3/31/11 Sensation - with Chef's Table fiasco!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

We just got off this morning from a 3 night cruise on the Sensation. This was the fourth year that I have taken our son and 3 of his high school friends on a cruise (usually not over spring break though). This is their senior year, so it’s likely the last one for them as a group. This time it was myself, Cheryl, our son, three of his friends, and one of their mothers. Last year it was on the Solstice – and THAT was a nice cruise! This one was just adequate – not a shocker, as the Sensation and the Solstice are worlds apart.

 

We have quite the history with Carnival – this sailing being Cheryl’s 50th with them, and have stayed in cabins ranging from 1A interiors (ONCE) to the Owner’s Suite (several times).

 

As is often the case with the Sensation, given that we live perhaps 20 minutes from the port, I planned on working until noon on embarkation day. But plans often hit snags – I ended up at work until almost 1 PM, at which point I still had to make the drive home, pack the hang-up clothes, and load the suitcases into our vehicle (two vehicles this time due to the number of people). On top of that there were severe thunderstorms all around. Just getting out of my Armada and into the house found me a pound heavier – and we hadn’t even got on the ship yet. But that’s OK, it was only water weight … :D ! We made it to the port quite a bit later than usual (close to 2 PM) and found hundreds of people lined up outside to get into the terminal. I would guess that the weather was a big culprit. I dropped off our luggage and made our way to the VIP line (you have to cut though people to get to that point – but nobody seemed too bothered by that (as some onboard would later be when they thought we were cutting the line at dinner). Nobody else was in the VIP line, so straight through security we went and on to check-in. We were on in less than 15 minutes. Pretty smooth, given the crowd which was still in the terminal as well.

 

You will note from this review that we had a few issues. None of them, save one or two, which truly impacted our cruise experience. There was a roughly equal number of very positive as well as very negative incidents, you will see that I give more detail when I relay the negative points – if only to better illustrate the situation.

 

 

 

Our cabin(s):

 

For this sailing I booked an extended balcony GS with two insides across the hall from us. Upon getting to our rooms initially I found that the hotel director had sent fruit baskets to all 3 cabins – Thanks! Oddly, the two beds in the suite were made apart, and the beds in both interiors were together. Exactly opposite of what we needed (I can’t see 18 year old boys sharing a bed) - easy enough to have that fixed, and it was.

 

The cabin directly across the hall from us was booked as a triple. I assumed that it would have two twins and likely a pull down bed. Upon having a good look there, I only noticed two single (but together) beds… nothing else. I called guest relations and explained the situation. They checked in their system and said that modifications to some cabins (including this one) made it a triple, and they would have a roll-away/cot set up in there at night. I told them that such was not appropriate and it would take precious floor space. She reiterated that this was the modification, and it was a triple. I was not a happy camper, but was at their mercy. I told her that the “modification” was simply to squeeze more passengers onto the ship! We had plenty of space in our suite, and our son slept on the pullout sofa bed. So much for privacy – with most of our changing now occurring in the small bathroom. On the last day, when making sure the boys had their stuff all in order, I discovered the "third bed" -- who is supposed to draw the short straw to earn this gem?

 

 

Shortly after our arrival the cabin steward came to our door – or his stand in as it turned out. He introduced himself with a smile. I noticed that his uniform more looked like one of the steward’s assistants. I asked “are you our steward, or their assistant”? He replied that the steward was “out on medical”, and that he would be taking care of things. OK I thought, and handed him a $20 which is what we do on the first day upon meeting the steward. I realize that there are two differing schools of thought with regard to this practice, but such is our way. One thing which struck me, and I have never noticed this with a steward in the past, was that he smelled strongly of cigarettes. After shaking his hand, mind smelled as if I was a smoker. Not an issue, just an observation – I don’t care if he smokes or not. I discovered by the next morning that he was indeed a temporary stand in for the steward, as I met and spoke to the new fellow – now giving him $20 (this could get pricey)!!

