Disappointed by
John from Tulare, CA
Sailing date: Mar 2010 Pros:
Hanging out with my wife
Cons:
The pool was a kids pool and the buffet food was worse than highschool cafeteria food.
This was our first time on a cruise and the food was the biggest letdown. In advance, all our friends and family described the food as the best part...not the case with Carnival. The buffet was awful and the sitdown dinners were average to good.
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Great Cruise for the Price by
Jo B. from Pullman, WA
Sailing date: Feb 2010 Pros:
Duration
Cons:
Food
I have cruised before and this ship might be a little dated in decor, but it was very clean and the crew was extremely friendly.
Ship Quality Again the decor is a little dated, but it is a clean ship.
Dining/Food Buffet was what I expected, maybe a little better. The evening dining the food was almost more like what you got from the buffet. The last cruise I went on had better evening dining than this cruise. Although our waitstaff made up for the quality of food with their enthusiastic and wonderful service.
Stateroom Quality The stateroom was actually more spacious than the last cruise I was on. Maybe this is due to the fact it is an older ship but we had room to move around and felt very comfortable in our stateroom.
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Entertainment & Activities This is a shorter cruise, so there were less activities than on the last cruise I went on. We had late dining and that meant if you wanted to go to the show it was after dinner which made for a late night.
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First Time Cruiser...Very Impressed by
A Traveler from Alaska
Sailing date: Mar 2010 Overall I was very impressed. The ship was clean and well layed out. We walked around a little bit the first evening and found where everything was. I've never cruised before and was most impressed by the service. Always a smile and a good morning/day/evening from everyone on the ship. Just a great, relaxing vacation that totally hit the spot.
Ship Quality There seemed to be plenty of room for everyone. I didn't feel cramped or crowded at all. Public areas were clean and well taken care of, even for an older ship.
Dining/Food The food was awesome. The main dining for dinner was outstanding. We would usually eat at the buffet for breakfast and lunch and we were never disappointed. The sandwiches and pizza for late night snacking was a great way to wind down before heading off to bed.
Stateroom Quality Plenty of room and bigger than I anticipated. I could do without all the orange in the room, but that is more of a personal thing for me.
Ship Staff Quality If it was possible to rate this any higher, I would. This was the best part of the trip. Every single staff member I met was courteous, friendly and helpful. They really could not have been any better.
Entertainment & Activities We didn't do a lot of activities, but the late night comedy shows were funny. The karaoke contest was fun. We didn't really attend any other shows. Spent a lot of time in the casino and the dealers there were all very friendly and helpful.
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Great Hospitality. by
Chantelle H. from Tacoma, WA
Sailing date: Feb 2010 Pros:
Lots of activities and lots of fun.
Cons:
Flying arrangements were the worst part.
I had loads of fun on the cruise. Everyone that worked there was so gracious. There was so many activities every day. Not a dull moment. Only downfall was I wish I could have stayed longer.
Ship Quality Big ship. Was overwhelming at first but I got to understand it by the second day.
Dining/Food The buffet style food was not the best. Still good though. The fine dining at nighttime was a good experience.
Stateroom Quality I didnt think the room would be as big as it was judging by the door leading into the room but it was a great size. I loved the fact that I had my own bathroom and that people came in twice a day to clean it.
Ship Staff Quality Not one person showed a frown. Everyone was helpful and showed great hospitality.
Entertainment & Activities I never had a dull moment. THere was so much to do.
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Relaxing, Comfortable, Friendly! by
Shannon Y from Los Angeles, CA
Sailing date: Jan 2010 Pros:
Great Staff, WONDERFUL food
Cons:
Weather delay and lack of sufficient compensation
Overall impression.... ship is in great shape, though somewhat dated in appearance. Very friendly staff and excellent food. Staterooms were ample and bed was comfortable.
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Stateroom Quality Even with the "economy" stateroom on the lowest deck, inside... 2 of us had plenty of room.
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A great first cruise! by
Bell M. from North Pole, Ak
Sailing date: Dec 2009 Pros:
My family and I really didn't know what to expect on our very first cruise but everything was above our expectations especially the dinner room hosts.
Cons:
The swimming area was a little smaller than we expect.
Our overall impression of the ship is excellent. We would do it again. We have four kids and they had a great time on the ship also. We didn't participate with the kids activities but there were plenty for them to do.
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You get what you pay for by
A Traveler from seattle, WA
Sailing date: Dec 2009 Pros:
cost, room
Cons:
sales pressure, food
If you want an inexpensive trip but like the idea of having to cruise and not worry about accomodations and food this is it. The ship had all of the basic accomodations like casino, bars and entertainment and we used them all.
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Dining/Food Nothing special here. Not enough of a variety daily. Breakfast was the best meal.
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Ship Staff Quality Staff was friendly, however having cruised before with another carrier I found this to be a very sales driven cruise. We were either asked to purchase drinks every 3 minutes or smile for a camera every other time.
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Great value for our first cruise by
Matthew M. from Boise, ID
Sailing date: Dec 2009 Pros:
Our new friends, great dinners and superb service
Cons:
The cold weather!
My wife and I purchased this cruise in March '09 to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. This was our first cruise, so our expectations were mixed. The service on the Carnival cruise was superb, with most everyone being authentic and friendly. The wait staff, cabin steward and casino dealers always had an honest smile, were talkative, asked questions and treated us like friends. This surprised my wife and I the most.
The buffet food was on par for what it was, buffet food. There were a few surprises, like calamari and the roast beef, but for the most part it was as expected.
The food during our dinner at the Elation late service was much, much better. Whether it is just the ambiance or great service, the food was top tier in presentation, taste and selection. My wife and I went to Gladstones in Malibu and Yamashiro's in L.A. prior to the cruise, and the Carnival dinner cruise dinner's almost met the quality of these finer restaurants. The Carnival dinner service was much better. Manek and Kitte were great and met our every request.
The activities were good, and we especially like the first Comedian, Lowell Sanders. The Captain's meet and greet was nice, as all our friends enjoyed meeting the entire crew, as well as the variety of free cocktails.
Overall, we enjoyed our week, meeting new friends and the ports of call. We would recommend this cruise to our friends, with kids or not.
Matt & Kari
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Good Family Experience by
Peggy A. (a Grandma) from Palm Springs, CA
Sailing date: Aug 2009 Pros:
Friendliness of entire Staff
Cons:
Extra Charges for Almost Everything
Ship was well maintained, and despite large crowds including many children was kept very clean most of the time. Entertainment, specially for the children was excellent.
Staff was exceptional.
Ship Quality
Dining/Food Coffee is horrible!! Even at expresso bar where you pay for it, attendant actually made the expresso and then diluted it with water. Coffee in the regular restraunts was just colored water.
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Our first time by
Terri L from Bay Area, CA
Sailing date: Aug 2009 Pros:
dining room staff, the towel animals, kid's programs
Cons:
bistro food
The ship was clean, well-organized, and there was plenty for everyone in the family to do. I particularly appreciated our dining room waiters and the programs for my 9 and 15 year old.
Ship Quality Stairs were a problem in some areas for my mom with mobility issues.
Dining/Food Dining room food was very good. The Paris Bistro food could use an upgrade.
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Collapse List of Ports
Ensenada, Mexico Good fish tacos and churros!
Catalina Island, California We had fun on the paddleboat.
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