Jump to content

Carnival Fascination Review: 6 Toes, Power Outages, and Snow in the Bahamas


Lady_Jag

Recommended Posts

Thanksgiving day, and I awoke just before 8:00am. Surprisingly, Alex was already up and getting dressed to go out. He wanted to explore the ship before Alyssa got up, but he wasn’t fast enough. She popped her eyes open before he could even reach the door handle, and of course wanted to go with him.

I quickly got Alyssa ready for her Daddy-Daughter adventure and sent them on their way. I figured I had about 20 minutes or so to shower before my 9:00-9:30 room service request arrived. Silly me, I never counted on room service being EARLY!

Just as I was stepping out of the shower, I heard someone knock on the door, followed by the call, “room service!” Eep! Quickly, I toweled off, flung open the closet door and grabbed for a Carnival bathrobe. The robe put up a fight, holding tightly to the metal brackets inside the closet that kept the bunk bed ladder secure when not in use. Argh! I finally wrestled the robe out of the closet, wrapped it around me, then tried to tie it. Guess what? In winning the battle to get the robe out of the closet, I lost the sash to tie the robe!

So holding my robe closed with one hand, I reached out and opened the door with the other. Our room service deliverer was surprised to say the least. I think he was even a little embarrassed (or maybe appalled?) as I did my best to do all of the following simultaneously: 1. Hold the robe closed so as not to flash Mr. Deliverer. 2. Prop the door open with my foot so as not to slam the door in Mr. Deliverer’s face. 3. Take the large room service tray from Mr. Deliverer. 4. Set said tray down somewhere without moving the foot that was propping open the door. 4. Sign the slip to indicate that I received my order. 5. Give Mr. Deliverer a tip (monetary tip, that is!)

Somehow, I managed this tricky juggling act without a wardrobe malfunction. Still, Mr. Deliverer practically sprinted back down the hall in terror before I could even say “thank you.” Yeah, my ego took a bit of a bruising at such a reaction!

I got dressed and carried the tray with the trouble-causing coffee carafe to my mom’s cabin. Dang it! Missed her again! Ah well! I decided to grab a leisurely breakfast on the Lido deck, and maybe do a little exploration of my own. The TVs in all the public areas were broadcasting the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, seemed out of place on the ship. Maybe it was because the TV volume was really low, making the marching bands and dancers look ridiculous. In any case, I appreciated the attempt to allow people to enjoy their holiday traditions, despite missing the mark a little bit. (Later, I noticed that all the TVs also broadcast the two NFL football games.)

The Lido deck was wet from an early rain, and the clouds overhead looked pretty dark. Hmmm…maybe we would pass through it all and have nice weather for Nassau? At least I hoped so! Fingers crossed for good weather, I grabbed a bite from the buffet and then wandered the ship.

I wound up in the photo gallery, where our Elegant Evening pictures were on display. Now, I’ll admit I’m hardly even close to being a professional photographer, but I was seriously disappointed in all the group and partial group photos we took against the white background. The photographer must have had a glass eye or had no experience taking group pictures, because every last one of the pictures had amateur mistakes in them: terrible dark shadows thrown on faces, the tripod stand on the edge of the photo, the photo slanted like the photographer was falling, the edge of the backdrop showing, or backlight from the nearby windows creating strange shapes along the backdrop.

On the flip side, I spotted a couple of pictures of Alex and Alyssa taken in their elegant attire with the piano background and thought they were great. I wanted to purchase them, but they were coated in greasy fingerprints and creases from people rifling through the photos. Yuck! So I took the pictures to the register and asked if they would please reprint them for me so that I could have crisp clean copies. No problem, they would be waiting for me after 9:00pm the next night. (I guess they were backlogged?)

SCAN0012-1.jpg

(At least a couple of the portraits turned out well!)

SCAN0013-1.jpg

I walked down Rodeo Drive, where the Fun Shops were and saw a flyer for a Black Friday sale the next day. Sweet! I made a mental note to grab my mom and be at the shops when they opened in the morning. Alex and Alyssa were already back in the cabin when I returned, so I asked Alyssa if she still wanted to go to Camp Carnival for their Wii Dance party. Of course she did!

Alex and I checked Alyssa in just before the activity started at 11:00. Already there was a huge group of small children gathered around the TV, shouting their song requests to the counselor who held the Wii remote. Alyssa couldn’t wait to join in, and I barely got even a hug goodbye. Well, I’d be seeing her soon anyway, since pick-up time was 11:45.

I would have bet that we would be at least a little late getting to Nassau after yesterday’s power outage, but no! Our arrival to Nassau was actually almost an hour EARLIER than scheduled! We pulled in around 11:00, so Alex and I went to one of the upper decks for a good view and so I could take some pictures. Four ships were already docked, including the Disney Dream, Carnival Magic, Carnival Pride, and NCL Gem. Nassau was going to be busy, for sure!

DSC_0388-Copy-1.jpg

(Atlantis in the background on the left, the Carnival Pride on the right.)

The ship’s engines rumbled and groaned, spinning us around 180 degrees so that we could back in at the pier, just in front of the Carnival Pride and next to the NCL Gem. On the other side of the Gem was the Carnival Magic, and opposite the Magic I could see a little of the Disney Dream and it’s really cool clear-tubed slide that seemed to traverse the perimeter of the ship. The ship looked like a floating Disney World!

DSC_0395-Copy-1.jpg

(Backing in, where four other ships were already docked. From right to left: Disney Dream, Carnival Magic, NCL Gem, and a little bit of the Carnival Pride.)

