Fantasy 9-1-13 Bahamas Review

[NCTribeFan]

Background: this was my 19th cruise, 17th on Carnival. I did this same cruise on May 3 and wrote a review then. This one will be a bit less in-depth since I took no notes and few pictures. When I sail with people I just forget to do those things.

 

I had no plans to take this cruise, since I just did it (as a solo) and I’m sailing in November on Leg 2 of the Conquest repo (solo). But my PVP called me one day and told me about it, so I sent a friend a text and she sent a friend a text, and the next thing I knew, we were booked.

 

Saturday, 8/31, drive & pre-cruise night in Charleston – I booked a room at the Hampton Inn West Ashley where I’d stayed last time. They have a cruise parking package that includes a shuttle to and from the pier. Except I neglected to book that package because, originally, my cruisemates were going to drive down Sunday morning and just pick me up. Good news was I had booked a king room with sofabed, so there was room for three. And I was able to add the shuttle for $18/pp roundtrip.

 

I’d never met my friend’s friend, who was a cruise virgin. They arrived a couple of hours after I did, and we headed next door to Miyabi (I ate there last time – really excellent sushi). My friend was celebrating her 60th. After dinner, we returned to the hotel and had a few beers sitting out by the pool.

 

[NCTribeFan]

Sunday, 9/1, embarkation day – We were up pretty early (I’m a morning person and so is Friend’s Friend (hereinafter referred to as FF)). Had the typical Hampton Inn breakfast buffet, which is pretty good. At least they have some protein (cheese omelets and sausage). Another good thing about this hotel is the CVS Pharmacy and Food Lion that are pretty much just across the street. We checked out, left our bags in the lobby under the watchful eye of the wonderful young lady behind the desk, and walked over to the CVS. I’d told them how Ginger Root capsules had cured me of sea sickness so decided to purchase a “fresh” bottle in case they needed some. Realized they had NOT brought their allotted bottle of wine. But, but, it’s Sunday morning! You can’t buy beer or wine in NC until noon. But you can in SC! Yippee!

 

The shuttle arrived a little before noon. Unfortunately, the driver had not received the message from the desk girl that he’d be taking 11 people instead of eight (including their luggage). So there he was with the typical taxi-van. It took quite a while to cram everyone and all the luggage in, but he managed it. The traffic was pretty light and it didn’t take nearly as long to get to the pier as it had in May on a Friday morning.

 

The driver unloaded the van and all the luggage was lined up. This was my first time in Charleston since they added FTTF. I’m Platinum, so pointed out the Priority on the luggage tags and asked him if our bags went into separate bins so they’d be delivered right away. He pulled out bright orange sticky tags that he wrapped around the handles. We then walked over to the shuttle and right on the bus.

 

As I always remind folks, the port of Charleston is rather different from any other. They have very limited facilities. They have to clear out everyone so they can start parking cars for departing passengers, and they also have to “convert” the small port building from baggage pickup and immigrations to luggage scanning, check-in lines, seating, and embarkation photos.

 

No one even glanced at our documents when we entered the terminal (never had that happen before). And as I also always point out, there is no separate security line for Platinum/Priority boarding, but the line moved fairly quickly. They looked at my one small bottle of water and asked to see my carry-on wine.

 

Same as last time, there was no one in the VIP line, but the agents were all busy, because they direct other people to them if no VIPs are there. We only waited a couple of minutes. Friend was using cash for her account and was able to set that up at the check-in counter. FF had used a credit card but decided she wanted to switch to cash, but since she was already checked in, she was told to do it at the service desk on the ship. We were given our Platinum, Red, and Blue S&S cards, got our boarding photo, headed up the stairs, walked right up to the S&S photo taking person (there were four lines), got our cards back, and headed UP the walkway. This has alternated every time I’ve sailed Fantasy: down to Deck 2 in May 2010; up to Lobby area in October 2012; down to Deck 2 this past May. Not sure why they switch it around, but that ramp up is long. Seems like the heavier my carry-on is, the more apt to have the long climb.

 

They didn’t “ding” us on the ship; just looked at our S&S cards. I directed them to the Service Desk and headed down to R176. I put down my carry-on bags, used the bathroom, and when I opened the door, 3 of our 4 bags were in the hallway. I dragged them in and headed back up to Empress to find them. When we got back down to the cabin, the 4th bag was there so those bright orange tags had done the trick!

