We booked this cruise as the time was suitable, Great Staff and service, food was of poor quality compared to other cruises, buffet was fair to good. Overall the Carnival shows where the best, the outfits were amazing. Our room upgrade was also fantastic. Thank you for upgrading upgrading us we weren't expecting that but it was an amazing suprise our room was great. Thank you so much we greatly appreciate it. We had a great time and we will return again. we also had a $400 dollar credit, that was more than ample for our 8 night cruise On the Carnival Spirit. The Captain Vittorio, was very approachable, as well as the cabin staff. Speaking of the staff, The night dinning room staff, At table 216 Where fantastic at the 7 45 pm sitting, head waiter lgusti was fantastic. To Some up a fantastic cruise with great staff, buffet was good, the Main dinning food was poor at times. Read Less

8 days South Pacific cruise to Isle of Pines, Mare and Nouméa, Enrichment Activities - did not attend any, these don’t interest us. Embarkation/disembarkation - good, we did not encounter any issues. Public Rooms - well maintained, and spaced out. Cabin - we had interior Stateroom 7260, no major issues, and close to the Empire Restaurant on level 2. In fact it doesn’t matter where you were located, there’s lifts close by, everywhere, as the ship is not huge. Shore Excursions - we did not book any. We did our own thing. Isles of Pines - we tender to the island for a swim, and soak in the village experience. We did not purchase anything or eat anything on the island. Bring sufficient dollars and coins in Aussie money because change is given in French, and you don’t want that. Mare - we tender to the island, but we did not stay long, as there was not much to see or do, however for $$$ you can go on a tour if you wish to. Nouméa- we disembarked. We did our own thing, we walked around the CBD, having been to Noumea many years ago, nothing has changed too much. Cost of living is very high. For a fee, the ship provides a shuttle, and another free shuttle to take you across to the CBD, as its impossible to walk to get to the CBD - too many cars and dangerous. Onboard Experience - karaoke every night for 2 hours to give kids and adults a chance to shine and make some noise, song book organised, however very limited song choices, and after a few nights you just don’t bother to partake, but listen to the others. Audience cannot assist you to sing because there’s no additional screens, and that is a real downfall. All other ships have screen, including your local pub. Dancing classes - good, but very short lesson, to pass time, and cheap, and given in the Spirit Lobby - a very small area which is not ideal. Water slides - did not partake, too cold for us. Restaurants (paying) - too expensive, did not partake. Entertainment - not the best, just average rock bands and singers. However, Electric Violin with Emerald Trio was excellent - something different. Shopping - good selection, but expensive. The alcohol shop on the 2nd last day duty free at 4pm (10% discount) was very disorganised, the queue to the checkout was long and crowded. Thank goodness I paid for my alcohol in the jewellery shop. Activities on board are OK, can be repetitious. Most activities in mind are cheaply thought of. Photos - very expensive, and on level 3 is devoted to photos only. To become a professional photographer takes years in training, where these are all amateurs. An elderly couple picked up their photos, costed heaps, and realised their wrinkles were all photoshopped. Alcohol - very expensive. If you are a beer drinker, consider taking a package when you get onboard and ask at the bar. One drink can set you back $9.00, and this can add up very quick. Wine is the same, about $35 a bottle. But Aussies are big drinkers, this is Carnival’s secret weapon. Value for Money - we booked the special price and if you don’t drink, then on this special price was fine. However, some paid over $1,000 for an interior Stateroom, and got ripped off by their travel agent or a close friend, only to find out it was cheaper online from the cruise company. Do your research. Dining - fine dining is very average, and dish presentation is terrible, timing and fast service is what’s all about. We have been cruising for many years, most cruise don’t tell you, you can order as many dishes as you like, e.g 2-3 entrees, 3 mains etc, and if you don’t like, after that head to the buffet for more choices. Dressing up for theme night is not required, your choice. Elegant dress night is applicable, however not enforced. Just look decent and have some respect. The buffet food on level 9, some dishes are good, some are terrible - tasteless, too sweet or too dry as in chicken dishes. Overall, you’ll find something to eat. Some of soups were tasty. Staff in fine dining and buffet were great and hard working. Fitness and recreation - free and a good selection of gym equipment. There is a spa in this area, and also free sauna and steam rooms, and showers. Drinking water and towels provided. All inside and uncovered. For a fee, there are beauty treatments and hair salon. Serenity pool area - free over 18s. A place to relax, and drink. Overall - the decor on this ship is not pleasing to the eye, and very much what you read in the reviews, yuk, but you get use to it, after a few days. Rust is just about everywhere. Guest relations, some ladies can’t multi task, some are plain rude, and have no idea about how the Aussie’s think. All hospitality staff on the ship are pleasant. Some hosts/directors have excellent commend of English, others are just terrible. Security was good, however, do remember there’s always young to med single man, and including dirty old man on a hunt for a catch, so be mindful, and always be on guard, and not be chatty to anyone just because he looks friendly. No we would not be returning on to this ship, many of the activities were boring, many things were repeated over and over, and some entertainment just average. On this cruise it was school holidays, it was loud, but acceptable to us. Tips - bring ear buds, medication, wet suit, hand and face cream, nail clippers, sun screen, hat, duct tape, camera or go pro, iPad has better reception than iPhone, however very slow. Do not bother with premium package internet, I purchased the med range at $129, but could not send or receive emails, that was fine with me, an Aussie Power adapter, bring two, the prong is reversed being the ship v is the the way around, be sure you have clearance, that is space around the adapters, bring iPhone chargers, do not bring power packs. The power outlet in our room was situated on the desk, and you could not move the desk to get clearance, joggers, flats, and one pair of elegant shoes, not your best heels, it’s not a competition, Aussie dollars and coins if you want to buy things on the island, shorts, swimmers and your holiday spirit if this is your first cruise. Control all expenses and just enjoy this cruise and give feedback. Read Less

