Carnival Fantasy Review--July 25-30, 2015

[Cpbryant]

My wife and I went on a five night cruise (our first cruise) to the Bahamas on the Carnival Fantasy from July 25-July 30. Instead of giving you a day-by-day account of our cruise, I’ll touch on the major elements of it. I hope others who have never been on a cruise before will find this review especially helpful.

 

Embarkation (Parking): We drove to Charleston and got e-mail notification from Carnival several days before that we should arrive to the terminal no earlier than 12:30 so they could offload the previous cruisers first. As others have pointed out, this was really a technicality—they give you a later time so they can be assured everybody else will be cleared out of the parking area (we spoke to someone onboard who had parked and they got there at 11:30 and they were already allowing folks to park when they arrived). We got to the front gate just after noon, and there was a long, slow line. TIP: make sure you have your boarding confirmation and IDs available; we saw several people in line who had to get out of their cars and into their luggage to get their paperwork. Before you can park, there were a couple checkpoints: one to view the paperwork, one to pay the parking (it was $81) and the final one to unload the luggage (we had already tagged ours) and have a porter load it on their luggage carts to haul it away. We were there early enough that we got to park inside—there are two large hanger-type structures for indoor parking, and a large outdoor parking lot. It was nice to return after the cruise to a relatively cool car thanks to the indoor parking! TIP: They give you a brightly colored car with a number on it to help you find your car when you return, but I’d advise doing what I did: take a cellphone pic of the row # that you are parked in and make a note of where you are parked (in front, middle, back; this is important because I’d guess that the hangers are at least 150 yards long, so if you get back when the structure is full, trying to remember where you are parked could make it a stressful ordeal). We walked out of the structure with our carry-on luggage and into a line for a shuttle bus to take us over to the terminal.

 

Embarkation (inside the terminal): The bus dropped us off and then it was a waiting game due to the long lines to go through security. It was very similar to going through airport security. The good news is that unlike with flying, there are no restrictions placed on the size of liquids that you can bring with you in your carry-on luggage (my wife brought perfume with her, and the larger bottles would’ve been an issue if we were flying). After we cleared security, we were off into another line that moved at a snail’s pace. TIP: this is one of the places where the Faster to the Fun purchase would have come in handy, because those people were bumped to another line where just a handful of folks were waiting at any given time (compared to us…I’d bet there were at least 200 folks in front of us). The line took us to the Carnival counter (very similar to an airline check-in) where we received our Sign and Sail cards. After that, we had a chance to have our first picture taken (we declined—but more on the pictures later), went up a flight of stairs and had an official picture taken that is used by the ship’s security team—when the Sign and Sail card is swiped when you get on or get off the ship, your picture also pops up on their screen. Then it was into a final line to get on the gangway and onto the ship, where you swipe your Sign and Sail card for the first time. I think from the time we were dropped off by the shuttle bus and got to the elevators on the ship, well over an hour had passed. So, be sure to pack your patience as well as your swimsuit!

 

The Cabin: After getting on board on Deck 3, the ship’s medical facility was to our right and elevators in front of us, as well as several crew members who were available to answer questions. We got on the elevator and headed to Deck 6 (Upper) and our room 132. The room itself was an oceanview room for two people. There are signs and a map at every elevator station, so it’s hard to get lost on board (disoriented, yes; lost, no…even by the last day, sometimes I’d mix up if something was located forward or aft on the ship. Fortunately, those maps off of each elevator come in handy if you aren’t sure if you’re headed in the right direction). As I stated before, this was our first cruise, so we weren’t quite sure what the reality of our stateroom was going to be…frankly, I was expecting a very small room with a bathroom slightly larger than an airplane lavatory (the relatively low hallway ceilings—probably about 8 feet high—didn’t downplay this feeling. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised when I swiped our card and opened our cabin door! While certainly not palatial, it also felt larger than a dorm room (as I’ve often seen them described as being like on here).

