Overall we had a great time. This was my daughters' first cruise and they loved it. This was our first time on a smaller ship and I enjoyed it very much. There is always something to do and Kevin does a great job with activities.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We purchased faster to the fun and it was a very smooth process. We arrived and my husband dropped the family and luggage off and then parked. He found parking fast and once he met up with us we got in line. There were around 20 people in front of us and the process only took about 10 minutes and we were walking to load the ship. Faster to the fun was worth it.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We ate in the dining room 3 nights and our food was delicious each night. We did not eat in the dining room on the excursion days and ate at the buffet those nights. The breakfast buffet has a good variety and the Blue Iguana does offer breakfast burrito's and Guy's Burgers offers different style eggs and omelettes. I have to say the omelette was delicious. The earlier you eat breakfast the better the line is. If you eat breakfast around 9:30 am-10:30 am the line is longer, but 6:30 am-8:00 am is better. My husband had fish tacos from Blue Iguana and raved about those. Guy's Burgers is always a must.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We did enjoy the water works slides. I know it is geared for kids but the adults enjoy it too.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We attended the Hasbro Game Show several times, Bingo, multiple trivia events, Punchliner Comedy, the Holiday Show, multiple musical shows. We had a great time at all events. We were a family of four and ages range from 53-22 and all of us enjoyed the game shows, comedy and musical shows. The performers did very well and I have to say Kevin is the best cruise director I have seen. I also think BK was hilarious and enjoyed his excitement.
Mikado Main Lounge
5 out of 5
We attended several shows here and found the performers did a great job! To get a seat on bottom floor in the middle you must get there 15-30 minutes early. Shows are about 45 minutes long and gives you enough time to space out other events you would like to attend.
Children's Programs
I didn't have small children. My children are 25 and 22.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Kevin is the best cruise director I have seen. He has so much energy and the way he interacts with passengers is unbelievable. He is by far my favorite. We also had the chance to see BK in some of the events we attended and he is so funny. We enjoyed being around both Kevin and BK. Emmy (sp) who does Bingo makes it so fun. Our room steward was Zosimo and he was very friendly and was great to work around us coming back to room at different times.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The Elation is an older ship but has been updated. We went in December and it was decorated for the holiday's. The buffet area was always clean and the crew are very fast in cleaning up the tables. The decks and pools were very well maintained. The only thing I would change as for my personal preference is the Serenity Deck needs to be larger. I know this isn't possible, but not having small children, this deck stayed full. Every crew member we saw was smiling and always helpful.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The Oceanview room is larger than the inside cabin and it was very clean. The bathroom did not have a countertop but had shelf over the sink we were able to keep necessities on. This room had drawers shelves we were able to store items on as well. There was more than enough storage room for the both of us.
Ship tip
Download the Carnival Hub app and you will be able to keep up with events, other people in your party and your account summary. It also has a map. It is very handy to have. The price for texting plan is $5.00 for the entire cruise.
I had read how pushy the vendors were at this port, however, I found them no more than the other ports we have been to. We did go to Atlantis and my family and I had a great time. When we got off the ship we found immediate transportation to Atlantis and was there within 15 minutes. We went through the Aquarium and the Aqua Adventure. We rode the rapid river and all the slides multiple times. There is a rapid river and a lazy river and I don't recommend the rapid river for small children. We ate lunch there and it was expensive, around $60-$65 for 4 people. We did take water flask and didn't have to buy water while there. We had a great time and will do it again if we go back to Nassau.
We did not do an excursion at Princess Cays and chose to swim and lay on the beach. We were there the first week of December and the weather was beautiful. It was around 87, which was warm for this time, but the water was very cool. The buffet lines are long but the food was hot and there were hamburgers, hotdogs, pulled chicken, pasta salad, potato salad, vegetables, etc.
We purchased faster to the fun and it is definitely worth it for embarkation and debarkation as well as excursions. Being able to get off the ship early is great to avoid the crowds. Jacksonville port is small and we had no issues here.
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