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

[kml2000]

So, here we are....one last day and it is a sea day. I love sea days, just sailing and relaxing and reading my book (which I finished). We started this day somewhat early, around 8:30 or 9:00 and decided we would try out the Serenity area (we loved it on the Legend). Believe it or not, we got two chairs right next to each other. It is a nice area, but it was HOT on this day and there was very little breeze. We lasted until about noon and we were miserable. Truth be told, I was WAY MORE miserable than DD because I am not really a "lay out in the sun" kind of girl. I did a lot of it on this cruise because it was what DD wanted to do. I am in that stage where I am trying hard to do things with her before she truly has her "own life" (which she already does and I am in a state of denial - LOL).

 

The serenity area on the Fascination is somewhat small, but those chairs are just very nice and I love the yellow towels. Here are some pictures:

 

 

 

 

[bonnys]

At this point, we headed to the Lido deck and got lunch. SORRY....no pictures. We both decided on hamburgers for the first day, as did a lot of other people. I like the salsa they have on the bar and also got the chips with salsa. I am not as fond of the chips, but because I like salsa so much, I put up with them. The best way I can characterize these chips is they are like fried flour tortillas. I may be wrong, just my impression. Later in the week, I tried the chili they also have with the burger/hot dog toppings and found it to be pretty good. The chili was like actual chili and not just hot dog chili (IOW, it had beans in it and was not as thick as a hot dog chili). I snacked on some "nachos" mid afternoon one day with this chili and the other toppings (salsa, sour cream, melted cheese - obviously nothing healthy).

 

After lunch we took off exploring. We found our favorite place to dine when we ate in the buffet. If you go to the inside buffet and walk all the way to the back you find the pizza place and the deli (I really like the deli). On either side are some doors and there is an outside, covered dining area. This, to me, was one of the nicest areas to sit and eat. Also, there were tables and chairs on the side decks. This area looks out AFT and over the Serenity area. Here are some pictures:

 

 

 

This space is one of the main reasons DH and I love the Fantasy class ships. Our favorite spot to eat on any cruise ship.

[kml2000]

After we went in and cooled off, we were hungry (of course) and ate our first Lunch in the Dining Room. For those that will be past guests, you will get a free drink coupon that is good only in the Main Dining Room at lunch or breakfast. On Friday (the last sea day), they had someone standing outside the dining room asking if you just wanted the free drink or if you wanted to eat. They opened the piano bar for those that just wanted to use the coupon.

 

I enjoyed lunch in the dining room and ordered the fish and chips. I was impressed with the fish, not so much with the "chips" which were luke warm steak fries. The cole slaw was good that came with it. DD got the spinach and ricotta ravioli with the mushroom cream sauce. She had the pasta with this cream sauce for dinner one night an knew it was good. She enjoyed the ravioli.

 

I had a yummy desert - Cinnamon Bread Pudding Chantilly. It was just so good, not overly cinnamon-y, just right. DD got the German Chocolate Cake and said it was good.

 

It was a nice lunch on the last sea day. We did the Game of Love show with Paul this afternoon and it was funny and then DD played Bingo - AGAIN. You get a Bingo card and what is called a "pull tab" card. You pull the tabs on the card and hope you see three symbols matching each other. DD got a dollar on a couple of these. A lady that sat next to us on this last day won $1000 on the pull tab !!!!!

 

After all this, we walked around a bit and went back to get ready for dinner. I got to "Gold" on this cruise and went to the Past Guest Party. It was pretty crowded and a fun time. They were walking around with those fun ship specials, which I don't like. I sat next to some ladies that had a glass of wine so I asked for and got one. I guess you can order something else, not sure if it is limited to certain things or not. They also had a couple of appetizers which were good. The waiters were having a hard time getting to everyone with these.

 

 

 

 

For some reason, nothing on the menu looked overly exciting. I ordered the crab cake and a shrimp cocktail for the starter and both were very good. DD got the "Study in Sushi" and it was very small. She did say it was good, one of them was spicy. For the entree, I got the penne mariscos which is pasta with seafood in it. I really just wanted the seafood and picked out the calamari (and there were lots of it). This dish was okay - not my favorite. DD got the Salmon again and said it was good. DD ended the cruise with the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake and I ordered the banana split from the kid's menu. Both were good.

 

There was dancing in the dining room for the last night and someone got engaged!!!! Overall it was a nice final dining experience.

 

 

[kml2000]

After dinner, we were off to pack :( and get our suitcases outside. Here is another plug for FTTF - we had luggage tags with #1 !!!!! There were instructions on where to go and wait, etc. We really enjoyed the perks of FTTF and wouldn't hesitate to purchase it again.

 

We went to the final comedy show and then hit the sack to be ready for debarkation.

 

We got up around 7:00 on Saturday, got ready, said goodbye to our cabin steward and headed to the MDR for breakfast. This is a "must do" for me on debarkation day. For me, it is like the finish to our cruise. This time I just ordered fruit and a cheese omelet and had a croissant. The omelet was very good and fresh. We got to talking to some people at the next table and had an enjoyable time.

