Carnival Fantasy Review (Feb 18 - 23, 2013)

[Sabalon]

Will have to read this more later. My daughter pretty much disowned the family for circle c, but doesn't recognize your son, though she seemed to have a pretty core group she hung out with. Am looking hard for my daughter in the hot tub pic with all the kids - her favorite place.

[Cupcrazy]

Fantastic pictures! Thanks so much for posting

[hooforce]

Will have to read this more later. My daughter pretty much disowned the family for circle c, but doesn't recognize your son, though she seemed to have a pretty core group she hung out with. Am looking hard for my daughter in the hot tub pic with all the kids - her favorite place.

 

Yeah, my oldest is kind of shy and though he hung out with the kids in Circle C, he was usually in the back of the pack. I know he was on stage with all the kids in his group learning new line dances (my wife and I were in the audience watching). I can remember 3 girls in his group then. Would any of the girls in this photo be yours? My 5 year old hung out in the hot tub with these girls a lot - they just fell in love with him and his cute personality just attracts girls for some reason. I had to get a photo of him and his girls! Too funny!

 

[LPGA Golfer Gal]

My son loved Circle C! I can't remember all the activities, but I can tell you that they had dance parties, scavenger hunts (have to find items on the ship), ship bingo (where they have to find items or people that are described on their bingo card), group photo opportunity, video games, and various other games and tournaments. The good thing is that at the Circle C age, the kids can check themselves in and out, so if they don't want to participate in a certain activity, they aren't "force" to do so - they just check out and go swimming or whatever else they'd like to do.

 

I don't have a photo of the Camp Carnival room because I didn't want to look like a really creepy man taking photos of kids I didn't know, but I have this one of the line leading up to the room. All kids had to wash their hand immediately upon entering Camp Carnival. Yeah, I liked that:

 

 

Take note that Camp Carnival is at the back of the ship (Promenade Deck, I think) and there are really two different rooms back there. This photo is of the hallway leading up to the room of the 2-5 year olds. To the right of this photo is the room for the 6-8 year olds. Another important thing: this photo was taken on the first day at sea. We are standing in line becuase the guy up at the front of the line is registering his kids (a long process). You can do this at home, on your computer before you leave for the cruise. It would save a lot of time, pain, and heartache if everyone did this. This guy didn't get the memo, so we waited 15 minutes for him to register his kids. Not cool. We already had our kids pre-registered and when we got there, they had all of our information and all we had to do was show them our Sail and Sign card and we were on our way. So much easier and so much faster - no one was inconvenienced!

 

Camp Carnival is wonderful! The kids really enjoy it. I know my 5 year old loved it. He's turning 6 in 2 weeks, so they let him move up to the 6 year old camp because he did get bored a couple times with the younger crowd. They did all kinds of activities and while I can't remember what they all were, my son did come out looking like this a few times:

 

Pirate Party:

 

 

Face painting:

 

 

I don't know what this was about:

 

 

Spin art:

 

 

I can assure you that your friend's daughter and son will not be bored and your friends will not be disappointed.

 

There is also a video screen outside of Camp Carnival that shows what the kids are doing in real time, so I thought that was also very neat.

 

Finally, at the end of the cruise (usually the last sea day) there is a talent show that the kids participate in. Usually, the kids sing, dance or display a special talent. My kid danced to Gangnam Style (the new and latest craze for kids and adults alike these days). It was cute and lots of fun to watch (this is another hilarious YouTube video I will have to post later).

 

Hope this helped. Enjoy!

 

Yes!! Thank you. Our daughter absolutely loves Camp Carnival. I'm glad to hear that Circle C is easy going. Again the photos are great. Thanks for the review.

[hooforce]

Well we wished we could leave the girls at home for 5 days but my mom already keeps them 4 days a week while we work and it's just too much to ask her to keep them for 5 days straight with no break. My MIL will be on a 15 day Hawaiian cruise celebrating her 50th anniversary this year, so we didn't have her to help.

