I’m On The Fabulous Firenze! A Review With Pics.

[Grandbank]

We leave on the Firenze on September 28, just a few days from now- thanks for the pics, the tips and your humor! Carnival should compensate you for all the you posted!

[LaRue1975]

On 9/22/2024 at 3:09 PM, My6Dogs said:

Thanks for the excellent review and all the photos!
We will be on her in February. Can’t wait. 

I had fun doing it, thank you! Have a great cruise, it will be here before you know! 

[LaRue1975]

On 9/22/2024 at 4:23 PM, vanislandcruisers said:

GREAT Review!!!...Thanks for taking us along!!!

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the ride! 😎🛳️😎

[LaRue1975]

11 hours ago, Grandbank said:

We leave on the Firenze on September 28, just a few days from now- thanks for the pics, the tips and your humor! Carnival should compensate you for all the you posted!

Oh my gosh, you are going to have so much fun! I have been cruising with some really good casino offers that I probably don’t deserve so in a way Carnival is compensating me, lol! Have a wonderful cruise and tell the boys at Frizzante Bar hi for me and go to IL Viaggio for dinner. Lewis will take good care of you and the food is divine! 

[LaRue1975]

I have few final thoughts to share to wrap up my review. I enjoyed our cruise director Tyler, he is now close to the top of my list. His Rock & Glow Party was as good as Deon’s but in a different way. Deon puts on one heck of a show and is more of an entertainer while Tyler is better at pulling the crowd in to be the show themselves. He is the most genuine, normal guy cruise director I have sailed with and not a hint of the fake enthusiasm that I absolutely cannot stand. It’s a big thumbs up for Tyler! 
 

I agree with the recent post about the lack of production shows, I was surprised there were only two. I saw Color My World for the first time and enjoyed it, the female lead was excellent. I missed the other one because we had too much fun in Cabo, lol! They should have a minimum of three production shows on a 7 day cruise. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Mexican Riviera ports this cruise, guess I finally booked the right excursions.  I am doing the 8 day in March and am looking forward to it more now. 
 

The food was overall very good. The MDR was on par with my recent cruises and other than the first Elegant Night the service was excellent and fast. IL Viaggio is right up there with Rudi’s Sea Grill and actually a little better because of Lewis. La Strada and El Mercado are good additions to the quick food, it’s nice to get some variety there. I never ate at the buffet but I know I would not like the way it is set up with one long buffet line. I did jump in to grab a croissant a couple of times and I could tell the people filling their plates were annoyed. I also got a bowl of clam chowder from the Seafood Shack that was excellent. I think I am done with the Steakhouse, there is not enough on the menu I like. One thing I love is the Yukon mashed potatoes but this time I literally got a smear of them next to my shrimp, not more than two tablespoons, WTH? Both my friends were very satisfied with the filets they ordered from the Steakhouse in the MDR and their meals in Steakhouse. I wish I would have taken a pic of the potato smear, lol! 

 

I think I covered everything else well in the live review. This is probably my only one. I stayed up super late too many nights writing it and there is no way I can do it when I’m sailing with my hubby. He already complains enough about me having my nose in my IPad all the time! 😜 Thank you to all who followed along, we had a wonderful cruise! ❤️🛳️❤️

[LaRue1975]

One more thing. I have noticed that members post links to their previous reviews. I do have one as this is my second review.  I can’t seem to post a link to it so I’ll make a comment to bump it back up in case anyone would like to read it too. The hubby and I celebrated our 48th Anniversary on the Celebration in May. It was a fabulous B2B in an extended balcony the first week and Exel Aft Suite the second. Happy Sailing! 

[Jamman54]

28 minutes ago, LaRue1975 said:

One more thing. I have noticed that members post links to their previous reviews. I do have one as this is my second review.  I can’t seem to post a link to it so I’ll make a comment to bump it back up in case anyone would like to read it too. The hubby and I celebrated our 48th Anniversary on the Celebration in May. It was a fabulous B2B in an extended balcony the first week and Exel Aft Suite the second. Happy Sailing! 

Here's the link to your Celebration review. 

