5-Day Elation Review (VERY long)

[4yanx]

We took a 5-day cruise on Elation out of Galveston, leaving December 26th. Ports of call included Progreso and Cozumel. We were a party of nine including my 90yo mother-in-law, my family of four, and my wife’s sister’s family of four. Below are the impressions of my family of four. It is admittedly lengthy. We tried to be fair and to judge the line and ship according to its price point and target market, while still comparing it to other cruises we’ve taken, when appropriate. Hopefully, this review will be helpful and of enough interest to keep you from falling asleep. I will post an album of pictures after I have had a chance to transfer all of them to my desktop computer and perform post processing.

 

Pre-Cruise Customer Service (condensed version):

If pre-cruise customer service is important to you and the efficiency or lack thereof in this regard is a determinant of your cruise line choice, please read the section at the end of this review (it is lengthy and most will want to get right to the meat of the cruise experience). If not, and you don’t care whether you will be treated rudely, you don’t care if you could potentially be charged more for the same cruise, and you don’t care if your ports-of-calls are not identified or you are unable to book shore excursions before cruising, please skip the final section of this review.

Pre-Cruise Customer Service Grade: “D-“

 

Embarkation/Check-In/Luggage Delivery:

Our original embarkation port was changed from New Orleans to Galveston due to Hurricane Katrina. As such, we were forced to fly in the day prior to cruising (Christmas Day) since we could not arrange for flights that would get us to Galveston in time (even though we still had to pay $100 per person to change our flights). We stayed at the Tremont House, located in Galveston’s Strand District – just a few blocks from the cruise terminal. We cannot praise enough the quality of the Tremont House – outstanding service, great rooms, and excellent facilities. We stay would definitely stay there again should we ever return to Galveston.

 

We arrived at the cruise terminal at 10:45am on Monday and were one of the first five or so groups to arrive. At 11:00am, check-in commenced and we were on the ship with our Sail and Sign cards by 11:30am. Super quick and super efficient, and the cruise terminal staffing was very friendly and helpful. We were able to proceed directly to the Tiffany Restaurant (buffet) for a quick lunch and our rooms were ready to enter by 12:30. The only small glitch was that our luggage arrived, a few pieces at a time, between 3:30 and 5:30. We found these services to be better than RCCL and on a par with Princess but not as pampering as Celebrity (which offers free drinks and snacks during embarkation), not to mention Crystal (but at a MUCH higher fare).

Embarkation/Check-In/Luggage Delivery Grade: “A-“

 

Live Entertainment:

This is an area in which Carnival is reputed to excel. Live entertainment on our cruise fell into one of four categories: Las Vegas-style acts performed in the Mikado Lounge; smaller, less elaborate stage efforts performed in the Mikado and Cole Porter Lounges; comedy shows performed in the Cole Porter Lounge; and live band/ensemble/solo acts performed in the Romeo & Juliet and Duke’s Lounge, the Empress Deck Atrium, and Lido Deck Stage. We will spend a lot of time assessing this area since it is of great importance to us during a cruise – it being an alternative to the casino and drinking lounges that are more popular with others. This review, however, does not address the DJ in the Jekyll and Hyde Lounge or the passenger-performed fare of Karaoke or the Talent Show. One a whole, we found the entertainment better than on RCCL, Princess, and Celebrity, and Crystal.

With but a few exceptions, the performers on the Elation did not disappoint and many were simply outstanding. While I am not a big LasVegas review kind of guy, I thoroughly enjoyed all three of the major productions. Titled Rhythm, Pure Country, and Spin - these song and dance productions were all characterized by excellent performers and great production/choreographic stylings. The Elation Orchestra was downright superb, with talent worthy of a higher caliber venue. As part of the Pure Country Show, Elation featured the performance of fiddler Barry Van Wie who was a fine fiddler and exciting showman. My wife really enjoyed his performance and she is not a country music fan. We graded these production numbers a solid “A”.

