My Review of our Fantasy 7/25 Departure

[WISH84]

It always seems important to say at the beginning: These are my thoughts. You're tastes, styles and opinions may vary from mine and that is quite alright by me....

Thursday, 7/24. Day before Departure

My wife and I live in Denver and after our first cruise, our Honeymoon cruise in 1999, decided we would never to fly in on the day of departure again. So we left Denver on Friday afternoon via Southwest and arrived in NOLA around 4pm.

Before I continue, I must put in this disclaimer: The GM of the New Orleans Airport Hilton is a personal friend of mine. This fact DID NOT factor into my review. This property is fantastic. Most of the employee's did not know of my relationship to their GM (some did) and all of them treated us with great hospitality. From the Desk Clerk (who knew) to the Bartender (who did not know) to the Bellman (who did not know) all of them were great. The rooms are kept up very nicely and are very reasonable in cost ($99.00 for this one night). The GM transported us to the Pier on Saturday morning but our cab fare from the ship to the Airport on Thursday morning was only $33.00. I've had much worse.

That night we had dinner at a local French Restaurant. Now, sadly for Carnival, this dinner was the best dinner of the entire trip. Not to say the meals we had on the ship were horrible (they were not and more about that later) but after dinner was served, I told the Executive Chef/Owner that I was quite sure I had just had the best meal that I could remember in the last ten years.

Later that evening I made my "First-ever" trip down Bourbon Street. I can't comment much on this to keep this review "G" rated, but I will say this: In all of my trips to Las Vegas... Bourbon Street is like Vegas on acid. Holy Smokes.... Can't even imagine what that place must be like during Mardi Gras but "ME PLANS TO FIND OUT!!"

Day of Embarkation (Saturday 7/25)

We arrived to the pier after a short 25 minute drive and we were standing in line around 12 noon. For the first time it took us longer than 25 minutes to board the ship. The pier itself seems very organized but for a ship that was (as we were told) sold out, they only had two people checking guests in that were located on the "Upper Deck" which is where our room was located. So we stood in line, presented our passports and credit card, bypassed the "Welcome Aboard" picture and walked through the doors to the ship at 1:15pm. Not bad but longer than we anticipated.

We headed to the Lido Deck for our first Cheeseburger and I tried the Mongolian BBQ. It was very good but coming from a HUGE FAN of the Mongolian BBQ, I did not have it a second time during this trip. Take that for what its worth.

We were in our room by 2:45 but our luggage didn't arrive until after dinner. First time for this to happen as well. By now I'm getting the feeling that this is a "First-time-for-this-to-happen" trip but so far, nothing that shouldn't be expected and nothing that has ruined a single hour of our five day cruise which has just started.

Muster was, well, Muster. You have to do it. The good news here is the ship didn't start pushing away from the pier until well after Muster so the wife and I were sitting in the Serenity Area of the ship as the ship started its grand turn and headed south down the river. We had a blast taking pictures and was amazed at the ship traffic on the river. I have to also admit that when our day was finaly over sometime around 11pm and we looked out our window and could still see land, that was something "new" (First time) for us as well having sailed out of Florida and Texas all other times.

Day 2 (At Sea)

This day was spent exploring the ship in the morning and by 1pm we decided to take our chances by the pool. I say chances because the pool chair brigage was out in force and by 9:30am most of the chairs were already occupied by Flip-Flops, Towels, Books and Sun Screen Lotion Bottles. Oh yeah, every once in a while you would see a person laying in one. Kind of like the Mythical Unicorn. So at sometime around 1pm we finally found a chair on the upper deck overlooking the pool when I felt a drop of cool rain hit my bald head. Several minutes later, many drops are falling on me and I see that down below many people have grabbed their items and have run for shelter (there was some FANTASTIC thunder going on around us). My wife and I grabbed our stuff, went to the lower level and promptly waited for the five minutes to pass that I knew the rain would only last for and sure enough, when it went down to just a drizzle, we obtained prime real estate right next to the pool. My future cruise wish: For it to rain, hard, right around 12 noon each and every "at sea" day for about five minutes.

Dinner that night was Elegant Night. Lobster Night. We had "anytime dinning" and found ourselves dressed and ready for dinner before the doors opened up at 8:15pm. We sat at a four-top with another couple who were very enjoyable to visit with and made our dinner that more enjoyable for us. Dinner was very good but the Lobster was very small and even after two servings, I could have had more but decided a slice of pizza later in the evening would be just as good and that's what we did. This was the only night we ate in the main dinning room. Here's why: We read the menu's each morning and each morning couldn't find one entree that made us feel it necessary to take the extra hour it would take my wife to get ready for that setting. We still believe in dressing up for the Main Dinning Room but also don't feel we "must" eat there. So we didn't. The food on the buffet was just fine for us and saved her the extra time.

