Back from Fantasy 10/23 Sailing

[bonniemari]

We are back and had a great time.

 

Seems the problems from coming back out of drydock have been corrected from what I saw.

 

Where is Rob in VIP when you need him. Apparently since I last sailed the Fantasy in January 08 they changed where the VIP seating is for boarding. The nice lady that checked us in neglected to tell us. She pointed in the general direction of where it used to be. Luckily when they started boarding the 3 huge wedding parties I asked someone and they sent us to the right place. We went over and sat and in a matter of minutes the 3 wedding parties boarded and then we were onboard. We got there around 11:30 and were onboard by 12:15.

 

The crew as usual was wonderful. I saw someone had posted from an earlier sailing about the dealers in the casino not being to friendly and I have to agree. A couple of them where very nice but for the most part they were pretty snotty. And I won so I'm not being a sore loser. But our room steward and waitstaff where great as usual.

 

One more thing-the new chairs on the lido deck are nice. For lack of a better explanation they are rattan looking but are plastic. Goes well with the new look of the Lido deck.

 

We spent a lot of time in the Serenity area and it was great not to have to deal with kids. The only problem I had (and I wrote on my comment card) was there was no bar service. We spent quite a bit of time there on sea days and never once saw a waiter. The hot tubs are actually hot for a change not lukewarm like the other hot tubs.

 

Only smelt the sewage smell once and that was when we ported in Coz on deck 3.

 

The lido area looks awesome-especially when its lit up at night.

 

We took this cruise just to relax and do nothing so I can't comment on the shows or activities cause we did not see any of those.

 

The food was just ok and I am not a fan of the new menu. Didn't care for the new flat iron steak as opposed to the nice strip steak that used to be standard on the menu. It had a great taste but was a bit tough-but at least I did not have to cook it myself-so I was happy.

 

We spent a wonderful and relaxing day at Paradise Beach. We didn't get to Coz til about 9:30 so the ship didn't leave until 7. Nice of the captain to make up the extra time by letting us stay later in Coz.

 

Debarkation for Platinum cruisers worked like a charm. We were told to meet in the Lobby Port side at 7. When we got there at 6:50 there were already tons of people in the lobby. Right at 7 one of the host came walking around checking for Platinum cards and we were escorted up to the front and off the ship we went. We were in our car and on the way home at 7:18. Would have been sooner but it took customs a few minutes to get their computers up and running.

 

Now for my only complaint and take this with a grain of salt cause I am pushing 50. This was the loudest cruise/crowd I have ever been on. The music was blaring everywhere. Lido deck and Casino bar were the worst. Of course people had to scream to talk to each other cause the music was so loud. I haven't taken many 4 day cruises but there were a lot of drunk people which contributed to the loudness. But the drunks were not ugly in any way-just loud.

 

LHP-I was not able to locate your mug. I went to lost and found but sorry to say it was not there. I was able to give Michael in the Lobby Bar your email and he said to tell you and DJ hello. He also complimented you on your wonderful singing. One of these days I'm going to go on the same cruise as you just to hear you sing. Michael was really good. Even the guy playing in the piano bar thought he was wonderful and was standing at the door listening to him when I snuck in there to smoke a cigarette after dinner.

 

So for ya'll with upcoming cruises on the Fantasy she is back in shape so you can expect to have a wonderful time.

[FortyParty]

Thank you for the detailed review. Glad you had a great, relaxing cruise, minus the loud music! I do have a particular question, what is deck 3, where the sewer smell was? I have heard this complaint several times, and I'm very concerned about it. Why can't they fix that problem?

 

Anywho, I'll be on her in June and am anxiously waiting for that day to come!

 

Daphne

[bonniemari]

Deck 3 is where we got off the ship in Coz. The ship's doctors office is also on deck 3. I believe, but am not sure that this is also part of the crew quarters.

 

Sorry for the disjumbled review-I am brain dead from trying to catch up on paperwork. Most of the time its nice to own your own business-except when you come back from taking a few days off.

[LHP]

Bonniemari:

 

So glad you had to good time. Glad that ACD Gary got the Platinum self assist "fixed" . It was a mess earlier this month. (actually Gary forgot us)

 

I know what you mean about Embarkation to. They do so well for VIPs through Security and in the little office...but once you leave that little room...it feels like an chaotic cattle call.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time on your vacation to ask about my mug.

That means the world to me. One of the reasons I love Cruise Critic so much...you meet the nicest folks!

