My First Review Elation March 12-17

[Larry'sLady]

This is my first ever cruise & review. Let me know if you want more or less info & detail. I have lots of pictures uploaded to Photobucket if I can ever figure out how to get them into CC. Questions will be answered.

 

Day 1

My SIL and I traveled from Central MS to Mobile, AL on 3/11. We spent the night at The Microtel Inn in Saraland, AL. It was a nice place that offered a free breakfast, free parking for the duration of the cruise & free shuttle to and from the port. Cost was $69 each. We left for the port on the first shuttle at 10:40 AM & arrived at the port at 10:55. Dropped off luggage with porter and headed inside terminal. Passed thru the first checkpoint with passport & Fun Pass, then went upstairs to get checked in. Long lines. They were doing a survey to determine how long you had to stand in line. I was given a sticker (note Hello sticker on my shirt) at 11:03 we were checked in at 11:20. Had Zone 7 & we were on the ship by 11:30. Embarkation was a breeze.

We entered into the Atrium area; beautiful entry point; then it was up to the Lido Deck to check out lunch. Got our first DOD. Tiffany’s Restaurant offered two buffet lines serving Italian fare. It was tasty food and very plentiful. The grille offered fast food and salads as well. The Mongolian Wok was very popular but the day I tried it, I found the sauces extremely hot. The grill had the best hot dog I have ever eaten. The desserts in Tiffany’s were awful. The only one that we found even edible was a chocolate cake. Salad bar and Deli were very good. Never had the pizza but everyone else loved it.

After lunch, we spent time exploring the ship.. Very easy to maneuver since all the decks except 8 went from front to back. SIL booked a massage and we checked out the shopping. Nothing was open since we hadn’t set sail. We were allowed in our cabin at 1:30 PM. Got settled, met our cabin steward and got additional hangers. We had an OV on the Riveria Deck Room R132. We couldn’t tell any difference in the motion of the ship no matter where we were. Surprised at the bathroom. I didn’t find it small at all. Shower was plenty big. Ample drawer space and closet space too. Had to get additional hangers. We rested until 3:15 then went to muster in the Romeo & Juliette Lounge. Very informative After muster, we walked around the ship for a while. We went to the Lido Deck for sail away. It was delayed until 5 PM. as they were still loading supplies. Had an ice cream cone while we waited.

After sail away, went back to the room & relaxed. We had Anytime dining and went to dinner about 6:45PM. No pictures of food today. Had grilled pork chop. Food was very good as well as the service. After dinner I played Bingo and SIL got her first massage. We went to the Welcome Aboard Show at 10:30 PM. We really enjoyed this show as it was very informative and entertaining. We went to the Lido Deck at 12:30A & ate French fries. They are delicious; taste just like McDonalds. Since we set our clocks ahead for DST, we finally got in bed at 2:00AM.

[Mystkl1]

Good start! Looking forward to more.

[mebecindi]

Great start....more more more please........and I can't wait to see the pictures....

[LBumb]

good start to review.

[Larry'sLady]

I have uploaded photos to Photobucket.com but when I click the yellow mountain after I copy the link, it won't let me paste it. If I type it in, it says this photo has been moved or deleted. Can anyone help me? Will do Day 2 soon.

[Larry'sLady]

Here are some pics from Day 1

[Sundiego]

I am really enjoying your review and hope you will continue, with or without pics! Hopefully somebody will jump in and answer your Photobucket questions!

[spideyfam]

Thank you for posting a review! Can't wait for day 2.

[beachbum6264]

Yay! I'm taking a break from doing laundry... getting things ready to pack tomorrow for MY Elation cruise. Hope you can get more done before I am on board. I'm going with a cruise Virgin, so this should be good!

