Tell me EVERYTHING about Elation!

[bambam2972]

I'm going to be on Carnival for the first time Dec. 18 with my whole family (yikes). Over the weekend my aunt was saying that she prefers Carnival over RCCL because of such things as 24 hr ice cream, coffe, snacks. She said she didn't usually get ice cream at 2 am or anything, but she liked the option. I said they have that on Mariner, and maybe she didn't see it on Sovereign since it's older, etc.

 

ANYWAYS, I just wanted to make sure they had these types of things on Elation, since she hasn't been on this ship. Also, I wanted to know general things about her. I do like the element of surprise, but I like to be prepared at the same time.

 

So... about snacks.. what types of things are available, and where?

Is there a sauna/steamroom available at the gym?

Please tell me that sweet tea is available!:p

How are the cabins? It will only be my sister and I in a room, so we won't need a ton of room, I just want to make sure we're comfortable.

Anything else that seems important or sticks out in your mind about Elation please share.

 

We're really not that picky at all and don't let little things bother us, we just want to know what to look forward to. I'm sure I'll have more questions as we get closer, but I think this is it for now. Thanks in advance!!

[LHP]

This isn't about the Elation, but just a tip to check on the ROLL CALL section of this board to "meet and greet" with fellow cruisers who will be there with ya!!

 

ROLL CALL...CARNIVAL...ELATION.... date you are sailing

 

have a wonderful cruise!

[robsvacation]

Here's some of the answers:

 

1) I was up at 4AM and the ice cream machines were still flowing. Also the Pizza at the back of Tiffany's (the buffet resturant) is 24 hours (and while not as good as shoreside pizza it was an order of magnitude better than RCCL's IMHO) You can also order Calzones (you have to wait for them to cook them though) and Ceaser's Salad at the pizza stand in Tiffany's. And of course, the limited room service menu is available 24 hours.

 

2) There are both Sauna's and Steam Room in the dressing rooms. There are also 5 head showers in the change rooms if you can figure them out!

 

3) Sorry, don't know about sweet tea

 

4) Cabins are bigger than RCCL but not laid out as nice. No sofa for example. The trade off is more floor space in the room which is good if two people are getting ready at the same time. Bathrooms are bigger, showers are alot bigger but have those "friendly" shower curtains instead of sliding doors.

 

I have to admit you'll likely be spending your time comparing Elation to Marnier which of course is a much larger ship and nicely laid out. Elation is much smaller, older and of course has the over the top decor that Carnival is famous for. Pools are positively tiny but the waterslide is fun. There is minigolf on the top most deck forward, a topless (actually more than that in my experience) around the funnel. That said I liked elation alot, the ship has a good atmosphere, food in the dining room is very good (better than RCCL in my opinon, but others will think differently, they're close) the the ship is still going strong at midnight.

[tigerdadky]

Theres not enough room here to tell you all about the Elation. She is such a wonderful ship. The atrium is just stunning. The staff is the best> Jorge the director is great. The food and food staff are great. The pool bartenders never let you down. The entertainment is wonderful also. She was our first cruise and only have the second one booked, so I cant compare her to any other ship, but I can say that she was everything I expected her to be and 10 X more. I wouldnt hesitate to take another cruise on her. Only reason I didnt was my schedule wouldnt let me and the ports werent were I wanted to go. I think you will love her too. Not too big and not too small.

[robsvacation]

Sorry, I got cut off earlier, so here are some more tips

 

A) There is a sandwich counter, it's just kinda hidden. If you go to the pizza counter and stand off to the left hand side you'll see a little sandwich menu. There is a separate person handling these so don't get upset if the pizza guy can't help you, the other person will come out to serve you in a bit. It's open 11-8 and is a great alternative to pizza. The hot corned beef sandwiches were yummy.

 

B) fruit is hard to come by in the off hours, so grab a few apples/pears/oranges and keep them in your cabin.

 

C) Just to clarify, the cabins on Elation are not laid out as well as the vision/voyager series of RCCL ships. Compared to the Soveriegn of the Seas the rooms will feel like a ballroom

 

D) Carnival has really improved on the availability of food given the size of the ship. Breakfast is until 10 in the Buffet and noon on deck (which is just around the corner from the buffet so you can get your food and bring it inside) Buffet lunch was until 3 or so, the grill by the pool stayed open 'till 5, sandwiches 11-8, pizza and ice cream around the clock. Open seating breakfast and lunch in the dining room was a little limited (a couple of hours it seemed) but all the other options there was little chance of going hungry. By the way, you will run into people saying they can't find anything to eat simply because they aren't looking around, ignore them

 

E) This class of ship contains the best deck spots for dining of any ship. Off the back of the buffet on either side are two small(ish) balconies with tables for with a view of wake of the ship. These are my favorate part of the ship, especially since I love eating outdoors.

 

F) Main pool is loud, but main pools are suppose to be. The pool in the back on top of the buffet is much quieter.