 

 

DSC_0420-1.jpg

(A closer look at the Carnival Magic and Disney Dream.)

The PA bell sounded, and our cruise director, Jen, all but begged people NOT to crowd decks 3 and 4 yet, as no one would be able to debark until noon. I knew from experience, though, that the majority of people would ignore her pleas, and my suspicion was confirmed when I saw many people gathering up their bags and backpacks and heading for the stairs and elevators. Whatever.

At 11:45, Alex and I went back to Camp Carnival to pick up Alyssa. She was now the only child there playing the Wii dance game, so she had command of the Wii remote. She was having such a great time, she didn’t even see us until we called her!

We met up with the rest of our group for lunch on the Lido deck. The place, of course was PACKED! Every table inside and out were taken, so we circled the tables like hawks, waiting for any sign that someone would vacate. Finally, someone did, and we swooped in on a 4-top table to squeeze in all 11 of us. Fortunately, the table next to us soon opened up, and we were able to fill those seats as well and give everyone a little elbow room.

I don’t like long lines, so I went to the pizzeria, where no one was waiting. The chef here had been smart and made a few cheese and a few pepperoni pizzas ahead of time, and was dishing out slice after slice to approaching guests. Then I threw a kink into the works by asking for a calzone. Screeeech! Actually, the chef was really nice about it and told me that it would take 10 minutes to make, but that it would be fresh. I was fine with that. After all, I still had to fetch Alyssa’s lunch (grilled cheese from the deli) and drinks and walk it back to our table by the pool.

About the time I got Alyssa situated, Jen gave the “all clear” over the PA, cuing a stampede of people and giving us a little more breathing room amidst the massive crowd. I sat at our table and watched everyone rush to the gangway like in a Roadrunner cartoon, where there’s just a quick “Beep! Beep!” and then all you see is flash, leaving a cloud of floating dust and straw in their wake. (I thought I even saw on one of the abandoned tables, an empty plate spinning on its edge like a quarter!)

All danger of being crushed by exiting passengers over, I walked back to the Pizzeria where my fresh hot calzone awaited. I smiled, thanked the chef, and brought my lunch back to the table. It was pretty yummy and well worth the wait!

We mapped out a port plan while we dined. I had been to Nassau at least 4-5 times already, so my loosely planned activity was to take Alyssa to the zoo so she could see the flamingos and lorikeets. Rob then asked if Alex and I would also take his girls with us, and then he and Laura would “push the mothers in the wheelchairs so they can shop.” I asked if he needed us to take Brandon too, but he said (much to Alyssa’s disappointment) that Brandon would stay with them.

I agreed, but told Laura that my only concern was of Kelsey wandering off. (Already, she seemed to have free rein on the ship, and I'm not sure her whereabouts were always known. Eeep!) I said that Alyssa really looked up to her cousins, and that if Kelsey wandered off, Alyssa would likely try to follow, and I didn’t have enough hands or experience to keep up with three kids roaming in different directions a foreign country. Laura said she understood and that she would talk to Kelsey and Delaney to make sure they both stayed with us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We all walked off the ship sometime between 1:30 and 2:00, thinking the crowds would be diminished. No luck there, as the pier area and shops around it were still pretty crowded. I didn’t really know WHERE the Ardastra Zoo and Gardens were, but Alex said he thought he remembered from the last time we were there (2004). So we followed Alex through part of the downtown area. We hadn’t gotten far before Alyssa started whining about her legs hurting and asking to be picked up. Being the MPITW (Meanest Parent In The World) I told her she was too heavy to carry and if her legs hurt, it was because she needed to walk around and stretch them out.

I guess a lot had changed since we walked to the Ardastra Gardens 7 years prior, because Alex didn’t look too sure of himself. So I asked a taxi driver who was standing next to his car in a parking lot for directions. He said he it wasn’t far and he would drive us there for $15. I declined and asked again for directions. He pointed down the road and said it was about a 20 minute walk that way. I thanked him, and we walked a few more steps around the corner, where a vendor was selling frozen fruit bars. I bought each of the girls a bar for being such good sports, then asked the vendor where we could get the jitney bus to the Ardastra Gardens.

DSC_0434-1.jpg

(Mmmm! Strawberry!)

The vendor pointed across the street and said all we had to do was stand on that side of the street and flag down a #10 bus. Well, a #10 bus came, and the driver said he could take all 5 of us there...or close to the zoo at least... for a total of $4. There was only one other person on the bus besides us and the driver, who had Willie Nelson crooning loudly across the radio speakers.

The bus stopped on the main street, at the intersection of the road where the zoo was located. Alex gave the driver $5, told him to keep the change, and we all hopped out and strolled up the street to the gates of the zoo. It wasn’t a bad walk on this mild sunny day, and even Alyssa forgot to complain about her legs being tired.

The Ardastra Gardens parking lot was empty, and the zoo itself was virtually deserted. The lady at the gate fell in love with Alyssa and thought she was the cutest thing ever. The security guard standing next to the lady who collected our admission fees was really friendly and asked us if we had been to Nassau before and if we had been to the gardens before. Then he talked about how the next time we come, we should come early so we can spend the whole day, and maybe go to the beach, because it was beautiful, etc. etc.

 

 

By the way, if anyone wants to know the admission prices for the Ardastra Zoo and Gardens, it was $16/each for me and Alex and $8/each for the girls.

