Its an older, smaller ship. It does not necessarily have all the glitz of the newer larger ships but it has a great staff and plenty to do. Our family of 3 enjoyed our cruise on the Carnival Elation. My husband and I have cruised on NCL in the past and although we prefer NCL we did have a lot of fun on the Elation. The ship is older but has gone through some renovations. We did have an issue with the toilet in our cabin not flushing but it was taken care of immediately. The service was wonderful and we were all able to find activities that we enjoyed. Carnival ships do have a reputation for being "party ships" but they are also an affordable option for young families as well. We are not big drinkers, we did not spend late nights in the bar and we were back in our stateroom by midnight. We did not find the other travelers to be crazy drunk.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Faster to the Fun really made the process a breeze. We were on the boat within 30 minutes of arrival at the port.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food in the MDR was good. The prime rib was excellent. Our servers, Leroy and Wasanee were wonderful. They were attentive, cheerful and a lot of fun. We also enjoyed getting to know the other families at our table. The buffet was just ok. We felt the selections were limited. The desserts on the buffet were good. The 24 hour ice cream was a plus! We really had no big complaints about the food however, overall I will say we prefer the food selections and quality on NCL.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
There is only one pool so it was crowded for the better part of the day. There were a lot of lounge chairs. It was loud on the pool deck but you could find more peaceful areas away from the pool. Nice water slides. We enjoyed the fitness center. Great trivia games (Harry Potter, Hunger games) etc.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The stage shows, comedians and musicians were entertaining. Our favorite show was the Epic Rock show. We also enjoyed watching a movie (Black Panther) in the Cole Porter Lounge.Seating in the clubs made it difficult to see. They should close the doors once a show has started. We experienced people coming in and out constantly during shows.
Children's Programs
4 out of 5
Our teenage son enjoyed the O2 Club. They had great activities and it gave him an opportunity to make friends on the ship.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our wait staff, Leroy and Wasanee, in the MDR were terrific. Also fun and engaging was Georgios who performed some magic at our table each night. Our room steward, Raymond took very good care of us.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
It was easy to get around. The ship was clean, and well maintained by staff. There were a few areas (in the bathroom and outside the ship) with a funky smell. The Lido deck around the pool area could have been kept cleaner
Beautiful clean beach clear blue water. The buffet was just ok, We had a Cabana and it was great. The clean up crew did try to rush us out earlier than necessary. We simply told them to come back later
We went to Atlantis. Did not book with the cruise line. Had a great time. We left Atlantis at 3 pm and caught a taxi back to the port. We had plenty of time to get back to the ship.
I agree with your review. It's an older ship with a few newer upgrades. No where near as crowded as the newer large ships.
This allows for much more personalized service as well as not waiting in line forever at the various locations around the ship.
We love Carnival and have never had issue with passengers being crazy drunk. Glad you enjoyed your cruise. We sailed on the Elation first week of July and agree with your review.
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