Elation 8/14 - 8/19: The Good, the Great, and the "Eh"

[Ashpalo]

Disclaimer: This is the first review I have ever written, so please go easy on me.

This cruise was a surprise “End of Summer/Back to School” cruise for me (37) and my 3 daughters (12, 10, & 9). They had no idea that we were going on a cruise and thought that we were just going to a resort in Alabama. I still can’t believe that I was able to keep it a secret for over 5 months!!

Friday 8/13 – The Drive to Mobile

We left the Austin, TX area at 3:30 am and arrived at the Admiral Semmes Hotel in Mobile at 2:30 pm. Checked in and the girls were in the pool by 3:00. I was really excited about the deal I got on P****line for the hotel - $55. The best word I can use to describe the hotel is “eh”. It was not bad, but it was definitely not great. The location was perfect and the staff was friendly, but the room left a little to be desired. The carpet badly needs to be replaced and there was a significant amount of mold in the bathroom. But, the price was definitely right – so, it was okay for a one night stay.

We had dinner at my brother’s house with his wife and kids, watched a movie, and then headed back to the hotel. Despite the fact that I had been awake since 2:30 that morning, I couldn’t fall asleep until after 1:00 Saturday morning!!

More tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some pictures of the hotel:

 

 

Admiral Semmes Lobby

 

Pool Area

 

Room 505

 

 

Mold in Bathroom

 

 

Ashley :)

[skye02]

We are leaving on 9-11 on the Elation. I am so excited, I can hardly stand it! I have to make myself stop talking about it to people.

 

Please finish your review, I can't wait to read it!

[LHP]

We just got back from the Elation 8/19 (squeezed in a quick 4 day before oldest son goes back to college)....and

 

if you are into karaoke....SOLOMON IS SOOOOO PRECIOUS!!!!!!

 

He is kinda shy but soooo precious. Be sure to tell him that his Cruise Mom said HI!!!!

[Ashpalo]

We just got back from the Elation 8/19 (squeezed in a quick 4 day before oldest son goes back to college)....and

 

if you are into karaoke....SOLOMON IS SOOOOO PRECIOUS!!!!!!

 

He is kinda shy but soooo precious. Be sure to tell him that his Cruise Mom said HI!!!!

 

 

We went to Karaoke 3 nights - he was great & very nice and patient with all the kids.

 

Ashley :)

[Ashpalo]

Saturday 8/14 – Embarkation Day

 

I was up at the crack of dawn, 5:30 am! As soon as I saw the ship pulling in to the port (you could see it through the glass in the Mobile Government Bldg) at 6:20 am, I woke the girls up. Now, keep in mind they still had no idea about the cruise and were pretty upset that I was waking them up so early. I told them that I wanted us to start the day with exercise and we were going to walk down to Riverside Park on the river. They weren’t too happy about that, but what could they do – I’m the boss, right? So, we get to the park and I tell them to pose for a picture in front of the ship. I act like I’m taking a picture, but actually I’m recording. I say “Wouldn’t it be great to be going on a cruise?” – they kind of mumble “yes” (still groggy and not happy with me) – and I say “Guess what – we are!!!” Now, I’m expecting them to scream and jump and be excited…but, that’s not at all the reaction I get! They say “Yeah right, Mom…whatever”. They didn’t believe me at all! They thought I was just saying that to get them to smile for the picture! I had to tell them over and over again that I was serious and we really were going on a cruise. Finally it sunk in and they became just as excited as me. We headed back to the hotel to get ready to meet my brother at the Spot of Tea for breakfast.

 

Spot of Tea

All the reviews that I read about the Spot of Tea were “spot” on! Everything was scrumptious!! I had the Eggs Cathedral (English muffin, crab cake, scrambled eggs, topped with seafood sauce) – it was one of the most delicious breakfasts I’ve ever eaten. Other items that were ordered were the Banana Foster French toast, Seafood Eggs Benedict, Monte Cristo sandwich, Cheddar Omelet, and Belgian pancakes. Like I said, everything was delicious! I highly recommend the restaurant to anyone sailing out of Mobile!