 

After breakfast, we went to the 2nd floor of the theater which was the designated waiting place for FTTF, Platinum and Diamond. This is just a great perk. They did have someone from the entertainment staff turning around people that were not FTTF, Platinum, Diamond. Once the self assist were done, they started debarking us. They had a staff member in the elevator so that it would only run from our floor down and then back up for the next group. They had two elevators running, one on each side. This was VERY nice. We breezed right out into the port, found our luggage, and a porter took it to our car. I tipped him well and we were on the road about 9:30am.

 

We had a GREAT cruise. There were things I forgot to do (Bogarts) but that just gives me another reason to go back. I said it earlier and I will say it again - cruising is what you make of it. Don't sweat the small things (I believe there is a book about this :p) and enjoy the experience.

 

That was our cruise. I have a few things to post that I forgot and will give a little summary after that.

[kml2000]

This is VERY VERY important, to the ladies. The sole plug in the cabin is really not in a good place to plug in a hair dryer. It was located right above the desk area and didn't leave room for the square plug in. LUCKILY I brought one of those three plug adapters and we were able to get it plugged in - just barely. If we couldn't have plugged the hair dryer in...well.....that just would NOT have been good.

 

Here is a picture that demonstrates what I am talking about.

 

[kml2000]

We did drop in the piano bar one night and just couldn't get into it. There weren't many people in there and I stayed for about 30 minutes. I really want to like this venue, but I couldn't get into it. It is a neat little room:

 

 

 

[kml2000]

Well folks.....that's it, our cruise in a nutshell.

 

We really enjoyed the cruise and the Fascination is a great ship. Being smaller and older, it did seem "dated" but not "worn". I hope that made sense. It is not "modern" like the newer ships but it is a fine vessel. I did notice some differences in this cruise over my last one. Of course, the last one was 7 nights and this one was only 5, that could be part of it. I guess it is now time for to talk about the things that bugged me. I don't blame Carnival for any of these, for me it is just a change in society. These were my top "pet peeves":

 

1) Do men no longer take their hats off when dining in a restaurant? I was brought up that men would take their hats off, especially ball caps (facing forward and backward). My dad wears a hat (not a ball cap, a hat) whenever he goes off. He ALWAYS takes it off for dinner. This is obviously just a pet peeve of mine and it in no way ruined the cruise for me.

 

2) If you are going to get your breakfast plate and take it to somewhere else on the ship that is not a dining area, at least take it back to a dining area so it will be cleaned up. I went up to the deck with the mini golf and the running track for arrival in Nassau. There are no dining tables up there and it is really ok that you want to take your plate up there. However, WHY WHY WHY do you have to leave it like this (btw - this didn't ruin our cruise either):

 

 

 

Sorry - I just had to share my pet peeves......I know....they are small......I just didn't want to seem like the person who didn't have anything that bothered me LOL...

[kml2000]

FINALLY.......my "do not miss" moment(s). I am fascinated by how these ships can be turned completely around. It is almost like they can spin these ships. I can't even do a good U Turn......it is just absolutely amazing. Make sure you are on deck for sail away or the arrival into Nassau. Both times, I was on one of the upper decks and watched as the ship just turned completely around, it is absolutely amazing.

 

To all of you that have thanked me and will be sailing soon - You are welcome! I have learned so much from this board and I just wanted to contribute. I am jealous of you, I would go back on this very same cruise in a heart beat. Unfortunately, it will probably be a couple of years for me.....we came back to a "surprise" financial issue with college and a vacation may be two years out for us. Maybe we can do something last minute next year too....

[kml2000]

OH......one more thing. My favorite sign was in Nassau and it was a flag on a light pole:

 

 

It says:

 

"We don't serve energy drinks. You did come here to relax, didn't you?"

 

LOVE LOVE LOVE :D:D:D

[deedle7544]

LOve your review!

 

Agree with your peeves - especially the hat

 

Hope things turn around quickly for you!

[familycruizin2013]

Thank you for your review. Sounds like you and your daughter had a great time.

[bonnys]

Thanks for the review. It was nice to relive my cruise on the Fascination while reading about yours.

[bobsfamily]

Very NICE review... will be on her the end of May (2013) and are really ready to be away and on a cruise. Agree with the "complaints" and yes it is a generational thing with the hats, just rude with the plates. I've been known to put my elbows on the table but growing up that would be a "no dinner tonight" mistake.

One quick question, we have a cabana at LSC and others have stated it is a separate area that you had to have a wristband to get into. Did you see anything like this? Thanks in advance!

[Seago2]

LOL@ the breakfast plates!! Are you kidding me? OMG......:eek:

 

I work in the court system. Going in the courtroom everyone is told to take off their hats. Believe me, 99% of the time you wish they kept the hat on. Filthy, stringy "hat head"- that's just the beginning.

 

Lol @ the plates, smh.

