Carnival Paradise 7-17-2014 – All Hail the Turquoise Eggs!

I just got back from a very relaxing 4 night cruise to Cozumel on the Carnival Paradise. Though it is an older ship, the Paradise provided a very nice respite. This was my first solo cruise and I had a great time!

What's with all the turquoise eggs?

I booked this cruise about 40 days out when I was looking for a getaway to use some extra vacation days that I had left over. Since, I'd be solo on this sailing I was also interested in getting a deal and when I say deal that just means not paying 200%. After some searching I noticed that Carnival was not charging a solo supplement for this particular sailing so I quickly booked before they changed their minds. This sailing went back up to the double occupancy rate a mere 48 hours later. Note: To all solos looking for a deal, this sailing was never added to Carnival's official list on the Goccl site. I just did a search for 1 traveler directly from the web site and this sailing came up.

I booked a 1A cabin on the Riviera deck (R66) with late assigned seating for $250. Now, it was only a waiting game for my vacation to start and boy did those 40 days fly by! I booked my flight via Southwest.

Pre-Cruise

I flew in a day early since I've never been to Tampa and wanted to see the sights. My flight from Pittsburgh was on AirTran around noon and was delayed by about 15 minutes due to storms. The crew on board was very friendly and it was a very smooth 2 hour 20 minute flight. From the Tampa airport I used Super Shuttle to transfer me to my hotel downtown at the Residence Inn by Marriott, which I won on one of the bidding travel sites for $70. The Super Shuttle cost around $12 including tip with a promo code that can be found online in a quick search. It was a full shuttle with about ten people but luckily I was the first stop :)

Upon check-in, I was told that I was the guest of the day, which entitled me to a goodie bag and free parking. Too bad I couldn't use the parking voucher but it's nice that they do that for a lucky guest every day. The hotel staff was very courteous and invited me to a complimentary reception that they have for their guests a couple nights a week, which includes drinks and a light dinner. I however, declined because I wanted to explore downtown Tampa a bit.

My room was very nice and reminded me of a small studio apartment with a kitchen, pullout couch, desk area and double bed. The kitchen had a small stove top, microwave, dishwasher and full size refrigerator.

After I got changed, I decided to hit the streets. I could've taken the free hotel shuttle to Ybor City or Channelside but decided to stay downtown and wander around. I was going to call it an early night because I worked the midnight shift the night before and had been up for about 24 hours at this point.

After walking around for a bit, I decided to get dinner at the Urban Mexican Cantina. The interior of the eatery had a bunch of Mexican wrestling masks positioned on the walls throughout as well as several paintings keeping with that theme. I got the street taco platter, which was a sampler of different styles of tacos including carnitas, pastor and fish tacos. The food was adequate but nothing to write home about. Still, my server was friendly and the service was fast so I can't complain.

Downtown Tampa is very convenient to the cruise port but it is in a stage of transition. There were several storefronts that were empty or under redevelopment. In about a decade, it probably will boast a lot of nightlife. I also noticed a few panhandlers but never felt unsafe.

I headed back to the hotel and it was lights out!

Hello! Cannot wait to read the rest. Great start... Thanks for posting:)

Thanks for the report!

Enjoying your review of the Paradise. I am considering this ship/5 day cruise for 2015, so thanks for posting a review.

I laughed when I saw your question, "What's with all the turquoise eggs?"

It's the same as "what's with all the roman columns" on the Legend (stool legs, rail bannisters, etc.); they were everywhere. Not my cup of tea, but apparently Carnival's idea of themed décor. ;)

I sailed Paradise alone a few months ago - really enjoyed it. My review is posted here if you're interested in comparing. As for Tampa, nope, not much there. Downtown St Pete, however, is hopping every night. Bars, clubs, restaurants, galleries - and all on the beautiful St Pete waterfront. Perhaps next time you can spend a day on the other side of the bay.

Look forward to reading the rest of your review.

What's with all the turquoise eggs?

 

I haven't been on the Paradise, but I asked the same question about all of the stained glass "eyeballs" in the buffet on Triumph.

Maybe every ship just needs some signature oddball design element?

Anyway, keep up the good work! Looking forward to your next installment...

Have you seen the giant purple grapes hanging in the MDR of the Miracle? A lot of people day they are hideous but I think they grow on you.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

...or the urns all over Legend?

Oops yeah they were urns, not columns. See? Blocked from my memory... hideous. :p

Thank you and look forward to your next post.

Keith

Embarkation Day

I got up the next day and went down to the hotel lobby to partake in their free breakfast buffet. It was pretty much what you'd expect. I then went back up to my room to pack and get ready for the day. As I was waiting around before I had to catch the hotel's complimentary shuttle to the cruise port, I got a little creative with part of the maid's tip.

I grabbed the shuttle from the hotel at 10:45 and was at the cruise port within 10 minutes. The lines at security and check-in were light and I was on the ship before noon. As I walked into the atrium, all those turquoise eggs took my breath away!

Since I have previously been on a Fantasy class ship (Carnival Imagination in 2000), I was pretty familiar with the layout so I headed up to Lido to grab some lunch. Today was Italian day … yum! I'll get into my views of the food at the end of the review. Overall, I thought the food was fine and in general, I liked the buffet better than what I got in the MDR mostly because there was more variety. Sorry, I didn't get any “food porn” pics on this trip :)

After lunch, I re-familiarized myself with the ship's layout and quickly found myself on Promenade (Deck 9), which would become a favorite of mine. During this cruise, I found myself there a lot to grab a drink at the casino bar, play trivia in its large lounge or to enjoy some of the live bands playing there at night.

At this point, it was 1 PM and I headed down to my room on Riviera (Deck 4). I loved this room – it was a perfect size for a solo traveler. It was also in a great location near the mid-ship elevators. Since there aren't any passenger cabins below Riviera, it was always easy to catch the elevator up to Promenade. It also seemed that most passengers used the forward or aft elevators. My cabin was at the end of a hallway so it was free on one side and on the other there was what looked like an A/C access panel, so to say the least this room was very private. The only time I ever heard anyone was on the last night when luggage was being collected.

I went to the dreaded muster drill at 3:15 at Station C, which was located on the Promenade Deck in the Leonardo Lounge. Muster drill was miserable as usual but this one had a little entertainment. There was a group of college-age passengers who were very intoxicated and opening buckets of beers during the muster announcements. An older woman flipped out, grabbed one of them by the neck and “tattled” on them. It was actually pretty funny.

After the end of the drill, I went up to Deck 11 for sail away and then grabbed my first of many whiskey sours on this cruise. I don't normally drink much at home but you know what they always say – when in Rome...

I went back down to my room to see if my luggage had been delivered and it was there! I also met my room steward Jerrawhut (he went by Jerry). I took a little nap and then got ready for dinner for my late seating. Prior to sailing, I heard Carnival tries to seat solos together however when I showed up at my table this was not the case for me. I was seated at a ten top with two groups of four – one family from Tampa and another from Altoona, PA. It was a little awkward at first, but then was much more comfortable as we got to know each other.

Overall, it seemed like there were very few solo travelers on this cruise. As a matter of fact, I was actually the only one that I noticed. Not sure if solos tend to go on longer cruises but I still had a great time!

I ordered Caesar salad, baked salmon and WCMC for dinner. The dessert really did live up to its reputation! Several of my table mates loved it so much that they ordered it every night of the cruise. As we were chatting after dinner, a surprise was lurking behind me!

To cap off the night, I went to the Welcome Aboard show after dinner at 10:15 PM. It was a fun show that gave a preview of the comedians on board as well as other activities on the ship. It was also a good chance to meet the cruise director, Steve Cassel. I had originally planned to catch the comedy show afterward in the Queen Mary Lounge on Promenade but opted to call it a night.

On my way back to the cabin, I stopped up on Lido and grabbed some pepperoni pizza. It was OK but always seemed like they never put enough sauce on the pizzas that I had during the cruise. The pizza maker had his work cut out for him as I noticed that many teenagers would congregate there at night. They seemed mostly bored and it got me to thinking that there isn't much nightlife on a cruise ship if you're under 18. Perhaps the teen groups offer activities but I'm sure some teens won't participate because they might think they're “too cool for school.” :)

So glad you're back! I leave Thursday on the Paradise. Thanks for the review!

