Elation Review 5/28/06-6/4/06

[Schadenfreude]

So this was my first cruise, and I'll try to give a go at this review thing.

 

Arrived in Ft. Lauderdale the night before the cruise. There was a huge thunderstorm over the airport so we were rerouted to Ft. Meyers to refuel, etc. While on ground in Ft. Meyers, I called Top Shuttle to confirm that our ride was still going to be there, they agreed. They were already charging me an extra $25 for the "evening pickup" so I wanted to make sure we were on that van! Finally arrived in Ft. Lauderdale 2 hours overdue and our shuttle guy was there waiting. We were staying at the Mutiny Hotel in Coconut Grove in Miami...and he got lost on the way. Spent 20 minutes doing a massive U-turn in traffic, so I only tipped him about 5%. The next morning I get a call from Top Shuttle saying they were going to charge me ANOTHER $35 "waiting fee" since our plane was delayed. How is that my fault and why didn't 1) The call center tell me that when I first confirmed that we were going to be late, and 2) the driver tell us this when he picked us up?!?

 

On Sunday, the six of us (3 couples, 26-36 age range) arrived at the port around 1.30pm, left our luggage with the dock porters and armed with our FunPasses, were through with the paperwork and boarded in less than 10 minutes. First we all got a celebratory beer from the central bar in the massive atrium, and dropped our stuff off in the bedrooms.

 

The bedrooms:

We were all on the Empress deck with oceanview rooms. Immediately I wished the Elation had more balconies because the rooms were quite small and I yearned to have access to some fresh air. The bed setup in the rooms were all different...one couple had theirs already set up as a king, another couple's were completely separated into 2 twins, and ours were pushed together, yet remained as 2 twins, just side by side. We decided to leave them as such...no stealing blankets on this trip! The bathroom was small, but had plenty of storage space in the medicine cabinet. The shower felt great, but I wish they didn't have the hot water turned up so high...you only had to open it slightly to get the water to steaming, but that left the pressure a bit weak as opposed to being able to open both to full throttle. Do not shower with the door open as the steam will set off the fire alarm in the bedroom - as it happened to us twice. Good to know that someone was watching as the moment it happened, our phone rang and it was the bridge asking if we needed help. Otherwise, our room did the trick and our steward came by twice a day - it was so great to come back and everything was pressed, fresh and clean. We even caught him in the middle of cleaning and noticed an ozone machine running for about 30 minutes in the room while he did his thing. Interesting.

 

The food:

Breakfasts: Left much to be desired. The eggs were runny, the bacon was greasy and soggy, the hash browns too salty. The best thing to eat was the cold cereal, fruit and yogurt. Also, it was great ordering room service breakfast at our leisure. Oh, and if you're a coffee connisseur, you're going to be dissappointed. Weak at best, and the pay-for espresso bar didn't help much.

Lunch: Sit down lunches in the main dining room (the Imagination) were ok. Pretty typical pastas and burgers. Do not order anything mexican on this trip - especially if you're accusomted to good mexican food. Their "fajitas" were salted within an inch of their life, the guacamole was from a can or something, and their enchilada sauce tasted like marinara. Otherwise the Tiffany/Lido deck lunch did just fine. Quick salad, fries, burgers, and a lot of soft-serve.

Dinner: These varied from good to great. The lobster at formal dinner was cooked just right and had a good strong flavor. The beef wellington was great, but their attempt at "foie gras" was disgusting. Also, one night my medium rare steak came medium well, so it was chewy as all get out. Their wine lists were heavily Californian and since we were all residents, it looked like there was a hefty 200% markup per bottle. Bring your own $10 bottle, pay the $10 corkage, and it'll still come out less than their $30.

Desserts: Their sorbets aren't very fruity and the ice creams were a bit icy (crunchy, not smooth). But we realized that almost anything made with puff pastry was to die for.

