Fascination 05/06/2013 w/FTTF...a reflection...

[kml2000]

Karen, I'm so sorry our paths didn't cross this past week! I think we literally must have been standing within feet of you during the sail away!!!! My girls and I were in the row of chairs by the slide, watching the little ones have SO much fun!!!

 

Enjoying the review...if I get rested up I may try to write something up as well!

 

Happy Mothers Day!

 

 

Happy Mothers Day to you as well. We were closer to the back rail for actual sail away. I was sitting next to someone who lit up a cigarette and started flicking ashes on the deck :eek:.

 

Wish I hadn't forgotten about the Meet and Greet, it would have been nice to meet you as well.

[kml2000]

OK.....so we are already on Monday night (haha). After sail away, we unpacked and went to dinner. On our Legend cruise two years ago, dinner was just not a pleasant experience. We ate in the steak house one night and the Lido deck once so we endured 5 days of poor service and "different" table mates. This time, was different. We enjoyed dinner each night and had good service. I asked for lemons with my water each night - FINALLY on the last night they were already on the table.

 

That brings me to the water. I have read on the board several times about a weird taste to the water. I noticed it in the water from our cabin and also on the Lido deck. However, the water tasted different to me in the dining room and was good. I drank it on the Lido as well, but noticed the different taste. You might take some bottled water for your cabin.

 

Unfortunately, no pictures of dinner. I can tell you what we ordered.

 

Both of us started with the spinach artichoke dip. I thought it was okay, but needed something to give it a kick. It was also a little thin for what I consider to be a "dip". That said, we both ate it all so it couldn't be all that bad....;).

 

I ordered the Tilapia as my entree and my DD ordered the salmon from the everyday menu. We both enjoyed our fish very much. My dish said it had a green pee fondue, but I didn't see much of that. I did really like the carrots served with it. They were served with other dishes during the week and I enjoyed them each time. Two of the people at our table ordered the Lasagna and had very different opinions of it. One lady didn't like it AT ALL. However, another lady said it was good and somewhat different from typical lasagna. Other than that, everyone else seemed to enjoy their dishes.

 

My daughter had the cheesecake for desert and I had the Black Forest cake. My DD liked the cheesecake but someone else at the table said it wasn't cold so she didn't like it as well. The Black Forest cake was good, not extraordinary, just good.

 

As a side note - I noticed LOTS of shrimp cocktails going out. It is good, that is always a good choice :D

 

After dinner, we went to the Welcome Aboard Show and the production show Motor City that followed right behind it. During the Welcome Aboard Show, we got a taste of the two comedians - Cowboy Comedian and Merl Hobbs. I thought they were both pretty good, more on that soon. We enjoyed both the Welcome Aboard Show and Motor City. If you cruise frequently, I can see where the Welcome Aboard Show might get old. The Motor City show was good because I liked the music. It is definitely not what I experienced when I first started cruising, but it was enjoyable and fun.

 

We ended up the night in the Punchliner Comedy Club to see Cowboy Comedian. We didn't have a problem getting a seat any night. This comedian was good but could get a little goofy. He recognized our military heroes at the beginning of each show and I appreciated that. The adult show is just that....adult. Carnival clearly states that at multiple times so if you are easily offended, don't bother with the adult shows.

 

This is the Punchliner on the Fascination:

 

 

[kml2000]

This is what greeted us in our cabin after the comedy show

 

 

I got a good night's sleep and was ready for our sea day.

[kml2000]

After reading all about chair hogs, we got up early to get a chair - 8:30 or so is what I mean by early. My DD wanted to be on the second level above where the pool was so she could see what was going on without being in the middle of it all. We had our pick of chairs at this hour. Very few were being saved.