 

CLOSET SPACE: On our right as we entered were three floor-to-ceiling closets (the two on the far right each had a bar about the width of a suitcase for hanging clothes, the one on the far left contained shelves, as well as the small in-room safe). The two closets on the far right each also had 10 hangers (the typical hotel style ones where you can’t remove the entire hanger from the bar). TIP—their hangers were small and didn’t have notches with them for hanging things with straps, so my wife’s dresses easily fell off of them. In hindsight, we wished we had brought a few hangers from home with us.

 

BATHROOM: On the left was a door to the bathroom. The bathroom was not huge, but not quite the closet I had anticipated. There was plenty of room to maneuver around in it, both in the toilet area, the sink area and the shower (I am a big guy, 6’1”, 300+ lbs, so I don’t like feeling squeezed into tight spaces, and I felt very comfortable). There were two towel racks near the toilet, the sink had flat space above it for holding soap and other small items (we used it for our toothbrushes and toothpaste. Under the mirror there was a small shelf with a rack in front of it that held two small drinking glasses and enough room to hold several smallish items. The shower had two containers attached to the wall that held shampoo and body wash (TIP: so no need to pack these items unless you are particular about what you use). There was also a small stand to hold soap. Additionally, there is a retractable drying line that stretches from one end of the shower to the other—easily enough space to line dry 3-4 pieces of clothing. The water pressure and temp in our cabin was great—strong all the time. Flushing the toilet was loud—like vacuum suction, but we got used to it. TIP: We used the shoe holder over the bathroom door trick and it is a great way to have a lot of small stuff easily accessible that would otherwise take up limited counter space or drawers. Make sure you buy one with clear compartments so you can easily see what you’re looking for instead of having to search through 24 pockets.

 

LIVING SPACE: Past the closets on the right was a table-like shelf table with a large vanity mirror with lights on the side. Underneath it was a small bench and very thin, shallow drawers (5 or 6)—adequate for holding socks and underwear and not much else. Our bed was against the right wall. Both sides of the bed had a reading light attached to the wall above the headboard. TIP: The bed was high enough off the floor that we were able to slide our suitcases underneath it. There was probably about a18 gap between the far side of the bed and the far wall. In the corner was a small bedside table that you could put glasses, your cell phone, book, or a glass of water on. The far wall had our oceanview window, probably about 3’x3’ (it took up a good portion of the wall). It provided a nice view about 30 feet above the water, I’d estimate. When we were in Charleston, the window looked out and you could see Fort Sumter and the Ravenal Bridge. In Nassau and Freeport, we faced the port. Below the window was a small shelf space which came in handy for holding small items. In the far left corner there was smallish (20 inch?) TV that sat on a shelf, with another shelf/table underneath it (and a small bench that fit in below that). The TV got around 25 channels, including the Miami stations (even while at sea). There were also several Carnival-related channels, including closed-circuit TV feeds of the pool area (TIP: good for judging times to get up to the pool when it wasn’t crowded!), a channel devoted to excursions and port shopping, a feed looking out over the front of the ship. and one that data junkies like me appreciate—a map that rotated between US weather, our route/progress and close-up of our current location (good for seeing how far away from Florida/Georgia/SC we were). On the right and bottom of the screens, there was a rotation of data: our current latitude/longitude, expected sunset/sunrise time that day, miles traveled and current ocean depth (the deepest I saw was between Nassau and Freeport, when it hit 5230 feet). Despite all those channels, I never saw a specific weather forecast for the day (other than on CNN, which did list Nassau). TIP: If you asked at the Guest Services or Excursions counters, they would look up the current online forecast for you (helpful when choosing excursions). TIP: The TV did not have ESPN on it (don’t know if that was on purpose at the demand of wives or not). For sports junkies, the TVs at the poolside bars on the Lido deck were turned to it 24/7, as well as the TVs at the back of the ship (near the pizza and deli stations). We didn’t explore much of the casino area, but I suspect ESPN was probably on at the bars/clubs around there.

