Last "old" Elation review before dry dock!

[CruizCuz]

We returned from our cruise aboard the "old" Elation on August 29th. She is now in dry dock. I won't focus too much on the ship itself, because everything will be brand new when we return on another Elation cruise in January.

Cruising are my mom (78), sister and me. This was a cruise to celebrate my upcoming birthday. We had an oceanview cabin E64. It was a cabin for those with mobility issues, but not in a w/c. Mom can't walk far distances without getting "winded" and short of breath. This was the PERFECT location for her!

We live in Jax, so we got to the port at 10:30 am. We were allowed immediately inside the gate to start the fun. We had a check in time of 1:00, but had repurchased FTTF. We always purchase FTTF when traveling with kids or our elderly parents. My dh dropped us off, and we weren't allowed to go inside the terminal yet. The VERY nice guard outside said that they wouldn't start allowing us inside until 11:00. That time turned out to be closer to 11:30, but there were benches for mom to sit, and it wasn't too hot yet. Once inside, we had our carry-on's xray'd and we were stopped. Our Downy fabric spray for wrinkles (since you can't bring an iron or steamer) was opened and inspected. This has never happened before and I'm only mentioning it for those who might want to smuggle booze. This was one of the most intensive security luggage exams we've ever had in all of our cruises. We made it through and were shown where to sit in the FTTF section. The CCL employee said it might take a while to board because they were still looking for ONE passenger. (Thanks dude, whoever you are, for delaying my fun ;p). We finally boarded at 11:45 and were in our room at 11:50. We unpacked our carryons and decided to get food up on the Lido deck. Mom checked her luggage because she was worried about carrying a heavy bag. We would have helped her, but she didn't want to be a bother. Before we left the room, we noticed that it was particularly hot in our cabin. We couldn't feel any air, despite the noise coming from the vent. This was just ONE of the times we were thrilled to have purchased FTTF. There was already a line forming at GS's because many were purchasing Cheers. I was surprised they hadn't prepurchased and saved $$. Maybe the strict security searches at the scanners had something to do with that?:o We headed to GS and requested maintenance to look into our temperature issue, and then headed up to the Lido deck.

To be continued.........

[CruizCuz]

Continued.....

Once on the Lido deck, mom went to get food from the buffet. I wanted to test the pizza. It was particularly great on this ship. There were never any long lines (except at 2 am) and it tasted amazing. Mom said her food was good as well, and we decided to stroll around the ship. I have sailed the Fantasy class MANY, many times. I like the design of the ships and the fact that my parents can navigate it well. Even when "full", I haven't found it to ever feel overly crowded.

First stop was the Serenity Deck. It was obvious that it needed refurb. But we knew many areas would look like this before booking. Don't get me wrong, it was clean, but worn. Wherever we went, the staff seemed to be cleaning and always greeted us with a "hello" and smile.

Next, we decided to head back to the cabin and SURPRISE....there was mom's luggage! She decided to unpack, while my sister and I headed back to the Atrium bar for another drink. We had purchased Cheers, and never regretted it. For a shorter cruise (this was only a 3 day one), it's definitely worth it. One of the bartenders said that over 90% of the passengers had Cheers for this cruise. We thought "oh boy", was this going to be a "drunk people" cruise? To our surprise, it never was. The passengers could not have been nicer, friendlier or more considerate. I think a lot of this has to do with the Cruise Director, Kevin, and the way he engaged people and spread such positivity and fun. More on Kevin later.

We re-entered our cabin and it was even hotter than before. BACK to GS's, and I was again the first in the priority line. Yayyy! I explained to the same woman about our room and she sincerely apologized. I wish I could remember her name. She was kind and professional. While I stood there, she called maintenance again. I told her that my mom had just completed cancer treatments and COULD NOT be in such a hot room. We aren't talking warm, it was HOT. There was literally no moving air. On our short walk back to the room, we saw maintenance arrive. After inspecting, there was definitely a problem. They ended up taking off the vent cover, which allowed adequate air flow, but they were worried about the "noise". To us, it was white noise, and helped us sleep better :). They also offered us the use of a box fan, which we agreed to take. The rest of the cruise was nice and the room was cool. Not meat locker cold, but definitely acceptable.

