Presbycruiser67

For some reason I could not submit this on the main site, so I am sharing it here FYI: I treated myself to a birthday cruise in October, 2022. The Elation is based within a decent driving distance from my home, and the price was right, even with the double charge for a solo cruiser. It was that cheap. Embarkation was very easy, and the port crew was very pleasant and efficient. My cabin, an ocean view with two small portholes (priced more closely to an inside than a "regular" oceanview with a large window) was modern (remodeled recently?) with plenty of outlets for my various electronic devices. There was a surprisingly large TV. The bed was very comfortable and I slept great! But inexplicably, there was no easy chair or loveseat to sit on, or a coffee table, which discouraged me from eating anything in my room. It seems like none of the staterooms (with the possible exception of suites??) had any furniture other than the bed. I asked my room steward about this and his "explanation" was that the Elation was a small ship. Uh, don't "small" ships have enough room for furniture?? Otherwise, the steward provided very good service ... no complaints. Speaking of good service, the Main Dining Room staff was outstanding and they seemed to really enjoy working on the Elation. The food was not as good, however. Some dishes were fine (like a very nicely prepared beef tenderloin one evening). But the prime rib and NY strip steak were quite poor, the worst I have had on any cruise. They were cooked to order, but the meat was thin and did not seem like a good grade of meat. The buffet was OK but kind of limited, and between the crowds and the garish, ugly decor, did not excite me. I did eat some pizza from pizza pirate, a sandwich from the deli, and quite a few burgers from Guy Fieri's, which were good. I drank way too much from the MANY bars onboard... I had purchased the beverage package and made sure I got my money's worth and then some. I tried drinks I never had before. On a couple of days I hit ten drinks, which I never do at home, but as I spaced them out over several hours, and made sure to eat, I did not get really drunk. Entertainment was OK. There was one rather unfunny Cuban comedian, and another guy whose name I forget who was much funnier. Disembarkation was more of an ordeal than embarkation had been. I got into a loooooooong line that stretched around the entire deck it felt like, and it took an hour to get through everything, at least. For me, the high points were the wonderful service and spending some time away from the crowds at the adults' only section at the back of the pool deck. Food was so-so. Drinks were good. I don't think I even visited the ports because I had been there before. But it was fine either way.

Atlanta, this may strike you as a strange question, but ... does your stateroom have actual furniture aside from the bed? I cruised on the Carnival Elation in October, and while my stateroom was nicely maintained, it had NOTHING to sit on other than the bed and a little stool in front of the desk/dresser. There was a large empty space where an easy chair or sofa should have been. And that was the case for almost everyone!

OK, I will definitely be purchasing the Cheers package now.