Carnival Ecstasy - Never Again

[saltsandknit]

How about an an opposing view. I agree with the OP and I hated the ecstacy.

It was my first cruise and was almost my last. It took a long time to even consider another cruise. The food was plain bad, there were very few activities the staff indifferent. RCCL on the other hand was fabulous, and now I love cruising. To each his own, but for me it will never be Carnival.

[Kurbanfan]

How about an an opposing view. I agree with the OP and I hated the ecstacy.

It was my first cruise and was almost my last. It took a long time to even consider another cruise. The food was plain bad, there were very few activities the staff indifferent. RCCL on the other hand was fabulous, and now I love cruising. To each his own, but for me it will never be Carnival.

 

Just curious. Why would you base a whole fleet on one ship:confused:

[kinggartk]

Just curious. Why would you base a whole fleet on one ship:confused:

 

 

I Agree...I have seen very few negative Comments about the Miracle and a lot of negative comments about the Destiny...

 

If you Sailed Destiny for your 1st Carnival Cruise, you might be disappointed based on what I can tell from Cruise Critic. You might think that Carnival is pretty low rent.

 

However, If you only Carnival Cruise was on Miracle (Based on what I read here on Cruise Critic)....you might go away thinking that Carnival is spectacular.

 

My guess is that Carnival as a whole falls somewhere in the middle.

 

My opinion, based on one cruise is that Carnival is a great Value, but I might think differently after I cruise on Glory in May (I doubt it though).

 

Give Carnival a 2nd chance...you might change your mind...just be sure to pick a different class of ship for you next cruise so you can have better opinion before you write Carnival off completely.

[Stircrzy]

to each his own...

 

I'm sailing the Ecstasy for the 8th time on January 31.

 

I love that ship!

[Captain Funtime]

First I would like to say that I am a non-smoker. Does anyone remember a Carnival "new build" named Paradise ? It was non-smoking. It has the big circle through the cigarette on the side of the ship. It didn't last because there was not enough pax wanted it. I have been in several balcony cabins and have never had a problem with smoke. I have never been overcome with smoke odor in any cabin I was in. Maybe I am just lucky ?

[saltsandknit]

My cruise on the Ecstasy was just that bad. I have no desire to try the bigger Carnival ships. I am still trying out other brands before I declare a winner but for my money I don't want that kind of disappointment again. NCL is next to appease my family since they hate formal and fixed time dining. Next will probably be Princess and I do have another RCCL cruise booked.

[TxMommy929]

We are also just off the Ecstasy and went to sit in the library Friday night before dinner but left because that night it did have a very strong cigarette odor. We never went in there again, so I do not know if it was always present. One other common area consistently had a strong tobacco odor, which was the stairwell mid-lido going down to promenade, I think it was the one on the starboard side, but I had a lot of trouble orienting myself (don't ask). The casino was very smoky, but it is a smoking area. We know for certain the person in the cabin next to us was a smoker but we were never able to detect the odor in our cabin.

 

Decor-wise, we had read so much about it that I expected it to be SO garish and over the top that it seemed tame compared to what I had in my head. It is definitely Las-Vegasy not refined, but compared to what I was expecting it was great. And I really loved the ceilings. The decor in our rooms was more updated as was the Wind Star dining room and coffee bar area.

 

We did not eat breakfast or lunch in the dinning room, only dinner, and the particular menu choices we made were very good. I especially enjoyed the tilapia offered the first evening. We have not cruised Disney, though, and therefore cannot compare the food to theirs.

 

The areas were we in on the ship were cool enough for us, we are hot natured, and I often had to wear my wrap, but we did not visit any of the bars, clubs, etc. I found the casino to be "stuffy" but I think that was a function of the smoke, dark, noise, etc., as much as of the temperature. The Blue Sapphire lower level was adequately cool for DH and I had to wear my wrap. The coffee bar was an adequate temp. The dining room was comfortable. The times we spent in the shops we were comfortable. On Lido we only sat outside or in the "corridor" and the corridor was always cool enough. Outside aft on Lido was too cold Thursday and part of Friday and too hot Sunday (but obviously out of the ship's control). We had issues with the temperature in our room; it was too cold Thursday and Friday. We thought we were just stupid and couldn't figure it out then the poor steward had to explain there is no heat just degrees of the centralized air conditioning (per room steward if this is incorrect I accept no culpability) and showed us how to adjust the 3 vents to make the room as warm as possible. Our table mates also complained of their particular rooms being too cold.

