Please help us choose

[Amarei]

We've been trying to decide for several days now and can't make up my mind. 
We are deciding between this 3 ships
- Carnival Paradise
- Carnival Fantasy
- Carnival Elation
We've never been on such a small ship before. They look similar. We are family of 5, 2 adults and 3 kids ages 5, 8 and 11, cruising first week of December. 
Elation seems like nicer ship, but going to Bahamas, which probably will be colder. 
Ports don't matter, we've been to all and just doing beach. 

Thank you!

[jbethel11]

54 minutes ago, Amarei said:

We've been trying to decide for several days now and can't make up my mind. 
We are deciding between this 3 ships
- Carnival Paradise
- Carnival Fantasy
- Carnival Elation
We've never been on such a small ship before. They look similar. We are family of 5, 2 adults and 3 kids ages 5, 8 and 11, cruising first week of December. 
Elation seems like nicer ship, but going to Bahamas, which probably will be colder. 
Ports don't matter, we've been to all and just doing beach. 

Thank you!

I would recommend Paradise as it is the "newest" out of the Fantasy class. Plus, by the looks of it, it is going to the Western Caribbean which would be one of the best itinerary choices for that week, though you said it does not matter to you!

[Amarei]

9 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

I would recommend Paradise as it is the "newest" out of the Fantasy class. Plus, by the looks of it, it is going to the Western Caribbean which would be one of the best itinerary choices for that week, though you said it does not matter to you!

Thank you! Cozumel might really be better that time of the year then Bahamas. I worry it will be too cold for the Bahamas, we are from the South 🙂

[jbethel11]

2 minutes ago, Amarei said:

Thank you! Cozumel might really be better that time of the year then Bahamas. I worry it will be too cold for the Bahamas, we are from the South 🙂

Have a great cruise!

[Amarei]

2 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

Have a great cruise!

Thank you so much!

[PhillyFan33579]

My first thought would be pick the ship with an Alchemy Bar, but you listed the only three fantasy class ships without one.     I don’t think the weather will be an issue. I have been to the Bahamas multiple times in December and the weather was always on the warm side. I am sure you could look it up, but the weather in December in Nassau and Cozumel is very similar based on my experience. I would likely book the ship that has the best price for the cabin type you are looking to book. 

[Essiesmom]

Either Paradise or Elation, the newest and second newest of the Fantasy class, and both have been upgraded with balconies and the new cabins on deck 14.  Have a fridge in every cabin and USB ports in cabins.  Fantasy is the oldest of the class, does not have balconies or the latest upgrades.  EM

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

If hovering around the 80 during December is to cold. yes Mexico.

[Joebucks]

Honestly, I think the differences in the ships are so minuscule, that the itinerary should be your deciding factor.

 

Not sure what exact week you are going. There's quite a few destinations there that would be fun. Personally, I would probably pick the Paradise that goes to Cozumel / Havana just because I haven't been the Havana yet. The biggest reason I haven't been there yet is because it's not the most common of stops. You can hit places like Nassau and Cozumel with your eyes closed, but Havana is usually a little trickier. Also, who knows what the future of cruising there looks like as our relationship looks to get rocky again.

Edited May 15, 2019 by Joebucks

[Amarei]

This is our options. Price is about the same for all 3. 
 

 4 DAY TO WESTERN CARIBBEAN FROM MOBILE, AL

CARNIVAL FANTASY

Mobil Cozumel
DEC 05, 2019 - DEC 09, 2019 

$1161  oceanview

 

4 DAY THE BAHAMAS FROM PORT CANAVERAL (ORLANDO), FL 

CARNIVAL ELATION
Port Canaveral (Orlando) Nassau Freeport  

Dec 5- 9

$1372.60 oceanview

 

  4 DAY WESTERN CARIBBEAN FROM TAMPA, FL

CARNIVAL PARADISE

COZUMEL PLUS
Tampa Cozumel  

Dec 12-16

$1192.60 oceanview

Fantasy/Paradise is the same stop and Elation is Bahamas.

 

Edited May 15, 2019 by Amarei

[KroozFoolz]

Paradise to Cozumel gets my vote.

[SNJCruisers]

What made you decide on those three if I may ask?   If you wish to invest a little more for the same time frame (225 more than Elation), you could do the brand new renovated Sunrise on 12/5-9 out of Fort Lauderdale, which stops in Nassau and more importantly HMC. You said you're just doing beach and HMC would be your best option. Could probably get it cheaper from online agents as well.  Good luck.