[Larry'sLady]

[Larry'sLady]

Long lines at Check in

 

Atrium Bar from Deck 9

 

 

Atrium Elevator

 

 

Atrium Bar Close Up

 

 

Around

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Larry'sLady]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Larry'sLady]

 

 

 

 

 

[Larry'sLady]

These pictures are of Sail Away and the Welcome aboard Show. Our CD was Kyle. Our towel creature was a seal.

 

 

 

 

 

[Larry'sLady]

Day 2

 

We were up at 8:30AM. Very busy day ahead. Headed to the Lido for the breakfast buffet in Tiffany's Restaurant. We loved the buffet. They had just about anything u wanted. I won't list the foods available but it was everything. The Continental Breakfast is served in Tiffany's from 6:30 to 10:30 AM. Lido Buffet from 7:30 to 10:30. MDR 8:00 to 10:00 AM.. Late Risers 10:30 to 12 in Tiffanys. We found the Buffet to be the best breakfast on board. Ate in MDR one morning. Everything was cold.

 

We went to several shopping seminars today. It was a waste of our time. Seemed to be a commercial for Diamonds International in Cozumel. The speaker had nerve enough to tell us not to shop in Progresso for jewelry because they would not vouch for its authencity.. They also said not to go into Progresso because it was just a fishing village and did not offer much shopping. They gave away coupons for freebies in Cozumel. More about this on Day 4.

 

We browsed the shops on board. Decided what we wanted & watched the prices. Lots of good buys on costume jewelry and the real thing. Shirts are cheaper by the end of the cruise. Wait until the last night. Tricia won a pair of gold earrings in a raffle at the jewelry shop.

We explored the ship for a while. Tricia had a Spa date. Got her hair cut and styled. I played Bingo, and the slots in the casino. Watched folks play Blackjack. My husband will like this when we cruise on the Legend in July. Broke even on slots, lost at Bingo, but won $30 on casino raffle tickets. We rested in the afternoon. Tonight is Elegant Night.

 

We went to the MDR at 7:15. It was crowded but we didn't have to wait for a table. We were seated close to the window. I did not see any shorts or baseball caps. Saw one man in jeans and he looked very out of place. Lots of young people on this cruise and they were all very nicely dressed. I had lobster & shrimp, Tricia had Cornish Hen. They were delicious. The food in the MDR was always good. The only fault I had was that the entrees weren't always hot. Guess that comes from trying to feed so many people. It was flavorful & well seasoned. Service was a bit slow. Tricia got the Chocolate Melting Cake. She proclaimed it awesome and tried not to lick the bowl. I had Bitter & Blanc and it was the best dessert I had all week. Yummy. I had read about it on here and had to try it.

 

After dinner we went to the Just Rock Show in the Mikado Theatre. It was a very professional show. Rock from the 60s to now. They won't let u take pictures of the shows. Go see it if u r on the Elation. I understand the cast was to change the first of April.

 

After the show we went to see the two comedians in the Cole Porter Lounge.They do an early Family Show and a later Adults (18) Only. They were Kenny Miller & John Floyd. They were surprisingly good. Very different styles but both very good. A little advice, go at least 25 minutes early to shows. The wait doesn't seem long because u chat and waiters are everywhere to serve u.

 

As George Constanza said on an episode of Seinfield, "The sea was rough that night, my friend." Back & forth, up & down. Bonine worked wonders for both of us.

 

As we reflected on the day,we decided that the cabin stewards, waitstaff and all the crew do a fantastic job of making u comfortable and pampered. Tricia felt the Spa Staff was very attentive and did not rush u through your treatments. A great first full day on a cruise.

 

Tricia and her gold earrings

 

Me on Elegant Night

 

My dinner

 

Tricia

 

Her Dinner

 

Bitter n Blanc

[Larry'sLady]

Our towel creature tonight was a cute little doggie. I will try to do day 3 tomorrow. Too tired tonight. Be sure to ask any questions u have.

 

[Mystkl1]

Thanks! Looking forward to day 3!

[Julia1969]

Looking forward for you to post day 3. We leave in May for our third cruise. It will be our second on this class of ship. Did you do the 7 day cruise?