 

After breakfast, my brother drove us to Walmart to pick up a couple of last minute things and then back to the hotel to make our door sign and then load the luggage in his vehicle. He drove us over to the port at about 10:30 and the line of cars was already backing up to the interstate. He was able to go around the line and drop us off under the overpass. We walked into the terminal at 10:47 and ended up meeting up with another family from our Roll Call while we were checking in. They forgot to give us a boarding pass, but luckily our new CC friends let us go in with them on their Zone 2 boarding pass (Thanks Shauna & family!). Our wait was short and we walked onto the ship at 11:40 am. We were sitting down and eating Mongolian Wok stir fry by 11:52. Not bad, not bad at all!!

 

Muster was probably the easiest muster drill I’ve ever been to, especially since we didn’t have to worry with the life jackets. Since it was drizzling on and off that day, they didn’t make us go outside to our lifeboat. It was short and sweet!

 

After muster, we went back down to the cabin to unpack our luggage – and that’s where for a moment I thought our cruise was coming to an end! As my middle daughter was hanging our door sign, the youngest daughter opened the door and the middle one’s thumb got smashed in the door frame. She screamed at the top of her lungs and everyone came out of their cabins to see what happened. Her thumb was black, blue, and red and really looked at first like it was broken. I iced it down and kept an eye on it. Luckily, she was able to move it and seemed to be okay – but, for a minute I thought we were going to have to get off the ship and go to the hospital and miss the cruise. After the “thumb fiasco”, we headed up for sail away. The ship sailed shortly after 4.

 

After sail away – back to the cabin to get ready for sushi and dinner. Sushi was great and really hit the spot. Then off to dinner. I had really been looking forward to sitting at a large table and meeting new people, but that didn’t happen. When they led us to the table, I was disappointed to see that we were at a table for 4 in the corner next to the kitchen. It was just the girls and I. When our waiter came over to introduce himself, he did not seem too happy to be there. As a matter of fact, on that first day, I didn’t see barely any smiles from the crew at all. I guess I’ve been spoiled by the crew on the Ecstasy – they were always smiling every minute of the day, everywhere on the ship. But, this did improve throughout the week. Our waiter did become more personable as the days went on. I considered going to the Maitre’d after dinner to request a change, but my youngest daughter was a little grumpy during dinner and I was actually relieved that it was just us, as I would have been really embarrassed and apologetic if we had table mates that had to witness her attitude that night. So, I decided to keep our table in case she had other nights like this. For dinner, I had the Pumpkin, Yam, & Cheddar Pot Pie. It was okay, but I was really kind of already full!

 

After dinner, my two younger daughters and I attended the Cha Cha dance class. They ended up attending every single dance class for the entire cruise! Can’t remember what we did between the class and the welcome aboard show. The Welcome Aboard Show was good and we got to meet Felipe for the first time. I had read a few bad reviews about Felipe, but let me tell you – in my opinion, he’s the best CD I’ve sailed with to date!! He was GREAT!! Very funny, very approachable, and really seemed to be enjoying his job. I would sail again with him as CD in a heartbeat. But – even better than Felipe was one of the Social Hosts, Nick! Nick is the best Social Host I have ever sailed with! He really made the cruise so much fun!! His energy is contagious and he led the best deck party I have ever seen (more on that later). After the show, it was off to bed. It had been a really long day!

 

Surprise!!!

 

Eggs Cathedral (half eaten, oops) at Spot of Tea

 

Mongolian Wok/ 1st Pic on Ship (don't know what's up with the look on my daughter's face - LOL)

 

The "almost" broken thumb

 

1st Towel Critter

 

ChaCha Dance Class

 

Ashley

[Schoifmom]

Great review so far ... can't wait for more. :D

[Ashpalo]

Sunday 8/15 – 1st Sea Day

It was really nice to be able to sleep late the first morning of the cruise! Those beds are sooooooo comfortable! It was hard to go back to my bed at home after 5 nights in that wonderful, wonderful bed! None of the girls wanted to wake up yet, so I went to breakfast in the MDR by myself. I had Eggs Benedict, which was okay but as usual the sauce was a little “crusty” from sitting out. No worries, it tasted good anyway. After my breakfast, I got the girls up and took them to Tiffany’s for their breakfast. Morning consisted of me and the two younger girls hanging out by the pool, just relaxing and reading. It was fabulous to feel the warm sun and the cool breeze. It was a perfect morning! My oldest spent almost the entire day in Circle C…matter of fact she spent almost the entire cruise doing Circle C activities. She really had a great time and has been texting her new Cruise friends ever since – well, except the one friend in Canada – I told her absolutely NO calling or texting Canada (LOL). I felt comfortable allowing her the freedom to come and go from Circle C.

