Just off the Elation with 16 mo. old and 9 yr. old

[lisaland15]

Here’s a review of our cruise:

 

We live about 25 mins. From Galveston. We parked at EZCruiseParking at little after 11:00am. We boarded the shuttle promptly and arrived at the pier. Our luggage was taken and we headed to the check-in. The process was quick and painless. Unfortunately, they weren’t letting anyone board until noon, so we had a little bit of a wait. The waiting area was divided into about four sections (after Skipper’s Club). We were in the fourth section to board. It took a while to get on because they stopped everyone for an embarkation photo (they did have two lines moving, though).

 

Our room was E182. We were near the elevators/stairs which was nice. The room was a quad for the 4 of us. We had them push together the two lower beds, so me, my hubby, and our 16 mos. old daughter stayed together, and our 9 yr. old slept in one of the two top bunks. We were able to fit all of our luggage under the beds. They showed/repeated several movies and had all of the major networks (ABC, NBC, and CBS). Our luggage didn’t arrive until after our early first seating dinner, so we wore what we embarked in.

 

We received the “Bon Voyage” decoration package and the vanilla cake/strawberry and cream filling as gifts. The decoration were great--my son enjoyed them and my daughter and I enjoyed the cake. We also received 8 drinks coupons. We did tip in addition to the gratuity-included coupon, and our bartender did show his appreciation. J We used the coupons for $4.95 drinks and was not charged extra except when we bought martinis from the “Ice Martini” bar that was set up (about .60 difference per drink).

 

In general, the food was good, but not great. My 16 mo. old ate off of the adult menu except for fruit plates and some fries. The kids in Camp Carnival are able to eat with the counselors all nights except the first and last.

 

My son met some kids who he hung around most of the cruise. I heard them say only about 200 kids were aboard. One night, we let our son stay for the slumber party from 10:00--3:30am ($26). He had a great time--they even played “Capture the Flag” in the huge Mikado lounge.

 

We liked the interior design of the ship. We embarked in the grand Atrium (Empress level). The nightclubs/small bars had unique designs. “Jekell & Hyde” design was of half white/white red figures in the comedy/tragedy look. “Dukes” was of the NYC skyline with the Brooklyn bridge across the lower portion of the windows and a huge floor-to-ceiling replica head of the Statue of Liberty.

 

Both our wait staff and room steward were good. I was hoping the room would be turned out while we were at dinner, but it wasn’t. We ended up leaving the room longer (after dinner) so this could be done.

 

Our itinerary was a little rearranged. Instead of Progreso-Tuesday, Cozumel-Wednesday, and Belize-Thursday, it was Progreso-Tuesday, at sea-Wednesday, Belize-Thursday, and Cozumel-Friday. The Cruise Director said there were 12 ships planned in port for Cozumel on Wednesday, so they moved our stop to Friday to avoid the congestion. We docked at Puerto Langosta (sp?) which was great. It was nice already being in the heart of downtown Cozumel.

 

Progreso--We went on the Dzib/Rodeo tour (5 1/2 hours). The cost was $79 for adults and $66 for kids 4-12 (under 4 was free). We had a 9 yr. old and a 16 mo. old with us.

 

Our guide was interesting and informative. Once we got there, we stayed with the group for about 30 mins., then headed out on our own. We went to the tall temple, climbed it, then went to the cenote.

 

The cenote was wonderful! The water was beautiful. It was somewhat rocky entering the shallow area, though. The deep end was 130 feet! We spent about 35 mins. swimming.

 

Then, we went to the Rancho. The buffet was tasty and plentiful. There was a little market area with good prices for souvenirs.

 

We thought the Rodeo show was just ok. Our baby liked the pretty dancers and the horses, but my 9 yr. old wasn't overly interested. Some of the rope tricks were neat, though.

 

You can also just do the Dzib Tour (4 hours) for $51/pp (over the age of 4). I'm not sure if any kind of lunch is included.

 

Belize--We did the Nurse Shark/Sting Ray tour through Coral Breeze which was okay. You can read the review along with others here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=106526

 

Cozumel--We took a taxi ($13 each way) to Paradise Beach again. A lot of fun! My son made it to the top of the “iceberg” at least 10 times! Get the drinks by the yard!

 

A cool front came in the last day at sea, so only the hot tubs were open.

 

Debarkation took about 1 hr. 45 mins. from the time we started at Immigration to the time we arrived at our car. The customs line was long. We boarded the EZCruiseParking shuttle quickly, but the pier traffic in Galveston makes it very difficult to get out.

 

We also meet some wonderful CC’ers on the ship. Hi “AshleyJones1978” and “BigDaddy1”!

 

You can see the pictures here:

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/lisaland15

[PattyW]

Some one else posted a question as to the kind of high chairs Carnival provides - so I thought I'd ask - did your 16 month old use a high chair? And if so, was it one of the wooden ones that are frequently used by restaurants or was there a tray available?

[lisaland15]

She used a high chair in the formal dining room (after the first night, one was waiting for her upon arrival).

 

In the casual dining/buffet area, it was always crowded and chaotic, so we didn't bother dealing with one (they did have them there, though). She just sat in a regular seat. Meals are a lot quicker in the casual dining, so she didn't need to be confined for a long period of time.

[paws43tails]

lisa, we are on the elation in april with ocean view, empress level... is there a fridge in the room?

[lisaland15]

Nope, no fridge. But, we did bring a collapsible cooler and our steward did keep it full of ice for us.