chilly1470

Cruising in June - love reading this thread! We did a short Disney cruise over 10 years ago with the grandparents and kids and it went so fast. Our cruise in June is adults only - it is going to feel like the first time [emoji2] Thank you for sharing your thoughts - can't wait to read more!

 

 

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Our next isn't until September and man! I am counting the days. Enjoy yours and be sure to share.

Almost never sit ou on deck, but Then we always have a balcony.

Yes! One thing i did right was to enjoy my balcony every night before turning in. Some say it isn't really worth it, but it was to me.

don't try to eat everything the first day. They'll have plenty of food every day you're on the ship.

HAHAHA! Great point. I sometimes found myself eating and I wasn't even hungry. Like a bloated sea lion. But on the other hand, you are bound to gain some weight and you don't have it like that everyday. Enjoy in moderation, taste different things, roam and graze.

NUMBER ONE: Relax. You are on vacation. CHILL!!

Number 2: Go on deck, get a chair, and lay back

3: Take it all in, people watch, have a drink, eat, enjoy!

Don't let the stressors of regular life get in the way. This is different. Life is not the way you are used to. The mistake I made is worrying about this and that, instead of just chilling. Sit your butt down and relax.

Do not worry too much about the schedule or FUNTIMES. I know, there is a lot to do, but choose your battles. You can only do so much. Look at the events, choose what you like, then choose what you want. I made the mistake of not relaxing, standing and wanting to do more, and missing what I really wanted, you feel me? I don't think I ever sat down at Half Moon Cay, and I regret that, because this is a place of extreme relaxation, lol. You need to unwind and forget all about the stress of how you stood in line, boats to get there etc. Anyway, enjoy your time, it is your time, have a blast, I loved the atmosphere.

There were four of us traveling together: Me, my wife and our two sons (ages 14 and 18). We booked a grand suite (U114) for us and an ocean view (U118) for the boys. We stayed in Charleston the night prior to ensure there were no unexpected difficulties on embarkation day. Let me say from the beginning that while I appreciate the Charleston cruise port being relatively close to our NC home, the port itself is way undersized and, in my opinion, barely capable of handling a cruise ship with 2,000 passengers. We had priority boarding (being suite passengers) with a scheduled check-in time of 11:30. We arrived at the port to begin the drive-through check-in process at 10:40. Glad we arrived early. While we moved fairly steadily through the line past the first two tents (preliminary check-in and baggage check), there were about 30 cars ahead of us at the parking tent. We paid for parking and sat in the car in line until 11:35, when port officials opened the parking warehouse. From the parking area, we were shuttled to the terminal and processed through fairly quickly. We were on the Ecstasy by 12:05. Unfortunately, our rooms would not be available until 1:30. We made our way to the Lido Deck and picked up our Bottomless Bubbles stickers. We purchased beverage cups here, too, only to find out later they weren’t really necessary, as we were given the full can of soda every time we requested a drink. (On past cruises when we’ve purchased BB or similar beverage packages, we’ve been given only a tall bar glass with fountain soda.) Lunch from the Mongolian Grill was pretty good.

 

We went to our cabins at 1:38 and found them to be in very neat and clean condition. For an older ship that was scheduled for dry dock a month after our sailing, I was very impressed with the appointments and general condition of everything in our staterooms. The grand suite was fairly roomy (we usually book a suite on Princess, having found them to be some of the roomiest suites in the industry). There weren’t really separate living and sleeping areas, but rather a single room with a king bed, counter and drawers along one wall and fold-out couch near the balcony wall. There was a walk-in closet with drawers and hanging spaces on each side. And there was a bathroom that was fairly roomy. Getting in and out of the jetted tub/shower was a bit challenging, as it was quite a step up and over the side of the tub. I’m guessing it was raised to accommodate plumbing and components of the jet system. There was a single sink, a wall-mounted hairdryer and plenty of towels. There was a small refrigerator in the living/sleeping area, but, frankly, it never got much cooler than room temperature. The HVAC system had no thermostat. Rather, cabin comfort was regulated by adjusting the flow of cool air into the cabin by way of knobs on the three HVAC supply grilles. The suite was quite warm when we first entered, but quickly cooled down within an hour or two. If anything, we had to reduce the cool air supply during some parts of the cruise.

 

The boys’ ocean view cabin was quite big enough for them. It also was clean and well organized. Their cabin had only a small shower and no hairdryer. There was also a single chair and a smaller TV.

 

The lifeboat drill was a prolonged process that took much longer than any other we’d previously attended. Following the disorganized briefing portion, each group was led to their lifeboat and directed to stand in rows to simulate preparation for boarding. We were then dismissed. I would estimate the entire drill process lasted about an hour.

