A great vacation at a reasonable price

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 40

Review summary

We just returned from a 4 night Bahamas cruise on the Carnival Elation. We chose this cruise based on price more than destination. I was pleasantly surprised with the Elation. The ship was very comfortable and the service was impeccable. Our cabin steward was wonderful. We never had to ask for anything twice and he was very prompt with every request. The dining experience was pleasant. The food was good and plentiful. There was a nice variety of dinner selections. The seafood was wonderful however; I was a little disappointed in the beef entres. They also offered pork and lamb. The service was excellent. Our waitress was so sweet. She made everyone feel special. She remembered something about each of us and hugged us every night before we left the dining room. Carnival truly lives up to its reputation as the "fun ship". There were plenty of activities for all ages and we participated in as many as possible. There is so much to do on the ship that we really could have used an extra day or two in order to experience it all. The one disappointment was the cabaret show. Although, the performers were good, the production was cheesy and somewhat boring. As for the destination, I have traveled to the Bahamas previously. It isn't my favorite destination but the beaches are beautiful and the shopping is great. Since we were traveling on a budget we didn't participate in the shore excursions however I recommend it since it's the most convenient way to enjoy the islands. There isnt much to do in Freeport but some of our group went out to Lucaya Beach and loved it. A word to the wise, make your purchases in Freeport because we found the shopping to be more expensive in Nassau. I paid $10 for a wicker bag that I could have purchased for $6 in Freeport. We wanted to see the Atlantis resort and decided to venture out on our on, taking a cab instead of the excursion tour. That was a big mistake. We knew there was a fee to get into the aquarium but there are additional fees to gain access to the pool and beach areas. You cant get past the lobby areas unless you pay the fees. The cruise lines have contracts with the resorts so its best to do the tour which gives you a glimpse of everything. We hired a taxi driver in Nassau who was very accommodating. He took us on a short tour of the city. He was very knowledgeable and provided some history and even drove us by some celebrity homes. We were pleasantly surprised with the hospitality of the Bahamian people as well. There are only two negative experiences I can speak of: 1. The first night of the cruise we hit rough seas and many passengers were seasick. The captain was very apologetic but said it was unavoidable. The crew was passing out motion sickness meds for anyone who asked which was very much appreciated. However, next time I cruise I will start taking medication before I leave the port. Other than the first night we had smooth sailing. 2. We were traveling in a group of 8 people, 2 of which were late additions to our group therefore booked separately. Their dinner table assignment was at a different time and even in another dining room. We asked to have them join our table and were treated quite rudely by matre d. He was not accommodating at all telling us he didnt have an extra table that would seat 8 people. After some persistence they found a table for us by the second night and we were told by the wait staff that the table was empty the night before. Needless to say the matre d did not receive the expected gratuity! I would definitely recommend this cruise. We had a great time and you cant beat the price. We actually got a 5 category upgrade by booking through . We upgraded to an outside ocean view cabin for the price of an inside cabin. I will definitely use when I book my next cruise.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Entertainment

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Freeport, Grand Bahama Island