Fantasy Feb 4-13 B2B review

[Carnival Platinum Cruiser]

My wife and I are both milestone cruisers with carnival and here is a brief review of our B2B on the fantasy. Fist leg 4 days only port was Coz, 2nd leg 5 days to Coz and Calica.

 

The GOOD:

 

1) Service was outstanding in the DR, met up with an old friend from many cruises ago who is a headwaiter which was great.

 

2) Food in MDR was very good overall. Like anything else I know what I like and what I do not like from previous experience.

 

3) For the 1st time ever I experienced excellent service at the guest services desk (Problem with the cabin). They checked it out immediately and changed our cabin within 15 minutes. Very friendly and courteuous from all personnel there.

 

4) Always greeted with a smile everywhere often called by our first name including the maitre'd who helped us get the table in the MDR serviced by our old friend.

 

5) Clean ship overall considering its age. The new waterslide is very very fast. Serenity area is nice and never that crowded.

 

6) The shows were good overall and one comedian was very good. Music degree (oriental rock band) was as good as I have seen on carnival.

 

the BAD:

 

1) Sewage smell constantly near the font glass elevators and quite often in the hallways of the cabin deck. We were forced to take our walks often down there as the weather was often quite windy, cold and rainy. Way to rough for us to use the treadmills located forward on many occasions.

 

2) Calica?? This dump has not changed one bit since the last time we visited there 6 years ago. Dumped off at the pier onto a dirt road with nothing there at all but a few trinket stands. Cab rides to playa del carmen were $26 and there is not a lot there either. With the weather quite unsettled a beach stop was not really a great idea and we have done the Mayan ruins tour enough already. The CD said no other cruise lines go there that he knows of, a large bust IMO.

 

3) Lido deck food...well it is not getting any better. Thank God for the deli and burgers because the hot lines are poor. Pizza? ah no thanks.

 

4) The orchestra: Very very poor. Maybe not their fault but cutbacks are very evident. 5 band members total. Much of the music during the shows was "piped in" from a recording such as all the horns/trombones/sax which you can hear very well even though all the band had was a drummer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist and a first a female singer hardly ever used in the orchestra pit.

 

Overall it was decent, the poor weather on some days did not help but the friendly crew certainly helped. Luigi the pianist was also top notch. My one other pet peeve is the constant sales pitch from a fleet of bar hops. Carnival would do well in toning that down a notch IMO.

 

Any questions ask away