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Waste of time by
Gary B. from Atlanta Sailing date: Sep 2010Pros: getting off the ship Cons: Being crammed like a sardine The Carnival Fascination is an older ship that apparently underwent renovations. However, the decor is cheap and cheesy with lots of neons giving the appearance of a 1980's disco feel wherever we went--even in Coconut Grove cafe. There are very few places one can escape people, unike other ships we've been on of a similar size. Being a 4 day Bahamas cruise out of Jacksonville it catered to the party set, which was not our cup of tea.We were looking to have fun too, but not to the extent of having to be drunk and obnoxious to enjoy oneself. Ship QualityNo problem with cleanliness, and the cabin stewards were excellent. One problem was that the no smoking signs were constantly ignored. When staff were alerted they didn't care. There were designated smoking areas but one couldn't see ash trays etc. so no wonder people smoked where they liked. Dining/FoodFormal dining was a mixed bag. The staff were great, but sometimes the food appeared as it had been cooked 30 minutes before and reheated. Other nights it was great. Again, not up to what we've had, say on Royal Caribbean. Stateroom QualityThis was the one upside. Perhaps the renovations extended here. We had a triple room with a window and the configuration gave us plenty of room. It was kept very clean. Ship Staff QualityCabin stewards and dining staff were always good. When we pointed out people smoking in non-designated areas, they couldn't care less. In one shop my wife wanted to a buy a purse that was in the window (they had no stock). The assistant sais "I don't have a key." So I suggested she ask her supervisor. The reply was, 'she doesn't have key either." Plainly ridiculous. Entertainment & ActivitiesFirst couple of nights we had dancers and a review. The comedian was average--shame he had to use foul language to make his second appearance "adult". The last night we had a large black female 'comedian'. I use the term loosely because she didn't tell any jokes. She made referenced to human genetalia and the inebriated passengers thought it was funny. I'm no prude but it was crass and cheap. Several people walked out.  
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Freeport, Grand Bahama IslandOne little shopping precinct and one beach. Not much to see at all unfortunately.
Don't Miss: There isn't one. Nassau, BahamasMuch more interesting. get a taxi (don't pay for the ship excursion) and get a taxi to Atlantis or Cabbage Beach for a swim. We had a taxi/shuttle tour of the town. Not a lot to see but the city is on the doorsteps of the port and there is more shopping than Freeport.
Don't Miss: Atlantis resort--just to visit. 6 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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  Getting worse! by
Timothy F from Atlanta, GA Sailing date: Mar 2011Pros: returning home Cons: All the hidden fees, changes in schedule. To many to list. It is mostly about how much money can we squeeze out of the guest now. So many required tips. It used to be optional. Now it isn't, $10 a day per guest, plus 15% tip on every purchase. Ship QualityNothing special, kids constantly riding elevators though, unattended, so stairs are a must. Dining/FoodGreat service, the food has gone downhill and the selections were the same day after day. Stateroom QualityEmpress level was great for a couple and had good house cleaning. Ship Staff QualityJust everyone trying to make a sell. If they did not know the answer to your questions they guessed. Guest services was awfully rude when you questioned purchase made to your card. Entertainment & ActivitiesIf you have been before expect the same entertainment.
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Nassau, Bahamasgreat to sight see! freindly people, not a variety of shops. just jewelry and clothes. Every activity on the island was very expensive compared to 4 years ago. After a day or two, you will be ready to leave. Almost all beaches were blocked unless you stayed at a hotel on the island (paradise island, Atlantis).
Don't Miss: Go to the beaches all the way across the island from the port. Do some sight seeing with one of the guys on the peir. Really good! 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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A great cruise with a terrible ending by
William B. from Jacksonville, Fl Sailing date: May 2010Pros: Friendly staff and great food Cons: Carnival's Bon Voyage package that you pay for but can not keep This was my wife's first cruise and I took advantage of Carnival's Bon Voyage Service and "purchased" a dozen long stem roses for my wife for Mother's Day. The flowers were waiting in our stateroom before the ship departed from Jacksonville. My wife was amazed at the quality of the roses and truly admired them every day during our cruise. It all came to a very disappointing ending when Carnival failed to inform me prior to purchasing the roses that I would not be able to take them off the ship at the end of the cruise. My wife had to throw them away as we were getting of the ship. I contacted Carnival's Customer Service department as soon as we arrived home only to be talked to very rudely. No future Carnival cruises for this family. Ship QualityA little over crowded Dining/FoodFood was great as well as the service. Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualityI consider the Bon Voyage package department and customer service as part of the staff and neither is willing to make things right Entertainment & Activities
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Freeport, Grand Bahama IslandNothing but an industrial area. I purchased a shore excursion to spend the day at the beach and have access to a pool. Well we were hassled all day by the locals and the pool was closed most of the day. Don't waste your time!
