Outside

Inside

Suite

Carnival Cruise Line

Family Cruises

Gay & Lesbian Cruises

Romantic Cruises

Singles Cruises

Cruises for the Disabled

Senior Cruises

Fitness Cruises

Jacksonville

New Orleans

Port Canaveral (Orlando)

Galveston

Mobile

Miami

Cozumel

San Juan

Nassau

Mexico - All

Caribbean - All

Caribbean - Western

Mexican Riviera

Caribbean - Eastern

Caribbean - Southern

Excellent

Very Good

Average

Poor

Terrible

Carnival Elation

Carnival Ecstasy

Costa Maya

Our 3 kids (ages 12-14) absolutely loved Circle C on our recent cruise on Carnival Elation. They made new friends and counted down the minutes until Circle C events began. Although the events were structured, there were short intervals of unsupervised time (i.e. scavenger hunts, ice cream breaks). Our kids had walkie talkies so they could locate us as soon as events finished as they were not permitted to roam the ship outside of Circle C activities. There were some groups of kids roaming the ship and wreaking havoc (running, yelling, smashing ping pong balls, knocking over all the giant chess pieces). Some parents seem glad to take a vacation from their kids so they let them roam free to spoil other's vacations. This is a risk you take when booking on a "family fun ship". I would book Carnival again for our kids, but if vacationing without children, my husband and I enjoyed our Royal Caribbean experience more as it was an older crowd and more relaxing. 

Service in the dining room and cabin was exemplary, as usual. The food was very good, but not the exceptional experience we had on other cruises. We absolutely loved the "Your Time Dining" option and never had to wait for a table. Unless you're on the ship's dining schedule, you will often find buffets are closed and the service at the 24 hour pizza bar is consistently slow. We walked away one day after waiting 5 - 10 minutes with no one appearing to serve the crowd that had formed. Our kids enjoyed the pizza and had more patience for waiting.

Entertainment did not live up to our expectations from past cruises with the exception of Mutzie, the comedian, who was top notch, and Bruce, the pianist in Duke's piano bar whom we wished we had encountered before the last night. He was fantastic and very engaging with the crowd. Music Power was also a fantastic band who played in various locations most nights.

Beds, linens, pillows extremely comfortable.

The gym was clean and treadmills faced the front of the ship to provide a fantastic view while running. 

Teen Spa experience varied with our children. One had the full exfoliation scrub and lotion treatment with her pedicure while another did not. Mom's facial with Lynette was superb.

Smokers gather around open decks, pool and casino making these areas unpleasant for non-smokers.

Debarkation process was as smooth as it gets. Out of our cabin by 7:30 AM and we were in our car by 8:28 AM.

Carnival's Circle C Scores Big with Our Kids

First, it's a shame Carnival is leaving Mobile!  It is such an easy place to get around and everyone is so friendly there.  Hopefully someone else will move a ship there and the city can continue to show its friendly southern hospitality.  This review will be long but we want to give you all as many details as possible.


PRE-CRUISE

We went down two days early and stayed at the Microtel Saraland.  It was more than adequate for us and being able to leave the car there while we cruised was nice.  Saraland is only about ten miles from Mobile and there's a Super Wal-Mart along with some restaurants very close by.   We had dinner at Wintzell's Oyster House (the original on Dauphin St in Downtown Mobile) and it was excellent in terms of both food and atmosphere.  On Sunday we took the 45 minute drive to Dauphin Island for the day and enjoyed a nearly desolate beach where we found several large shells and saw plenty of stingrays and jellyfish.  It was the closest thing to a deserted island that either of us had ever experienced.   We ate dinner that night at Beaudeans just across the bridge (Mobile side) of Dauphin Island.  It was "ok" but nothing to write home about.

EMBARKATION

I surprised KYLUCKYGIRL with a Limo ride from the hotel to the ship.  Booked thru Modern Limos and the rate was surprisingly affordable.  I had to wonder for three weeks if they'd show up in some 1950's model limo but it was a very nice, long, ten passenger, black super stretch limo and that started off the day in a very special way!

We arrived at the terminal at about 10:00 a.m. and tipped a porter who took our bags and proceeded inside.  Once they checked our passports we went upstairs and had to sit for about 15-20 mins until they opened the security checkpoints.  Proceeded through there easily and were at the ticket counter where we checked in and were given a Zone 1 card (first group to board after Priority).  We were on the ship by 11:15 a.m. and after quickly putting cash on our Sail and Sign cards at Customer Service we went to lunch on the Lido Deck.

All of the Carnival employees in the terminal were very friendly and the ship staff were also friendly during embarkation.

After lunch we took our own "tour of the ship" and it was fun watching KYLUCKYGIRL's face as she experienced her first ever "fun ship cruise".  The rooms were ready at 1:30.  We were on Riviera Deck in a port hole cabin and were surprised with the amount of room and storage space that we found there.  We also had two bathrobes which was a surprise.