 

I probably won't hear from Michael until Cozumel (that is where the internet is the cheapest). His wife works for Citi Bank and hopefully she can get transferred to San Juan and he can get placed on the Victory based in San Juan. A solution that I suggested. He did not realize that Carnival had a ship BASED in San Juan. When we were talking, he was just hoping to find a ship that had San Juan as one of its stops. That's what they are hoping for anyway. He is just the coolest gentleman. (and not just because he was complimentary about my singing)

 

:o (blushing)

 

As a 50+ myself....I understand about the loud music. As much as I love music....if it is to loud...it just ruins it.

 

Unfortunately, the older I get....the harder it is to hit and hold those notes.

And I get laryngitis at the drop of a hat these days. But I do love to sing.

 

While you were gone....I was a BAD GIRL. We booked the 2 day Splendor to tack onto the 4 day Splendor that we are taking before the 8 day Freedom!!

 

I told my husband that YOU were being a bad influence on me!!!

 

Welcome home....don't work to hard!!!

[bonniemari]

LHP-Michael was such a lovely person. The few minutes I spent talking with him you could tell what a pleasant person he was. Even the guy who played the in the piano bar was enjoying his music. Michael is a very talented person and if Carnival was smart they would do good by getting a transfer to the Victory.

 

You go girl-another few days on a cruise ship-good for you. Like you need my help in being a bad girl and booking more cruises. But that's ok you can blame it on me. I am a confessed cruisaholic. Course I've only done 4 this year and I believe you are way ahead of me for the year.

 

I was supposed to go back on the Fantasy Jan. 1st but one of our employees wanted to go home (Michigan) for the holidays so I had to cancel. We go so much and our employees are so wonderful I hated to tell him no. His whole family was going to be home for the holidays and no way would I let him miss that cause we were on another cruise.

 

But I promise one of these days we will end up on a cruise together cause I really want to hear you sing.

 

I don't know what it was with the noise on this cruise. I have been on the Fantasy 6 times and it never bothered me before. I wonder if they put a new sound system up on Lido. Or maybe with all the additions on Lido there is no where for the noise to go and it just bounces back whereas before there was only open air for it to go into.

 

The TV's on the Lido deck are great. We sat at the Lido bar one evening and had a drink and Larry got to watch some game. Baseball or football can't remember.

 

Guess I need to start planning my next cruise. I am planning on doing Bermuda in April (the only one Carnival does in 2009) but I will need one or two before then.

[Relli1231]

We had a wonderful time. I was with my DH and two of our close friends. There were no problems that I could find with the ship. The smell on deck 3 was noticed and sometimes other places but just for a second not constant. It really wasn't a big deal, no one else I was with noticed it just me and I think because I was looking for it becasue of these boards. The food was good to great. I loved the rotisary Chicken on the lido deck. The stir fry station looked good too but I didn't have a chance to try it. The dinning room food was okay and some of it was quite good. I am a foodie so I am pretty picky. The lobster was Maine lobster and that impressed me as well. I have only had Caribean lobsters on a ship. The desserts were all good the soups were very saltly to my taste. The rooms were great, the lido area was wonderful and tastefully done. (including the tables and chairs). The staff was great for the most part. Lido service at lunch time was slow I could never get a drink (had to have lemonade) and plates were not cleared they just piled up if we went up to get desset or something else to nibble on. We cleared our own table a few different times. Not a huge deal more of an observation. The casnio dealers were a bit cold and I won too. I was told by our DR waitstaff that they (casino workers) are considered ships staff. Not crew. They have different rules etc. for example they can eat in public area's but have to clean up after themselves. Where as the Crew has to eat in Crew Mess. And would get fired for eating passengers food. Other than that the service was great. I did go to a few shows and they were well done, but I was disapointed in Bingo. 20.00 for 3 cards to play one maybe two games. It was mostly used to get you into the showroom for something else that followed it. If bingo was at 10am in the capers they started selling cards at 10am and wouldn't start untill 1130 or 1145am. then they would just play one game. Was more of a waist of time away from doing something else.

Now as far as it being Loud we are 43-54 in age range as well. We noticed this as well with the music etc, and we also noticed that some of the guests were loud and somewhat rude as well. I know this will be taken the wrong way but I'm going to state it anyway. I really enjoyed this cruise and New Orleans itself. It is an amazing city I would love to go back and cruise from there again but I felt that the a large portion of the clientel on this ship were partying and some what disrespectful in the sense they did not care about other passengers or have common curtousy to others. I'm not sure if it was because it was a four day cruise or if it was becasue it was discounted to locals which brough on a lower income clientle. Please don't get me wrong. we met many wonderful people in four days but there was this air about the ship that my husband said he would not leave from there again. We are not snobs at all but we did feel somewhat uncomforatble at times. Please tell me if this is the norm for a four day cruise and five day cruises from NOLA are more what we are use to or was this an isolated random case. (maybe a group we didn't know about or something)

Again I know I sound somewhat snobish I am not at all. It was just different than what I am use to on other vacations and the 5day out of Tampa I took a few years back.

