ELATED to finally cruise again…on the ELATION. A review!

[CeleBrat]

 

To cruise or not to cruise…that is the question. But since Carnival was sending me weekly emails with tempting prices, that I would mock-book and think “Ohhh…wouldn’t it be nice??”, I eventually caved when I came across a 5 day cruise on the Elation with 2 sea days and 2 ports we had never been to. And bonus, it left out of Port Canaveral, which is only an hour from our house!

 

So, after hemming and hawing, and debating the pros and cons (is it safe…what about Covid…?) I booked. Cruise total was $451 for a porthole cabin for the two of us. But low and behold, a magical pop-up window arrived when I reached the checkout page on the Carnival website, telling me that if I applied for the Carnival MasterCard, then I’d get $250 off the cruise I was currently booking.

 

My husband heard me gasp and then start laughing all the way in the other room! This cruise was meant to be! And now would only cost us $201!

 

I am normally an obsessive planner, but given that this cruise was a less than 6 weeks away, I decided to somewhat YOLO it. With very few plans, we counted down the days to our first cruise in 3 years.

 

As you all know, prior to cruising you must take a Covid test. This was my biggest worry of all. Although we were both triple vaccinated, and had managed to avoid the dreaded Covid monster, with my luck, I’d come down with it right before the cruise.

 

With 2 newly-purchased Binax At-Home tests, my husband and I spent a hilarious hour navigating through the downloading of the app, and actual taking of the test. As two 50-something people, we often make fun of one another for being “old”. And my husband demonstrated that in spades as he interacted with the Binax proctor online. He had trouble understanding the heavy accent of the proctor, so he kept saying very loudly “WHAT!?!” as if he were an elderly old man.

 

Despite my Covid worries, and my husband’s lack of understanding, we both passed with flying colors as NEGATIVE!

 

[CeleBrat]

Two days later, we found ourselves throwing the suitcases into the back of the car, and heading off toward the direction of Port Canaveral.

 

 

We never park at the pier, and this time was no exception. We used “Cruisetime Parking”, which offered to keep our car safe while we were away for $48. Deal!

 

The Cruisetime operation was very efficient. Several shuttles running back and forth between their lot and the pier. My husband loved the shuttle driver, as he was very folksy, and shared tips about the various ships in port. He also pointed out the big community-wide garage sale which caused the ladies in the shuttle to say “Ohhh…!!!”

 

There were no more than a dozen passengers in each one of the shuttles, so luggage wasn’t manhandled and needlessly stacked and squashed in the back of the shuttle.  

[CeleBrat]

Once at the port, check-in was very efficient. We had chosen 11-1130 arrival, and we arrived right at 11:15. A quick check of our boarding passes to get inside the terminal, followed by a check of our vaccination cards, Covid tests, boarding passes and passports once inside, followed by a third stop at the actual check-in counter. All total this took no more than 15 minutes.

 

While I’m not a fan of Covid, I am a fan of the efficiency it’s created!

 

Can I just share that I almost cried as I walked up the gangplank? It’s been such a long 18 months. I couldn’t believe I was ACTUALLY stepping foot onboard a cruise again. Albeit wearing a face mask. But still…

 

Here is the iconic moment when my foot stepped from land to ship…and when that distinctive cruise ship smell hit me.

 

We were on a CRUISE!!!

Edited November 19, 2021 by CeleBrat

[CeleBrat]

Once onboard, although we are Platinum, cabins were not available until 130pm. So we headed to the dreaded Muster Station “drill”, which was actually just a quick check-in at the Mikado Theater where they scanned our boarding passes, and hosted a 5 minute talk-through of “how to put on a life jacket”. 
 

 

Once again, although I was not a fan of Covid, I was a fan of the efficiency it created with the muster drill!

 

Following that, what more was there to do than to head to the Lido for the first taste of pure Carnival goodness: a Guy’s hamburger and fries. Is there anything better?

 

I texted my college-aged kids the above photo, and I couldn’t help but grin when my daughter texted back “Those cups are ICONIC Carnival!! That’s how you know you’re on their ship, and in the Lido!”

 

 

[CeleBrat]

A quick note about the Lido buffet: I am a huge fan of the Lido buffet desserts, as I love a good layered pastry, or petit for. But it seems as if they have changed the dessert offering so that it’s nothing but a variety of layer cakes, with chocolate cookies and jello as a stand-by. I was initially disappointed, but I discovered that the cakes were very good, being made from a variety of either chocolate or vanilla sponge cake covered in some sort of flavored buttercream icing. I don’t think I ever ate at the buffet without having at least 2 slices. 

 

*Don't judge, I’m on a cruise.

 

The operations manager in me also understands that it’s likely more cost efficient for them to crank out these standard sized cakes, versus all of the various desserts they used to have.

 

A quick photo montage of all of the gloriously delicious cakes we were presented with at the Lido this week…

[CeleBrat]

Also, for the Disney/Jungle Cruise fans out there:

 

”The back side of cake!”

