Ecstasy Review

We cruised on Ecstasy on Dec. 27 over New Year's Eve. It was our first cruise and we went with my extended family - there were 17 of us! I wasn't sure what to expect, as I had heard mixed reviews. Here are the details:

Embarkation - much quicker and easier than I expected. This could have been because my son had a broken leg and when they saw him, they got a wheelchair and took us to the front of the line. The camara to take the ID photos broke down and delayed us about 15 minutes, but other than that it was really smooth.

Accommodations - Our room for 4 on the Main Deck was pretty small, but we were expecting it to be. However, the beds and comforters were surprisingly comfortable. I had to sleep on the fold down bunk because of my son's broken leg, and even that wasn't too bad. I had heard that the ship looked worn and old, but to me, the carpet looked new and I didn't notice the other bumps and bruises much at all.

Spa/Gym - This was one of our favorite places. I didn't have a spa treatment, but we used the gym to work out. The facilities in the spa were clean and nice. I ended up showering there most days because the shower was so much bigger than the room. There was also a nice steam room and sauna. The equipment in the gym also seemed to be relatively new - treadmills, cycles, weight equipment, all looking out of the front of the ship.

Food - The dining room food was awesome. My husband is a "dining snob" and he was really impressed with the dining room cuisine. No one blinked an eye when we ordered multiple items from the menu. The pizza and deli were also good and my kids ate quite a few burgers and dogs, but the buffet left something to be desired. We bought Fountain Fun Cards for our kids, which was a great thing.

Crew - Everyone was eager to please. We especially liked our waitstaff in the Windsong Dining Room. My only complaint was that many of the staff spoke limited English and were a little hard to communicate with.

Lido Deck - This place was a little loud for us. Hubby and I generally prefer quieter vacations, so we spent lots of time on the Sports Deck, where we could read, nap and sun in quiet. However, my kids loved the activity on the Lido Deck with the music, pool, dancing and grill. The only problem was that later in the afternoon, some of the passengers got a little wasted and there were a few "impromptu shows" which I would have preferred my kids not be exposed to.

Ship Board Activities - Lots to do, but we only did the Wine Tasting, which was really fun. My kids loved bingo and the arcade and just hanging out with their cousins. The shows in the Blue Sapphire were good - not Vegas, but good nonetheless, and appropriate for the family. My husband had a great time in the Casino - he won and then lost and came out even! I was disappointed with Camp Carnival. My 14 year old thought it was lame and the 10 year old had a broken leg and could't participate in much. They didn't even go. Some of the other kids in our family went, but only for a few hours. We had one child who was in an age group by herself without any of her cousins and Camp Carnival would not allow her to go to another group. I understand rules, but she was the only one in nine kids from our family who didn't have a "buddy" to go to camp with.

Excursions - In Cozumel, our whole group hired a large van with a driver to take us to Parque Chankanaab, which was not a Carnival excursion, but recommended to us by a relative who lives in Mexico. It was really fun and cheap to do it this way. It cost us about $15 per person for transportation and entrance to the park. The park had a beach, snorkeling, snuba, diving, dolphin swim (extra charge), sea lion show, two restaurants with waiters who would serve you on the beach, and nice restrooms with showers. We spent all day there and had a blast. I saw very few cruisers and mostly Mexican tourists.

In Calica, we went on the Carnival excursion to Xcarat. This place was like being at Epcot. Everything was nice, and there was tons to see & do - swimming, beach, snorkeling, tubing, animal habitats, dolphins, etc. I think you could spend two days there. There were several nice restaurants. There were considerably more people here than at Chankanaab, again, lots of Mexican tourists.

Weather - The weather was really cool leaving Galveston, but by the time we reached Cozumel, it was beautiful. Same in Calica. The water was pretty rough during the crossing and I was told by some crew members and experienced cruisers that this was unusual. I thought we wouldn't be able to feel the ship move, but it was really rocking and rolling on the two days we were at sea. Several in our group were pretty sick and at times you almost stumbled in the hallways. I don't know how the dancers in the show did it.

