Luxury Cruising Editorial

Carnival Jubilee will need some touch-up paint along the bow after an incident in Galveston over the weekend. 

The newest ship in Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet was still docked in port when a small sailboat reportedly collided with the 183,521 gross ton ship.

While there is still no word as to how this happened, people near the dock witnessed the entire ordeal in disbelief as the collision unfolded.

An eyewitness to the collision stated, “He went straight into it,” when asked, “How do you hit that?” referring to the size of the massive ship docked in port and it’s bright blue hull.

As the sailboat moved away from the cruise ship’s bow, a crowd cheered in the background, even after an onlooker remarked that the mast of the small boat was scratching the paint on Carnival Jubilee.

Pictures and video of the incident show a pilot boat coming along to help the sailboat move out from under the bow of the cruise ship.

One commenter on the Facebook post revealed a possible reason for the collision:

“I believe that the strong current, the inexperience of the sailboat captain, and, safe bet, alcohol had a great deal to do with this collision,” the comment stated.

While the weather appeared to be relatively calm and there is no evidence of alcohol being involved, the commenter also warned of possible trouble for the pilot boat that helped the sailboat in its predicament.

“It should be noted that the captain of the Texas went far beyond his duty when he put a line on the sailboat. When any vessel takes another in tow, for any reason, the captain of that vessel immediately becomes liable for any damages that occur subsequently. That poor guy will probably end up in court as a thanks for his doing the right thing,” the comment went on to say, also adding they they were glad no one was hurt.

Close-up images from the incident reveal a minor scratch on the ship’s hull, caused by the sailboat’s scraping.  This appeared to be the only damage and should not impact the current sailing.

The 5,228 double-capacity Carnival Jubilee is currently sailing toward Honduras and is on schedule to arrive in Roatan on March 4.  The ship will arrive back in Galveston on March 8.

I have cruised all around on the world on close to 20 different cruise lines. I’ve heard a lot about Celestyal Cruises but have never cruised on them.  My dentist loves their smaller ships and port intensive itineraries, and he always tells me about them.

When Celestyal Cruises invited me to cruise on their new popular itinerary Desert Days, I was excited to say yes and finally check them out. 

I am currently on board Celestyal Journey for a seven-night cruise in the Persian Gulf. I am sailing with a group of international journalists, and after spending a few days on board, here are my first impressions of Celestyal Cruises.

Cruise Ship

This is the “newest” ship in the cruise line’s fleet. I actually prefer smaller ships like this on port intensive itineraries. The vessel is 55,000 gross tons in size so it’s easy to move from one place on the ship to another.

Celestyal Journey had previously been in service with Holland America Line and P&O Cruises, so it has some miles under its belt. The public spaces on the ship are modern and in good shape, yet it offers a nostalgic feel from a ship built over 30 years ago.

The ship recently completed a dry dock, so most of the furniture and carpet is all brand new.

One of the things that has impressed me is the number of public spaces and lounges for a ship this size. This creates lots of opportunities for different types of live music at night and there’s no issue trying to find a place to sit and relax.

Even though there are 1,202 passengers on board (96% capacity), the ship does not feel crowded at all. I was shocked when I saw the total number of passengers on board because it feels like the ship is sailing at 50% capacity. And it’s not just me. Other people I am traveling with said the same thing.

If you’ve been following Cruise Fever for any amount of time, you know that I love it when the ship’s main pool has a retractable roof on it. It helps create so much more useable space at night or when the weather isn’t cooperating.

This is not the only pool, there is also one in the aft.

This cruise isn’t about the ship, it’s about the destinations that you will visit.

Itinerary

This is a seven-day roundtrip cruise from Doha, Qatar that visits a port every day of the trip. We will visit Bahrain, Dubai (overnight), Sir Bani Yas, Oman, and Abu Dhabi on this port intensive itinerary.