 

Then it was up to the deli for my traditional First Lunch - turkey & swiss on a roll and a beer in a glass with some lemons. Saw that a Roll Call friend was sitting at the table next to us so introduced myself. Then I took my friends on a guided tour of the ship, starting with the Serenity Deck and ending up in the Spa for the tour (really just to enter the raffle). We weren’t quite finished when the announcement came on that the crew needed to head to their stations for the Safety Drill, so the tour was cut short.

 

Thankfully, our muster station was NOT in the Forum Lounge like last time (Worst Safety Drill Ever). We were in the disco. Unfortunately, we weren’t early enough to get a seat, but were early enough that we had to stand and wait and wait and wait for people to straggle in. When we finally headed to the lifeboats, I got to lean against the wall (I have a bad back), but there was NO air back there and it was hot!

 

I think we set sail pretty close to four, which hasn’t happened often when I’ve sailed Fantasy. We went to the spa for the drawing and didn’t win anything (naturally), then went down and unpacked.

 

Then I had to have my hot dog and fries. Thankfully, they had the Express Lane open at the grill, which is perfect for me since I don’t want anything else. Stopped by the Sweet Shop and purchased our wine package, then went to the Lobby bar and got a plastic bucket, some ice, and three wine glasses for our carry-on bottles.

 

Dressed for dinner, then went to the lobby bar for pre-dinner beverages, then headed to the Jubilee Dining Room for late dinner. I’d emailed the Maitre’D to see if MY waiters (Rafael & Seville) were still on the ship. I had these guys on Leg 2 of my B2B last October, then all to myself when I sailed solo in May. This time, they didn’t know I was sailing. It was so good to see the big smiles on their faces. Seville came over and gave me a big hug. We had another new bread guy (Mario). We were seated with a Mom, Dad and adult Daughter, also from NC.

 

I had a Caesar salad, salmon appetizer and tilapia, and finished it all off with the crème brulee, washed down with some Pinot Grigio. We were getting up to leave the table and the Serbian waiter who worked the tables NEXT to my guys last time, and who I had for one night on Leg 1 of the B2B last October, comes by and sees me and comes over to give me a hug and tell me how good it was to see me again. ;)

 

FF is a singer, so we had to go to Karaoke (which is not my favorite activity). There were some really good singers! I was pretty amazed.

 

Then we headed to the casino to try our luck. As I’m walking through, the tiny Indian casino hostess sees me and stops in the middle of a conversation, runs over and gives me a big hug (she’s about 4’10” and I’m 5’10”). She wasn’t even on the ship in May but remembered me from October. I’m not sure why. It’s not like I’m a high roller. I think she just remembered how horribly I’d done in both my qualifying rounds of the slot tournament. :p

 

I'm totally amazed (and flattered) that these people, who see 2,000 new faces every 5 days, would remember me! It is really astounding. I know they all miss their family and friends back home, so I guess it's just as nice for them to see a familiar face as it is for us to see them when we board.

 

I don’t think we did much of anything else and have no idea what time we went to bed, but it wasn’t too late. Since FF is a proverbial Spring Chicken (compared to us two old ladies), she had the honors of climbing the ladder to the bunk. I was concerned that one or both of them would snore and keep me awake and that I’d be homicidal by Day 2, but that didn’t happen. :D

[NCTribeFan]

Monday, 9/2, at sea – Slept well; no idea what time we got up, but it wasn’t very late. I got up, got my hot tea, went back to the omelet station between the pizza and deli and got my usual – ham, cheese, tomato and mushroom omelet, well done. Walked up to the regular buffet line and loaded up with bacon and those tasty round potato things and ate out back. FF was sitting down on Serenity and had three chairs for us around one of the umbrellas. I went down there after I got another cuppa, and settled in to read. Woman on the other side of me wanted me to move my chair down so they could cram another lounger in there. Well, there’s only about 3 inches in between them to start with and I had an umbrella pole next to me so I said, no, don’t think that’ll work. They weren’t happy. Good grief, people! Is it necessary that couples/families/friends sit together every single minute of every day? You’re sitting in the sun (or shade) somewhere that’s supposed to be peaceful. Do you have to sit side by side so you can bellow at each other for hours? Some of us would actually LIKE for you to stop talking and just relax!!!