Richard, our cabin steward, and Geda (sounds like "getta") introduced themselves and we dropped our bags and headed back up to see more of the ship.  

The muster drill lasted about 20 mins or so and then it was time for sail away.  We stood out front as we departed Mobile bound for Mexico and boy is that horn loud! LOL.


THE SHIP

The Elation is older, but well maintained.  There are minor things that I'm sure people could complain about and I have no doubt they'll fix those in dry dock.  But overall it was a beautiful ship.  We especially thought Tiffany's with the peacock decor was pretty as was the Mikado Lounge, the Imagination Dining Room, the Atrium and all of the public areas.  We found it to be very clean, but yes, there are little things like very small ornamental fixtures that are ocasionally missing or some window tint peeling but nothing at all major and you really have to look for these things to find them.

We used our two Fun Days at Sea by hanging out on the Serenity Deck at the rear of the ship.  PERFECT place to hang as it's calm and no kids allowed there.  We didn't notice an abundance of chair hogs but we did get out early both days to get us good chairs and we'd take 20-30 mins every so often to go get some lunch or something to drink.

We had pretty rough seas from Weds night thru Friday night.  Thursday night and all day Friday were 8 to 10 foot waves and they had signs on the doors from the Lido deck out to the port and starboard decks that said High Winds and you couldn't go out there.   We did feel the ship rock quite a bit and they put out barf bags by the elevators on Friday but we didn't see anyone use them.

DINING

We had late seating in the Imagination Dining Room and were seated at a large round table with four other couples.  Bernardo was our waiter and he was a little on the shy side, but he did a great job and by the end of the cruise was showing us card tricks and other things.  Although we traveled as just a couple, it was kind of neat sharing the experiences of the day with others and hearing what they did during the day over dinner. Plus you get to see what everyone else orders and our table always had a wide variety of entree's and appetizers.

The food was just "ok" most nights.   The Warm Chocolate Melting Cake is indeed as good as advertised and is offered every night.  Some entree's seem to be better than others...the Lobster and Shrimp were delicious but the Flat Iron Steak was very tough.  Most of the pasta based dishes are good (from what we had and what others at our table said).Portion sizes are small of most things, so if you're hungry then go ahead and order two of whatever you want.

Tiffany's, the buffet at the rear of the ship was always good.  Even the flat iron steak there on Weds night (we at dinner there and skipped dining room after an exhausting day ashore) was better than in the actual dining room.  We both LOVED the ice cream and the fruit.  The fried fish on the buffet was good and on the last day they had a chocolate fondue fountain with fruits and donuts which was outstanding.

Lido Deck buffet was typical burgers, hotdogs, etc. and we only had that once but it was good too.  We didn't notice anyone not using the tongs or grabbing food with their fingers or all the stuff you sometimes read on here.  There were some line jumpers and a few pushy people but overall everyone was very civil and waited their turn.

Sandwich/Deli in rear of Tiffany's was good the one time for a Reuben but the Pizza left a little to be desired.  The crust was good but the sauce/topping was like frozen pizza.

Breakfasts at buffets were pretty good.  Omelette's are at Lido buffet and rear of Tiffanys and are to die for!  The bacon on the buffet isn't crisp at all and didn't have much flavor.

ENTERTAINMENT

Something for everyone.  We watched part of the Rock Show on Tuesday night and all of WIN on Thursday night.  The Rock Show seemed pretty good but it was formal night and we left to go get our pics made.  WIN was not as much of a "theme" show as it was just entertainment.  If you go expecting a storyline you won't get it so just enjoy each dance/song number one at a time.

The band that plays on Promenade and on the Lido Stage is an 80's cover band from the Phillipines.  They are VERY GOOD and they are finishing their 6 month contract in one more cruise then they'll be off for two months before starting another 6 month contract.  Talked to the bass player outside of the Cole Porter lounge before the art auction and he told me that they didn't know which ship they'd be coming back on yet.

The disco was a lot of fun and we saw one of the comedians on board and he was a riot as well.  Karaoke is as expected...a few good and more not so good but it was still fun watching.


PORTS

Cozumel - We went to Nachi Cocum for $48 each. It's an all inclusive that only takes 100 people at a time and includes all you can eat and drink.  They keep a drink in your hand if you want all the time. The food was very good and the beach was beautiful and peaceful.  You get your own Palapa and two chairs and can rent floats, wave runners, parasail, snorkel gear etc.  

Calica - Short cab ride ($13) to Playa del Carmen.  LOVED the town.  We booked a snorkel excursion once in town and enjoyed that and also shopped.  The store owners do constantly ask you to come in to look and almost seem to follow you down the street.  One word of advice - Do NOT take anything there with your name on it (tshirt, beach bag, etc) or they'll constantly call out your name as you walk down the street...LOL.  It was kind of funny.  Plenty of bargains to be had "Almost cheaper than free" they'll say...beautiful town and public beach.  Some of our table mates did Excaret which they said was awesome.


