Just back from 5 day Bahamas on the Elation, any questions ask away!

[ErickW]

I just returned home from and absolutely wonderful 5 day Bahama trip on the Elation. Let me know any questions you may have about this ship or ports and I'll do my best to answer them!

[bmetz34]

Awesome!! We leave in August! What did you do in nassau? I cant decide. What type of room did you have? Do you think the shop seemed outdated? How was the food? Did you use the kids Club?

 

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[ErickW]

What did you do in nassau?

 

Honestly, to me both Freeport and Nassau were garbage. I won't get off the ship in either port if I ever end up back. Freeport is very industrial with a few little vendors right at port selling the typical stuff. Nassau was either way overpriced shopping on high end goods, or standard tee shirt and souvenir shops. People weren't overly pushy, but at the same time more than I cared for.

I cant decide. What type of room did you have?

We had an interior room with our 3 children. Although it was a little cramped when trying to get ready for dinner, it served its purpose well, as we really only slept there. Which was our intent. I really see no value in an oceanview as that money for the slight upgrade could be used elsewhere.

 

Do you think the shop seemed outdated?

 

Most areas yes, but it is still nice. They are doing remodels on deck 4 staterooms right now, and passing through those corridors it is very nice. The décor throughout does show its age, however the staff keeps the ship amazingly clean, and I think that is more important. There are small upgrades done to poolside bathrooms etc..., but to answer the question yes it does look like a 20 year old ship. This did not impact our cruise one bit though.

 

How was the food?

 

The food was amazing! Everything was very good, and hot or cold depending on how it should have been. Anyone that complains about it in my opinion is just being a snob. I actually had to say something to one woman on the ship that was trying to complain to me about pizza not being hot enough, all she had to do was ask them to warm it up a little more. I think we fail to remember sometimes that the staff on these ships work extremely hard with little rest, and the experience we get is almost perfect because of it. However they are constantly rushed, and things can and will happen. Its our job to cut some slack if something isn't exactly right, and at the very least provide an opportunity to make it right.

 

Did you use the kids Club?

 

No we did not. This is just my opinion, and please don't take it the wrong way if you do intend to use it. I just don't believe in taking my kids on vacation and ditching them, I want to share as much of these experiences together as we can because they won't be little forever. The couple we shared our dinner table with talked every night at about how they would send the kids during the day, and then again after dinner because they just needed a little adult time. I personally think you miss out on the most important part of a family vacation when your kids aren't with you, and that's family!

 

Something else I would add is that I think the Elation is the perfect ship for a family with young kids (ours are 9,6, and 4). We never felt like they were too far away, but yet they had the freedom to roam and stay within sight of my wife and I rather easily. The ship being smaller allows this. Depending on the age of yours, I think you will notice the same.

 

Overall I would sail this ship again in a heartbeat, and plan to do so after its August drydock. The staff was amazing, and always smiling, the food was great, activities were plentiful, and the overall experience was top notch. There are a lot of negative reviews on this ship on this site, but you have to take it with a grain of salt, as most of the people acting this way expect to live like a king for a week. Its all relative, keep your expectations realistic, remember your on vacation, and I guarantee you will have a wonderful time!

[bmetz34]

Thanks for the answers!! This cruise will be for our 5th wedding anniversary. I agree that I wouldn't dump our daughter at the club, and I couldn't imagine not bringing her with us on the trip. But we would like to do a couples massage or maybe elegant night on our own to celebrate. It's rare we get a date night worth a toddler!

 

I think we're on the last sailing before dry dock for the major upgrades. I'm glad to hear the ship is kept clean and toddy. That is more important than outdated.

 

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[rspohr2]

What did you think of the entertainment available? Hasboro Game Show, Comedy, etc. Also, did you by chance attend the Dr. Seuss breakfast? Lastly, the pools and water slide? Oh, and did you ever feel as if you weren't able to find chairs pool side?

 

We leave on the 8th and have the same itinerary you all did. 4 kids traveling with us!

[bmetz34]

Oooh I'd like to hear about the Suess breakfast as well.