 

Decided to go to the MDR for lunch and use my drink coupon. Only they don’t do lunch now. I was really disappointed because I absolutely LOVED the burger with bacon and guacamole, and crème caramel I had in May. It was one of the best meals I had! I’d already had breakfast and the lunch options weren’t that impressive. I opted for the mac & cheese with fried chicken and a glass of wine. The mac & cheese was good but it was so rich I just couldn’t eat much. I’d read about the bread rolls but wasn’t that impressed. Back out to Serenity to read some more.

 

We all got ready for Elegant night and headed to the Universe Lounge to see The Brits. I’m not sure when, but at some point I realized that Friend appeared to be quite drunk. After the show, we had about 15 minutes before dinner. I like to wait up in the Majesty Lounge (they had the stairs down into the dining room blocked off and were working in that area for several days). Friend ordered a Mojito. That’s when I realized what the problem might be. She literally drank it in about 3 minutes. Every times she’d order one of those fruity drinks, she’d comment about how yummy it was and just gulp it down like it was fruit punch. So, at dinner, she was extremely loud, spilling drinks and dropping silverware and food, had a crying episode, and just generally embarrassing. The food was excellent and it would’ve been a very pleasant evening if she hadn’t been loud and drunk. I was not happy and apologized to MY servers after dinner.

 

Went to the casino afterward. She was going to go listen to the guitarist out in the hallway. I got bored and look around but didn’t see her so headed back to the cabin thinking (hoping) she had gone to bed. Got there and FF was there but she wasn’t. Well, I don’t need to babysit a 60 year old, so I just got ready to bed. Thankfully, she appeared a few minutes later and started yelling about how I’d abandoned her at the bar and some old man was hitting on her.

 

I told her I hadn’t abandoned her and that she needed to behave like an adult and take care of herself, and just went to bed.

[NCTribeFan]

Tuesday, 9/3, Nassau – Way back on my first Fantasy cruise in June, 2004, I’d taken DD and her BFF on a 4-night cruise out of Port Canaveral for their high school graduation. We did a ship excursion to an island to play with the stingrays (it was called Blackbeard’s Cay back then). It was a beautiful beach but I never found anything about it as an excursion after that.

 

Well, when perusing the Bahamas board before this cruise (it doesn’t matter how often I visit a port, I always do some reading on the Ports-of-Call boards just to see what people are discussing), I came across a couple of threads about Balmoral Island. I went to read Carnival’s description and saw the photos and realized it was the same place, so I decided I needed to book it. My cruise buddies weren’t interested, so I was up and off the ship without seeing them.

 

I really don’t like ship excursions. So much wasted time herding large groups of people. Anyway, there were 4 different excursion options – beach day, deluxe (lunch included), stingrays (beach and stingrays but no lunch), and dolphins (beach and dolphins but no lunch). I’ve written my thoughts in a thread on the Bahamas board so won’t go into as much detail.

 

I enjoyed it but the place needs additional work. It’s a beautiful beach, though. Just wish Carnival would stop trying to cram FUN FUN FUN down my throat. They need to have some place on the beach where people who DON’T want the extremely loud music and screaming FUN girl can go to sit and have a nice relaxing day on a beautiful private island.

 

 

Enjoyed the stingrays and the pool. Not sure if I’ll do it again, though. May not be back to Nassau for a while (but who knows; I could book another Fantasy cruise any time), so we’ll see what future reviews have to say.

 

I stopped in a duty free store and bought two Kalik with Lime beers (2 for $5) and had her open one and put the other in my carryon. It was about 3:15, so I headed back to the ship. Sat under some shade and finished my beer, then boarded, dropped my beach bag in the cabin and went straight up for my hot dogs and fries, since I was starving.

 

In May, the PG party was on Nassau day but they’ve switched it to Freeport afternoon.

 

Not sure what we did that afternoon. I sort of expected Friend to apologize for her behaviour the night before, but she said nothing. But she didn’t seem to be drinking very much. I’m sure she was hung over, but you know how it is. You try to hide it as much as possible.

 

I think this is the menu night where nothing really appeals to me where the Day 5 menu is one that I could eat at least half the items. Anyway, we went straight to be after dinner. All that sun and water just wears me out. Can’t remember the last time I was in bed before 10:30 on a cruise!

