Carnival elation questions

[Cruisegirl6]

Hello, I realize the Elation is a very old ship but just booked her up to get away for my birthday next year and the fact Jax port is only 35 minutes away.

 

Can anybody give us any info about this ship, positive/negative? We love the Fascination because she has balcony cabins but they changing the ship to the Elation next year and curious whether we should cancel or go, thank you.

[etwright]

Elation was our first cruise. We absolutely loved it. But it was back in 2006. The Elation is responsible for getting us addicted to cruising. :D:D:D

[portocaller]

are'nt going until July but I do think it is prettier than the Fascination Without the balconies put on.

[BigB0882]

She was my first cruise and we really had a good time. She is older but she wasn't horribly aged looking or anything. I have since been on the Dream and it was just bigger, not necessarily better. I will say the layout is a bit more confusing on the Elation and took more time to figure out but that could have been because it was my first cruise.

[Cruisegirl6]

Ok, so it sounds like I am going! :)

[mike_ga]

Her decor is/was nicer than Fascination except for the pink scrolls around the elevators and the horrible red and yellow around the Lido pool. She does not have waterworks, so there is still the round pool on her top deck aft, which is nice. She has not undergone refurbishment in quite some time and her staterooms show it. Stained dirty looking walls, tiled bathrooms whose grout seems to be holding onto the smell of drunkenly ill-aimed urine of cruisers past.

 

She's scheduled for dry dock at the end of this year, so hopefully it will address some of these issues.

 

I seriously think Elation will be the first fantasy class ship to leave the carnival fleet and I expect her to be in JAX for only a short time.

 

There is allegedly more news about the dancing of the ships to be released next week that will affect the the west coast and hopefully Tampa and Jacksonville, While the Dames Point Bridge prevents anything larger than a Fantasy Class ship from porting in JAX, Tampa could easily get a Triumph or Spirit class ship and hopefully send Paradise (who oddly is Elation's sister) to JAX.

 

Hopefully the May port will be redeveloped and larger ships will be able to sail from there in the near future.

 

With Charleston getting an upgrade to Ecstasy next year (despite the citizen committees trying to shut down the cruise port), I see no reason why JAX, which is a popular venue for short cruises and one of the most highly rated ports, being stuck with what is arguably the worst ship in the fleet on a long term basis.

[Cruisegirl6]

That be wonderful if they change the Elation to a better ship. ;)

[SadieN]

....,,,,,,,

 

 

 

I seriously think Elation will be the first fantasy class ship to leave the carnival fleet ..........

 

 

Why?

 

She's the youngest of her class and her Azipods are more efficient than the other ships in her class (except the Azipoded Paradise)

Edited May 17, 2015 by SadieN

[mike_ga]

Why?

 

She's the youngest of her class and her Azipods are more efficient than the other ships in her class (except the Azipoded Paradise)

 

She's gotten the least amount of attention from Carnival, even Fantasy, who is 8 years her senior, has been better taken care of. It seems as though Elation is the "red headed step child" of the fleet.

[mskillern]

We have cruised on the Elation 4 times. I think she's a nice ship but I don't want to sail her again. Four times is enough for me. With so many ships to choose from I think there are others that we can get to.

We are driving to Galveston in November to cruise on the Freedom. We are really excited.

I see nothing to keep you from cruising on the Elation. We have had a great time each time!!

[mzloolue]

I have cruised Elation 6 times.

The last time was last May.

 

My opinion is that Elation is not all that old.

It is not in poor condition.

And it is actually the prettiest of the Fantasy class that I have been on.

[Purvis1231]

We have sailed on this ship several times. She is a great ship. I believe she is 25 years old, not at all old for a ship. She is well maintained and the crew is very nice and friendly.

[v3cruiser]

The Elation is a great ship. The only negative i have when i sailed her were the two nites we had to wait to get seated inthe mdr. One wait lasted 40 mins and when we walked in there were over 20 tables completely empty. The service was great. Lack of service in sereinty area. No 2.0 but we still had alot of fun and the crew was great.

[mzloolue]

A fond memory of Elation that I have is getting onboard, eating lunch and then heading for the serenity deck.

She was docked so that the serenity deck was shaded by the bridge.

I was tired from life, work, the mad rush of getting things at home ready to leave, and driving to New Orleans.

I laid there and watched cars going by on the bridge feeling glad that I would not have to be driving to work for a while.

Then I fell asleep for an hour.

That's big fun for me.:)

 

Another was being one of the first people onboard and being greeted in the atrium by a group of smiling crew members singing.

Corny, but really nice.

[jj244]

My biggest issue with ships like Elation where there have been violent murders on board is that you're never told what cabin the murder took place in.

 

http://www.cruiseshipdeaths.com/Cruise_Ship_Deaths/Shirley_McGill.html

[sseuorosal]

The Elation is responsible for getting us addicted to cruising.

[maldenmusic]

I love the ELation and will be taking my 7th cruise on her next month. Have boarded her in Mobile and NOLA. Sorry to see her leave NOLA to go to FL.