While maintenance was inside, we were outside. One of the maintenance workers said "look, there's your room steward". I walked up to him and introduced myself. I requested twice daily service, since there were 3 of us and a cot. I tipped him (I know many of you don't think it's necessary, but I always have) and of we were off to further explore the ship. This would be the last time I ever saw him. It was odd, because I have sailed with CCL many times and found the room stewards to always seemingly be around. They have always greeted me by name and were so friendly. PLEASE no flames here. The room was always very clean, the towel animals were awesome and we have no complaints. I just have always appreciated and enjoyed seeing our stewards in the past.

Next: Safety Drill

[cruisekitty22]

What a great review so far. Waiting for the next installment.

[CruizCuz]

Our Muster Drill was in the theater. Our S&S cards were scanned upon entering and we were told to take a seat. The two CCL personnel that were in charge of our drill were very funny while demonstrating the use of the life jackets. It definitely made people pay attention and produced a lot of laughs. We had our Muster inside because of an upcoming storm approaching. Whew, I was glad, as it was getting quite humid outside. I was also worried about mom having to stand. But this one was very quick and "painless".

After leaving the drill, we headed to our assigned dining room. We had requested 6:00 early dining, because that's what mom prefers. Our dining room was the Inspiration Dining Room. We had emailed the Maitre'd prior to our sailing. There are MANY threads on CC advising not to do this anymore. I had done it before reading them. It suggested that I post on John Heald's FB page, which I also did. He responded very quickly. We were requesting a table for only 3 because of Mom's hearing issues. She is VERY hard of hearing, despite wearing aids. This produces a lot of anxiety for her when trying to listen to other conversations. And if there are multiple conversations occurring at the same time, it's really bad for her. To our enjoyment, we found that we were at a table of 4, alone. (Thank you John....Cheers!) We headed back to the Atrium Bar and this is where I will talk about the bartenders there. They are simply AWESOME!!! Their names were both Joey. After one drink a piece, they both knew what each of us preferred and was drinking. Not only that, but they participated in the 70's, 80's and 90's trivia songs and boy, can they both dance! They were hilarious! I'm telling you, that the staff on this ship is among the best I've ever sailed with. We headed back to our cabin to rest and prepare for dinner. We wouldn't be on deck for the famous sailing under the Dames Point Bridge (a definite MUST SEE for anyone who hasn't seen it. Our sailing wasn't until 5:00 and we were early dining. Next up, dinner in the dining room.

to be continued.......

[heffy2]

Great review so far!! Thank you!

[pascalburns]

enjoying the review.

[Cruisegirl6]

Great review so far.....on my past handful of cruises on Carnival ships our rooms were terribly on the warm side...I carry an indoor thermometer so I can prove to maintenance how warm it is, generally it never gets cooler than 75 for us with an average of 76, definitely too warm for us as we live in Florida and used to sleeping at 70 and daytime on 74.....I try to avoid Carnival because of this issue, what is a vacation when your hot and unable to sleep? Another thing I always do is take that stupid heavy bedding off and ask for just a sheet and light blanket, still too warm for us, but its one of the reasons why I haven't taken a Carnival cruise this year....I have credit with Carnival due to cancelling my Dream cruise this past May....so perhaps since I live now in northern Florida I go on the Elation more likely during winter months so we don't sweat at night.

[CruizCuz]

Great review so far.....on my past handful of cruises on Carnival ships our rooms were terribly on the warm side...I carry an indoor thermometer so I can prove to maintenance how warm it is, generally it never gets cooler than 75 for us with an average of 76, definitely too warm for us as we live in Florida and used to sleeping at 70 and daytime on 74.....I try to avoid Carnival because of this issue, what is a vacation when your hot and unable to sleep? Another thing I always do is take that stupid heavy bedding off and ask for just a sheet and light blanket, still too warm for us, but its one of the reasons why I haven't taken a Carnival cruise this year....I have credit with Carnival due to cancelling my Dream cruise this past May....so perhaps since I live now in northern Florida I go on the Elation more likely during winter months so we don't sweat at night.

