After a very disappointing experience on the Holiday in 2007, I vowed to avoid Carnival. Another couple wanted us to join them on the Fantasy for the January 2, 2010 cruise, so with an open mind and very good pricing, we decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised and found much more in common with our Fantasy 1995 cruise than the Holiday 2007 cruise.

Embarkation was pretty good, lines were long as soon as the cruise terminal opened at 11am but we were onboard by noon. The only dining option was the Lido deck and it was packed. The weather was chilly in Mobile, so inside tables were popular. Cabins were ready at 1:30pm.

Cabins (we had three outside on the upper deck) were in great shape, no maintenance or cleanliness issues. Room steward Richard kept everything in good order and well stocked, two robes in each room, plenty of clean towels and ice and spotless. The ship overall was in very good condition, some of the small colored lights were out in the Jubilee dining room which somewhat "cheapened" the look, but other than that, didn't notice any neglected maintenance. The ship is in MUCH better condition than the Holiday and the updates that were completed in 2008 look great. Read more