Just back from Carnival Paradise Mar 30-April 4

[Virginiacruiser126]

Hi!!

 

I'm a long time lurker of cruise critic first logging on to my mother's account and finally created my own for my most recent cruise with husband and stepchildren (23, 15, 15).

 

My last cruise prior to this trip was in 2010 on a Greek Isles cruise and a lot had changed since then!

 

Won't post a blow by blow review but did want to include some of my thoughts/observations:

 

-Faster to the Fun: WORTH EVERY PENNY. We had two cabins (kids in an interior cabin across the hall from our ocean view) but even having to purchase for both cabins is was $100 well spent. Boarding seemed to be delayed in Tampa but was glad we were able to make it on earlier than most and go straight to our cabin. Also loved getting our bags before we even left the port. The priority tendering was extremely helpful as we had a tour of stingray city booked with a private vendor. There was some confusion about where to go for the tendering. The written paper in our room said the America Bar but Guest Services said Leonardo Lounge. Another paper delivered to our room later did say Leonardo and had set departure times (8:00, 8:20, 8:40, 9:00, 9:20, and 9:40). When we arrived at Leonardo no one was there at 10 minutes til 8 so I asked one of the cruise director's staff team members and he thought it was America Bar but radioed and confirmed it was the Leonardo Lounge. They took us down and straight onto the first tender off of the ship. I also used the priority line at guest services a few times. I loved being able to get helped immediately but got shot dirty looks every time I was helped because there wasn't a dedicated staff member at that position. Instead they left the main line to come over to help me. Debarkation was also a breeze. We waited in the Queen Mary lounge until a staff member came and escorted us down a side hallway and right to the line to leave the ship. I will ALWAYS purchase this option if it's available.

 

Cheers Program - My husband, stepdaughter, and I all purchased. We definitely came out ahead on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 5 of the package. We had to work a little harder on the two days we were in port but we all enjoyed being able to order what we wanted. It also allowed my stepdaugther and I to try new drinks (martinis mainly) because we weren't worried we'd waste money if we didn't like something. I think the most drinks we had in a day were 11 or 12. We never hit our 15 drink max although we did encounter passengers who had hit their max and were cut off and weren't very happy. I will admit by Day 5 we were having to work to break even as we were all sort of tired of drinking at that point! Also, they did run out of some drink options early on. My stepdaughter and I are Angry Orchard drinkers and that seemd to go quickly. Not a big deal as we just switched to Bud Lite Lime but did notice a few other brands not being available as the week went on.

 

The Ship - Paradise was definitely showing her age a bit. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the ship and the excellent staff. I did miss some of the bells and whistles of some of the larger/newer ships I've sailed on in the past but this was the kids' first cruise so the smaller ship made it easier for us to keep track of each other. The staff were all extremely friendly. Our wait staff team (Sergio, Diana, and Ivan) were excellent and our room stewards (Marvin for my husband and I, Riggoberto for the kids) were also great!! The bartenders and other staff we encountered were always friendly and seemed to take a lot of pride in their work and the ship.

 

Social Internet Package - Paradise did have the social internet package. What a steal! $18 for the entire 5 day cruise. Wifi was strong and I loved being able to post things in real time on Facebook, keep up with news on Twitter, and was also able to iMessage my best friend/dog sitter and my mom through the cruise. I wasn't able to FaceTime or FaceTime audio but could keep up very easily with iMessage. I was extremely happy with this level of connectivity and the price couldn't be beat!

 

Club 02 - Our 15 year old twins LOVED the activities. I had never had any experience with the kids activities but was very impressed. The boys made friends quickly and it felt like we hardly saw them because they were busy with so many activities and all of their new friends. I felt perfectly comfortable giving the boys check in times and curfews and they talked about dodgeball games, dance parties, and scavenger hunts as just a few of the activities they enjoyed.

