We chose Mobile due to proximity to home and not going near Orlando where we would be tempted to go to Disney. The staff aboard is great. They are nice, lively and patient. Marty, Gemma, and Lizzy are all wonderful fun staff members. We also really enjoyed the variety at dinner. It was nice to try new things we had never had before. The casino is on the same floor as the Camp Ocean and smoking is heavy there. Our son had an asthma attack going to Camp Ocean one night so we spent time treating that. You could smell the smoke all over the 9th floor which also happens to be where to go for the photos each day. It's just heavy. The elegant night was less than elegant. More people in shorts and t-shirts than elegant wear. We enjoyed our time we were dressed up, so it is what it is. I just thought it was typical to dress as suggested. We are not a party family. We are very conservative in our activities so the crowd was not our favorite. It was like spring break on the ocean all week with loud adults and inappropriate behavior for a family cruise. Midnight still having people hollering down the halls was annoying as we were trying to sleep. A lot of individuals were commenting on people in swimsuits and how they didn't belong in swimsuits at all and taking photos of them so I didn't even bother trying to enjoy the water with my kids. That's on me for being self conscious though. I will also say that Camp Ocean was supposed to be separated by age, but they put the 6-8 year olds with the 9-11 year olds. There were a lot of 6 year olds so our 11 year old (who turns 12 in a few weeks) stayed with us after day 2. He was not thrilled with the activities being moved to being only for the younger kids. The atmosphere just wasn't for us. That's not to say it wouldn't be perfect for others. It's just not for a more conservative family who want to enjoy a relaxing vacation. Read Less

We decided on the Carnival Fantasy because of the Panama Canal Transit. We had never wanted to cruise Carnival because of the reputation of "Party Ship" but the cost was great and the timing was perfect so we took a chance on the September 16th, 11 day cruise out of Mobile, AL. This ship was so far above my and my husbands expectations. It had just received very bad news coverage from a disgruntled inspector (after we purchased the cruise), and we were already risking the party atmosphere. We were so shocked to find not one of the things we had read or heard about the ship to be true. The staff was amazing and went above and beyond to know who we were and how to make each moment more enjoyable. This was a Journey cruise (over 10 days) so we were with this staff longer than most. We found relationships built that were genuine and positive. The captain was great at keeping us in touch and informed which made it a positive interaction as we sailed. The meet and greet with the staff was elegant and professional – as well as very entertaining with the professional ballroom dancers and Shipmonk’s performing the perfect mood setting music. Drinks were flowing and appetizers and staff met with the elegant ambiance they had set for the evening. The dinning staff was attentive to our every need - greeting us by name and having the things we enjoyed on the ready. Seon, Lady Ann, Pratama, Kataporn and Ola (short version of Ola's name) were dining room stars! Singing, smiling and ensuring our water was always topped off, our sides were always ready and available and any extra’s or additions were cared for. The cleaning staff was amazing! They were constantly wiping windows/handrails/glass as well as vacuuming and cleaning floors. Seti cared for our stateroom in way that made it a place to look forward to coming back to so we could see the surprises he had laid out for us! Selva was one who constantly worked! From the day we got on board and he was getting the luggage out … to meeting him all over the ship as he cleaned, vacuumed, mopped, dusted and always smiling and wishing us a good day. It was a pleasure to have Seti and Selva on the cruise! There was nothing about our Carnival ship that lived up to any negative reputation which had proceeded it. It was clean, run well, fun, relaxing and enjoyable. Marty was the Cruise Director for the first part of the trip and Rico the Cruise Director for the last. They were amazing! Why different Cruise Directors on one cruise? There was a special event we never know about held where Carnival and St. Jude’s are in a partnership, Carnival does various little events on ships to raise money they give to St. Jude’s. This was so touching to learn about. We had our fund-raiser onboard and our ship raised over $15,000 for St. Jude! It was incredible to be a part of. But, back to the reason Marty left the ship mid-way. Marty was selected as one of a very few Cruise Director’s to go and present St. Jude with the monies raised, as well as getting the opportunity to meet with some current families at St. Jude and talk with staff to see exactly how the monies are used to help each family personally. It was a blessing to learn of Carnivals involvement with such a wonderful purpose. Once Marty left and Rico took over – it was just as amazing and Rico’s heart and joy were evident in his calling as Cruise Director. The promotion mid-trip allowed us all to see how much each person values their various roles onboard. The majority of the staff was just as much as professional and fun while being available to complete whatever task was on hand for them. Even in the photo department the ship was not pushy in any way and we found Fresca was so kind and yet fun and willing to capture a great shot, or let us move on by when she saw it would be an interruption. That alone was amazing. The ports of call were different on Carnival than other cruise lines. They ensure you have a wonderful experience if you are even just visiting the port. It was cleaner and easier to get off and back on the ship than others we have sailed. The excursions were well explained and when we did take them (we did not at each port) the staff was highly educated in the experience we were about to embark on. The transportation was in new buses with air conditioning and bathrooms, locations were clean and organized and it was safe and so fun and entertaining! Overall we had so many positive experiences and interactions on our Panama Canal cruise we were amazed. It wasn't all perfect, as with anything when you are with people in the same place for 11 days there will be a snafu to two, but the good was actually great and we are looking forward to taking future cruises with Carnival - hoping to run into some of the same staff again to catch up and see how they are doing – as well as meeting up with people we met on the cruise for creating new memories to last a lifetime. Thank you Carnival for completely changing our impression and view of Carnival cruise line. We are glad we took a chance and grateful for the amazing Panama Canal crossing experience! Read Less