[Larry'sLady]

No, we did the 5 day to Progresso & Cozumel from Mobile, AL. This ship is moving to New Orleans, LA in October, 2011. Not sure, but I think it will do this same route.

[Larry'sLady]

Day 3

 

We ported in Progresso about 9:00 AM. We decided to eat in the MDR. Big mistake. Ordered pancakes and everything was cold. We debarked the ship about 10:30. Remember they have photo ops as u leave the ship, so be prepared. We were greeted by an elderly Mariachi Band. We had to go through Los Cincos Soles to get to the rest of the shopping. There are a couple bars serving beer and a place to just relax. We shopped in Progresso for about 2 hours. There are several stores that are close to the pier. 2 of them are also at Cozumel. We bought hats, t-shirts, typical tourist stuff. We didn't do excursions, but friends we met on the boat did the Mayan Ruins. They enjoyed it. They were picked up just outside the shopping area and returned in plenty of time to shop & get back on the ship. They were surprised at the nice air-conditioned buses that were provided.

 

Be very wary of the jewelry in Progresso. I bought a bracelet that I am sure is costume jewelry. The man in the shop started at a price of $275 and finally came down to $30. I would like to think it was my great negotation skills, but I don' think so. I am pleased with my purchase, so we were both happy. Liquor prices in port are comparable to the ships. In fact if u take a picture of the price of what u want, Carnival will price match it. That said, the ports offer a lot more choices of brands and types of liquor than the ship has. The only advantage u have in buying on the ship is they bring it packaged to your cabin the night before u leave the ship. If u buy it in port, you have to pick it up the morning of debarkation at a designated area.

 

We came back to the ship and had lunch at Tiffany's buffet and the Grille. The Grille is very good and always crowded. Sorry I forgot to take pictures of Tiffanys and The Grille. After lunch, we rested so we would be ready for the night life. LOL. Two bedtimes of 2:00 AM had taken their toll. I am including 3 pictures of the serenity area that I visited today. Very comfy lounge chairs and it wasn't crowded

 

We had dinner in the MDR. Had the steak and it was very good. I ordered a baked potato several nights as I didn't care for the "shots" of potatoes & mac & cheese. I noticed that the starch portions from my sisters cruise last Sept to our cruise were decreased in size. Thus we called them shots. People are still dressing for dinner. Tricia and I dressed up every night. It was fun.

 

After dinner we went to the Mikado Theatre. From 9:30 to 11:30 we stayed in the theatre and enjoyed a variety of activities that includedDisco Dance Class, Cheapo Bingo, 1/2 price cards. 3 cards for $10 instead of $20. Kyles Marriage Show was the last event and it was a lot of fun. Be sure to keep your Fun Times handy. I brought a highlighter and we looked over what was available and marked what we liked. It really helped us to keep up with where we were supposed to be and when.

 

After these fun activities, we went to Karoke and to the Musical Cafe for giant slices of cake and great coffee. Cake was $2.25 and coffee was 1.95 well worth the money.

 

Check out your Fun Times for the dance classes every day. They are a lot of fun and you can just sit and watch the participants if u don't want to learn the dance. They are at various times during the day and night. I went to the Marenga and Cha Cha class yesterday,

 

Phone service. I have Verizon Wireless andd I called & had International dialing on both mine & my husbands phones for 6 days at a cost of $.77. This allowed us to dial each other. From the boat it was $2.49 a minute, but in the ports is was $.50 per minute. Texting anytime was $.05 to receive a text and $.50 to send.

 

A busy day and an even busier evening ended our third day of our cruise. Our towel animal tonight was a bunny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ceiling of the Tiki Bar

[Larry'sLady]

Area by the Tiki Bar

 

 

The ship from the Tiki Bar

 

 

Some of the shopping area

 

 

More of the shopping Area

 

 

The guard coming back. You have to have a picture ID and your Sign & Sail card.