 

Cruising over Spring Break - We knew what we were getting into crusing at Spring Break as we were obviously there with kids ourselves. We did notice that some other cruisers didn't seem to control their children as well as we would have hoped. We talked with our boys a lot about not talking in the hallways after certain hours, not running from place to place, etc but other people seemed to have skipped that convo. We heard small children running down the halls at all hours of the night and parents yelling after them or at times I'd open the door to see packs of very young children (younger than my kids) running up and down corridors with no parent in site. I also observed a lot of people in the Lido Deck buffet area in swim suits with no cover up. I observed one staff member tell a mom in a very tiny bikini she couldn't be in the area without a cover up and she said "yeah ok I'll remember next time" and he asked her again to please go put a cover up on now and she just ignored him and kept serving herself. I was a little grossed out seeing so many barefooted people in the buffet "letting it all hang out" while serving themselves food......I'd like to see Carnival enforce this policy more strictly.

 

Grand Cayman - I had been to Stingray City before with Nativeway and tried to book with them but they were already booked. We took Capt. Marvin this time and were just has happy as we were with Nativeway. It was very easy to walk to the office from the cruise terminal. The Capt. Marvin's team was great. Super friendly. It was a bit of a cluster trying to get our photos with the stingrays. The photos came out great and we did purchase the $50 CD with the images.

 

Cozumel - On past visits I had always shopped and wandered around near the port. This time the kids wanted to go to the beach. We selected Paradise Beach and were very happy with our choice. $21 each way in a van. We were met by a staff member and bought our $3 wristbands for chairs and umbrellas. We also purchased the $15 acquatic park bands for the two boys. They had a blast playing on all of the inflatables. We easily spent the $10 per person minimum on food and drink. Thomas helped our family and I saw he and many staff members literally RUNNING after delivering food or drinks. Those guys were hustling. My stepdaughter and I chose to sit in loungers in the pool while my husband stayed with the boys on the beach. Thomas kept track of our family in both locations. Wouldn't hesitate to chose Paradise Beach again. We enjoyed talking to cruisers from several other ships as well.

 

Please let me know if you have any other questions!! Happy to provide any other info that I can. Also, thanks to this board from the tip on the Kiss on the Lips. I had never tried it before and was hooked!!!!

[Ally22]

Thanks for the post! We are sailing on the Paradise on Thursday. We had the internet package in the Breeze in January and loved it. My husband doesnt cruise with us, so I was able to send him tons of pics of the boys on the Whatsapp app. It was included in the social package. Thrilled to hear they have it!! Also glad to hear they had a good program for your sons. My 16 yo isn't coming this time and my 14yo is full of energy. I'm hoping he gets hooked up with a good bunch.

Allyson

[cruiser fanatic]

Thanks for your review. I also get dirty looks at Guest Services when I am being helped first. One time, a man got really upset and Guest Services had to explain to him that FTTF/Platinum/Diamond get priority service. He still gave dirty looks. As for the ship showing its age, the Paradise and Elation are the two ships that show there age a lot. They are very dated and need a MAJOR upgrade.

[dioxide45]

Do you happen to have copies of the FunTimes available? We are sailing on the Paradise on the 27th.

[Virginiacruiser126]

Do you happen to have copies of the FunTimes available? We are sailing on the Paradise on the 27th.

Sorry we don't! I didn't even think to grab them and bring them with me to scan in.

[amber381]

Thank you SO much for your info! We leave on her on Monday and knowing about the Internet package you described is great!! We also have FFTF, so I'm glad it is a good purchase! Like the PP, I too am looking for a recent 5-day FunTimes for the Paradise if anyone has one.

[amber381]

Do you happen to have copies of the FunTimes available? We are sailing on the Paradise on the 27th.

 

I will try to scan and post mine when we return on the 18th for you.

[ddbaab53]

Sounds like you had fun and so glad to see this review. I booked this morning for my cousin and I in June of this year. This will be my 10th on Carnival but my cousins first on Carnival. Sounds like she will not be disappointed. Thanks for the post!

[snr1293]

Thanks for the review! We are leaving on the Paradise on April 18th!

 

Do you have to buy the Internet package for each person, or can we buy one and use it for everyone?

[Virginiacruiser126]

We just connected on one device and the kids could log in to their various social media accounts. We could only have one device connected at a time.

[Jay Sam]

Thanks for the great review of Paradise. I sailed on her in Dec and had a wonderful time. Didn't know what to expect as I have heard some negative comments about Fantasy class in general. I loved it. Nice staff, great food and easy to navigate the ship. I liked the nautical theme of the ship. Nice sized cabin too.

