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Ship Review by
Lee from Wisconsin Sailing date: Aug 2007
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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   Excellent cruise by
Keith W from Alamo, TX Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: Great ships personnel and amazing activities. Convenient parking at New orleans Cons: Can't think of any We had a very relaxing yet entertaining cruise with the right amount of activity and leisure time. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodAmazing selections Stateroom Quality"R" deck with 6B stateroom class for less movement on choppy seas. Very comfortable Ship Staff QualityAlways friendly and ready to help no, matter what you ned Entertainment & ActivitiesCruise director, Mr. Noonan, rocked. We enjoyed thoroughly all the shows and activities 8 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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My first Cruise by
A Traveler from Raleigh, NC Sailing date: May 2012Pros: unlimited food-breakfast Cons: disorganized port upon departure This was my first cruise and I had heard many many fantastic details about cruising and specifically the carnival fantasy. My cruise started out "okay" but ended wonderfully. Upon arriving at the port, it was very disorganized parking for cruise signs were miles apart from each other, I kept thinking I was lost and not going the right way-it felt like we were driving in circles for 30 min even though we were right there. Parking was more expensive than I was previously told. After driving what felt like 30 extra minutes when we first got there it felt like we were driving away from the port just to park the car and then had to take a shuttle back to the boat. I mean, we were "right there!" Because we couldnt take out own bags onto the boat ourselves we had to check it in. It was so awkward. This man stopped us in the middle of the street on the way to park the car with a pile of luggages. As he was taking the luggage out of the car he just kept saying something repeatly....."tip, tip, tip". Before he even took the luggage he stopped and brushed his fingers together and asked for the tip. I thought it was very rude and inappropriate. My fiance works in the customer service industry and would not have left without tipping for the quick two second service, something we would gladly do ourselves anyways, but to be prompt like that-very rude. When we finally got onto the boat and into our rooms I was already exhausted from arriving at the port and going through that whole mess but I was just happy to be on the boat and start my vacation. other than the bumpy start the activities on the boat were very organized and plentiful. Our cabin steward was very friendly and I was surprised at how often they actually cleaned the rooms. My favorite part was the unlimited food and dessert. I loved how they do switch up the food and dessert. Although it is always available, you can only have certain things at certain times. It is definitely very organized with many activities. Getting off the boat and onto the Islands of Bahamas was like a red carpet event. pictures pictures everywhere...it was very cute! The entire crew members were like one giant family-with different roles within the cruise ship-it was amazing! Although we were not in the cabins most of the time, I was disappointed in its condition. I understand the size of each cabin but I was expecting some upgrades given I was on the upper deck and paid extra for an ocean view window. The rest of the cruise was smooth sailing and fantastic, could not commend the staff any more than I already have in person and was a great experience....UNTIL we got back to the port of charleston again. A shuttle took a group of us at a time back to the parking lot and went into a parking garage when half of the group was made to park outdoors across the street. So now this group including my fiance and I have to lug all of our luggages including any additional items we purchased during the cruise and march alongside the street and then cross the street with oncoming eager cars also ready to go home and then cross a railroad track when the shuttle could have dropped us off right in front the parking lot to begin with. I know, efficiency is one thing, but I mean SAFETY is another. I would think if you have thousands of people that need to get to this location which I believe they said there were est 2900 people on the boat, I would think you would want to do it in the most efficient and safe way possible. I mean, I saw a mother pulling her own luggage as well as her young daughters while her young daughter maybe not even 5-6 years old is trying to keep up behind her as we were crossing the street with oncoming cards and a railroad track. Once you get to the parking lot, the real challenge begins. now you gotta find your car. There are no numbers for parking. This port is the most disorganized place I have ever been to. Ship QualityThe ship was really clean and well kept. I just wish the boat was upgraded a little more. The pool was very small on the boat. Dining/FoodService was great!! Variety was great!! But when they give you a time, you better get there before it ends!! they mean it! Everything else was wonderful! Stateroom QualityI understand the rooms have to be small but I wish it was upgraded. I thought maybe the upper deck rooms would be nicer, even paid more for the window. It looks old and beatdown. definitely could use a little sprucing up. Ship Staff QualityService was great!! Variety was great!! But when they give you a time, you better get there before it ends!! they mean it! Everything else was wonderful! Entertainment & ActivitiesLots of great entertainment and varieties. really enjoyed the shows. 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Ready to go again! by
Marcia T. from Clayton, NC Sailing date: Dec 2011Pros: The Carnival staff, painless boarding and departure Cons: Slow elevators, internet access price out of our price range I'll make this review short and sweet. We took the 5 day cruise to Freeport and Nausau. Nausau was beautiful. I highly recommend the Sea Lion experience in Nausau.