Fair warning, we have sailed on Princess for our previous 4 cruises after switching from Carnival after 6 cruises with them, on various ships (Holiday, Fascination, Elation, and Miracle). And yes, I’m long winded and critical, but I do give props where they are due. My wife and I decided to try Carnival again as Mobile is a very convenient port for us versus driving to Fort Lauderdale to sail with Princess. We previously sailed in Grand Suites with Carnival and planned to this cruise as well, however we were offered an upsell to an Owner’s Suite, which we (foolishly) took. Don’t take the upsell unless you NEED the extra room as this cabin has PLENTY of extra room (it’s over 900 sq ft!). There are only 4 elevators that go to the forward Sports deck where these cabins are located. The 2 atrium elevators (which are both currently broken and not scheduled to be replaced until December 2019, at the earliest) and the two forward, port side elevators, 1 of which routinely takes a minute or two to settle on the floor it is stopping at, and the other which seems to operate properly, but seemed to be down for maintenance very often on our cruise, the last 2 full days of the cruise, specifically. The other 2 forward elevators stop at Lido deck, 2 decks below. So for 3/5 days of the cruise, there was only 1 working elevator that could take you to Verandah or Sports deck. Ok, back to the cabin, PH1. These cabins are ENORMOUS and look fantastic in the various photos and videos you can find online and are emailed when offers the upsell. Buyer beware, these cabins, at least PH1, was not very well maintained or deep cleaned very often. Nice coat of dust everywhere, marble floors in serious need of mopping/polishing, broken/missing lightbulbs (and the cabin, in general, is not lit very well, at all) and while the views should look amazing through the wall to wall windows in the living room and bedroom, they aren’t tinted or mirrored (everyone on Lido can see you!) nor are the outside of the windows ever cleaned. Even if you don’t mind the dirty windows, don’t leave the shades open very long as the cabin AC cannot keep up with the heat from the windows, the room will get very warm, very quickly. Room steward: Very efficient, however also responsible for some (most?) of the cabins on Verandah deck, so she would call to make sure we were out of the cabin before coming up with fresh towels and to refresh the room. I never saw a cart or other cleaning supplies, and I didn’t find a stash in the room, so yes, that did make us suspicious regarding the cleanliness of our cabin..... Food: Dining room: Only dined in the dining room once, for seaday brunch. Service was good, as was the food, although apparently, for brunch, the wait staff rotate through serving different sections of the dining room. Once your area’s tables have all been served, do not expect anymore service as the wait staff waves bye and moves on to another area (I wish I were joking). Buffet: We tried to eat at the buffet mainly, however it is extremely small, and the options are very limited. You are lucky if you have 3-4 options somewhat similar to what is being served in the dining room for lunch/dinner. That’s about all they have room for, and both “sides” of he buffet serve identical items. The salad “bar” is very lacking and the dessert area had, at most, 6-8 options, including the sugar free and whatever other dietary options they include. Side note, for parents as we used to cruise with our son, who is now grown - I seem to recall there always being fries, chicken fingers, Mac and cheese, etc (think kid friendly items) on the buffet. We didn’t see any, that we can recall, on the buffet ever, so parents beware. Guys Burgers: Best burgers and fries I’ve had at sea to date. Get the usual toppings from the servers and make it your own at the Toppings bar, which has just about anything you would want to put on a burger. Beware, the operating hours vary and they usually don’t start serving until Noon, even on sea days and might be open until 6, if you’re lucky. Blue Iguana Cantina: If you think Guys’ has weird operating hours, good luck getting anything from the Cantina as we never got to try it because they were either closed or had an enormous line during their few open hours. They do open in the AM for breakfast burritos (and never had a line, so unsure if it was worth trying for breakfast, which we didn’t) and reopen for lunch around noon, but always seemed to be closed by 330. Deli: Very good, usually a long line, but was worth the wait (and they have fries). They have daily specials as well as the usual menu, be sure to read the sign. Pizza: This pizza can’t be called pizza, sorry. And I used to like Carnival’s pizza. To be honest, I dislike Princess’ pizza as well. But to describe this “pizza”, Think of a tortilla with some red sauce slathered on it, with a few globs of melted cheese, and a sprinkling of toppings. A piece of pepperoni pizza (2 slices they way they serve it, half a “pizza”) had a total of 5 small pieces of pepperoni. Where you would expect more pepperoni to be was where the globs of cheese were. Room Service: Very good and very prompt delivery, however be sure to ask for every condiment you may need and check the order for the requested and advertised condiments upon delivery (for example, the Firecracker shrimp ($) is advertised as having a sweet Chile dipping sauce, ours were served plain, with no dipping sauce). Also, and this may be specific to PH1/2, our breakfast room service cards were never collected 2/4 days. A quick phone call the first time did get us coffee and the assurance it wouldn’t happen again (it did). Bar service/drinks: Do yourself a favor, drink beer, from bottles. Every drink we ordered, frozen or on the rocks, was very weak, and we aren’t big drinkers. And those drink packages? They charge you taxes while in Mobile, on a full size serving. We had the soda package and paid $.25 in taxes for every soda we got until we were far enough away from port. Between the 2 of us, we paid $3 in taxes on $2.50 sodas on embarkation day. Keep in mind, with the soda package, they don’t give you the entire can (which retails for $2.50), only a glass full, which was maybe 1/2 a can with the amount of ice in the glasses. Yes, we have sailed from Mobile many times and yes, we have always gotten the soda package. We have never had to pay taxes like this before on sodas from a soda package. Embarkation: We arrived at 10:30, dropped our luggage, parked in the garage (you pay through text and mobile browser, or they do have a kiosk or two if you don’t have a smartphone) and due to being in a PH, were promptly escorted through checkin and waited until 11:15 to board and shown to our room by a Carnival escort, behind the wedding party. Disembarkation: Since we were upgraded to Platinum status due to our cabin, we did Platinum self disembark which met at 730 and were through customs and on the road by 800. During Cruise and PostCruise Communication: We honestly felt forgotten on the ship, no sales flyers, etc from anyone other than the ones given to use by our room steward. Plus the room service issues. We also politely explained to the spa staff the first 5 times they met us at the elevator that we were staying across the atrium from the spa and did not need their services, but that didn’t help. We were hounded every day, the moment we stepped out of the elevator, as to which spa service we were there for, which was pretty funny when I was carrying 2 trays from Guys’ burgers, LOL. Also, Carnival used to hand out end of cruise surveys onboard. We didn’t get one either onboard or via email, so maybe they have stopped caring what you thought about your cruise? Read Less

The service was mediocre and the activities were below mediocre. Rooms were musty The entire trip was mediocre nobody cared to listen to my concerns or address The food was cold with HOT spots like you warm in a microwave...even though i could see people cooking so i assume that the warmers were not properly calibrated. The activities were so under par it was laughable....they gave us scrap paper for arts and crafts.. I am embarrassed to tell people that we went on this cruise. It was a waste of money, time and effort. Scripted response of our its not 'our typical experience' Please save yourself the horrible experience of going on this cruise. Please use your money for a vacation that is valuable and worthy of your time. The water pressure was low the rooms were musty and the food was lack luster. I really wanted to enjoy this cruise Read Less

We choose this cruise because of our proximity to the port of Mobile. It was cheap, at least it appeared to be. Seriously, think twice before booking. We have been on a lot of cruises. Carnival needs to retire this ship, work on it's staffing, attention to detail, service, food, and nickel and diming of guests This ship is disgusting. It smells, recently received a terrible health inspection report and it is obvious why. The Ludo buffet is absolutely gross. They served me a sandwich on a dirty plate. The food in the dining room is hit or miss, mostly miss. The standards are too low. If it was not for the bread, we would have not ate anything at least a couple of nights. We have decent palates, we are open to a lot of different types of food. But the quality was so poor, we often didn't have more than a couple of bites. Service was painfully slow and inattentive most of the time. As you walk around the ship, you will notice deferred maintenance. Mirrors missing from the ceiling in the dining room, faded bed lamps and ripped curtains in our staterooms, a faucet that is ready to come out of the sink in the women's bathroom near the casino. Nope, we will not be back. Carnival needs to get rid of this boat and raise it's standards for food and service. The sugar straws are also awful. Find another alternative and get rid of automatic gratuity. You are not giving anyone incentive to care. Read Less

I have sailed on the Fantasy twice before in the past and they were both positive For starters, the first day our room steward didn't have our room completely clean. When we arrived, there was an opened bottle of water half drank right on the table, dirty beach towels still on the chair, the bed was still messy, our third guest's bed wasn't made, we had to call to have our steward come and make it. Our steward was rude and dismissive throughout the entire cruise. It took our steward until late in the evening to come and clean our room. A lot of the staff on this cruise were very rude and dismissive towards me and I do not understand the reason. An example is when I asked for a corkscrew from room service. I called room service who told me to call my housekeeper. I called the house keeper who told me to call room service. No one wanted to handle this simple request, so I took the bottle of wine I needed open up to the bar and explained the problem that all I wanted to do was open this bottle of wine. The bartender would not help me. I saw a man in a white uniform who appeared to be a ship officer of some sort, and i explained to him all I needed was a cork screw to open this bottle, and cannot get anyone including my room steward to bring me a simple cork screw. His reply was "you can't drink that outside your cabin". That was his response. Wow. The ship seemed to be in disrepair the entire cruise. The foyer elevators were broken the entire time, Hot tub in the serenity area was closed the entire time. The drain in our sink was clogged, and the stopper was stuck that took hours to get resolved. only 1 outlet in the entire cabin for everyone to charge devices. You can definitely tell that Carnival is neglecting this ship! It is VERY sad to see! Room service was absolutely horrible on this cruise. Every time I needed to get a hold of room service, it seemed to be a chore to get someone on the phone, and waiting 45 minutes to an hour to get a sandwich or some ice was absolutely ridiculous. I had some issues in the casino with the Casino host. I was supposed to get the drinks on us card with a friend of mine who booked a casino offer. The Casino host, was extremely rude, combative, and dismissive. Carnival lost money from me because I refused to step foot in the casino the rest of the cruise. Overall, this was a very unsatisfactory experience. On a side note, the entertainment staff including the cruise director Pauly was really amazing and cool. The dining room staff was also great on this cruise, which is why I gave it 2 starts... but the rest of the staff should be let go. This ship also either needs to be renovated or they need to just retire it already if they are going to keep neglecting it because they are really making their brand look bad Read Less

