We paid extra for early embarkation but in reality, that wasn’t even necessary. We were expecting a little more, with the expense of the Grand Suite. The ship was too small for the number of people on board. The pool (only one) and jacuzzi was over-crowded and dirty. There wasn’t enough seating for the entertainment areas. We paid for the premium internet package and it did not work. The food was good, but we were very disappointed in Guy’s. The scooba excursion and lunch in Cozumel was advertised as being at a resort. I was expecting a large beach area with a resort building. It turned out to be a very small area of sand. It was a crowed area with rows of beach chairs with an outdoor covered restaurant. It wasn’t at all like the pictures advertised. We stayed at the Renissance the night before our embarkation and was able to park our car there. They have a shuttle to and from the ship. It’s a bit pricey, but considering the cost of long term parking at the port, I think it’s the better bargain. Read Less

The ship was great .. Ben the Cruise Director highly entertaining..the food was great ...my only issue is the Passion island excursion was horrible..the boat people were great ( rafeal and Alex) but the food was horrible the island staff rude ,the open bar was watered down drinks, the description and photos had inflatable in the water but there were none...the whole excursion was a big let down and we felt like a waste of money. The room was hot and stuff the front desk was still hot ( we had four people in an ocean view room) . The Dr. Seuss breakfast is a must for little ones and the wait staff were great. The food was way better then the last one I was on a month ago which was Royal Caribbean enchanment of the seas ( food was terrible) .I would recommend doing an excursion in Costa Maya ( little shopping there) and shop in Cozumel. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the convenience of it being close to home. We left out of Mobile Al. My husband and I actually cruised on the Fantasy on our anniversary 23 years ago, so I was very excited to know this was an option to take my daughter for her senior trip. It started of a little rocky with the threat of a tropical storm but carnival kept in touch with me via text days before embarking to assure us that they were taking care of us and other passengers. We had excellent room service, our room was always clean, the food was excellent, the buffet and dining. We especially loved Nancy!! She was amazing! We had the best time dancing and she is an amazing singer! Also the bartenders were exceptional!! We never had to wait and the drinks were delicious!! The entire cruise was amazing and I look forward to booking again with carnival! Read Less

About Us I am Pam (58) and this is my 16th cruise (4th on the Fantasy) and DH’s 13th cruise (3rd on the Fantasy). For both of us, this was like going home. The Fantasy was our very first cruise and we both love her size and the crew. Sailing with us this time are two of our grandchildren, Brayden (7) and his sister, Peyton (6). This is a first cruise for both of them! Our grandson is on the autism spectrum and has sensory issues. So knowing that we may have to stand outside for muster for 30+ minutes, worried me to no end. I just knew a meltdown was coming (and once a meltdown starts, it takes an act of God for it to stop and for him to be calm). I called the special needs department and was able to arrange muster for us inside, sitting. It will be cool and he won’t be surrounded by hundreds of people. I was even offered a private muster, but I didn’t think we needed to go to that extreme. They put notes in our reservation and then asked about my “health issues”. LOL, I had to think on that one for a minute. I am allergic to peanuts. I have never had any worries while cruising. I just let my wait staff know and I am taken care of. I don’t even think about it much anymore since they do such a good job!! Problem all solved!! Now time to get excited about our cruise!! Hotel and Parking I booked the La Quinta Inn on West I-65 Service Road in South Mobile (about 7 miles or 10 minutes from the port). The room cost me $79 for the night for 2 beds and offered a pool and breakfast the next morning. I prepaid online for parking at the port a couple of weeks before our cruise. The cost was $72. Total cost for hotel and parking was $151. If you are watching your pennies, this was a great deal. When I checked the Hampton Inn, it was over $190 to sleep, park and cruise. Now, onto the review!! Weds, May 23 We live in Tennessee, so we drove down the day before our cruise. We left Memphis at 630am and drove to Jackson, TN to pick up the kids. Once on the road, it took us about 7 hours to get to our hotel in Mobile after stopping for lunch and bathroom