SAIL AND SIGN, ETC.

We used only cash on our Sail and Sign card.  We both put down $350 on each card.  $50 went to tips automatically.  We bought several photographs from formal night ($21.99 each 8x10) and had drinks of the day on Monday and Tuesday for $7.25 plus tip and $12.50 on the last day because they bring it in a Whale Tale glass.    Tack on some ship souveniers and the initial funds put down just about covered it all.

If you are a smoker, you can smoke in the casino if you are playing.  If not, you can smoke on the Lido Deck both inside and outside and also on the front of the ship.  We didn't ever notice an abundance of smoke.

Internet Cafe was like $34 for 60 mins and if you sign up on embarkation day you get 10 free mins.  We ended up having a balance of about 11 minutes. Speed is pretty slow.

THE ONLY REAL NEGATIVE was that KYLUCKYGIRL's suitcase got severely damaged from the time we left it with a porter to the time it was delivered.  Several holes, tears, rips, and scrapes on a new suitcase.  A quick call to Customer Service and a rep was in our cabin within ten mins.  They delivered a form for her to fill out once we got home to get reimbursed for the suitcase if it can't be repaired (which it can't be). We will see how that goes.  But, just like flying, things can sometimes happen to suitcases and it likely was just an accident.

All in all it was a great cruise.  For KYLUCKYGIRL and her first cruise it was perfect.  For KYLUCKYGUY's 5th cruise it ranks right there among the others.
We would sail this ship and this itenerary again in a heartbeat.

Carnival Elation 10/3-8 Review-What A Great Trip!

Pre-embarkation was a bit rough, Plain signs in Mobile - tips not required, although we do tip I was a bit taken back by the porter that looked at the money I gave him and the number of bags like it wasn't enough.

Food was nothing to write home about and the next nights menus seemed to have leftovers cooked in a different manner. Food was not hot nor tasty or exciting.  I had read on cruise critic prior to going on this boat that the food was not that good. I thought maybe it was just a bad cruise......not so, it was the same for our cruise.  

Wait staff - our main water was very attentive, the assistant was gone often which created hardship on " NI " our waiter.   

Cabin Stewart - met on the first day, kept the cabin clean and neat.....nothing special, never met the assistant.

Crew for the most part was friendly and smiled, but many looked pissed off or carefree that we were there. It is my understanding that The Elations last cruise was right after us.......no more Mobile because of some Mobil/Carnival disagreement and the fact that Carnival was not able to see higher end cabins out of Mobile.  Plenty of rift raft on this cruise just for the record!

This ship is going to dry dock for two weeks in The Bahamas for a revamp, I hope they kick the crew into gear.  It really sucks to go on a nice cruise/boat and have one level of service then go on a floating tub with crap service and a carefree attitude.

Overall, an ok cruise but not more on that boat or that port.   Ps. Cruise Director sucked on this boat as well, talked to fast the entire cruise.  Very disappointed in Carnivals lack of care for the Customer.....

Crappy Cruise for the most part

While I realize I may be a little bias having sailed on the Conquest last year (a lot larger and a lot more updated) I found the Elation to be boring. While I understand that the cruise line could not control the weather (raining), the activities throughout the day were few and far between or downright boring. Bingo seemed to be the going theme on this cruise (which of course was an extra charge.) Once again, I am comparing my opinion to the Conquest in which my favorite days were at sea because they had so much activities going on that you didn't know which activity you'd rather do. Whereas the Elation, I was ready to go home. 



In addition, our cleaning person was not well trained (or just not very good and needs to look at other job options.) Our room had gone without cleaning for too long of period of time and not to sound petty but we didn't have towel animals twice because he forgot to come back. Our neighbors next to us set a tray out in the hall and I KNOW it was sitting out there for at least 3 hours before it was taken away. Now, I know this is not the same experience in which our fellow cruiser had because they seemed quite happy about their service. 



Lastly, I realize that people are out to have fun, but there should be limitations to what is appropriate in public areas. As we were sitting in the hot tub with people we didn't know there was a drunk couple showing far to much PDA (and possibly more but not sure)in the family area (not the adults only). I really think when it gets to that point employees should step in and ask people to proceed to their room. Needless to say, my husband and I got out. Ick!



Food was wonderful and so were the entertainment staff. Loved the shows!



Overall I give this a C+ experience. 

Bingo anyone? Zzzzzzz.......

We are two cruisers in our mid/late 20's from GA. This was our 9th Carnival cruise.



This was our first, and now only, time leaving out of Mobile. We parked at the Convention Center, walked 5 minutes, and saved enough for several DODs on board. :) Check in was quick and easy, 25 minutes from luggage drop off to getting our Sail and Sign pictures made.



