Let me start off by saying we have traveled around the world with our children, so we've seen the good, bad and ugly. We are not overly critical and we are fairly easygoing so I hope my review gives you a good idea of what to expect on Fascination.

The Embarkation was a breeze especially with the funpass. We boarded early and by 1:30pm had access to our rooms. We had an inside cabin ( this being a quick trip for Spring Break.) The cabin was more than adequate for us 2 adults, 3 kids. The towels were new, quite large and fluffy. Since this ship is about 10 years old, they did not have blow dryers in the room-you can bring your own. (This is important to the ladies) The beds were comfy and our room steward kept everything shipshape. Although I had read numerous reviews really shredding this ship and it's crew, I can honestly say that we didn't have any problems. The food was very good at the buffets and the dining rooms. The first night at sea was the lobster/prime rib night which I found unusual because on most ships this is on formal night. Not a problem for us, but some of our dinner companions had missed the first night dining because they were still settling in. We noticed that all the waitstaff,servers and bussers were constantly and consistently busy cleaning, picking up and serving. They remembered everything and went out of their way to please. I even forgot my sail and sign card one night and the waitress remembered the number saving me a trip back to my room! All the food at the buffets was fresh, hot and replenished rapidly. On the second night, they had a midnight buffet of Mexican food which was amazing! The Gala Buffet was the last night but I didn't make it.

Having been to the Bahamas 6 times, we stayed on the ship and relaxed instead of going to town. Yes, this ship is 10 years old and starting to show it. Not in anyway that I can think of that would ruin your trip. The pools were clean and yes the hot tubs are super chlorinated but I have never been on a single ship ( 15 different ships) that it wasn't. Quite a few of the deck chairs have the backs broken on them which makes it difficult to read a book since you can only lay down. They have hundreds of chairs and I had no problems finding one. The decor is out of date with the newer ships out there. The carpets worn down, some staining but not ripped. Again, nothing so awful that you can't deal. For a quick 3 nighter for the price it's great. If you were to take a longer cruise then of course you want something that knocks your socks off. Read more