I forgot how many birds called the Ardastra Gardens home. Oh, goodie! Needless to say, I spent the longest time viewing the jaguars and lemurs and keeping my distance from the feathered animals. I stayed on my guard, though, because there were plenty of flamingos and peacocks roaming freely across the grounds. In fact, one flamingo barked and snapped at Kelsey when she walked past (a little too close I guess), and Kelsey jumped as high as Joann did the day before at the Nature Encounter. I laughed, and told Kelsey it was a perfect example of karma.

DSC_0461-1.jpg

(This guy looks like he's sleeping, but don't let him fool you! He's just waiting to catch me off guard and then attack!)

We didn’t need too long to see the majority of animal/bird exhibits, so we walked back to the lorikeets so we (well, everyone but me) could participate in the 3:30 feeding. Before we entered, a guide gave us some chunks of apples and instructions on how to feed the birds, then led us into the lorikeet area. Immediately, I felt feathers beating against my right ear from one of the birds buzzing my head! I instinctively ducked, then positioned myself a safe distance from the people holding the food.

The girls were really enjoying the experience, and all of them had birds on their heads and arms. Alyssa also had apple peels in her hair (the birds don’t eat the peel). Kelsey and Delaney were both pinched by the birds’ claws (they were holding their hands down instead of straight out), but they didn’t seem to mind. Of course I was the first to leave the area, having taken enough photo and having enough “close calls.” When there were no more apples, Alex tipped our guide and we walked over to the little arena to await the flamingo show.

DSC_0497-1.jpg

(Delaney thought the experiences was great!)

 

 

DSC_0489-1.jpg

(Don't look now, Kelsey, but there's one on your back!)

DSC_0509-1.jpg

(Well, now I know how she got apple in her hair!)

The flamingo show was exactly what I remembered from our 2004 visit, except this time, Kelsey, Delaney, and Alyssa got to stand among the flamingos instead of me. The three of them giggled and posed for pictures, and Kelsey squealed when one of the flamingos nibbled on her neck. The show was short, and when it was over, we headed for the exit.

DSC_0641-Copy-Copy-1.jpg

(Trying to stand like flamingos.)

That’s when we found several goats that made up their small “petting zoo.” A man who had been feeding the goats some goat “snaaaaacks” that he purchased at the gift shop saw the girls’ excitement over the animals and gave them the bag of treats to give to the goats. Alex bought another bag when that one ran out, and the girls took turns holding the bag and distributing the goat food as fairly as them could.

Closing time, so after a very brief look through the small gift shop, we exited the gate, which one of the zoo employees closed and locked behind us. We walked back to the main road and crossed the street to await a jitney bus to take us back to the downtown area and pier. None of the buses that passed us were going the right direction, so after about 10 minutes, we decided to walk a block over and stroll along the beachfront street back to the pier.

There were plenty of shops, restaurants, and bars along the road. A lot of preparation was being done as well for the “Road Rally” that would be held the next week. We walked just a short distance, then Alex saw a cab driver on the side of the road and we all hopped in for a ride back to the pier. We asked the driver about the road rally, and he said it was a big deal and would consist of only older cars from the 1960s. Now Alex loves car shows, especially classic car shows, and I could tell he was disappointed to miss the rally by a mere week. Poor guy.

The cab driver dropped us off as close to the pier as he could get, and from there we walked through the temporary straw market that lined the street. The vendors were trying for those last few sales, but we didn’t have time to shop, as it was after 5:00pm, and I didn’t want Rob to worry about Kelsey and Delaney.

The pier was VERY windy! I told Alyssa and Delaney that they better hold hands or one of them would blow away. Delaney smiled, but Alyssa thought I was serious and held onto Delaney for dear life. Then she had a better idea, and talked Alex into carrying her on his shoulders.

We were just in time to see the Carnival Magic depart, so Kelsey, Delaney and I stood there for a few moments, watching the water churn as the engines pushed the ship away from the dock. From the sounds of the Norwegian Gem engines, that ship would be the next to leave as soon as the Magic cleared out. Next would probably be the Carnival Pride, then much later (10:00pm), the Carnival Fascination.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We took the girls back to our cabin first, then called Rob’s room. My mom was there with him, so we discussed dinner plans over the phone and debated on whether to dine in the main dining room for thanksgiving dinner. I told them I had heard here on CC that the turkey in the MDR was the “pressed” variety and not the carved kind. I expressed my concern that the service would be slow and lousy again, and we would miss the “snow” scheduled that evening in the main atrium. So the casual restaurant on the Lido deck won out.

I’m not so sure it was really a “winner,” though. Once again, only one side of the buffet was serving food. There WAS carved turkey available (albeit dry) and also sirloin steak. It wasn’t the best Thanksgiving meal we’d had (Joann moaned that there was no green bean casserole and the person carving the turkey wouldn’t give her the turkey leg), but it was quick and adequate. It helped that we had carried with us the chocolate covered strawberries and bottle of champagne from the previous evening, along with a second bottle of champagne that I had carried on board with me.

After the debacle over having a carafe in the Lido restaurant, I was positive we’d be kicked out for bringing champagne. Fortunately, no one even batted an eye when Alex popped the cork on the bottle and poured all the adults a glass…well, a cup! We toasted our family and our vacation away from Thanksgiving craziness, then popped the other bottle open to top off everyone’s cups.

DSC_0679-Copy-Copy-1.jpg

(Alex's girls)

The girls had moved onto their dessert course quickly, and all three had returned from the dessert table with a very rich, very yummy-looking chocolate ganache cake. I couldn’t wait to try a piece myself. Unfortunately, before I could even THINK about getting up to grab a piece, one of the servers took the whole tray of cake off the dessert table and never returned. Dang it!

