Our MAGICal B2B with a side of ELATION cruises (with pics) - 10/7/17.

[Jamman54]

The next thing we needed to do was head to the Shore Excursion desk to pick our cabana for Half Moon Cay. We just needed to walk up one flight of steps to Empress Deck 7, and then walk forward to the Grand Atrium Lobby. Here are the Grand Atrium elevators……

 

Looking up seven decks to the skylight……

 

I am at the Shore Excursion Desk, and as I had feared, because we boarded so late there were not many choices left. I had to choose between cabanas 1, 2, 3, & 14. I chose cabana # 3 because cabana # 14 is just too far down the beach for me, and the bar waiters just don’t go down that far.

That being done, it was time to head upstairs. Already there was a long line at Guest Services…..

 

DJ Saxy is spinning tunes in the Grand Atrium…..

 

To be continued…….

[Jamman54]

We took one of the glass elevators up to Lido Deck 10. Here are a couple of views looking down to the Grand Atrium Bar……

 

As we stepped outside our first view was of the Elation’s funnel……

 

Here are a few views of the refurbished Lido Pool and hot tubs. Gone is the little pool slide…..

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

Cheer’s anyone?

 

Here are some views of some of the new venues on the Carnival Elation. Here is Guy’s Burger Joint…..

 

The Blue Iguana Tequila Bar……

 

The Red Frog Rum Bar…….

 

I’m having my first beer at the Red Frog Rum Bar. They have run out of Thirsty Frog Red! For shame! How can you NOT have Thirsty Frog Red! I’m bummed, but they assure me that some will be delivered today, and all will be well. We’ll see about that……

 

 

 

To be continued…….

[Jamman54]

The Red Frog Rum Bar is selling a wide variety of souvenir glasses…..

 

Patti leaves me to cry in my non Thirsty Frog Red beer, and heads off to explore the ship. She heads down to the Promenade Deck 9 aft, where Gatsby’s Great Bar and the Cole Porter Club are located……

 

Gatsby’s Great Bar and seating…..

 

 

 

The Cole Porter Club, which is where the Comedy Club is located…..

 

 

 

To be continued…….

[Jamman54]

Continuing aft on Promenade Deck 9 you will find the Serenity area…..

 

Here are some Serenity views…..

 

 

 

 

 

Looking towards the Dames Point Bridge which we will be sailing under…..

 

Patti spots our van in the parking lot…..

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

Patti moves up to Lido Deck 10 all the way aft outside of Tiffany’s Restaurant. This outside seating is a great place to watch the ocean go by while eating, and for sail away…..

 

 

 

Patti heads up to Verandah Deck 11 aft to check out the newly installed Water Works……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued……

[Jamman54]

Here are some more Water Works views……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see that some work continues to be done. In all fairness, this was completed by the end of our cruise…..

 

To be continued……

[Princess Cruiser27]

Dang Jeff, I forgot about the control being on the AC Unit. Which I would have to STAND on the bed to make the room colder.............Both Princess and HAL AC controls are on the wall.

[Jamman54]

Patti is looking down at the Lido Pool area from Sports Deck 12…….

 

Looking up to Sports Dec 12 where Patti took the previous pictures from…..

 

Comfy seating and a ping pong table are available on Verandah Deck 11 mid ship…..

 

 

 

Looking down on the Lido Pool from Deck 11…..

 

To be continued……

[Jamman54]

Patti now heads up to the Grand Deck 14 forward. This is where the City Sports Park with its mini golf course and jogging track used to be. Most of this area has been converted into cabins, and the rear portion of what used to be the jogging track is now a bocce ball court and mini golf. The jogging track is gone. The bocce ball court is on the starboard side…..

 

 

 

The mini golf takes up the rest of the space…….

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued……

[Jamman54]

Here are some more mini golf views…….

 

 

 

 

 

Looking down at the Lido Pool from the mini golf area.....

 

 

Sun Deck 15 was constructed on top of the new Grand Deck cabins…..

 

To be continued…..

[blondie151o]

Continuing aft on Promenade Deck 9 you will find the Serenity area…..

 

Here are some Serenity views…..

 

 

 

 

 

Looking towards the Dames Point Bridge which we will be sailing under…..

 

Patti spots our van in the parking lot…..

 

To be continued…..

 

 

 

Is there a bar in the serenity area? On both my cruises I've been on I never found my way there. So you walk thru the Cole porter lounge to get to?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[riclop]

Great review as always.

[Jamman54]

Is there a bar in the serenity area? On both my cruises I've been on I never found my way there. So you walk thru the Cole porter lounge to get to? Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

You can walk through the Cole Porter Club or you can take the stairs down all the way aft on Deck 10. There is no bar in the Serenity area, but there will be bar waiters serving the area. The nearest bar is in the rear of Tiffany's Restaurant on the starboard side. :cool:

Great review as always.

 

Always glad to have you along! :cool:

[Jamman54]

We both made our way back to the cabin to wait for the muster drill to begin. Our luggage had arrived, so we began to unpack. Right around 3:30 the alarm sounded for the muster drill to begin. We were assigned to Muster Station “C”, which is in the Romeo & Juliet Lounge. The safety briefing took a fairly long time, but we were comfortably seated, and they no longer lead you up to the lifeboats like they used to do on the Fantasy Class ships.

After the muster drill was over we stopped for drinks at the Tiffany Bar, and then made our way up to Deck 11 aft by the Water Works to watch our sail away. A couple of dolphins were playing behind the ship……

 

 

 

 

 

That’s the city of Jacksonville in the distance……

 

This is a nearby power plant……

 

At around 4:30 the Carnival Elation sails for Half Moon Cay…...

 

To be continued…….

[Jamman54]

The Carnival Elation sails a short distance then has to turn around to head out to sea…..

 

 

 

We have a Coast Guard escort, including a gunner……

 

 

 

We are passing by the Jaxport Cruise Terminal that we just left from…..

 

This is where we boarded the ship…..

 

To be continued……

[Jamman54]

That’s the checkpoint where they check your documents when you first pull into the terminal…..

 

This is the entrance to the parking lot…..

 

The Carnival Elation heads towards the Dames Point Bridge……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

The Elation sails under the Dames Point Bridge…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued……

[Jamman54]

After sailing under the Dames Point Bridge we wanted to head to the observation area on Deck 11 above the bridge. Due to construction there was no access from both the port and starboard sides…….

 

 

 

The Coast Guard boat is sticking very close to us…..

 

We stayed on the starboard side to watch the views as we sailed along the St. Johns River…..

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued…….

[LUVMYGSDOG]

We will be enjoying those same views in 9 days!!

 

 

Kim

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Jamman54]

We will be enjoying those same views in 9 days!!

Kim Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

Lucky you!!! Enjoy your cruise!!! :)

[Jamman54]

There are a lot of beautiful houses on the starboard side of the St. Johns River. Many of the homeowners would come out and wave as the Carnival Elation passed them…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued……

[Jamman54]

Here is another page of the beautiful homes on the St. Johns River…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here they are building our vacation home. We wish!

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

And yet another page of beautiful homes…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued……..

[Jamman54]

We move on over to the port side of the ship. There are some beautiful homes on this side too…..

 

 

 

People are fishing along the banks of the St. Johns River……

 

The Coast Guard is keeping a close eye on this passing boat…..

 

We are passing a Naval or Coast Guard ship in dry dock…..

 

To be continued……