Tell me about Carnival Fascination - 5 night - Bahamas

DH & I just booked a last minute cruise to Key West & Bahamas out of Jacksonville. This will be our 3rd cruise but our first on this size ship. Also the first in the summer. Any information would be great.

We did it last August, but went to Half Moon and Nassau. Nassau is not my fave...don't like all the pushy vedors/taxi drivers/tour guides/hair braiders and everything is super expensive there. We did Atlantis and the kids really loved it...it costs a ton, but worth doing once. You can also just water taxi over and walk around...water taxi is a few bucks per person. Sun will be strong. Key West is awesome! Been there on another cruise and loved it....shopping and bars! Jax port is good...terminal can be chaotic. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Blount Island...which was fantastic. They have a park and go package. Fascination isn't a bad little old ship...we've been on her twice and had a great time. She's easy to navigate. If you have any ?s, I'll try to answer them.

We did both interaries in January and loved, loved, loved Key West and Half Moon Cay. Nassua not so much.

The ship very nice. I would cruise on her again if opportunity presents itself again.

I wished they did a HMC and Key West itin. I'd book that in a hurry.

DH & I just booked a last minute cruise to Key West & Bahamas out of Jacksonville. This will be our 3rd cruise but our first on this size ship. Also the first in the summer. Any information would be great.

You will not be disappointed !! I have only been on 2 cruises so far - both on the Fascination and would go on her again, in a heartbeat.

Look for our favorite waiter and his assnt - Koolman & Natalie, they were the best !

Before I state my opinion I just want to say its my opinion as many times I been bashed by stating how I feel on my last cruise last may on the Fascination. As you can see I have cruised many times many cruises on Carnival....as you can see my next cruise will not be a carnival cruise but a RC cruise and this is why:

When I cruised on the Fascination they did away with the lunch buffet meat carvings and not one soup was offered, but the past few months I have read boards where they did offer these items so it appears they brought them back. You didn't state which other ships/cruise lines you have taken prior to this one coming up.

My experience on the last cruise on the Fascination is as follows:

Service overall is a hit or miss

Food on Carnival has the most drastic cuts than any other cruise line

MDR steak they offer you the Flat Iron Steak (other cruise lines give you NY Strip or even Sirloin much better cuts of beef than flat iron)

Lunch buffets only had one hot main entree usually a seafood dish

Lunch buffets only had one vegetable available

Lunch buffets were all fast food type foods (if you enjoy this type of food then its perfect for you) such as chicken fingers, french fries, hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and cold sandwiches.

They do have a mongolian grill now its outside so if your cruising in the hot summer months plan on standing on lone lines outside in the sun/heat, and the meat is tough and chewy.

MDR dinner they now offer less choices of appetizers

Desserts remain to be good

Pizza is very good for ship pizza

The pool deck party on one of the evenings they offer you mexican food (other cruise lines offer you suckling pig, steaks, chicken, other meat type foods made in front of you on outdoor bbq grills)

Carnival does offer you the rock n roll band which plays to the wee hours

Staterooms are a bit larger

Staterooms have shower curtains (other cruise line have shower doors)

Cocktails are more expensive on carnival than lets say RC

Entertainment is of lower quality you get broadway type shows on other cruise lines

Pools are smaller and are salt water (Princess and RC offer fresh water larger pools)

Fascination does not offer specialty restaurant

The ship is smaller yes but very nice and easy to get around. It is very clean. If the food in the lunch buffet were of better quality/selection (such as more hot foods and veggies like other cruise lines offer) I probably would not hestitate to go. Entertainment is no biggie for us...but my first choice is Royal Caribbean, I rather take the Monarch of the Seas out of Pt. Canaveral over the Fascination out of Jax (Jax is only a 30 minute drive time for me).

Nassau hate it won't get off the ship but if you never seen Nassau only place I recommend going to do is Atlantis to walk around and take a look, you can also easily rent wave runners there or do banana boating (if you have kids), go see the indoor aquarium its beautiful...and check out the stingrays in the outdoor ponds around the facility.

Being that I lived in South Florida for 18 years Key West is nothing more than a few blocks of outdoor bars and some old nice scenic houses....its a place I not wish to go, just me.....

The Fascination is a great ship. Trevor Bloch should still be on for your trip as CD and his asst CD (blanking on his name) is very good.

The good thing about this size ship is you can walk from front to back on the main Promenade deck. That's where your casino and bars will be. Also the upper entrance to the theatre.

Since you mentioned it will be your first summer cruise, let me tell you that it will be HOT in the ports! Be prepared for that. Do a search for reviews for more details.

If you are lucky, you will be in the dining room with Joseph, the super-charged Maitre D'. He puts on quiet a show! Enjoy your cruise and be sure to come back and tell us how it was!

Nassua - there is a great liquor store right by the straw market. Good selection and great prices.

Key West - if you've never been there, consider taking the trolly tour to get a good overview of the place.

We just got off the the Fascination and I am going to give my honest opinion.

