jmak315

And because I think this part of the ship is stunning -

DSC_2025 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

DSC_2811 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

DSC_2822 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

DSC_2808 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

Out here you will also find a drink station with the common juices available as well as tea and drinking water. Now I use the term “drinking water” very loosely because it is seriously some of the worst water I have ever tasted. I am not sure I would water plants with this stuff. For reasons unknown to myself, the water they bring in the MDR is great but I stay far away from the drinking station water. The hot chocolate offered at this station is delicious and worth a try. I couldn't help but award another point to Carnival here. RCCL puts these drinks out with ice sitting in them which means by the time you get to it, it's sweaty and watered down. The drinks here are always fresh because, well, you are making it when you're ready for it.

DSC_2000 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

And coffee as well:

DSC_2002a by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

After lunch, we explored and tried to gain an understanding of how to navigate this ship. It is a lot smaller than the Freedom Of The Seas but, Freedom had the Royal Promenade making it easy to get from one side to the other rather quickly. For us, this ship takes some getting used to. The bathrooms are also a little tricky to find as well but once I located one, I found it to be very clean and nicely decorated. This ship simply does not show her age in most places. The Atrium was as gorgeous as other's pictures have shown and was usually quite busy.

DSC_1813 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

DSC_1812 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

DSC_2023 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

DSC_2470 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

DSC_2474 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

DSC_2476 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

DSC_2436 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

DSC_2432 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

DSC_2441 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

DSC_2471 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

This was a trip planned at the last minute for myself (32) and DH (39). We have two children but reserved this time for us as we have another cruise planned for October that will include the entire family. We drove to Jacksonville from Greenville, SC on Saturday morning with great excitement and anticipation.

First, a little background. My husband and I took our first cruise back in 2003 with Royal Caribbean and loved it. When we decided on a family cruise in 2013, we again went with Royal Caribbean. My parents have only ever sailed with Carnival before then and, well let's just say, they were far from impressed with the experience offered by Royal Caribbean. While we aren't what you would call an "experienced cruiser" with only three cruises under our belt at the time of this review, we know what we like and what we don't. We aren't hard to please but we work hard so when we drop hard earned money on a vacation, we do want to be wowed.

We used JetWay Park N Ride for $3.99 a day with free shuttle to the port via a bus. They dropped us off right at the front door - quick, painless and economical - our kind of deal.

Since I forgot to take a picture of the parking place, I snagged this from Google Street View for you fine folks:

Park by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

Boarding was quick and easy. *Quick tip time! Save yourself some frustration here: get your photo ID out and keep it out until you step onto the ship. We were asked four or five times to present it from the time we dropped off the luggage to the time we actually stepped on the ship, but at no time past the first check were we told to keep it out. When you are carrying on a lot of stuff, digging it out over and over can be a pain. This pain can quickly be forgotten (or numbed) by the numerous delicious drink offers coming your way. Prices are comparable to those offered on land and served ice cold.

DSC_1773 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

To our pleasant surprise, we were told upon check in that our room was ready. We headed straight there to unload our carry on bags and get to the part a lot of us look forward to most: the food!

DSC_2016 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

On day one the buffet was open, as was The Grill and Mongolian Wok bar. *Quick tip time! If you plan to dull your hunger at either of the latter options, get on early and get there first. Our first trip around was quick. When my DH decided he wanted to give the wok bar a try, he waited somewhere between 20-25 minutes - the line grows quickly. The burgers are freshly made - they are not swimming in a saran wrapped pan in their own juice on a buffet line like we experienced on our previous cruise. They are coming straight off of the grill and placed on a freshly toasted bun, topped with crisp lettuce and cold tomato. Here you will also find chicken tenders, burger toppings and sides like potato salad, coleslaw and fries. It’s also worth mentioning that you can request a grilled chicken breast sandwich here if burgers aren’t your thing.

DSC_1742a by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

DSC_2468 by jmakcruiser, on Flickr

Just stopping in to confirm Angry Orchard is on Fascination (just back yesterday) and it comes in a 16 oz can and is $5.75.

Can you get cash from your bank card from Guest Services, or do they have ATM's to use?

There are ATM's for your use ;)

I have no problem with the "gap fillers" and therefore don't mind being one myself when the situation warrants it. I will politely ask if I want something and I've never received a negative reaction from it.

Thanks so much for the quick responses! What'd we do before Cruise Critic.

Can I get ones and fives from guest services?

This is so exciting! Setting sail today for our first Carnival experience. With a balcony to boot!

Wonderful review! You have a beautiful family :D

I would have jumped on it too. Is this for your sailing in three days? Where is the balcony and what was the cabin you upgraded from?

Yes! Three days seems like three weeks at this point, lol! We went from u24 on deck six in the front and now are in the back.

I received an email and called immediately and they offered a balcony (we were in an interior) for only $150.00 more total. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity! This will be our first balcony!:D:D:p:p

We booked 21 days out and were assigned a room at 14 days out. Our PVP told us the latest it would show up would be the week of the cruise.

yea that's the IMG link. for some reason i never use that one i just hit the button lol.

Nothing wrong with that...just a few extra clicks :)

When you click on the picture, to the right there should be a place that says, "links to share this photo" and you want to copy the last one - looks kinda like [url=http....

I apologize but I don't see the search function anymore and I need help :-) we booked a pack and go special and now see ov rooms cheaper than what we paid for an inside. Worth a call to Carnival or do we have to keep what we have because we booked a special rate? Sorry...this is so confusing to me. I appreciate any help :-)

Well thanks for all of this information! I just got off of the phone with Sherry and she was extremely nice and helpful. We have a little car reserved for our day in Key West! :p:p:D:D

Thanks everyone! She is home safe and sound now but she explained that it was quite the scary scene. She said the waiters in the dining room were delivering dishes when the ship listed and the waiters dropped everything and the sound of the breakage is something she won't soon forget. People were nervous and walking around with their life jackets on. One man in a fifth floor ocean view room reported that the water was up to his window. One man was asking my mom how to get on the lifeboats :( Poor fella...sadly enough, she heard some people say this was their first cruise and will be their last. I hate that they may not give it another go.

I do have to say that she said the captains and the crew did an OUTSTANDING job. She said they were reassuring to people and told them everything will be fine and there is nothing to panic about. She said they took control of the situation and moved the party inside and did a great job overall of keeping people entertained and distracted.

My mom is waiting to debark and texted me to say this cruise might be it for her. Apparently it was really bad.

Just received a call from someone on board and they were told to make sure to take part in the seaday brunch tomorrow in the MDR. I was excited about this since their site just says, "coming in February" but didn't pinpoint a date. We sail February 22 and I am excited to try it especially since Fascination does not have Guy's or Blue Iguana Cantina.

I am not sure about the outlets on Carnival but on our most recent cruise on RCCL, we could not use the night light we brought because the plug was such that we would have had to plug it in upsidedown but the table below the outlet would not allow that. So from here forth, if I bring a night light, it will be one where the plug rotates.

I don't know the difference but I discovered on "view deck plan" you can key in the room number and view the cabin if you want a visual.

Thanks so much! This will make a wonderful birthday gift. I wondered if I would have to order online or if I could just get it when we got on board. Thanks for the information!