Which ship off fantasy class is good and which ones are bad

[ccleveland]

Oh and the elation is way out of my drive. I will be coming from north part of GA so I'm looking at the Jacksonville or Tampa maybe. Still questionable about the Charleston

[jbhcw]

Wow great info guys!! So if you had to choose between fantasy, fascination, or sensation then which one would you choose?

 

I am worried a little with the ship being smaller and feeling it rock back and forth a lot more than the bigger ships the entire cruise. The creaking or noises actually sounds kind of cool lol

 

We won't do anything less than 5 days and the Sensation only does 3 and 4 days...Jacksonville is the easiest port to embark and debark from....really easy peasy....Charleston is closer to us but a little more of a procedure....I think the Fascination would be a good choice...but the Fantasy is a great ship too....We do not like Freeport at all...so avoided those...Nassau, Key West, Half Moon Cay..and Little Stirrup Cay are okay choices for a Bahamas cruise...we have been to Little Stirrup Cay when it was called Coco Cay..about 15 years ago so looking forward to going back...Half Moon Cay is wonderful if you haven't been...but it may be a little cool for swimming...

[Tapi]

Wow great info guys!! So if you had to choose between fantasy, fascination, or sensation then which one would you choose?

 

 

I have sailed on Sensation and Fascination, and toured Fantasy. Among the three, I'd place Fascination first, Fantasy second, and Sensation dead last.

 

Fascination has all the Evolutions of Fun updates, and she sails from one of the easiest ports of embarkation, Jacksonville. Decor wise, she's a bit "easier on the eyes" and not as over the top as others.

 

Fantasy is nice, but IMHO showing her age too much and a bit disjointed. She has partial Evolutions of Fun upgrades, and some areas of the ship were redone while others weren't. But sailing from historic Charleston makes up for her drawbacks.

 

Where do I start with the Sensation? To begin, she's an ugly and tacky looking ship. Lots of purple, purple and more purple. Her short, cheap itineraries, specially the weekend cruise, attracts a different breed of cruiser (and I don't mean this as a compliment). Also, when we sailed on her, the crew didn't seem capable to keep up with the misbehaved and rowdy passengers. There was trash everywhere, glasses and plates piling up by the elevator, and even puke crusted on the carpet. We also witnessed a racially motivated fist fight on this cruise. Now, I know that a fight could happen on any ship, but the chances increase on itineraries like the Sensation's.

 

 

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[jesscruiser]

I have fond memories of the Paradise as it was my ship for my first two cruises. It was also non smoking back then.

 

However, my least favorite cruises were on the Holiday and the Elation. I just won a free cruise and I won't even consider sailing on a fantasy class ship, even for free.

 

 

A www I was just about to say I loved the elation[emoji4]

 

 

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[justusfour2014]

I believe the step below the big ships are the fantasy class ships right??

 

Which one should I avoid for a January 2015 cruise and why?

 

We sailed our first cruise last March on the Fascination. HMC was cancelled due to weather but bc this ship had 2.0 uogrades, there was a lot to do. It was clean, friendly and a great ship! I'd book it again if it sailed somewhere other than the Bahamas.

 

This past October we were fortunate to take our second cruise in one year and sailed on the Elation right after dry dock. I was so excited to cruise again, so we took the grandparents too! I was disappointed with the Elation. It was very outdated, the crew were exhausted and it just didn't measure up to the Fascination - IMHO. While we made unforgettable memories in Cozumel, we all decided Elation is not a ship we'd book again.

 

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[misslucy01]

We have been on 9 cruises since 2011 with 6 of them being on the Fantasy out of Charleston and 1 on Fascination out of Jacksonville. Remaining 2 on larger Carnival ships Valor and Freedom. We LOVE Fantasy and the Charleston port. We do a park and cruise package at Hampton Inn and Suites in North Charleston on Fernwood Dr. HIGHLY recommend. Immaculate hotel, yummy breakfast and the Hamilton family that shuttles to the ship are first rate. They take all the stress and worry out of the embarkation process. We always have arrived at the port very early and one time were the first couple on the ship. When you arrive back in Charleston, the Hamiltons are waiting to transport you back to ship. My opinion......best port and ship of all!!!

