Great time on the Paradise!

I got off the Paradise on 2/18 and thought I'd share some about it and show off some photos (assuming I can get them to upload, of course!).

My bf and I went on the Carnival Paradise for a five night cruise from Tampa with stops in Grand Cayman and Cozumel. This was my fifth Carnival cruise (I've only sailed with Carnival) and his first cruise ever...he was so excited! We had an ocean view cabin on Empress deck midship (E118). I was a little worried noise might be a factor, since it was on Empress deck, but we never heard a thing! I liked being that close to the main atrium.

We left from my home in Charleston, SC on Sunday, spent the night in Daytona and then headed to Tampa the next morning. As far as ports go, Tampa is okay, but Miami is still my favorite port to leave from. I paid a little extra for valet and I thought it was worth it. By no means a necessity, but it was nice being able to get out of the car and leave it and having it curbside when we got off. Aside from a crabby port officer, the valet staff and porters were helpful and kind.

My bf wanted to do FTTF. Initially I didn't think it would be worth it, but I have to say that it was awesome! We'll probably keep doing it until I hit platinum (which will be quite a while I'm sure!). We were able to go right to the front of the boarding and check in lines and having the room available as soon as we got on the ship was super convenient. We ate lunch on Lido, did some exploring, ate dinner (late seating) and attended the Welcome Aboard Show. I had read about what a great cruise director Brandon is and so I was happy to see that he was still on the Paradise for our cruise. He was fantastic!

Day 2 was a day at sea. We spent a good amount of time outside in the sun soaking up some rays and watching the entertainment. We also played some trivia and got to know the ship. It was formal night so we got dressed up for dinner and had some fun people watching. Especially at the different photograph stations! After dinner we went the first of three productions in the Normandie Theater. The show that night was an 80's music dance party theme. It was a lot of fun! The performers were full of energy and talented. After, we went to the adult comedy show in the Queen Mary Lounge. I have to say we did not enjoy him at all. Neither of us thought he was funny and we ended up leaving after ten minutes. Luckily, there was a second comic on board and she was much funnier.

Day 3 was Grand Cayman. This was my first time in GC and my first time in a tender port. I missed the convenience of being able to go back and board the ship whenever we wanted, but it was cool seeing all the ships anchored off the reef. There were six ships total in GC that day. We had an early excursion so were off the boat by 8 am. We booked a snorkeling trip to the sunken USS Kittiwake and Cheeseburger Reef. This was the first time I had gone snorkeling in the open ocean and after a brief freak out period (still not sure why I panicked, but I got a life jacket and was fine after that) and discovering that I had taken my iPhone 7 Plus with me (at least 20 minutes in the salt water and somehow, miraculously, it still works!) I was able to enjoy the beauty of the sunken Kittiwake and the reef. We had fun and enjoyed the sights, but we both agreed we are done with snorkeling for a while! After we finished in the ocean we walked around and did some shopping. We headed back to the ship for lunch and to relax some. I would like to go back to GC and see more of what that beautiful island has to offer. That night after dinner we went to the second show in the Normandie called The Brits. It was very good! It had a bit more of a story to it. After that we walked by the casino and my bf ended up winning $200 off $2! He played one of those claw machines and somehow managed to grab two bundles of 100 $1 bills in one try! The casino manager had been close by so he stopped to watch and he said he had never seen anyone win anything in that machine, much less two in one try. Although he tried numerous times, the bf wasn't able to duplicate his success (I'm still taking him to Vegas though ASAP...haha!).

Day 4 was Cozumel. We docked at International Pier, a first for me as I've only been to Puerta Maya, and I was delighted to see that we were tying up right next to Harmony of the Seas! I was geeking out! I did not think I would be that excited about seeing her, but her size was breathtaking and she is a much prettier ship than I had anticipated. I had never seen an Oasis class ship before and I was blown away. I will admit, I had a little bit of ship envy! After ogling Harmony we disembarked for our excursion. We took a tour of Mayan ruins and then a bus drive through a part of the island that is uninhabited. The guide said that it is a reserve and power is not even supplied to that part of Cozumel. They had some road side restaurants set up powered by generators, but that was all. The most beautiful beach is on that side of the island. I loved seeing the waves crash against the rocky shore. This was my favorite time in Cozumel and I hope to find my way back to that beach next time I go. Cozumel is always a lot of fun and so pretty. It's one of my favorite ports. After the excursion we went to Margaritaville for a snack and had some delicious, fresh made (at the table) guacamole. We walked around a bit more and headed back to the Paradise. We had dinner and watched the Carnival Conquest, Freedom, and then Harmony of the Seas pull away. After, we gave the other comedian a shot. She was much funnier!

