First Time for Everything, a Newbie's Review of Carnival Ecstasy 02/05/11

[LambKnuckles]

Shocky -- great review so far!! Keep it coming. We are so sorry we didn't get a chance to meet you and experience your wonderment at your first cruise ship!! Isn't it just outrageously outstanding!!!!!!!!!? We hope to be with the CRAZIES on the next one --

HI, CRAZIES!!!! Silver/Bernie

 

 

 

HI SILVER!!!!!! Happy to see you here!!!

 

I was peeking in to see if Shockey had added anything more... I'm loving her review!!! It's just wonderful to remember my first cruise!!!

[annakay]

HI SILVER!!!!!! Happy to see you here!!!

 

I was peeking in to see if Shockey had added anything more... I'm loving her review!!! It's just wonderful to remember my first cruise!!!

 

Me too just checking to see if there was anything new and it is a great review...

[shockcrazey]

HI SILVER!!!!!! Happy to see you here!!!

 

I was peeking in to see if Shockey had added anything more... I'm loving her review!!! It's just wonderful to remember my first cruise!!!

 

Me too just checking to see if there was anything new and it is a great review...

 

I'm working on my next installment right now. ;)

[annakay]

I'm working on my next installment right now. ;)

Wooo Hoooo Eagerly waiting and watching for more. :D LOL

[shockcrazey]

I was a little surprised to wake up (without an alarm, mind you) on Sunday morning in time for the sunrise. I was up at a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed quarter 'til six, hurriedly got dressed and ready for the day without waking my roomie, and then headed on up to the Lido. It was still too dark at that time to get any good photos, so I joined Walter for his morning coffee for a few minutes, chatting away, before wandering off to the Verandah deck to view the sunrise. I had a surprised visit from Lambie as I leaned against the railing snapping pictures, both of us in search of the elusive sunrise that was disappearing into the low-hanging clouds that would cling to this sea day.

I was soon joined by my parents with their room service breakfast and I sampled some delicious smoked salmon on cream cheese-smeared toasted bagel. YUM. Finally the sun either rose while we were chatting or we just gave up, not sure exactly which, but we went back below to catch a few more Z's. I believe I opened up my laptop and played Mahjongg tiles and loaded pictures from my camera or something. Not really all that important. The day ahead of me was filled with plenty of Crazies activities, even though I was a bit saddened that their inclusion of alcohol would sort of exclude me. You see, I am just 2 months shy of my 21st birthday, old enough to legally drink in Mexico, but not quite old enough to do so legally on the ship. Not that that would stop my compassionate Crazies friends from slipping me a few drinks here and there. Not enough to make me an irresponsible, obnoxious, stumbling drunk, but enough so that I didn't feel left out. ;-)

 

First we headed to breakfast in the Main Dining Room for a more formal breakfast. Sadly, upon meeting there, we were informed that they were splitting up the Crazies. Perhaps they just couldn't handle us. And truthfully, I don't quite blame them for not wanting us all in one concentrated area at once. We get a little rambunctious. Breakfast was quite delicious and I was surprised by the fluffy, tasty texture of the scrambled eggs which were shaped like scoops of ice cream. However, I could only eat one of the generous scoops along with the ham, bacon, and hash browns that I also consumed. Yum, again!

 

After breakfast there was a bit of a break before the cabin crawl was scheduled to begin. I had decided not to participate in the cabin crawl initially, but towards the end of the event I found myself wandering along the Upper deck to see if I could find my parents and join in on some of the fun. I was lucky enough to find Floatie and was whisked away for a private moment in her aft balcony stateroom. WOW. The color of the ocean as it was churned up by the ship's passing was breathtaking. You could hear the ocean and the hum of the ship and it was quite possibly the most relaxing moment of the whole voyage.

