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We will be taking more cruises. by
Darlena from Fallbrook, CA Sailing date: Mar 2007Pros: Shows and food. First time cruise was great. Weather did not permit to get off ship but once. Husband got boardand did not being stuck on ship. Entertainment & Activities
7 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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   It was an OKAY cruise by
Christian E from Los Angeles, CA Sailing date: Aug 2010Pros: Catalina and the staff was friendly Cons: The day at sea was a waste, the subpar tasting food, This review is coming from a couple in their mid 20's so it might now be helpful to everyone.Overall the cruise was average/ok. The boat was ok, the destinations were the main problem. Being from southern California, I thought this would be a new and exciting experience to view some of the local areas. I thought the amount of time spent in Catalina was far too short. It only allowed people to do 1 organized activity before being forced back on to the boat. I feel that the trip should have allowed people to explore the island more or allowed time for multiple organized activities. Ensenada ... well its... ensenada. Anyone who lives in southern CA I'm sure has been too baja and Ensenada is TJ on the beach. not much to do other then get wasted at papas and beer and visit pharmacies. BUT for those who have not been to baja ( out of state visitors) and anyone under 21 Ensenada can be a lot of fun. drinking age is 18 and most people under 21 returned to boat WASTED, it was funny to see, no one got out of control. There were a lot of actives offered at the Ensenada stop, which was great. because there is surely nothing to see in the harbor. it really is a horrible site, it looks like a 3rd world country right when you get off the boat.
The day at sea was the day I most looked forward to, I thought the day at the sea would consist of the ship traveling back to Los Angeles and we would be able to , from time to time see the shoreline and possible some city light maybe drive by a school of dolphins...etc but instead the day at sea is the boat parking itself out in the open sea, with nothing to see , and to top it off the wind out in the open sea was so unbearable that the pool/sun bathing area cleared out by 1 pm which was really a shame.
I feel if you are visiting LA and are looking for a cruise this would be fun, i would suggest perhaps spending a few more dollars and booking a cruise that takes you to Cabo instead of Ensenada, it is much cleaner, much SAFER ( mexico is extremely dangerous right now especially near the border) and So much more fun, beaches are beautiful and its a resort town that really knows how to take care of tourist.
the only other issuse I had was too many GD families. Old people are cool but leave your snot nose kids at home. at times you find yourself being run down by swarms of kids, its not too bad .
also for couples or groups of friends who are there to relax and catch up I HIGHLY recommend booking the ANYTIME DINNING. you can eat dinner at your leisure and at a table of only your party.... and if you happen to make a friends on the ship you are allowed to have them sit with you. your alternative is being sat at a table of 10 surrounded by strangers being forced to make meaningless small talk and wait for everyone to be ready to order before you can get your dinner. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodEverything is very boring and often times not good tasting. The pizza is really good. but everything on the room service menu and most of the items on the formal dinning menu were flavorless. Stateroom QualityMeh, its small but then again what do you expect... OH THE TV's are horrible!! so take a laptop or portable dvd player if you want to enjoy a movie late at night. Ship Staff Qualityeveryone is nice Entertainment & ActivitiesThere is always some game, or contest going on, they are a bit cheesy but can be fun. 
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Ensenada, MexicoThe atv riding is fun but the main thing to do there is to party like you are on spring break at papas and beer and mango mango
Don't Miss: Papas and beer, mango mango Catalina Island, CaliforniaIt is beautiful. If you have the time rent a golf cart and travel to the other side of the island to the bigger beaches for some of the most peaceful and beautiful beaches you will experiences. A MUST is the zip lining!!! SO much fun, so safe our group consistited of a kids age 12 to ladies in their early 60's. They also offer great finishing trips. but i think the best bet for everyone young and old men and women is kayaking around the island. it really is beautiful.
Don't Miss: Ziplining 6 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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A relaxing vacation by
Kristin N from California Sailing date: May 2009Pros: The flexibility of doing what you wanted to do. Our group could do their own thing Cons: Having only one port of call We were very pleased with our cruise vacation. This was our first cruise so we didn't really know what to expect, but we had an enjoyable time. The food was great, the entertainment was great. The variety of things to do on the ship was good. The staff was helpful and friendly. We will definitely be taking another cruise in the future. Ship Quality
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5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Not my cup of tea. by
Mark L. from Medford, Oregon Sailing date: Apr 2009Pros: Staff was terrific. Treated us like royalty. Cons: Both of us were seasick most of the time dispite meds. The ship was very spacious and clean. The staff was totally accommodating of our every request. Housekeeping kept our room neat and clean morning noon and night. Ship QualityThe ship was kept very clean and orderly. Anything out of place or spilled was immediately taken care of by a very friendly staff. Dining/FoodPlenty of places to eat a variety of foods. They seemed to have something for every taste and plenty of it. You could get food literally 24hours a day. Quality was not what I had expected. Sometimes the food in the main dining areas was only cafeteria quality. Other times the meals were excellent. Stateroom QualityVery attentive housekeeping staff. They were truly a joy throughout our trip. Ship Staff QualityOur steward went out of his way to accommodate our strange sleeping and resting times. As soon as we would leave our cabin, they would come in and remake the beds, clean the bathroom, leave new towels and tidy up everything. What a joy. Entertainment & ActivitiesEven though we were both sick, we took in a stage show and enjoyed it very much.