Okay this is my second cruise. My first was 10 years ago on the Carnival Ecstasy. I booked this cruise 2 weeks out mostly because I wanted to experience a Fantasy class ship again and it was a port that you can drive to from Kansas. Yes this ship is old and yes she does show some signs of age but she is still a great value for the price and a good looking old ship. I stayed in cabin R3 its a porthole room on the bottom passenger deck. It was a great room! Super big and the portholes offered good light and the same price as an interior. My Steward Budi was awesome. He serviced my room twice a day as I asked and also made sure I always had ice. The food on the ship was great! Everything I ordered in the MDR was cooked how I liked and tasted very good. Service was slow at times but for the most part it was a very good experience. Lines for things like Guys and Blue Iguana were always manageable and not to long. The shows on the ship were very good. Motor City was the best of the shows but all were good. The playlist staff does a really awesome job. The comedy club had some great guys in the there and were very funny and interactive with the crowd. Read Less

Our summer vacation this year was booked on the Carnival Fantasy July 8th -13th. We sailed out of Mobile, Alabama to Cozumel and Costa Maya. We spent most of our days at the water slides with the kids and laying out. The main pool was very tiny and people were packed like sardines in it...to close for comfort for me! Our first night dinner was in the Celebration dining room and the food was horrible. It took 30 minutes for our drinks to arrive at our table, bread was served without butter(15 minutes for that to arrive) and over an hour for our main meal. My kids ordered the steak and there was so much fat throughout I couldn’t even cut it with a knife. They ended up just eating their appetizer and dessert for dinner. I actually left the dining room and walked down to the main bar to get our second drink order and to inquire at guest services why it was taking over an hour for our meal. The dining room was not busy and had empty tables everywhere. The couple behind us experienced the same issues. By the 4th night I was getting sick of eating the same thing for dinner...they don’t really change the menu. I decided to pay an extra $20 and ordered the filet and lobster. The filet was average and lobster was rubber...I would not recommend spending the extra money. We visited the spa several times throughout our cruise. My daughter and niece got pedicures and the ladies did such a good job I made an appointment for myself and my husband. The spa was running a special for a back/neck/foot massage with hot stone for 89.99 per person. I decided to take advantage and scheduled myself, daughter and niece. The massage was supposed to last for 50 minutes but only lasted 30...a little disappointed but it was a good massage. We also visited the Casino two nights but the cigarette smoke was so bad and no one was walking around taking drink orders so we didn’t stay long. We didn’t end up winning any money but still had fun. The kids played in the arcade a few nights but it was a little pricey. We had three kids with us and each game was $2.00. We were in room E321 and it looked as if the room had not been updated since 1990. We had black mold around our sink, toilet was dirty, fingerprints all over the doors and walls and dirt/dust on carpets. Our air conditioner in the room was working great up until the last two days. There were five of us in the room so we had to request a cot for my 10 year old. This room was the same size room we had last year but we only had four people in it. They basically charged us for five people and never increased the size of our room. The cot was actually a toddler bed so my sons feet hung off the end of it. Our steward was very friendly but not very efficient. He would clean our room and collect the pool/bath towels but never replace the pool towels. We had to call every morning to ask for new towels and were told we couldn’t get any until 8:30 am. Our other option was to head to the main pool area and sign them out. We got off the boat in Cozumel and Costa Maya for a few hours. It was nothing great just a lot of people trying to sell dollar store items. I would never go back again. We were a little leary about eating off the boat so we had bottled water/bottled Heineken and walked around for a little. Thursday evening Hurricane Barry rolled in and it was all downhill after that. We were told the port in Mobile was closed but for whatever reason the captain decided we were going to head there anyway( safety of the guests on board didn’t come into play on that decision) We were due to get off the boat Saturday morning at 8:00 am and the next guests were due to board at 11:00 am Saturday. All day Friday the boat was really rocking. We were eating lunch and the whole display of deserts and plates fell off the counter. It got worse Friday night. There were broken wine glasses on the floor people slamming into the walls and service carts falling over along with pop cans and glasses scattered throughout the hallways. People were throwing up EVERYWHERE! My niece actually stepped in one pile of throw up trying to make it back to our room. My kids were absolutely terrified and crying thinking that they were going to die. I went to guest service to ask what was going on and why we were driving through the storm if the port was closed. They could have cared less! All three workers behind the counter were dancing and singing while the music was playing at the main bar. I asked them to send someone to clean up the pile of puke that was in our hallway but that never happened, it was still there the next day. Saturday we were supposed to get off the boat but the port was still closed. Long story short we ended up having to go back out to sea and forced to spend another night on the boat. We got off the boat Sunday morning and header home but the curse of our vacation doesn’t end there. My daughter got severely sick Monday evening. She could not eat or drink anything without throwing up. She ended up being admitted to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh for what they say is an unknown virus and dehydration. We were interviewed by the center for disease control while there. It has now been 5 days since we have been off the boat and she is still running a high fever, can’t eat and sleeps all day. We are due to follow up with her pediatrician in three days. I plan to email Carnival regarding the cleanliness of the ship and inquire if anyone else has reported a illness. I am also contacting the local health department in my area to see how I go about reporting this. Update: carnival contacted me and offered me $100.00 credit...what a joke! My husband had to miss 2 days of work and I had to miss 1 day. This will be our last cruise!! I have photos of the puke in hallways, rain pouring in from the stairways when we were stuck in the hurricane, mold in the bathroom and fatty steak. I can’t load them from my phone but plan to post them on other review sites for carnival. Read Less

My family chose this cruise due to the Mobile port location and timing. We were able to get onto the ship quickly with the faster to the fun program. Upon boarding the ship at 12:30pm our cabin was ready as promised and we were able to place our bags into the cabin and tour the ship. Although the ship has a lot of age, it has been maintained very well. The staff is constantly cleaning it on all levels and it was kept clean throughout our voyage. The dining room staff was outstanding along with the dining room food. We also ate in the dining room for brunch on most days and the food was excellent as well. Our room attendant, Arifin did a great job and learned all our names from day 1. We had great weather throughout the cruise and although the ship was at capacity it did not feel overcrowded. The day in Cozumel went smooth. All in all it was one of the best cruises we have been on especially for the cost. Read Less

I took my Husband And 4 Children Cloie(11) Madelyn(7) Alexis(8) Paris (4) on the cruise I Up talked it Because I Had Been On this cruise before and felt it would be An Awesome summer Vacation When on the Cruise We paid for The Oceanview cabin and you could not See Out the Window it was so Dirty I was Very Disappointed sheet had Holes and Stains on them it was musty smelling it was Hot The Air Did not Work Correctly In our Cabin we couldn’t use the Elevator hardly due to Children Playing On it every where we pretty much went we Had to walk which is hard with Little Children! We could Hardly Stay At the pool which was a the whole point Of Doing the Cruise Due To Drunk People, they have A Deck For Over 21 But we experience Ppl cursing One lady Was wearing Next to nothing drunk one lady threw up in the pool due to being Drunk one Drunk guy peed in the Drain We has All Sorts Of Couples Making Out In the Pool next to Our kids I had To Every day Pull our babies from the pool we got stuck out in the Middle Of the Ocean On our Excursion For Over An hour And Cause is to Be Sick and when I called to Report this The service lady was Rude And acted as if she didn’t Care Our Family vacation we paid for it was over $3000 for us to Go and we didn’t enjoy it Andy the Service Lady Could have cared Less I’m very Disappointed and Will Not be taking my Family Back on the carnival Cruise Line NOT FOR FAMILIES is how I Rate this Experience Don’t Waste your Money they Don’t Really Care About Your Experience I complained And all they told me was That They could Not control anything on Board per Vanessa Is who I spoke with Read Less