Day 3 (Progreso)

Woke up to heavy fog. So much so that my camera kept fogging up on me and I couldn't take any decent pictures of the Ecstasy (who was on the exact same schedule as us) until later that afternoon.

We had never been to Progreso so we took the $2 bus tour and at the conclusion decided on a beach near the pier and we just hung out there for most of the day. We already knew to expect the "sellers-selling-their-wares" parade so this didn't really bother us but you need to know about them or you could get a little upset. Progreso isn't as developed as Cozumel but I guess that's what makes it special. We enjoyed the beach and found ourselves back on the ship by 2pm.

More lounging by the pool and then I hit Straight Flush at 3 card poker and if you know anything about poker... you know that I just won enough to pay off our Sail & Sign Account up to that point in the trip. Very exciting!!!

Day 4 (Cozumel)

We've been to Cozumel many times and love this port. As we always do (why mess with a good thing) we left the ship as soon as we could and caught a cab for $23 total and went to Paradise Beach. We were able to secure the same two chairs we always seem to and enjoyed the wonderful service of the staff there and I enjoyed the water and water toys for most of the afternoon.

Around 1pm we went back to the Downtown area and started our shopping spree. On this trip we really didn't find much we felt we needed but did buy the standard "6 T-Shirts for $20" then made our way back to the dock area and sat on the beach and watched the Ecstasy sail off and then boarded the ship a few minutes before the last bell.

Day 5 (At Sea)

Not much to tell here. We did our last exploring of the ship, lounged about the pool, ate when we wanted to eat and then actually packed our stuff at 3pm and then took a short nap. We normally never pack this early but it was nice to be done with that so early and not be faced with it throughout the last night.

Back in NOLA

Here is another "first time for this" event. It was weird seeing land on the last night and knowing that the ship was going to still be sailing until early the next morning. The Captain said we would arrive "along side" around 6am but at 4:50am I awoke to the sound of thunder, I mean.., Thrusters and found ourselves already at the pier.

Awoke again at 7am, finished the last bit of packing, had breakfast and we were off the ship by 8:30am. To the airport by 9am for a 10:45 flight and back in Denver by 12:45. One of the most "hassle free" debarkations we have ever gone through. Kuddos to Carnival Fantasy for that!!

General Impressions (in no particular order)

1) When the Ecastasy pulled along side us in Progresso, you can certainly see what the new remodeling of the Fantasy has done for her. We chose the Fantasy for two reasons a) It was cheaper by almost $400 than the Ecstasy and b) We've never been to NOLA so that was a good excuse to go. When the ships sat side-by-side, I'm sure glad we chose the Fantasy although we've been on the Ecstasy and loved her. It will be good for the Ecstasy to get the face lift.
2) I was not impressed with Risa (The Cruise Director) at all. Now remember that I said your take on your experience will be different from mine and that's what makes this country great. I've been on several cruises and I found her to be the worst. At one point my wife counted the number of times she said "also" in an announcement and the number was in the double digits. Small thing I know but sometimes those little things get under your skin and you just can't "itch" it away. By Day 3 I was done with her and wished the Assistant Cruise Director would have been promoted on the spot. I know some people just adore her and that's great. We on the other hand, did not but that's okay too. I don't book a cruise based on who the Cruise Director will be just as I don't eat in the Main Dining Room to develop a relationship with the servers serving me.
3)The staff was fantastic. We were very impressed with the waiter working each day around the pool. He remembered our name right from the start and even when we weren't ordering from him, he always stopped to say hello. Fantastic server. Raul was his name. Our Room Steward, Henry, was also fantastic. If I could take Henry on each and every cruise we go on, I would. Never turned his nose up to any request we made and always respected the "Privacy" sign posted outside the door.
4) I'll post the name/location of the Restaurant we ate at on Friday night as soon as I can remember the name. I've reached out to my friend for his help and when I have it, I highly recommend you try this place. If you live in NOLA and have not eaten here, please make the time to do so. You will not be disappointed.
5) Please Carnival, if you do keep track of these reviews, PLEASE revamp the menus. The food was good. Not great but not bad either. Hell, I gained ten pounds in five days so obviously I had no problem with the quality of the food. It would be nice to see some new items. The Mongolian BBQ is a great addition, we just didn't eat there more than that one time.
6) To my fellow young cruisers out there getting ready to depart soon. Please remember you are on a ship with 2,000 other people. Some of them young children. Not every sentence out of your mouth has to contain the F word or some other slur. The Captain's Party is on Elegant Night. Most of the men are wearing a suit and tie and the ladies have gone out of their way to look extra nice. This is not the social gathering to try and start an Alma Mater Cheer going on against a table on the other side of the theater.
7) To my fellow "Cruise-Critic" Roll Call friends. I'm sorry we did not make the Roll Call Meet and Greet but from what I can tell, it sounds like it wasn't just us that didn't make it. So, to anyone reading this who is departing soon, here is my suggestion: After Muster, grab yourself a drink and meet at the Serenity Adults Only Area. I say "grab a drink" because I believe we all said we would meet at the After Bar on Deck 11 and there isn't one unless I just missed it. We went to several areas on the ship after Muster and never could tell if there was anyone from Cruise Critic there. The only bar we found was on the oposite wall from the Water Works area but by the time we found it, there weren't many people there. So grab a drink, wear some beads and make your way to the Serenity Area.

