Just Another Elation Review

Hey, Ya'll. We sailed on the Elation Oct. 21st, 2017 (post dry-dock) and here are some thoughts:

We live about two hours West of Jax. After dropping off the pooch at the vets, we headed out. There was myself and my DW, my SIL, and my cruise buddy and his DW. There were five of us so the van was "loaded"! We had an 11:30 check in time and we arrived at the port at 11:20. I decided to drop off the luggage and the Ladies at the terminal and then went to park in the lot. The price has increased from $15 per day to $17 per day, (still better than most ports). It was 11:50 when we entered the terminal. The check-in was very smooth, even though there was a lot of people the lines kept moving. We received our Sail & Sign cards there and not in our mail box as some folks mentioned. We were onboard by 12:20.

As soon as we were aboard we went up to the Lido for the first of many Guy's Burgers! I wish I had one now! My first impression was that Carnival did a fantastic job at re-fitting the Elation! Everything was so clean the crew was on the job making it spotless. While waiting for our cabins to be ready, I wandered around checking things out. First thing I noticed was that the Deli didn't have the new menu although they did add hot dogs. Now the hotdogs were served on white-bread but since I was raised in the South, it was just like the Good-Ol-Days! They had the Water Works, but I didn't partake, though it was "Purdy"! I think that they were still working on the Grand Deck, since I never saw an opportunity to book one of the cabins up there.

At 1:30 our rooms were ready so we went to check them out. We had three "Port Hole Cabins" on Main deck. The cabins were very nice! No longer did they have the big storage cabinets that always seemed to be in the way. There was a large, (I would guess 32 in) flat screen in the corner and a minifridge. Carnival got wise and put vents in the cabinet so that the fridge could "breathe" and we didn't need to leave the door open to get it to cool! There is also a second electrical outlet and several USB charging plugs! Yah Carnival! The cabins also looked nice. We just took a break for a few minutes until it was time for the "Muster Drill". Our station was in the Mikado (main) Theater. It was "painless" and only took like thirty min. We didn't even have to go out on deck like before, which was Great! After that I decided to go to a kiosk and put my gift cards in my account. Not! The sucker wouldn't recognize what I was wanting to do and told me to try another card, which I did. After trying three different cards, I figured I had better try another machine. The line at customer service was around the block, so I went to the machine by the coffee shop. This one told me that there was a "Zero Balance" on my cards! All I could think of was that this stupid machine had jacked my money! Off I went to wait in that loooong line at CS. After waiting for what was actually not a long time, a very nice young lady, said that she would be happy to help me, and she did! Took just a minute and all was "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" again. The morale of the story is, don't use the kiosks on the first day! My luggage beat me to the cabin, so we got dressed for supper.

We have "Anytime Dining" and we like to go about 6:00 pm so that we can do the shows after supper. The dining room was not crowded, so we were seated immediately. The new "American" menu was actually pretty good. It did not bother me to have no table cloth and the service was great. I like the "Port of Call" selections. I had the swordfish and it was very good. After dinner I went and did some Karaoke. Daniella is an Awesome DJ and was a lot of fun. After that we went to the Welcome Aboard Show which was pretty good. Cruise Director Kevin is a "Hoot"! After that we hit the ice cream, (We carried crunched up Oreos) then we hit the bed! More Later! Be Blessed! Mikey:D

Quite a nice start to your review. Eager to read more.

Looking forward to the rest of your review! We'll be on the Elation in April, and I was wondering if they've worked out all of the dry dock glitches! Sounds like you had a positive experience. :D

Will be following.

You are off to a good start.

Keith

I agree that Kevin is the BEST cruise director! We sailed on the Elation in August 2017, prior to dry dock. The crew and Kevin made this a wonderful cruise. We will be on the Elation in January and I am looking forward to the rest of your review!

Great review so far. Please post more.

We will be on the Elation in 1 week.

I agree that Kevin is the BEST cruise director! We sailed on the Elation in August 2017, prior to dry dock. The crew and Kevin made this a wonderful cruise. We will be on the Elation in January and I am looking forward to the rest of your review!

While he is good, I was not overly impressed with his CD acumen... :cool: We just got off of the Elation Sat. 11/4.