Drinks: I had two "drink of the day"s and both were the typical rum-tropical fruit juice concoctions. Fun for the glass but not much else. A typical Bud Light came to $5.18 after gratuity, but they were the 16oz aluminum bottles. Admittedly, our friends did sneak a few bottles of booze on board and that did help with the cost.

 

Entertainment:

We didn't go to the shows much. We did catch the "R-rated" comedian, who was hilarious. And played a few games of Bingo (my boyfriend won twice!). The swimming pools are pretty tiny, and are salt water - which was kind of a bummer, not wanting to get all sticky. The hot tub was nice, but only near the end of the day when they weren't crowded with kids.

 

Throughout the trip, we would notice that the Elation was much smaller than the other Carnival and Royal Carribean ships docked in Miami, St. Thomas, San Juan and Grand Turk. And that almost all oceanview rooms on the other ships had balconies. Ah well. Next time.

 

Ports: Just as a disclaimer, the boyfriend and I are scuba divers so we didn't go off and do any of the other things available, nor did we see much of the islands...well, the land part, that is :)

 

Half Moon Cay:

The island is privately owned and almost all vendors were temps from our own ship. The beach was breathtaking with very fine white sand and crystal turquoise water. The scuba diving was fantastic. 150 ft visibility, 83 degree water, no dive skins or wetsuits needed. We swam through a reef tunnel, up through a hole, over and around. Saw lionfish, stingray, eel, crab. We also did the parasailing, again...gorgeous.

 

St. Thomas:

Another scuba trip to Coki Beach. Not as impressive as Half Moon Cay, but interesting all the same. A bit crowded as we were in a group of 8, but we did see some neat sealife in the recovering reef. Spent the rest of the day around the port mall. Purchased a teak mask and a diamond necklace. Both fantastic prices. My only regret is not taking the time to go to the real downtown and get some local food.

 

San Juan:

We booked a private tour van from one of the drivers on the dock and for $25 a head (4 of us total), he took us to the Bacardi plant, purchased our tickets, waited for us, took us on a tour of the fort and old San Juan, and dropped us off next to a fantastic restaurant with tips for the best shopping. Very worth it considering the cabs were charging $30 just for a one way trip to the Bacardi plant! The plant tour was a bit boring after we got our 2 free drinks - the highlight being when we had to stop for an iguana to cross the road. Old San Juan was great...full of history and too much to see in an afternoon.

 

Grand Turk:

We did the 2 tank dive with the biggest groups yet! 24 people split up into 3 groups - one of whom was our Captain Scala of the Elation! He was in our subgroup and had the most fascinating stories about his 10 years at sea. Here the dives were the deepest yet - though we still did not need any wetsuits or dive skins - very warm at 75 feet down. In case you didn't know, the dives are along the side of a mountain that drops to over 7,000 feet deep...so it was kind of eerie being along the edge and looking down into nothing. This was the most busy reef yet - lots of schools of fish, a 100+ lb grouper, sea turtles, barracuda (little ones), and a ton of coral. Afterwards we spent the last hour floating in the pool at Margaritaville - where the price for a beer varied with whomever was purchasing...they charged my boyfriend $14 for 2, and charged me $11.55 for 2. Um, what 2 numbers add up to $11.55? Whatever.

 

Stuff I'm glad I brought:

 

* Allergen-blocking zipper pillowcases.

* Power strip.

* Travel steamer/iron.

* Travel alarm clock - the wakeup calls are spotty at best.

* Hairdryer.

* Assortment of pills (headache, nausea, diarehha, sleeping, vitamins, etc).

* Band aids and triple antibiotic (bumped the coral reef...those things bleed forever).

* Extra hangers!

 

Stuff I didn't touch:

 

* Plastic over-the-door hanger. Plenty of storage, didn't need it.

* Brought too many "fancy" skirts.

* Rain jacket, sweatshirt, socks, tennis shoes.

 

Ratings out of 10:

 

Top Shuttle: 2.

Mutiny Hotel: 8.

