MeetMeAtTheBar

Thank you for the info on the new Suites. We upgraded last night to a junior suite on deck 14 for our trip on 11/13. The upgrade cost seemed reasonable as I could easily lose that much in 1hr in the casino.

Cheers.

Following. Thanks for taking the time to do this review. Cruisin' the Elation in 2 weeks.

Per my earlier comment, I was on the Oct 7 sailing that ended this morning. Here is a link to some pics:

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/BtmTtQZPfPNfUuXJ2

 

This was my 33rd cruise, all with Carnival. I have enjoyed all, including this sailing. That said, I would not knowingly book the first cruise after a drydock again because of all of the hiccups. Some hiccups were understandable, others were questionable and seemingly avoidable (and frankly, some felt like Carnival worrying more about the bottom line than their reputation or customer satisfaction). This was supposed to be the third cruise after drydock if not for Irma.

 

Those expecting a brand-new ship from stem-to-stern will be disappointed: some areas of the ship appeared brand new (because they were), and other areas appeared every day of their 20 years.

 

I hope you like the pics!

Great Pics! Thank you for sharing them. We booked a sailing mid Nov without even knowing it was going to dry dock. Just worked out being Jaxport & the dates. Our last cruise was on Elation and it showed its wear and tear then so when we found out that it was being dry docked and getting upgraded it was a bonus to us. Shame about the Alchemy bar not being added as I don't remember the Gatsby bar ever having anyone at it except right before or after shows. Not that I minded as I could get drinks quickly...I also don't recall seeing Carnival actually state that it was getting Alchemy. Just 2.0 upgrades which people assumed it would get it.

All the upgrades will be new to us as its been awhile since we cruised last.

A quick question about the ports: Did they look ok or did you notice damage from the storms?

I'm on the current cruise and waiting for disembarkation. Ship is still a work in progress. GOOD NEWS: guy's, blue iguana, red frog up and running on lido. Waterworks up and running. Main dining rooms and shops were unexpectedly remodeled and look nice. Overall, service from staff was fine. remodeled cabins are quite nice, with two 110v outlets and four USB outlets. Power options aplenty! BAD NEWS: many contractors on the ship completing unfinished work on new balconies and cabins. Access to new deck is limited to the (cramped) mini golf area, and even then only part time. Little piles of drydock debris throughout the ship. Several maintenance / supply issues: as examples, the main pool was closed for an entire day because the pump was broken, and soft serve ice cream machines were out of order for days. Floor in Tiffany lido dining room remained filthy throughout the entire cruise. Can confirm no Alchemy Bar was installed. I'll try to post a link to some pics in the next day once I can upload them to my computer.

Thanks for posting. Looking forward to seeing some pics you may have and I hope the ongoing construction didn't ruin your trip.

For those of you cruising on Elation in the near future, please remember to come back and let us know if the doors are metal :D I want to take magnets in January but not if I can't use them. Thanks for your help!!

Hey Jc4me. We are on Elation mid November & just set a reminder on my phone to check the doors. If no one else finds out by then I will let you know.

Nice. I checked yesterday and all the elation deck plans had been taken off the site.

 

No Alchemy bar on the new deck plans. I know a lot of people will be disappointed at that. But since my wife and I aren't heavy drinkers, can someone explain what the excitement is about the Alchemy bar and what we will be missing when we're on the Elation next?

I have never been on a boat with the alchemy bar but I hear they have expert mixologists that make very good & elaborate drinks. We were looking forward to trying it out and hoping it would be added.

They have updated the Elation information on Carnival's website & added the new deck plan.

I had read somewhere that the Gatsby's Great Bar was going to be the Alchemy bar. Maybe that was wrong. The wife is gonna be bummed about that but a spa day and some bocce ball should help ease her pain.

Here is a side by side of some before and after pics of the Elation stern. Haven't been on a cruise in 11 years & our last was on Elation. Looking forward to seeing the updates in person mid Nov.