We arrived at the Neon Piano Bar just in time for the handing out of the prizes. I don't know who won. At that point I was so amused by seeing my parents completely inebriated that I didn't care all that much. Off to lunch on the Lido and then it was time to meet up for the Meet & Mingle in the Stripes Dance Club. It was then that I met the Cruise Director Steve Cassell, a very nice man who I attempted to chat with for a few minutes before my general nervousness around new and exciting people got the best of me and I wandered off in search of more familiar people, though not before Steve was introduced to my Lambies who were then riding in my tricorner pirate hat. Now, the Meet & Mingle and the Cocktail Party at this point have sort of merged into one singular event in my head (not because of the few drinks slipped to me by my Crazies friends), but because there was only a 30 minute break between them and they were too much fun to distinguish one from the other.

 

During this 2-in-1 event there was a rather heartfelt thank-you to Barb and Mary for helping Chiefie during what must have been a scary episode that I had only now heard about. I have to thank these women, too, for it would be a sad day indeed the day our Poster-In-Chief had to leave us for any reason. Mach then told us about his encounter with ship security, which you must read in his review if you haven't already. There was also the Ribbons-Of-Shame bestowing ceremony, in which any person guilty of using the "M" word that begins the long, arduous work week received a fluttering reminder of the pain inflicted by reminding the world of such a disastrous day! There was lots of dancing, too, and some munchies. Yay munchies! And of course a few drinks were involved, but then again, when aren't a few drinks involved? ;-) :P

There was just a few minutes between the end of the cocktail party and the Super Bowl kick off, which was showing pretty much on every television on account of it being a huge event and all. Not being all that interested in football and not at all interested in the Packers or Steelers (sorry to those of you who are), I again went down to my stateroom for a bit of relaxation and the intent to take a nap. Of course, I hardly ever end up taking naps no matter how tired I am because I get distracted by my computer. I ended up roaming the ship for awhile to see if I could catch up with some Crazies watching the big game, but I didn't find any of them, so I relaxed on the Lido for a bit and eventually went to dinner. It was almost sad to see just how empty the dining room was. My table, a table for eight, was only four people that night. It was quiet, but the food was just as good as any other night, and the service was perhaps better because the wait staff had fewer tables.

I chose the Fried Mozzarella for an appetizer (for the Super Bowl, no doubt), the Mango Creme (fruit as a soup...GENIUS!), some very delicious Perch, and the famous Warm Chocolate Melting Cake for dessert. It was very delicious, but if I did not have those two scoops of vanilla ice cream, it is a dessert I do not think my taste buds could have handle. I like chocolate, like most women do, but it was perhaps a tad rich for my tastes. Still, I was not at all disappointed in my dinner and we had a lovely chat with the waitress, Sorina, after finishing our meal. She shared some tips and hints about Progreso and remarked that Americans could be the best people to serve because they were less stiff and liked to let loose and have fun. That we do, indeed, especially those Texans!

 

The rest of the evening was relatively unremarkable, but satisfying. I have very few, if any at all, negative things to say about this cruise, but I'm sure that's partially due to the fact that I was so slap happy just to be on a frickin SHIP! that I ignored the bad or had no standard to measure them up to in order to realize that they were not as good as they could have been. I went to bed a bit later that evening, with dreams of the double decker bus and Buddy's in Progreso the next day dancing before my eyelids.

[LambKnuckles]

That elusive sunrise... POOH on it!!! The sunrises and sunsets were hard to capture with the all the clouds!!! But the cruise... you're right!!! It's hard to find any negatives at all!!!

 

IT WAS GREAT!!!!

[ticka1]

great review!!!

[Luluwa]

A fun review, I like seeing the cruise from your perspective. Waiting for more. ;)

[sixgun8]

I know we were hard to find the night of the super bowl. We didn't leave our cabin, the day's activities had gotten the best of us. We went back to the cabin for a short bit of rest before the game and we were OUT. missed dinner and everything. LOL

[sixgun8]

Let me jump in here and brag about my daughter for a minute here. here's a 20 year old woman that has recently went through changes in her life, moving back home, changing colleges, changing majors, new job....yada yada. Yet she had the ability to jump into this cruise on about a months notice, pay her own way, never once ask for money to help pay for this cruise. On the way to and from she never asked us to pay for anything....I mean we did, but she never asked. She is one pretty responsible kid. I can't be more proud of her. She has a GREAT outlook on life, she knows there are hard knocks and knows that you just have to work through them. I love this kid.