I also can NOT sleep when it's warmer than 70 degrees. We like to sleep in cooler, if not cold, rooms. I haven't encountered a problem with Carnival, and you can see by my signature how many times we've sailed this line. I guess I'm blessed and lucky. Our rooms are always cold, except this one time. And with the vent removed and fan, our room was very comfortable. Believe me, this would have dampened our vacay, because we LOVE our room cooler. I'm sorry you have had such a tough time with room temps.

[Cruisegirl6]

The colder the better sleep agree!

[CruizCuz]

So here we are on night one. It's the night where our servers learn what we like and don't like. I love this about Carnival. I love that when I ask for lemons with my water, that usually on the second night, there is a plate of lemons on the table. However this wasn't the case on this cruise. I have to say that on this particular cruise, I was disappointed with the food. I sailed on the Splendor in May, and the food was much better. We also had to wait LONG times for our food. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We were sitting in a booth for 4, just the 3 of us, so I was happy. We all decided on the flat iron steak, since there wasn't anything that tempted us from the specials. The steak was good, tender and prepared exactly to our order. The servers were ok. Nothing to write home about. I know this because I can't remember their names, and I usually remember the names of those who serve us. So I know there are those reading this review who would like "food porn", I didn't take any pics. The dining room was ok. I really don't have any complaints, but I don't have any raves either.

After dinner we decided to head to the Lido deck, where I had read you could smoke a cigar. Yes, the 3 of us women were going to smoke our cigars. It was my birthday and I love to smoke a cigar on occasion. I had brought some from home and this would be fun. Especially watching my almost 80 year old mother smoke hers. I went to the bar and got a shot of Grand Marnier and settled in. The smoking section is on the starboard side (I believe) of the Lido deck, next to the pool. It seemed a weird place to have it, since I had been on the Splendor earlier this year, and their smoking section was aft, which kept the smoke blowing away from everyone. I don't particularly like cigarette smoke (no flames please), and that's really all I smelled. Now I know some are going to flame me because they don't like cigar smoke. I get it. Anyway, I love dipping the mouth end of my cigar into the Grand Marnier. It is amazing if you've never tried it. We smoked our cigars and decided to check out the piano bar.

To be continued.......

[CruizCuz]

First off let me tell you that I LOVE piano bars! I attempt visits at them on every cruise. This piano man was the absolute BEST of any ship I have sailed. He is actually one of the best I've ever heard, cruise ship or not. So I told you earlier that I am good with names. But not this time. I am drawing a blank. So maybe John Heald can tell me and I will let you know. Anyway, he was set to start at 9:30. We walked in about 9:25 and it was the typical crowd. There were plenty of servers, so no one ever lacked a drink. This would be the first time we met Kevin, the cruise director. He was seated next to piano man and introduced himself. I am usually NOT a fan of the cruise directors. I actually avoid them, because of the silliness. They were the same on every ship, with nothing new to see. Kevin is the exception. Kevin started a trivia game, which included the piano man playing the first few notes, and then we had to write the name of the song. The duo was so entertaining to watch and laugh with, that I forgot to write half of the songs.....even the ones I knew. When the guess part was done, and they started playing the songs in entirety, is when the real fun began. I haven't laughed that hard in quite a while. Kevin is naturally hilarious and the piano man is extremely talented and engaging. We made mental notes to find other venues and occasions where we could watch Kevin entertain us.

We stayed at the Piano Bar for quite a while. We ended up visiting every night, with more and more people catching on how much fun it was. On the last night, it was standing room only, with people crowding over in the halls. Get there early folks. You won't regret it.

Afterwards we wandered over to the shops. We heard awesome music coming from the theater. My sister and I stepped inside and were amazed! (Mom had gone to bed at this point) We immediately took empty seats and watched the remainder of the show. I am used to Carnival's entertainment and was expecting the same. THIS WAS NOT THE SAME!!! I have never seen or heard such talented singers and dancers. They were spell binding. Without a doubt, some of the best entertainers I have ever seen on a ship. We made another mental note to attend the next show from start to finish.

To be continued......

[SCcruiser123]

Enjoying your review so far! We sailed on the Elation on a five day trip in May and also felt the staff was the best of any cruise we've been on. So we booked the same cruise again for next January so we can see how the dry dock changes look. We had Cheers and spent every evening with Patcha at the bar in the back by the comedy lounge. She was fantastic.