[Kaytertots]

I love reading reviews, especially ones so close to our sail date! I've definitely been wanting to hear about Balmoral Island, I've got a quick question for you. I know you didn't purchase the Cheers program but did you hear anyone saying one could use it on the island since its owned by carnival? I know you can use your sign and sail cards there so we were curious if you knew! Thanks, glad you had a good trip and look forward to hearing more!

[NCTribeFan]

Good question. Maybe ask in the thread on the Bahamas board. Maybe someone there knows. Or ask the big Cheers thread. I thought I read that it wasn't honored on HMC, which makes me think it wouldn't on Balmoral, either, but I really don't know.

 

I thought I was going to do some laundry but I went outside and sat in the sun and read. I just can't quite bring myself to get back to reality.

 

I "stole" a pic from the daughter at our table, who is now a FB friend. She told me she got a close-up of the rays for me.

 

 

Will continue later. Really must do some things around the house. :(

[langston77]

I hav my cruise on Nov 2nd, first one and i am also on fantasy and leaving from SC.

 

I must say that was a awesome review and i seriously LOL'd and this line,

 

"Thankfully, she appeared a few minutes later and started yelling about how I’d abandoned her at the bar and some old man was hitting on her.":rolleyes:

[nybumpkin]

Thanks for posting your review! It's nice to know that Blackbeard's Cay has been "reincarnated.":)

[BrownCalico]

Decided to go to the MDR for lunch and use my drink coupon. Only they don’t do lunch now. I was really disappointed because I absolutely LOVED the burger with bacon and guacamole, and crème caramel I had in May. It was one of the best meals I had! I’d already had breakfast and the lunch options weren’t that impressive. I opted for the mac & cheese with fried chicken and a glass of wine. The mac & cheese was good but it was so rich I just couldn’t eat much. I’d read about the bread rolls but wasn’t that impressed. Back out to Serenity to read some more.

 

 

Are they not doing lunch at all in the MDR? Or just not the make it yourself burgers?

[redryanc22]

Great review.

[NCTribeFan]

Are they not doing lunch at all in the MDR? Or just not the make it yourself burgers?

 

No lunch in the MDR. It's Brunch only. Let me go pull out a FunTimes. BRB.

[NCTribeFan]

I didn't bring home all the FunTimes, but I have them from Tuesday (Nassau), Wednesday (Freeport) and Thursday (last sea day).

 

On sea days, they now offer Brunch from 8:30 - 1:00. Someone, somewhere (probably Zydecocruiser) has posted the Brunch menu. I wasn't very impressed with it for lunch.

 

I'm a morning person and need to eat shortly after I'm up. I suppose I could've had something small and then went to brunch for my real breakfast, but I wanted to use my drink coupon and I don't start imbibing at breakfast!

 

So no made-to-order burger for lunch. If you want one, it will have to be in the MDR for dinner. :( And I'd just discovered the chilled avocado soup last cruise, which I loved.

 

Oh well. I only have 2 sea days in November on the 8-night Conquest cruise, so maybe I'll try it for breakfast on the last day.

[NCTribeFan]

Wednesday, 9/4, Freeport – Before the cruise, we’d talked about just going out to see if we could negotiate a fare for a taxi to take us to the Sands Brewery to do a tour and tasting. I did the Carnival tour last time that included a stop at a perfumery, some wandering around the International Bazaar area (that used to be where everyone went for their souvenir shopping but is pretty much a ghost town now), and the brewery. But I had decided during the previous day that there was no way I was going to take my friend there and end up with a repeat of her previous evening’s behaviour.

 

Conquest coming in to dock.

 

Bahamas Celebration also in port with us. It was crowded.

 

We were in port with Conquest, which was fun for me. I kept telling people, “I’m sailing her in November for 8 nights from San Juan to Miami!!!!”

 

We took the shared taxi into the Port Lucaya area. When I did this before (a few years ago, maybe on my first Glory cruise), we were dropped in front of the casino. This time, we were dropped off back behind the straw market (perhaps to force people to walk through the area). We didn’t do any shopping and decided to check out the hotel area. Every time I stop in Nassau, I think about getting a day pass at the British Colonial Hilton but never have. Every time I stop in Freeport, I think about getting a walkup pass at the hotel there, but never have. What little I could see looking toward the water past the gate looked very appealing. I think I’ll do it next time.

 

Don't know what this plant is but I really liked it!