 

THE OLD BALCONY vs OCEAN VIEW vs INSIDE CABIN DEBATE: This really will depend on what kind of a traveler you are. For example, we were fine with our ocean view cabin, but will consider a balcony next time because it would’ve been nice to enjoy the outdoor atmosphere and be able to relax without crowds around, and non-stop music on the Lido deck. That being said, our window was quite large, we could sit on the bed and look out it at the ocean, which was very calming. I would not just want a porthole to look out of, but that’s just me. As for an inside cabin, I think if you spend a ton of time outside your room, you may not miss the view. At night, you couldn’t really see outside unless there was a moon.

 

LAUNDRY/IRONING: We lucked out…unbeknownst to us when we book, our cabin was 5 doors down from one of the two laundry stations on the ship. Even though you don’t want to spend one minute of your trip ironing, I highly suggest you do it after the muster drill—when everybody else is eating. TIP: Call your steward or guest services and inquire about next-daypress and fold deals if you want to avoid ironing altogether. We didn’t even think of this until the next to last day when our steward left a flyer advertising getting multiple pieces (I believe it was 10) for a significant discount from the piece-by-piece listing you’ll find in one of your cabin drawers. TIP: Don’t wait until the day of (and ESPECIALLY not the afternoon of) elegant dinner night! By 5, the line for the iron was 10 deep out the door into the hallway! TIP: We did a small load of laundry…it was $3.00 for the washer, $3.00 for the dryer. The dryer only half-dried our load—no way was I going to shell out another $3, so we air dried the clothes in the room.

 

MUSTER DRILL: We had a little bit of time to relax or explore the ship before our muster drill began at 3:30. Yes, it IS mandatory. They take it VERY seriously (I wish they would have announced beforehand that they DO take counts, and in my section’s case, the count had to be done several times because some passengers went to our area (which was near the pools) instead of their assigned station.

 

FIRST AFTERNOON WARNING: After the muster drill, expect everybody and their brother to be on the Lido deck. That was when the pool was most crowded and the food lines at their craziest, because everybody who hadn’t eaten lunch before was now starving. Better to snag a table at a desired location and then keep someone there as the others get food than to be walking around with plates and no place to sit.

 

FOOD:

 

DINING ROOM—We ate here every night. We chose the Anytime Dining option and loved it. If you dine before 8, there would be a wait, but we ate around 8:30 nearly every night, and had to wait for 5 minutes once around that time. Contrary to what I read on here beforehand, not all servers give great service. We were spoiled by Henry on the first night, but then our breakfast service and dinner service the next day were impersonal at best (our servers never even introduced themselves or asked about us). After that, we requested Henry each night (yes you can do this). The food in the dining room was adventuresome and there was a nice variety to choose from each night. The food itself was solidly good, sometimes very good (perhaps this is to be expected when you’re cooking for 2000). Expect to spend at least 45 minutes to an hour at dinner. If you need to catch a show and are on deadline, let your server know first thing—or eat on the Lido deck. There’s no point getting frustrated with relaxed service if you need something quicker!

 

All the food stations are on the Lido deck (note that they bus everything for you…just leave your plate and cups on the table when you’re done eating). Here were our general impressions of the stations:

 

Food options near the pool:

MONGOLIAN WOK--Because the bowls are made to order, expect to wait 5-10 minutes in line until a cooking station opens up. They have many vegetables to choose from (serve yourself). When you get to the cook, choose a meat (they always had beef and chicken, and rotated a third choice—we saw salmon, shrimp and pork on different days) and a sauce (they have three and tell you the spiciness of each). Be prepared—they are skimpy on the meat. Plan your veggies accordingly, or you’ll feel like you’re eating a vegetarian plate. Also, the meat is not seasoned at all. The only seasoning is in the sauce. My wife found soy sauce (found along with ketchup/mustard/hot sauce near the drink stations) helped with the flavor. I ate here once (not very impressed) and my wife ate here twice (better the second time, with the soy sauce).

 

OFF THE GRILL--We ate here several times for lunch, mostly by default. They have burgers (no seasoning!), chicken fingers, fries (no seasoning), nacho chips, cheese sauce, hot dogs, chili, several types of dipping sauces, salsa and jalapenos. The food wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything special either. Again, it was an ok default option for us.