We finished our dinner and all but ½ a bottle of the champagne. So I carried the remainder back to our cabin, promising to meet everyone in the atrium for the “snow” scene. The atrium was FILLED with people on all sides and on all decks, but everyone was friendly and accommodating, and no one pushed or tried blocking anyone.

Jen walked up to the first landing of the glass staircase in front of the glass elevators around 7:45, and had everyone count down from 10. When the crowd reached zero, 4-5 bubble machines strategically placed along the railings of the upper decks started to blow out very tiny white clusters of bubbles. As the “snow” fell, “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” and two other holiday songs played over the speaker system. Alyssa and all the kids in the atrium were delighted, and tried to dance in whatever little space the crowd would give them.

DSC_0713-Copy-Copy-1.jpg

(Trying to catch the "snow.")

DSC_0717-Copy-Copy-1.jpg

(This was the only picture I could get of the "snow:" It's the white bubbles in Alyssa's hair.)

DSC_0689-Copy-Copy-1.jpg

(Lots of people gathered in the atrium to watch.)

By 8:00pm, the show was over, and Jen made for the stairs. I rushed over and caught her as she reached the bottom step and thanked her for the gifts she and John Heald had sent the previous night. She was very nice and gracious, and said she was happy we liked them.

I asked Alyssa if she wanted to check out Camp Carnival, and she surprised me by saying “yes!” without even asking what activities they were doing. In fact, when we reached Camp Carnival, Alyssa immediately grabbed her name tag off the board and was ready to go before we could even sign her in. Um, okay.

Alex and I strolled along the outer decks, then passed through Lido to see if the yummy chocolate cake ever made it back to the dessert table. No such luck. Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, call room service! We went back to our cabin and ordered a delicious piece of chocolate fudge cake, that came with a side of rich chocolate mousse and a chocolate candy on top. Woo hoo! We also called the spa to see if we could still take advantage of the Nassau port special, which was good until 10:00pm. There was no answer, so we decided to walk off the cake and ask in person.

At the spa desk, we asked if we could schedule the Nassau special of three 20-minute services for $89. The lady at the desk said there were no more appointments available, but since we were booking within the timeline, we could still get the special for following day. Happily, we booked our spa services for 3:15pm on Friday, and I also agreed to pay an extra $20 for the couple’s room, so we could enjoy our services together.

When we left the spa, I remembered that I would be missing tea time with my mom. Worse, I remembered that the Camp Carnival talent show was at 4:00pm the next day, and I wouldn’t be able to bring Alyssa to it! I would have to ask my mom or even Rob or Laura to bring Alyssa to the talent show, and with any luck, Alyssa would be one of the last performers so I would be able to see her dance.

Back on the Lido deck, people were gathering for the start of the deck party. We considered joining in, but then Alex suggested we relax in the hot tub instead. Brilliant! We walked to our cabin to change into our swimsuits, then back to the Lido deck for a soak. The first hot tub we came too had a sign that read “Adults Only” on the side, but it was overflowing with kids. Unfortunately, the hot tub on the opposite side of the pool was also filled with kids. “Hey!” I said, having a sudden epiphany, “Isn’t there a serenity deck on this ship?” Ah-ha! Serenity now!

The back of ship, where the Serenity area was located was cold and VERY windy tonight. The hot tub on the starboard side of the ship was packed with people, so we climbed into the other hot tub, which was empty. With both the Carnival Magic and the Norwegian Gem gone, we could better see the Disney Dream and its crazy slide lit up in colorful LED lights.

A while later, another couple approached and asked if they could join us. Alex and I made room for them to climb in and introduced ourselves. The husband was a military mechanic, and shared stories with us about his service in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also said that he and his wife had an exciting day in Nassau, when they encountered a naked man running through the downtown streets. The man was being chased by several local police and his face was bleeding, as if someone has punched him in the nose and mouth several times. They didn’t stick around long enough to get the background on the guy, but their laughter while they were telling the story was very contagious!

Then out of nowhere, the husband asked, “So did you hear someone tried to board this ship with a gun yesterday?” I shook my head and raised my eyebrows. “He was stopped at the security checkpoint in Key West,” he continued, “and they wouldn’t let him back on board. Isn’t that crazy? I mean, what did he THINK was going to happen?”

The ship’s horn sounded, and slowly, we started to pull away from the pier in Nassau. Once clear of the island, the wind died down a bit, thankfully. One more couple asked if they could join us, so we moved closer together to give them room. (By this time, everyone in the other hot tub had left, and the crew already placed a net over the top of the tub.) They were both very nice, and we enjoyed talking with them until almost 11:00.

Finally, I suggested that Alex and I go pick Alyssa up from Camp Carnival, so I said my goodbyes, thanked our new soldier friend for his service, and wrapped myself up in my towel for warmth. At first I couldn’t find my shoes because the wind had been so strong it blew them both away from their place near the hot tub steps. But I did eventually locate them – on the back edge of the deck!

We stopped at our cabin first to change into some warm dry clothes, then to the 2-5 year-old side of Camp Carnival. All four of the kids there were lying on mats on the floor and covered with blankets, while then “Alvin & The Chipmunks” movie played on the TV. Alyssa, of course, was the only one watching the movie, as the other three kids were sound asleep.