Now, the afternoon was by no means “relaxing” – it was non-stop fun and excitement. We attended the Men’s Hairy Chest Competition, which was hilarious!! Nick led this activity and as you’ll hear me say again and again, he really makes everything he leads fun! After that, we went back to the cabin to shower up and get ready for Nick’s Country Line Dance Class. I don’t do the classes, but my girls are always in the front row “hamming” it up. After the dance class, the girls “forced” me to volunteer for the Gender Showdown. Now, they had been bragging about how the girls had won it for the past 19 cruises straight. Wouldn’t you know it – I’d be on the team to break the winning streak. The guys won and no Ship on a Stick for me. After the game show we went to my favorite activity – Tea Time. Unfortunately, we got there late and only got to enjoy it for a few minutes because they started putting everything away. But the snacks we did have were yummy.

This night was Cruise Elegant Night. There’s been debate over this change. Traditionalists feel that they should have kept the Captain’s Cocktail Party the way that it was and others are okay with the change. This was my first cruise since the change and surprisingly, I like it so much better this new way! I loved not having to drop everything and go start getting ready at 4:00. I was able to do activities and have fun at my own pace, then go get a reduced price drink before AND after dinner. They now introduce the Captain and staff in the atrium – which is kind of cool because people stand all around on all the levels to view it. I hope they keep this change and don’t go back to the old way. Dinner for me was the pumpkin soup and then shrimp and lobster – pretty tasty. Two of the girls had prime rib and it was fork tender!

The show tonight was Rhythm. It was good. There was a routine for each month of the year. They featured different holidays like Valentines Day, St. Patrick’s Day (river dancing), 4th of July, Thanksgiving, etc. The dancers were great and the singers were not bad at all. Turns out that the male singer, David, was the singer on our Ecstasy cruise last year.

I absolutely LOVE break dancing. So, I was excited to see that they had break dancers as part of the crew – Fun Force. We went to the break dancing show in the Cole Porter Lounge that night. Now, this is where I made a complete fool out of myself! My girls urged me to volunteer when they asked for volunteers and like a true “glutton for punishment” I raised my hand. I figured that they would just teach us some moves and that would be it. NOOOOO – they split us into two groups and then made us solo dance in a “dance off”. I didn’t know what to do and just did the first moves that came to mind. I know I looked like a complete idiot – but, what happens on the ship stays on the ship – right? Well, unless someone puts it on YouTube – I sure hope nobody has posted it!!! Anyway, at least our team won – but, sadly no ship on a stick was awarded!

After my embarrassing dance moment, it was time to go put the girls to bed. I took the younger girls to the cabin and after they fell asleep, I went up to see the midnight “R” rated comic. My oldest was still in Circle C activities until 1:00 am. The Comedian was Tim Harkelrod and his “R” rated stuff was so much funnier than his “PG” routine the night before. He was hilarious!!! I really enjoyed it. It had been a very long day/night and after I picked up my daughter from Circle C, it was straight to bed! Another action packed day lay ahead in Progreso, MX!

 

Gender Showdown

 

2nd Towel Critter

 

Captain and Staff Intro

 

Breakdancing

 

Glutton for Punishment

 

I love this view

 

Ashley

[KCMarie]

What a special treat for you, and your girls!

 

My two daughters and I are going on a mother & daughters cruise next March, but before that my sister and I will be on the Elation escaping the January deep freeze of the midwest.

Great review, thanks!

[fremissante]

Fantastic Review! I am leaving in 12 days... getting so excited! Glad you enjoyed Spot of Tea and the Eggs Cathedral, it is one of my favorites by far! Its particularly enjoyable eating by Cathedral Square.

 

I look forward to reading more about your trip, and can't wait to see some more of your pictures!

