Carnival Fantasy Review & Pics/ June 5th, 2010 Sailing

[All4fun&fun4all]

Let me preface this by saying we had an AMAZING time and our experiences far exceeded our expectations. I will try to dispel some myths and verify some truths for everyone.
My writing style is basically how I speak so there will be some tense shifts and perhaps some improper grammar as well. Our pictures will include us experiencing our fun which I haven’t really seen too much on here but some things will make better sense that way.
Just so you know who you are looking at; we are Andrew and Nancy together (not married) for 6 years now. He is 40 and I am 36 years old. I have two teenaged boys who haven’t been cruising yet. Once they behave maybe they can join us.

Ok now, sit back and grab your popcorn…put that tomato juice down and enjoy this flashback of our most recent cruise.

Embarkation: Since we live in Charleston the decision was made to take a cab from my apartment in the West Ashley area. This is me...waiting for the cab.

We got a good one (Jonathan) who had a notebook detailing the proper way to drop off at the port. Great guy. We rounded the corner and there she is…my home for 6 days.

We made it there in about 10 minutes and it cost around $15. I am pretty glad that I was not responsible for dropping anyone off for a cruise at this point because it looked pretty confusing but our cabbie got us to the luggage tent with no problem. The porters there were very friendly and since our luggage was a bit heavy we tipped accordingly. At this point there is a shuttle bus waiting for us that will drop us and our carry-on luggage at the terminal.

What happened next was a whirlwind of activity. I have never boarded a ship so fast in my life! We entered and were directed to the screening area. I had my smaller than 12x12x12 cooler which held all my toiletries, a rolling suitcase and Andrew and I each had a backpack. Inside the rolling suitcase we had a 12 pack of water and in the backpack I had 4 diet cokes. The suitcase, cooler and backpack with liquids were the only ones they wanted to inspect closer. We placed everything on the table for them and it took only a second. Now off to fill in the health questionnaire and up to the check in desk. We were putting down a cash deposit which is to be paid to guest services upon boarding so it went pretty quickly at check in. There is a spot set up for your embarkation photo and then up the stairs to take your Sail & Sign photo, down a crazy tunnel of gangplank and then straight onboard. They put you in an elevator and send you up to lido. This whole process took around 20 minutes or so. I was impressed. Here is a view of the gangplanks from onboard the ship.

[All4fun&fun4all]

OnBoard, Muster & Sailaway: At this point is probably around 12:15 or so. Guest Services is right in the atrium so we immediately went over and put $200.00 each on our S&S account. Then up to lido…where the magic happens.


We walked onto lido with big smiles on our faces. And of course the first order of business is the drink of the day which today was Funship Special.




We ran into Cruise Critic member Andy who took our picture for us. I noted that the Jacuzzi said Adult’s Only but lookie here…



tiniest adult ever. We made our way over to the smoking side of the ship and took in our surroundings. At some point we got tired of hauling our stuff around and snuck down to our room to drop off our carry on and turn our bed. Yes, the doors were shut to the hallway, but they weren’t locked. I know, I know the doors are shut for a reason but our room was ready anyway. I checked our closet for bathrobes and yay…



there they were! Dropped our things and headed back to lido. Today was Italian day in the buffet area so naturally I had to have a little bite of something. The baked fish and stuffed tomato were delicious. Had some olives too which I think were the best olives I have tasted…ever.

[All4fun&fun4all]

Here is a view of downtown Charleston from the ship. That is the Customs House straight ahead and part of Fleet Landing (awesome restaurant) to the left.



Our muster station was in the Universe Lounge. It was actually pretty humorous. I like laughing while I learn. However, I was truly bummed that they began sailaway right in the middle of muster. Anyhow, off we go to the lifeboats. We were at lifeboat number one which made it easier to head to the very front of the ship for the remainder of sailaway.



It is really really windy up here just so you know. Dresses are not recommended.

