FlyingCruiserNJ's solo Ecstasy adventure - Miami May 12-16

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

So, here it is. The fourth and final full day of my Ecstasy cruise. This was the only sea day of this cruise, as we had just left Cozmel after midnight the evening before and would arrive back in Miami on Friday morning.

 

 

DAY FOUR: FUN DAY AT SEA

 

 

I had mentioned that some rather interesting and not-so-normal things happened on this day. Well, the day started out as your usual average sea day. I woke up again between 1000 and 1100, I cannot remember exactly. As most of you Carnival regulars know, this is also seaday brunch day. So, I got up and walked around some and headed into the main dining room for some brunch.

 

 

I got there around 1200 or so and it was not really crowded at all. I think they serve up to 1300 on sea days and it is seating first come, first serve. No real fancy dress code or anything. I sat down and was served the usual pre-meal pastries which were really good today for some reason. I ate all four of them, lol. The menu is not that deep but there are some things that are very good on it. Today I elected to get the steak and eggs, which is a 6-ounce filet, cooked however you like and eggs. I ordered my steak medium with fried eggs overeasy. Can't go wrong with this. You also get home fries with this and they aren't great but just OK. It is also garnished with some sort of stuffed tomato and I didn't touch mine. I enjoyed my lunch and ordered a Miami Vice to go with my meal. Gold and above cruisers get a free drink coupon delivered to their cabin, only redeemable at seaday brunch in the MDR. I highly suspect the mdr would be even emptier if they allowed people to redeem their coupons anywhere, anytime on sea days but whatever. One sitdown pre-lunch brunch is OK on each cruise. Here are pics of the above described brunch and Miami Vice:

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, after brunch I walked around some more. I checked out the pixels photo gallery, to trash the photos taken of me that I didn't want and was on my way. I thought about buying the embarkation picture but decided against it. I have a bunch from different cruises over the years, why do I need another one? They all look eerily the same at the end of the day. So, I go up to the mini golf course with a hot chocolate in hand and play a round while I wait for the line to get a little shorter at the Mongolian wok. Usually the wind is pretty bad either as a crosswind or a headwind when you are on the top deck on sea day but it wasn't bad today so I played a little. Afterwards, I went back down to lido and hung out in a comfy sofa chair to listen to some music and peoplewatch. They also did the usual ice carving and hairy chest competitions at this time in the main lido pool area. THIS is where things got quite interesting.

 

 

So, I noticed the clouds above us begin to rotate and move a radically different direction from what they had previously been moving. I noticed this but I figured we were just doing a slight course correction to get a shorter route to Miami or something...

 

 

Well, I was wrong. I went downstairs to get in line for the wok and after a few minutes, we see ship officers running out to the railing on lido to see what was going on. Very shortly after, the cruise director comes on the PA and announces that we have slowed the ship considerably due to small boat traffic directly ahead. I got out of line and went outside to check it out. It turns out we were only about 20 miles off the north coast of Cuba and what we saw was quite possibly a home-made raft with possible refugees onboard, trying to make it to the US. We pulled right alongside the raft and it was close enough for us to see what was inside.

 

Unfortunately, nothing and nobody was on it. It was just floating errantly around. I really hope that it was just a piece of another boat that had fallen off or something else and it wasn't refugees because if it was, sadly, the people on it didn't make it. It was determined by the crew that no rescue was going to be made here, so we circled back around, throttled it back up and got back on our way. The cruise director explained this whole process and a lot of people were understandably a little rattled by the experience. It's not everyday you see that. I know Carnival has had incidents recently with having to rescue refugees in the same area, so that is why this was of considerable significance. Some people were unaffected by everything and just wanted to hang out and drink and sit in the sun on lido though. The hairy chest competition sort of got interrupted also but I really don't think anyone was too upset as they knew what was going on and why. Here is a picture of the raft off the port side. It doesn't look too big in this pic but it was the small white square in the middle of the water.