[LHP]

 

After dinner, my two younger daughters and I attended the Cha Cha dance class. They ended up attending every single dance class for the entire cruise! Can’t remember what we did between the class and the welcome aboard show. The Welcome Aboard Show was good and we got to meet Felipe for the first time. I had read a few bad reviews about Felipe, but let me tell you – in my opinion, he’s the best CD I’ve sailed with to date!! He was GREAT!! Very funny, very approachable, and really seemed to be enjoying his job. I would sail again with him as CD in a heartbeat. But – even better than Felipe was one of the Social Hosts, Nick! Nick is the best Social Host I have ever sailed with! He really made the cruise so much fun!! His energy is contagious and he led the best deck party I have ever seen (more on that later). After the show, it was off to bed. It had been a really long day!

 

 

We LOVED Felipe (Flipper is what we called him).

 

We had the opportunity to sit down and visit with him several times and he is a GENUINE individual. He LOVES what he does...he LOVES Carnival and he LOVES the guests.

 

We really liked Nick as well. We did not get to visit as much with Irish Bob...but what little we were around him...he seemed to be cool.

 

And then we got to break in a Entertainment Staff virgin...Skylar. He is from Canada and was sooooo nice.

 

We had a blast.....

[skye02]

Great review! I can't wait to read the rest of it.

[Ashpalo]

We LOVED Felipe (Flipper is what we called him).

 

We had the opportunity to sit down and visit with him several times and he is a GENUINE individual. He LOVES what he does...he LOVES Carnival and he LOVES the guests.

 

We really liked Nick as well. We did not get to visit as much with Irish Bob...but what little we were around him...he seemed to be cool.

 

And then we got to break in a Entertainment Staff virgin...Skylar. He is from Canada and was sooooo nice.

 

We had a blast.....

 

 

I saw your feedback on John's blog. I had also posted a message about Nick and Felipe the day before - although, I'm sure he won't get to my comment for another 3 weeks - LOL. :D

 

They were a great Entertainment staff!

 

Thanks to everyone else for the positive feedback.

 

Ashley :)

[Ashpalo]

Monday 8/16 – Progreso

 

At around 6 something in the morning, I was awakened by the sounds of the ship pulling into port in Progreso. Luckily, we didn’t book an excursion, so there was no hurry to get up. I went back to sleep and then woke everyone up around 8:00. While I was getting ready, the girls got all excited and started hollering for me to come to the window. When you looked down at the water between the ship and the dock, there were so many jellyfish that you couldn’t even count them. We were all a little worried that we wouldn’t be able to swim that day. Two of my girls had been stung really badly by jellyfish a couple of summers ago in Pensacola, Fl, so they have a true fear of the creatures. Breakfast at Tiffany’s and then off to explore Progreso.

 

We did the double-decker bus tour for $3/person. It was worth it to see the town and scope out the places we wanted to go. The bus leaves and returns from the same spot where you catch the shuttle to go to the ship. We walked to the beach and got a table on the beach in front of Le Saint Bonnet. We were very relieved to see that there were no jellyfish in the water. I used my free margarita coupon (can be printed from their website) and got the girls a Coke. We also had chips and pico de gallo, which was delicious. While they played in the water, I got the most awesome 45 minute massage for only $10! It was heavenly!

 

Despite what others have posted, I thought the water was beautiful. I’m used to Gulf Coast beaches (Texas, Florida, etc) and I thought that this beach was comparable to Pensacola, FL. There are slight differences of course, like different color sand, but for the most part I would rank it up there with nice Gulf Coast beaches. If you’re expecting a beach like Cozumel or Grand Cayman, then you’ll probably be disappointed. The vendors on the beach were a little bit annoying, but usually moved on right after you said “no, gracias”. We did end up getting some bracelets made with the girls’ names by a guy on the beach. It was amazing how quickly he made the bracelets! I ended up buying 2 more for my nephews.

 

After the beach, the girls and I went bargain hunting. I taught the girls the “art of negotiating” and the girls really enjoyed seeing how low they could get the vendors to go. It was also neat to visit with the locals and try to use what little Spanish we know to communicate with them. When we returned from the cruise, I asked the girls which port they liked better and they all said Progreso – their reason is because they felt like they were really in Mexico. They all agreed that Cozumel feels more like America than Mexico. It made me feel good to spend money in Progreso, as I know that many of them truly need the money and appreciate every penny that they earn.