 

The bathroom in this “suite” was a joke! I don’t say that simply because we just got off the Epic last month and had an over the top bathroom, but because it really is a JOKE! Let’s see – a single sink. That is not a big deal, as the space would not permit two people in there to begin with. The base of the tub is elevated a few inches off the floor. I am 6’ (and 185 lbs) and found that when I was in the tub (showering) that there was literally only enough space between the top of my head and the bathroom ceiling for my hand to be placed FLAT on my head – perhaps an inch or so. What are the chances that I would be able to have the shower over my head without hunching over? ZILCH. Not only that, but the designer of this remodel was on crack or something – as the shower head/apparatus is not at one of the ends of the tub, but rather in the middle of the wall, facing the curtain. Meaning that to shower you had to be at either END of the tub and angle the shower towards you. ..WHAT!?! The tub was also super narrow. When standing in there to dry off, with my back to the wall, there was barely an inch or two left for my feet. You could not easily move around in there – and I can imagine some people could fall without much effort! Issues with the drain (water 3-4 inches deep no matter how you adjusted the drain) caused a nice soap scum layer in the tub. I did not bother to bring it to the attention of the cabin steward or to guest relations – though was surprised when they serviced our cabin on Friday night while we were at dinner that they did not clean the tub or replace (or take away) our dirty towels – of which there were many! That made for a slimy tub to start on Saturday morning. Not a biggie – we somehow managed!

 

I had not been in one of these (former Cat 12) cabins since they added some standard balconies to the ship and extended some of the existing suite balconies. As far as the balcony goes – I do appreciate the extra space – plenty of room for a small table, chair, and two loungers. We really enjoy getting away from the crowds from time to time and escaping to the tranquility that watching the waves roll by allows. Unfortunately the quality of that time depends on who is in the cabin next to you – thus it’s not within your control. As with many things in life, it’s a crap shoot! On Fantasy class ships the suites on the upper deck seem to be built in modules of two, where every two cabins share a certain enclosed outer structure. The people who “shared” our space took full advantage of their balcony. Unfortunately that included several people (3 generations) who, and I am not exaggerating, at times would be letting the balcony door slam 5-6 times a minute – going IN and OUT, IN and OUT. On top of that they spoke to each other out there as if nobody else was there – or as if each of them was deaf! They obviously didn’t care (or perhaps comprehend) that we might like to enjoy the balcony without booming voices… and they could not have missed us, as the “divider” Carnival has between the “shared” space had multiple gaps – some a few inches wide, right in the middle of the balcony, where they added on more depth. Cheryl and I were talking softly to each other, while they “shouted”. When we were out there I was not sure if it was better that I could not understand their language (Indian dialect of some type) or not. In retrospect I feel that it was a plus – as then I didn’t really feel we were eavesdropping and/or having to listen to some pointless (to us) aspect of their day. Of the four times we went out there for an hour or more, our neighbors were there three times. The people on our other side were only out there once (while we were) and then only for a short period of time. I never heard a word from them… GOOD NEIGHBORS!! :)

 

You can see in this photo what I am talking about with regard to the space between the divider: (Cheryl asked that I block out her face saying she didn't have make-up on yet, and was just starting with her coffee) :D

 

 

Dining:

 

The Maitre d’ (Orhan) was very friendly and made sure we had a nice table to ourselves in the Fantasy dining room (for the seven of us) for the 8:15 seating. The Fantasy dining room is also where they have the Your Time dining. There is a sign at the entrance which shows Your Time dining people need to enter on the left, and assigned seating people on the right. We tried Carnival’s “Your Time” once, and that was enough – with waits up to 45 minutes on the Dream and poor table conditions. Fortunately on the Dream we ate in the MDR only two nights, enjoying the Chef’s Art Steakhouse the other nights. At any rate, back to both the Sensation, and my point: the line for Your Time dining was wrapped all the way back around to the atrium elevators. I can only assume that they had quite the wait! So here they were, probably grumpy that they stood in line for 30-40 minutes or more, and here we come around to the right side and head right in at ~8:20. A couple of women in the YT line spoke up and said “why you cuttin’ the line – you think you special?”! That person neither deserved a reply, nor got one – we ignored her and walked on by (only mentally rolling my eyes). Orhan was at the podium and asked to see my S&S card. Upon seeing the Milestone card and the name (which was familiar to him thanks to some previous correspondence) he greeted us and escorted us personally to our table. Once there we did have splendid service – and on Friday night (Cruise Elegant Night) anyone who ordered prime rib at our table obviously received some special cuts. Y U M M Y sums it up!! Orhan decanted a bottle of one of our favorite wines when enjoying Prime Rib – Tignanello. We had actually been introduced to this tasty grape juice while on the Sensation a couple of years prior by Kris – an assistant Maitre d’ at the time. I understand that Kris has been promoted and will be with Ken bringing out the Magic. He deserves it – another splendid fellow!

