Carnival Elation Cruise Reviews - Reviews

My husband and I sailed on the Elation with a group of friends and had a wonderful time. The Elation is an older ship but I like how easy it is to find everything. Our dinning staff was exceptional!

My favorite part of the cruise is the variety of things to do.  We enjoyed a wonderful musical play, casinos, super bowl party, shopping excursions, beach get away and comedy clubs.  There is so much to do, never a dull moment. What I thought could use a little improvement is the temperature of the food.  A lot of the food wasn't hot and there were no microwaves on the ship.  The rooms and entire ship was clean and comfortable.  The service was excellent.  The only issue we had was the excursion we purchased which was the beach house with dinner.  There was no beach house and we didn't have dinner.  We were simply dropped off at the beach and picked up three hours later.  Other than that everything was great!

Dinner in imagination was my favorite part of the cruise. The team Slaven, and Chandrashekhar made every meal a special occasion. We loved their service, sense of humor, and ability to make their job look effortless.

Overall this was a great vacation - fun ports, tons of things to do both on and off the ship, great food, etc.  The ship could use some refurbishing, which we were away of from other reviews we had read.  Other than that everything was great!

Although this was an very good deal for the money/days on board, food choices were limited (not much variety);  the food was not very "hot" when served (even from the buffet);  we had problems with our toilet and shower drain; servers were not very good at picking up items in areas and we would even say over-staffed if they had time to talk to each over, view phones, etc.;  2 of the 3 ports were not very appealing as a tourist.  On the plus side, bed/cabin were comfortable; friendly staff; couples massage was very relaxing; seemed to be very organized and on schedule, private island was fantastic and lunch was included, I even received 2 special birthday surprises!

My husband and I took our first and last cruise.

We have listened to friends brag about the trips they have taken and how delicious the food and entertainment is ,Well we didnt get to experiance either the food at Tiffanys was ok salad bar was the best.The sit down restraunt was horrible nothing was even warm or tasty my husband asked a server for butter and he told him its over there go get it ,lol and you had to pay extra for lobster and steak service sucked .Entertainment felt like a High school drama performance .Comedy club was a hit thumbs up there .ports we stoped at Freeport waste of time nothing there to see or do a bunch of junk shops to look in.Nausa we went on a ATV tour sucked we were told we would have time to sight see,take pictures and beach time we were rushed through a very rocky path to a parking lot along the beach and then dropped off at a beach were we were told we had 15 minutes I was very disappointed since we had been stuck on a ship looking at the ocean ,  Half moon cay was hands down the best part of the trip carnivals private island , but again we were not there long enough we did snorkle and that was fun and the had a lunch buffet that was the best food we had ate all week !~ 

The cabin was extremely dirty ! Our dresser draws were so filthy my wife had to take a wash cloth and remove the filth from every draw before putting our clothes in. The safe in the clothes closet didn't work and an employee had to come and fix it. The clothes closet doors didn't line up to close and would swing open at times. The bathroom had Hair and crud in the shower soap dish and the sink wouldn't drain. a crew member removed the soap dish and a new one was installed and they worked unclogging the sink. Two days before we boarded I called CCL to find out if a hairblower was in the room and was told yes. This way my wife didn't have to pack one. There was none in the room ! Had to run around and get an attendant to find one after I called the desk. The person I spoke too wouldn't let me finish a sentence. There were screws sticking out of the closet from a half ass repair that was previously done and the windows were so filthy it was difficult to see out.

In the dinning room the food was always served cold ! We found that several of the staff had attitude problems. At times the staff was not coordinated and this caused problems with serving us. The buffet was worse; scrambled eggs, oatmeal, waffles were cold for breakfast and the coffee was like mud ! Just to drink a few sips I had to add six sugar packets and four of the mini half and half containers just to try and make it drinkable. I had a banana and the inside of it was black and green like it had a fungus. Bacon was raw and dripped grease. During all meals in the buffet there was never enough employees to clean the tables and when they wiped down tables their cloths left a greasy coating on the tables. Lunch and dinner was the same, cold burgers, minimal selection of food,

undercooked, etc. At the buffett I scooped a portion of beans (looked like navy beans) and when I put a forkful in my mouth I bit down and had to spit them out. They were never cooked ! They were as raw as could be ! My wife tried them and she almost broke a tooth ! We never had such horrilble food on a cruise before.

