Just off Elation and Dream...Any questions?

[Wheels87]

My family and I just returned from 5 days on the Elation and 7 days on the Dream and I would be happy to answer any questions.

 

Thanks!

 

Brad

[cruisexlife]

1) Did you stay in a hotel before/between/or after the cruises? We found a Crowne Plaza in the French Quarter. Is that a good place to be? What should be seen in the city?

 

2) Is the embarkation/debarkation a mess? I've heard different stories.

 

3) When you are sailing down the Mississippi, does your cell phone still connect to local service (no charge), or the ship's?

 

4) In Progreso, did you do an excursion? Which one did you do?

 

5) Is there a problem with long lines or no chairs on Elation?

 

Thank you so much in advance :D

[Wheels87]

1) Did you stay in a hotel before/between/or after the cruises? We found a Crowne Plaza in the French Quarter. Is that a good place to be? What should be seen in the city?

 

2) Is the embarkation/debarkation a mess? I've heard different stories.

 

3) When you are sailing down the Mississippi, does your cell phone still connect to local service (no charge), or the ship's?

 

4) In Progreso, did you do an excursion? Which one did you do?

 

5) Is there a problem with long lines or no chairs on Elation?

 

Thank you so much in advance :D

 

Great questions!

 

1. Since we live on the gulf coast of Mississippi (only 1 hour and twenty minutes from the port), we did not stay in a hotel. There are several nice hotels in the French quarter, although I cannot specifically comment on the Crowne Plaza. I can say that the French quarter is just down the street from the cruise terminal and it would take about two minutes by taxi to get there.

 

2. I have sailed out of New Orleans many times and I can honestly say that this was by far the smoothest embarkation/debarkation experience that I have ever had. They were very well organized. The parking garage was easily accessible and since we arrived fairly early (around 10:00 am both times), we got an excellent parking spot. We had FTTF for both cruises and it was clear that the personnel working in the terminal were very serious about maintaining order and ensuring that things proceeded in an orderly manner. We were guided to a special screening lane, escorted to the FTTF check-in line, which was being taken ahead of the general line, and then were directed to sit in certain rows while waiting to board. Wedding parties were boarded first, followed by Diamond/Platinum, followed by FTTF, followed by guests needing assistance, then the standard boarding. They did this exactly the same for both cruises and we were on both ships by 11:30am. We chose self-assist debarkation for both cruises and received a letter in our stateroom the day before directing us to wait in a certain lounge by a certain time. That time was about an hour earlier for the Dream than the Elation. We were led to the gangway and were one of the first vehicles out of the garage. In fact, this morning on the Dream, we witnessed two couples try to crash the FTTF debarkation party who entered the waiting area after being told not to. Shortly thereafter, the lady there came over once again and told them to kindly go wait in the proper area. It took a little convincing, but I was pleased that they indeed left.

 

3. Cell phone service down the Mississippi is hit-or-miss. You will stay connected to the local towers for several hours, but after a while, the signal is too intermittent to really be useful. Just for the record, we have Sprint. Also, be sure to contact your cell phone service provider and turn on international use if you plan to use the ships signal to send texts or place/receive calls. It is $0.50 to send a text and $0.15 to receive one. I think calls are $2.99 per minute as well.

 

4. We did not take an excursion in Progreso. We simply took a taxi to "Corona Beach." The taxi was $20 each way. In the past, my family have taken the excursion to Uxmal and really loved it. If you are a drinker, it is also great to hang out at Mr. Sol International Fun Bar, which is located in the shopping area that is just off the ship. Please say hi to Felix for me!

 

5. Being an early riser, I have never had a problem acquiring a deck chair on any cruise ship. By early riser, I mean that I typically wake up by 5:00 am and am sitting in my chair by 6:00 am. I follow all the rules regarding reserving chairs and spend the majority of the sea day lounging by the pool. Just like any cruise, there can be lines at the buffet during peak meal times and I didn't notice them to be longer than any other ship.

 

I hope these answers help and that you enjoy your Elation Vacation.

 

Good Luck!

[katiel53]

We were on Dream 2 weeks ago and stayed one night pre-cruise at the Hampton Inn on Carondolet (sp). We had rented a car and my son dropped me and my grand-daughter off with all the luggage and he and his wife returned the car. The traffic going to the port at about 10AM was horrendous.

 

It was much easier to get out of the port than into it. They dropped the car off and got back to the ship by the car rental shuttle about 10:30 and I guess there was a huge line to board, but they had FTTF so were ushered right onto the ship. I don't think they said it took more than 5 minutes from when they got out of the shuttle and were on the ship.

 

We stayed 2 nights post cruise at the JW Marriott which is close to the French Quarter. The cab fare was $7 per person so a total of $28 without a tip. The cab fare from the hotel to the airport was $56 for the 4 of us as the fare is per person.

