First time on "older" ship and Southern Caribbean thoughts.

[seannyice81]

I'm back from my cruise on Fascination last week. Had a great trip and made lots of great memories.

 

This was my first time on a Fantasy Class ship and Third time on the Southern Caribbean itinerary out of San Juan. I don't do reviews anymore but here's some thoughts from my cruise.

 

Carnival Fascination was... Great! For my first time on a smaller ship, I was impressed. To be honest, it didn't really feel 40,000 Gross Tons smaller than the Conquest Class ships I started out on. A good amount of public space. The only crowding issues I encountered was trying to walk to/from lido and the photos around the atrium, where the floor narrows. No biggie though. Parts of the ship did feel some dated, but the Joe Farcus decor wasn't too over the top. For a ship that entered service in 1994, it was in pretty good condition. Service this cruise was honestly the best I've ever experienced. Nathan and Kelvin in the Imagination Dining Room were outstanding. Rivian at the Stars Bar went out of his way to make little surprises for one of the children traveling in my party. All staff I interacted with were great people with awesome attitudes. Even the captain was the most personable I've experienced. Dare I say I liked this ship much more than most I've sailed, especially Vista. I frequently saw people cleaning the ship as well. Especially the stairs.

 

My cabin was M5. Main Deck, forward, starboard side, porthole cabin. Everything about the cabin was great, except for one thing. I was awaken every time we started to make/leave port. My steward, Bagus provided great service and was cool to joke around with.

 

My third time doing this itinerary and I still feel like I could do it again. I think it's best experienced with at least one sea day though. As much as I'd want to see Antigua or Dominica again, I think it's just a little too busy to have ports every day.

 

-St. Thomas- Took the ferry from Red Hook over to St. John. Hung out in Cruz and Trunk Bays. Even after all the devastation, St. John is my little slice of heaven.

-Sea Day- Behind the Fun tour with only 5 of us. Missed going out on the bow again, but no biggie.

-Barbados- Pirates Cove. Snorkeled with turtles and shipwrecks. The kids loved Pirates Cove. Wasn't a big fan of their cafeteria. NOT A FAN of the beach vendors who quarrel over who sells who what.

-St. Lucia- Cosol Tours. The order of stops had changed since I last tried them in 2013. Was a good tour, but felt a little too crammed towards the end.

-St. Kitts- Went to Carambola and Reggae Beach properties. Carambola was nice with a better beach, but Reggae was more fun.

-St. Maarten- Went to Rainforest Adventures and did all the zip-lines including the Flying Dutchman. Was very fun and had a spectacular view from the top of the mountain.

 

-San Juan- Pre-cruise we stayed at an Airbnb in Old San Juan. Portal Del Sol was nice and the hosts were very friendly. Only downside was no AC in common areas, only bedrooms. Not a big issue for us, but even with the fans going, air didn't move much. Lunch at Barrachina was good again, but it took a longer time to be served than previously. Post-cruise we bought a tour of San Juan for half the price of the ship excursion. We had a late flight and it was cool to explore a little more while our luggage stayed with the bus.

 

Overall, I really enjoyed this cruise and wouldn't hesitate to book it again. Same itinerary, same ship. If you're considering it, book it!

[Johnny60]

Thank you for that. We are sailing in December so it's good to know you enjoyed it. Can I just ask. On embarkation day, with it being so late were you able to dine in the dining room? In fact what time will we be able to start boarding for the 10 pm departure. Thank you.

 

 

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[Micahs Grandad]

Always wish more time in St Thomas to yield more time in St John.

 

Complicated to get to beach and dont get more than a couple of hours before we have to head back

[seannyice81]

Thank you for that. We are sailing in December so it's good to know you enjoyed it. Can I just ask. On embarkation day, with it being so late were you able to dine in the dining room? In fact what time will we be able to start boarding for the 10 pm departure. Thank you.

 

 

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Hey Johnny. We got to the terminal just before noon, checked in, and walked right onto the ship. No wait this time!

 

The dining room is open for dinner on embarkation day, but is only open seating because of the timing of muster (9-ish).

[seannyice81]

Always wish more time in St Thomas to yield more time in St John.

 

 

 

Complicated to get to beach and dont get more than a couple of hours before we have to head back

 

 

It does stink to have to cram it, but I can’t be that close to STJ and not go. Even if for a short while. I really do wish there was more time there. Now that they’re stopping at St. Maarten the next day on some upcoming itineraries, I don’t see why they couldn’t. I guess the casino and on-board spending dictates the port time though.

[Micahs Grandad]

It does stink to have to cram it, but I can’t be that close to STJ and not go. Even if for a short while. I really do wish there was more time there. Now that they’re stopping at St. Maarten the next day on some upcoming itineraries, I don’t see why they couldn’t. I guess the casino and on-board spending dictates the port time though.

 

They want the revenue on board so that will dictate how much time in St Thomas. and with rush hour traffic on St Thomas have to be careful to allow enough time to get back to the port

[dayday]

We will be doing this cruise in Nov. I have sailed on the Fascination when the ship was in Jacksonville and I loved it. Nice to hear you enjoyed your cruise,

We are thinking of taking the ferry from Red Hook to St. John just wondering do we need to take a taxi to ferry or can you walk from port?

