Fascination Review with lots of pics 12/27/08-1/1/09

[jump4jai]

Dessert!

 

Lemon Mousse

 

Belle Helene

 

After lunch we went to lay out but most of the chairs were occupied...by towels, not people. We wanted to sit by the pool but no chairs so we went up 2 decks where we found chairs. We layed out for awhile but it was too windy for me. I left my sister there and went on the kitchen galley tour at 4pm. They really just walk you through the kitchen in a line because there were about 200 people wanting to tour it. We did learn that all the uneaten food gets put into a processor and then released in the back of the ship to be used for fish food. I felt better about not eating some of the stuff I did not like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jump4jai]

 

 

 

 

 

[jump4jai]

 

 

 

 

 

[jump4jai]

My sister and I met up in the room around 6pm and dressed up for dinner since it was New Year's Eve. Our waiters were happy to see us and said they missed us last night. We were happy to see them and they said that they would party with us later that night since most of the staff had the night off for the holiday. We never did meet up with them and at dinner that was the last time we saw them. So sad!

 

 

 

Spinach, Arugula, Watermelon, and Berries

 

Creme Flan with Fresh Berries

 

Spinach Fettucine with Chicken Tetrazzinni - ok

 

[jump4jai]

Dessert!

 

Feuillete with Carmelized Apples and Vanilla Creme - yummy

 

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake - yummy

 

After dinner was the 80's show in the Palace Theater. It was one of the better shows but it was still cheesy. My sister and I went up to the Lido deck for the New Year's Eve party but it was very windy and cold and our dresses were blowing up. We decided to go back to our room to change into warmer clothes. This was the only night we needed to wear jeans and sweatshirts at night because it was so cold and chilly. Only when we started drinking and dancing did we warm up enough to stop shivering.

[GraceGirl]

This is the BEST review EVER!!!!!!! Thank you so much! I can't wait until we sail in less than a week!!!!!!!!

[Lgarth]

I hope this shows up as this is my first picture upload. Great review BTW.

We were on this same cruise. This shot was taken as we backed into the slip. As you can see, the yacht is docked sideways and blocked in by the Carnival ships.

 

This is not a yacht, it is a Navy vessel. Been sitting in the same place since my 1st trip there in 2002. They may move it but don't know when.

[MLAinVA]

Thanks for your great review and pictures. We leave next Monday on this same trip.

Happy sails to you.

Mary Lou

[Kcarp]

I'm really enjoying your pics & review, thanks for sharing. :)

[ellenmb]

Just had to add a thank you for the great review and pics..very nice and tiding me over til our next one:) thanks again!

[davethomasowns]

Thank you for taking the time to post. Can't wait till my next cruise now.

[terryde]

I have read a lot of reviews on these boards, and this is one of the best. Your pics were great and I especially loved the pics of food with your reveiws! You did a great job! Thank you.

[GraceGirl]

Thanks for your great review and pictures. We leave next Monday on this same trip.

 

Happy sails to you.

Mary Lou

 

We'll be on the same cruise!! Just look for the tall bald guy with the small, short girl with dark features. We stick out like a sore thumb. This is our first cruise, and I can't wait!!!

[bobsfamily]

We leave in 2 days! HA

[Georgiagolfer]

Great review jump. We leave on 2/7, but we are going to HMC and Nassau. Hopefully we can have some of the good weather you had. We come back to Jacksonville on Thursday the 12th, and the shuttle is supposed to launch that morning. Hopefully we will be able to see it when it goes off.

[starlight0229]

Do the baked apples come with a vanilla sauce? I'm used to them being served for dessert and not for breakfast...

[cruz.n.carebear]

I cannot wait! 11 more days! But I'm a little worried after reading all of the menus - what am I going to choose to eat???? :p Loved all of your pictures - they are so good!

[MLAinVA]

We'll be on the same cruise!! Just look for the tall bald guy with the small, short girl with dark features. We stick out like a sore thumb. This is our first cruise, and I can't wait!!!

 

We'll keep an eye out for you. You're gonna love cruising!

ML

[c u there hershdog]

How did you find out about the galley tour? Was it in the Capers? That would be really interesting.

And thank you for your wonderful review and pictures.

[Georgiagolfer]

How did you find out about the galley tour? Was it in the Capers? That would be really interesting.

And thank you for your wonderful review and pictures.

Most CCL ships offer a general galley tour. It will be listed in the Capers. DW and I did the tour on Glory last year and enjoyed. Took about 1 1/2 hours.

[mouche]

Hey Jump, very very nice review girlfriend!!! You are doing and awesome job, I must tell you I have some of the same pics of the Atlantis, and when we were there they were selling the excursion there for $50.00pp. But my girlfriend and I just walked straight through the hotel down by the rooms and out the side door. We walked through the aquarium and out to the beach, we use their chairs and towels and enjoyed 4hrs of sun and fun with no problem mom. My girlfriend said I was crazy, because I said girl just walk like you belong and we'll be fine. :D And we were, after the beach we walked around the whole resort which was really crowded and no one ask us for anything. Guess we just got lucky... I like to think that it was a blessing though. Just though I would share that. Good job on your review!!

[spideyfam]

I have really enjoyed reading your review. My husband and I did this same cruise back in September with friends of ours. Can't wait to see how the end of your cruise went.

[jump4jai]

starlight0229 - the baked apple is one apple that has yellow skin and it is served cold with no sauce or flavoring that I know of.

 

c u there hershdog - the galley tour was listed in the capers on the last sea day at 4pm. It might be different for all cruises. One of the maitre d's talks for about 5 minutes in the main dining area and then you just walk through the kitchen in a line which took about 10 minutes.

 

mouche - you were very lucky because even though they said the Atlantis resort was sold out I didn't see many people walking around or on the beach and we would have stuck out like a sore thumb with our Carnival dark blue towels while everyone else had the light blue and white striped ones.

 

 

[bonstersd]

When do we get the rest of your great review?!!!

[jump4jai]

There were two main New Year's Eve Parties on the ship. One was in the Diamonds Club which was 18 and up and the other was on the Lido deck. It was windy and cold so we went to the room to change and then went back on the Lido deck. They handed out complimentary champagne but a guy we just met bought a bucket of the good stuff and kept refilling our glasses. We were dancing and having fun. They really didn't do a countdown like on tv. They just cheered when it became the year 2009. Remember we are on a ship and have no sense of the real time down to the last second so it was more like an estimation. We danced and danced until the party started to die down around 1:00am. I guess since we had to get off the ship the next day most people just decided to go to sleep. We walked around a little bit and alot of teens were still up and wandering the ship. My sister met a nice (drunk) boy. At around 4am we decided to call it a night and go to sleep. This night the ship was the rockiest...We didn't know if it was the choppy waters or all the alcohol we drank!

 

Ice Sculpture by the pool

 

Last Pic of 2008

 

First Pic of 2009