NYTraci

This was my 11th cruise with Carnival, and my first time on the Ecstasy. Being platinum members, embarkation was a breeze. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this one as much as previous cruises , being an older ship, and a shorter duration. Boy, was I wrong! The 3 of us, (my mother, my 15 year old daughter and myself) were pleasantly surprised at every turn. The staff was one of the friendliest we have ever encountered (especially Joel our waiter, and I-Wayan our cabin steward M 164). Anthony, the cruise director, and the Fun Squad (especially Cody) were outstanding! The food was standard cruise fare, always in plentiful supply. Is is as good as other cruise lines? I wouldn't know, and I don't care..I don't have to cook it myself, clean up myself or serve it myself, so it's already a plus for me. Desserts are amazing, and the entire Wind Song dining staff were gracious and entertaining. We never felt rushed, even with the early seating. Our cabin was spacious enough for 3, with plenty of storage for our needs. It was always clean, always well stocked. No complaints. The ship has undergone a recent refurbishment and has added Guys burger joint, Blue iguana etc..Excellent!  She does show some wear and tear, but that didn't detract from our experience in any way. Deck area were always clean, usual lack of deck chairs due to being help w/towels, which happens on ALL ships. This being said, I do have 2 complaints. One is i the entertainment. THIS I found lacking compared to other ships I've sailed. The Playlist Productions crew only performed 3 out of 5 nights, and the shows were lackluster at  best. Of course, they push the sales in the shops, and the bingo etc...This is across the board on all ships, not just this one. If you can ignore the sales push, go with the flow, enjoy the open sea and get out of your comfort zone, you will have an amazing week, guaranteed! My 15 year old registered for Club 02, and met some lifelong friends from all over. Corrigan, the 02 director, gets another great review from us! My second complaint is the island of Freeport. It has been hit with multiple hurricanes, and never rebuilt.  The beaches, even the private ones, aren't very scenic or enjoyable, and there isn't much else to see here. The island tour is just depressing, seeing nothing but abandoned hotels, building etc. Carnival needs to invest some money like other lines have to build it up, or start sailing to an alternate destination. The whole day there felt wasted. Overall, a great trip, an amazing cruise line, and we will be back. We are carnival customers for life!