 

 

[Cruisin Suzy]

Thank you for sharing this review!  I love your positivity, fun spirit and enthusiasm!  
 

We board on December 20th with our 13 and 12 year old children.  We have cruised Carnival many times but are looking forward to the new experience on the Italian theme ship and our first balcony (need a good access point and parking for Santa 😉).  I really like the idea of the Beach Bliss that you have shared (thank you!), but as Canadians this will cost us over $500 for the four of us.  I love the idea of the calm beach (people and water) as have done the crazy of Cabo many times.  I had my first trip to Los Cabos when I was my son’s age and loved the calm of SJC. We have two days in Cabo, so maybe splurge on the first day and then try the craziness for a brief time on day 2?!

 

Did you happen to take any screen shots of the dining room menu that you are able to share?

 

Also, were you able to try the pizza?  I am wondering how this compares to the pizza I had on my first cruise in 2009 on Princess. I still remember that as being some of the best pizza I have ever had!

[dctravel]

9 hours ago, Cruisin Suzy said:

Thank you for sharing this review!  I love your positivity, fun spirit and enthusiasm!  
 

We board on December 20th with our 13 and 12 year old children.  We have cruised Carnival many times but are looking forward to the new experience on the Italian theme ship and our first balcony (need a good access point and parking for Santa 😉).  I really like the idea of the Beach Bliss that you have shared (thank you!), but as Canadians this will cost us over $500 for the four of us.  I love the idea of the calm beach (people and water) as have done the crazy of Cabo many times.  I had my first trip to Los Cabos when I was my son’s age and loved the calm of SJC. We have two days in Cabo, so maybe splurge on the first day and then try the craziness for a brief time on day 2?!

We are on the Dec 20 cruise with you! (With our two kids) The first Cabo day we got a day pass for a resort about 20 km north of the tender port from resort pass dot com (recommended by our travel agent). Figure best to do that day 1, since we are in Cabo longer. On day 2, I booked a whale watching tour through Carnival since we arrive back in Cabo so early and leave in the early afternoon. 
 

Noticed very few Carnival excursion offerings for this cruise. I know you can book outside of Carnival (and we did for the resort), but I was disappointed in the choices. 

[elcuchio24]

Thanks for the pics and enjoy the trip. Sweet Fancy Moses that is one ugly ship though!

[weezal]

13 hours ago, Cruisin Suzy said:

Did you happen to take any screen shots of the dining room menu that you are able to share?

 

[LaRue1975]

21 hours ago, Cruisin Suzy said:

Thank you for sharing this review!  I love your positivity, fun spirit and enthusiasm!  
 

We board on December 20th with our 13 and 12 year old children.  We have cruised Carnival many times but are looking forward to the new experience on the Italian theme ship and our first balcony (need a good access point and parking for Santa 😉).  I really like the idea of the Beach Bliss that you have shared (thank you!), but as Canadians this will cost us over $500 for the four of us.  I love the idea of the calm beach (people and water) as have done the crazy of Cabo many times.  I had my first trip to Los Cabos when I was my son’s age and loved the calm of SJC. We have two days in Cabo, so maybe splurge on the first day and then try the craziness for a brief time on day 2?!

 

Did you happen to take any screen shots of the dining room menu that you are able to share?

 

Also, were you able to try the pizza?  I am wondering how this compares to the pizza I had on my first cruise in 2009 on Princess. I still remember that as being some of the best pizza I have ever had!

I think you will really enjoy Beach Bliss and it is a great idea to do it the first day in Cabo. You will be guaranteed to get off and enjoy your excursion because you booked it through Carnival. You will meet onboard, most likely in the set time dining room and will immediately be led to a waiting tender. Even if there are problems with the tenders that day you will still get off before the people that don’t have excursions. The second day is totally calm, a lot of people choose to not get off so tendering will be a breeze. The lunch is not included and is delicious but fairly expensive so you might want the family the eat a big breakfast before you get off. The portions of are big so easy to share also. 