[The Sandrews]

First off, thank you for posting this great information....my husband and I are going on May 11 and it's our first cruise!

 

I'm wondering how dressed up the men get for formal night. Ever since we moved to Tampa, my husband has avoided Jackets and ties. Is it necessary for him to wear a jacket and tie? Did the majority of men do so?

 

Thank you in advance!

[Jenhem31]

First off, thank you for posting this great information....my husband and I are going on May 11 and it's our first cruise!

 

 

 

I'm wondering how dressed up the men get for formal night. Ever since we moved to Tampa, my husband has avoided Jackets and ties. Is it necessary for him to wear a jacket and tie? Did the majority of men do so?

 

 

 

Thank you in advance!

 

 

Your hubby does not need a jacket or tie.

[theriac]

First off, thank you for posting this great information....my husband and I are going on May 11 and it's our first cruise!

 

I'm wondering how dressed up the men get for formal night. Ever since we moved to Tampa, my husband has avoided Jackets and ties. Is it necessary for him to wear a jacket and tie? Did the majority of men do so?

 

Thank you in advance!

 

Isn't that a great perk of living in the bay area? The nice restaurants here in Pinellas by the beaches have a dress code like the Carnival buffets and I love it!

 

As to your question though it's hit or miss. I've been on some sailings where 75% had jackets and some where maybe 20% had them. As long as he has on khakis/slacks and a button down shirt he will be fine.

 

OP thanks for the review. I'm leaving on the Paradise in 7 days for a 4 day getaway. I wasn't planning on taking a cruise before my trip to Alaska in June, but I figured I'd take my mom for mothers day this year as I won't see her for a long time once I move to Asia later this year. How we're the daily activities on this ship? I don't really enjoy sunbathing or pools so I tend to go to trivia and the different games the entertainment staff hosts.

 

Also did they have the Carnival Quest? It's the adult themed "scavenger hunt" and if I can get away from mom I always enjoy it. I'd hate to let her see her baby boy not being so innocent for the sake of entertainment(that's why my porn career unfortunately hasn't worked out ;) )

 

I love these quick 4/5 day trips and fortunately living 30 minutes from this port makes it very tempting to enjoy a long weekend on board a "fun ship"

[BeautifulDisaster30]

Starting to get a little nervous lol I keep reading so really NOT so good reviews about paradise, should I have book another ship:confused:

[sjn911]

Thanks for the review...I so hope as the newest Fantasy Class ship, they keep her up and do the extras she needs....although the old mirror/sink set up is better than new bath one that is being done for storage...I am just so glad you all had fin on Paradise...she is a special one of a special era..she was depicting some things of a time way before her in a fun Carnival way..thanks for sharing her positive points..I want to go on Elation too..to have been on those two with certain style like the deco railing look I love in atrium etc.

[Virginiacruiser126]

We found people were fairly dressed down. My husband just wore dress slacks and a dress shirt formal night but no tie. Saw some people in the dining room in polos with khakis as well!

 

Hope you have a great time!!

[silver44108]

Hi!!

 

I'm a long time lurker of cruise critic first logging on to my mother's account and finally created my own for my most recent cruise with husband and stepchildren (23, 15, 15).

 

My last cruise prior to this trip was in 2010 on a Greek Isles cruise and a lot had changed since then!

 

Won't post a blow by blow review but did want to include some of my thoughts/observations:

 

-Faster to the Fun: WORTH EVERY PENNY. We had two cabins (kids in an interior cabin across the hall from our ocean view) but even having to purchase for both cabins is was $100 well spent. Boarding seemed to be delayed in Tampa but was glad we were able to make it on earlier than most and go straight to our cabin. Also loved getting our bags before we even left the port. The priority tendering was extremely helpful as we had a tour of stingray city booked with a private vendor. There was some confusion about where to go for the tendering. The written paper in our room said the America Bar but Guest Services said Leonardo Lounge. Another paper delivered to our room later did say Leonardo and had set departure times (8:00, 8:20, 8:40, 9:00, 9:20, and 9:40). When we arrived at Leonardo no one was there at 10 minutes til 8 so I asked one of the cruise director's staff team members and he thought it was America Bar but radioed and confirmed it was the Leonardo Lounge. They took us down and straight onto the first tender off of the ship. I also used the priority line at guest services a few times. I loved being able to get helped immediately but got shot dirty looks every time I was helped because there wasn't a dedicated staff member at that position. Instead they left the main line to come over to help me. Debarkation was also a breeze. We waited in the Queen Mary lounge until a staff member came and escorted us down a side hallway and right to the line to leave the ship. I will ALWAYS purchase this option if it's available.