. Another thing I saw that some may not realize is that you can see some/most of the balconies from the front of the ship on this deck. Hmmm.



Here is our sailaway from the lovely, historic Charleston harbour!



The view towards Sullivan's Island



I actually saw the Fantasy sail into Charleston for the first time from the beach on Sullivan's Island so it was extra nifty to see it from this vantage point.

[All4fun&fun4all]

After sailaway we made our way back down to the room and our luggage was already there. Nice!



The porthole room being an interior priced room was a huge draw for us but mainly, I couldn’t wait to do this.



The sunset it absolutely stunning through these round little windows.



Shall we hop up the stairs to the Serenity Deck? Absolutely!





Our next little piece of business was dinner. And dont you worry...I took pictures of the food. Here we are blurry but ready for our first night of dinner.

[All4fun&fun4all]

Dinner night 1: Dinner in the MDR is a must for me on night one. Night one’s dining attire was cruise casual and our dinner couple were Jason and Cathy. I still cant figure out how they choose these pairings. The only thing we really had in common were age and the fact that both our guys are unemployed. I think I truly embarrassed them by taking pictures of my food. Pfft…whatever. We were in an elevated section and Andrew asked our server about the lower section by the windows and he said that was for Anytime Diners. Next time we go that route!



Now…are ya ready? Here comes the food porn! Wait for it….wait for it.

Cured Salmon and Candied Tomato,



Beef and Barley soup,



Grilled Flat Iron Steak from American Choice Beef



Seared Filet of Tilapia



Everything was perfect temperature and taste-wise. After dinner we aren’t desert people so we had a lovely cup of cappuchino that was really strong but very tasty.

[All4fun&fun4all]

The rest of the evening we spent wandering around the ship and familiarizing ourselves with our new home after we changed into some comfy ship-wandering clothes. Our room was turned down for the evening and the less than 12x12x12 cooler I brought was full of ice. This little snake was on our bed.



Our steward was Big C and he was amazing. His actual name was Cordosa but he asked us to call him Big C right from the start. He was a great steward. Here is Big C.




Oh, and by the way we had 2 chocolates every night and I got a Carnival pen this time! The Fun Times seemed no different to me than the Capers. We stopped by the Galleria and bought two cartons of Marlboro brand cigarettes for $49.00. (The picture below was taken while it was closed on the last day but wanted you guys to have a visual)



And if you like your rums...there are these exciting specials:



Gambling is not really our “thing” but watching people win/lose money is fun. Craps, however, is a really difficult game to understand. After watching for close to an hour the logic escapes me but lucky us…they have pamphlets that tell you how to play the casino games and apparently there are gaming lessons in the casino on the first night around 5:30pm



Up to lido deck now where this FREAK rain storm popped up out of nowhere. It was so pretty with the lightning sparking across the sky while at sea and shimmering off the lights of the lido deck.



By this time it is pretty late and exhaustion has set in. For me at least. Andrew found American Chopper on the tv with no commercial interruption and multiple episodes in a row so I fell asleep to the sound of some monster motorcycles. Day 1= Success!

[Camdenscott4]

Great start All4fun!! We are sailing on Fantasy July 2nd and are just LOVING your photos and comments!! Thanks a bunch!

[amillard222]

What great info. Hubby and I will be going on the Fantasy in Sept. I will also be one of the people taking pics of the food....LOl dont really care what my table mates will think of me. Hubby has some pretty weird tats so we are used to getting "crazy" looks. haha
P.S. Keep up the awsome review, cant wait to see more : )

[CrzGrl62569]

Great start! I like your writing style. Can't wait for more.

[G8R Cruiser]

Originally Posted by All4fun&fun4all

OnBoard, Muster & Sailaway: At this point is probably around 12:15 or so. Guest Services is right in the atrium so we immediately went over and put $200.00 each on our S&S account. Then up to lido…where the magic happens.