Debarkation - Our docking was delayed in Galveston for three hours due to fog. The crew handled this really well. I know they needed to be getting the ship ready for the next cruise that afternoon, but they had to keep feeding and cleaning up after us. Finally at about 1:00, we got off and the immigration and debarking was a nightmare. I'm not sure if this was due to the delay in port or if this is standard, but it really left us with a negative feeling. I had some family members who said their other cruise experiences were not this way. Hoping that is true!

Overall, it was a really fun trip and a great way to do a family reunion. Everyone can be together when they want, but still have time to themselves.

Sgsing...

Thanks for posting your review. Very fair viewpoint I'd say. We are taking the same trip on the Ecstasy and leave next Saturday (15th). I am glad to hear about the gym. From what I understand, it was totally redone during the dry dock this past fall.

I hope my girls will enjoy Camp Carnival, I've heard a few negative reviews - but I'm sure if they don't we'll have plenty to keep them busy.

I'm so glad you like Xcaret -that's where we're going in Playa del Carmen as well. We are really excited about it.

Oh - so you were on the cruise that day coming in the fog. We watched the webcam that day and you couldn't even see the ship hardly it was so foggy! Glad you had a good time. Thanks for being honest about the stuff you liked and didn't like.

Thanks again,

Uggg, great review I just hate to hear that about debarkation. We are going to be flying out at 2:40 p.m. so debarking at 1 would cut it extremely close. I guess all I can do is hope for good weather...

Thanks for the review. We're sailing on the 29th of January and can't wait to get out of this 30 degrees one day and 70 degrees the next day weather here in Dallas. I'm just hoping for smooth seas and warm weather.

I am so happy to hear a recent review! We go March 7th and I was hoping for reviews from real recent cruisers. I think we will have fun. Of course this is our first so we have nothing to compare it to but I have read enough reviews since she came to Galveston to truly believe it will be a great cruise. If you have pics please try to post. Thanks for the honest review.

Thanks for a great, well-written review! We sail on the 20th of this month, and my return flight is at 2:00! I hope I make it!

I am so happy to hear a recent review! We go March 7th and I was hoping for reviews from real recent cruisers. I think we will have fun. Of course this is our first so we have nothing to compare it to but I have read enough reviews since she came to Galveston to truly believe it will be a great cruise. If you have pics please try to post. Thanks for the honest review.

Hey we are thinking about booking this cruise!!actually we are booking this cruise!!On March 7,2005!!

In Nov. of 2004 we had a wonderful time on the Ecstasy!!The only thing that was kinda too much was the lights in the lido...but they grew on me after awhile!!

Well thanks for the review!

TXCRUISERS04........You are music to my ears!!! Honestly I thought no one else was going on our cruise! I have had a roll call for 5-6 months now and no one ever answers it!! I was beginning to think we would be the only ones onboard! It will be myself, dh, and our 8 yo twin boys. It is our first cruise. I am glad you had a good time on the Ecstasy. What cabin did you book? We are a OV 6d guarantee. I take it my your name that yall are from Texas too. We live about 45 min from Galveston so we will have my parents take us to the pier. We plan to get their early like 11 am. Oops gotta get kids to bed. Talk to ya later!

TXCRUISERS04........You are music to my ears!!! Honestly I thought no one else was going on our cruise! I have had a roll call for 5-6 months now and no one ever answers it!! I was beginning to think we would be the only ones onboard! It will be myself, dh, and our 8 yo twin boys. It is our first cruise. I am glad you had a good time on the Ecstasy. What cabin did you book? We are a OV 6d guarantee. I take it my your name that yall are from Texas too. We live about 45 min from Galveston so we will have my parents take us to the pier. We plan to get their early like 11 am. Oops gotta get kids to bed. Talk to ya later!

Hey,We live about just at 3hours away!!hehe..Well were on the Main Deck M218..We have a room being held for us now until tomorrow then we are going to book for sure!!Well check out our pictures.. http://community.webshots.com/user/wards03

well talk to ya later..same here have to get my 4yr old down..hehe..

How early can you get on the ship?