Review of first crusie--Fantasy 3/12

[newgirl]

I tried to post this review yesterday although I must have not logged in properly as the system wouldn’t allow me to post it…

My cruise review of the 3/12 sailing of Carnival’s Fantasy; this was our first cruise and we are a family of 3…two grownups and our 10-year-old daughter:

The cabin: We stayed in a Verandah Suite…Category 11 stateroom is the more formal title I believe. We had a queen-sized bed and a fold-out sofa; this was exceptionally important to us as I have a very strange phobia with bunk beds (I witnessed one collapse as a child…fortunately, no one was in the bottom bunk). There was ample drawer/closet space for us to keep our clothes (and I do not pack lightly!) as well as a nice vanity to keep my blow dryer, cosmetics, etc. The bathroom was (as we expected, a bit too small for comfort…I do think next time we’ll consider a Category 12 so that we can have a tub). My daughter enjoyed the movies on the plasma screen TV…we enjoyed the complimentary bottle of wine that comes with the room! The best feature of the room, however, was the balcony. I took my coffee out there every morning and then, in the evening, my husband and I enjoyed a glass of wine on it while my daughter slept. I doubt we’ll ever choose a room without a balcony, we enjoyed it so much! Perhaps the best part of the balcony, was having my coffee while we were docking at sunrise in Nassau…the buildings are so colorful and seemed so close I could touch them, and yet I really had this amazing landscape view that allowed me to see the rooftops of the Parliament building and other official looking places. Truly stunning!

The embarkation/check-in process: We arrived at Port Canaveral at abut 11:30 (that is what time the shuttle from the hotel ran) and we were quite impressed at the check-in procedure. The pursers took our luggage immediately and the VIP check-in was smooth, fast and friendly! It took us about five to ten minutes in the office with the embarkation specialists and then we were promptly led onto the ship and to our room. The one thing we hadn’t anticipated, but we will know for next time, is to pack our bathing suits in our carry-on bag. We would have enjoyed sunning ourselves on the pool deck however our luggage was not delivered to our room until after 3:30. All in all, though, it was an easy process.

The ship: As this was our first cruise, we were not really sure what to anticipate…I found the maps and the staff friendly, however, and we had no problems navigating the ship. The pool and pool deck were clean and that impressed me as there had to have been 4 million children aboard the boat! LOL! The gym was quite nice and I attended an aerobics class and ran on the treadmill without feeling too crowded.

The staff: We found the staff to be extremely professional. Our room steward, Joko, took excellent care of us and my daughter delighted in his towel animals. Our waiter, Thompson was funny and clever and made us feel very special. The aerobics instructor (whose name I missed) was also very helpful and encouraging to those of us in the class. I was quite impressed. The cruise director was humorous although we didn’t really take in many of the shows.

Camp Carnival: Wow! My daughter is already planning our next cruise; she had so much fun in Camp Carnival. She loved the pseudo-independence of being away from us. We loved the fact that it was so well supervised. She even attended one party that started at 10:30 p.m. and ended at 3:30 a.m.

Shore excursion: We only took in one shore excursion and that was Blackbeard’s Cay at Nassau…I highly recommend it; it is a real bargain at $35.00 per person.

Dining: The food was excellent and so was the service. We were seated with another family of three with a pre-teen…it was perfect. We enjoyed the unhurried pace of dinner after being at port all day and of course, dessert is remarkable! We enjoyed the wine list, as well as the bars throughout the ship…I fell in love with the signature “Fun Ship Cooler!” My husband did, too. I had a couple of martinis in one of the bars (not the Cat’s Lounge but another one). It is true what they say about cruises and food.

My only complaint: I had to come home after four days!

[CarribbeanTina271]

Sounds like you and your family had a blast! The Fantasy is my family fav ship!! I just booked my 5th cruise on that ship alone!! and in a Cat 12 Suite for the balcony too!!!