BarbieGee

I booked my cruise through a  well known TA for which I was to receive $100 OBC but through an issue, I did not receive it attached to my booking. The TA then issued a voucher for this credit.

Will/can this voucher be received at check-in when I am setting up my Sail&Sign card or will this need to be dealt with at Customer Services?

I also have 2 $100 Carnival Gift cards. Set these up at Customer Services too?

I am trying to avoid CS upon embarkation so I am not one of the dozens standing in that long line.

Perhaps one of the kiosks can handle this voucher?

12 hours ago, COREYATMN said:

Thanks, I know NCL's are not punched, and they don't want you to do so.  Thanks for the great report & pics!  We will be onboard on Saturday!

I ordered one of these... phone and card holder. Hands free!

12 hours ago, ElGatoUSF said:

Just off today (Tampa local, third time on this ship)....as previously mentioned no sushi except for Sushi Station open in afternoons outside of casino (not enough turnover to make me want to order...the fish displayed in plastic wrap in display didn't make my mouth water...not the good way). 

 

I was a little disappointed by limited Main dining room menu.  No lobster on formal night (5 day cruise) and on all nights of the 7 appetizers on the menu, 2 were soups, 2 were salads, one was an entrée in smaller portions.  So really 2 maybe 3 other choices and if you don't want mini shrimp cocktail (on menu every day), one or two choices.   Ordered the 'cheap' steak (no upcharge) 2 of the 3 nights in dining room.  First night it was flavorful and tender (Ill be ordering this again good) and the next night, fatty and uncuttable..so cant recommend unless you feeling lucky.

 

My suggestion is to eat a light My Time early dinner around 5:30 (the portions and choices are so small and limited its easy to 'keep it light') and expect to head to Lido deck around 10:30 (between Shows and Comedy) to get Sandwiches and pizza for late dinner/snack.  Loooong Pizza lines after 11:30 (Sandwich closes at 11) and nothing much else to eat.  The sandwich artist is there all day long and knocks out a mean sandwich while keeping line going....much quicker then pizza line if your in a hurry. 

 

The seaday brunch was the go-to for us...there was always more on the menu to order than we could eat (felt like the old days!) and the food came out perfect....eggs over-easy, skillet cakes and pancakes cooked perfectly....much better than other carnival cruises.

 

Great customer service on ship and 'Fun' vibe strong....nightclub busy first night and slowed down from there (or was that just me?).  All events seemed to have a lot of energy and fun staff gets crowd going (if your into that kinda stuff).  Comedy shows pretty packed as its usually the only evening activity after main show and club/latin dancing so get seat early if that's a priority.

 

Casino was packed but well staffed with drinks if on a casino drink package.   If you tip $2 on a free drink, they will call you by name and find you when you walk in....cheap way to be VIP (in own mind!  lol).  

 

Good cruise if you appreciate some quiet (nap/reading/trivia) down time and relaxation mixed in with your fun and eating.

 

excellent review! Thanks!

Sad that the food selection and portions have become so small. What is Carnival thinking? Economics? Other ships have better stocking of foods, why not the elegant small ships?

Less than 4 weeks to go for my cruise! 🤩

1 hour ago, MeganGC1983 said:

Happy Monday! Only 4 more sleeps til departure. Next Monday we will be in Puerto Plata. Tried to work our dinner reservation around Monday Night football last night. We have The Wake at 8pm. Not gonna work. Only available reservation is at 8:45, so we will either scrap it or try to just go early. 

You, being an experienced cruiser, know what preparations to do and how far in advance to do them, but do you feel the stress and joy of the up and coming departure?
 

I have not cruised in over 7 years and the date is now 28 days and counting. I am already getting the pre-cruise jitters. I want to drag out the suit case and start packing! What do YOU do for pre-prep with 4 days away from the beginnings of your new adventure?

54 minutes ago, MeganGC1983 said:

 If you’re new here, I drink a lot of champagne.

 

You are the one who turned me on to the "French Kiss" .... lovely!
I am all signed for your LIVE posts!

The Paradise does not have many specialty restaurants on board so I was wondering if Asian/sushi was offered on the Lido Buffet on this particular ship? I've read about 'The Wok' as being a part of the buffet on some ships. How about the Paradise?

I see by way of the menu offerings that 'Sushi for 2' is offered in the MDR for an up-charge.

🍣 🍜

1 hour ago, nascartim said:

I was just on Paradise in December. We had a great time, service was great. We had a better time on this cruise than we did a month earlier on the Magic. It was just a fun atmosphere. Had no issues with the food, but we're easy to please. It is still a great ship and in great condition. 

10 hours ago, WhaleTailFlCruiser said:

Good morning from Bonaire, I honestly don’t have any plans probably just going to hang about the ship.

 

Brownie points for whoever can tell me more about this small ship that pulled in behind us. 

MS Amadea is a cruise ship owned by Amadea Shipping Company and operated under charter by the Germany-based Phoenix Reisen.^[1] She was originally built in 1991 by the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki, Japan as MS Asuka for Nippon Yusen Kaisha. In 2006 she was replaced by the Asuka II and sold to her current owners and entered service with Phoenix Reisen

Gathered this info through Wikipedia. Cruisemapper has her itinerary. Seems she is on a 23 day cruise. Dec 20 - Jan 12

2 hours ago, staceyglow said:

With all due respect, what are you planning to do with this information? Isn't your cruise nonrefundable at this point? Are you going to be able to change anything? 

