Cat. 12 on Fascination

[Grandeur]

Anybody out there having been in this category? I have questions.

[aggieastrosfan]

I've been in a cat 12 on the Elation, which is exactly the same...what are your questions?

[Grandeur]

We are sailing U88 on 5/2. It is myself, dh, and 3 & 12 year old. It says it sleeps 5. Does the wrap around sofa pull out?

 

While lots of people don't spend much time in their stateroom, we tend to. This is our first cruise with Carnival after many, many with RCCL. Wanted to get a suite so we weren't all crammed in one small room.

 

I imagine the tub is normal size so our 3 yr old will be able to take a bath. I've seen varying photos on the web about the suite. Was the carpet "loud" as well as the sofa or neutral? I've seen both.

 

It appears from looking at the ship you get 1 1/2 of the 3 open spaces for the balcony.

 

Was it fairly easy to get from point A to point B?

 

Do you get any "better" service being in a suite? I know with RCCL since we are Diamond C&A members, the staff tended to be more accommodating.

[aggieastrosfan]

I believe the wrap-around folds out into a double bed. It certainly didn't look like it could fold out to much bigger.

 

The tub is about normal size, maybe slightly smaller, with jets. I've got several pictures of the cabin we had at the link in my signature. There's a picture of the tub in there. A 3-year old will fit fine, and the extra shower space for the adults is nice, also. :)

 

You're correct on the balcony. The dividers can't be opened, and they're solid, so the balcony felt a bit more private. Our balcony had a chair and table, and a lounger. The lounger had to sit width-wise because the balcony is wide, but doesn't extend out very far. I thought it was a good size, but it was my first balcony, so I didn't have anything to compare it to. What I loved, though, was how close to the water it was.

 

The carpet actually wasn't bad. Our suite looked nothing like the older pictures you see online of the Fantasy-class suites. It's no Princess or RCI cabin, but it looks a lot better than they used to, and a whole heck of a lot better than the standard cabins.

 

The location is fantastic. We were actually in U90, right next door to where you'll be. Being almost exactly mid-ship, you have two options for elevators - the main atrium elevators, or the aft elevators that drop you off right by the buffet on Lido. It seemed like we were always right by our cabin if we had to go back for anything.

 

Unfortunately, Carnival provides nothing in the way of extra service for suite passengers, besides Skipper's Club check-in. The steward we had was actually the worst we'd ever have. Not that he was bad (he did keep trying to fold our dirty clothes until we started hiding them), but there were just other details he forgot to pay attention to - like forgetting to leave the dry cleaning bag for the special (we didn't catch it until it was too late to use it), and he never replaced the glasses we used from the bar. Still, the cabin was always cleaned, we got our towel animals, and for the most part, our needs were met, so we just left him the auto-tip. The short version of that story was that it didn't seem like they put their "best" stewards on the suites - if anything, they may have put their less senior stewards on it, since the rooms are larger and require more work for the same amount of money.

 

Any other general questions, I'd be happy to answer. I took several pictures of our suite and posted them on Webshots. I'm not sure if the decor is the same on the Fascination, but for your sake I hope it is - that original carpet sure is horrible!

[Grandeur]

Great PICS!!! Thank you.

 

If I think of any other questions, I will post.

 

Did you post a review of the cruise on cruise critic?

[CoachTerry14]

I have stayed in a Category 12 room nine times: (Carnivale, Ecstasy, Truimph(twice), Fantasy, Pride, Sensation, Conquest & Glory). The Cat. 12 cabin in the Fantasy Class is just Ok compared to the Destiny Class and Spirit Class. There are no obstructed views (CAT. 12) on the Fantasy and Destiny Class. There are some partially obstructed views on the Spirit Class. I have no idea about the Holiday Class.

 

Don't forget about the Skipper's Club!

 

Cat. 12 (Fantasy Class)

 

Suites:

* The cabin dimension is 14' x 23 1/2'; the balcony is 14' x 5'

* 18" television

* VCR with remote control

* bar area (not stocked)

* refrigerator (not stocked)

* combination shower/whirlpool/bathtub

* sitting area consists of an L-shaped couch (seats 5), two chairs, and a coffee table.

* twin beds that convert to king

* walk-in closet with plenty of hangers and space

* wall safe in closet is 6"w x 4.5"h x 5"l

* The verandah patio consists of one lounge, two chairs and a small table.

 

Have a great time!

[NHLady]

It was nice. The room's a bit dated, but the colors were not nearly as gaudy as the pictures you usually see on most web sites. The sitting area was nice and roomy and the extra closet space was great! We didn't use the tub, but it was pretty normas sized, maybe a bit shorter in length than average,but definitely big enough for a three year old to splash around in! The colors of the furniture were mauve/tans. Alot of the trim and counterspace was black like you see in pictures, but the carpets were WAY tuned down! Still had a geometric pattern, but colors weren't totally garrish. We didn't use it,but the couch did fold out. The balcony was very roomy-the best part of the cabin!

 

I found the ship very easy to navigate. My husband, on the other hand doesn't. We've been on two cruises on this class ship and he still can't find his way around. This is very unusual since he's always very good at "locating" himself. Somehow he can't seem to get his bearings. (I always tell him it's sub-conscious, since he really prefers RCI, and since there's usually no major problems with Carnival he has to "invent" something to complain about later!! Usually it's "I spent the first three days trying to figure out where I was! Then it was time to leave!"

 

Service was no better in the suite. As a matter of a fact, it was the worst we've ever had. It's the first time I've ever left less than the reccomended tip on a cruise or resort stay. The guy was abviously totally uninterested in his job, and that was the feeling of other passengers in our area as well. I think that's the exception, not the rule. The last cruise we were on (also Carnival, the Fantasy), we had the best service ever. Now Roger (his name), made out like a bandit on that one!! I'm guessing he made about 75.00 off our family for those four days-and he earned every penny!

 

Have a great time!!

[aggieastrosfan]

Did you post a review of the cruise on cruise critic?

 

I posted it in the message board area. There's a link to it below.

 

Sounds like the Fascination has been given a makeover as well! :)

[Grandeur]

Do you think tipping the room steward in the beginning would help? This is our first cruise with Carnival and have had great service on RCCL. I had to do a lot of convincing to get dh on this one (because this is what our group decided on). The suite was my idea because he loves having a balcony and with the four of us, I wanted as much space as possible. I just really hope our steward is good.