Overall I was completely surprised about how relaxing this cruise was. We all know Carnival is a party mecca for cruisers and it was for the most part on this cruise but there are lots of quite area you can relax read or just watch the sea go by. From what I saw the pools and hot tubs were still a big draw and mostly crowded during the day. The Serenity area was nice but people started saving chairs early so there were none when we got there. Oh well, we found some nice quite places to lay out.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We had a 10:30 to 11:00 embarkation time and we had everything on Verifly and was on-board in around 30 mins from starting our check-in. Very happy with port of Mobile and their fantastic workers there.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food was a little hit or miss but there was always something to satisfy us. Lots of options and we never left any dining area totally disappointed. In fact the Braised Short ribs were the best I have ever had.
Wind Song Dining Room
5 out of 5
Ben the Maitre d' was one of the best we have encountered. Very thoughtful, helpful and always checking in with us. Our waiters Manoj and James were the best!!! Remembered everything we liked from the first night. They never left us wanting anything. Table 382 is a 2 seater and was in a very nice location.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
There were lots of activities from the fun squad but I found some quite places and read on sea days.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone we encountered always greeted us happily and was helpful if we needed or was looking for something.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
She's an old girl living out her last days cruising but she still got us to and from out ports. I read some reviews about how the ship stunk and how things were broken down...hogwash!!! She is showing her age but those crew members kept her super clean and we never saw anything that looked broken down. Do yourself a favor and vist the old girl before her Oct scrap date.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Our cabin was a Jr Suite....it is your basic balcony cabin with a tiny balcony. Not much suite there. It was fine for us and our room steward always kept it clean and the ice bucket full.
Ship tip
Port of Mobile is a fantastic little port to leave from. The Ecstasy is in her prime but do yourself a favor and visit the last of the fantasy class ships before she is scraped. You won't be sorry.
There is so much to do and see here other than staying at the port area. We went to the Mercado(market) and bought a fresh Red Snapper and one of the restaurants there cooked it up for us. It was a awesome meal for sure.
I've read alot of bad reviews for this port but obviously they just stayed in the Progresso port area. Granted Progresso is a very poor port town but Merida is just a 45 min bus from Progresso. Bus tickets were $8.00 US for a round trip ticket. The bus is easy to take and the ride itself is interesting. Merida is the 2nd largest city in the Yucatan and is full of history and good food. Next time you get to Progresso check out Merida. Plus there is free wifi in Plaza Grande!!
I must say I really like the self disembarkation procedures now. With a Passport and facial recognition we were off the ship and in the car headed home in under 30 minutes. Do yourself a favor and get a passport, everyone with a birth certificate had to stand in line and go thru the immigration mumbo jumbo.
I am glad you enjoyed your cruise. Thank you for sharing your experience and detailed review. The port in Mobile would be very convenient for us. We have not been on a “Mega” ship yet but have enjoyed all of our cruise vacations on the smaller to mid size ships.
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