Carnival Elation Review
Carnival Elation delivers on its promises
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Our vacation in New Orleans included this short cruise because my daughter wanted to go on a ship with a water slide. No other cruise line sails out of New Orleans this time of year. Our hotel, which she chose, doesn’t have a pool. Elation fit our budget and schedule perfectly and delivered a memorable experience. Our cabin was exceptional, a corner in the very transom of the ship with a view overlooking the wake. Some vibration but it didn’t bother us at all. The storage locker forces you to step over the bed to get to the porthole. My kid loved to curl up in the recess and close the curtain. Cabin service was superb and although the grout in the shower floor was darkly stained I personally witnessed some guy scrubbing it with some noxious liquid and wire brush so I know it was clean. The antique CRT television was so bad the letters and graphics on the screen were hard to read but we weren’t there much to watch it. The cabins are pinkish and look dated but are comfortable and functional with ample storage. As others said, bring a power strip—serious outlet shortage in these cabins and we brought several devices that needed charging.
Having been on Fascination , a sister, and other Carnival ships, I knew about Joe Farcus and his concepts of interior design and architecture so seeing life-size robots with gears for a heart, fanciful depictions of Renaissance Verona and splashy use of neon and LED lighting were no surprise. This ship uses wood-tone laminate to keep public areas looking warm, particularly in the atrium. My favorite was the Mark Twain Library, with gorgeous model paddle-wheelers and sumptuous seating for reading, games or computing. One thing Carnival’s interiors do well—force you out of your usual visual mindset and get you to forget you’re on a ship.
There is plenty of open deck space and a sufficient stock of lounge chairs to keep everyone happily sunning. The Serenity Deck, aft, is adults-only and provides a nice respite from the noise and hubbub around the main pool. You will not, however, be able to escape the boorish ignoramus who is unaware of lounge-chair protocol no matter where you go so be prepared.
Cabin Review
Ocean View
Our cabin was exceptional, a corner in the very transom of the ship with a view overlooking the wake. Some vibration but it didn’t bother us at all. The storage locker forces you to step over the bed to get to the porthole. My kid loved to curl up in the recess and close the curtain. Cabin service was superb and although the grout in the shower floor was darkly stained I personally witnessed some guy scrubbing it with some noxious liquid and wire brush so I know it was clean. The antique CRT television was so bad the letters and graphics on the screen were hard to read but we weren’t there much to watch it. The cabins are pinkish and look dated but are comfortable and functional with ample storage. As others said, bring a power strip—serious outlet shortage in these cabins and we brought several devices that needed charging.
Port Reviews
New Orleans
Anyone who says New Orleans isn't a great city for kids, please, let me introduce you to mine. First, she's truly the definition of African-American as her mother was born and raised in one of the countries that supplied the New World with slaves. Because of this, at 13 she was able to sense the soul of the city, she could feel the spirit (and spirits) that give New Orleans its character. She'd eaten okra and knew its African origin. She loved going into every single "voodoo store" we passed and couldn't resist buying something. She wanted to take a pedicab everywhere because of the drivers, even more fun than a horse and carriage. She was especially touched by the exhibition illustrating the experiences of Black servicemen during World War 2, as shown at the museum. She was amazed to see her grandfather's very airplane, the one he flew in that war, suspended overhead. She loved comparing beignets from place to place. And pralines. And cheese grits. She was amazed seeing the portrait of Chef Paul Prudhomme on the wall of his restaurant and recognizing him from the bottles of seasoning in our kitchen. She cried a little when she saw how her ancestors' fellow villagers were forced to live in plantations' slave quarters, and how a human life can have a dollar value based on the same qualities as a steer or a horse. She gawked at Fats Domino's hurricane-damaged piano, and the place where the Louisiana Purchase was signed, and where Andrew Jackson had a drink with Jean Lafitte. She held an alligator in both hands while sitting in an airboat in the middle of a bayou. She couldn't believe the building where she slept was over a hundred years old. That the restaurant where she ate dinner has been serving that food since 1856. That the fried chicken she ate at Willie Mae's was named the best in America. That the floats for Mardi Gras are made that way. That one city could have so many musicians--everywhere!