Fascination Training Ship? Is This True

[Chris and Em]

Just read a members review of the Fascination and I'm getting worried. Will be cruising with her in August and I really don't want to have a bad experieince. We have had good service in the past and are expecting the same on the Fascination.

 

I'm bringing the kids along and I would like them to enjoy the cruise. Any insight would be greatly appreciated and any Fascination expereinces helpful.

 

Thanks a Mil...:p

[PINEVIEW01]

do you have a link to that review, please?

[Irish708]

The Fascination was my first cruise about 3 years ago. LOVED IT!! My kids loved Camp Carnival, and we had a great time overall. I understand it has been refurbished since then, so it should be better. Since then, I went on the Imagination last year LOVED IT, and am booked on the Valor this September. Going on longer cruises each time. If we didn't like the Fascination, we would probably have never gone back. Yes there are newer ships than her, but ours was a wonderful experience.

 

Relax, go with the mindset that all of you are going to have a blast ! We went to Key West and Cozumel.

 

Enjoy:D

[DqALEX]

I have never heard of a carnival training ship

[buddyjo143]

When we cruised in February there was a graduating class of wait and bar staff on board.

 

Don't be scared off by the fact that it is a training ship. They made it this far and they have supervision. In fact, I would guess it is better because they have the close supervision (rather than a veteran staff who may have attitude:rolleyes:).

[TNtraveler]

Every cruise ship I've been on has been a 'training' ship in the sense that the assistant stewards and waiters/waitresses are trainees. I'm booked on Fascination in October, and I haven't a concern about that at all.

[girlinchicago]

Whoever wrote that review about Fascination either had a bad attitude or an unusual experience. I was on the Fascination in March and we had wonderful service all around. The stewards and the waitstaff were particularly awesome. You should not hesitate to book your cruise.

[Chris and Em]

Thanks Everyone, Really. I read that review (which can be found here, under reviews for the Fascination for PINEVIEW01) right before I left for the gym. I thought the endorphins would lift the sadness I sank into after reading it but it was not until reading the threads from you all that I felt better...

 

You have cheered me back up and you're all right!!! Take it as it comes and have a good time. Thanks for the positive feedback.:p I'm in cruise mode again!!

[TennisLover]

We were on Fascination in December. The service was excellent! Even better than on the Liberty earlier in the year -- just depends on who you get. Our friends, who were first-time cruisers, were impressed ith the Fascination too.

[ShedQueen77]

Look at it this way, trainees are usually very eager to please and do everything right. They want to keep their jobs and are probably going to do everything they can to impress their superiors. It may work to your benefit! :)

[98Charlie]

We went to the galley tour on the Valor cruise just 2 weeks ago. Before the tour one of the Maitre d's (Mr. V) talked about the training for waiters for the dining room.

 

During the first contract the wait staff works on a ship in a variety of positions including room service, buffet etc. (not dining room). If I remember correctly, when they come back for their second contract they spend 4 weeks on one of two "training ships" (the phrase used by Mr. V). I believe they were the Fascination and Sensation.

 

After completion of the training they go to their assigned ship as an assistant waiter.

 

Charlie

[Janespup]

I'm going on the Fascination in 2 weeks and will be thrilled if some of the staff are in training! That means better service, if you ask me. I'll let you know when I come back, if you want.

Jane

[Chris and Em]

Yea, Lora you're right. Let's hope they are all eager to please me... keeping the frozen drinks coming!!!!

[Chris and Em]

Thanks Jane, I hope you have a great trip. I'll keep an eye out for your post.

 

Chris

[ShedQueen77]

Yea, Lora you're right. Let's hope they are all eager to please me... keeping the frozen drinks coming!!!!

 

I'm sure they will be! I'll take one of those while you're at it! :D Perhaps they'll give you a 2-for-1 to make you (and me) even happier! lol

[Chris and Em]

Just noticed the wedding ticker. Congratulations and blessings on your happiest of days. You will have so much fun ringing in the New Year on the ship.