1. It is croweded. We have never been during the summer months and we will never sail again during the summer months. There is no room in the pool. It is standing room only. There was no swimming taking place. The hot tubs were filled with 10-15 kids at all times. We never got to see any shows at night because it was standing room only and the people that were sitting were crammed in there.

2. It is blistering hot. It was so hot that multiple people were sick. Be prepared. Take extra clothing because you will "soak" whatever you are wearing that day from just 5 minutes of being outside.

3. The food was great as always!

4. Key West is a blast! We have been there before and would go back again.

5. We HATED Nassau. Everyone trys to sell you items and they are pushy people. We had someone walk up to us and say "here this is free...just for comming to Nassau..thank you" and when we took the necklace and kept walking the lady ran behind us and told us that it was customary to give a tip. Give a tip? For what? You told me it was free. She said but the homeless kids made them. It is a trap. We do not plan on going back to Nassau ever.

I did a cruise on the Fascination last December. The ship is small, but that's OK. It's easier to get around.

We did the Pub Crawl excursion at Key West, which was so much fun and informative. I wasn't sure about doing this excursion (I'm in my late 50's), but I enjoyed it so much.

Nassau is not my favorite spot. You can go to Atlantis to look around (and use their casino). There is also a pirate museum which is interesting. We have also done a tour of a fort, which was interesting (and I am not a history buff). One thing I want to do, but have not, is go see the flamingos in Nassau.

There is a Barcardi outlet in Nassau that has really good prices, if you like rum. Last December, we went to Senor Frogs to watch (and have a drink). That was pretty interesting!

Thanks for all the feedback. I have traveled Carnival before but on larger ships & longer cruises. Not in the summer either. I appreciate everyone's feedback (good or bad) since I'm the type of person that would rather go somewhere knowing that something might not be 100% & prepare for it, vs. think that it will be great & be disappointed. I've been to Nassau before & completely agree with the general concensus.

Thanks again.

We just got off the the Fascination and I am going to give my honest opinion.

1. It is croweded. We have never been during the summer months and we will never sail again during the summer months. There is no room in the pool. It is standing room only. There was no swimming taking place. The hot tubs were filled with 10-15 kids at all times. We never got to see any shows at night because it was standing room only and the people that were sitting were crammed in there.

2. It is blistering hot. It was so hot that multiple people were sick. Be prepared. Take extra clothing because you will "soak" whatever you are wearing that day from just 5 minutes of being outside.

3. The food was great as always!

4. Key West is a blast! We have been there before and would go back again.

5. We HATED Nassau. Everyone trys to sell you items and they are pushy people. We had someone walk up to us and say "here this is free...just for comming to Nassau..thank you" and when we took the necklace and kept walking the lady ran behind us and told us that it was customary to give a tip. Give a tip? For what? You told me it was free. She said but the homeless kids made them. It is a trap. We do not plan on going back to Nassau ever.

I just got off this ship yesterday and completely agree. I've been on three other cruises (Valor & Holiday) and this ship was completely over-crowded..I've never had to wait in so many lines...

As far as the buffet, plenty of choices and there are definately soups and meat carvings. I gained about 15 pounds and never ate pizza the first time.

I had a great cruise but don't care to go back to Nassau. I loved the staff on the Fascination but really don't like the ship because of the crowds and the pool was always closed it seemed like. You will have fun and I don't regret cruising the Fascination at all but I will pick a different ship next time.

we will be getting ready to board in 3 weeks, wont be long now. hope u enjoy your cruise too.

Serenity deck is wonderful. Pool does get crowded, especially on sea days...but my DH and I do not use the pool...our kids do and they don't mind it being crowded. Lounge chairs right by the pool will be crowded, but we always sat at a table under deck by the windows to be in the shade...when we went this March (w/out the kids) we spent most of our outdoor time on the Serenity deck. We never had trouble getting seated for the shows...we always arrived about 30 minutes before the show and had a drink while we waited. The piano bar is great and the Philipino band that plays at night is good and karaoke is always fun. There were lines for the buffet at certain times.

This is great info! We just booked the Fascination for September. It'll be me, hubby and 2 teens. Can anyone tell me where the serenity deck is?

Also, we are going to cruise again next June. What kind of deals do they offer while you're on board? We've never cruised Carnival before.

Thanks!

We got off a little over a week ago and yes, it was crowded. However, when we spoke with friends, they said that we shouldn't have gone during the summer when school was out and this was across the board on any cruise line.

The pool is tiny and there is only the one. Hot tubs on the Lido Deck were also always crowded. The ones on the Serenity Deck usually were not, however for the life of me, I didn't understand why anyone would want to be in a hot tub when it was overly warm out to begin with. And speaking of the Serenity Deck - it was a great place to get away from the kids, but we couldn't spend too much time there as there is no breeze.

For the most part, the bulk food (Lido Grills, Mongolian grill and Coconut Grove buffet) was fine. There were lines for the two grills on the Lido deck but other than on embarkation day, we didn't eat there. The Coconut Grove buffet does get lines but they move along fairly well. The line for the pizza and deli tended to be slower. The MDR was very good.

