Elation 1/11 Review (Bahamas)

[Shockey86]

I got this 4-day cruise to the Bahamas (1/11-1/15) as a "Christmas gift" for my girlfriend of 2.5 years. What she didn't know was that my purpose for taking her on the cruise was not only to have a nice getaway, but to propose to her! We are 26 and 22 year olds from the Midwest, by the way.

 

The beginning of the trip was a nightmare; but of no fault of the cruise itself. You see, my girlfriend came down with a nasty sinus infection and fever the day prior to leaving. She had a 102 degree temperature and her sinuses were clogged like a kitchen sink. I was thinking, "could this be any worse timing?!?"

 

We flew in on Delta (cheap) that I booked through a discount online ticketeer. The flights were easy with a 45 min. layover in Atlanta. We arrived in Orlando around 10am and were greeted at the baggage claim by several Carnival representatives that made the transition to the shuttle a breeze. By 10:45 or so we were on the shuttle and on our way to Port Canaveral.

 

Once we got to port, the lines were somewhat long, but it moved pretty well. The embarkation overall was easier than I expected. By about 1pm we were on the ship and getting situated in our room.

We had a oceanview room on the 5th floor (M deck) that was luckily right around the corner from the elevator, making it really easy to get around the ship. The room itself was clean and tidy. The windows were a little murky, but no big deal. The interior decoration was a little outdated, but again, not my biggest worry. The bed was comfortable, the shower hot and stocked with soaps and shampoo, and the ice, drinks, etc. all filled. Our room steward was ghost-like in that we rarely saw him, but it seemed that each and everytime we stepped out of the room, it was made up by the time we got back. I tipped him some extra as we got off the ship for his excellent service.

 

As far as the ship is concerned, it is well-maintained, very gorgeous in the interior, and constantly being vacuumed, swept, painted, etc. The upkeep is A-1 from what I saw.

 

Back to the engagement/proposal, I took my girlfriend on the top deck of the ship at night prior to dinner. We had late seating, so it was dark already and the stars were out. It was really windy! After a couple of words, I dropped to one knee and did it. She cried, said "you're kidding.." and then said "yes." It was a memorable moment I think and something she should remember.

 

We had the late seating in the Imagination dining room and really liked the couples that were at our table. Carnival did an amazing job at pairing us with some young couples with lots in common. In fact, we met a couple at our table also from the Midwest and ironically, he played semi-pro football (as do I) and he was married to a 5-10 blonde woman (as is my fiance). It was almost spooky! We ended up spending alot of time together and had alot of fun.

 

The food was simply outstanding, in my opinion. The appetizers were very good (escargot, duck, etc.) and the main courses were well-done. I ordered two entrees every night. I had steak, lobster, prime rib, snapper, and several other fine choices. The desserts were good, but I was usually too stuffed. The consensus favorite around the table was the Chocolate Melting Cake. Our waitress was from Bulgaria and she was very good.

During the day, we spent alot of time just lounging in the sun on the Lido Deck. There were shows/entertainment/music always going on outside on the stage that could keep you entertained while you sunbathed. We usually would go have some breakfast at the buffet, lounge around, have some lunch, then go take a mid-afternoon nap. The weather was sunny and warm, so we had to take advantage.

 

Our first stop was in Freeport and we had previously booked the Dolphin Encounter excursion. Our shuttle didn't leave until about an hour after we got off the ship, so we explored the Lucayan Harbor. There were some small shops, a band playing, and a guy doing the limbo...craziest thing I've ever seen. He actually limbo'ed under a pole set at 10 INCHES!

We took a boat to the dolphin cove area. It was really pretty and scenic. The other parts of Freeport (Grand Bahama Island) were rather unattractive and very industrial. The dolphins were amazing. We got to pet them, they kissed you on the cheek, they performed jumps, stunts, and so forth. Overall, a very memorable experience.

 

Because my fiance (strange to say that...) had been sick, we decided to cancel our second excursion, snorkeling, at our second stop in Nassau. The shore excursion booth on the ship gladly refunded our money due to the circumstances. So instead we decided to just wander around the very commercial city. There are peddlers EVERYWHERE wanting to braid your hair, sell you Cuban cigars (and/or weed) and trying to get you to buy their knock-off designer purses, wallets, etc. Do NOT point at or make an audible comment about any piece of merchandise. Otherwise, someone will be on you in the matter of seconds trying to drive a hard bargain with you to buy it.

 

The night prior in Nassau, we went to Senor Frogs, a popular night hotspot. It was very crazy. A truly outrageous party atmosphere. Definitely not for the non-partier. I won't go into some of the debauchery that went on there.

