I'll start out by saying that this is 4 stars because of the staff, not the ship. We had a fantastic cruise to Bahamas recently. We splurged on a balcony and were upgraded to an extended balcony. The room was bigger and we very much enjoyed the extra room and really took advantage of it. I didn't take pics but the bathroom was huge compared to a regular room. There was a seating area with a couch that we used for suitcases and dressing area. There was a small table with two comfortable arm chairs, a firm yet cozy, queen sized bed and more closets and storage than we needed. The cozy warm pajamas we brought were great so we never needed the fluffy robes provided with the room. The staff really were the stand outs. Virtually anything we asked for we were given. There are so many fantastic opportunities on board for fun, it's difficult to do them all. We most enjoyed the singing duo Thalia and Mike while sitting in the atrium bar. Check them out on the web. We enjoyed all the meals with the stand out being the Chef's Table experience. Really was expertly organized, with the meal so fantastic, it surpasses my ability to put into words. The chef and his staff were absolutely stellar. There were hits and slight misses for us, but overall, a meal to remember. The pork belly may have been my favorite course. The entire experience far surpassed the extra cost. Looking back, I've spent much more for far less. Just seeing all the chefs and staff needed to orchestrate one very special night for their guests and their sincere willingness to knock your socks off will be something I'll never forget. The room service breakfast sandwich was also memorable. I've never ever. EVER. had so much bacon on a sandwich. The egg was herby, fluffy and flavorful. Enough sandwich for two! The Szechuan shrimp from the main dining room was probably our favorite dish / meal outside of the chef's table experience. I had ordered the lamb bolognese, which was a standout on its own, but that shrimp! Really for a meal prepared for so many people at once, never did I think my plate was ordinary. . Our steward was absolutely fantastic and went far above and beyond making this trip extraordinary. Elation is not without her downfalls. She has ONE small pool and it's very sad. She's rusty and WAY overdue for drydock but for the value it hits the mark and the staff made it a VERY memorable trip. read more

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I love this port so much i love it so much so clean and organized big and beautiful amazing it is incredible! Very organized and fun and beautiful and awesome! I appreciate the staff so much thank you so much for everything! From Lauren read more

Everything....the cruise sail off was definitely boring. The food was mediocre and this applies to the fine dining dinner. No fun activities on the ship ...the shows were boring. The only fun thing was getting off the ship at different ports. I couldn't wait to return home. Definitely needed the drink package...ship was quiet by midnight. read more

Carnival Elation - Tours Near Me

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We cruised over 10 years ago. Same ship actually. Kind of surprised I gave it a 4 star considering my wife and I told each other we wouldn't cruise again. Fast forward to Spring Break of 2025. Our friends wanted to go on a cruise while school was out for the kids. Our son has never been on one so we figured why not. The check-in process wasn't terrible. I'm glad we opted for the earlier check-in time, because once we got in line. It started building up. By the time we were on the ship. The line outside passed the blue canopy, that was insane. The muster drill was quick. I would suggest getting that done as soon as you get on the ship. Our room was ready when it was supposed to be. Luckily our checked luggage was near the front door. That wasn't the case for our friends though. We had a window room. There was a bunk bed that came off the wall. Which required the assistant of the steward. It was a decent amount of space for my wife, son and I. TV had more channels available compared to 10 years ago. That was a bonus. There is a mini fridge in the room as well. Only one 120v outlet though. Bathroom was small but that was expected. The food - I'm not going to go into detail but it left a LOT to be desired. If Golden Corral is what tickles your fancy. Then you're in for a treat. Steak and sushi came at an upcharge, fyi. The service - Excellent. The staff works incredibly hard. Assuming things go as planned. More to come on that later. Entertainment - First and second day/night was cool. After that. It was meh. Glad I paid for the Wifi. Activities -- The arcade had a few decent selection of games. There's putt-putt and corn hole at the very top of the ship. The water slides were enjoyable for the kids as well. Although they need some better water flow on the larger slide plus they need to do something about the flooring in that area, because the walking area was HOT! There was a unfortunate event that caused the disembarkation to be delayed. However the staff was absolutely not equipped to handle an unexpected situation. Instead of keeping passengers informed after docking and at least try to coordinate the process. It became total chaos trying to get off the ship. Never again, Hopefully. read more

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I took my first voyage on Carnival Elation March 2024 with a group of friends. I live 20 minutes from port, which was a bonus! Our cruise was from Thursday afternoon to Monday morning. Our first meal was a Guy Fieri burger and fries. So good! I managed to only have one more burger on the last day when we were stuck aboard the ship several additional hours. I participated in the 90s music trivia the first night and won a second place medal. Woo hoo! We arrived at Freeport the next day several hours late, so we hung out at the Serenity deck (no children allowed). There were several chairs for catching rays as well as two hot tubs. It's the most peaceful place on the ship (in my opinion). Plus, it's on the back of the ship, so it's a nice view. Another one of my favorite spots was the Piano Bar, which looked like you were in NYC. We hung here a few evenings. Arrive early if you want a spot at the bar as it gets crowded. And it's a little hot, so dress accordingly. We ate most of our meals in the dining room. This food was much better than the buffet. And the staff was great! If there is soup on the menu, I highly suggest you try it as all the soups were fabulous. The duck was also memorable. We had a blast at the 80s party on the pool deck. Some folks went all out with their clothes and props, which added to the fun. We also did a little gambling. I won $50 at the black jack table, and it was my first time playing. Thankfully, my friend helped me out. The only issue was there was a lot of fog the last morning, so we couldn't come in to port until the fog lifted. The fog, of course, was not Carnival's fault. But what I didn't understand was that it was not organized for debarking the ship. Everyone had a scheduled time to get off the ship, but this was not honored when it was time to get off. Meaning, we should have debarked in the same order, but Carnival did not enforce the schedule. If you live in Jacksonville and haven't tried Elation, I suggest you book your trip! You and your friends will have a blast! read more

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The crew was absolutely amazing! That made everything wonderful. The island owned by Carnival, Relax Away Half Moon Cay, was the most beautiful place I have ever stepped foot. The water was so clear. Loved it! read more

