Carnival Elation Cruise Reviews - Reviews

We left on April 3, 2017 for a 5 nights Bahama cruise from Jacksonville Florida.  This was our first cruise so we dont have any other experiences to compare it to.  However, we have stayed at several all inclusive resorts, so some of our critiques from from that.

The Ship:  The ship was big.  12 Floors.  We found it easy to navigate around the ship, only got confused a few times with the Inspiration and Imagination dining rooms because they are named so similarly.   A lot of people say that this ship is outdated, again we have nothing to compare it too but felt that it was kept up well.  Didnt see anything nasty and the rooms were clean.  Compared to an all inclusive resort it was very nice to have everything close together.

The Room: We stayed in room R157 on the 4th Floor (Riviera).  Our room was super.  We had the beds pushed together into a King size and had the bunk lowered for our 5 year old daughter.  We also had ocean view, which I dont think I could do without, we loved it.  The stewardess kept our room immaculate and the bathroom clean, floors swept, etc.  Towel animals every night.  

The Food: The food wasnt great.  Main dining room food was okay, but it was very gourmet.  So if you arent into that kind of food you will be disappointed.  We didnt try the room service, but the menu was similar to what was found everywhere else on ship.  The Lido buffet was bland and similar every day.  We got tired of eating pizza 3 times a day.  The sandwich buffet was very good though and I ate there once or twice a day too.  Lines were outrageous to get food.  Also liked the Dr. Suess breakfast but not sure why they charged an extra $5 as the menu was similar to that of Sea Day Brunch.  Elegant night wasnt all that elegant, so Im not sure why they call it that.  Just a few more people dress up a tad bit nicer than usual.

Pools: These are horrible.  The drop to get into them was scary our child didnt even want to go in.  I couldnt get in because I have lupus and have a hard time getting up and down ladders and the ladders in that pool were not handicap friendly.  The water was also freezing in all the pools.  My child would only go in the hot tub, which was hot on the sunburn.  Ive seen pix on other ships and their pools look better.

Ports:  Freeport was a waste of time.  We did an excursion All Inclusive Beach Getaway.  Had we not done that, it would have been a complete waste.  I dont really know why the cruises even stop here.  Half Moon Cay was the absolute best.  We rented a clam shell for $30 and had lunch at the BBQ.  Which was pretty much more of the same as what was on ship.  The water was gorgeous and sand was soft.  Nassau, I could take or leave.  A lot of upscale shopping like Gucci, Guess, Pandora, etc.  My daughter got her hair braided and it was a waste of money.  $50!  We walked around for a short time then went back to the ship.

Entertainment:  The singers werent the best we've ever seen, but the show was awesome nonetheless.  We saw Epic Rock and the Soul one on the last day.  Our Cruise Director, Kevin was the BEST.  He really made our trip wonderful.  He was funny and fun to be around.  The last night they did an 80s Trivia/Sing Along and it was a ton of fun.  The whole ship was singing in that Atrium!  Also they did Build a Bear Workshop and our daughter loved it.  Prices were similar to that of the real store and it was a great souvenir to bring home.  

Photographers:  OMG! They are every where!  Be prepared to get your picture taken every time you turn around.  It felt like paparazzi!   They did a nice job on the photos where you actually went there and posed for them, but the shots trying to get you leaving the boat or coming back from the port all nasty and sweaty just dont make good photos.  They also dont organize them well and they WASTE so much!  They print EVERY SINGLE PICTURE and display them for all to see.  They need to come up with a system similar to Disney, with their magic band.  Why not use our sign and sail card to link to our pictures and then we can see what we want.  Maybe purchase a CD or downloads or something? The pictures were super expensive too!  $22 for an 8x10.  We seriously had about $400 worth of pictures in our hand by the time we found *most* of our pictures.  There were thousands and thousands of photos to look through.  Such a waste to throw all those pictures away.

Motion of the Ocean:  Now I was told by several people that you cant feel the boat.  Feels like your on land they said.  Yeah, they lied.  Two-Three days you could see the boat moving out the window.  It didnt end up bothering me, but man it was rocking!

Overall, this was an awesome trip.  I do want to go on a cruise again sometime.

I really enjoyed the cruise it was my first time. The service on the ship was impeccable, I am so impressed. I would personally like to thank Herald one of the stewards on the Rivera deck, he was very attentive and knew me by first name without me telling him. He spoke to me as if he had been knowing me for years which made me feel very comfortable. Thank you carnival.

We had a wonderful vacation in paradise! This was our children's first cruise and they were amazed at all of the things going on around them and loved how the staff treated them. Our steward Dedi was so friendly and was very attentive and Bagiasa in the dining area was great. Our oldest is 11 1/2 and is still struggling to cut up steak. Bagiasa I guess saw this, and cut up the steak for her. She tells everybody about that!  We truly enjoyed our vacation. The only thing that was not good onboard was the smell in the bathrooms, not just in our stateroom, but other restrooms as well. There was a strong smell of urine by the toilets in multiple restrooms we used. Other than that everything was great

We cruised as part of a large group and the service we received all around was really great.  I want to point out in the Inspiration Dining Room our wait staff, Robin and Luh.  They were outstanding.  We enjoyed coming to dinner every night to see them.  They knew all 15 of our names after the first night!  They were fun while also taking excellent care of us.  

