Carnival Elation - Quick Review May 2, 2016 Sailing

[curious_st]

We sailed on Elation on the May 2 sailing from Jacksonville. The cruise included stops in Half Moon Cay and Nassau. This was our 4th cruise overall, our 2nd time departing from Jacksonville, and our 1st time on Elation.

 

Embarkment:

Parking at the port is easy. We arrived around noon. The security lines were not bad, but there was a little bit of a wait for the final check-in. By the time we boarded, the rooms were ready. We were standing inside our stateroom by 1:00 or 1:30 PM, preparing to go find lunch on Lido.

 

Muster:

Our muster station was in the main line lounge. After all of the announcements, we were lead up the stairs to the Lido deck and crammed in beside the life boats for only a few minutes. I have mixed feelings about the muster. The announcements were made in a variety of comical accents, in an attempt to get people to pay attention. This tactic may have worked had it not been for the high number of passengers already taking full advantage of their Cheers package before muster drill. But, the drunk passengers were highly entertained by the comical accents, and loudly laughed and talked over the announcements, so no one was really able to hear.

 

Food:

The food was typical Carnival food. There were hits and misses. The buffet was generally kept clean and stocked. I noticed that the staff were doling out portions several items, not just bacon. My favorite buffet items were the cold salads on the salad bar - cole slaw, potato salad, pasta salad, etc. I don't remember these items being so good in the past. We also tried the pizza, Mongolian Wok, grill, and deli, and they were consistent with past Carnival experiences. The room service menu has changed to the menu that has for-fee items. With the addition of the for-fee items, some old standby favorites (such as the shrimp salad sandwich and the steak sandwich) were removed from the free menu. We ordered room service once, and the food arrived quickly with friendly service. The cheesecake and chocolate cake are still available, and are still delicious. The MDR brunch is consistently the best meals on the ship, and this cruise was no exception. This was the first time we tried Your Time Dining for dinner, and I don't think we will do it again. We never had to wait for a table, but we missed the personalized service. We had 3 different waiter teams over the cruise, and 2 of the teams were absolutely fabulous. We tried a few dishes this cruise that we had not tried before. The brisket, Black Forest gateau, chili rellenos, penne mariscos, and penne siciliana were all delicious dishes that were new to us. My biggest complaint about the food is that the new elegant night menu just leaves a lot to be desired. The broiled scallops appetizer is a solid choice, but none of the entrees appeal to me.

 

Cabins:

We had an oceanview cabin on deck 4. It was very clean. I did not, however, enjoy the giant box in the corner for the life jackets. It is such a waste of space. I also disliked the giant tv box hanging from the ceiling, but was happy to see a flag screen tv in the box. Our cabin steward was wonderful, but we only saw him briefly a couple of times. It seemed as though he was way too busy to be able to chat. He did make the room up twice a day, and leave us towel animals every night.

 

The Ship:

She really has few bells and whistles. I missed the large screen for dive-in movies and some of the dining options. I am sure the kids onboard would have liked a cooler slide and some other water fun. The ship, though, is very clean and does not show its age. In fact, it seems there is someone around 24/7 in the public areas cleaning. The decor on Elation is much more subdued than the other Fantasy class ships I have sailed on. I think the turquoise color may even be coming back into interior decorating these days.

 

The Entertainment:

This is where Elation thrived. I never understood all of the concern on CC about the cruise directors, but after experiencing a cruise with Hennie and his staff, I now get it. He did a fantastic job, along with Misty and Tiny Tim. There were activities throughout the sea days and every evening. The staff made things like the Welcome Aboard show and the Hasbro game show entertaining. They wisely selected 2 very different styles of comedians to have onboard at the same time. And, the singers and dancers on Elation are so talented. I always struggled with the shows on the other Carnival ships, but Elation has nailed it. The singers and dancers did a rock show, a divas show, and a soul music show. All 3 are must-see shows. Seriously, I am not sure how Carnival has managed to retain such talent, but they are magical.

 

Half Moon Cay:

I think this place must be paradise. It is absolutely perfect, minus that it's a tender port. Love, love, love HMC! If anyone can figure out how to relocate there, please let me know.

 

Nassau:

We took a ship excursion to Balmoral Island. It was a nice excursion, but the beach there is really rocky. I will remember to bring water shoes next time. We booked an excursion that included lunch, which was just a burger, bag of chips, and half a can of Coke. Bottled Coke and water was $5 on the island, so bring your own and just be discreet. It was a nice experience, and getting to see the Dolphins jump up and perform a little was the icing on the cake.

 

Debarkation:

It was the smoothest debarkation I have experienced. Hennie and his team were organized and in command of the situation. We did self assist, and everyone was funneled to the correct elevator and loaded in an orderly fashion. The only holdup was waiting in line at Customs, which is totally outside of Carnival's control.

 

Overall Impression:

We had a great time. I hope they give Elation some nice upgrades and hang onto her for a while.

[fee]

Enjoyed your review my husband sister brother n law and another couple will be leaving out August 13 and I can't wait. Did you take any pictures

[Buckimion]

Wonderful to hear. Our October cruise on the Elation can't get here fast enough.

[georgia1980]

Good to know. My daughter(14) and I are going on our first ever cruise on her; we are sailing May 30th. EXCITED!!!!!

[jbhcw]

We have sailed the Elation twice and always thought it was one of the prettiest of the Fantasy class ships we've sailed...Thanks for the review:)

[Clarea]

Appreciate the feedback.

[curious_st]

Enjoyed your review my husband sister brother n law and another couple will be leaving out August 13 and I can't wait. Did you take any pictures

 

No pictures. I am not much of a photographer, anyways. Lol!

[Purvis1231]

We have sailed on this ship several time and really enjoyed her. Thanks for your report.

[onescgirl]

Thanks for your detailed report. My family is sailing on the Elation in June, our first family cruise.

 

 

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[riclop]

Thanks for the quickie.