Talk about a good time! Booked a cruise with friends and it was a off week, so kids still in schools, which meant the ship was pretty vacant. I could finally find a chair on the Lido and Serenity areas, and someti.es Noone seen and it was just us 4 Ahhh so Peaceful. Our room are perfect, and our caretaker JA was so adorable! The food was 5 Star as we ate in the restaurants but did grab a Guy Burger in between and that Pizza OMG.. Even though we had some weather we felt safe and taken care of. Alchemy and Piano Bar were hopping and of course the Casino! I lost ug... but my friends won ..some...yeah.. I would definitely do this home port Cruise again. read more

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I spent the entire week of Thanksgiving cruising on the Carnival Elation. Overall, it was an ok experience, however there were both pros and cons that stand out. For starters, this ship is old! It first set sail in 1998 and I fear it hasn't been updated much at all. The decor gives late 90s and the rooms are small as well as outdated bathrooms. Because of the ship's age, I believe that contributed to the lack of activities and amenities provided. Yes, there's a casino, spa, and pools, but as for other entertainment, the comedy club was the only other thing they had to offer. Unfortunately, the comedian for this cruise was subpar, so that didn't make up for anything. The best event on-board was karaoke in my opinion. Also, it's likely attributed to the cruise occurring during the week of Thanksgiving, but omg there were SOOOOO many children aboard!! It was kinda anxiety-inducing and made me realize I need to go on a Virgin Voyages cruise sooner than later. As everyone often mentions, Guys Burgers is an incredible asset to the Carnival brand! I had one (or two) every single day and was pleased every time. The food in the regular dining hall (Tiffany's) was just ok. A bit of a step up from cafeteria dining, but nothing extravagant. Breakfast/dinner in the main dining room was always better and they offer a variety of options as well as the ability to order multiple apps/entrees/desserts at the same time. Would I go on a cruise again? Certainly! Would it be Carnival Elation? Most likely not. I think it's time to lay the Elation to rest. read more

I forgot to review my cruise in early March 2024. My classmate, Robin and I had a wonderful time. We created happy memories. I like the Jaxport checking. It was pretty smooth and fast. Each person was able to carry onboard, one bottle of wine. I also preordered the water package, Wine package, chocolate covered strawberries and the cookie plate. So good! I do not drink(wine or alcohol)very much at all. We came back home with 2 bottles of wine. Our Room attendant was wonderful. The entertainment was great. I did have a pina colada one time and it was very good. The early dining worked out good for us. Food was so so. I would enjoy a cup of coffee after dinner each night. My favorite activity was the Art Auction. Robin won a Thomas Kincaid piece of artwork and I won a bid for two Alcatraz artworks for $100.00! I love my bracelet and I am wearing it now. We would buy the bracelet and first charm and then we would go back each day to purchase the daily charm. So much fun. Pros: Nassau! Cons: The food was so-so. I got lost a lot too. Lol Recommend? Yes, it's a smaller ship and I loved the original bar where you could see all of the above floors. On a larger ship, there is so much more walking to get to where you want to go. We were on the 8th floor near the Customer service and bar with music performances. We had a balcony room and we really enjoyed the balcony a lot. I also prepaid the tips. Worry free! I can't wait until my next cruise. I did gamble and loose some. My friend Robin won over $400! She applied that to her art work auction piece. I like the smaller ship. The pool was fantastic. I enjoyed Nassau and Bimini. Recommend Elation? YES! Pros:everything was good Cons: the delay due to the fog in Jacksonville. We were allowed to board after about a five hours delay. This was not their fault. read more

This was my 3rd Carnival cruise and my 2nd cruise out of Jacksonville to the Bahamas. First - Jaxport is easy to get in & out of. Parking was simple, close to the ship & prepaid before our voyage. Baggage was handled as soon as we got out of the car and checkin flowed very easily. Onboard, we were welcomed by our cruise director, who kept things entertaining all weekend, given our safety briefing in a timely & courteous fashion and allowed into our cabin which was clean & ready for us (my roommate checked with a black light & verified the cleanliness). The food onboard was delicious & plentiful. My Yelp friends & I wanted to take most meals in the dining room and we were not disappointed. Every dish, and there were plenty, was delicious. We saw several shows that were well performed & choreographed. The one disappointment of the cruise was a very lame "comedian" that should have been put ashore. Activities galore! So much to do that we never ran out of fun! The cruise itself was 4 stars, but with my wonderful friends, it was over the moon - 10 Stars! I would do it again in a heartbeat! Thanks Chris, Michelle & Debbie for a great cruise! read more

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Awesome trip to bahamas , only slight is they need to add non port options for omellete bar read more

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This was my second cruise and second carnival cruise, and Carnival Elation burnt me out on cruises for a while. The food was horrible and couldn't accommodate for gluten allergies properly, my girlfriend had to stick to fries and our dinner at the dining hall. The lido deck had few options, and what there were, were not something that felt good to eat. Guy's burgers had some seasoned fries, but the burgers had bad meat quality, either old or freezer burnt. Buns and cheese were fine. Pizza pirate was slow and incorrect, I ordered a Prosciutto knowing there were cheeses I didn't like on the Quattro, but received a Quattro with Prosciutto on it so it could speed up the line. Additionally the gluten free bread option was not flatbread! It was about the thickness of pita bread and crumbled. The sub place had some good gluten free bread for my girlfriend, but the meats weren't quality. They substituted thick cut turkey for deli turkey and hadn't informed her prior. It was cold and slimy even after being toasted. The dining hall was okay, portions were much smaller than the other carnival ship I was on and by the end I had to order two apps and entrees in order to feel full. I usually stuck to fish options, but anytime our group got land meat it was tough and improperly cooked. We had two gluten free people in our group and 2 of the 4 nights they forgot about their food, and had to eat after we usually finished. The melting chocolate cake was either entirely batter or cake all the water through. It never had a cake outer layer with melty batter on the inside. Breakfast was always a disaster. Omelets were undercooked and had tomatoes that must've been old and slimy. The best breakfast food I tasted the entire trip were salmon bagels and basic breakfasts like eggs, sausage, and bacon. Anything like pancakes, waffles, and french toast always had people upset at their choice. We had only decided to go to one premium option, the sushi chef. I previously held the belief that grocery store sushi in the midwest was probably the worst, this has taken the place of worst sushi, and it's not even questionable, nobody in our group of 8 wanted to finish this sushi. It was bad. The Freeport and Nassau ports are uninteresting without excursions. Freeport is covered in shipping containers. And Nassau doesn't have many safe roads to explore and my girlfriend got catcalled by a local. All of the food on the beach didn't open till 1:00pm we only had 8:00am-3:00pm on port. Everything else was just alright and didn't feel too special. The staterooms were clean and met our needs. The layout was simple and easy to get around. Overall, I think this cruise would have been fine if the food was better. It really ruined the whole experience for us and made it feel more like a cage then a getaway. read more