 

I had also arranged ahead of time to enjoy the Chef’s Table (all 7 of us) on the last night of our sailing (oddly, JUST last night)! This made our forth time at the Chef’s Table – twice on the Dream in 2010 and then once on the Miracle in January of this year. In addition to us there were 5 women there - celebrating the 50th birthday of one of them. Bringing to 12 the number of hungry guests! We met the chef at the lobby bar at 6:30. From there he escorted us to the galley where we would enjoy 4 VERY tasty starters and champagne. Let me give some background. When we first tried the Chef’s Table, it was on the Dream (2/27/10). We met in a private lounge with comfortable seating and were brought decent quality champagne (you know, one with a label you recognize) and appetizers. We then proceeded to the galley for a tour and to see our own Chocolate Melting Cake being whipped up. On the Dream, since the galley is LARGE, the Chef’s Table is set up in the galley. We were spoiled with the whole experience that evening. On the Spirit class ships the galley is not as large thus there is no room for a table in there (same with Fantasy class ships). For our third Chef’s table (on the Miracle) and forth on the Sensation, the table was set up in the disco and library respectively. We do prefer the table IN the galley, but understand the limitations of space. What we DON’T understand is why on the Miracle and Sensation the “reception” area where you enjoy the starters and champagne is while you are standing up bunched together in the galley – trying to juggle a plate and glass at the same time. We MUCH prefer the reserved/relaxed lounge for that part of the experience. Also, it would appear that the champagne you are served on the Miracle and Sensation is of a lesser quality than that which was served on the Dream last year. Not quite like the bottle which they give away as gifts, but perhaps something which costs them a buck or two more.

 

They assign seats at a single long table - and the way it ended caused a problem I really couldn't foresee. The boys (all 18) were near one end with the other women across from them. The seats are assigned to generally have men on one side and women on the other. It soon started going downhill… It went well beyond 20 questions from these "women". Twice one of the women (one who proudly proclaimed her son was at a Jesuit High School) blurted out profanities (including “G D” interestingly enough... ). Questions included “do you go to a private or public school”, “why do you have so much facial hair at your age”, "do your parents just give you a car and pay your insurance --- our sons had to WORK for theirs" and "do you get good grades - what are they?" It was non-stop. Eventually I spoke up, asking the one woman to apologize for her language. She did, saying rather “cutely”, "sorry, I have a potty mouth". I am sure she likes to think of it that way, as it was an attempt to lessen the true nature of her poor upbringing. I told her (really just one in the bunch was the problem - but the others followed her lead) that she had no business asking ever more probing personal information from our son and his friends and that she was NOSEY! For perhaps 2-3 courses Cheryl and I, sitting at one end of the table, had been discussing what was going on, and I suppose the birthday girl (sitting two down from Cheryl) had overheard some of our conversation, got up to go to the bathroom. As she passed Cheryl she bent down near her and told her “You have a right to your opinion, but keep it to yourself”. I heard this as well – and we just sat there staring at each other in disbelief! After a few minutes I stated to the group that I thought it best if they kept to themselves, and we would do the same. Still the tension was ever present. We left after the steak course, and asked for the dessert to be sent to our cabin. Later I learned that she had asked to see the driver’s license of one of the boys. He gave it to her, not wanting to be rude to an adult. Now WHY she asked to see it I will never know. One thing I do know though... if these were 5 men, and had been talking to our 18 year old daughters (we don't have any) that way - and asking to look at her license.... well, you get the picture. The line between being friendly and nosey should be clear, but many people just don’t know when to stop. The service and food quality was all very good - no problems with that, and I FULLY recommend this great dining option to anyone who can appreciate the finer points of food preparation and quality! The problem we had with the other people though just proves again our reasoning in ALWAYS dining at a private table. Granted though, you can't choose your table mates for the chef's table unless you book all 12-14 seats! I think this was a very rare event – we had not witnessed any such activity at the three previous Chef’s Table experiences, nor heard of such. I had hoped that spending $75 on a meal might help to weed out people like her. Unfortunately, having the ability/desire to pay for a nice meal is no guarantee that someone does not regularly use profane language in front of strangers. I am sure that she has always been this way, and likely will not take anything home from this experience except that we were RUDE... yep, that's me... RUDE!