[KmomChicago]

I agree that the ships are likely not all that different. Fantasy class is kept afloat but they are not the latest shiny objects. Which drive is easiest? I feel convenience is a factor and presume you are driving from GA to the port, so take into account the distance, standard local traffic flows, tolls, parking garage costs.  If you're in Atlanta, Mobile is two hours closer.  Thinking of hours in the car after the cruise. . . hmm.  Home in less than 5 hours, vs. 7 or 8. 

 

If that doesn't matter, then as others have mentioned, the other two seem to have had a little more thorough attention in drydocks and those upgrades may be important for you.

[Amarei]

6 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

What made you decide on those three if I may ask?   If you wish to invest a little more for the same time frame (225 more than Elation), you could do the brand new renovated Sunrise on 12/5-9 out of Fort Lauderdale, which stops in Nassau and more importantly HMC. You said you're just doing beach and HMC would be your best option. Could probably get it cheaper from online agents as well.  Good luck.

We are in Atlanta and would be leaving after work on Wednesday before the cruise. FLL is just too far, 10 hours drive will make us arrive around 5-6 am before the cruise

[Amarei]

4 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

I agree that the ships are likely not all that different. Fantasy class is kept afloat but they are not the latest shiny objects. Which drive is easiest? I feel convenience is a factor and presume you are driving from GA to the port, so take into account the distance, standard local traffic flows, tolls, parking garage costs.  If you're in Atlanta, Mobile is two hours closer.  Thinking of hours in the car after the cruise. . . hmm.  Home in less than 5 hours, vs. 7 or 8. 

 

If that doesn't matter, then as others have mentioned, the other two seem to have had a little more thorough attention in drydocks and those upgrades may be important for you.

Yes, we will be driving from Atlanta and this is why we didn't even look at leaving from FLL or Miami

[Cruiser_1977]

I have only been on the Fantasy. My review of the trip in January 2019 is in my signature. The ship was refurbished immediately after my cruise and I've read good things. I enjoyed the ship and Cozumel.

[Squadleader]

I'm old and grumpy, so your mileage may vary, but I'd never book a four-day cruise. 

 

If it's at all possible, book a seven-day and a whole new world of possibilities opens up.

 

1. Shorter cruises almost always equals older ships.

2. The crew is more whipped from frequent turnarounds and there might be more service issues.

3. Newer ships have gobs of balconies compared to these older ships. Balconies are great for taking the pressure off the public outdoor areas because many people are on their own balcony. I don't believe the new Mega Ships could even exist without such a huge ratio of balcony cabins. Not having enough deck chairs would become a real issue. I think you'll probably find that's also an issue with the older ships that don't have a large number of balconies. 

 

Most important to me anyway.

 

4. All the hassle of taking off work, taking off school, driving down, embarkation hassle, unpacking, getting used to the new routine, packing up, debarking process, and the long drive home are the time and aggravation cost of a cruise, It's a fixed cost whether it's a two day or two week cruise.

 

5. I know you want to avoid Fort Lauderdale and Miami, but when we cruise in the winter, we like as much of the trip as possible to be from as far south as possible because it's automatically warmer. I love the convenience of Port Canaveral, distance-wise, but my personal experience is that because of availability, price, or ship, we always seem to end up out of Miami or Fort Lauderdale, and the two are only about 30 minutes apart, so I think either is as good as the other.

 

My mind is way more business oriented than most people's, so I always come across blunt, but I just think all that hassle is best spent on a longer cruise.

 

In the beginning, we did several shorter cruises, so I've been there, but it just seemed like we had hardly unpacked and we were getting off the ship again.

 

So maybe you just can't do a longer cruise, I get it. In that case I would go for the southernmost itinerary, especially if beach days are your thing. 

 

If it's any help, I've always struggled with the kids in school thing. I've gotten used to the idea that we're just going to have to lose one work week, for kids with AB schedules it's better since that's only losing 2 of one class and 3 of the other.

 

Most of the seven-day cruises are going to leave Saturday or Sunday, and we just get off the ship as quickly as we can, and straight shot it back to Virginia. We've gotten it so we actually leave the interstate twice, only for fuel, then every two hours at a rest stop we swap drivers and walk around for few minutes. We've gotten the time down to 14 hours flat for the 950 miles from Fort Lauderdale, which is pretty amazing since that is an average of 68 miles per hour over the 14 hours.