I was in room m91 and Michal was a great stewardess,great at fashion and very energetic,he needs a raise

Our 5 night cruise was way cheaper than any stay at a hotel and came with plenty of food and great entertainment! I went with the interior room deal- but got portholes- so we could have some natural light- yes, they are considered interior probably because it is a small room and the portholes window eat up several feet. Room: small, clean, great stewards, no chairs- which was odd since there was space for at least one chair and small table. I used the huge window area to store cases of soda & other items adjacent to the bed Food: So many choices- I love dining in the formal dining room- but you have to keep in mind everything moves slow here, so relax. You usually have a team of three handling drinks, bread service, food and dessert. Brunch is always delicious- I highly recommend the 12 hour french toast (always). The best dinner I had was the prime rib- cooked perfectly medium-rare and a close second was the braised short rib. Ask to keep the water carafe if you want to drink numerous glasses of water throughout your meal. Lido deck had the buffet- they are open in the morning, close for a short period and reset for lunch and also have dinner options. Pizza Pirate- open till 11pm, serves salads and pizzas- pretty good The Sandwich shop- one of my cruise favorites, who knew Lays chips under a heat lamp were even better? I enjoyed the meatball sandwich and turkey wrap & John love the pastrami Guy's Burger Joint- honestly- I didn't eat a single burger- the line was always obnoxious and I was never in the mood The Blue Iguana Cantina- my food allergy kept me away from here- but the smell of sizzling peppers was tantalizing. Another line that always seemed long. John did enjoy a burrito on our last day They also offer a Sushi bar, coffee shop and numerous various full bars throughout the ship for additional fees. Drinks- pro tip for alcoholic beverages is to order the daily special to save some money Entertainment: You will never catch me in the casino because they allow smoking and I am very sensitive/allergic to the smell. Sing and Dance shows are spectacular. Piano bar is usually my fav- we only went one night. The guy could play but wasn't huge on the singing part- the songs where everyone joined in were the most fun. Comedy club- we did not partake (which is unusual). I loved the violinists that were playing in the Atrium & the steel drum player. That bar was always packed for good reason- but you could enjoy the entertainment from above. Spa- over priced, but you're on vacation and nothing says relax more than massage! I even got a facial! I won a $75 gift certificate- which really only meant I spent more money in the spa. Little known perk- there is a wet and dry sauna that you can use for free during open hours. Bring on the steam! Our cruise was hampered by thunderstorms both days in port- which literally put a damper on things, but we took it in stride and just enjoyed the ship. Another tip- look at whatever country you are traveling to for their national holidays. We were in Nassau on a holiday and half of the shops were closed. We did not research that and I do regret it. read more

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Spring 2021, we booked CarnivalElation from Jacksonville, FL. The ship was switched out with Carnival Spirit due to Elation scheduled for dry dock. We loved Carnival Spirit. Great ship. The thing that stood out the most was a staff member at the port - the terminal. Her name was Debby Howard. She was super nice and professional. Great asset to the team for sure. read more

Carnival Elation - Carnival Spirit - Jacksonville 2021 - Tours Near Me

It pains me to leave this one star review as we love our Carnival Fun Cruises. But this was by far the WORST cruise we have been on (and we cruise quite a bit! This was our 10th cruise). Let me start with the continuous harassment to buy things... no matter how many times you say no thank you the staff continues to try to sell you whatever they have at that moment... extra drinks, cups, jewelry, but the spa ladies were the worst at refusing to take no for an answer. It kind of ruined the spa experience for me. The stateroom was dirty. It was clean as in clean sheets and vacuuming done but the window sill had grim on it that turned the towel black when I tried to clean it enough to enjoy the view from the window I paid to have. The vanity was sticky and definitely wasn't clean when we got our room. Our shower looked like it had not been washed. The hardware was actually broke in there and fell off the wall multiple times. Our room Stew was no where to be found the entire trip. The TV service is out dated and played the same three movies on a loop for the whole cruise... yes, I know that people don't pay to be in their rooms however we did have some rough seas and due to being ill we stayed in the cabin for a bit... they had also closed the pools and put up signs the outside decks were closed. The food was so inconsistent. The portions were small. Meats were poor quality and two nights out of the three were undercooked. The buffet closed earlier than scheduled times and opened later than scheduled times. It took over 30 minutes to get a slice of pizza. Alcohol drinks were inconsistent throughout the whole ship. It took going to three bars to get a simple Bahama Mama made correctly. Staff was pretty much on auto pilot and were inconvenienced by any requests. At breakfast one day my husband wanted a second cup of coffee and the waiter ignored him every time we tried to ask. The entertainment was lackluster. But the worst was the lack of security and guest control. Several people were smoking pot on the ship and it was all you could smell in some areas. Teenagers running wild all night long stealing door decor and banging on all the doors in the hallways at 2am. Jumping off the stairs, throwing ducks from balconies onto the atrium bar on lower floors. The only positive I have for this cruise was the easy debarment process and the excursion in Nassua. But 100% DO NOT RECOMMEND THE ELATION. read more

