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Paradise - March 10th to 15th (Review)

GuitarCruiser

By GuitarCruiser,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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GuitarCruiser

GuitarCruiser

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This review will be as quick and to the point as possible (with pictures to come after)…

 

Day 1 (Embarkation):

Our 4th cruise and this was the smoothest embarkation we have ever had. We arrived at the Port of Tampa just before 11am and handed our check-in bags to a porter, breezed through security and the check-in process, sitting down to await boarding by 11:30. After 10 minutes we were having our picture taken and boarding the ship. After putting cash on our sail and sign cards, we were up on Lido Deck and having lunch. All this by 12 noon. We were able to get into our cabins (we booked two cabins next to each other – U62 for two DD’s and U64 for DW and I) at 1:30. Our bags wouldn’t arrive until 4:30. At 3:00, or shortly there after, was the muster drill, which definitely was more intense than in the past. Given recent events, I was glad to see this. Once we were able to finally unpack and settle into our rooms, we decided that our first nights dinner would be at the Paris Lido Restaurant to do the buffet. DW and I took in the Welcome Aboard Show while DD’s, this being their very first cruise, explored and got acquainted with the ship. All in all, it was a very smooth first day.

 

Day 2 (Fun Day At Sea):

This day was eating, hitting the fitness center, eating some more, losing money in the casino, drinking, relaxing, drinking some more and just enjoying the day traveling along across the sea. Exactly what a day like this is supposed to be (except the losing money part).This night was Elegant Night. We all got showered, spiffed ourselves up and put on our “elegant” clothes. We had Anytime Dining, which we thoroughly enjoy. Before heading to the dining room we had photos taken (which we would end up buying 4 of them because they are that good). Dinner was in the Elation Dining Room. The service was great and the food was fantastic. I had read some rough reviews prior to sailing, but we never had anything bad service wise or food wise. This night was Lobster, so I had them bring me Prime Rib with my Lobster and had my own Surf and Turf. Everyone enjoyed their meals and desserts. Afterwards we went to see the show in the Normandie Lounge. The show was pretty good and we enjoyed it.

 

Day 3 (Grand Cayman Island):

DW wasn’t feelingtoo well, so she stayed onboard to hit the spa and get a massage, while I took the daughters ashore to do an excursion. The tender process was fairly quick and the boat ride in only took about 5 minutes. We did the Grand Cayman by Land and Sea excursion. We first did a semi-submarine that took us to two different shipwrecks, around some reefs and stopping to watch the captain jump in and feed the fish. It was interesting and we did see lots of different fish, but I did expect more from the shipwrecks. The next stop was the Governor’s Mansion. Well, this consisted of stopping in front of the gate and seeing it from a distance while our tour guide gave a quick history lesson about the place. Then it was off to Hell where DD’s were able to send post cards to their boyfriends back home and we picked up a few souvenirs. But we were given 12 minutes. Yes, you heard that right, 12 whole minutes. So, I didn’t get to see the rock formation that makes Hell, well, Hell. Next was the Tortuga Rum Cake factory. We got 15 minutes here and that was enough time to buy some more souvenirs and sample the Rum Cake. Our final stop was the Turtle Farm. This was definitely the highlight of the excursion. We were there for about an hour and allowed to go off on our own. We got to reach into the different tanks and pull out different size sea turtles to hold and get pictures. The girls loved this and, although I think they could’ve taken ten minutes off this stop to use at Hell, I enjoyed it as well. Our tour guide took us the long way back to the tender boat area, showing us some different areas of the island and giving us a bit of history of the different places we saw. This was a nice finish to the excursion. We had about 15 minutes to shop before getting in line to take the tender boat back to the ship. Once we were back onboard, the girls went for a quick snack, while I hooked back up with DW for a couple of drinks on the Lido Deck. After getting cleaned up, we went to the Elation Dining Room for another outstanding dinner. Our waiters even gave us a little entertainment, doing a dance, a bit of what might be called a magic trick and even a mind bender to try and figure out. It was a fun dinner. We went and found a nice place on deck to sit and relax and have a couple of drinks while DD’s went and played Bingo.