The Carnival staff were very friendly, efficient and treated us almost like royalty! I will never forget some of them and the special way they made me feel.
I am picky about cleanliness of where I sleep and eat and everything was always immaculate in stateroom, dining areas, and common areas. We just got home yesterday and we are already talking about taking another cruise. I recommend the Carnival Fantasy. The Charleston port that it departs from is only about 3 hours from our home near Raleigh, NC. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodYou will never go hungry on this ship. Stateroom QualityThere are beautiful views of the ocean in every dining area. Ship Staff QualityYou will meet the friendliest staff that originate from every corner of the world. Entertainment & ActivitiesThis time around we only saw a couple of Christmas shows. We also caught a couple of karaoke sessions that were really fun to watch. Next time we will make time to see more of the shows that are offered. Children's ProgramsWe took two 16 year olds with us and while they enjoyed their time at Club 02, they complained that there was nothing fun that was available to them being under the age of 18. I know that they missed their texting and cell phones and that may have been part of them feeling bored. 5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Another great cruise! by
Debra T. from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: Fabulous food and service Cons: Feels a little like money is being vacuumed out of your pocket! We had a 5-day cruise on Carnival's "Fantasy" ship -- which is even nicer than the "Holiday" with its glassed in atrium with skylight, two glass elevators, bar and piano lounge, all in the middle of the ship. This helps navigate the various floors, too. This was our third Carnival cruise, and I would not hesitate to go on another one next year. As usual, the food and service were outstanding. Very funny and sweet waiter, too. My 19-year-old had a blast going to karaoke, dance classes, shows, etc. etc. You can relax and do nothing, or be busy day and night. Things get a little pricely, however, when you have to pay $21 for an 8x10 photo (no packages available), about $7.50 for a drink, $10 per person per day for gratuities, etc. Our shore excursion was really fun but, again, pretty costly.
Plan on spending a bit more than you might expect, but it's great value for the money considering your transportation, room, food and entertainment are all included. Ship QualityVery friendly staff - always saying "Hello" and "Have a nice day" whenever you pass them. Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
Collapse List of Ports
Cozumel, MexicoWe paid only $60 each for a 4-hour catamaram trip with a stop for snorkling and beach time. Free beer and marguarita's on the boat and the beach. Fun blow-up toys in the water, with free kayak and air mattress loans. Also available are horse rides, but very expensive.
Don't Miss: The beaches! 5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Amazing Cruise by
Kaitlin A. from Tennessee Sailing date: Mar 2012Pros: The ports were definitely the best part of the cruise! The nightlife was a close second, but because it was Spring Break there were a lot of college students. Cons: The boat was extremely rocky. The days at sea were the worst travel days as far as swaying and a lot of movement. If you get motion sickness I would definitely recommend getting the patch before going on this ship. The ship overall was very nice. It was extremely clean. We had a great stateroom cleaner. It was very easy to find your way around. There were always plenty of chairs on the decks. Ship QualityThe ship was smaller than we were expecting, which made the motion a little worse, but it was not a huge factor. Everything else about the ship was great. Dining/FoodThere were always multiple options for food at all hours of the day and night. If you want to have a more relaxing trip I would recommend the "your time dining". This is what our group did and it worked perfectly for us. There were always multiple options in the nice dining areas and I didn't have one bad experience with the food. Stateroom QualityWe stayed in a stateroom with 4 people. It is definitely a tight squeeze, but we made it work. If you plan on being in your room very often I would not recommend this room. For our group of 4 it worked fine because we only slept and got ready in the room. The beds were very comfortable and the staff was great about keeping it clean. There was only one outlet plug, which was difficult with 4 girls trying to get ready, but we made it work. Ship Staff QualityI never encountered a bad staff member on this ship. They were always extremely friendly and always willing to help. The dinning service was great as well as the stateroom service. The bartenders and servers were great as well and made sure you never went thirsty. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe nights that we went into ports there were not as many entertainment options, but there was always something going on so you just have to be a little flexible. The comedy shows were great! There were many options for people of all ages at all different times of the day and night. 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Better than expected! by
A Traveler from North Carolina Sailing date: Jan 2012Pros: Port convenience, kids activities, service of staff Aside from the fact that we had some confusion with our luggage. Be warned, you cannot put drinks, alcohol etc in you luggage that you give to the people outside. If you want to bring things onboard be sure you physically carry them on with you. We had a bottle of wine confiscated and some chewing tobacco also went missing while our bags were searched.
