Awesome Alaskan Carnival Cruise on Spiri by
Priscilla B from Borger, TX
Sailing date: Jul 2010 Pros:
The food and service were awesome!
Cons:
We wished we could have stayed longer in Victoria and came in there during the day instead of the evening.
We were impressed with how helpful everyone was. We loved the animals that were made for us each night. The best thing about the cruise were the variety of things going on everyday while we were on the ship. There was constantly something going on that you could get involved with. Sleep was not a high priority because there was so much to do on the ship. The shore excursions were great and priced appropriately. When you are in the port of Skagway, a must do thing is the Yukon Highway on the bus and ride the train back along the White River. It was breathtaking and well worth the time and money. Enjoyed every moment of our cruise and will do it again real soon!
Ship Quality We sailed on Spirit and it was 10 years old, but it looked brand new to us. They have done a magnificent job of maintaining it.
Dining/Food We had some kind of seafood every night offered on the menu. Also, the dining room served great food at lunch and breakfast, too. THere was also all night pizza and ice cream. The ice cream was delicious. THe buffet was great, too.
Stateroom Quality We were in the middle of the ship on the 6th floor and loved every minute of it. We had an interior room that was great because there was so much daylight in Alaska.
Ship Staff Quality They went above and beyond to help you. We wish we could have brought the staff home with us!
Entertainment & Activities Fabulous entertainment! There were several nights that they had a PG rated and R rated comedy club available on the ship. Very good entertainment. The shows were fabulous that they had.
Collapse List of Ports
Juneau, Alaska Seeing the gardens and Mendenhyll glacier were a must. The gardens were not what I expected. They were BEAUTIFUL and breathtaking views!!!
Don't Miss: Mendenhyll glacier and gardens
Ketchikan, Alaska We loved the layout of the town because it was all right there at the port. We saw the Sancutary and Totem Poles. It was a nice tour with a chance to see bears, eagles and reindeer. Didn't see bears, but did see claw marks. A bunch of eagles were flying over head. The reindeer were awesome to see. They had a spotted owl and bald eagle in captivity because they were injured.
Skagway, Alaska The bus and train ride to the summit and back were fabulous. Very small town so plan to do excursions when you visit this port. IT reminded us of the show NOrthern Exposure. The shopping area was only 7 blocks long.
Don't Miss: The Ultimate Yukon Highway on bus and then ride the train back BEAUTIFUL scenery and allow you to get pictures at a leisurely rate.
Victoria, British Columbia Beautiful city! WIshed we could have been there for more than 4 hours. Waste of time tour was the double decker bus. The bus had a lousy speaker system and the bus driver would not slow down for us to take pictures.
Don't Miss: Butchart gardens
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Simply an "Outstanding" cruise by
Rich M. from WA
Sailing date: May 2010 Pros:
Cusine was exceptional.
Cons:
Ship did not post forecast & current weather for the upcoming ports on ships TV.
Friendly staff made the cruise great.
Ship Quality
Dining/Food excellent cusine with a wide variety of options
Stateroom Quality Deck 1 inside cabin was very comfortable
Ship Staff Quality Cabin steward was extremely friendly and did go out of his way to assist.
Entertainment & Activities Enjoyed all the shows.
Collapse List of Ports
Juneau, Alaska Shopping is good
Ketchikan, Alaska
Skagway, Alaska Bus tour to summit and stop in Liarsville was well worth it.
Victoria, British Columbia Ship pulled in at approx. 7:45pm and left at 11:59pm. Not much time to do anything in a 3 hour period. Needs a longer in-port period.
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First cruise by
A Traveler from Auburn, WA
Sailing date: Jan 2010 Pros:
Surprised how smooth it was cruising, docking and leaving dock
Cons:
could have used a little more general information-like being able to register earlier than 2000 others all arriving at 12:30 p.m.; and, getting off-informing which groups/when as we had paid for baggage handling and weren't in the main disembarking groups.
Overall-easy if one relaxes and trusts the staff/crew/baggage. Room clean and ready for us to unpack. Lots of variety for sitting to read or visit-lots of cubby holes, open seating areas. Plenty of activities-thought we would be bored sailing but actually didn't have time to get it all in. Liked the variety of land tours. Thought bottled water should be complimentary. Liked the spa specials and the fact that I could always find a deck chair!
Ship Quality Restrooms clean, size perfect-especially for firsttimers like us-could figure out how to get around after first evening.
Dining/Food Quality good (although husband got sick after eating our one time at the dinner buffet); dining times for dining room perfect (for us), pretty typical buffet/food.
Stateroom Quality We were pleasantly surprised-lots and lots of storage. For me its about putting things away in small quarters but actually had more than needed. Same with coathangers-thought for sure there wouldn't be enough.