The ship was in good shape for her age, going into dry dock soon. Only complaints were some in a hurry paint jobs but otherwise the common areas looked pretty good. Our cabin, not so much. The fan in the bathroom was SO loud, but nothing could be done about. Also, our closet doors were warped and did not shut. We never met our cabin steward to mention it though.



The activities on board were slim pickings, with many things overlapping. While I like the new comedy club idea, I hate having the show before dinner with late seating though. Speaking of shows, the dancers were good, but the vocalists were the worst we've ever heard. The 'band' was also cut to 4 members and a CD. The best entertainment was singer/songwriter Tommy Green Jr., he was awesome.



Dining service was top notch and the new menu was ok, we had no complaints. The late seating was empty though. The lido dining was crowded at times, but if you eat at different times or are patient, you'll be fine. The ship was full and it seemed most people spent most of their day at the buffet... Or, they were part of the women's conference on board and were wearing matching shirts...



Cozumel was ok. We have been several times before. We did a Carnival excursion, first ever, since the prices weren't too different and we hate riding in the taxis there. We did the cooking class at Playa Mia and really enjoyed it. 



Debarkation was a breeze and so was customs. Overall, it was a good weekend away. 

Elation to Cozumel Review

I read the reviews regarding the Carnival Elation, sailing out of Mobile and many were so much more negative than positive. I was completely ready to back out of the deal. Let me tell you - I am so glad that it is just other people's opinions and not facts!! Because we found all the negative remarks to be just simply be false!! The crew was fantastic and friendly. Our cabin steward got to know us on a first name basis from day one and was very eager to make sure that we were comfortable and all our needs were met. The statements about the ship not being clean - the crew was constantly cleaning!! Our cabins were cleaned twice each day and when they were not cleaning rooms, they were washing down the walls in the hallways, scrubbing floors, mopping, etc. There were also claims that none of them were friendly and would not even speak to you. Again, simply false! Every time you pass a staff member in the hallway, they would always acknowledge you and speak to you. The food service was great - again, debunking claims that service was not good. They were always right there to refill glasses, take away plates, clear the table, etc. We enjoyed it so much that we booked future cruises with them. I would advise any first time cruisers to not always go by the negative reviews because everyone's perception is different. If you go looking for things to complain about, I am sure you will find them. However, if you are looking for a nice, affordable, great, relaxing time - then go and don't care what everyone else thinks and make it what you want!! We did and I am so glad!!

First Time Cruiser - Nervous After Reading Negative Reviews

My husband and I took our first cruise scheduled to leave on Sept. 5th, 2011. Tropical Storm Lee had other plans. Due to the ship not being able to come back into port because of rough seas, our cruise was shorted from 5 days to 4 days and we lost our Calica port. 



The ship was beautiful and the service was excellent and so we decided to have a great time in spite of the weather. The first day at sea was dotted with some rain showers but we shopped and explored the ship as it rained. We really wanted to be in the pool and hot tub! :)



We arrived in Cozumel one day later than was originally planned and we had the Sea Trek excursion booked early on so we made our way to the end of the pier right off the ship. We were told that it had been cancelled because they were expecting a strong north wind and all water activities had been cancelled. Well, as disappointing as it was, we made our way on to the shops in Cozumel. Had breakfast at a wonderful little restaurant on a balcony overlooking the sea. Shared our nibbles with a persistent bird friend who looked as though he KNEW he'd get a bite or two and had done it before! It was very nice. 



After much more shopping and sightseeing, we had lunch at another wonderful little place. The best guacamole in the world...especially the chips. Found some delightful deals on our shopping tour. Stopped by the sea and took nice photos of sail boats and a catamaran. 



Heading back to the ship, we noticed all the water sports happening! Ours was cancelled, the weather was beautiful the entire day, and at some point they opened them up. Ok, ok...not to be down on a lovely day we let that go. Still smiling! 



The very last night at sea, before returning to Mobile the next day, my husband and I decide to hang out some on the Lido deck with some new-found friends. At about 6:45 pm they had everyone get out of the pool and hot tub and started cleaning up! It was supposed to be open until 8! Then as we sit and stew a bit about yet another thing we had to give up, they ask us to move to the other side of the ship so they can move all our tables and chairs to clean up on our side. We about flipped. It was like they were in a hurry to get rid of us!!! We left and came back a little later and the hot tub was open again so we enjoyed it for about an hour before they closed it again. 



All in all we had a wonderful time but I think it was more our attitudes than the actual misfortunes we continued to get hammered with at every turn. We will definitely cruise again, but I'm not really sure if it will be with Carnival. Some things were not in their control, but some were. 

Made the best of it...Carnival Elation 9-6 to 9-10-2011

My husband and I went on our first cruise on the Carnival Elation. As most people do on their first cruise, we learned many things about Cruising on this trip. 