Alyssa ran to us, and I saw that her hair had been pulled into a French braid, which was very cute on her. I never got a chance to tell her so, though, because she took one look at my wet hair and said, “Aw! You went to the hot tub, didn’t you? And without ME!” She looked disappointed and betrayed, and I had to explain to her that yes, we went to the hot tub, but it was the one for grown-ups only, and she wasn’t old enough for that one yet.

Alyssa reluctantly accepted the explanation, and she was out like a light within minutes of entering our cabin. I was ready to turn in as well, but not before I hung our room service breakfast order on our door and marked all the activities I wanted to do on the next day’s Fun Times: Black Friday sale in the shops at 8:00am, Camp Carnival Black Friday Sale at 1:00pm, Camp Carnival talent show at 4:00pm, then Farewell party at 5:00pm. Add to that our 3:15 spa appointment, and we were going to have a busy final day at sea!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Room service was right on time today, and fortunately for me, I was already awake and had time to double check that my robe had a sash on it. I set the tray down, tipped the deliverer, poured myself a cup of tea, showered, dressed and then grabbed the carafe of coffee for my mom.

I went to my mom’s cabin and poured her some coffee while she got ready to go. We were going to the Black Friday sale in the Fun Shops today! We thought the sale was only from 9a-10a and wanted to be there when the shops opened so we wouldn’t miss it. (We later discovered it was an all-day sale, so there really was no rush. Ooops!)

We waited in front of the shops, waiting for them to open and feeling the ship pitch pretty ferociously. It didn’t take long for other passengers to join us, and by 9:00am, there was a pretty decent crowd standing in the hallway, trying to keep our balance and bumping into each other as the ship rolled around on the waves. The shops opened later than scheduled... around 9:15am... as the crew arrived late to open the doors, then took a while hauling out their tables of merchandise into the hallway. I heard some grumblings from a few impatient passengers, but I didn’t mind waiting a little while. It’s not like I had anywhere I just HAD to be.

The sales was decent, and I got a lot of my Christmas shopping done. Apparel and stuffed animals were 50% off, and a lot of the jewelry was 75% off. I also bought a couple of kids T-shirts for $4.50 each and a couple of adult Ts for $10 each. (Yeah, I know they usually have a 2/$20 deal on a regular basis, but this time, I didn't have to buy even numbers to get the deal.) Sadly, I forgot to buy a ship pin on the first day of the cruise, and they were sold out. But I did get my Fascination Christmas ornament, so it wasn’t a total loss.

Shopping done, my mom and I dropped our purchases off in our cabins before breakfast (Alex and Alyssa were still sleeping), then went up to the Lido deck. My mom was not feeling so great, thanks to the rough seas, so I made her sit down at table while I got her something to eat. Would you believe there was a longer line for toast than for omelets?!? Dang! Anyway, after getting toast, I went to the omelet station and asked for two eggs over medium. The guy in line next to me gasped, “Huh? You can DO that? They make eggs to order?” I smiled, gave him a wink, and said, “Yep! It’s the best kept secret on the ship!”

I brought my mom her food and a drink, then went back to the buffet for mine. I just grabbed a quiche and croissant with strawberry butter (both of which were just okay). I was starting to feel a light headache and a little nausea coming on, so after breakfast, I went back to my cabin to take some medicine and check on Alex and Alyssa. Both of them were finally awake, but I noticed Alyssa didn’t touch her chocolate muffins, and figured the ship’s motion must have been having an effect on her as well.

The final talent show sign-up for Camp Carnival was in just 30 minutes, so I asked Alyssa if she wanted to hurry up and get dressed and sign up, or just skip the talent show altogether. She thought about it for a moment, then decided that she wanted to do the talent show, so Alex brought her (and Zoe, her doll) to Camp Carnival while I lay down to rest.

DSC_0736-Copy-Copy-1.jpg

(Going to audition with Zoe.)

I napped for about an hour and felt a little better when I woke up. I thought it would be best if I got out of the cabin and up into the fresh air and more towards the middle of the ship, so I took some blank thank you cards, a pen, and my camera up to the Lido deck. I had no problem finding an empty chair by the pool, so I plopped down and began to write my thank you notes to Jen and Iwanyan.

I was actually surprised that the pool and hot tubs remained open, though, because the ship was pitching so forcefully that there were swells in the pool. For the first time, the pool actually had a “shallow” end and a “deep” end, although the two alternated with each swell. The kids packed in the hot tub and swimming in the pool LOVED it, and I tried my best to get a couple of pictures of the newly installed wave pool, but my camera just didn’t do it justice.

DSC_0730-Copy-Copy-1.jpg

(Shallow end)

DSC_0734-Copy-Copy-1.jpg

(Deep end: note the water splashing out!)

Feeling a tad bit better, I gathered my belongings and walked down to Guest Services to leave Jen her card. While I was there, I told the GSA that I hadn’t gotten my itemized statement of charges yet, and she assured me that it would be waiting for me already in my room. Well, I went back to my cabin to leave Iwayan his card, and saw no statement anywhere. Oh well, no biggie.

I went back up to the Lido deck for lunch, and saw the rest of the gang, sans my mom, at one of the restaurant tables. Rob said that my mom felt pretty bad and had gone back to the cabin to lie down, so I made a note to check on her a little later after her nap.

I’m used to the chocolate buffet happening on the last sea day of a cruise, so I was really disappointed to see this cruise didn’t offer it. Don't get me wrong, there were some chocolate items available, including chocolate sushi (yum!), but it wasn’t really a full-out chocolate buffet. Drat! Oh well! I had a decent lunch, then ran up to Camp Carnival for their 45-minute Black Friday sale.