 

Day 4 (Cozumel, Mexico):

Didn’t have to rush this day…we didn’t have any excursions planned. This day was all about letting DW and the girls shop, so we slowly got up, had some breakfast and made our way off the ship. We walked around the pier area for a little bit checking out some of the shops before making our way to a cab for a ride to San Miguel, the downtown area. The cab was only $7.00, so I gave the driver $15.00 because 7 just seemed really cheap. It seemed like we hit almost every store and bought a whole lot of stuff. We met some really nice locals and showed DD’s the art of bartering. They learned rather quickly and we all found some great deals. We took lots of photos and came across a little restaurant/bar called La Casa Del Habanos Steak Tapas Bar. This place was great! The owner took such great care of us, we felt like royalty. DD’s even got to try their first Strawberry Daiquiris, which made them feel special. The authentic Mexican cuisine was out of this world and the portions were huge. I cannot say enough good things about this little gem of a place. I highly recommend it to anyone when in Cozumel for a wonderful lunch. We shopped for a few more minutes before grabbing a cab back to the pier area, again paying the driver $15.00. Back onboard we took it easy, cleaned up and had some dinner at the buffet. DD’s went and did all the fun games at the main lounge, including bingo again, and we went and had some drinks while relaxing on the top deck where we found a quiet spot away from all the madness. Overall, this was a great day!

 

Day 5 (Fun Day At Sea):

The last day…trying not to get too melancholy (so hard to do). This day was DD’s running around doing everything from Scavenger Hunts and Trivia Games to Shopping and, yes, Bingo! For us, it was eating, hitting the fitness center, relaxing on the back of the ship with a drink while getting some sun and just enjoying the day trying not to think about having to go back to reality. We had one last dinner in the Elation Dining Room. I think one of the funniest moments on this entire cruise was when the wait staff said goodbye to everyone with a song called “Your Leaving Our Cruise Ship”, which they did to the tune “Leaving On A Jet Plane”. I don’t know why I found it so funny, but if you heard it sung with their accents, you’d probably understand. Another great meal and wonderful dessert. Afterwards we went to see the final show in the Normandie Lounge. This show was excellent. I was really impressed with it and thought the dancers and band did a fantastic job. It was a great way to close out our cruise before heading to our cabins to call it a night…But not before ordering Room Service one last time!

 

Day 6 (Debarkation):

I can’t complain about the debarkation process this time. It was extremely smooth. We had breakfast ordered the night before and it arrived at 8am. We did have a little wait, but didn’t have to actually leave our cabins until 9:30 and went to the Lido Deck where we only had about a 10 minute more wait before our debarkation number was called. We were off the ship and through customs by 10:15. Definitely the smoothest we’ve ever encountered. Good job Carnival!

 

Positives and Negatives of this cruise on the Paradise:

 

Positives:

Room Steward took great care of us (I gave him $20.00 dollars when we boarded and another $20.00 the final day).

The service onboard was excellent all around.

The dining room staff was great and the food was much better than we expected.

The buffet was actually pretty good.

The shows were really good.

There was always something going on and something to do for everyone.

Embarkation and Debarkation were the smoothest we’ve ever seen.

Everyone was very friendly and, with the exception of a few rowdy spring breakers, it was a good group of cruisers.

Best of all, we had a great time every single day!

 

Negatives:

It is an older ship and was hoping that there would’ve been more done to it during dry dock last month.

The cabins we had were smaller than expected and were a bit stuffy.

We still had the old box televisions.

We couldn’t check our sail and sign cards each night on the televisions (had to keep going to Guest Services to do this).

The shower had little pressure.

The ship really rocked on a couple of days.

 

Overall it was a fabulous time…I will be posting some pictures and also I have copies of each day’s Fun Times that I will try to post on here. So stay tuned!

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GuitarCruiser

GuitarCruiser

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Thanks for taking the time to write the review. We leave Saturday on her. Was hoping the rooms were a little more than refreshed such as the flat screens. Looking forward to pics!

 

I did hear that some cabins have been upgraded with flatscreen t.v.'s, I think they are replacing them as the old ones go. Here are some pics of our cabin...

 

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GuitarCruiser

GuitarCruiser

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Anxious to see more pics and the Fun Times. We are also leaving this Saturday! Thanks!!!

 

I will try my best to get the Fun Times posted before Saturday (have to scan them first), but I will definitely keep posting more pics until then!

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blivey

blivey

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I will try my best to get the Fun Times posted before Saturday (have to scan them first), but I will definitely keep posting more pics until then!

 

Thanks so much!!! Enjoying the pics and getting more excited every minute!

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