Hi as a first time Cruiser this was a wonderful experience. We travelled as a family of 12 aged between 5yrs,16yrs to the 30's & 56 which was me. The Ship was absolutely beautiful & catered for all ages. The entertainment on board was fantastic & ranged from bingo, trivia games, karoake , craft days & health beauty seminars. There were cinemas which catered for many ages & live shows eg stand up comedian & even a Hypnotist . I took my 5 year old grandson to see the Hypnotist & he was in awe. A great show. We built a bear & my Grandbaby joined Kids club. We had 2 formal nights, a Mexican night & a 80's night. They were fantastic fun & to watch my children participate was good fun. They had pirate dress up & treasure hunt. The hairiest chest contest. The list goes on. My partner & I followed a singer called Rob who played 70's & 80's & performed a Johnny Cash & Neil Diamond show. The Red Frog Pub lounge was fantastic on level 2, Shanghi was great for the karaoke nights & the seminars took place there through the the days. The Serenity area on deck 9 was just so good to chill as no children allowed lol! The service from all the bars, dining extra was nothing but excellent. The dining room Empire on level 2 & 3 was truly amazing nothing but professional & silver service. Food was prepared well & tasted delicious . The Buffet was a little more hectic but still great food & good variety. Pizza was 24hrs a day & my family took full advantage of it. Especially my 2 sons. Pizza mad. Hamburgers were cooked from about 11am till 5pm & you could put just about anything you wanted on them. Ice ream was in endless supply. The Cabins were really beautiful & I am pleased we paid the extra to have a balcony. 2 of our group members got a balcony slightly obstructed views but their room was even better than ours. I was in awe of it & next time would happily have the obstructed view. You could see everything really just below was a lifeboat but who cares. Their room 5174 was slightly bigger & better quality carpet, benches etc. Bathroom was much nicer than ours. We were all on level 5. Rooms 5252,5254,5256 & 5174. I would take 5174 anytime it was cheaper & a nicer. Room service was perfect. Our rooms were cleaned immaculately & Wyman was nothing but friendly, helpful & cheery. He knew our names quickly & greeted us daily with his lovely welcoming disposition. Everyday we had a towel animal greet us when we came back to our rooms. I was so impressed I went to a seminar where they showed how to make an elephant & dog. I was wrapped as elephants are my favourite animal. We purchased the book so worth it! The places we ported were Noumea, Isle of Pines, Mare, Mystery Island & Port Vila. Noumea I would probably not revisit but a tip make sure you exchange money either on ship or at the markets where there is an exchange machine. I went into supermarket & couldnt use Aussie $. But the bar we sat at for awhile did accept our money. Beaches beautiful but not so friendly. Isle of Pines was paradise & the people were just lovely. Happy friendly & welcoming. Next port was Mare where my adult children went snorkelling . They loved it &a I enjoyed the markets. Mystery Island was my favourite it was just so pretty &I reminded me of a Rv show called Gillgans island. The beaches in all these ports were stunning. No seaweed & a blue colour that was just mind boggling. The waters were stunning. Mystery Island was cheapest for souviniers . Port Vila was great but a bit more overwhelming. Busy busy busy. The taxi driver that took us about were friendly, knowledgable & keen to show how they live. But the Duty free is fantastic. All the islanders were lovely couldn't fault them. The French in general were semi pleasant but some rather rude. Well that is most of my experiences I found it just the most extraordinary 12 days & loved my every moments & so glad I shared them with my family. ( Television needs a bit of adjustment for those who can't sleep or need to entertain a child. They need a channel just for children's movies & they need more movies than the 7 or 9 they kept showing. People who lack sleep need some in room entertainment . I suggest you download iPad with movies & take them along with you) Read Less