[kybluecruiser]

Did you have a refurbished room? Could you tell they were getting ready for drydock?

 

 

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[lucky13elec]

We're thinking of sailing out of Jacksonville next April. Love your review. Never been on the Elation.

[LUVMYGSDOG]

Sailing on the Elation for the first time in December! Loving your review - thank you for taking the time to share with us!

 

 

Kim

 

 

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[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[easyboy]

Enjoying your review. Following.

[CruizCuz]

Enjoying your review so far! We sailed on the Elation on a five day trip in May and also felt the staff was the best of any cruise we've been on. So we booked the same cruise again for next January so we can see how the dry dock changes look. We had Cheers and spent every evening with Patcha at the bar in the back by the comedy lounge. She was fantastic.

I agree wholeheartedly with you about Patcha! She was awesome. I actually mentioned her by name when filling out the Elation "review" form that I was emailed. She was very personable and made great drinks!

[CruizCuz]

Since we weren't sleepy, my sister and I decided to visit the late night Comedy Show. We walked right in and sat on the front row, because surprisingly it wasn't crowded. The comedian was hilarious. He used the "F" bomb several times, but it really didn't offend me as much as some have. We made mental notes to attend another show, because this one had us laughing so hard, our stomachs hurt. After the comedy show, it was back up to the Lido deck for....you guessed it....MORE PIZZA! This is the only time there was a line. It didn't take long though, because they were fast. I was surprised by how many people were still up and about. We decided to head back to our cabin, because tomorrow would be an early day. We love to get up and enjoy the sunrise. This is when I miss my balcony. But the windows on the OV cabins are large, and would do. We set out our room service card for a pot of coffee, fruit and danish. This would be our "first" breakfast of the day ;p.

 

Coming next: Freeport

To be continued

[CruizCuz]

Day 2 - Freeport I know there are those who would LOVE to know more about Freeport, what we did, what we ate, etc. Sadly for all of you, we didn't get off the ship. I have been to Freeport at least a dozen times, and we preferred to stay on board and enjoy the ship with a few less people. Plus mom really couldn't do a lot of walking and it was HOT. We woke up around 7 am and had our room service. We always tip at least $2, depending on what and how much is delivered. After our coffee, we headed to the Serenity Deck. It definitely is need of the dry dock. The pads on the chairs didn't match and they were well worn. We took our blue towels from the room, but it wasn't necessary, as there were yellow Serenity Deck towels available for sign out. There were already "chair hogs" out and about, with some not returning to their towels and things until well after noon. Oh well, we got our chairs, so that wasn't my battle to fight. The hot tubs seemed to be well received, as there were always several people in each of them. The Serenity Deck is aft, below the Lido deck. So all we had to do was go up the back stairs for the aft Lido bar. However, later in the am, bar servers started their rounds. We found the Serenity Deck servers to be friendly and accommodating, but really not pushy. You can also go through the lounge 8 aft, Cole Porter's Lounge to get to the Serenity Deck. There they have wheelchair accommodations and ramps. The Gatsby's Great Bar back there doesn't open until 5 pm. After we had our chairs situated, we took turns going through the buffet for BACON! I love bacon. Truly. Even though the "bacon police" were in force, I never had any trouble getting enough. So all of you who worry about your bacon obsessions, relax, you will get enough :D. The buffet area was constantly being cleaned and I saw several ship officers and employees helping people to their tables. There were smiles everywhere. It seemed that everyone on this cruise was happy and polite. IMHO

After soaking up sun and clouds, we decided to head back to our cabin for a nap. I love naps. They aren't long, but definitely a luxury. And after all, isn't a cruise supposed to be what YOU want to do?! So after stopping at the Pizzeria for another slice of Heaven :p, we headed to our room. It had been cleaned and looked nice. We had the 3 beds in a "U" shaped configuration. I had seen pics of it from fellow CC message board users and we had plenty of room. I used my magnetic hooks the most, which surprised me. But I needed them, with 3 women in the room. I hung a small flashlight, my make up mirror and bag with sunscreens on 3 of them. I hung my purse/wristlets on another. I have an organizer bag, mainly used by college students living in the dorm, that folds flat and opens up with several pockets for storage. This worked better than a shoe holder hung over the door. I could take it into the shower and bathroom and then back to my bedside table. It held my lotions, shampoos, jewelry, etc.