 

Cheers Program - My husband, stepdaughter, and I all purchased. We definitely came out ahead on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 5 of the package. We had to work a little harder on the two days we were in port but we all enjoyed being able to order what we wanted. It also allowed my stepdaugther and I to try new drinks (martinis mainly) because we weren't worried we'd waste money if we didn't like something. I think the most drinks we had in a day were 11 or 12. We never hit our 15 drink max although we did encounter passengers who had hit their max and were cut off and weren't very happy. I will admit by Day 5 we were having to work to break even as we were all sort of tired of drinking at that point! Also, they did run out of some drink options early on. My stepdaughter and I are Angry Orchard drinkers and that seemd to go quickly. Not a big deal as we just switched to Bud Lite Lime but did notice a few other brands not being available as the week went on.

 

The Ship - Paradise was definitely showing her age a bit. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the ship and the excellent staff. I did miss some of the bells and whistles of some of the larger/newer ships I've sailed on in the past but this was the kids' first cruise so the smaller ship made it easier for us to keep track of each other. The staff were all extremely friendly. Our wait staff team (Sergio, Diana, and Ivan) were excellent and our room stewards (Marvin for my husband and I, Riggoberto for the kids) were also great!! The bartenders and other staff we encountered were always friendly and seemed to take a lot of pride in their work and the ship.

 

Social Internet Package - Paradise did have the social internet package. What a steal! $18 for the entire 5 day cruise. Wifi was strong and I loved being able to post things in real time on Facebook, keep up with news on Twitter, and was also able to iMessage my best friend/dog sitter and my mom through the cruise. I wasn't able to FaceTime or FaceTime audio but could keep up very easily with iMessage. I was extremely happy with this level of connectivity and the price couldn't be beat!

 

Club 02 - Our 15 year old twins LOVED the activities. I had never had any experience with the kids activities but was very impressed. The boys made friends quickly and it felt like we hardly saw them because they were busy with so many activities and all of their new friends. I felt perfectly comfortable giving the boys check in times and curfews and they talked about dodgeball games, dance parties, and scavenger hunts as just a few of the activities they enjoyed.

 

Cruising over Spring Break - We knew what we were getting into crusing at Spring Break as we were obviously there with kids ourselves. We did notice that some other cruisers didn't seem to control their children as well as we would have hoped. We talked with our boys a lot about not talking in the hallways after certain hours, not running from place to place, etc but other people seemed to have skipped that convo. We heard small children running down the halls at all hours of the night and parents yelling after them or at times I'd open the door to see packs of very young children (younger than my kids) running up and down corridors with no parent in site. I also observed a lot of people in the Lido Deck buffet area in swim suits with no cover up. I observed one staff member tell a mom in a very tiny bikini she couldn't be in the area without a cover up and she said "yeah ok I'll remember next time" and he asked her again to please go put a cover up on now and she just ignored him and kept serving herself. I was a little grossed out seeing so many barefooted people in the buffet "letting it all hang out" while serving themselves food......I'd like to see Carnival enforce this policy more strictly.

 

Grand Cayman - I had been to Stingray City before with Nativeway and tried to book with them but they were already booked. We took Capt. Marvin this time and were just has happy as we were with Nativeway. It was very easy to walk to the office from the cruise terminal. The Capt. Marvin's team was great. Super friendly. It was a bit of a cluster trying to get our photos with the stingrays. The photos came out great and we did purchase the $50 CD with the images.