 

ROTISSERIE--It looked like they rotated a main meat offering each day (roast beef, lamb, etc.) and the same side items: corn on the cob, mac and cheese (very creamy, not so cheesy—a real shame, given that the ship is based out of Charleston), mashed potatoes.

 

Food choices on the Lido deck, in the back of the ship:

CHEF’S CHOICE--This rotated by cuisine each day, with 2-3 main options and several side dishes available. We saw Carribean, American, and French (the French was very good).

 

SALAD BAR--Nothing special, the basics that you would expect (which actually sums up the non-dinner food).

 

PIZZA--Never had it. Always a line, because it took 5+ minutes to cook up every pizza. I think they offered 5 varieties, but the only one with meat was the pepperoni option.

 

DELI--We never ate here, but saw the menu—it looked like the same cold sandwiches you could get from room service.

 

ROOM SERVICE--We used it three times for late-night snacks. The food is limited and just adequate, but of you’re looking for a sandwich and small slice of cake at any hour, this is a nice option to have. Just remember to tip your delivery person. I think the longest we had to wait was 20 minutes, and that was the last night when everybody looked to be ordering from them, based on the dishes in the hall the next morning.

 

THE SWEET SPOT--Variety (probably at least 10 options) of choices. However, I thought the cakes were usually on the dry side. But most choices were different each day.

 

ICE CREAM--Near the pool and in the back, they offered vanilla, chocolate and strawberry in a small dish or cone.

 

A NOTE ON (NON-ALCHOLIC) DRINKS: We didn’t buy the Bubbles options, and were fine with the free water, iced tea and lemonade self-serve options. The lemonade was good, but be warned that the iced tea is very weak and not sweetened (which some of the Southerners around us did not appreciate. LOL). There was always a juice option at breakfast time, too. TIP: The plates by the pool food stations are more like oval platters. Grab an extra one and use it to hold their small glasses! Nothing was more frustrating than to have to go back and get refills on the hot days because their glasses are so small. You can fit 6 glasses on one plate/tray. TIP: Bring a portable water bottle with you for a couple reasons—1) you get more liquid in it than you do in those small cups. 2) It’s nice to fill it up at the end of the day and have some cold liquid bedside. 3) If you think you are smart and bring a water bottle with you on excursion days (advisable), the problem is that you can’t bring any open liquid/bottles back on board with you—you’ll have to throw that water bottle away, even if it’s empty. Just show them that your portable water bottle and you’re good to go.

 

A NOTE ON DRINKS: I had a Bahama Mama the last night, which cost me over $10. Talking to heavier drinkers, the two most common complaints were the cost and that the drinks seemed to be watered down. By comparison, we got guava daiquiris at a stand near the ship in Freeport for $7—buy a 12 oz at regular price, get an 8 oz for free.

 

CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST: This was open earlier than the buffet each day. There were cereals, fruit, muffins, toast, bagels, croissants and other pastries available. Not bad. I had a small plate after watching the sun rise several days.

 

DINING ROOM BREAKFAST: If you aren’t in a hurry, this is a quiet way to start the day and highly recommended. You’ll be waited on like you’re at a restaurant, which was nice. However, the food is the same food you’ll find on the buffet upstairs.

 

SEADAY BRUNCH: The days at sea, the dining room brunch was a step up from the regular breakfast fare. For example, I had huevos rancheros. They also had a special French toast that was dipped in a cereal coating and a couple other different options, as well as the every day ones.

 

BUFFET BREAKFAST: Scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes, hash browns, grits.

 

ATM: There is at least one on-board ATM (the one we used was next to Guest Services). Be warned—there’s a $6 fee with it, so make your withdrawal worth your money!

 

PICTURES: You’ll have your picture taken at every meal, around the ship and when you get off at each port if you choose to do so. If not, just politely decline and they’ll move on. The first night, a Jack Sparrow-looking dude was going around the dining room and posing with people. You can view the photos at the Pixels display, which wraps around the 9th floor of the Galleria. Here’s the issue: the pictures are a rip-off. The candid shots, like the one with Jack Sparrow, cost $10 for a 5x7. An 8x10 for elegant dinner night (and everybody seemed to get their picture taken for that one) was $22. If you aren’t careful, you could spend a fortune in pictures!

