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Catalina, Mexico Cruise by
Debra B. from Dayton, Oh Sailing date: Jan 2010Pros: I liked not having to drive to the places I wanted to visit. Cons: I did not like the set times for dining. All the staff members that I talked to were helpful and everyone was ready to help you in whatever you needed. The ship was clean and functional and the decor was ok. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodDining in the main dining room was a 2 hour experience. I had the early seating and did not finish before 7:30. I thought the food was ok, not exceptional, but ok. Stateroom QualityI had the least expensive stateroom possible and it was satisfactory. I would have liked more than a twin bed, but it was ok. Ship Staff QualityStaff was friendly enough and helpful, but there seemed to be an undercurrent of something. Entertainment & ActivitiesI did not attend any of the shows. I stopped in the casino for about 5 minutes and played a few hands of computer poker. Didn't win.  0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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  First Cruise - Great Experience by
Michael M. from San Diego, CA Sailing date: Nov 2009Pros: The food and the crew on the ship were great Cons: Too many kids running around Having never been on a cruise before, I was not sure what to expect. I'm happy to say it was better than my expectations. The ship was huge and there were many things to do and to see. Our stateroom was clean, quiet and very nice. The crew on the ship was great and really took care of us. I liked the adults only section on the back of the boat. This gave us a place to relax without kids being around. Ship QualityThis ship was excellently maintained, clean and comfortable. It exceeded my expectations. Dining/FoodThe food was great. The dining room food was different each day and excellent. The dining room staff took care of us very well. There were many different places to eat that met all your needs. Stateroom QualityOur stateroom was a nice size, clean and nicely furnished. The staff kept our room cleaned several times a day. Ship Staff QualityEvery one on the ship's staff was great. They were friendly, happy and took care of us quickly. What else could one ask for! Entertainment & ActivitiesThere were lots of different activities on the ship. This variety certainly met the needs of everyone. 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Great cruise! by
Kathleen B. from Tucson, AZ Sailing date: Nov 2009Pros: The food and activities offered on the cruise were great. Cons: The staff was nice, but not as nice as the staff on other cruise lines. We recently sailed on the Carnival Elation for the first time and it was nice. There was a good variety of places to eat on the cruise and it seemed as though food was available pretty much anytime you wanted to eat. Although the pool and hot tub areas were nice, it was too cold to go in either. Although the dining rooms were nice, the menus did not have much variety and the staff could have been a bit more attentive and more social with the guests. Shore excursions were limited and way overpriced if purchased through Carnival. It was better to just get off the cruise and buy a tour on your own. The rooms were more spacious than we have been used to seeing in the past on other cruise lines with additional storage and closet space. The bathroom was also quite larger in size with additional storage space for your personal items (i.e., medicine cabinet). The downside of the room was that our bed faced a wall instead of the TV. There was a TV in the room, but it was on the same wall that the bed was backed up to so it was hard to see the TV. We loved all the nightlife options. The shows were great! It felt like a totally different night out, every single night. The ship was really impressive, the staff was pleasant, and we would cruise with Carnival again just not to these ports of call because there wasn't enough to do and the weather wasn't warm enough to do any of the shore excursions. Ship QualityAutomatic hand sanitizers throughout the cruise ship and paper towel dispensers on the door of every bathroom to use to open the handles on your way out were nice to have with the flu and cold season among us. Dining/FoodAlthough the food was great, the choices should include more of a variety. We would have also preferred to eat at any time instead of just one set time every night due to different activities that we missed due to eating at a scheduled time every night. The ambiance was great!!! Stateroom QualityThe beds were super comfortable and the temperature throughout the cruise was great. On another cruise line, I got extremely stuffed up and was unable to breathe well making it a difficult trip. Carnival seemed to have some type of air purification system and I had no problems with the air in the cabins at all. We enjoyed our sleep! Ship Staff QualityOur stateroom attendant and dining staff were nice but weren't always as attentive as we would have liked. I think the fact that guests pay $10 a day (multiplied by the number of days the cruise will be) off the top for the stateroom attendant and dining room staff, the quality of service is average. They are getting paid regardless. On other cruises, guests tipped whatever they felt like tipping (there was no mandatory amount deducted off the top) and so staff "earned" their tips and went above and beyond! We tipped so much more than $10 a day due to the incredible service then! Entertainment & ActivitiesGreat activities and they were spread out just right. We did miss a few things due to our set dinner time, but most of what we wanted to do we were able to do. 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Good Value for the Money by
A Traveler from San Diego County, CA Sailing date: Nov 2009Pros: Nice, inexpensive getaway I was actually surprised to read that the Elation is less than ten years old. Without knowing this, I would have classified it as an "older ship". Ship QualityThe ship was clean and well laid out. Staff was always in attendance picking up and cleaning public areas. Dining/FoodThe options in the buffet (Tiffany's) were quite limited and at times the buffet lines were long. The choices for the evening meal at the formal dining room were somewhat disappointing - lacked imagination. In fact, the last night we ordered several appetizers as none of the main courses were appealing. Stateroom QualityNice size. Not cramped. However, it had a "dated look". It would have been nice if there was a mini-frig in the stateroom. Ship Staff QualityThe staff was, without exception, very attentive and helpful. Entertainment & ActivitiesI was somewhat disappointed in the limited number of activities, especially for "at sea" days. Some of the trivia contests we attended were as "audience members" rather than participants. Show schedules were not well planned for "early diners". 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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A fun cruise by
A Traveler from Tucson, AZ Sailing date: Nov 2009Pros: Very friendly and helpful staff Cons: The food was average Although Carnival Cruise line is considered a 'party ship', they did do a good job catering to the families with small children, teens, young people, middle age people and the over 50 crowd. They kept us all in formed of the various activities and things to do when we docked. The food was lacking when compared to other cruise lines we have gone on. Don't use the elevator in the atrium during busy times, it will only frustrate you. It has a mind of its own. Ship QualityPublic areas were well kept and clean. The colors used on board were bright and cheery. Dining/FoodAverage in taste and quality. The late seating is too late for people who like to retire to bed before midnight. The sushi bar had very inconvenient times (5:00 to 8:00) for the early seating crowd. Stateroom QualityClean and of decent size for a cruise ship. Ship Staff QualityAlways smiling and very helpful. Entertainment & ActivitiesGood quality, the bands and musical entertainment were great. The dancers lack coverage in their costumes at times. 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Great Family Vacation by
Mark D. from Sulphur Springs, TX Sailing date: Mar 2008Pros: Good service Cons: Lido deck buffet The ship itself was very nice, and I would have nothing negative to say. Ship QualityThe ship was very (very) full, yet was always clean. The decor is inviting. Dining/FoodThe dining room was excellent, and our family enjoyed our evening meals there. The Lido deck buffet was at times bland, but never bad. The Fantasy had a large sandwich bar which I loved, but this ship had a small sandwich area. Stateroom QualityAlways clean, and as usual, the beds are very comfortable. Ship Staff QualityOur waiter, room steward were always on top of things. I have always experienced friendly crew on Carnival, and this ship was very friendly and helpful. Entertainment & ActivitiesThere was more than we would or could participate in. The shows we did see were good. Children's ProgramsI really liked the division of the ages. We used the pre-teen group, and really liked the options available. 23 out of 24 people found this review helpful.
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