I walked in from the outer deck, and joined the pile of people waiting for the sale to start. Finally, a counselor came out of Camp Carnival and announced that in order to keep the sale organized and efficient, they would be setting up a table in the hallway near the glass elevators, take our orders, then send us into the Camp Carnival room to pick up our purchases. It sounded reasonable enough, but this did create a little bit of discontent among the people who had arrived first and were standing by the door to Camp Carnival. You see, when they moved a table to the atrium, all the people who were at the end of the line were now first in line, and all those waiting by the door were now last. (“And the last shall be first…”)

Still, the line moved pretty smoothly, and the system seemed to work. When it was my turn, I joked with one of the counselors about her losing a bet to have to work the table, and she just laughed and said it wasn’t quite “that” bad. There were plenty of good deals: A deck of cards in a Club O2 beach safe was just $1.50. Build-A-Bear outfits were anywhere from $1 to $5, so I bought several really cute ones (including a bumblebee costume, a tennis outfit, and a bikini with a mini Carnival towel) for Alyssa for Christmas. The animals themselves were $15, and stuffed Freddys were only $5.

The counselor at the table wrote everything on a receipt, took my S&S card number, and sent me back to the Camp Carnival room to pick up my items. There were two people filling orders in the room, so it took no time at all to get everything. The only problem was that they were out of bags, so I had to do some creative positioning to carry it all back to the cabin.

Instead of going directly to my cabin, I gently tapped on my mom’s door to see how she was feeling. She opened the door and was very VERY green! I set my purchases down, then immediately went back to my cabin for some Bonine for my mom and a bag to hide my stuff from Alyssa. My mom took the Bonine (making such a grotesque face that I couldn’t help but laugh) and then asked me about the sale, so I showed her my purchases.

I left my mom’s so she could get a little more rest, and went back to my cabin to stash the Camp Carnival goodies. Alex and Alyssa were watching TV. I asked how the sign-up went, and Alex said that Alyssa actually had to be checked into Camp Carnival to sign up, because they had to see the routine before they could allow her to perform. “So did you check her in?” I asked.

“No, she didn’t want to sign in, so we came back here. She can sign up anytime before the show, though,” Alex answered.

I asked Alyssa if she wanted to check in to Camp Carnival and audition, and she said yes. It was getting close to our spa appointment time, so Alex and I both walked Alyssa to Camp Carnival to check her in. By now, there were sea sick bags taped to the walls of the elevator bays…well, sort of. The ship was rocking so much, that most of the bags were gone!

DSC_0797-Copy-Copy-1-1.jpg

(Just one bag left!)

At Camp Carnival, the counselor told us that we would have to check Alyssa out at 3:45 and then bring her to the Passage to India lounge downstairs at 4:00 for the show. Uh-oh! I was pretty sure we would still be in the massage room by then, but no worries. When we got to the spa to check in for our services, I used their phone to call my mom’s cabin and asked if she or Rob could pick Alyssa up and bring her to Passage to India for us. She said she was feeling better (the liar) and could do it.

By then, I was feeling a little puny myself, but I was looking forward to this and wasn’t going to let a little nausea stop me from having a good massage! Both Alex and I started with a back massage. As I lay face down on the massage table, I could feel the ship climb several waves, then drop down the other side. With the soothing massage and the rise and fall of the ship, I felt weightless several times. By the time my 20-minute massage was up and the therapist asked me to turn over for my mini-facial, I was feeling a lot better. Who’d have thought the cure for sea sickness would be a massage?

While I got a mini-facial, Alex got his foot massage. I was breathing deeply now that I was no longer nauseated, and feeling fully relaxed. I thought about Alex and wondered if he was feeling just as calm and relaxed.

SNNUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGZZZZZZZZZ!!! As if in answer to my unspoken question, I heard Alex’s snores emanating from the table next to me. I smiled and sneaked a peek from under the cloth that covered my eyes. Yep! He was out for the count. The therapist just smiled as she continued massaging his feet.

After the second 20-minute service, it was time for the scalp massage for both of us. Ah! ! Alex stopped snoring, sighed deeply and his breathing became shallower, letting me know that he was awake again. I was so relaxed myself I could have easily dozed off, but wouldn’t allow it. At the end of the service, one of the therapists took my hand and placed it in Alex’s. Then she rang a small gong and announced that the service was over, and that they wouldn’t be waiting outside. We could take our time and just let them know when we were ready.

If I didn’t feel pressed for time to see Alyssa in the Camp Carnival talent show, I would have lain there a lot longer. But it was already after 4:00, and the show was already in progress. We dressed, signed for our services, and raced down the stairs to Passage to India. Sadly, we were already too late. Alyssa's was the second act.

I did, however, get to see my niece, Kelsey, sing a capella. She did a great job and looked quite comfortable on the mic. Too bad Rob just missed it. A couple more performances, and it was time to present all the kids with a rubber medal and a certificate. Then everyone was invited to dance with Funship Freddy.

 

Alyssa never passes up a dance invitation, and grabbed a spot right next to Freddy.

DSC_0781-1.jpg

(A medal AND a dance with Funship Freddy! It can't get better than that!)

