Sister-Sister Cruise to the Bahamas Review of the Fascination

[Viva_la_Vida]

We are two sisters from north Georgia who celebrated a belated 21st birthday (Vanessa) and a February break from teaching (Valerie). This was the first cruise for Vanessa, at least since she was a child, and the third for me as an adult. We headed out bright and early on Saturday, February 13th, the same day as we sailed. We left freezing temperatures behind us as we made great time down to Jacksonville. It was a very smooth trip to the port. Parking was a breeze - so close to the ship!

 

 

Good thing, because once our bags were handed to the porter and we got in line for security, I remembered that my camera was still in the car. Oops! Back we went. There are shuttles available for those with limited mobility, FYI. The line for security and check in were very long. We arrived at approximately 11:30 and weren’t on board until about 2:00pm (the camera incident cost us no more than 10 minutes). It was a little chaotic, but not too bad. I suppose this information is a little too late, since we were one of the last Carnival cruises out of that port for a couple of years, but hey, maybe someone will find it useful!

 

Boarding a cruise is one of the most fun moments. There’s the excitement as you wind through the ramp to get on, have your key card swiped, and finally step foot on the boat. I missed the champagne welcome that Celebrity provides, but it was still exciting! We skipped the elevator and went straight up to see our cabin- U58. It was sweltering when we walked in, despite the drapes being closed. We couldn’t figure out where/how to control the air, so we just basically put down our things and headed out to find the buffet. Here are a couple of pics of the room taken a few days into the cruise when the air conditioning situation was under control (more on that later). Please pardon our mess :-)

 

 

 

We found the buffet and ate some yummy pizza, salad, deli, and desserts. The lines were long, especially for the pizza. There was really never a line for salad ;-) While relaxing at a table, we got our wifi package going. It was a steal, and I highly recommend it to anyone. We both purchased the social media package. I think it was about $25 total for the week per person. It allowed us to peruse Facebook and Instagram endlessly. We also used an app called What’s App to text our parents and my husband. I was able to also place very brief, very interrupted voice calls via the What’s App and via Facebook Messenger, but if speaking with someone over the phone is important, upgrade to the internet package that allows that. It gives you instructions on exactly what to do. Even if you’re not purchasing a package, don’t forget to put your phone on airplane mode so you won’t rack up charges unknowingly. We walked around on the upper decks, it was windy and cool.

 

 

Back to our room for muster drill. It was horrible. It took way too long, and they made us stand for a half hour outside in the cold rain. Celebrity only makes you report to an inside location and watch a video, so I was not prepared for this kind of a muster. Additionally, the ship starting moving before we could even all leave! That stinks, as I am one to make a big deal of sail away. I like to make sure I have my spot in the aft of the boat, drink in hand. Better late than never!

 

See you later, Jacksonville!

 

 

This was the “Fun Ship” drink, one of my favorites all week. It was the daily special on Saturday, so $1 off at any open deck bar. People come around with trays of the specials all day, every day.

 

 

After sailaway, we headed down to the Taste Bar, which is not what I thought it would be. It was a very low key small corner cooking area that served small sample size portions of yummy items. I only saw it there the first day, although we probably just missed it on the others. It was around happy hour, and there was also a drink special happening at that time for a blue margarita. Yum! It was great food and I definitely recommend it as a small snack.

 

We then headed back to deck 6 and got got meet our WONDERFUL room steward, Melvin. We told him of the A/C issue and he said it was a known issue with this room - uh oh! He said he would try to fix it, but to go ahead and notify guest services of the issue. We went before dinner and they were very helpful and said a technician would come by and look at it.

 

Onto dinner in the next post. . . .

[Viva_la_Vida]

We love food and as a cruiser, you probably do too! I tried to remember to take photos of the menu, but I mostly forgot. I was good the first night.

 

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For dinner in the Sensation dining room, we had Gazpacho & Spinach and Artichoke Dip for appetizers, Pork roast & Beef brisket for entrees, and for dessert, warm chocolate melting cake. Our server called it “Mickey Mouse” which I didn’t get at all until it was served.