 

I had originally planned to return to the ship by 2:00, but we were having so much fun shopping that we didn’t return until after 3:00. We got back to the ship, got some pizza/chicken tenders/etc and grabbed a spot to watch the “runners”. They had been paging 2 people over and over again. Sure enough, right as the ship is about to depart, a taxi cab comes speeding down the pier and parks right next to the gangway. Two people get out the taxi and walk onto the ship, then the taxi speeds off, the gangway is raised, and the ship takes off. Close call for those two – I can only imagine how much they were freaking out!

 

This afternoon was the past guest party. It was very nice. They had great hors d’oeuvres and since our dinner server happened to be serving our section at the party, we had a steady stream of platters coming our way! It was the usual party where they show the film and everyone cheers for the ships that they had been on. It was at this party that we got a chance to speak with Nick, the Social Host I keep talking about. Turns out that he used to live in Austin – small world!

 

For dinner this night, I had fried mozzarella, navy bean soup, and the pike perch. The appetizer and soup were good, but the fish was a little too “fishy” tasting for me. I was still a little full from eating lunch so late, so I didn’t ask for anything to replace the fish. One thing is for sure, we didn’t go hungry this cruise!

 

Tonight the two younger girls and I attended family karaoke (oldest was in Circle C). I really liked how they had times set aside for family karaoke and then later in the evening switched it over to 18 and up. My girls are karaoke fanatics and would have been really disappointed if they would not have been able to perform. Both girls got up there and sang their hearts out. One sang Boom, Boom, Pow by the Black Eyed Peas and the other sang SK8R Boy by Avril Lavigne. I asked the karaoke host, Solomon, at least twice to make sure that the songs would not have dirty lyrics – as I know for a fact that the Black Eyed Peas song has a radio version and an explicit version. My girls are used to the radio version and didn’t even realize that there are really cuss words in the song. WELL – the version they had didn’t have the actual cuss words, but did have an “s” and then 3 “*”. My daughter sang the version she knew and said “sitting”, but I just know that every person in that lounge (and it was packed) thought that she said the bad word. So, I was probably known for the rest of the cruise as the mom that lets her daughters cuss!! LOL!

 

 

The show tonight was “Spin” which is now my favorite Carnival show. They have a big wheel (think Wheel of Fortune) that has about a dozen different cities/states listed. They spin the wheel and then perform routines that represent the city/state that it landed on. I was born in New Orleans and now live in Texas, so I was thrilled that they were two of the places spotlighted. They also featured New York, Puerto Rico, Chicago, Memphis, and a few others. The dancers and singers all did a great job.

 

Tonight was the Mexican Buffet and deck party. As I said earlier, it was the best deck party I ever attended. Very high energy!! The band Music Degree is amazing! They are from the Philippines, but when they sing they sound JUST like the artist they are covering! Nick led the crowd in some line dances and even led one that I had never seen or heard of – the Dollar Line Dance. It was hilarious! Also, they said that the record for the conga line was broken that night – I think it was like 213 people.

 

It was another action packed, fun filled day. Off to pick up the oldest from Circle C and then hit the bed. Next up – Cozumel and Paradise Beach.

 

Jellyfish at the pier in Progreso

 

View of pier from the Double-Decker Bus

 

Progreso Beach (You can see the ship way in the back)

 

Nick and Felipe - Best CD and Social Host EVER!!

 

Dancing with the waiter

 

Towel Critter (Our Steward did a good job of matching the towel animals to my daughter's stuffed animals)

 

Ashley

[Ashpalo]

Oops - almost forgot to post pictures of the "runners"...

 

 

Ashley :)

[NavarreCruiser]

Hi Ashley,

 

Lynda here. I asked you about the social hosts on you other thread. Great picture of Nick. We love that boy. Did he introduce you to his girlfriend? I was wondering if he is still seeing El. She is one of the dancers. Having been with him for 15 days we really thought he helped make our cruise great.

 

Thanks,

 

Lynda

[Ashpalo]

Hi Ashley,

 

Lynda here. I asked you about the social hosts on you other thread. Great picture of Nick. We love that boy. Did he introduce you to his girlfriend? I was wondering if he is still seeing El. She is one of the dancers. Having been with him for 15 days we really thought he helped make our cruise great.

 

Thanks,

 

Lynda

I didn't get to meet her personally, but I did see her. They make a cute couple! I'll try to find the other post.

 

Ash

[steveNcindy]

We just got back from the Elation 8/19 (squeezed in a quick 4 day before oldest son goes back to college)....and

 

if you are into karaoke....SOLOMON IS SOOOOO PRECIOUS!!!!!!

