Simply Fantastic – Fascination Review 2/8/14 with pictures

[APDMOM]

After lunch we went back to the cabin to unpack right quick before muster. They called for muster about 3:30 and we went to the dance club where our muster station was. They showed us the usual about how to put on your life jacket and so on and then escorted everyone outside to show them where their lifeboat actually was. It was painless.

 

As soon as muster was over we started pushing away from the dock and were sailing away!

 

I know we were in Florida, but it was freezing cold on the decks. It was a cloudy day and very windy! We toughed it out for a while but then had to go inside. We went back out when it was time to go under the bridge and it was amazing. I couldn't believe how close the top of the ship was the the underside of the bridge. We had cruised out of Tampa before and went under the bridge over there and to me it just wasn't near as close as this one was. Back inside we went for a while to warm up and drink some hot chocolate.

 

After a little while we ventured back outside because someone from here on CC was going to get some sail away pictures of us from the beach in Mayport. She does this when she has a chance and posts the pics on the roll calls. We told her right where we were and she did a close up (as much as she could) of us. We are the 4 there near the aft of the ship up on the lido deck – see us? Thanks so much for doing this APDMOM!

 

 

 

I'm so glad this review got bumped :) I missed it the first time around, because I was nailed to the RC boards before our Indy cruise.

 

As always, it was a lot of fun taking the pictures - even in the cold...

[APDMOM]

Thanks for your review! I live in Jacksonville and have always cruise out of Pt Canaveral or Miami. After reading your review I may have to give the Facination a try! :)

 

I can recommend it too. We finally went on Fascination 2 summers ago, even though we had been living here for years. It is a great ship! It is especially great to be a stone's throw from the port! :D

[javamom]

After lunch we went back to the cabin to unpack right quick before muster. They called for muster about 3:30 and we went to the dance club where our muster station was. They showed us the usual about how to put on your life jacket and so on and then escorted everyone outside to show them where their lifeboat actually was. It was painless.

 

As soon as muster was over we started pushing away from the dock and were sailing away!

 

I know we were in Florida, but it was freezing cold on the decks. It was a cloudy day and very windy! We toughed it out for a while but then had to go inside. We went back out when it was time to go under the bridge and it was amazing. I couldn't believe how close the top of the ship was the the underside of the bridge. We had cruised out of Tampa before and went under the bridge over there and to me it just wasn't near as close as this one was. Back inside we went for a while to warm up and drink some hot chocolate.

 

After a little while we ventured back outside because someone from here on CC was going to get some sail away pictures of us from the beach in Mayport. She does this when she has a chance and posts the pics on the roll calls. We told her right where we were and she did a close up (as much as she could) of us. We are the 4 there near the aft of the ship up on the lido deck – see us? Thanks so much for doing this APDMOM!

 

 

Wow! The best shot I've seen her get yet. Thanks APDMOM!

[marshhawk]

So, I spent my afternoon at work (er um) reading your review, and thinking about my upcoming cruise. Which I need. Really.

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to do it. This will be my fourth Fascination cruise, and I am really looking forward to it. HMC and Nassau. Scary about your listing....

 

We have done The Fascination during tropical storm Sean, 20 foot waves, everyone (well not us) seasick. We have sailed her down to Key West, when the only thing the stores were selling were sweat shirts, and the temps in Nassau were in the upper 60's. But our cruise on her to HMC was a day of pure paradise.

 

Thank you so much for your review.

[GeorgiaMomof4]

Marshhawk -

 

Thank you so much for reading. It was fun for me to go back and read some of it - brought back great memories.

 

This was a really fun trip for us since it was our first without children.

 

We loved the Fascination. We are booked on the Paradise for this February (another cruise without kids) - do you see a pattern here? I'm only hoping we love it as much as the Fascination.

 

Yes, the listing was kind of scary - I thought it was weird that they really didn't say a whole lot more about it even though it did so much damage in the gift shop and all.

 

I see that we live really close to each other - I live in Dalton!

 

Hope you have a wonderful trip - wish ours was coming up sooner!

[muffin]

I found my way here via another thread which mentioned this review. It is very worthwhile and fun just wanted to get it. To the front of the line for any who missed it the first time around. Thx for doing it!

[GeorgiaMomof4]

I found my way here via another thread which mentioned this review. It is very worthwhile and fun just wanted to get it. To the front of the line for any who missed it the first time around. Thx for doing it!

 

 

 

 

Muffin -

 

Thanks for reading and bringing it back to the front. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

 

We are heading on the Sunshine on Sunday. I'll be recuperating from surgery so hopefully I'll have time to do a review on it when we return.

[CPAYNE1997]

Thank you so much for the awesome review. My hubby and I will be sailing without the kids on the Fascination in 13 days! Like you we booked this cruise with only a couple weeks to plan. I did have one question how did you text your children from the ship? We have iphones and were not not sure if we could just purchase wifi minutes and use imessage. Any tips on that would be great. :)

[GeorgiaMomof4]

Thank you so much for the awesome review. My hubby and I will be sailing without the kids on the Fascination in 13 days! Like you we booked this cruise with only a couple weeks to plan. I did have one question how did you text your children from the ship? We have iphones and were not not sure if we could just purchase wifi minutes and use imessage. Any tips on that would be great. :)

 

First of all - thanks for reading. It's great to see a review that you've written come back to the top of the threads after so long.

 

Secondly, I'm jealous! I wish we were sailing the Fascination again - I wouldn't even mind the same ports.

 

As for your texting question, I would say it would depend on your cell phone carrier - AT & T, Verizon, whoever. Definitely call them or stop by and specifically tell them you are going on a CRUISE and the ports you will be going to. They should be able to tell you exactly what you can do - buy a specific plan, just pay per use or whatever. Be sure and ask if you have to be in port to use the plans or if you can text from the ship. Sometimes if you are on the ship it's "sea rates" and may be different and much more expensive.

 

Hope you can find out what you need to know and hope you have a great time! We have 34 more days until our Paradise cruise (once again without kids).