 

All the best to you,

C~

[ShedQueen77]

Thank you very much! It was kind of you to notice and say! :)

[OceanDreamin]

When we went on the Pride last month, on the last night we thanked our waiter and assistant waitress for the wonderful, friendly service they provided. The assistant waitress said "It's very easy to give good service to such nice, friendly people." I think that's the key.

 

Be nice and friendly to the staff on any ship, and they will happily give you GREAT service. That has certainly been my experience on all five of my cruises now. :)

 

Go on your cruise with a big smile on your face and the expectation of having a great time, and you will!

[Chris and Em]

Thanks OceanDreamin I think I will....:p

I'm in such a better mood today because of all of you..... wish you were all going on my cruise!!! My DH and I are really pretty easy going so your advice hit home. I guess I'm a little more anxiuos than usual with the kids on board with us this time but I guess they're old enough now to see their mom and dad in "Vacation Party" mode. LOL

[firefly333]

I have never heard of a carnival training ship

 

me either, thats why I was scratching my head when I first saw this post what they meant or had read.

 

Thanks Charlie for explaining it.

[GotDrums]

We just finished our first cruise on the Fascination last week and we had more good than bad but I have to concur with many of the other reviewers comments. Here is a link to my review.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=28683

 

Lets start out with the good.

Entertainment was great. The cruise director Trevor was very good and not overly goofy just lots of fun and kept your attention when he spoke.

Dont miss a show they were all very good and Im a former entertainer so I looked at this with a very fine eye. Music was a little loud but the shows and variety of entertainment were very good.

 

Food was great. We ate in the Sensation dining room 3 nights out of 4 and we had a great waiter named Bobby. His real name in Catailin from Romania. He made every night a blast. My kids had a cake sent to me and my wife on the first night and Bobby and the other waiters came and sang for us as the cake was delivered. We had to keep kissing until the singing was finished and boy can those guys hold out their notes. Lots of fun. The Maiter D was a non presence only leaving his station once out of 3 nights to ask if everything was ok at our table. We were positioned by the station so I saw that he seldom moved from the throne. But you know what?

Thats ok because we had Bobby.

Food in dining room was great. The New York steak I had you could cut with a butter knife. Desert presentation was not very good but hey how long do you look at your food? Choclate melting cake was good (my wife loved it a little more than me. I liked the Black Forest cake. The chateubriand (excuse the spelling if thats wrong) on the last night however was a really poor cut of meat but the bernaise sauce was really good. The fish was really good every night as well. On service in the dining room I could see the other reviewers point because the table next to us were not even served their salads as we were on deserts.

But again we had Bobby.

The Lido deck food was really good as well good variety, always hot, great salad bar selection. Perhaps a better selection of cheeses. Omlets Mario does a great job as well as very good pizza, ruebens etc..

 

Embarkation was a breeze we were on the ship arriving at 11 am within a 1/2 hour. No welcome aboard but I knew to go to the Lido for food which was told to me by a employee. I was even allowed to drop my carry on bags in my room while it was being prepared and we were in our room by 1 PM. We had Riveira deck R204 great room, bigger than I even pictured and a great view of the goregous ocean. Great towel animanls every night as well. Our room steward Anel introduced himself and had us sign off that he did so on some paperwork. All in all Anel did a pretty good job.

 

Key West and Calica were great we went to Xcaret and I will post a review on that later in the Port of call board. Some good and some not so good there as well.

 

The housekeeping staff on this ship was very nice and friendly. You couldnt pass even one of them by without them saying good morning or some kind of greeting.

The male European staff was also very good.

My fellow Slovak (I think his name was Michael) at the embarkation desk was very kind and helpful.

 

Dembarkation was way to easy. Off the ship and in my car withen a half hour. No bags checked or anything. PS I did carry on water and diet pepsi in a clear Publix bag onboard the ship and was not questioned at all.

 

Now for the not so good experiences-

Besides the chateubriand and food presentation not being so good I was disappointed in the Midenught Buffet.

You hear and read so much about this in cruise magazines and such I thin the Fascination has some real opportunities for improvment here.

