csmruss

     First lets discuss the great qualities:  The main dining room was excellent in everyway, Pablo the head of the operation in the dining room was very visible and continually asked how the food and service was as well as out waiters Eric, Wayan and Gusto.  Service and quality of the meals for dinner, lunch and breakfast was excellent.  The ports of call Nassau, St. Thomas, San Juan and Grand Turk were also great stops, we walked the quaint streets of the first three stops and swam at the pier beach at Grand Turk.  Two ships at Grand Turk yet plenty of room on the beach.  My room steward was outstanding and a credit to the company.  I had an inside, room 8218 and it was a great deal for the money.  Bed was comfortable, room was laid out well and Carnival providing Miami TV and other channels all through the trip was outstanding.  I have been on other lines that do not have TV and it stinks.   

     Now the poor qualities:  1.  I have travelled on three Carnival Ships this year and was shocked to see the number of dirty tables and lack of caring by the busing personnel each day on this ship when I went to the Lido Buffet area to eat.  Twice there were not only dirty tables but dirty dishes piled up too.  Once and only once an officer came out and directed the tables be cleaned up and they were quickly but as soon as the officer left so did the bus staff and it was back to the usual "who cares".  There did not seem to be areas of responsibility for people.  Carnival needs to not only look at the bus staff but the supervisors as well.  Carnival and its customers do not need this type of attitude, behavior or conditions.  2.  I heard too many people state that there was not enough entertainment but I found it to be OK as I go to relax and do not need to be entertained.  3.  There weren't enough lounge chairs on the decks and at times I still saw some still stacked and tied down, WHY?  Part of the problem was lounge chair hogs.  4.  Getting back on the ship in Ports was poor.  I never saw this on any other Carnival ship but on the Splendor someone likes lines even when it wasn't necessary!  To get back on the ship there was only one gang way open so there was a LONG line to get back on while three other gang ways were not being used, not good.  Once people started grumbling, loudly, another line opened up.  One would think this would not happen again, oh no, it happened at every stop.  The said thing was that at two stops another Carnival ship tied up near us and guess what, they had no lines as they used two gang ways.

     Two days of cruising down to St. Maarten was relaxing way to start a vacation.  The Getaway staff was outstanding, always providing excellent service in a courteous way.  I was amazed at how big the ship was yet easy to navigate about.  There were many things to do to keep busy or to just find a place to relax, you decided how much to do or not.  With the many people on the ship I was amazed by the fact that it never seemed crowded in any part of the ship.  I never had a problem finding deck chair space to lay out and get the sun or to find a slot machine!  I cannot say this about any of the other three ships I have been on.  Food:  Excellent buffet at the Garden and the choices in the three dining rooms were great not to mention the entertainment (free) in the Tropicana each night while we dined. Quality of food everywhere was great as well as the variety of cultural dishes.  The dining was free style, no reservation or set eating times which was also great as we never waited to eat and we ate when we wanted.  I went to two "pay" restaurants Moderno and the Noodle bar.  Moderno is Brazilian/Argentine style of meats brought to the table for as long as you could eat.  Quality and service were excellent.  Price was reasonable at $20.  Asian Noodle bar was reasonably priced and again the food quality was excellent.   Dress up if you wished or one did not have to, its a vacation so forget the dress up thing and have more space in your luggage.  Entertainment:  Everyday there was fine entertainment for everyone of all ages and the children's designated camp area was a hit according to the children that went there.  Room:  I had a suite but a balcony would serve the same purpose unless you want the tub!  The room and bed were extremely comfortable and we had plenty of room.  Our steward, Amy was outstanding, as were all the people working in the tight hallways.  Tight hallways but more room in the rooms, good.  Embarkation and disembarkation was fast and efficient (half hour) and for those reasons I will use the Port of Miami and this cruise line again unlike the horror show (1 and a half hours) at Port Canaveral for our last cruise.  Ports of Call:  St. Maarten we went on a drive, boat and drive tour of the whole island and enjoyed the stay.  St. Thomas was the port of call but we took a boat to St. John to see the unspoiled beauty of that island and it was well worth the sights.  I would recommend an excursion to St. John that shows you the sights and has a period to enjoy a beach.  St. John excursion is not for shoppers, shoppers stay on St. Thomas.  Finally, the port of Nassau and the ship docks right on the main shopping areas which was great fun and gave us time for a three hour excursion by bus to see Atlantis, Watkins distillery and where the Bahamians of all classes live.