Embarkation Smooth! If you're driving to the Mobile Alabama port get there early. We arrived one hour prior to our "scheduled" time and got one of the very last parking spots. Upon pulling up to the garage you'll be directed to one of several lanes where the baggage handlers will collect the bags you don't want to carry on. Make sure your luggage is clearly marked with your stateroom printout tags. Then it's straight on to park. Traversing security you'll find the metal detectors are very sensitive (good). Getting through security was a breeze, about 20 minutes between parking and stepping on board. If you're waiting for your stateroom to be ready, one option is to grab lunch at the Lido Deck buffet (10) It will be busy. Ship experiences – food and drink Guy's burgers is awesome! I could eat there for every meal. The buffets are average. The dining room was very inconsistent. Two meals were good, one was fantastic and two were terrible. Of the terrible ones, the stuffed palermo was grossly under cooked, and a seafood plate of calamari, scallops and shrimp had all of three small pieces of each seafood with a huge serving of noodles making it hard to even find the tiny morsels. Breakfast in the dining room is great. The "your time dining" was really a "stand in line for a pager, then wait a half hour for a table dining." Onboard Activities The main pool is good, get there early if you want a lounge chair. The water slide was enjoyable even for this 50+ year old :-) Entertainment Pauly, the Cruise Director is amazing. Non-stop energy and charisma. The main stage show was pretty good, the comedy show was great especially since the comedian stayed away from politics. So tired of that. The piano bar was disappointing compared to Zack Daniels on the Carnival dream a few months ago. Service and staff Service was very good. Budi - our room steward was awesome. Dining was good, and the bartenders tried very hard to keep up. Carnival needs to hire more. They shifts they make them work are to long. The bartenders try so hard to be "up" but you can tell they are exhausted. Ship Design & Cleanliness She's carnivals oldest, and it shows. The layout doesn't flow like the newer ships and causes congestion. The shopping area seems almost as an afterthought kind of jammed into the front of the ship right by the main theater. There were constant problems with the elevators. Both atrium elevators were out of service for most of the cruise, and occasionally one of the four remaining forward elevators would be down. When underway there's an oscillation you can feel, presumably from the propellers. It’s a shaking sensation, clearly not the gentle rocking from the waves. It’s quite strong in some areas of the ship, to the point of being annoying. Overall cleanliness is good, the public area bathrooms could be kept cleaner and maintained better. One of the men's rooms sinks on the eighth floor only had scalding hot water. Cabin The cabin was big enough, the bed was two twins jammed together to make a king. It was reasonably comfy. We discovered there are a select few cabins labeled "inside" which are really outside cabins with two portholes. Score! Cabin with a view for an inside price :-). The bathroom was clean and reasonably big. The handle on the sink was broken, they promptly fixed it for us. Mobile If you're there during Crawfish season, or just dig craft beers and cocktails check out Haberdasher, 113 Dauphin St. in downtown Mobile. During crawfish season they have a free feed with a beverage purchase on Sundays. Cozumel Commercialized. You must walk through a "mall" filled with motivated sales people before you get off the dock. Get a very good 1hr massage for $25 - $40 U.S. in the shopping area across the street from the port. Fantastic Scuba diving! Really fantastic. Need more time in port here. Call for all to be onboard was 3:30pm. Pregreso Progreso is small, extending just a few blocks south of the water and 5 or 6 miles east/west following the shoreline. The dock is connected to the mainland by a 7km, 4.5ish mile pier. Buses run every 10-20 minutes, and the 15-20 minute ride from the dock will drop you off just a block and a half from the beach. There are many souvenir stores just as you step off the dock before you can get on the bus. same shtick as the mall on the dock in Cozumel. We scurried through these as we knew we'd have to walk back through them before you can get back on ship. We found better deals in town. Had fun walking around and visiting with the locals. Get a massage on the beach or elsewhere for $25 U.S. The beach is beautiful with food and drink service to the beach from Los Henequenes restaurant and bar just across the street. Wish we had more port time here. The ship was back underway by 4pm. Summary A video review is in the works and upon completion I'll post a link to it, if Cruise Critic will let me update this review. Great cruise for the money. To a degree we lucked out because the weather was fantastic, and sailing was very smooth. Cozumel is very commercialized. I'm a Scuba Diver and diving there is fantastic. Progreso was interesting, much less touristy, although something tells me that's going to change. Fun shopping for trinkets and haggling over prices. A real old Mexico atmosphere, yet we still felt safe. We enjoyed this cruise, however if one gets impatient easily it may not be the best choice. The Fantasy is showing her age, and clearly needs some maintenance. Its congested, especially the pool on the lido deck on sea days and the dining room line can wrap around the atrium. The crew, both officers and front line, are friendly and work very hard to make up for some of the ships shortcomings. I've been on much more luxurious vacations and ships, but for the money this is hard to beat. Especially if you don't mind using the stairs once in a while. Read Less

Our family of 8 chose to take the Carnival Fantasy because it was the closest port by car from our home. We have cruised with Carnival before (Victory and Vista) so we had an idea what to expect and most of our experience was similar to prior cruises. The cruise director (Paully) and table artist in the Celebration dining room (Rakin) were two standouts in our mind but the whole staff was enjoyable with only a couple exceptions. Our four kids (3, 6, 9 and 15) used all four Camp Ocean areas. They loved their experience and were asking to go to their camp rooms every day. They bonded well with the staff including our three-year old who is normally terrified of being left with strangers. The water slides that were added in January 2019 make a wonderful addition for the kids. Otherwise the pool is too small, too shallow and too full of adults for kids to really have fun in it and there are no other outdoor water options on the ship for kids. Also, there is no outdoor movie screen so movies are held in the same room where the comedy routines are delivered (at different times obviously). The Build a Bear workshop was really fun and well done and didn't really cost more than in a mall on land. For our three kids that did the workshop the cost averaged $37 per animal. Food was predictable but there are no specialty restaurants like Fahrenheit 555 on this ship. Dining food in the evening was much better with steak and seafood options and unusual appetizers for the adventurous each night like braised rabbit, frog legs and oxen tongue. Guy's Burger Joint was awesome and we hit that up frequently. Otherwise the Lido dining for breakfast and lunch felt like eating at Golden Corral and the wait at the Pizza Pirate is unacceptable especially for the poor quality of the product. The arcade was disappointing. There were 19 total machines and 13 of them were games of chance and claw machines where one tries to win impossible prizes like a PS4 or Apple iPhone. The arcade is a very small area tucked in a corner and seemed like an afterthought to us. The six "kid games" were air hockey, a solo racing game, a team dinosaur shooting game, a superhero game where you can win collector cards, a Halo team shooting game, and a 3D ride simulator. The shore excursions we selected were amazing! Probably the best we've experienced in five cruises. In Costa Maya we went to the Lost Mayan Kingdom which was extremely well run and had enough water slides and zip line activities to keep all our kids ages 3 to 20 fully entertained. In Cozumel we chose the all inclusive Passion Island with our older kids taking the Twister speedboat and the rest of our family taking the powered catamaran. Just be aware it's a 40 to 50 minutes ride to the island but the food, drinks, sand, water and staff were incredible! Comedians were OK. Sometimes funny sometimes not. I enjoyed the PG shows better because sometimes comedians seem to lean too heavily on profanity in the R shows trying to be funny rather than coming up with genuinely witty, unique comedy. And where are the women comedians? The musicians and bands were very good - some of the better ones that we've experienced but they can change frequently so our experience may not apply to your cruise after a few months. Rooms were typical. We had two ocean view rooms Aft on deck 5. Aft is a convenient location to the Lido dining room, water slides, and Camp Ocean. Room service was good with our cabin steward creating some nice animal touches for our kids each day. The ship seemed to need more maintenance than usual. We noticed a lot of rust, many windows were so dirty we couldn't take a good picture out of them, one of the elevators in the atrium was broken the entire cruise and one of the elevators in the aft of the ship constantly said 'Maintenance' most ot the cruise although it seemed to work some of the time. Overall Fantasy is a good ship but not excellent and with two days at sea on their five-day cruise it can become challenging finding something new to do especially for the kids. If you live in Alabama, west Georgia or west Florida or east Mississippi the Mobile Cruise Terminal is a reasonable drive that makes this cruise worth considering. Read Less

