Fascination Review - 5 Days Jax to Bahamas

[AliasLily]

We are a family of five: 40ish couple, our "tweenish" kids (9 & 11), and my mom (in her eighties). DH & I had done one cruise previously (NCL to Bermuda), but the kids and Granny were newbies. We chose the Fascination based on price and itinerary. We're not big partiers, but love being at sea, enjoy the Caribbean, and being together as a family. DH plays poker, so the Casino was a draw (pun intended) for him. In short, we wanted a value getaway, and pretty much got just that.

 

Pre-cruise: we didn't feel like cutting it close and flying in on departure day, so we flew into Jax from Boston on Friday night. I chose the La Quinta based on price and the "free" shuttle to the cruise terminal. La Quinta was perfectly fine budget hotel, with a very nice staff. We missed the free airport shuttle because we got in too late, but we knew that ahead of time and the taxi fare (about $20) was reasonable, for the 5 of us. Unfortunately we discovered the "free shuttle" to the cruise terminal had a sign in sheet, and we were too late to get any reasonable time slot. So the next day we just had the front desk call a cab and we were out another $30 or so. Live and learn, I guess. Still a good value ($60) and I'm glad we got to Jax the night before.

 

Embarkation was very smooth. I think we got to the terminal at about noon, and things were very busy but moving rapidly. We had re-packed our carryons plus one swimbag, so we were ready to get rid of our big luggage at the terminal. The porters were very efficient. The longest line was the first line, waiting for screening. But everyone was in a good mood, and it moved quickly enough. Check in was fine, and from then it was almost too fast -- just from a juggling papers standpoint and herding my family. We headed straight for the excursion desk to book a cabana for Half Moon Cay -- no line, and there were still several cabanas left. We booked our other excursions at the same time (snorkeling at HMC and Atlantis Aquaventure).

 

We had adjoining oceanview cabins, with a connecting door, on Empress, aft, portside. Granny's cabin was also aft portside, but down on Riviera. Our steward was fantastic, and was available to get us settled and unlock the connecting door, etc. He did a great job. I was really pleased with the size, decor, and comfort of the staterooms. I particularly loved the bedding -- what I would expect from a "fancier" cruise. Big hit. Also, other than the first night (everyone partying like mad) and the last night (luggage being moved), the staterooms were quiet and the motion pleasant.

 

It was worth it to go up to Deck 11 for sailaway. I was aft, behind the "whale's tail", and it really did look like it was going to get chopped off by the bridge as we sailed toward it. An amazing, scary even, optical illusion.

 

Our dining room and bar experiences were on par with what I was expecting. Our waiter was charming, and steered us towards the best entrees/desserts each night. He got to know my kids' likes and dislikes, too, which I appreciated. Bar servers were pretty good, and we tipped early and often, thus getting us served early and often.

 

I will say that I wasn't wild about the food. I wasn't expecting all that much -- abundance and variety, but not much in the way of quality. Breakfast was fine, other than the dreadful coffee. Desserts were great. But the food was just "eh". Again, not surprising for a value vacation.

 

We did the Atlantis Aquaventure, which went very smoothly. I was worried that the "herding cattle" aspect of the tour would take too much time, but it really was fine. I think that Carnival overcharges on this, to be sure, but that's the industry, and we took the once in a lifetime opportunity to take the kids to Atlantis, so no regrets.

 

Half Moon Cay was lovely. The tendering process was very smooth and easy. The beach is really lovely -- I'd love a cruise where we could stay in that port for multiple days. The cabana, expensive as it was, was great. It was much easier for the 5 of us to spread out and enjoy the whole day. It was well stocked with snacks, drinks, etc. I highly recommend it.

 

We didn't do the entertainment/shows or the nightlife all that much. I skip the art, the shopping, etc. I mostly just enjoyed being with my family, reading, and just being away from home. DH enjoyed playing poker, and made a few bucks, at that.

 

Our "best kept secret" for the mellow mood was the forward, starboard deck just beyond the back of Coconut Grill. Shady, not too breezy, and non smoking. Perfect hangout for a game of cards, a round of drinks, and it turned into our default "meetup space". Ditto the tables and chairs on Promenade.

 

Lastly, while the crowds could be kind of overwhelming, the individual people were nice as can be. Lots of friendly chatter in the elevators, or at mealtime, etc.

 

In short, this was a great value. I wouldn't call it "perfect", but I had a great time, as did my family. It was very hard to walk away from the ship this morning.

 

Thanks for reading my review!

[cruiser/teacher]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. I will be on the Fascination on June 4th and can't wait. I'll have to remember to check out your quiet meeting spot. Thanks for the tip!

[Meemers2005]

Thanks for your review!

[scoobert2]

Thanks for the review. Did your Granny mention if she liked the Riviera deck? We are planning on booking a cruise soon and wondered how it was since it is the lowest and cheapest deck.

[AliasLily]

Yes, she liked her cabin on Riviera. It was just as nice as ours (on Empress). She said it was quiet, comfortable, etc. I will say she's easy to please, so it would have taken a lot for her to complain. :)