 

The entertainment at night was bountiful. The first two nights, while my fiance laid cooped up with a fever, I went by myself (with her permission, of course) to the casino. I played Texas Hold'em ($3-6 limit game; VERY loose) for about an hour before the table eventually dissolved. I then moved to the blackjack table where I ended up winning about 4x my initial buy-in. The dealers were really nice..almost TOO nice. A couple times, after getting some decent tips from us, the dealer asked "are you SURE you don't want insurance?" Of course, we realized she was holding blackjack when she said that and we re-couped our otherwise losses with an insurance bet.

 

Although I missed it, I heard the stand-up comic was hilarious and the dance shows entertaining. The final night was a show by Asad Menci, the comedian hypnotist. Of course, I had a few cocktails and wanted to be on stage and attempt to be hypnotized. When he asked for volunteers, I raced up and took part. I ended up being his main subject. If you were at this show, you probably remember me. I did some very R-rated things, such as pretend I was doing drugs and hallucinating, act orgasmic, and to top it all of, pretend I was starring in a porn movie and my partner was a chair he placed on stage. That is about as far as I can go without being vulgar...It was an interesting experience to say the least. About 20 people came up to me the remainder of the night either laughing at me, shaking my hand, or asking if I was ok.

 

The debarkation was painless and quick. We had breakfast and sat around for a bit waiting for our color room tag to be called. Once called, we were shuffled through customs easily and quickly and were on our shuttle back to the airport in no time. We stayed an extra day in Orlando and visited Universal Studios. Very cool experience.

 

Overall I really enjoyed the experience, particularly the food, the outstanding all-around service, and the wide-array of activities on the ship. We didn't even take advantage of some other amenities such as the spa, workout facilities, sit-down breakfast/lunches, etc. But, we still had plenty to keep us entertained. Things I didn't particularly enjoy were the Bahamas in general (I'm glad I experienced them, but they weren't my favorite place to visit), the stateroom decor (although the rest of the ship was very pretty), and that some of the folks don't understand what "formal" means when it comes to formal wear. I felt like it was pointless to dress up in a nice suit when the next guy was wearing a polo and khakis with sandals rather than his usual t-shirt and jeans.

 

Some tips/observations:

 

1. Bringing your own alcohol is a good idea and pretty easy. I brought 10 "sample-size" bottles of vodka I bought at the liquor store for 8 bucks before I left. I stuffed them in my dress shoes and held them in with balled up socks. No problem whatsoever. We also brought along 4 bottles of champagne with no issues. In general, drinks are pretty expensive (in my opinion) so it certainly helps if you can bring some of your own booze along.

 

2. You don't need all the miscellaneous crap that people recommend bringing. In fact, I didn't even use half the toiletries I purchased. There was Lever 2000 bodywash and Dove shampoo dispensers in the shower as well as women's razor, lotion, toothpaste and other stuff. I didn't need a travel alarm clock, I just used my cell phone, and there really isn't that much of a need for a power strip. I do, however, recommend the bonine tablets. Take one every morning, as you can feel the ship rock at times.

 

3. Clothing wise, I would recommend guys to take one or two pairs of khakis/dress slacks and one collared shirt for each day that you are there (for dinners). Otherwise you probably are going to be wearing a t-shirt and swim trunks most of the time. One pair of sandals, one pair of dress shoes, and a pair of tennis shoes is more than enough. I barely used all the clothes I brought and I packed pretty light.

That's about it. It was a fun experience and I'd probably do it again. The Elation is a great ship with great service and lots of fun. I think my next cruise would be to Cozumel, Grand Caymans, or something along those lines. Carnival, with their outstanding service, would again be my choice of cruise lines. Until next time, happy sailing.

[carnivalkim]

Congratulations on your engagement,that was a great way to propose:) Glad ya'll had a good time even though your fiance was sick.

[Scooter-n-GB]

Excellent review, and Congrats on your engagement!! Perhaps a Honeymoon cruise is in your future?

[Nightwind]

Congrats on the successful proposal! :D And thanks so much for the review, too! I'll be on the Elation 2/3 on her 5-day itinerary and am really looking forward to it!

 

Did you go in the water in the Bahamas at all? We're hoping to do some swimming/snorkeling in Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay, and we're wondering what the water temps are like this time of year...

[Nightwind]

Oops! Douple post! Sorry...

[brokenlola]

Great review and congrats! Your disappointment in the Bahamas is my worst fear for our up coming cruise. What would you suggest to do in Freeport and Nassau? Did you go to Atlantis?

[mocachinas]

thanks for the review. Going on the elation for my honeymoon next week and I am dying to go. Thanks for all the tips!

[Shockey86]

Thanks!

 

The water was pretty cold in Freeport. I didn't get in the water at Nassau, but I would venture to say that Nassau's water was probably warmer. Temps usually are 3-5 degrees warmer in Nassau as it is more south.

 

Let me say this: the Bahamas are not horrible, I just wasn't blown away. I was in Jamaica (Montego Bay) two years ago and just thought it was more attractive and less commercial/industrial.