 

 

 

 

So, after we are back on our way to Miami, things settle down, I get back in line for the wok just before it closes around 1445, and get my chicken, peas, corn and mei fun noodles with szechwan sauce. Same as always. It was very good today and I would have gotten a second round but the lido buffet was actually decent today so I went for that instead. I went to the aft lido bar and got myself a Twilight Zone drink, which is a frozen and tasty drink with I forget what in it as ingriedients. I had gotten one on a past cruise and it was good. Costs about $9 with tip. I got some fried chicken with mashed potatoes and roast beef along with corn on the cob and a roasted chicken quarter from the buffet and enjoyed my meal. The fried chicken is much improved in my opinion. It was actually decent, not Popeyes good but edible. A pic of this lunch combo:

 

 

 

 

So, after that I go and walk around some more. Not much to do at this point until dinner so I went to the cabin to get my swim trunks and went into the main lido pool. While I was in my cabin, watching daytime TV, local Miami news was breaking into programming to show coverage of the severe weather that went through the area that afternoon. It was awful apparently. Flooding, tornado spotted by MIA Tower, etc. That just means it would be an absolute mess when I got back to Miami and needed to figure out how to get home in the aftermath. Never a dull moment in one of my cruise adventures.

 

 

The lido pool was OK, mildly crowded but not overcrowded. I hung out there for a while and then went to the serenity area at the very back of the ship to hit the hot tub. After 1800 is almost always a great time to go there because most people are either at dinner or getting ready for dinner so it isn't too crowded. Here I sat in the tub and discussed the situation we saw earlier with a group of people from the Dallas area. We got to talking about movies, TV, etc and some other interesting subjects but come about 1930, we all went on our way as we all had late dinner and went back to our cabins to get ready.

 

 

So, I take the time between now and dinner to obviously get washed up and the like, but I tried to pack some so I didn't have to do it all later on at the end of the night. I did this and left just a few things out for tonight and tomorrow that I knew I would use. This is also the time you would put your debark tags on your bags and leave them outside your cabin to be picked up by midnight if you didn't do self assist debarkation. I of course, elected for self assist so I didn't have to worry about that extra stuff. I found my cabin steward, thanked him for his good service and gave him a nice tip before I left for dinner as it is always hectic on debark morning and I probably wouldn't see him then. Of course, I had to take the obligatory bathroom pic and post it here. There was quite a discussion on this subject a while back on CC and I am on the side of posting bathroom pictures is OK. So here it is, standard bathroom. Functional, nothing special.

 

 

 

 

So, we head to dinner and it is always somber at the last night in the MDR. Three of the previous four of us showed up tonight and we enjoyed our last dinners. I got spring rolls I believe, along with a roasted barbeque half chicken and a grilled salmon if I recall. Not bad at all. I also ordered wcmc for dessert and the Williams Pear was on the menu tonight. I had talked about this in the past in another review, but it is a pear cooked in red wine and is really good. Try it if you ever get the chance. Anyway, afterwards I tipped the bar service guy and thanked and gave the wait staff a nice little tip as a thanks. Notably, this evening they did not do the funship, your bags are packed goodbye routine. I have never experienced a cruise where they have not. Whatever. Not a biggie. I said goodbye to my tablemates and we all went on our own ways.

 

 

 

It is only about 2200, so I needed to find something to do before the comedy hour at 2300. I went back to the cabin to finish packing and filled out my customs declaration form. It is required for all passengers arriving back in the US. Since I didn't buy anything and was not bringing any agricultural products back into the country from abroad, it didn't take me too long to complete mine. So, that is done and I head back upstairs to get ready for the comedy show.

 

 

I got into the lounge which was actually pretty full tonight. I didn't think it would be, seeing that it was at the tail end of the cruise but it was. It was actually way more crowded than the comedy routines earlier in the cruise. I got myself a punchliner drink at the bar and just hung out somewhere on a couch and waited for the show to start. Ronnie Bullard and Jorge Solano both performed and were both funny on this evening. The shows wrapped up around 0000, and that was the end of the entertainment for this sailing. I stopped by the casino and had fun with about $5 worth of penny slots, which actually lasted me a good half hour or so. I figure I may as well play until I was out in case I did hit it big which of course I didn't. It was fun though.