After a challenging year, my husband and I were looking forward to an affordable getaway in the sun. We drove from Southern Ontario, Canada to Mobile, Alabama, US to board the ship. ​ Mobile felt welcoming, safe and uncrowded. Embarkation was the smoothest of our 9 cruise experiences... pay-by-text parking with plenty of spaces, efficient and attentive staff... it was 15 minutes from our arrival to boarding the ship. Brilliant! ​​ This smaller ship - the eldest in the Carnival fleet - is lovely and well-maintained. Everyday, throughout our cruise, we saw maintenance personnel working on painting, shampooing, repairing, etc. This is a sea-going vessel of 20 years, hosting thousands of guests per week, so a few signs of wear and tear are both realistic and charming. I cannot see any reason to complain... particularly when you consider the vacation price. Great value! ​​ We aren't usually keen on ship designs that include split dining rooms (much preferring the layout of the Panamax ships like Carnival Legend), because we find that it interrupts movement/flow of people, resulting in crowding. However, that wasn't an issue on this ship because of the smaller passenger capacity - a pleasant surprise! There were rarely issues with finding a seat in the Lido buffet, around the pool (if you're flexible about location) or at the very-popular comedy shows. ​​ Our cabin - an aft-facing oceanview - was clean and in good working order, with a comfortable bed and accommodating attendant, Artawa (who learned our names and preferences very well). I would recommend a change of the shower curtain and the art work above the bed, which both looked a tired/worn, to keep things fresh. ​​ We registered for and received flexible dining, where we could have a private table for two on our own schedule. The new American-inspired dining room menu is less extravagant than in years past, but still very good... especially if you are willing to try their locally-inspired options. On our first night, we were assigned to an excellent dining room team - Nelson with Octavian and Darma - and opted to request them each night for the duration of the cruise. Since we prefer to eat dinner after 8:00 pm, there was never a wait time and we got more face-to-face time to get to know our team. Every night, Nelson made a recommendation to match with our wine selection, or to match our experience from the day, and they were all great. We were so pleased that we chose to leave an extra $100 USD in cash gratuities for them, in addition to our prepaid amount. ​​ The key to the highly successful entertainment team was the AMAZING cruise director, Paully: hilarious, energetic and very friendly. We had a completely unique cruise experience (even compared to our previous sailings with Carnival), because we chose to attend events that we would normally skip, in order to see him, and those experiences became the highlight of this vacation - 80s and 90s music trivia in the Atrium, Cruise for St Jude, deck parties, etc. ​​ This vacation really was about spending time relaxing in the sun, so much time was spent enjoying Serenity and the Lido pool deck areas. ​​ In Cozumel, we purchased a Downtown Shopping and Beach Excursion from Carnival and had a great time. The host Ricki and the driver Hector were both knowledgeable and accommodating. There were two shopping stops - one more commercial with mass-produced trinckets at posted prices, and one more traditional with handicrafts at negotiated rates. The beach club was excellent - all facilities (pool, beach, chairs, change rooms, bathrooms, wifi, snorkels, etc) were included and well maintained. There was also a bar and restaurant for an additional fee, which we did not try, and some on-site shopping. We enjoyed the beach and were particularly impressed with the lifeguards and snorkeling staff who interacted very well with all the guests. We did participate in a local Tequila tasting and purchased a nice bottle of locally-made Anejo as a souvenir. ​​ In Progreso, the ship docks out in an industrial area a few minutes' drive from downtown (shuttles are available). It was a very hot day, so we chose to only explore the small duty-free area right beside the ship and, then, get back onboard, taking advantage of the nearly-empty public spaces. We noticed several other guests chose to stay onboard as well, with many finding a quiet corner to enjoy a board game or a book. So relaxing! ​ ​If I had to recommend two improvements for this ship: ​ ​1) Main theatre - reconfigure the seating to improve the view. There isn't enough elevation between rows, particularly on the balcony, to allow an unobstructed view of the stage. ​ 2) Add Alchemy bar (perhaps replacing the one beside the comedy club venue) - We missed those unique cocktails from our previous cruises. ​ ​Overall, we had a fun and relaxing time. Our cruise director and dining room team made the experience extra special. The warm weather was great, and the vacation value cannot be matched. Highly recommend! ​ ​ Debarkation was handled very well. There was a short wait where they had to slow down the flow of people through the immigration check point, but that was no inconvenience. Paully walked down the line of guests, explaining the delay and making sure we were still smiling. The terminal was extremely efficient, and we were sitting in our car (which was surprisingly cool considering the hot weather that week) within a short time... and wishing we were boarding again! Seriously, we called long-distance from our Canadian cell phones to see if Carnival was sold out for that next departure. ​ ​In Mobile, we visited the USS Alabama and USS Drum historical site, which was interesting, affordable and well-staffed to handle the influx of cruise visitors. We were given a discounted entry rate and spent hours exploring. We left late in the afternoon and started to make our way back home (to plan our next cruise adventure). We're looking forward to our next opportunity to book with Carnival. Read Less

For our ten year anniversary we wanted to try a cruise. It was awesome. I will bullet point this for first time cruisers. What to do: Embarkation was overwhelming. Check your bags BUT have a small bag with necessities such as sunscreen and cell phone charger. I would NOT recommended carrying your own bags... You will lug them around for about 3 hours until room is clean. Check them, grab your small backpack and head for the fun. When you need help, literally ask any person in a carnival uniform. Even the musicians are helpful and informed. Bring your own sunscreen and after sun (aloe) the gift shop sold out on day one. Explore- this is a big ship and navigating it is confusing...very confusing. We walked our entire hallway and found a cool short cut to serenity deck and buffet. What to not do: Do not miss dinner. The food is epic and they expect you to order multiple things. Most of the portions are smaller so it's pretty easy to have a couple apps... especially if your dinner people are cool, they may share. The buffet was not very good in my opinion. Guys burgers was what it is... A burger joint. The taco place was ok...but paled in comparison to the dining room. Same thing for breakfast. Be rude: to anyone. You will run into them again. The same room Steward, the same waitress, you will eat with same people every night. Even the musicians work during the day in some compacity. Highs and lows: Highs- Dining Comedy (pg is not always little kid friendly) Room cleanliness Desserts out of this world Cozumel- crazy beautiful crazy friendly Tiramisu is amazing The history of Mexico tour (Cozumel) was great and the little watering hole and taco place on the tour was cheap and good. Lows: Slow elevator service... We used stairs 90% of the time...more calories :) Buffet...just wasn't great Costa Maya- pushy pushy people. Forum us always packed. Hatlrd to find a seat. If you want to catch a show in universal you literally have to Sprint to the forum if you want to make the next show. Embarkation day the spa and diamond people are pushy. Just go to lido and have a drink. The menus on the app are wrong. Lots of smoke smell especially in hallways around casino. They do not police vaping and cigarettes very well. Misleads: (sure it's in the fine print) Frozen yogurt...it's just that...the word "bar" is misleading...you will find zero toppings. Pre paid gratuities- doesn't apply to bar service and they automatically add 18% which is fine...but those waiters will stare you down while you decide if you want to cough up an extra tip. Days in Port: its not a day... It's a few hours. Hidden gems: Back stairway on floor seven takes you up to serenity deck and back entrance of forum and lido. Great not having to walk though the partying. Free earplugs at guest service Overall is was great. We loved it and can't wait to go back. Read Less