[kml2000]

The cabanas are in a separate little area. I didn't notice wristbands but didn't look either. From what I could tell, the cabanas have a pretty view but a walk to the actual beach area. It's not a long walk, just right outside the entrance. I would have enjoyed the cabana.

[shawndaddy]

Thanks for the great review. We are leaving for my first cruise on this ship June 15.

[triplegriff]

Thank you so much for taking the time to post this! I haven't been able to find very many in-depth reviews for the Fascination, and your photos are wonderful. We sail in November and I look at this thread daily! :D

[marshhawk]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write the review, and show pictures! We have done the Fascination two times, going on her again in October. It was nice to finally see some pics of Little Stirrup Cay. YOu didn't mention it, so I guess you did not attend tea.

What time was the Welcome Aboard Party? This is not our first cruise, but we are taking newbies, and think they would enjoy it.

They are also theatre people, were the shows an improvement over what has been shown on the cruise lines? When I say theatre people, one is a reviewer, and the other worked for a theatre in Atlanta for a long time-I am hoping they will be impressed.

[Tradman]

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

 

Wow! So many other great ports between here and California. What brings you to Jax for a cruise? Interested in hearing your story!

 

To the OP- Great Review! Thanks!

[ch27088]

Subscribed...great job on the review.

[JP4GA]

Once again thank you for the review. I can hardly wait to board in 2 weeks.

[ch27088]

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:

 

 

 

I know it has been several years since we last cruised, but I thought I saw a sign that says "do not drink" the tap water. I have never been a tap water drinker and will always drink bottled water. Living in New York City, if they worked on the street, your tap water would turn brown (yuck), along with the bath water, and the toilet water. Needless to say I refuse to drink tap water for any reason!

[ch27088]

This is VERY VERY important, to the ladies. The sole plug in the cabin is really not in a good place to plug in a hair dryer. It was located right above the desk area and didn't leave room for the square plug in. LUCKILY I brought one of those three plug adapters and we were able to get it plugged in - just barely. If we couldn't have plugged the hair dryer in...well.....that just would NOT have been good.

 

Here is a picture that demonstrates what I am talking about.

 

 

On several posts people have mentioned that their power strips were confiscated by Carnival due to fire hazard. I went to Target the other day and saw the plugs that you have and decided that it was better to get that. Now days we have hair dryers, cell phones, and IPads that need to be charged, so it is well worth it.

[ch27088]

Well folks.....that's it, our cruise in a nutshell.

 

We really enjoyed the cruise and the Fascination is a great ship. Being smaller and older, it did seem "dated" but not "worn". I hope that made sense. It is not "modern" like the newer ships but it is a fine vessel. I did notice some differences in this cruise over my last one. Of course, the last one was 7 nights and this one was only 5, that could be part of it. I guess it is now time for to talk about the things that bugged me. I don't blame Carnival for any of these, for me it is just a change in society. These were my top "pet peeves":

 

1) Do men no longer take their hats off when dining in a restaurant? I was brought up that men would take their hats off, especially ball caps (facing forward and backward). My dad wears a hat (not a ball cap, a hat) whenever he goes off. He ALWAYS takes it off for dinner. This is obviously just a pet peeve of mine and it in no way ruined the cruise for me.

 

2) If you are going to get your breakfast plate and take it to somewhere else on the ship that is not a dining area, at least take it back to a dining area so it will be cleaned up. I went up to the deck with the mini golf and the running track for arrival in Nassau. There are no dining tables up there and it is really ok that you want to take your plate up there. However, WHY WHY WHY do you have to leave it like this (btw - this didn't ruin our cruise either):

 

 

 

Sorry - I just had to share my pet peeves......I know....they are small......I just didn't want to seem like the person who didn't have anything that bothered me LOL...

 

 

I am soooo glad you pointed this out. As you, I was raised that men take off hats when you enter into a building (I was in the Air Force), but now days it is totally different. People (guys) will wear hats into the dining room and not even think twice about taking it off, but it's how they are raised. If parents taught their kids at an early age that men take off their hats when they enter a building (dining room or church), then there wouldn't be the problem that we are having now. It's sad, but thank goodness it didn't ruin your trip.

[kml2000]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write the review, and show pictures! We have done the Fascination two times, going on her again in October. It was nice to finally see some pics of Little Stirrup Cay. YOu didn't mention it, so I guess you did not attend tea.

 

What time was the Welcome Aboard Party? This is not our first cruise, but we are taking newbies, and think they would enjoy it.

 

They are also theatre people, were the shows an improvement over what has been shown on the cruise lines? When I say theatre people, one is a reviewer, and the other worked for a theatre in Atlanta for a long time-I am hoping they will be impressed.

 

 

The Welcome Aboard show was at 10:00pm on the first night. It rolled right into the Motor City production show.

 

I don't really see these shows as being an improvement. It they are theater people, they may not be overly impressed. I would say you would see these shows in smaller community theaters. The show was more music than production. For the Divas show, I couldn't see most of the "set" because we were seated on the side of the stage. We enjoyed the shows, but didn't go back to see them on a repeat.