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Review - Carnival Elation, May 12, 2016

agp_mzk

By agp_mzk,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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agp_mzk

agp_mzk

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Once Claudia came in, we returned our equipment and sat down on the deck in the shade to cool off. I drank a well-earned local beer, and all too soon it was time to load the van and head back to the ship. I really wish we'd had more time in Freeport so that we could have stayed at the beach longer. All in all, I HIGHLY recommend Paradise Cove. We had a great morning there.

 

We were back on the ship at 1 pm, and sail away was scheduled for 2 pm. We showered and then headed up to the deli for lunch. Both of us ate two sandwiches - we had worked hard that morning! After lunch, we returned - where else? - to trivia and games. First up was a reverse scavenger hunt. We were told to go to our cabin and grab any 20 items we thought might be on the list. We may have gotten a little TOO creative with some of our items:

 

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We didn't do very well at matching this list!

 

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We were still having a great time, though:

 

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We attempted to play sports trivia but failed miserably. We also failed at movie theme song trivia, although I still have questions about the group that won (Shark Tale? Really? Lol). The game was hilarious, though, so we still had a blast. The final game of the cruise was another digital scavenger hunt. This time, we had to find crew members from a list of countries and take pictures of their name tags. Most of our winning scavenger hunt team was reunited, but we didn't win this one. We certainly got our exercise, though, running all over the ship! Between this and the snorkeling, my legs felt like Jello by the time I went to bed that night.

 

After trivia, we changed for dinner and packed our bags. Putting my luggage out in the hallway to be collected is always this saddest part of a cruise for me. This time, it was especially sad because it felt like the trip had barely started before it was over. :( One of our table mates was celebrating his 70th birthday that night; he and his wife bought a bottle of champagne for the table to celebrate, which was very sweet. For dinner, I had the spring rolls, sushi appetizer. Steakhouse Selections filet, and WCMC. We bid good-bye to our table mates and listened to a little more music before heading to the comedy club. The comedian was from Alabama; as an Auburn employee, I especially enjoyed his jokes about the "Roll Tide" people. :D After that, it was time for bed!

 

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agp_mzk

agp_mzk

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We were a bit late arriving back in Jacksonville, although I'm not sure why. We didn't dock until around 7:30. Claudia and I took our time getting up and dressing, since we were in debarkation zone 21. We ate breakfast in the dining room and then sat near the casino and waited to be called. Our zone was in the last group called, around 9:30. I think that the crew was in a bit of a hurry to get everyone off due to our late arrival; when our zone was called, people in the previous group were still lined up in the stairwells waiting to get down to deck 3. Eventually, we made our way off the ship and found our luggage. Somehow, we ended up at the tail end of the line to clear customs. Even with a lot of "hurry up and wait", we were loaded up in my car by 10:30, and I dropped Claudia off at the airport before 11. Then I started my drive home.

 

My route had me exiting I-75 at Tifton, GA before taking a state highway west. Naturally, I had to stop at Adcock's!

 

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With my stop for peaches and another stop for a late lunch/early dinner, I finally got home around 5 pm Central time. I think my animals were happy to see me:

 

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I don't know what the horses missed more, me or their evening peppermints, but I appreciated the enthusiastic greeting nonetheless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnaO4_YRpGo.

 

Thanks for following along. I hope you've enjoyed reliving the trip with me!

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agp_mzk

agp_mzk

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Great review. You really packed a lot into that short cruise!

 

Thank you! And, yes, we did. I think the grand total of "steps" for the four days came to 34,500 - in other words, close to 20 miles, and that doesn't include my two hours of snorkeling! I've been completely useless today...

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Golfergirltoo

Golfergirltoo

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I'm new to Cruise Critic but have been look at some of the reviews for the Elation. I'm taking my boys in October for my oldest son's 21st Birthday/College Graduation celebration. My other one is 15 so I decided to let him tag alone. There was no hesitation about tagging along with Mom this time around. LOL!!! This is the best review I have ever looked at. Thanks so much for sharing and I'm glad you and your friend had a great time. Looking forward to my trip more now. Maybe our paths will cross sometime and we can meet in person. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...
cruisin4Becky

cruisin4Becky

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I'm new to Cruise Critic but have been look at some of the reviews for the Elation. I'm taking my boys in October for my oldest son's 21st Birthday/College Graduation celebration. My other one is 15 so I decided to let him tag alone. There was no hesitation about tagging along with Mom this time around. LOL!!! This is the best review I have ever looked at. Thanks so much for sharing and I'm glad you and your friend had a great time. Looking forward to my trip more now. Maybe our paths will cross sometime and we can meet in person. :)

 

 

Hi I will be on the same sailing of Elation as you are! I cant wait!

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