 

 

Misslucy01

[ja_martin]

If you've been on the dream class...you most likely will not like fantasy class....I won't sail fantasy class.

 

 

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I have been on both classes of ships; and, while I love the bigger ships, I love the Fantasy class more than the Dream class. I love the wings off of the back of the Fantasy class Lido deck. It is a great place for morning coffee, sunrises and sunsets.

[ccruisequeen]

I've been on the Paradise, imagination and inspiration. I love the layout of the Fantasy class ships

 

 

I still cruise for warm chocolate melting cake (with two sugar free vanilla ice creams)

[jpfarmer]

IMHO I prefer fascination , then fantasy. First cruise on carnival was dream and was "nice". Loved fascination . Easy on and off, fantastic crew and very attentive service. Fantasy is convenient and well crewed. Primary captain actually owns home/resides in CHS. Ports kinda suck(how many times can you go to Nassau and Freeport ) but they are adding Dominican Republic in oct. ( already booked). In short love it. Sailed on liberty nov. and was sorely disappointed with service in MDR but otherwise was ok. Guys burger was good, but after three days who cares. ITS A HAMBURGER after all no matter how good they are (and they are really yummy).

[ccleveland]

Wow.... ok so i wrote down all of this and if anyone else thinks differently let me know.

 

- fascination seems better than then fantasy and with the fascination being in jacksonville then that makes it better since there are mixed reviews about charleston.

 

- the bahamas cruises are "ok" but for janaury and feb weather then I'm better off doing the caribbean cruises.

 

- the elation is bad

 

I just saw that the new orleans port is only 7 hour and 30 mins from me. Any good reviews about that port and the ships?? Im about to check it out. Hopefully its decent. I need to decide on a cruise no more than 6 days and it needs ti be cheap by tomorrow or saturday before i get a crappy room. Has anyone done it where carnival picked the room? My carnival adviser told me she could put in the notes i prefer a midship cabin... hoping that works.

[gregg204]

We love sailing out of New Orleans. The trip down the Mississippi, although mostly at night, is worth doing at least once. The port itself is very organized and easy to deal with. As for the ships, absolutely love the Dream and would sail on the Elation again in a heartbeat if we preferred a shorter cruise.

[Podna's]

New Orleans is our favorite city to cruise out of. The Elation is definitely not a "bad" ship and looking back at the post here most agree with me. Only saw a couple the didn't care for the her. The Elation and the Dream are apples and oranges but if I were to book a 4 or 5 day cruise I'd sail on the Elation again without even giving it a second thought.

[cruzn buckeye]

Wow.... ok so i wrote down all of this and if anyone else thinks differently let me know.

 

I just saw that the new orleans port is only 7 hour and 30 mins from me. Any good reviews about that port and the ships?? Im about to check it out. Hopefully its decent. I need to decide on a cruise no more than 6 days and it needs ti be cheap by tomorrow or saturday before i get a crappy room. Has anyone done it where carnival picked the room? My carnival adviser told me she could put in the notes i prefer a midship cabin... hoping that works.

Fantasy was my first cruise and then again in 2009. Loved the ship and crew both times. The only Fantasy class that I have not been on is Elation and Paradise. I am thinking of doing Paradise next year for a short cruise. I like the Conquest class too, as most of them have the adult only aft pool which is a big plus.