This was a yearly holiday with my sisters, our second Cruise, first on the Spirit. We had the best time, the ship was in great condition, our cabin was cosy but comfortable and very clean, thanks to Cristina and Moh. The staff were very friendly. The dining in the Empire Room was amazing, we had excellent service with Kaur, I Madi and Goran, the food was delicious, there was not one meal we weren't happy with. The Showtime at 7 o'clock was so much fun and a Highlight. The dining in other areas was also excellent and the Serenity Bar was the place to go away from the kids (although we didn't have a problem with any of the children, most were very well behaved and polite). The staff all over the ship were very friendly, we only came across one grumpy one, he must have been tired and don't blame him as they all work so hard and long hours, we only saw him the once. The Ports and excursions were fantastic, except for one, the Mare Island was not one we would bother to go to again. Mystery Island seemed to be everyone's favourite. Loved all the Entertainment, (there was plenty of it, there's no way you could be bored). We met many new friends, including the Staff I have mentioned, we laughed, ate, drank and have great memories. We were sad when the cruise ended and are looking forward to our next Cruise as soon as possible. Read Less

Enjoyed my 11 night cruise to the South Pacific, but the Carnival Spirit didn't quite live up to expectations. The food was the biggest disappointment - average would be the best description, though some passengers raved about the food, particularly in the main dining room (made us wonder what they were used to) - we swear that the cheesecake was a Sarah Lee frozen one!!! There was no flair or finesse in the presentation and the menu left a lot to be desired - the potato served up was so old it had shoots on it!!! But none of the promised sour cream, chives or bacon bits..... eating in the Lido Buffet was ok, as long as you got there early to beat the masses. Another disappointment was that the food stations were not open as advertised - meaning that it was a bit hit and miss as to what food was available (we saw a crew member almost cry when she was unable to get a meal later in the night and had to settle for pizza, which is 24 hrs) The ice cream is a soft serve machine, one of which broke down and was removed. On the up side, we all lost weight by the time we got off the ship!! Our cabin was good and the room stewart attentive - although we had to have our fridge replaced and then the new one still didnt work (turned out to be a power problem that was rectified eventually). We enjoyed the entertainment most nights, had fun at the ports of call and joined in trivia etc. All in all, it was a good cruise though I would not rave over the ship....we all felt it just didnt live up to our expectations and will try another cruise line next time Read Less

Just got back from a weekend cruise to nowhere on the Spirit, cannot highly recommend the ship enough. The staff are amazing, our cruise director Chloe was always around and mingling with the guests unlike a previous cruise director I have had. We were upgraded from an interior to a balcony cabin 5245 which had enough room for the two of us and the access bathroom was a great size! The dining room staff were attentive yet not overbearing Michael had some great dance moves on him! The staff who worked up at the buffet were friendly and helpful, along with the bar staff outside. JJ was a blast at bingo hope to have him again next time. The Park West crew were amazing and helpful, George was not only an excellent auctioneer but great for a laugh as well and did not ram Peter Max down our throats unlike a previous cruise. The housekeeping staff are amazing and such hard workers they deserve more praise than they ever get. Cannot wait to get back onboard and rejoin the carnival family. Read Less

Just back from our Carnival Spirit cruise to New Caledonia and Vanuatu (August 2018). Once again another very good cruise experience on the Carnival Spirit. The Carnival Spirit is very well organised, staff are very friendly and helpful. Food is very good standard and available at very good times. Entertainment was great. The Carnival Spirit is a step ahead in terms of quality over the competitor's cruise we went with earlier this year. Embarking, getting onto the tenders at the island stops and disembarking was very well organised, with very little wasted time. The ship's lifts are quite quick, even during very busy traffic times - this was a problem on the competitor's ship we went on earlier this year. On board shopping ("duty free" jewellery and alcohol) was on the expensive side (this was the only item not as good as the competitor cruise we went on earlier this year). The duty free alcohol did not seem to as good value as my last Carnival cruise. I will plan to do my duty free alcohol and any watch etc shopping in the ports (or at home before I leave) next time. I am looking forward to my next Carnival cruise. Read Less