 

The particular staff we dealt with were pleasant and accommodating. As noted above our steward explained the vents to us, patiently, and when we returned from dinner there was an extra blanket on my side only of the bed (DH had told steward he was "fine"), an extra blanket folded for me to use when not in bed, and two packages of hot tea and hot chocolate with a note with a smiley face on it in our towel animals "arms." This kind of won me over and thus I am certain biased me. It About 15 minutes into dinner the first night DH and I were very unhappy with our dining arrangements and I feigned illness so we could flee. I figured we would just have to deal with it, but on the way out the maitre d' stopped us, inquired, I was honest (thankfully) because he immediately moved us to a different table. From which point forward I am certain I was known as a trouble maker in the dining room (;) ). We had splendid service at the coffee bar. There was indeed a sour-faced drink server on Lido; I noticed her several times. Otherwise, other than our waiter and his assistant, we didn't interact directly with a lot of staff. The one time we did visit a bar one of the staff from the coffee bar was manning it. The kindly man at the purser's desk gave me a handful of meclizine and a sympathetic smile. The same person delivered our room service each time. Again, we did not participate in a lot of activities in other areas and so I cannot speak to that.

 

The adults only area that is being added to the ships will be a very welcome addition (though I don't think it has a pool?), even though only on Sunday did we see many children (we had late dinner at 8:30). Of course, Friday the kid would have sloshed right out of the kids pool and thus it was closed and we stayed aft on that deck, it was lovely. I didn't really pay attention to the teens as we were there to get away from children of all ages.

 

And on the very bright side -- in U70 there are definitely no bedbugs.

 

We did find debarkation to be a huge anxiety producer partially because we didn't realize there were 25 groups. I would have insisted (to DH) we do self-debark if I had known that. The instructions as we understood them were also, well, wrong. We were told we could stay put with our door open so we could hear and we could go to Lido or promenade if we wanted. But the poor steward came in at 10 and said very politely he was sorry, he knew we wanted to stay, but he had to ask us to go. We used a porter but we overheard that by the time we got off the ship (about 10:30) the customs line was well over an hour long.

 

Again, we may have cruised entirely differently then the OP and just happened to be on the same ship. On a ship with 2200+ passengers and I have no clue how many staff it would be entirely possible for us to deal with completely different staff, common areas, and have two different experiences.

 

 

My husband and I boarded the Carnival Ecstasy on 1/3/08 from Galveston and we were really excited about taking another cruise (first was with Disney). I read that this boat was recently updated but we felt that we were stuck in the 70s with the decor. If this were the only problem with the boat - it would be easy to overlook but that was only the beginning.

 

The boat not only reeked of cigarette smoke but the haze was so thick it seemed that you could cut through it. We smelled like smoke just walking through the casino, etc. The library even smelled like cigarettes.

 

A few other issues were the quality of the food which was not close to the superiority of Disney’s dining experience and food. Interestingly enough – we overheard much talk about how disappointed passengers were regarding Carnival’s food. We expected much more! My husband and I joked that passengers should definitely try the Fruit Loops – that was the best thing on the breakfast menu.

 

To make things worse the boat was not properly air conditioned. It was very hot everywhere except for our cabin. Speaking of the cabin – it was sufficient.

 

The staff often looked like they just woke up and went to work. Many were not pleasant to be around.

 

We did not cruise with our son, 16, but saw many long-faced teenagers lounging in windows around the boat. I felt horrible for them. Younger children, which there were many, were occupied but events seemed to be lacking for older kids. Unfortunately the boat also did not have an adult only pool. I assume this is because of the SMALL size (70 ton) of the boat. Disney (85 ton) had many adult only areas.