 

We decided to check out the casino. As expected, the slots were much friendlier than they are on the ship. I started with $5 and was up to $30+ in a few minutes. Stopped when I was back down to $20, so I covered my taxi fare. Had a great driver on the way back in a fairly new van. It’s a fair little stroll back to our side of the dock and it was really, really hot!

 

Of course, we went straight up for lunch. My turkey and swiss on a warm roll was the best I’ve had yet (and I have multiples on every cruise). Friend and FF headed to Serenity Deck while I headed back out. I don’t get near places like Senor Frogs or Margaritaville or Carlos & Charley’s. But I did want a Sands Beer, so I stopped in Sparky’s and sat at the bar. Couple of Americans (1 male, 1 female) working the bar. Local gal (I’m assuming) sitting on the bar with a microphone, interacting with customers. Took a long time to get anyone’s attention and get my beer. They were 2 for $6 and up, depending on the size and whether it was draft or bottle. I had just two of the small Sands Light drafts. Several crew members sitting around on laptops and phones, but I couldn’t get a wi-fi connection.

 

I love watching the loading/unloading of the container ships. It is fascinating!

 

For dinner, I had my usual bow tie pasta with turkey breast (appetizer size for my entrée, thanks).

[NCTribeFan]

Thursday, 9/5, at sea – Last day already! By 7:40, every lounger around the four umbrellas on Serenity Deck were “reserved” with towels, books, etc. I expected it to be blazing hot, so I grabbed the three on the port-side end thinking we could drag them back under the overhang if it was too warm. And it was warm! I normally sail late April/early May or late fall/early winter, and the weather is quite hot enough for me then. So when the sun encroached to the point that I couldn’t move my lounger any further back without blocking the stairs, I moved under the overhang and just sat and read for a while.

 

Beautiful sky!

 

Friend still had her drink coupon so we went in to have brunch at about 12:30. I requested a seat in the back with Rafael and Seville. I ordered some chicken dish in a spicy tomato sauce. The chicken was quite tough. All three times I had chicken, it was tough, which is not something I’ve encountered before. The rolls that didn’t impress me on Monday were hot and incredibly delicious this time!

 

 

I didn’t eat a lot at lunch, so felt it was okay to go to afternoon tea. Right. I would’ve gone no matter how much I ate. I must have my hot tea anyway (I normally drink 4-5 mugs daily). And I love the little smoked salmon appetizer and the scones (regular, not chocolate). Imani is an excellent pianist and has the liberty to play what he wants during tea rather than the awful things people request in the piano bar at night.

 

Last chance for the casino to be nice to me. I did have some luck on my favorite penny slots, then decided to be daring and give the Wheel of Fortune machines a try. Quarter machine wasn’t being nice so I moved over to a $1 machine. Second spin, hit the $100 Party. Really wanted to hit for a spin, but quit when I was back down to $90. Of course I didn’t come out ahead for the cruise, but at least I came home a little less out-of-pocket than I was the night before!

 

At some point, I went down and packed and explained the whole disembarkation procedure to my cabin mates and we decided we did not need to leave extra early. I get #1 tags but rarely am in a hurry to leave the ship.

 

I got dressed for dinner and went up to the lobby bar for a glass of wine while the other two got ready. Had a good conversation with a youngish woman who was sailing with her kids. I told her how I often sail solo. She seemed rather surprised that I enjoy it so much. So many woman just don’t get out there and do things on their own, which I find very sad. You don’t need an escort, girls. You need to do what you want to do and stop worrying about what other people will think just because you’re a woman on your own. Try it. It’s very liberating!

 

We then headed to the show lounge for the Motor City show. This is the second time I’ve seen both the new shows and I enjoyed them both. They’re “my” music, having been a teen in the mid/late 60s. I love the British Invasion and Motown artists equally.

 

Off to the MDR for One Last Meal. This is a night where I could order about 70% of the menu. Mango cream soup, frog legs, linguine with chicken breast in mushroom sauce (appetizer portion) and because I hadn’t had enough pasta and chicken, the mac & cheese with bacon and chicken breast, and cappuccino pie for dessert. Whew!

 

We said our goodbyes to our tablemates and MY wait staff. Seville is heading home to Goa, India, in November. He promised to send photos of his family.

