023 thru 2025) was largely based on homeporting in Barcelona (Spain) and Piraeus-Athens (Greece) . The Med itineraries (6- to 12 days in length) included exotic call ports in Morocco (Tangier, Casablanca/Marrakesh), Spain's Canary Islands (Arrecife/Lanzarote, Las Palmas/Gran Canaria, Santa Cruz/Tenerife), Holy Land voyages (visiting Ashdod Israel and Alexandria Egypt), as well as popular destinations in Turkey (Istanbul, Kusadasi/Ephesus) and Greece (Santorini Island, Mykonos Island, Rhodes Island, Hydra Island, Volos/Meteora, Thessaloniki, Kavala).

Celebrity Infinity - user reviews and comments

Photos of celebrity infinity.

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Other Celebrity Cruises cruise ships

• Celebrity Apex
• Celebrity Ascent
• Celebrity Beyond
• Celebrity Constellation
• Celebrity Eclipse
• Celebrity Edge
• Celebrity Equinox
• Celebrity Flora
• Celebrity Millennium
• Celebrity Reflection
• Celebrity Silhouette
• Celebrity Solstice
• Celebrity Summit
• Celebrity Xcel
• Celebrity Xpedition
• Celebrity Xploration

Celebrity Infinity Wiki

Celebrity Cruises Infinity ship is from the company's Millennium-class liners, with sisterships Constellation , Millennium , Summit . Infinity (the second in this class) started operations with the Maiden Voyage on March 3, 2001, and was initially named "GTS Infinity".

The Infinity ship was for the first time drydock refurbished in 2007. The added new amenities included Oceanview Cafe, Bistro on Five, Cafe al Bacio, Cellar Masters (wine restaurant). The decoration and all the carpets were changed with trendy ones. Infinity's second renovation (November 2011) was in Freeport Bahamas . New "Solsticized" amenities included iLounge (computer lab), new restaurants (Qsine, Blu, Bistro on Five/creperie), new cabin balconies.

Celebrity Infinity refurbishments review (2024-2021-2015-2011)

The vessel's last drydock was in 2024 January. The drydocking included the renovation of all interior spaces and staterooms. Some venues and cabins were redesigned and renamed/recategorized.

• Michael’s Club (deck 14) was transformed into The Retreat Lounge (suite-only venue).
• Luminae at The Retreat (suite guests-exclusive restaurant) was expanded.
• The new cabin category "Sunset Suite" (aft-facing) was introduced. These cabins offer scenic unobstructed stern views from their extra-large balconies. The new category provides as complimentary amenities The Retreat services (including Butler), exclusive dining at Luminae, and unlimited access to The Retreat Lounge.

The vessel's drydock in 2021 February was at Navantia Shipyard ( Cadiz Spain ). The 16-day drydocking involved mainly general maintenance and technical works - new valves, new propellers and stabilizers, new sliders and sonars (echo sounders), hull and superstructure cleaning-repainting (excluding decks with passenger facilities-cabins), propulsion system revision, lifeboats inspection.

The list of deck plan changes after the ship's 2015 drydock refurbishment (October 15 to 29 in Freeport Bahamas ) includes:

• On Sports deck 12 a new relaxation and entertainment area was added (aft location) named Rooftop Terrace (taking some space from the sundeck area at the stern). Rooftop Terrace is a multi-functional venue with modular furniture and cabanas. It is operated as an outdoor bar lounge during the day. By night, Rooftop Terrace is transformed by decorative lighting, and on its large LED screen are showcased movies and other entertainment. The unique open-air experience is combined with food options available for purchasing. Signature dishes are presented in unique serving vessels themed after the cruise itinerary destination or the special occasion.
• On Plaza deck 3, the "SS United States" restaurant was replaced by "Tuscan Grille" (steakhouse). The Tuscan Grille restaurant offers fresh (on the ship made) pasta, Italian cocktail menu, Italian wines list, premium meats (including oven-roasted USDA dry-aged steak). Also on Plaza deck 3 a new office for "Future Cruise Sales" was built (separate from the Captain's Club) and a new portrait studio was added. The Cinema was redesigned to function also as Conference Center.
• On deck 5 a new retail store was added. On deck 11 was added the Qsine restaurant. Renovations were done to the Casino (on Promenaded deck 4) and to the adults-only complex Solarium (on Lido deck 10). Both areas received new furniture and flooring. Also on the Lido deck, the pool area and the AquaSpa Cafe were renovated. In the Casino, the theme decoration was removed.
• Major renovations were done to all Suite accommodations categories Royal Suites and Penthouse Suites, including new furniture and amenities upgrades. Among the changes are the upgraded bathrooms (marble surfaces, comfortable seats, new lighting system), new carpeting, new drapes, new bed linens.

The 2015-2016 Celebrity Cruises refurbishment project also included the sistership Celebrity Summit (scheduled drydock in February-March 2016) and cost the company a total of USD 16 million.

The list of deck plan changes after the November 2011 drydock refurbishment included:

• 60 new passenger cabins were added.
• 107 balcony rooms were upgraded to AquaClass category Spa cabins.
• The balconies of all Sky Suites (mini-suites) were updated and refurbished.
• Celebrity iLounge (Apple Computers reseller, Internet place, enrichment classes)
• Bistro on Five (creperie) was added on deck 5. In 2016 was renamed to "Sushi on Five".
• On Promenade Deck 4 (midship starboard, in the Grand Foyer area) were added two new bars - Martini Bar and Crush Bar.
• Michael's Club menu was upgraded with 60+ craft beers.
• The Wi-Fi was upgraded to shipwide coverage.
• On Lido Deck 10, the pool deck's sunbathing area was refurbished with new sun loungers. New gym equipment was installed in the fitness.

Major renovations were done to all passenger cabins and public areas (flat TVs, carpeting, tiling, furniture, upholstery, etc).

Celebrity Infinity – Balcony Cabins – Real Opinions and Review

I have recently sailed onboard the Celebrity Infinity around the Greek Islands.

Celebrity Infinity is a relatively old ship, but the cruise fares to sail onboard her are far cheaper than on the more modern Celebrity “Edge” class ships.

As I had sailed on Celebrity Edge the year before, I wondered if I would find Celebrity Infinity a disappointment – but we had a wonderful cruise, and I enjoyed my time on her.

I booked a last-minute, relatively cheap deal to see what I thought of the ship.

She Is A “Millenium” Class Ship

Celebrity Infinity is one of Celebrity’s Millennium Class ships. She has three sister ships:

• Celebrity Constellation
• Celebrity Summit
• Celebrity Millennium

Millennium-class are the smallest and oldest Celebrity ships, holding just over two thousand passengers each. These ships were built between 2000 and 2002.

I cruised on Celebrity’s newer ship, Celebrity Edge in 2023. She has a far more modern design and layout.

Find out what I thought of Celebrity Edge here:

Balcony Cabin Number 6060

My parents were in balcony cabin number 6060, and this review is based on their opinions of the cabin.

All Balcony cabins on Celebrity Infinity have:

• A double bed that can be made into two twins
• A chair/sofa
• A desk area and a chair.
• Mini Fridge
• Bedside table
• Sliding door to balcony with two chairs and a small table

Tea and Coffee making facilities are not provided as standard, but you can ask for them

Cabin Design

The cabin design, and the ship in general, was certainly dated, with lots of brown/wood effect panelling.