 

 

An explanation: oddly the entire back side of the cake bar was open, as it was adjacent to the ice cream machines. So you got to see behind the counter of the hard-working cake slicers.

 

For those who (gasp) possibly don’t like cake as much as I do, rest assured that that jello, chocolate chip cookies, and soft-serve were also available at the Lido at lunch.

 

 

Dinnertime Lido desserts were much different…more on that later.

[MeganGC1983]

There’s my girl! My fav buffet dessert. I missed her on the Mardi Gras. I’ll see you soon sweetheart on the Horizon. 
 

And thank you for your review! 😉

[CeleBrat]

1 hour ago, MeganGC1983 said:

There’s my girl! My fav buffet dessert. I missed her on the Mardi Gras. I’ll see you soon sweetheart on the Horizon. 
 

And thank you for your review! 😉

Is that the Red Velvet?

[MeganGC1983]

23 minutes ago, CeleBrat said:

Is that the Red Velvet?

No it’s the birthday cheesecake. 😋

[Indytraveler83]

I'm following and enjoying the pictures so much!  The Elation was my first ship, when she sailed out of New Orleans. I'm excited to see how she's changed and how she's remained the same!

[RedbirdFLCruiser]

Thanks for the review! Looking forward to reading more and seeing more pictures, because we sail on the Elation on Monday! Like you, we live fairly close to the port. We're getting our Covid tests done today at Walgreens.

[obx_fintoo]

Wonderful start to your review!  We are boarding Elation on Monday and so excited to be returning after 700+ days!!!😎

[CeleBrat]

The rest of our first afternoon onboard was spent exploring the ship, and watching the sail away from an outside deck. Although this is a smaller ship, there are many outside decks along the sides of the ship where you can sit and enjoy the view.  My favorite were the 2 triangular-shaped aft balconies overlooking Serenity that could be accessed from the rear of the Lido buffet. Another favorite spot, if it wasn’t too windy, were the side balcony/walkways adjacent to the Lido buffet. 
 

[CeleBrat]

At 130 on-the-dot, we headed down to our cabin: M5 on the main deck. This specific cabin was an interior with port holes. So, all the benefits of an exterior/window cabin without the extra price.  M5 was the 3rd cabin from the front of the ship, so it was tucked away in a remote, quiet spot in the hallway. We loved the fact that there were no late-night runners or loud talkers, as NO ONE walked in our section of the hallway.
 

 

And, for an extra bonus, the portholes were super-recessed into the wall (due to the bow curve of the ship), creating a massive “window seat”. Two full-sized adults could comfortably sit there side-by-side. We joked that someone could also comfortably sleep up there, and had this been our cabin 10 yrs when our kids were little, they would have LIVED up there!

 

 

There was one drawback to the room…when sailing into a port, there was an insanely loud “lawn mower motor” type noise that would occur until the ship was docked. A stabilizer that was located below our cabin perhaps? 

[CeleBrat]

For sail away, we opted to sit on one of the exterior decks near the front of the ship on deck 10. It was nice and shaded, not-to-windy, and offered lots of “bench seating” in the form of those large white oversized benches that are actually used to store life jackets.
 

 

Sailing out of the Port Canaveral canal we passed a weirdly empty Harmony of the Seas, and the Carnival Mardi Gras. 

 

Horn tooting ensued, and the Mardi Gras blew us out of the water with their size!  

 

 

Edited November 21, 2021 by CeleBrat

[CeleBrat]

Is there any better feeling than watching the coastline of the United States recede in the distance at the start of a cruise? I think not! Especially when the coastline is also clouded up with storm clouds that you are sailing away from!
 

 

[Guest BasicSailor]

Enjoying reading your witful  review ! We can feel your excitement with every word.

[CeleBrat]

With sailaway well underway, we settled in to plan out our week.  Most importantly, we wanted to get familiar with the layout of the Carnival app.  In a nutshell, it’s a FABULOUS onboard app.  As much as I was an old-school, paper-edition, daily Capers person, the app has converted me!

 

The app is truly a one-stop technical tool to use while on a cruise.  Not only does it have menus and activities, but it also lists dress code, allows you to make My-Time dining reservations, and just has fun little banners for each day welcoming you to a new location or wishing you a fun day at sea.  I also loved that you could see the weather for entire cruise in a single snapshot.  And, you could “scroll ahead” to look at the next day’s (or entire cruise) menus and activities.  We loved it! 

 

 

 

In conjunction with app, we also purchased the deluxe internet plan for the week, primarily for my husband to use.  However, I loved to “steal” it from him when I needed to urgently update my social media feed.  I actually also attempted to begin this review while onboard, but the internet did not allow me to upload photos to this site.  

 

When logging into the internet, this is the screen you see when you’re about to steal from someone in your party.  It's also a cue to laugh deviously as you do so.
 