Hey, Ya'll; First a few things about our cabin that I had forgotten. They have installed new safes that take a pin number instead of the old slide cards. I really liked them, Thanks Carnival! I met our steward, Erfan, slipped him and his assistant a few bucks and he kept our Carnival cooler full of ice the whole trip. He also serviced our cabin twice a day. Kudoes to him and his team, they were great! The first night the seas were rough and you could definitely hear the waves booming on the hull of the ship. That was the only night that we heard that.

Day two. Fun Day at Sea/ Elegant Night:

Slept in. (eight o'clock is sleeping in to me) Met up with my Buds and went to breakfast. We didn't want to do "Sea Day Brunch" as I wanted a breakfast burrito from the Blue Iguana. It was Great! Don't forget to put the hash browns on them! I then went to get my DW an omelet. The service at both spots was fast and good. So far the crew of the Elation was on top of their game! Always smiling and helpful! We then just lazed around and everyone just did their own thing. I slipped off to do some trivia which was a lot of fun. I even won me my first "Elation Ship-on-a-Stick"! Lunch was Taco Salads from Blue. Love 'Em! The food on the Lido was pretty Good, from the Guy's to the Goat Cheese Pizza!

During the previous months I had joined a very active Facebook group, and we had a "Slot Pull" scheduled for that first sea day. We met up at the casino at 4:00 and there were almost fifty of us present! The cigarette smoke was just as thick as it always is. I was hoping that Carnival would have installed air scrubbers during dry dock but we got a Guy's so I guess it was a fair trade! Smoke doesn't bother me all that much because I've never been a smoker, but DW and SIL are "reformed smokers" so they can't stand it! Anyway, I digress, we all put $15 dollars in the pot and used the "Wheel of Fortune" machine. We each had five pulls and we came close to the "Big Money" but just missed it. When it was all over, we each got back $20! We decided to meet back on the last sea day and try it again. Thanks to the admins of the group for all of their hard work!

That evening was "Elegant Night" so we got all "Spiffy" for dinner. We decided that we wanted to see the PG comedy shows and eat later. The comedians were "Killer Beaz" and Tim Young. They were OK, but seemed like they were struggling to keep it clean! We then went to dinner, but had to wait for about twenty min. for a table for five. We waited in the Library with our beeper. I had my usual "Prime Rib", I always ask for the end cut as it's bigger 'n' doner, Used to be that I would also get the St. Louis ribs as I really love them, (I also used to get lobster) but I just can't handle it in my old age. Dinner was very good. Tonight we were seated in Senvil's station. This guy and his team were Great! They were very efficient and engaging. After the first night, we asked for them every night! We would see them at other places on the ship and they would always stop and talk to us. It's amazing how they can remember us from all of the folks they serve! After dinner we had a few "Purdy Pictures" taken and then went to see Divas, the show for the evening. We have seen Divas many times. On Elation it is a "Playlist" show and not a live band like on other ships. I think I like it better this way. The singers and dancers were very good and we enjoyed it. The show carried over into the Atrium with Kevin keeping the crowd going! By then it was 11:30 and time for ice cream! More Later! Be Blessed! Mikey:D

Love this review and will be following a long .

Love the review. Can wait to be on the Elation May 21st!

Thanks for the review...looks good so far! Will be following along :)

Grest review

Can't wait to sail in January

Thank you for the awesome review! It makes me look forward to our January trip even more!

Hey, Ya'll; Sorry for the delay, but I've been busy booking two more cruises!

Day three was Half Moon Cay. We got up fairly early and went down to breakfast. Our Bud's had gone up to the gym as they did every morning. They said that the Elation had gotten some new equipment and was looking good! We did the usual for breakfast, burrito from blue and an omelet for DW. The rest of us had "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Lido Buffet. It all was good as usual. I would like to thank Carnival for changing the instant eggs that they use on the buffet. The last two trips on the Fascination and the Elation the eggs were pretty Bad! I didn't like them and Mikey will eat anything! This time they were actually pretty good. Not as good as when they used to crack 'em in front of you, but not bad! We just took a break and watch the first "Horse Riders" do their beach ride. We went to the tender boats about 10:00 am. No line, no wait, beautiful ride! We had no excursions booked so we just wandered around. What a Beautiful place! The Buds went to the beach while DW and I checked out the few shops and the Chapel, which they finally finished. We hung out for a couple of hours and since the Elation has Guy's we decided to return to the ship for lunch. The folks that I talked to said the jerked chicken, on the island, was yummy as usual!

