Carnival Ecstasy Review 11/7/11

karinvt · December 19, 2011

I am sorry it has taken me so long to get back on between sick kids and preparing for the holidays it has been a bit hectic around here.

We got up early and went to try the Lido Buffet for breakfast today. It was pretty good and they had everything on the menu in the main restaurant and then some. The food seemed fresh but it was very busy. We ate outside and enjoyed the view of the port.

After breakfast we headed off the ship which was easy as always. For Nassau we decided to do a walking tour that we had seen posted in some of the reviews on here. We made out way down the pier and out of the shopping area that they directed you through.

For those who like fruity drinks: when you get to the building head to the farthest right corner of the building. Just before the exit/entrance is a stand that sells food and drinks. Likes chips, soda, candy bars...they have the best Pina Colada I have ever tasted. They make it with fresh pineapple and fresh coconuts. It $7 for the drink and it does not come in a coconut at that price :( but it is good! Try one of you get a chance.

We headed to the to the start of our tour at Rawson Square and then went to the Parliament buildings. After a few more sites we stopped at the library, there are some very interesting displays on the top floor. Seeing the library meets you start to realize the simple things we take for granted as it was filled with old books that most of us would have thrown away but this was all they had access to.

We wondered our way through Nassau stopping and talking with locals on the way. They were all very friendly and loved to talk. We enjoyed seeinf parts of Nassau that not everyone sees. We made our way to the Queen's Staircase and Fort Fincastle with ease. There was a local artisit selling his painting and prints of them just across from the castle. His work was good and we purchased a few prints for $10 each. Very happy to support the local artist. His originals were for sale as well. At the fort they have vendors and we found that there prices we actually better than the ones at the straw market. Next time we will do most of out shopping there.

After checking out the fort we wandering some more and found a small Bahamian restaurant that boasted the best Bahamian food. I wish I could remember the name because the food was quite good. We stopped and asked some locals where to go for good food and they said that this was there favorite. I know the restaurant was just off of Market St. When traveling south we past a church/school and just after if we looked down a road on the right and saw the sign "Best Bahamian Food". There may have been a bank on the corner. We had the cracked Conch, Conch Fritters, and Fried Plantains. All of it was good, the Cracked Conch reminded me of fried clams but the Conch has a sweeter taste. It cost about $20 for all of it including drinks.

After this we headed to the Straw Market. I was not very impressed this time and found the vendors to be very pushy. They would actually walk up and but jewelery on you and try to get you to buy it. We did run into a local that we got talking too fro a bit and he ended up just wandering around and hanging out with us. Back to the market, it was very busy and tight spaces. A wheelchair would of had a hard time getting through here. We did barter and bought quite a few things. Never take the first price they offer they will go lower.

Well I have to bring my son to the doctors I will be back later and post pics.

karinvt · December 19, 2011

For anyone that enjoys history the walking tour is a good choice. Being self guided you can spend as much or as little time as you like. We opted out on some of the the sites. The one we found had a lot of info on each site. If anyone would like the link just give me your email address and I can send it to you. There was always a local hanging out nearby each site that would talk about, some asked for tips others were just nice people enjoying conversation. It also works if your on a budget, nothing beats free. We found that Nassua was easy to navigate and it seemed that the staircase and fort were not as far of a walk as it seems like they are on a map.

Here are the pics I promised.

Pictures

Rawson Square
Statue of Sir Milo Butler
Parliment
Library (There are great views to be had at the top of the library)
Queen's Staircase
Local Graffiti (more like art) on building across from the top of the staircase.
Water Tower
View from the top of fort.
Zoomed in view of light house taken from top of fort.
Front view of fort
Entrance to Fort Fincastle
Local Restaurant
Cracked Conch
Conch Fritters
DH anf friendly local

karinvt · December 20, 2011

When we returned to the ship we took a nap. Love the lazy days, we never get to nap at home with four boys!

After our nap we decided to head up to the top deck and take some picture of the ship as she pulled out of port. I took some really nice pics of a few houses along the inlet and the light house.