breaks. We found the La Quinta pretty easily and got checked in. Our room was clean and close to Cracker Barrel for dinner, WalMart for last minute shopping and Target for my hubby to get a few items that WalMart didn’t have. After shopping, it was back to the hotel for baths, showers and a good night sleep for the big day tomorrow. Thursday, May 24 CRUISE DAY!!! We actually slept in a bit and were all up around 7am. (To be honest, I think the kids woke up sooner but just laid there until one of us stirred and then they started giggling with excitement!!) We had a decent continental breakfast and then packed up the car and headed out. We were way too early… haha. Our poor grandkids saw the whale tail as we rounded the corner and both started clapping and woo hooing!!!! We went to the port and asked what time we could enter the parking structure and were told 1015, so we took the kids to the USS Alabama and walked around there for a while. They weren’t too unhappy. They enjoyed looking at the planes and helicopters. NOTE: If you are cruising out of Mobile and want to visit the USS Alabama, have your boarding passes handy. We got to park for free and they give other discounts for the tours. We got back to the port around 10am and got in line (we were 3rd in line) and waited. And waited. Finally around 1030, we were able to pull in and drop our luggage and park. We pulled up to level 2 and parked right there at the elevator doors. SCORE!! Loved being that close after we disembarked. We walked in and showed our passports and the kids birth certificates. They asked me how we were related and I told the lady we were their grandparents. She then asked if we had a letter allowing us to take them on the cruise and asked to see it. NOTE: To all of you who are cruising with your grandkids or someone else’s child, please get the notarized letter allowing you to take them out of the country and to seek medical attention should it be necessary. I have read where people say they didn’t need it. This is our third cruise and this is the third time they have asked for it. Why take the chance of not having it? From the time we pulled into the port at 1030, it took less than an hour to board. They were calling FTTF at 1120. Once onboard, hubby took the kids to sit for a minute while I spoke to Guest Services about Muster. Florita was wonderful. She gave me her card and asked that we come back at 230 and they would take care of us. We then headed to our cabin. We had cabin U159 and our room steward was Pande. HE WAS WONDERFUL!!! He kept our room clean and our ice full. He had extra work with us with the 2 kids, so I ended up giving him an extra $$$ for his trouble. Believe me, he earned it!! We went up to the Lido to have lunch and at 230 we went down to Guest Services and asked for Florita. She came right out and took us to our Muster Station and gave us our own private safety drill. After it was over, Brayden and I headed to the cabin while Papa and Peyton went with Florita to Guest Services to get wrist bands for the kids. Our luggage arrived, so while everyone was out doing the safety drill, we were unpacking and explaining all the horns. Muster could not have gone better for us. We started off the cruise on a good note and NO meltdown!! Sailaway was around 430-5. We were up on the top deck so the kids could see we were leaving. We had early dining, so at 6pm we went to the main dining room where we met our server for the cruise, George. He was great! They took care of the kids first and then us. Our food was consistently warm and good. No complaints at all!! That night, we checked the kids into kids camp. Because our grandson is special needs, we were given a phone just in case he needed us. And off to the casino we went. We are BAD grandparents. The casino was loud and there was music and hubby had the phone and didn’t think to check it. Around 930pm, he pulled out the phone and realized he had missed several calls from them. He got up there and got scolded (rightfully so). Brayden didn’t have a meltdown, but he was crying from seeing lightening in the distance (storms scare him). Once Papa was there and he had an ice cream in hand, all was forgiven and everyone was happy. That didn’t happen again! Friday, May 25 Sea Day!!! We woke up to room service and then headed up to the buffet for breakfast. Sent the kids to camp again (they loved it there) and hubby and I went to play trivia and play in the casino. At noon, we got the kids, got in our suits and went for lunch and Splash Pad time! The kids loved playing in the water. Got another ice cream for the road and headed back to our cabin to get ready for elegant night. This is when we heard the announcements that we would not be going to Cozumel the next day. Due to Tropical Storm Alberto, we were