Carnival Fascination 4/23-28: A Long Review With Lots Of Photos

[rnvattes]

Wednesday, April 25: Key West

 

We had set a wake-up call the night before. And normally I wake pretty darned early. And we didn’t order room service because we knew we’d be up and heading directly to breakfast pretty early. But wouldn’t you know it – the wake-up call failed to ring, and I slept on through! We woke at 7:30, only 30 minutes “behind schedule” (whatever “schedule” means on vacation) a little frustrated, but we just took it as much in stride as we could. As we had an active day planned on Key West we intended to shower when we returned. So our morning toilette was quite brief anyway, and we headed up to Coconut Grove for a nice hearty breakfast to start our day.

 

 

 

It was positively BEAUTIFUL out. Must have been in the mid 70s and it was sunny with a gentle breeze blowing. Could not have asked for nicer weather. We were very excited about the day we had planned, so we headed down the gangway as soon as we could. There were “shopping” maps being handed out, announcements to not miss thus-and-such store for your free jewelry, and water, LifeWater, and Powerade for sale as we exited the ship. Of course the delay in exiting was not just about “dinging out” but the pictures of each group of guests as the left. I normally can’t STAND those at-the-gangway photos behind that stupid fake life ring. But this one that was taken as we left the ship that morning was awfully good, so we bought it to bring home with us.

 

 

We were docked in Mallory Square which was beautiful AND convenient.

 

[All4fun&fun4all]

Really enjoying your review....and we dont even have a cruise booked yet. :p Love the pictures especially. We have entertained sailing out of Jacksonville but having Fantasy here in Charleston is just so convenient.

 

Thanks for posting about the Relaxation Room. I had seen it on the deck plans on Fantasy in the past and wondered what was going on in there that made it so relaxing.:D I forgot to go check it out on our last sailing.

 

Now I understand that it is basically a waiting room for spa services. Would that be an accurate description? Did you take any pictures in there?

[rnvattes]

We consulted the map I had printed before we left home (I love researching the heck out of our vacation destinations and come armed with a LOT of information) and began to make our way to Eaton Bikes where we had made a reservation for his and hers cruisers for the day. There were a lot of people out and about already, even just after 8:30. I didn’t notice how many stores and shops were open as we were on a mission ;) Besides, we were planning on strolling Duval and Mallory Square after lunch later on.

 

With very little trouble, we located Eaton Bikes. It was a bit further walk than we anticipated and we arrived just before 9:00, having taken only one wrong turn. Now, Eaton Bikes WILL deliver the bikes to you at the pier at no cost, but delivery does not begin until 9:30 a.m. When I spoke with them the week prior they told us that if we were so inclined we could come and pick our bikes up any time after 8:00. As we wanted to maximize our time we decided we would not want to wait; had our wake-up call not failed or had my internal alarm awakened me as normal, we’d have been closer to 8:00 than 9:00.

 

It was quite easy to pick the bikes up. They pulled our reservation, we paid with cash (only $18 each!), and they took a copy of our credit card in case we failed to return the bikes ;) Chris provided us with another (larger than mine) map, and asked what our plans might include. He very helpfully circled each location on the map for us and pointed out a few other “on your way by you might want to check out XXXX” sites. He gave us some directions as well, and then showed us out to the back where another attendant brought us to our bikes. We were given some quick instructions on the bikes themselves, local laws (you can ride on sidewalks except on Duval), and returning the bikes. I was surprised that no helmets were suggested or provided.

 

We headed off toward Fort Zachary Taylor, our first stop of the day. I was a little nervous at first and caught up in making sure we were riding safely and going the right way, so I didn’t take in a lot around me on that stretch. But after we got out of the more traffic-congested area I relaxed and enjoyed the beauty around me.

 

As we entered the Annex we passed by The Mole, which is the other place where the cruise ships dock and where I was docked on Imagination in 2009. I had no idea how close we were to the picnic and beach area at Ft Zachary on that visit or my friend Christina and I might have checked it out then.

 

There was virtually no traffic in Ft Zach at all and we were able to ride side by side. We reached the guard shack and paid our $2.50 per person entry fee. We were given a map of the state park in return. We headed over to the fort itself and parked our bikes in the rack there (there are bike racks ALL OVER the island, and biking is clearly a very very common form of transportation there).

