11 night Vanuatu and New Caledonia cruise. Second time on the Spirit. Went on her when she first came to Aussie about 5 years ago. Said we wouldn't go on Carnival again; but my Brother and his partner ha recently been on and enjoyed it and we were keen to travel with them. It was a real mixed-bag. Embarkation went very smoothly. Muster is a dogs-breakfast though. Why they need to line everybody up like POW's at roll-call, out on the promenade without shade, packed in like sardines is a mystery. On most Princess cruises we've been on, Muster has been in the theater or one of the lounges. The ship is an interesting mix of decors. We had a Balcony Room. Room was tidy and had a fridge. Beds were ok; but not the luxury you get on Princess. Cruise was outside of school holidays, so there wasn't a lot of kids on-board. The ship didn't feel crowded and there was always somewhere quiet you could go. Service levels fluctuated a bit. Never bad.. but not always great. Sadly, we had a jumper on the 3rd night and the ship was required to return to the area to search. That meant we didn't make it into Port that day. The Captain did an amazing job re-jigging the Itinerary so that we still got to 5 Ports and didn't lose one (and arguably, some would say he gave us an improved itinerary). Mystery Island is always a crowd favourite and didn't disappoint. Port Vila always has many varied options and of course, the cheapest duty-free. We've been to all the Ports before, up to 5 times in some cases; so did our own thing for shore-tours. Entertainment was good. The live band that replaced Music Manila were good musicians (and less corny). There were a couple of good solo entertainers and a good trio of violinists playing their take on some pop and rock classics. There was an MOR sequenced duo (and they had good voices). Saw some good shows including a Freddie Mercury impersonator and entertainment was good. To top it off.. they have the Adults Comedy up to 3 times a night which was great. R18. Some of the comedy was very funny (although def Adult only). Usual trivia most days. The unfortunate let-down is the food. It's bland. MDR service ranged from poor to good (first time we had done anytime dining.. maybe that doesn't help). Felt like they were trying to rush you through.. often serving mains to the table while some of us were still eating our entrees. Constantly having to ask for extra butter.. or even bread rolls. Water empty.. no drink orders taken. Very hit and miss and not of the standard you would see on other lines. The food itself and the menus - very average. Usually only luke-warm. Uninspiring. In the past cruises, we had always looked forward to dinner as one of the highlights of the day. On Carnival.. you eat because you have to. The food is poor and you feel like they're trying to get rid of you. Buffet food was very average. Buffet and all food options close by 9pm except the Pizza which is not a great pizza. No other options for a snack later at night. I guess you get spoiled on Princess with 24 hour International Cafe, buffet open till 11pm, free room service (you have to pay extra on Carnival). Breakfast in the dining room - don't think they got the order right once. The burgers and fries closed super early (and were not great anyhow). The BBQ that they had up on top deck sometimes was good though. Coffee was disappointing. If I want to pay for a decent Espresso coffee; I want a cup and saucer.. not a plastic cup. Disembarking was fine. Pools are salt-water. Not my cup of tea (although admit some prefer them over chlorine). All-in-all, a very mixed bag. Fun to be had.. but the food was such a let down that we will have the fun on a different brand that does things right! Read Less

My sister and I travelled on the Carnival Spirit for an 11 day cruise to the Loyalty Islands particularly to visit Santo as many cruise Lines are no longer visiting this port due to the high Port Fees. We both felt that the embarkation process was too long and uncomfortable with long periods of standing in the heat without moving. The Carnival Spirit is an older ship that is showing is age and is looking rusty on the outside and tired on the inside decor. The best part of the ship is definitely the crew, particularly the stewards and waiters who go above and beyond the call of duty to care, provide for and entertain everyone. They are amazing. Unfortunately the ship experienced an unexpected tragedy on board on the third night of the cruise which resulted in an extra day of sailing so a decision was made to exclude Santo and Mare from the itinerary which was unfortunate. The captain then agreed to include Lifou and Isle of Pines instead. Unfortunately we were both underwhelmed by the meals in the Main Dining Room compared to a holiday we had on the same ship just twelve months before. The presentation and quality of the meals wasn’t anywhere near as good as the previous trip and there seemed to be obvious cost cutting measures in place. The shore excursions provided by the ship were few and usually double the cost of local providers but this is typical of all cruise lines. The entertainment provided in the nightly shows were usually very good however the Comedians hired on this cruise were well below par. We weren’t travelling with children and felt that most movies and on deck activities were directed at children so other than Trivia, Bingo and the Casino adults had very little to do. We did however feel that the new Cruise Director Chloe did a wonderful job in engaging passengers. Carnival Cruise Lines need to look into refurbishing, rethink the cost cutting and looking into hiring better quality entertainment before we will travel with them again. Read Less

