Great time, but the ship is dated

Carnival Elation Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 47

Overall rating:

3 out of 5
Verified Review
Carnival Elation

5 Night Western Caribbean (New Orleans Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 26, 2015

Ship: Carnival Elation

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: V40

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 8 years ago

Review summary

The cruise was a great time, we enjoyed it a lot.  But, having been on a few Disney Cruises the difference is extremely apparent.  The ship was dated and it is obvious they have just been doing maintenance on it for years.  It was very clean, but this ship is in need of a major overhaul and update in every aspect.  

 

It was nice to have nightly entertainment, but the shows were kind of a joke.  The performers were not very good and the shows had no point really.  The were themed, but it was just a half hour of people singing popular songs.  

 

The staff is extremely friendly and we got to talk to many of them.  They are very attentive to your needs and the food was good as well.  

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5
Nice that there's stuff to do, but the quality of musical performers was laughable. The PG comedy club performance was pretty good, but the adult one was just bad. Comedian was swearing excessively and for no reason.

Children's Programs

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

3 out of 5
See summary above.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5
It's expected that cabins are smaller, but this thing was in dire need of updating. Felt like I took a step back to 1990's when I walked in.

Ship tip

Swimming with the Dolphins in Cozumel is well worth every penny. We had an absolute blast. Don't buy the unlimited drinks. The only day you get your moneys worth is when you are stuck on the ship the entire day.

Ports of call

New Orleans, Louisiana

5 out of 5

Cozumel, Mexico

5 out of 5

Progreso (Merida), Mexico

5 out of 5
Was this review helpful? 47

10 Comments

MrChocoholic    8 years ago

kolczk1103 I apologize for misunderstanding your comment. When I read your words, "It's expected that cabins are smaller" I didn't know what came after "smaller" as in "smaller than a hotel" or "smaller than Holland-America" or "smaller than my closet at home." I guess I missed the comparison somewhere. 

kolczk1103    8 years ago

Ship was rocky. Heard many people who have said they have been on many cruises and this was one of the worst in terms of that. Could attribute it to the windy weather  but very noticeable. 

 

Chocoholic, I didn't say anything about the cabin being too small. I said I expected it to be. My point was more or less on the outdated state. 

kolczk1103    8 years ago

MrChocoholic    8 years ago

This thing about cabin size is something that surprises me. No one in their right mind would expect a cabin on a ship to be anything near the size of an equivalent room in a hotel ashore. All ships are space-and-weight conscious to the extreme. In my experience Carnival's cabins are in fact larger in most categories than the same category on the competing lines on which I've also sailed. Not comparing materials, design, water pressure or anything else, just size. On Elation, they put that floor-space sucking life-jacket locker in the corner instead of overhead somewhere. You'd think someone would design an overhead bin with a line you yank in an emergency that opens a trapdoor that drops the life jackets into your waiting hands. 

SunshineDiamondGurl    8 years ago

yes Disney cost more, but well worth it

bets3038    8 years ago

But was the cost of the Disney Cruise a lot more?

SunshineDiamondGurl    8 years ago

very smooth

Dwightking    8 years ago

How was the ride of the ship smooth or rocky

pacoblk    8 years ago

I had the same problem Disney truly spoils you!!!

SunshineDiamondGurl    8 years ago

yes its hard once you cruise Disney, you don't want to accept nothing less

Other reviews of this sailing