Carnival Ecstasy Review

WARNING!!! The Mediterranean can be highly Addictive!

Review for the Western Mediterranean Cruise on Carnival Ecstasy
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kandjrolls2
First Time Cruiser • Age 40s

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Value for Money
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Dining
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Sail Date: Sep 2009

I have wanted to do a Med cruise for years. Finally, in July 2008 we booked this cruise based on three factors: 1. the itentairy was perfect, 2. the price was afforable, and 3. It was a brand new ship! After the cruise was officially booked, the next 14 months was full of reading books and doing research of every port. About 5 months before sailing, I finally discovered cruisecritic. This website was an absolute lifesaver. I recommend it to everyone who is taking a cruise. Finally, it was depature day. Our first flight was cancelled. After staying in a cheap hotel we arrived at the airport the next day to discover our 2nd flight was delayed. Twice. After an exhausting flight, we were at last in the Eternal City! We went to collect our bags. I easily spotted mine. DH never came. We spent the next two hours waiting in line to talk to someone is baggage claim. Uh-oh. Our dream vacation was off to a rocky start. I used my priority club points for our pre-cruise hotel, the Intercontinental on Via Sistina. The location could not be beat;right on top of the Spanish Steps. After checking in, we went to a wonderful dinner and walked around a bit. We were starting to forget the nightmare the airlines put us through even though we still didn't have DH bags. The next day, we used the subway to go to the Coliseum and Trevi Fountain. I was disappointed we didn't have time to see the Vatican. We went back to the hotel and finally DH's bag had arrived. Good thing, it was time to head to the ship. We walked to the subway station and tooked the train to termini and then the train to Civitavecchia. This was very easy and so much cheaper than taking a car serivce. We would rather have that money to spend on ship or in ports. When the train arrived in Civitavecchia, we walked a few blocks and saw free shuttle vans to the ship. Embarktation was quick and easy. A few minutes later we were walking on to the ship. People were still painting the outside. We checked out our room: 8274. It was nice and big. No complaints. Then, we were off to discover the ship. The ship is huge. Everyday we discovered something new. The first night we ate the Grand Buffet. Very good. After that we ate dinner in the dining room everynight. We started off on late dining but swapped to Anytime Dining. The service on the ship was impeccable. The food was outstanding. We didn't go to any shows. I really enjoyed the water slides and the outdoor movie theater. I loved this ship! The only thing that tops the ship was the ports. Europe is intoxicating. A cruise is a great way to explore Europe. No packing and unpacking. You get to see so much without the hassle of transfers. Yes, it is true you have limited time in each port. But you get a feel for what cities you want to revisit and which you do not. I loved this vacation. If only cruise lines ruled the world!

Cabin Review

We had an inside cabin. Bedding was super comfy. The bath was very small. We made it work. Our room steward, Ben, was great.

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