 

I prefer to stay cancer free so will definitely never sail on Carnival again. Instead I’ll sail on Voyager of the Sea (130 ton) if leaving from Galveston because "beginning January 2008, smoking is permitted only on cabin balconies, on the starboard side of open decks and in the designated smoking areas of public rooms. Any passenger caught smoking in a cabin will be charged a $250 penalty"

[tkportersat]

Me too, I guess the 4 times I went I was really lucky :)

Even my mom who is a bonafide RC cheerleader enjoyed our two trips on the Ecstasy.

 

Have a good 8th trip!:cool:

 

to each his own...

 

I'm sailing the Ecstasy for the 8th time on January 31.

 

I love that ship!

[Kurbanfan]

My cruise on the Ecstasy was just that bad. I have no desire to try the bigger Carnival ships. I am still trying out other brands before I declare a winner but for my money I don't want that kind of disappointment again. NCL is next to appease my family since they hate formal and fixed time dining. Next will probably be Princess and I do have another RCCL cruise booked.

 

That's certainly your choice, but I have to say I think you are missing out on some really great ships......

Good Luck!

[TxMommy929]

I wanted to add -- at our table were two couples whose first cruise it was and they both said they would never cruise again. One hated being trapped, which I think is the nature of the beast and is going to happen, and one hated waiting in lines. We were fortunate and never waited behind more than one person, but I can imagine this would have been very frustrating.

 

Plus there were two women trapped in the atrium elevator Friday and I am sure they also had a different cruise experience than my husband and I....

[firefly333]

How about an an opposing view. I agree with the OP and I hated the ecstacy.

It was my first cruise and was almost my last. It took a long time to even consider another cruise. The food was plain bad, there were very few activities the staff indifferent. RCCL on the other hand was fabulous, and now I love cruising. To each his own, but for me it will never be Carnival.

 

i always find it strange that folks take the time to read posts and to reply on boards they have no plans to ever cruise on in the near future.

 

i love princess, but probably until they come back to texas, i will continue to rarely read a post on that board.

 

id be curious (where is cruisecruisecruise when you need a poll?) how many folks keep up with posts about cruiselines they dont have plans on using?

 

i dont think anyone disagrees with the op that disney is a fun cruiseline, they are just reacting to some of the negatives the op is stating.

 

disney is known for enforcing rules. if the pool or hot tub is adults only and children get in, disney makes them get out. i agree to me this is an area disney excels and in their shows.

[Kempa]

I have cruised Princess and Carnival. With equal prices and itinerary, i would cruise with Princess. But they aren't. When I decide on a cruise, first I look at the dates that I can, then I do a lot of research on what is available.

 

For my forthcoming cruise, I was ready to book on Celebrity for a reasonable price when I noticed a port-intensive cruise on Carnival for a lower price. That is how I make the decision, based on cost, itinerary, and value for the money.

 

Now, how does Carnival (Victory) compare to (Grand) Princess?

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation - different ports, I don't care to comment.

Cabins - Carnival has a better layout and more spacious shower.

Decor - Carnival is more like Las Vegas, Princess is more understated elegance.

Dining experience - Food and service seemed to be better at Princess, but it might have been just our waitstaff that was more competent. On Princess we were a large group at one table, on Victory we were two at a table for eight and had a lot of fun. Depends on who is at your table.

Room steward - Both provided excelent service. Carnival has the towel animals, Princess doesn't.

Activities and shows - Pretty much the same.

Casino - The same.

Dancing - I found both to be a little weak on the dance venues.

Purser's desk - Princess always had a long line, Carnival didn't, but we probably chose a better time to go there.

Pools - Princess has fresh water and the pools were larger than Carnival's.

 

All that said, both belong to Carnival Corporation. They just offer different products at different styles for people who want one or the other. They also offer Cunard, Costa, HAL, and the smaller ships of their other lines. You can choose from their menu and get what is the best experience for you.