 

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Just FYI, it’s not always served “Mickey Mouse” style with two ice creams, sometimes it’s just one, so ask if you will require two. BEST DESSERT EVER! While the rest of the food was good, this was the item that was outstanding. It definitely beat any dessert I’d had on Celebrity. The dining room was very casual and we had attentive, excellent service.

 

Next, on to the piano bar! Now as two ladies who live and breathe music (it is actually my profession, I’m a chorus and theatre teacher and Vanessa acts/sings), we have high standards. This place did not disappoint! Tony was an outstanding pianist and it was fun to sing along. There is a huge menu of songs to choose from and little request cards you can fill out and hand to Tony. He likes the requests that have money wrapped around them, FYI ;-) It will get your song played faster. The upbeat numbers are always crowd pleasers. Nothing emptied the place out faster than two slow, sad songs in a row.

 

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[Clarea]

Nice start, this looks like it will be fun.:)

[Viva_la_Vida]

Sunday, February 14th

 

I was delighted to find that Carnival offered a Sea Day Brunch! We both had mimosas, OJ (much better than what’s in the buffet), coffee (A+), and water. There was hardly enough space for food, but we managed to order - Steak and Eggs for Vanessa and Huevos Rancheros for me. The fact that they offer a menu of desserts at brunch was a bonus. We both treated ourselves to a slice of salted caramel cheesecake. I am not a fan of the salted stuff. Luckily, it comes on the side, so don’t fear it if you’re like me and prefer your sweets to be only sweet! Sorry there is no pic of the backside of the menu.

 

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After brunch we played three rounds of trivia and had a blast doing it. The topics were human science, Dr. Seuss, and board games. It was very family friendly with a wide range of people playing, from kids to seniors and everyone in between.

 

Although I don’t have pictures of the actual area itself, we ended up at Serenity next, which is the all adults area on the aft of deck 9. It took us two tries to find it. We thought we were going crazy the first time. We looked at the map, and headed through the main mid-ship area of deck nine to the aft, but only found “Puttin’ on the Ritz” lounge. There were no signs for Serenity at all! The only sign was one that read “Private Event”, so we couldn’t even peek our heads in to look. After eating some lunch up on deck 10, we wandered out to the small outdoor eating area and looked down to sure enough, find Serenity right below us. It turns out the best way to access it is from the stairs just outside the buffet. We secured a perfect front row padded lounger. . .and promptly covered up with towels because it was very cold! No wonder it was pretty empty out there!

 

 

This is probably the best shot I have showing the space. Notice the many empty loungers. This was not typical of this cruise, on the days with sun it was packed!

 

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But it was worth toughing out a few sprinkles of rain and some chill to get this view for awhile!

 

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Here’s a hint if you like a great souvenir: ask for whale tale cups! Admittedly, we got the idea from seeing a child with one, but man, that kid was onto something! For just a few extra dollars, we got to keep this fun cup. It’s a great reminder of our time on the Fun Ship.

 

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We headed in to get ready for dinner. It was an “Elegant Evening”, which also coincided with Valentine’s Day. We dressed in red for the occasion and actually had to get a buzzer and wait a little bit before we were seated. No worries, because we took full advantage of the many professional photographers that were set up around the ship! We very much enjoyed taking some cheesy photos. Dinner was really nice, The dining room manager had all of the couples stand and dance, which was fun to witness. We even saw a proposal! She said yes :-)

 

More on what we ate in the next post. . .

[Viva_la_Vida]

I meant to mention in my last post that we did end up figuring out that you could access Serenity from “Puttin’ on the Ritz” lounge. It’s awkward, but you can do it. When there is not a private function, you can go through, just head to the far right of the space and you’ll see a door. I don’t even remember if it’s marked or not. Also, the hot tubs in that space were amazing for chilly days. There are two and they are always packed. Last thing, you can check out a yellow towel from a booth near the stairs at Serenity, just make sure you return it!

 

OK, on to dinner. I had one of my favorites, strawberry soup! I love how they pour all the chilled soups into your bowl at the table. That was a nice touch. I had grilled shrimp as my entree. It was OK. Vanessa had stuffed mushrooms and prime rib and reports that both were very good. They took our dessert order (warm chocolate melting cake for us, of course!), but came around with a heart-shaped cake instead. The waiter must have seen my look of horror because he quickly let me know that my warm chocolate melting cake was still on the way, this was just one they were giving everyone for Valentine’s Day. It was very pretty, but not my favorite.