[WestTxCruiser]

Let me jump in here and brag about my daughter for a minute here. here's a 20 year old woman that has recently went through changes in her life, moving back home, changing colleges, changing majors, new job....yada yada. Yet she had the ability to jump into this cruise on about a months notice, pay her own way, never once ask for money to help pay for this cruise. On the way to and from she never asked us to pay for anything....I mean we did, but she never asked. She is one pretty responsible kid. I can't be more proud of her. She has a GREAT outlook on life, she knows there are hard knocks and knows that you just have to work through them. I love this kid.

Awwww, that is so sweet Six!! Way to go Shockey!!:D:D

[billsrobb]

Let me jump in here and brag about my daughter for a minute here. here's a 20 year old woman that has recently went through changes in her life, moving back home, changing colleges, changing majors, new job....yada yada. Yet she had the ability to jump into this cruise on about a months notice, pay her own way, never once ask for money to help pay for this cruise. On the way to and from she never asked us to pay for anything....I mean we did, but she never asked. She is one pretty responsible kid. I can't be more proud of her. She has a GREAT outlook on life, she knows there are hard knocks and knows that you just have to work through them. I love this kid.

 

Good morning Six.

You have every right to brag about your daughter. I totally agree with you. You and Chevelle did a find job of raising her to be the person she is. congradulations.

[billsrobb]

Awwww, that is so sweet Six!! Way to go Shockey!!:D:D

Good morning Julie

How are you feeling today?

[shockcrazey]

Let me jump in here and brag about my daughter for a minute here. here's a 20 year old woman that has recently went through changes in her life, moving back home, changing colleges, changing majors, new job....yada yada. Yet she had the ability to jump into this cruise on about a months notice, pay her own way, never once ask for money to help pay for this cruise. On the way to and from she never asked us to pay for anything....I mean we did, but she never asked. She is one pretty responsible kid. I can't be more proud of her. She has a GREAT outlook on life, she knows there are hard knocks and knows that you just have to work through them. I love this kid.

 

Awwwww, Dad! You didn't have to say all that! But thank you. I appreciate all that you and Mom have done to raise me into this responsible, rolls-with-the-punches person. Couldn't have done it without you guys! It was a real awesome experience to get to cruise with you guys and I wouldn't have had it any other way!

[stitchnfool]

WOW! Between recounting Shockey's first moments on the ship and Six bragging on her, there's a puddle on my desk!

Wonderful review, Shockey! We're all proud of you and thrilled to read your review. When is the next installment???? ;):D

[shockcrazey]

Hoping to get another segment up tonight after work or sometime tomorrow. You guys are all so wonderfully supportive and praising!

[billsrobb]

Hoping to get another segment up tonight after work or sometime tomorrow. You guys are all so wonderfully supportive and praising!

 

Looking forward to it Shockey

[nanuak]

Very nice review, I love your pictures of the Ecstasy arriving into port. Color of font is much easier on the eyes :D.

 

You are right about the aft, the sound of the water, the way the ship stirs up the water, the slight hum and vibration. I can feel my body relaxing just looking at that photo, and for that reason...I can't imagine not having an aft cabin.

[shockcrazey]

When I woke up the next morning, I was sure that I was about to miss our meet-up for the early group of the double decker bus tour of Progreso. I did not have an alarm clock with me on this trip of any kind. Not on my laptop, not on a phone, not a clock as its own device. I didn't want to wake my roommate, so I didn't want to call for a Wake-Up Call, either. So I powered on my camera to check the time and I was lucky enough to NOT have missed it. Still, it was close enough that I found myself rushing around my cabin shortly so that I would be ready. A quick dash up to the Lido found my parents and after a brief trip back down to their cabin, we were down to the belly of the ship for our disembarkation.

[Note: The following picture is actually taken as we were leaving Progreso, but I feel it was a better representation of the pier and the beauty of Progreso!]

