A medicore experience... by
A Traveler from Marlborough, CT
Sailing date: Jan 2009 Pros:
The Amazing Race Cozumel shore excursion and snorkeling
Cons:
The spa, the shows, and the dining
While I will say we booked a cruise on this ship largely due to price (less than $400 each for a 5-day oceanview), we expected much more than we got in terms of the quality of the experience. We expected to be treated like very welcome friends and were more simply treated like guests who happened to be there. Maybe you get what you pay for, but having cruised a couple of times before, we expected more than we got.
Ship Quality The ship is a smaller one which is good from the perspective of walking end to end to get to events, but did make it appear more crowded as well. It was not very clean in the hallway as carpets were stained quite a bit (including a fresh "seasickness" stain that never seemed to get quite cleaned up), but the rest of the ship presented pretty well. The decor defintely followed the fun-not-fancy idea that a "funship" wants to project and it was fine. The pool was very small with two hot tubs that were constantly filled with 12 or more children all day long. A thoughtful touch was the "adults only" sunning deck at the back of the ship where no kids were allowed. This was nice because it was quiet and they had some relaxing music playing and there are two hot tubs here as well. Again, the only problem is the limited space as the deck chairs were often staked out or full.
Dining/Food The late dining seating worked well for us. The dining room was fine, though again not fancy. The servers in the dining room were quite good, but not very proactive about learning or remembering our preferences, names, etc. Again, we have experienced better. I will say the servers did accomodate most of our requests, though every time I asked for milk with dessert (in lieu of coffee), it arrived long after dessert had been eaten. The food often arrived lukewarm from the kitchen and we're saying it was "average" because nothing really wowed us at all. I like the cold fruit soups I had, and the crab cake appetizer was very good one night, but other things were only partially eaten because they weren't very good. There were a couple of desserts that I would get again, but only a couple in the entirety of a 5-day cruise is not a very good record. The buffets were, again, okay, but nothing to write home about. Even the "Chocolate Extravaganzaa" held one afternoon was only average.
Stateroom Quality We liked the stateroom very much and I would give it a higher rating but for three things. 1) They gave us a dirty glass which stayed in the room for the whole trip despite me trying to point out to them that it was dirty and needed to go. 2) The bathroom faucet leaked almost constantly. 3) The flatscreen tv picture was quite poor - even when I hooked a portable dvd player to it. However, the size of the room was good, having an ocean view was great, the couple of requests we made were responded to quickly, and the bed was surprisingly comfortable (very important!). Being on the U-deck made a difference too as we could have been 2 more decks lower which I think would not have been as convenient.
Ship Staff Quality Unfortunately I have no "above and beyond" examples although we didn't really put them to the test much. The staff was fairly friendly with a few notable exceptions. That the less-than-friendly people stood out from the rest is, I guess, a good thing. As we are novices in the casino, I did appreciate the casino staff's willingness to explain the games and be patient with us.
Entertainment & Activities The little trivia contests and games were okay (we did a lot of them) although the staff seemed only half-interested in them. The comedy shows were pretty good. The Newlywed Game knock-off was very good, very funny, but I think the material would be exactly the same if I saw it next year. The music and variety shows were ragged, including the voices of the lead male and female singers, both of whom could barely get through the final show of the trip. The live band was pretty good in the shows, but the singers and dancers appeared to need more rehearsal and more desire to perform together. The concepts of the shows would have been pretty good (A Beatles review, a "tour" of nightclubs around the world, etc.) if they had been executed better.
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Cozumel, Mexico We did The Amazing Cozumel Race as a paid shore excursion. It was fun, about 2 hours long with lunch and instructions and such, and showed us some of the areas of Cozumel we would not have seen otherwise. We also did some snorkeling at reefs off the pier - beautiful!
Don't Miss: Snorkeling
Progreso (Merida), Mexico Many folks stayed in Progresso, but we wanted to see Merida (the capital city, once known as the "Paris" of Mexico). The best thing was our cab driver who drove us 40 minutes in, waited 2 hours for us, and drove us back for $60). We walked through a beautiful cathedral and shopped a little. We really needed more time as we only got a taste of the city. Next time here, we will plan on seeing one of the ruins nearby.