As far as your carnival adviser, putting in the notes will not make a difference. I don't know why you were told that. The department that assigns guarantees is separate from your advisor. Doesn't hurt to try, but I would say that if you get a midship cabin, it just happened that way. On the Fantasy class ships, I prefer Empress Deck, deck 7. This is where the main atrium is. You can walk right out of your cabin, down the hall, and there are. I like to book closest to the atrium as I can. On the larger ships, I prefer way aft as I like to get omelolets in the am there. Can pop out of my cabin, hit the stairs or elevator, and go to lido deck. Also a great place for the hot tubs in the morning (the only time i use them) and a morning walk up on lido. Or I like to go up high in the lido deck cabins.

[Yvonne]

We loved our Fantasy cruise a few years ago, one of our favorite cruises.

 

We'll be on the Paradise in February too.

 

As for sailing out of New Orleans, we did that on the Conquest in January 2013 and loved that too. We had an aft stateroom and loved, loved, loved that balcony! The ship cruised down the river several hours before getting out to sea so it was wonderful being able to see so much from our aft balcony. I spent quite a bit of time out there, reading on my lounger (asked stateroom attendant for it) and being mesmerized by the wake of the ship. Loved having room service breakfast and coffee out there every morning too.

 

We came into New Orleans 3 days before the cruise so we could enjoy some sightseeing there. Stayed at the Le Richlieu hotel, in the Paul McCartney suite. There's lots we didn't get to do, so hope to go there again and possibly take another cruise. Very easy to get to the port, and parked right there although there are other parking options too. Lots of great restaurants and music in New Orleans. :)

[mpcaruth]

I think the Fantasy class ships offer a great economy cruise. You get most of what Carnival has to offer, but at a reduced price. They are also the ships that offer the shorter 3-5 day cruises.

 

We have sailed on the Sensation and the Fascination and enjoyed them both. Are they our favorites? No. We sailed these two as an "extra" vacation for the year and wanted to keep costs to a minimum. These ships are great for first time cruisers who are not spoiled by the bells and whistles of the bigger ships.

 

You can read my detailed picture review of our family cruise on the Fascination in June: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2066091

[linbobky]

I have been on both classes of ships; and, while I love the bigger ships, I love the Fantasy class more than the Dream class. I love the wings off of the back of the Fantasy class Lido deck. It is a great place for morning coffee, sunrises and sunsets.

 

also like the fantasy class lido deck.:) we have been on the dream twice and like it. but, I also like the elation. will be on her feb. 2nd.:)

[mpcaruth]

Wow.... ok so i wrote down all of this and if anyone else thinks differently let me know.

 

- fascination seems better than then fantasy and with the fascination being in jacksonville then that makes it better since there are mixed reviews about charleston.

 

- the bahamas cruises are "ok" but for janaury and feb weather then I'm better off doing the caribbean cruises.

 

- the elation is bad

 

I just saw that the new orleans port is only 7 hour and 30 mins from me. Any good reviews about that port and the ships?? Im about to check it out. Hopefully its decent. I need to decide on a cruise no more than 6 days and it needs ti be cheap by tomorrow or saturday before i get a crappy room. Has anyone done it where carnival picked the room? My carnival adviser told me she could put in the notes i prefer a midship cabin... hoping that works.

 

 

If I were looking to book a 5 day cruise for this coming January or February, I would choose the itinerary first: Western Caribbean over Bahamas. We have sailed both in January numerous times, and Cozumel is typically much warmer than Nassau.

 

Next I would look at close ports offering 5-day Western cruises. That leaves Tampa or New Orleans both offering cruises to Cozumel and Grand Cayman (Tampa) or Cozumel and Progresso (NOLA).

 

Do you have a preference over Grand Cayman or Progresso? We have never been to Progresso, so I would choose the New Orleans cruise.

 

I have sailed out of both Tampa and New Orleans, and NOLA wins for ports!!!! Great pre-cruise destination: we took our family on a Riverboat ride on the Creole Queen. We loved sailing down the muddy Mississippi. Here is a picture from the NCL Jewel last January on the Mississippi:

 

 

Finally I would check the reviews on the two ships: Paradise and Elation. They are both smaller older ships and reviews will always be mixed. We cruise for the ports, and not the necessarily the ships. We have never had a bad cruise. I would not give up my first choice of cruise ports because the decor, worn carpet, or pizza is bad on one ship. Cruise staff and management are shifted around on the ships so frequently.

