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A 5-Year-Old Takes Her First Cruise, and It's Love at First Sight
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Related: A Cruise on Grand Classica
By GERRY BARKER North Palm Beach Life "Wow." That was the initial reaction by Cate, our 5-year-old granddaughter, to seeing the Grand Celebration for the first time. She could hardly contain her excitement as we prepared to board at the Port of Palm Beach. This was Cate's first cruise, and she couldn't wait to be on the ship. (We had already talked about how this was a ship, not a boat). Grand Celebration is one of two ships operated by Bahamas Paradise Cruise Lines from the Port of Palm Beach to Freeport, Grand Bahama. We had recently sailed on Grand Classica, the sister ship to Celebration, on her inaugural voyage. This was our first cruise on Celebration. Offering two-night cruises, with options for resort stays, BPCL has established itself as a low cost, high value cruise line, as well as the only cruise line offering the convenience of sailing from Palm Beach. Between the two ships, they take 500,000 passengers annually to the Bahamas, a win-win for both sides. We were warmly welcomed onboard by Mirabel, one of the ship's officers, and it didn't take long for "Princess Cate" to feel like royalty. Join with us as we explore the ship. |
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Guests gather on Deck 10 for the impending sailaway party. The watchword throughout the ship is 'RELAX." With a capacity for around 1,500 guests and 670 crew, Grand Celebration is well-suited for guests who want to treat themselves to a mini-vacation at sea.
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Cate gets a bird's eye view of the Port as Pam tells her we are about to depart for the Bahamas. We'll have a full day in Freeport before heading back to Florida.
All Photos/ NORTH PALM BEACH LIFE |
"La Piscina" -- "The Pool" -- is located on Deck 10. Aft is a pool for the kids, along with hut tubs. Deck 10 is also where you'll find the Plunge Grill, the Plunge Bar and the Ocean View Buffet, which was our first stop after make a stop at our stateroom on Deck 5.
Free face painting? Cate's onboard with that! This talented artist transformed Cate into a butterfly. |
The Voltage Night Club on Deck 9 may cater more to adults and teens at night, but during the day the dance floor belongs to Cate, who improvised a routine that, who knows, might land her on "Dancing With the Stars" some day. You go, girl! |
Grand Celebration has one specialty restaurant -- the Admiralty Club, featuring upscale steaks and seafood. Among the appetizers (below) are scallops topped with cavier and a goat cheese souffle that is to die for. On the bottom is our entree, sea bass.
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Cate -- still sporting the butterfly from a face-painting artist, poses with our waiter, Rebello, who gave Cate the royal treatment throughout the voyage. She's holding a rabbit made from paper that Rebello made for her.
The main dining room is adjacent to Admiralty Club -- Stellar Prime. You have your choice of reserved or open seating. We found the food to be very good and the service excellent. A special tip of the hat to the restaurant manager, George Prioteasa, who took wonderful care of us. |
Our waiter prepares the Grand Marnier souffle -- delicious! But Cate is pretty happy with her chocolate ice cream with sprinkles!
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Showtime! After dinner we made our way to Legends Theatre, where we were entertained by a talented troupe of singers and dancers, along with a comedian and a magician from England. Cate was ready to join them onstage.
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Day Two started with a lovely champagne breakfast in the Admiralty Club. You can pair your favorite breakfast entree with a class of bubbly, or in this case, a mimosa.
Next, time to get off the ship in Freeport and do what Cate and Pam love the most: Shopping! There are also a number of shore excursions available, including swimming with the dolphins. |
Back onboard from shopping at the port, we relax with a trip to the ship's library and game room, The Helm on Deck 8. Cate and I tackle a Jenga project. Just one more layer and ... oh no, there she went!
Art imitates life, or vice versa at this shark sculpture
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Cate tries her hand at a racing game. Look out!
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The Regal Room is a good place to get your groove on for some late night entertainment.
Dianabelle and Cate show off a sword
and dog made from balloons. 
More face painting. This time around, a dolphin.
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Without a doubt the highlight of the cruise for Cate was the Kruzers Club, a complimentary program for kids age 3-6. It opens at 3 pm and goes until after midnight. There are a lot of activities, and children are closely supervised by friendly staffers.
Parents must check in on their children once an hour, and each visit is logged. We thought Cate might enjoy an hour or so of playtime, but each time we checked in, she begged to stay. Almost four hours after she arrived, it really was time to go. This is a great program for both kids and parents who want some free time for themselves. Major kudos to the Kruzers staff! 
Cate's artwork on display
Cate's group got to decorate their own cookie. Yum!
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Rebello shares a happy story with Cate in Stellar Prime
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Back in Florida, Cate got a special treat: A tour of Bridge and a chance to meet Captain Sverre Soedsnes, arranged by Hotel Director Jose Sanchez. Cate was understandly thrilled.
Cate sits in the Captain's chair as Capt. Soedsnes looks on.
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Mirabel acted as our tour guide, and helped Cate get a closer look at the Port activities.
Cate, watch where you're going, please.
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Some Closing Thoughts
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For anyone looking for a quick getaway to the Bahamas, this cruise is a great choice. Including the frequent specials they offer (like the current "Kids Sail Free" promotion), per person rates can range as low as $129, plus the usual taxes and fees. There is also the option of booking an overnight stay at one of several partner resorts on Grand Bahama.
We wondered beforehand if Cate would find enough to do onboard. Not a problem. Along with the Kruzers Club, they also offer Club Chill for guests 7-12 and for teens 13-17, Vibe. All are complimentary, included with your cruise. Not only did Cate not want to leave Kruzers, she told us she "didn't want to go back to Florida." A few more observations: -- Even though Grand Celebration is 30 years old, she wears her age well. The public areas are all well-maintained and it's easy to get around. Most of the rooms are oceanview, but they do offer a small number of suites with balconies topside. -- You can't say enough about the friendliness of the staff. From Fabio, our stateroom attendant, to Rebello in dining, ship personnel were uniformly friendly and welcoming. -- While our focus was on Cate, there is a full slate of activities for the adults. Our cruise featured a dance class, BINGO, a Tina Turner tribute show, contests and lots of late night party options, including an adult comedy show. -- Talk about smooth sailing. If you weren't watching the waves go by, you would swear we weren't moving at all. BOTTOM LINE: Whether you are new to cruising or an experienced traveler, this is a great buy for the money. |
There's plenty for adults for the ship as well, like when Pam ordered a perfectly-prepared lemon drop martini, sugar on the rim, please.
Back home too soon at the Port of Palm Beach
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