I am really interested in this review. I am thinking about booking it this fall, and spending a few days on the Tampa area beaches beforehand. I haven't decided yet if I like those turquoise eggs or not.

Friday, July 18 – Day at Sea

Had a very relaxing sleep and boy, do you sleep like a baby in those inside cabins. Being that I work the midnight shift, it had been a while since it was dark while I was sleeping. It was a nice change! I got up and grabbed some breakfast up on Lido. I am not picky when it comes to buffets but the scrambled eggs were just awful. They had a gelatinous texture that was just so nasty and don't even get me started about the presence of baked beans on the breakfast buffet! I quickly learned that the omelet station is the place to go in the mornings and that is what I did for the remainder of the cruise. And for anyone wondering if the bacon police were patrolling the Paradise, that would be a big yes although I didn't mind them. It was actually nice being served my breakfast meat.

In the morning I went to the excursion and shopping seminars to see if I could get lucky and win a prize – no dice. Now, I was off to play a couple rounds of trivia and had a great time. Unfortunately, I did not take home any ships on a stick but noticed that many of the winners were suspiciously from Tampa. Cheaters!

Headed up to Lido for lunch and today their theme was Caribbean food, which consisted of jerk chicken, a type of beef stew and other selections. Much of that food went untouched but I thought it was good, especially if you like trying new things. Afterward, I played more trivia and then headed back to my cabin for a little siesta.

Tonight was elegant night so I put my suit on and headed to the dining room. Yes, there were some people dressed a bit down but it doesn't affect me or my vacation so what do I care? I only noticed one family being turned away because they were wearing jeans. For dinner, I opted for the gator fritters (yum), prime rib (double yum) and Bitter & Blanc for dessert. The dessert was just OK and left me a little confused as to why people were up in arms over Carnival originally cutting it out of the new menus that they have been testing on a few ships. To each their own I suppose. It wasn't bad just nothing to write home about IMHO. Most of the people that I dined with got the lobster tails and looked jealous when they saw how large my cut of beef was. Their only complaint was that the lobster portion was very small so a few of them asked for a second helping.

The production show tonight was called “8 Seconds” and it is the country music themed one in which the cruise director plays the fiddle. Unfortunately, the production shows were scheduled before dinner for people who have late seating so I didn't make it to this one. Actually, it seemed like a large amount of the timing of night time activities was catered towards those with early seating. They even had a meet and greet with the captain on Promenade at 5 PM but who in late seating is even ready at that time? I'm the type that likes to go to a show after dinner so when I got home from this cruise, I immediately changed my seating on an upcoming cruise from late to Your Time Dining.

I headed to the comedy show in the Queen Mary Lounge, which featured Ken Rogerson. The other comedian on board was Eddie Capone. I only caught Ken's show and it was funny but not hilarious. Pretty much what you would expect. Afterward, I had a drink or three at the casino bar :) I signed up for Cheers earlier in the day and was glad I did because the bar tab was one less thing that I'd have to worry about. No complaints about Cheers. I would just say that on a day at sea, it isn't that hard to hit the 15 drink limit especially if you're a beer drinker. God, I sound like a lush!

Enjoying your review and looking forward to the next installment. Leaving on the Paradise in 15 days!

Thanks for the update. I am enjoying your review.:)

Yeah those turquoise eggs...thanks for your review!!

Saturday, July 19 – Cozumel

I got up around 6 AM and decided to watch the sun rise. After wandering around – I found a good spot in the far back of the buffet area on Lido that was quiet and had a great view. It was a very peaceful experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for some tranquility. After grabbing breakfast, I took a quick nap before I disembarked the ship for Cozumel. Oh, and what a day it was!

We were at the Puerta Maya pier that offers a lot of shops to choose from including a small drug store that came in handy on my way back to the ship that afternoon. We were in port with Carnival Elation and a Royal Caribbean ship (I think it was the Vision of the Seas).

I walked around for about an hour and perused the shops. I even saw some shirts that remind me of my sisters - LOL.

I then headed over to Port Royal to purchase a day pass, which was about a 10 minute walk from the pier. The cost was $40 and included the amenities of an all-inclusive resort. Port Royal had several restaurants to choose from as well as a swim up bar, infinity pool and their own private beach area. I chose to stay poolside and use the swim up bar for some refreshing frozen drinks. I would highly recommend the day pass here as it was a great value for cruisers.

I got out of the pool to read my Kindle and all of a sudden... my glasses broke. One of the parts that hold the lenses detached from the stem. This wasn't an issue with a loose screw so I would be blind as a bat if I didn't figure out a way to fix them. The icing on the cake was that I forgot to bring an extra pair. So, I headed back to the ship to see if I could repair the broken spectacles. I stopped at that drug store in Puerta Maya and picked up some super glue.

As I was heading towards the ship, Carnival Victory had just pulled in so Puerta Maya was hopping with people. For the small period that I got to experience Cozumel, I really liked it. The people were nice and it was pretty laid back. I look forward to my travels bringing me back there in January for my cruise on the Norwegian Epic.

Unfortunately, the super glue would not hold my glasses since it is such a tight squeeze to pop the lens back in. So, I had to be resourceful like MacGyver. Since, I couldn't find any tape – I ended up taping my glasses back together with the adhesive part of a couple Band-Aids. LOL. It didn't look pretty but it held them together for the next few days until I got back to Pittsburgh.

Here's a picture of a towel animal modeling my broken glasses.

I now, had to come up with an exciting story to tell my table mates rather than that my glasses fell apart in my hands. I thought saying I was in a bar fight in Mexico would be an exciting yarn to tell. I'm too honest and stayed with the real story as unexciting as it was!

With my glasses repaired, I headed up to Lido to grab some lunch. Weirdly, today was French food. I guess if someone wanted Mexican, they could just walk off the ship. The ship was empty. I now understand why some stay on the ship in port because you have easy access to EVERYTHING. I decided to do the same and had a nice siesta. I ended up sleeping until 8 PM and missed sail away in which I was hoping to see some pier runners!

Night life on a port day is pretty weak. They probably figure many are tired and want to call it an early night. In the Queen Mary Lounge where comedians usually perform, karaoke was on the schedule. Being a fly on that wall was very amusing to say the least. I then headed to the main lounge where they had a version of the old game show, “To Tell the Truth.” The cruise director was one of the contestants and a very good liar!

I then headed up to Lido for the Mexican Deck Party. I don't know what made it Mexican as there wasn't any Latin music playing. It was mostly just loud hip hop music that you would hear at a club. I swear, I'm 34 going on 70. Get off my lawn you whippersnappers! LOL. I headed down to the casino bar and enjoyed some music and cocktails. Before I knew it, it was 2:30 AM and time to call it a night!

Sunday, July 21- Day at Sea

I got up around 9 AM (I slept in!) and headed up to Lido for breakfast. Yes, I hit the omelette bar again. Afterwards, I went down to the casino bar to play some trivia and nurse my hangover with a bloody mary. I really enjoyed playing trivia on this cruise even though I did not win anything. They had all different types including Disney songs, Star Wars, 90s Music, Sports and Comedy Movie Quotes. Some were very challenging and I must say that I was really impressed with the winners even though the ones from Tampa were probably cheating.

I then went over to the fun shops to buy a couple t-shirts, a watch for my dad's 70th birthday and a cigar for my cousin's husband, who had a baby while I was on this cruise. I always like to get a good deal and you certainly can find them in the gift shops on board!

The rest of the afternoon I sat back and relaxed until I had to get ready for the night's activities. I also packed and put my suitcase out before I had to head up for the show in the main lounge. Funny, packing is always a lot easier when you go home because you can just throw all of your clothes in the suitcase since it all needs washed anyways.

The evening show was “Shout” with a start time of 7 PM. It was a revue show of different types of music through the decades. It was nice but again, I wish it was scheduled after dinner.

My table mates at dinner were wondering what happened to my glasses and I told them the adventure I had the day before searching for the right tools to repair them. They were amused to say the least. For dinner, I had a flat iron steak with a baked potato. For dessert, I got the warm chocolate melting cake one last time.

Towards the end of dinner service, one of my table mates proposed to his girlfriend. The waiter brought an extra dessert plate with the lid on it and put it in front of her. He said compliments of the chef like it was a special creation and when she lifted the lid there was the engagement ring. It was nice. This was the first proposal I've ever seen in public. It was nice and low key.

After dinner, I called it an early night because the next day was gonna be a long one!

Monday, July 22 - Debarkation Day

I got up and grabbed some breakfast in Lido before it would become a madhouse. By 8 AM, I copped a squat on Promenade Deck and waited for my debarkation zone to be called. I would've done self assist but my floor (Riviera) was scheduled to be the last one called. Since I had a flight at 12:05 PM, I was in Debarkation Zone #2, which was actually quicker than self-assist. My number was called a little after 9:30. Disembarking was pretty painless.

When I got out of the cruise terminal, taxis were waiting and I quickly hopped into one and was on my way. The only lines looked to be for shuttles. I'm not sure if this was booked through Carnival or a private service. My taxi arrived at Tampa Airport at 10 AM with a flat rate of $25. Easy peasy. There were very short lines in the airport and security lines were also minimal. This is one of those airports that does security at the entrance of each concourse instead of everybody going through one. It is much more efficient and I wish Pittsburgh would do it this way.

Overall, I had a great, relaxing cruise. I got to read a couple books, play some trivia, enjoy the sights and cuisine. The food was a lot better than I expected, I guess because of all the negative reviews I had read online. While the MDR menu at times had limitations, overall It beat the heck out of having to cook myself. I loved the warm chocolate melting cake and look forward to having it again on my cruise on the Carnival Pride next week. The only problem with the MDR menu was that I felt it was lacking in side dishes. It seemed like I was always ordering a baked potato. Some variety would've been great. The buffet was fine as well. Sometimes the ethnic selections were a bit weird but the prepared salads were pretty good. The one thing that needs some work is the breakfast buffet. Some of the selections are truly disgusting and I'm far from picky. Those gelatinous scrambled eggs give me the chills just thinking about them. :D

Cruises are a great way to travel especially when you're solo. I would definitely cruise on the Paradise again as it was very clean and the crew was very friendly. Fantasy-class ships also provide a relaxing, low key environment. I actually wish they would sail one of them on a 7-day itinerary because I sort of liked the smaller size and type of activities going on. The only problem I noticed was that the Paradise had a very small pool area. That is why I never went swimming on the ship because it got so crowded. Thankfully, there was plenty of other activities to partake in. Since, I'm from the school of thought that there is no such thing as a bad cruise, I can't wait for my next one!

I have been watching for posts on the Carnival Paradise and have seen very few....Just wondering! I am cruising out of Tampa in January on this ship so am wondering about excursion options both thru Carnival and private.

Thank you so much for your great review! :D I appreciate you taking the time to post the review.

I'm cruising on this ship in November and it's my first cruise.

I have been watching for posts on the Carnival Paradise and have seen very few....Just wondering! I am cruising out of Tampa in January on this ship so am wondering about excursion options both thru Carnival and private.

Are you going to Grand Cayman and Cozumel or just Cozumel? You should be able to login to the Carnival web site to check out their offerings. You could also do web searches for private companies. Cozumel is a good place to get a day pass at a resort and some have even done a fun jeep tour. Grand Cayman has good beaches and a cool turtles excursion.

Thank you so much for your great review! :D I appreciate you taking the time to post the review.

 

I'm cruising on this ship in November and it's my first cruise.

The Paradise or any of the other Fantasy class ships are great places to start. Not too big but still has enough amenities to keep you satisfied. Enjoy the Promenade Deck, I know I did.

We are going to Cayman and Cozumel. I was a bit concerned because I see very few posts about the Paradise. This particular cruise just happens to fit into our schedule while my husband is in the Tampa area on business. We are soooo looking forward to a winter get-away!