I first noticed in Carnival Capers there was not a time set aside for photo opp's for the Midnight Buffet.

There was a reason for this.

Besides some ok (first year cook stuff) fruit decorations this was really lack luster and not very interesting at all.

Very bad experience in reaching for a taco and having the server lift the steam tray out (I think to help me reach the taco better) but it exposed me to the open steam and seared my fingers.

No apoligies or anything from this lady who was to busy dancing to even see that I had gotten hurt.

One side note-The female European staff on this cruise was substandard (in my experience) very cold and unfriendly.

I then went to my cabin called the pursers desk and was told I would have to pay 35.00 for consulation with a nurse and 60.00 for treatement.

I said what????

This was not self inflicted but caused by a Carnival employee. I go more into detail about this in my review.

Overall the staff on the Lido was not very friendly even though they did keep the tables cleared.

The Pursers desk on this ship was the absolute worst. The head officer here should be sacked.

I think the Pursers desk is important because they take care of your money.

Nadia at the Pursers desk was a really nice gal and the nicest in my experience of all the female European staff.

But she had no clue what she was doing and had to go back to ask someone behind a curtain about my every question.

Again poor training in a very importatnt position.

I am grateful the young lady was nice though.

Our Sign and Sail statements were not delivered to us as promised the night before but around 6 am the day of dembarkation.

 

In spite of a couple bumps in the road my cruise was a very good experience.

I would however not cruise the Fascination again for two reasons.

Its a training ship but Carnivals training methods are not very good. New employess were not shadowed by experienced employes (as far as I could see).

 

And once you have seen Calica or Cozumel its pretty much it. I want more exotic destinations thats why we will sail on the Destiny next year. Key West is Key West and Ive been there often.

I also plan to do the Miracle to Costa Rica and Belize as well.

I want to experience the different class of ships.

 

I would recomend this to a first time cruiser (just watch your hand under the steam tables).

 

And again the entertainment on this ship was very good and the food was consistant and had a good amount of variety as well as having plenty of it.

 

Also another side note-

I read all the stories about deck chair hogs and found this not to be so on this ship. There was always a open chair or chairs together somewhere on deck.

Always.

Found a few people saving chairs but so what there was a ton of chairs and I was told out ship was totally booked. So no problem here.

Hope all this info helps.

Not a lot of screaming kids on this cruise probably because of the time crusing.

 

But the best experience needs to be your own.

Im sure not everyone got a steam burn on this ship.

And hey you even forget the pain when looking out at the blue ocean going bye.

 

One other funny thing. On the way to Key West we were kinda racing the Imagination (I think that was the ship).

And on our fun day at sea we saw the Disney Wonder come booking bye and passing us.

Lots of interesting things going on at sea.

 

Hope this helps.

Blessings

Tim and Donna Wirth:cool:

[GotDrums]

I read some other comments here and we are always friendly and polite to staff and of course no better than they are. ;)

The female European staff was still rude, cold and unfriendly. (in our experience):(

Tim

[turtle27]

I just booked on the Fascination for July and the Carnival rep said that this was not true. They don't have a "training" ship. All ships do their own training.

[GotDrums]

I would say you got some inaccurate info from the Carnival rep. As much as other ships could be considered training ships because training is a ongoing process. At our fun day at sea they actually paraded all the trainees from their various departments onto the theater stage. As well as stating that some would be going to other ships. They were hoping to keep a couple of the shining stars on the Fascination.

Every cruise and every ship is going to have ups and downs with it. In my experience one time aboard the Fascination the Pursers desk was the one department that really has some opportunity for improvement. Most of all at the desk. You would think this would be a highly focused area because they handle the money. Plus the female European wait staff was poor. But dont let any of this ruin the cruise. I believe a cruise is a lot of what you make of it. Plus when I went on the Fascination the entertainment was some of the best I have ever seen. And Im a entertainer so I look at this particular field with a critical eye.

All that being said the Fascination is a training ship.

The only official training ship in the fleet as stated by the cruise director when they paraded all the newbies.

Hope this helps.

Peace

Tim :cool: