FANTASY 9/18-24: Still ROCKS after all these years!!!

[floatingaway2525]

OK we just returned on Friday and here I am getting started, an all time record for me! It’s back to work tomorrow <FOO!> so I will try to get a good start today. I ramble a lot but there are pics to see if you’re not into that rambling part…:o

 

This is the Stowaway Freddy sail but it’s not Freddy’s review, he’ll be along eventually with another amazing tale of his adventures. He had a few more days vacay than me...:p

 

We drove up from Florida on Friday the 17th to start the party early at the Holiday Inn Riverview. The hotel was great, older but refurbished well, pool deck on the 3rd floor, bar and restaurant on the 15th (rooftop) floor with a panoramic view of Charleston. Fabulous Friday night Happy Hours, lots of locals!!

 

If you’re approaching on Rt 17 north it’s a round building in the middle island where the road splits, can’t miss it but there’s a sharp left turn into the parking lot at the far end past the building! We paid $99 with our group rate and this included parking during our cruise.

 

We had our usual pre-cruise partay and never left the hotel, it was a reunion for many of us that are cruising family, and a first meeting for new cruising family we had met on the boards for many months waiting for our turn on Fantasy!! Those pics got lost in the x-ray machine, oh well…;)

 

Here’s the view in the morning from our room on the 8th floor, first sight is always the best!!!

 

 

[floatingaway2525]

Getting to the Port in a van for six was $4. per person. Now, we are early-to-port people, and never mind waiting in the terminal because all the excitement of getting to board carries us through!! We knew in advance from our CC friends that Charleston was not your funnest port to sail out of, and the information was accurate as expected…;)

 

Our van driver pulled up around 10:30 for early luggage drop-off and was directed to two different lots by port officers before we got the right one. Then it was unload the van with not a porter in sight and load our luggage into the unmanned luggage carts ourselves…then it was looking at a terminal building just across the parking lot but told we have to wait for a bus to take us the length of a parking lot driveway to get there…and so we waited…and waited…and waited some more….did I mention it was a beautiful sunnysteamy southern mornin'? It was hilarious!!!:rolleyes::p

 

 

See those gates in the back, that's where we loaded our luggage...

 

If you have to go potty, do it before you head to port!!!

[floatingaway2525]

We waited about an hour for the buses to come, and they were full size, airconditioned buses so it actually went very well once they arrived. Carry on bags were stowed underneath and we got on like we were heading across country. By now we are all giggling as we drove out the parking lot, turned left for fifty feet, turned left again and drove about a half block to the terminal doors:p:p:p

Once in the terminal, it went very fast!!! Turns out the issue here is that the terminal building is small and has no seating to speak of, so outside waiting it is...I suggest that this is a port that a drop off at 11:30-ish might lessen or eliminate the wait....we also found out that it was a full Customs check day and this added to our delay.

In any event, we were onboard by 12:30 WOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!:D

Oh, let me mention one sad event in the Terminal, I have seen a few threads about it since I'm back...we also had a young couple next to us at check-in who were turned away because of a hospital record of birth instead of goverment issued BC...:(

[floatingaway2525]

I gotta go fold clothes or I will be ironing a lot:eek::rolleyes::p

[Dive Master]

I am enjoying your review and so looking forward to the rest of it.I hope you don't mind me trying to experience the cruise through you. We were scheduled to sail on the 9/18 Fantasy cruise too but my favorite Aunt passed away on Thursday 9/16/10 and we were forced to cancel our cruise on Friday morning.I was so hoping to make it but her visitation was on Saturday with the funeral on Sunday.While I hated missing the cruise, I just felt I had to be with my family.We were able to enjoy four hot days in Charleston Monday through Friday. The manager at the Meeting Street Inn took pity on us and gave us a great room at a good price for the Market area.I did walk out and see the Fantasy Friday morning and talked to a few pasengers who really enjoyed their cruise.I also got to see HAL's Veendam in Charleston on Tuesday.She was diverted from Bermuda because of the hurricane---enjoyed helping her passengers see Charleston.I hope everyone had a great week and we will try to plan another cruise after the first of the year.

[gaylensgigi]

Yep, Charelston is definately not an early to ship port.That was one of a few minor dissapointments this week, but......once we were on board,it was all good. Dave so sorry about your loss, we had a couple in our group who made it on the ship,had ordered lunch and recieved a call from home with similar news,they got right off.But,feel free to vicariously cruise with us anytime.

[rtw68]

Thanks for your review. Excited to see more! We are going in January on Fantasy and can't wait! :D

[Grandma58]

I am enjoying your review and so looking forward to the rest of it.I hope you don't mind me trying to experience the cruise through you. We were scheduled to sail on the 9/18 Fantasy cruise too but my favorite Aunt passed away on Thursday 9/16/10 and we were forced to cancel our cruise on Friday morning.