I have the capers but do not have a scanner. If you would like to ask any questions, I will be more than happy to try and answer them for you.

Happy Sailing!!!

[Whimsy]

Great review! Glad you had a good cruise. Our roll call is planning on meeting in the Serenty area after muster. I guess we planned that well from what you have reported.

Thanks for sharing your trip!

[TamNMike]

One quick question -- are there hair dryers in the room?? I can't seem to find my travel one but don't want to buy a new one if I don't have to.....

[WISH84]

Originally Posted by TamNMike

One quick question -- are there hair dryers in the room?? I can't seem to find my travel one but don't want to buy a new one if I don't have to.....

My wife brought along her own but I did see one located in the drawer under the mirror. I don't know how "powerful" it was but it looked okay to me.

[WISH84]

Le Parvenu
509 Williams Blvd.
Kenner, LA
504-471-0534

Chef Dennis Hutley

You will not be disappointed!!

[TamNMike]

My post saying "thanks for the great review" must be lost in cyber space.... But thanks -- we are all getting excited and counting down the three weeks til it is our turn.....

[Rowan555]

Great review, and I wholeheartedly second your comments on Risa. I have written Carnival twice with my opinion that the assistant CD should take her job - he does most of the work anyway!

[saintsfan01]

Nice review!

Being from Metairie (a suburb of NO) I agree with you on Le Parvenu--a great place to eat! However, this place is a good 30 minutes away from the French Quarter (Just FYI to those who plan).

I too agree with you on Risa. We were on the Fantasy a month ago and would have to say she was one of the worst. She was as bad as Kyle Post, whom was the CD on our Conquest sailing in February. I agree that we never base our selection on who the CD is. Steve Cassel was fantastic on the Ecstasy in April.

Thanks for your review-- it brought back some nice memories of our cruise.

[cod]

We've been on the Fantasy 3 times and enjoyed each. What happened to
the cruise director from last year...Tex???? Big guy, 10 gallon hat? I thought he was very good at what he did.

I'm curious, so if you know if he went to another ship, please advise. Thanks.

[pam7553]

Thanks for the review. I totally agree with you about Risa. Did not care for her at all.

[Whimsy]

I was just reading another post where someone was on the Fantasy and posted they had a chocolate buffet on the last sea day. Can you tell me where it was and what time? Thanks!

[bradm77]

Thanks for a great review! We were on Fantasy in May and had a great time, even with the unfortunate Progresso-Cozumel becomes Key West, Fl swine flu switcha-roo!!

I too only had the Mongolian once - I am a huge Mongolian BBQ fan (I could live at BD's), but they really need to add steamed or fried rice in my opinion.

I know not everybody sees others in the same way, but on our cruise that got diverted away from both Mexican ports, one of the highlights of our cruise was Risa Barnes, she is easily our favorite CD and we would love to take her with us on every ship we sail! We were just very impressed with the way she handled the last-minute itinerary change and the fact that, unlike some other CD we have had, we saw Risa out and about constantly and she always had time to chat or answer questions.

Ahh, well, to each his own, right?

