Had a great time. This was my 6th Cruise, 5th Carnival, first time on Ecstasy, first time going out of Charleston (even though I live there).

We did FTTF which I love. I am notoriously cheap on my cruises, don’t get the soda package or Cheers, don’t gamble, don’t do expensive excursions but I like getting on the ship early, my room being ready right away, my luggage arriving early and one of the first to get off the ship. The Charleston port was super easy to get through. Since we live about 20 mins away from the port, my mom dropped us off at 10:30. We had to wait outside the gate for about 45 mins. but once we were inside the terminal, it was quick check in and boarding.

Yes, the ship is old, but I feel like they are doing a decent job of maintaining it especially after the dry dock a few years back. I saw a few spots where paint was peeling but the ship was clean and didn’t have a lot of noticeable maintenance issues. Read more