 

 

Tricia & I after our shopping trip

 

[Larry'sLady]

In order to get to the Serenity area, go through Tiffanys Buffet to the last door that goes outside, take the stairs down to the aft deck and that is the Serenity Area. Only way it is accessible.

 

Next 3 pictures are of the serenity area

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Larry'sLady]

Removed duplicate post

[Larry'sLady]

Headed to the Lido for breakfast then debarked for Cozumel. There were more ships in Cozumel today. The RCL Navigator of the Seas and Carnival's Inspiration were docked very close to us. I was able to get some good photos. Those aft balconies on NOS looked interesting.

 

We walked down the pier to the shops in the port area. They had a bicycle taxi you could use if u didn't want to walk. Lots of shops in this area. We visited several different types, jewelry, clothes, liquor & pottery. I was able to buy embroidered T-shirts for adults and children for $5. Good quality and selections were available.We bought Mexican vanilla, vanilla beans, pottery and jewelry.

 

After shopping for a while, we took a taxi (car) to the downtown area. We didn't know where the shopping was so we went to Margaritaville for lunch. The taxi is $7 for up to 4 people, one way. It was a wild ride, but we felt very safe. Lots of traffic & return taxis are plentiful.

 

We had Volcano Nachos plus we had coupons for 2 free margaritas. The menu lists the prices in pesos. Our Nachos were $177 which is about 15 American dollars. All the shops take American money and gave us dollars in change. You can swim or snorkle at Margaritaville's beach for free. They had a singer who looked & sounded like Jimmy Bufett. We really enjoyed ourselves. The free margaritas came in a packet we received when we applied for the Carnival Mastercard. We plan to cruise a lot so figured we coud earn money toward cruises by using this card. The other freebies we were supposed to receive were bogus. The gold bracelet from Diamonds International will turn green very soon and the Silver Place was conveniently out of their tanzanite freebie. Everything was overpriced in these stores and the sales people were very pushy. We were tired after walking so much, so we opted to take the bicycle taxi back to the ship. They work for tips & 1 guy rode the bicycle attached to the cart.

 

We went to the Lido deck about 3 for tea and fruit. We watched a ferry unloading goods to the island. Coca cola Trucks and all kinds of beer trucks were unloaded. Guess they get everything from a mainland somewhere.

 

Tricia had a massage scheduled so I just explored on my own. I looked at our photos taken so far. Contrary to what I have read on here, they do NOT group your photos together on the last night. You have to search for them. Lots of photo ops available in the MDR, staircase on Elegant night and other venues all over the ship. We bought the one taken when we embarked at Mobile. A 6x9 was $9.99. Cheaper if u bought 2. Don't remember the price.

 

Went to dinner in the MDR. Service was better. Ate with our friends we met in the theatre, Dalton & his mother V'Lois. I tried lamb for the first time and I really liked it. Even if u just want to try something, they bring u the whole plate of food. You really can order anything u want. I had a salad & shrimp cocktail as appetizers most nights. We ordered 2 desserts one night. All u have to do is ask for what u want.

 

After dinner, we met with our friends in the Mikado for the WIN 60 second challenge show. Musical that was a bit hard to follow, but was very well performed by the entertainers. I didn't think this show was as good as Just Rock. Same people in both shows. After the show, we went to karoke and ate the big pieces of cake tonight instead of last night. Got confused until I looked at the pictures. All of us walked around for a while, then called it a night. Towel animal tonight was an elephant

 

Navigator of the Seas

 

 

 

Carnival Inspiration

 

Both of Them

 

 

The Elation in Cozumel

 

 

Cozumel from the Pier

 

 

 

When You First Go In

 

[Larry'sLady]

First Store You See

 

 

Los Cinco Soles

 

 

 

Taxi Area

 

 

View from the Cab

 

 

Outside Margaritaville

 

 

Enjoying a Margarita