First off, the ship was beautiful, and ALL the staff were amazing! These concerns are not stopping us from cruising with Carnival at all; just something we hope will help the “powers that be” to keep in mind as they work through the kinks of a new ship.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
I know the Galveston terminal is new, the Jubilee is new, and of course on our sailing dates there was an emergency that caused the ship to be late. However, I honestly think there are ways to work the crowd through the building at multiple entrances to ensure there isn’t mass confusion on what/when/where & how; plus, we’re not all crowded through one set of doors. New Orleans strictly works passengers through on their designated times which helps to keep tempers from flaring and still ensure everyone is onboarded as quickly as possible.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The breakfast buffet was always the same; every other day bacon, the only changes were if pancakes, French toast, or waffles were going to be available. The fruit was always the same type of melon, and for someone with diabetes I’m unable to eat melon. (If I cannot eat the skin of the fruit, I’m not supposed to eat it at all.)
Service in the main dining rooms and a few of the other restaurants was extremely slow. I understand that many of the servers were new to the job or to the ship. We had similar experiences on almost every sit-down meal we tried. Here’s one example: during brunch, one person in our group of six (6) received her bagel & lox after 45 minutes placing the order and then we waited another 30 minutes for the rest of our group to get their food. A few requested additional items, such as hashbrowns or extra bacon; these arrived 20 minutes after we had started eating.
The temperature of the food was barely warm/room temp. The only time we received truly hot food was at the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse and Bonsai Teppanyaki; which we paid extra for. Even the foods straight off the lines at places like Big Chicken and Guys Pig & Anchor Smokehouse, the side dishes (beans, fries) were cold, and the meat was room temp at best and dry.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
It was fun getting to try most of the restaurants for free. The Bolt was so much fun; we would recommend this for everyone to try.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The entertainment was wonderful; whether it was an individual at one of the bars/clubs or the stage performances, everyone was so talented that I hope to see them again on other cruises.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I Gusti, our stateroom attendant, kept our room in great shape. He was so quick and efficient that we joked to ourselves he was hiding around the corner to see when we left the room.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Easy to follow the layout and enjoy all the ship had to offer.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Just enough room to not feel cramped; the bed was super comfy.
Ship tip
Take dramamine or some type of sea sick prevention.
Did not disappoint! The island history was so much fun to learn about and our guide, Jaslyn Green #00037, with Big French Key Tours was great! The reef was amazing to see (even through a “glass bottom” boat).
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