Ecstasy-Only Thread! Ask questions and post info. here!

[MagicEyez]

We have cruised 5 times on the Ecstasy and have never had a problem with "bad smells".

This ship is VERY clean and the crew is always working to assure that it remains that way.

 

Cheers!

 

 

Thank you so very much!!!! :D :D

[dsg560]

We just got off the Ecstasy today. We had a wonderful time..(my dh & ds) We have cruised Royal Caribbean and Princess and found out that Carnival is a great vacation as well. Great food, good entertainment..and a very clean ship. Loved it!!!

[no sinking]

Our room at M121 had a very loud engine noise, any recent cruisers know if it has been fixed? My husband slept through it but it kept me up all night long. It was a very rocky trip.

 

Still had a great time :)

[Nuttycruisegirl]

Can any of you please tell me if there are 1A rooms on the Ecstasy that are actualy OUTSIDE rooms? Like some of the ones that are in such high demand on the Conquest? Do you know the room numbers? Thanks!

[LEtue]

Maybe you guys can help. DH announced last night that he wants to take a cruise next month. Not much time to plan. We have our first family cruise planned for next year but he'd like to do one just the 2 of us this year.

 

The best date for his job would be the June 28 porting out of Galveston on Ecstasy. Right now the price is $699 in-$779 ov. Do you think the price will drop any between now and then? I know a lot depends on how full it gets booked and it's a risk waiting. Just wondering if anyone knows what our chances are of getting it for less if we wait.

 

I know we can get a price adjustment IF it drops after we book. But I'm not sure I want to spend quite that much on the spur of the moment. DH will get a military discount though I'm not sure how much that is.

 

I guess my biggest concern is not having much extra $$ at the ports (cozumel and progreso). Although we'd be happy with lunch and a beach.

 

I booked the Ecstacy for July to join my son and his inlaws that are celebrating a 50th anniversary and I was shocked at the prices :eek: Booked an outside 6D for more than what I usually pay for a 7 day cruise in a balcony cabin. I used a compete website to find the lowest cost and saved about $150 pp but it is still too much. Prices haven't dropped at all and final payments are now due. Since the ship still has plenty of space I'm hoping for a reduction - but who knows :confused:

 

The part that gets me is the $536 that is being charged for a 6 month old in our group! I tried to get everyone to sail earlier or later but couldn't convince them to switch to another timeframe.....

[poobears]

Wow $536 for a 6 month old is crazy. Not like she's going to be eating at the buffet and drinking all night. We went ahead and booked another cruise, not sure how the ship is, the Holiday? But it was quite a bit cheaper and the drive wasn't much further.

 

Have fun everyone. Thanks

[LEtue]

Wow $536 for a 6 month old is crazy. Not like she's going to be eating at the buffet and drinking all night. We went ahead and booked another cruise, not sure how the ship is, the Holiday? But it was quite a bit cheaper and the drive wasn't much further.

 

Have fun everyone. Thanks

 

Don't blame you for that decision! I really can't believe the prices they get for the Ecstacy and I wish I could have changed their minds about traveling a little further. Could have easily bought airfare to any FL city and had more options for the price.....

[kwbrad]

The prices for Ecstasy and Conquest are both rising right now because there is no competition in Texas any more. Since Voyager of the Seas is only around 4 months a year, if you want to sail from Texas in summer you must sail Carnival. For many in Texas, the higher prices are still cheaper than flying to Floriday to catch a ship there, so Carnival can charge what they are charging and people will pay.

A 4 dayer on Ecstasy this summer is running the same price as what we paid for a 7 day on the Rhapsody last summer.

[KTimlin]

Hi there!

 

I'm thinking about taking my mom on her 1st cruise this October (Oct 23) on the Ecstasy . . . while I've cruised tons, I've never cruised in the prime of the Atlantic hurricane season. I'd love to hear some feedback from those of you who have cruised in October . . .

 

Thanks:D

~Kery

[Kenster]

Hi there!

 

I'm thinking about taking my mom on her 1st cruise this October (Oct 23) on the Ecstasy . . . while I've cruised tons, I've never cruised in the prime of the Atlantic hurricane season. I'd love to hear some feedback from those of you who have cruised in October . . .

 

Thanks:D

~Kery

 

Kery, while late October is tecnically still within Hurricane Season, it's no longer peak season. I would think your odds are more in your favor in late October than they would be from late June through late September. Besides, unless the hurricane is bearing down on Galveston preventing sailing, the ship will just sail around the storm, giving it a wide berth, and possibly make a different port of call than Cozumel.

