Wheels87

Just curious...what is the hold up? Why can't the parents decide? Is it because they are worried, or is there some other family scheduling conflict or something?

If they are just nervous, I wouldn't take her anyway. There are so many things that can happen and if something did, you would never hear the end of it.

Good luck!

I do have to agree with TAPI that the Dream may be the better experience, however, sailing on the Fascination is not exactly the same as sailing on the Elation. I have been on both ships and can honestly say that I really love the Elation. I understand that different families enjoy different activities and everything, but I wouldn't judge all cruises on the same class of ship in the same manner. In my experience, any five day cruise has been infinitely better than being at work.

I have been on the Elation with my entire family (wife and three daughters) and we all had a great time every time. It all depends on what you and your children like to do. In fact, with them only being 6 and 3, you may find that it is a bit harder to drag them around the larger ship and the Elation may be a better fit for you. You never know.

Again, not wanting to stir up trouble, but, if you do pick the Elation, I wouldn't want you to go in with the mindset that it could be a bad vacation.

Good luck!

Did you really mean the actual week of Mardi Gras? If so, heaven help you! I would arrive the day before and stay in a hotel that is within walking distance of the port. That place is insane that week.

Anyway, having been on both ships, I would have to agree that with the extra water slides and all, plus the 2 extra days, that the Dream would be better.

Good Luck!

Great review! Thanks for taking the time to post it. My wife and I were on that trip and recognized you from the tender to Grand Cayman.

Just an FYI...you mentioned sunscreen and reapplying and such...I just wanted to say to everyone that the spray on sunscreen is not as effective as the good old fashioned lotion type. I see so many people using it and I just want to warn everyone. Use a good SPF 30 or higher and reapply every few hours and you will never burn like that. Also, make sure and check the expiration dates on your sunscreen.

Take care!

Just got off the Dream on Sunday and our room, 9259 had a 4-digit safe.

Good luck!

I have a severe dairy allergy (milk, cream, butter, cheese) and I simply notified my waiter in the dining room on the first night. I had to be careful what to choose on that night, however, from that point forward, the waiter brought me the menu for the next night and I went ahead and ordered what I wanted. Of course, I couldn't order things like the mango cream soup and such, but, most everything else, they could accommodate. I also ate in the steak house twice last week and they worked around it as well.

This allergy is especially difficult since anything good has butter or cream in it, but I was perfectly fine. As far as eating in the buffet and such, I just had to really pay attention to things.

Good luck!

Brad

For anyone thinking that this punishment may have been harsh...think about it for a moment:

They woke myself, my wife and all the other 4000 passengers on the ship up at 0400. Then, the whole crew, whether they had worked all night and not slept or whatever, had to be woken up at 0600. Then they banged on everyone's doors looking for this little brat. It got to the point where the cruise director was practically pleading with him to present himself and everyone was very very concerned that something bad had happened to him. Now, with passengers and crew, there were more than 5000 people whose lives were affected by this in a negative way. Of course, its not that big of a deal, mind you, but it did make for a very long day in port for many. The whole ordeal lasted almost 4 hours for everyone.

All of that being said, he didn't deserve to remain on the ship at all, especially since he and his friends were simply ignoring the pleas of a lot of worried people.

My wife spoke with the Captain and First Officer in Cozumel and they verified that he was hiding from them the whole time and that he and his family were removed from the ship. They also said that he was NOT found passed out on drugs in an elevator.

This is what is referred to as "Poetic justice."

Good day!

I have cruised the Elation many times and have been off the ship as early as 7:30 in New Orleans, but it is not always that fast.

Good luck again!

I am on the same Dream cruise with you. I have had an excursion cancelled in the past in Cozumel simply due to rough seas since it interferes with snorkeling. I received refundable stateroom credit.

Don't waste your time looking at the forecast this far out. It is almost completely meaningless and you will worry for nothing.

Have fun!

Even if you get off using self assist...the New Orleans airport security is notoriously slow. I wouldn't chance it.

Good luck!

We usually get to the port at around 10:00 and are always on quite early. Even without priority boarding or FTTF, we are almost always on the ship by about 11:20.

Good luck!

IMHO FTTF is still worth it...boarding early, having the stateroom ready so you can drop off your carry-on and knowing that you should get your luggage quickly are definitely worth $50.

Good luck!