 

He is kinda shy but soooo precious. Be sure to tell him that his Cruise Mom said HI!!!!

 

Nunu will be so excited - he is leaving soon on the Elation and is really looking forward to singing every night.

 

Ashley - great review.

[skye02]

I can't wait to be on this ship!

 

Questions about the double decker bus in Progresso:

How long is the tour?

Are people crammed on like sardines?

Does the tour go outside of the town?

 

Thanks!

[NavarreCruiser]

I didn't get to meet her personally, but I did see her. They make a cute couple! I'll try to find the other post.

 

Ash

 

Hi Ashley,

 

Thanks for the info. We really like Nick and El and hope to see them again in December.

 

It's great to know where the social host that you get to know so well are going to be. I love seeing them again, which we have done a few times.

 

Thanks again,

 

Lynda

[Ashpalo]

I can't wait to be on this ship!

 

Questions about the double decker bus in Progresso:

How long is the tour?

Are people crammed on like sardines?

Does the tour go outside of the town?

 

Thanks!

 

 

The tour was only about 20 minutes. It takes off from the craft market (also the shuttle drop off) and then turns left and goes 2 blocks to the beach, then takes a right and goes along the beach front (malecon) for several blocks, then takes a right, then another right, and heads back towards the middle of town, then a left and goes to the town square where you will see a school and the government building, around the square, and then you start heading back towards the craft market. The guide will point out rental houses, hotels, pharmacies, liquor stores, grocery stores, banks, and the stuff around the square. He also stops in front of one restaurant on the beach where they pitch their specials.

 

The bus is similar to the double decker buses in New York, but smaller and not as "nice". The top seats 2 on each side. I didn't find it crowded at all, but it was HOT!

 

Here are more pics:

 

It had rained really bad the day before, so there was some flooding:

 

 

 

Ashley:)

[Ashpalo]

Tuesday 8/17 – Cozumel

 

Today was another chance to sleep in a little since we had not booked an excursion. This was our first cruise where we did not book any excursions and I loved not feeling rushed or having to worry about where to meet and squeezing through the crowds. We got up around 8:30, went and ate breakfast at Tiffany’s (I love saying that – LOL), and were off the ship at around 9:30. We took a taxi to Paradise Beach where we had a FABULOUS time! For only $12 each (plus $2 for a beach chair), we had access to all of the inflatable water toys (iceberg, slides, trampoline, etc), snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boards, climbing coconut tree, and the bungee trampoline. The girls had a BLAST! They really enjoyed all of the activities, especially the bungee trampoline. I was not expecting the snorkeling to be that great because this was a sandy beach, not a reef. But, we were pleasantly surprised by all of the fish that we saw under the pier. I hadn’t brought a water camera this year because I really wasn’t expecting to see much – I was really disappointed in myself for not bringing one! We saw so many beautiful fish – all shapes, sizes, colors, etc! My daughter even saw a stingray – actually almost stepped on it!

 

After hanging out at Paradise beach until around 3:30, it was time to head back to the pier to shop and then get back on the ship. We got back on the ship, ate a little lunch (pizza & grill) and grabbed a spot to watch the “runners”. Surprisingly, there were no runners in Cozumel and very few drunks (or at least ones that we could tell were drunk). We did get to see the Pilot boat come up to the ship to get the Pilot. My friend had a better view point and actually snapped a shot of the transfer, but all I got was pictures of the boat.

 

Dinner tonight was Chateaubriand. It was tender and delicious. After dinner, we went to the All Ages Karaoke and my middle daughter signed up, but ended up having to scratch her name off the list so that we could make it to the show on time. She was very disappointed, but I promised her that we would get there early the next night. The show tonight was a variety show. There was a juggler, Dana Tilson, who was pretty good. He was followed by a comedian, Carl Rimi. I can’t remember much of his act, but I remember thinking that his “R” rated stuff must be better because it seemed like he was out of his comfort zone doing the “PG” stuff.

 

After the show, the girls and I hung out in Tiffany’s with some of our new friends and then off to bed.

 

Next up, the final day at sea. :-(

 

 

Paradise Beach

 

Paddle Boards

 

Coconut Tree

 

Bungee Trampoline

 

Pilot Boat

 

Towel Critter (my favorite one)

 

Ashley

[Ashpalo]

Hi Ashley,

 

Thanks for the info. We really like Nick and El and hope to see them again in December.