 

This is where we wound up:

 

 

 

I should have posted these earlier, but here are some random pictures of the pool, and the deck:

 

 

 

[kml2000]

We spent most of the day here. We both ate at the deli for lunch - DD had the turkey sandwich and I had a pastrami on rye. This is not something I eat at home, but enjoy it on the cruise. I read another short review that said the meat had too much fat (or something like that). I will agree with this statement. I thought the sandwich was good, but not as good as the one I got on the Legend. It could have just been this one day, I never got back to eating at the Grill again.

 

I was a little hungry when we got back to the cabin so I ordered room service for a snack which ended up being a BLT and the Vegetable sticks. I actually do have a picture of this, believe it or not. No shortage of bacon on this:

 

 

 

 

We rested up, bathed, and got ready for formal night.

 

No food pics of this either.....but I can tell you we both enjoyed the mushrooms as the starter and the Lobster/Shrimp for an entree. I asked for a second Lobster tail, along with someone else at our table. Instead of just getting the extra tail, we got a whole second plate.....a little too much for me. It was very good, IMO. One person at our table ordered the ribs and really liked them. The Strawberry Bisque and Greek Salad were also favorites. There was one person who said the Greek Salad had too many onions.

 

I ordered Cherries Jubilee and was disappointed in it :( . Basically a scoop of ice cream with three cherries in a serving dish. My DD got her Warm Chocolate melting cake. The Bitter and Blanc was ordered by someone else and she really enjoyed it.

 

After dinner, we changed and saw every show - the production show and the two comedians. It was a busy night but we enjoyed the entertainment. We are not hard to please......really just happy to be on a cruise!!!

[DEERINH2O]

Great review. We leave on the 23rd. Qick question if someone is dropping us off at the port what time can they drop us off? I'm platinum so we get to board early yay

 

 

Kathy

[kml2000]

Great review. We leave on the 23rd. Qick question if someone is dropping us off at the port what time can they drop us off? I'm platinum so we get to board early yay

 

 

Kathy

 

 

I read on the JaxPort website the gates open at 10:30am for new passengers. They turned us around because the "parking" gate had not been opened. We did see some shuttles, etc go in between 10:15am and 10:30am. I can assume they were able to drop their passengers off.

 

Hope that helps.

[<3_2_Cruise]

Thanks for the great review! I can't wait to hear more! We leave on the Fascination in July and can't wait!

[familycruizin2013]

Thanks for the review. We are on her in 6 days!!!:D

[Gbks]

Great review!!! We leave in 2 weeks and I am so excited!!! Thank you for taking the time to post your review.

~GBKS~

[bobsfamily]

Great review!!! We leave in 2 weeks and I am so excited!!! Thank you for taking the time to post your review.

~GBKS~

 

Are you on the roll call? 14 days today

[Georgiagolfer]

Loving your review. We sail in less than 3 weeks, 4th time on Fascination. Jax is such an easy port, guess that's why we like it so much.

[kml2000]

I'm back....it's been a long day, back to TRUE reality - WORK. Yuck!!!!

 

I was working on my Nassau post last night and the board went away. THEN, my computer gave me troubles so I gave up. Here we go again...

 

Okay...moving on to Wednesday which is Nassau day. I booked this cruise last minute and we didn't really have firm plans for Nassau. We considered not getting off the ship, but decided we would take a taxi over to Atlantis, just to see the property. Taxi ride is $4 a person and we rode in a van with several other groups. The vans were not run down and had AC.

 

Before we left, we had our first breakfast in the dining room - one of my favorite things to do. And guess what....I DO have a picture:

 

Eggs Benedict - probably the best I have had on a Carnival ship

 

 

This was my daughter's first cruise after turning 18. I know I said we don't gamble, but I meant that in a "we don't gamble a lot of money" kind of way. We headed into the casino at Atlantis and played a few slots. After we had to ask the people that work there how to work the machines - LOL :p, I handed my DD a $20 dollar bill and she played slots for some time. We also played the electronic blackjack but couldn't figure out how the dealer always ended up with 20 or 21..... Back to the slots we went. It took us a while to figure out that playing a penny slot did NOT mean a penny bet (naive, I know....).