 

Although I thought that was a lot, we still tipped the driver $24 because she picked us up at 3:30 AM as our flight left at 5:30. The doorman at the hotel arranged for her to come into the hotel to talk to us as we were checking in and she agreed to pick us up and texted my daughter-in-law to confirm.

 

We had a great time in NOLA and am so looking forward to being there again in October on the 2nd leg of the Dream Journeys trip.

[Kreader]

Hi, Just a few questions:

1. Did you get robes in your cabin?

2. Did you have the Fun Times delivered to your cabin at night?

3. Did you ever go hear the band in the Ocean Plaza? If so,what was the name of the band and how was it?

Thanks for any answers! Kendra

[coevan]

As leaving NOLA takes several hours, what time does the casino open?

[Wheels87]

Hi, Just a few questions:

1. Did you get robes in your cabin?

2. Did you have the Fun Times delivered to your cabin at night?

3. Did you ever go hear the band in the Ocean Plaza? If so,what was the name of the band and how was it?

Thanks for any answers! Kendra

 

1. Did not get robes, but I understood that they were available, if requested.

 

2. Yes, the Fun Times was delivered every evening when the stateroom was cleaned.

 

3. There were several individual performers in the Ocean Plaza as well as a group called "Take Two."

 

I hope this helps!

 

Brad

[Wheels87]

As leaving NOLA takes several hours, what time does the casino open?

 

I am terribly sorry, but I honestly didn't notice. It did seem like it opened rather early after the sail away. Also, we were in the southwest pass of the Mississippi River as of 10:00pm on the last night, yet, the Fun Times said that the Texas Hold'em players were meeting at 11:00pm, so it was open at least some point in the river.

 

Thanks for the great questions!

 

Brad

[BigB0882]

The casino opens within an hour of leaving port. You do not have to wait until you hit the Gulf, no matter what people will tell you. I have sailed on Elation once and the Dream twice and it has always been the same.

[coevan]

I heard 7-8 hours to open water, which would put the casino opening at midnight. Allowing the casino to open early would be nice

[angiem0217]

I am looking at booking the dream during spring break. How packed was the waterslide and pool area during your trip?

Did you like the size and layout of the dream?

What room did you stay in? We are looking at a balcony but some have said they do not like looking down at the track that goes around deck 5.

[Podna's]

I heard 7-8 hours to open water, which would put the casino opening at midnight. Allowing the casino to open early would be nice

 

 

As stated above, the casino opened up within an hour of leaving New Orleans on my last few cruises from there. Did not wait till we hit the Gulf.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Podna's

[Singer4Him]

We are looking at a balcony but some have said they do not like looking down at the track that goes around deck 5.

 

Have you considered a cove balcony? These are located only on deck 2 so you're right close to the water. From what I've heard the balconies are slightly larger than the regular balconies. We've got one booked for both of our upcoming cruises and I can't wait to experience them. :)

[YubaSutter]

My family and I just returned from 5 days on the Elation and 7 days on the Dream and I would be happy to answer any questions.

 

Thanks!

 

Brad

 

Is Chef Vaz still the Chef du Cuisine on the Dream?

[Purvis1231]

The casino opens within an hour of leaving port. You do not have to wait until you hit the Gulf, no matter what people will tell you. I have sailed on Elation once and the Dream twice and it has always been the same.

 

Riverboat gambling is legal in Louisiana so there is no problem with the casino being open while transiting the Mississippi River.

[Wheels87]

I am looking at booking the dream during spring break. How packed was the waterslide and pool area during your trip?

Did you like the size and layout of the dream?

What room did you stay in? We are looking at a balcony but some have said they do not like looking down at the track that goes around deck 5.

 

Of course, during the sea days, there were a lot of people around and in both pools. Honestly, the water slides weren't that bad. During peak times, the longest wait that we experienced was only a few minutes. Personally, I like to hang out and sip beer back by the aft pool, which is usually less crowded than the main Lido pool.

 

My family had two balcony staterooms on deck 11. My wife and I were in 11273 and my children were in 11235 (a spa stateroom). The Lanai deck (deck 5) is far enough down that it didn't bother us at all. In 11273, we were pretty close to the deck 11 pool chairs and ping pong table and we could hear a little noise at times, but nothing too bad. Overall, we were very happy with out stateroom selections.

 

Good luck with your trip!

[Wheels87]

Is Chef Vaz still the Chef du Cuisine on the Dream?

 

Honestly, I usually pay close attention to those types of details, but this time I did not. I'm terribly sorry.

 

Brad

[cruisexlife]

Great questions!

 

1. Since we live on the gulf coast of Mississippi (only 1 hour and twenty minutes from the port), we did not stay in a hotel. There are several nice hotels in the French quarter, although I cannot specifically comment on the Crowne Plaza. I can say that the French quarter is just down the street from the cruise terminal and it would take about two minutes by taxi to get there.