 

When we stopped in the piano bar the other night, we all felt bad for Imani. Having already heard his jazz piano during tea on Monday, it was sort of shock. I’ve had this discussion with musician friends (I have lots) about how you have to “sell yourself” to make a living. It’s sad. This man is talented and there he is, playing these stupid songs that people request over and over and over and over every night. Not to insult anyone, but I think most popular songs are pure rubbish and think most people have no ear and don’t know good from bad music. If they play it on the radio a lot, it must be good, right?

 

Anyway, we sat and listened for a few tunes. We were right behind him and when he heard FF’s voice, he handed her a mic and had her sing harmony with him. When someone handed him $20 and requested “Cocaine,” he had a really difficult time turning down the request. Cocaine. Seriously? This is a talented man and you want to give him $20 to pay that stupid crap song? He played one of my favorite tunes, Cat Stevens’ “Wild World” and I headed off to bed.

 

Friends arrived shortly after and we got our bags out in the hallway for pickup and were in bed before midnight.

[goldwinger88]

It was nice meeting you and the other Cruise Critic members on the cruise.

 

We had a great time, and I did warn you guys I'd spend all of my time in the Casino.

I even brought back most of what I took, except for losing some on the slots.

 

I need 1 more cruise for my Platinum and we are looking at early December so I can beat the deadline for getting Grandfathered in.

 

Nice Review.

[NCTribeFan]

Friday, 9/6, Charleston – FF climbed down from her bunk at 6:15 and started moving around the cabin. I could’ve slept another hour since we weren’t in any hurry to get home.

 

I thought about going to the MDR for breakfast just so I could talk to Seville one more time, but I knew he’d be working hard and we’d said our Goodbyes last night, so we left our bags in the cabin and went up to the buffet for one last made-to-order omelet. We sat and drank caffeine and talked about the cruise and people we’d met and things we had done. FF was already saying she wanted to sail again, maybe at the beginning of the year. That doesn’t work for me because I get busy by mid-January, and I simply cannot take another cruise so soon. I’ll have three cruises in seven months this year! We talked about checking into a 7-nighter once I’m done with tax season.

 

The buffet was beginning to thin out, so we went back down to the cabin and got our bags and back up to the lobby. The line to pick up luggage was backed up onto the walkway but it really didn’t take very long. There were only a couple of other cases in the #1 area, which certainly makes finding your own easier! We were through customs quickly and fought our way through the mob waiting for the parking shuttles and began the long trek dragging cases down the sidewalk to the taxi/shuttles at the street. Unlike last time, when we arrived, the driver loaded the three of us and headed out.

 

We were back at the hotel quickly and on the road. Even with a quick lunch/gas/bathroom stop and running into the grocery store to get milk, I was home just after 2 pm.

[NCTribeFan]

This is what happens when I don't take any notes as I go along. I'm already remembering things I didn't include.

 

I didn't really say anything about the PG party. In May, it was on Nassau afternoon, but it was a day later this time, on Freeport afternoon, at 4 pm.

 

The band played a couple of tunes, then Risa introduced The Important People. Unlike last time, when I had a hard time getting an 2nd "red" drink, I had another before I'd drunk half of the first. I thought most of the appetizers were better, too.

 

There was one Diamond member there and only 25 Platinum (I think she said).

 

I gave my "yellow" drink to one of our Roll Call members. He's a young guy who was solo and who happens to also be sailing on my Conquest cruise in November, along with his parents. Oh to be young and able to down a half-dozen or more of those drinks in 40 minutes! :p

 

I also neglected to mention that I stopped at the Future Cruise desk on Monday and talked to Luis about possibly booking Leg 2 of the Pride repo in December 2014. Rates are considerably higher than I paid for my Conquest repo (which came down $160 before final payment - I didn't book ES so have stopped looking). And I made the mistake of going to his talk on Thursday. It's a waste of time for people who have cruised several times. He basically talks about different types of cabins, different ship classes, different itineraries, the Carnival MasterCard, and the Future Cruise booking option.

 

I decided to NOT book, but may do it on my Conquest cruise. Sailing solo, I just don't know that I want my credit card hit with onboard expenses plus a 200% deposit right before the holidays. We'll see.

 

Will post my final thoughts shortly.