Other than that the cruise was fine. Food was good. Service was excellent. Kids activities were great and well organized. Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Qualityfunny, but the only person that was not so nice was at guest services- otherwise excellent. Entertainment & Activities
Children's Programs
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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An enjoable cruise by
A Traveler from Phenix City Al Sailing date: Jan 2010Pros: The dinning room food Cons: not knowing how the weather in cozumel was going to be, and the excursion desk saying the wrong forecast The ship was well conditioned, well kept;very clean. Easy to get around. With a very helpful crew. Ship Qualityhand sanitizers all over the ship, no weird smells, the lido deck was kept very clean, same as the casual restaurant Dining/FoodThe service was great, food came on time, very well cooked, never had a complaint, and they remembered our names and what we liked. GO FELIX from the Phillipines Stateroom QualityOur steward Amprom from the Phillipines was GREAT!!!! greeted us every morning ask us how we slept, if there was anything we needed. The bedding comfort was a plus, pillows and comforter were OMG!!! the best. I didn't like that there was no hair dryer in the bathroom. Ship Staff Qualityeveryone eager to help, and make sure you were satisfied Entertainment & Activitiesthey shows were ok, the cruise director ok, the dancer kind of suck, the couln't dance in unity at all. the entertainment when at see were good. Children's ProgramsMy 4 and 10 yr old daughters love camp carnival. We had the schedule for all 4 days so we planned the activities ahead, and I felt they were very safe. 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Filled the Bill. by
Diane from Altamonte Springs, FL Sailing date: Sep 2006Pros: The wide variety of activities, places to spend time on board, interesting variety of ages of people all having a good time. We were so tired when we boarded and so refreshed and relaxed and well-cared for when we returned home. One is not even required to "think" if one doesn't wish to do anything at all! Just relax. Entertainment & ActivitiesActivities: We actually participated in some activities with our 'new' friends and had a lot of fun. Didn't win anything at Bingo but it was still fun.
Entertainment: Surprisingly good. We weren't expecting much. 14 out of 25 people found this review helpful.
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Spring Break 2009 Cruise by
Henry S. from Raleigh, NC Sailing date: Apr 2009Pros: Great entertainment Cons: Only ghetto music at the disco after 11 pm The ship was well managed, well kept and in general good condition. I made a comment several times about how they were always cleaning, picking up, etc. Ship QualityThis ship is in great shape, the public areas were always kept clean, the decor of the ship was very nice. Once we figured out the location of restaurants, pool, etc it was very easy to get to each place. Dining/FoodVery standard plates. I understand it's difficult to make specialty plates for so many people. The prime rib was disappointing. The service was GREAT! There were different meal options every evening. I would say the food was just above average. Stateroom QualityThe bed was very comfortable, they came by the room twice a day to pick up, change towels, etc. Of course it was a very small room, but it was good enough for two of us. Ship Staff QualityHonestly, this was the best part of the experience. The staff is always offering to help if you need anything. It is very apparent the enjoy their work at the ship. We spoke to several employees who have been there 10, 15 and even 20 years. The know their stuff and make you feel at home. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe shows were just okay. The piano guy and the live band were good. The caribbean music at the pool was a bit too loud. It was impossible to have a conversation if you were anywhere near the pool. Children's ProgramsMy 13 and 15 year old daughters did not enjoy the kids clubs.
Collapse List of Ports
Cozumel, MexicoI was disappointed we had bad weather in Cozumel so we had to cancel a snorkeling trip for my kids. Having been there before, I know it would've been the highlight of their trip. Instead we went to Playamia, a private beach where we took an AWESOME cooking class, which turned out to be the highlight of the trip.
Don't Miss: Cooking class at Playamia resort. Luis, the chef, was very entertaining!! Progreso (Merida), MexicoProgreso is at best a podunk (sp?) little beach town. We spent the day at the beach where we were well served by the locals. HOWEVER, were literally HOUNDED by people trying to sell trinkets, etc. The same person would come by and interrupt every 4 or five minutes. Probably the worst part of the trip. I heard Merida, 20 minutes away, is a larger city with non-beach activities for those interested.
9 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
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