 

I spent a few hours in the casino playing blackjack – the staff was mostly very friendly. A couple dealers who you could easily tell would rather be somewhere else, and at least one pit person who thought pretty highly of himself. After our second order of (on the house) drinks he asked Cheryl (who does not play, but sits beside me while I play two spots) what her drink was. She replied “diet coke and Grey Goose”. He said “Grey Goose! Well just this ONE time”. They had no problem bringing me Grey Goose and Cranberry. In a long evening there, we might have a few (not like 7-8, LOL) and it can’t really impact them too much. I am, after all, playing at rather high levels (for Carnival at any rate!): multiple green to multiple black chips in play each hand. Cheryl, not wanting to grovel (as I am sure they “like” to see – it gives them POWER) for an upgraded drink, insisted on purchasing her own drinks the next two nights. On the Epic, our second NCL cruise, we had FREE DRINK CARDS waiting for BOTH of us in our cabin – and that was AFTER I booked through their casino department and received $1,200 off of our fare!! The card did indicate that top shelf brands were not included – but we never had a problem (and can usually tell the difference). I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: other lines generally know how to treat players. Carnival better knows how to treat people who pull out crumpled $20’s from their pocket. Still, there are plenty of Carnival pit people, dealers, hosts, and managers who are super people. We have made some friends there, and keep in touch to this day.

 

RIGHT ON SCHEDULE (about 7 AM this Sunday morning) the CD came on loud and clear over the (in cabin) PA system. “Well , I hope you have had a GREAT time aboard the beautiful Carnival Sensation …” blah, blah, blah… and luggage zones… and self assist crap – BASICALLY it’s everyone’s WAKE UP CALL as they obviously don’t trust their guests enough to get themselves up and out of their cabins on time. We have NEVER EVER been subjected to this on our several Celebrity or two NCL sailings, but it's more the norm on Carnival. That contrast alone is reason enough to give one (or me at least) pause!

 

We went to breakfast this morning at 8:00 AM, then back to our cabin and off the ship by 9 or so. No problems at all.

 

Miscellaneous notes:

 

> At least one of the glass elevators in the atrium was out of service the entire time we were there. That is par for the course, as most of our sailings over the past few years on the Sensation has seen at least one of them out of commission!

 

> For the first time in MANY cruises I could not get a stable wireless signal. The signal was STRONG (5 bars), but not consistent. There were issues, as there always seem to be, on the first night - and I thought I would wait until the next day to seek out help. Well, when I called guest services at 10 AM to ask what the hours were for the internet manager I was told 6 to 10 PM tonight. WOW - so for the rest of the day I was still not able to get online (using our laptop at any rate). That evening I went down there and the young woman (manager) could not really explain the problem - but after several attempts was able to get me to a log in page where I signed up for the $24 plan (60 minutes). I logged in right there just to make sure it worked, and quickly logged off - thanking her. This was night 2 of a 3 night cruise. Later that night, I tried from our cabin and had the same problems. The next day, same thing. I went back down on this, the last day of the cruise, asking for a refund of the internet package. I explained the problem - showed her the same "limited connectivity" (though "connected") to the CCL signal. She understood, and was kind enough to refund the package - saying that there have been "problems". She did indicate that this was her first, and would be her last Carnival contract - not wanting to go into details. No telling what's up with that.

