Overall an “ok” cruise vacation- but staff service was lacking which did hinder my cruise vacation experience this time around. I will continue to cruise with Carnival.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
I sailed from JaxPort in September 2022, embarkation was fast and prompt. Dropping off bags with the porter was a breeze -pulled up to the drop off area and unloaded our luggage. This time, the port was disorganized. We were not directed to were to drop off our luggage, and was not sure if there was even a porter. It was only once we were about to enter the terminal after unloading the luggage from the car, walked with it across the parking lot, that a porter became apparent.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Carnival’s food selection has declined in taste and selection within the last few cruises I have taken with them since the restart after Covid. The main dining room service was extremely slow. During brunch, we requested a glass of milk on two different occasions during sea day brunch- it took over 20 minutes to receive a single glass of milk. It is apparent that serving staff is either understaffed or short staffed.
The same with Bar staff - during peak times, some bars only had one or two servers, and a wait for a drink was roughly 20 minutes.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Carnival Elation is an older ship, so I went into this second sailing on the ship knowing it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the newer ships. This ship is definitely a “booze cruise” type of cruise ship. It is good for having drinks and gambling, and just lounging around, though it is cumbersome to find an open lounge chair during peak hours.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Carnival Elation is an older ship, so I went into this second sailing on the ship knowing it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the newer ships. However, 8 months after my first sailing on the ship, the ship still had the same trivia topic games, same theater shows, and same activities. It would have been nice to a switch up of shows and trivia topics.
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
Carnival staff have always been prompt, friendly, and welcoming. Something about this cruise was off for the staff. This was the first time I was not greeted by name by my assigned room steward or the majority of the bar staff. When ordering food room service, and waiting for arrival to no avail, I would call on the status of the order, and I would be told that they did not receive an order, even though I spoke with a “live” person and did not order through the app. The staff at times seem as if they did not want to be working. The crew seemed very understaffed and disorganized. At one point we received a call from Guess Services, looking for a passenger named “Jim” and that they had received a complaint regarding smoking in the room. We conveyed that we did not have a “Jim” in our cabin- the service member continued to tell us that they received a complaint for “Jim” and would not admit that they may have called the wrong cabin. After the call, I tracked down and spoke with the room steward about the complaint, for we did not want to be fined for the non existent smoking issue, and the steward conveyed they did not know of a complaint nor did they submit one to Guess Services. I understand calling the wrong cabin, but after conveying we were not “Jim”, apologize for the mishap- or even more professionally- walk to the cabin where the complaint was issued. You clearly can not smell smoke over the phone, so regardless if we had a “Jim” in the cabin, a phone call for such complaint does not seem appropriate.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The common areas and cabin were clean. The only issue was that the cabin bathroom always smelled of strong sewage.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
This is a porthole cabin near the very front of the ship. You will hear crashing waves and the sound/vibration of the bow thrusters. Due to the shape of the ship, the cabin did have extra square footage which was nice.
Ship tip
It is a smaller ship, with less amenities. Peak hours in common areas such as the pool deck and casino can become very crowded. Overall a “ok” cruise vacation- but staff service was lacking which did hinder my cruise vacation this time around. I will continue to cruise with Carnival.
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