being diverted to Progresso. We weren’t real upset, but we weren’t happy either. We were looking forward to our kids first trip to the beach. We figured if we couldn’t get to a beach, we would get off the ship and do some shopping and then back on the ship and let the kids play at the Splash Pad. We had dinner in the dining room again (each night) and then got pictures of the kids. We took the kids back to camp and hubby and I went to a show and the casino for a bit. After getting the kids from camp, it was off to the lido deck for the last ice cream of the night and then off to bed for our big beach day tomorrow (hopefully)! Saturday, May 26 This morning, we took our time getting off the ship to try to bypass the lines for the shuttle. We didn’t succeed, although the line moved pretty quickly. We took the shuttle into town and after a little bit of shopping (shirts for the kids), we walked the 2 blocks to the public beach. We found a shaded table and when the waiter came he asked how many. I told him 4, but should have told him 2. The kids never stayed at the table. He charged me $30 for the table which came with a plate of chips and salsa. We ordered soda and bottled water also. The few hours we were there ended up costing me about $60. The kids LOVED it!! They loved the beach, the loved the water and they loved the sand. We walked back to catch the shuttle and were back on the ship by 1 or so. We let the kids play in the Splash Pad area for a while and then went to the cabin to clean up for Build a Bear and dinner. They were both so excited about getting to pick out their bears and a shirt for each bear. There were teenagers there also and I think the big kids were just as excited as the little kids… LOL!! After dinner, we skipped kids camp because the kids were so tired. Greg took them back to the cabin while I went to spend some time with my friends. I got back to the cabin and both kids were passed out, so I relieved him so he could go see a show or play in the casino. It was an early night for all of us. Sunday, May 27 Our last sea day. We met up with friends at the Dr Seuss breakfast. The kids loved it. My picky kids actually ate green eggs and ham! They loved the characters and loved getting their pictures taken with them!! After breakfast it was back to kids camp so I could start repacking. We were doing self assist the next morning and I wanted everything ready to go by bedtime so all I had to do was get them up and dressed in the morning. That didn’t work… LOL. After lunch, we walked around the ship shopped some, looked at pictures, etc. We went to the cabin for some quiet time for all of us and changed for dinner. Dinner was wonderful as always and our waiter, George, was great!! He really took care of the kids as well as us. We thanked him for everything and gave him a tip above what we had already tipped because he really deserved it. We said our good byes to our waitstaff and to our friends and headed out for the evening. We took the kids to camp and after some time in the casino, headed back to the cabin to finish up packing. I called Pande, our room steward and asked him to come see me for a moment. Once there, we thanked him for all his hard work for us and gave him an additional tip as well for all his hard work on our behalf! By the way, this is when we ran into “Alberto”. We rocked and rolled and it rained and rained. The Capt had done a GREAT job of keeping us safe and out of harms way during the storm, but we had to head back to Mobile, so that meant we had to sail into the storm. We got the kids from camp, got final ice creams and headed off to bed for an early wake up call. Monday, May 28 We woke up around 7am already back in port. We got the kids up and dressed and Greg took them up to the lido deck for breakfast so I could get dressed and pack all of our last minute items. Since we were doing self assist, we headed right down and got in line. It didn’t take long until we were at our car and heading home. We truly love the Fantasy (even though she is old) and would love it if Carnival would build some of the smaller ships again. We love her size and we love her staff. Each cruise on her has been leaving us with wanting more. Read Less

Starting with my state room U130 it smelled like smoke. The bathroom had mold around the shower top and had a funny smell the whole trip. Beds are worn out the A/C didn't work we had to get a fan this made sleeping very hot and uncomfortable. The T.V stoped working the second day. Food on the lido deck was more like a golden corral buffet. Breakfast was the same everyday. Guys Burger was good. Dinning room was great. Not much room between tables. But the food was better than the lido. Activities was more towards older people. I signed my daughter 13 up for circle C she only went once cause they were closed most of the time. Shows not good at all walked out twice the comedy show was good. I have been on Carnival ships before and this one was a huge disappointment. The ship needs alot of upgrades. Read Less