 

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[lmf24lmf]

Heading on the April 13 cruise and I can't wait .... haven't been able to locate menus. Does this ship use the new menus I've been hearing about?

[JohnBoy in NC]

I just returned home from and absolutely wonderful 5 day Bahama trip on the Elation. Let me know any questions you may have about this ship or ports and I'll do my best to answer them!

Nice to hear, how was embarkation...what time slot did you have? How was drink service and pool crowds?

[ErickW]

We did not do the Suess breakfast or any shows. We had late dining, and as bad as it sounds we usually just spent some time walking around after dinner and then hit the sack. Our kids were poolside all day, and absolutely worn out by time dinner was over. We never once had a problem finding loungers and the pools and waterslides never seemed too crowded at all.

 

As far as embarkation at Jaxport it was a breeze, took probably 30 mins from the time we got in line until the time we set foot on ship. We did not have FTTF and would recommend not spending the money on it at this particular port. It may be something to think about at larger ports/ships, but I saw people in that line getting on the same time we did. Debarkation was the same way, we were called around 9:15 and were in the car pulling out at 9:40. We did choose to carry our luggage off, as in doing so you are dismissed prior to those who choose not to.

[ErickW]

Time slot for embarkation was supposed to be 12-12:30. We arrived very early at around 10:45 because we had to check out of our hotel in Jacksonville. We were turned away by security upon arrival, they said to come back at 12. This was due to the loading and unloading of extra materials. We ran down the road to a gas station, grabbed a drink, and I then called Jaxport to see if we could get in any sooner. This was around 11:20. The lady I talked to said they were letting people in now and to come back, we did and were on the ship shortly there after.

 

The food menu was American Table, very good. As far as drink servers, they did not seem to be as plentiful as I remembered, but I also don't drink, so really wasn't paying attention to them.

[momof4girls]

Thank you for sharing! My first cruise was on a Fantasy class ship, and I remember loving the fact that it was small yet didn't feel crowded. Dh and I plan to take our younger two girls on it next year, but we want to try the Nassau/HMC itinerary. How was the weather in the Bahamas during this time of year?

 

I've heard that 5-day cruises can sometimes be a more "rowdy" crowd but I've also heard that the 5-day cruises out of JAX do not fall into that category. Would you agree with that?

[atj1971]

I just returned home from and absolutely wonderful 5 day Bahama trip on the Elation. Let me know any questions you may have about this ship or ports and I'll do my best to answer them!

How late are the pools and hot tubs open? I sail 5/6/17. Super excited!!

[ErickW]

We too were a little nervous about the "spring break" crowd. I must say we didn't notice one single person causing trouble and everyone was great. The staff does a really good job of keeping people in line. I believe the pools and hot tubs closed at 10:30. We had late dinner so never went back out to them afterwards.

[AmberTeka]

We live in Jacksonville. We have been on the Fascination, but not on the Elation. I really appreciate you taking the time to do a review.

 

I agree with you about the kids. At least the younger kids. We are just back from a cruise on the Eurodam. Our Six year old grandchild went with us. As mostly older people sail on the Eurodam, the pool was never, ever crowded. I know they had 2, maybe 3, and it is not a large ship. Mid Size, I think.

My SIL took her to swimming every day. She swam about 2 hours every day, and the few children on the cruise seemed to meet up there. About four. They were beautifully behaved. Some did go to the Camp and I understand loved it.

As a former teacher, I feel that I spent the money to take all of them because I want them to see other cultures. Appreciate what we have in USA. And see the best in other nations. That sounds so fancy pants left, but.........My grandchild got to see the Queen Elizabeth Botanical Garden. she read the signs beneath trees and plants to her granddad. She took my camera and shot photos. She is SIX. Kids today...with all of their knowledge of technology blow me away.

 

She got a little bored at a long tour of a private house. But never misbehaved. She was engrossed with the worm in the Tequilla bottle at that stop. Ditto making chocolate at that shop. Where chocolate comes from..............And Key West. Riding the Trolly. She "petted" a crab at the Aquarium. Saw the six toed kitties at Hemingway House.

