This was a great way to introduce my young children to travel and experience different things while on a budget. It was also great for my large family as my parents are older and my siblings are of all varying ages.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Flew in a day early to be more relax for embarkation and be less worried since we traveled as a big group with children. The staff were friendly and moved quickly. It was crowded but not to bad. We came early.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food was excellent in the Monet dining room. Guys burger joint was all the rave with every one in the family. Ate them to fast to get a picture. The Buffet had lots of selection and the taco place was good too. They offered a kids menu every night with Hot Dogs, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets and all the kids favorites. The seafood was awesome as well. Room service breakfast is always worth it
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The pools were often full of kids but it wasn't so bad as I had my kids as well. We played several rounds of mini golf and giant chess. The fitness center was small but good enough for a basic workout.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The comedian on board is one I had seen on another boat. He was funny but I wasn't up for a repeat. The second comedian for 2 nights was great. The DJ was ok but a large radio group caused the club to be closed most of the time as they had private events almost every night. None of the shows or singers stood out except the kids related shows and my favorite "Love & Marriage" show with People they pick out of the audience. Karaoke was also a lot of fun
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
They were in love. Which made me so happy as a parent. They had so much for the kids to do. They had there own planner for the week and events that allowed parent participation like build a bear, Susessabolooza, Green eggs and ham brunch and Dr. Suess parade around the ship. It included extended hours for a small fee. They had a movie theater. Playground. Games. Arts and crafts. Definitely made the cruise worth it. A nice way to travel with young ones on a budget and still get free time
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
The wait staff were so great. Our waiter was from Indonesia. He learn my whole parties names and favorite meals. Told jokes and the dining staff put on shows. Our room steward kept the room neat and ice full which is all we needed
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The first day we asked to have the room cleaned again after finding luggage and snorkel gear under the bed, which meant to me it had not been cleaned troughly. Other than that it was fine. They cleaned it right away with no fuss and hand sanitizer was every where. The ship was small though. Learned the layout quick, which was a good thing to me. Down side was no adult only serenity area
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The balcony was great. The location was near the steps and close to the rear dining area, comedy club and piano bar.
Ship tip
Go to the pool during lunch because there is no adult only serenity area and the youth dominated the pools
We flew in a day early. We stayed at Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port. It offered free pick up from airport to hotel and from hotel to cruise port. It was great. The hotel had a pool, fitness center and hot tube. Each room had a balcony. It was near a train station and a large fishing store. The only downside is there were no food places near by except dominos pizza. They had a small cafe in the lobby that was expensive and lacked options. No free breakfast either.
This was my second visit to this small island owned by Carnival. It has all the food and drink, bbq style you need and plenty of places to lounge on the beach. This time with kids I explored more of the island as they are full of energy and curious. They have a full pirate themed playground and sprinkler. It was fun.
It was lovely and the sights were beautiful. We did not book an excursion but it was easy to get a cap to a local beach. The walk from the boat dock to the island was so long they had bike wagons free to take you back and forth, tipping was optional. We toured the island, did a little shopping and took a nap on the beach.
We didn't do much on the beautiful island which is perfect. The beach and shops are close to port. Food can be purchased right on the beach. The kids played. I relaxed and the water couldn't get any more crystal blue
Nov 5 will be the second Cruise I'm taking my grandchildren on they were 3 and 1 first time this time 3 and 5, not sure my 3 year old will remember this trip or not 5 year old barely remembered, but he'll remember this one .
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