A Biased ;) Account of the Elation 4-19-09 Catalina/Ensenada

San Diego Pre-Cruise

We stayed at Hampton Inn which offers free shuttle service to/from the airport and the cruise terminal. It’s a walkable distance to the cruise terminal also. The hotel and rooms are very nice, the beds were better than Carnival beds. They serve free continental breakfast with the addition of folded omelets and sausage if you’d like to make a sandwich with a bagel or toast. The rate was $89/night using AAA discount. If you’re a light-sleeper, this hotel is not for you as the Amtrak runs directly behind it. Each room has a sound machine that does help with the train and airplane noise.

Embarkation Day 1

It went quickly and was efficient. Quite different than Miami or Tampa as you go in a big warehouse-type building and then are led outside to Deck 3 mid-ship. This cruise sails at 5:30 pm, but we were on the ship by noon and cabins were ready at 1 pm. The muster drill was much more organized than I’ve seen in the past and was very smooth. Sail away was really nice, we saw a gray whale just outside the harbor headed for the kelp beds.

G’Day STU was the cruise director, he was personable and kept everyone informed. The Welcome Aboard show was short and sweet. Russ Nagel was the comedian and was very funny. I have no idea who our maître d' was and didn’t see him until the last night.

Food on Lido and Tiffany’s Bar and Grill was okay, nothing to write home about. Dining Room food was excellent (had BBQ ribs).

Catalina Island Day 2

We arrived on time and anchor chains were not alarmingly loud like I’ve experienced before being forward, we were in cabin E35. The tenders moved quickly and the wait wasn’t long. The weather was gorgeous, but there was some kind of bug flying everywhere that day, the local were complaining about them. Lots of bees around too, so those who are allergic should take extra precautions. We walked to the far beach beyond the old casino and it was really quiet. Catalina is not for those who love beaches, they are rocky and the water is very cold. There are many shops in Avalon and most people were shopping. We took the trolley ($4 round trip anywhere) to the Wrigley Botanical Gardens ($5 admission). It’s a beautiful area, but a long hot walk to the memorial and I wouldn’t recommend it to those who tire easily.

When leaving Catalina, we sailed past a pod of THOUSANDS of dolphins with their baby calves. They were jumping and swimming up to the ship, it was one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen.

This was elegant night and the Captain’s Reception was not well-attended, even though everyone was back on ship. I don’t think that many from early dinner were able to attend as it was held at 7:15 pm. The drinks kept coming for everyone, each person could have easily received 4 if they wanted.

We ate in the dining room for breakfast and no one seemed to like the eggs Benedict. I had an omelet and it was very good. We had the Lobster and Shrimp duo for dinner and it was fantastic. Both the lobster and shrimp were double the size of any cruise I’ve been on out of Florida. Lunch again in Tiffany’s was just okay, there were some nice selections for Japanese in the Taste of Nations section.

The show was Rhythm and we did not go to it. Russ Nagel did late night comedy and the 11 pm show was packed with a few people saving several seats for people who never arrived and who still would not release the seats to others. The crew would not do anything about those doing this, instead, they shut the doors and wouldn’t let anyone else in. People were getting yelled at by passengers for standing at the lean-bar in front of the bar and also for standing along-side the entrances. It was a bad experience due to some rude passengers, but Russ Nagel was very funny. The problem seemed to be that everyone wanted to attend the 11 pm show rather than the midnight show.

Ensenada Day 3

Another beautiful day. Many people were afraid to get off the ship, which is a shame as the main areas of Ensenada appeared to be safe and I didn’t hear of any incidents. People who went to the blow hole were disappointed as it was low tide and complained about being accosted by vendors, some said they had people grabbing each arm and pulling and some pulling their shirts from behind, and also were treated poorly when they didn’t purchase something they looked at. It sounded overwhelming.