Don't Miss: None
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We had a fabulous time by
mary L from nj
Sailing date: Jul 2008 Pros:
The friendliness of all the staff
Cons:
the size of the pool at the aft of the boat:too small
This was our fiest experience on a cruise and we most certainly will do it again and again
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Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
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relaxing cruise for price by
Tom F from Buffalo, NY
Sailing date: Feb 2008 Pros:
dining experience
Cons:
kids using hot tubs as pools for long periods of time
stafff not overly friendly especially from higher ranking shipmates (white shirts) never said "hi" in passing. overall ship was nice and clean, different variety of activities.
Ship Quality clean and easy to get around
Dining/Food steaks were chewy. burgers were good. decent variety of food, always available
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality dining room staff for sit down dinners were great!!! lost tickets for excursion staff at desk took care of immediately.
Entertainment & Activities upperdeck in theater had very poor sightlines. could not see stage from seats even in the third row of upperdeck. get there early for better seats.even in lower deck lots of poles to contend with.
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Cozumel, Mexico went on the sea trek with helmet dive, this was fun. my wife who does not swim and is somewhat afraid of water did this and had fun doing it. your hair doesnt get wet. you walk along a rope underwater
Don't Miss: helmit sea trek dive
Progreso (Merida), Mexico went horseback riding (novice), my horse bucked a lot. was an easy ride for beginners. the guide took control of my horse to gain it's control. resort we went to on the excusion was nice pool especially.
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It was a great cruise! by
Angela M. from Batlimore, MD
Sailing date: Jan 2008 Pros:
The activities and the hospitality.
Cons:
Well, the richness of the food often caused GI problems.
I really enjoyed the cruise. I was actually on a business trip with some of my clients wjo have developmental disabilities. I was very impressed with the customer services skills and the constant attentiveness to my clients and their needs/
Ship Quality
Dining/Food As noted above some of the food causes GI problems but very tasty and a wide variety.
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality The staff went above and beyond with each interaction.
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Cozumel, Mexico We enjoyed the scenary.
Progreso (Merida), Mexico This stop was just okay, nothing exciting.
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A fun and exciting cruise! by
Margaret W from Richmond, VA
Sailing date: Jan 2007 Pros:
The service was incredible, great food, lots of activities, friendly staff, comfy beds
Cons:
always trying to sell things such as art, bingo cards, photos, and drinks
This was my first cruise ever and will probably be the first of many. I sailed on the Fantasy ship and had an amazing time. I was expecting to have a very small stateroom, but even the smallest was substantial and I had plenty of room to get around in my room. The food and waitstaff service was incredible. They allow you to order as many items as you want. So if you'd like to try two entrees, you are more than welcome to help yourself. Once my mom even got three desserts! As for the crew, everyone was very helpful, nice, and hospitable. The cruise director was very friendly and funny. There was never a dull moment on board the Fantasy! There was live music playing for most of the day on the pool deck, dance shows at night, a hilarious newly wed show, and lots of chances to win prizes. As for the food, there were several options for dining. During breakfast and lunch, you could either get a sit-down meal in the dining room or dine buffet style in the cafe. There were also midnight buffets, but I only went to one for dessert because I had the late seating and was always stuffed until the next morning. Overall, the ship was very clean, the service was top knotch, and the atmosphere was FUN!!
Ship Quality The ship areas were very clean. Crew members were constantly surveying the pool deck and other areas to pick up empty dishes and cups from guests. The ship layout was pretty confusing at first, but I think that is to be expected. Many floors do not extend from one side of the ship to the other so you have to go up and down elevators and stairs to get from one side to the other. The ship was very large, but the waters were rough on a few days and we could definately feel the shaking.
Dining/Food The food was great! There was something for everyone. Three girls at my table were Indian and vegetarians so the head dining attendant would consult them every night and make special Indian meals for them. Our waiters were very friendly and on top of things. They would put on a performance each night for us and on the last night our waiter even made us a mouse out of a napkin he folded.
Stateroom Quality Our room was one of the smaller rooms on board with a bunk bed, but it was still spacious. The beds were comfortable, but you have to be a good climber to be able to get up to the top bunk each night. They have a ladder, but you have to twist yourself sideways to get into bed because the bed is perpendicular to the floor bed. Every time we left our room, our bed was turned down and our room was tidied when we returned. Our stateroom attendant was very attentive and we really enjoyed the towel animals we would find on our bed each night.