It was blazing hot in Nassau - not our favorite port, either. Typical tourist town. We did a walking tour on our own and then spent the rest of the day on the beach at the British Colonial Hilton and that was fine by us.

Overall, the Fascination itself is a great ship. Staff was over the top and for a short(er) cruise, the amenities were very good.

JMHO: The Fantasy class ships are fine. They are smaller than the megaliners (if you count that as a disadvantage), but have many advantages as well, all subjective of course. Food quality is a matter of taste, but I never seen anyone sitting on the sideboards with a cup and sign begging for food. I've never seen a problem with quantity of meats, veggies, or choices in general on any of my cruises as one poster suggested. I wouldn't say I'm a picky eater, but I certainly don't eat anything or everything either and I've never gone hungry. I don't go to my local meat and 3 expecting an Olive Garden experince. The shows are like everything else, subject to one's taste of music and entertainment.

Cruises, like people, are indiviualized and personal to each person's taste, likes, dislikes, etc. As the old saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Having said that, there are a couple of things that almost everyone agrees on for sailing during the summer.

First, it is hot. Extremely hot. Suffocating hot. Even for those blessed folks who like hot weather, they think it's over the top hot so be prepared to sweat and sweat heavily. Stay well hydrated and watch alcohol consumption, with assists in dehydrating the body.

Secondly, summer time means kids are out of school and the children's count on cruise ships increase significantly during this time. Unfortunately, many parents use the cruise ship as a corral and as long as the childre are on the right side of the rails, they can come and go, do what they want, and basically run rampant, totally unrestrained, and undisiciplined. I love kids, but I do not like parents who do not keep their kids in check. The kids are being kids. It's the parents that are being bad. I do not cruise in the summer.

Lastly, Nassau is to cruising, what Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport is to the airline industry. It seems no ships sails without going through Nassau. Been there, done that, and tired of it. A port call in Nassau is like another sea day for me. I just don't do Nassau. Did it the first few times I went, and then decided to take advantage of the almost empty ship for some relaxation, swimming, and rest. Very, very nice to swim and be the only person in the pool! I've done it many times. I'm not a port person and normally choose cruises that are balanced between sea days and port days. The ship is my main destination.

So, in a nutshell, other than the things most cruisers agree on, this cruise will be to you what you make it. It will be different from the last and different from the next. My attitude is a bad day on a cruise is better than a good day at the office anytime!

Hope your cruise is everything you want it to be! Happy Sails! :)

DH & I just booked a last minute cruise to Key West & Bahamas out of Jacksonville. This will be our 3rd cruise but our first on this size ship. Also the first in the summer. Any information would be great.

I am like the OP....we have only sailed on the larger ships but I am seriously considering booking this cruise because I want to go to Key West.

We would never consider going in the summer, so am looking at something after the first of the year. (I also know not to go during any kind of college or spring break).

Anyone on this board done this cruise during Jan/Feb?

We loved the Fascination so much we booked her again! Key West is a fun town, it will be hot, but it's a place where you can walk around on your own, feel perfectly safe and have a great time. Which we did, so definitely check out the posts on the key west port.

Everyone hates Nassau, blah, blah, blah, but if you read the port info there are some great things to do there, Atlantis i hear is great. We have done Blackbeards Cay and blue Lagoon, and on our next trip we are going to take the Jitney to the Sheritan, to spend the day at the beach. Yes it's hot, it's south, and it's summer, and there will be kids, but you will enjoy the ship.

Can anyone tell me if there are any bars where you can watch football? I can only see one bar on the deck plans, but that can;t be right, can it?:D

 

Anyone on this board done this cruise during Jan/Feb?

We were on her this past January. Cold start, but warmed comfortably as we went South.

No heavy sweating in Nassau or Key West. T-shirts and shorts weather. Hardly any kids that we were aware of. Had an OV, so spent a lot of time in the Serenity area (one deck below Lido - aft.)

We have been to both of these ports on land vacations before, so we spent time walking around a bit, posts cards to the grandson, find Nassau Royale in Nassau, eat Key Lime pie in Key West.

Easy to navigate. Nice layout. Had no complaints about the food on Lido, nor in the MDR.

We are a family of 5, and will be on the Fascination (for the second time), this November, 2011. In fact, we will be traveling during Thanksgiving break, which I am a little apprehensive about. We usually have cruised during Spring Break, so I'm thinking it couldn't be any worse.

Has anyone ever cruised during late November before? How is the weather in the Bahamas? I must admit, this might cut down on the "sunning" that normally takes place by the pool, especially if it's too cold. My parents will be traveling with us, and they have OV rooms, as they are bringing my sister and niece.

We will be staying in a Grand Suite, with an Inside room across the hall. I agree about the Fascination. I consider any cruise a good cruise, but really wish I was going on a larger ship. But my dad won't travel prior to cruising, even down to Port Canaveral, and we are from Jax. I have to say that Jax Port is my least fav. port, in regards to staff and routine. I love Port Canaveral! They are always so organized and the staff is so pleasant. I hope Jax Port improves from two years ago.

the weather be perfect not too hot not to cool just right!