 

We used many of the ship’s food venues during the course of our cruise. Overall, we found the food in each to be of good quality, but prepared with little seasoning. For the most part, it was bland and lacking in flavor. We had selected traditional dining and sat with the same passengers for dinner each night in the Wind Song dining room. Tina, our server at Table 337, was fantastic! She was personable and efficient, remembering each guest’s name and drink preferences on the first night. The only complaint I might have about the menu offerings would be that on some nights, it was too difficult to select just one main course! There was a good selection of upscale meal choices. Again, it’s just a shame that most of the food was somewhat bland. One choice that was on the menu each night was the Flat Iron Steak. Don’t be afraid to order it; it was quite tender and flavorful!

 

One thing that surprised us was that smoking was permitted in bars we had to walk through to get from one place to another. Don’t get me wrong; I used to smoke cigarettes and don’t mind if others do. But I prefer to avoid the odor if I can now. It was our first cruise and this was something we had not encountered on other ships.

 

We did not go to any of the shows. My wife and I generally like to simply relax while on cruises. The main show was a Motown performance and there were comedians also.

 

In Nassau, we had booked a day pass to the British Colonial Hilton through resortforaday.com. We would highly recommend this for anyone who doesn’t embark on an excursion and just wants to sit on the beach or at the pool and be pampered! In Freeport, we walked through shops at the port, but spent most of the day at the ship's pool.

 

Sailing back to Charleston was uneventful. We arrived in port around 5:30 AM. Although we had priority debarkation, we decided to linger casually, since we had only a 3-hour drive home. However, debarkation was where the small port’s inability to cope with 2,000 passengers was most evident. There seemed to be no order to debarkation, with people just getting in the long debarkation line at will. Once inside the terminal, we had to depart the line to find and claim our bags, then get back in the ever-lengthening line that, fortunately, moved fairly steadily toward the US Customs stations. We noticed that some passengers carried their own bags, but got in the line for porters, since it was moving faster. Customs agents were overwhelmed. We were summarily waved through without questions or requests for passports once the agent saw my military ID. Outside of the terminal, there was a line of shuttle buses, but they weren’t boarding anyone and it seemed like it would be quicker to do the bag drag to the parking warehouse. It was! We got to our car before the first shuttle left the terminal.

 

Bottom line: We prefer smaller ships and I’d sail on the Ecstasy again without hesitation. If I’ve missed anything or can respond to specific questions, please let me know.

You are so right on so many levels. This was our first cruise ever, virgins we were if you will. I am so glad we started here and we loved the Ecstasy. They say to start out low and move up and that is what we did, so expectations would be met. It can only get better. But in the meantime, we fell in love with our first cruise baby, and hold it near and dear to our hearts. I would cruise on the Ecstasy again in a heartbeat and be very happy and glad we did. It is our virgin cruise. We had great fun and were broken into cruising. Now on to more cruising. Lol. We had a grand suite as our virgin cruise and it lived up to everything we had imagined. I am sooooo glad we were upgraded by our travel agent, because we had special privileges. I didn't know it at the time, but we did. I say, go with it, travel and enjoy. We enjoyed the MDR, not so much, as it took up too much time and we missed some shows and events. It was slow!! Brunch was awesome, and you should do it.

Someone was telling me besides the $12.95 per person they charge you that you have to tip more. She said they paid $250 per person for tip.

 

Any help is appreciated

We include our tips when we book, but in the end we give our steward, if worthy, chocolate and dollars. On the Ecstasty we liked our service so well we gave them all $ and candyl.

I think the food is good. IMHO I think the steakhouse is overrated.

Yeah, it is, but still good and a possible way for them to make more money. It is an experience, once in a life time thing.

Love reading these boards but so tired of people complaining about the "quality" of the MDR food on Carnival. THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FINE DINING FOOD, people .... Perhaps some people just need to adjust their expectations? I consider the MDR food to be "Banquet Quality" ... which is as good as anyone should expect ... its not possible to push out thousands of "fine dining" meals in such a short amount of time. With my "Banquet Quality" expectations ... I am rarely disappointed with anything I get in the MDR, and If I am, I just order something else. Better yet I typically order multiple entrees and starters anyway and usually like at least one thing they bring. :)

 

If you truly want an elevated food experience ... then simply factor an extra $245 into your cruise fare and book the Steakhouse every night for your 7 night carnival cruise -

 

.....And before you start saying that "This line or that line has better food than CCL" ... consider that "those lines" also charge significantly MORE to book your cruise than carnivals fare + $35/day for the steakhouse.