My mother, daughter, and I took a four day cruise on the Elation Carnival ship from Jacksonville to Freeport, Bahamas & Bimini for their birthdays. This was my daughter's first cruise. It has been a little over a decade since I last cruised. So there were alot of different things compared to the cruises I have been on in the past. Originally our excursions were scheduled for Freeport and Nassau however a few weeks before we left the port stop was changed to Bimini. Our excursion for Freeport was a dolphin encounter were we were able to pet and be close to the dolphin. The Bimini excursion we picked was the 360 private beach. If we had gone to Nassau like originally planned we had booked the snorkeling excursion. We had purchased all our excursions online prior to boarding, it was quick and easy and the excursion tickets were delivered to our room. Elation is one of Carnival's smaller vessels and was built back in 1998 so as the cruise director stated they don't necessarily have all the new bells and whistles like some of the newer vessels like a roller coaster. I personally liked that the vessel was smaller which made it easier to find things. I am sure my daughter (15) would have preferred a newer vessel as she stated other than the arcade and pool there wasn't a lot for her to do. Granted carnival offers kids clubs for all age ranges that are divided up to be closer age groups like 15-17. My daughter went one night and left as there were only two other people there and they were just doing crafts. Due to COVID-19 regulations they only booked about 1,420 people on this trip. Also you must wear a mask when exiting and boarding the ship from excursions and it was highly recommended to bring a copy of your COVID vaccination if you were leaving for port as some places required it. We enjoyed both excursions our favorite was the dolphin excursion;you get dolphin kisses. We booked the cruise back in August, Carnival has a payment plan for those that need it along with a credit card that gives points towards future cruises and or excursions. The website and the app are easy to navigate. The app is helpful for when you are on the ship as Carnival is trying to go paperless on the cruises. You can find on the app the dining options with menus and times, current and upcoming activities onboard, book spa treatments, check how much you are spending, and has a messaging function if you pay for the higher Wi-Fi options to communicate with people in your party. The staff was fantastic onboard!!! I didn't have a negative experience with anyone working there However some staff members out shined others like Abe & Artin in dinning and Marideth in the spa, they went out of their way to ensure we had a fantastic vacation. Some downsides on the cruise was the food was more of a 6 of 10 compared to previous years cruising with Carnival. It is possible this could be an issue obtaining quality ingredients due to the shortages of everything lately. There are dining experiences that cost extra that looked good but I didn't want to spend extra on the food. The comedy shows and the dinner shows also were a bit subpar compared to previous shows I have seen. It gave us something to do since I am not a gambler. One of the glass elevators must have broken the day we boarded the ship as it was out of service the entire time we were on the cruise. So everyone was using one elevator to get to certain floors like the spa or two rooms to attend events. All in all we had a wonderful trip the staff is VERY HARD WORKING and definitely deserve their gratuity. It seems like they never get a break but again always happy to help serve you. read more

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Just finished a 5 day cruise on the elation to the Bahamas. Let me just I will never cruise carnival again. 1st day on board, refrigerator was broken and they refused to replace it....bought us 2 buckets of ice. In my opinion. The food was the worst we've ever tasted at any establishment ever. Make sure you're fully vaccinated otherwise you might be taking home 19 new friends called covid. read more

Carnival Elation - Wieners for breakfast - Tours Near Me

You can always find a great deal on a Carnival cruise. I lost count, but this maybe my 7th Carnival cruise and 2nd out of Jacksonville (Fascination, Elation). Relax, Eat, Drink, and Enjoy. Last 5-day cruise, I gained 7 lbs. This time, 7 lbs. again with all that eating and I even hit the gym 3 times. First day, the pool was out of commission. Good thing they had it opened the following day. Can you imagine a cruise without a pool? Once opened, it was packed. They also have a waterslide one deck up. When it comes to a variety of food served in a casual atmosphere, the Lido deck is the center of it all. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner buffet-style is served. They have a deli that's open until 11 PM and they also have a 24-hr room service, pizza, and ice cream and froyo. You can never go hungry. You're more than likely to get tired of eating. I prefer an intimate dinner service. The food was delicious 4 out of the 5 nights. Three course dinner and I picked 2 of each. From appetizers down to desserts, they were meh. One thing that was also missing was the lobster night. Now, you have to pay additional to get one. I was looking forward on eating 4 lobster tails for dinner just like my previous cruises. What a bummer! My favorite was a stop at their private island, Half Moon Cay, where guests took over the island for the day. The private island of Half Moon Cay is one of about 700 islands of the Bahamas. By design, it has only 50 developed acres intended to keep as much of the island a natural habitat as possible. We indulged in some typical Caribbean foods that are common along this tropical chain. Great time! read more

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oh my golly gorsh!! this was the flipping funnest experience of my gosh diddly darn experience of my life! and i was able to to crap as many times as i wanted (about 30 times) and guys burgers were so scrumptious! i love how the pizza is open until 4am! yum yum yum! the worst part was the custard cake! i miss our waiter rigaberto! savannah was my favorite part of the cruise! (also if you ride conquest you have to meet cisco he is so flipping funny) we also did an amazing excursion called an "oasis," it was fun as flipping heck. i got to swim with the fisheis and turtles! i will be riding carnival again! read more

