Carnival Spirit Review
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Embarkation: We took a public cab rather than the Carnival shuttle from the airport based on advice given through the other Carnival travelers on these boards. If we hadn't, we would have had to wait longer for a shuttle to fill, and we would have paid more. A cab ride with a tip from the airport is about $12 for two people. The taxi can drop you off directly in front of the Carnival cruise terminal. We arrived at the San Diego cruise terminal about noon on the day of debarkation. We went into the completed Fun Pass lane, and the paperwork process was very speedy. We only waited about five to ten minutes before we were called to board. We toured the ship, ate a little lunch, and our room was ready at 1:30PM.
Public rooms: The Spirit's decor doesn't follow any one theme. It's got several themed lounges (an art deco lounge, sports lounge, Asian lounge, etc.) with comfortable seating. The Lido dining area does have great seating along the windows that has fabulous views. All the decor is cheesy in a Las Vegas casino kind of way--lots of molded plastic/faux woodwork/patterned carpets, etc. The carpets in the cabin hallways were all stained, which was in contrast to the rest of the ship because most public areas were well maintained. Every public restroom I used was very clean. The library was small, access to the books was only allowed a hour or two a day, and the selection was very limited.
A *major* complaint I have is in regard to the public areas is the Promenade deck. They have absolutely no seating there. I have had several episodes of skin cancer, and I can't take direct sunlight. The Promenade deck is the only shaded deck on the ship, but it has nowhere to sit. As a result, it is virtually deserted. In the meantime, there were stacks of unused deck chairs on the Lido deck, which could be used on the Promenade deck. The only other shaded seating I found outside is on the Lido deck by the pool, which is loud from the pools and smoky because people have to smoke outside. I've cruised other lines, and many people like to sit on a chaise on the promenade deck, reading and watching the ocean. Why doesn't Carnival put some chaises on the promenade deck? They'd be surprised at how much people would enjoy using it for both walking and relaxation.