Condition of the ship: 6.

Breakfast: 3.

Lunch: 5.

Dinners: 7.

Half Moon Cay: 9.

St. Thomas: 8.

San Juan: 7.

Grand Turk: 9.

 

Overall: I will go on another cruise, next time with a balcony and a bigger ship. This itenerary was fantastic - I couldn't have chosen better. Carnival overall was great to us.

[Icon5]

thank you very much for the review......

We will be on the Elation in July 2nd so it was very helpfull.

What room were you in on the Empress deck?

Thanks again

[8th math]

Questions, how did you smuggle the liquor on board?

What about the room temperatures?

On the scuba diving excursions, are they only for those who have done this before? If they aren't, would you advise it for anyone who hasn't done it before? What about dress in the dining room, did everyone follow the rules about no shorts? How about the formal nights, did you go to both and how was the dress? I hope you don't mind these questions.

[Schadenfreude]

thank you very much for the review......

We will be on the Elation in July 2nd so it was very helpfull.

What room were you in on the Empress deck?

Thanks again

 

E122, which was perfect. Far enough from the lobby so it was quiet, but right next to the middle staircase so everything was convenient.

[Schadenfreude]

Questions, how did you smuggle the liquor on board?

What about the room temperatures?

On the scuba diving excursions, are they only for those who have done this before? If they aren't, would you advise it for anyone who hasn't done it before? What about dress in the dining room, did everyone follow the rules about no shorts? How about the formal nights, did you go to both and how was the dress? I hope you don't mind these questions.

 

We didn't smuggle liquor, our friends did. They just put the bottles into their checked luggage. Not a single problem at all. Even when they bought liquor at the ports, they would buy a few bottles. When reboarding, the x-ray guy would call out to the hold table, where they take your bottles, label them and you had to go get them back at the end of the trip. But they never called out how many bottles were in each bag...so my friends would just go to the hold desk and turn in one bottle...and secretly had 2 more they got to walk right on with.

 

The room temp was perfect. There's a controllable A/C in each room. Some days we had it off...some days at full blast. There are robes to keep a bit warm if you're prone to getting cold. And the bedding is wonderful.

 

For scuba...look at the excursions. Anything that says you need certification...well, you need certification: you've taken the class and passed your test dives. But there are "beginner/discover scuba" trips for people who aren't certified. They give you a quick crash course and take you about 20 feet down. It was quite popular and they got to see some pretty neat stuff...especially in Grand Turk.

 

The dining room code was pretty well enforced on our ship. Obviously, first night was free dress, and the last night people were a little more casual as their luggage was already packed. But the formal nights were pretty fancy - sparkles, tuxes, shawls, heels, jewels, hair-dos. We went to both and the guys in our group all wore suits and ties, and the girls wore knee to floor length dresses. The regular seated dinners were pretty standard...pants, shirts, skirts. I didn't see any bums.

[cruisedivaofmd]

Thank you very much for writing your review on the Elation. A group of twenty will be cruising on her August 13-20, 2006, and I've been trying to get as much information as possible about this ship and it's new itinerary. I'm a Royal Caribbean veteran and this will be my first cruise on Carnival. I'm so excited!:)

[zqvol]

You will find some"discover scuba" excursions. These are also referred to as resort courses. You spend a couple of hours learning the basics and then do a 45 - 60 minute dive.

 

You cannot do any other dive unless you are certified and you must present your "C-Card"

[stitch78]

We are leaving for the same cruise on Sunday. So you did the Barcardi plant through a private tour? Any reason you did it this way other than through Carnival (was it just cheaper)?

[jerseygirl3]

Your ship was "parked" in front of us in Miami. We were on the May 28 sailing of the Carnival Valor.

 

Glad to hear you liked Half Moon Cay so much. We're headed there on our Holland America cruise in January. We've rented the turquoise cabana for the day. Are Carnival passengers allowed to rent the cabanas, or are the only for HAL passengers?

