If you are a scuba diver, Carnival is not your cruise line. We prefer Royal Caribbean (most RC ships have a dive shop on board), but we booked this cruise because we were desperate to cruise after the long pandemic. We enjoyed the trip and felt safe with all the vaccination and testing requirements.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
We didn't really know what embarkation would be like in the age of Covid, but we showed our documents and everything went smoothly. We were on the ship after a brief wait, then off to find our muster station. We had our own private muster presentation which was basically just showing us how to don the life vests. Two minutes later we were on our way to grab a cocktail!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We thought the food was generally pretty good. One night we got some fish that smelled not -so-fresh and overcooked shrimp, but everything else we enjoyed. Service in the dining room was exceptional and very fast. With decreased occupancy, we always got a table right away and never had to wait.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Entertainment
4 out of 5
I was impressed by the production show in the theater, "Flick". It was much better than the last time I had seen a show on Carnival, though it would have been better with a live band. With the exception of one of the lounge singers, other entertainment was good.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Ship was very clean, with better public spaces than on prior Carnival ships we sailed. The ship decor can be a little garish, but that's being picky.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We really liked the extended balcony and would recommend these corner balcony cabins.
Ship tip
It was so nice sailing with reduced occupancy on the ship. No crowds, except when trying to board the tenders to get to and from Half Moon Cay.
This was our least favorite day of the cruise. Our arrival was delayed by several hours so then it was "hurry up and wait" experience trying to get off the ship. Royal Caribbean's private island is so much easier and enjoyable. The lines and heat waiting to get on the tender boats really make this call unpleasant. We did some snorkeling on our own, ate lunch, then returned to the ship.
If you don't book an excursion through Carnival, expect a long walk from the dock before you can actually find a taxi or other transportation. Again, Carnival offered NO scuba diving excursions, but thankfully we were able to arrange some diving with a local dive shop on the island.
DebandMarkC, we also frequently book our diving and other excursions through independent operators, as we did during our call in Bimini. We tried to do so in Nassau but were referred back to Carnival.
roynelson56, this wasn't an issue with tour operator not meeting safely requirements. There is essentially only one dive operator left in Nassau after the pandemic, Stuart Cove's, and they regularly offer dive excursions for Carnival and other cruise lines (we dived with them on a RCCL cruise). They are a well-established and safe operation. Their website actually refers cruise passengers to book via their respective cruise line instead of booking with Stuart Cove's directly. A search of Carnival's website shows dive excursions offered for Nassau cruises, they just were not offered during our sailing.
After years of causing with carnival and diving there exertions. What we have found is that many local dive guides don't wish to abide by carnivals safety protocols. So they don't offer excursions through the ship. The last few times we dove, we did the research and book private, prior to leaving on the cruise. This was the result of a safety incident on ship sanctioned excursion, the ship dropped them soon after. So when you don't see dive excursions, it's because the locals don't want to meet the lines safety requirements. Food for thought.
Appreciate your review. A great heads up for those who scuba (unfortunately not me). Glad you enjoyed your cruise in spite of lack of scuba excursions.
It's great that although this wasn't your best cruise experience, you made the best of it and still found something to enjoy. Thanks for your review š
lexielou, there's no reef to speak of, but there's an area at Half Moon where they have submerged several hollow concrete domes where fish congregate. Not a whole lot to see, although we did discover a small octopus after he reached out his tentacles after our gopro! We stayed dry in Nassau, visiting a rum distillery, museums (highly recommend the Junkanoo museum), and shopping.
TampaAGS. Thanks for your reviews. Where did you find to snorkel at Half Moon Cay and was there any reef? Did you find a place to snorkel in Nassau? Thanks
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