Day 5 was our final day at sea. We gave brunch another try and it was much better. My salmon benny was very good! We were both a little "sunned" out so we spent a lot of time inside playing trivia and walking around. We went to a few things in the Normandie and just enjoyed being on the ship. After dinner we went back to the room and did some packing. We opted to do self assist so we didn't have to leave our luggage out.

The next morning we were back in Tampa :loudcry:. Disembark went well enough. I prefer to just leave the luggage out as opposed to heaving it up and down the stairs because the elevators are closed, but it went off without any hiccups. Since we had FTTF we had priority disembark so we were back on land by 8:30.

Because I had read some negative reviews about this ship, I will admit I was a little nervous. I'm happy to say though, that we had a fantastic time! I have an affinity for the Fantasy class ships (I've previously sailed on Fantasy and Imagination) so I am by no means a "ship snob", so I'll admit that as far as decor and amenities go though, the Paradise has been my least favorite Fantasy ship. While I loved all the throwbacks to the old ocean liners (Normandie, Queen Mary, SSUS, Rotterdam, etc) the overall look was very dark. The ship had a lot of browns and golds and I was disappointed she didn't have the 2.0 upgrades (I heard she is going into dry dock January 2018 for those much needed updates). However, the ship was clean and very well maintained. The Fantasy ships are always so fun and full of energy. The food was much better than on my last cruise (the Victory in 2015). I LOVED our wait staff! Daniel was our head waiter and he was so engaging and personable. He always made sure we had anything we needed. He greeted us by name and after the first night brought us our preferred drinks without us having to ask. Not only was he fantastic, but so were the rest of the waiters on his team. Our room steward was also very good. He knew our names and kept our room fresh and tidy (we're both pretty neat people anyway though so I'm sure he appreciated that). As I stated before, I have only ever sailed Carnival. I want to try other lines and I hope to be able to soon. But, they're going to have to live up to the "Carnival standard" as far as service goes! On all the cruises I've taken, the crew has been awesome! I just can't say enough good things about the job all of them do to make sure everyone has a fun and safe time.

Luckily, the bf loved it and can't wait to go on another one (which is good because I told him not liking cruising is a deal breaker...haha!). I can't wait to start planning another one.

I'll be happy to answer any questions or respond to any comments. I did not mean to go on for this long so thanks for reading!

Steven

P. S. As I feared I cannot figure out how to upload the figures. I don't know if it's my infuriating MacBook or my lack of expertise, but I apologize. I really wanted to share some.

I sailed the Paradise last month and agree... having Brandon as the CD was awesome....he put fun in the Fun- Ship. He had a certain charisma that really seems to pump- up the guests. I hope to see him again.

Thank you for the great review.

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Thank you for reviewing your cruise.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

Thanks for the review and glad you enjoyed tha Paradise. We will cruising on her in 89 days for the second time. Great to hear she may be getting the 2.0 upgrades in January 2018...same time the Miricle is coming to Tampa.

Cheers and happy cruising.

Good to hear! I'm on this ship in June (to Cuba,Yahhh!) and see it's a smaller older one. I cruise for the ports though, but glad it's not bad for my daughter since this will be her first cruise.

Thanks for your review...We are doing this same Cruise in May with our two boys (10yo/4yo). I have read some horrible reviews so it was refreshing to read yours. One question..So when you are ready to leave GC and tinder back to the boat is there a schedule that they give you of when the boats will be available going back to the Paradise?

I sailed the Paradise last month and agree... having Brandon as the CD was awesome....he put fun in the Fun- Ship. He had a certain charisma that really seems to pump- up the guests. I hope to see him again.

 

Thank you for the great review.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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You're welcome! I like writing so I didn't mind doing a review. I really enjoyed him. He was energetic without being annoying and very personable and engaging. I spoke with him for a few minutes after his Questions and Awesome show. Real nice guy!

Thank you for reviewing your cruise.

You're welcome! Hopefully I'll have lots more cruises to review in the future :)

Thank you for sharing your experience.

It was my pleasure! Thank you for reading. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks for the review and glad you enjoyed tha Paradise. We will cruising on her in 89 days for the second time. Great to hear she may be getting the 2.0 upgrades in January 2018...same time the Miricle is coming to Tampa.

 

Cheers and happy cruising.

It'll be here before you know it! When I booked our cruise it was more than 200 days out and it seemed so far away, but it came awfully quick! I attended the Questions and Awesome show with Brandon (the CD) and the hotel manager, and they confirmed she is going into an extended dry dock Jan. 2018. I would think it's for 2.0.

Have a great time on the Paradise!

