Fantasy Jan 14-20 2012

Just got back from the 6 night Fantasy cruise out of Charleston Jan 14-20 and I would like to give my thoughts……

Embarkation--

Getting to the ship was super easy and was on the ship within 45 minutes. If u have a handicap tag, no charge to park & if u have any trouble walking , the ramp going up to the ship is 4 levels and is steep, ask for help and they take u in thought the 4th level. I think that the best time to arrive to get a seat in the Buffet area would be very early on the ship or after 1:30 ( when they open the cabins up) as we got there at 12:30 with no place to sit and eat!

I carried on 2 bottles of wine and 15 sodas which they looked at very closely, saw a guy get his beer taken away….I packed 2 pints of liquor in my checked bag & if they had taken it no big deal, but they made it though as did some other friends booze! I know I will flamed for this but bar bill was still $400 so they didn’t lose anything!!!

Cabin--

We had cabin M205 which was a great location for dining , Elevator, and a few quiet spaces on the ship to get to! I have to admit that I am and will forever be a balcony snob, thought I would be ok without one but I wasn’t…didn’t like leaving cabin to get some fresh air and to just sit and read! (I’ll be flamed again for this I’m sure) I was more worried about the bathroom as hubby is a 4X guy and he found NO problems with the shower…YEA!!!! He liked the bed, I didn’t but so glad I brought our pillows as the ones on the bed was foam and they were hot to sleep on (found out the last night as I packed ours!) Lots of storage to put suitcases and clothes away. No hairdryer and glad I brought with me a power strip as there is only one plug to use in cabin, none in the bathroom!!!!! Also bought a small alarm clock for time.

Dining--

Found the food to be above average with Pizza being the top winner!! I got tired of Hamburgers but they r good, didn’t try the Mongolian as the line was always long! Fish in the buffet for dinner was always good so with that and a salad, I was happy. Ate in the dining room 3 nights and food and service was ok, One night didn’t get my drink until I was on dessert so I carried it to the show afterwards!! Formal nights were Saturday and Wednesday nights as this was a 6 night cruise.

Chef’s Table--

This was the highlight of our cruise !!!! I emailed the ship 2 weeks before the cruise and got confirmed for it. The chef came and talked to us 2 days before and asked if there was anything we were allergic to or would not eat , there is nothing so with that he said he would prepare a wonderful meal for us! So on Tuesday night 11 us met at customer services on deck 7 and was taken into the galley were we got served 4 appetizers and all the Champagne we could drink & watched as our Chocolate melting Cake was made fresh , from there we finished the tour of the galley and headed to the library! We got seated and over the next 2 hours was served some of the most amazing food with unlimited wine ( red and white). The service was outstanding with the top waiters serving us…. Halfway though the meal the ships magician came and gave a private show for us while our steaks was cooking!!(pictures r in my signature) After the meal we were presented with a picture and could questions of the Chef!! He told us that the menu would be changing in a couple of weeks as they have had this for a while now.

Shows--

What I saw was good and very entertaining. They have now a comedy club in the Forum lounge and on the cruise was 2 very funny guys, Dean Gaines & The Cowboy Comedian. Both did a family show and adults only show 2 nights of the cruise.

There are plenty of times to get free booze…all the art actions have champagne and the last night called Farewell Party. Something always going on so you wouldn’t be bored! I like going into the Majestic Bar to find a quiet corner to read in.

Pool--

Never saw a problem with chair hogs! Yes the weather was cooler than a summer cruise but not bad! The Serenity Deck is where I spend most of time as the loungers are padded and very comfortable . Easiest way to get to the Serenity deck is to go though the Forum lounge( deck 9) , no stairs to go or down.

Casino had lots of slots from 1 cent to $5, seemed a little tight but saw people winning, I wasn't one of them...LOL

Debarkation--

It’s a silent debarkation which means u met at a certain time in the Universe Lounge and wait. We were in the next to last group to be called and it took an 1 ½ hrs to get to our car! Once again any problems walking or standing just ask someone and you will taken off though deck 4.

Over all this was a great cruise and yes I would do it again for the right price and a balcony! LOL

Pictures, Fun Times, room services menus, etc are in a link in my signature. If u have any questions , ask away! Just remember this was a 6 night night so things will a little different on a 4 or 5 night!

I am considering the Fantasy, this helped so much! Looks like fun!!

What ports/excursions do you go to? How were they?

Nice review.

Woo hooo thanks for the review. I'm going in just under 2 weeks.. I am so ready.

Glad you had a good time!:D

I am considering the Fantasy, this helped so much! Looks like fun!!

 

What ports/excursions do you go to? How were they?

We went to Key West, Freeport, and Nassau. In Key West we just rode the City View Tolley, bought tickets on line and only paid $17 and then walked around before going bac k on ship. Freeport, we went & did some shopping in Port Lucaya. $5 pp for the cab ride. then in Nassau walked around and spent some time at Senor Frogs! Didn't do a lot of anything sorry I can't help with tours but I do have the ship tour book if u want to know something about any of them!