 

Sorry to hear about your loss. Best wishes on a future cruise.

[floatingaway2525]

I am enjoying your review and so looking forward to the rest of it.I hope you don't mind me trying to experience the cruise through you. We were scheduled to sail on the 9/18 Fantasy cruise too but my favorite Aunt passed away on Thursday 9/16/10 and we were forced to cancel our cruise on Friday morning.

 

Awww, so sorry for your loss. I understand completely about needing to be with family.:)

I will do my best to give you a virtual cruise until you can go again!!:)

[floatingaway2525]

Thanks for your review. Excited to see more! We are going in January on Fantasy and can't wait! :D

 

Excellent choice, and I'm thinkin' you will not be disappointed!!! :D

[floatingaway2525]

This is my fourth time on Fantasy, second since the major refurb in early 2009. I guess you could say we love this little ship that could!! It is by far my Mom’s favorite ship, and we were celebrating her birthday this week (76th):).

 

We head as always to our favorite spot on Lido for lunch and DoD’s, and the gathering of Freddy’s gang begins. There is a live combo playing most excellent sailaway-island music on a bright and sunny day. The wind was definitely up…we knew we would be skirting Igor on his way to oblivion that night and into the next day, and this was a precursor!!

 

Muster was called right on time, and off to the Universe Lounge we go. We did start moving before we were through:rolleyes: but our muster ended conveniently off the port side of Lido and we hopped up the forward stairs to stand on the Verandah bow deck. Watched several dolphin playing in the waters churned up by the thrusters:D, saw the fort and the remnants of another (I have to go and look this up!) and enjoyed the panorama as long as we could take the wind….Awesome port to sail out of!!!:cool:

[jus4fun]

Great review so far - can't wait to hear more. We sail on 10/9 so you are really helping to add to the excitement.

[cruisecrazyk]

We leave on New Year's Day so I am anxiously counting the days. I have only sailed out of Charleston when NCL was there with a much smaller ship so I glad Carnival came into Charleston and I pray that Carnival will stay for many years to come. Charleston is building a new cruse terminal so I believe cruising is here to stay for them. I hope so. We have cruised out of Miami lately but as I told my husband that if we want Carnival to stay in Charleston we need to support them there. I have been to all the ports but I would love to go again so no big deal.

[WestTxCruiser]

WOOOHOOO, another Floatie review!!

[arb34]

We have a group of 24 going Jan 17th so always looking for positive reviews to fuel the excitement!! Thanks for taking the time to do it!!!

[floatingaway2525]

Well, I seem to have some gaps in my pics for the first night and first sea day:eek::o…some of the Freddy gang can put some in here anytime if they are fit for primetime…:rolleyes:

 

We headed down to finish unpacking, get ready for dinner, and I enjoyed that first sunset at sea, ahhhhh…you truly realize how blessed you are to be where you are at this very moment....

 

 

 

We gather before dinner every night when we cruise, on this ship it’s at the Majestic Bar all the way aft on Promenade. It doubles as the Cigar/Sports Bar on Fantasy, and it’s a quiet lovely place to enjoy a pre-dinner drink. Then it’s time to head to the MDR for our first dinner to meet our table guys for the week…it did not disappoint: wonderful meal and even better staff!! Our Head Waiter Dylan had a smile a mile wide that greeted us all week!! I can hear him now, “Ladies and gentlemen, the recommendations for the day are…”!!!

 

After dinner we headed to the PB to check out the new entertainer who boarded today also, Tom Riccio. Can you say fabulous?? Tom is in his second contract with Carnival, and they better take good care of this guy!! We stayed there till closing singing our hearts out! Lots of oldies, plenty of favorites, and some surprises included in the line-up. The bar was full until closing and we had a great gang of passengers sailing with us, WOOOHOO!!!

[floatingaway2525]

Great review so far - can't wait to hear more. We sail on 10/9 so you are really helping to add to the excitement.

 

Thank you! I promise a lot more pics, I took over 400:D but they don't really start until Nassau:p

[floatingaway2525]

We leave on New Year's Day so I am anxiously counting the days. I have only sailed out of Charleston when NCL was there with a much smaller ship so I glad Carnival came into Charleston and I pray that Carnival will stay for many years to come. Charleston is building a new cruse terminal so I believe cruising is here to stay for them. I hope so. We have cruised out of Miami lately but as I told my husband that if we want Carnival to stay in Charleston we need to support them there. I have been to all the ports but I would love to go again so no big deal.