[pe4all]

Wish84 - great review of our sailing. I wasn't too impressed with Risa, either, though she didn't get under my skin like she seemed to have gotten under yours! We also got mixed up on where to meet, as the bar wasn't where we were told it would be!! We ended up wandering up to waterworks, down to the Lido bar, until we bumped into Jackie. Sorry we missed you! Our dining staff and room steward was fantastic. I actually thought the chair hog situation was much better than we have ever had on any other CCL ship. On our other sailings we found that by 7 a.m. all the chairs were taken with items - not people. The casino was also kind to me. (slots) Congrats on your poker flush! We ate every lunch and dinner in the dining room - breakfast was buffet. (not big breakfast eaters) We had spent 4 days pre-cruise in NOLA, and I know what you mean about Bourbon St. It was crazy fun! I can't imagine what the 37,000 Lutheran youth who were in NOLA for a conference thought- LOL! I loved the waterworks, and it was pretty interesting seeing what we had, and Ecstasy didn't have when we were "parked" side by side.
I was the person who wasn't too impressed with the chocolate buffet, as compared to the other Carnival ships I have sailed on. Maybe I missed something? It was located at the 2 dessert stations they had in the Windows buffet area. Same stuff at both stations - very little chocolate. Again, did I miss it somehow? Hoping we meet on a future sailing!

[nycruises]

Originally Posted by cod

We've been on the Fantasy 3 times and enjoyed each. What happened to
the cruise director from last year...Tex???? Big guy, 10 gallon hat? I thought he was very good at what he did.

I'm curious, so if you know if he went to another ship, please advise. Thanks.

He basically got promoted to a bigger ship he is on the Valor now,they moved him over there in February

[crewsweeper]

Originally Posted by WISH84

Le Parvenu
509 Williams Blvd.
Kenner, LA
504-471-0534

Chef Dennis Hutley

You will not be disappointed!!

wish84....Yes this place is often overlooked because it's not near the Quarter. For people staying out near the airport, it's a nice place to try. About the only "bad" thing I'v heard about it is wine snobs complaining about the glassware

For browswers wanting to know more, here's the link:
http://www.leparvenu.com/Home_Page.html

And if you're looking for Italian and want a little intimacy try Ristorante da Piero just down the street. A bit pricy for some but very good and saves the cab fare to Metaire for Vincents.

http://www.ristorantedapiero.net/ris...iero/index.htm

Thanks for your review. We've been tempted to add a cruise to our next Nawlins trip; but would need a 6 month starvation diet to just limit total weight gain from present to less that 10 pounds if we tacked on a cruise.

[WISH84]

I agree with everyone's comments to my review and appreciate them.

1) Yes, everyone has their own likes and dislikes. While Risa will not go down as a CD I hope to sail with again, I ran into several people while on the ship that just loved her. As Bradm77 said "to each his own"

2) PE4All: We were very sorry to miss everyone. While I was looking forward to meeting all, I was very sad not to have run into Kimi the entire trip. Congrats on the slots, winning at sea makes it all that much better!!!

As you can see, I've got three more trips already planned and since I learned on this trip that the Triumph will be sailing out of NOLA soon, I plan to fit one of those in as well. I'm an addict!!!

[mtchg]

Although Bourbon Street in the Quarter is always great fun....the "Locals" tend to go to
the clubs on Frenchman Street. We tried that on our last Fantasy cruise pre-days (going again soon) and the music, bars and restaurants are great without the "Frat Party" touristy atmosphere. We highly recommend it; and it is walkable from the Bourbon St. area...or
a quick inexpensive cab ride.


Mitch and Beth from Nebraska

[AFsouth]

Originally Posted by WISH84

I agree with everyone's comments to my review and appreciate them.

1) Yes, everyone has their own likes and dislikes. While Risa will not go down as a CD I hope to sail with again, I ran into several people while on the ship that just loved her. As Bradm77 said "to each his own"

2) PE4All: We were very sorry to miss everyone. While I was looking forward to meeting all, I was very sad not to have run into Kimi the entire trip. Congrats on the slots, winning at sea makes it all that much better!!!

As you can see, I've got three more trips already planned and since I learned on this trip that the Triumph will be sailing out of NOLA soon, I plan to fit one of those in as well. I'm an addict!!!

Great review! After sailing Fantasy 3 times, we're booked on Triumph for 12 Dec 09, and looking forward to it.

[AFsouth]

Originally Posted by mtchg

Although Bourbon Street in the Quarter is always great fun....the "Locals" tend to go to
the clubs on Frenchman Street. We tried that on our last Fantasy cruise pre-days (going again soon) and the music, bars and restaurants are great without the "Frat Party" touristy atmosphere. We highly recommend it; and it is walkable from the Bourbon St. area...or
a quick inexpensive cab ride.


Mitch and Beth from Nebraska

Agree with Mitch. However, take a cab!

[Rowan555]

Originally Posted by AFsouth

Agree with Mitch. However, take a cab!

If the weather is nice, it's a pretty short walk up Bourbon and across Esplanade to Frenchman Street. That being said, I haven't hung out on Frenchman since I was in college 17 or so years ago. We prefer the Bourbon/St. Ann area and some clubs downtown across Canal.