 

 

No, not a chance! I am looking forward to this, my first time on any Carnival ship. I am hoping to elevate my enjoyment by being prepared.

 

As with any other type of publicly-sourced review, you are going to have some people say it is great, and some people say that it is awful.

That is always possible but I am hoping to be able to discern the difference between 'disgruntled' and 'honest'

2 hours ago, staceyglow said:

 

My advice is to board the ship with a positive attitude and take it from there. 

I have every intention of having a positive and adventurous attitude for this cruise. I am, perhaps, just a bit Obsessive Compulsive when planning trips. I want to know what to look out for and be aware of so I either don't miss anything or avoid something unpleasant.
You are right, a positive attitude! 😁

3 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

I may have you mistaken with someone else but I seem to recall that someone in your party has mobility issues. You may find that the atrium elevators are not large enough if they are using a mobility scooter.

You are right, our party there are 2 with mobility issues but they will use a walker, not a scooter. 
Good memory!

8 hours ago, Mic101680 said:

I'll be on the Paradise for a back to back beginning next week (the 14th). I've never sailed on her, but if you have any questions others can't answer, let me know and I will do my best to get answers while onboard 🙂

I am hoping to get an overall impression of the quality of the food and the staff.

So much has been said, the few months after the restart, of how short staffed the ships were, of how the food quality was not up to standards and food portions reduced - food items no longer available (no lobster night for cruises less then 6 days?).

I feel sure that the Carnival administration read these boards and know these issues need correcting. I just want to know cruisers first hand experiences, if these issues have been addressed.

So far, the few responses I've gotten have been very positive for this older, smaller ship.

Your b2b on this particular ship will be most valuable and I thank you in advance. 🤩

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

 

The biggest issue with your room is probably going to be the fact that only I think two elevators on the whole ship go up to your deck.

4 hours ago, Shell557 said:

I was on Paradise in December. I had zero issues and it exceeded my expectations for an older/smaller ship. The serenity area was smaller than most I’ve been on, and no dive in movies. But the staff, food and entertainment was great.perhaps some food portions were smaller, but I was never in danger of leaving the table hungry. If you have other questions I’ll answer if I can.

This does help, yes. Everyone has been posting that food quality on some ships were not up to par and staffing issues were also an issue. I was hoping that as the months passed these complaints would be dealt with by Carnival and your answer shows this is the case. Thanks!

We will be in a JS Veranda deck which is under the fitness deck and over the bridge area so it shouldn't be a noisy cabin, hopefully. (unless there are a late night workout fanatics! 😆)

There's just the one pool on this ship, right?

If anyone is sailing on the Paradise this month, I'd love to see a review of the ship. Food quality. Service quality. Cabin quality, etc. 

We will be sailing out on Feb 6th and I am hoping food and service are up to top quality. So much has been said these past months that food portions, menu degrading, wait times for service in the MDR has been below standards. I was hoping these issues would be resolved in the new year.

I am looking forward to sailing this lovely older elegant lady for the first time. 🥰

Are ducks hidden on all Carnival ships?

What's the story behind this? A little history lesson, please? 😁

No Havana Bar!

22 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

My DH, 2 DDs (20 & 22) and I sailed on Elation over Thanksgiving and had a blast!  MDR all the time and our wait staff was awesome! Serenity was peaceful and Alchemy Bar was easy to access.  Room stewards were great. Paradise sounds comparable so I hope you have as much fun as we did!

WELCOME TO CRUISE CRITIC! 🎉

9 minutes ago, sanmarcosman said:

Emeril uses a variety of beans in his recipes which is where the Lagasse comes from.

5 hours ago, sanmarcosman said:

You may want to familiarize yourself with deck plans of the Paradise. She is one of the oldest ships in the Carnival Fleet. 

Yes I have been doing that. Also watching videos of those that have sailed her. I know that there are no specialty restaurants on board and that the Steakhouse menu is listed in the MDR menu. Still, there may be some areas not listed by others who have sailed her or visited in those videos. So I thought I'd ask if there is a Havana Bar on this ship.
What I've seen on videos is that the Paradise, though the oldest of Carnival's ships, is still very elegant. I like smaller ships and I hope that Carnival will continue to care for her and give her the loving upgrades she deserves. 😊

3 hours ago, Rudyard said:

You can also get coffee at the Havana bar that I've been told is better than the Lido coffee. I didn't find out about it until my last sea day so never got to try it. 

Is there a Havana bar on the Paradise?
I was wondering if the coffee that is delivered better then then the Lido? Better then the MDR?

33 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

When I ordered my morning coffee and pastries the night before, I would give them a specific time for delivery.  I would hear a light knock on my door and they would pass the tray to me.  Then I would tip them in cash.  Sometimes they would have me sign a receipt (no charge on it) and sometimes no receipt.  My understanding is that if you don't answer the door, they don't leave the tray.  Room Service would call and try to reschedule.  Hope that helps!

Yes! all these personal experiences do help and I appreciate them all. 🥰

I would assume, then, that pre-ordering breakfast coffee etc the evening before would be best? Hopefully they at least knock before they leave your tray? (do they leave your tray at your door?)

You can tell how much a newbie I am 😶

47 minutes ago, BennyBrun said:

Day 8

 

I spent most of my day at the thermal suite.  I overheard there was a fight that broke out by the theater during the late night comedy hour and they had to stop the show for, no details but it made it to the VIFP on FB.

My GOODNESS! You have your own buffet going on there! YUM!