We walked onto lido with big smiles on our faces. And of course the first order of business is the drink of the day which today was Funship Special.




We ran into Cruise Critic member Andy who took our picture for us. I noted that the Jacuzzi said Adult’s Only but lookie here…



tiniest adult ever. We made our way over to the smoking side of the ship and took in our surroundings. At some point we got tired of hauling our stuff around and snuck down to our room to drop off our carry on and turn our bed. Yes, the doors were shut to the hallway, but they weren’t locked. I know, I know the doors are shut for a reason but our room was ready anyway. I checked our closet for bathrobes and yay…



there they were! Dropped our things and headed back to lido. Today was Italian day in the buffet area so naturally I had to have a little bite of something. The baked fish and stuffed tomato were delicious. Had some olives too which I think were the best olives I have tasted…ever.

My family and I are in your first picture of the Lido Deck...

Loving your review - you did a great job. You must have been taking notes.

[KCMarie]

Nancy, your review has got to be one of my all time favorites! It may even be the number 1! I have laughed so hard and so many times that my son came out of his room (yes! off his computer game, I know - hard to believe)

It's so nice to see people having fun. Love it! You and Andrew are certainly making memories.

My favorite posting of yours is the picture of Andrew pointing to his T-Shirt. Honestly, spew time of my ice tea. Excellent! Second I believe is the Number 1 and Number 2 seats.

I've been on the Fantasy twice, in October we go on the Valor, January the Elation. I hope they stand up to my expectations set by the Fantasy and her crew.

Thanks again for taking the time to do such a great review.

[All4fun&fun4all]

Here are a few videos to tide you over while I upload these final day pictures. Please be aware that the "bird" gets flipped rather often. If you are offended by obscene hand gestures; then you probably wont enjoy this little bit of silliness.

Andrew "dancing" (The evil laugh at the beginning is me)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZHhUpFt2LI

Somewhere out there in 3 ft seas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt3TOFSAFe0

Sailaway from Nassau

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szSUTlxsa5c

[All4fun&fun4all]

Originally Posted by KCMarie

Nancy, your review has got to be one of my all time favorites! It may even be the number 1! I have laughed so hard and so many times that my son came out of his room (yes! off his computer game, I know - hard to believe)

It's so nice to see people having fun. Love it! You and Andrew are certainly making memories.

My favorite posting of yours is the picture of Andrew pointing to his T-Shirt. Honestly, spew time of my ice tea. Excellent! Second I believe is the Number 1 and Number 2 seats.

I've been on the Fantasy twice, in October we go on the Valor, January the Elation. I hope they stand up to my expectations set by the Fantasy and her crew.

Thanks again for taking the time to do such a great review.

Wow! Thank you so much for that sentiment! I really wanted to be able to show everyone different parts of the ship and let people enjoy it through our eyes.

The Andrew pointing at his shirt pic is one of my favorites too. I was hoping to be able to sneak it in there undetected. YAY!

Where are Valor and Elation sailing out of? Just curious because I had a dream I was on a ship the other night and it was the Valor. I had won a free cruise (in my dream). Maybe it will come true.

[KCMarie]

Originally Posted by All4fun&fun4all

Where are Valor and Elation sailing out of? Just curious because I had a dream I was on a ship the other night and it was the Valor. I had won a free cruise (in my dream). Maybe it will come true.

Valor is out of Miami and Elation is out of Mobile. Winning a free cruise would be awesome! For now, me like most others has to save our money for our trips!

OK, must run now to check out the videos you have posted! Dinner can wait!
(horribly addicted to this thread)

[bigtoeswim'n]

All4fun&fun4all: Great review. I was on the Fantasy when she was in Mobile. Totally missed the sushi bar. We had a blast in our "quiet way." We did A LOT of reclining deck char, by choice. I'm curious, is the sushi bar FREE or did you have to flash your sea&sail card!!!. We are booked on Elation this December and I'll definately look for sushi on that sailing, plus use room serve more often.. It was a great, great review with great pics. thx for taking the time to post.