 

The OP seems to be a Disney cheerleader. If she wanted an experience similar to Disney, there are other items on The Carnival Corporation menu that might be more appetizing to her. If she wants low price, she can choose from Carnival or Costa. If she wants an upper-upper atmosphere, she can choose Cunard or Seabourn, but these will not be on Carnival's price point.

[RoofingPrincess]

to each his own...

I'm sailing the Ecstasy for the 8th time on January 31.

I love that ship!

Rub it in, Stir, rub it in! :D

See you in September!

[J Free 203]

have fun on your RCCL cruise but this in no way embodies ALL CLL ships or sailings!

[Karlyn8]

If you Sailed Destiny for your 1st Carnival Cruise, you might be disappointed based on what I can tell from Cruise Critic. You might think that Carnival is pretty low rent.

 

 

MMMM - My first cruise in June, 2004 was on the Destiny, the second in June, 2006 was on the Destiny and my third in June, 2008 will be on the Destiny. I had a wonderful time each year or I would not have returned to that ship. Never once was I dissapointed in my choice. And Never once did I feel that the Carnival Destiny was "Low Rent."

[NorseFarmer]

Isn't it grand that we are all different. I just love that old "BOAT":)

[kinggartk]

 

 

MMMM - My first cruise in June, 2004 was on the Destiny, the second in June, 2006 was on the Destiny and my third in June, 2008 will be on the Destiny. I had a wonderful time each year or I would not have returned to that ship. Never once was I dissapointed in my choice. And Never once did I feel that the Carnival Destiny was "Low Rent."

 

Sorry...Didn't mean to offend...it just seems there are more negative comments on this website about Destiny than any other Carnival Ship. I have never been on Destiny, So I don't know from experience.

[bmw mama]

Sorry...Didn't mean to offend...it just seems there are more negative comments on this website about Destiny than any other Carnival Ship. I have never been on Destiny, So I don't know from experience.

 

 

Just got back from my first Carnival cruise... conquest.. Beautiful Ship ! Food terrible compared to Royal Carribean...But, I will go back on the conquest...reason: I love cruising !!!! I leave on the Voyager March 9 and I will let you know if the food is better on this ship.. I guess you just never know about the food. I am just thankful that I am able to cruise any cruiselines I want. I do love going out of Galveston and we will be stuck with only Carnival cruise lines !! starting this summer. so, I guess I will just have to suffer !!lol,lol:p

[Mikew0805]

We smelled like smoke just walking through the casino, etc. The library even smelled like cigarettes.

 

RCI will still have smoking in the Casino.

 

 

I prefer to stay cancer free so will definitely never sail on Carnival again. Instead I’ll sail on Voyager of the Sea (130 ton) if leaving from Galveston because "beginning January 2008, smoking is permitted only on cabin balconies, on the starboard side of open decks and in the designated smoking areas of public rooms. Any passenger caught smoking in a cabin will be charged a $250 penalty"

 

Well, to stay cancer free you are going to have to do a heck of a lot more than stay away from Carnival, including staying away from all carbon producing motor vehicles, processed food, pollution, certain laundry detergents, certain toothpastes... and the list goes on and on.. so good luck avoiding all carcinogens.

 

I hope your next cruise is much better than this one, and free of all carcinogens. :D

[Tapi]

My husband and I boarded the Carnival Ecstasy on 1/3/08 from Galveston and we were really excited about taking another cruise (first was with Disney)"

 

Thanks for taking the time to write your review on the Ecstasy. Here are my two cents:

 

I read that this boat was recently updated but we felt that we were stuck in the 70s with the decor. I agree. It's more like the 80's or early 90's but even though I like Carnival, I've never been a huge fan of the Farcus decoration

 

We smelled like smoke just walking through the casino, etc. The library even smelled like cigarettes. Yes, there's a lot of smoking near the casino (but considering that Disney doesn't have a casino, it's hard to make a direct comparison)

 

A few other issues were the quality of the food which was not close to the superiority of Disney’s dining experience and food. Interestingly enough – we overheard much talk about how disappointed passengers were regarding Carnival’s food. We expected much more! My husband and I joked that passengers should definitely try the Fruit Loops – that was the best thing on the breakfast menu. Like someone mentioned, food is subjective, but when Carnival won in 2007 the award for best main dining room cuisine on Porthole Magazine's Reader's Choice Awards, it's hard to side with the OP on this one. I always look forward to certain dishes every time I cruise, like the rack of lamb, chateaubriand, etc. Never dissapointed with these....!