 

We are just really really really hoping they will like Camp Carnival and will go to it some to give us a break. They are used to preschool, church, etc. and like activities so we are crossing our fingers. Our last cruise was almost 4 years ago when my first daughter was 17 months old and I was pregnant with the second one. We vowed we weren't cruising until they were both old enough for Camp Carnival.

 

I may try to pack a pool noodle or something to put under the sheet to make another "barrier" besides the railing or maybe the steward can bring extra pillows or something. Our 3 year actually still sleeps in a crib and prefers to sleep in a pack n play when we travel, so I guess I'll lug it along and set it up. OR perhaps I could ask for a trundle bed? I'm probably over-thinking all of us, but my biggest concern about this trip is the tight quarters. Our last three vacations have been Disney World in a large 2 or 3 bedroom condo where we had plenty of space. An inside room with 4 should be interesting!

 

 

I'm sure they'll like Camp Carnival. I saw some kids on the first day that cried when their parents left them, but that's the last time I ever saw any of the kids cry when their parents left. I'd venture to say that it is because the kids really have a fun time there.

 

As far as the stateroom situation...the photo really makes the room look cramped, but it really wasn't. We had 5 people in one room and we never felt like the room was too small. I won't lie, it would have been nice to have more room, but we tried to not be in the room so much. It'll work out. Don't worry...and you and your family will have a great time!

[SHERRIFL]

can anyone tell me if the Fantasy is about the same size as RCCL Monarch of the Seas? I have never sailed Carnival. Looking at this ship because of port location to my BFF.

 

Also, are there buffets for all meals? I usually don't eat in the MDR for meals on RCCL.

 

Thank you! :)

[Sabalon]

Yeah, my oldest is kind of shy and though he hung out with the kids in Circle C, he was usually in the back of the pack. I know he was on stage with all the kids in his group learning new line dances (my wife and I were in the audience watching). I can remember 3 girls in his group then. Would any of the girls in this photo be yours? My 5 year old hung out in the hot tub with these girls a lot - they just fell in love with him and his cute personality just attracts girls for some reason. I had to get a photo of him and his girls! Too funny!

 

 

Actually, my younger girl is the one right behind your son.

[Sabalon]

No, Jeopardy-style games with the buzzer consoles, etc.

 

Actually, during the welcome aboard show they did do the Jeopardy style game with the buzzers, consoles, and a beautiful redheaded Canadian running the scoreboard.

[Sabalon]

Thank you so much for the review. We sail in 9 days. We are doing YTD and I'll try to remember to ask for Fernando.

 

If you can't get Fernando, I'd highly recommend Dennis in the YTD. Him and his team was wonderful on my daughters birthday. My youngest was upset because I ordered duck (she loves ducks) and he took her from the verge of tears to laughing.

[Sabalon]

can anyone tell me if the Fantasy is about the same size as RCCL Monarch of the Seas? I have never sailed Carnival. Looking at this ship because of port location to my BFF.

 

Also, are there buffets for all meals? I usually don't eat in the MDR for meals on RCCL.

 

Thank you! :)

 

In Nassau, the Monarch was in port at the same time. They are roughly the same size with the Monarch being a slight bit bigger. However, the Explorer of the Seas was in between and dwarfed them both.

 

Here's both of them from Fort Fincastle in Nassau

 

 

Also, buffet on the Lido is available for all meals - just mind the times. The wok and burger parts close at different times than the inside area

Edited February 25, 2013 by Sabalon

[neon706]

Thanks for posting! My wife and i are taking the seven day on Fantasy in April. It will be pure first cruise!

 

Sent from my SGH-S959G using Tapatalk 2

[hooforce]

Actually, during the welcome aboard show they did do the Jeopardy style game with the buzzers, consoles, and a beautiful redheaded Canadian running the scoreboard.