 

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We had some more fun at the piano bar next, then caught the late show of “Divas”. It was a production with some decent singing and dancing. I wouldn’t see it twice, but it was entertaining. The best feature of the night entertainment-wise (with the exception of an unfortunate young man who REALLY didn’t want his picture taken) was the comedy. We saw the adult only version and it was side-splitting funny.

 

We were greeted that night in our cabins by a delightful doggy in the form of a towel animal. Here’s also a picture of our towel animal the first night, a bunny.

 

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Next up, Freeport!

[Essiesmom]

Just a comment on your opening post...When Fascination leaves for San Juan, Elation will take her place. There will be no gap in sailings from JAX. Incidentally, we were on her Feb. 22-27. EM

[rufflesmom]

Bonus on the whale tail drinks. It is a bank too. I throw loose change in it to save for the next cruise. BTW, I got mine on a sister-sister-sister cruise.

[mrlddst]

Thanks for doing the review!

 

 

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[JAXCRUISER]

I'm enjoying your review. Thanks!

[spookyfudge]

Have a wonderful time, hope the air gets fixed.

 

Sent from my KFTHWI using Forums mobile app

[Viva_la_Vida]

Just a comment on your opening post...When Fascination leaves for San Juan, Elation will take her place. There will be no gap in sailings from JAX. Incidentally, we were on her Feb. 22-27. EM

 

That's so strange, when I did a search for cruises leaving out of Jax, all that came up were 2018 sailings. Today when I tried again, all of the Elation ones come up, as well as a Fascination sailing leaving next week. I'm so glad!

[Viva_la_Vida]

Bonus on the whale tail drinks. It is a bank too. I throw loose change in it to save for the next cruise. BTW, I got mine on a sister-sister-sister cruise.

 

Lovely idea!! :D

[Viva_la_Vida]

Monday, February 15th

 

We were supposed to dock around 8am, however either our ship or another in port had an issue with a stabilizer, so we couldn’t get off the ship until around 12:30. They did extend the port visit, so no loss there, at least for us. I do feel for those that had non-Carnival excursions booked. I suppose that’s just another reason to book excursions with the cruiseline.

 

We had buffet for breakfast and it was fine - bacon, eggs, pastries, and fruit. Once we were finished, the boat was just docking, so we got to watch that process. It was not the best weather and the seas were a bit rough.

 

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The Grand Celebration had beaten us in. . .

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as had our sistership, the Sensation.

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It was lovely coming into Freeport

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We took our sweet time getting of the ship, once we were cleared. Due to the iffy weather, we had decided to save the beach for Nassau. We didn’t really have a plan as to what to do, so we ventured into the tourist trap shopping area just outside the ship.

 

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We got some nice hand-made Christmas ornaments and some other souvenir items. Overall, it was all pretty overpriced. After seeing what Nassau had to offer, we should have spent more time there shopping. If I had it to do over again, I would plan an excursion for Freeport, or just stay on the ship and take advantage of Serenity or perhaps the spa.

 

After getting back on the ship, we got ready for an early dinner. We had vegetarian spring rolls, and salmon, both from the “everyday” items. I also ordered a baked potato from the sides menu that’s also offered daily. It was one of my best meals of the week. Vanessa had fried shrimp, steak, and we both had tiramisu. I wished I’d gotten the melting cake though :-) I know I could have ordered that in addition, but I just couldn’t hold any more!

 

After dinner we did some casual portraits at the many backdrops set up around the ship. We tried our luck in the casino, but couldn’t stand it for long due to the smoke. Celebrity does it right with their casinos being no smoking! We played some Motown trivia with Cruise Director Paul. He was delightful! We didn’t know much at all about Motown and went just because he was directing that activity. It was fun and we didn’t do too terribly, mostly thanks to a nice lady standing near us who took pity and gave us a lot of the answers ;) Don’t worry, we didn't win anything so our cheating was harmless. Then we went to the late comedy show featuring John McDonnell. He was very funny and we wished the show had lasted longer. It was up to the buffet after that to check out the late night offerings. The pizza line was always long, day or night, but worth the wait. The deli was also open, and I believe there were also burgers and hot dogs.

