ButlerB

We had an excellent cruise on the Elation. Lines were a bit of a pain and you know what you're getting into with Carnival, however, with 3 kids, they were very happy. Seniors-and anyone who wants a quiet cruise-should not expect that on a Carnival ship, especially during the summer. We adjusted our tipping to account for the children. We will cruise with Carnival again.

We were with a very large group--500 or so, so Freestyle is a must so people can mix and match. Food was okay--service at Tsar for 15 was poor--they only put one waitress on our table. At Azura, very poor service--we heard two staff members arguing--and had to get one of the officers/managers to retrieve our meal. The Tex-Mex place was very good, as was Blue Lagoon. The Garden Cafe had a too common buffet feel to it, and some food was cold. They had great soft ice cream, but only one machine. Buy soda for the length of the cruise for $6.25/day per person. We did that. The Cirque show was something else (Elastigirl 'from the Incredibles' lives!!!) Ironics are a good pop band that we enjoyed a lot. The cruise director was an annoying little snit we didn' care for and the 2nd City group made me think I was watching Drew Carey's 'What's my line' with less talented performers. Chocolate buffet was only so-so. There were a ton of kids on the ship (it was totally sold old) and parents generally gave the kids programs a thumbs up. They didn't constantly harass us to buy drinks, and because of that reason, we'd cruise NCL again. Plus, we love Freestyle cruising--just remember to make those reservations when you get on the ship.