When the music stopped, one of the Camp Carnival counselors announced that they were selling Funship Freddy T-shirts for a Black Friday price of $3 each. Rob got in line to get a shirt for both Kelsey and Delaney, so I slid in next to him and discreetly told him that I already got the shirts at the sale earlier and was going to add it to their Christmas gifts. Alyssa begged me for a T-shirt, so rather than give away the surprise, I told her I was sorry, but wasn’t sure they had her size. Then I tried distracting her by asking her about her certificate and medal and about her performance, and having all the girls pose for a picture with my mom:

DSC_0794-Copy-Copy-1.jpg

 

We left the lounge and wander over to the sushi cart, which wasn’t open just yet. Alright, well, that would give us enough time to drop off Zoe the doll and Alyssa’s certificate and medal. By the time we returned, there was plenty of sushi and almost no line at the cart, so Alex and I each grabbed a plate of sushi and made our way to the farewell party in the smaller forward lounge.

A band was already playing and the drinks flowed freely. As soon as we entered, Alyssa sought out the first Carnival employee she could find and asked if she could dance. “Please do!” was the reply, so off Alyssa ran to the dance floor in front of the stage.

Not many people were in attendance, so the servers focused a lot of their attention on us. 4 lemon drops and a whiskey sour later, I had to start shooing the servers away. Meanwhile, Alyssa was having a wonderful time dancing with the handful of kids at the party. One little boy in particular (he looked like he was only about a year old) loved Alyssa and followed her everywhere. She held him and danced with him, and I saw the boy’s parents taking pictures of the two of them together.

The music was pretty loud and the drinks were starting to go to my head, so we left a little bit before the party ended and headed up to the Lido deck for dinner.

Again we found two tables next to each other so we could all sit together and talk. Laura was happy because she bought the special Christmas card package from the photo gallery. (I think it was $19.99 for 8 or 10 Christmas cards made from your photo gallery picture, but can’t be sure.) My mom was happy that she was feeling better. However, she told us she went to tea for a little while with Sandra, and Sandra had fallen right as she was trying to sit down at one of the tables in the piano bar. (Fortunately, she wasn’t hurt.)

Again there was only one line open for the buffet, on which was the usual mediocre fare. Ah well! At least dinner didn’t take 2 or more hours to complete! After dinner, we all headed back to our cabins to pack. (Boo!) Alyssa asked me if she could go with Rob and Delaney, and I said that was fine by me if it was okay with her uncle. Rob said he didn’t mind, so Alyssa and Delaney skipped off down the hall together.

I packed a little, but was suddenly feeling very fatigued, so I lay down on the bed and dozed for a bit. A little while later, Joann knocked on the door. “Patty said that Alyssa is having a meltdown in Rob’s room.”

Ummm…ok…usually Alyssa’s “meltdowns” are right when she leaves me and not after she’s been gone for a while, but her sleep routine had been all out of whack this week, so anything was possible. Alex hurried to Rob’s cabin to pick her up.

When Alex got there, Alyssa was fine and all smiles. Still, it was late, so he brought Alyssa back to our cabin, and Alyssa and I lay on the bed watching “Rio” while Alex got a shower and packed his stuff. (Well, I sort of fell asleep and watched the last half of the movie through my closed eyelids, but so did Alyssa!) When the movie ended, Alex crawled into the bed to sleep, and since I was refreshed from my nap, I went to Guest Services to ask for my S&S statement again. The line at the GS desk already extended back to the glass staircase. I stood at the end of the line, staring at the staircase and following them up to the photo gallery with my eyes. Photo gallery! I just remembered that I was supposed to pick up my reprints earlier at 9:00! Whoops!

Right after I got my statement, I raced up the stairs to get my reprints. The photo gallery would be closing in just half an hour and had quite a few people purchasing last-minute pictures. I waited in another line for my pictures, then went back to my cabin to prepare for the next day’s debarkation.

Iwanyan had left us luggage tags #21, so we decided to try self-assist debarkation for the very first time. I was tired and so wanted to crawl into the bed and sleep like Alex and Alyssa, but I stayed awake long enough to fill out our customs form, fill out our room service order card, remove our banner from our door, and finish packing. Tomorrow we would have to say goodbye to the Fascination. Boo!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There’s not much to say about debarkation, except that self-assist ROCKS! We had breakfast on the Lido deck and waited for our deck to be called. Joann, who did not opt for the self-assist, thought that she would be leaving with us, so I had to break the news to her that she had to wait first for platinum/VIPs, then people carrying off their own luggage on each deck, THEN wait for her zone number (21) to be called. The look of disappointment on her face made me wish I hadn’t said anything.

We didn’t wait long for Main deck to be called. Yes, we had a lot of baggage to carry off, but Alex strategically stacked all our big bags in my mom’s wheelchair to make it easier…sort of. Unfortunately, we stepped off the ship onto an asphalt area, and a rock or hole in the asphalt caught one of the front wheels of the wheelchair, causing it to stop short. The bags on top, in turn, tumbled to the ground with a CRASH. (Nothing broken, thankfully, except for Alex’s plastic water bottle.)

We piled the bags back onto the wheelchair while other passengers just walked by, not offering any assistance. When we reached the doors of the terminal, one of the security guards pointed to the wheelchair and said something about “missing someone,” and Alex made a joke along the lines of "nah, it was just my mother-in-law, and she's not someone I miss." (Really, he was just joking!)

We walked straight through Customs with just a flash of our passport cards and out to the drop-off/pick-up area, where we had no trouble finding the shuttle that would take us back to our car. Our car was still there, safe and sound, so we loaded up and headed home, already talking about the next cruise we would take…

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is an amazing review. My in-laws live along the St. Johns River in Jacksonville and we see the Fascination come in and out whenever we're up there.