 

It's great to know where the social host that you get to know so well are going to be. I love seeing them again, which we have done a few times.

 

Thanks again,

 

Lynda

 

 

Hey Lynda.

 

I couldn't find the other post. Can you please post the question here and I'll reply?

 

Thanks,

Ashley :)

[Ashpalo]

Wednesday 8/18 – 2nd Sea Day

This was going to be our last full day on the ship and we wanted to take full advantage and do as much as we could. The two older girls and I got up around 8/8:30ish and went to breakfast in the MDR. The little one was too tired and stayed sleeping. I had pancakes with banana topping this morning. I absolutely LOVE their banana toping (kind of like Banana Foster)! It was different this year and I liked it even more! On our previous cruises it was a sauce with a few slices of banana in it, but this year it was banana halves sliced lengthwise. I wish I would have taken a picture, but I didn’t. After breakfast we went and got the little one and took her up to Tiffany’s for her breakfast. This is where we ran into some of our new friends, so after breakfast we spent the rest of the morning by the Lido pool. All of the adults had a blast going down the slide. I think there were just as many adults on the slide as there were kids. The guys (big guys) were all trying to see who could make the biggest splash. You would have thought it was a bunch of overgrown kids out there! It was a blast.

Lunch was in the MDR today with our new friends. I had the Trout Almondine – very tasty! After lunch we all went to Nick’s Thriller Dance class. The girls had REALLY been looking forward to this! They’ve been trying to learn the dance for over a year. Nick did a great job teaching the dance to everyone and as usual, my girls were front row hamming it up. Following the dance class was the Marriage Show, led by Felipe. This is also one of my favorite activities on the ship. The answers that the couples give are always so funny. They didn’t keep score, so we don’t know who technically won, but they did give each couple a SOAS and a bottle of champagne. I thought the middle couple was the funniest! When they asked the guy if he would rather be stranded with a hooker or a nun – his response was “Well, since I’m the son of a preacher – I’d want the hooker so that I could save her.” LOL!!!

We went to Tea Time right after the Marriage Show. I was really surprised to see that on both sea days, there was barely anyone at Tea Time. It was very peaceful and relaxing. My only complaint is that they didn’t offer as many treats as they did in the past. They only offered once and there were just a couple of options. But, we were able to introduce one of our new friends to the “Tea Time Tradition”.

This evening was the Fun Farewell Party. I really, really like this new addition! There were a good number of people there, but it was nowhere near as crowded as the Captain’s party used to be. The drinks were free flowing – I think I had 4 – LOL! The band played and there was a singer, Reagan, who I thought did a fantastic job of getting people involved. She sang really well and appeared to really enjoy what she does. Felipe has a great method of getting every single couple to go up on the stage and dance. So, for dance shy guys going on this ship soon – be warned! After all the couples came off the stage, two of my girls went up on stage and danced. They really enjoy being in the spotlight!

For dinner tonight I had the Braised Short Ribs. This is one of my favorite entrees on Carnival! My favorite meal (on land) is pot roast and the short ribs sort of have the taste and texture of pot roast. I was in heaven. I was so full though that I didn’t have room for dessert this night. I just had my usual cappuccino, which I had enjoyed every night but one (it never came). I was expecting for them to sing “Leaving Our Funship” this night, but they didn’t. They did Jai Ho instead. This kind of disappointed me because it is a tradition to hear that song on the last night. I always tear up when they sing it. Last year our dining team was so wonderful that I actually really shed a tear. No team will ever live up to the high standards that Darwin and Leslie set on the Ecstasy! I wish they could go on every cruise with me!

After dinner – family karaoke where my middle one sang a song – I just can’t remember which one. I made a mistake this cruise that I will never make again and it bit me in the rear during karaoke! I did not bring an extra memory card for my camera or my laptop to download pictures. In the middle of filming her sing my camera quit and gave me the message that the memory card and hard drive were full. That was the end of the filming and pictures for me. I won’t make that mistake again on future cruises.