[schazzy]

I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise! The Fascination was DH's first cruise and so far was his favorite! He loved the palm trees in the Lido restaurant and the old Hollywood and Art Deco themes around the ship. He would cruise on her again if it wasn't for that whole flying to get to her thing.

[louanne93]

I love the smaller ships! The service is AMAZING!! We are booked on the Panorama and I'm a little scared...

[Jdfireman]

Great review. Carnival are you watching... Time to build some new smaller ships

[salty dingo]

Great review. Carnival are you watching... Time to build some new smaller ships

I appreciate the review and especially agree with the new smaller ships comment!

 

Once there is nothing left but mega-ships, I fear my days Cruising the mass market lines will be over.

[travelbug4]

Thank you for your great review! We've started thinking about trying one of the smaller ships but wasn't sure what it would be like. This sounds amazing.

I was just looking at the Fascinations schedule and it looks like you can board in either San Juan or Barbados. I've never done a cruise where the passengers switch halfway through. I was just wondering what that was like. Or do you even notice a difference since there are so many people onboard?

[salty dingo]

Thank you for your great review! We've started thinking about trying one of the smaller ships but wasn't sure what it would be like. This sounds amazing.

I was just looking at the Fascinations schedule and it looks like you can board in either San Juan or Barbados. I've never done a cruise where the passengers switch halfway through. I was just wondering what that was like. Or do you even notice a difference since there are so many people onboard?

I have done this itinerary twice before, and did not notice the disembark/embark in Barbados. Maybe it was because we were off the ship on an excursion while it happened?

[sparks1093]

Thanks for your thoughts, definitely in our top three favorites.

[Sunquest4me73]

Fascination was our first ship and we will be doing the Southern itinerary February 2019 - thank you for the positive thoughts and feedback.

[Johnny60]

Hey Johnny. We got to the terminal just before noon, checked in, and walked right onto the ship. No wait this time!

 

The dining room is open for dinner on embarkation day, but is only open seating because of the timing of muster (9-ish).

 

Thanks for that. Thats good to know. You have answered all my questions and posted such a positive review.....thank you. So looking forward to it.

[JohnSpo]

I was on the Fascination cruise the week before your cruise. I also really enjoyed the cruise. For a small ship, Fascination was great, especially with the new bars and and new eateries. I thought it was very clean and the crew was great. This was an awesome ship for a port intensive itinerary. It was great getting on and off the ship with no lines all week. Glad you also had a great time.

[seannyice81]

We will be doing this cruise in Nov. I have sailed on the Fascination when the ship was in Jacksonville and I loved it. Nice to hear you enjoyed your cruise,

We are thinking of taking the ferry from Red Hook to St. John just wondering do we need to take a taxi to ferry or can you walk from port?

 

 

 

Hey there!

 

Yes, you will need to catch a cab from the port (Havensight) to Red Hook. It’s about a 20 min cab ride to/from.

 

There is a ferry that runs from the town center (walkable), but it’s much less frequent, takes a lot longer, and not as reliable. Stick to cabbing to/from Red Hook.

[seannyice81]

Thank you for your great review! We've started thinking about trying one of the smaller ships but wasn't sure what it would be like. This sounds amazing.

I was just looking at the Fascinations schedule and it looks like you can board in either San Juan or Barbados. I've never done a cruise where the passengers switch halfway through. I was just wondering what that was like. Or do you even notice a difference since there are so many people onboard?

 

 

 

Hey there!

 

The amount of people embarking/debarking in Barbados pales in comparison to San Juan. They’ll make announcements and do the whole thing for those leaving. That said, I bet it’s the easiest place to embark/debark with such a small amount of those joining the ship there. Cabin selection probably isn’t as good, but I’d consider it.

 

 

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[ricew001]

Hey there!

 

The amount of people embarking/debarking in Barbados pales in comparison to San Juan. They’ll make announcements and do the whole thing for those leaving. That said, I bet it’s the easiest place to embark/debark with such a small amount of those joining the ship there. Cabin selection probably isn’t as good, but I’d consider it.

 

 

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The difference for us was that we hung out in the piano bar every night so when we lost some "Regulars" and gained new people it was kind of like starting the cruise over - but it was really fun. That's my favorite itin too - or maybe tied with Alaska. That's so far. I still need to do a lot more itins to compare! :-)

[Jdfireman]

If your looking to try a smaller ship and easy port Paradise out of Tampa is the way to go. Just out of dry dock lots of new features and great staff

[seannyice81]

If your looking to try a smaller ship and easy port Paradise out of Tampa is the way to go. Just out of dry dock lots of new features and great staff

 

It's a possibility since it sails to Cuba and I haven't been there yet. We'll see what 2019 brings. :cool:

[Jay11221]

Can't wait I'll be going with my wife and our 7 year old son in August 2018! I hope the water park is a decent size

 

 

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[philbob84]

I love the Fantasy class ships. They do not feel crowded. Usually very well priced for a quick getaway.

[Joebucks]

I was on this ship the week after you. I agree with pretty much everything you said. The morning noise was annoying, and woke me up as well. It was a fantastic vacation that I hope to do again one day.