 

Thank you, I appreciate you reading it! I live within an hour of the port of Jax, but have yet to see the Fascination pass under the bridge. Maybe one day... ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, I appreciate you reading it! I live within an hour of the port of Jax, but have yet to see the Fascination pass under the bridge. Maybe one day... ;)

 

Well now Carnival is pushing JAXPORT to move the cruise port out further. And JAXPORT wants to, it's just they cannot find a place to put it. But they want it moved because of all the problems with the bridge clearance, tides around the Ft. Caroline curve, and fog which in turn equals lost revenue. And because the terminal that is there now was built in 2003 and was supposed to be temporary. They were going to move it out to Mayport (where all the military ships are) but the residents didn't like that idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the tip about AAA discount at the Hemingway House - we will be in Key West in May and plan to go see those six toed cats.

It was fun to read about your trip to the zoo in Nassau. We went in 2006 (on our Celebration cruise) and it sounds and looks like not much has changed since then. Our modes of transportation there were reversed from yours - we took a taxi there and rode the jitney back.

 

I really enjoyed your review and of course, your pictures - thanks again for taking the time to write and post. Glad your family enjoyed the cruise despite the dining disappointment. I look forward to the next time you cruise so I can read another of your wonderful reviews!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the tip about AAA discount at the Hemingway House - we will be in Key West in May and plan to go see those six toed cats.

It was fun to read about your trip to the zoo in Nassau. We went in 2006 (on our Celebration cruise) and it sounds and looks like not much has changed since then. Our modes of transportation there were reversed from yours - we took a taxi there and rode the jitney back.

 

I really enjoyed your review and of course, your pictures - thanks again for taking the time to write and post. Glad your family enjoyed the cruise despite the dining disappointment. I look forward to the next time you cruise so I can read another of your wonderful reviews!

 

Thank you. It was a pleasure to relive our adventures by writing a review.

 

Enjoy the Hemmingway House and don't forget your AAA card. I think there are more than a few places in KW that offers discounts. Also, pick up one of the free coupon magazines you'll see in stands through the city. Plenty of discounts there, including the Toy Factory. More coupons are online at the Key West tourism site as well.

 

Have a wonderful time!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm really enjoying your review.......can't help wondering if you're a Jaguars fan like me.

I am worried about the dining room. Our group of 22 has a 6 top, an 8 top and a 10 top.

The 10 top part makes me wonder if we'll have the same wait staff.....which sounds

absolutely horrible. I've been lucky all these years to have gotten great MDR teams and

at least decent food. I don't want to break that record. Am I right in assuming you were in the aft dining room?

Our cabins are mostly midship, so we could be in either one.

I'm really sorry the food was substandard, since I'm the one that organized this cruise.

We're sailing this month....maybe we'll be lucky and the galley staff has changed!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was on the cruise after you and have to admit I learned to survive on pizza,calzones and salad bar.

 

However, besides the food and the MDR I love the ship and the rest of the crew were fantastic.

 

Well done on the TR and thank you for sharing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's reviews like this that gets me more excited for my cruise!! Even though I'm on a different ship..lol. Thank you so much for so much detail, I loved it all.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed it and am happy I could put you in a cruizin' state of mind. ;)

 

I was on the cruise after you and have to admit I learned to survive on pizza,calzones and salad bar.

 

However, besides the food and the MDR I love the ship and the rest of the crew were fantastic.

 

Well done on the TR and thank you for sharing.

 

Thank you. I liked the ship too, and am also thankful for all the alternative food choices. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm really enjoying your review.......can't help wondering if you're a Jaguars fan like me.

I am worried about the dining room. Our group of 22 has a 6 top, an 8 top and a 10 top.

The 10 top part makes me wonder if we'll have the same wait staff.....which sounds

absolutely horrible. I've been lucky all these years to have gotten great MDR teams and

at least decent food. I don't want to break that record. Am I right in assuming you were in the aft dining room?

Our cabins are mostly midship, so we could be in either one.

I'm really sorry the food was substandard, since I'm the one that organized this cruise.

We're sailing this month....maybe we'll be lucky and the galley staff has changed!

 

Yes, I am a true teal-blue Jaguars fan. :D

We were in the aft dining room, although two of our 4 cabins were forward on the ship. I'm not sure how Carnival determines which dining room to assign. I can only speculate that since they have very few large tables, they try to fit the larger parties in first, then work in the smaller ones, but again, it's just a guess.

 

Don't worry about the wait staff. This was the first time I experienced such bad service, so I consider it a rarity. Also, the large tables around us were being served and seemed to be enjoying their dining experience (though I didn't think to compare notes with the other guests).

Makes me wonder if our wait staff just didn't know how to wait on a table with three children and a baby. Or maybe they were overwhelmed by having 4 large tables assigned to them? Who knows? Whatever the case, it was inexcusable, and in hindsight I should have spoken to the Maitre D instead of letting them drum us out of the MDR.

Again, try not to worry. I'm sure your track record of getting wonderful service will continue. As far as the food goes, I suspect that at least a small portion of our dissatisfaction with our meals was caused by the wait team letting our food just sit and get cold and clumpy instead of serving it to us when it was at the proper temperature.

 

One last piece of advice - just because you organized the cruise does not mean you are responsible for any events, food, or service on the cruise, and you are not at fault if anyone doesn't enjoy the trip. Your job as organizer ends and your vacation begins when you get everyone booked and on board. Let the cruise director and the rest of the staff take care of everyone else having a good time. ;)

 

Its over allready :(

Yes, it's the end of the November Fascination chapter. I'll try to start a new Freedom chapter after our June cruise. :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...