This is my first time cruising in the Middle East and I’m loving the itinerary. Celestyal Cruises recently extended their season here due to popular demand and I now understand why.

I’ve felt completely safe in every place we’ve visited so far. All of the port stops are in extremely modern cities that are loaded with cultural experiences and history, with an exception for the island, Sir Bani Yas.

Cruise fares start at a little over a $100 per person, per day. This includes drinks during meals. You can choose between a three-, four-, or seven-night option as several of the ports are embarkation/disembarkation cities.

Crew

The crew has been fantastic during the first few days of my cruise. It’s one of the friendliest group of crew members I’ve ever sailed with. I can’t say enough good things about them.

One of the bartenders started doing some card tricks with us one night, I’ve never had that happen on a cruise before. He told us that on one night of the cruise, they do a magic show in the bar for guests.  I can’t wait to check that out!

Other First Thoughts

There is a small casino on board, 24 slot machines and three table games. Even though there are only 24 slots, you can choose anywhere from 10-25 different games on each one.

All of the inside spaces on the ship are no smoking, thank you Celestyal Cruises!

Since Celestyal has yet to roll out their app (It’s in progress I’m told), they still deliver paper daily programs to your cabin.  I forgot how much easier it is to have a paper than endless scrolling in an app.

The busiest part of the ship has been the buffet. With a port intensive itinerary, more guests tend to prefer casual meals.

There are several specialty restaurants on board that I can’t wait to check out.  One morning we had breakfast in the main dining room. It’s all buffet options but I thought it was really good.

I was able to check out a couple of the shows in the main theater. So far, they have been the standard song and dance shows. But that makes sense since there’s guests from so many different countries on here. However, English is the main language spoken board.

I’ve found a couple “Easter Eggs” on board from the ship’s time with Holland America Line. I’m glad they left a few things on the ship as a nod to the ship’s storied heritage.

I want to give a special shoutout to Qatar Airways for flying me to Doha in one of their signature Qsuites. I will have more on that and a lot more on this cruise and cruise line when I get home from the trip.

If you’d like, you can follow along on my cruise on Cruise Fever’s social media channels on X, Instagram and Facebook (@CruiseFever for all).

The first day of the cruise is my favorite.  There’s no better feeling than to finally be onboard, exploring the ship, or lounging with that first drink on board.

There’s an entire fun-filled vacation ahead of you and it feels like it’s going to last forever.  But sadly, that feeling gradually fades as the week progresses and the days tick by.

Before you know it, it’s now the last day of the cruise and your vacation is almost over.  It’s as sad and depressing as that first day was exciting.

Whether your cruise’s final day is a relaxing day at sea or a visit to a cruise line private island, there are a few extra things that you’ll need to take care of in preparation for the following morning’s debarkation.

1. Debarking Information

The room steward should leave debarkation instructions in your room the evening before.  If you haven’t already taken a look at it, read the instructions in the morning so that you won’t be surprised at the last minute by any details.

Even if you are frequent cruiser with the line, it’s still a good idea to take a look at the instructions as cruise lines periodically update their procedures to help make the entire process go more smoothly.

2. Luggage Tags

Many cruise lines are increasingly moving towards digital debarkation processes. Apps or digital notifications will inform passengers of their debarkation times and procedures, eliminating the need for physical tags.

Traditionally, room stewards have left luggage tags in staterooms along with debarking information. The luggage tags use a color and/or number identification system. The color/number tags correspond to a time frame when it is anticipated that passengers with those tags will be able to debark the ship.

The debarking paperwork should contain a schedule; letting you know what time your group is scheduled for.

If the time does not work with your travel plans, you will need to visit Guest Services and request different luggage tags.

Do this in the morning if at all possible.  The lines at Guest Services are generally extremely long on the evening of the last day.

Some cruise lines have changed the process for luggage tag distribution.  Instead of tags being left in your stateroom, there will be a central distribution point.  You will be responsible for going to the distribution point and picking up the tags you need.