 

Well, that's interesting. Usually, they don't do those games in concert with the welcome aboard show. That's kind of weird now that I think about it - why would they do it that way? Oh well. Thanks for setting me straight. I guess I just missed it!:rolleyes:

[bobsfamily]

can anyone tell me if the Fantasy is about the same size as RCCL Monarch of the Seas? I have never sailed Carnival. Looking at this ship because of port location to my BFF.

 

Also, are there buffets for all meals? I usually don't eat in the MDR for meals on RCCL.

 

Thank you! :)

Generally the cabins on CCL are a bit bigger than on RCCL... one cruiser stated this way:

The two lines are very similar. The standard cabins on the Monarch are a little smaller (about 2/3 the size of a standard cabin on Carnival). The Monarch has a rock climbing wall while Carnival has a water slide. And basically those are the differences between the two lines.

 

That was a couple of years ago but still holds as far as the cabins are concerned.

 

Monarch

Built 1991 Years old 22 Passengers 2354- 2825

Cabins 1177 Space Ratio 26 Tons 73937

Speed 20.0 Length 880 Beam 106 Crew 822

 

 

Fantasy

Built 1990 Years old 23 Passengers 2056- 2467

Cabins 1028 Space Ratio 29 Tons 70367

Speed 19.5 Length 855 Beam 103 Crew 980

 

If you google them you will come up with other sites..

 

As for food the buffets are open most of the time but do shut down mid-day except for burgers/pizza/ice cream. The burgers may not be open all the time but pizza/ice cream is. Check out the Fun Times (your guide to what is happening) when onboard and it will give you exact times. Also remember that room service is available 24/7.

If you have questions specific to the port/Charleston/parking/etc. you can check out:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1629392

[CruiserJul]

Enjoying your review. The Fantasy was our first Carnival cruise!

 

I have a question - you mentioned as a repeat cruiser you got a free drink. Do you have to be platinum to get that?

[hooforce]

Enjoying your review. The Fantasy was our first Carnival cruise!

 

I have a question - you mentioned as a repeat cruiser you got a free drink. Do you have to be platinum to get that?

 

Nope, just a repeat cruiser on Carnival! It's that easy!

[wrigley80]

Nice Review. You have a beautiful family. We were on the Fantasy in March last year. Those comfy chairs along promenade were wonderful

[Beebob1]

Thanks so much for the pics & review! Leaving Thursday for a B2B looks to be a awesome ship.

[VBnewcruiser]

Well we wished we could leave the girls at home for 5 days but my mom already keeps them 4 days a week while we work and it's just too much to ask her to keep them for 5 days straight with no break. My MIL will be on a 15 day Hawaiian cruise celebrating her 50th anniversary this year, so we didn't have her to help.

 

We are just really really really hoping they will like Camp Carnival and will go to it some to give us a break. They are used to preschool, church, etc. and like activities so we are crossing our fingers. Our last cruise was almost 4 years ago when my first daughter was 17 months old and I was pregnant with the second one. We vowed we weren't cruising until they were both old enough for Camp Carnival.

 

I may try to pack a pool noodle or something to put under the sheet to make another "barrier" besides the railing or maybe the steward can bring extra pillows or something. Our 3 year actually still sleeps in a crib and prefers to sleep in a pack n play when we travel, so I guess I'll lug it along and set it up. OR perhaps I could ask for a trundle bed? I'm probably over-thinking all of us, but my biggest concern about this trip is the tight quarters. Our last three vacations have been Disney World in a large 2 or 3 bedroom condo where we had plenty of space. An inside room with 4 should be interesting!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Regalo-Sleeptite-Extra-Compact-Portable/dp/B003JV0MTQ/ref=sr_1_23?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1361860581&sr=1-23&keywords=portable+bed+rail

 

Would something like this work for your kids? This is from Amazon but I'm sure they would sell them at Babies R Us or one of those kinds of stores?

[LUVMYGSDOG]

Thank you for the review! Sailing on Fantasy again in April. Very excited!

 

 

Kim

[klepton]

Thank you so much for the pictures of the boarding process. I've been researching this heavily for our August cruise, and your pictures really helped me visualize it.