[KatieCharlotte]

My biggest issue with ships like Elation where there have been violent murders on board is that you're never told what cabin the murder took place in.

 

http://www.cruiseshipdeaths.com/Cruise_Ship_Deaths/Shirley_McGill.html

 

Maybe it's because (thanks to my job) I could point out half a dozen places in my city where violent murders have taken place, but this does not bother me in the slightest.

 

I have very fond feelings for the Elation, which I have sailed on twice this year. I enjoyed it both on a kids-free and kids-included cruise. As much as my kids might like the bells and whistles of a big ship, there's something to be said for a smaller ship that it's easy to navigate and get from one place to another quickly. The Elation had a little more fun outdoor space than the Sensation, with sports courts and giant chess, and plenty to keep my kids busy. I also prefer the Serenity deck in the back of the ship, protected from the wind and with an excellent view. I lived back there when I cruised without my children. I don't know if the dry dock will change things, but the Elation also had (as of April 2015), the old style pizza, which we prefer. The room décor was dated and worn, but that did not bother me and the atrium is beautiful.

[Cruisegirl6]

KatieCharlotte have to agree with you that doesn't concern me only because everything you do and go in this life has these things happening, you can't hide from them, but I won't allow it to make me not cruise.

 

When you say room decor dated what exactly does that mean because all the rooms on all the Carnival ships I been on so far look like the very same.

[KatieCharlotte]

KatieCharlotte have to agree with you that doesn't concern me only because everything you do and go in this life has these things happening, you can't hide from them, but I won't allow it to make me not cruise.

 

When you say room decor dated what exactly does that mean because all the rooms on all the Carnival ships I been on so far look like the very same.

 

The bathroom fixtures and tiling had some cracks and chips. More than I have seen on other ships, and I was in two different Elation inside cabins. They were the old style pale pink, and the lifejackets were in a box in the corner of the bedroom. When I sailed with my husband and three kids and the bed was set up as a king, I had to climb over my husband's legs to get to the bathroom. Also, no clothes line in the shower and no fridge. One room had a hairdryer and the other did not. However, there was lots of storage space, plenty even when I was cruising with three other adult women. And I did not feel that the public spaces on the ship seemed too worn or in need of repair. Everything looked nice to me, and I really loved the atrium.

Edited May 18, 2015 by KatieCharlotte

[Cruisegirl6]

How are the beds and pillows this is my main concern?

[justusfour2014]

We cruised on Fascination first, then Elation, Glory and Triumph next.

 

IMHO, Fascination was pretty, clean, and a great crew with upgrades. Only downside, we missed HMC bc of weather. BUT we still had a greatbtime so we booked Elation in the fall that year and took the grandparents.

 

We sailed Elation right after drydock. We were very disappointed after sailing on Fascination first. It's decor is loud and obnoxious, no upgrades and was in very much need of TLC. BUT it was the most memorable cruise we've had. Snorkeling for the first time with the grandparents - priceless.

 

This past March, the Glory. Worst cruise of the three but great upgrades, nice big ship. Fantasy class looks like a tugboat beside it.

 

Would we book a cruise on Elation again? No, and especially after it moves to Jacksonville - not fans of the Bahamas.

[tafische]

We like to do the Elation off and on. It is a nice change from the big boats. We are doing our 4th this fall on her. I find the atmosphere and crowds a little more laid back....shorter lines....and you get to know a lot more people. I also find the food better and the crew outstanding. I think they know they have to try harder because they are missing some of the amenities of the big boats.

Edited May 20, 2015 by tafische

[mzloolue]

How are the beds and pillows this is my main concern?

 

The beds are the same as the rest of the fleet.

If you like a hard mattress, then you will be happy.

Good for people who sleep on their back and not so good for people who sleep in their side.

 

The pillows seem to be an assortment.

Some are hard and some are softer.

 

The décor was mentioned above.

 

To me, Elation is the prettiest of the Carnival ships I have been on.

The atrium is classy with bronze and copper.

The buffet area is done in blue stained glass that they light up at night.

I like it a lot.

The Romeo and Juliette lounge is gorgeous.

 

The theater is fairly tasteful too. Kind of chinoiserie.

The main dining rooms are kind of generic.

 

The cabins are that same old orange.

Been there, seen that, no surprises, you know?

Edited May 20, 2015 by mzloolue

[disneyden]

How are the beds and pillows this is my main concern?

 

I am pretty picky about my mattress and pillows and I had no issues with the bedding on the Elation. If you need more pillows, just ask the steward. We have asked for extra pillows on most of our previous cruises and always got them very quickly.

As for the size and decor of the Elation:

I do prefer the bigger ships from Carnival's fleet, but there was nothing wrong with the Elation from what I can remember. I didn't have a problem with the decor. The service was great and the ship was very clean.

Around 20 of us are going on a family cruise on the Elation in October and I can't wait!! :)

Edited May 27, 2015 by disneyden