On cruises I like to use the hot tubs because of orthopedic problems. Sadly I spent very little time using them. Because the pool was chilly young kids took over the hot tubs and were jumping in them with masks and snorkels. Myself and other adults complained to staff around the pool area and they did nothing. I went to the front desk and complained and was told to use the hot tub in the back of the ship. All hot tubs had a sign posted that said children under the age of twelve must be accompanied by an adult ! No crewmember would enforce the rule.

This cruise was for my wife's birthday and we were given a card for a free photo. This turned out to be a horrible endeavor. We found a photo we liked, but were told we could not get it because it was not considered a "fun shot". The next da we went to Half Moon Cay; Carnival's private island a photo was taken of us and we specifically asked the photographer if this was considered a "fun shot". He replied yes ! That evening when we picked the photo off the board and presented the free photo card to the clerk he said the photo was not a "fun shot". This caused us undue aggravation and my wife demanded to speak to a manager. He was from India and arrogant to my wife. For twenty minutes he said we would have to pay for the photo. He finally said they would give us a copy of the photo without the banner and to pickit up at 10:45pm. We went through all sorts of garbage with the photo people and should never of happened. They had no respect for us as the customer. We came back at 10:45pm and picked up the photo. It turned out to be the same photo that they could of given us earlier without the hassle.

Just a note about the safety drill. It was the most unprofessional safety drill that I ever particpated in. I will write the US Coast Guard because lives could be at risk because the ships crew treated this as a joke. The previous eight cruises we were on had safety drills that were very professionally carried out by the crew.

I felt so bad for giveing my wife such a disgusting expierence for her birthday where everything was horrible.

cruised last part of January.  Elation ship itself met expectations.  Friendly staff,  good meals.  Only dissapointment was the long wait to get into dining room and the long wait to be served in dining room.  It did not matter if we were one of the first tables seated we were still the last to get served.  On two occasions  we were never even asked if we wanted anything other than the ice water on the table to drink. the shows were good and comedy was above expectations. There also was not a tea party on the sea day that my daughter and I were always use to going to.I don't know if this is a new cut back Carnival  has made or if they just did not have one on this ship.  But it was a dissapointment. We are loyal Carnival Cruise goers and plan on returning.  We just booked another cruise for November 2017 on the Carnival Liberty. So we will see how this one is before changing lines.

We had a very nice experience on the Elation. Our granddaughter enjoyed Camp Carnival and felt very welcomed by the staff working there. 

Our cabin was very nice though a little short on storage. The ocean view window was wonderful. A large shower was a nice surprise. 

Dining was very good. 5 night cruises do not have a lobsternight, but for $20 we bought lobster for our granddaughter and she loved it!

Getting on the ship was easy. Be sure to have all documentation ready. The ship is due for a freshening but if you aren't overly picky it's just fine. If you plan on having a good party time, get the drinks package. They add up surprisingly quickly. The comedian was funny and fresh. The musical acts in the main lounge were NOT good. The Sea Majors (outside the Drama Bar every night but one) were the best entertainment onboard. Great musicians and genuinely nice people. Kevin the cruise director is funny and engaging and extremely hard-working. The ports of Nassau and Freeport are mostly shopping opportunities. We did casual disembarkation. Had a lovely breakfast in the dining room and after a short wait getting off and through customs was a snap. Go! Cruise! Chill! Enjoy!!!

DISAPPOINTING BECAUSE OF WEATHER WE DIDN'T GO TO 1/2 MOON CAY. THATS THE MAIN REASON WE TOOK THIS TRIP....I KNOW YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE  WEATHER, BUT IT WAS STILL SAD.I DIDN'T THINK THE FOOD ON 10 WAS AS GOOD. DINING ROOM FOR BREAKFAST AND DINNER WAS OK..    

This was my first Carnival cruise and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had been a few years since my last cruise. This trip has certainly rekindled my desire to go on more of them. I also have recommended the Carnival cruise line, and cruises in general, to friends and family.

What makes a cruise so enjoyable to me is having lots of options. There always was something to do or see. I will admit that I didn't partake in many of the activities. It is impossible to do everything because there is so much going on.

I also like being pampered by the crew. Carnival management did an excellent job of staffing the ship with well trained people that want to make the guests happy. The staff are also interesting people from all over the world. I found it interesting to meet them and learn a bit about life in their home countries. If there is one thing that makes a cruise stand out from domestic land based vacations it is the service workers. Finding the same level of service from a domestic worker is extremely rare, especially at the price point of a cruise.