Don't Miss: Stay on the ship Nassau, BahamasLots of choices of things to do off the ship. Great scenery.
Don't Miss: Atlantis 5 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Unaccommodating hospitality staff by
A Traveler from Kannapolis, NC Sailing date: Dec 2009Pros: Formal dining room dinners Cons: Stateroom + construction below deck Our cruise was lovely aside from our room. We had constant noise in our room. We complained on multiple occasions but any attempt at being relocated to one of the many empty rooms was futile. The hospitality staff merely brushed us off repeatedly. It was very disappointing. We would not recommend nor chose to cruise with Carnival again. Ship QualityAside from the construction going on below deck, the ship was fantastic. Very beautiful decor was throughout the ship. There was lots of room so you rarely felt overly crowded. Dining/FoodThe dinners in the formal dining room was exquisite! The service was impeccable. The other food was great but paled in comparison to the formal dining rooms' dinners. Stateroom QualityThe physical room itself was what we expected. It was a bit cramped but very clean and nicely decorated. We were placed in an ocean view room which was great. However, we were placed directly above the galley. The vibration and loud humming of the ship was to be expected. We had to endure construction that took place most hours of the day though. Most of the work was done on supports running up our walls or on the ceiling (our floor) because the pounding shook not only the bed but the entire room at times. During the night, when the construction stopped, we heard constant shifting and banging of what we were told was large metal cages being rearranged. I recommend that you specifically chose a deck higher on the ship and not leave it to chance as we did. The staff was unwilling to move us to another room even though we were told that rooms were available, so do not bank on the staff's accommodation even though this is hammered in as their motto the length of the cruise (see below). Ship Staff QualityThe staff as a whole was very nice. The dining crew was above and beyond exceptional. The hospitality staff's performance and ability to handle our situation was deplorable! We lodged multiple complaints daily about the noise in the room. We had members of the staff come into our room and listen to the constant noise and we even had one follow up call-- all to no avail. We were told that yes, in fact, there were several rooms available but when we asked to be relocated, we were denied. We were assured that we should call back if the noise worsened. We chose to stay out of our rooms as much as possible while on the cruise which was a shame considering this was our HONEYMOON! We took many naps on the deck (yes, the deck full of people was less noisy than our room!) since sleeping during the night was increasingly more difficult. 11 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
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Try another cruise line. by
Kim from Homer Glen, IL Sailing date: Jul 2007Pros: Comfort of the bed.
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
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Nassau, BahamasBad weather.
It poured rain the whole time we were there/flood conditions.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Ship Review by
A Traveler Sailing date: May 2007
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Ship Review by
Phil from Tampa, FL, USA Sailing date: Feb 2007
Entertainment & Activities
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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Very dissatisfied. by
Michelle from Tennessee Sailing date: Jul 2006Pros: Kids programs. Staff were not friendly. It was a bother to them for me to ask questions or find out how to get somewhere on the ship. Did not keep clean towels and wash cloths in room. Always had cleaning supplies and life jackets cluttering the hallways. Food was not good at all. I actually lost weight on this cruise. The waiters were not friendly either. The only good food was on the main pool deck with hotdogs and hamburgers. The shows were not kid friendly. The only thing that was good on this ship was the kids programs. My kids did love those and could not get enough. Overall I was very dissatisfied with this cruise and probably will not cruise with carnival again. Entertainment & Activities
Entertainment: The shows were not kid friendly. 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Don't waste your money or your time! by
Joanna from Tampa, FL Sailing date: Jun 2006Pros: Docking. It was a disgusting gluttony of eating -- that's all there was to do! The shows were lack-luster and overcrowded. The drinks extremely expensive, the boat crowded and smelly, people ate off the serving utensils at the buffet --- the service was mediocre at best. The pools were full of yelling, screaming kids NOT using the restrooms. We thought we got a bargain and we got way more than we bargained for! Entertainment & ActivitiesActivities: Pools were nasty and overrun by children.
Entertainment: Pretty lame shows, crowded and lack-luster. 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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fascination by
Anton L from Atlanta, Ga Sailing date: Mar 2013Pros: service Cons: bathroom Love the service. The servers were so kind, especially Boris, our waiter. We requested to be seated in his area the entire voyage. The only complaint I had, or my wife, was that the ac was on making it too cold for many people. Also the room wasn't as pictured. The tv shared the wall with our headboard, so watching tv in bed is very uncomfortable. I will cruise more with carnival as my trip was so enjoyable. 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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