Ship Staff Quality The staff members went above and beyond my expectations. Every request and every question was met and answered. I've never been anywhere where the service is this incredible! When we did not receive our excursion tickets that we ordered online prior to the trip, the information desk was very helpful in printing us off a receipt so that we would not miss out.
Entertainment & Activities There were so many activities to do on the Fantasy. You could attend a golf clinic, play mini golf, watch various shows at night, play game shows, dance in the disco, shop in the gift and jewelry stores, look at art, take a nap by the pool, listen to poolside music and shows, watch new movies in your stateroom, work on in the health spa, get a massage at the beauty spa...the list goes on and on!
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Costa Maya, Mexico When we arrived at Costa Maya, it was blustery and cloudy. Many of the excursions were cancelled. We went on a beach break where I just sat on a chair wrapped in my towel because I was so cold! The sun only came out for five minutes. Though I know weather is unpredictable, they probably should have cancelled our excursion too because we couldn't get in the water or really enjoy the beach. There was an open bar so that's the only way we got our money's worth. In Costa Maya, all the street pedlers are constantly nagging you to come into their stores and look at their items. It gets old after a while. I suggest you definately haggle with them about prices because you can save a lot of money. The port has a huge public pool in the center of it and a public beach with hammocks and chairs, which looked like a lot of fun. I wish I had known that was there because we didn't even need to go our private beach.
Cozumel, Mexico We did a catamaran snorkeling and beach party excursion and it was so much fun!! The weather was perfect, the water was crystal clear, and the crew members were very friendly. This was my first time snorkeling and I LOVED it!!! Though there weren't as many fish as I thought there would be, the fish were colorful and swim right up by you. I was scared at first, but there are so many other people swimming around with you that you feel completely comfortable being out in the ocean. They put us out in 20 feet water near the coast so it was not scary at all. We took a 45 minute sail to the private beach and on board there was an open bar with margaritas and mexican beer. There was plently of music, dancing, and fun! The private beach was very nice. They had another open bar, floats for the water, and kayaks to keep you entertained. The only bad part about the excursion is that you only get an hour at this private beach. This beach area is so beautiful that I didn't want to leave
Don't Miss: catamaran deluxe beach party excursion
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Great cruise!!! by
Janet K. from Orlando, FL
Sailing date: Sep 2006 Pros:
Service, activities, unlimited food and fun!!
Cons:
music and atmosphere of the disco
Had a great time on this cruise. There was always something to do and somewhere to get some food. The cruise director Stuart was very high-energy and fun. Will definitely go on another cruise. Many of the public areas were too cold. A/C should not be set so low. The disco was always very dark and played way too much rap music until the last night. Music was great that night.
Ship Quality
Dining/Food The first night we had a delicious filet. The other nights, the beef was always tough. The formal night we dined on a delicious huge portion of lobster tail. The selection and quality overall was very good. The ambience of the dining room was very nice. Service was excellent. There was always someplace to get something to eat.
Stateroom Quality Loved the ocean view and always being able to look onto the water. Out steward was always providing fresh towels.
Ship Staff Quality There was always somebody around to order drinks, ask questions, etc. Very professional and friendly staff.
Entertainment & Activities Nice variety of activities. Need more night/day activities on the Lido deck by the pool.
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Grand Turk Island The ultimate snorkeling was a nice excursion. The water is very beautiful there. Also, Jimmy Buffets is a great time too. Nice pool and swim up pool bar there.
Don't Miss: Jimmy Buffets
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Private Island) This is a great beach. Nice day to just relax on the beach.
Don't Miss: Beach
Nassau, Bahamas Don't Miss: Straw market and trip to Atlantis hotel
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A beautiful cruise! by
Dee M. from South Carolina
Sailing date: Sep 2006 Pros:
Our suite and balcony was great.
Cons:
The waters were very rough.
The Carninval Fantasy ship is there smallest and it wonderful so I can't image how nice the bigger ships are.
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Dining/Food
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Ship Staff Quality All the staff were wonderful and very helpful
Entertainment & Activities We have all kinds of activities, and the entertainment all I can say GREAT!
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Grand Turk Island Very pretty but not a lot to the island.
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Private Island) The beach with the beautiful white sands was my favorite.