Basically, with FTTF, you follow the platinum folks up the ramp to the ship, so you are really boarding at the same time.

We always choose to skip breakfast on the morning of departure...that way we will be hungry enough to eat as soon as we board before the crowds show up. The ships always feel pretty empty until about 12:15 and then it starts getting crowded at the dining venues.

I have sailed out of New Orleans many, many times and they usually begin boarding within just a few minutes after 11:00. I distinctly remember seeing the clock by the Lido pool reading 11:12 on one trip when on my way to the buffet.

I always show up at the pier at around 10:00 and have always been on before 11:30.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck!

Just wait for the 1st sea day and Carnival will have "complimentary" beach towels on most of the lounge chairs right by the pool. Help yourself and take several if you want. You might also find "complimentary" reading material and flip flops. Some times you have to look on different loungers to get a matching pair of flip flops.

 

:D

Wiz

LOL!!! That made me shoot coffee out of my nose!

Hello everyone!

We were on the Elation for a B2B in January and loved every minute of it!

The show on the 2nd night was called "Lets Rock" and it was awesome. We loved all the Rock-n-Roll music and enjoyed it both times on that trip.

We have sailed the Elation 7 times since we live close to the port. Three B2B cruises and one single 5 nighter. We have been on many ships ranging from the Elation to the Allure of the Seas and the Elation is still our favorite. It just has a feel all it's own that we cant describe. We have always found the cruise director's staff to be awesome and engaging and I always enjoy chatting with Melissa (the Philippines) at the Musical Cafe and have sailed with her five different times.

Plus, it is quite easy to get around on as well. Embarkation is always a snap and clearing customs on the way home is also easy.

Good luck!

Brad

You can get from the front of the ship (the upper level of the show room) all the way to the back of the ship (Serenity) on deck 9. This passes by the photo gallery, the sushi bar, the casino, the drama bar, the Musical Cafe, the night club, the comedy club, etc. The two dining rooms are on deck 8 (forward is the Imagination dining room and the aft is the Inspiration dining room).

So the bottom line is to go to deck 9 and you can reach almost anything.

Good luck and enjoy!

I just returned from a back-to-back on the Elation on Thursday. I agree with the original poster that the sea day brunch was quite good. The fire roasted tomato soup was outstanding and I enjoyed the french toast covered with Frosted Flakes.

This was my family's fourth and fifth cruises with the cruise director Steve Knisley and after 15 cruises...he is definitely our favorite! His assistants were great as well, especially Orlando from Jamaica.

As far as the statement about most of the entertainment starting after 11pm...I'm not sure what that statement meant. The production shows begin at the usual time and the Love and Marriage game show began at 9:45pm. They also had 70,s hour, 80's hour, Motown hour and the Michael Jackson hour at the night club and each started at 10pm. The only shows that I know of that started after 11pm were the two adult comedy shows which began at 11:30pm.

There was a guest who unfortunately had a heart attack in the middle of the night, so the ship turned around at 4am and headed north to get close enough to the Louisiana coast to allow a Coast Guard helicopter to evacuate him. As soon as he was off, the ship turned due south and headed to Progresso. Carnival should be applauded for traveling an extra 200 miles to help this guest, as I'm sure he appreciated it!

I would highly recommend the Elation to anyone who is interested in cruising on a small ship that is easy to navigate.

Good Luck!

most entertainment starts after 11p which is not the greatest for older people so we didn't attend.

I have used that card for almost three years and have cashed in a lot of points so I am very familiar with their system.

You accrue one point for each dollar spent with the card for regular purchases and two points for every dollar spent with Carnival (that could be the cruise fare, excursions or sail and sign account). Then, you can redeem the points for cash (actually statement credit) at any time. Just recently, I cashed in 60,000 points for $600 of statement credit (or exactly 1% cash back). Now, the trick is that you actually get the full 1% to pay for purchases with Carnival, otherwise you get about 0.75% if you choose to pay for any other purchase. So, in order to get the most out of your points, you need to save them up until you have made a purchase with Carnival, then you get the full 1% cash back. Also, since you get 2 points for every dollar spent with Carnival, it is wise to go ahead and just use your card to pay for your sail and sign account and then use the points to pay for that purchase after you return home.

I know it sounds kind of complicated, but it really isn't. I do not think you gain anything by getting some on board credit up front.

Good luck!