[ooulio]

Could anyone help me with this question? We have always done the newer and bigger ones like Glory a few times,Liberty this year,Disney Wonder and 2 others on RC. One was on RC and one was the first year on old one Fantasy . We are doing Elation for Thansksgiving week with my in laws and niece. Some of the reviews are making me nervous. Are the rooms smaller than the other ships on Carnival. I know we couldn't get a balcony this time either. Is there a refrigerator in the rooms? There wasn't too much for a 5 day leaving out of Florida. Need some help please? Esther ooulio@aol.com

[shipty2]

Thanks for the review. I am sailing on her this coming August and am counting the days.

[cruizinrican]

I found your review very helpful for we are cruising Elation in Sept. I opted for an oceanview this cruise too and wished it would have been a balcony as well. We booked a GTY so who knows where we will end up? Hope somewhere good atleast.

 

We are not divers but enjoyed the review. I definately would have called to their attention the difference in the costs of 2 beers??:confused: I hate being taken advantage of. Next time when in doubt call the manager over, problem solved and might have gotten you a few free beers after pionting it out.

[Schadenfreude]

We are leaving for the same cruise on Sunday. So you did the Barcardi plant through a private tour? Any reason you did it this way other than through Carnival (was it just cheaper)?

 

Yes! We only paid our "tour guide" $25 a head for the whole thing, and he procured the bacardi tickets for us. I guess it was included. So I think it was the best deal overall. So when you get to port, they will come up to you and offer cabs/vans/tours. We worked it all out specifically ahead of time...$25 a head for 4 people, private van, to the bacardi plant, he'll wait for us, take us to the fort, drive us around, and find a place to eat and drop us in old san juan, close to the boat. We had him for about 4 hours total. A bargain!

[Schadenfreude]

We've rented the turquoise cabana for the day. Are Carnival passengers allowed to rent the cabanas, or are the only for HAL passengers?

 

There were a bunch of people in the cabanas and we were the only ship there at the time, so I assume so :)

[Schadenfreude]

Are the rooms smaller than the other ships on Carnival. I know we couldn't get a balcony this time either. Is there a refrigerator in the rooms?

 

I wouldn't know for sure, I guess compare the sq footage on comparison sites. It was fine for the two of us, but this was my first cruise and I'm used to hotel suites :)

 

Also, no fridge in the room.

[JoeSmooga]

I wouldn't know for sure, I guess compare the sq footage on comparison sites. It was fine for the two of us, but this was my first cruise and I'm used to hotel suites :)

 

Both interior and oceanview rooms on the Elation are 187 sq. ft. All Fantasy class ship are setup this way. Realistically, they are the same identical room, but the OV rooms have a window. If you have an interior room, look behind the "curtain"... there's a cutout there where a window could go if it was facing the outside of the ship. If you want a larger room on a Fantasy class ship, you will need to get one of the few Balcony suites (be prepared to pay thru the nose).

 

On the newer, larger ships, you will find that all interior rooms are still 187 sq. ft. as well, but the OV rooms go to 220 sq ft (also, Conquest class OV rooms and above will have a fridge in the room). Balcony rooms are also 220 sq ft, BUT, that is INCLUDING the balcony itself. Without the balcony... you are left with 187 sq. ft inside. I won't lie, the balcony is nice to have, but don't kid yourself... it's NOT big at all. You can get two chairs on it and that's about it. For me, on the newer ships (Destiny class and above) I stick with the OV room and all of it room inside... personal preference, as we typically have our kids with us and enjoy the extra space in the room for "stuff".

 

Ultimately, when it comes to decision time, what are you on vacation for... the room you are staying in or the places you are going the activities on the ship. That's what makes me determine which ship I choose to go on. Do not be afraid of going on the Elation... of all the cruises we have been on, the is 2nd only to our very first cruise. I LOVE THIS SHIP!