 

At the end of the cruise. Last day. We were getting off of ship. I asked her what she liked best about the cruise. She told me........"everything".

We are lucky we still have the health to go, the ability to save enough to fund the cruise, etc.

I hope she will be influence, even to a small degree, about what she saw and learned.

 

We also watched a lot of movies. I am a Carnival Person. But the Eurodam had a TV which was awesome. Large. Mounted on the wall. And they had RECENT releases on Demand for free. She stayed with me on Sea Days for the afternoon to give her parents Adult time.......( cooking demonstrations) and we watched "Zootopia" "Untangled". I watched "La La Land. and several others. I did not expect to go on a cruise and LOVE the TV.

HINT HINT........I hope FOX CARNVIAL is reading these reports.

AND HAL had NEWS. Not CNN only. they had Fox News. MSNBC. I did not miss CNN one bit.

 

Our next cruise, God Willing, is just us, and on the Magic. I cannot wait to get back to lots of Trivia. Happy, exuberant People, lots of stuff to do........................I love Carnival. But Price and Ports were right on HAL. And Eurodam was beatitful. Staff was A+. Food was never ending and always good. Cabin was great. Attendant was great. But during Sea Days, there was very little to do.

 

And I did not mean to hijack this thread and turn it into a HAL Review. But........as it all goes into the Same Carnival Pot.............................I am very glad to be back on Carnival. I do wish Carnival would do the same with the TV's. I LOVED that TV. They had "Girl on the Train", several biggies that I did not have time to see. And I went to the Casino. Went shopping with Grand Daughter. Went on shore excursions at every port. Still...............It was not Carnival.

Edited April 1, 2017 by AmberTeka

[Jamericannn]

I partially agree with the "dumping your kid" part; but not totally.

 

A family vacation should be spent with family. However, they do not need to be together 100% of the time. I know the kids enjoy the kids club and some would rather stay there than anywhere else on the ship. The crew put together activities for everyone which is the reason why they even have age appropriate kid clubs.

 

The kids should be given an opportunity to experience that but they also should have some time with the rest of the family at different events on the ship. A nice mixture is good for them.

[bowman_dani]

We will be doing this itinerary on October 7th! Cant wait to hear about the upgrades that will happen before we board!! Its our first cruise and we are so excited. We will have our 12 and 10 year old along with us. We have a interior cabin and were wondering how low the bunk above the bed is? If we sit up in our bed are we going to hit our heads lol? Also in Nassau we have looked into visiting Tiki Bikini Hut, did you happen to see or hear about experiences with them?

[ErickW]

The interior cabin will be fine. With the three kids it was a little tight getting ready for dinner, but that was all. We knew from past cruising the only thing we would be doing was sleeping there so there was no value in spending more on a room. I did get a call for upgrade two days before we left, the option was for a grand suite at $800 more. I couldn't justify it. The Pullman bed above ours was plenty high enough were you could sit up and maneuver out of the way without hitting your head. Although I do admit I did hit mine once because I got complacent lol! As far as the Tiki Hut, I know nothing of it. We just went out and shopped for a couple of hours, hit the straw market etc.... You will love the Elation for a first cruise. Plenty to do, and with your kids age, you can give them some freedom to "roam" without having to worry about them. My three knew their way around the boat by the end of the first day.

[SCAnthony]

We will be on the Elation on the Oct 7 sailing to Nassau and Half Moon Cay. We were supposed to do a 7 day E Carib this spring on the Magic but had to cancel due to a major health issue with my dad. Now we are booked on the Elation and at first I was reading a lot of bad reviews but didn't worry too much. Then I read about the dry dock right before our cruise and that got us pretty excited. Anyone know what they will be adding / changing or when they will announce it? Can't find any info, just that it will be dry docked most of September. Also, what it HMC like? Looks nice but don't really know what to expect, never been to a private island before. Thanks

 

 

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[bowman_dani]