 

As I said, this may be useless information because of your circumstance, but perhaps it'll help those still figuring out the best way to get value from their cruises. 

 

I know you're going to have a great trip regardless!

[Amarei]

11 minutes ago, Squadleader said:

I'm old and grumpy, so your mileage may vary, but I'd never book a four-day cruise. 

 

If it's at all possible, book a seven-day and a whole new world of possibilities opens up.

 

1. Shorter cruises almost always equals older ships.

2. The crew is more whipped from frequent turnarounds and there might be more service issues.

3. Newer ships have gobs of balconies compared to these older ships. Balconies are great for taking the pressure off the public outdoor areas because many people are on their own balcony. I don't believe the new Mega Ships could even exist without such a huge ratio of balcony cabins. Not having enough deck chairs would become a real issue. I think you'll probably find that's also an issue with the older ships that don't have a large number of balconies. 

 

Most important to me anyway.

 

4. All the hassle of taking off work, taking off school, driving down, embarkation hassle, unpacking, getting used to the new routine, packing up, debarking process, and the long drive home are the time and aggravation cost of a cruise, It's a fixed cost whether it's a two day or two week cruise.

 

5. I know you want to avoid Fort Lauderdale and Miami, but when we cruise in the winter, we like as much of the trip as possible to be from as far south as possible because it's automatically warmer. I love the convenience of Port Canaveral, distance-wise, but my personal experience is that because of availability, price, or ship, we always seem to end up out of Miami or Fort Lauderdale, and the two are only about 30 minutes apart, so I think either is as good as the other.

 

My mind is way more business oriented than most people's, so I always come across blunt, but I just think all that hassle is best spent on a longer cruise.

 

In the beginning, we did several shorter cruises, so I've been there, but it just seemed like we had hardly unpacked and we were getting off the ship again.

 

So maybe you just can't do a longer cruise, I get it. In that case I would go for the southernmost itinerary, especially if beach days are your thing. 

 

If it's any help, I've always struggled with the kids in school thing. I've gotten used to the idea that we're just going to have to lose one work week, for kids with AB schedules it's better since that's only losing 2 of one class and 3 of the other.

 

Most of the seven-day cruises are going to leave Saturday or Sunday, and we just get off the ship as quickly as we can, and straight shot it back to Virginia. We've gotten it so we actually leave the interstate twice, only for fuel, then every two hours at a rest stop we swap drivers and walk around for few minutes. We've gotten the time down to 14 hours flat for the 950 miles from Fort Lauderdale, which is pretty amazing since that is an average of 68 miles per hour over the 14 hours.

 

As I said, this may be useless information because of your circumstance, but perhaps it'll help those still figuring out the best way to get value from their cruises. 

 

I know you're going to have a great trip regardless!

We usually do 7 nights cruises but this time we can't. We did huge CA trip this year for Spring break and don't have any more vacation days left. This is why we were looking at 4-5 days cruises, where we will only take 3 days off. Plus my oldest is in Middle school and in gifted class where you can only miss 3 unexcused days of school or they will move you to regular class. 

[Squadleader]

One other thing.

 

I haven't researched this, but my gut feeling is that the vast majority of all cruises are seven days. This bulge of capacity could make it possible that a seven-day cruise may actually be price competitive with a four or five-day cruise because they have so many more cabins to fill on seven-day cruises. 

 

So for fun, maybe check that out. Also, the first week of December is an absolutely super time to cruise price-wise. I've found the first two weeks of December to have some of the lowest prices of the entire year, so that could really give you the possibility of taking a seven-night for the price of a four-night, again I haven't done the research, but it's worth it to you to find out.

 

I have also found that the ten night and over cruises are much harder for the lines to fill because most people can't go for that long. We took an 11-night cruise for less than the cost of a seven-night cruise one time, and during Spring Break no less, a very busy, expensive season on the cruise calendar. 

[Squadleader]

Oh, just saw your reply.

 

Ask the school about unexcused absences. In our system it isn't unexcused if you tell them about it. 

 

You may talk to the counselor because most people in education agree travel days teach way more than school days. They give the children a larger sense of the world and expose them to other cultures. Most of the world lives in crushing poverty. I like for my children to realize how special it is to have the privilege of living in America. 

[Amarei]

5 minutes ago, Squadleader said:

Oh, just saw your reply.