There were large mirrors on the wall at the end of the bed, which helped to make the cabin seem more spacious.

Everything worked as it should and wasn’t damaged or worn.

You could definitely tell that this was a ship from the year 2000 though.

Some of the public areas had been refurbished, and new carpets (or bits of new carpet added in) were in evidence on the stairs and some corridors. The cabins seem to have changed very little from the original 2000 design.

This cabin had a Pullman bed that could be pulled down from the ceiling, and a sofa bed – so this cabin could sleep up to four passengers if necessary.

The room was very light and bright though – probably due to the clever use of mirrors. With that much wood used, it could have been far darker.

The Balcony

This cabin was of a very standard layout, with sliding doors leading out to the balcony.

The cabin size was unremarkable – not particularly large or small.

There were two chairs and a small table out on the balcony.

The cabin was quite centrally located – slightly more towards the front – and offered good views.

You could see the lifeboats hanging below the cabin when you looked down, but that didn’t affect the views out at all.

When I sailed on Celebrity’s far newer ship Celebrity Edge I booked a controversial “Infinite Veranda” Cabin.

Instead of having traditional balcony doors out to your private balcony, they have a large window that you can slide down, supposedly turning your whole room into a veranda.

There are some disadvantages to this – the air conditioning switches off and the room can become very hot when the window is open.

Also, the Captain can disable all the windows remotely – so you might not be able to open the “Infinite Veranda” at all.

Find out more about that here:

The Bathroom 

The bathroom was identical to that found in other cabin categories.

It had everything you would need, including a nightlight. There was a shower curtain rather than a shower screen, which is often the way on older ships.

It was clean and functional, if not of the most modern design.

My parents didn’t get robes and slippers in their cabin – but interestingly my brother who had a cheaper, lower-category ocean view cabin did.

The Location

Their cabin was surrounded by other cabins – there are no public areas on Deck 6

They sometimes heard people walking down the corridors outside   the room or in the adjoining cabins, but it wasn’t loud enough to disturb them.

It was a comfortable, functional room – if a bit bland and unremarkable.

The huge advantage of a ship of this size is you never have to climb too many stairs.

It was four decks up to the buffet for breakfast in the mornings. The buffet is at the back of the pool deck which is on deck ten.

The main dining room, theatre and cafe were on decks four and five.

What They Liked About The Ocean View Cabin 2065

• Great ocean views
• The cabin was comfortable
• Lots of storage space
• We only got one each – but my brother who was staying in a cabin on his own was left four a night – so clearly his cabin steward liked him!

Find out about my brother’s Ocean View cabin on the same ship here:

Celebrity Infinity Ocean View Cabins – Real Opinions and Review

What They Didn’t Like About The Ocean View Cabin 2065

• Many modern ships have lots of TV and Movies you can watch on demand.
• No sockets by the bed, only by the desk
• Clingy Shower curtain

Would They Choose This Cabin Again?

Yes. This cabin had everything they needed, it was a very standard balcony cabin.

They could sometimes hear people walking past the cabin, or in the cabins around them, but it wasn’t an issue.

To find out more about noise you might hear in your cruise ship cabin, read this article next:

Are Cruise Ship Cabins Soundproof? (Thin Walls, Balconies and Travelling Sound)

Tea and Coffee making facilities weren’t provided on Celebrity Infinity – this is typical of American cruise lines.

Celebrity will provide a kettle and tea and coffee-making facilities if you ask the room steward.

Before You Go

Find out about the ten things you should know before sailing with Celebrity in the article below:

10 things you should know before cruising with Celebrity

Find out where to find the delicious Celebrity cookies here:

Which Cruise Lines Have The Best Cookies? (11 Cruise Lines Compared!)

Free Insiders Cruise Line Guide

Ever wondered how the mainstream cruise lines compare? Cruise lines won’t tell you this, but I will.

This FREE guide shows you everything you need to know to find your perfect cruise line.

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Cultured Individual

September 25, 2023, cruise ship review: celebrity infinity.

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The Celebrity Theatre

The Theatre is the premier live performance venue aboard Celebrity Infinity. While accommodating a generous audience, it retains a comfortable, intimate atmosphere, bringing you production shows, beautiful musical arrangements, and sidesplitting comedy.

Grand Foyer

Our stunning foyer greets you with a spectacular onyx staircase, marble floors and the first panoramic ocean-view glass elevators at sea.

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This multi-functional space serves as a spacious ballroom or conference area for business meetings, and cocktail parties.

With Lady Luck by your side, spin the roulette wheel or play the slot machines in our tastefully decorated casino.

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While the piano music softly plays, dinner companions enjoy world-class dining and the spectacular views from their table. The award-winning cuisine is always prepared from scratch with fresh ingredients.

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The Cosmopolitan Restaurant offers exquisite menu selections, which change nightly to give you a variety of classic and contemporary choices.

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Inside My Week-Long Bar Crawl Aboard the World’s Biggest Cruise Ship

All said, i had at least one drink from 16 of the 18 bars across icon of the seas. and lived to tell the tale..

When I think about cruises, I think about booze.

To me, cruise ships are about abundance: a grand, floating lesson in what it means to try to meet the demands, desires, and needs of every passenger on board. As someone who has been following the years-long story of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s biggest cruise ship, I knew that this ship was the most extreme attempt at this yet. I was acutely aware of how all eight “neighborhoods,” or themed areas of the ship, were engineered to offer something for every kind of traveler and cater to just about everyone’s idea of the perfect vacation. And cocktails, which appear in just about every corner of a cruise ship, are a stirrable representation of that nearly-impossible promise.

The FOMO began to hit me as I approached the ship on a shuttle bus from the airport. Every gap between the buildings and parking garages of PortMiami revealed a new sliver of the ship—a tangle of waterslides on the top deck, a gleaming wall of glass balconies, the infamous “ human lasagna ” cross-section view of the aft. It was like a skyscraper, laid down sideways to float on the water. If you stood her up, she’d come in just a little more than 50 feet shy of the Empire State Building.

Was I ready to go down all six waterslides, soak in all seven pools, and tackle the many other shows, attractions, and forms of entertainment on offer? Absolutely not. At most, I was about 50% prepared to take on the world’s largest floating family vacation machine.

I was, however, very confident in my ability to sip my way through Icon’s dizzying array of drinking establishments, including 10 entirely new bar concepts exclusive to the ship. And when all was said and done, I’d had at least one beverage from a whopping 16 of the 18 bars across the ship.

Sure, the ship may be billed as the “ultimate vacation,” but for me, it was the ultimate bar crawl. Then again, maybe those are one in the same.

DAY ONE: slowing to a crawl

Despite finding myself in the open-air, tropical-themed parade of the Chill Island neighborhood on Deck 15 of the ship, my chill had yet to reappear. I couldn’t shake the feeling that’d been growing since the bus ride to the ship. It felt like standing atop an anthill, with thousands of people—enough to fill a small town—pouring through the highly engineered maze of corridors and spaces of the decks above and below me. The race was on to figure out where to go and what to do for the rest of the evening, but for the sake of my sanity, I decided all of that could wait. It was time to get a drink in my hand.