 

Joe

[Mirlui]

Thanks for your Elation review...we will be on her the week of August 6th. It'll be our first cruise with Carnival. We have always cruised with RC and they provide hairdryers in all bathrooms. Isn't that the case with Carnival?

 

Thanks in advance for your response.

[Ms_Pammy]

I think I would call your CC company and dispute the extra fee the shuttle company is wanting to charge you. You called them and they knew you were going to be late..so why didnt they just come later instead of waiting?

[pcakes2]

Hi Mirlui....we have a small group over in the roll calls section for the Aug 6 sailing.

[bambam2972]

Thanks, Joe!

 

This is my first Carnival cruise and I'm very excited!

 

I was wondering about the size of the rooms, since I've heard that CCL tends to have larger rooms. It looks like the Elation and the Sovereign of the Seas are about the same size, and I was trying to figure out if the rooms are the same size too.

I'm glad to see that our interior will be big (the biggest we've been in is a 158 sq. ft. on the Mariner).

 

I personally don't mind interiors since we're hardly in the room anyways. :D

[sweetpea-2]

nice detailed review....as far as the balcony goes, once you get one, you will not ever go back to one without it.....;)

[greenjello]

Hi! I just wanted to add a little info for you on the cabanas... we rented one when we stopped on Half Moon Cay in May while on the Fantasy. This was the best day of the cruise (the were all great- but HMC was our favorite). There is a lot of info over on the HAL boards about the cabanas including pictures, maps etc.

As soon as we were on board the ship on embarkation day I went to the shore excusion desk we reserve ours (it is $219 for 4 people, a little pricey but well worth it, especially since we have 2 small children and were not doing any other shore excursions on the trip) . When making the reservation I was asked for shoe sizes (for snorkel equipt) and what types of drinks we would like (non-alcoholic :) ). The night before there was a shore excursion ticket delivered to our cabin to allow for priority boarding on the first tender in. When we actually went to the lounge that next morning the crew looked like I had 3 heads when I mentioned priority tender to them and just shuffled us into line- not a problem though we were on the next tender in. The island is absolutely gorgeous. Once we got off the tender we went to the welcome center and were boarded onto this little tram to take us to the cabana. We were second on the list, and had the second cabana in (the blue one). The cabana itself had a small table & chairs, fridge with chips & salsa in it, storage cabinets , cooler with the drinks and an air-conditioner & ceiling fan. There was a canvas front to it that you could either unroll to enclose the cabana or leave open to see the water. The airconditioner and fan allowed enough of a cooler area and space out of the very strong sun. On the deck area of the cabana were two lounge chairs with little mister things that allowed you to keep cool in the sun. There was also a little shower on the deck to rinse your feet. THe snorkel equiptment and floaty rafts were waiting on the deck for us. You are also assigned a "cabanna boy" although we only saw him once first thing in the am, to check in on us, but that was it. At various times during the day we actually went over the 4 person rule, as my husband's side of our family was also on the cruise, and once they found out where we were they had joined us in between their own shore excursions and stuff. We were not charged for the extra people though, as some people have reported about "big brother" watching them to make sure they only have 4 guests.

 

Just a few hints......Many people did not realize that the cabanas were rentals and would try to come up on the deck and use the shower, we ended up putting a raft across the enterance to keep the people out. The cabana next to us (the kacki colored one, which is "first" on the list) is set up kind of weird because the walk-way actually leads you right to the deck of the cabana, so if you were just walking along the path you would think you were supossed to cross this deck to get on the beach, and had access to the shower. The people in that cabana were getting annoyed with all the traffic. If you have a choice I would request not to get this one. The fish on the island love the tortilla chips provided in the cabana. My boys took the chips and started feeding them to the fish, next thing you knew there were hundreds (and I am not exagerating) of these fish- loked like angel fish to me, all around them. You can get tortilla chips anytime, but the fun my kids had with the fish was incredible. Better than any snorkeling excursion if you ask me.

Anyways, .... I just wanted to add my input :)