 

There were two smaller production numbers – the Welcome Aboard Show, and the Match Game/Gameshow offerings. Both were weak and rather lame, though the Cruise Director Jorge Solano is very funny and highly engaging. The Welcome Aboard Show was predictable and average – if you’ve seen one of these, you’ve seem ‘em all. The Gameshow “shows” were simply abysmal. We graded these two “shows” a generous “C-“.

 

There were two comedians featured on this cruise, Gene Morola who did an early show on Monday and a late show on Tuesday and Dave Miller who did a late show on Thursday. Morola’s early show was actually better than his late show. The early show was just as funny with topical humor and it seemed that the late, R-rated show, contained a few “F-bombs” just to attain the R-rating. Miller was, at once, both hilarious and boring (and more than a little too raunchy for my tastes). He was, in a word, inconsistent. He was at his funniest when lambasting a pair of young ladies who wouldn’t be quiet during his performance. If nothing else, he is very quick on his feet. Stand up comedy is a tough, tough field and these guys did a very credible job – thus earning a “B” grade from us.

 

There were several live acts onboard, some that we heard, some that we did not. Of those we heard, the calypso band “Versatile” was decent, but hardly versatile. Their repertoire was rather limited, with “Jammin’” getting very old after the second time around. The “Sunny Notes Trio” was very enjoyable, performing classical music in the Duke’s Piano Bar. We wished that they’d have done a few jazz selections instead, tough. We are jazz fans and jazz was sadly underrepresented on this cruise. We heard both “Doug” and “Colin” play piano in Duke’s Bar and thought Colin was great while Doug kinda sucked. The classic rock band “Blood Power” played in the Romeo and Juliet and Cole Porter Lounges. They were LOUD, but much less than talented. But, we admit that we are picky when it comes to live rock. These guys, though, were more about “showmanship” with the lead singer seemingly entertaining himself more than the passengers by wearing a bra and hamming it up with other band members. They were MUCH improved when the fiddler, Barry Van Wie, joined them on Friday night and the “ham bone” took a back seat. The one-man-band, “Chaz. & Co.” did a credible job of providing background music for the Drama Bar and Casino. He got a lot of sound from one pair of hands. Overall, we gave the live musicians a “C+”.

Live Entertainment Grade: “B-“

 

Stateroom Service:

Khongdech, our room steward, met us soon after we entered our rooms. He was very friendly but his English was a bit hard to understand. It was, however, good enough for me to give explain that the $20 I gave him was in advance of receiving good service and that I would take care of him at the end of the cruise if he took care of us (and my sons in a neighboring cabin. He did a nice job, for the most part being invisible, and by servicing our room whenever we went to a meal or on a shore excursion. The cabin was kept clean and tidy, turn down service came without fail, and ice was usually replenished in our wine bucket. We asked for the beds to be separated in our son’s cabin and this was accomplished, albeit with an almost unacceptable delay. Though not related to the service, and we have not figured it into our rating, the outlet in out cabin lost power (as did our son’s) on formal night, likely due to 500 hair blowers going at once! Luckily, we had family on the other side of the ship, lest my wife would STILL be drying her hair! J We found this service to be on par with RCCL and Princess but inferior to Celebrity. Crystal in is a different league from them all, of course.

Stateroom Service Grade: “B+“

 

Dining Services:

There are four basic types if food services – traditional restaurant dining (we were in Imagination Dining Room), buffet-style dining (Tiffany Restaurant), grill (Lido Deck Grill), and room service. Overall, we found the food services to be inferior to RCCL, Princess, and Celebrity.

We found the food in “Imagination” to be average to very good, but never great. At dinner, starter dishes were, for the most part, uninspired and VERY small in portion. Soups were especially weak. Salads were standard fare, hard to screw up – tossed greens and Caesar salads, mostly. We found the dressings to be watered-down. Entrees were a stronger suit with the Prime Rib Beef Wellington, Pork Chop, Lobster, Grouper, Sole, and Grilled Chicken particularly tasty and with well-cooked and well seasoned accompaniments. Desserts were exceptional, if not a bit small in size. We even had a Grand Mariner soufflé and it was outstanding. The Cherries Jubilee was the ONLY disappointment, it was just cherries on ice cream – no brandy and not flambéed.