Thus, my bar crawl began.

To be clear: Bar crawl, not booze cruise. The term “booze cruise” feels redundant to me, as someone whose entire sailing experience usually revolves around when and where to drink. It also turns out that the term’s original meaning doesn’t quite make sense here. While I’d always assumed it had some sort of connection with drinking (booze) and maritime adventures (cruising), it’s actually a bit of British slang. The Brits would flock to nearby countries to take advantage of lower prices and taxes for alcohol and other vices, hauling bulk wine home via booze cruises.

Yeah, it’s fun to say, but “bar crawl” is more fitting.

Speaking of which, when you inevitably end up on the upper decks after setting out to explore Icon of the Seas for the first time, The Lime and the Coconut bar is there waiting for you. It’s the ultimate island bar with its Caribbean-themed decor, large menu of tropical-themed cocktails displayed on driftwood planks arranged on the wall, and proximity to the biggest pools and hottest whirlpools. Moreover, the bar’s highlighter-orange high-top chairs are a great vantage point for afternoon people-watching, just as daytime transitions to nightlife.

After taking my seat, I ordered a Watermelon ‘Rita of astonishing sweetness. I associate margaritas with a high ABV, so it felt like a safe bet to get the cruise bar-crawl party started compared to other tropical-style drinks on the menu like the Planter’s Punch (rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, grenadine) or the Lime & Coconut (Malibu, coconut milk, coconut syrup, guava syrup, lime juice). While it only got me about halfway to the let-loose buzz I was looking for, it was pleasant to sip as a steel drum band played a beach-themed soundtrack, and as I watched people already simmering in a nearby hot tub as if the Steamfresh bag of Miami air wasn’t enough for them.

Boom: I officially shifted into cruise mode. At last.

There’s a time and place for astonishingly sweet drinks and, naturally, that time is pretty much any moment you find yourself poolside on a cruise ship. There are a few reasons for this. First, the types of beverages people gravitate toward on vacation—like piña coladas, strawberry daiquiris, and frozen margaritas—are all sugary by design. They’ve also got to be visually pleasing enough to warrant a photo, so additional fruit juices and syrups are brought in for aesthetics. I suspect that there’s a cost-savings element as well since it’s probably cheaper when bartenders use more flavored syrups and less liquor.

“Most people, when they go on a cruise, they’re looking for some sort of escapism,” explains Naren Young, a mixologist and creative director at Sweet Liberty in Miami Beach who was recently aboard a Virgin Voyages cruise for an event at sea and did some guest shifts behind the bar. “Often that escapism means tropical drinks, whether it’s piña coladas, sex on the beaches—things that feel like they’re party drinks and they’re fun and they’re pretty with an umbrella in them. With that inherently comes a lot of sugar.”

The margarita went down fast, mostly because it wasn’t all that strong, and that meant plotting my next destination—namely, a bar at the very back of the ship in the adults-only neighborhood known as The Hideaway. The Hideaway’s got it all. Two ultra-wide whirlpools. A ton of seating scattered across multiple terrace-like levels. A shallow infinity pool that’s suspended high above the kid’s waterpark neighborhood, Surfside, seven decks down. Incredible views of much smaller cruise ships docked at the port with downtown Miami not too far off in the distance.

The best part, though, are the vibrant tropical drinks paired with bumping Miami Beach-like DJ vibes. Case in point: the bright-orange, mai tai-inspired Oh Mai Gawd, you know, because you have to order the drink that sounds like a Long Island accent. It comes with a pretty little orchid on top, which also makes you want to say “gawd” like you’re from Massapequa. In fact, almost every drink comes with some sort of floral or herbal garnish. The slightly sweet Bloom & Botanical that I ordered next arrived with a sprig of fresh mint that played nice with its mix of gin, elderflower liqueur, and blueberry.

My third destination, Rye & Bean, took me to the opposite end of the ship—all the way to the AquaDome, the Beluga melon-like glass structure that sits atop the ship’s bridge like a reflective helmet. Looking back, this was accidentally strategic for a couple of reasons: The long walk took me through additional areas of the ship and I found some much-needed snacks along the way, including grab-and-go chicken quesadillas from El Loco Fresh that reminded me of Taco Bell.

At the Rye & Bean, which offers both regular coffee drinks like lattes as well as coffee-based cocktails (hence, the name), the espresso martinis are on tap. Each is poured from a Ketel One-branded machine that unbeknownst to me has been around for a long time now. They hold about 30 espresso martinis and dispense each in about 20 seconds. If you’ve ever made this drink from scratch or watched a bartender do the same, you’ll very much appreciate this countertop engineering marvel. The speed was great, yes, but I particularly enjoyed the consistency from round to round, which frankly isn’t something you experience much on a cruise ship with hundreds of bartenders.

While outdoor bars like The Hideaway wow you with their views, Rye & Bean puts on a different kind of show. The sleek bar, with its earth tones and mid-century modern finishes, is just feet away from the AquaTheater, the high-tech performance venue that combines high diving, robotic arms, trapeze-like rope lifts, and a dizzying array of lights for the ship’s marquee aquatic shows.

In the short time I spent there, sipping one espresso martini after another, several members of the cast rehearsed a series of stunts scored by a jarring medley of snippets from major film soundtracks, including “The Imperial March” from Star Wars , the main theme from the Star Trek movies, the main theme from Pirates of the Caribbean , a cover of Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love” from Blue Hawaii , and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith and from Armageddon . The floor of the stage folds away to reveal a half moon-shaped diving pool. A woman in a red dress glided over the water via the lift ropes, dancing in the air.

The show definitely supercharged my buzz. I was finally feeling alive and ready for more. Then again, it could have just been the caffeine from the espresso martinis talking.

DAY TWO: Embracing cheesy cruise culture

After a thrilling morning at the waterpark, it only made sense to keep my bathing suit on and take a beverage break at Swim & Tonic, Royal Caribbean’s first-ever swim-up bar on a ship and winner of the award for cheesiest name of all time.

I first heard about Royal Caribbean’s plans for Swim & Tonic in October 2022, when I visited the company’s Miami headquarters for a virtual reality-powered preview of Icon. Myself, along with a few other reporters, donned 3D glasses and clunky padded footwear before stepping in a closet-sized “cave” of a room covered with displays from floor to ceiling, which together with highly detailed renderings, simulated a walking tour of the ship. When we arrived at Swim & Tonic, and the name sunk in, the whole thing was briefly derailed by a chorus of groans. The Royal Caribbean reps looked so pleased with themselves. It was exactly the reaction they were looking for.

After all, cruise culture is built on cheesy names. Look no further than what these companies decide to name their ships. The Carnival Glory? The Disney Wish? Ovation of the Seas? They’re silly, but memorable. And the further you submerge yourself in the cruise Kool-Aid while sailing, the more you begrudgingly enjoy them. You begin to speak the language of puns, sometimes out of pure necessity while navigating the ship.