 

INTERNET: In debating a Nassau excursion, I needed to get on the Internet and see if I could buy a day pass at the British Hilton. After 15 minutes of searching—more like 2 minutes of searching, 13 minutes of waiting for the page to load—I found out they were sold out, at the rate of 74 cents per minute. TIP: Take the time and do all your research BEFORE you get on the ship (or in international waters and put your phone on airplane mode). If you think you’re going to use Trip Advisor to find out about something not Carnival-related, do it BEFORE you leave Charleston! And print out all pertinent info and put it in your luggage. That $12 was the biggest waste of money on the trip.

 

ENTERTAINMENT: We saw the version of the newlywed game, which was entertaining; a towel puppet theater act (for kids, but it was fun) and the Motown show (excellent). There was also a show about the British invasion of the 60s, but we didn’t see it. We tried to see a comedian at 11:30 one night, but by the time we got there at 11:10, it was standing room only. We grabbed chairs nearby the entrance, but when the show started, we were ticked off when they closed the doors! That was a disappointment. We walked passed the piano sing-a-long and the karaoke bar several times, and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves.

 

DECK AREAS: The Serenity deck was nice, especially late at night. I enjoyed watching the sunrise outside most mornings at a table as I drank coffee and read a book.

 

ON BOARD SHOPPING: We looked around, but other than at the Carnival gift shop, everything was high end and expensive—even when on sale.

 

Ports of Call/Excursions:

NASSAU—People could get off the ship around 8. Nassau is definitely a big city by Bahamas standards. It is crowded, bustling, and cars are constantly honking at each other. Expect to be bombarded by vendors/tour guides as soon as you get off the ship. TIP: You aren’t being rude if you tell them no thank you and keep on moving! If you stop to tell them no thanks, all you’re doing is giving them a chance to give them your pitch and spend your precious time. The main shopping area is directly in front of you when you leave the port. When disembarking the ship, make sure to grab a map from one of the crew members who are handing them out before you get to the sign-and-sail card station.

 

DISCOVER ATLANTIS EXCURSION--After debating what we should do (and the Internet fail), we scheduled an excursion for Discover Atlantis for $69 per person the night before we got to port. Nassau. We were both very happy about this choice, as it turns out this is the cheapest way to see the Atlantis Resort. The price included an air-conditioned shuttle bus to and from the resort (about a 30 minute walk from the port), access to the resort’s hotel lobby, casino, restaurants, high-end shops and a guided tour of The Dig, Atlantis’ outdoor aquariums (no beach/pool access, though). The Dig was really cool to experience because it is outdoor, unlike any other aquarium I’ve seen. They pipe in ocean water, so I imagine it looks very much like what the open ocean would look like. Just for sake of reference, we met in the Universal Lounge at 11:15 and then left the ship and boarded the buses for about a 10 minute ride to Paradise Island. We caught the first shuttle back to the port at 1:30, but there were shuttles that left every half hour until 4:00 (we had to be back on board by 4:30), so we did have the option to stay longer and check out the grounds, but chose not to. As with all excursions, we thought it was a bit overpriced, but not extremely so ($50 would’ve seemed a bit more reasonable—but then again, we don’t know what Atlantis charges Carnival to allow passengers to visit the resort).

 

FREEPORT—Freeport seemed to be much more rural than Nassau. The port area is in an industrial area, so not very picturesque at all. There are several bars, food stands and souvinier shops in the port area. The main shopping district, in Lucaya, is about a 20 minute taxi ride away.

