Rough but still great

Carnival Elation Cruise Review to Caribbean - Bahamas

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 16

Overall rating:

4.6 out of 5
Verified Review
Carnival Elation

5 Night Bahamas (Jacksonville Roundtrip)

Sail date: November 13, 2023

Ship: Carnival Elation

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: E195

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 11 months ago

Review summary

While the weather was not great and the seas were very rough with a lot of swaying and moving, it was overall a great and fun experience. Kids 16, 12, and 7 all cant wait to go on another one.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Quick and easy for a first timer

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
Mostly utilized the buffet. Options got boring after alternating the sames things what seemed like every other day. Soft serve ice cream was amazing, Guy's burgers were amazing, kids loved the pizza option.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
Only because it was so windy the first few days (55+ mph winds), we didnt utilize the top decks much. Pools always seemed a bit crowded during the day or it was just a bit too chilly to use the pool. Hot tubs were great though. Kids enjoyed the putt putt.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
Comedy shows were great, even the kids really enjoyed the "family" version. Kier and Miles were really good. We miss Merci from Zimbabwe "Your comedy host for tonight, tomorrow, and ever and ever and ever"!

Children's Programs

5 out of 5
My 7 yr old asked to try the kids club on the 3rd day and spent most of the last 3 days of our cruise in there. She loved it. They sang happy birthday to her on the first day she went (which was her birthday). She always left with crafts she did while there.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Ariaf was an excellent steward!! Not sure how they know our names so easily but on the first day we walked by him and he said "Hello (daughters name)". I was shocked that he remembered it already and really gave us a warm feeling to know how personable they are. Other staff always seemed very helpful. Gabe our cruise director was FANTASTIC!! Always looked forward to his morning announcements and comforting voice/tone. Everyone was always so energetic.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Ship layout was good and always very clean. It is small so not a lot of exploring to do but was great for a first time family cruising.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Although quite small, it was very comfortable with just enough space for all of us. 2 bunks plus a trundle and we all fit perfectly. Beds and bedding/pillows were AMAZING!

Ship tip

It is quite small with only so many options of things to do and places to eat. The energy was always top notch!

Ports of call

Jacksonville, Florida

5 out of 5

Nassau, Bahamas

5 out of 5

Princess Cays (Cruise Line Private Island) Did not visit port

Could not visit because of rough water conditions

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Was very quick and well organized with people directing you the whole way.
Was this review helpful? 16

8 Comments

Cruisers4Lyfe     4 months ago

Thanks for sharing

Sogmoore     10 months ago

Thanks for sharing

Gwbigdog     11 months ago

Thanks for sharing

cruising2004     11 months ago

Glad everyone had a wonderful time. Thank you for your review.

javawoody     11 months ago

Thanks for the review

sopha     11 months ago

We took 2 of our grandkids on the Elation for their first cruise. Great size for first experience. Glad you had a wonderful time.

windy2day     11 months ago

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Glad everyone had a good time!

RetiredRay     11 months ago

Nice that the kids liked it.

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