And particularly in the case of Swim & Tonic, I’ll let it slide. I love gin and tonics, and the whole menu is a long list of fun takes on the drink. I opted for the bar’s signature spin on the classic, dubbed the Iconic G&T. On a scale of noticeably sweet to Astonishingly Sweet™, it was somewhere in the middle and perfectly refreshing while sitting half-submerged at a narrow table mid-pool, soaking up as much of the warm sunlight as I could between dark gray clouds.

The antidote to cruise cheese

The 1400 Lobby Bar has a magical draw to it. It’s hard not to wander into the crowd there while walking along the Royal Promenade. It’s the first place you see upon boarding the ship and the last thing you see before stepping onto the gangway to exit into the terminal, so it was clearly designed with powerful first impressions in mind.

The glassy emerald ceramic bar wall, the slick white stone bar top with built-in lamps every couple of feet, the tree of wooden slats that connects the bar to the ceiling, the bartenders dressed in white collar shirts under forest green aprons with leather accents and flat caps, the volume of the crowded room—they all come together for immaculate vintage vibes.

The 1400 Lobby Bar has a magical draw to it. It’s hard not to wander into the crowd there while walking along the Royal Promenade.

This is where Royal Caribbean PR and execs hosted a press conference and demo immersion—for me and the many other members of the media aboard this sailing—all about the beverage concepts created for Icon of the Seas. Ed Eiswirth, director of beverage operations at Royal Caribbean, led the talk and detailed some of the reasoning behind the elaborate bar concepts onboard and the beverages they serve. He was joined by noted mixologist Tony Abou Ganim, who was among the three experts they brought on to develop the more than 100 new cocktails—a third of which are non-alcoholic—for the ship as well as Alex Palmeri, the company’s manager of beverage operations.

“We will make the most kickass piña colada you’ve ever tasted, if that’s what the guest comes on wanting, but we wanted to change the way the world pictures drinking on cruise ships,” Eiswirth said. “We really wanted to take a lot of care into comparing the experiences on board with the same experiences guests have at home. If they want to go to a craft cocktail bar, they’ve got a craft cocktail bar. If they want to go relax and have light, refreshing drinks at a place they feel good bringing their kids to, we have Lemon Post. If they want to enjoy jazz with some classic New York and New Orleans cocktails—granted, with our spin on it—we have Lou’s.”

All that said, it’s actually a challenge to get people to step out of their sweet, tropical drink comfort zone to try new things when at sea, according to Eiswirth. This is especially true if they don’t buy the beverage package, which can cost up to $105 per person per day, and have to pay $10-$14 per drink, plus gratuity.

1400 has a flagship cocktail that’s basically made to get you Instagram likes called The Fourteen Hundred. While not a card-holding member of the Astonishingly Sweet™ drink club, it’s a sweet and citrusy tequila concoction that the bartenders pour into martini glasses and—for extra wow-factor and Instagram worthiness—use a temperamental bubble blaster gun to top it with a jiggly, shimmering bubble. As such, everyone calls it “the bubble drink.”

Whenever one is ordered, the tricky bubble-making process draws the attention of everyone nearby. At one point, there were 10 lined up on the bar in front of me, awaiting their bubble crowns, which was no easy feat for the bartender because, per my unscientific observations, the bubble guns produce sturdy, lasting bubbles only about two-thirds of the time. So several misfires in a row quickly left a haze in the air in their aftermath.

Are these drinks worth all the trouble? I wasn’t quite sure after having one myself. For one, it was too sweet for me (I blame the glittery “shimmer syrup” they add to it), and two, the bubbles popped before or during my attempt to clink in a cheers. If the bubble doesn’t pop on its own first, you have to burst it with your tongue, nose, or finger (there’s no good way), and a cloud of enchanting aromatized smoke engulfs your face. The whole spectacle lasts for only a few seconds, and when the smoke clears, you’re left with a basic tequila cocktail.

The process is fun to watch, though, especially when a crowd forms around the bar just to see the bubblepalooza unfold. Bottom line: It’s a helluva way to convert piña colada drinkers to craft-cocktail connoisseurs.

DAY THREE: A perfect day for… a piña colada

Perfect Day at Coco Cay. That’s the name of Royal Caribbean’s private island and the sole destination of this preview cruise (Icon now does seven-night, multi-stop tours of the eastern and western Caribbean). The tiny spec of land in The Bahamas is little more than a series of beaches surrounding a cluster of restaurants, bars, and an extensive waterpark that’s crowned with the tallest waterslide in North America.

A perfect day at Perfect Day at Coco Cay starts with Royal Caribbean’s infamous remake of “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers in which they replaced the word “lovely” with “perfect.” The cruise director blasts it over the tinny ship intercom after the morning’s general announcements:

Then I look at you And the world’s alright with me Just one look at you And I know it’s gonna be A perfect day (Perfect day, perfect day, perfect day, perfect day) (Perfect day, perfect day, perfect day, perfect day) A lovely day (Perfect day, perfect day, perfect day, perfect day) (Perfect day, perfect day, perfect day, perfect day)

New to the island as of this year is The Hideaway, an adults-only spot with exclusive amenities—much like the ship neighborhood of the same name. It features an acre-long stretch of private beach, a heated pool with an infinity edge and swim-up bar, several places to get food, and private cabanas with add-ons like private pools with in-water loungers and dedicated attendants, among other not-so-affordable amenities. (On top of the $39-$89 day pass to The Hideaway, the cabanas will set you back an extra $1,300 or more.)

You can walk up to the main bar of The Hideaway on one side, or swim up to it in the stunning, heated infinity pool on the other side. The menu has an island theme similar to that of The Lime and Coconut, with many rum drinks to choose from, but I was inspired by the change of scenery and ordered off-menu: a mojito, easy on the simple syrup.

It was strong (asking for less simple syrup really made it), ridiculously refreshing, and perfectly on-theme for a day on an island. It tasted even better in the pool. After all, there’s no better spot to drink than leaning against an infinity edge, shoulders-deep in the water, overlooking the stretch of beach between you and the ocean.

But after a couple rounds, I got the feeling that the bartender at the swim-up bar was getting tired of muddling so many mint leaves for me. So I did the unthinkable: I ordered a piña colada. The bartender poured the smooth, frozen concoction, then topped it with a rum floater for good measure. I’m not sure if that was because he pegged me as someone who would appreciate the extra booze or what, but I very much appreciated it.

And as if there wasn’t enough slopped liquor in the pool for one day, at one point Royal Caribbean execs showed up armed with champagne guns. Among them was Royal Caribbean International’s CEO, Michael Bayley, who I have to say, is a great champagne-gun shot. However, it was Linken D’Souza, the company’s Senior Vice President of Global Food & Beverage, who managed to get me with the bubbly stuff.

Afterward, I walked back to the ship humming that damn Bill Withers song. It just couldn’t be helped.

My search for a great Manhattan

Schooner Bar, the maritime-themed cocktail bar on Deck 6, filled up not too long after I arrived, freshly showered and dressed after Perfect Day, just as people returned to the ship ahead of our 5 pm departure. I had to squeeze up to the bar to put my order in, so I made it count: a double Manhattan with extra bitters. Then I watched as the bartender proceeded to mix the drink in a shaker, pour it into a martini glass, and top it with a dash of angostura bitters.