I thought Carnival did an excellent job of explaining all the particulars of the cruise. I heard a couple loudly complaining about seeing a charge on their account for the crew gratuity. The gratuity system is CLEARLY explained on the documentation one gets for review before the cruise. It is also customary process on other/all cruise lines to tip the crew. As in the land based service industry, tips make up a large part of worker income. For the level of service I received I had no issue with paying the recommended tip. The method of including the tip in the ship charge account made it much easier to do.

Each adult is given a 'charge' card, prior to boarding the ship. It is called the “Sail and Sign card”. This is also the key for the room on the ship and used to get on and off the ship. The ship card account is set up and funded before starting the cruise, all of which is explained in your pre-cruise documentation. This makes it VERY easy to spend money on things that are NOT included in the fare.

I had the fortunate/unfortunate experience of getting another guests final statement on my last day (obviously someone else got mine as well). This error was corrected just minutes later. It was interesting to see what other guests pay. The couple who's statement I saw had final charges that were more than double the cruise fare. They purchased spa treatments, alcoholic beverages and other items/services that were not included in the advertised fare. Again, Carnival did an excellent job of explaining what was and what was NOT included in the fare before the trip. Each charge requires a signature. The cruise line provides lots of options, many, but not all, are included in the fare.

My stateroom was one of the slightly higher priced rooms with a window. I did see the lowest priced rooms, without the window and they were essentially identical, minus the window of course. My room was comfortable and large enough for my spouse and I. I read other guest comments about the ship having out dated interiors. Yes, the ship is older and the colors/style is vintage. Everything in my room was clean, in good condition and functional. If having a more recently decorated room is important then chose a newer ship. If older interiors keeps the cost of the cruise down then I am all for that.

This cruise was a fun and relaxing vacation. It certainly was a budget friendly holiday for me. I will happily go on a Carnival cruise again.

We found the cruise very relaxing, with just enough things to do to not be bored. We had good weather until we returned to Jacksonville. The pool water was to cold to enjoy.

Scrambled eggs at both the Imagination restaurant and at the Lido benefit were very runny and unappetizing. When I ordered steak and eggs besides the runny scrambled eggs the steak was well done when I ordered medium. For that meal, runny eggs and overcooked steak was a real disappointment. I ended up using the Lido buffet for the remainder of the cruise. Also the lack of lobster for at least one evening meal was very disappointing; c,mon a cruise without lobster? Also our cabin's TV position made it risky to get into bed on my side. Plus the picture was blurry and the sound rattled. The Elation needs to be remodeled or retired.

PS The cabin service was excellent as always.

Extremely old and tired ship. Crew was rude, unfriendly, and unwilling or unable to see past their over-restrictive policies to make allowances for passengers who were trying to follow the rules.  ALL they care about is how much more money they can milk out of you while you are on the boat.   The drink prices are absurdly high, the quality of the service was awful, and the guest services desk could care less.  We will NEVER travel on another Carnival ship again in our lives.

Besides being old and needing some design upgrades, the cabins on floor 7 are very, very, noisy. Crew was friendly, food was good (not great - but good), shows were mediocre at best (singers were off-key), and found this to be more of a 'party' ship for those under the age of 50. I much prefer Royal Caribbean.

We had an excellent time on the Elation!  Definitely recommend Faster to the Fun for ease on arrival and departure day.  We spent most of our time in the Drama Bar with the fabulous Sea Majors.  Their singer, Gina, and their keyboard player were great in the Atrium on elegant night as well.  We never had to wait for the unassigned dining and enjoyed relaxing at the Serenity deck.  Food was fine, but nothing stands out as outstanding.  We were surprised that our room was as big as it was, and really have zero complaints - except that we only booked 4 nights!

I enjoyed everything the cruise had to offer, form the food to the drinks . Except One staff told me that he was not working and was seen serving drinks...That annoyed me but no everyone's is that way the majority of the staff were wonderful. I enjoyed my stay on the cruise and enjoyed the beach in lucaya and Nassau which was breath taking

The staff was great. Everyone was very friendly and respectful. The cabin was small and didn't have a mini fridge. The room and bathroom could use some updating. 

Besides being old and needing some design upgrades, the cabins on floor 7 are very, very, noisy. Crew was friendly, food was good (not great - but good), shows were mediocre at best (singers were off-key), and found this to be more of a 'party' ship for those under the age of 50. I much prefer Royal Caribbean.