Review: Celebrity Beyond
Written on September 27, 2024
Cruise dates: May 26-June 1st, 2024
By: William Spencer
The ocean is my number one happy place, especially on a clear, sunny day. It's something about the calmness of the waves, the marine life underneath the surface, gliding peacefully through the water. The ocean is truly a unique biome on this earth. My six-night cruise on Celebrity Beyond, which was my first cruise with the premium line, matched how I feel while on the ocean: calm. So calm that I felt a bit under stimulated, given my brain is autistic, with some ADHD in there as well. Stimulation is a necessity, providing the correct amount of energy for my brain to function at a healthy level. Not enough stimulation I find myself bored and lack of motivation. Too much of it I find myself overwhelmed with noise, sight, smell, I simply cannot get any tasks done.
Leading up to embarkation day, I was building my excitement and anticipation for my first Celebrity cruise onboard the third Edge class vessel, Beyond. A cutting-edge, award-winning class of ships, it has truly reshaped the image of the company. Stepping onboard, I was amazed at the contemporary and asymmetry of the ship: from the artwork, to the interior and exterior deck design, and of course the staterooms. However, the asymmetry of the deck design would become an issue for me...
Normally, navigating a ship comes more natural for me, given the fact that this was my sixth cruise overall. Previously, all my cruises were with Royal Caribbean, a brand I have come to love and appreciate as one of the most competent and autistic friendly cruise lines. The Beyond’ s asymmetrical design, in my experience, provided confusion and a little frustration to navigate the ship. Some pathways led to dead ends, while others randomly turned in different directions. And of course, the lack of signage showing you where FORWARD and AFT is relative to your current location on the ship. These signs were only provided at the only two elevator banks.
My autistic brain could not figure out the ship in six days, as I was constantly walking to either elevator bank to know if I was FORWARD or AFT. There should have been more signs placed in the middle of the ship, in the Grand Plaza to be exact, the heartbeat of the ship. Moving on to under stimulation, I found myself bored and lacking motivation to do anything. I spent most of my time reading my Kindle in Eden, a somewhat vibrant, interesting venue located at the AFT. At least the floor to ceiling windows providing grand views of the ocean was delightful.
The live music onboard was very different compared to Royal, which I was expecting. Even so, the music did not bring excitement, a disappointing factor from a person who loves music. Now the food, on the other hand, the best meals in my entire life, especially on a cruise ship. I say, the cuisine was the highlight of the trip. Very tasty, with each dish presentation superb, and the restaurants accommodated with my dairy allergy.
Despite the negatives, the asymmetry and lack of stimulation, my overall experience with Celebrity was positive. The ship was very clean, the crew was friendly, and my solo infinite veranda cabin was the perfect size for a solo traveler. One question remains: am I a fan of the infinite veranda staterooms with no traditional balcony? No.