After the nap we were hungry again and headed up to the Promenade for the Sushi bar. My husband and I LOVE :D sushi and so does James. At 5:00 everyday except the first day (and the second for us because of the embarkation mishap) they have a sushi bar. The bar itself is small and they only serve three different kinds. But each day they are different. I liked all of them but one..too much cream cheese. They also sell Saki, James ordered a bottle. He likes it but I had never had it so of course he shared. I honestly did not like it, there is something about hot wine that just does not sit right with me. We all liked the Sushi and made a few trips up to get more.

After this we decided to head to our rooms and change into our suits and head for the hot tub on the serenity deck. Armed with a Blue Margarita, the DOD, we made our why there. These are also very good. Guys, do not forget to save your DOD glasses as the refills are cheaper. Plus we brought them home as souvenirs for the kids and they loved them. Oh and I did not know about this until it was too late but my friend got a drink at the Lido deck and for $17 it was served in a coconut monkey head that serves as a bank afterwords. I paid $10 for a coconut monkey head bank in Nassau.

Relaxing in the hot tub was a great, since it was just after 6:00 there seemed to be hardly anyone out there. We talked with another couple for a long time in the hot tub until we headed back to the cabin to get ready for dinner.

Somewhere around the time we headed to the hot tub the weather kicked in again and the seas got very rough. In fact the hot tub was sloshing. This was the only point in the trip that I started to feel sea sick. So just a heads up bring some Dramamine just in case. If you have to buy it on ship they charge $3 a dose. Despite how I was feeling I tired to go to the dining room. I ordered dinner but before it was out I headed back to my room. DH and James stayed, they had the Jerk Pork and really liked it. DH brought some back to the room for me and I picked at it some but my stomach was not having it. The few bites I did have were good from what I remember.

We called it an early night and just watched tv for a bit. Some time after midnight I started feeling better and we ordered room service. I had the chicken fajita and chocolate cake. DH had the cheesecake. All of it was good, I will order that fajita again and a lot sooner next time.

Kurt Repchull · December 20, 2011

Great to have more of your review, thank you!

My family also just went through a bout of the flu (not fun), hope yours is feeling better :).

karinvt · December 20, 2011

Thanks Kurt I appreciate it, and they are feeling much better now.

karinvt · December 20, 2011

Today we got up early and headed to the buffet again. We booked the Sting Ray Adventure for our excursion and were anxious to get headed. I have to say that this was a great day. We LOVED the excursion and LOVED HMC!!!:D

We were on one of the first tenders off the ship and it took a few minutes to fill but once we were loaded we off on the short boat ride there. The island is absolutely gorgeous, when you see images of that idealistic tropical paradise in magazines, you could be looking at HMC. It is really a breath taking island. The water is so warm and a deep shade of tourquoise, plus you cannot beat the waiters bringing you your favorite frosty beverage as you are lounging on the beach.

After we arrived we had about an hour until it was time for our excursion so we wandered around the paths a bit checking out the island. There are many signs and it is pretty easy to navigate the paths. We stopped at the Island Massage Hut and checked out there prices. I believe it was $99/hr. We decided to wait as we knew the ship had a better special that evening.

After wandering we checked in at the excursion desk and signed our waivers. The tram cam shortly after, and wow do they pack the people in the tram. They make everyone squeeze down as close as you can. The tram ride was maybe 5 minutes and we were at a changing station. They handed out the gear and gave everyone a place to store there stuff.

After this the group walked down to a covered area where they gave a brief safety discussion and then let everyone start snorkeling with the stingrays. It was amazing, you really got to swim around and snorkeling with them for what seemed like a long time. The majority of the time was spent doing this. Then they called everyone back and let you feed a stingray. They also passed around a starfish, sea cucumber, and living conch. I cannot speak highly enough about this experience. The cost was very cheap $25 per person and such an amazing experience. I have been to many aquariums that let you feed and touch the stingrays but actually swimming with them takes it to a different level.

After our excursion we headed to the beach to meet up with out friends and spent most of the day playing in the ocean and lying on the beach. We did head up to the main area for lunch. It was very good, Carnival brings food and supplies to the island and cooks up an nice lunch. The Jerk Chicken was awesome! It feel right off the bone. They also had burgers, chips, fruits, cookies, and brownies.

All in all we really enjoyed HMC and look forward to visiting the island again. There is a sign on the island that says I Wish I Could Stay Here Forever and it suits it perfectly.

I will post HMC picture this evening.