Carnival Fascination Review

Grand Suite/Extended balcony worth every penny

Review for the Southern Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Fascination
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taylormaid21
2-5 Cruises • Age 60s

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Additional details

Sail Date: Jan 2020
Cabin: Extended Balcony Grand Suite
Grand Suite Extended Balcony  cabin U90
Towel display left by our cabin steward. Cabin U90
Snorkeling St. Lucia on the Land/Sea combo excursion.

We chose this cruise because of the ports that are every day and for the majority of the day. We don't like too many 'days at sea'. We are not really interested in the activities aboard the ship but rather the ports of call. These were all great islands with a variety of scenery and things to do. We chose the grand suite with the extended balcony because we like to sit on the balcony and enjoy the peacefulness of the ocean/sea. The bed had a plush mattress which was the most comfortable bed I've slept in at any hotel, airbnb, condo or other cruise. The shower had lots of hot water and lots of water pressure. The lounge chairs on the balcony (the same as around the pool) were very hard and uncomfortable. If you are a food critic you probably won't like this cruise as the buffet was limited and not very tasty. Which is good I guess because then I didn't overeat! I did not eat in the dining room so I cannot speak to that food. We took the land/sea combo excursion on St. Lucia and it was excellent. A great way to see the island. At the other ports we just took a taxi to a beach we had picked out before the cruise. There are always plenty of taxis available at the ports with flat rates to most of the popular beaches. We rented a car in Barbados which I would recommend as the island is small and relatively flat, there are a number of places to see and we were there until 9:00PM. (they do drive on the left though so be prepared)

Cabin Review

Extended Balcony Grand Suite

Wow! That's the word for this cabin. Spacious, bed, pillow and shower get 10 out of 10. And I'm super picky about my mattress. I would take this cruise again just for the bed and shower. Best I've had in any hotel, Airbnb, previous cruise or condo and I travel 50-60 days a year. The balcony was huge, only complaint was the lounge chairs are hard and not very comfortable. There was also a foul smell occasionally on the balcony. I have seen that complaint from other guests.

The door leading to the balcony is extremely heavy and slams if you just let it go. My husband and I always held it closed behind us however our neighbours did not. So, SLAM, SLAM, SLAM every time they went in and out. For seven days it never occurred to them to close it behind them. It was annoying. Also something to be aware of in the ports when taking a taxi, they are really more like shuttles taking 6-30 people at a time. I pictured it being my husband and I going where we want with the freedom to say can you take us here or there. Its not like that. They drive you, drop you off and come back when the majority of the people want to come back.

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