At home, I make my Manhattans big and strong (usually for two), with four ounces of rye, one ounce of sweet vermouth, one ounce of extra dry vermouth, and eight dashes of bitters. I stir it all together with ice in a chilled mixing glass, which I thought was pretty standard (I’d never heard of anyone making this drink in a shaker), and pour it into a chilled glass.

This Manhattan was indeed strong, but because the flavor was so off without the bitters, I found myself facing a fresh quest to complete before sailing home: find a truly good Manhattan. I mean, how hard could it be with a clearly formulated drink order and a bit of patience?

I took my second stab at it later that night at Trellis, an outdoor bar in Central Park. Its swanky nightlife feel gave me confidence in its Manhattan-making abilities, so I repeated the order I had placed earlier at Schooner. It didn’t work. The same thing happened—not enough bitters, and this time, the shaken Manhattan got a spritz from the soda gun before it was served.

I went to bed thinking about something the beverage operations manager, Alex Palmeri, said at the press conference earlier: “We worked so hard on getting all of these menus together and tasting all of these recipes and putting all of these beautiful menus together, but then it comes time for the training. How are we going to teach all of these new cocktails, all of these new recipes—a hundred-plus—on top of the existing cocktails that we have on our fleet right now to all of these lovely bartenders who work so hard on a daily basis? While we were in Cádiz, Spain, we did the equivalent of a two-week bar bootcamp. We did two three-hour sessions a day and went through all of these recipes. We made them for our team and the team made them back for us, and it kind of revalidated what we trained. We went through all of our cocktails so that we could really teach them and focus on consistency and practice.”

It reminded me that like with other aspects of this brand-new ship with dozens of brand-new food and drink concepts, they were still working out some of the kinks—even on seemingly the most routine things.

DAY FOUR: Adrenaline over alcohol

At some point in the middle of any proper bar crawl, you have to acknowledge the obvious: If you’re going to survive it, you’re going to have to lurch to a stop and spend some time putting adrenaline over alcohol. For me, Day Four of the cruise was the perfect moment for such an interlude.

At first, I thought about facing my fear of performing in front of others by tackling the FlowRider, the surf simulator on Deck 17, but I chickened out and opted for a more palatable fear: heights. I can deal with vertigo just fine. On the other hand, the idea of flopping around shirtless, like a salmon, in an attempt to surf while others watch crossed a line. So, I headed to a new attraction called Crown’s Edge.

The ride involves walking a plank-like series of small platforms until you’re off the side of the ship, dropping suddenly, then gliding 150 feet over the water below. But first, you have to climb into a neon jumpsuit and put on a helmet, sit through a long briefing session with a crew member, and get strapped into the harness that’s connected to the track above. That whole experience lasts for roughly 15 minutes, while the ride itself is only about 90 seconds.

In any event, off the plank I went. Every careful step I took moved me farther off the side of the ship until I was standing on a narrow platform directly over the murky waters of PortMiami. I don’t mind heights, so of course I looked down and all around me, taking in the pleasant city views—when the platform suddenly dropped from under my feet, lurching me down and along the zip-line track. The fall caught me by surprise and I remember making a gasp-like sound. You only have about a second to recover before you’re gliding over the water back to the starting position on the ship, and preparing to land on my feet there—as if I had parachuted down—gave me a rush.

Like a shot, the ride is over before you know it, but you climb back down to the deck and step out of the jumpsuit with a buzz. Especially if you ride it twice in a row (I did).

DAY FIVE: Finally, the perfect Manhattan

Going to a concert at the Music Hall venue on Decks 3 and 4 wasn’t on my bingo card, but it’s where I ended up reuniting with a friend who also happened to be aboard.

We chose this spot for two reasons: to see PHOENIX—not to be confused with the French indie rock band Phoenix—perform their stellar set of classic rock covers; and to see if I could, at last, get my hands on a solid Manhattan at the relatively less busy bar here.

It ended up being music to my mouth. Not only did the Music Hall bartender stir my Manhattan in a mixing glass instead of shaking it, he also nailed the rye-to-sweet vermouth ratio and added an appropriate amount of bitters. He didn’t add soda to the top, either. It tasted like victory. I walked away from the bar holding the glass in my hand like a trophy, irrationally happy about it.

Maybe I did a little too much singing.

I’m a sucker for the classics. The flashy and gimmicky drinks are fun—*cough* bubble drink *cough*—but the classics are timeless for a reason, so it’s important to get them right. It boils down to this: When you’re on a ship that can capably pull off both kinds of drinks—the classics and the imaginative new concepts—you’re going to have a better time, a better drinking experience, and a better days-long bar crawl.

Meanwhile, PHOENIX performed hit after hit (“Rock’n Me,” “Your Love,” and “More Than a Feeling” to name a few) with shocking, borderline bizarre fidelity. I sang along at times, between sips of my perfect Manhattan, and then my second perfect Manhattan. Maybe I did a little too much singing.

It was at the Dueling Pianos bar, which overlooks the Royal Promenade, where I had my third perfect Manhattan. Beyond that and a rendition of “The Thunder Rolls” by Garth Brooks that gave me chills, I don’t recall much about the rest of the night. I do know, though, that there are photos and videos from the Dueling Pianos bar with timestamps reading 1:59 am.

DAY SIX: Food is your friend

You shouldn’t ever feel anything more than tipsy when there are so many places to grab a bite to eat on this ship, Smorgasbord of the Seas. (Icon boasts more than 20 places to eat that are new or unique to the ship, plus several other concepts that repeat Royal Caribbean cruisers will recognize from its other vessels.)

The “ floating Olive Garden ” criticism of cruise ships is unfair when applied here. The world’s biggest cruise ship isn’t just a floating Olive Garden; with the sheer number of places to eat, it’s also a floating Applebee’s, Red Lobster, Benihana, Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris, etc. etc. With the exception of the stateroom hallways, it’s hard to find a spot on the ship where you can stand and not locate somewhere to get something to eat.

That’s all by design, of course.

During a press conference intended to shed light on how the company pulls off feeding tens of thousands of passengers across dozens of ships all over the world every day, Linken D’Souza, who had recently sprayed champagne in my mouth, explained some of the thinking behind the strategic distribution of food and drink venues across the various areas of the ship.

“If you think about each of the neighborhoods, it’s really about complementary and convenient food,” he said. “You can walk into AquaDome, grab a bite, step into the amazing space that is AquaDome, enjoy that experience. Or if you want to go to a speciality experience while the show is on and get a little bit of that show while you’re having dinner, you can sit at Hooked and enjoy that experience. We’ve tried to create experiences for everyone within each of the neighborhoods so that you can truly enjoy the neighborhood as it relates to food and beverage, your way.”

The “floating Olive Garden” criticism of cruise ships is unfair when applied here.

He also spent a good amount of time talking up Icon’s toughest dinner reservation, Empire Supper Club. The intimate space fits just 38 people, and there’s only one dinner service per night. Royal Caribbean describes the restaurant as a place where “cuisine is an occasion, cocktails are celebrations and sultry live jazz is your host.” For an additional $200 per person (or $130 if you purchased the Unlimited Dining Package), you get an eight-course meal where every dish is paired with a cocktail. No, not wine. Cocktails.