The cruise Director Chloe made this cruise amazing!Loved the new menu in Nouveau!behind the fun tour very interesting!room stewards were great and always remembered our name!This ship is really starting to show her age and needs a bit of attention!Food mostly good a few meals were a bit average!Sushi restaurant fabulous!overall a great cruise! Shows were amazing usually easy to get a seat!Onboard shops Heinemann do not like new owners of the shops very expensive duty free alcohol was outrageously priced we bought all our alcohol in Port Vila for a fraction of the price!No varietyIf You didn’t want a watch handbag or overpriced junk jewellery!that was about it all I bought in 11 days was a T-shirt!! Really enjoyed trivia would have like more Aussie trivia!music trivia was always so much fun! We participated in the love and marriage show !we were recognised for the rest of the tour for the wrong reasons lol not sure I would do it again I will stick to watching others but fun to do once! Read Less

Embarkation & disembarkation process was extremely easy & smooth. Very comfy cabin. Unfortunately the drink service from waitstaff was minimal when on deck in comparison with previous cruises. We only dined in the dining room 3 times, once for lunch & twice for dinner. I don’t know if it was because we chose anytime dining but each time we had to wait to get waiters attention to order a drink. The buffet food never changed & they had one side closed off each night & so much of it was cold. We got pizza one night which was obviously someone else’s reject as it lacked any decent amount of topping (pepperoni). Once we discovered the deck bbq, that’s where we chose to eat for lunch. It was absolutely delicious. We chose this cruise for Santo but didn’t get there nor to Maré due to incident on ship. We ended up going to Lifou which we didn’t bother getting off the ship for as we’ve been every other time. Also went to Isle of Pines but because they weren’t expecting us, there were hardly any markets operating. The Casino was a total rip off, put so much money through the pokies with no return ( could’ve gone on another cruise ) which was obviously our choice but just a little run would have been nice. Was very happy with the overall experience of our first cruise on a Carnival ship. Very easy to navigate though the decor seriously needs to be updated. Met some lovely people onboard. Did a great tour while in Vila, going to Raru waterfalls, Blue Lagoon with lunch, Duty free shopping & pub stop with Karaoke. Hopefully we’ll get to Santo one day... Read Less

Have to commend the captain as he had some very difficult decisions to make but he managed to still get us our 5 stops. Wasn't very happy with the food. Main dining room menu didn't change very much and food was not as good as I have had on other ships. Entertainment wasn't as good either. Loved the daytime trivia, seemed to always be a trivia to go to and Chloe the entertainments manager was great. Thought the evening shows could have been a lot better. Room and bathroom were plenty big enough and always clean. Staff very friendly and always ready to help. Embarkation and disembarkation went without a hitch and used Carnival for transport to airport. Shore excursions were mainly booked privately but all went very well and most enjoyable, must say Isle of Pines is now my favourite island. Loved the outside cinema and watched a few good movies there. Also happy to see a few members of staff moving towels so others could sit down. Read Less

We had the best time on this five day cruise to Tasmania. Everything about our holiday was first class. Our balcony cabin was spacious, clean and had a comfortably sized bathroom. Our cabin steward was excellent , friendly and helpfu, the different animals he made daily were really appreciated. The meals in the dining room were varied and delicious and the wait staff very attentive. always remembering our names. The Serenity pool area was a very pleasant and relaxing spot to sit, especially in a cabana with a strawberry daiquiri. Children are not allowed in this area so it stays peaceful. The Mexican food bar provided delicious burrito bowls with large prawns which were a very enjoyable lunch. The entertainment in the Pharaohs Palace lounge was amazing, professional and thoroughly enjoyable. We are regular cruisers having travelled on Cunard, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity in the past. We will definitely cruise on The Carnival Spirit again. Read Less

