Just got back early this morning from our 5 night cruise on the Elation. Once again I was pleasantly surprised by our experience, especially after reading some of the other reviews on this forum. We took a taxi directly from the airport which was easy and pleasant. Check in was super quick and efficient (we did not have FTF). From arrival at port to on boat took about 1 hour tops. We went right away to pick out our HMC cabana, no line and super friendly, helpful guest services person. We then went up to Lido deck for our first drink, once again friendly helpful bartenders. We grabbed a bite to eat in Tiffanys and then went to check on our room. I always go cheap and pick an inside room. This time since I was traveling with my daughter we got the upper/lower. It was fine, we both enjoyed the blackout effect and it was very quiet.
Kevin Donahue was the cruise director and he along with the entertainment staff were great! We went to all of the shows and let me tell you those kids work hard. Yes the pools are small, BUT unlike other cruises we never had difficulty finding a lounge chair, even on the serenity deck. We also were always able to get into a hot tubs whenever we wanted to. We ate mostly in our main dining hall and I would say that overall I enjoyed the food more there than in Tiffany's. Yes the ship does need a face lift, but I constantly saw people cleaning and working on maintenance. When we came into port they immediately started working outside on the rusty spots. We had hoped to swim with the dolphins, but since it was windy and rainy it got canceled. We opted instead for a tour of Nassau, ending with the Ardasta Gardens. This okay, considering the weather and also I think the Gardens are a bit dated, but in fairness I think there was also some post Hurricane Matthew damage. As I said earlier we rented a Cabana on HMC and it was GREAT! With that ticket you get priority first tender off of the boat and onto the island early. It was beautiful and I would definitely do that again.
Room- just fine, always clean and twice a day service.
One of the more organized ports I have been on.
Cabana rental worth every penny!