[All4fun&fun4all]

Originally Posted by bigtoeswim'n

All4fun&fun4all: Great review. I was on the Fantasy when she was in Mobile. Totally missed the sushi bar. We had a blast in our "quiet way." We did A LOT of reclining deck char, by choice. I'm curious, is the sushi bar FREE or did you have to flash your sea&sail card!!!. We are booked on Elation this December and I'll definately look for sushi on that sailing, plus use room serve more often.. It was a great, great review with great pics. thx for taking the time to post.

Thank you for the kind words. Im glad people are still reading it and enjoying it so much.

Sushi bar is totally free. You wont even need your Sail&Sign card. Just walk on up and tell the server what you want and how many of each. However, if you want saki, you will need your S&S for that. That, sadly, was not free.

[Camdenscott4]

Originally Posted by All4fun&fun4all

Embarkation: Since we live in Charleston the decision was made to take a cab from my apartment in the West Ashley area.
We made it there in about 10 minutes and it cost around $15. I am pretty glad that I was not responsible for dropping anyone off for a cruise at this point because it looked pretty confusing but our cabbie got us to the luggage tent with no problem. The porters there were very friendly and since our luggage was a bit heavy we tipped accordingly. At this point there is a shuttle bus waiting for us that will drop us and our carry-on luggage at the terminal. What happened next was a whirlwind of activity. I have never boarded a ship so fast in my life!

All4Fun - I wanted to ask you about Embarkation because we are sailing from Charleston next Friday July 2nd. We have a group of 25 going and a person in our group has a family member living in Charleston. The plan was for us to park our cars in their yard during the cruise. However, I have found out the entire plan involves us driving to the port, dropping luggage and passengers, driving to their house, then all the car drivers being taken back to the port by the family member. Do you have any idea whether this procedure will work? My thoughts are that port authority (or whoever is running the show) will not go for all that coming-and-going, leaving people and luggage there, etc. Thanks for any info you can share on it!

[All4fun&fun4all]

Originally Posted by Camdenscott4

All4Fun - I wanted to ask you about Embarkation because we are sailing from Charleston next Friday July 2nd. We have a group of 25 going and a person in our group has a family member living in Charleston. The plan was for us to park our cars in their yard during the cruise. However, I have found out the entire plan involves us driving to the port, dropping luggage and passengers, driving to their house, then all the car drivers being taken back to the port by the family member. Do you have any idea whether this procedure will work? My thoughts are that port authority (or whoever is running the show) will not go for all that coming-and-going, leaving people and luggage there, etc. Thanks for any info you can share on it!

I am not quite sure about this since we just hopped right on. It seemed like we turned in our luggage and were shuffled over the the shuttles right away. Maybe you guys should book a van or something from your family members house. You could probably get a flat rate that all of you could pitch in for.

[Camdenscott4]

Originally Posted by All4fun&fun4all

Maybe you guys should book a van or something from your family members house. You could probably get a flat rate that all of you could pitch in for.

We talked about that but figured with 25 people plus luggage we would need a HUGE bus for all that. I think everyone just needs to bite the bullet and park at the terminal. Otherwise, we will all get separated. From the way it sounds once you drop your luggage off, you go through the process quickly and are whisked away to the ship (which to me, couldnt be soon enough ).

Thanks for the info!

[All4fun&fun4all]

Originally Posted by Camdenscott4

We talked about that but figured with 25 people plus luggage we would need a HUGE bus for all that. I think everyone just needs to bite the bullet and park at the terminal. Otherwise, we will all get separated. From the way it sounds once you drop your luggage off, you go through the process quickly and are whisked away to the ship (which to me, couldnt be soon enough ).

Thanks for the info!

You could always designate a meeting spot once you get onboard. The parking fees are pretty hefty. Just have everyone meet say, at the back of the ship, or at a specific bar.