A huge tip we could have used was to never book a cruise during hurricane season. Tropical Storm Lee started brewing in the Gulf the week before we were supposed to set sail and we did become a little worried that it might interfere with our itinerary, and well, it did. We were supposed to leave on Sept. 5 and due to the condition of the water (huge waves) our embarkation was moved to Sept. 6. So, our trip was delayed a day and our itinerary lost one of our ports of call. We were, to say the least, disappointed. Since we were already in Mobile we stayed at the Renaissance across the street from the Port. The hotel gave us a discount due to the cruise being delayed and hopefully insurance will reimburse us for that night. Carnival also gave us a 20% discount and a $60 credit on our sail & sign for the inconvenience of losing a day. They really went out of the way to accommodate and make up for the shortened cruise. 



Another tip we could have used is to never leave out of Mobile. It was pure chaos getting on the ship. From the moment we pulled up men were throwing our bags onto dollies and paying for parking was insane. They claimed that they prefer cash, but the credit card line moved much faster. The lines inside were congested and not one worker seemed to have any authority over the actions of other cruisers. This might be because they were all mostly over the age of 70 and everyone ran all over them.



I do highly recommend the passport card and the Carnival funpass. Checking in took less than five minutes once we were at the counter. From there it was smooth sailing. 



On board we were graciously greeted by cruise staff offering us complimentary glasses of wine. We found our room with ease where our luggage was already waiting for us. We unpacked everything (a tip from another cruiser) and made our way to the hot tub. 



Our only mission on this cruise was to relax and take it all in. And we can definitely say mission accomplished. We went to a good many of the shows and wasted a lot of money on Bingo and alcohol. If anyone has the opportunity to see the comedian Kenny Miller, don't take it. He is horrible. Doug Funk on the other hand was hilarious. Corey, the cruise director was great at keeping us informed from day to day. His shows were particularly fun. I took advantage of one of the Spa specials and it was fabulous.



We took the late dinner which is something I probably won't do again because most of the good shows are happening at the same time. Our wait staff was fabulous! Very happy to accommodate and kept us entertained each night with a song or dance. The food was hit and miss. The soups were always great and the greek salad was particularly fantastic. The warm chocolate melting cake was a favorite every night except the night that tirimisu was an option. Breakfast at Tiffany's was fun to say, but nothing to write home about. The only item that changed on the buffet from day to day was pancakes or french toast. Fruit was my friend for breakfast. Lunch was always good. The Mongolian Grill was a pleasant surprise and absolutely delish. We never took advantage of room service because the only menu we got was for breakfast. I'm sure we could have called and asked for anything, we just didn't spend that much time in the room to do so. 



Speaking of the rooms...they were a little dated in my opinion. Our tv was always fuzzy and skipped every other channel when using the remote. There weren't huge issues though since we didn't spend much time in our room. 



At our port of call, Cozumel, we prepaid for the Dolphin Encounter excursion. It was amazing! The staff was knowledgeable and friendly. Cameras were prohibited, so the only options for pictures were the ones the facility took for us and they were waaaaayyyyy over priced. ($30 each) and there weren't any pictures taken of me and my husband together, otherwise we probably would have splurged for a picture. From there we took a taxi drive to Paradise beach and for $2 we were able to use the beach lounges, umbrellas, fresh water pool, changing rooms, showers, and bathrooms. Well worth it! And while the water was a little murky (thanks to TS Lee) we were still able to enjoy ourselves. 

From there we made our way back to the shopping village Carnival dropped us off at and shopped and had lunch. Shopping was difficult with all the begging the locals did just to get you to buy their goods. 



Overall, our first cruise was a great experience. Carnival went above and beyond to make the most out of our shortened trip. We will definitely be cruising with Carnival again! 

1st Time Cruisers

We left metro Atlanta and drove l/2 way to Montgomery, AL to spend the night @ LaQuinta the night b/4 the cruise driving the rest of the way the next am. 



We were looking forward to being VIP/Platinum and avoiding the lines. On this cruise was my daughter, her 5 yr. old son and myself. My grandson had a new pirate hat and his Carnival pirate t-shirt on for the embarkation picture. That is one picture we usually buy ea. cruise. This was my daughter's 9th Carnival Cruise and my l2th on Carnival. The line for VIP turned out to be longer than the people going thru the regular lines. We noticed a few people and watched to see if they got on the boat b/4 us and they did! Very slow for Platinum. We were finally directed to a little temp. table set up in the middle of the room where we obtained our sail and sign cards then were told to take a nearby kind of side door. We could tell we were not going to be walking by the photo place for the embarkation pictures. We said what about the pictures and were told oh, you will get them taken once you are actually on the ship. Of course this did not happen- only the ones going on sail and sign cards taken over there. So we were disappointed no embarkation pictures this trip. On our way off the boat my daughter was counting the laptop computers set up to process people getting on the boat that morning. There were about 30 computers so you can see 30 people helping process cruisers. I guess this explains why the people not VIP got on board b/4 all of us that were VIP waiting for just a few people to process us. The bad - TV was horrible. Color was bad/very small and picture so dark you couldn't see the people's faces at night with the lights turned down. It was small- maybe l9" and the old fashioned kind of TV. I know many think well you don't spend much time in the cabin. Maybe not normally when I am with my husband but with my daughter and I having her 5 yr. old son he was tired and ready to go to bed early so we did try to watch TV in the evenings since we could not leave him alone. There are no refrigerators on the Elation either. I noticed you know longer get your Sail and Sign statement until the very last minute - during the middle of night b/4 departing that am. I prefer to keep up with it earlier and think it should be delivered before the last minute in case there is a problem.