 

2. I have sailed out of New Orleans many times and I can honestly say that this was by far the smoothest embarkation/debarkation experience that I have ever had. They were very well organized. The parking garage was easily accessible and since we arrived fairly early (around 10:00 am both times), we got an excellent parking spot. We had FTTF for both cruises and it was clear that the personnel working in the terminal were very serious about maintaining order and ensuring that things proceeded in an orderly manner. We were guided to a special screening lane, escorted to the FTTF check-in line, which was being taken ahead of the general line, and then were directed to sit in certain rows while waiting to board. Wedding parties were boarded first, followed by Diamond/Platinum, followed by FTTF, followed by guests needing assistance, then the standard boarding. They did this exactly the same for both cruises and we were on both ships by 11:30am. We chose self-assist debarkation for both cruises and received a letter in our stateroom the day before directing us to wait in a certain lounge by a certain time. That time was about an hour earlier for the Dream than the Elation. We were led to the gangway and were one of the first vehicles out of the garage. In fact, this morning on the Dream, we witnessed two couples try to crash the FTTF debarkation party who entered the waiting area after being told not to. Shortly thereafter, the lady there came over once again and told them to kindly go wait in the proper area. It took a little convincing, but I was pleased that they indeed left.

 

3. Cell phone service down the Mississippi is hit-or-miss. You will stay connected to the local towers for several hours, but after a while, the signal is too intermittent to really be useful. Just for the record, we have Sprint. Also, be sure to contact your cell phone service provider and turn on international use if you plan to use the ships signal to send texts or place/receive calls. It is $0.50 to send a text and $0.15 to receive one. I think calls are $2.99 per minute as well.

 

4. We did not take an excursion in Progreso. We simply took a taxi to "Corona Beach." The taxi was $20 each way. In the past, my family have taken the excursion to Uxmal and really loved it. If you are a drinker, it is also great to hang out at Mr. Sol International Fun Bar, which is located in the shopping area that is just off the ship. Please say hi to Felix for me!

 

5. Being an early riser, I have never had a problem acquiring a deck chair on any cruise ship. By early riser, I mean that I typically wake up by 5:00 am and am sitting in my chair by 6:00 am. I follow all the rules regarding reserving chairs and spend the majority of the sea day lounging by the pool. Just like any cruise, there can be lines at the buffet during peak meal times and I didn't notice them to be longer than any other ship.

 

I hope these answers help and that you enjoy your Elation Vacation.

 

Good Luck!

 

Thanks so much for all of this help! Really appreciated :D

 

Another quick question: Is Elation showing any signs of wear? Dirty spaces between shower tiles, dirty hallway corners, outdated décor, etc? Everyone who would be going has cruised before, except one has only cruised Royal and Norwegian, and I want to make sure he enjoys himself.

 

Thank you so much! :D

[QNTMLPR]

I have at&t and if I am outside I can get 4G LTE reception until after we pass thru Venice and regular 4G reception almost to the mouth of the river. That's usually about when the cellular at sea service is turned on.

[bakersdozen12]

On the Dream, was your S&S card prepunched? Just curious. I know that John Heald had posted pics of cards that were prepunched and I'm wondering if Carnival has officially made the switch or if they are just testing them out on some ships. Thanks in advance!

[Wheels87]

Yes, the Elation is showing all the signs of wear that you mentioned. Generally, I don't really pay too much attention to that kind of stuff, however, since I essentially got off the Elation and then got on the Dream three days later, it was definitely more noticeable. I will say that it in now way interfered with my vacation at all.

 

If your friend has sailed Royal Caribbean and NCL, make sure they understand that the Elation is one of the oldest and smallest ships in the fleet and is not really representative of most of the Carnival ships. If you have ever been on a Fantasy class ship, then you know how small everything is, which also makes it easy to get around, so that could be considered a plus to some folks.

 

Good luck!

[NavarreCruiser]

On the Dream your Cruise Director should have been Hennie and on the Elation it should have been Brandon. We know both these guys, give us your take on their performance.

[Wheels87]

On the Dream your Cruise Director should have been Hennie and on the Elation it should have been Brandon. We know both these guys, give us your take on their performance.

 

They were both great! Brandon was a solid cruise director and Hennie was fantastic! I have seen that he has gotten mixed reviews, but we really enjoyed his humor and he seemed to be everywhere!

[Saint Greg]

1) Did you stay in a hotel before/between/or after the cruises? We found a Crowne Plaza in the French Quarter. Is that a good place to be? What should be seen in the city?

 

 

 

2) Is the embarkation/debarkation a mess? I've heard different stories.

 

 

 

3) When you are sailing down the Mississippi, does your cell phone still connect to local service (no charge), or the ship's?

 

 

 

4) In Progreso, did you do an excursion? Which one did you do?

 

 

 

5) Is there a problem with long lines or no chairs on Elation?

 

 

 

Thank you so much in advance :D

 

 

#3 check my location and cell signal...for AT&T

 

 

Edited August 14, 2015 by Saint Greg

[angiem0217]

We're there plenty of deck chairs by the waterslide? I know that is where my son will want to stay most of the time