B2B Ecstasy 11/24/12 & 11/29/12 Quick Review

[blueshine]

This was our 9th & 10th cruises with Carnival. Since airfare costs more than a cruise we decided to put two shorter cruises together. Though a little reluctant with previous reviews of this ship, we went with an open mind.

 

Embarkation: Arrived at the port in Port Canaveral at 11:10am and we were on the Lido at 11:30am. Very smooth. We have been in balcony, extended balcony, inside, ocean view and the 4J’s of larger ships, so we opted to try a porthole room for this one. It seemed bigger than an inside room and the 4J’s of larger ships. The bathroom and shower were bigger than any other we have experienced. Our room steward, Harry, was terrific. Very attentive, friendly, and anticipated our needs.

 

Upon boarding we were told our itinerary was changed because they were expecting 7 ships in Nassau at the same time so we flipped days around a bit but had the same ports. Doing the B2B had us stopping in Nassau twice, Freeport twice and Half Moon Cay once. (10 days total)

 

 

Half Moon Cay – Tender numbers were handed out as people came into the Blue Sapphire Lounge where we were directed to meet. All platinum and diamond cruises received a number, but it didn’t matter as we were all led down to the first tender in front of everyone else. We noticed all the cabanas have been moved close together since out last visit here. They are also constructing four new double cabanas that are mixed in. We grabbed a couple hammocks and spent all day swimming and swinging. Love this place!

 

Nassau – The first day we walked over to Junkanoo Beach and spent several hours swimming and lying on the beach. There seemed to be a mix of locals and cruisers here. There are refreshments and trinkets available, along with a volleyball net. It was pleasant and relaxing. No one approached us while on the beach.

The second day in this port it was cloudy and drizzling so we walked around the shops for a bit and then grabbed a table overlooking the street and ships at Sharkeez. A fun atmosphere, not quite as crazy as Senor Frogs.

 

Freeport – Our first day we booked an excursion through Carnival for the Kayak & Snorkel at Peterson’s Cay. This was an awesome excursion. It was a small group of 9 cruisers plus our guide. We went by bus to Port Lucaya area to meet our guide and pick up kayaks. We then transferred to a van and traveled to Barbary Beach. Peterson’s Cay is located approximately ¾ of a mile off shore. We were given drybags for our stuff and kayaked over to the island which is Bahama’s smallest National Park, approximately 1.5 acres. A motorized safety boat met us at the island. We then snorkeled with the guide around the island. It was terrific having someone pointing out and explaining what we were looking at. It was our most beautiful snorkeling ever. After we looped the island (1.5 hours), a sandwich buffet was set out with apples, cookies and lemonade. Some of us explored the island and some went back in snorkeling for another hour or so. We paddled back to Barbary Beach and then were dropped off at the ship. It was by far the best excursion ever. So much to see!! I would highly recommend this trip.

Our second day in Freeport we took a taxi to Port Lucaya Marketplace ($10 pp round trip) and walked over to the free beach which is next to the Sheraton, just past the police department. We found no sand in the area, plus it felt a bit sketchy, so we crossed over to the beach in front of the Sheraton where there we other people. We spent the morning swimming in the waves and hit the shops before heading back to port. Once in port we went over to the new Senior Frogs that just opened and enjoyed some football and fun.

 

 

I’ll just touch on a few things that always seem to be focused on here in the forum…

~The new platinum gifts are Carnival Tervis cups – very nice.

~We had fantastic servers in the main dining room. (early seating) The food was good. Some things were great, some not so much, but we certainly never left hungry.

~This is the first cruise we actually had repeated interaction with the Maitre de. Joseph “your super charged maitre de” stopped by the tables every evening, also made a point of stopping by to say hello when up on the lido. He was very animated and engaged everyone in conversation.

~This was the first cruise we didn’t go running for the Serenity deck. There we few kids and those that were onboard were very well behaved.

~Karaoke is a must if “Kim from China” is hosting. He was so much fun!

~The shows were The Brits and Motor City – they were okay.

~We had 4 comedians and most were pretty funny. Enjoyed all the shows, though it seemed more people wanted to see the comedy shows and seating was limited, so they should consider moving the Punchliner club to the main lounge to accommodate everyone.

~Yes, this ship is one of the older ones, but I dare you to travel from one end to the other and not see someone cleaning, doing maintenance, etc. It was very well kept.

~Debarkation – vip self assist –we were off the ship at 7:20am.

Yes, there have been noticeable cutbacks over our years of cruising with Carnival, but the cost of cruises haven’t gone up either. We paid $358 pp for 9 nights and still think Carnival offers the best bang for your buck. Please let me know if you questions. Enjoy~

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review!

[BenjiRodney]

Do you have any pics of the room? We booked the porthole for the first time for the May Cruise.

[MrFunInTheSun]

Do you have any pics of the room? We booked the porthole for the first time for the May Cruise.

 

 

Here's room M10 on the Sensation that I stayed in on November 8th. Would basically be the same on the Ecstasy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BenjiRodney]

Thank you.

[chipq]

Thanks for sharing. WHen I am on a cruise with Nassau as a port, I love to hang out upstairs at Sharkeez and enjoy watching the pier and the people stumbling their way back to the ships from Sr Frogs.

 

http://luv2cruise.blogspot.com

[UATLB]

thanks for sharing we will be sailing on her in 18 days!!

[JimAOk1945]

blueshine,

 

Glad you had such a nice cruise. We have been on the Ecstasy twice (see my sig below) and enjoyed it both times.

 

Sailing is the best way to see the world and relax at the same time! :D