The food was good and we enjoyed it. We were assigned an early dining table with people who also had children and it worked out well. Everyone at our table including the kids seemed to be ordering multiple starters/entrees/deserts. The servers did not have a problem with this.



Everyone working on the ship were nice and friendly. I'm not saying they carried on conversations but would smile and speak. 



We only went to one show the lst night I think and was not impressed with the singers.



We did have a comment on Camp Carnival. My grandson is 5 yrs. old. The 5 yr. olds are lumped into the same class as the 2 yr. olds. It's 2-5. We think he would have had a much better time being in a class with just 5 yr. olds or 4/5's or 5/6's. The activities were of course geared down to what a 2 yr. old can do which is certainly not the same level as a 5 yr. old. 

Elation Cruise Sept. l0-l5

Here are the particulars: my wife, myself, our 19 year old daughter, her friend, our 16 year old son and his friend took the Carnival Elation out of Mobile on August 13th for the five night jaunt to Progresso and Cozumel. My wife and I had a double inside cabin (U203) and the kids had a quad inside (M174). We drove from Indiana (about 12 hours) stopping at a Homewood Suites in Montgomery on the way down (GREAT hotel). We arrived in Mobile a little early so we stopped at Battleship Park to check out the U.S.S. Alabama, which was pretty cool.



The terminal in Mobile was easy to get to and parking ($85) was no problem. Once inside, well, that was another story. We waited in four massive lines: security, check in, the obligatory photos and then to get on the ship. It took over an hour. The time waiting did give us a chance to check out our fellow passengers. It was a mixture of colorful pimp outfits, wife-beater undershirts, sideways ball caps, rows and rows of gold teeth and cases upon cases of Coke, Dr. Pepper, etc. While there was an array of visual carnage, a few folks stick out in my mind: the guy who wore a massive sombrero and beer mug-shaped sun glasses; and a guy who wore a hoodie with the sleeves pushed up, cut off studded biker gloves, a frizzy Afro and over-sized shorts with a large fox tail attached to the back (saw this guy several times during the cruise, always alone, wearing the same type outfit with a multitude of different colored fox tails). Whew.



Once on board, we were able to get into our cabins right away. I've always liked the design of Carnival cabins: well laid out, a large bathroom, plenty of storage space and VERY comfortable beds with high quality linen. The only signs of age were two chips in the sink and a few on the edges of the drawers. The only other issues I had with the cabin: the phone was a piece of crap with exposed wires, there was no hair dryer, and I could never get the temp down to sub-zero like I like it. One very cool thing is that the large light in the corner had a nice drawing of Leviathan on it. In fact, all the corridors leading to the cabins are lined with panels with drawings of famous (and not so famous) liners: Normandie, Titanic, Ile de France, Paris, Imperator, Rex, Leviathan, Belgenland and Alcantara. A nice touch for liner fans.



The exterior of Elation is in excellent shape. The teak, of which there is a tremendous amount, is in great condition, and there is only a bit of rust showing here and there. Although dated, the main pool area shows little signs of wear. The aft pool is a different story: rust, gunky chalk, etc. I'm sure it's because they're going to tear everything out and add a new water park. Still, it should be maintained, no matter what the plan is. The funnel could also use a coat of paint.



The interior is a mixture of shoddy maintenance and obvious abuse. In the atrium a great deal of the tube lighting is burned out; at night it looks absolutely ridiculous. Throughout the common areas there are hammered square copper panels with a relief of some sort of silly-looking muse in the center of each. Over the years, people have smashed in the centers with their fingers or fists...it looks really bad. I saw several broken light shades on fixtures in the Imagination Dining Room, and much of the faux stained glass in Tiffany's lido buffet has been chiseled away by people picking at it with their fingernails. The interiors of elevators are in terrible condition.



I'll not go into the subject of dEcor as we all know the scoop: typical Farcus stuff. The only thing I'll mention is the giant Statue of Liberty HEAD in Duke's piano bar....it looks like Ultra-man in a wig and tiara.



For the most part, the food was pretty good. In the dining room at dinner, soups were excellent whereas entrees were hit or miss. The breakfast menu was the same everyday. Our waiter, Paulbert, and his assistant, Vernon, were very good. I felt a bit sorry for them: we had a booth along the back wall of the dining room and it was a little frustrating having to pass food, dirty dishes, cutlery, etc. back and forth. 