 

Thank you for letting me rant. :)

I totally agree. if you can't find something to eat on these cruises, find something else to do! You got Mdr, David steaks, deli, pizza, buffet, Cantina, sushi, I mean, get a life@

Jeff, I am so happy to see you've started your review!!! I just caught up with what you have so far and am really looking forward to following along with the rest since there aren't too many reviews on several of your ports. As always, I love the way you write a review and Patti's pictures, it almost feels like I'm along with you. And I really do enjoy the pre and post cruise sections as well, it's not just about the destination and I always love the journey as well. Thank you for taking the time, I've been looking forward to this one.

pghsteelerfan? YES! Me too, I am from the Burgh. Great to meet you! I guess we have met lol.

Do not worry, sir, we all appreciate the fine details of your itinerary. I love the reviews with all the pre-cruise trips and flights and out to eats and wanderings. Please feel free to post all that you do. I have been following you for quite some time and am always entertained. I am new to cruising and an avid traveler and I research all there is to do, so I understand the detail you go into. Thank you so much!

Here are some helpful hints for anyone new to cruising, especially Carnival, since that is all I know, mainly the Ecstasy but I am sure it is fleetwide. The sure thing to tell you is the shampoo and shower gel provided in all showers and baths is great. So spare the trouble of bringing your own, as this stuff is sufficient, and I should know, I am picky about such things. Don't bring a surge protector but instead a multi outlet plug. When you book, go to the shops and purchase bottled water, as it is cheaper that way if you like your own water. I am sure there are millions of tips, but these are a few of my own and thought I would share.

The Ecstasy last May out of Charleston. A great starter/newbie ship with lots to do and break you in to cruising. I would go back on her in a minute and will forever hold her near and dear to my heart.

If you got the funds get a grand suite on the Upper deck. Lots of room and quiet there. Nice roomy balconies, too.

What everyone says is true. Ecstasy is nice for first-timers and everything is uphill and better from there. I would go on the Ecstasy again in a heartbeat for nostalgic reasons and it holds a special place in my and my family's hearts. It is a quaint and happy ship, and has a special personality. Now I have booked the Pride in Sept and cannot wait for adventure #2.

Nice and unbiased review. We sail her on 07 May and our expectations are high but the reality is near because I am 54 and not a fool. I know things can go wrong, and be wrong, but I choose to make the best and keep the fact close that it beats sitting at home or work any day. I will make it magical for me and my family. We deserve it. I have seen people whine about the smell, the waits, the service etc, and it gets old and I refuse to let it ruin my time. Thanks again.

Chilly, fyi..Carnival is I believe the only cruise line left that serves lobster tail without an upcharge.:cool:

 

And FYI they have stopped serving lobster --according to numerous posts I have read, some seeming reliable, but IDK. Take it with a grain of salt, I guess. If they do, great. If not, I will live lol. Also I was just using that as an example of people expecting gourmet when they have paid budget prices. I personally and am happy with Carnival's affordability. Under 3 grand for 4 people, 5 day cruise, now that is SICK! I am in whole hearted and believe me, I will eat well.

Don't know if any of you noticed, but the OP never responded once to any of the comments. This is always a red flag to me. And hello? You are a paying customer and do not have to put up with substandard service. I am not a trouble maker, but I will be danged if any room steward is going to cop an attitude with me. I would politely ask for their supervisor and demand someone who wants to do their job pleasantly and I am more than happy to tip very well for that service. Ok, they work hard for little, I get it, but so do I. I did not force them to be there. If OP put up with any problems legit, then they are the fool for allowing it to happen. I believe the staff would make it right, or I would go up the line until they did.

As far as the food goes, you get what you pay for. If you want gourmet, you are going to have to move to another price level, not Carnival. No offense, but Carnival is a middle class, working folk cruise line, not high class champagne and caviar and lobster. I am cruising on the working class line in 3 weeks, and I will enjoy it and I promise you I will find something to eat. Something good. My room steward won't huff about a pillow, or I will find someone who will get it happily and be glad for the tip and my smiling face. Prima donnas, that's what people are becoming. Suck it up and make the best of it.

I don't really have any serious concerns as far as being informed goes, because I research everything to death. I swear I could be a travel agent at this point. I do think about having enough money to cover incidentals and will my credit card allow for it (ie will my cc be cut off, or declined due to limits etc) So I will have a backup plan just in case. I guess if I could pinpoint my most salient concern it would be having enough time to do everything I would like to do. We are set to sail on May 7 on the Ecstasy, our first cruise.