 

G) Smoke was not an issue except in the Casino, the dance club and gatsby's lounge (which is the cigar bar too, so it would be silly to expect it to be smoke free)

 

 

Any more specific questions I can try and answer

 

Rob

[wccruiser]

My wife and I cruised on the Elation in July 2005. She is a beautiful ship. The Atrium and Grand Staircase are really cool. We found the staff to be excellent. The food very good. We thought that the ship was pretty easy to get around on. We had an OV room on Empress deck.

 

There always seemed to be plenty of food available - my waistline proves it.

 

Happy cruising!!!

 

Holiday - July 2000

Elation - July 2005

Conquest - July 2006

????? - July 2007

[bubbles1209]

We also had an ov room on the empress deck. Everything was great! Food, whenever ya wanted it, pizza was great. If you go to the Mikado for a show, getting your 1st drink was never a problem, but for us, once the show or the games started, it probably would have been just as difficult to find a parked car on the ship. There didn't seem to be anyone around anywhere to get a 2nd drink. So, if you're gonna see a show or play bingo, sip slowly;) Also, takes a while in the casino to get a drink while you are playing, a time or 2 we swore they jumped ship to find some of the ingredients and had to catch a delayed flight back.:rolleyes: Also, in front of the Cole Porter Lounge is where they had the Texas Hold'em Table, the only 1 on the ship. If you wanted to play you had better be there when they opened it up, or sign up on the waiting list. We did get to play, but getting drinks there was hard also, and the bad thing was, the bar was only a few steps away. I waited 20 minutes for a diet coke, and when she finally showed up, she brought a regular coke.:mad: No, we didn't have a horrible time, we had an awesome time! I didn't let these things bother me, nothing was gonna spoil my fun, just trying to let you know what to look out for. There is always some type of activity planned, the shows are pretty good, never made it to the piano bar. Romeo & Juliet's is where we hung out, band took too many breaks, but we still had fun when they did play. They even played Happy Birthday for me at the stroke of Mid-night to start my birthday out right:D Pools at the back of the ship are quieter, Lido deck stayed pretty crowded, but we never had a problem with the famous chair hogs. There was always somewhere to sit when we did go. Hope you guys have a great time!!

[G.C]

Looks like all but your sweet tea question has been answered. There is sweet tea. If you like instant tea your fine. If you like real tea it is very bad. There is an easy fix ask for hot tea, water and a glass of ice. Never had any problems with this request. It is only for five days with all of the wonderful dining options around you who cares. Have a safe wonderful cruise.

[bambam2972]

Thank you all for your responses!! I am getting very excited!!

 

I am able to go in with an open mind and not to too much comparing, which is more than some can do... you know they type I'm talking about! LOL :)

 

The only thing that bums me out is that we'll be going 5 weeks before my 21st b-day :( :p It's okay, though, I'll still have a great time! Thanks again!!!

 

PS, Rob.. concerning the rooms in comparison to the Sov., I had a feeling the rooms would feel huge! LOL.

[tess2cruz]

I was also on the Elation with RobsVacation, had a great time!! It is small, compared to others I have been on, but it didn't seem to make a differance, other than no hot tub in the spa area, I do like that on ships. I have had better service, better food, but have never had a better time, because I took my family this time. So don't try to compare just have a blast!!!

Here is an album I just got posted if you would like to check it out.

Have a great time!!

[HAPPYCRUISINGIRL]

I was on the Elation this past October. My first cruise and absolutely loved it. I thought it was easy to get around. The atrium is beautiful. The staff couldn't be friendlier. The pizza is really good in my opinion. Ice cream was always available... Hope you have a great time!COLOR]

[truecruiser]

sweet tea? do you mean sweetened iced tea? if so, i don't think i've ever been on a carnival ship that has that. all the ships i have been on have had unsweetened iced tea, which you make to your liking.

[luv1trav]

This isn't about the Elation, but just a tip to check on the ROLL CALL section of this board to "meet and greet" with fellow cruisers who will be there with ya!!

 

ROLL CALL...CARNIVAL...ELATION.... date you are sailing

 

have a wonderful cruise

 

I am sailing on Elation departing on 1/29 - it's my first cruise and I am counting the days!!

[ooulio]

We just sailed on Elation for Thanksgiving. Only thing they didn't have that the rest of the ships had was a hairdryer in the room. I just was used to the newer ones that all had them in their rooms. They had that awesome chocolate cake for 3 different nites. It was great! No couch but that was no big deal. Casino was hitting pretty good a few nites. We went to Grand Turk . It was really hot and humid that day. Nassau was better than it was in February when we did it on Liberty. It has cleaned up a lot since then.

[Bahama Mama 49]

I was also on the Elation with RobsVacation, had a great time!! It is small, compared to others I have been on, but it didn't seem to make a differance, other than no hot tub in the spa area, I do like that on ships. I have had better service, better food, but have never had a better time, because I took my family this time. So don't try to compare just have a blast!!!

Here is an album I just got posted if you would like to check it out.

Have a great time!!

Thank you so much for for sharing your pic's. Will be on the elation in 39 more days!!! First cruise for me.