 

The fort is beautiful in its own right. We walked all around, read some of the history, and took in the sites.

 

 

 

 

[rnvattes]

 

 

 

 

 

And of course we had to take a couple of Shane doing the “do nots” that were posted; it’s a long running joke we have and we take such photos wherever we go.

 

 

 

 

[cruzegurl104]

This is wonderful!!! Thanks for taking the time to share!! We leave Friday to head down to Jacksonville to sail on Saturday! I'm sitting at work, completely useless! I'm so excited!!:)

[rnvattes]

This is wonderful!!! Thanks for taking the time to share!! We leave Friday to head down to Jacksonville to sail on Saturday! I'm sitting at work, completely useless! I'm so excited!!:)

 

I'll try to finish for you! I'm playing with my son right now but he will nap after lunch and that will give me a couple of hours...

[rnvattes]

We left the fort and followed the bike path that is clearly marked out and around to the picnic and beach area. Did I mention how beautiful and peaceful it is here?

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the beach area there is a little café/snack shack where you can get food and drink (of course). You can also rent loungers and umbrellas there; I believe it is $30 for two loungers and one umbrella. We weren’t planning to stay very long and had brought our own two-person beach towel to sit on. We sat under one of the pines at the edge of the beach and took it all in for a while. I tried to post to Facebook from there on my phone; I wanted to say that I had my toes in the water and my butt in the sand, but I couldn’t get a signal and didn’t want to waste my time trying.

 

 

[Mizzouaholic]

Great review so far. We loved Key West when we were there!

[rnvattes]

 

As an aside, there was a group of four to our right – two men, two women – and one of the women was talking loudly enough for me to hear, and she sounded EXACTLY like Bernadette on The Big Bang Theory. It was hilarious!

 

We wanted to take in some more of the island before lunch, so after a bit we packed ourselves up and headed back to the bikes which we had parked right by the beach. We slathered on some more sunscreen (we were already getting pink after just 2 hours, us pale northerners), and got moving.

 

Our next destination was Southernmost Point; along the way we passed Hemingway House. We weren’t interested in touring the author’s home, so we took a quick photo and kept going.

 

 

 

There was, as expected, a line at Southernmost where people were taking pictures. But it moved swiftly and we weren’t in line more than 10 minutes. There was an unspoken agreement that the people behind you would take your picture, and the people behind them would take theirs, and so on. Everyone was very pleasant and polite.

 

 

 

After we had or picture done, we grabbed a bottle of water from a street vendor parked nearby. He was only charging $1.00 for the water; we considered informing him that he could get away with selling it for so much more, but decided against it ;) He was also selling fresh coconuts which he would open for you so you could drink the water (?milk?). The people who were ahead of us in the line for pictures bought one and I heard the woman remark that it was ice cold and delicious. We were content with our water.

[rnvattes]

We continued our ride around the island. We were sadly running out of time, given that we wanted to have lunch there, so we made a plan for how much more of the bike path we figured we could complete before we had to head back. We passed by Higgs Beach on our ride; I wanted to go to Smathers too but we just didn’t have time. Instead, we headed back toward Town, passing Southernmost Hockey Club on the way. Our 4year old son, is crazy about hockey, so we snapped a photo of it for him.

 

 

We passed through a VERY high traffic area on the way back to Town, and I was a little nervous. We used the sidewalks there as there was no more bike lane. Shane had remarked that the whole island was flat and we had not encountered any hills; that all changed when we crossed a bridge just before we got back on Eaton. I cursed him later.

 

We passed by Eaton Bikes on our way and debated returning the bikes and walking the rest of the way. But they have a satellite return station at the Westin Hotel in Mallory Square, so we opted to return them there. We rode around a bit more on Duval and through Mallory for a short bit before returning our bikes. There are plenty of bike racks at the Westin for this purpose, but people tend to lock up on the ends making it very difficult to utilize the middle of the racks. We felt this could be alleviated by setting aside a couple of racks that were JUST for returns and noting for returnees to start in the middle section and work your way out, and leaving the rest of the racks for people just locking up temporarily. Shane had to lift our bikes over a bunch of others so we had a place to lock up. Aside from that, returning the bikes was even easier than getting them (which was awfully easy); Shane turned in the keys to the locks, and I called Eaton to notify them that the bikes had been returned.