 

 

So, I go upstairs to get on last soda and burger/hotdog/hot chocolate. The lido had pretty much cleared out by this point, but there were some people watching the end of some NBA playoff series on TNT on the tv next to the bar. So, of course it is raining by this point as we were making our way through that nasty cold front I mentioned earlier. This pic says it all about the last night of a cruise. Empty lido deck, raining, kinda somber ya know? The place that was a hoppin' the night before looked like this now.

 

 

 

 

So, I head back downstairs, off to sleep and set alarm for early Friday morning when we are to arrive back in Miami. Day 5: Debark day up next. Hope you all have enjoyed.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

The final day of a cruise of any length is always sad and not really a lot of fun. Here is my debark day experience.

 

DAY 5: DEBARK DAY

 

Well, I never really sleep well on the last night of a cruise because I know I have to wake up early in the morning to get home and that was especially the case this time because I was by myself and there was nobody in the cabin with me to wake me up if I overslept. So, I keep checking the cabin tv as I wake up every hour or so to check our progress to Miami. I have been on some cruises that arrive back in port by 0600. I was expecting us to be parked around daybreak. Well, not this time.

 

I finally woke up for good about 0715, as I figured we would usually be parked and ready to debark by now. Not today. I don't know if it was the incident with the raft the day before or the horrible weather we sailed through to get back but we didn't get to the terminal until 0750. This obviously would seriously slow down the debark process. This was a picture out my window of us coming back up the channel to the port.

 

 

 

We finally park, I shower, get dressed for the travel day ahead of me, check for any items I may have left in the cabin and head out around 0830. I really wasn't in any hurry as the earliest I could get a flight home would be 1330. So, I just sat up on lido with some breakfast and waited for the debark process to unfold. Debark began as soon as we were cleared by CBP, which was just before 0900. It did move rather quickly though. I was obviously in group 1 because I was both a platinum and was doing self assist but I didn't get off at this point. They closed the breakfast bar at 0930, so it was time to go outside to lido pool deck and chill there for a while. The old saying is you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. So right. I got off the ship around 1000, as they were calling the last few groups to debark at this point and I figured it was time.

 

I waited in line at customs for a little while, got cleared by the agent there, and headed outside to meet up with SAS Transportation for a ride back to KFLL. I called to tell them I was there and I had apparently just missed a van as they said they would be there in a half hour or so. I waited along with a group of older ladies who were also waiting for a ride and a half hour passed. No SAS. The area had cleared out by this point and people were checking in for the next cruise LOL. Porters were asking me if I was checking in or leaving for home haha. Never got that before. Finally the ladies got tired of waiting and took a guy from another company up on his offer of transit back to the airport in his company van. I stayed back, and finally got a ride back a little after 1100. The driver was friendly and gave me a humorous tour of South Florida on the way back to FLL. We probably got back between 1130 and 1200. I have to say SAS is ok, but given the option of them or All-Stars, which I had used in the past, I would probably go with All-Stars. Again, they weren't bad outside of the miscommunication we had and the long wait for a ride back.

 

So, I get to FLL, check in, go thru security and then wait to get a flight home. I end up taking a long journey that took me on an adventure including connections and weather delays but I did finally get home to a rainy PHL a little after 2200. I had to take a pic of my ride home, right? This was us flying northbound, across the Florida Peninsula.

 

 

So, that does it. I really hope you enjoyed reading and thank you all for your comments and kind words. I will post my thoughts and observations about the entire journey next for everyone to read.

Edited June 2, 2014 by FlyingCruiserNJ

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Here is the editorial section of my review. I always like to critique things like the ship, overall exprience, service, etc in a section separate from the rest of my review so here goes.