 

Off to bed so we could get up and greet Nassau early for our excursion the next day!

[Ms. Fun Bunch]

Enjoying your review!

[bonstersd]

Great review! Sounds like a fun sister trip!

[cruisinsly]

Enjoying your review! Looks like you both had a great time.

[sjn911]

Such a great review....sounds wonderful.

[Viva_la_Vida]

Tuesday, February 16th

 

We woke up early to the knock on the door from room service, and to the sight of the Disney Dream docking next to us.

 

 

Room service was pretty good. They were a little early, but better early than late! We ordered cereal, yogurt, muffins, coffee, and fruit and they were all just fine. I then went down to the shore excursions desk to book our trip to Balmoral Island. I had waited to make sure the weather looked nice, and it did! I was told at the desk that the excursion was going to leave late and to meet at 9:45. That gave me time to get some pictures from the top deck.

 

 

 

 

It was gorgeous out and very neat to see Atlantis in the background.

 

Vanessa and I got ready to go and headed to meet the rest of our group in the Passage to India lounge/club. It was crowded! We lined up to get our lime green bracelets. We saw others with other colors. It turns out that those people were there for dolphin or stingray encounters, which take place on the same island. That wasn’t communicated though, so once we got off the boat, it was somewhat stressful making sure that you were keeping up with people with the same lime green bracelets. We were basically herded through downtown Nassau to catch our boat. That part was our least favorite, but the beautiful boat ride made it worth it. It took about fifteen minutes to get over to the island. The boat we were in “Sassy Girl” was almost totally uncovered, so apply that sunscreen on the ship. People on the sides got a bit wet too, so just a heads up.

 

Balmoral island is beautiful and there are plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas to choose from. There is a Sandals resort located right next door, but they make it obvious which chairs are theirs and which belong to the cruise ships. There are restroom facilities and a place to purchase a very overpriced lunch or Starbucks drink. There were lots of people springing for $7-9 Frappuccinos, but if I’m going to pay that much for a drink, it better have alcohol in it ;) We split a caesar salad wrap and it was $13.

 

There are two different pools, but it was too cold for almost everyone and they were basically empty.

 

 

[Viva_la_Vida]

 

 

 

 

 

They tried to make it pretty clear when the ferry would depart and do announce it as well.

 

 

[Viva_la_Vida]

 

 

 

Ahhhh, what a beautiful island. I wish I was back there right now! As you may have seen, we did have a brief but very intense storm roll in. Lots and lots of people got soaked lined up trying to get on the ferry back. It was supposed to be just for Sensation passengers, but a lot of Fascination passengers got on it as well. We stuck it out and ended up getting a little more sun before we had to go back.

 

The ferry ride back at 2:30 was narrated and we learned that Eddie Murphy had a private island next door that he bought for $15 million. I’m pretty sure this is it:

 

 

It was very difficult to hear the narration, so I missed the majority of it. It was fun seeing the many ships in port from far away!

 

 

In order from L-R they were the Costa Deliziosa, Carnival Fascination, Disney Dream, Disney Magic, and Carnival Sensation.

 

 

 

[Viva_la_Vida]

 

One last picture from the ferry:

 

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We did some shopping on Bay Street after exiting the ferry. We were much more pleased with the prices in Nassau and wished we had waited to purchase everything here. Then we headed back to the ship.

We relaxed a bit in the trivia area and watched some runners board the ship. We were starving after a long day at the beach, and went to get ready. We did take some sunset pics before eating though.

 

 

 

 

 

[h_blond2]

Looks like you two had a great time!

[tony_g51181]

Fascination was my very first cruise and was looking forward to it again on May 2nd but I will be board the Elation out of Jax instead!

[bakersdozen12]

I'm enjoying your review! I'll be on the Fascination in November, so I appreciate you taking the time to write it. Looking forward to the rest of your review. :)

[Viva_la_Vida]

Thanks everyone, for the nice comments. I apologize for the delay between batches. I am a high school theatre director and we just had our big spring show this weekend, so I've been quite busy with that! I should be back on track now with the review. :D