[emaksb]

Kery we have cruise 3 times now out of Galveston and we are booked on our fourth cruise and we always cruise in October and have never had any problems. We are going on the Ecstacy Oct 13th and can't wait..

[KTimlin]

Kery, while late October is tecnically still within Hurricane Season, it's no longer peak season. I would think your odds are more in your favor in late October than they would be from late June through late September. Besides, unless the hurricane is bearing down on Galveston preventing sailing, the ship will just sail around the storm, giving it a wide berth, and possibly make a different port of call than Cozumel.

 

That's what I figured, thanks to those of you who responded!

 

Happy Cruising!!:D

[cruisin53]

Hello all!

We will be sailing the Ecstasy for the first time on 11-20-08. Is there a formal night on a four night cruise? Does anyone have a current capers you could send our way? :p

[Kenster]

I'm not going to post a full scale review but will share some of the main points of our cruise. This was our fourth cruise, all on Carnival. We have sailed this same itinerary (Galveston/Cozumel/Galveston) twice before on Celebration.

We parked at the Lighthouse, having pre-booked on-line. Cost us $30. We dropped our bags at the dock, parked at the lot and were delivered by the Lighthouse shuttle to the pier about 1050. There were only a few people in line ahead of us at the security checkpoint, which was opened at 1100. By 1115 we were seated in the waiting lounge. They began boarding at 1145. We were the second ones on the ship. We dropped our carry on bags in our cabin and were eating lunch at the Grill on the Lido deck by noon. We explored the ship for a while, checked out our cabin, explored some more. We sailed at 4:00.

The dinner times have very recently changed. Our documents showed dinner at 5:30. Upon checkin our Sign and Sail card showed dinner at 8:15. We got it changed to 6:00, which was just right for us. Our dining room steward, Julius Caesar (for real) assisted by a young, long tall Croatian named Denis, were fantastic, funny, and professional. They made each night very special.

We were celebrating our 34th wedding anniversary and they sang to us on formal night. We took wine or champagne to dinner every night but they only charged the $10 corkage fee once. All dinners in the dining room were wonderful.

The Blue Grill on the Lido deck is where we had lunch each day and breakfast most of the time. The food was real average and mostly cold. I don't know why they can't keep the food warm. Good variety but not very impressive. The pizza was good but you had to wait a long time, even when there was no line. The deli sandwiches were excellent.

 

I sang Kareoke one night which was fun. I also won a coveted Gold Ship on a stick for being victorious in a cut throat Trivia Game!! Woo hoo!!

 

We arrived at Cozumel about three hours late because of an emergency turn around at sea around midnight of our first night out. Due to a passenger emergency the ship turned back toward Galveston to meet an outbound Coast Guard helicopter. Some people had to cancel or reorganize their shore excursions but I heard no grumbling about it considering the circumstances.

 

We've been to Cozumel several times and really had no interest in it but we did get off the ship and walk around for a hour or so.

 

The shows were pretty good. One of the two comedians on comedy night was very good.

 

We were at the bottom of the ship on the Riviera Deck. Cabin R-241 is the very last one at the starboard aft, ocean view. Kinda noisy back there but it was more of a constant low rumble. It did not affect our sleep at all. But there is a constant vibration that can be felt in the rear of the ship, even way up on the lido deck. The tables at the rear of the Lido grill visibly shake due to the ship's constant vibration. We walked up to the very front cabin areas and were amazed at how quiet it was up there.

 

We were a bit disappointed with our cabin steward. We had a small soft-sided cooler that I had asked him to fill with ice each day and gave him a $10 advance tip to handle it for us. Only on one day did he bring us ice without being asked to do it. Often, when we returned to the cabin, the television was mysteriously on. We never watched it ourselves. Well, one afternoon we came back to the room and found he was still cleaning it. No problem. We waited about ten minutes and came back. He was still in there, sitting on the bed watching TV.

 

The debarkation process is a zoo. On our previous sailings out of Galveston we waited on the ship until they called us off by large groups, Color coded if I remember right. But we were off the ship, quickly through customs and on our way to the car by 9:30 or 10:00 and we were among the last off.

 

With the system they have now, they encourage everyone to haul their own bags off, saying it is quicker and easier. They called the first "self-assist" group about 8:30. There are 25 groups based, I think, on deck and placement of your cabin.

