My first cruise-aftermath

Carnival Paradise Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

higherwill

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 37

Overall rating:

3.9 out of 5

5 Night Western Caribbean (Tampa Roundtrip)

Sail date: November 25, 2017

Ship: Carnival Paradise

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: U143

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

Events we attended Sailaway party Hasbro the Game Show Welcome Aboard show Fun Aboard Fun Ashore presentation Captain's reception (long enough to get a photo with the captain) 80s Pop to the Max show Motown sing-along in atrium Comedy club (both PG and R-rated shows) Love & Marriage show The Morning Show taping Military Appreciation ceremony (my girlfriend served in the Air Force) Debarkation presentation Epic Rock show 90s Trivia (I came in second, by 1 point) some of 80s music sing-along in atrium

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Much faster than I expected. Minimal wait at the counter. Agent was professional, strictly business. Exactly the way I like it.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

I would give 4.5 to main dining room and my girlfriend would give 2 to buffet

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

The Fun Shops

3 out of 5

They had stuff for one destination that we weren't visiting-Cayman Islands. Some of signage needed to be changed as to open hours. Seems like they forgot which route this was.

Serenity Adult-Only Retreat

5 out of 5

Only place we visited was hot tubs one evening on Serenity. I would rather do it at night on either first night or port night. Too crowded for me on sea days.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Enjoyed all the shows and comedy club.

Normandie Main Lounge

3 out of 5

Need to sit on lower level to even have a chance at good sightline. My pictures from my Android LG phone didn't come out very well in the auditorium.

Children's Programs

no children

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

We arrived at port at 1:15 pm and got to our room by 1:40 pm. But our room hadn't been cleaned yet. We waited 20 minutes, then decided to leave our carry-on bags in the closet and get lunch. It took until early evening for the room to be to our satisfaction. I was agitated because the steward was more concerned with doing his procedural introduction than resolving our problem. My girlfriend asked if I was perturbed at her. I said no, it's the service that I wasn't getting at that time. Steward was excellent once it got resolved.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

It took until 3rd day for us to figure out which elevators to use for which venue. And you could forget all that you learned if you were in a hurry. For us, it was aft elevator to Lido and buffet, midship elevator to get to atrium, front elevator to get to shows.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

No big issues. But could see wear and tear.

Ship tip

Make sure to watch ship sail under Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Assuming ship leaves on time or close to it (4-4:15pm), it reaches bridge at approximately 6:30pm.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Tampa, Florida

4 out of 5

Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

4 out of 5

Liked it. Easy shuttle boat ride to/from Maya Key. Enjoyed our time at pool and beach. Did part of guided tour. Liked the food. Plaza too commercial for my girlfriend's liking.

Thumbs Up 1

Cozumel, Mexico

4 out of 5

Enjoyed Give Back with Purpose - Community Tour. We learned about the real Cozumel. My girlfriend wasn't too crazy about food in the restaurant they took us to. Very impressed with tour guide. I wished we had gone to souvenir stores across the street from Puerta Maya. Not much selection in plaza just off pier.

Thumbs Up 2

Disembarkation

3 out of 5

They said that greater scrutiny is required for those cruises that go to Roatan. I didn't experience it.

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