Tiffany's, from a passenger flow standpoint, is a disaster. Long lines, people running into to each other, crowded seating and small tables. It's also where the pizza counter and "rotisserie" are located. About the pizza: it's some of the best I've had on a cruise ship. Too bad the guy making it wasn't smart enough to bake more than one at a time. He would go in the back, stay for five or so minutes, bring out one pizza, cut it into four slices, serve the four slices and then repeat the process over again. Since most people got at least two slices, there was almost always a long line and, after a while, I would usually just give up. I came to the conclusion that although pizza is available 24hrs, it's not 24hrs IN A ROW. The "rotisserie" should really be called a deli as there's not a rotisserie in sight...although the sandwiches were pretty good. 



Just outside is a grill with burgers, hot dogs, nachos, etc. There's also a Mongolian grill, which is excellent.



Service throughout the ship is spotty at best. It ran the gamut: from excellent to indifferent to downright rude. Our room steward did a decent job, but nothing I would write home about. As mentioned, our waiter and his assistant were also good. I did have an unpleasant encounter in the photo department and at the Purser's desk. I went to the photo shop to buy an SD card for my camera and decided to get an 8GB for $20. I knew the card would fit in my camera but I asked the guy if there could be any reason why it wouldn't work. He said as long as it's the same size, it'll work. I bought the card, took it and the camera back to my cabin and when I put it in the camera, the screen said the card could not be used. I took it back to the guy and he said the card I bought won't work in older cameras. I said no problem, here's the card back, just refund the $20. He said he couldn't refund the money because I had opened the package. I said "of course I opened the package because YOU told me the card would work." He said sorry and pointed to the sales slip where it says "no refunds or exchanges". I said fine and walked away. From there I went down to the Purser's desk, explained what happened to the man behind the counter and told him that, if I didn't get a refund, I would have $20 deducted from the daily gratuities. He started to argue with me: "why would you penalize people that have nothing to do with this? That's not fair to them." I said that perhaps they should get their $20 back from the guy in the photo department. He didn't see anything wrong screwing me over, but then took issue when I fought back. He eventually called up to the photo desk and said he would send an email to the photo manager who would contact me the next day. Sure enough, the next day I got a call telling me that they had refunded the $20. If you get pushed, sometimes the best thing is to stand your ground.



The cruise director, Cory, was about as obnoxious as they come. His five or six daily announcements were nothing more than a ten minute sales pitch about future cruises (where "we pay YOU to cruise"), signing up for a Carnival Mastercard (where you get "free stuff, even if you're NOT approved"), AMAZING spa specials, INCREDIBLE deals on watches and, FOR ONE DAY ONLY, buy five photos and get the sixth one FREE. 



Speaking of photos: in the evenings, along "Elation's Way", the main promenade, the entire length of the space was taken up by backdrop after backdrop of corny scenes for photos; and they were set up in front of the windows. So, for about 200 feet, you could never sit in the chairs along the promenade. This happened every night except the first.



And now the best part: the passengers. First of all, I have always tried to take people as they are; I understand that we all come from different walks of life, levels of education, etc., and what's acceptable to me might not be acceptable to the next person (and vice-versa). But this time I really had a difficult time with my fellow passengers. It's almost as if they thought that spending $300 for a five night cruise gave them the right to be rude, inconsiderate of others, and downright condescending. Typical Carnival passengers have been labeled the "Walmart" crowd. Well, many of these people would have to work their way up to that level. Don't get me wrong, I am not some snob who thinks he's better than anyone else; I just find it annoying that some people have what I call 'arrogant entitlement'. I saw one lady actually snap her fingers at one of the waiters in the dining room; I suppose her fake diamonds and several hundred feet of gold chain gave her a false sense of superiority. Rude is rude, and is never acceptable but, for cryin' out loud, at least have something to back it up! 



Carnival has really lowered the bar as to what is appropriate, both dress and conduct-wise. No longer are there formal nights: instead, it's "Cruise Elegant", where pretty much anything goes. The only thing different is no jeans are allowed...shorts, gym shoes and baseball caps are apparently okay. 



Also, there was absolutely no supervision or enforcement of any rules when it came to children. And yes, I understand that when you sail on Carnival in August there's going to be a ton of families, which means a ton of children. The number of kids is not the problem, the problem is parents who think that suddenly they have 2000 babysitters who'll deal with their little darlings. Of course no one with Carnival would dare say a word. I actually saw two kids in full sprint plow into a "security" guard; he just smiled, turned to one side and moved out of their way. I can't tell you how many times I heard kids drop the F-bomb. 



