Fantasy 11/5 - 11/9 mini-review

[Cruise, J.D.]

This is a mini-review of our Fantasy cruise. We stayed one night pre-cruise at the Drury Inn (good choice) and ate dinner at Mother's Restaurant (disappointing). We spent some time in the French Quarter before embarking on our cruise. Overall we had a good time despite the bad weather throughout the cruise. It was overcast and rainy every day and parts of the outside decks were closed off. The ship was moving a lot and it appeared a number of people were sick.

 

 

The upgrades to the ship were noticeable and an enhancement. The lounge chairs, resort-style Lido deck, and outside tables were all nice. However, some parts of the ship stood out as old and dated. The Waterworks looked great but we didn't get to use it due to the weather. We enjoyed all of our meals and thought the food was very good. The band in the Cats Lounge was great. Tom at the Piano Bar was pretty good, but we did not like how the Piano Bar was situated away from the other music lounges. Debarkation was easy and CBP did not even ask for proof of citizenship.

 

On the down side, there were more negatives to this cruise than our past cruises. Embarkation was a bit of a hassle - it seemed like a lot of people were having issues at check-in. Wait times between courses in the dining room were longer than normal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We also had some service issues with our room steward. None of this was major, but it was a noticeable difference from past cruises. My wife thought the ship was too smoky in the public areas. The blackjack dealers did not have much personality.

 

 

The biggest negative was Camp Carnival. The only access to Camp Carnival was to walk through a smoky bar (the Majestic Cigar Bar). We felt the Camp Carnival staff were not as friendly as on prior cruises. One night they did not do the activities listed on the Capers - the counselors simply put on a movie and sat among themselves talking and eating. On the Carnival Glory the counselors tried very hard to make children feel welcomed, but we did not see this on the Fantasy. This was very disappointing.

 

Would we go on the Fantasy again? I'm unsure. I hate to judge a ship based on one cruise, but it would need to be a heck of a deal to try it again out of Mobile, especially with the newer Triumph coming to New Orleans.

[Yazoo cruiser]

We were with you and of our 40 + cruises, this was the worst weather we have had. We still had a good time, we took our kids and grandkids as a early Christmas present and despite not being able to use the pool and slide , the kids still had a fun time. Agree about embarkation, our 3rd from New orleans, usually very good, but this time seemed very unorganized. Same about the muster drill, probably the most unorganized we have experienced. Early dining room in the Celebration was great, no problems at all. Didn't like Noonan at first, but by the end actually found him very personable. 3rd time on the Fantasy and we will sail her again as we live 4 hours from Mobile and New Orleans, makes for an easy drive to get on the ships.

[bonniemari]

Cruise, J.D.

 

We were also on the same cruise and I would have to agree with you.

 

When we checked in at the VIP checkin the lady told us they were having an issue with the computers. They had to input on Passport #s and Credit Card #-that may be why checkin was slowed down some.

 

We also had several issues. Dinner was an over 2hr ordeal, the food was not as good as on past Fantasy cruises and I finally gave up trying to get an after dinner cup of coffee with my dessert. At dinner there was a very loud, obnoxious and large group seated at 2 large tables next to us and that just made what has in the past been a pleasant dining experience even worse on this cruise. From what I understood they were group/business cruise and if I took my employees on a cruise and they acted like that at dinner-well I would be very disappointed with my employees. There is a time and place for yelling, cursing and being drunk and disorderly-and IMHO the dining room is not one of them.

 

We were in Cabin M261 and I in some places I could feel the flooring under the carpet giving way in several spots. While I am not Twiggy I am not huge either. The water in the shower had one temperature and it was scalding. Having been on 30 cruises I know that the water is tempremental and does take a little adjusting but not this cabin. They tried to repair it but it didn't happen. On the second day I finally figured out if I turned the water on hot in the sink I could get a comfortable temp in the shower. Problem solved so no big deal. Our cabin steward kept the cabin clean but I had to repeatedly ask him to keep ice in my small cooler and the ice bucket. This was a first cause in the past if you ask once they keep the cooler and ice bucket filled with ice.