The debarkation paperwork will let you know where to go to pick them up.

The earliest times go first and go quickly, so if you have an early flight out the next morning, make sure you know where and when you can pick up tags.

3. Future Cruise Booking

If you’re eyeing those onboard future cruise booking promotions, don’t wait until the last minute—these deals are popular, and the future cruise desk often gets swamped, especially on the final day.

Check the cruise line’s mobile app or daily newsletter for desk hours and booking details; many cruise lines now let you start the process digitally, sometimes with app-exclusive bonuses like extra onboard credit. To snag the best perks—think reduced deposits or bonus loyalty points—aim to book early in your cruise.

Most cruise lines today offer the option to put down a deposit on an open booking, so you can lock in savings without committing to a specific ship or sail date right away. This flexibility is perfect for planning ahead, with some lines letting you decide on your cruise as far out as 2027.

You can typically make the deposit onboard and apply it to a specific sailing later—just check if it’s as simple as submitting a form through the app or dropping it off at the desk. If you’re sailing with Carnival, you’ve got even more leeway: their future cruise program lets you book after you’re back home, often with similar perks.

4. Check Onboard Accounts

Keeping an eye on the charges being made to your onboard account is something you really should be doing throughout the cruise.  Mistakes do happen and Guest Services is happy to investigate any issues and make corrections.

More often than not, the charges are legitimate.  After a few days, it’s easy to forget a purchase or it’s simply not displayed in a way you think it would be.

For instance, charges made at a bar you never visited.  It could be that it is the bar location used for drinks ordered in the dining room or from main theater.

If you have any questions about the charges, it’s best not to wait until the last night of the cruise or the morning of debarkation.  Guest Services has huge lines, and standing in lines on the last day of your vacation isn’t any fun.

5. Shopping

The final day of the cruise is a little like Christmas Eve.  It’s their last chance to entice you to spend in the gift shops so it’s possible to find deals that weren’t happening earlier on in the week.

You’ll also want to take advantage of any duty-free prices on popular items you may regularly buy at home like alcohol and cigarettes.

6. Photo Purchases

If you haven’t looked at or made your photo purchases, try and get to it early in the day.  By evening, the photo area is swarmed with passengers trying to find their photos and make those last minute purchases.

Today’s ships use facial recognition technology to help you find your photos a lot faster than the “old days”.

If your ship has moved to digital photos or is placing them in “books”, it makes finding and purchasing much easier.  However, if the ship is still displaying photos on shelves, it’s a good idea to gather all of your photos and group them together each day.

The photography staff will still move them around as they make room to display new photos, but you’ll have a better chance of finding all of your photos on the final day so that you can pick and choose which ones to purchase.

You may able to make photo purchases the final morning of the cruise, but you could be searching through several huge bins of photos to find yours.

Related article: Should you buy those cruise photos?

7. Casino

Onboard casinos generally don’t have a specific time when they close in the evening; instead, the newsletters often just state that they will be open “until late”.  Regardless, they won’t be open the morning of debarkation, since they are closed when docked in U.S. ports.

Those who have been enjoying gambling in the casino will need to cash in their chips before going to bed.

Anyone playing electronic games, like slot machines, and has casino money tied to their cruise card, will also need to visit the casino cashier to cash out at some point during the last day of the cruise.

8. Packing

At some point on the last day, you’ll need to pack. Packing is my least favorite part of the cruise.   Everything except the things you’ll need on the last night and next morning needs to be packed up and placed outside your cabin door by the time noted in your debarkation paperwork.

Many passengers pack right before or after dinner.  That feels hectic and ruins the last evening of the cruise for me.    I much prefer to get this unpleasant chore over with earlier in the day.  I may still have to throw a few things in that I used or wore during the last day, but then my evening is free to enjoy.