The itinerary of this cruise is just great, all of the ports were very interesting especially the Panama Canal stop.  The entire crew was helpful, courteous and polite to not just me but to other passengers as well.  Food was among the best I ever had on a cruise, tied Celebrity for #1 in taste and quality.  Cabin steward and his assistant were excellent. 

First, let me say that the entire staff on the ship and in the terminal were fantastic, efficient, caring and professional.  I cannot say enough about the great way I was treated.  Second, the itinerary for this cruise was great as well due to the variety of excursions offered or to just stay in the interesting dock areas.  Each country offered something different.  Lots of opportunities to relax or be as active as you wish.  Third, the service onboard was excellent and the food quality and variety was amazing. 

I have been on other ships before and I would point out one issue.  If your a light sleeper like me there is a problem, the ship at certain speeds vibrates even on the 8th deck where I was and it so pronounced that I could not sleep.  Three crew members I asked about it said that it was the same in their quarters.  I still enjoyed the trip but I will not go on that ship again and I had considered the 25 day cruise to Australia.  I will sail on another ship.

Hello all:  We had a great offer on an ocean view room so at the last minute we took the trip.  First, let me say that if you have been on any other Carnival ship you will be spoiled and disappointed here as the Fantasy is an old small ship in comparison.  Once in the room (M135) my wife noticed right away that it was old and there were holes in the backs of the curtains!  The rest of the room was good and the steward, whoever it was did a great job cleaning up the room each day but it was odd in that this was the first cruise out of six on Carnival that the steward did not make him or herself known.  Food was very good at the buffet, Guy's Burgers excellent and the evening meals were good except for a cold prime rib once.  Our waiter, Ricky, was excellent and we found all the wait staff excellent.  Casino is small and the amount of smoke and heat build up may keep you away.  Even staff were heard to say that the AC was not keeping up on two different nights.  Key West was the first stop on the itinerary and it is always a great stop whether shopping, water sports, sightseeing or hanging out in one of the many good bars or restaurants.  Our favorite place to eat is PEPE's on Mallory Dock for Cuban food and sitting under the veranda.  Next stop was Cozumel where I boarded the ferry (45 min. ride in rough water) to Playa del Carmen to then get on a nice bus to Tulum (45-50 min.) to see the Mayan Temples.  Views here are excellent and Saul our guide was great at explaining the history.  Ignore the continual hawking to sell you things but if you wish to dicker then enjoy the fun in Tulum by talking down the inflated prices.  I ate at a small restaurant at the Tulum site and it was great, beef tacos and coke for $10.  Tulum site has a lot of shops and restaurants.  Our tour was late in the day so no time to go to the beautiful beach there.  I brought a small bag with towel, bug spray and bottles of water as it is hot there.  There are swamps all around there but it is dry season so no bugs but it will not hurt to carry insect repellent, be safe.  Got back to ferry early so got an hour to hang out in Playa de Carmen, nice town.

     The cruise overall was good as I had a casino offer so I cannot complain but I would not go on the Fantasy again as I was spoiled by the other nicer bigger Carnival ships.  I really missed the big outside theater!  The old girl needs to be retired or refurbished.  

This trip was booked two days before it was leaving and it was for an interior room for an excellent price.  I had never tried an interior room so this was a "lets see if I like it".  The room to my surprise was roomy enough for my wife and I, the bathroom was almost as large as the ones I had in my previous balcony.  We did not feel claustrophobic and there was plenty of room to store cloths, bags and items we bought.  The bed was great and we slept well, only take the mid or rear of the ship, even in rough seas on the return.  The room was nice to stay in to sleep and read but the rest of the time we were out on the ship so not having a window did not matter.  This is a fine way to cruise on short money or to take multiple trips.

Cruise and ship were excellent and the food the BEST!  Get a Guy Burger and handcut fries wow!  Itinerary was exceptional and one does not need a single excursion to see a lot, walk the Ports and Swim Grand Turk.

NEGATIVE- Embark and disembarkation at Port Canaveral is a NIGHTMARE and stay away.  It took one and a half hours to get out of the Port and in it was one hour.  A real disservice to the cruise ships that use that Port as the poor set up at the port and terminals would give anyone a bad taste about cruising.  Compare to Port Tampa and Miami where one gets 20-30 minutes from car to ship! 

Beach at Grand Turk was relaxing and soothing.  La Romana shopping in town was sketchy but security was everywhere so it was worth it for the great buys.  If your not brave go for excursions on this stop.  Experienced travel people, go for it. Curacao and Aruba are always great stops for beaches, shopping and walking around.  The ship was great as the variety of foods and service was very good as well as room service and steward service.  An excellent itinerary and ship.