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Johnstradamus Cruise Review on Carnival Elation on Jul 24, 2017

Item: Carnival Elation
Rating: 5
Author: Johnstradamus

Carnival Elation Cruise Review

Johnstradamus

Contributor Level: Second Mate

30 Days Till Next Cruise

Reviews: 7

Helpful Votes: 90

Overall rating:

5 out of 5

Sail date: July 24, 2017

Ship: Carnival Elation

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

Where to begin? The ship is old, small, and in desperate need of refurbishment. Despite all of this it was the best cruise we have been on. If tons of activities, new gadgets, and massive size are important to you then this isn't the ship for you, however if a very personal experience and engagement with the staff that make you feel special and important are high on your list then I highly recommend the Elation. The entire staff bent over backwards to make sure our experience was special and memorable. There are far too many to mention by name, but a few that stand out are Adam in the piano bar, Simone and Cody from the stage shows, Joey in the Atrium, but mostly our cruise director Kevin. We have been on the big 3 lines and in our opinion the category where Carnival stands out above the others is the engagement of the cruise director and his/her staff and Kevin stands out compared to the other Carnival CDs we have encountered. I can't say enough good about him - he had a direct impact on the amount we enjoyed our vacation. I would sail this tired old ship again and sail any ship with Kevin. I have no doubt that after the Elation comes back from dry dock it will silence many of the critics about "old and dated" but the staff needs no update - they are great just the way they are.

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21 Comments

DianneTodd 6 years ago

This review just eased my fears about the ship not being built with balcony staterooms; I'm sure I'll enjoy my birthday aboard this ship!!!!!

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JohnsonL 6 years ago

Johnryanph, Great to hear that you had an enjoyable experience on a 'smaller' ship and that you are sharing why so well. Sometimes, I find that I am one of few that speak up for the cruise experience on ships around or under 100K tons. We have had great service experiences on ships of every size, but there are some experiences on the smaller ships that are hard to replicate on the mega ships. We love being on any of them, but recognize that they are different. Really, if you go to enjoy, like you did, and not focus on comparing apples to big grapefruit, cruises offer an endless variety of great vacations.

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MrBill 6 years ago

CCL Elation may be an older ship but we loved sailing with her. Her passenger count is about 2000 so if you are looking for a smaller ship...just remember The Love Boat had a passenger count of 750 and crew of 350. I enjoy the smaller ships since they don't appear to attract the "younger crowd".

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Dutch3901 6 years ago

We did the Chef's Table on the Fascination a few months ago. It was excellent...

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halfmoon 6 years ago

i have been on her twice and going again in May I would live on her if I could. great ship and I can't wait until May

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Johnstradamus 6 years ago

I am unable to write a second review so I'll just add it here regarding the chefs table. Review of Chef's Table. We booked this cruise to celebrate our 20th anniversary so we splurged a bit and did some extra things we wouldn't normally pay for, such as the Chef's Table. If you are a foodie, or at least not terribly picky I highly recommend this dining experience. It consisted of 7 courses in the library plus 4 small bites in the galley. It lasted over two and a half hours and was incredible from start to finish. It also included champagne before the meal began and wine throughout dinner. I am adding some pictures to the album for those interested as well as the menu. Tip: if you have an allergy they will substitute something similar. One of the participants had a shellfish allergy and for the crabstack course they used shredded chicken for her. It was worth every penny and will be something my family will remember for years to come.

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tucklori 6 years ago

Sailing August 21st, before ship goes to dry dock, and excitement is growing. Second cruise for us. This review is really encouraging and making me even more excited! Can't get here soon enough!

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AlexandraMarie 6 years ago

I was already looking forward to my November cruise on Elation, now even more so! Great review!