I couldn’t get into the Empire Supper Club, but I tried two other specialty restaurants: the aforementioned Hooked, a seafood restaurant, and Coastal Kitchen, a Mediterranean and Californian fusion located in the swanky and exclusive Suites Neighborhood, where I had lobster mac ‘n cheese and a sirloin steak with herb butter, followed by a dense chocolate cake. Was the food noticeably better? Was the service a notch more refined? I really don’t think so. The key differentiator with these upgrades is the ambiance of the restaurant spaces, which are more interesting than the extravagant ballroom slash bustling banquet of the main dining room.

To be honest, when it came to dining on the ship, I kinda preferred Basecamp, a new-to-Icon restaurant concept sandwiched between Deck 16’s mini-golf course and rock-climbing wall where they serve complimentary eats like hot dogs, warm pretzels, and tater tots to keep you alive between the many drinks and thrills. It’s the fast food you need for your booze-filled adventure. It isn’t fancy at all, but that’s the whole point.

DAY SEVEN: One last sip

On the final night of the cruise, I snagged a good seat at Rye & Bean, took a good look around to appreciate the scene one more time, and chatted with the bartenders there who I’d come to know over the course of the week. A few minutes later, my beverage arrived in a steaming-hot teapot with an empty teacup and a miniature hourglass on the side. After all I’d put my body through, I owed it a soothing nightcap that I could sip and savor.

When the hourglass emptied, I poured half of the contents of the teapot into the teacup and breathed in the fragrant steam before taking a careful sip. It was a Guava Hot Toddy—rum, guava syrup, and Earl Grey tea—and it was fantastic. It lulled me into a blissful calm and a delicious peace.

So much so that when I woke up the next day, I didn’t feel like I had failed to squeeze all the juice out of my time on the world’s biggest cruise ship. Or that I’d wasted all my time drinking as opposed to experiencing the Icon’s many, many, many amenities. Instead, I stepped off the ship feeling totally content.

My only real regret was not asking for one last espresso martini to go.

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Review of Uniworld's ‘S.S. Victoria' Europe River Cruise Ship

Posted: May 3, 2024 | Last updated: May 3, 2024

The S.S. Victoria ‘s upper-deck Vista lounge and bar can conveniently collapse to clear low bridges.

Ian Schemper/Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

On Day Two of our European river cruise with Uniworld Boutique River Cruises in late March, my brother and I returned from dinner one night to a stateroom transformed by turndown magic. The lights were dimmed, curtains drawn, and duvets pulled back enticingly, chocolates nearby.

But the excitement over sailing on my first-ever river cruise —a week along the waterways of Belgium and the Netherlands—with Jason, also a rookie, still hadn’t faded, and I wasn’t the least bit sleepy. Instead of crawling into bed, I opened the curtains to see what was happening out on the water.

Turns out, not much—because the 110-passenger S.S. Victoria was deep inside a lock on the Scheldt River somewhere between Brussels and Antwerp. Inches beyond our floor-to-ceiling windows was a vast canvas of wet gray concrete. A ladder stretched upward along the wall of the lock; even craning my neck, I couldn’t see the top, but the rungs were so close I could have reached out and grabbed one if our windows had been open. It dawned on me why our stateroom butler reminded us to close them whenever we left our stateroom; when open, the windows protrude outward by about six inches (and from what I could tell, there wasn’t much wiggle room in many of the locks).

Though this unexpected view (or lack thereof) was slightly unnerving for a claustrophobe like me, I felt giddy over our front-row seat to the engineering feat of navigating a 443-foot-long vessel through this watery cavern. “Look at this!” I squealed to Jason over and over. But as a pilot whose job has apparently numbed him to the marvels of human transit, he was nonplussed.

However, once Jason found out from the captain that the vessel is entirely hand-piloted—no pressing a button to enable auto-navigation—he was appropriately impressed too. By the time we arrived at our final stop, Amsterdam, which is where I live, S.S. Victoria had eased through approximately 16 locks. When we were aboard and awake, we watched the action from our room or, even better, the top deck.

Whether you’re in the Royal Suite or a standard stateroom, all cabins feature beds that face floor-to-ceiling windows that open to transform into a French balcony.

Courtesy of Uniworld

Luxury interiors on board

This trip—officially, an eight-day itinerary called “ Holland and Belgium at Tulip Time” —wasn’t a first for just us: It was also S.S. Victoria ’s inaugural voyage as a Uniworld vessel. Along with her sister ship, the S.S. Elisabeth , which will relaunch in 2025, the 55-stateroom vessel, which can hold up to 110 guests, is being leased for three years by Uniworld from Riverside Luxury Cruises. The ships, which were part of the fleet of the now-defunct Crystal Cruises (the oceanside of which has restructured as Crystal ), add another level of modern luxury to Uniworld’s European sailings. But because they’re being leased, decor and design changes were somewhat limited, cruise manager Piet Abbeloos told me one afternoon. Still, there were distinct Uniworld touches everywhere: live orchids on tables, freshly made croissants and cookies daily, and top-notch staff, many of whom have been with the company for years.

Another notable feature: Uniworld’s first-ever two-bedroom suite, a 759-square-foot stunner that connects two bedrooms via a posh living room. When only one bedroom is connected, it becomes the 506-square-foot Royal Suite, which Jason and I somehow scored (we gave thanks to the river gods). After boarding in Brussels, we took in the space in an awed stupor, from the elegant living room with its stocked minibar, wet bar, and fireplace to the spacious bathroom and large walk-in closet. There’s a King-sized bed that can also be split up into two singles. (All room categories, including suites and standard staterooms, have floor-to-ceiling windows, Asprey bath products, and king-size beds; suites also come with butler service and free laundry, plus a daily fruit plate, cookies, and an evening snack). Due to a technical glitch, televisions (and safes) weren’t working properly, but considering the fancy digs we’d be calling home for the next week, we barely noticed.

We explored the rest of the boat, the highlights of which included the lounge with a gorgeous glass ceiling and an upper-deck lounge and bar (which can conveniently collapse if needed to clear low bridges). Alas, the chilly late-March temps meant we didn’t spend much time up there. But come summer, this would be a prime spot to stretch out on a deck chair with a cocktail and watch the world go by. The spa area is also equipped with a small pool, an amenity not too many river cruise ships provide due to the limited space on board.

Culinary delights and off-boat excursions

Jason and I quickly settled into a morning routine: Wake up as late as possible but with enough time to squeeze in a workout before breakfast. The gym is small but adequately equipped, and some preemptive calorie burning made us feel slightly less guilty for the culinary indulgences ahead, starting with the breakfast buffet. It was one of the best I’ve ever sunk my teeth into, complete with made-to-order omelets and changing daily options like blueberry ricotta crepes. Lunch was equally awesome, with a mouthwatering selection of locally inspired hot dishes (I’m still dreaming about the Belgian beef stew) and desserts galore. The salad bar was also a winner: If Uniworld bottled the dressings, I would have begged to buy one.

“This is my second steak—for lunch ,” Jason declared one afternoon, yet he had no problem polishing off a bowl of homemade gelato. All meals were included in the rate, and we never had the same dish twice for lunch or dinner, which were three-course affairs complete with wine pairings by sommelier Razvan Ion . The velvety German red he showcased one night became my early go-to, and even with the rotating selection, waiters remembered to pour it for me every night.

