Overall, the Carnival Spirit was a clean and well run ship. I was disappointed with the pools which used salt water pumped from the ocean and consequently had rather extreme variations in temperature. On an ealrier cruise aboard the Princess Grandeur of the Sea the pools used fresh water that was kept at a relatively constant temperature. In addition, there was an endless pool device in the adults only pool that provided exercise for lap swimmers like myself. The Carnival Spirit lacked any accomodations for swimmers.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The quality of our dining room food was rather inconsistent. Some meals were excellent , while others were surprisingly bad. The dining room itself was large and comfortable and the dinng times were to our liking.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The entertainment was not as good as we've experienced on Royal Caribbean and Princess, except perhaps for the comedy acts. The floor shows were somewhat amateurish.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
The staff in the grill on deck 9 were very good, efficient, and helpful. However, the cruise director seemed to try too hard to show her interest in the passengers.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The Carnival Spirit was a nice ship. All of the public areas were open and easy to maneuver through. The decorations were a bit garish, but that is to be expected I suppose. The length of the ship was fine, but the lack of a midlevel promanade deck (deck 3) that circumscribed the entire ship was unfortunate. Our previous cruise was aboard the Princess Grandeur of the Sea (which had such a deck) and we spent many hours walking the promenade deck and enjoying different parts of the ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our stateroom was the best we've stayed in. It was relatively large, nicely decorated, and easy to store our belongings. The outside deck was spacious and when opened to our relative's ajoining deck made for a comfortable place to visit and relax.
The ship's crew clearly prepared us for the industrial appearance of this last port-of-call. This was appreciated, since upon arrival we were not disappointed. The inexpensive and efficient bus transportation into town was alos much appreciated and made it easy to venture from the ship for shopping and dining in Manzanillo. Although the city reminded me a bit of Tiajuna, it seems to have a more diverse economy and more prosperous citizens.
We participated in a snorkel excursion while in port and had a great time in the warm water. We didn't go ashore, so have no comments regarding the city of Acapulco.
This was a beautiful area and the bike and snorkel excursion was one of the best crusie excursions we have ever done. Our guide (Reuben) was an excellent host and seemed to genuinely enjoy his job. The trip to Ixtapa was interesting and the bike ride through the regional eco-park was a thrill. We wished we had more time in port so that we could have walked through the village of Zihuatenejo. One of the memorable aspects of this port-of-call was the general prosperity of the area and the appearance of a functioning middle class.
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