7/20 Elation Mini Review

[pryd]

Just got off the Elation yesterday, the cruise was all in all great. The embarkation process needs lots of work. The Cruise director was a little stage shy but redeamed himself to me in a big way. Anytime dining was a very different and fun experience for me. The staff were superb.

 

I know, lots of blurbs, but here is the breakdown. San Diego pier. HOT and very humid hangar is how I would describe it. Two seperate sections for waiting to boarding 1st section, containing 5 sets of guests were like me... Platinum and VIP, and the other section, and the most crowded were the regular guests. There were large fans blowing air to cool off the waiting areas but the regular guests were trying to sneak over the the VIP section, they were asked to go back most of the time. Now here is where the nice meets the not so nice, as there were only about 20 people in VIP we were supposed to be escorted through the screening, party by party, and then to get our cruise cards. Well the Carnival attendant has to escort 1 small group at a time and during this time they also opened up the regular guest lines to screen. Well mass confusion and chaos was in store. When I finally made it through the initial evaluation (Whether I was VIP enough I guess) I was led through, as well as every other guest, to the screening, then just as soon as I get to the VIP section where the agent is supposed to help me, she holds up a paddle for the regular guests to check in. Well, I was very patient, stood to the side, and the guests were checked in, then as I checked in there was a problem, my cabin that I chose was not on my reservation...I was getting a little nervous but then learned that my cabin was changed. I had never heard of an assigned cabin being changed, I was no longer in my 1A E189 cabin I was in cabin E70, an ocean view cabin. So the wait was worth it after all. Trying to get into the cabin early, as I usually do, to drop off my stuff was more difficult this time. All the cabin stewards that saw me coming down the hall would tell me to go back out the doors and wait till 1:30pm. Never happened before but I understood. Had the obligatory Lido Lunch and snuck back to the cabin, un dietected this time. dropped off my backpack and was out exploring the Elation. It was about this time I remembered that everything associated with my reservation would be coming to E189 and not to E70. So I took a gamble abd went back through the forbidden Fire Doors to Empress deck and "Bribed" a cabin steward to let me in to E189 to get all the stuff that would be waiting for me there. Got the gift card notice, the platinum perks and excursion envelope and off I went to guest services to ask about the luggage. I got the normal lies from the guest services that Oh Yes your bags will be delivered to your "New" cabin of course they know about the change...and of course it did not work out tht way.

 

After the lifeboat drill I went back to visit E189 and there were my suitcases just waiting for me. So I grabbed them and drug them back to their new home E70.

 

The cabin itself was a handicapped accessible cabin and located 30 feet away from the atrium bar and the internet cafe. The noise was noticible at night but I am a heavy sleeper and it did not bother me. My cabin steward even got me a duplicate set of my Platinum docs, on the 2nd day. As always the stewards work was fantastic and even though I had anytime dining he seemed to know when I would be gone to make up the room.

 

on 2nd day I got the Glory Kitty for another poster and got her ready to ship out when I got to Catalina. Went on an excursion to see the other side of Catalina and the wild Buffalo thta were there. Tip...you have to get a cookie from the airport in the sky they are the best in the world.

 

More to come

Pryd

[dizzlepop]

Thanks! Looking forward to the rest -- we're on Elation Monday :)

 

~gigi

[bananakennedy]

Great start! And I'm so looking forward to the rest as well. Its been awhile since someone posted a review on the Elation.

[yogimax]

thanks!

[pryd]

Sorry it took so long to finish the review, catch up things got in the way.

 

So after Catalina with the buffalo, and wonderful and heavenly cookies, We set sail for Ensenada. I got off the ship early to do the shopping for my friends. I always get a list of things to bring back form Mexico. Returned to the ship and dropped off my packages then against my better judgement and being bored I decided to venture back out and take the "La Bufadora" excursion, not through the cruise line, but the one offered through the shopping shuttle that takes you downtown. Well after a wait in the shuttle for nearly 1 hour for it to "Fill" up we took off on the road trip to the La Bufadora. The bus had a total of 7 people on it and the scenery was mostly run down typical Mexico and some farmland. when we got to the side close to the Bufadora we say some large fishing ships with white rings floating near them. These were Tuna pens. Thehy catch the Tuna in Mexico, feed them till they get larger and then float them to Japan, where they are sold as live Tuna and get a good price.(So the story is told anyway)

 