 

Whatever you choose, ENJOY YOUR CRUISE!

[wnc]

We have cruised on the Fantasy out of Canaveral and at least five times out of Charleston. We love the Fantasy and cruising out of Charleston is great. I can't understand why so many folks have a problem with the Charleston port. Follow the signs and you can't go wrong. We are platinum with Carnival and also like the other class ships, especially the Breeze. We have also enjoyed RCL cruises on their small and big ships. Maybe DW and I are too easy to please because we have never had a "bad" cruise experience. Remember the old cliche, "the worst day on a cruise is better then the best day at work!!!".

[ccleveland]

I definitely want to the caribbean over the bahamas just because the weather will be better and also the sea will not be as ruff correct? i was wanting midship and the lower deck on the ship so i wouldn't feel as much movement

 

I have been to cayman islands, cormel, Jamaica, etc in the western caribbean cruises but I'm just wanting to take a short 5 day cruise.

 

Since i recently discovered the new orleans port is just over 7 hours for me I'm considering the elation but she was built in 1998 and seems old on the youtube videos.

[YearlyCruiser]

I personally prefer the Fantasy class ships over the larger ships.

 

 

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[ccleveland]

why do you prefer the fantasy over the bigger ship?

 

By the way, I have to change my cruise till feb now because of my work. Im hoping that I can find a good one. Im still stuck between tampa, jacksonvolle, or even new Orleans. The Bahamas cruises are cheap (fasincation) but im wondering if I should do the paradise on a caribbean

[Tapi]

I'm considering the elation but she was built in 1998 and seems old on the youtube videos.

 

 

The Elation is one of the "newest" Fantasy class ships. Fantasy is the oldest.

 

 

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[mpcaruth]

why do you prefer the fantasy over the bigger ship?

 

By the way, I have to change my cruise till feb now because of my work. Im hoping that I can find a good one. Im still stuck between tampa, jacksonvolle, or even new Orleans. The Bahamas cruises are cheap (fasincation) but im wondering if I should do the paradise on a caribbean

 

Since you are now cruising in February, have you thought about The Explorer of the Seas out of Port Canaveral? This is a really nice ship and so much more to offer than the Fantasy Class ships. I have been on the Explorer and really enjoyed it (especially the ice skating show). It is a little more expensive, but you would get a nicer ship, close port, and the 5-day hits both Nassau and Cozumel.

[ccleveland]

Ok so the elation might be worth it but how is the weather for the gulf of mexico? Is it better to stick with florida ports and do Caribbean cruises or go for the new Orleans type cruise?

 

I haven't looked at anything other than carnival honestly since me and my wife are on one income at the moment since she has opened her own salon. I am proud of her though... she is paying bills with income just not paying her yet and only been 2.5 months. I will take a look at the explore though. Which cruise line is that?

[momof4boys]

So you like the fantasy? I heard that the fantasy ship isn't so good and the Charleston terminal isn't good at all? I been on the breeze and the dream ship and it rocked. I'm little worried to try the smaller class ships

 

Our group did NOT like the Charleston port, especially in the summer! They don't really have a great spot...you sit out in the sun or cram into a tent to wait for some hot buses to take us to the "port" (aka a metal building) LOVED the city....not the port!

 

Our favorite ship in the Fantasy class is the Elation. We have been on the Fantasy class....and it was ok. Loved the Elation!

 

Our favorite class is Conquest class.....especially the Freedom.

 

As far as the new ships with all the bells and whistles.....hate that the OVS look onto a deck. Our group doesn't want to do that class again because we like looking out and down into the water. JMHO