As far as embarkation and dissembarkment they both went well. we got there at 12:30 pm and was on the ship by 1:15 or so. We did self assist on the return we had an early flight so we got to the loby early (not knowing they called self assist by floors) I did go to the disembark talk but missed that some how. I though they ment if you did self assist you had to go to the loby at 7am. anyway I too was impressed that the ACD Rich took the time to walk the crowd looking for platinum members before he let anyone else off the ship. the crowd was growing and alot of people would let this slip by I am not platinum but was impressed that he did that.

I know I was hungry for infomation when I was a few weeks out so I felt I needed to post when I returned. Thank you all for your help. Our next cruise is on Princess so I will be moving over to those boards soon. Thanks for your help. I will be back when I book my next Carnival Cruise.

[bonniemari]

Relli1231-I know what you are saying about the clientele on this cruise. This is the first 4 day cruise out of NOLA I have taken, but I have taken four 5 day cruises on the Fantasy and there just seemed to be a different feel to the 4 day. While no one was ever rude to me it was just a rowdier crowd than I was used to.

[LHP]

LHP-Michael was such a lovely person. The few minutes I spent talking with him you could tell what a pleasant person he was. Even the guy who played the in the piano bar was enjoying his music. Michael is a very talented person and if Carnival was smart they would do good by getting a transfer to the Victory.

 

You go girl-another few days on a cruise ship-good for you. Like you need my help in being a bad girl and booking more cruises. But that's ok you can blame it on me. I am a confessed cruisaholic. Course I've only done 4 this year and I believe you are way ahead of me for the year.

 

I was supposed to go back on the Fantasy Jan. 1st but one of our employees wanted to go home (Michigan) for the holidays so I had to cancel. We go so much and our employees are so wonderful I hated to tell him no. His whole family was going to be home for the holidays and no way would I let him miss that cause we were on another cruise.

 

But I promise one of these days we will end up on a cruise together cause I really want to hear you sing.

 

I don't know what it was with the noise on this cruise. I have been on the Fantasy 6 times and it never bothered me before. I wonder if they put a new sound system up on Lido. Or maybe with all the additions on Lido there is no where for the noise to go and it just bounces back whereas before there was only open air for it to go into.

 

The TV's on the Lido deck are great. We sat at the Lido bar one evening and had a drink and Larry got to watch some game. Baseball or football can't remember.

 

Guess I need to start planning my next cruise. I am planning on doing Bermuda in April (the only one Carnival does in 2009) but I will need one or two before then.

 

 

That is very sweet to put your employee's best interest ahead of your own.

Hope they appreciate such a great boss.

 

I know I asked you about coming on the Blogger's Cruise February 7th. The Cruise Critic lady actually got our cabin $150.00 cheaper than Carnival AND it comes with $75.00 OBC and an additional 'alcohol opportunity'. (free booze party)

 

Unfortunately...it is on the Fantasy...which you have already been on a bizillion times. I know we are going to have a great time.

 

Something to think about!!!

[LHP]

Relli1231 -

 

We did the Fantasy from New Orleans several times last year and the 4 day did have a "different" crowd than the two 5 day cruises that we did.

 

Earlier this month, we did a 4 day and I did not mention it....because just like you...you don't want to sound like a snob....but please...20% acted like they were raised in a barn. They did not know what a rule WAS ...much less how to follow it. And we are not talking about the complicated things...we are talking BASIC MANNERS.

 

And it truly has nothing to do with being a Bubba. I am married to a Bubba and am raising two Bubbas of my own...BUT my Bubbas know how to behave.

 

For example, even as 5 and 8 year olds...come 10PM....our sons knew you don't make noise in the cabin or the hallways. And the oldest (now 20) knows that if he comes in at night after me....he had better not wake me up.....much less some one in a neighboring cabin. The Upper bunk was NEVER mistaken for a Jungle Gym.

 

There is always a "yes mam and yes sir" to the staff AND CREW and a Please and Thank You when warranted.

 

Perhaps it is just because we have cruised out of the New Orleans port more than all the others...but it does seem to draw a clientele that is in the most need of "direction".