Prior to my nap, while I was lying in bed relaxing, I looked through my Carnival Hub app. We never got any Fun Times except on the first welcome day, so maybe they are going to paperless entirely? Mom was disappointed, because she likes looking through the Fun Times and doesn't know how to work an app. But it wasn't an issue, as they had them at GS's and we were just a few steps away. I would have asked my room steward, but as stated before, we never saw him beyond that first day. Again, no complaints because our room was spotless and very clean.

I noticed while looking at the Hub, that Kevin (the cruise director) was hosting another decade's music trivia contest. It was to be held in the Atrium Bar. There weren't many seats, so we made a point to put that on our list of things to do. Kevin's enthusiasm and humor are contagious, and we definitely wanted to see him again. I had pre-purchased the minimum internet package prior to sailing. It worked great with Facebook Messenger, and that's how my dh and other family members stayed in touch with us. However, the person to person $5 messenging package didn't work well at all. That's probably why it only costs $5.

Well, off to take a nap. Next up: Dinner night 2 (Formal night)

To be continued....

[CruizCuz]

Elegant Night - Night 2 - Dinner

Dinner was ok. Our servers were good, but not great. I can't even remember their names. But we loved our booth and mom enjoyed not having to strain to hear us. I think the food would have been better, if we hadn't had to wait so long for it. We were 6:00 early dining and the very first ones in the dining room. There was a HUGE party of about 12 seated near us. They arrived late and were always the first to get served and leave. This was the trend for all 3 nights of dining. I have never been tempted to eat at the buffet for dinner, as we all love to dress up and get served. But I was actually tempted on this cruise. Please no flames. I have had way better service on every cruise. But this didn't dampen our spirits, because everything else was so amazing!

After dinner, we headed to the "Kevin show", as I like to call it. It was going to be music trivia again at the Atrium Bar. ALWAYS fun and so entertaining. The bartenders again, were the best. Both Joey's are fun and great at fixing drinks. Again, we attended the show and the piano bar. AGAIN, they were both awesome! Afterwards, we went to the cabin for a great night's sleep. The room was cooler and the fan worked perfectly!

Next - Day 3 - Sea Day

To be continued....

[CruizCuz]

Day 3 - Sea Day

Well, this is our last day. 3 day cruises are WAY too short, but a 3 day one is better than none at all. We planned on self debarkation, so packing wasn't going to take up any of our time today. After waking to a knock on the door, delivering our room service (and COFFEE), we all started readying for the day. Today, not only were we going to relax on the Serenity deck, but we were going to check out the shops as well. I know I'm probably the only one, but sometimes I find really cool things in the "Everything's $10" store. It's located Promenade, aft. It's only open when at sea. Well the Carnival Hub app revealed that today it was going to be 3 items for $20. That deal was worth checking out!

But first, onwards to the buffet for more bacon! Again, the bacon police were out, but no problem getting more than enough. We made it to the Serenity Deck around 9 am and there were still plenty of lounges. People were already in the hot tubs and the towel station was open. We grabbed 3 lounges and settled in for a relaxing day. We had to climb the stairs and go to the aft bar until around 11, but after that, there were plenty of waiters circling. I didn't find them too pushy, but available. It was nice.

Around lunchtime, we headed in for PIZZA! It was delicious as always and my sister grabbed a sandwich at the deli. She said it was also good. We headed then to the $10 store. Mom and ds found stuff, but I didn't. They went back to the cabin to drop of their stuff, and I headed to peruse the other shops. Same ol', same ol' stuff. Jewelry, liquor, clothes and essentials were all there. I didn't buy anything, but it was fun "window shopping". After that we all met back at the Serenity deck and talked about our plans for the night. Of course we had to get a little nap in first.;)

 

To be continued....

Next - last night - dinner and fun!

[JawjaFatBoy]

Enjoying your review! We are booked on Elation in November and are really looking forward to seeing everything after the dry dock. She will be the 4th Fantasy class ship we've been on, but the first one to have the 2.0 upgrades. I've been wanting another Guy's burger and Blue Iguana breakfast burrito since we were on the Liberty in 2013!