A close-up look into local life

By the time we reached Amsterdam, our final destination, we had traveled about 155 miles—and I experienced more of the Netherlands in a week than I have living here for more than a year. Upcoming itineraries on the S.S. Victoria include the Rhine and Moselle rivers , with showstopping views of fairy-tale castles and splendorous vineyards. Even though our route might not be quite as scenic, I found a certain appeal in the gritty industrial corridors we sailed along. These ports are the engine of each city, fueling its inhabitants, into whose lives we also got a close-up. At one drawbridge crossing, I waved to a stopped motorcyclist who waved back. Later, I watched a man reading a book in an upstairs room of a house, his face illuminated by the glow of a lamp. In the beautiful town of Schoonhoven, a gaggle of kids tumbled down their grassy front yard as we docked, eager to see the action.

Traveling by water also offers a unique perspective on the astonishing topography of the Netherlands. “There’s a saying: ‘God created the earth, but the Dutch created the Netherlands,’” our guide remarked on the final day en route to Keukenhof, a botanical garden and flower lover’s dream. Indeed, a week of seeing dikes perched like grass-covered furniture on the landscape provided me with a newfound respect for how the Dutch have kept their country above sea level for centuries.

For our last excursion, “Respect in the Red Light District,” a frank discussion about sex work in Amsterdam’s most infamous neighborhood, we had to clamber through another boat S.S. Victoria was moored alongside. Passengers’ suitcases were lined up in the lobby, which made me dread the end of our own trip the next day. Not only had we been spoiled rotten on board, but also this new-to-us mode of slower travel—cruising along no faster than about 14 miles an hour, to be precise—fostered a deeper connection with the communities we sailed through and those we sailed with. Jason and I hadn’t spent that much time together since we were kids, but he was the best boat buddy I could have asked for.

On his way back to the States, he texted that the trip “was perfect in every way,” and I had to agree.

To book: Prices for the 8-day “Holland and Belgium at Tulip Time” start at about $6,479 per person, including meals, unlimited drinks, and most excursions, as well as the use of bicycles and Nordic walking sticks.

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Disney Detonates Four Bombs In Deadline’s 2023 Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament

By Anthony D'Alessandro

Anthony D'Alessandro

Editorial Director/Box Office Editor

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Summer Box Office Pines For $3 Billion: ‘Garfield’ Could Scratch ‘Furiosa’, ‘Beetlejuice 2’ Might See Best Opening Just Outside Of Season & Other Zany Forecasts

Everyone likes a trend in the movie business, but this one perhaps not so much. Disney for the first time in Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament history dominates the annual bombs section, claiming four of the five (top? bottom?) spots on our 2023 list. Typically, the studio owns a majority of the year’s top 10 most profitable films thanks to Marvel movies, but not this year. A lot of this stems from feeding the beast of streaming service Disney+; the studio’s initial plan during Covid was to shell out $14 billion-$16 billion annually on content by this year. With Bob Iger taking the CEO reins from Bob Chapek, he’s trying to right the ship with a less-is-more strategy, zeroing in on quality so that the No. 1 motion picture studio can come back to form.

Some of you might ask: Where is Apple Original Films on this list? Wouldn’t Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon rank? Several film-finance sources tell us that Apple movies and Disney movies shouldn’t go in the same bucket. The former is a tech company, of which content is a fraction of their revenues. Essentially, any prestige losses made by Apple on movies are seen as advertising expenses to drive eyeballs to its OTT service. Meanwhile, content is king for Disney and drives all other ancillaries, extending to theme parks and cruise ships. Quite often we get the phone call from the studio saying, “You’re not taking into account other merchandise and theme park revenues on these films.” Make no mistake: Films that fall down at the box office don’t have afterlives.

When Marvel fanboys and fangirls smell it’s going to be good, they crowd the theater. But when it’s a dud, they stay away. One would think a sequel to a $1.1 billion-grossing female superhero movie would be logical, and asked for. However, The Marvels ‘ predecessor, Captain Marvel, benefited at the box office from being a bridge between the Avengers finales Infinity War and Endgame. Yes, the actors strike did pour a lot of cold water on promoting this film, with the thespian standoff ending just days before this sequel’s opening November 10, and star Brie Larson rushing around to late-night shows to tubthump the pic. But there was more. The movie was trying to thread storylines from Disney+ shows like Ms. Marvel , which was part of a grand master plan by Marvel to connect the series with the movies. That strategy showed its holes here as Ms. Marvel wasn’t embraced in a big way by MCU fans ala series like Loki and WandaVision were. Lastly, Marvel has prided itself on hiring indie directors, plugging them into their system and turning them into blockbuster filmmakers (e.g., Jon Watts, Taika Waititi). It’s a recipe that doesn’t always work, evident in this movie (directed by Nia DaCosta) and Marvel’s The Eternals from Nomadland Oscar winner Chloé Zhao. The MCU in its zenith wins over both critics and audiences, and that didn’t happen here, with a 62% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and B CinemaScore.

THE BOX SCORE

The Flash Warner Bros/DC Studios Net Loss: -$155M

Released well before the actors strike, it doesn’t help when your leading star is making lots of tabloid headlines, the person here being Ezra Miller. Miller was kept at bay in regards to promoting the DC movie, and the pic’s stars, which included Michael Keaton returning as Batman, were either available in limited doses or shied away from doing press (no one wanted to field questions about Miller). Still, props to the new Warner Bros administration of Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, as well as DC bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran. Although they inherited this movie, they believed in it and propped it all they could as the ultimate DC time-warp movie with cameos from previous superheroes. They even previewed the film early for exhibitors at CinemaCon. Unfortunately, masses didn’t buy the Spider-Man: No Way Home -like stunt here.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Disney Net Loss: -$143M

Wish Disney Net Loss: -$131M

Disney always needs to plant an animated family film in the Thanksgiving corridor; the only problem is that the studio hasn’t seen glory since before Covid with Frozen 2. Wish followed the 2022 bomb Strange World. While original animation is always an uphill battle to launch at the box office, audiences have seen this plug-and-play princess and silly sidekicks (in this case a talking goat and puffy star) movie before, and waited this one out for Disney+ (another potential catalyst for dwindling Disney moviegoing). Audiences and critics smelled that the movie reeked of corporate product rather than magical event. Essentially, a studio is in trouble when its movie’s narrative is more about a celebration of the company’s birthday than a riveting piece of content.

Haunted Mansion Disney Net Loss: -$117M

This movie, which opened July 28, was the first big casualty of the strike with its cast unable to show up at the pic’s Disneyland premiere, which the studio billed as a fan event. Above all, Haunted Mansion burned down because of its release date, opening in the wake of Barbie and ahead of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem , thus losing out on the younger-skewing audience it wanted. At the end of the day, the 2003 Eddie Murphy version, unadjusted for inflation, made more money with its domestic take of $75.8M and global of $182.2M.

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Cunard Queen Anne Cruise Ship Review

Queen Anne is the latest ship from Cunard’s fleet. We were fortunate to attend an exclusive media preview of the new Cunard Queen Anne cruise ship. Our guide provides details on accommodation, dining, and activities to help you.