 

We strolled a bit in the square deciding where to go have lunch. We found this fantastic tree along the way.

 

 

 

We decided to have lunch at the Hard Rock Café. I had my Boston Red Socks sling backpack with me and it was propped up against my chair. Our server noticed it and said, “I like your bag! Where are you from?” Turns out he lived in NH at the coast for quite a while, and played hockey up here for something like 18 years. It was great to meet someone from home; as we left he told us, “You kids have a wicked pissah day, okay?!” Hee hee!

 

[rnvattes]

We finished our drinks as we strolled Duval, and grabbed a couple little souvenirs. Shane also bought a new bathing suit. There are some really fun shops to visit! We also saw a LOT of chickens as we walked. I swear I heard this one say, “Knock knock Mother****er!” If you’re a fan of the Bloggess, you get the reference; if you’re not, you’re missing out so go ahead and google her.

 

 

 

 

Sadly, our time on Key West was quickly drawing to a close. We headed back toward the pier, passing by the Custom House where we saw some really cool pieces of art displayed outside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was quite a line waiting to re-board the ship. I would guess we waited close to 15 minutes or more. I tried to call home while we waited, to talk to the kiddos, but we didn’t reach them. Once on board we headed back to our cabin. Between rising early, the sun, the biking, and the cocktails at lunch, we were ready for a nap! The kids called us back before we laid down and we were glad to know that they were having a great time with Auntie back home. It made it so easy to have a wonderful time knowing that they were not only safe and cared for, but having their own fun, too.

[HopeILuvCruisin]

LOVE the Fascination! Definitely my favorite ship (though maybe the Legend will bump her off the top)!

[rnvattes]

I guess here is a good spot to talk about on-ship internet connection. We knew we would want to check in at home on our kids about once a day, but we also knew that the only day we could call home at no outrageous cost was on Wednesday, when we were on Key West. So the first day I purchased the smallest internet minutes package; it was $29 for 45 minutes. Not great, but better than nothing. The connection speed was sooooooooooo ssssssssssslllllllllllllllllooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwww! Even worse than I think we expected. I checked email on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and that used up almost all of my minutes. Our comcast email seemed to take longer than most other sites to load - Shane thought it might be because I have so many messages in my folder? - but nothing was fast. I will say that one early morning I checked the email from our room using our iPad and wireless connection and that was SIGNIFICANTLY more fast. I don't know if that speaks to the time of day or to the computers vs iPad, but if we were to do this again I would use the wireless before using the ship's computers. Definitely don't plan on doing anything more than checking email or checking in for your flights because it's just way too slow (I just saw someone here talking about watching an episode of a tv show -- BAH! Good luck with streaming video! Not a chance!). Oh, you can also print in the internet cafe if you needed to; not sure if there is a fee or not as we did not use the service.

 

I’m not great at taking a nap, so even though I was tired I couldn’t fall asleep. I was also thoroughly distracted by the incredible view from our stateroom window. As had become common, Shane rested and I sat in the window seat, listening to Cruise Tunes on the iPod and enjoying the view while snapping some great photos.

 

Here is a picture of The Mole - the other place where the ships dock, and where I was docked on Imagination in 2009 with my friend Christina:

 

 

 

Sailing away from the pier at Mallory Square:

 

 

I even saw Ft Zach again as we sailed by!

 

 

Bye-bye Key West :( Having visited here twice now on cruises, I know that I want to have a little vacation on this magnificent island one day.

[rnvattes]

Thanks for posting about the Relaxation Room. I had seen it on the deck plans on Fantasy in the past and wondered what was going on in there that made it so relaxing.:D I forgot to go check it out on our last sailing.

 

Now I understand that it is basically a waiting room for spa services. Would that be an accurate description? Did you take any pictures in there?

 

That's exactly what I would call it -- a "private" waiting room (versus the chairs along the wall when you first enter the Spa). Maybe it's different on other ships, but this one is nothing special at all. Skip it, unless you're waiting for service.