 

DOLPHIN CLOSE ENCOUNTER EXCURSION—Disclosure: I am a dolphin person. This type of activity has been on my bucket list for a long time, so I will admit I’m a bit biased. But, despite the cost ($154 per person), I thought it was well worth the money for the total experience. We met outside the ship and then walked to a shuttle bus. This one did not have AC, so be prepared to sweat if there’s not a decent breeze! We were dropped off at the UNEXSO headquarters 20 minutes later and from there we got in a boat to go to the dolphin area. This was another 20 minutes trip, but into the open water and it was beautiful. We even saw some manta rays in the harbor before we got out into the ocean. We got the island and were given a briefing by a trainer about how to act around the dolphins (don’t make hand gestures around your face, and don’t rub their stomachs below their belly buttons unless you want to get “sprayed”). TIP: we assumed they would have towels for us. WRONG! Bring beach towels from the ship! We then went down the water. There was a 30’x30’ square wooden pier that we sat down on with our legs dangling in the water. There were two trainers and two dolphins (ours were Cayla, who is 38, and her baby son Cocoa, who is 14 months but around 200 pounds). They called people to walk down stairs into the water (about 3 feet deep) by their families/groups where you could stroke the dolphins, as well as give and get kisses and hugs and have your picture taken. I’d say each group got 4-5 minutes with the dolphins on the platform. After each group went back to sit down on the pier, the dolphins would swim around the perimeter of the platform, sometimes splashing people, sometimes smiling, sometimes swimming up close for us to pet them again (including on their stomachs). TIP: They don’t recommend you bring your camera to the water, but they won’t stop you if you do. We brought ours down and got some awesome shots! I can’t believe only 3-4 others brought theirs with them. After all 20 of us had our time with them, they swam under the platform and did jumps for us. We were probably in the water area with them around an hour. Afterwards, people changed back into their clothes and also had a chance to pose for pictures with a couple parrots. We took the boat back to UNEXSO and visited their gift shops. TIP: The pictures, unlike at Carnival, were reasonably priced—we got the two of ours for $24 and were at least 6”x9” in size. TIP: We probably had 30 minutes between getting off the boat and catching our bus back to the port. If you hustle to get your pics/gifts, you can go to the nearby shopping area for a quick look and get back to the bus. TIP: pack several large (gallon size) ziplock bags. If your swimsuits still smell like the pool or ocean when it’s time to pack them, put them in the ziplock bags so you can keep the rest of your clothes smelling fresh in your suitcase.

 

DISEMBARKATION—The day before you disembark, you’ll get your US customs form to fill out, written directions about disembarkation and one of the TV stations runs on a loop with directions for disembarking. You have two options—self-assist (where you handle all of your own bags) or assisted (where your bags have to be outside your room between 8 pm and midnight the night before). The self-assist people get to leave first. If you do it assisted, you’ll be given a zone and told to report to the Universal Lounge at a certain time to leave. TIP: After you eat breakfast, find a quiet spot on the ship to unwind before you leave. When you disembark from the ship, you’ll pick up your luggage, then get in a line at the terminal to go through customs, then into another line outside to get in a shuttle bus and go back to the parking terminal (if you parked there, that is, otherwise you can walk across a bridge to be picked up or catch a taxi).

 

All in all, we loved our cruise and look forward to doing another one!

[funinthesun1964]

Thanks for sharing. So what did you think of your first cruise? Did you have a great time? Would you sail that ship again?

 

I am curious because we were on the Fantasy last July. We knew that cruising during summer months means many families and children. We still had a good time, but prefer to cruise either in the fall and/or late winter. The Fantasy is a smaller class ship (Fantasy class), but I sometimes like the smaller ships better than the newer and larger ones.

 

Final question....are you in process of planning your next cruise? :D

 

ETA: I just now saw the last line of your post. lol Glad you had a great time.

Edited August 5, 2015 by funinthesun1964

[Seago2]

Thanks for your review! I actually love Fantasy. Been on bigger and better ships but the crew on Fantasy is so nice. Glad you had a good time. Next time in Freeport go to the Grand Lucayan all inclusive. It's very nice.

[ladygal4.4]

We did this cruise as our 10th anniversary, and the boat felt really small. She wasn't joking when the OP said find your table and save it, while someone else gets food. There isn't much seating on the lido area shade or sun.

[Cpbryant]

Yes, we really loved the cruise--specifically, being able to do what we felt like doing when we felt like doing it. The Dine on Your Own Time option added to that freedom.