We also really appreciated our cabin steward, Alexander.  He was always there when we need something and took time to get to know our schedule so our cabin would always be ready for us.

Tom was very helpful and understanding through the whole process. the staff on the cruise were very helpful. We especially enjoyed Rhett as a bartender. He knew all of the drinks we were asking for.

This cruise was terrible.  I would not recommend it to anyone.  I have cruised over 10 times and always with Carnival and have never had such a negative cruise experience.  The staff appeared to be mad at something and miserable.  The service was bad, especially at the bars and restaurant on the lido deck.  Most of the time only one side of the bar was open so we had to wait 30 to 45 minutes for servers to bring our drinks.  The one side that was open was in the smoking section so when I went to the bar to try and speed up the process I had to cover my face because I am allergic to cigarette smoke.

Lines to get food took between 20 and 30 minutes. During the time that folks were getting back on boat from ports of call, all but one buffet line was closed. I asked for some ranch dressing and was told rudely that did not have it. Room was not cleaned but two times, had to go get towels myself.  We requested king bed during online check in, was not done.  Had to go request it.  There was trash under the bed when we first got to our room.  Lines at guest services would be long and only one staff person helping folks.  The service in the dining room was slow and food was a disappointment.  You now have to pay a charge to get the good food, like lobster.  The best thing about the cruise on the Elation was the fast debarkation at the end, which I was ready for.  I had bragged on carnival so much from my past experience and planned this trip with four other couples, some who had not cruise before.  I am so embarrassed that they spent their money and vacation time on such poor service and quality.

The check in process was very easy and getting on the ship was the same. Our bags were in the room when we got to the room. It was such a pleasure to see so many people smiling and greeting you every time you passed them. 

The crew on ship is amazing. We had a blast. Good mix of ages, plenty to do and really enjoyed it. We loved the private island excursion in Nassau.  Highly recommend it. 

Didn't care for the cruise -- the boat was very rocky! even seasoned cruisers were complaining; our cabin needed updating -- it was nice, but kindof old and tired looking; the lines were too long for food or drinks -- I understand that there is a fine line between crew count and passenger count -- but during "peak" times, there should be some adjustments made in scheduling crew so the lines aren't so long!  Loved Half Moon Cay - but the drink package isn't valid there -- so spent an extra $90 on drinks, 3 a piece for me and my daughter.

Overall I believe the cruise was good. We went with our 2 year old and there wasn't much for him to do which is why we chose the cruise with only one day at sea. The food was decent, but be prepared to only drink lemonade because that's all they have to drink (unless you paid extra for soda). They only have one pool and it's not that big so it was mostly used by teenagers. Don't bother buying any internet package because you won't be able to get any wifi connection anywhere on board. Buy the water package online before your cruise so it's waiting for you in your room because that's another thing you won't find on board, bottled water. 

You need two stop children from getting in the hot tub . Hot tubs are for adult

the water need too be hot. . I HAD A GOOD TIME the food was good. I love half moon k I will go back one day

The Elation is a bit older and is set for upgrades in September when she goes in for 30 days at dry dock. We enjoyed the vacation.  The dining experience was great. Coming back into Jacksonville is where the main problem came in. We were told to be out of our cabins by 8:30.  At which time we needed to be on Deck 9 or 10. Deck 4 was scheduled to be off ship from 8:00-8:15 deck 5 from 8:15-8:30.  We were on deck 5.  We thought we could get on the forward elevators on deck 5 and go down.  Well that wasn't the case.  We were told to go up to deck 9 or 10 and catch the elevators down to disembark.  We had a great time and will cruise again just on a bigger ship. 

The Elation is a bit older and is set for upgrades in September when she goes in for 30 days at dry dock. We enjoyed the vacation.  The dining experience was great. Coming back into Jacksonville is where the main problem came in. We were told to be out of our cabins by 8:30.  At which time we needed to be on Deck 9 or 10. Deck 4 was scheduled to be off ship from 8:00-8:15 deck 5 from 8:15-8:30.  We were on deck 5.  We thought we could get on the forward elevators on deck 5 and go down.  Well that wasn't the case.  We were told to go up to deck 9 or 10 and catch the elevators down to disembark.  We had a great time and will cruise again just on a bigger ship. 

food was better than the reviews. steak was only comparable to Golden Corral. Shows could use some improvement.Recommend for party goers and teenagers.

The price wasn't bad the ship was kind of  old .all  the  water was Rusty and I was  told the cabin Stewart he told me to let it run for a while I let it run for about 30 minutes before the water came out somewhat clear. 