The rest of the day, "I just got Plain Sorry" took a nap, did some more trivia etc. DW and I went to the Musical Cafe for cheesecake and coffee. They gave us a piece of cheesecake that had to weigh two pounds! It was Great! We then went and got ready for dinner. We went at 6:00 and there was no waiting. We sat in Senvil's station again and him and his team took Great care of us! They redid the dining rooms during the dry dock and they really were beautiful.

After dinner I stopped in the shops to find something for my folks back at work. They had some rum cakes so I purchased a couple of "Six Packs". The price was $17.50 each. The sales man told me that this was the cheapest price that I would find Tortuga Rum Cakes for. (The next day, in Nassau, where they make them, this same sixpack was priced from $36 to $43. Way to go, Mikey!) We then went to the show, Heart of Soul. This was the least favorite show that we attended, it was just OK. The rest of our crew went to ice cream and I went to the Romeo & Juliet for some karaoke. They use a computerized machine now where they have a lot of music available, unlike the old cd's where they lost quite a few. This made everything go a whole lot smoother. After my rousin' version of "Sharp Dressed Man" I joined DW and the crew for a late night ice cream! More Later! Be Blessed! Mikey:D

Hey, Ya'll; The fourth day we pulled into Nassau. I got up fairly early and just wandered around the ship for a while. This morning I did omelets for breakfast and they were great. The guy that was making them, can't remember his name but he was from India, was very friendly and was telling me about his family back home. He always remembered me from the days before and knew what DW liked on her omelet. Amazing! After all the years of coming to Nassau, this was the first time that we got the "Front Row Parking" at the docks. Usually we are way out on the end where we have to walk a long way to get to the Festival Building.

While ashore we went to the Pirate Museum. We had never been there and I did a lot of research, just checkin' it out. People had lots to say about it, some liked it and some didn't. I guess if it's not exciting with rides and such, it's not well received. I liked it! It was nothing fancy but it was a nice little museum where I learned a lot about pirates! ARRRR!

Our Buds went back to the ship leaving DW and me to do some shopping and hit the Straw Market. The "Locals" will drive you crazy if you let them, but it's all part of Nassau! I had to go by the rum cake store to verify that I got a good deal on my cakes. One would have thought that I had gotten a free cruise and not just half priced rum cakes! We then returned to the ship.

We spent the rest of the afternoon just being lazy and doing "whatever" around the ship. When I stopped by the cabin to pick up some soda, I found that the toilet wouldn't work. I called the Guest Services and reported it. They said that someone would be there shortly to check it out. The plumber was there within ten minutes! It was hard to understand him but, I think he said he would take care of it. I headed back to the Lido to deliver our drinks and report to the clan what was going on. While leaving the cabin I saw several of my neighbors and they said that their's did not work either. I blamed it on the newly weds across the hall from us, but they said they had been to busy to mess up anything! LoL. I checked back in about 30 min. and the plumbing was fixed! Now That's Customer Service! Later that day, there was a letter slipped under my door saying that they wanted to see me at Guest Services at my earliest convenience. I told DW that apparently they wanted to give me a free cruise for reporting the problem! When I stopped by the desk, to my great disappointment, they just wanted to say how sorry they were and did everything get taken care of to my satisfaction. I assured them that all was good and that this was the best display of customer service that I had ever seen.

We went to supper at six and as usual sat in Senvil's station. The food was good! We then went to the best show of the cruise! It was a Comedian Juggler, (can't remember his name, but he was from Mexico) This guy was Very Talented and Funny! Afterwards it was more Karaoke, more ice-cream then to bed. More Later! Be Blessed! Mikey:D

Thanks for the review, I have less than 30 days and I am really looking forward to the cruise-And thanks for the heads up of an early dinner time, seems except for formal night you didn't have to wait. Cant wait for your next post! And congrats on your 24 carat gold plastic ship on a stick!

Thanks for the review! [emoji16]

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Hey, Ya'll; It's a "Fun Day At Sea"! I like the sea days as you can do as much or as little as you want to. Today we went to the sea day brunch for breakfast. I really like the eggs Benedict in the MDR. (They are better than the ones on Lido) We had good service, though I can't remember the waiter's name. One little thing that I noticed, they no longer have pineapple juice. Not a big deal but, it is the cumulative little things that can make or break perceptions. Afterwards we went to the "Towel Animal Theater" and then to Kevin's Q &

Awesome. Both of these were worth going to. We then went to the future cruise show. This was no big deal as you get the same offers for two weeks following your cruise. I sure wish they would bring back the old Future Cruise Certificates! (I have booked two more cruises for the upcoming year)

Another thing that I noticed, or maybe just missed it, was that I didn't see "Tea Time". They usually have it on sea days. Maybe I just didn't see it. I went to the ice carving and did some more trivia, (no more Ships on sticks:() It was a pretty relaxing day, overall!