 

COMMENTS/OBSERVATIONS/GENERAL SHIP REVIEW

 

I would say this was a very good cruise, all things considered. But I will break it down into sections:

 

Embarkation staff and experience: I thought the embarkation experience was very good. It is Miami, headquarters, so it should be the best but I have had some bad experiences boarding Carnival. I am platinum, arrived early with no bags to check, and had all my paperwork ready to go so I got through the process quickly but it isn't always a given that it will go like that. The staff was friendly and efficient and the lounge I waited in prior to boarding being announced was comfortable and pleasant. It was odd that the cabins were not ready when we all boarded at 1200, but whatever. I can deal with carrying my stuff around with me for a few hours until everything is all set. The muster process is taken very seriously and takes quite a while on CCL, especially when everything has to be announced in two languages. It is a necessary thing though and they do make it as comfortable a thing as possible to get through.

 

Food: The food was pretty good, in general. It was the general usual Carnival food but it was good, plentiful, and of good quality. The only thing that needs major improvement is the lido dinner buffet. That is just awful and needs a lot of work. Now you can see why I rarely miss dinner at the main dining room when I cruise. Overall, though, the food did meet or exceed my expectations. Something for everyone, almost all the time.

 

Service: The service and the ship staff was excellent on this sailing. When you think of classic Carnival service, you think of smiling crew members who always address you by name and go out of their way to project a fun attitude and make your cruise special. The dining room staff and the cabin steward I had definitely were "old heads" and represented Carnival well. You can surely tell the difference as well, as I have had some bad staff that did not exhibit this attitude plenty of times if I go back a ways. I can't say too much about this in all honesty. Whatever I needed or wanted, I pretty much got within reason of course.

 

Entertainment: The entertainment was top-notch. The comedians were both very good and funny, the promenade deck musicians were good as always, the lido deck music and dj were good, and of course the Martina McBride concert was stellar. I didn't see any stage shows, as they have gotten really bad in recent years and didn't waste any time doing things like the hasbro show or love and marriage game. There is always some sort of good entertainment going on somewhere on the ship for everyone though, so it really is hard to say you are bored.

 

The ship: The ship was your typical fantasy class vessel with standard amenities. It was built and delivered in 1991 after all. It is from an era that doesn't exist anymore. Sure, there are bigger and better ships but there is still something about this range of ships that is special and enjoyable. For the price, it can't be beat. I recently read through a thread showing old Carnival ships from the 1980s and it is just incredible how far cruising has come in just the last 20 or 30 years. Enjoy these ships because once they and their character is gone, they will be gone forever. Kinda like an old airliner - enjoy the unique aspect of it because it won't be around forever and it will be missed when it is gone and it ain't ever coming back. The decor is outdated also but it adds to the character of the ship. It was always clean, well maintained and if you didn't know it was that old, you would never suspect it. I do like the cute little things they do, like the plastic palm trees in the pool area and the serenity deck.

 

Miscellaneous: Overall, not many complaints about this ship. I will say I went out of my way to avoid guest services and the gift shop because I have had enough bad experiences at both. I didn't interact with the photo staff or the shore excursions desk either on this sailing. I used the sign and sail kiosk to check on my billing info throughout the cruise and they are easy and convenient to use. On newer ships you can manage your billing on your cabin tv also, but not on an older ship like this. I also have to say the debarkation was good and organized, and this matters because I have experienced bad debarkation processes and that is what you remember going away, not the rest of the good stuff that happened to you on the cruise. This is very easy to overlook and for them to screw up but they handled it well on this cruise.

 

Itinerary: The itinerary was OK, as I had seen each of the ports of call before but this cruise was intended as a little escape more than an exotic vacation to someplace new and wonderful. It was fine, other than the short day we have in Key West that should really be longer.

 

Overall comments: This was a good cruise for me and reinforced my loyalty to Carnival. I have complained quite a bit about their recent cutbacks and the degradation of service but they really came through on this trip. You don't expect much when you pay so little for a cruise but I really got a lot of bang for my buck so to speak. It was also my first solo cruise and I was nervous going in but thanks to all the folks on CC who posted about their experiences and gave me an idea of what to do and expect. Score one for the coolness of CC!