 

Cozumel - On past visits I had always shopped and wandered around near the port. This time the kids wanted to go to the beach. We selected Paradise Beach and were very happy with our choice. $21 each way in a van. We were met by a staff member and bought our $3 wristbands for chairs and umbrellas. We also purchased the $15 acquatic park bands for the two boys. They had a blast playing on all of the inflatables. We easily spent the $10 per person minimum on food and drink. Thomas helped our family and I saw he and many staff members literally RUNNING after delivering food or drinks. Those guys were hustling. My stepdaughter and I chose to sit in loungers in the pool while my husband stayed with the boys on the beach. Thomas kept track of our family in both locations. Wouldn't hesitate to chose Paradise Beach again. We enjoyed talking to cruisers from several other ships as well.

 

Please let me know if you have any other questions!! Happy to provide any other info that I can. Also, thanks to this board from the tip on the Kiss on the Lips. I had never tried it before and was hooked!!!!

I am cruising on the Paradise June 13th and have a couple of question. What is the Social Internet Package? What time were you able to board with the Faster to the Fun?

[dioxide45]

I am cruising on the Paradise June 13th and have a couple of question. What is the Social Internet Package? What time were you able to board with the Faster to the Fun?

 

The Social Internet Package is a package that allows you access to a very limited number of Social Networking sites, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. No access to news, email or other websites. It is $5 a day, or was $18 if you bought it for our whole 5 night cruise. Not sure of the price for a 4 night Paradise cruise.

Edited May 4, 2015 by dioxide45

[chilz822]

interesting about the internet package. i specifically asked about that when I booked our upcoming 5/30 trip and we were told we had to buy a per minute or block of time package..

i hope they have the Social pkg when we go

[theriac]

interesting about the internet package. i specifically asked about that when I booked our upcoming 5/30 trip and we were told we had to buy a per minute or block of time package..

i hope they have the Social pkg when we go

 

When did you book? This package was just added onto the ship during its last dry dock in February or March. Also some PVPs and Carnivals CSR don't always know what's on every ship.

[Virginiacruiser126]

Yes I was quite surprised to find the social package! I just happened to stop by the kiosk our first evening on board and saw $18 for the whole cruise. It worked extremely well.

 

For Faster to the Fun they seemed to be running behind the day we boarded. We checked in by 11. But sat in the holding area until after 12. I don't think we boarded until almost 12:30.

[isladonna]

Can you tell me where the muster drill is held? Outside or in theater?

Thanks!

 

 

Hi!!

 

I'm a long time lurker of cruise critic first logging on to my mother's account and finally created my own for my most recent cruise with husband and stepchildren (23, 15, 15).

 

My last cruise prior to this trip was in 2010 on a Greek Isles cruise and a lot had changed since then!

 

Won't post a blow by blow review but did want to include some of my thoughts/observations:

 

-Faster to the Fun: WORTH EVERY PENNY. We had two cabins (kids in an interior cabin across the hall from our ocean view) but even having to purchase for both cabins is was $100 well spent. Boarding seemed to be delayed in Tampa but was glad we were able to make it on earlier than most and go straight to our cabin. Also loved getting our bags before we even left the port. The priority tendering was extremely helpful as we had a tour of stingray city booked with a private vendor. There was some confusion about where to go for the tendering. The written paper in our room said the America Bar but Guest Services said Leonardo Lounge. Another paper delivered to our room later did say Leonardo and had set departure times (8:00, 8:20, 8:40, 9:00, 9:20, and 9:40). When we arrived at Leonardo no one was there at 10 minutes til 8 so I asked one of the cruise director's staff team members and he thought it was America Bar but radioed and confirmed it was the Leonardo Lounge. They took us down and straight onto the first tender off of the ship. I also used the priority line at guest services a few times. I loved being able to get helped immediately but got shot dirty looks every time I was helped because there wasn't a dedicated staff member at that position. Instead they left the main line to come over to help me. Debarkation was also a breeze. We waited in the Queen Mary lounge until a staff member came and escorted us down a side hallway and right to the line to leave the ship. I will ALWAYS purchase this option if it's available.

 

Cheers Program - My husband, stepdaughter, and I all purchased. We definitely came out ahead on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 5 of the package. We had to work a little harder on the two days we were in port but we all enjoyed being able to order what we wanted. It also allowed my stepdaugther and I to try new drinks (martinis mainly) because we weren't worried we'd waste money if we didn't like something. I think the most drinks we had in a day were 11 or 12. We never hit our 15 drink max although we did encounter passengers who had hit their max and were cut off and weren't very happy. I will admit by Day 5 we were having to work to break even as we were all sort of tired of drinking at that point! Also, they did run out of some drink options early on. My stepdaughter and I are Angry Orchard drinkers and that seemd to go quickly. Not a big deal as we just switched to Bud Lite Lime but did notice a few other brands not being available as the week went on.