[KrusII]

Congratulations on your anniversary!! Sounds like you are having a wonderful time and the pictures are great.

[cruzegurl104]

Oh! I just realized that you had an aft ocean view!! We do too, our room is M265.. U seemed to have really enjoyed it, I'm glad to know there is a window seat area, I can't wait to see it! Did you notice any loud noises or vibration back there? I've always wanted an aft wrap/aft extended balcony..maybe next time, but I think this is the next best thing! :) hopefully I'm right!

[WAHMto5]

You are going to LOVE it! Would not hesitate to book an aft OV again :) As I said, the balcony would be nice, but the view is what I want. And the window seat is just right.

 

In case you, or anyone, was wondering, it was not much of an inconvenience to be all the way aft. Actually, we were not far from stairs/elevators that took us right outside the Coconut Grove on Lido. It was only a long walk to get to the spa and the gangway. Otherwise, no big deal at all.

 

We also really wanted a aft balcony, but booked this one a bit last minute and happy to find this room!

Great to know it takes you right outside the Coconut Grove;)

Thanks again!

[rnvattes]

Oh! I just realized that you had an aft ocean view!! We do too, our room is M265.. U seemed to have really enjoyed it, I'm glad to know there is a window seat area, I can't wait to see it! Did you notice any loud noises or vibration back there? I've always wanted an aft wrap/aft extended balcony..maybe next time, but I think this is the next best thing! :) hopefully I'm right!

 

You know, I'm glad you asked. I meant to remark on this. The only time we noticed noise or vibration was when we were docking at Key West. We were in port early that day - scheduled for 7:00 - so we were still in bed as we pulled in and dropped anchor. There was a lot of vibration and then noise as what I assumed was an anchor or some lines were let out. My husband kind of panicked at first but I knew what it was and as soon as I told him he was fine. I fell easily back to sleep. It didn't bother me really at all. I just noticed it.

 

Otherwise I would say it was no more or less quiet than any other cabin I've had - midship, forward, or aft.

[rnvattes]

As Past Guests we were invited at 5:00 to the Past Guest Party which was held in the Palace Theater. We arrived a few minutes before and a crowd was already forming outside of the closed doors. At 5:00 promptly the doors were opened and people were allowed in. They collected invitations but were not checking them for ID of any sort, so really anyone who could obtain one could get in. We found seats in the balcony, and the drinks started flowing. They were serving whisky sour, rum punch, melon balls, and red and white wine; there may have been other drinks but that’s what we saw. They also had plain unspiked fruit punch for kids and those not imbibing. They had passed appetizers as well, nothing to write home about there and I can't really even remember what they were. But it was a nice touch. We had plenty of both the drinks and the apps, and really enjoyed ourselves.

 

There was music by the band for a while as people flowed in, dancing on the stage, and a visit from Funship Freddy who seemed to have scoffed some of the free drinks ;). It was pretty packed, an people were excited and having fun! After a bit our cruise director, Jen – from England – came out and did a schpiel. Carnival trivia, etc etc. She did the whole thing where they ask people to applaud based on the number of Carnival cruises they’ve taken; Cindy and Marty from our roll call had the most, by far – this was their 37th sailing I believe! After Jen did her thing, they played the video where they showed all the Carnival ships in Carnival’s history and you cheer for the ships you’ve been on.

 

 

 

Here is a good place to talk about Cruise Director Jen. She was… different. Her outfits mostly looked more like costumes, she always had something wild going on with her hair (or in her hair), and her voice was shrill and screechy – which may explain why she also sounded hoarse so much of the time. She had a penchant for using the word “BRILLIANT!” and her energy seemed more theatrical than genuine. I think CDs have a fine line to walk – be fun but professional – and she seemed to struggle with that. CDs don’t make or break a trip for me, by any stretch, but she was not my favorite by a long shot.

 

After the Past Guest Party we headed aft to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet, and watch the sun set. We didn’t end up staying until it was totally set, but it was a gorgeous start!

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a shot of the Serenity area; about the only time to get an un-hogged chair here was late afternoon – as people were getting ready for dinner – or at night.