We went on the Wine Tour and it was outstanding! The bus ride is 45 minutes and it is well worth the excursion cost. It’s like arriving in a whole different world. The vineyards and olive trees are beautiful and well-kept and the flowers and gardens are breathtaking. Everyone enjoyed the wine, I am allergic to sulfites so missed out on the tasting – I wouldn’t know a good wine if it hit me in the face because of my allergy, but many there seemed to enjoy most of the selections. They also served fresh bread and cheese at the first vineyard and bread, cheese and olives at the second. The olives were really good. Each person received a free bottle of red or white wine. Now, this was a confusing mess because we were told that we were allowed to bring our free bottle back on the ship and didn’t have to check it, I’ve also seen that mentioned on the boards. Security was outright nasty and said no, no, no. I explained to those doing the liquor check that we were told on the tour that we could keep it and that calling 1-800-CARNIVAL will also tell you that you are allowed to bring your free bottle on board from that excursion. They called a supervisor who said that no one has ever been allowed to keep a bottle of wine from a port. Maybe some can comment on this, maybe they allow it on Paradise and not Elation.

We had a late lunch on Lido and it was very good. Dinner in the dining room wasn’t so good, I ordered the Flat Iron, which has been excellent on every other cruise, but was inedible on this cruise.

The show was Bobby Borgia, a magician and John Wesley Austin, a comedian. Both were great, wish it had been longer. We didn’t go to the Mexican Midnight buffet.

Day at Sea Day 4

Woke up to overcast and very cool weather and it didn’t improve at all. Went to the Towel Folding Workshop, which was fun. Did the Walk for the Cure, which was also fun. Came out $10.18 ahead in the casino, which was a shock.

Lunch at Tiffany’s was a madhouse and the food wasn’t very good so I tried the new Mongolian Grill which was very good. The chocolate buffet was okay, but still fun as I’ve never done that before. I missed afternoon tea due to the Walk for the Cure being held at the same time. The show SPIN was good, seemed to be about 15 minutes too long, or maybe I’ve just had enough cruise singing and dancing so far this year.

Debarkation

A few dummies didn’t go do immigration like they were supposed to which delayed the start by about 45 minutes. Elation doesn’t allow self-assist walk off at any time, you still must wait for your zone number. They were very insistent that everyone must be out of their cabin by 8:30 am and also that only the forward bank of elevators be used and not any other elevators and no waiting in elevator lobbies and stairways. I would guess that 85% followed those rules, which worked out well once things got moving. There were no custom checks at all, no passport showing, no ID and birth certificate showing. We were told to put our custom forms in a basket and keep on moving. Took about 10 minutes to get from Lido and out to the taxi from the time our zone number was called. Taxi to airport is $10-12. Shuttle is $5/pp.

Other Tidbits

-Couldn’t find one chair hog the entire cruise!

-The serenity deck was very popular with no available seats.

-Drink buying was down, talked at length to a few servers who said it’s been a drastic decline since the start of 2009.

-They’ve added an inexperienced person to do water in the dining room. This is confusing, as this person’s job seems to be to push bottled water and not fill the ice water glass for quite a while and doesn’t seem to remember to ask about ice tea, milk, coffee or lemonade. I have seen other posts about this, it’s new since my last cruise this year. Lots of complaints heard and it seems to irritate the head waiters and the assistants to have to deal with this extra person.

-The dining room staff is excited about anytime dining starting on the 26th, but also concerned about not having the same guests each night. They were told that people can request the same waiter each time and that seemed to be what interested them. Anytime dining will be in half the dining room.

-There was an equal mix of all ages on this cruise. Some big partiers and some quiet. Many of the passengers seemed to be from California. There seemed to be a lot of first-time cruisers. I brought a first-timer who is now hooked and wanting to book their next right away.

-The water was calm the entire time, it was impossible to tell you were at sea, but 12 hours later, I am in full-blown mal de debarkment, everything is moving. I’m in that “special” age/gender group that seems to get this more frequently.

-I sure hope they update the cabins soon, they really need it. I do prefer the older bathroom style though with the larger sink area and the medicine cabinet-type mirror.

A few more pictures.

Nice review...

Loved your review.

Question you mention that amtrak was near your hotel. Was there a station to catch a train near the hotel? Would love to have a walking option.

Thanks for the fantastic review.