 

The Ship - Paradise was definitely showing her age a bit. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the ship and the excellent staff. I did miss some of the bells and whistles of some of the larger/newer ships I've sailed on in the past but this was the kids' first cruise so the smaller ship made it easier for us to keep track of each other. The staff were all extremely friendly. Our wait staff team (Sergio, Diana, and Ivan) were excellent and our room stewards (Marvin for my husband and I, Riggoberto for the kids) were also great!! The bartenders and other staff we encountered were always friendly and seemed to take a lot of pride in their work and the ship.

 

Social Internet Package - Paradise did have the social internet package. What a steal! $18 for the entire 5 day cruise. Wifi was strong and I loved being able to post things in real time on Facebook, keep up with news on Twitter, and was also able to iMessage my best friend/dog sitter and my mom through the cruise. I wasn't able to FaceTime or FaceTime audio but could keep up very easily with iMessage. I was extremely happy with this level of connectivity and the price couldn't be beat!

 

Club 02 - Our 15 year old twins LOVED the activities. I had never had any experience with the kids activities but was very impressed. The boys made friends quickly and it felt like we hardly saw them because they were busy with so many activities and all of their new friends. I felt perfectly comfortable giving the boys check in times and curfews and they talked about dodgeball games, dance parties, and scavenger hunts as just a few of the activities they enjoyed.

 

Cruising over Spring Break - We knew what we were getting into crusing at Spring Break as we were obviously there with kids ourselves. We did notice that some other cruisers didn't seem to control their children as well as we would have hoped. We talked with our boys a lot about not talking in the hallways after certain hours, not running from place to place, etc but other people seemed to have skipped that convo. We heard small children running down the halls at all hours of the night and parents yelling after them or at times I'd open the door to see packs of very young children (younger than my kids) running up and down corridors with no parent in site. I also observed a lot of people in the Lido Deck buffet area in swim suits with no cover up. I observed one staff member tell a mom in a very tiny bikini she couldn't be in the area without a cover up and she said "yeah ok I'll remember next time" and he asked her again to please go put a cover up on now and she just ignored him and kept serving herself. I was a little grossed out seeing so many barefooted people in the buffet "letting it all hang out" while serving themselves food......I'd like to see Carnival enforce this policy more strictly.

 

Grand Cayman - I had been to Stingray City before with Nativeway and tried to book with them but they were already booked. We took Capt. Marvin this time and were just has happy as we were with Nativeway. It was very easy to walk to the office from the cruise terminal. The Capt. Marvin's team was great. Super friendly. It was a bit of a cluster trying to get our photos with the stingrays. The photos came out great and we did purchase the $50 CD with the images.

 

Cozumel - On past visits I had always shopped and wandered around near the port. This time the kids wanted to go to the beach. We selected Paradise Beach and were very happy with our choice. $21 each way in a van. We were met by a staff member and bought our $3 wristbands for chairs and umbrellas. We also purchased the $15 acquatic park bands for the two boys. They had a blast playing on all of the inflatables. We easily spent the $10 per person minimum on food and drink. Thomas helped our family and I saw he and many staff members literally RUNNING after delivering food or drinks. Those guys were hustling. My stepdaughter and I chose to sit in loungers in the pool while my husband stayed with the boys on the beach. Thomas kept track of our family in both locations. Wouldn't hesitate to chose Paradise Beach again. We enjoyed talking to cruisers from several other ships as well.

 

Please let me know if you have any other questions!! Happy to provide any other info that I can. Also, thanks to this board from the tip on the Kiss on the Lips. I had never tried it before and was hooked!!!!

[theriac]

The muster drill was held inside and outside when I cruised in mid May.

 

They start in a theater and then bring everyone to where your station is.

[isladonna]

[

 

QUOTE=theriac;46794974]The muster drill was held inside and outside when I cruised in mid May.

 

They start in a theater and then bring everyone to where your station is.

 

Thank you! Come on June 27th :)