Good to hear! I'm on this ship in June (to Cuba,Yahhh!) and see it's a smaller older one. I cruise for the ports though, but glad it's not bad for my daughter since this will be her first cruise.

Cuba!! I'm jealous! Hoping to go there next year. When you get back if you want to post lots of pics from your trip that would be ok :p

She's a smaller ship, but the Fantasy class ships are a lot of fun! There's so many things to do and they have an energy about them. You'll have a blast!

Thanks for your review...We are doing this same Cruise in May with our two boys (10yo/4yo). I have read some horrible reviews so it was refreshing to read yours. One question..So when you are ready to leave GC and tinder back to the boat is there a schedule that they give you of when the boats will be available going back to the Paradise?

Don't let the negative reviews make you nervous! I believe a cruise is what you make it, just have realistic expectations. It'll be a great time! I think your boys will have a lot of fun as well!

We had an early excursion and we met in the Normandie Theater at 7:45am. I did not see them handing out a schedule when we disembarked, but they announced several times, and it was in the Fun Times, that the last tinder back to the boat was at 3:15. The Paradise was scheduled to leave at 4. We got to the dock where the tinder was leaving a little after 2 and it was boarding to make a trip back to the ship. They had several running back and forth so I'd imagine you wouldn't have to wait too long to board one.

I hope this helps. I know it's a vague answer.

I was on the Paradise the end of January with my daughters, and although it was the smallest ship I have sailed so far, it was still a great cruise. Brandon and his activity staff are awesome! The music "trivia" parties that he hosted in the Atrium after the shows were great. And I agree about the 1 comedian, I went to his show and I was not impressed at all. He was not funny in the least. I watched several people get up and leave early. Unfortunately I didn't make it to see the female comedian.

Enjoyed your review! Glad you had a great cruise. My wife and I sailed on the Paradise in 2011 on the same itinerary and loved it! Older, smaller ship, but top notch in every way. Great food, crew, and experience. Some folks only like the mega ships, but I enjoy the smaller ships just as much if not more.

Nice review. I did this same cruise back in October and I also had a great time and enjoyed Paradise.

Cuba!! I'm jealous! Hoping to go there next year. When you get back if you want to post lots of pics from your trip that would be ok :p

 

She's a smaller ship, but the Fantasy class ships are a lot of fun! There's so many things to do and they have an energy about them. You'll have a blast!

I definitely will! I'm going to like the smallness!

Thanks for your review - glad to hear you had a great time and have sold your BF on cruising!

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When I used valet in Tampa when I came back the porter walked me to my car in the garage. I felt ripped off.

I was on the Paradise the end of January with my daughters, and although it was the smallest ship I have sailed so far, it was still a great cruise. Brandon and his activity staff are awesome! The music "trivia" parties that he hosted in the Atrium after the shows were great. And I agree about the 1 comedian, I went to his show and I was not impressed at all. He was not funny in the least. I watched several people get up and leave early. Unfortunately I didn't make it to see the female comedian.

I'm glad you had fun with your daughters! Yes, his whole staff was great! They always had something going on.

I'm glad I saw the female comedian. She was so much better! The guy was just very generic. I mean, airplane jokes are so overdone ;p

Enjoyed your review! Glad you had a great cruise. My wife and I sailed on the Paradise in 2011 on the same itinerary and loved it! Older, smaller ship, but top notch in every way. Great food, crew, and experience. Some folks only like the mega ships, but I enjoy the smaller ships just as much if not more.

I agree. The Fantasy ships are so easy to maneuver and you get the same quality as you do with the bigger ships.

I would like to try some larger ships (Dream class or Vista class) and even a mega, but I don't think I would want to be on one for every single cruise.

Nice review. I did this same cruise back in October and I also had a great time and enjoyed Paradise.

Thank you! I did this one to see what kind of feedback I'd get. I enjoyed writing the review and since people seem to have enjoyed it, maybe I'll do it again after my next one.

It's a good cruise! I liked the ports and the ship is fun.

Thanks for your review - glad to hear you had a great time and have sold your BF on cruising!

 

 

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You're welcome. Thanks for reading!

I am glad he enjoyed it too! I kinda wanted to keep him around ;p

When I used valet in Tampa when I came back the porter walked me to my car in the garage. I felt ripped off.

Oh wow! I'd feel ripped off too. I wonder why they did that? We gave our valet ticket to the people at the desk at the bottom of the escalator, and within a few minutes a valet drove it around and we hopped inside. For as much as it costs, you definitely deserved more than just being walked to your car in the garage. Sorry you didn't have a good experience with it.

Thanks for your review!! How much was the valet service?