It wasn't the best first cruise experience, but it wasn't the worst either. Me and my daughter had a good time and I am going on a Royal Caribbean cruise with some friends this November. It will be interesting to see how the two compare.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Carnival has embarkation down to a science. Lines are long, but move quickly. We did not have passports, only birth certificates but encountered no problems. We also arrived around 11:30 or so, dropped off our luggage, and parked in the nearby Carnival parking lot. Took tram to the dock and were able to embark relatively fast. Next time I would probably wear swimsuits underneath clothing as you won't be able to get into your room until later and your luggage may not appear for several hours.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food and drink were very good. The wait staff were excellent. We preferred the sit down dining as opposed to the buffet on the Lido Deck only because it was so crowded at the buffet. But both dining experiences had good food.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
The pools were small and extremely crowded. My daughter and I hit the pools only once and that was during the dining hour (formal night) when most people were otherwise occupied. At all other times adults were literally planted in the pool with the buckets 'o beer and kids were constantly jumping in and out. There were no ropes courses or basketball courts or new-fangled things to do. There was mini golf and a fitness center, which we did. That's it for free activities except things like trivia, music, and shows. Everything else was really fun - for a fee - exercise classes like yoga or pilates $12.00. Spa, bingo, stores, casino, tastings, arcade, art auction - cha ching. Oh wait - I forgot the numerous free classes and/or demonstrations they hold throughout the day to give you information - all of which lead to either a complimentary consultation or paid consultation with only one goal in mind - to sell you products. That is also the goal of any spa treatment you have - to sell you products that you need for your health and well-being. Obviously you can just enjoy the classes and treatments and say no to any purchases, but these folks are really good so be prepared.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Saw a hypnotist and it was enjoyable and then saw a 80's review show and the singers were fantastic although the dancing was adequate at best. Many parts of it were comedic to me, and I don't think that was planned, but it certainly brightened my trip.
Children's Programs
4 out of 5
At 16, my daughter did go to the teen club one evening and enjoyed going to a show with other teens and generally hanging out. There was an adult there to supervise so I felt generally safe letting her have some time with kids her own age.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Jose was our cabin steward and did an excellent job. He knew our names from day one and was always pleasant. Orlando was the cruise director and just a hoot. Virtually all ship personnel were great to be around. I even told a few that it was a cult like culture b/c they could talk you into almost anything .... think $80.00 for bingo ......
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship was clean, but let's face it you know a ship is old when things are titled the Ivanhoe Theater and it's decorated with a "knight and castle" décor. There was also the Iliad Library and the Betsy Ross Room, etc. Of course it was great to be on a ship with such patriotic themes (Lincoln and Washington Dining Rooms) when celebrating the 4th.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We enjoyed the balcony and the room was plenty big for us.
Ship tip
If you do not want to spend a lot of extra cash, be prepared with a limit on what you want to spend and just say no! Take a look beforehand at the activities and decide which ones you want to spend money on and forego the rest. Also be prepared if you are planning on swimming - either get there early and stake out your spot or you may want to choose a different cruise. There is a Dr. Seuss breakfast - $5.00 per person - even at 16, my daughter loved it.
If I ever took a Western Caribbean cruise again, I would stay on the ship if it stopped here. It is an extremely poor part of Mexico so I'm glad my daughter and I experienced it, but we took a tour of the cenotes (which are really just sinkholes) and a vision of those Lifetime movies went through my head and I wondered if we would ever be seen again. We were the only 2 taking the tour and our tour guide drove us in his personal car 1 1/2 hours from the port to the cenotes where we were driven in a buggy contraption on make shift railroad tracks to 3 different cenotes to swim for 15-20 minutes. Then we were driven back. I would much rather have either stayed on the ship to take advantage of a smaller crowd at the pools or maybe even found the beach and swam in the ocean.
It was a bit slower, but again, Carnival has it down to a science and it was as orderly as it can possibly be to get 3000 people off a ship. I recommend letting your luggage be taken the night before so you're not having to lug it up and down stairs or the elevator and you're not holding everyone up with your big, heavy luggage.
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