The interior cabin will be fine. With the three kids it was a little tight getting ready for dinner, but that was all. We knew from past cruising the only thing we would be doing was sleeping there so there was no value in spending more on a room. I did get a call for upgrade two days before we left, the option was for a grand suite at $800 more. I couldn't justify it. The Pullman bed above ours was plenty high enough were you could sit up and maneuver out of the way without hitting your head. Although I do admit I did hit mine once because I got complacent lol! As far as the Tiki Hut, I know nothing of it. We just went out and shopped for a couple of hours, hit the straw market etc.... You will love the Elation for a first cruise. Plenty to do, and with your kids age, you can give them some freedom to "roam" without having to worry about them. My three knew their way around the boat by the end of the first day.

 

Great!Thanks so much! We are getting so excited!

[Mawamw]

Thanks for the Q & A. What was the big show? We are going out on the Elation on April 22nd. We went out on the F a Fascination about a year and a half ago and the big show was a Motown production. Not bad but I'm hoping for something more along my tastes this time.

[ErickW]

SCAnthony- Half Moon Cay was the highlight of the whole trip, the place is absolutely beautiful. It was like spending the day on a postcard picture. You won't be disappointed. They have a full buffet, just like on the ship complete with drinks, desserts etc.... we rented a clamshell cabana chair, a raft for my wife to float around on, and snorkel set for my son, and the day was perfect. As far as the dry dock, it says fun ship 2.0 upgrades, however I don't know if that means all or some of them. The ship is limited on space.

 

Mawamw- as far as the big show, there was a high school band that traveled and performed on our week, it was some sort of special deal, I'm not sure of the details.

[JayDeeJay]

We love the Elation - have sailed on her 8 times, I think. We enjoy the Fantasy class ships, no complaints about services, crew or food. If you are ever lucky enough to be in Leroy and Jorge's area for late dining, you're in for a real treat!

 

We take the taxi van (cheap!) to Lucaya when in Freeport, our favorite conch fritters, fried shrimp and Kalik beer served up by Yevonne is our Go-To. When on Nassau we take a taxi to Fish Fry, not far from port and is a gathering of excellent local restaurants. Two Brothers is among our faves.

 

We don't do beach days in any port (except HMC) , we can drive ourselves to gulf or Atlantic beaches a whole lot more cheaply than on a cruise ship. We Enjoy local people, foods and points of interest - but whatever you and family enjoy, just being on a cruise ship makes it all the better!!

Edited April 3, 2017 by JayDeeJay

[JawjaFatBoy]

...Then I read about the dry dock right before our cruise and that got us pretty excited. Anyone know what they will be adding / changing or when they will announce it? Can't find any info, just that it will be dry docked most of September....

 

No specifics have bern posted, but the general consensus is that it will get full public area and stateroom remodels, Alchemy Bar, Cherry on Top, Guy's burgers, Blue Iguana Cantina, Red Frog Pub and Blue Iguana Tequila Bar. However, it will lose Mongolian Wok and the Poolside Grill buffet.

 

This is all based on an announcement that John Heald made that Carnival planned to update all of the Fantasy class ships to 2.0 as they came to dry dock.

 

We are booked on Elation for November 4 and are super excited to be going on her right after the extended dry dock and seeing what she looks like!

[SCAnthony]

Sounds great, Thanks!

 

 

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[First and Ten]

We will be on the Elation on the Oct 7 sailing to Nassau and Half Moon Cay. We were supposed to do a 7 day E Carib this spring on the Magic but had to cancel due to a major health issue with my dad. Now we are booked on the Elation and at first I was reading a lot of bad reviews but didn't worry too much. Then I read about the dry dock right before our cruise and that got us pretty excited. Anyone know what they will be adding / changing or when they will announce it? Can't find any info, just that it will be dry docked most of September. Also, what it HMC like? Looks nice but don't really know what to expect, never been to a private island before. Thanks

 

 

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I have been to alot of beaches in my life....With the exception of Ka'anpali beach in Hawaii and Horseshoe Bay in Bermuda, HMC is the nicest (as far as scenery, water, experience) I have ever been to. the place is literally a postcard