Aside from the unexpected issues with getting my 4 year old cleared to fort on the ship it was a pretty great experience. My 3 teenage sons found plenty to keep them busy onboard and my husband, myself, and our 2 friends had a great time aside from trying to keep the 4 year old entertained. The excursions were wonderful and the memories are priceless! If not for the issues with childcare for my youngest and having to purchase Carnival excursions for her to be permitted to leave the boat it would have been perfect.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
Lots of unexpected Covid related issues. My youngest and I were separated from the rest of our group and not told where we were going. We were taken to an on-site Covid testing area and told she would not be allowed to sail unless she was tested there and results were negative. We had already been tested at a Walgreens prior to going to Galveston and I provided the results. I was told they still had to do a rapid test there. I tried to explain that she had tested positive for covid in January and had recovered and tested negative at Walgreens. I provided all the documents and was still told we would not be allowed on the ship until testing was performed and results were negative. It cost $150 and she would be tested the last sea day as well. Carnival has a policy in place stating that recovery from Covid within the last 90 day does not require this testing but the staff would not listen to me. She got tested and we finally made it to the ship. It was so stressful!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Eating gluten free on the ship was more challenging than expected, those in my party without dietary restrictions still had some trouble finding food that was to their liking. The only good option for someone with food allergies is to preorder all meals from the dining room. You can order your meals the day before with your food allergies noted and they take special care to avoid cross-contamination.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
There were water slides, pools and spas galore! The kids really enjoyed the pools and slides while I appreciated there being spas and an adults only area. The casino was quite large for those that enjoy gambling. The shops were reasonably priced for what they carried.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
MarQ did all the ship’s announcements and was hilarious! He made the experience for everyone in my party. He also hosted some of the trivia and the Love and Marriage game show, it was phenomenal! The rock show performed on the last sea day was also stellar. The piano bar was “ok” as the pianist was very talented at playing but was less talented at vocals and comedy.
Children's Programs
2 out of 5
I was prompted to sign my children up (including my 4 year old) 2 weeks prior to sailing, 2 days prior to sailing I learned that only children 5+ and fully vaccinated could attend the children’s programs. This meant that I got to entertain my child the entire time. Beware, those of you traveling with toddlers! Turns out they aren’t as into sitting on the deck reading as we are. My older children were not interested in the activities offered to them and opted to spend time together instead.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Once on the ship the staff were all exceptional, very kind and helpful!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
It’s a big enough ship to get turned around, but there are adequate maps to figure it out after a couple days.
Cabin / Stateroom
1 out of 5
It was definitely a bit tight with a king bed and the bunk bed above for the little one. However, there was adequate storage for 3 good-sized suitcases and their contents. The bed was more comfortable than I expected, to be honest. The room had a safe and small fridge and enough shelves in the bathroom for the essentials.
Ship tip
If you are traveling with small children that are unvaccinated, be prepared to be their sole entertainment. Also, be prepared to pay $150 in Covid testing fees. If your child had Covid in the past 90 days bring proof to avoid the tests and charges!
My family went on a beach day excursion with open bar and pool. It was very fun for the whole family despite the copious amounts of sea grass on the beach and in the water. There was a decent amount of local shopping and excellent massage services right on the beach. They shuttled us to and from the destination on large buses that were quite comfortable.
This port required a 30-40 min ferry ride to and from the port. Once at the port it was a lot of souvenir shops, some bars, and that’s about it. We didn’t do an excursion so we did not get to see scenic Belize and it was pretty disappointing.
We did the Fury Catamaran sail and snorkel through Carnival and it was EXCELLENT! The only complaint we all had was that the excursion was short, 4 hrs total. After the safety demonstration we were at a snorkeling location for 45 min and then taken to a private beach with inflatable slides, water trampolines and such. The beach had an open bar, tons of seating, cabanas, hammocks and a few little shops. We would have loved to stay longer as we only had 1 & 1/2 hours at the beach. The ride back to the port on the catamaran was so much fun with lots of music, dancing, and endless beer, margaritas and soft drinks. We would absolutely do this again!
It was slow and crowded but that’s to be expected when 4,000+ people are trying to all get off the ship. Getting through was much smoother than embarkation though!
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