 

I see menus have been posted, they are almost the same as the regular Carnival ships. I did order a pizza one night and it was excellent as usual. If I am hungry at night when I get back to the room I order a pizza on the App and have it delivered. It’s $6 but worth it to me to avoid waiting in line. It arrives fresh and I get exactly what I want. Have a wonderful Christmas cruise! We were on the Panorama last New Years Eve to celebrate hubby’s 70th birthday,. It was our first Holiday cruise and we loved it! How fun for for your kids to wake up on Christmas morning on a cruise ship! 🎄🛳️🎄
 

 

Edited 14 hours ago by LaRue1975

[LaRue1975]

11 hours ago, dctravel said:

We are on the Dec 20 cruise with you! (With our two kids) The first Cabo day we got a day pass for a resort about 20 km north of the tender port from resort pass dot com (recommended by our travel agent). Figure best to do that day 1, since we are in Cabo longer. On day 2, I booked a whale watching tour through Carnival since we arrive back in Cabo so early and leave in the early afternoon. 
 

Noticed very few Carnival excursion offerings for this cruise. I know you can book outside of Carnival (and we did for the resort), but I was disappointed in the choices. 

The limited excursions could be due the holiday. I have done the whale watching excursion offered through Carnival twice and enjoyed it both times. The boat is big and comfortable and while they can’t get as close as the little boats we saw whales breaching both times. Have a wonderful Christmas cruise! 

[jimbo5544]

On 9/24/2024 at 11:38 AM, LaRue1975 said:

I have few final thoughts to share to wrap up my review. I enjoyed our cruise director Tyler, he is now close to the top of my list. His Rock & Glow Party was as good as Deon’s but in a different way. Deon puts on one heck of a show and is more of an entertainer while Tyler is better at pulling the crowd in to be the show themselves. He is the most genuine, normal guy cruise director I have sailed with and not a hint of the fake enthusiasm that I absolutely cannot stand. It’s a big thumbs up for Tyler! 
 

I agree with the recent post about the lack of production shows, I was surprised there were only two. I saw Color My World for the first time and enjoyed it, the female lead was excellent. I missed the other one because we had too much fun in Cabo, lol! They should have a minimum of three production shows on a 7 day cruise. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Mexican Riviera ports this cruise, guess I finally booked the right excursions.  I am doing the 8 day in March and am looking forward to it more now. 
 

The food was overall very good. The MDR was on par with my recent cruises and other than the first Elegant Night the service was excellent and fast. IL Viaggio is right up there with Rudi’s Sea Grill and actually a little better because of Lewis. La Strada and El Mercado are good additions to the quick food, it’s nice to get some variety there. I never ate at the buffet but I know I would not like the way it is set up with one long buffet line. I did jump in to grab a croissant a couple of times and I could tell the people filling their plates were annoyed. I also got a bowl of clam chowder from the Seafood Shack that was excellent. I think I am done with the Steakhouse, there is not enough on the menu I like. One thing I love is the Yukon mashed potatoes but this time I literally got a smear of them next to my shrimp, not more than two tablespoons, WTH? Both my friends were very satisfied with the filets they ordered from the Steakhouse in the MDR and their meals in Steakhouse. I wish I would have taken a pic of the potato smear, lol! 

 

I think I covered everything else well in the live review. This is probably my only one. I stayed up super late too many nights writing it and there is no way I can do it when I’m sailing with my hubby. He already complains enough about me having my nose in my IPad all the time! 😜 Thank you to all who followed along, we had a wonderful cruise! ❤️🛳️❤️

Excellent review, your thoughts on Il Viaggio being on par with Rudi’s makes me want to try it.

[LaRue1975]

11 hours ago, elcuchio24 said:

Thanks for the pics and enjoy the trip. Sweet Fancy Moses that is one ugly ship though!

Wow, beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess. I think the Firenze is a beautiful ship. Glad you enjoyed the pics! 

[Jamman54]

12 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Excellent review, your thoughts on Il Viaggio being on par with Rudi’s makes me want to try it.

To us Il Viaggio is better than Rudi's, but of course food is subjective and YMMV. 😎

[elcuchio24]

13 hours ago, LaRue1975 said:

Wow, beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess. I think the Firenze is a beautiful ship. Glad you enjoyed the pics! 

 

Absolutely. Looks like a mausoleum to me 🙂 hahaha. Great Review and appreciate it!