We did not have long to wait before our group gathered to catch a shuttle bus to take us down the impressively long pier to Progreso itself. I was of course enthralled by the ocean I glimpsed through the huge stone blocks obscuring our view and even the gathering of pelicans and gulls on a crumbling former pier was fascinating to me. (Yes I took pictures of the dirty birds!) It was so blue! I had never seen anything so wonderful in all of my life. The bus ride seemed to last forever, but at last we arrived in Progreso and quickly paid our ticket price to board the double decker bus. Being certifiably Crazie, I of course joined the rest of our group on the top. Jokes were made about the bus being top heavy with all of us clambering for seats on the upper deck.

The tour soon got underway, but not until after some frustrating traffic delays. I've never been one for driving in congested traffic, so I was doubly grateful that I was not the one driving. As the tour kicked off, those of us up top were warned about the dangerously low power lines and our attention was directed to the sign that read "Please sit down." We laughed, but I don't think any of us really realized just how close those power lines would be coming to our precious heads! The tour guide was pretty hilarious as he directed us to sights of Progreso and told us just when to duck our heads for the particularly low power lines. Our daring Poster-In-Chief even touched one of the wires! We are all very lucky and grateful that nothing ill resulted from that. I certainly would not have had his courage!

All too soon, it seemed, the tour was coming to an end. We were faced with the awkward task of getting off the bus, due largely to the very steep and rather narrow steps that lead to the top deck. And then, it was time for BUDDY'S!!! Buddy's is a wonderful restaurant/bar just across the street from the beach looking back towards the pier. Where better to relax where we can keep an eye on our beautiful ship? And by relax I mean play in the sand, wade out into the water, drink margaritas, have some wonderful blue drink mix poured into your mouth by the waiter...Oh where was I going with this? :-D After winding through a brief maze of the streets of Progreso, we found ourselves seated at the beach and served by the wonderful waiters of Buddy's. We were promised good service by the owner, who most certainly knew who the Crazies were. Mach saw to that! lol So the drinks began to flow...and then the mysterious blue bottle showed up. It was some kind of mix of Tequila, something else, and Blue Curacao. Taking a shot involved tilting your head back and the waiter pouring the liquid straight into your mouth. When you had enough, you waved it off and hoped you could swallow before it overflowed onto your chin, cheek, hair, neck, whatever. I, too, partook of this wonderful blue liquid...after downing three margaritas.

 

I spent a few minutes wading in the water and walking along the beach, but for the most part I stayed at the table, people watching, drinking, and waving off the hawkers. This being my first cruise, I can't testify that they were any worse than any other time, but it was certainly comparable to my day trip to Mexico a few years back. The guy with the iguana was definitely a big hit, though! I do have to say, once I was conveniently buzzed, it was not all that hard to not make eye contact and to not hear them. A little rude, perhaps, but I was with my Crazies friends and I was having a blast! It was sunny, there was alcohol and tons of friendship to go around! We took a great picture of all of us with our toes in the sand once the later group of Crazies arrived. And it was back to the table, where I then ordered two pina coladas. Yes, one for each hand. Maybe I shouldn't brag so much about all the alcohol I consumed that day while I was legal in Mexico, but I do find it necessary so that I can explain that by the time my parents and I ventured to Le Saint Bonnet for lunch, I was in no state of mind to lament the Free Margarita coupon I hadn't printed off or to even walk unaided. We ate quickly and the food was amazing from what I can remember, though I wish I'd been able to enjoy it just a little more. Next time, I tell myself.

Soon it was time to hurry back to the ship and I clung for dear life to my dad's duffel bag as we went to meet up for the last shuttle headed for the ship. We boarded the shuttle just fine and I really don't remember the journey back, though I have lots of pictures to prove that I was very excited about seeing the ship again. During a last minute perusal of the shops, I remembered that I had not stopped at the dress shop right across from where we boarded the double decker bus. Oh no! I had brought a very nice dress for formal night, but I liked the idea of buying one in Progreso to wear instead. So I searched the shops and finally found one I liked, a long, colorful dress that I ended up forking over about $35 for. I could have gotten one at that dress shop for $10. *sigh* Well, you win some, you lose some. I was not too upset, though, and we were soon boarding the ship again, some of the very last passengers to get back on. Oops.