Before I go on, let me warn you, if you ae at all uncomfortable about being cornered, blocked off, harasses, cajoled, coralled, or shouted at then DO NOT GO TO THE LA BUFADORA! The "Gauntlet" was about a block and a half full of very very pushy, touchy and loud and insistent vendors trying to sell you eveything from Art to ******. the Bufadora, once you got there was so crowded you could not see anything, but a little patience, and I was able to worm myself into a perfect viewing of a great blowhole spouting sea water high in the sky and making a whistle noise as it erupted. The time alloted for the stop was 1 and a half hours but you truly only need 30 minutes...if...you can get through the "Gauntlet" unschathed. So the seven of us loaded with the booty that was thrust upon us by the hoarded of merchants were shuttled back to the pick up place. This is where the excursion got very interesting. Just when you think you are done for the day, you get a special free entertainment bonus that you never expected. One of the passengers, a woman of considerable size, decided that she would "Dip her feet" in the small pool that was built in at the small shuttle area. She blurted this out to the driver who could speak no english, and off she went. Not only did she get her toes cooled she went swimming for about 10 minutes. And here is the What Were You Thinking part...she had no towel to dry off. so she pulls herself pooling water the whole way onto the shuttle and tries to plop into her seat, well maybe squish would be more percise. Anyway the driver freaked out and off he ran to get some garbage bags to cover the seat with before she could drown the poor thing. For the life of her she could not understand what all the fuss was about, "Life is painless for the Brainless". Back to the ship we went. Sailed off for San Diego. Since I am a Platinum cruiser I was given a notice to meet @ Drakes bar to disembark the ship. This is where the memory maker happened. The Cruise Director, Stu, came into Drakes and asked for any Platinum cruisers to hold up their hand, well I was the only one who did. So he asked me to follow him and I got personally escorted to the front of the disembarkation line. This was a great personal touch I did not expect, and Stu, even carried one of my bags for me to the area. It was on my flight back to Vegas that I realized in my haste to get everything checked, packed and double checked I had forgotten some debit and credit cards in the safe back in my cabin. A quick, monday morning call took care of that, they will be sending my things back to me Fed Ex and they should arrive on Monday 8/3. So the trip started badly got progressivley better, took a big downward dip in Ensenada and finished as a highlight in my Cruising history. Could you ask for more? I don't think so!

[Froufie]

Could you ask for more? I don't think so!

Yes you could.....you forgot to mention how much better the trip would have been with your favorite cruise companion along!!!:D:D

 

After the lifeboat drill I went back to visit E189 and there were my suitcases just waiting for me. So I grabbed them and drug them back to their new home E70

. I know you always seem to have problems with your 'wandering luggage' - wondering what kind of drugs you used to make them comply this time? ha ha ha ha:D:D

[yogimax]

Thank you. Congrats on the upgrade!

[Kurbanfan]

Since I am a Platinum cruiser I was given a notice to meet @ Drakes bar to disembark the ship. This is where the memory maker happened. The Cruise Director, Stu, came into Drakes and asked for any Platinum cruisers to hold up their hand, well I was the only one who did. So he asked me to follow him and I got personally escorted to the front of the disembarkation line. This was a great personal touch I did not expect, and Stu, even carried one of my bags for me to the area. It was on my flight back to Vegas that I realized in my haste to get everything checked, packed and double checked I had forgotten some debit and credit cards in the safe back in my cabin. A quick, monday morning call took care of that, they will be sending my things back to me Fed Ex and they should arrive on Monday 8/3. So the trip started badly got progressivley better, took a big downward dip in Ensenada and finished as a highlight in my Cruising history. Could you ask for more? I don't think so!

 

This is what I love about cruising platinum on the Elation........Stu is such a great guy........

Sadly he will be moving over to the Spirit.......we will miss him on our short Cabo trips on the Elation........

[GTVCRUISER]

I have been on the Elation many times , Stu has taken me to the front of the line on the Tenders in Cabo, and he always takes the Platinum people off the ship first. He is one of the best , we will miss him.

[dizzlepop]

We just got off Elation, and I agree that Stu-I'm-not-the-Geiko-Gekko was delightful!

 

We had a great time on this cruise. Maybe I'll do my own review...

 

~gigi

[Darlipoo]

I too am booked in E189 in a couple of weeks. By any chance did you get to see what it looked like inside???? Inquiring minds want to know. I never thought one could get an upgrade from a 1A. How many cruises does it take to be platinum?