 

We really did like the ship, despite it being smaller. You could easily get from one side of it to the other in less than five minutes.

 

Yes it was quite crowded with families, and quite frankly, we didn't spend a heck of a lot of time on the Lido deck because the pool area looked filled much of the time. Again that's where that in-house television channel came in handy because it allowed you to look at the Lido deck pool area at anytime and you could judge for yourself how crowded it was.

 

And yes, we're already looking at future potential cruises! :)

[funinthesun1964]

Yes, we really loved the cruise--specifically, being able to do what we felt like doing when we felt like doing it. The Dine on Your Own Time option added to that freedom.

 

We really did like the ship, despite it being smaller. You could easily get from one side of it to the other in less than five minutes.

 

Yes it was quite crowded with families, and quite frankly, we didn't spend a heck of a lot of time on the Lido deck because the pool area looked filled much of the time. Again that's where that in-house television channel came in handy because it allowed you to look at the Lido deck pool area at anytime and you could judge for yourself how crowded it was.

 

And yes, we're already looking at future potential cruises! :)

 

Great!! Welcome to your newest addiction!! :D

 

You will find each cruise can be different. Not only if you're on a different ship, but each sailing can also be different, even on the same ship. Your fellow passengers have alot to do with it. Whether you cruise with friends or not has alot to do with it. Each cruise is a new experience and comes with great memories. I wish you many more happy cruises!

[SC_Floaters]

Liked your Review. Wife & I are doing the 7 Day Cruise on Fantasy leaving Charleston on Nov 1. This is our fourth Fantasy Cruise from Charleston. Sailed onboard in 2010, 2012 & 2014.

 

We're only 10 miles from the Port.

 

We Have Enjoyed Everyone Of Them.

 

Dennis & Sue

[quickrate]

Thanks for a great review. My daughter and I were on the Fantasy in June. Loved the ship and crew, embark and debark not so much!! You should have tried the Deli, great sandwiches, much different than what you get from room service. I have sailed every class of Carnival ship and wondered if the Fantasy was going to feel too small as it had been a while since I sailed the Fantasy class. Happy to say I loved it!!

Pat

[dna529]

Thanks for your review. We are sailing in 9 days!

[aprilbs1960]

We sailed in January 28, 2015 for a 5 day cruise. Loved it but felt not long enough. It was a little cold then, but a perfect size. That time of the year it wasn't that crowded it seemed. Cant wait till 11/1!

[erby2283]

Thanks for your review. My very first cruise was on the smallest NCL ship in the fleet, the Majesty, in 2004 and will be sailing on the Fantasy with some bff's in a few weeks.

 

Of all my cruises, I remember sailing out of Charleston to be a little bumpy; and I am not one to get to nauseous while at sea. Did you find that to be the case?

 

Since we don't have FTTF this time around and are getting dropped off at the port, wonder if it's better to show up early or late? Thoughts on that?

[Cpbryant]

Erby2283, the worst day in terms of rough seas (and I do use that term loosely) was when we were getting out of Charleston. What I'm not sure of, though, was that it just my perception because I hadn't gotten my sea legs yet, or was that reality?

 

As far as early vs late arrival, I can say that we spoke to woman whose family was one of the first 10 cars in line to park at the port...she said they arrived around 11:15 and were on the ship by noon.

[fuzzmane]

Liked your Review. Wife & I are doing the 7 Day Cruise on Fantasy leaving Charleston on Nov 1. This is our fourth Fantasy Cruise from Charleston. Sailed onboard in 2010, 2012 & 2014.

 

We're only 10 miles from the Port.

 

We Have Enjoyed Everyone Of Them.

 

Dennis & Sue

 

I agree. Have sailed the 5 and 7 day on the Fantasy. Would go again tomorrow if I did not have to work. Live about 50 miles from the port.

 

Are you the Sue that used to work for Trident? I work for BCEMS.

Edited August 7, 2015 by fuzzmane
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[erby2283]

Erby2283, the worst day in terms of rough seas (and I do use that term loosely) was when we were getting out of Charleston. What I'm not sure of, though, was that it just my perception because I hadn't gotten my sea legs yet, or was that reality?