 

> Room service - on Friday morning around 10 AM when we woke up, we called and made an order with room service. Asking for coffee, cereal, and a BLT. When I asked how long the wait would be, I was told 45 minutes to an hour. I asked if having 50 Carnival cruises was meaningless in that regard, she said yes. Well... I knew that no such perks are offered, though was a little shocked that she so quickly answered in the affirmative... Oh well!

 

> We made purchases in several of the shops and a couple of bars. Upon presenting them with our Milestone card, there were ZERO "welcome back" or "Milestone - wow, how many times have you sailed with us" comments as I have heard periodically in the past. Not sure who's to blame here, but I would expect at least some recognition. Speaking of recognition, we did receive the usual Platinum perks. Nothing to write home about, but we do now have both a BLUE and a RED collapsible cooler!

 

Weather wise, things settled down significantly following our stormy departure. We enjoyed a beautiful final day at sea yesterday - hard to top!

 

 

We took in none of the shows or music options. If anyone has any questions, I might be able to answer them – or at least give it a try!

 

Tom

[Sargent_Schultz]

I honestly do not know why you continue to sail Carnival only to return and complain so much. I'm happy with Carnival, as is. Enjoy NCL and Celebrity. I do think you will find occasional weeds on those cruise lines, too.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I honestly do not know why you continue to sail Carnival only to return and complain so much. I'm happy with Carnival, as is. Enjoy NCL and Celebrity. I do think you will find occasional weeds on those cruise lines, too.

 

Thanks for reading my review.

 

Tom

[pe4all]

Interesting, informative review, as usual!:) Sorry your chef's table experience was interrupted by those women. I really think shorter cruises have more "problems" because you don't have time to mellow out for a week - everything seems intensified more - especially during spring break sailings! Luckily you can "hop" on and experience many different lines, as you live in Florida. Always looking forward to your reviews - they are usually well-balanced and tell it the way it is.

[firefly333]

Tom, just a FYI, if you had looked at the deck plans of the cabins, you would have seen the cabin was only marked for two twins, no markings ...so of course the only way to make it a triple was with a rollaway ...this is common and always done, and you could have easily known this ahead of time by looking at deck plans??

 

Surely, someone with your experience would have looked or not complained?

 

Im baffled why this was a surprise to you. Its on all ships built before year 2000.

 

A 3 day cruise isnt that unsual to be a zoo, sounds like you got lucky with boarding VIP :D yea, something went perfect.

 

I do think some adults think its ok to use that language. I know when I lived in Hawaii, it was normal for pretty much everyone to use words I used to not think were appropriate.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Interesting, informative review, as usual!:) Sorry your chef's table experience was interrupted by those women. I really think shorter cruises have more "problems" because you don't have time to mellow out for a week - everything seems intensified more - especially during spring break sailings! Luckily you can "hop" on and experience many different lines, as you live in Florida. Always looking forward to your reviews - they are usually well-balanced and tell it the way it is.

 

Thanks! ;)

 

Tom, just a FYI, if you had looked at the deck plans of the cabins, you would have seen the cabin was only marked for two twins, no markings ...so of course the only way to make it a triple was with a rollaway ...this is common and always done, and you could have easily known this ahead of time by looking at deck plans??

 

Surely, someone with your experience would have looked or not complained?

 

Im baffled why this was a surprise to you. Its on all ships built before year 2000.

 

A 3 day cruise isnt that unsual to be a zoo, sounds like you got lucky with boarding VIP :D yea, someone went perfect.

 

No, in this case - someone with my experience was not aware of such, and did not think it was necessary to break out the magnifying glass to examine the deck plans. I don't care what line it is, or how old the ship is - if they say it's a triple, I would have hoped (yes, ASSumed ;)) that there would have been 3 beds. Perhaps this information will prove useful to someone else down the road.

 

Tom

[JPH814]

Wow- you sound like someone with very high standards. You must face a lot of disappointment in life.