The price is very reasonable. Cabin in the back of Rivera is clean (200s - even side). Steward and Cleaning crew clean several times and very attentive to request for towels. Food at formal dining hall Celebration is awesome. Service is great, despite they work long hours. Entertainment (show) is well choreograph. Cruise director is funny and can really rock a party at the Atrium. Food at Lido deck is good with a good omelet station for breakfast. Don't bring power chord or sockets, they will lend you one. There is only 1 socket per room. This is a fire safety issue. They want to make sure all power chords are up to code. They provide you with 2 complimentary big bottle of water. The $50 unlimited drink is a good deal if you drink alcohol. Otherwise, you can always get drinks at Lido deck. The spa area is very nice, clean and upscale. The service people there are nice. The sales pitch is intense. If they just published a good price, people who want the service would naturally just go on their own. Instead of commercializing it like an auction sale or time share sale commercial. Pre-book your off excursion tour - you get a discount and you just walk to the pole where the tour sign is and they will be waiting for you. A family of 4 fit comfortably in a small captain room. Window room is nice but may get one more sea sick if you look at the sea often enough. As a whole, this cruise is great value and not too long for busy people-busy family who can get away for just a few days and have quality family time. Get the $10 wifi and share it among family. It is worth it, as you just take turn to login to update your mailbox and messages. It is taken as switching from multiple device. Get the $5 chat per person if you need to communicate with each other without wifi. So we share the $10/day wifi plan and buy the $5/person chat plan to stay in contact with each other. Prepay the gratuity and be done with it. Service is good and well deserve the prepay tips. Read Less

Service: the crew does their best with what they’ve got. No problems with the polite crew. Everything Else: the ship’s interiors are so dated, it’s absurd. Imagine the cheesiest 80’s and 90’s casino decor. It feels and looks dingy and way past it’s prime. Everything is dirty. The pool and hot tubs have filthy rings around the water line and the stairs leading into the hot tubs are coated with years old dirt from filthy feet. Occasionally the stench of diesel fuel or sewage would appear. The restaurant food was airplane quality, mass produced for a clientele devoid of any kind of discerning palette. The cafeteria food was literally like trough slop. And watching the people clamoring to fill their giant plates and shovel the “free” food into their mouths was disgusting. Cozumel is a dirt pile. Tijuana on an island. The locals will relentlessly harass you to buy their garbage wares: all of it is crap. The “beach” is a rocky shore that I would liken to a quarry, NOT a beach. The “sand” is not sand, it is gravel. The shoreline is not a shoreline, it’s a rocky cliff that was poured over with cement. Our “beach club” offered ONE access point into the water: a rickety dock that was covered in slippery slimy algae. The Mexican water was the cleanest park of the entire journey....including everything. My eleven year old son found a baggie of illicit drugs right on the beach by our umbrella and broken lounge chairs. If you live under a trailer park, this cruise will probably blow your mind and feel like the essence of luxury. But if you have ever eaten in a halfway decent restaurant or stayed in a halfway decent hotel, you WILL be dismayed and disappointed. I will never cruise Carnival ever again. Read Less

We chose this cruise to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary. We sailed out of Mobile, AL since being that is only 1.5 hours away from our home. This was our first cruise (and obviously my first review) so we didn't really know what to expect, even though we have family/friends who have sailed numerous times on this same ship. First, embarkation was quick and painless. Port was readily accessible. Instead of paying for parking we had my brother drop us off which took a grand total of 5 minutes. Porters are there ready to take your bags if you like. However, if you are getting on the ship later than 1pm, I wouldn't bother and just take them to the room yourselves, if you are able, since your room will be ready at 1:30. If you arrive at your assigned time, from terminal to ship should only take about 45 minutes. (Or that was the case with