 

The couple we met that I referred to in the review went to Atlantis. They said it was awesome. That would definitely be a good excursion you can plan by yourself. They said a cab ride was about 8 bucks.

 

The Dolphin Encounter was really cool, I would suggest that in Freeport.

[DqALEX]

Very good review and the best of luck

[Nightwind]

 

The water was pretty cold in Freeport. I didn't get in the water at Nassau, but I would venture to say that Nassau's water was probably warmer. Temps usually are 3-5 degrees warmer in Nassau as it is more south.

 

Thanks for the info! We're on Elation's 5-day itinerary, which goes farther south (To Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay as well as to Nassau), so I'm hoping we'll be OK on Grand Turk and HMC for water activities. We're not planning on getting in the water in Nassau; we've got a trip to the zoo on the roster.

[mcwebber]

The dealers were really nice..almost TOO nice. A couple times, after getting some decent tips from us, the dealer asked "are you SURE you don't want insurance?" Of course, we realized she was holding blackjack when she said that and we re-couped our otherwise losses with an insurance bet.

I'm guessing that was just the way that dealer asked. Until the dealer slides the bottom card into the mirror, he/she has no idea if it's a 10, J, Q, K under. You'll notice they turn the Ace up and card sideways. They slide the cards in vertically if it's a 10 up. If the cameras catch them doing anything else they will be on them like flies on $h**. Those continuous shuffles are as rich in 10's as a fresh shoe anywhere else. Each deal is like a new shuffle in a fresh shoe so you're more likely to get a blackjack when the dealer has an ace up.

 

I did some very R-rated things, such as pretend I was doing drugs and hallucinating, act orgasmic, and to top it all of, pretend I was starring in a porn movie and my partner was a chair he placed on stage. That is about as far as I can go without being vulgar...It was an interesting experience to say the least. About 20 people came up to me the remainder of the night either laughing at me, shaking my hand, or asking if I was ok.

I figured you were playing along when I saw that. It was a bit too much. I don't think anyone on stage was "under".

 

The debarkation was painless and quick.

I was amazed how fast it went. They called for yellow baggage tag holders and I was off the ship by 8:30AM and in the car on the way home. The valet parking was pretty fast, too.

 

I didn't need a travel alarm clock, I just used my cell phone, and there really isn't that much of a need for a power strip. I do, however, recommend the bonine tablets. Take one every morning, as you can feel the ship rock at times.

 

I like being able to look at a clock. My cell phone is in the safe. A simple cube tap will do if you want to run two devices. The rocking never bothered me at all. I heard there were some people seasick. It's mostly in your head. Get an inside cabin and avoid looking at the horizon when on deck.

 

One pair of sandals, one pair of dress shoes, and a pair of tennis shoes is more than enough. I barely used all the clothes I brought and I packed pretty light.

I would recommend some comfortable walking shoes like Redwings or Rockports instead of sneakers for walking around Nassau. Lots of broken pavement in areas and it's easier to step on big stones with the stiffer sole.

 

That's about it. It was a fun experience and I'd probably do it again. The Elation is a great ship with great service and lots of fun.

I just booked the Elation for next month. Just a few doors away from my same cabin on Empress deck.

[mcwebber]

Thanks!

Let me say this: the Bahamas are not horrible, I just wasn't blown away. I was in Jamaica (Montego Bay) two years ago and just thought it was more attractive and less commercial/industrial.

 

The couple we met that I referred to in the review went to Atlantis. They said it was awesome. That would definitely be a good excursion you can plan by yourself. They said a cab ride was about 8 bucks.

 

The Dolphin Encounter was really cool, I would suggest that in Freeport.

 

The view of Freeport may just be where the ship docks. It's an industrial area. The rest of the island isn't like that at all. Atlantis is pretty. Like a version of a Vegas hotel. The aquarium is worth the ride. There's a ferry for $3 each way that boards near Senor Frogs. Haven't tried that yet, but if time allows I will do that next month for the view and photo ops.

One strange thing: The arrivals and departures on the Carnival site did not match the cruise. The cruise left Canaveral at 5PM+. Left Freeport later than scheduled. Docked in Nassau at about 7PM Saturday instead of 7AM Sunday as advertised. If I knew that, I would have taken the earlier dinner seating. Apparently it's somewhat up to the captain. Maybe because it was a bit rough he came into Nassau earlier.

[ncjeff]

Congrats on your engagement!

I have found imho the Elation Casino THE most friendly in my few cruises.

I am so trying to get back on board before there repositioning.

I tried to give away a free cruise to some relatives this weekend but alas they could not get time off.

So now I guess I will go solo:rolleyes:

[mcwebber]

Congrats on your engagement!

I tried to give away a free cruise to some relatives this weekend but alas they could not get time off.

So now I guess I will go solo:rolleyes:

 

I'm tempted to make you an offer.