I would Sail  on a newer ship next time

We are frequent cruisers. The unique 5 night cruise on the Sensation was perfect. Not too long, not too short. The crew was fantastic. James in the Fun Squad was a remarkable young man. He made our cruise one of the best we have ever had.

Trip started out well. Staff are all great, so pleasant and helpful.  Seas were rough a couple days and all the medication didn't help.  Purchased a watch for $350 on ship and found on amazon for  $125 upon returning home. I don't recommend on ship purchase.  Excursions were fun and definitely worth the expense. 

The crew did not know all aspects of the ship. If you ask the same question to different crew members, you would get different answers each time. The crew did not seem to be knowledgeable about the ship/rules/etc. For example, my boyfriend asked where he could purchase a Aloe bottle and each crew member gave a completely different answer, so we found ourselves walking all around the ship trying to figure out the real answer and wasted a good hour of our vacation time.  Our stateroom was missing a room service menu, we waited over an hour after calling to request one, and still no menu. My boyfriend went to guest services and they did not seem to have one there for him to grab (which was weird- Holland never had that problem) but assured us they will expedite the issue... only for him to come back to our our stateroom and wait another 45 minutes before having to go back and ask again.I requested two bathrobes and had to remind the crew the next day again that we have yet to receive them. Lets not talk about the time we found ourselves with no toilet paper. Almost every meal we had on board was cold. One perfect example was the one cold pancake in the middle of a stack I ordered from the Seaday brunch one morning.To add on, the description from the waiter was completely wrong from the food I really got.  To make matters worse, at one point, the bread basket I received before my dinner meal had an half eaten bread piece in it! When I pointed it out to the waiter, he did not seem to care at all, simply grabbed it and replaced it without saying one word!  Come on! As if things could not get any worse, when my boyfriend went to purchase the CHEERS package, they told him that I am forced to purchase it as well, even though I do not drink AT ALL. So basically Carnival make about $310 in profit out of pure awful customer service.That was almost just as much as I paid for the cruise itself!  Although we even heard stories of others purchasing the CHEERS package and getting away with the other not purchasing it. So that is what we get for following the rules I guess.  I understand there were probably people before us who abused the system and shared drinks, but another solution can be figured out to solve that issue besides lets force everyone to purchase the package. The only positive part of the vacation were the other guests on ship. Everyone was nice and very fun to hang with. I  met some of the greatest people I have met in my life. Although I am sure there are many other cruise lines that attract amazing people as well, so I defiantly would not recommend this cruise to others.

The cruise itself was a little chilly, but mirrored the quality of past cruises.  I think Freeport should be taken OFF as a port destination.  It is too run down from past hurricanes and nobody is fixing it up.  The locals certainly don't have the money and the investors have all taken money and run.  

We have always been on bigger ships, so this was a first for us.  This was our first Fantasy class ship which was small (little over 2000 passengers and I recall the staff was 950).  Jax terminal is a small temp. structure.  Once you enter the cruise terminal (via car) and are in line, you go into another long line just to get to the porters to drop off your luggage.  From there, you drive into another long line to park into the port parking lot, so be sure to allow plenty of time prior to your boarding time.  We had a suite, so we went into the priority line (almost to Platnium).  I think the ship was built in 96 and in 2014 the Elation got some work done on it, but it does look older and very tired.  It goes into dry dock in the fall of this year. We went to Nassau and Freeport and have been there before.  You can save money by going on your own shore excursion and can save a lot by just taking a taxi to Atlantis and doing your own thing (just think of Atlantis as a big amusement park, do you really need to pay for a guide to get you there etc., No way). The next port was the private island of the Holland America line which Carnival uses.  Everyone said this was simply THE best place.  Well. it takes a tender to get there and the sea had whitecaps everywhere, so we were not allowed to go.  As for being on this ship for 2 fun days at sea, not enough places to go and not enough things to do.  Yes we missed the bigger ships.  No specialty dining options, no sports bar, no sports trivia or very many other trivia's etc. that we were used to. We were disappointed in the food selection that was served in the main dining area.  The first day onboard, we looked at the menu and decided to do a steak for an upcharge (we had some OBC, so we were going to use it).  On the menu, it was under the steakhouse selection.  We were used to the specialty steakhouse, and thought it would be prepared the same way.  It did not taste the same at all.  We did eat on Lido a couple of nights and found that they had some of the same selection that was in the main dining room plus pizza etc.

We were happy to see that they did have a comedy punchliner show to look forward to though.  There is only one pool on this ship and no outside theater.  We went during spring break and it was hard to get into ear shot of the bartender, but usually managed to find a bar that just opened before the spring breakers moved from one bar to another.  Our steward was great and so were the dining room staff. 

We would have loved to see the wok open during dinner hours instead of just noon to 3:30pm.  There was always a long line for the wok.

It was a nice trip, would have been nicer to get to go to the private island port but if you are used to a bigger ship with more options, stay with the bigger ship.  It was also in the 40's when we returned to Jacksonville, very chilly, burrrr.