[firefly333]

No, in this case - someone with my experience was not aware of such, and did not think it was necessary to break out the magnifying glass to examine the deck plans. I don't care what line it is, or how old the ship is - if they say it's a triple, I would have hoped (yes, ASSumed ;)) that there would have been 3 beds. Perhaps this information will prove useful to someone else down the road.

 

Tom

 

You got luckier than you know it wasnt a trundle bed, one of those beds low to the groun. My PVP couldnt tell if we would get a trundle or a rollaway, no way to tell. So, I moved the three of us to a quad with bunks.

 

I also dont think Iv ever had people in the shops say welcome back ..out in the halls when they see my card, yes, but cant remember it ever in the shops. I do like when they say welcome back though. The shops personnel dont work for Carnival so I dont expect them to know the card hierachy.

 

Glad the cruise worked out. A 3 day can be pretty rushed. I usually try to make them B2Bs, as just a 3 day is so short.

 

thanks for the review.

[hallmarkk]

I can handle everything else you said except the women at the Chef's Table, that is what makes me mad, you handled that with class, something those women have none of, too bad about the other issues, I hope your next cruise whatever cruise line you choose is excellent, (I have had good and bad on different ones, luck of the draw)

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Wow- you sound like someone with very high standards. You must face a lot of disappointment in life.

 

Very high standards? No. But, not low? Absolutely!

 

Face lots of disappointment in life? Not at all, life is good.

 

Tom

[steveNcindy]

Great review Tom, thanks for the honest assessment.

 

My SIL was on the same Epic cruise as you and Cheryl and loved it as well.

[lesleyswimcoach]

Going on Sensation next month with family. We have an extended balcony grand suite also. Is there a curtain to divide the sleeping and sofa area? It shows one in the carnival pictures and the only one I could find on-line is on the ectasy and it had it also.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Going on Sensation next month with family. We have an extended balcony grand suite also. Is there a curtain to divide the sleeping and sofa area? It shows one in the carnival pictures and the only one I could find on-line is on the ectasy and it had it also.

 

No, there was not. They used to have them on the Sensation (cat 12's), but not since the remodeling/dry-dock.

 

Tom

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Great review Tom, thanks for the honest assessment.

 

My SIL was on the same Epic cruise as you and Cheryl and loved it as well.

 

Yep - it's tough after coming off one of our best cruises ever to then be on the Sensation. Though it is what it is - an older ship on a short itinerary. Still, the Sensation will always hold a special place in our heart - being the first cruise we took together, then a 7-night sailing.

 

Tom

[Cruise4Music]

Thanks for posting your review.

 

I now see how little I have in common with the average poster.

 

I also understand why I would never join a Cruise Critic roll call.

 

Nine Carnival cruises and zero"fiascos".

 

Five other cruises and zero "fiascos".

 

One thing we always bring on every cruise, a positive attitude.

 

Maybe that's why we don't have any "fiascos".

[big_duck]

The in galley dining area on the Dream class was purpose built for chefs table. None of the other classes including Conquest/Splendor can accommodate them. I suspect this is the reason for the crammed standup reception in the galley... To emulate the in galley dining experience.

 

A three day cruise is a three day cruise and my expectations of others behavior would be low regardless of cost of an event.

[EastCarolina]

I thought it was an honest review from someone who has alot of experience with carnival. The biggest complaint was with the table mates at the chefs table, which was not a bash on carnival.

 

Thanks for the review and I hope the op ignores the carnival Kool-aid drinkers who find it necessary to defend carnival on every single review.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Thanks for posting your review.

 

I now see how little I have in common with the average poster.

 

I also understand why I would never join a Cruise Critic roll call.

 

Nine Carnival cruises and zero"fiascos".

 

Five other cruises and zero "fiascos".

 

One thing we always bring on every cruise, a positive attitude.

 

Maybe that's why we don't have any "fiascos".

 

Positive attitude or not - "fiascos" can and do occur. Of course, your definition of a "fiasco" may differ from mine. That is understandable.

 

The in galley dining area on the Dream class was purpose built for chefs table. None of the other classes including Conquest/Splendor can accommodate them. I suspect this is the reason for the crammed standup reception in the galley... To emulate the in galley dining experience.