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of our time there, DD was up $18 and I was down $13. We both played with a $20 investment. We had a great time and decided to head back to the port to find some free WIFI and check emails. My DD also wanted to try and communicate with her new boyfriend....;) . We got a taxi back in the same place they dropped us off - $4 a person back to the port.

 

In another review, I saw that there was a McDonalds down the road toward Junaknoo beach, so off we went. The McDonalds is right around the corner from Senor Frogs (which we also walked in and decided was a little overwhelming for us). We bought some fries and a diet coke and connected to not so great WIFI. Believe it or not, the McDonalds had a sign on the door - no pictures. We couldn't figure that out. After a while, we gave up and headed back to the port.

 

Here is where I tell you that you can hook up to free wifi in the building that you go through when you get off the ship. YEP......we walked back into that building on our way back and noticed a lot of people on their computers, ipads, etc. We took out our phones and sure enough - WIFI. It was a much better connection than the McDonalds down the road. Oh well....... BTW....we both had turned Cellular off on our phones and also had them on airplane mode.

 

This is the building

 

[kml2000]

We also tried Conch fritters in Nassau because I had never had them and had read all about them on the board. We got them from the booth at the end of the building at the port - $3. The best way to describe these is they are like hushpuppies with conch mixed in the batter. I had never had Conch, that I know of, and will liken it to clam from a texture standpoint - IMO.

 

These were okay but I probably wouldn't need to try them again.

 

 

[kml2000]

We were the only people at the table for dinner on Nassau day. I know the others had big excursion plans so I imagine they were pooped!

 

No pictures again....:(, but I will tell you what we ordered.

 

I ordered the spring rolls but then requested a salad because the spring rolls seemed heavy after those fried conch fritters and my eggs benedict for breakfast. I guess all that food was catching up to me. The salad on the "today" menu on this day was very good and the Balsamic dressing is good as well. I can't remember what DD ordered for a starter. I had the Redfish dish on the Today menu for the entree and it was very good. It is a meatier fish than tilapia so it was filling. DD had the Flat Iron steak which she said was ok.

 

I guess I was wrong about pictures because I know I have pictures of these desserts. DD ordered the apple pie with ice cream and I had the Tiramisu (yummmm).

 

 

[kml2000]

For the very end of the day, we went to the Production show - Divas and both comedy shows (adult). The first comedy show was at 9:00, Production show at 10:00 and then the last comedy show at 11:15. When I described the theater earlier, I mentioned about sitting on the sides and not being able to see the back part of the stage. You definitely miss part of the Divas show sitting there. WE were in the balcony on the far sides and couldn't see the props for this show. They did come out to the front of the stage so we didn't feel like we needed to see it again. This show has more current music than Motor City and DD liked it better. I thought it was good and the performers did a good job with it. We liked the comedy shows too.

 

This is what waited on us when we went back to the cabin:

 

[kml2000]

Moving on to Little Stirrup Cay day. We ordered room service breakfast this morning for delivery between 7:30 and 8:00. The knock on the door was at 7:15 and breakfast was delivered.

 

We went downstairs a little after 8:00 to Guest Services for tender boarding with FTTF. They did ask to see our sign and sail cards and then we (along with others that were there) were escorted directly to the tender. I think we were on the 2nd tender. If I have a regret on this cruise, this is where it would be. We didn't really scope out the island and just found some chairs and took up residence. We ended up being in the snorkel area and it got quite busy as the morning rolled on - we didn't snorkel, just there for the beach. I do wish we had walked around the island more and maybe find a better spot.

 

This is what our view was:

 

 

 

 

 

There are lots of hammocks:

 

 

[kml2000]

As you can see in the photos, it was very windy and became more and more overcast as the day went on. Around lunch time, we heard some thunder rumbles and we decided to head back to the ship early. DD was cool and we would rather have been on the ship if a thunderstorm came than on the island. Of course, it never rained ... :p

 

However, the good thing was I finally got to eat at the Mongolian Wok. The line there was always long and because they are cooking it fresh for you right there, it took time to move through the line. Luckily, because most people were on the Island, the line was short. I really enjoyed the Wok. I got Szechuan sauce which is a little spicy and my DD got the Thai BBQ. Both were good and I think I preferred hers but mine was good as well.