Ship Staff Quality When husband was ill, cabin staff (sorry forgot his name) was very professional and respectful. Always staffed our room with our ice. wonderful. Dwi found out and made sure I had ginger ale for him to drink.worked like a charm.
Entertainment & Activities Entertainers great-dancers wow-what energy they have. Felt a little misled on the titles of the events-timing was perfect for the two dining times in order to see the shows if wanted. Stu certainly has energy-good to note that he knows his audience-when to have high energy-when to take it back a notch-like the last day when giving instructions-perfect-couldn't have taken the high speed/high energy the last morning.
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Left my worries at home!! by
Lee A from Port Orchard, WA
Sailing date: Jan 2010 Pros:
How attentive all the cruise staff was to our group, I felt like I was on a relaxing vacation.
Cons:
none
The ship was well appointed with lots of comfortable seating in all common areas, in the restaurants and in the performance centers. It was easy to maneuver about the ship with elevators and stairs. Very well staffed and helpful, happy folks were working on board.
Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
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First Time Cruise by
Hollie K. from Anchorage, AK
Sailing date: Nov 2009 Pros:
Courteous staff and Food
Cons:
Manzanillo Shore Excursion
We really liked the cruise. Ship was clean. Staff was friendly and went out of their way to say hello.
Went to Acapulco, Zihuatenajo (sp?), and Manzanillo. Acapulco seemed nice. Were pretty much surrounded by people selling their stuff. They were very aggressive and wouldn't take no for an answer. They surrounded my elderly father at one point and I had to step in and yell at them to get them to back off. Not sure I would go back. Did see Cliff Divers which was cool.
Z... is a nice resort area. People were nice and not aggressive.
Manzanillo not much to do unless you do a shore excursion from what we could tell. We did the Colonial Tour. Not sure I would recommend this tour. Went to government building for a guided tour and the "tour" consisted of standing on the stairs while the guide explained the mural on the wall. Went to ruins close by which was cool. We were supposed to see a museum but it was closed for a holiday. Guide did not know this ahead of time and was scrambling to find something for us to do instead. Did get to go to a hacienda and see historical items the family had acquired over the years but was not the same. Went to lunch which was best part of tour.
Shore excursion person, Cleo, said we should definitely buy bug spray for Acapulco so we did. We didn't see a bug the entire time we were off the ship. Also, Carnival recommends places to shop in Acapulco. Several are touted as providing free shuttle service to main stores in other parts of Acapulco. However, when asked, none of the shops would take us or only would take us a few hours from the time we asked for the ride. Really seemed like if we weren't going to buy from them, they didn't want to do anything else for us. Also, pretty surprised at how expensive some items were.
All in all we enjoyed our first cruise. We will definitely cruise again.
Dining/Food We really liked the food. Breakfast pretty much was the same food everyday but it was good and always hot. Lunch was good as well. Lots of food. Ate here once for dinner and was not as impressed as when eating in Empire dining room. Had number of selections to choose from each night. Could order as many dishes as we wanted. Dining room was nice. Enjoyed evening song by wait staff.
Stateroom Quality We were pleasantly surprised on size of room. We had an interior cabin. Recommend bringing a night light and an extension cord for interior cabins. We were glad we did. Room is black at night with lights off. Also, only one plug in cabin. If you have cameras, curling irons, ipods, etc.. will want more than 1 plug. Room was clean. Seemed like towels were provided several times a day. Made animals with towels which was cool.
Ship Staff Quality Always said hello. Seemed like they liked working on ship.
Entertainment & Activities Best show was Big Easy by far.
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Relaxing Cruise Experience by
Bonnie H from Bigfork, MT
Sailing date: Nov 2009 Pros:
decor
Cons:
noise, food selections
I've cruised many times and this was my 2nd Carnival experience - I would not rush to use this again but it was not horrible either. Not enough to do. Food was OK, not great etc.
Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality Except for the room being directly under the noisy Lido Deck. Music and stomping above us until after midnight!
Ship Staff Quality Only received a $56 credit for 8 night cruise of noise!
Entertainment & Activities Not really much going on that interested us - unlike other cruises but it was a relaxing time
Children's Programs We didn't use this service but didn't even know there were over 300 kids on board so they must have done a good job!
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a magical time by
delia h from valencia, ca
Sailing date: Sep 2009 Pros:
the places we visted and the excursions
Cons:
nothing
the crew were so nice and friendly. the room was always clean and so was the ship. they kept you updated with information.
they have a naturalist who tells you what you are seeing.
always watch the morining show it will give you insite to what you will be seeing at each port and what the events will be for that day. it is also funny
having the balcony room was great, but because the weather was great most of the cruise so we were on deck on lot but having your own is the best way to see alaska
Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
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ALASKAN CRUISE by
A Traveler from Concord, CA
Sailing date: Aug 2009 Pros:
Our Room was wonderful
Cons:
Waiting in Lines
The food buffets were ordinary and long lines so food was always cold before you sat down to eat. I did however, enjoy the "sit down" dinners.