CARNIVAL SPIRIT embodies CARNIVAL’S value for money and family themes. WATER SLIDES and SPLASH POOLS plus TWIN FAMILY SWIM POOLS appeal to the young (and not so – at 73 I can’t resist the high GREEN THUNDER SLIDE nor the 24hour soft serve machines). Dining rooms my 3 previous cruises saw food vary from good to overcooked. Wait-staff usually great – only one guy hopeless. Highlight: the nightly song and dance by wait+kitchen staff – enjoyed by most passengers. + head honcho DESSIE does a brilliant job. Latest trip saw saw gppd waot staff. one meal brilliant – othrs slightly cold overcooked food (how long had they been sitting in the kitchen? – this was the second sitting seeing CARNIVAL could not meet all requests for ANYTIME DINING) + fellow table guests just too colourful fer this introverted couple (I got the impression they thought us boring – not wrong in comparison) + meal finishing time which dictated the LATE SHOW in the theatre – not great for old dudes wanna hit the sack before 1300. Consequently LADY BLACKELDO and I abandoned the dining room for a buffet dinner after the 3rd night. Gotta say there was nothing disappointing about the buffet dinner in comparison. BUFFET food away from dinner echoed dining room. Good ….. and not so. Somehow the spacious buffets seem more crowded than other ships. There are a few bottlenecks – surely some hotshot expert can sort this out. Sunning areas spacious and numerous – maybe best of all ships. But interior lounge/relax areas a bit short. Each theatre spacious – entertainment from good …. to not so. Gyms most spacious and best equipped of all 5 lines I’ve used. I noticed this trip my one complaint re NO CHIN UP BARS had been rectified. Spacious, sunny (but with shade) ADULTS’ ONLY areas policed VERY well. This is important – I’m over sharing the adults’ only pool and spa with kids – suffering the glare of parents – can you dudes read THE SIGN ON ENTRANCE?? …. apparently not. Sensitive types may find CARNIVAL’S Las Vegas style décor a bit flash – although SPIRIT is down a step from LEGEND. But I did notice some LEGEND type wall art in the corridors not seen on previous cruises. DESTINATONS – I kinda like PORT ARTHUR and HOBART. Fer a start, they are a bit different fom our usual PACIFIC ISLANDS destinations. Plus both were great for TIGHTWADS like us who just wanna get off the ship and explore the area independently. I’m over expensive ships’ tours. This latest cruise saw streamlined check-in (cruise cards not issued – waiting at cabin doors [yeah I know what yer thinging]): quickest of all my previous 13 cruises. Read Less

To be honest I didn’t even know what carnival was like when I first booked. It had a 3 days flash sale on and I jumped in as the prices looked too good. I literally had to google where noumea was after I paid for the cruise. I went with my partner and it was truly an awesome cruise. First and foremost we got the faster to the fun programe and it probably took us 10 mins to get on board through customs immigrations etc. Took us about 5 days to get familiar with the boat, there was so much to do. The activities keeps you busy from 8am in the morning till 11pm or late. The cruise director Eli went above and beyond to make things comfortable for all of us. From embarkation to tenders to every shows, he was there to talk us through. Drinks prices were reasonable. We had both the Mad Hatter’s tea and Green Eggs and ham breakfast for $10 each per event. Which was super cheap given the amount of food there was. The staff remembered our names by heart. Trivias, a live game of cluedo, hasbro family games, comedy shows and playlist productions kept us on our toes all day long. All tendering process was smooth and pleasant. Would go on carnival again and again. And last but not the least, the islands were like little paradise. Read Less