 

Lunches were, to our tastes, better then the dinners, with fresh fish that was super fresh and excellently prepared and creative salads and salad sandwiches that were heartily prepared and very tastily seasoned. Breakfasts offered the standard fare, served quickly. I enjoyed my favorite, Eggs Benedict, on four of the five days. Others has hot cereals and omelets which the also enjoyed. Fresh fruit, juices, and very nice pastries rounded out the excellent breakfast menu. I particularly enjoy watching the sea go by and being waited on at breakfast!

 

We did have a major issue on the first night and we would have asked to be moved to a different table were it not addressed. Our service was SOOO slow and uneven that it was pathetic. First, it was nearly 30 minutes before we were served anything and some of our starters came even before the bread. Then, some of us were finished with our starters before others were severed theirs – and the same went for salads, entrees and dessert. So slow was the service that we were the LAST table to leave the dining room. Diners for the late seating were filling tables before we left and we even missed part of that night’s show. In addition, we ordered red wine which did not appear until well into the entrée service and it arrived unopened with no opportunity to breath. The server, Rachelle, then broke off the cork in the bottle and her assistant could not save the day. She explained that she would go get another bottle and that she’d charge only half price. She returned in about one minute (not enough time to get another bottle) and it was obvious from the cork in everyone’s glasses that someone simply dug the broken cork out of the bottle. We were subsequently charged full price, too. After dinner, I calmly explained our issues to the maitre’d and told him that we would make allowances, given it was the first night, but would ask to be moved if this occurred the next night. He assured me that he’d take care of things for us. As it turned out, they delivered a free bottle of wine to our cabin and the servers apologized the next evening. We received basically first-calls service from that point onward. I give them credit for successfully addressing our problems. When I tipped the maitre’d at the end of the cruise and thanked him for addressing our issues, he apologized by saying that there should not have been issues to address in the first place (he accepted the tip, though!). Ha! The Imagination Dining Room receives a “B-” grade from us.

 

We found the food at the Tiffany Restaurant to be exceptional (for a buffet). The dishes were well prepared and with a wide variety of offerings. The even had sliced-to-order roast beef, roast pork and roasted turkey breasts at most lunches and dinners. The salad bar while including basic offerings featured well-prepared salads and fresh fruits. Again, the dessert offerings were outstanding – from tasty brownies to caramel crusted pistachios to light-as-a feather layer cakes. The late-night fare, 24-hour pizza (excellent), and New York Deli were nice extra touches. Omelets to order at breakfast went over hugely with my sons. While my wife and I mostly dined in Imagination, my sons ate several times at Tiffanys. Tiffanys deserves an “A” grade.

 

The Lido Deck Grill provided omelets at breakfast, hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch and dinner, and featured a Sushi Bar on three of the five nights. All were basic fare, but prepared well and tasted quite good – especially the burgers with all the trimmings. A pleasant surprise, indeed. We gave this area a “B”.

 

In our experience, room service was just TERRIBLE. My sons ordered it three times, Once they did not get what they ordered, once it came so late that we were already out of our room for the day, and once it did not come at all. We were only met with an “I’m sorry” when mentioning this. I hope others had a better experience because we have to grade this service with a resounding “F”.

Overall Dining Services Grade: “B-”

 

Shore Excursions:

We did not know for sure where would port on our cruise until about two-weeks prior to sailing and, even then, it was subject to change (more about this below). As it turned out, we stopped at Progreso and Cozumel (via tender).