I wanted to spend my 65th birthday on a beach in Mexico, so we booked this cruise on the Fantasy. We embarked in Mobile, which is close to home, and drove down the day before the cruise from Atlanta. Minus our mandatory stop at Cracker Barrel and a gas stop, it took about 5 hours. The night before the cruise we stayed at the Microtel in Saraland. They offer a great park and cruise package with breakfast all for a reasonable price. The hotel is in walking distance of three major restaurant chains, so dinner can be in any budget zone. After a good night's sleep on a great bed, we got up, repacked, had breakfast and then at 10:30 were "vanned" over to the port. Apparently there was a medical emergency disembarking which held us up a bit getting on the ship, but no problem, we are on vacation. Embarking was easy, and we were on board by 11:45, and since we finally made platinum, got to go to our cabin. We love to cruise, but money is tight, so to get a window, we book Interior Porthole. This cruise we had a porthole on the Empress level, close to the action, in the front of the ship. Downside? If the ship is rocking you will feel it here more than being in the center. The upside? Portholes are only for two people, so the running kids in the hall end before you get to that section. The cabin size is good, the service excellent, and our towel animals were a hoot! The shower was a good size, the only thing wrong was an odd smell, that we finally figured out was the shower water when you first turn on the water. So, not a problem in the long run. We don't spend a lot of time in our cabin, because there is so much to do on the ship. When we cruise, we dine like Hobbits, there is always second breakfast, lunch, tea time, and dinner. I know there is a late night buffet, but we haven't made it to that for years. We had only two situations in the dining room that were disappointing, over cooked fish, which the wait staff easily remedied, and one breakfast that was delivered in reverse of how we ordered-which you cant fix, but all the meals were tasty, and delicious. We had anytime dining, the first night, we went early- and there was no wait at all. There was a 30 minute wait on Elegant night-we went at 7:30, and on our last night we went at 7:45, and was told there would be a 30 minute wait, which turned out to be 5 minutes. Breakfasts were great in the MDR, and on our last day at sea, they introduced a new brunch menu, with about 12 new items that were extra. Lobster Eggs Benedict? Peel and eat shrimp? Interesting, but I don't want to pay more for breakfast. Steak and Eggs is still my favorite breakfast. (second breakfast after banana nut bread and coffee on the Lido). We are really kids in adult old bodies, so after we donated to the casino, we enjoyed Make it with Michaels (think Camp Art) something that you make in an hour, and can take home with you as a souvenir. We don't do the art auctions, but we did participate in the Art scavenger hunt-do this as a family, it was fun, and more eyes on your team help. We got involved with Trivia pursuit, saw the new Universe Lounge Country show, and enjoyed the Comedy Club. We also enjoyed just simply relaxing on the Verandah level. We love the back of the ship, where there is no noise, but the sound of the wind, the water and the children playing on the water slides. One thing that we really enjoyed on this cruise, was that the Lido deck was not a blast of music in the mornings, It was quiet until noon. Wonderful to walk up in the morning to the sound of surf and wind. !! And for all who missed the Caribbean sound of the steel drums, well, this is the ship for you, every day, either on deck, or by the casino bar. In the Atrium Lounge there was a great country singer, and by the casino once in a while was a great guitar player-played a great Eric Clapton style. Hats off to all of the folks who work on the ship! Everyone was excellent, friendly and helpful! Alina, our MDR hostess remembered us from our last cruise, as did the assistant cabin steward, Nina. It's so nice to get a hug, and a Welcome home! The folks at the Guest services were incredible. BUT to families with kids, Camp Carnival is their care takers, not the cleaning staff. Tell your children that if they push every button on the elevators the elevator monster will come get them! In Cozumel we enjoyed a day at the beach on Isla Pasion. It was my birthday, and I spent it at the beach! The staff bent over backwards to accommodate my DH's walking disabilities-the catamaran ride to the island gives you a great land view of the main city on Cozumel, and while it was a bit too cool to swim (I was the only adult to get in the water ) we do plan to go back to this fantastic destination. This excursion includes drinks and lunch but lunch is a bit bland and lacked in variety. We did not do an excursion in Costa Maya, which since we are not big shoppers was a mistake. Get out there in the jungle, it will do you good. BUT if you like to shop, this is a great port, they will barter with you (which I never see in Cozumel or Progresso), and everything that is not the norm is well priced. We hated to get off the ship to come home, but all trips must end sometime, so you can come home and plan another one. Disembarking is always a cluster, but at least this time I can honestly say, it was not due to folks who owed on their sail and sign cards- it was every one wanting to take off their own luggage. But we did get off, called our hotel (again they were fantastic) and after only one Cracker Barrel stop, we were home by 4. Would I do it again? Yup! DH wants to spend his birthday next year at Isla Pasion! Read Less

We have cruised on this ship 10+ time and will return for another cruise in October. This is the smallest of the Carnival ships. We enjoy having a fewer number of guests, shorter lines and frankly, just less people everywhere. Sometimes on the larger ships it seems like they increase the cabins but not the common areas. guests who sail on the Fantasy range from babies to seniors, but it always has a southern hospitality charm. Having sailed nearly 30 times, I can say with confidence that the crew of the Fantasy is second to none. They are open, friendly, and in the few short days you are on the ship, they become friends. The dining room staff always remembers what you doing and most of the time, my drink was sitting on the table when I arrived. The waiters around the pool are awesome. On the cruise last week, the waiter remembered that I ordered a bottle of water with every other drink-FROM THE LAST CRUISE IN DECEMBER! He just started bringing it to me again. On the Fantasy, you will not find rock climbing walls, roller coasters or trampolines. However, the children seem to be entertained and happy playing old school games as ship scavenger hunts. Believe it or not, they even have an adult one that is hugely popular. Our favorite places on the ship are the piano bar, the comedy club and wherever the live band is playing. We do frequent the shows as well. While Country Roads is not my favorite, they are all well done and great entertainment. Sometimes on the larger ships it seems like they increase the cabins but not the common areas. I have read several reviews where people have said this is a great ship for first time cruisers, and it is. However, you will also find diamond guests with over 400+ days who sail this ship out of choice. It truly is a ship with a personality and that personality is based largely on that time of year. During the winter months while school is in session, it is mostly adults taking a short break from parenting, holiday celebrations, and work. Summer months, the ship is all about families making the ship seem twice as crowded (4 people in cabins instead of 2). If you do a Journey cruise on the Fantasy, or any other ship, the clientele seems to be much older. I guess its difficult for working families to take 10 days or more but it is still tons of fun. Just different fun. During spring break, well, the ship "rocks" until 3am or so. I love all the ship seasons but you just have to be prepared mentally for what to expect. The dining room food is great and they will bring you one (or two) of everything on the menu if you ask. Embarkation is so easy. Mobile certainly has it down to a science. Debarkation is typical but not nearly as crazy because you simply have fewer guests leaving the ship. Finally, the Fantasy is a popular ship for people to sail back to back (and to back and to back). We met guests on the last cruise that had been on the ship for 2 months. Don't let the age of the ship (and yes, in places it shows) fool you, the Fantasy is consistently one of the top rated ships on customer service. Enjoy. Read Less

5 hours from Mobile so we drove down. Getting on and off the boat simple and easy in Mobile. It’s a nice big port with $70/5 day parking. Get a better ship in there it would be worth it. We chose this cruise because we wanted to take our 4 boys (10 to 17) and it was cheapest we found. The boys thought it was awesome, and for them it was, my wife and I not so much. But before I go further I do want to say that everyone was super nice and friendly. It was my first cruise and if it wasn’t for people I know that wouldn’t lie to me it would be my last. It was like staying in a musty ran down motel with excellent room service (if that makes sense), the king size bed was so uncomfortable that I was ready to take the frame out in the hall and lay the mattress on the floor. We paid for extra for an ocean view which landed us at the main back of the noisy ship but that was a WASTE because the window had not been cleaned in so long that you couldn’t be 100ft past the back of the ship. The food was ok the best was Guy Fieri burgers and the Blue Iguana was great. We ate lunch there and dined at ships restaurant it was ok fancy food cooked up and served with a smile but lacked variety and flavor I thought. And believe me I tried everything 6 people 4 being teenage boys can put some food away and I tried everything that we ordered. The entertainment was ok I enjoyed name that song, the live music at the bar and marriage game was halirious. Kevin wasss ssso over the top but he wassss funny I thought (If you know him you’ll get that). The shows were ok except for the Country Roads show it was terrible I thought. The ports were ok, Progreso that shops were in your face almost. Cozumel the boys swam with the nurse sharks and stingrays they had fun but they had never done anything like that but it’s was like a petting zoo in the ocean where you can touch it if your fast enough to corner it. I’ve found out that I just can’t afford to take 6 ppl on a cruise. I’ll find a resort, condo, time share or something else because the 5 days on the boat with the excursion was over 6K. I just read over this... Lol I sound like a hateful old man but one of the easiest going guys I know. I just excepted more and better Read Less