Nice review... GOOD to know about the bees. My son is very allergic. We WERE scheduled for this on August 2 that disappeared and now is a 5 day leaving Aug 3 that didn't work for us so we have to do California Cruise another year.

Loved your review.

 

Question you mention that amtrak was near your hotel. Was there a station to catch a train near the hotel? Would love to have a walking option.

 

Thanks for the fantastic review.

Thanks - yes, there is a big Amtrak station within walking distance of that hotel, it's behind it and about 3 blocks over. I've never been to San Diego before and unfortunately didn't get much time there, but everything is really close and seems to have public transportation. The zoo, Sea World, the pier, the airport, the cruise terminal, the Midway, shopping, etc. all seems to be within a few miles of the center of the city.

There is also a cable train that runs along side Amtrak.

Nice review... GOOD to know about the bees. My son is very allergic. We WERE scheduled for this on August 2 that disappeared and now is a 5 day leaving Aug 3 that didn't work for us so we have to do California Cruise another year.

I don't know if the bees were much worse at this time of year, but they were everywhere. I ended up with one in my hand, and one in my flip-flop, and another down my shirt just from walking.

Great Review! It helps me dream....and pass the days. Thank you for taking the time

Thanks so much for that review! Less than 2 weeks for us!

I'm on the 3 day Elation cruise on June 4. Just wondering if you remember seeing a drug store somewhere around the port where I could pick up some last minute items that shouldn't go in my carryon? Thanks.

I keep changing my mind about taking an excursion - do you know if the wine tour sold out in advance?

What was the final decision on the wine? I'd like to bring it to the table for dinner that evening.

I'm on the 3 day Elation cruise on June 4. Just wondering if you remember seeing a drug store somewhere around the port where I could pick up some last minute items that shouldn't go in my carryon? Thanks.

 

I keep changing my mind about taking an excursion - do you know if the wine tour sold out in advance?

 

What was the final decision on the wine? I'd like to bring it to the table for dinner that evening.

There is a Riteaid drug store within walking distance of the port, it's at 1411 Kettner Blvd., they had everything and decent prices.

I mailed a USPS flat-rate priorty box to the hotel filled with sunscreen, etc. Riteaid has a larger selection of wine, not the best out there, but it was a full aisle. The soda prices were better at 7-11, which is at 1670 Kettner Blvd.

The wine tour did not sell out and I doubt that it does. The excursions marked as "limited" on the website can sell out, but I really don't think any of them did. The website prices are lower than on the ship. The wine tour was $35 pp online up to about 2 weeks prior, then went to $39 online and was $39.95 on the ship. Most of the excursions are 95 cents more on the ship vs. online, kinda strange.

The final decision on the wine was that they kept it and didn't bring it to the room until after 8 pm on the last night, which was maddening because first thing the next morning, everyone was allowed to carry out any liquor purchases from duty free. We managed to find some new friends to share it with. I plan to write to Carnival about this as they need to at least tell the tour guides that they aren't allowing it to stay with you.

We did the wine tour on the Paradise and also love it!!! Beautiful!

We indeed got to bring our wine back to our cabin......after returned to town we bought a corkscrew to open it:D

Also when we were on the Elation last Dec. they did have self assist debarkation........they were right behind us VIP's......

Oops we were not on the Paradise, it was the Ecstasy.......maybe they changed the rules........

We did the wine tour on the Paradise and also love it!!! Beautiful!

We indeed got to bring our wine back to our cabin......after returned to town we bought a corkscrew to open it:D

Also when we were on the Elation last Dec. they did have self assist debarkation........they were right behind us VIP's......

 

Oops we were not on the Paradise, it was the Ecstasy.......maybe they changed the rules........

I am wondering if the self-assist zone debarkation is something new as I'm seeing others saying it happened on other ships recently. Maybe it got too popular and everyone wanted off as soon as the ship cleared.

Glad you got to keep your wine! That tour is great, I am so glad we went. I want to go back and spend more time there.

I am wondering if the self-assist zone debarkation is something new as I'm seeing others saying it happened on other ships recently. Maybe it got too popular and everyone wanted off as soon as the ship cleared.

