Why did I wait so long?

Carnival Ecstasy Cruise Review to Caribbean - Bahamas

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 49

Overall rating:

5 out of 5
Verified Review
Carnival Ecstasy

5 Night Bahamas (Charleston Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 13, 2017

Ship: Carnival Ecstasy

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: U107

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 7 years ago

Review summary

I had been putting off cruises for years because I didn't think I would enjoy them. Finally, I booked a cruise for our 30th wedding anniversary. We splurged on a balcony room which my wife loved and it gave us a private retreat when we wanted to get away from the crowds. 

 

Without a doubt, the Chef's Table was the  highlight of the trip, but all of the service was stellar.  Yes, the ship is old and shows some wear, and the food at the "mass production" restaurants is akin to fast food on land, but overall, the cruise exceeded my expectations and the servers and cabin steward and cooks were exceptional.

 

Special kudos to our dinner service team in the Wind Star dining room (Elena, Luke and Hla Thu), to Chef Gabriel who hosted our chef's table, and to Eddy and Aliksandra who served us at the chef's table and made our day several other times during the cruise. 

 

You all were GREAT! 

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Our room showed it's age, but was very nice considering it's been in use since 1991. No complaints. Our cabin steward, ("Izzy") was extremely professional, polite, helpful, and struck the perfect balance between attentiveness and allowing us to be alone.

Ship tip

Bring an insulated coffee mug with you. There are no large drink cups on the ship and the little coffee cups didn't keep the coffee warm for long in the early morning February air. The ship shows its age in some areas, but most of the common areas were upgraded and well maintained.

Ports of call

Charleston, South Carolina

5 out of 5
Go to Poogan's Porch for dinner. Everything you need is in walking distance and parking is expensive, so don't bring a car unless you need to.

Nassau, Bahamas

5 out of 5
We reserved a day at the Hilton's private beach. No crowds, excellent service, good food and drinks, spotless sand and clear water. Relaxing under the grass umbrellas beats any shore excursion you could get. Just a 10 minute walk from the ship.

Freeport, Grand Bahama Island

3 out of 5
When they tell you something is made in the Bahamas, turn it over and look for the tag that says "Hecho in Mexico" or "Made in China." Just buy the straw goods and wood carvings that are local. Everything else you can get cheaper at your local five and dime... if you even buy it at all.
Was this review helpful? 49

1 Comment

cochranp    7 years ago

excellent review

Other reviews of this sailing