[NCTribeFan]

Miscellaneous Thoughts…

 

Food – I always enjoy the food and, as usual, thought the food was good to very good. I like my made-to-order omelets and deli sandwiches. I don’t eat the pizza and rarely get anything from the regular buffet line (but I did have to stop and try a couple of items on French day and they were both very good). I also don’t do the burgers from the grill, only the hot dogs.

 

As I said earlier, I was mildly disappointed in the brunch menu. I’d like additional lunch-type foods and not quite so many breakfast items.

 

Entertainment & Music – I mentioned Imani in the piano bar. He’s a very talented man but is probably not well-suited to the piano bar (honestly, I don’t know how any serious musician can play that type of venue). Zoe, who played in the Lobby, had a nice voice. The guy who played across from the casino bar wasn’t as good. We called him Jack the whole time (inside joke), but his name is Doug. I thought the showband was pretty awful. And as I’ve said since they did away with them, I don’t miss the pool bands. I thought they were universally awful. I’d rather have canned music than bad live music.

 

And I have to add these comments, which may offend some, but I need to say them. The three of us, and it appeared that several other people in the piano bar, were uncomfortable with an African-American (I assume he’s American; didn’t really hear enough of his speaking voice to note an accent) singing “Sweet Home Alabama” along with a bunch of white folks, with several African-Americans in the room. Don’t people listen to the lyrics? Don’t people realize what that song is about? It just felt really awkward. Of course, he didn’t have to perform the song, but that just shows you to what extent musicians must prostitute themselves to earn a living. We left at that point.

 

The Ship – I honestly like her more and more and more. The amount of maintenance that goes on, especially on port days, is amazing. These ships must endure so much wear and tear, but she looks just like she did when I first sailed her almost 10 years ago. And the crew and staff are always top notch. They all seem to really like their jobs, which makes a huge difference in the “feel” of a ship.

 

The Itinerary – Repost from last review: I would never pick a cruise to intentionally go to Nassau and Freeport, but as I get more and more sailings under my belt, I don’t feel as much of an urge to go somewhere new. This really was just to get away and relax (although I again had rather a difficult time finding anywhere to sit quietly and read with the noise level what it is everywhere on the ship). Despite the port limitations and the hoops one has to jump through to board, I love sailing from Charleston simply because I love it there! If you’ve never been, I really encourage you to book Fantasy and spend a day or two pre and/or post cruise.

 

The Passengers – As I also noted last time, lots and lots of blue cards, so I guess Carnival’s low rates are bringing in the new passengers. The crowd didn’t seem very different than in the past; lots of NC/SC/TN/GA folks.

 

Cruising with friends vs cruising solo – I really enjoy myself when I’m solo. But I really enjoyed myself this time, too, even though I’d never met FF before Saturday evening. It took us a few days to get to know each other, but by the end of the cruise, we were getting along well. I was worried that she would be the one to over-indulge (going through her 2nd divorce), but it turned out to be my friend who was the very public drunk one night. I know we’re all there to have a good time, but by the time you’re 60, you should be able to drink and enjoy yourself without getting wasted.

 

Three women in a cabin is a bit of a tight squeeze, but it really wasn’t that bad.

 

I’m looking forward to my solo cruise and pre-cruise days in San Juan in November, though. I’m just spoiled with living on my own for the last few years and not having to adjust my schedule or plans to accommodate others. I like to do my own thing.

[marybeach]

I have read most of your reviews and really enjoy your humor and point of view. I'm sailing Carnival, and specifically, Fantasy, for the first time later this month. My experience, solo and with the former BF, has been mostly many HAL and a couple RCCLs. So, your lay of the land is helpful! I think we're about the same age. I'm looking at Panama Canal Partial Transits, and deciding which one fits the schedule better. I really want to do that cruise prior to the new channel opening. As you know, that double single supp can be a deal breaker when you're on the edge of deciding. I may just throw an invite on Facebook. When I did it with the Carnival Cruise, I had 10 friends respond, and they are all sailing with me in a few weeks. As you know, it's hard to not have a good time on a cruise! Thanks for posting!

[momin05]

Thanks for the review, Joan. We are sailing three to a cabin in October on Fantasy with one bunk. How did you set up the room... The floor beds in an L shape or on opposite walls?

 

So glad you had good weather and calm seas.

 

What did you guys do with Bob? I am very patiently awaiting his review!