 

I would also like to say the tender to LSC is very easy. I remember being in Belize and we stepped from the side of the ship into a boat - no ramp. I find that to be a little scary. However, for these tenders, it was very easy with a ramp, etc.

 

 

Later in the afternoon I decided to get a slice of pizza and sit on the back deck to watch sail away. DD was napping so off I went. I really enjoyed the pizza. I got the one that was mushrooms and tomato and enjoyed it very much:

 

 

 

Lots and lots of pizza is served on this ship. I liked the pizza better than the hamburgers.

 

 

Of course, we went to dinner to end the evening......I mean, it is all about the food - right????

 

No pictures.....sorry....

 

For the starter, DD and I both ordered the Lobster Bisque. We had this on the Legend and really liked it. However, this was not the case on the Fascination. Mine was served lukewarm and was thick....almost like a gumbo type gravy. I didn't like it at all. They did bring me a shrimp cocktail to replace it and I enjoyed that very much. Others at our table got the fruit which looked very good and the Corn Chowder which they raved about.

 

I ordered Chateaubriand, not knowing what to expect and it was excellent. I could have cut that meat with a fork it was so tender. The potatoes served with it are also very good. Again, I can't remember what DD ordered.

 

For dessert, I got the souffle which is not typical of me. It was very good. DD got the warm chocolate melting cake which is her favorite. Others at the table got the Cappucino pie and really liked it.

 

To end the day, we went to Gameshow Mania, played Bingo (DD played) and stayed around for the Showcase of Stars. We had some very talented people in the Showcase of Stars. One gentleman did sign language to the Christian song - I can only Imagine and it brought tears to my eyes. We had two youngsters that were impressive and some adults that sang (and sang well). I know it wasn't a real "show" and is considered a cutback, but we enjoyed it.

 

I think we went to bed earlier than normal this night - no comedy shows.

 

Another good day on the Carnival Fascination.

[kml2000]

That's it for tonight.......I have laundry to fold and am just pooped....Hopefully I will finish tomorrow night.

[cruise_gal21]

Love reading your review so far! We're leaving on our first cruise in a few months on Fascination. Makes me even more excited about it to read good reviews about the ship :D

[ata1976]

Great review! Thanks!

[cuppettmd]

What A Great Review! I've sailed on the Fascination five times and have booked the Halloween cruise for this year. We are also going to Little Stirrup Cay and was glad to read your input. It seems that you enjoy the same things as we do on this ship. Next time, try Bogarts coffee shop. Their carrot cake and cheesecake are great with coffee while sitting in the windows day dreaming! Be Blessed! Mikey<><

[Ironmen]

Great review. Keep it coming, we will be on the Fascination in July!

[JP4GA]

Thanks for the detailed review. We sail in just a few days and are looking forward to it.

[kml2000]

What A Great Review! I've sailed on the Fascination five times and have booked the Halloween cruise for this year. We are also going to Little Stirrup Cay and was glad to read your input. It seems that you enjoy the same things as we do on this ship. Next time, try Bogarts coffee shop. Their carrot cake and cheesecake are great with coffee while sitting in the windows day dreaming! Be Blessed! Mikey<><

 

I had every intention of getting something at Bogarts, I just forgot about it. Hopefully we can sail again and I will get to try it.

 

Little Stirrup Cay is a pretty island. It has some shops (that take cash from what I overheard) and facilities. We never saw the lunch they served, but I did walk through when they had put the tags out and it looked like there would be a good variety. I recommend walking around the island. I told my DD I would like to have a cabana, however, they are not right on the beach and she may not have liked it as much as I would.