It had been a few months between holidays and, getting restless, Kirsten suggested a last minute cruise she’d seen on sale. I started dreaming of all the meals we’d be eating without needing to prepare, shop, cook or clean up and without much hesitation, I was in. The cruise was a 12-day South Pacific jaunt aboard the Carnival Spirit, departing and arriving back to our home city of Sydney which we believe to be one of the most gorgeous ports in the world. I must admit we were both cautiously optimistic about our decision. We’d seen the likes of P&O, Carnival and various equivalents leave Sydney packed with Aussies, and having experienced a luxury European river cruise on Scenic and an upmarket Cunard cruise aboard Queen Elizabeth, we weren’t sure if the ‘big fun ship’ was our style. Thinking ahead wistfully about the work and housework we’d enjoy NOT doing for 12 whole days and nights, we were totally on board (so to speak) with the trip to Noumea, Mystery Island, Denarau, Suva and finally Mare aboard a floating hotel. Apart from Fiji, these were new discoveries for us, some new world experiences for these two travel lovers. The Carnival Spirit, playfully referred to as the Fun Ship, holds approx. 2400 passengers and 930 crew. We boarded at around midday on what can only be described as a dream experience of Customs, going straight from being dropped off directly outside the passenger terminal at Circular Quay, to getting our bags taken off our hands before entering the building and breezing through the customs checks and scanners, a quick check in to our room and onto the ship. We could then go straight to our booked Stateroom where our room keys were sitting in a box at our door waiting for us. The best in Sydney, I’d say. We were all feeling festive and ready to escape the city on our adventure at sea. Once we’d slowly exited Sydney Heads, and waved goodbye to the pilot boat from our love-cabana for two, we headed back to the room to get ready for dinner, and discovered a slight glitch in the merriment – my bag was held up because I had a power board and apparently they are a no go onboard. We had to line up in some lower part of the ship along with all the other people with power boards, irons, or alcohol, all of which are not permitted, so we could open the locked bag and hand over the bugger. We were told we could request one of the ship’s own power boards should we need one, which we did. Go figure. You couldn’t take your own, but you could borrow one at no charge. We experienced our first dinner in the main dining room and took ourselves on a tour of the Carnival Spirit. It’s hard to describe her interior as it’s not completely one style. It’s sort of a mish-mash of themed rooms, somewhat like the special hotel rooms you could hire back in the 80’s. Carnival calls it ”The World’s Great Architectural Styles”. You have the Empire Dining Room which is Egyptian with lots of gold and rich colours, and the Pharoah’s Room where the main shows are performed (also Egyptian themed). The Lido (buffet area) feels like sideshow alley and then there’s a jungle-themed walk, a Chinese themed bar (without Chinese food, or any food for that matter), a Japanese restaurant, an 80’s disco, and a couple of leadlight glass and dark wood detailed areas giving an old English pub feel. The main lobby and bar was small but packed a glitz punch of gold everywhere you looked, fresco’s on the ceiling and 3 glass elevators. It was like being in the Sistine Chapel inside Harrods. To top off our self-guided ship tour, we discovered the Casino, shopping alleys and picture viewing galleries all there to entice those precious dollars from your pocket on a day at sea, which of course didn’t feel like you were really spending because you were using a plastic room card to pay. We were fairly happy to find that the cocktails, beer and wine were all very reasonably priced, at pub prices rather than an upmarket bar or restaurant prices. However, if you didn’t want VB, Tooheys New or a couple of other Aussie beers, you were pretty much out of luck. They used to provide all-inclusive alcohol packages on this ship, or so we were told, but these days you can only buy an all-inclusive soft drink package. Not quite the same. I’m guessing that all-inclusive alcohol served to Aussies is a bad financial deal for the cruise line. In the evenings there is always a show to go to after dinner. While we were ready to be wowed delighted, the entertainment proved disappointing. There’s an onboard entertainment team which do their best but it’s a bit too “High School Musical” for this writer and his travel lover. They also have a Comedy Club inside the Versaille room. We dropped in for a PG performance and sadly we’ve never seen anyone bomb so badly, and we left before he finished his set. The Carnival Spirits best entertainment is from the wait staff, they are really fantastic and dance and sing every night while having dinner. It’s not uncommon for a dancing train to weave its way around the dining room, filled with both wait staff and fellow passengers. Even the Captain was most entertaining with a wry sense of humour and Eli, the cruise director, was brilliant. He’s a Kiwi and knows how to find the ironic and joke in situations. His ships talks were worth sitting in on. Sea days are always a good way to test a ships’ boredom factor. Luckily the Carnival Spirit have an adults-only area called “Serenity” at the rear of the ship as I previously mentioned. We’d get there just after breakfast to claim one of the round cane cabanas for 2, and while away many hours keeping shady and reading books while facing out to sea and feeling the fresh sea air. All good while the weather was fine. But after our Mare stop was cancelled due to a cyclone we couldn’t go to our haven and had to endure 4 straight days at sea, mostly indoors. We started to consider the possibility of swimming to shore. Any shore. These days proved difficult and consisted of towel folding demonstrations, bingo, trivia, secrets to a flatter stomach, and blackjack, not to mention more trips to the buffet out of sheer boredom – pretty common cruise activities. Read Less