I then went to our Facebook Slot Pull and proceeded to give back our twenty bucks from before. I swear Carnival makes the odds better on the first days just to suck you in! (just kidding) It was a lot of fun! We then went to supper with our friend, Senvil, and it was very good again.

After supper we went to :Epic Rock". This is a very good show, but be sure to go to the Pre-Show part! That guy can Play!:cool: The party kept going in the Atrium and a Good Time Was Had By All! I then hit the Karaoke for the last time and then some ice cream. Another change that I noticed: They had the deck party but not the Mexican buffet! I don't know why, maybe because they have Blue Iguana? Who knows what lurks in the hearts of "The Beards". I didn't miss my case of heartburn on debarkation morning! More Later! Be Blessed! Mikey:D

Love Elation reviews. She was my first cruise and I have a soft sport for her.

Hey, Ya'll; Let's wrap this thing up! This was the "You don't have to go home, But you can't stay here day". I woke up about half way up the river at Jax. It was still dark because the time had not changed yet, but I could still see quite a bit. We had put our luggage out in the hall the night before and it was picked up (Hopefully by Carnival):D I figured that we would do as we had the previous ten or so cruises out of Jax, and just relax and enjoy our remaining time on board. We gathered up and went to breakfast in the MDR. We were close to the Mikado where we would wait until our time to leave. You have to be out of your cabin by 8:30 and this was a good place to wait. They showed some episodes of AFV to help pass the time.

Now comes the only "Big Problem" on this voyage! Carnival, in their infinite wisdom, changed the way that they have done debarkation. Used to be, they would let the self help people wait on Riviera Deck and when customs had cleared, these folks could hit the stairs and be gone. They now have it where everyone has to wait on decks 7, 8, 9, or ten. They block off the forward elevators just for people leaving the ship when they are called, luggage and all! We were in porthole cabins on Main Deck, so we had to take our carry-ons to the rear elevators, come up to deck 8, then come forward to the theater to wait. All of the self-embark folks had to do the same thing but with all of their bags. Talk about "Goin' around your a$$ to get to your elbow" this was something to see! After all was said and done, there were a Lot of upset folks that were worried about making flights. It was almost 10:30 before we got off the ship! I just don't know who's bright idea this was!

Okay, here are my thoughts on this cruise:

Pros: The Elation is a Beautiful ship with the BEST Crew in Carnival (of course I say this about every ship I've been on) They have done a great job of up-grading her. The cabins with the Mini-fridge, hair dryers, flat screens, new safes, and decors are much nicer than before. Love the new venues, Guys, Blue Iguana, water works, and the new bars. A different show each night is a real plus. Kevin the CD was very active and entertaining. The food (American Table) and the dining rooms were a very good up-grade. Also the embarkation with the check-in times went very smoothly. There was a lot to Enjoy on the Elation!

Cons: There were a few minor things that were noticeable such as not having the new Deli menu (Oh Well, maybe next time) no pineapple juice, no crab cakes in the MDR , and no Mexican buffet at the deck party. None of these were a "Big Deal" but they are cumulative "Little Deals". The only "Big Deal" was debarkation. Carnival needs to address this issue as it's not hard to imagine that they could possibly lose some customers if folks missed their flights!

Conclusion:

Carnival did a few things wrong, but they did Many Things Right! The good outweighed the bad by a large margin! I really Enjoyed the "New" Elation, and have booked her again for Halloween 2018! Bye and Thanks for Reading! Be Blessed! Mikey:D

Thanks for the review.

Love the review. Can wait to be on the Elation May 21st!

I’ll be on the same cruise with my daughter!

Can’t wait!

OP, Tea time is no longer on the activity list. But it is offered and is listed on the list of what's to eat and when.

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Thanks Mikey, loved your review. And looking forward to being on the Elation in two weeks.

How long was the walk to get on the ship? DH has been ill (cancer, and a terrible fall) he says he wont need a wheel chair to get on board, and I want to make sure he can get on with just his cane?? And not walk too far.