Crazies and non-Crazies alike gathered on the Lido and Verandah decks (or really any deck where they could look out over the dock as we pulled away) for the Bye Bye Land, Hello Fun party. After some fun-filled moments, it was time to go back down to my cabin for a bit of a nap. Well, that "bit of a nap" turned into 3 hours of sleeping off my day's alcohol consumption. I woke up with just enough time to get ready for formal night and meet up with my parents. We took a few pictures at the booths set up all over the ship and then continued on to dinner. I had at first thought my previous dress, an aqua-colored pleated prom dress, would be a bit too formal for Formal Night, but when I showed up in my less formal, rather bright dress, I felt almost as if I would have fit in a bit better wearing the other dress. But I wasn't about to let a little thing like that interfere with my enjoyment of the night's menu.

 

That evening I ordered the Strawberry Bisque as an appetizer, a wonderful fruit soup that I might just have to try to replicate at home. Then again, if I was able to make the same foods at home as on the ship, what incentive would there be to cruise? Ah, who am I kidding? Cruise vs. Stay at home? Psht! As if there's even a choice! But anyways! After the strawberry bisque, I ended up eating part of my mom's salad that was delivered to me by mistake. My mom & I look a lot alike and were sitting right beside each other, so I can't blame our waitress for that, lol. For my main course(s) I chose the Cornish Game Hen and the Prime Rib. Wow! While many people chose the lobster, I do not regret my choice at all. The hen was moist and covered in the most delicious barbecue sauce! There was just the slightest hint of spice that built as I got through the dish, but never amounted to enough heat to negatively affect my opinion of the dish. The Prime Rib was so-so, but I will say that the chefs know how to cook a steak to order. I ordered mine medium rare and I perhaps should have gone up to a medium, but it was a perfectly done medium rare prime rib. Juicy and tender, though maybe a tad bland. After eating so much food, I elected for a light dessert, two scoops of lime sherbet. It was a bit melted when I got it due to our first show in the dining room! It was rather entertaining, though I can't say I remember a whole lot about the show.

 

Laden with so much food we could have burst, it was soon time to go to bed. I know at some point my parents and I went down to the Punchline comedy club to watch the shows, but I don't think it was this night. So it must have been Sunday night instead. Whoops! That was a great show, by the way, very funny and definitely very deserving of the Adults Only, 18+ label. You have been warned. Ah! Formal night's entertainment was a showing of the Extreme Country show which I was told would feature our CD Steve Cassel playing a mean fiddle. And they were right. He played an awesome Devil Went Down to Georgia, better than I've ever heard! I hate to say that I didn't really enjoy the rest of the show, though. It was certainly to no lack of talent in the dancers or musicians, but there was just something missing that I can't describe. I'm a country music fan myself and there was just something about the performance that had me rather disappointed. Oh well. No real harm done. NOW it was time to retire and I did so gratefully, changing into my PJs and sinking into my bed hoping that the extra hour between Progreso & Cozumel's debark times would be enough for me to watch the ship come into port.

[Cruisin Christi]

More, more, more! I giggled about you drinking a little too much..that will be me too I am sure.

[waiting4acruise]

Great review.

[Meyer2]

Loving your review Shockey!!! Great job & great pictures!!! Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us!!

 

Let me jump in here and brag about my daughter for a minute here. here's a 20 year old woman that has recently went through changes in her life, moving back home, changing colleges, changing majors, new job....yada yada. Yet she had the ability to jump into this cruise on about a months notice, pay her own way, never once ask for money to help pay for this cruise. On the way to and from she never asked us to pay for anything....I mean we did, but she never asked. She is one pretty responsible kid. I can't be more proud of her. She has a GREAT outlook on life, she knows there are hard knocks and knows that you just have to work through them. I love this kid.

 

Awwww, you have every right to be so proud & brag! Reading her review makes me wish we will hopefully get to meet one day.