It took over two hours to get all the "self assist" people off. We had elected to leave our bags in the hallway at midnight on the last night, so we would be leaving the ship in the general debarking. We were group 23. Not a problem as we were in no hurry and only had a two hour drive home.

Once they started calling numbers about 1045, they called them all fairly quickly. We were off the ship and in the arrival hall by 11:10. We were told that the line for Porters was extremely long and that it would be much quicker to go through the regular lines. After a half an hour in line, with at least an hour to go, we moved over to the now very short porter line. To speed things up, we shared a porter with another family. There are special lines at Customs for porter assisted departures. Of course we got behind a large "non citizen" family from the Indian sub-continent who took about 20 minutes to clear immigration/customs. Then there were four ladies who acted as if they never heard of the Customs form, despite the fact that it had been mentioned on 2000 PA announcements that morning. Regardless, we were on the street by noon. Had we stayed in the regular line we would have been there another 30-45 minutes. A group of ladies we had met had #7 in General debarkation, compared to our #23. They went through the long line. We were well ahead of them when we left the building. The process began at 8:30. I'll bet the last person did not exit customs until close to 1:00. Something is wrong with this system.

 

But all in all, it was a great cruise. Relaxing, fun, excellent service provided nearly everywhere. Friendly staff. The passengers were extremely friendly to each other. We had many nice chats with people we just bumped into while walking around. People smiled at each other. Of course, about 90 percent of the passengers were Texans, so that would explain why everyone was so friendly!

 

Cheers!

Kenster

[tylerduo59]

How much wine/champagne were you able to carry on?

[monroe2020]

I was a recently a passenger on a 5 day cruise aboard Carnival Ecstasy. While this was not my first cruise it was my first cruise with Carnival. It was a good value, fun, and I look forward to cruising with Carnival again. The following are my observations and tips for other first time Carnival passengers.

 

Disclaimer;

These are my opinions and observations based upon my experience. What you actually experience may, and probably will, differ. Happiness is all about how you handle Plan B.

 

Embarkation

VIP check in is better than regular check in.

If there are no lines, non-VIPs with the VIPs can check-in together. This is at the “checker inners” discretion so ask nicely. (Having your paperwork completed before hand helps too.) This is where the benefits of being a VIP ends.

Carry on screeners seem more focused on looking for weapons than alcohol. The same can be said for carry ons from port. As far as checked luggage, there are probably 4000+ pieces that need to be loaded in a short amount of time. It doesn’t seem like they would take time to do a thorough search other than to x-ray for weapons. That’s all I’m saying.

 

Seasickness

The cruise was smooth. Rolling was only noticed occasionally.

Free Dramamine is available outside of infirmary.

The infirmary does not recommend the patches due to multiple side effects. This is on a sign posted outside the Infirmary. Most of our group wore the patches and most experienced blurred vision (even when sober).

 

Dress Code

I know what Carnival's website says but during the week of May 03, 2008....

As per Carnival Capers, “Resort Casual” was the recommended attire for the dinners (no shorts or tank tops).

As per Carnival Capers the invitation to the Captain’s Welcome aboard party indicated that formal attire was required.

On formal night, suits were the most common attire. Sport coats and slacks were also common. Only a few people were without a jacket or tie and I saw no shorts or jeans.

On your way to dinner, stop by the jewelry store and take advantage of a few squirts off the perfume and cologne tester bottles.

 

Gambling/Casino

Slots appeared to be “loose”. The cashier reported that a few people on this cruise had won over $1000. (not sure what the actual net was)

Bingo payouts were pathetic. A $20 card sheet for a $500 payout with at least 200 people playing.

Table minimums of $5 are common.

Most drawings/door prizes require you to be present to win.

 

Entertainment

Happy the Comedian was funny….very funny.

Puck the Hypnotist act was very good. “R” rated version was similar to earlier act but with profanities.

Although some shows/bands were better than others, all were entertaining.

Food

Many of the same entrees and sides being served in the dining rooms are also available in the Panorama Bar and Grill during dinner.

The Pizzeria and Deli Sandwich bar are excellent. Especially the Pizzeria.

The outside grill’s French fries are as good as McDonald’s. really.

Room service menu is limited to sandwiches and salads. No soups or hot foods.

OJ from room service is free. Screwdrivers.