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Ensenada, MexicoAgain, we were sick and only had an hour or so in Ensenada so the rating isn't really representative. I did notice that the ship was almost empty that day, so lots of people got off the ship and were gone most of the day.
5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Carnival Paradice by
Ryan N from Los Angeles, CA Sailing date: Aug 2011Pros: Everything but my room location Cons: My room location This ship is extremely fun however we were positioned at the back of the boat right by the engines. This made sleeping at night impossible. I would have gladly paid another $100 per person to not be there. Ship QualityAgain, the location of my room was atrocious. Dining/Food
Stateroom QualityAll had to do with the location, right next to the engines. Ship Staff Quality
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4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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First Cruiser Pleasantly Surprised by
Mel F. from Norco, CA Sailing date: Dec 2009Pros: friendliness of the crew Cons: exterior noise Clean and well maintained with mostly clear directonal signage. Ship QualityOnce your learned what decks didn't go "thru," easy to navigate. Awfully big but I guess there are bigger ones. Dining/FoodGreat variety and creative dishes Stateroom QualityTwo single beds definitely work better than one double. Very comfortable and easy to sleep. Ship Staff QualityDining staff made an effort to know passengers' names. Drink servers numerous but not pushy. Entertainment & ActivitiesBetter than Las Vegas quality minus star recognition. 4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Didn't even expect to have a good time.. by
jeremy from los angeles ca. Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: food, service was amazing, quality of the entertainment, lots of free stuff daily Cons: I really cant say anything negative! The best service I have ever received, I wasn't expecting the quality of the food; its amazing. entertainment was great, amazing time w/ carnival Ship Quality
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4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Will do it again by
A Traveler from San jose ca Sailing date: Jul 2009Pros: 24hr food and good service by the workers Cons: Salt water pool I love the accomodations love the food choices they serve love that food is made available 24hrs. Bingo cards fee is a bit expensive for a one game bingo. Pictures print are also expensive. But thos things you can avoid its by choice if you want to play or take pictures. My overall experience was good will definetly recommended with friends and family and will definetly be back to cruise again. Its our kind of vacatio. 4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Not bad for first-timers. by
A Traveler from San Jose, CA Sailing date: Dec 2008Pros: Food, Quality of Entertainment, Entertainment facilities Cons: Quantity of Entertainment, Cabin bathrooms, Ship layout I previously had a great time on the Carnival Pride, so I decided to try out Carnival Paradise. Not quite a paradise. Embarkation was fast. Food in the dining room was great. Ship QualityLarge ship, but a weird layout. Sometimes to get across the same floor, you would have to go up a floor or two, cross the ship, and then go back down. Dining/FoodMaitre'D couldn't give us the dining time we want (6PM), so we were sent to the 8:15PM dining. When we talked to him, he said that we (boyfriend and I) were very young and should be out partying late at night. Reasonably assumption, I suppose, but 1. I eat early and 2. I sleep early. After 2 days of dining room food, we just ate at the buffet since it was totally impossible for me to stay awake past 10PM. (Eating at 8:15 meant we were finish around 9:30PM and I would go to bed on a full stomach. Not fun.)
Food was good though. Love the warm chocolate melting cake. Stateroom QualityOur sink would start bubbling in the middle of the night and my room would smell like sea water and feces. Not pleasant. We called the cabin steward once and they sent someone to clean it up right away. Happened every night, so we just opened up all the doors to air out the room. Ship Staff QualityThey were all really friendly, but it looked like some of them hated their jobs. Entertainment & ActivitiesFor the most part, the entertainment was totally fabulous. Just wish that some of the hosts for events were a bit more enthusiastic.
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Ensenada, MexicoAte a lot of tacos. Watch out for the hundreds of kids that try to sell you gum.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Terrific Four Day Cruise by
June K from Detroit, MI Sailing date: Jan 2013Pros: The ship is beautiful. The staff on the ship are terrific. The excursion was a blast. Cons: The staterooms need an upgrade. The Normandy has very poor seating design. There are many seats in which you cannot see the stage. The ship is beautifu. The staterooms need a make over. The seating in the Normandy is not very good. There are many seats that you cannot see the stage, Ship QualityThe signage is good. It was easy to navigate on the ship, The ship was ver yclean. The staterooms need a makeover. They are as nice as on the newer ships, however that is reflective in the price of the cruise. Dining/FoodThe food was great. The Dining room staff was excellent. They entertained every night which was great fun. Stateroom QualityOur room was very clean and everything was fine with the stateroom. Ship Staff QualityTHe staff was extremely friendly. Everyone on the ship said hello to us. Our cabin steward, our wait staff, and our drink waiter all learned our names ver yearly and always addressed us that way. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe shows were great. The dancers and tireless and gave off great energy. The comedy shows were great however ,the Queen Mary is not big enough and many guests stood and compleltely blocked our view of the stage. Other accomodations should be made for the guests that do not have seating. 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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