 

I also like how you posted a picture of the sign prohibiting you to take pictures... :D

 

Walking up to the gangway:

[NCTribeFan]

I'm astounded that there are people who think the decor on Fantasy is nicer than other ships. Yikes! I've always said that she looked like Farcus designed her while having a bad acid flashback! :p

 

I've been on Elation and Fascination and thought they were much more subdued and attractive. Well, we all have difference tastes and likes, don't we.

 

Question - I'm trying to find out if Tim the Magician is still on the ship. He mostly wandered around the dining rooms interrupting people's meals. He took a bit of getting used to, but by the time my friend and family joined me for Leg 2 of my B2B last October, I'd decided I quite liked him. Dry sense of humor, which is what I like.

 

Can't wait to go back to Charleston, even if only for a night. Love it there. And love the Shrimp & Grits at Fleet Landing. Yummy.

[cruiseclues]

Thanks for your great photo review of the Carnival Fantasy since the last drydock. Nice looking family. :):):):)

[hooforce]

Thanks for your great photo review of the Carnival Fantasy since the last drydock. Nice looking family. :):):):)

 

No problem everyone! It was a pleasure to do and hopefully, it will help others prepare for their cruise on the Fantasy. I'm glad I had the experience! Oh, and thanks for the kind words regarding my family!:)

[AlabamaFootball]

Photos continued....

 

The Lido Deck at night:

 

 

Funnel at night:

 

 

Excuse our mess, but we had 5 people in this inside cabin (M50)! We bought the cruise with an Inside Guarantee room and ended up in a great location! I've never been in any room lower than the Empress Deck, but this one wasn't bad at all. We don't spend much time in our room anyway, so we just need a place to rest our heads at night - this room was great for that!

 

 

Sushi bar at the buffet. They serve the same sushi here as they do at the sushi bar near the Casino and atrium:

 

 

As we were about to set sail in Charleston, a pelican flew down and landed on the deck of the ship! Two of my boys (background) were captivated and watched as the pelican marched around the deck. Amazingly the pelcan was not fearful of the people, music, or the picture-taking! My kids were able to get quite close. He finally few away after a few minutes and my 10 year old said that his wing hit him on the head as he flapped his wings to take off. Funny!

 

 

Then, there always seems to be one stange individual on your sailing that always ends up crossing your path during your cruise. We all got a "kick" out of this one - there was one individual that so closely resembled Santa Clause on our sailing! After we first spotted him on the first day, we saw him everywhere! I just couldn't resist taking a photo of him as much as I could. He always wore red and white and seemed to be friendly. Each time my 5 year old saw him on the ship, he would say, "Look! It's Santa!" One time, he said this so loud that the man heard him and waved. I was so embarrassed, but it was funny. Do you ever experience something like this on your cruises? Is there a certain individual that catches your attention on the first day (maybe an ugly couple, funny-looking person, etc.) that seems always cross your path on your cruise? It has happened to us during every cruise! This was ours for this cruise:

 

 

More to come....

 

Is the Sushi on the Buffet at all times???

[kinggartk]

I'm astounded that there are people who think the decor on Fantasy is nicer than other ships. Yikes! I've always said that she looked like Farcus designed her while having a bad acid flashback! :p

 

I've been on Elation and Fascination and thought they were much more subdued and attractive. Well, we all have difference tastes and likes, don't we.

 

Question - I'm trying to find out if Tim the Magician is still on the ship. He mostly wandered around the dining rooms interrupting people's meals. He took a bit of getting used to, but by the time my friend and family joined me for Leg 2 of my B2B last October, I'd decided I quite liked him. Dry sense of humor, which is what I like.

 

Can't wait to go back to Charleston, even if only for a night. Love it there. And love the Shrimp & Grits at Fleet Landing. Yummy.

 

I've been on 3 Carnival cruises..and I like Fantasy decor better than the other 2 (Glory and Inspiration). It might still be like an LSD trip, but a little more subdued than the other 2 IMO.