I enjoyed an earlier cruise to New Caledonia on Carnival Spirit. Unfortunately the second time around was not so good; perhaps because we were in an inside cabin this time. The cabin itself was quite a bit smaller than I expected. There was no lounge chair, only a single chair, plus a stool in front of the dressing table/ desk. The single beds in our cabin were only 2’ 6” wide which is too narrow. Also, my bed was lumpy, I think because the mattress protector was ill fitting and kept bunching-up in the middle. Okay, so we only paid for a cheap inside cabin, so we don’t expect the world. The air conditioning was very effective at cooling the cabin, but it was at times a little too cool and very sensitive to movements of the controller. Nevertheless, I would rather be cool than too hot. The bathroom smelt musty/ mouldy as soon as we first entered it. I think because the shower curtains may not be washed frequently enough and the whole bathroom smelt like it could do with a good wipe over with chlorine bleach. The toilet smelt of old urine from the minute we entered the cabin. Also the toilet seat did not appear to me to be very clean with old ingrained stains. I noticed the same smells in the bathroom in the last cruise I did on Carnival Spirit. During that cruise I had to ask the steward if she could find some bleach to clean it with. The food in the buffet is generally good considering the price of the cruise, but they generally served up the same offerings every day. They could easily provide more variety without spending more money. For example, the home fried potatoes have a bad tasting spice on them. They could provide some variety by not using the spices on some days. Also, the baked beans were always the variet with onions. How about buying some cans of beans without the onions. No extra cost. At the breakfast buffet (Good Eats) the food is put out at around 6:30am but guests aren’t allowed to touch it until 7:00, by which time much of it is not so enjoyable, especially the eggs benedict. At the Guy Fieri burger stand, I think they need to change the frying oil more frequently as the potato chips (fries) I had were soft and dark. Instead of the art auctions in the Versailles Lounge, where hardly anybody buys anything, they should show movies during the day more frequently. These would be very well attended judging by the attendance at the one or two movies that they did show. The enrichment activities were generally attempts to sell health-related treatments to passengers. These all seemed to be quite expensive. Most people, including myself, only seemed to attend the art auctions for the free “champagne”, which is just sparkling white wine, and the entertainment. Even the free sparkling white wine was mostly orange juice. OK, we don’t expect real champagne, but at least give the option of either straight sparkling wine or the wine/orange juice mixture. The gym was advertised as opening at 6:00am, but on three occasions this cruise I had to ask a passing staffer to open it up. This was done with barely a grunt. I was also concerned about the grinding and repainting work being done on the Lido deck during the sea days, only metres away from passengers including kids. From what I could see there was little attempt, and probably no easy way, to suppress the dust while they were doing the work. Not a good look. There was quite an extensive list of shore excursions available, but information on these should be provided to passengers online in advance of the cruise so we can plan a little. As it was, many of the good excursions were fully booked when we tried to book them on the second sea day. Royal Caribbean does a much better job at providingn this information to passengers as soon as they have booked. Overall, the experience was about average, but okay for the money we paid. I would probably pay a little (or a lot?) more and cruise with a different cruise line next time. Read Less