 

We took a tour of Uxmal from a private agency out of Progreso and did our own “thing” in Cozumel. As such our review with respect to Carnival is all about embarkation and debarkation at the ports. At Progreso, things went VERY smoothly and we were off the ship by 7:20 am. Our tour to Uxmal was one of the best highlights of any trip we’ve taken. We were lucky to have outstanding tour guides. One of the guides gave a tour within the site and then gave 1.5 hours to ourselves. During this time, my sons made good friends with him and he took us into some areas marker “no entrance” and let us photograph some things that were otherwise off limits. This place is a “must-see” and more beautiful than Chichen Itza (in my opinion). We were also lucky to be some of the first to return to the ship and walked right on – though we heard some later arrivers stood in line for quite some time.

 

Our time in Cozumel was just wonderful – we only wish that we had been able to stay until 10:00pm as originally scheduled instead of 4:00pm. The tendering went smoothly and even though we did not have a Carnival-scheduled tour, we were on shore at Cozumel by 10:00am. We enjoyed buying a bunch of Cuban cigars and a TON of other items on the “back streets” We were especially successful in our haggling, I suppose because some of the vendors are just now getting back to selling. We bought Panama hats, finely woven lace table clothes, hand-made religious artifacts, tequila, jewelry, loose stones, etc,. etc. My son even bought a small Mexican-made guitar (a real one, not a toy). We took lunch in a very quaint restaurant with very good food, though I don’t recall its name. We even had time for my sons to snorkel at Dzul Ha for about 45 minutes before taking a cab back to the pier. The embarkation was slow and we stood in line for some time. To be fair, though, we waited to the very end to return and were one the LAST tender. Even then we were about 200 yards away when we had to return to pack up straggling couple, the man of which was obviously drunk. Not too much was said to them, but if looks could kill…..they’d have been buried at sea. Then, of course, the guy was trying to elbow his way into line on the way off the tender. There’s ALWAYS at least one in EVERY crowd…

Shore Excursions Grade: “A”

 

Bars/Lounges:

There are umpteen bar services available on Elation. Most run nearly the entire length of the Promenade Deck. Overall, I found the bars and lounges to be superior to those on RCCL and Princess and on a par with Celebrity.

 

The Cole Porter Lounge has a stage and doubles as an entertainment venue. I found its décor among the best I’ve seen on a cruise ship. The Gatsby’s Great Lounge is stunning with an Art Deco theme which is just outstanding. Keith, a bartender in this lounge is a cigar expert and a source of knowledge if you are looking for cigars at a given port. The Drama Bar is a walk-up area near the casino, nothing special – a quick place to grab a soda for those holding soda cards! The Jekyll & Hyde Lounge is DJ-based and mostly the venue for young folks’ activities. It was pretty dead during our cruise, with the exception of the first night. Its red and white décor with half red, half white faces with flashing eyes and smoking mouths is borderline disturbing. The Romeo and Juliet Lounge seemed to be the “rockingest” of all the lounges and the most crowded. Quick service though, especially tip a bit at the outset. The décor here is what you’d expect from its name – Renaissance Italian. The Casablanca Casino is like any other casino, Vegas, AC, reservation. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all. A pretty good mix of games and relatively generous rules. I won $325 playing Blackjack, one of my sons won $50 and the other lost $20. So, we were happy! Duke’s Lounge on the Atlantic Deck provides a quiet respite. Small and intimate, it offers a piano bar by night and High Tea by afternoon in a New York City theme.

Bars/Lounges Grade: “A-“

 

Specialties:

We took only limited advantage of special service, though my wife enjoyed a facial and two pilates sessions. I did my morning workout in the gym, followed by a sauna, steam, shower, and shave. All areas were clean and well serviced.

We liked the photographic opportunities and spent a good deal more on pictures than we thought we would. My advice is to have them tale MULTIPLE shots and ASK them to change settings between shots. MOST of the photographers have a STRONG tendency to over-expose their shots – be forewarned!