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It was my first time cruising to celebrate my husband's birthday, so I was expecting to have a great time! First we boarded at Jaxport, it was only 20 minutes away from our home so that was a plus. Then, we embarked on the ship. Be aware that the security process is long. The check in process took us about 2 hours. But as soon as we went on the ship, it was all fun! The buffet was open and we indulged in everything, however rooms were not ready until 1:30 pm. Our cabin was big enough for the two of us and was bigger than expected. The room had a mini fridge, cable tv and a safety deposit box. We had a porthole room which brought in some nice natural light, but I wouldn't recommend a porthole room as it is at the front of the ship as it gets loud in the morning during docking. For the food, they have a buffet and also food stands like Guy's Burger Joint, Blue Iguana which serves tacos and burritos and the Pizza Pirate. They also have a more formal/elegant dining experience in the Imagination and Inspiration dining rooms for dinner. But, we noticed that they served the same food from the buffet in. There is room service available 24hrs room service, but between 10pm-6am there is a fee. Meanwhile for the entertainment, you will not get bored during the cruise because they have different activities throughout the day. The shows that I did not enjoy were the comedy show and the magic show. Both performers were mediocre. They also have a pool but it was very small and crowded. Additionally, they had 3 hot tubs that were not enjoyable due to the weather. Do you want to hot tub in 90-100 degree weather? I think NOT! The part of the cruise that I enjoyed the most were the Port days at Half-moon Cay and Nassau. Both were beautiful! I loved Carnival's private Island, Half-moon Cay. The water was crystal clear and the shore had white sand. Nassau was a great place too although I preferred Half-Moon Cay! Tip: You can bring your own drinks like sodas and alcohol to save some money! Watch the size limits though! Overall, a pleasant vacation and first time cruise experience! read more

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This was my first time on carnival and it was horrible. The itinerary was completely switched up so those who had paid plans different was a sale all the workers at the food stations look super mean like they just hate their job. the whole ship was told after we said that there was problems which means we might not make it to Freeport and to be honest that was the only reason why I traveled all the way from California to Florida take this cruise and go to Freeport because it was a island I haven't seen yet looking at the map. We actually passed Freeport, but yet they tried to tell us we wasn't able to go there because the engines couldn't get the correct speed or some lame excuse, and the only thing they offered was $100 refunded which ended up going on one of the cards from the cabin considering this trip cost over $1000. I expected to get a lot more refunded. The last day, which was now the second day at the sea due to the fact, the island got canceled. The ship was rocky whole day until night. The workers even the comedians were clueless as to what the captain of the ship was doing it should not have been rocking that entire time, and great way to end a cruise. Carnival makes so much money where they should have refunded a bigger amount back to paying customers specially considering we signed up to go to two islands and wasn't able to accomplish that. read more

Most ghetto cruise i've ever been on by far. Not only is it outdated but the staff also had major attitude problems. I got straws thrown at me at the bar because i asked for one and didn't have a frozen drink ??? . So much more i could say but this cruise is just in such a ghetto area im not surprised at all. I would never take this cruise again no matter how cheap it is. The entertainment is also not good and neither is the food. Take your money elsewhere. HAD TO COME BACK AND UPDATE MY REVIEW. My necklace was stolen out my bag. I'm so upset i've had this necklace since i was a baby and now it's nowhere to be found as well i am so upset. I will never be coming back here again. it's just one thing after the other. read more

The ship is very outdated and worn which is really not that big an issue to me. But, the food was not good. The menu choices were as if they were trying to be fancy, but really fell short. The buffet was closed more than open. My main issue was the staff were rude and inconsiderate of passengers who were walking. I stepped out of an elevator and a worker was running past and ran into me. Another time, a worker opened a crew door quickly while I was walking past it and hit my arm with the door knob. Even the security officers stood in the traffic patterns so that passengers had to dodge them. I've never written a bad review before, but I felt like I should warn others. read more

How are things aboard the Carnival Fascination? Just cruisin'. Well duh, it's a cruise ship. But I'm talking about cruising in the metaphorical sense, as in doing just enough to get by. Unfortunately that's how we felt about the service, which was disappointing since we had a better experience on another Carnival ship a couple years back. SHOWS: ----------------------- Cruise ship or not, the musical shows were really good. We really enjoyed the two musical shows with amazingly talented performers. The comedy shows held their own as well. STATEROOMS: ----------------------- Pretty cramped staterooms, especially with four of us sharing a room. The attendants were really good about cleaning our room when we were out, and we loved the different towel animals they left for us every night. Except the last night, when we got some weird looking thing (bunnydog?). Heh, I'm sure the guy tried. FUN VS MONEY: ----------------------- You go on a cruise to have fun, right? But not without paying a pretty penny for some things. Like $20 for a sheet of three bingo squares, where the prize was just a couple hundred bucks. Or overpriced portraits from the portrait-taking night, the vast majority of which get thrown out when they don't sell (so bad for the environment). We got a good deal on the cruise itself - $250 per person (after taxes and fees) for a 4-day cruise to the Bahamas. FOOD: ----------------------- You have the option of eating on the Lido deck (regular food) or in the Sensation Dining Room (fine dining). After breakfast, orange juice on the Lido deck was replaced with lemonade. Cost cutting at work. Most of the food there was decent, and I particularly liked the Mongolian grill. We made it a point to eat in the Sensation Dining Room every night. With items on the menu like Maine lobster, martini-braised basa fillet and prime rib, who'd want to pass that up? Unfortunately, service there was slow - one night we waited 20 minutes for our appetizers to come. We had some courteous waiters and some not so courteous ones. One of the less courteous ones forgot some of our appetizers and gave us the wrong dessert. The food wasn't super fresh, which is understandable given that you're in the middle of the ocean and food needs to be kept frozen to last a few days. OVERALL: ----------------------- The good and bad canceled each other out, leaving us with an acceptable experience that could've been better. I suppose it could've been worse. We sailed last month, during the same time the Carnival Triumph had an engine room fire and lost power in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. That was one of the first news stories I read about the morning we got back to shore. I'm sure this Yelp review would've been very different had we been on the Triumph! read more