 

So, final thoughts. This was a good trip for me but it will probably be my last small ship cruise for a while. It is time for me to go on a once-in-a-lifetime longer cruise on a newer, bigger ship. My next cruise will probably be on the Breeze, sometime in September. That ship does an awesome itinerary all through the southern Caribbean, and I can't wait. Again, recent reviews I have read here have tipped me to that ship rather than the NCL Getaway or Breakaway that I was thinking about trying out. Maybe next year for them. So, again, thank you all for reading and I hope you learned something about solo cruising or Carnival or the Ecstasy or Key West/Cozumel, etc that maybe you didn't know before and happy cruising all!

Edited June 2, 2014 by FlyingCruiserNJ

[lovermonkey]

Thank you!

 

We normally bring a battery powered alarm clock. Or we would be doing the same thing on the last day.

 

I will have to post when I get back our trip in Nov. I am hoping they allow us to take photos too. It would be nice.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Thank you!

 

We normally bring a battery powered alarm clock. Or we would be doing the same thing on the last day.

 

I will have to post when I get back our trip in Nov. I am hoping they allow us to take photos too. It would be nice.

 

I thought about a battery powered clock but I had my watch on the whole time I slept and set my phone alarm which is loud when it goes off so no need for an extra thing like that in my carryon bag. Thanks for reading and looking forward seeing a review from you later this year. I don't think they really have a problem with people taking photos on the ship as long as they don't invade other's privacy or include sensitive proprietary stuff about the ship and all that.

[Jamman54]

Enjoyed your review. I've only been on the Ecstasy once, back in 1991 when she was brand new, and would love to sail on her again. Thinking of making her a B2B with the Breeze next August. Cruising solo is a different but great experience. I've cruised solo three times myself. Again, thanks for sharing.

[GrummanTiger]

Just want to say thank you for doing a review! I thought it was great and informative. Will watch out for any more that you do. Thank you.

[kleibo]

Thanks for the review - just booked her for February - can't wait.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Just want to say thank you for doing a review! I thought it was great and informative. Will watch out for any more that you do. Thank you.

 

Thanks for reading and I hope you gained some knowledge of what to expect on that ship and in those ports from my review. I had fun as a solo for the first time in 8 years of cruising and had just as good a time reliving it all in a review. I'm going on the breeze in 12 days and I plan on doing a grand review of that beauty when I get back home so look for that sometime in mid October. I am so excited to go on that ship, it seems like a normal carnival cruise ship on steroids lol. Can't wait to see Curacao and Aruba also. Seen so much about these places and ready to experience it all for myself.

Edited September 16, 2014 by FlyingCruiserNJ

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Thanks for the review - just booked her for February - can't wait.

 

Thanks for reading! Have fun on your cruise in February.

[cruiseclues]

Nice photo review on the Ecstasy. :):):):)

[xrosario]

Thanks for taking the time to review. I'll be on this ship next month.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Thanks for taking the time to review. I'll be on this ship next month.

 

 

Thanks for reading and resurrecting this cruise adventure from last May! It is cold and icy here now and we have been in a deep freeze for the last two months so it's nice to think back of warmer days. It was my pleasure to write a review. It was my first time cruising solo and I have since done it again last December. It is a good ship. Not glitzy and modern like the newer ships but still a good time. Hope you got some ideas on what to do on your cruise from reading along and let us know how you enjoyed your cruise when you get back. Have fun!

Edited March 2, 2015 by FlyingCruiserNJ

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Nice photo review on the Ecstasy. :):):):)

 

Thanks for the kind words. I did enjoy this cruise for sure, wow I can't believe last May was almost a year ago already. Been on the ship twice and if the right itinerary and dates/price I would surely sail it again in the future. I take all these pics with my phone camera and although they aren't professional pics with a super-fancy camera, I actually think they usually turn out pretty good. They convey the mood of what I am photographing for sure.

[gigito2]

Thank you for your review.