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Boxermom2 6 years ago

Was on Elation last year for our first cruise. I didn't want to go on a cruise at all and was convinced it would be horrible. I was so wrong! Had a great time and the staff was so much a big reason as to why. They had a way of making you feel like they had known you for years. Our group has booked another cruise for next years get together, they picked NCL this time and we will see how it goes. One thing is for sure we will be back to Carnival even if it is just a side cruise with my better half.

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Lucy108 6 years ago

Agreed! The name of the game for us is to relax & roll with it.

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Johnstradamus 6 years ago

@dutch. You are dead on about our outlook. There were a couple of issues that might have caused others to become unhinged but we just focused on all the good stuff. Our issues were typical cruise issues - one bag delivered REALLY LATE, toilets wouldn't flush on our deck for a short time, outlet in our kids cabin stopped working a couple of times. Nothing to panic about, but the way some folks act they would be demanding a full refund. Just silly - go have fun instead.

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Lucy108 6 years ago

Thanks! I'm looking forward to bagel & smoked salmon from the deli, melting cake, a Twilight Zone..., Did you gamble any? I've set a strict budget for it, but plan to play some slots on sea days.

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Johnstradamus 6 years ago

@lucy. We had early dining so I can't help with anytime. What I can say is that the food was better than I expected. I still find the food on NCL to be a little better but I enjoyed everything I ate. Best thing I had all week was probably the duck.

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ClaytonAmber 6 years ago

My first cruise was in 2015 on the Elation & it was good enough to get me hooked on cruising!

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riley1220 6 years ago

This review makes me so happy!! I sailed in January on Elation and went in with low expectations and a somewhat blahhh attitude. That changed after about 5 minutes being on that ship. The crew is the friendliest and sweetest I've ever had out of 6 cruises. Now let's discuss Kevin. ð He definitely is a game changer as far as Cruise Directors go. So personable and just all around fun! His hosting is funny and easy and witty. His 80s in the Atrium is my favorite activity ever on a ship. In fact I'm sailing that sweet ship 3 more times in the next 10 months. She'll be even more fabulous after her complete renovation during the dry dock in September â¤ï¸

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Johnstradamus 6 years ago

@amanda. Go into it knowing there will be a few little things that will go wrong and as long as they aren't big show stoppers just roll with them. Tip: if you like music even a little don't miss the 2 big sing along nights in the Atrium. One night was all 80s music and the other was 90s. Kevin had over 500 people all singing at the top of their lungs. Other musts include the Divas show and Rock show in the main theater. Either use the app or read the daily newsletter and have a loose plan for the things you want to attend, but don't be so rigid that you abandon something you are having at blast at because your "plan" says you have to. Enjoy.

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Lucy108 6 years ago

Maybe the staff works a wee bit harder Bc she is older... This review is great. Sounds like the staff will really put some magic into our family vac. My kids hopefully will be amazed.

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Dutch3901 6 years ago

Amandacollier, if you are looking forward to an amazing time, you will absolutely have one. Re-read johnryanrph's review. He had a great cruise (BEST cruise they'd been on) because of his approach and expectations. It's my experience is that if people are looking for a wonderful time, they will find it and they will not let little things (that last 10 minutes) affect 7 days of cruising. Others go looking for things to complain about and will find fault in everything. We loved the Elation when we cruised her last September. We are cruising on her again after her dry dock next April. We see character in her wear and tear, earned from having a 100,000 passengers cruise on her every year for decades... She has pride and class. Listen to johnryanrph. He knows how to enjoy a cruise and appreciate the staff....

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Lucy108 6 years ago

Glad y'all had a great time. We're on her shortly after dry dock. Most reviews rave about the staff. Did u happen to have Anytime Dining? How'd that work for y'all?

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lab341 6 years ago

Very nice review

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amandacollier 6 years ago

We are leaving for our first ever cruise Aug 7 and have been a little nervous about the mixed reviews. We figured though that since we had nothing to compare it to we would think it was amazing anyway, even if others thought it was old and tired. Thank you for sharing such a positive experience. We are looking forward to an amazing time!

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