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We took a 5-Day/4-Night Cruise to the Bahamas & all I have to say is: What an amazing value! This was our first time on a Carnival cruise ship and the service was outstanding. We had a beautiful ocean view cabin on the Empress Level (Level 7) with a king-size bed that was so comfortable, I could have stayed in the room the whole time & ordered room service. The room smelled clean from the very first night and everyday we were left with an activities list for the day. They cleaned our room anywhere from 3-5 times a day and whenever we went back to it, our bed was made with animal towels on top & chocolates, fresh clean white bath towels and a new bucket of ice. And each person gets their very own robe to use during their stay. Very nice touch! Like many, I read some of the reviews online and expected so much less. And I can honestly say, my boyfriend & I had ZERO complaints. We had a fabulous time and would recommend sailing the Fascination to everyone we know. Service was better than most 5-Star hotels we've stayed at & the food served throughout the trip--from the buffets to the full service dinners--were really exceptional. Steak, seafood, pastas, desserts and drinks galore! Breakfast, lunch and dinner options were self-serve buffets, made-to-order dishes, full service seating where you can order anything and everything on the menu & room service (if you are so inclined & I am STILL craving their shrimp salad & perfect tuna sandwich delivered @ 3AM). We opted for a late full service dinner (8:15pm) every night and our international waitstaff gave impeccable service rivaling any high-end restaurant in the country. Service was super fast & appetizers, main courses, desserts and drinks came out delicious and in perfect timing. During dinner each night, the servers provided fun entertainment either by singing, dancing or both. I cannot give more praise to these guys as they all had awesome attitudes, were ultra professional and consistently super personable. We never once witnessed any complaints or negativity from the staff. Also, we were always addressed by name with "Mr." or "Ms." preceding it. Everyone on staff showed the utmost respect during our trip. There was a sufficient amount of activities such as gambling at the casino, watching nightly live shows, attending comedy hour with different comedians everyday, swimming at the pool, lounging on the many decks, eating until your heart's content, massages at the spa, working out at the gym, dancing at the clubs, chilling at the piano bar, checking out the art museum or going ashore to Freeport or Nassau. You are basically given the freedom to do what you want. This Carnival cruise was really about whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it and since this was a cashless cruise, you don't really have to worry about much unless you're on a pretty strict budget or you feel like you have to buy souvenirs on-board or ashore. Even then, you can check your spending on any of the kiosks on-board using your Sail & Sign card on the ship or you can visit the Straw Market in Nassau and haggle down prices with the vendors. Overall, this was a much needed vacation with little to no stress as everything seemed to be taken care of for you the minute you board the ship. I highly recommend finding the steam room in the spa area, the hot tub on the Serenity deck and going to the back of the ship (top deck) late at night to watch the moon & stars on a lounge chair. Bring a bottle of wine & enjoy! 5-STARS! read more

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Like the previous reviewer said, this is a good choice if you want to go on a cruise without blowing a ton of money. Our stateroom steward, Rommel, was awesome and such a nice guy. He folded so many towel animals over the course of the week, kept our cooler filled with ice, and kept the room stocked with towels and oh so clean. Food in the dining room was really good. We had the Your Time Dining choice, and while it was convenient for us, the service was just so-so since we had different waiters serving us each visit. Food in the buffet was blech. The Mongolian grill on the pool deck was really yummy, but it definitely needs a wider selection of veggies. I wish there were more options during lunch. I got tired of burgers and hot dogs after the first day, and the room service sandwiches weren't too good (and lukewarm or soggy). Bartenders in the atrium are legit. They make those drinks strong and worth the $$. To save money on booze, buy a bottle through Carnival's Bon Voyage program before you board. They deliver it to your stateroom the first day. I didn't bother getting off the ship in Freeport, and we headed to Atlantis in Nassau, as well as bought a day pass for the Sandals resort in Nassau. Totally worth the money since it cost only $110 and included food and booze. A trip through Carnival, for the beach pass at Atlantis, would have run us about $100 per person, and I think that it includes a voucher for a meal at one of the food courts. We hailed a cab ourselves and asked them to take us to Sandals. For the two of us, cab fare was a total of $20 each way. The Fascination was an affordable cruise for spring break, but next time, I think I'll try another cruise line. I think I would have had a lot more fun if I knew the staff on the ship were making more than a dollar an hour. =( One thing I absolutely hated was the temperature control (or lack thereof). It was either cold, or colder. There is no way to heat up your cabin if you have a cheapo porthole stateroom like ours, so if you get cold easily, please bring warm jammies! Another thing that I hated was the water. The drinking water smelled like the toilet water, and it all smelled like mold. The filter needs to be switched out or something. I brought a bobble water bottle and a brita water bottle, and the brita was able to filter out most of the nastiness. If you intend on going on a long cruise, I highly recommend that you bring one of those brita pitchers to filter your water prior to drinking. read more

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Just returned from a 4-night, 5 day cruise on the Carnival Elation. Highlights were the comfortable beds, the variety of food choices. The variety of entertainment, and kid's activities. Our first stop was Freeport, we took in the local shops close to the ship. (If time permits try an excursion) Second stop, Nassau. We chose swimming with the pigs excursion. (Bucket list) overall we had a wonderful time. Downside, we chose the bubble package, (soft drinks/juice. We had such a hard time getting sodas from the bar, (bar tenders were slow) we will not get this again. Not sure how the drink package people felt. Future trips, I will bring my own soda for future trips. Our room steward ( name is We) was so helpful and informative. read more

Carnival Elation is an older, smaller ship compared to many, but it was newly renovated last fall and has a lot to offer. It has a few different cruises of different lengths, and primarily goes to Nassau/Freeport or Nassau/Half Moon Cay. We took the 5 day cruise to Nassau and Freeport. From beginning to end, we had a fantastic time. We had an ocean view room (Upper deck, #6) with a king sized bed. It was clean and comfortable and the view was fabulous. The bathroom was nice and roomy with instant hot water and fantastic water pressure. Our steward, Arnold, kept the room spotless. He had everyone's names memorized and was great with the towel animals. We chose assigned dining at night in the Inspiration Dining Room and enjoyed it. Almost everything was great (a few misses) with a nice variety to pick from nightly. We were lucky to have nice table mates as well. The waiters were hard workers and learned all our preferences quickly. Other dining areas are the Imagination Dining Room (dine when you like and the sea day brunch), Lido Buffet/Tiffany's, Guy's Burger Bar (Guy Fieri's licensed joint), and Blue Iguana Cantina (Tex-Mex). We tried all of them at least once. Even room service food was great, we tried that for lunch one day. This boat caters to families and night owls. There are plenty of things for kids and tons of shows at night, from comedy to music to mini-Broadway-like fun events. There is a casino on board, along with many bars, a library with books and games to check out, a pool and 4 hot tubs, a mini water park, miniature golf, and so much more. If you get bored on this ship, it's your own fault. The people who work on board are some of the hardest working people I have ever met. Almost every single one of them had a smile on their face. They all did their best to make sure we had a great time. They have set the bar high for our next cruise. read more