 

Ask the school about unexcused absences. In our system it isn't unexcused if you tell them about it. 

 

You may talk to the counselor because most people in education agree travel days teach way more than school days. They give the children a larger sense of the world and expose them to other cultures. Most of the world lives in crushing poverty. I like for my children to realize how special it is to have the privilege of living in America. 

We did several times, I am a TA and we travel a lot. Even if I tell school ahead of time, they count it as unexcused. Plus my husband is out of vacation days for this year 😞

[Squadleader]

You're doing good then, have a great trip, and next January will be here before you know it for your next round of adventures!

[Amarei]

Just now, Squadleader said:

You're doing good then, have a great trip, and next January will be here before you know it for your next round of adventures!

Yes! We want to do 7 nights RCCL cruise for Spring break, then Scotland/England for summer and another 4-5 days cruise in December 2020. I want to try Valor next time.

[2011mom]

I've done lots of 4-night Fantasy class cruises, mainly the ones out of Long Beach.  I LOVE these cruises.  They're inexpensive, but it's still a real vacation - I don't cook or clean, the food is great, I like the entertainment, etc.  I've also been on Fantasy class with my family of 5 - back when Fantasy class were the latest and greatest!  It always worked out very well, 2 upper berths and the youngest kid on a trundle.

 

I think any of those ships will be similar, I like the upgrades like Guy's Burgers but I think all the Fantasy class ships have those now.

[PhillyFan33579]

5 hours ago, Squadleader said:

I'm old and grumpy, so your mileage may vary, but I'd never book a four-day cruise. 

 

If it's at all possible, book a seven-day and a whole new world of possibilities opens up.

 

1. Shorter cruises almost always equals older ships.

2. The crew is more whipped from frequent turnarounds and there might be more service issues.

3. Newer ships have gobs of balconies compared to these older ships. Balconies are great for taking the pressure off the public outdoor areas because many people are on their own balcony. I don't believe the new Mega Ships could even exist without such a huge ratio of balcony cabins. Not having enough deck chairs would become a real issue. I think you'll probably find that's also an issue with the older ships that don't have a large number of balconies. 

 

Most important to me anyway.

 

4. All the hassle of taking off work, taking off school, driving down, embarkation hassle, unpacking, getting used to the new routine, packing up, debarking process, and the long drive home are the time and aggravation cost of a cruise, It's a fixed cost whether it's a two day or two week cruise.

 

5. I know you want to avoid Fort Lauderdale and Miami, but when we cruise in the winter, we like as much of the trip as possible to be from as far south as possible because it's automatically warmer. I love the convenience of Port Canaveral, distance-wise, but my personal experience is that because of availability, price, or ship, we always seem to end up out of Miami or Fort Lauderdale, and the two are only about 30 minutes apart, so I think either is as good as the other.

 

My mind is way more business oriented than most people's, so I always come across blunt, but I just think all that hassle is best spent on a longer cruise.

 

In the beginning, we did several shorter cruises, so I've been there, but it just seemed like we had hardly unpacked and we were getting off the ship again.

 

So maybe you just can't do a longer cruise, I get it. In that case I would go for the southernmost itinerary, especially if beach days are your thing. 

 

If it's any help, I've always struggled with the kids in school thing. I've gotten used to the idea that we're just going to have to lose one work week, for kids with AB schedules it's better since that's only losing 2 of one class and 3 of the other.

 

Most of the seven-day cruises are going to leave Saturday or Sunday, and we just get off the ship as quickly as we can, and straight shot it back to Virginia. We've gotten it so we actually leave the interstate twice, only for fuel, then every two hours at a rest stop we swap drivers and walk around for few minutes. We've gotten the time down to 14 hours flat for the 950 miles from Fort Lauderdale, which is pretty amazing since that is an average of 68 miles per hour over the 14 hours.

 

As I said, this may be useless information because of your circumstance, but perhaps it'll help those still figuring out the best way to get value from their cruises. 

 

I know you're going to have a great trip regardless!

 

I understand what you are saying about the benefits of a longer cruise.  However, if you live with in easy driving distance of a port, or in our case several ports in Florida,  3 and 4 day cruises become more appealing. They make for a nice long weekend with minimal time away from work, especially if you cruise on a holiday weekend like Memorial Day and Labor Day. This is the third straight year we are doing shorter cruises on both Memorial and Labor Day weekends, which we plan to continue doing for the foreseeable future.