 

Glad you got to keep your wine! That tour is great, I am so glad we went. I want to go back and spend more time there.

We were on the Spirit last month and were told they don't do self-assist debark in San Diego because there are stairs to get off the ship (there is a small elevator for handicapped tho), so that would apply to the Elation too.

We were on the Spirit last month and were told they don't do self-assist debark in San Diego because there are stairs to get off the ship (there is a small elevator for handicapped tho), so that would apply to the Elation too.

We were allowed to carry off our own luggage, but we couldn't go until our zone number was called. Those who could prove they had flights leaving before 12:30 pm could get an earlier zone tag or could meet near the priority people at 8 am.

It was handicap accessible (no stairs) as there was a person in front of me in a wheelchair the whole way from Lido. Maybe the ramp is new, it was steep enough where someone in a wheelchair might need assistance to keep the chair from going too fast.

We were on the Spirit last month and were told they don't do self-assist debark in San Diego because there are stairs to get off the ship (there is a small elevator for handicapped tho), so that would apply to the Elation too.

The Spirit embarks/debarks via the terminal.......the Elation does not.......no stairs on the Elation......

Thanks for the information. I think I'll wait till I'm on the ship and confirm with Carnival about the wine tour and the wine. If they say I can bring it back with me from the tour, I'll ask for that in writing. Otherwise, I think I'll skip it since I don't want to bring it home with me.

Thanks for the information. I think I'll wait till I'm on the ship and confirm with Carnival about the wine tour and the wine. If they say I can bring it back with me from the tour, I'll ask for that in writing. Otherwise, I think I'll skip it since I don't want to bring it home with me.

With or without the wine, that tour is well worth the money, you really feel like you've escaped to a hidden gem.

If you can't bring the wine back on the ship, there are lots of people who are from the California area and are driving who would be happy to take your free bottle and check it to take home. Many people were buying cases, as the prices were so good.

The Spirit embarks/debarks via the terminal.......the Elation does not.......no stairs on the Elation......

Not always true, we embarked the Spirit from the non-terminal side of the pier last month, so you never know what they will do.

Not always true, we embarked the Spirit from the non-terminal side of the pier last month, so you never know what they will do.

Then why did you have to go down stairs?

Thanks for the great review! You mention drink buying was down - what were the prices like say for a beer or a bottle of wine at dinner?

Thanks for the great review! You mention drink buying was down - what were the prices like say for a beer or a bottle of wine at dinner?

The aluminum bottles of beer were $4.75 I think plus 15% gratuity. The wine bottle prices are about $21 and up. They sell wine packages and of course each person can bring 1 bottle on the ship.

thanks for the review! Still laughing at the title! ;)

The aluminum bottles of beer were $4.75 I think plus 15% gratuity. The wine bottle prices are about $21 and up. They sell wine packages and of course each person can bring 1 bottle on the ship.

Last Dec on the Elation they were charging $5 bucks plus tax for the 16oz beers.......maybe their sales are down so they lowered the price:confused:

Last Dec on the Elation they were charging $5 bucks plus tax for the 16oz beers.......maybe their sales are down so they lowered the price:confused:

Just dug out a receipt, it was $5.46 for a Budweiser ($4.75+$0.71).

Just realized I paid $12.59 for a DOD, must've been the one in a funnel cup, can't remember how much they were last time, but I thought they were less than that (it was good though lol).

Just dug out a receipt, it was $5.46 for a Budweiser ($4.75+$0.71).

 

Just realized I paid $12.59 for a DOD, must've been the one in a funnel cup, can't remember how much they were last time, but I thought they were less than that (it was good though lol).

Then they did lower their prices......I am looking at mine now and it says a total of $5.75.......

It does not sound like this ship is doing all that well. I know the prices are dirt cheap too.......

I know we were talking to a drink server and he told us he was unhappy and he was trying to get a job with Princess........this was last Dec.

It was kind of a different vibe since the last time we sailed her in Aug of 2007.........at that time the servers seemed really happy to be in San Diego........I just couldn't put my finger on it this time.....we went looking for our fav server and he was no longer there....

Although we had a great time......it just was different....and we have sailed her 3 times....