So excited about taking my wife on this cruise and let me tell you they did not disappoint. This is a smaller vessel but the fun was HuGE!!! The cruise director and staff where so exciting and fun to be around. Everyone was super nice loving and it made me feel like they cared all week long. Felix was our room attendant and he was SUPER all week long. My wife and I went to the Bahamas for the first time and it was just Amazing. The food was picture worthy every meal and I think I gained 30 lbs. LoL... way to much to post so many things that took place. read more

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Beautiful cruise! We enjoyed every part of the ship and the Staff is 100% the friendliest. We will definitely be cruising again soon. read more

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I am being generous in giving 2 stars and the reason for this is the wait staff. They are a 5 star all the way...everything else on the other hand deserves a 1 Star (if that). The good: The wait staff is amazing!!!! They really go out of their way to make sure you are happy. They took excellent care of us in every dining area. No complaints at all with the the kitchen and food service. They work so hard and were wonderful!!! The same goes for bar service as well. My drinks were great and made in a timely manner. Jacksonville has a great port. It was easy to embark and disembark. I was pleased with the flow. It was very easy and smooth for us. Parking was fine though I missed having a parking garage as Charleston has. The bad: This is obviously not my first cruise, perhaps I would be be more pleased had I not had anything to compare it to. The ship smells like sewage and urine. Our hallway smelled like multiple cats had urinated up and down it. We stayed in E299 (Empress). It had a lovely aroma and I could tell we were near our room by the smell. Our room. Again, we stayed in E299. The noise from the ship was almost unbearable. We contacted guest services hoping they could rectify the situation. They sent someone down to observe the sound and we were told that it was the elevator. Basically, we were stuck. I would suggest earplugs. The casino. Someone else mentioned that the gambling is not regulated. This is very true! If you want to win anything, play the first night and the first day...then stay away! The entertainment. We enjoyed the sounds of a man playing a large metal bowl with a spatula the entire time. I'm not sure what happened to the excellent pianist and other entertainment normally offered. The shows looked promising but due to our late dining time, we missed all of those. My family liked the food okay, I was not a huge fan but I don't care for buffets in general. There is not a variety at all on the buffet. The food on the Lido is always the same. We did all agree that the food isn't as good as other cruises. The dinners in the dining room were good. A final word: If you want to travel with classier travelers, this may not be your cruise. Many fellow cruisers did not adhere to a dress code for the dining room nor did this appear to be enforced in any way. Very loud, obnoxious crowd. If you have a problem of any kind, rest assured that Carnival won't make it right. We've found this to be true more than once. If this is your first cruise, it may very well be the last you want to take. The language barrier: please educate yourselves and realize that these employees are trying their best to understand you. Have you stopped to learn anything about their languages? Please realize that the majority of the employees on Carnival Cruise Lines are from other countries. They are impressive people and the fact that English is not their primary language should in no way be counted negatively against them. Hopefully this review will be helpful for you in deciding on your cruise (whether it be your first or 30th). I would not sail Elation again but have had a pleasant experiences with Carnival in the past, however, I still prefer Royal Caribbean. read more

This was my worst cruise ever. Stayed in V30, that's being sold as a balcony suite. The balcony doesn't sit comfortably (too small), and there was tar on the windows. They did provide a 25% discount after I complained, but by then my vacation was ruined. The ship also has an awful smell to it by the 3rd day! I like the Jacksonville location, the Bahamas was nice, great massage, and the staff at the dock were nice older people. However, the ship was the worst! Taking a break from Carnival and never stepping on the Elation ship again! read more

It was actually the carnival ecstasy however that ship doesn't come up. Let me start by saying I've been on many cruises with carnival! This one was by far the best! So many things were done better so many changes. Now they have a cruise Director that actually does his job and direct the passengers to have a fun and a great time. He promoted unity the whole cruise made sure there was so fun for all ages, ethnic backgrounds, genders and religions! Also while being respectful of everyone which is not easy! The food selection was great. The menu was scaled back a little which was smart because before there were too many options! They concentrated more on the specialties which made the food even better every night at the captains ball it was something exotic to taste and try the waiting staff was polite and friendly everyone greeted you on the ship from the captain on down. I am definitely coming back and bringing the whole family! The outstanding performance on the ship was from mark Our maître d' he was amazing he fixed up the room for my wife's bday and help orchestrate a great time for her with me. Thank you Mark! I dont know how I am going to top this next year lol. read more

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This was my fourth Carnival cruise and my family had a ball. This ship is on the smaller side but its still packed with lots of fun and excitement. The food was delicious especially Guys burgers. Staff on this boat was awesome. I can't rant and rave enough about them!! read more

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A friend and I took a completely last minute, spontaneous 5 night cruise on the newly renovated 2 weeks outta dry dock, Carnival Elation... The cruise leaves Jacksonville, does one day at sea, one day at Half Moon Cay (their private island), the next day at Nassau, Bahamas, and then the last day again at sea... Never having been on this ship I understand that most of the renovations involved the pool deck, the aqua park, the dining rooms, and then in general any of the bar areas... all of which I thought were appropriate and in line with other larger, newer ships that I've been on... High level, The good parts of the cruise... the onboard comedy shows were amazing, Highly acclaimed "Killer Beaz" was one of our comedians... I could always find a lounge chair whether by the pool or the adult only serenity deck, the onboard band this week was awesome, the current entertainment crew were great (singers, dancers, cruise director, Kevin)... half moon cay, definitely some of the prettier water I've ever swam in... just an all around relaxing week! The bad: food quality was somewhat low, I believe cruisers would waste so much less if they were fed a little higher quality of food! In the casino it was very difficult to get a cocktail while playing... maybe a good thing that I would have played more, spent more but still it's great to have a cocktail in your hand while you're making casino deposits ;) All together a great cruise, so convenient for us Jacksonville locals, I would definitely do it again! read more

