Claybelle

The boat ride is 45 minutes each way. So, you need to subtract almost 2 hrs from your beach time for traveling. The water is crystal clear until you get to the beach and then it is very milky. You can't even see the bottom. Lots of seaweed but that may depend on the time of the year. They limit you to a very small area where you can go on the island...you can't just explore. The beach chairs were hard plastic, shaped like a rounded surf board. Not very comfy. The lunch was just okay (chicken wings, rice, grilled fish, chips, fruit, cookies). Nice hammocks to enjoy the shade but there aren't many of them and you aren't close to the water if you need to watch the kids swim. You're also sharing the island with other cruise ships. So, there are lots of people even though they do try to stagger them a little bit. They have shops and would like you to buy. They take your picture when you first get to the island and then come around and push the picture on you for purchase. When it was time to go, we felt very uncomfortable because the tour guys really pushed the tips. Since we had already paid almost $100 a piece for the trip, we didn't want to pay more. Watch the excursion prices because they do change. I see that this trip is back down to $69 again.

Spend some time reading the reviews on here and on your ship's website. Many people loved this excursion so you will have to decide for yourself. :)

I don't know about the itineraries for Paradise but we just got back from Passion Island a few days ago and were really disappointed. If you're big drinkers, it will be a great day because the booze is free and unlimited and then you won't care about anything else. Ha! But if you're like us and you don't drink, it may not be your best choice. Let me know if you want details but I didn't want to hog your post since you didn't ask for a review on Passion Island. :)

You didn't say when you're sailing out again and since this post is from August it may not be needed anymore, but I just wanted to pop in and say that we just got back from Passion Island. We were very disappointed! Let me know if you want details (i don't want to type it all out if it's a mute point) :)

You may have already decided on your excursions since this post was in July but since you aren't cruisin until May, I thought I'd reply. We just got back from Carnvial's "Passion Island by Power Catamaran" excursion. We were actually disappointed. The boat ride is 45 minutes each way. The water is crystal clear until you get to the beach and then it is very milky. You can't even see the bottom. Lots of seaweed but that may depend on the time of the year. The beach chairs were hard plastic, shaped like a rounded surf board. Not very comfy. The lunch was just okay (chicken wings, rice, grilled fish, chips, fruit, cookies). This is a great excursion for drinkers because the booze is unlimited and then you don't care about the rest of the day but we don't drink so that didn't help us. Nice hammocks to enjoy the shade but there aren't many of them and you are sharing the island with other cruise ships. They have shops and would like you to buy. They take your picture when you first get to the island and then come around and push the picture on you for purchase. When it was time to go, we felt very uncomfortable because the tour guys really pushed the tips. Since we had already paid almost $100 a piece for the trip, we didn't want to pay more.

My absolute favorite all inclusive beach day was in Roatan Honduras. We went to Maya Key private island and LOVED it! It's a very short trip from the cruise ship and the water is gorgeous for swimming & crystal clear for snorkeling (you do have to rent your snorkel gear for $10 but you have to rent it at Passion too). The food was very good at Maya Key although it wasn't all you can eat, all day. They served water and tea but if you wanted other drinks you did have to buy those. They have a great pool on the island. It is also a wildlife refuge and beautiful birds are everywhere. You can walk all over the island with no restrictions (unlike passion) and it is also a lot cheaper too!

We're about to sail away on our 5th cruise and have tried out different cabin locations. The front of the ship was rough, lots of up and down motion. We experienced less movement in the back but kept hearing some large equipment every morning. (Thought it was the anchors but they are in the front) The mid ship cabin was the most comfortable as far as movement goes. Keep in mind that you will have less movement the lower you are in the ship. It's really important to check what will be above and below your cabin. We have been under the 24 hr eating area and heard the scraping of chairs literally all night long.

Oops! Just realize that you set sail tomorrow so this info won't be of help to you, but maybe it can help others. Bon Voyage!!

We're about to sail away on our 5th cruise and have tried out different cabin locations. The front of the ship was rough, lots of up and down motion. We experienced less movement in the back but kept hearing some large equipment every morning. (Thought it was the anchors but they are in the front) The mid ship cabin was the most comfortable as far as movement goes. Keep in mind that you will have less movement the lower you are in the ship. It's really important to check what will be above and below your cabin. We have been under the 24 hr eating area and heard the scraping of chairs literally all night long.