Wanted to try a different cruise line after being with Princess Cruises. Thought Fun ship that's different. Well not what I call fun. Getting pushed out of way by kids and parents. Kids running up and down hallways and up and down stairs pushing elevator buttons. Embarkation was average to say the least. Cabin was clean ad tidy but smaller then I was expecting We had anytime dinning that was ok and food was OK but not much variety Entertainment as OK there was a couple of good shows but was a big disturbance in one of the comedy shows and security was very slow sorting that out The Bar service was OK but seriously when is it OK to have kids sitting at bars in my opinion that is terrible practice. In the casino there were kids running around pushing buttons not good practice allowing that Parents were more concerned with having there own fun to worry what there kids were doing The shore excursions were average but OK Was suppose to get $200 credit each not a cent received. and the internet was the worst I have had on any cruise. $240 and could not access any thing I would not sail on the Sprit again at this stage Read Less

My partner and I were looking for a relaxing packaged holiday where we could just put our feet up and relax. As my partner is expecting a baby we were somewhat limited for choice because of the Zika virus, so the decision to join the cruise was made. Although we were a little anxious and skeptical about how much we would enjoy it as a cruise is not the usual kind of travel we do, we both thoroughly enjoyed our time on the Carnival Spirit. We both went in with an open mind and not massively high expectations, and came away really pleased with our choice. The aspects that were a highlight to me (in no particular order): - Embarking, Disembarking and tendering were super easy and quick - Service by the wait staff at seated dinner (breakfast was a little more casual though) - Plenty to do if you easily get bored. My partner was happy to read books all day, but I participated in quiz's, went to the fitness centre (and enjoyed the sauna there), watched sport in the sports bar etc. So yes, plenty to do. - The food was good. We have high standards with food choice and it was very good overall considering the ship has to service 2000+ people every day. The sit down dinner was worth it to us and had plenty to choose from. The venison/deer, steak, and melting chocolate cake were standouts. Blue Iguana tacos were great, as were burgers from Guys burgers. - Jinek Bay in Lifou for snorkelling was our highlight. Really was an amazing place. Not so good things: To be honest there weren't many and most were relatively minor. - My biggest bug bear was that we had an obstructed balcony view with the liferafts in front. Now to be honest they dont obstruct you much, but if you were on the balcony often they were a bit of an eye sore. But the frustrating part was that a couple at our table were upgraded from an interior cabin to a balcony cabin free or charge and didnt have an obstructed view, whereas we paid for a balcony cabin (and yes we were told prior it would be obstructed) and were left with the life raft in front. - The AC in the cabin either didnt work (although we did ask for it to be fixed) and was pretty hot to sleep in. Easily remedied with the door left open. Tips: - The Carnival chocolate melting cake is a winner at the sit down dinners. - Get cocktails from Alchemy bar rather than Serenity - Get to Serenity early to get a pod to lie in - Book early to snorkel at Jinek Bay in Lifou Overall: Overall it was a great first cruise experience. It seemed to have something for everyone, and if you approach the cruise with the right attitude it will exceed your expectations. Thanks Carnival and the team on the Spirit. Read Less

I must say from the outset that we had sail on the Spirit on about 5 or 6 other occasions. It was disappointing to see the cost cutting that has taken place and onboard price rises for beer,wine and other things. The shows over the ten nights were ok but it looks like guest artists have now gone by the wayside. The MDR menu seems to have also down sized, the meal services was also slow and towards the end of the cruise the waiters were mixing up the orders. The buffet was the same as most in that you struggled to find a table. Afternoon tea in the buffet as also gone but of course you can pay to go to the Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea. The sea day brunch was a joke we had 4 waters looking after about 20 tables and they were actually walking very fast between tables to do the service in fact they were sweating that is how hard they had to work. Our Meet & Mingle was a very big let down (compared to what happens in the USA) our cruise director Eli did not introduce himself in fact I asked him to say something but his answer was that they do not say anything at these events !! In fact he and his assistant used the meeting for their morning tea. We did not get our year specific year pins. Read Less