Let me begin by saying that the staff on the Fantasy was amazing! They were always courteous, and anticipated your every need... with the exception of the "Pirate Pizza" staff, who were quite rude.

When we arrived on the ship, we walked around to familiarize ourselves with the different floors. The Fantasy is an old ship which has been refurbished, but it still rings of early 90's décor. We were all a little shocked to find only one functioning hot tub (unless you want to go to the adult only section, where there are two) and the smallest pool you could imagine! More on the pool/hot tub later. There was a sales pitch going on from the moment we stepped on board. Free spa tour and sample massage? Major sales pitch involving stopping at every room to get a hard sell on the "special" (note that there are a variety of "specials" every day, so whatever you do, do not pay full price in the spa!) There is a large casino, several smaller nightclubs, and almost an entire floor dedicated to purchasing photos.

Our room was ready earlier than I anticipated, and out steward, Arthur, was amazing! The room itself was your typical cruise ship room, and was actually pretty comfortable until the bunk was let down each night. (In-room limbo, anyone?) The beds were very comfortable, and plenty of pillows were provided. We opted for an ocean view room on the Empress deck, which was nice. The children were able to watch the waves and see some dolphins while we got ready. Read more