I truly believe there's a place for kids on just about every cruise (with a few exceptions of course); but there also has to be parental responsibility. My kids started cruising when my son was still in a stroller; he is now 16 and my daughter is 19. We've taught them what's acceptable and what's not; they've never ran around a ship, have never been disrespectful to passengers or staff, have never damaged anything and, most importantly, have always said please, thank you, no thank you, excuse me, etc. On the Elation, my daughter said, "can you believe how these people are acting?"



Though no fault of Carnival, I was saddened to see such a high number of young people (late teens, early 20s) smoking like fiends.



Of course obnoxious behavior wasn't limited to children. At the table behind us in the dining room sat six, consistently drunken slobs who yelled, slammed their backs against our booth, screamed out Paulbert and Vernon's name (Paul-BERT, commeer!), pounded on the table, made fun of the bar steward (actually mocking his accent to his face), I could go on and on. One of them even yelled at his wife/girlfriend/hooker to "close yer legs!", to which one of the other guys said, "is that Mahi Mahi?" Unbelievable.



One afternoon I was sitting by myself outside of the lido restaurant at a table for four. I was on the shady side of the ship, the breeze was great and, well, you know the feeling. Two very nice people came up and sat behind me and, a few minutes later, a friend of theirs popped his head around the corner and said, "wow you guys are lucky, great spot." The guy told him to join them but the man had four people in his family. I figured I had been sitting there for about an hour, and this guy needed a place to sit with his family, so I said, "here you go sir, take this table." He thanked me and started to head for the table. Just then another couple (the guy in a wife-beater), raced in from the other direction and plopped down their trays. The guy I gave the table to said, "sir, I'm sorry but this man was just getting up so we could have this table". The jackass looked right at the guy, shrugged his shoulders and sat down. I said to the first guy, "sorry, you're on your own. Good luck." He looked at me and said, "yeah, right." 



To be perfectly honest, I could go on and on with stories about the passengers, but I think you get the picture.



Entertainment:



Being a musician, I try to not be too critical of cruise ship entertainment; I usually find it to be average at best. However, there was a young guy who sang and played acoustic guitar and this man was outstanding. The level of talent he has is far beyond what Carnival deserves: the guy should be on Celebrity or Royal Caribbean. Other than him, the rest of the entertainment was mediocre. Although there is something VERY entertaining about hearing an Asian rock band play, "I Ruv Wok an Woll"



Didn't go to any of the shows...not our cup 'o tea.



As far as the ports: 



Progresso is a very poor town, very sad. We went to the public beach, which was nice, and I'm glad we did. There were literally hundreds of locals on the beach trying to sell stuff (or begging) and, as I explained to the kids, this is the way 90% of these people will live for the rest of their lives. If nothing it showed them just how lucky they are.



I never buy shore excursions: I would rather cut out the cruise lines' profit so that ALL of my money goes directly to the locals; so we rented two wave runners for $80 total for a half an hour and had a blast. We were back on the ship by, I think, 1:30pm. 



A final word about Progresso: the pier where cruise ships dock is located at the end of a jetty that juts out four miles into the sea, and you have to take a shuttle bus into town. These are provided free by a local tour company...Carnival has nothing to do with it. 



Cozumel was a blast. We took a cab to a beach resort (not a hotel) called Paradise Beach. For $14 per person you have a private beach, a fresh water pool, showers, changing rooms, beach loungers & umbrellas, water slides, trampolines, etc. It's a great bargain, clean and safe. My son and his friend para-sailed for $45 each....I am, unfortunately, gun-shy of para-sailing: years ago, during my first and only attempt, I plummeted about 40ft. into the ocean in Freeport when the line broke. Never again.



Disembarkation at Mobile was horrible. A line to get off the ship, a line just to get off the gangway, a line to go through security and a line to go through immigration & customs. It took nearly an hour and a half. While we were waiting in the line to go through customs, I said to a Carnival lady, "41 cruises and this is the worst disembarkation I've ever had." She said, "it's only 10:45, we're doin' good."



One last thing: two days into the cruise my wife tripped on the stairs and fell on her left arm. At first it wasn't too painful, but after a while it got worse so I went to the medical center and bought a sling. Being a tough cookie, she stuck it out and waited until we got home to go to the doctor. Well, she apparently has a torn rotator cuff...whatever that is. On the ship, several members of the staff asked her what happened while only two passengers were concerned...and one of them was a child: "wha you do yaw om?" At least he asked. 



Okay, having said all this, I admit, we STILL had a good time. Not because of anything Carnival did, and certainly not because of my fellow passengers, but because, no matter what, there is nothing like being on a giant ship plowing through the sea. While shipboard is different from ship to ship and line to line, the feeling you get when the lines are let go and the ship starts edging away from the pier is the same across the board. There's nothing like it and yet it's something we all know and love. Unfortunately, in this case, I couldn't wait for the ship to edge its way back next to the pier and tie up. 



That's the first time that's ever happened. 

Life on the Walmart of the Seas

Filters

1-10 of 78