I'm not a frequent cruiser but I enjoy them. I felt lukewarm about this cruise and the overall experience. My take away is that next time, I'll do more research and find a ship/cruise that will provide the cruise experience I've come to expect.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
It was somewhat slow unless you paid extra to board faster. But once aboard, everything was fine.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The buffet did not offer as many different "types" of food as on other cruises I've taken. While the quality was good, it wasn't exceptional as what I have had in the past. Also, the service during the dinner meal in the main dining room was subpar. Two nights, we had to wait an hour at least to be seated. Once seated, we were not even served water or rolls for 20 minutes so we had to complain. Maybe the main dining room is not big enough to seat the guests in a timely manner. But part of the cruise experience is the dining so I was really disappointed. I also felt the dining entree options were not as good as past cruises. Now, we must pay for some of the options where in the past, lobster tail would be on the menu one night. Also, what happened to the server who came and asked if we would like a drink from the bar during our meal? In all, the dining experience was very sad.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The evening shows, kid's activities, swimming, putt putt golf. We enjoyed all of the activities we went to. This was the first time traveling with grandkids and they loved the activities for them!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Loved them all.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
Grandkids tried everything there was for kids and loved all of them!
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
As a whole, the staff was okay. Our room steward was very good. The wait staff in general was good. The only reason I was disappointed is the 2 nights in the main dining room where the service was very poor!
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship was very clean. Layout was good but maybe the dining rooms need to be bigger to accommodate more guests so we don't have to wait an hour to be seated. On 2 nights, we waited an hour to be seated, and then ended up missing the earlier shows because of it. What fun is that????
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Clean but nothing exceptional in design or decor.
Ship tip
Look for a cruise on a different ship. The Elation seemed old and is probably due for an overhaul.
I was disappointed when Carnival changed from Nassau to Princess Cays. And honestly, I've never been on a cruise where we visited a private island. But I was pleasantly surprised. It was a wonderful day of swimming and relaxing. The meal was great. I could of stayed longer.
Our cabin was on deck 4 and we carried off our luggage. So why did we have to wait in line to use specific elevators to go to deck 9 only to go back to deck 3 to get off???? Everyone was complaining. It made no sense and was confusing.
How many ships can you choose based in Jacksonville? Like...one? Elation, right? Occasional port visits by other ships, like Balmoral, doesn't mean you can choose any other ship. So, that means Elation is THE SHIP for a large number of people from Atlanta, Tallahassee and Savannah. So much for your "Tip" to find another ship. If this ship "seemed" old, what was the tipoff? Is 20 years of service "old" for a ship? I'm curious if your experience aboard her was anything like mine. Check out my video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b7VSZOlei4&t=111s
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