We chose this cruise because it appeared to be affordable and we had 25 people going. It was a disaster from the get go. I can’t blame anything on our cabin stewards. They went above and beyond to help us out. Dining in the celebration dining room was great. Entertaining and a decent selection. They do NOT update menus online so do not rely on the app to be correct. I guess they look at what you spend to determine how to treat you. We booked the Cat In The Hat Breakfast as soon as we got on board. We were told to be at the 8:30. When we arrived we were told we were bumped to 9:45 because of overbooking. So we had two upset kids that we had to pacify for an hour. I will say the breakfast was worth the wait. I wouldn’t recommend Carnival or this ship for families. This would be a great party ship but the activities are not what I expected. Camp for the kids was basically 20 kids in a room with a play kitchen. My grandson hated it and didn’t want to go back. We had a handicapped room because my husband has hip and knee issues and needed it. The cabin was beside the service elevator so it was extremely LOUD all night. We were woken up at 2am nightly by crew singing in the service area. We also had a fire on the ship which caused a bit of drama. People wanted to get to their kids and couldn’t. I am sure carnival will hear more from them. Read Less

First time cruiser excited about seeing Cozumel. I knew beforehand smoking was allowed in the bars and the casino, but I did not know the whole ship would smell like an bar! The lounges and casino do not have physical doors, The entry is wide open and the second-hand smoke travels throughout the ship. I will never go on another cruise unless it is non-smoking or doors and ventilation is installed. Also, there were so many drunk people even though it was not spring break time. I saw one college girl vomit onto a towel on the Serenity deck. The pool was very small and i would never take children on the cruise since there is such a drinking/partying atmosphere. I saw many, many women in the hallways and hamburger restaurant in only bikinis. Appropriate cover-ups were not enforced. The ship was clean and our dining room waiters Eric and Jorge were fantastic. It was hard to find your way around especially since the stairs are not labeled and you never knew which floor you were on. Floor level signs would have been a huge improvement. The onboard entertainment is what I would call cheesy. The bingo was $40 for three bingo cards and lasted less than 10 minutes of actual calling time. The website lists many restaurants, but in reality most of them were in the same cafeteria and each area was labeled as a separate restaurant. For example the ice cream machine was given a separate restaurant name. The coffee shop and sushi counter seemed to be tucked away in a small out of the way area and hard to find. The jewelry and pictures were pushed heavily. The pictures taken were displayed haphazardly and were moved around so much you could not keep up with your pictures to purchase. Read Less

We were looking for a 5 day Carnival cruise that left out of Mobile, AL. The Carnival Fantasy is a lady showing her age and while we were onboard the crew were doing some serious repairs and updates. The 3rd day into the cruise they closed the Blue Iguana Bar and were sanding and adding a fresh coat of varnish. There were several days we saw crew members carrying very large sections of hand rail somewhere. Some outside decks were closed because they were working on them. We heard power tools going most of the days while we were outside. The cabin was small and had a slight musty odor to it, but overall was clean and our steward "Hammie" was Excellent. The bar staff and the food staff were also Excellent and attentive. Ely at the Red Frog Rum Bar was our favorite bartender on board. She was always pleasant and we enjoyed speaking with her. Richard who was a bar server in the Lido restaurant and the Serenity Lounge always had a smile and greeted us by name no matter where he saw us on the ship. Eka who was a server on the Lido deck from the Red Frog Rum Bar took Excellent care of us and checked with us frequently to make sure we were okay. The food was okay. Pizza Pirate was good, the soft serve ice cream and yogurt are always enjoyable. The food on the Carnival Dream was better than on the Fantasy and due to the size of the ship you don't have as many choices. Guys Burgers are good, usually the longest line for food, but they are quick and you don't ever have to wait too long. The food at the Blue Iguana Cantina is also good and we ate there several times. The first and last day of our cruise were cold and windy so we never tried the water slides, although my wife did cool off in one of the fountains on our 4th day, while we were in Cozumel. Our 13 year old son liked the Carnival Dream better as it was larger and had more things for him to do. The entertainment was pretty good. The DJ needs to learn this isn't the 1920's and we don't enjoy listening to 1920's jazz music all the time. The deck parties were nice, they had one night that was 90's music and we enjoyed that. We paid for Faster to the Fun this cruise and I would say it was well worth it, especially for Embarkation. We were suppose to have priority Debarkation, but as usual no one follows instructions and people were just trying to leave the ship as fast as they can. Carnival really needs to figure out how to improve the Debarkation process. Read Less

First off - we have never been on a cruise before. We are the types that usually get on a plane and fly somewhere. However, we decided to take a chance on this cruise since it was fairly cheap compared to flying to another destination and pay for the additional costs (car, hotel, etc.). We came into Mobile the night before and stayed at the LaQuinta off I-65 which has a stay and cruise package for $93 total with tax which was an excellent deal since the cruise terminal parking is like $70+ alone. Embarkation: We arrived a little earlier than our appointment of 12:30 since we had never done this before. Checking in was quite quick and painless. I felt the lines moved quickly and everyone was very friendly. Upon boarding the ship, we were told the room would not be ready until 1:30PM. We were on the Empress Deck towards the back with a window. Lunch was good and the weather was okay until around 30-45 minutes before departure when it started raining heavily. The muster drill was fairly easy and I was glad we had an interior spot to gather for that. The Cruise: The food is decent. The breakfast was the best in the Lido buffet. I got lunch at the Lido buffet, Guy's Burger Bar, and the Blue Iguana Cantina. I preferred Guy's and Blue Iguana for lunch. Dinner was okay but I was not too impressed. We only went to the dining room on the last night of the cruise and I did not like the food that much. Again - everything is mostly included so it did not bother me that much. We spent most of the time in kid free zones such as the serenity deck and casino. The serenity deck is small and getting sun loungers can be competitive. The entertainment is okay. I liked the Motor City performance and the Love and Marriage show (hilarious). The Country Road show was terrible. I am not a country music expert but the singers need to work on not being so out of tune. They did great in the Motor City performance but I am not sure why they were unable to perform that well during the other show. The cruise director, Kevin, was actually great but takes some time to adjust to his energetic announcements. The staff was fantastic. Everyone was so nice and polite. Our cabin steward was I Wayan and he was so great. I wanted to go down the slides one time but I never got a chance - I hope to on the next cruise. The mini golf was definitely a no go while at sea. The ball would just roll away because of the wind. A lot of the bars, eateries, activity areas are showing their age. I will say we got to interact with different cross section of America than what we are used to in Atlanta. There were kids but I did not feel like it was overrun with them. Most passengers were courteous and friendly however, the later it got at night the more rowdy it seemed to get. We did not do the formal dinner and did not get dressed up but it appeared at least 70% of the ship's guest did. The Room: The room is very dated. I felt we had plenty of space with the bed in the king arrangement. The mattress and bedding was very comfortable. The rooms can be really cold but we prefer that. The TV is small and you need to flip to the higher channels (100+) to get the HD channels. We watched fuzzy shows for the first 3 days and did not know about the HD ones. The bathroom while small felt very clean and somewhat updated. The artwork in our room was very old and the matting was starting to sag a lot (thus showing old it was). Our window was never clear which was a bummer considering we paid extra for an oceanview. There was plenty of storage as well. I liked the location of the room we were able to get to the serenity deck really quickly and the lido buffet was easy to get to using the back stairs. Port of Call: We were very happy to get to our only port of call with no issues like the over reviews. We did not book a carnival excursion. We picked the Nachi Cocom beach club which is $55 and includes unlimited food and alcohol. They cap the number of people allowed in to like 130 or so. We were down the beach from Mr. Sancho's and it looked like a ZOO. Taxi was $17 each way so it was $144 total for 2 people. I think it was a much better deal than going through Carnival. Debarkation: Fairly straight forward process. We carried our luggage off the ship. We left the room right before 8:30AM and we were on the road in our car from the LaQuinta at 9:07AM after taking a cheap Lyft back to the hotel. We did settle our bill the night before to expedite the process. Overall Impression: This came down to the $$$ for us. Overall the price paid was much cheaper than taking a 3 day weekend trip to like Miami, Denver, Las Vegas, etc. The staff I felt were great and very friendly. The room was adequate and the bed was good, which frankly should be the main concern anyways. With that said, the boat is old and tired. They have not updated the ship to what competitors offer. The ship was built in 1990 which makes it older than me...I doubt Carnival will do a heavy makeover since its the oldest ship in its fleet. I do not think we will sail on it again or out of Mobile until a nicer ship is brought in. Read Less