Unfinished wine (in bottles) left at the dinner table will be stored and will be waiting on your table at the next meal.

 

Gratuities

The included tips are pooled and shared among the service teams. A pleasant beverage server who remembers your name and drink of choice receives no more in tips than one who is stoic. Cash tips reward those people who work harder to please you.

Towards the end of the cruise, you will receive countless written and verbal announcements that the Maitre d’s are not included in the service gratuity pool and that they should be tipped accordingly. I did not feel compelled to tip our unseen Maitre d.

 

Onboard

You will need half as many clothes as you packed and you spend twice as much money as you planned.

It can pay to postpone onboard purchases. It seems like everything sold on board eventually goes on sale for 50% off. Even photographs were 2 for 1 on the morning of debarkation.

If you stand on the forward observation deck in the morning, you can hear the night shift crew’s party on the deck below. Lots of singing in many accents.

Despite lounge chair saving, there was never any shortage of available lounges. If there is a problem, as per Carnival Capers, “Chairs left vacant for 30 minutes or longer may be reassigned by the Pool Attendant to another waiting guest.” Just ask.

The correct name is Lido deck, not Libido deck.

 

Cabins

Pillows are soft to a fault.

Extension cords are available for a $25 refundable deposit.

Bungie cords for balcony doors should be able to stretch at least 6 feet.

Maybe we were just lucky but having a port side balcony gave us views of the coastlines and put us along side the piers at each port.

Hi-def LCD TVs with several English language channels.

If you miss the debarkation talk or port talks, they will be repeated several times on the ship’s channel.

Free current in-room movies are available. Three channels offer movies that replay about every 4 hours. The movies change about mid-cruise.

 

Ports

Some Conquest class passengers you meet in port will act superior to Fantasy class passengers.

A few fellow passengers will interpret back on board times to be guidelines. It seems that a great deal of latitude is given to passengers who are late returning.

Don’t step over the red line.

In the tourist areas the Mexicans are fluent in English and will gladly accept US dollars.

If you use the bathroom, take a dollar with you as a little man will appear to assist you with the soap, water, and hand towels.

Does Carnival have a financial interest in Del Sol and Diamonds International?

Progreso beach clubs have no lounge chairs. However, you will find lounge chairs a plenty if you are part of the Corona Beach Party excursion.

In Progreso there is an abundant supply of massages. This means prices are negotiable.

 

Debarkation-

Even if you have 12 pieces of luggage….do the self debarkation.. A porter can make your wait in line about 2 hours shorter. Tip well up front.

[monroe2020]

Cat 12 Penthouse U98

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/563366316mGTPWd

 

 

Sites on board and in Cozumel & Progreso

 

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/563367193PXbGVH

[Kenster]

How much wine/champagne were you able to carry on?

 

We carried on two bottles. Packed two bottles. The first night, the dining room steward checked our bottle to see if it was a wine they sold on board. Since it was not, he reminded us of the corkage fee policy and charged us ten bucks. The next night we were celebrating our anniversary and brought a bottle of Korbel champagne. They sell Korbel on board so I don't know if he didn't charge us because he thought we might have bought it on board, or just because it was our anniversary.

The other two nights we had either another bottle of Korbel or a wine we had brought but they did not charge us again.

Our assistant waiter, a young Croatian on his first cruise contract, was very interested in the wine we brought. He was very into wines and did not know

that Texas produced wines. I told him a little about the Texas wine industry and that it had been building strongly over the past 30 years. I offered him a taste but he was not allowed. So, we left a good size serving in the bottle and gave it to him to try out in his cabin. He reported the next day that it was a wonderful Chardonnay and that when he was in port in Galveston he would go ashore and try to pick up some Texas wines.

[Ship Addict]

Hey Kenster! We're neighbors!

 

I'm just curious why they cared whether it was a brand of wine they sold on the ship or not?

 

I usually bring my own wine on board to enjoy in the cabin and buy a bottle in the dining room, but your comment above piqued my interest.

[Kenster]

Carry on screeners seem more focused on looking for weapons than alcohol. [/Quote]

 

I had two bottles of wine in my carry on. No one batted an eye. In my checked luggage I had a six pack of 16 ounce Miller Light in Plastic Bottles and a six pack of 16 oz Bud Light in the metal bottle (just like they sell on board.) Also in my checked luggage we had two more bottles of wine and a bottle of rum. No problems. Note: with our bottle of rum we would make "Mai Tais" by mixing fruit punch, with a bit of orange juice and lemonade from the Lido deck. Great for sipping while sitting on a nice quiet side deck in the shade with a good book in your lap.

 

Most of our group wore the patches and most experienced blurred vision (even when sober).

 

Many people who wear the patch report that all they want to do is sleep all the time. My bride uses the wrist band/pressure point thingies with great success.

 

I did not feel compelled to tip our unseen Maitre d.[/font]

 

We saw our Maitre D once. I actually had a envelope with a small tip in it for him as a thank you for changing our seating to the earlier time. But he was nowhere to be seen or found on the last night.

 

Extension cords are available for a $25 refundable deposit.[/font]

 

We took an extention cord, along with a small table fan. A power strip would have been helpful, too.

 

Does Carnival have a financial interest in Del Sol and Diamonds International?

 

You dadgum betcha! Well, their financial interest is a nice kickback as a percentage of sales from ship passengers. The sales reps will always ask what ship you are off of. Not only does the ship get a commission but Goose, or whoever the CD is, gets a cut, too. This comes directly from a Cruise Director aquaintance of mine, who also advises to never buy artwork at the ships auction. The artwork is authentic but if you're serious about art, he says, go to a real gallery or dealer for a much better deal. However, we enjoy going, learning about art, and drinking the champagne.

 

 

Even if you have 12 pieces of luggage….do the self debarkation.. A porter can make your wait in line about 2 hours shorter. Tip well up front.

 

Ssshhhhhh! That's a secret!!

[Kenster]

Hey Kenster! We're neighbors!

 

I'm just curious why they cared whether it was a brand of wine they sold on the ship or not?

 

I usually bring my own wine on board to enjoy in the cabin and buy a bottle in the dining room, but your comment above piqued my interest.

 

Hey, Neighbor! I'm guessing that if you buy the wine in the ship's store or pre order it before sailing (has to be done four days in advance, I think) they are not going to charge you the corkage fee. On the first night, the waiter asked (as he was picking up our bottle) if I had bought this on board, but he immediately saw by the label, that I had not. On two nights we had our own Korbel Champagne. It happened to be Brut, which is what they sell on board, not Extra Dry. I don't know if that made any difference or not. Maybe they only charge the fee once, even if you bring wine every night. I think you can go to their website and see what wines they sell on board, if you want to pack your own accordingly.

[Kenster]

On our May 8 cruise they made a big deal about participation in ship events and whichever team participated the most would win some prizes to take home. However, nothing was ever announced as to whom was the winner and they certainly weren't giving out any prizes.

 

Is this the norm on other cruises? It's not a big deal but why all the hoopla if they aren't going to follow through with it?

 

By the way, our Blue team ROCKED!! We would have won it hands down!

[Border Granny]

My daughter (kwbrad) and I were also on that cruise, and I agree with everything you said, we had a wonderful time, everyone was very friendly and we had great crew attending to our every needs. Our only problem we had with anything was the disembarkation process. We did not self assist, and were in group 16 (numbers went through the high 20's I believe). We finally were called at 11 am. The terminal was completely filled with people, but by the time we got there the porter line was also long, and we thought the line was moving so we chose not to get a porter. We were in the line just to get to the custom lines for over an hour and a half. When we finally got to the customs line, they weren't moving. People were actually cheering when someone actually made it past the customs agent it was taking so long.

 

When we got to the agent, they asked every question they possibly could, not just the usual "is the form correct" and move on. I have never been through customs like that before. We were finally through customs at 1:15...I had booked a flight for 2:20 from Hobby thinking I was going to have time to kill. Well, I did not make my flight (I actually would have barely made it on my plane, but my luggage would not have made it, so what was the point, it was better to take the next flight). We actually docked at 8am, I believe there is something wrong that it took over 5 hours to get out of the terminal.

 

As I said before, we had a wonderful cruise, and I or Kelli would be happy to answer any questions you might have. It is just a shame that the last encounter we had on the cruise turned out to be so poor, but it will not diminish the overall wonderful experience we had.

[txtricia]

Does anyone know the list of changes thave have made to the ship as part of the Fantasy class upgrades? Has anyone been on since the changes that can talk to the before and afters?

[margaritaville4me]

Ship_Addict - Hey neighbor!!!! I noticed you live in Katy, so do I!!!!

what a small world!!!!

 

Kenster- The Texas wine you brought on board...did it happen to be LLano?