After our recent Carnival Celebration cruise we have had many people ask what the Havana pool area was like. I thought I’d explain the Havana experience and show you some of the photos we took.
The Havana pool area is exclusive to guests staying in one of the Havana staterooms. There are interior cabins, balconies and cool looking Havana cabanas (see below). We stayed in a Havana interior stateroom as we don’t spend much time in the cabin at all.
In this article I’ll explain:
- What the Havana area is like on Carnival Celebration
- Top reasons to book a Havana stateroom on the Celebration
- Drawbacks to the Celebration Havana experience
- How to access the Havana area
- Which ships have a better Havana area (in my opinion)
Carnival Celebration Havana Pool Area -What’s it like?
I have to say, it is pretty exciting when you step through the doors into the Havana area and see all the comfortable seating options. It is a small space, maybe a bit smaller than I expected, and there is one big drawback (keep reading), but we really enjoyed this space.
Nice lounge chairs
There are several nice lounge chairs with a padded neck roll that line the edge of the ship. Depending on the position of the ship and the sun, these loungers can be in full sun.
Comfortable seating
There are also lots of comfortable chairs around long tables. These are under cover so are shaded and protected if it rains. One of my favorite times to sit here was in the evening. The lights were on so it was a great place to read and listen to the waves.
Outdoor Havana bar
No matter where you sit in the Havana area you are only steps from the bar. Having full bar service so close and no line ups is a definite plus. Whether it is a frozen tropical beverage, a cold beer or classic Cuban cocktails that you are after, you can get them here.
They even serve up Cuban coffee and Cuban sodas. It isn’t long before the friendly bar staff know you by name.
Carnival Celebration Havana pool
In the corner there is a small infinity pool. We found the pool to be on the cold side, but on the really hot days it was nice and refreshing. On one side of the pool there is a ledge to sit on.
There is NO hot tub or whirlpool in the Carnival Celebration Havana area.
Towel station
There is a small towel station beside the pool with a friendly attendant. You do not need to sign out the towels. The Havana towels are a tan color compared to the blue towels you will see around the main pool, aft pool or Summer Landing pool or the yellow ones at the Serenity pool.
This is a convenient feature, it saves you from having to go up 8 decks to get a dry towel.
Washroom
There is a large washroom between the Havana pool and bar. Having a bathroom so close by and I didn’t have to wait for once was definitely a nice feature.
Use of robes
Carnival Celebration Havana stateroom guests will find white plush robes in their cabins that they can use during the cruise.
Fresh fruit
Well it is actually fresh frozen fruit. The Havana attendant would offer bowls of frozen fruit. This is a nice little special touch. The frozen grapes are my favorite.
8 Benefits of staying in a Carnival Havana stateroom
From my experience, here are the top benefits to staying in a Carnival Celebration Havana stateroom.
1. Availability of outside seating
Since this area is only for Havana stateroom guests, it is much less busy than other pool areas on the ship. If you have cruised before you know that often the lounge chairs around the pool are full, especially the ones in the shade.
In the Havana area you will have a much easier time finding a comfortable place to sit. We used the Havana area daily and each day we had our choice of sitting in the sun or the shade. This is a a massive benefit.
2. No lines at the bar
Having a bar steps away that serves very few people is a definite benefit.
3. Havana pool
Having a pool to cool off in that is rarely crowded or at times all to yourself is a wonderful experience.
4. Location
The Carnival Celebration Havana pool area is on deck 8. Our Havana interior cabin was also deck 8. It was so convenient having this outdoor pool area so close to our stateroom.
Deck 8 was my favorite deck, it has so much to offer including coffee, bars, lunch, and late night snacks.
The casino is one deck below which is also convenient if you are like me and enjoy pushing a slot machine button or two.
Celebration Central and Center Stage is where many of the production type shows are performed spans deck 6,7,and 8.
With the Celebration being a large ship, it is nice to have most things you want and need close by.
5. No children under 12
While I have and love children, it is nice to have the option to escape to a calmer, quieter space.
6. Covered seating
This is one of the benefits of the Carnival Celebration Havana pool area that I hadn’t thought of until I experienced it.
We had a couple of rainy days. But since it was still warm, it was nice to sit outside. Having a comfortable covered option that always had seats available as a definite bonus.
7. Quiet evening reading spot
The covered seating are is lit at night. This makes the perfect spot to read in the evenings. There is something so calming about sitting outside on a a cruise ship in the evenings and hearing the waves.
Most evenings I had the whole area to myself.
8. Little perks
While bathrobes and bowls of frozen fruit are little things, they do add to the exclusive experience.
Drawbacks of the Havana experience
1. No hot tub
This is the biggest drawback. The Carnival Celebration Havana area does NOT have a hot tub. Only a pool. It would even be better if the pool was heated.
The Havana area would be so much better with a hot tub, in my opinion.
However, there are 2 hot tubs on deck 8 aft, so at the other end of the ship. I was hoping that we could walk outside from the Havana area to the hot tubs but you can’t.
2. Cost
As expected, Havana cabins are often considerably more than standard staterooms. Only you can decide if the cost difference between the Havana cabins and regular cabins are worth it. They often sell out fast.
If you are looking for an exclusive experience, you could also price out the Excel suites as they have access to the exclusive Loft 19 area. This area does have hot tubs (whirlpools) but not an exclusive pool.
Loft 19 also has cabanas that anyone can rent (even suite guests would have to rent). These can be rented by the day or the week.
3. New friends can’t join you
If you meet people at dinner or elsewhere on the ship, they can’t join you on the Havana pool deck area. This isn’t a big deal as there are plenty of other bars and deck spaces you can hang out with new friends.
How do you access the Carnival Celebration Havana pool area
As mentioned, you have to be staying in one of the Havana staterooms to use the Havana pool area. In your stateroom on the first day will be an envelope with your rubber wristbands. The color changes each week.
There are two doors that access the Havana pool area on Carnival Celebration, one inside the Havana bar (forward deck 8) and one just outside the Havana bar. I preferred to use the one not inside the bar, it is closer to the staterooms and you don’t have to walk through the bar area.
You will scan your Sign & Sail cruise card, and the door will automatically open for you. The attendant will check for wristbands.
On our sailing we did see people get turned away who accessed the area but didn’t have wristbands on.
Which Carnival ships have the best Havana pool area
The Carnival ships in my opinion that have the best Havana pool areas are the Vista class ships. This includes the Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon and the Carnival Panorama. On these ships the Havana pool area is at the back of the cruise ship and not on the side. It is a larger area, has a larger pool and does have hot tubs.
Havana area on Carnival Vista
Not all Carnival ships have a Havana area. The newer Mardi Gras and Carnival Jubilee will have Havana pool areas similar to the Carnival Celebration cruise ship.
I hope this has answered your questions about the Carnival Celebration Havana pool area.
Other Carnival cruise posts you may find helpful:
Carnival Celebration Bolt – All the details and restrictions
15 Things I loved about Carnival Celebration and 3 things I didn’t
Must have cruise essentials that you can find on Amazon