[LightspeedVegas]

Hi NCTribeFan. I love your writing style. And the way you have certain things you do while you're cruising. I have my traditions as well and must stick with them. Our group are in our 40's and try to pair up so we don't pay the 200% cost, but we have decided to cruise single when the cruise was just too good to pass up. I once cruised with a mate I hadn't seen in 20 years and she snored the entire week. I would have rather cruised single!

 

I agree that there should be quieter places for those of us that prefer to relax. Like you, I have cruised to many of the same ports before and have some idea of where to go, but sometimes the music is way too loud.

 

Thanks for your posts and keep reviewing. Your writing style is to be admired. Cheers, Tracy.

[2 cruzen]

You don’t need an escort, girls. You need to do what you want to do and stop worrying about what other people will think just because you’re a woman on your own. Try it. It’s very liberating!

 

So true...my daughter is currently traveling for a month in Iceland, Czech Republic, and Italy. She has friends in the last two places but is spending 2 weeks in Iceland on her own.

[rdh rules]

On sea days, they now offer Brunch from 8:30 - 1:00. Someone, somewhere (probably Zydecocruiser) has posted the Brunch menu. I wasn't very impressed with it for lunch.

 

So on those sea days, can you get breakfast in the MDR like at 830 then come back for lunch/brunch at 1230? I always enjoy breakfast in the MDR for breakfast to get away from the crowd on lido.

 

Thanks so much for your review. I'm sorry you had to deal with your drunk friend. I have experienced that and can not stand loud drunk people. Yes I have been in the past, but I'm grown up now:p Glad you still had fun!

Joanne

[LUVMYGSDOG]

Thank you for another good Fantasy review Joan. I love her so much and can't wait to cruise her again! Will be on the Glory next month for the first time and I'm really excited about that too even if it is just a cruise to no where.....

 

Gosh, I will miss the avacado soup in the dining room for lunch. I guess we will try out the brunch thing on the Glory for the first time. I'm not real excited about it.....

 

A crying drunk isn't a good experience. Yuck. But at least it was just one evening.

 

Glad you had a good time!

 

Kim

[NCTribeFan]

Thanks, folks. I love reading reviews. Sorry I didn't take more pics (and I'm not sure why I couldn't get them to upload a little larger).

 

I doubt that "regular" breakfast is offered in the MDR. I'm at work (boo!), so don't have my FunTimes. I'll check when I get home, but think that the only option in the MDR on sea days is now Brunch.

 

I thought of some other things while I was driving to work, but of course I've already forgotten what they were. I'll probably remember them on the way home and then when I sit down at the computer, I'll have forgotten them again. :p

 

I did use the Platinum line at the service desk a couple of times and got no nasty comments from the plebs (line wasn't very long). Also had a few "welcome home" comments when showing my card, which is always nice.

 

I'm not one to ask much from the cabin steward, and ours was very friendly, but it would've been nice if he'd put ice in the plastic bucket I got from the bar. It dumped the melted water but didn't refill it when it must've been obvious that we were using it to keep drinks chilled. I also don't think it was appropriate that he asked FF if she had a husband! :(

 

I really want to do a Panama Canal cruise, too. Did an 8-night Miracle cruise that stopped in Colon and had one of the best excursions yet. Would love to do one on HAL but really can't afford them (I think; haven't checked prices lately). May have to settle for one of HAL's 10-night cruises that enters the canal but isn't a transit.

 

Does Bob write reviews? Not sure I've seen one. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. He wasn't too impressed with Balmoral Island. I think it has a lot of potential but still needs work. Not having an indoor a/c eating area doesn't matter to me. I prefer to eat al fresco when possible, anyway.

 

Didn't mention that I received the upsell call just a couple of days before we sailed. They offered us an upgrade from an inside on Riviera to a Junior Suite (obstructed view) for ONLY $150 each! Uh, no thanks.

 

Tablemates were in a Jr Suite and said there was no a/c until the middle of the first night (it was warm all afternoon when we boarded but I'm betting the a/c was actually on, just couldn't keep the cabin cool). They also complained about there being SO MUCH movement up there (seas were completely flat the entire time; I've never seen that. Ever).

 

I personally would never pay what they ask for one of those cabins, but that's just me. I've had to be very frugal most of my life, so I don't like to "waste" money on luxuries that aren't really luxuries. I'd rather waste that money in the casino where there's at least a chance of a return on my investment! ;)