Immediately after she finished singing, we had to race from the back of the ship in the Cole Porter Lounge to the very front of the ship in the Mikado to make it to the Hip Hop Dance class with Fun Force. The girls caught the tail end and were able to catch up pretty quickly and finish the routine. Then we watched the 60 Second Challenge, which is based off of Minute to Win It. It was fun to watch and the guys that participated actually did a really good job. Then Bingo (we didn’t play – just watched) and then the Legends show. The Legends show is a production where fellow passengers (who had auditioned previously at karaoke) dress up like famous singers and perform. There was Madonna, Brittany Spears, Elton John, Garth Brooks, Gloria Estefan, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, etc. Some were good, some were bad – but, the best overall was the guy who played Frank Sinatra – he was a really good singer. In between the guest performances, some of the staff performed. Nick and Noortje (ACD) played Sonny & Cher and Felipe played Dolly Parton – HILARIOUS!! He did a really good job. Oh – I have to also mention this – during the “Madonna” act, one of the male dancers forgot to close his fly!! AND – to make it worse the song was “Like a Virgin” and there was a lot of thrusting moves involved! We were all ROFL throughout the entire routine! It was like “peek-a-boo” – luckily he had a leotard or something on under the shorts!

After the Legends show, the girls told our new friends goodbye and I took them down for bed. Once they fell asleep, I met up with those friends and watched the “R” rated comic, Carl Rimi. He was funny, but not as funny as Tim Harklerod. This was my last official activity :-( I went and met up with the oldest by Circle C and went back to the cabin, finished packing up the last of our stuff, and went to sleep. It had been an action packed, fun filled day. I was so sad that it was over and we would be kicked off the ship in just a few hours.

Next up: Debarkation

 

Reagan (singer) and the girls dancing on stage @ Fun Farewell

 

Dancing to Jai Ho

 

No more pictures because after this because the memory card was full! :mad:

 

Ashley :)

[Ashpalo]

Thursday 8/19 – Debark Day

Sadly, our cruise came to an end. At around 5 something in the morning, I woke up and noticed bright lights outside the window. We were headed up the Mobile River. I stayed awake, looking out the window expecting us to pass the port and go up river a little then turn around and come back to dock. For some reason, the pilot didn’t do that. We just pulled into port and docked Port side. Since it was so early in the morning, I just went back to sleep. We didn’t get up until after 8:00. I have no problem waiting to get off the ship and actually prefer to be one of the last ones off. I like to make my cruise last as long as possible. We got ready and went up to eat at Tiffany’s, but they had already closed down the buffet – before 9:00. We wound up eating from the grill out by the pool and hung out until they said that everyone had to get off the ship. We were probably one of the last 50 off the ship.

 

As others have said, Customs in Mobile is a NIGHTMARE!!! It took us about 40 just to get from the ship to the downstairs area where the luggage and Customs is set up! And it was HOT, HOT, HOT!!! Our luggage was easy to find because it was the only luggage left in our zone. We grabbed it and got in line for a porter. The best advice I can give to everyone is – SPEND THE FEW EXTRA BUCKS AND GET A PORTER!!!! Had we not used a porter, we would have been stuck in line for well over another hour. For only a $10 tip, we went to the “Porter Only” line and only had to wait behind 2 families. It only took about 10 minutes from the time we got to our luggage until we were out of the terminal. For the first time ever, I had to pay duty on my excess liquor. It was $2.50/bottle. The Customs agent marked my sheet with the number of excess bottles and I had to go to a separate area to pay the cashier. I have a feeling that nobody claimed their excess because there was nobody else in the cashier’s office. After paying the cashier, we headed out to get a taxi. There were no taxis in sight and there were several people sitting around waiting for one. I knew it would take forever to get a taxi and I didn’t want to just sit around in the heat waiting for one. So, the girls and I walked back to the parking garage at the Admiral Semmes. It was a tough walk because we were loaded down with stuff (including 6 full bottles of liquor!) and it was very hot and humid that morning. But, we made it and we were on the road by 11:20 headed home.

It was a great cruise!!! I love the Elation! I think she is a beautiful ship and I would love to sail on her again sometime soon.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask.

 

 

Ashley :)

[richcrow]

Glad to see that you enjoyed Progreso. Contrary to many others on this board, it was one of favorite ports for two reasons. One, like you said, it seems to be "real" Mexico and two it is a short drive to Merida. If you do go to Progreso again, I highly recommend that you take the time to visit Merida. It is well worth the drive.