Nassau, Bahamas People were not very friendly.
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great experience by
todd from Florida
Sailing date: Aug 2006 Pros:
the ease and convience
Cons:
n/a
Thanks for all of your help. We thought we had great connections to get a cheap cruise until we tried Bj's. Anytime I need to book a vacation I will use Bj's. thanks alot
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Entertainment & Activities They only thing bad about the onboard entertainment was if you have the late dinner seating you tend to miss some of the shows
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Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Private Island) A dream come true. Really is a tropical paradise
Nassau, Bahamas
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Great First Time Cruise!!!! by
Jeanette W. from Charlotte, NC
Sailing date: Jul 2006 Pros:
All the activities of different things to do.
Cons:
The size of the cabins
This was our first Cruise, we decided to go with a "Fun" ship and it was worth every penny. We loved how they plan and organize everything to the precise time. Kids of all ages will have something to do at all times. The meals in the formal dinig room were excellent. The whole crew and especially the Cruise director were awesome. Can't wait to go again.
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Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality Wish the cabins were a little bit bigger, but otherwise everything else was great.
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
Children's Programs
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Murphy's Cruise by
A Traveler from Palm City, FL
Sailing date: Jul 2006 Pros:
Dining and Entertainment
Cons:
On-board Illness and Weather-related excursion cancellations
Overall, the ship appeared clean and in good repair. Initially, our dining time was not what we selected upon booking, but we were able to get the time changed for all nights after the first one. The evening show on the first night of the cruise was the same show that we saw on a sister ship three years ago ... Sigh! However, all of the other evening shows were new and generally very good.
I picked up an illness that ran its course starting the morning of day 3, and killed the whole day for me, including having to cancel planned excursions to Grand Turk. My appetite and energy level did not return until day 5.
On day 4, we stopped at Half Moon Cay. We were told on the ship that our snorkeling by boat excursion was cancelled due to weather conditions, but all of the other activities on the island were still scheduled to run. We took a tender to the island and rented snorkeling gear on the beach. We walked about 1/2 mile down the beach on the way to a reef area, and a weather front closed down on top of us. We sat on the beach in the rain for about an hour, hoping that the rain would stop. Others in my family went horseback riding. I could see them thru the rain. They got totally soaked in the heavy rain ... and afterwords the tour guides cancelled that activity.
We all met for lunch on the island ... sitting under pavilions during the rain. As we were eating lunch, the ship's crew told us to finish eating and to go to the tender launch area for return to the ship. By this time, the seas were over 4 feet high, with an occasional 5-6 footer, sitting between the leeward side of the island and the ship. The ship had actually moved further out to sea, relative to where it was anchored when we came ashore just a couple hours earlier. I heard from another passenger that the ship apparently could not hold anchor at the original spot, and moved to deeper water. We waited in line, for a tender, in the rain, for over an hour-and-a-half. Nobody (crew) informed the passengers about the situation. As it turned out, the tenders were having difficulty getting back to the ship. I was told by other passengers that the first boat made many attempts to raft up to the ship, and that many passenger became sea-sick in the rough waters. I actually saw the second tender return to the dock to offload about half of its passengers (who were sent to the end of the line to wait all over again). We finally were loaded onto a tender, and had to stand up on the lower deck (fortunately out of the rain). I was concerned that this could pose a problem for certain passengers (elderly, disabled, etc.). We made it safely to the ship, although soaken wet and disappointed about everything that happened. That was the highlight of day 4.
On day 5, we stopped in Nassau. The day was nice, and things went well. Dinner and evening entertainment were excellant, and the cruise back hope was uneventful.
Disembarking was well-organized, and went according to plan.
Ship Quality
Dining/Food Our requested dining time was not honored originally, but we were able to get the time changed from the second evening on. Dining staff was excellant, and food choices were very good. Food quality was good.
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Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
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Grand Turk Island My family told me that the experience was good. I could see some of the facilities from the boat.
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Private Island) Our day at this place was ruined by poor weather, however, Half Moon Cay was beautiful in every aspect. It is unfortunate that we didn't get to enjoy it.
Don't Miss: Snorkeling or diving activities are probably don't miss activities.
Nassau, Bahamas If you want to see Atlantis, then get on a tour. We simply visited the resort, and were turned back from entering several areas. We had hoped to see more on our own.
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