 

[CeleBrat]

With thorough menu research complete, we decided it was time for dinner.  We are long-time, early-dinner eaters.  But given the fact that we were traveling alone (without the kids, in-laws, or parents) we opted to give Anytime dining a try. I was skeptical, as I am a fan of having the same wait staff and table for every dinner.  And, we’d experience the “Freestyle Dining” on NCL, which also involves being placed on a wait list for a table.  But the waits were lengthy.

 

The app makes it very easy to submit your request for a table.  And, you are allowed to submit your preference regarding whether (or not) you’d be willing to share a table with others.  Not only does the app show an updated “estimated wait time”, but the app also allows you to be placed on the waiting list for dinner from ANYWHERE on the ship.  Then, once your table is ready, you receive an in-app notification to proceed to the dining room within 10 minutes.  
 

 

 

You are also given a table number through the app, so when arriving at the restaurant, you are seamlessly seated.  
 

We loved the simplicity of this, however we also realize that the ship was not full.  So, our daily less-than-10-minute wait times will not always be the norm.  As seen here, we often had an entire section to ourselves!
 

 

[CeleBrat]

Walking into the dining room and seeing the “US cities” bread plates made me smile.  Those plates are another one of those classic signs that  truly make you feel as if you are on a Carnival cruise!
 

 

The menu for the evening was as follows:

[CeleBrat]

We opted to try the quesadilla.  “Try” being the operative word.  There are black beans in that quesadilla you guys!!!!  That’s a big NO!!!

 

 

But the braised beef and caesar salads were spot-on!  And, despite my previous admittance of being a “cake lover”, dessert at this dinner was the best of the week: tiramisu!  I LOVE ME A GOOD TIRAMISU!!!  
 

 

 

It was so good, we popped up to the Lido deck to have a 2nd helping of it, but sadly the Lido featured a weird creamy tiramisu custard thing, which did not hold a candle to its dining room cousin. It didn’t even warrant a photo…

 

We were in-and-out of that dining room in 45 minutes, which seemed to be the norm for the entire week.  That’s what a half-full ship will do for you!

 

[CeleBrat]

For those who are interested in seeing the menus for some of the other venues, here they are, straight from the app!

 

Menus are *mostly* the same, with the Deli having a few new (to me?) options.

 

[CeleBrat]

DAY 2...at SEA

 

 

Before we begin, I neglected to share our sailing date:  Nov 13-18.  

 

I am an early riser due to a combination of a few things: 1) I am a very busy person so want to make the most out of my day and 2) My lower back really starts to ache after being in bed for a few hours.  Yes, even the super-comfy Carnival Comfort-brand beds...kills me starting at around 430am.

 

So, with an aching back and lots to do*, I left my sleeping husband behind and ventured up to the Lido deck for a peaceful breakfast.  Sensible oatmeal, healthy orange slices, and OH MY GOD THEY HAVE THOSE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS I LOVE!
 

*(Morgan Freeman voice) No, she actually did not have anything to do, at all.
 

 

I spent some excellent quiet time at a table overlooking the ocean, enjoying breakfast and reading.

 

I could not believe how smooth the ocean was.  Truly “like glass”.  
 

 

The ship was very quiet in the early morning hours, and even the crew members could be found taking a moment to enjoy the peace and quiet.
 

Edited November 21, 2021 by CeleBrat

[CeleBrat]

Eventually my husband woke up and joined me at trivia.  We played just about every trivia session while on this cruise, but am sad to say we never won.  We got close, several times, coming in 2nd by 1 point.  But, nope. 
 

 

Although I was sad to not have acquired a solid gold plastic coated ship-on-a-stick, I was surprised to find one already on our cruise shelf when we returned home.  Apparently, we had sailed on the ELATION once before.*

 

 

*It’s a sign of cruise MANIA syndrome when you don’t remember having been on a cruise ship before, because you’ve taken too many cruises.  This was my 46th.

 

It seemed as if there were far more trivia sessions on this cruise than I recall from per ious cruises.  And many more unique types of trivia.  Our favorite:  “Explain a Movie Badly”, where you’d have to guess the title of a movie based on a terrible synopsis.  EX:  A father gets PTSD when almost his entire family is killed, and after sending his remaining son to school, must set out on a long journey to find him after he is kidnapped from school.  ANSWER: Finding Nemo.  Hilarious and fun!

 

At some point in the morning we also picked up our Platinum gifts from Pixels.  A luggage tag.  Cute, but meh.
 

[CeleBrat]

Soon enough, it was time for lunch.  So off to the Lido we went.  Hubby had a Guy’s burger, again.  And I had another of my favorite Carnival food items:  the chicken tacos from Blue Iguana.  So fresh, and so good.  Especially if you add a splash of Guy’s chipotle mayo to them!

 

Boy, I miss those tacos right now…

 

If you are wondering, the Guy’s burgers ARE freshly-made.  Here they are in their original form!

 

 

After lunch, we lazed around the ship.  More trivia, more reading, more napping.  You know the drill.