Facts About the New Queen Anne Cruise Ship

In this feature, we’ll reveal everything that you need to know about this luxurious ocean liner . She has a capacity of 3,000 guests and 1,225 crew.

Inger Klein Thorhauge is the first Captain of Queen Anne and Cunard’s first female Captain.

Queen Anne has 14 decks and measures 322.5 metres in length and 35.6 metres in width. Her height above water is 64 metres and her maximum speed is 22 knots – 40.7 km per hour.

This is the first time since 1999 that Cunard has four ships in simultaneous service: Queen Anne, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria aka the 4 Queens .

Queen Anne Accommodation

Guests aboard Queen Anne can expect nothing short of luxury with her grand accommodation and upscale amenities. This upscale cruise ship boasts six types of staterooms to cater to every preference, from cosy interior cabins, to expansive suites with breathtaking ocean views.

This includes Britannia Inside, Britannia Oceanview, Britannia Balcony, Britannia Club Balcony, Princess Grill Suites and Queens Grill Suites. The amount of Britannia Club staterooms has increased by over 200% versus Cunard’s other ships. They have been designed by Sybille de Margerie, who has previously worked on the Mandarin Oriental Paris and Atlantis, The Royal in Dubai.

Each Queen Anne stateroom is equipped with plush bedding and state-of-the-art technology ensuring comfort at every level. Conveniently, the electrical sockets are compatible with UK, European and US plugs.

We stayed in a Club Balcony stateroom which had a sizeable shower room and ample storage. There was a coffee machine, fluffy bathrobes and slippers, Cunard beach towels and Penhaligon’s toiletries. This category of cabin also gives you access to the Britannia Club dining room.

Queen Anne Wellness Amenities

The amenities on Queen Anne set her apart as a leader in regal maritime travel. Travelers have access to several pools and whirlpools.

For an additional fee, Mareel Wellness & Spa  offers treatments that promise relaxation and rejuvenation, perfect after a day of exploring exotic destinations. This area is laptop and mobile free, for optimal tranquility. At The Pavilion Wellness Café , fuel up on sustainably sourced, plant-based food.

Cunard have also teamed up with Harper’s Bazaar to offer three Wellness at Sea programmes . Including a selection of Elemis products, they aim to detox, energize and relax. You can book them through My Cunard or on board via the Spa Concierge.

If you’re looking to stay active, head to the fully equipped gym , which is included in your voyage fare. Personal training, consultations and fitness classes may be subject to extra charges.

Another fun option is the full size pickleball court , in partnership with PickleballENGLAND. And the Queen Anne is the only ship in the world where you can try archery with a real bow and arrow. The instructors are accredited by Archery GB.

The Observation Deck on Level 14 has a putting green, table tennis and games such as shuffleboard and quoits.

Dining Options on Queen Anne

The Queen Anne offers 15 dining experiences, with a variety of options to cater to every palate. Revel in the elegant Britannia restaurant, the international flavors at the specialty restaurants, or casual fare at the onboard cafes and bistros.

The culinary offerings are expertly crafted by acclaimed chefs using the finest ingredients sourced from around the globe, ensuring a truly luxurious and unforgettable dining experience.

Reserve your table via the My Voyage app when you get on board. For an additional fee, you can dine in one of the specialty restaurants:

• Aji Wa – for modern Japanese cuisine.
• Aranya – quintessential Indian flavours.
• Sir Samuel’s Steakhouse & Grill – for steak and seafood.
• Tramoto – evening only Mediterranean dining room.

Guests can enjoy personalized service and an extensive selection of fine wines to complement their meals. We ate in the Britannia Club dining room and were impressed with the attentive service and tasty food.

Passengers in the Princess Grill suites can dine in the Princess Grill Restaurant, and those staying in Queens Grill suites have access to the exclusive Queens Grill Restaurant. Guests staying in the Princess Grill and Queens Grill suites can also enjoy a drink in the stunning Grills Lounge.

For those seeking immersive culinary experiences while on shore excursions, Cunard’s Queen Anne is offering  Signature Shore Experiences  in a number of different ports. Experiences such as crafting custard tarts in Lisbon will provide travelers with opportunities to engage with local cultures.

Queen Anne Entertainment and Activities

Passengers can partake in a variety of entertainment and activities meticulously curated to enhance their cruising experience. From grand theatre productions and live music performances to tailored enrichment programs, there is something for every traveler seeking more than just a typical cruise journey.

The Grand Lobby spans 3 decks and boasts a continually changing wall mural.

The Pavilion is an indoor/outdoor space with a retractable glass roof, perfect for soaking up the sun. During the day, relax by the pool or in the hot tubs. At nightime, enjoy an outdoor film screening thanks to Cunard’s partnership with the British Film Institute.

The Panorama Pool Club at the aft of the ship will feature live bands and DJs. There’s full waiter service, so you can order cocktails or al fresco snacks.

Head to the Sky Bar and Observation Deck on deck 14 for panoramic views. The Library on deck 12 has a lovely selection of books. You can even get married or have a commitment ceremony on board.

The Bright Lights Society plays host to a speakeasy style show early in the evening, and becomes a nightclub later on. You’ll also find the 835 seat Royal Court Theatre , a casino and art gallery on board this fun cruise ship.

The Grills Terrace is exclusive to guests staying in Princess and Queens Grill Suites. Accessed via your room key, it features two infinity hot tubs and several seating options.

Queen Anne Maiden Voyage

Queen Anne’s maiden voyage departed on Friday 3 May from Southampton for Lisbon. She will stop at La Coruña during this seven night trip.

After this, there is a 14 night Canary Islands and Madeira voyage departing on 10 May.

The Naming Ceremony

The naming ceremony for Queen Anne, the newest addition to the Cunard fleet, is set to take place in Liverpool on Monday 3 June. This grand event marks an important milestone in the ship’s journey and is a momentous occasion for cruise enthusiasts.

It signifies the ship’s official introduction to the world of luxury cruising. The ceremony will be hosted by Emma and Matt Willis, the TV presenter and Busted musician.

Queen Anne 2024 Cruises

Cunard’s cruise program includes over 133 voyages with stops at 159 unique destinations around the globe. These itineraries are on board the 4 Queens: Queen Anne, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria.

They offer travelers a chance to explore a diverse range of locales, from the sunny shores of the Mediterranean to the picturesque fjords of Norway and beyond.

With a range of signature shore experiences, passengers can immerse themselves in local culture and create unforgettable memories along the way. Whether it’s taking in the history of ancient cities or savoring the natural beauty of exotic landscapes, there’s something for every traveler to discover on these opulent cruise experiences.

First Thoughts on the New Cunard Queen Anne Cruise Ship

Step aboard the Queen Anne for a luxurious adventure on the high seas. Indulge in exceptional dining, lavish accommodation, and world-class entertainment while exploring captivating destinations around the globe.

We were so pleased to experience these offerings first-hand during our media preview. Stay tuned for our updates!

• Cunard Queen Mary 2 Review

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Suze and Paul Renner

Suze and Paul are the founders of LuxuryColumnist, one of the leading luxury online magazines worldwide.