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Since end of January 2016 I knew that I was going to be taking a cruise on Carnival's Fascination, and if you had talked to me during the year you would have known that I was very blasé about this trip. But let me tell you, I have had an amazing time! I caught the Fascination in San Juan Puerto Rico, and checking in was smooth and easy, made it on the boat and thought damn this is a huge ass boat. I prepaid to have airport transfers to and from the boat & airport and that took a lot of stress off me trying to figure that part out. Ask someone to help me figure out where my room was and made my way to drop off my bags. Now I traveled with a group of 17, so there was 4 to my room, it's the size of a shoe box with bunk beds haha but you know what, we made it work and actually had a nice time making jokes about who can walk in the room 1st . On this cruise we left Puerto Rico and went to St Thomas, then a day at sea, then Barbados, St Lucia, St Kitts and St Maarten. There were many things I enjoyed about this trip. One being the staff, everyone was friendly and helpful! The wait staff at dinner was amazing, wish I could take him home! He learned everything I liked and disliked quickly! The housekeeping staff was delightful too, one of the things I looked forward to was seeing what towel animal we had for the night! So dang cute! Another thing we looked forward to was the daily fliers that was left in the room telling you about the events and activities going on for the next day. Fascination Cruise director Felipe Couto loves his job and you can tell because he makes sure there is plenty for all do it! Was I dreading going on this trip, you beat yea, but do I feel the same way, Hell no, this was an awesome trip! Didn't think I would be one for cruisin haha read more

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Overall this was a pretty great experience. My only issues were that the ship did seem pretty dated for a ship and didn't have a ton of dining options, but you can see that before booking. Ok so I was traveling with my three sons - 15 yo twins and 7 year old. About three weeks prior, they were in an accident which ended with one twin breaking an arm and one breaking a leg. I checked about rescheduling but was just inside the window to make this non-refundable. I didn't even contact the cruise line because this is my fault for not purchasing travel insurance. So we went and the employees at check in were just beyond helpful with my sons' situations. They would actively come get us in lines to bring us up to go through quickly which none of us asked for or expected. My kids with broken bones appreciated that tremendously because they would start hurting after being up for too long with their injuries. For meals, we stuck with the buffet for breakfast & lunch and went to the dining room every night for dinner. I thought the food was great, especially in the dining room where the service was excellent as well. I purchased the drink package so kids got the specialty drinks and I had a ton of alcohol. I think it was a good deal but I started feeling a little sea sick around day three and stopped with alcohol. Our stops were Nassau and whatever their island is. At Nassau we did the dolphin swim at Atlantis. This was great because it was super fun but also since my twins couldn't actually get into water with casts, guest services refunded their excursions and let me just get beach passes for them both while me and my youngest did the dolphin swim. That was a truly amazing time. At the island, we did the stingray interaction. Same story - they refunded us for my two with casts who couldn't participate. That part was very fun and actually scarier than I thought because some people are terrified of stingrays which sort of made me jumpy too. Overall this was a great experience. I definitely want to go back when my sons are all able to do everything without broken bones. read more

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I will start by stating that this was our first cruise, so I have nothing to base it on other than all inclusive hotels. I had read all the reviews for the cruise before we left, and I'm glad I did! I got some great advice! Definite things to bring: your own water, your own wine, a fan...just in case. If you are really cheap you can buy wine with a twist off top and replace the wine with the alcohol of your choice. We thought of this on our way back home ;-) The drinks were about $8+ each then a 15% tip is added. Water: I agree that the water smells a little funny on the Lido deck, but in the dining rooms it was fine. We drank it at every dinner along with the rest of our table and it was fine. It was nice to have fresh water in the room, though. A fan: the air is on the ceiling and we had no issue with it. I was glad that I picked up a clip on fan from Walmart, just in case. The dining room servers are simply amazing! The food we had was wonderful and the ship was crazy clean. They cleaned everywhere...all the time. I read a review that said the clientele on this ship is what you might get if a ship stops at Walmart and asks the customers if they want to go on a cruise. This made me chuckle...but it wasn't too far off. There are definitely a high number of rowdy, drunk rednecks. But we found them amusing. There are a lot of Southerners on this cruise because they don't need to fly and it's pretty reasonably priced. We had a room with a window and paid $900 with all the taxes for 2 people. Not bad. I read a review from somewhere to stay at the Jacksonville Plaza Hotel and Suites because they have a stay and cruise package. It was $100 to spend the night, eat their mediocre breakfast, keep our car there while cruising, and be shuttled to and from the dock. It was easy and stress free. The rooms were clean, the bathroom could use an update (although it was clean as well), and the shuttles were quick. It was exactly was I was hoping for. read more

We just got back from a 5 day 4 night trip on The Fascination cruise ship. This was my first cruise (usually we just fly wherever we go). We had a BLAST!!!! We cruised to Freeport and Nassau. This is one of the older ships and isn't as large.... But I still had trouble finding my room. Lol. The size of the boat was just right for me. The food was good. I'd really give it maybe 4 stars. But it's so nice to be able to eat and be catered to 24 hours a day. We preordered alcohol and mixers for our room. I definitely recommend that. It's a little expensive, but it's just nice and we probably saved money by doing that. Of course we still hit our share of the bars. I loved the drinks of the day and the cute umbrellas in them. Also the Chocolatinni was soooo good! We had a suite with a balcony. I loved our room. Very large, walk in closet, couch, bathtub with whirlpool tub, and comfy king size bed. There aren't many balconies on the ship, but it's definitely worth the extra money. So relaxing sitting on it. Gorgeous views! Also I recommend the hot tubs on the back of the ship. They aren't crowded and the bar is nearby. Most of the time there's somebody to get the drinks for you. They have free room service 24 hours a day. I definitely took advantage of that. Great grill cheese sandwiches to munch on. I definitely think we will go again. We really had a nice trip and it was nice getting away! read more

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