 

To make things worse the boat was not properly air conditioned. It was very hot everywhere except for our cabin. I always have to bring a sweater!

 

Speaking of the cabin – it was sufficient. Good luck with the RCCL cabin on the Voyager.

 

The staff often looked like they just woke up and went to work. Many were not pleasant to be around. Sadly, many of these ship employee's indeed just woke up and went to work. I've spoken with some of them and many times they get just a few hours of sleep every night. Sad.

 

We did not cruise with our son, 16, but saw many long-faced teenagers lounging in windows around the boat. I felt horrible for them. Younger children, which there were many, were occupied but events seemed to be lacking for older kids. Didn't Carnival's Children's program beat Disney's kids program in the same 2007 Porthole Awards??

 

Unfortunately the boat also did not have an adult only pool. I assume this is because of the SMALL size (70 ton) of the boat. Disney (85 ton) had many adult only areas. You will definitely LOVE Evolutions of Fun with the new Adults Only Area

 

I prefer to stay cancer free so will definitely never sail on Carnival again. Instead I’ll sail on Voyager of the Sea (130 ton) if leaving from Galveston because "beginning January 2008, smoking is permitted only on cabin balconies, on the starboard side of open decks and in the designated smoking areas of public rooms. Any passenger caught smoking in a cabin will be charged a $250 penalty Aboard Carnival you are also limited to the starboard side of open decks, designated smoking areas of public rooms (although the policy for cabins remains untouched). By telling smokers that they can't smoke in their cabins, that means they WILL be smoking in public areas. And with 1,000 extra passengers to deal with on a Voyager class ship, that adds up to a LOT of extra smoke....!

[Stircrzy]

Just got back from my first Carnival cruise... conquest.. Beautiful Ship ! Food terrible compared to Royal Carribean...But, I will go back on the conquest...reason: I love cruising !!!! I leave on the Voyager March 9 and I will let you know if the food is better on this ship.. I guess you just never know about the food. I am just thankful that I am able to cruise any cruiselines I want. I do love going out of Galveston and we will be stuck with only Carnival cruise lines !! starting this summer. so, I guess I will just have to suffer !!lol,lol:p

 

But only until the new Bayport Terminal opens for business!! I'm anxiously awaiting the news on the opening and on what lines will be cruising from Bayport!

[wentworth]

Sorry...Didn't mean to offend...it just seems there are more negative comments on this website about Destiny than any other Carnival Ship. I have never been on Destiny, So I don't know from experience.

 

 

Not everyone thinks the Destiny is low rent. We've been twice and would

go again. Had a wonderful time and loved the islands. Understand it is

relocating to FL. Lots of others have given good reviews, especially

recently.

[ballarinamom]

I have to admit, our recent cruise was a trial run for Carnival. We took our first on the Holiday over 15 years ago and wanted to give it a try again. Our Conquest Balcony was $1,500 less than the Voyager. Even though we had a good time, Conquest wreaked of smoke everywhere we went. And Cigars more than anything. The food was average and several of the crew were actually fighting and cursing each other. Our waiters were great as was our cabin steward. But even our DD6 said she prefered RCCL.

[cruzn buckeye]

Fruit loops? What about the omelot station. Made to order or you can get eggs there anyway you want them except scrambled.

[Kurbanfan]

Fruit loops? What about the omelot station. Made to order or you can get eggs there anyway you want them except scrambled.

 

Yes...last time I ordered one I asked him if he could put a little more egg in my grease:eek: