Review 3 day Paradise 6/13/08

[genngee]

Review – 3 day Paradise 6/13/08

To set this in context, I am not the hardest person to please but I know what I want and I expect to get what I paid for.

I have been on 3 seven day cruises (one on the Paradise a long long time agoJ) and made the horrible mistake of reading reviews and worrying. I wanted cruising to make a good impression on my mother in law and 3 year old daughter.

My expectations were not high; I expected a party boat with passable food and average service. I am swearing off reading bad reviews!

We left AZ at 5am Friday Morning to drive to Long Beach and arrived about 1pm. There was no line what so ever and it took us 20 minutes from the moment we pulled into the parking structure to the moment they took my embarkation photo. We had set up our Sign and Sail on line using multiple credit cards and shutting off the 3 year old’s charging privileges and it was perfect. No hold up there at all.

We boarded the ship and headed to the dining room to arrange for a high chair to be at our table (the Maitre ‘D was at the other dining room and could not help oh well). Then up to Camp Carnival to show DD around and see what she thought – she was ready to move in the moment she saw it.

We were able to get the room by now, so we dropped our stuff – discovered our bags had already arrived less than 90 minutes after we left them – and headed to the Lido deck. At this point, the 3 year old was ready to RUN around but we were starving so up to the buffet we go. At this point, this became our best cruise experience EVER. As my mother in law and DH were getting food, DD was bouncing off the walls (almost literally). A waiter came over and started to entertain her by making a napkin hat for her stuffed dog. He asks where our dining table was and lo and behold we were in his section – Early seating in Destiny dining room table 203 with Carlos and Jiji (Jirarat). From this very moment my daughter fell in love. Every time we entered a dining area she wanted Carlos and Jiji Carlos and Jiji and they were happy to oblige – I am dreading boarding the Liberty in Oct and having her discover that Carlos and jiji do not work on the Liberty.

After lunch we toured the ship and then headed to the Normandy Lounge for muster drill – I do like being inside instead of jammed in an exterior hallway for this. Muster drill seemed a bit late and we had to dash straight to dinner. I had never had early seating and was disappointed to be in the dining room for sailing on both Friday and Saturday – I missed the open deck and the sail away photos. We found our table and set up the highchair and Carlos remembered all our names and continued to charm DD. The menu was uninspired but the food was quite tasty – my steak was a wee bit overdone but since that seems to be quite common I had ordered it medium rare instead of medium and so it was almost perfect.

We finished dinner and took the kiddo up to Camp Carnival – no separation anxiety at all just “bye mom” and off she went. We had a few cocktails and decided to try the casino – my mother in law and I both won a bit and had a great time. The lounges were nice but Seth, the entertainer on the Promenade bar by the Casino was AWFUL – the Karaoke singers were better, he couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. I picked up the kid and she and I went to bed, but Mother in law and hubby went to the Welcome aboard show and had a good time.

Got up bright and early Saturday AM when the room service man brought me coffee at EXACTLY the time I requested. We headed to the dining room as mother in law and I wanted Eggs Benedict before we toured the Ensenada wineries. Hubby elected to remain on board and relax and play with DD – she was not so into that plan and immediately demanded to go to the play area so he was on his own. We went on the Wine Country shore tour through Carnival and had a wonderful time. The wine was good and our guide – Liliana – was very entertaining. We were back on board in time for lunch and then relaxed the afternoon away.

I liked the look of the spa special being advertised for Sunday so we headed up to the spa to make an appointment. While we were there Nicola was kind enough to paint DD toe nails (she LOVES pedicures) – she was the happiest 3 year old around. Then off to get ready for Formal Night and have photos taken. Again sail away was during dinner – I think I will avoid that in the future. The food was plentiful and again unimaginative and hubby says one of his THREE lobster tails was a bit rubbery (it was the last one so I told him it was his punishment for gluttony). The waiters sang and danced with entertained my daughter endlessly.

After dinner we took DD back to Camp and went to the Hollywood show (which was quite good) and then back to the casino (won a little more) and then the late night comedy show (quite funny). We picked up the kiddo from Camp Carnival about 1am where they had changed her into her jammies and a pull-up (she is daytime potty trained) and she had fallen asleep on a mat.

Sunday was a Fun Day at Sea; I got up for an early AM spa appointment. Now I know this is nothing new to Carnival but this trip it was really the only real black mark on the trip. I am sick to death of the HARD HARD HARD product sell at the end of the service. This should be the most relaxing, enjoyable part of the trip instead you find yourself pressured to by over priced products you do not really want. I keep saying I am not going back, but this time I think I mean it. I got stuck with a $60. Face care product I really do not want and cost 50% of my whole 100 minute treatment. I am upset with myself for caving and upset with Carnival for continuing to allow it to happen so I will just spend my spa money on dry land in the future.

Other than that, we had a great day at sea. Played a little mini-golf, enjoyed afternoon tea in the America Bar (the only truly not good table service we had the whole trip, but not HORRIBLE). Spend some more time winning a bit in the casino and took a bit of an afternoon nap.

The last night of the cruise was game 5 of the Celtics/Lakers series and it was wild. Between the Cigar smoke from the fools who thought they would bring Cubans home and the Laker crazies hoping to avoid elimination it was a wild night. The only time the whole cruise that smoke bothered me at all was when we tried to go to the sign along in the America Bar – we couldn’t even walk in the door.

I had a snafu at work that resulted in my having to fly home at 11:30 Monday AM so we elected self-debarkation. I know many of you love it but for me NEVER AGAIN. It was crazy disorganized with people from 5 different directions converging on a single line with WAY too much stuff to carry. It certainly accomplished what we needed it to – it got us off the boat early in the AM, but I will revert back to happily being among the last folk on board and returning home in a more leisurely manner. Live and learn

This was a wonderful weekend getaway and I would repeat this cruise on this ship if the dates and price were right.

[PINEVIEW01]

Thanks For the Review. Glad you and your DD had a good cruise.

[oysterfiend]

Thanks also we are doing Paradise 4 Nights May 4-May 8 2009

Monday- Friday:)

[cjkumbaya]

It sounds as though you had a great cruise - thanks so much for sharing.:D