 

 

 

As far as early vs late arrival, I can say that we spoke to woman whose family was one of the first 10 cars in line to park at the port...she said they arrived around 11:15 and were on the ship by noon.

 

 

Thanks for the reply. I'd say it's Charleston Harbor waters bc I've cruised many times since and don't recall it bothering me like it did that very first night. In fact, I remember saying to my bf, "If it's going to be like this the entire time, I don't think I'm going to make it!" :)

[saks]

We are leaving out of Charleston on 9/26...21 days!!! When we cruised 4 or 5 years ago, we saw a lot of decorated doors. Can you still do the whole door decoration thing? We are taking our 16 and 14 year old daughters and I want to decorate their door so they can find it! Thanks!!!:D

 

Edited to add---thank you for such a great review!

Edited September 5, 2015 by saks

[cruisexlife]

Thanks for the reply. I'd say it's Charleston Harbor waters bc I've cruised many times since and don't recall it bothering me like it did that very first night. In fact, I remember saying to my bf, "If it's going to be like this the entire time, I don't think I'm going to make it!" :)

 

Hello,

 

I love your signature design! I have wanted to do something like that for a while, a countdown clock with the itinerary map. How did you do it? :)

[erby2283]

Hello,

 

 

 

I love your signature design! I have wanted to do something like that for a while, a countdown clock with the itinerary map. How did you do it? :)

 

 

Thank you!

 

Carnival used to make it easy and post a photo of your itinerary along with the itinerary list of times you were in port but for some reason, they stopped posting a map of the intinerary. :(

 

If you do an google search of your ship name and route, like Carnival Breeze Southern Itinerary, and then go to "images" instead of "web" hopefully you can find a picture of your itinerary there. Once you find it, save the picture to your computer, then upload it to an online photosharing service (I use photobucket). Once there, be sure to resize it within photobucket bc it will be way too big for CC. One click within photobucket will resize it (and resave it in that smaller size I believe). Then click the IMG link on the smaller pic and paste that into your signature on CC immediately after your countdown clock.

 

You'll have to play with it, and resize, play with spacing etc., so be sure to "preview signature" before saving it.

 

If you have any problems I'd be happy to help. You can email me at erby2283 at yahoo dot com.

[cruisexlife]

Thank you!

 

Carnival used to make it easy and post a photo of your itinerary along with the itinerary list of times you were in port but for some reason, they stopped posting a map of the intinerary. :(

 

If you do an google search of your ship name and route, like Carnival Breeze Southern Itinerary, and then go to "images" instead of "web" hopefully you can find a picture of your itinerary there. Once you find it, save the picture to your computer, then upload it to an online photosharing service (I use photobucket). Once there, be sure to resize it within photobucket bc it will be way too big for CC. One click within photobucket will resize it (and resave it in that smaller size I believe). Then click the IMG link on the smaller pic and paste that into your signature on CC immediately after your countdown clock.

 

You'll have to play with it, and resize, play with spacing etc., so be sure to "preview signature" before saving it.

 

If you have any problems I'd be happy to help. You can email me at erby2283 at yahoo dot com.

 

Thank you so much! :D Once I book a cruise, I'll definitely do this!

Edited September 6, 2015 by cruisexlife

[TanyasAura]

We are leaving out of Charleston on 9/26...21 days!!! When we cruised 4 or 5 years ago, we saw a lot of decorated doors. Can you still do the whole door decoration thing? We are taking our 16 and 14 year old daughters and I want to decorate their door so they can find it! Thanks!!!:D

 

Edited to add---thank you for such a great review!

 

Hi Saks-

Have you seen the September 26, 2015 Fantasy Roll Call? My friend and I are sailing on the same cruise! 20 more days!

 

See you there!

 

Tanya

[tinykygal]

For those who have already cruised Fantasy.

1. Is the spa shower available for anyone who wants to use? We will have 3 adults in our stateroom and I did this once on Royal.

2. Any special tips or hints on the Fantasy? i.e. Things that you considered a must see

3. Where are the ironing stations?

Thank you.