Nothing ever fits as well or as neatly as it did on my way to the cruise.  I’ve tried a variety of ways to make it a little quicker and easier.  Packing cubes can be helpful.  If I know I’m not going to use or wear something again during the cruise, it goes into a packing cube that stays in the closet or on a shelf.  It’s much easier to throw filled packing cubes into a suitcase than gather and fold each item of clothing.

Just as your luggage arrived to your stateroom, it will be taken the evening before debarkation and you won’t see it again until you are off the ship.  You’ll want to hang on to things like medications and leave room in a small bag or two for things you’ll need that last evening and morning.  Those bags you’ll carry off the ship yourself.

Most ships also offer the option of self-debarkation.  If you opt to take part in this, you won’t place any bags outside your door the night before.  Instead, you’ll be responsible for carrying all of your luggage off the ship yourself.  The advantage is that you are generally some of the first passengers off the ship.  It is particularly useful for those with early morning flights home.

Read some cruise packing hacks here

9. Recognizing Crew Members

Most cruise lines have moved to automatic or pre-paid gratuities, doing away with the handing out of gratuities on the final evening of the cruise.  However, it is still a good time to reward the crew members with a little something extra.

Working 7 days a week is difficult and draining, yet many crew members manage to exceed expectations and do it with a smile.  It’s nice to say thank you and hand a little extra cash to anyone who has helped make your cruise more enjoyable or memorable.

Certain positions do not share in automatic gratuities, for instance, the staff in the kids’ clubs.  If your child has been participating in and enjoying the youth programs, cash gratuities are appropriate and appreciated.

The only exception is with Disney Cruise Line.  The youth program staff on Disney is not allowed to accept tips.

If you choose not to hand out any additional gratuities, you can still recognize them in end-of cruise surveys.  If you mention crew members by name and position in your comments on cruise surveys, it helps them earn bonuses and promotions.

RELATED: How the crew makes all the difference on a cruise

10. Airline Check-In

If you have a Wi-Fi package or are in port will cellular service, you should check in for any flights the next day.  This is especially true if flying Southwest where boarding position is determined by when you check in.

It is also advised for any early morning flights when timing for getting off the ship and to the airport might be tight.

If neither of those options is available, go the ship’s Internet center and find out if you can pay for a short block of Internet access.  You may even be able to print off boarding passes.

11. Set an Alarm

It may have been a fantastic week of sleeping in, but you won’t be able to enjoy it the morning of debarkation.  Room stewards need a lot of time to properly clean staterooms and get them turned over for the next group of passengers.

It’s not uncommon for passengers to oversleep the last morning.  Set an alarm or schedule a wake-up call to avoid accidentally oversleeping. The time you’ll need to vacate the room will be mentioned in the debarkation information.

12. Start a Final Night Tradition

My family is always a little sad on the last night. We’ve said goodbye to our favorite staff members and the kids have made friends that they’ll likely never see again.  It’s kind of bummer picking them up from the kids club and seeing them sad after a great cruise.  Starting a tradition gave us something to look forward to.

Instead of heading back to our stateroom and going to bed, we started doing “last night” fun activities.  Fortunately, kids are easy to please and doing anything out of ordinary puts smiles on their faces.  We frequently end up getting some late night pizza and ice cream followed by a little hot tubbing under the stars.  Our swimsuits tend to still be a little damp when packing the last of our things up the next morning, but it’s been fun and memorable.

13. Debarkation Morning Tip

If you aren’t trying to be one of the first ones off the ship the morning of debarkation, the best place to kill some time may be the dining room.

Breakfast up in the buffet can be chaotic as passengers are trying to get breakfast and store the bags they are carrying off.  Meanwhile, the dining room is delightfully dead. There is plenty of room for bags and you can sit in a relaxed atmosphere.

The options are more limited than what the buffet has to offer, but it’s nice to order from a menu for your final onboard dining experience.

14. Have fun!

The last day of a cruise is still a day on a cruise!  Although there are things you’ll need to take care of that can be a bit of a chore, you should make the most of it.