Some service people were rude (in the bar/lounge areas and didn't even smile); some did not speak English.
Room service does not include hot breakfast, so I was disappointed with that.
The room we had was fabulous and so was the steward! They took really good care of us.
People who sign up for cruises should have ground rules; some behavior was unacceptable. Shoving in lines, etc.
The auctioneer for Park West was really rude. Although we ended up buying several pieces, I thought he was rude to customer. Tom was very nice and respectful and even the auctioneer was rude to him.
I would not buy art from the cruise ship again because of the auctioneer. He didn't care about anybody.
Ship Quality Crew did a good job and keeping things clean and neat.
Dining/Food Buffets were ordinary; dining time 6:00pm was great and a fun experience.
Stateroom Quality I loved the balcony and jets in the bathtub. The steward was excellent!
Ship Staff Quality Out of all the staff, there were five staff that went above and beyond.
Entertainment & Activities
Collapse List of Ports
Juneau, Alaska We went whale watching, but I thought it was too expensive for the price. I wouldn't go again or would try another service.
Ketchikan, Alaska Just shopping in town was fun. The must see was the bird rescue man who had rehabilitated owls, hawks, and eagles. He was a must see.
We went zip lining, but it wasn't worth the time and money and you didn't see any wildlife at all.
Don't Miss: The Bird rescue man in town
Skagway, Alaska Don't do the kayaking. It was strenuous, cold, and the water was choppy. It wasn't work the money.
Sitka, Alaska I loved the totem park and seeing the salmon run in Sitka. Sitka has a different feel; it felt more native than the other parts and it was a cute place.
Don't Miss: The Totem Park and Historical Society
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Alaska is breathtaking! You have to go! by
A Traveler from southern california
Sailing date: Aug 2009 Pros:
Scenery
Cons:
service at breakfast
Ship was very nice. We had a balcony, and highly recommend this for Alaska voyage. All areas of the ship were clean and nice.
Ship Quality
Dining/Food dinners were excellent, lunch was good, breakfast was ok in general, but service at breakfast was slow and unattentive.
Stateroom Quality our steward Ketut was excellent!
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities A lot of shows started quite late for us. Would have appreciated more earlier show options.
Children's Programs
Collapse List of Ports
Juneau, Alaska The Mendenhall glacier is worth the trip. Saw lots of spawning salmon too.
Ketchikan, Alaska
Skagway, Alaska We went on the White pass railway. Nice scenery and history.
Sitka, Alaska My favorite port. Gorgeous! Went on Otter and wildlife adventure cruise. We saw Grey whale, humpback whale, otters, bald eagles, and sea lions.
Don't Miss: whale and wildlife spotting
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Amazing Experience by
Melissa B. from Bakersfield, CA
Sailing date: Jun 2009 Pros:
I loved the wonderful staff members throughout the ship. The ocean view and glaciers were an amazing sight I will always remember!
Cons:
My only complaint is that it did not last long enough!
This cruise was an awesome experience! The ship and its crew were great! There were fun activities and they helped you get the best out of every port! You can tell that the crew loves what they do! I can't wait to go back!
Ship Quality The ship was a beauty!
Dining/Food The only problem was that we were signed up for the earlier dinner because we had a small child and some senior citizens with us and we were somehow moved to the later dinner which was a slight inconvenience.
Stateroom Quality Loved our room and the view from the balcony, one of my favorite parts.
Ship Staff Quality The staff was amazing, their enthusiasm made me want to work there!
Entertainment & Activities Katherine was our best friend and helped us not feel overwhelmed at each port and we loved all of the shows but the last show which included some of the ships guests was our favorite.
Children's Programs The fun house was a great place for the child of our party to go. She loved to play and the staff was very helpful.
Collapse List of Ports
Juneau, Alaska My husband really enjoyed the Knife shop with the ulu demonstrations.
Ketchikan, Alaska Jim our bus driver was a great guide through this port, we learned a lot and it was neat to hear it from a local!
Don't Miss: Do not miss the canapy zip line adventure! Katie and Chad made this activity a blast!
Skagway, Alaska We visited the new klondike brewery, we made if for their grand opening and the atmosphere was great! The brewmaster was very knowledgeable and generous! Plus we had the pleasure to help raise money for the skagway girls basketball team. The goldpanning next door was also very fun--this was our other favorite activity of the trip!
Don't Miss: Don't miss the brew and view! Great fun, food and people!
Sitka, Alaska We loved this sight because it seemed to be the most authentic alaskan town. It seemed the majority of the people were locals and not seasonal workers.
Don't Miss: The inside of their beautiful church!
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