 

 

 

 

After relaxing a bit we went up to the Sensation Dining Room for dinner. We had more great service from Gilbert and his team.

 

When we were sufficiently full, we left to go wander the Gallery and look for our pictures. We stopped into the Stars Bar – the sports bar on this ship – to see if there was ANY chance they could get the Bruins game on. It was Game 7 of the Quarter Finals and our boys were fighting to play in the next level of the playoffs. While they get NBC, they do not get the NBC Sports which is what the game was showing on. Oh well. Turned out they lost, anyway. Glad we didn’t waste time watching that happen!

 

We wandered around a while and had some casual portraits taken. None of them came out purchase-worthy, but it was fun having them done.

[rnvattes]

We were able to stay up late enough to catch the Adults Only comedy of the Cowboy Comedian in the Puttin on the Ritz Lounge. No, we weren’t necessarily wearing our Big Kid Underpants – the show was at 9:00 tonight instead of 11. He was quite enjoyable and very funny indeed. We were glad we were able to see him, and made it a point to see him again later in the week.

 

 

 

 

Of course AFTER the show, we were tired enough to head to bed. Yup, only 10:00! Our room was, once again, perfectly tidied and ready with turn-down, Fun Times for Thursday, chocolates, and a new friend :)

 

 

We couldn't decide if this guy was a pig or a bull... Your thoughts?

[dadof2boys]

Great review. This year is also my wife and My's 10th anniversary. I laughed when I read that you guys were trying to take a nap so that you cold stay out later. I don't know what it is, but on our last cruise we did without the kiddos, we were very excited to hang out with our friends who also have two small kids. We just kept talking about these late nights we would have without having to wake up early with the boys. Then comes the cruise and we were in bed by 11:00 every night. I guess its just age. I was blaming the kids.

[rnvattes]

Great review. This year is also my wife and My's 10th anniversary. I laughed when I read that you guys were trying to take a nap so that you cold stay out later. I don't know what it is, but on our last cruise we did without the kiddos, we were very excited to hang out with our friends who also have two small kids. We just kept talking about these late nights we would have without having to wake up early with the boys. Then comes the cruise and we were in bed by 11:00 every night. I guess its just age. I was blaming the kids.

 

LOL Love it! Glad to know we are not alone. I guess the kids come along and reprogram you, and it's tough to break that in a week's time ;)

 

Happy Anniversary!!!

[cruzegurl104]

You know, I'm glad you asked. I meant to remark on this. The only time we noticed noise or vibration was when we were docking at Key West. We were in port early that day - scheduled for 7:00 - so we were still in bed as we pulled in and dropped anchor. There was a lot of vibration and then noise as what I assumed was an anchor or some lines were let out. My husband kind of panicked at first but I knew what it was and as soon as I told him he was fine. I fell easily back to sleep. It didn't bother me really at all. I just noticed it.

 

Otherwise I would say it was no more or less quiet than any other cabin I've had - midship, forward, or aft.

 

 

 

Great to know, Thanks!!! BTW,, I think the towel animal was a pig. Just a guess tho.:)

[GloriaF]

Enjoying your review and pics ~ looking forward to more! We will be onboard June 23, and I was wondering how long from sail away until the ship reaches the Dames Point Bridge? Thanks!

 

"...On our walk back to our stateroom we noticed MANY room service trays in the hallway. We were shocked to find that ours – which we put out just before 10 a.m. – was still outside our door too! This was the one thing that really bothered me all week; it just made the hallways look (and in some cases smell) dirty. There seemed no need for it – ..."

 

About the trays in the hall, my personal opinion is that the trays should be left in the cabin and collected by the room steward. If someone using a scooter or wheelchair needs to pass through the hall, it is difficult for them.

 

And, as an FYI -- the unusual tree in your photos is a Banyan tree. They are pretty cool, aren't they?

 

Thanks again for the review and photos!!! :)

[PughFamily]

Really enjoying your review. We're first time cruisers going on the Fascination 7/7 so I'm trying to soak up as much info as possible to

make the trip smooth.

I'm concerned the hubs isn't going to be crazy about the whole cruise

thing. Watch it will be me that doens't like it. lol :p