Great little getaway cruise! Main Dining Room was wonderful for brunch, tea time, and dinner! Guy's and Blue Iguana were awesome as usual. Buffet decent for a smaller ship. Pizza was good just a bit slow. Entertainment was nothing to write home about but not bad. Plenty of things to do all day long. Serenity was great in the mornings! Ports were great (costa maya and cozumel). I thought that the staff were extremely helpful and probably the best thing about the cruise. Service was great- Room attendant was spot on. Of course there are some downsides to this ship. It's old, I believe the oldest in Carnival's Fleet. My wife actually enjoyed the smaller size of this ship. Main pool area was a little crowded in the afternoon but thats normal. My one big complaint was that our room was right underneath one of the speakers for the stage show. Our bed shook during the rehearsals and evening shows. This was annoying but not a deal breaker for us. Overall a great, easy, affordable cruise. Read Less

We chose this cruise because I had just spent several weeks cooking for, and organizing, a party for my husband’s 75th birthday and I needed a break. We have been on over 40 cruises, on several different cruise lines,in the last 20 years and some have been better than others. We have cruised Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, Cunard’s Queen Mary II and a couple of lines that are no l9nger floating around. I list these only to stress that we have run the gamut of ships and seen, and experienced a lot of variety. For us the drive to Mobile is relatively easy and only about 4.1/2 hours and the price was right. We had a blast on this sailing. The Mardi Gras parade and entertainment was great. We had taken beads and head gear for it but the activities team provide masks which added to the fun. It was our wedding anniversary that day so the dress up added to the celebration for us. We particularly loved Maddie in the cruise director’s’ team. She was a gem. Yes, the Fantasy is older and smaller but that did not detract from the fun and friendliness of the crew. We had a cabin on main deck, aft, which was acceptable and quite quiet. The food is more than acceptable and we liked the Blue Iguana grill. I like the Indian food selection at dinner which I find to be better than the other cruise lines that offer it. Our only quibble, both of us being English, is that Carnival have chosen not to serve any strawberry jam with afternoon tea . Sure they have scones and cream but you HAVE to have jam as well. As they used to serve it one can only assume that this is cost cutting and it does seem a little chintzy to say the least, We knew this was going to happen and we actually took jam with us! Just a minor complaint. Overall we had a very good time. There was a great band playing (name of which escapes me) and we went to hear them most nights. We enjoy a stop at Cozumel. I have mobility problems so it works for us to get off the ship, take a walk to Pancho’s Backyard, have a couple of beers with chips and salsa, listen to the marimba band and just relax. A little shopping at the same time does not go amiss. I cannot comment on Progresso as we did not get off. We have been to Merida before, which we enjoyed, so we did not feel the need to go again. We realized that the years have gone by since we first started cruising. When we went to the Love and Marriage show, 20 years ago, we used to marvel at the old folks who had been married the longest. This cruise we were IT which caused us great amusement. No we didn’t participate. It gave us the satisfaction that we had made it to 53 years and could have played along if we had wanted to. I’ve no complaints about Carnival Fantasy and this sailing. None whatsoever. Read Less

The wife and I booked this cruise to Cozumel on the Carnival Fantasy because a few friends and our daughter were telling us how beautiful Cozumel was . We drove down on the Thursday morning early to make sure we were there in time to park and find our way in case there were any problems . GPS took us right to the parking deck entrance and they had people there to guide you in which was great . We checked one bag and carried two with us as carry on . The whole process through security and boarding the ship went easily and fairly quick . Once boarded we ate lunch on Lido deck and were in our room within the hour .The room was M269 on the stern of the ship and was better than we expected . Very clean and layed out well so we had plenty of room to move around and were not cramped at all . We had a very good view out of the window . Even though it was over the mooring line deck it was very quite and even when docking at the ports the lines being put out was not loud at all . The staff called us by name the whole cruise and room service was very quick . We enjoyed all the onboard activities and the comedy shows were extremely good . This was our 1st cruise so had pretty good expectations from a few friends experiences sailing to Cozumel . Carnival however diverted to Progreso from a scheduled Cozumel destination due to a 4 hr fog delay leaving Mobile . No one had the chance to leave the ship as they only announced the change after it exited Mobile port . Many people said they would have rather just left the ship than go back to Progreso . Basically everyone that had been to Progreso were telling us how terrible it was . After the on shore excursion was over we had to agree .The water wasn't nice , the scenery is less than scenic as everything looks like overgrown bushes . You have to spend 2.5 hrs one way to tour the Myan ruins so you only get a couple hours to do the tour then have a 2.5 hr bus ride through dirty housing areas to get back to the ship . I really don't understand why they can't have a backup plan to keep guest on their desired port . It seems they could pick up the speed the night they leave port , the day at sea and following night to make up the time . All guest services would say is these things happen . Great , the wife and I wasted vacation days from work and paid good money just to be told , hey we're going to take you somewhere else . We also had a nice excursion booked in Cozumel and had to quickly pick another one for Progreso only to have a note slid under the stateroom door the next morning saying that one has also been canceled due to lack of required participants ! Uh . Given two choices to choose from we picked the longest one being 7 hrs and then find out 5 of those 7 were the trip to and back via bus . Now the ship was nice even though being a bit old and the crew were all excellent . The food was marginal however and nothing to brag about . IMO Carnival should have given the guest a choice to disembark before leaving port and at a minimum been given a hefty discount for being sent to a 2nd rate destination instead of the one purchased . This experience has most likely steered us away from ever taking another chance with a cruise vacation , especially since we don't really have any control about where we end up . Read Less

Feb 23rd - 28th. Inexpensive and close to home. Wonderful 3rd cruise on a Fantasy CLASS ship for joint wife and self vacation. The Fog{ weather no stars } kept us from boarding til 7:30 PM and along with Mardi Gra events made for stressful{!} dembarkation, however, we were so happy to get that email to come to terminal to sail. Yes most people I spoke too were disspointed to miss Progreso Darn FOG is the enemy of cruise ship. Some were glad to have an overnight stay at Cozumel because of missing Progreso. For 30 year old ship there it is incredibly good condition. Very little problematic rust, however, there was one set of railing tubes near top, outside in front of ship, near top of stairs that the end of each pipe was some jagged edges but I rubbed the quasi-painted edges and felt no sharp cutting surface. Hot tubs were hot every time and not a singe child on Serenity area. 5 stars. Enjoyed lots of sun, warm and hot temps. Salt moist air was good for wifes asthma. Cabin{ E180 } was immaculately clean, including bathroom. I mean I was seriously impressed at how clean for a 29 year old ship! Engine vibration may have been more than other two cruises, I dunno. Was glad when getting to Cozumel and then having the engines lowered rpm to idle. Cesar Chan was excellent, enthusiastic, University trained, presenter of Mayan and Mexican culture history. Costal bus ride and lookout photo, Mayan temples and ending with authentic Mexican Tequila, dancing couple, food and friendly dinning atmosphere in downtown San Miquel. Crew service was excellent! Food was excellent and too much. Dancing and singing was great dinning experience. Bean burritos at Cantina on Lido deck were my favorite meal and good food every where I ate. Sorry I'm not a Guys Burger bar fan. Fries way to salty for me if not also to greasy{?}. Wife loved music night life. She played music with the ban. I was in hot tube, big bed{ king? and comfortable }, hot tub, exploring ship or hot tub. Oh, yeah, I loved the 2.0 tube slide. Never had those when I was a kid so no way I was going to miss my chance now. We carried on and off our luggage and we debarked and were in our car by 10:30AM in parking garage and that was a little behind their schedule debarkation times. I love cruising and will go again if can accrue the money to try a larger ship someday. Ex the Conquest class. On way back from Cozumel I saw on tv the head-wind speed was apparrent 72 mph and actual speed was 52. Captain said weather was deterioating, and the ship was listing left{ port side? } for about 5 minutes and that was kind of cool. The whole way back the ship had winds and moderate to and fro roll, and forward -backward pitching. I enjoyed that cause by now I know cruise ships rarely sink. A cruise is what you make it. I made it fun 95% of the time. :--) I watched 2 movies on tv. Read Less