 

A three day cruise is a three day cruise and my expectations of others behavior would be low regardless of cost of an event.

 

I'd happily pass on the stand-up reception in the galley in favor of an intimate lounge atmosphere. We have booked the Chef's table for our Valor sailing next month. For our sailing on the Inspiration later this month (VH1 chartered sailing) I would guess that they are not offering it, and I would not want to take the time away from the concerts to do it anyway! That sailing will have Your Time dining in both dining rooms, with no assigned seats - understandably so!

 

Yes, a three day cruise is a different beast!

 

Tom

[golfadj]

Interesting review.

 

I thought it was a reasonable assessment of your experience.

 

We are very friendly meeting other people on our cruises but there are boundaries we would not cross but obviously others do.

[ChefSusan]

Tom,

 

We were on the same cruise as you, and did not experience nearly as many snafus as you and your wife.

 

We waited out the torrential rainstorm along with everyone else, and were on board by 1:30pm. Went immediately to our cabin, dropped our bags (decided to not check them), and went off to explore the ship.

 

This was my second sailing on a Fantasy class ship, and now I know why I don't like them. Tacky ship decor (loved the fiber optic chandelier at the Kaleidescope lounge area!), cabin was warm the entire time (NOW I see why some women insist on bringing a battery-operated fan with them - there was absolutely no cold air coming from the AC), tons of teens (thankfully they were not rude or obnoxious), and an abundant of first time cruisers.

 

The long line that you spoke of at dinnertime could have been the late seating crowd - we had Your Time Dining and never encountered a long wait... but then again, we ate around 7pm every night and were seated immediately.

 

I would have checked with Guest Services regarding the seating at Chef's Table - when we did it on Freedom back in October, we made sure that our party of four were sitting next to each other.

 

The cruise was what it was for us - a quick way for us to get our 9th cruise under our belt so that Magic in 35 days could be our first Platinum one!

 

Enjoyed your review and glad that it was not TOO traumatic for you!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

...

Enjoyed your review and glad that it was not TOO traumatic for you!

 

Yes, somehow we survived... LOL! Thanks :)

 

We have never had a PERFECT cruise, and can't imagine such. The woman in line at dining - NOT Carnival's fault. The woman at the Chef's Table - NOT Carnival's fault. You can run into these people anywhere. I have met rude/snobby people on a couple of Celebrity cruises, but then again - you can find them anywhere as well. Sometimes you will just find more of a particular type in one place than another.

 

Tom

[serene56]

Tom: I must say I have to smile at the responses here. I learned quite a few years ago-- that to have anything negative to say at all is just not worth the responses you can get.

 

People here do not want to hear what can go wrong on their cruises.

All cruises are honkey, dory and never any issues.

 

Thanks for a nice read.

[Nezmo]

Thanks for the review Tom. Enjoyed reading. I prefer this type of review to the 'reviews' that are more of a journal or diary of someone's vacation with no real information on the ships, service, etc.

 

I have read many times about the problem with anytime dining. It seems Carnival is having problems with this; at least on certain ships.

 

As for the comments from others about mentioning you're in a "suite," it just seems you can't ask questions or talk about suites on this board without getting accused of being a snob or trying to make yourself above everyone else. It's a bit silly really. If you are describing your experience and you're in a suite, it kind of makes sense to mention it or the information is useless. Anyway, that won't change unfortunately.

 

Appreciated the effort you made on the review Tom.

[Nezmo]

Tom: I must say I have to smile at the responses here. I learned quite a few years ago-- that to have anything negative to say at all is just not worth the responses you can get.

 

People here do not want to hear what can go wrong on their cruises.

All cruises are honkey, dory and never any issues.

 

Thanks for a nice read.

So true. I've said it before - I think people attack negative comments as they have a cruise booked and feel they need to defend their purchase. Human nature.

[serene56]

So true. I've said it before - I think people attack negative comments as they have a cruise booked and feel they need to defend their purchase. Human nature.

 

 

Whats sad is the people reading these boards think everything is rosie and shiny.

 

Example- most people post about the anytime dining and how great it is=- How many people do NOT write about their bad experiences.(not here at least)