 

I agree with you totally about the port, but I have to say even though it's definitely not set up as we expect it to be, knowing now how it is will make it fine for me in the future...it really IS a great memory to be ROFL all the way across the parking lot in that big bus LOLOL!!!:p

It's a great city to be sure!!!:cool:

[floatingaway2525]

WOOOHOOO, another Floatie review!!

 

HIYA Jules!!! Think we can keep busy with this until our Crazies get back so it goes faster for us??:D:cool:

[floatingaway2525]

We have a group of 24 going Jan 17th so always looking for positive reviews to fuel the excitement!! Thanks for taking the time to do it!!!

 

SO happy to do it, thanks for posting:) It's so much fun to pass along the experience, and it keeps that cruising feeling going as long as possible!!!:D

[floatingaway2525]

After the PB closed we headed down Promenade to the Electricity Disco and closed it too:p It was early (2AM-ish) because it was the first night…this was not a bad thing LOL!!!

 

Now I remember why there’s a gap, the first sea day was a glorious sleep in, late breakfast (they serve breakfast until noon on Lido, YAY!), and then I had some important details to take care of for Mama Floatie’s birthday celebration on Tuesday the 21st…so I went down to Formalities and ordered her favorite Carnival Chocolate Fudge Cake (heart-shaped mind you), for the MDR, and picked up some other things here and there. Back up to Lido for the Master of Mixology contest (Congrats Holly!!), the Hairy Men, and the ice carving that I love to watch!! Off for a nap and it’s time to get ready for our first Elegant Evening…time flies when you’re having FUN!!!

 

The ship was a-rockin’ for about 18 hours at this point while we slipped south of Igor…there was some discomfort for some passengers later in the afternoon on Sunday, but thankfully, by Sunday night it had smoothed right out, relatively…:p

 

Here's my sister Jude (HeyJude), Mama Floatie, and me at Elegant Evening dinner, courtesy of my girl Bonnie:) Dinner was fabulous, prime rib perfectly medium rare, good sized lobster tails, all that we have come to expect!!! Actually, every meal was fabulous with one exception, more on this later!!!

 

[klmorg]

After the PB closed we headed down Promenade to the Electricity Disco and closed it too:p It was early (2AM-ish) because it was the first night…this was not a bad thing LOL!!!

 

Now I remember why there’s a gap, the first sea day was a glorious sleep in, late breakfast (they serve breakfast until noon on Lido, YAY!), and then I had some important details to take care of for Mama Floatie’s birthday celebration on Tuesday the 21st…so I went down to Formalities and ordered her favorite Carnival Chocolate Fudge Cake (heart-shaped mind you), for the MDR, and picked up some other things here and there. Back up to Lido for the Master of Mixology contest (Congrats Holly!!), the Hairy Men, and the ice carving that I love to watch!! Off for a nap and it’s time to get ready for our first Elegant Evening…time flies when you’re having FUN!!!

 

The ship was a-rockin’ for about 18 hours at this point while we slipped south of Igor…there was some discomfort for some passengers later in the afternoon on Sunday, but thankfully, by Sunday night it had smoothed right out, relatively…:p

 

Here's my sister Jude (HeyJude), Mama Floatie, and me at Elegant Evening dinner, courtesy of my girl Bonnie:) Dinner was fabulous, prime rib perfectly medium rare, good sized lobster tails, all that we have come to expect!!! Actually, every meal was fabulous with one exception, more on this later!!!

 

 

Great pic... MamaFloatie is beautiful (and her girls too). She DEFINTIELY doesn't look anywhere near 76, no way. Another quick question...

 

What does a full Customs check that you mention entail?

[floatingaway2525]

Great pic... MamaFloatie is beautiful (and her girls too). She DEFINTIELY doesn't look anywhere near 76, no way. Another quick question...

 

What does a full Customs check that you mention entail?

 

Thank you, she definitely carries her age well!!:) Me and Jude are praying on those genes kicking in for us too:cool:

That Customs check is when they board the ship with a team and do a full examination of all the crew paperwork:eek: No one can board until they are done. I'm not sure how often it happens...:confused:

[gaylensgigi]

That Mama Floatie can dance,too.As soon as I figure how to post some pics,I will do so.Im still sorting them out.It was a wonderful week.Ward,if you are out there,the phrase "Thats not going to happen anytime soon" keeps running through my mind:D

[LHP]

Thank you, she definitely carries her age well!!:) Me and Jude are praying on those genes kicking in for us too:cool:

That Customs check is when they board the ship with a team and do a full examination of all the crew paperwork:eek: No one can board until they are done. I'm not sure how often it happens...:confused:

 

That's my only hope....Mom lived to be just shy of 97 and never looked a day over 60!

 

Great photos....LOVE the review so far...(thanks for the warning about Embarkation since we are "early arrivers" as well)