us). Our cabin was U230 in the aft of the ship. The sea was a little choppy on day 2 of our cruise due to some thunderstorms but it was not bad enough to keep us up at night. Other than that, this room rode smoothly. The only drawback is we did get SOME engine noise in our room, but again not enough to keep us up or drown out the tv. It was more like the low rumbling of a ceiling fan. (We took Bonine everyday, so neither of us got sea sick). The cabin was clean and well kept by our stewardess, Mary (who also got us a photoshop gift card and spa gift card in observance of our anniversary) The bed and room temperature were comfortable. You are able to control a vent in which you can shut off your AC, but you have no control over the temperature. The bathroom is small but very functional. The buffet food on the lido deck was average. About what you'd expect from a Golden Corral perhaps.(It also smells like one) Neither of us are crazy about buffets. We chose anytime dining, which I would highly recommend. We were always seated at a table for two. The tables were in close proximity to one another so it was kind of cramped but not unbearable. (given that there were 2600 passengers on board it was also understandable). The Jubilee dining staff were attentive, polite, and even recognized our anniversary by giving us a complimentary mini cake and singing to us which meant a lot to us. The food in the main dining rooms was very good. We gave it about an 8/10. GUYS BURGER JOINT IS AWESOME. Huge burgers with an even bigger toppings bar. There were plenty of places to sit by the pool or on the upper deck, just be mindful that some of those places are extremely windy and are full by 9:30ish. The Serenity deck is ideal (Ages 21 and up only allowed on this deck) but get there early, around 8ish, to reserve a seat. Stand up comics were great, saw two shows and enjoyed them. The live shows, i.e. singing and dancing etc., left MUCH to be desired. They performed a Motown show, which was just ok and "country" show which was, meh. We had one port of call, Cozumel. Got on and off the ship quickly and thoroughly enjoyed the shops there. We also highly recommend Nacho Cocom beach club (55$ per person, all you can eat and drink private quiet relaxing beach). Its only about a 10 minute cab ride which cost about 34 bucks round trip. A very safe port of call, everyone speaks English and no one is jumping out at you trying to get you to buy junk you don't want. Just nod and say no thank you and they move on. Debarkation was quick and painless as well. They call you off by deck. From the time we were called until we were off the ship and in our parents car was about 45 minutes maybe. Overall, the ship is old and does need some TLC but it was always clean. I know it was clean because I got up early every morning around 5:30am and someone was always scrubbing something. In summary - Food 7/10, Service and Cabin 9/10, Embarkation and Debarkation 10/10, Entertainment 5/10, Port of Call 10/10. P.s. - Coffee everywhere else but the bistro/coffee bar on the 9th floor is not good. Equivalent to gas station coffee. Bad gas station coffee. Read Less

We chose this cruise for vacation to home and price. We were on the same ship last year. Everything was nice and clean except for extra linens in the closet they were stained. The food was Great, although chicken option s in dining room would be better. My 14 year old loves circle c, Lola the coordinator was great and gave us a hand written letter about how great our daughter was, which is always nice to know. The waiters Juan Carlos and Vague, or 007 were so much fun and great at suggesting items on menu. Our steward Adam was excellent. The excursion to Passion Island was okay. Not worth the money in my opinion for 3 hours on the beach. We loved the cruise and would gladly do it next year. An outdoor movie theaters and adult only pool would be a nice addition. The blue iguana cafe could use longer hours. Read Less

We always cruise in April and eight days was a good way to go! Getting on the ship was a breeze. We were very surprised that it was so smooth, considering that it was not a big port. The ship is of the smaller class, but over all we had a good time. Customer service was awesome, Cruise director very entertaining. We had no problems at all. Dining staff great! We booked the Chef's table as a surprise for our friends birthday and they loved the one on one experience of the event and have not stopped talking about it The ocean view cabin was roomy considering we usually book suites or balconies. Staff was excellent and we will be sailing again in November. The DJ was very entertaining and the comedy shows very funny. The Guys burgers are worth waiting in line for! This an older ship but well taken care of. Read Less