 

Although i didn't play BJ I did play three card poker and thought those dealers were very pleasant. The bar staff at the Casino Bar were wonderful.

 

As usual, unsupervised kids were a problem. I got on the elevator several times and a group of kids exited and sure enough all the buttons on the elevator were pushed. I guess I will never understand why parents let small kids run wild on a cruise ship.

 

The weather was overcast/rainy in Coz we went to Nachi Cocum and ended up having a nice relaxing day. The drinks, food and service were really good.

 

The weather was crappy and even with the service issues we still had a great time. This was my 8th time on the Fantasy and I have no doubt I will go on her again. The captain did a good job out running TS Ida and it was nice to know his #1 priority was the safety of his passengers. The ship was rocking and rolling on this one cause of the weather but luckily for me it did not bother me.

 

All in all it was another great cruise and I can't wait to go again.

[Cruise, J.D.]

At dinner there was a very loud, obnoxious and large group seated at 2 large tables next to us and that just made what has in the past been a pleasant dining experience even worse on this cruise. From what I understood they were group/business cruise and if I took my employees on a cruise and they acted like that at dinner-well I would be very disappointed with my employees. There is a time and place for yelling, cursing and being drunk and disorderly-and IMHO the dining room is not one of them.

 

We noticed some of this too. I'm definitely not a saint, but I heard more loud cursing in public areas on this cruise than any other cruise and at all times of the day.

 

We were in Cabin M261 and I in some places I could feel the flooring under the carpet giving way in several spots.

 

We were in M155, right down the hall from you.

 

The weather was crappy and even with the service issues we still had a great time. This was my 8th time on the Fantasy and I have no doubt I will go on her again. The captain did a good job out running TS Ida and it was nice to know his #1 priority was the safety of his passengers. The ship was rocking and rolling on this one cause of the weather but luckily for me it did not bother me.

 

All in all it was another great cruise and I can't wait to go again.

 

Good to hear. We still had a good time too.

[Jabee]

but now will leave tomorrow...

 

This is my fourth cruise on the Fantasy...

 

Can you tell me who was the Karaoke host?

 

Is Stan the Man still a matre'd on the ship. He is one of my fabvorites.

 

Noonan is in training to be full CD, and we will have him next week as well.

[kingpinJK]

do you have any capers?

[Cruise, J.D.]

but now will leave tomorrow...

 

This is my fourth cruise on the Fantasy...

 

Can you tell me who was the Karaoke host?

 

Is Stan the Man still a matre'd on the ship. He is one of my fabvorites.

 

Noonan is in training to be full CD, and we will have him next week as well.

 

I think Stan the Man was one of the maitre d's. Sorry, I don't know the karaoke host. Have a great cruise!

[Cruise, J.D.]

do you have any capers?

 

I'm sorry, I didn't keep them. :(

[Rocknsoul]

For us, the service was great (best room steward we ever had), and the day in Coz was fun despite the weather (we went to Paradise Beach). We also managed to use the water slides that day, and they were really fun!

 

The weather & the movement was really bad for us. DH & I are still spinning. I've never gotten seasick on a cruise, even in 20-foot swells, but this time it was really hard on my head. I think it's because it was so continous.

 

We also had an enormously obnoxious group near us in the dining room, actually yelling back & forth between 2 tables (if you want to have a conversation, is it really so difficult to just move your chair over for a minute?)...but they quieted down after the first night. In fact, the whole ship quieted down after the first night...probably too sick to party. :) The food also seemed to have come down a notch since our last time on the Fantasy, but we never went hungry, and a couple of things were very good.

 

I hardly saw any kids, and the ones I saw were well-behaved. DH ran into a couple of teenagers blowing an air horn in the stairwell.

 

Although we spent a lot of time in our room, we're glad we went. Now if only my head would stop spinning!:o