Specialties Grade: “B”

 

Activities:

Activities such as the hairy chest contest, scavenger hunt, and survivor contest, we found very weak and boring, though many seemed to enjoy them. The Newlywed Game was funny, mainly due to the very talented Jorge (George during the day, Jorge at night!). We played Bingo once. The leader, Big Sexy, is a talentless gomer and Bingo is obviously a blatant money maker for Carnival. My nephew and niece did the towel folding lessons and my wife and I did the Trivia Contest – we all found both to be average, at best.

Activities Grade: “C-“

 

Staff Courtesy:

On average, out of ten staff members we encountered, we found seven to be very friendly and helpful, one to be helpful but not all that friendly, one to be helpful but with an attitude, and one to be decidedly unfriendly. Not bad, considering the number of folks THEY have to deal with.

Staff Courtesy Grade: “B+”

 

Ship Cleanliness:

I have to create this category for review because Elation does a superb job in this area. It is obvious that the staff pride in their ship or are given strict orders to give such an appearance. While the ship shows some age, it is very clean with staff cleaning down in the corners and along edges where molding meeting glass and where the vertical meets the horizontal (things that I notice). Once, I noticed that someone had vomited in the urinal when I went to take a leak. I mentioned it to my son when I got back to our table. When he went to the bathroom not five minutes later, it had been addressed. This is a-one service, in my book. The only thing I’d like for them to do better is to wash the OUTSIDES of windows in the public rooms – some were kinda scaly which detracts from the view.

Ship Cleanliness Grade: “A”

 

Debarkation/Luggage Service:

We set our luggage out at 10:15 the night prior to disembarking and they were gone by 10:25 (important to those who feel uncomfortable with their luggage sitting in the hall for very long). We knew what to expect the next morning, having cruised before, so we didn’t rush to our meeting place when the first call for debarking was given. We waited in our room, then went and had breakfast. When our color luggage tag was called, we headed directly for the gangway, walked directly off the ship, hailed a porter who immediately found our waiting bags. We breezed through Customs with only one question “Is everyone in you party a US citizen?” An answer of “yes sir,” yielded a “Have a safe trip”! We bought a transfer to the airport form Carnival and this went very slow. We stood in line for about a half an hour before being assigned to a bus – this could have gone much more quickly. But, all in all, debarking was relatively painless. I must add that if you can do the self-disembarkment process by all means DO IT! The first announcements for this came about 7:10 and ALL were off by 7:30! I’ve never been on a cruise where it went this quickly.

Debarkation/Luggage Service Grade: “A-“

 

Pre-Cruise (full):

To be perfectly fair, it should be noted at the outset of this section that some of the problems we experienced were a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma. However, a company’s response to challenges, especially from a customer service-related company like a cruise line, is a true measure of its commitment to customer service. In this respect, Carnival scores a D-, at best.

When Katrina and Wilma struck, we felt as badly as anyone. We contributed financially in a very substantial way to victims of both hurricanes. My sons and I did volunteer service in the Gulfport are for 10 days immediately following Katrina. We were in a group marking X’s on buildings, so enough said there. Anyway, we do not mean to whine in the face of other’s misfortune but only with respect to Carnival’s lack of response and respect for their customers.

 

First, our original cruise on Sensation out of New Orleans was cancelled. We were not notified of this cancellation. I had to read about it on this board. Finally, notice was given on the Carnival website, but it said that WE had cancelled the cruise, and without further explanation. When I called to inquire about what was happening, I was hung up on by a Carnival representative. When I called back I was told that Carnival cancelled the cruise and that MAYBE we would get some sort of refund!

 

I later called to see what my options were for rescheduling since this cruise was for our family of nine which included my 90 yo mother-in-law who saw this as her last family “fling”. When I told a Carnival rep this, I was told “Oh yeah, everyone has a 90 yo MIL these days”. Imagine! I called another rep who said that I could book the Elation out of Galveston. I was told that while it was the exact same itinerary, on the exact dates, and on the exact same class of ship, the fare would be $280 more PER PERSON, because booking came nearer the cruise date. When I explained that our original cruise had been cancelled and that we had booked that cruise MANY months ago, they would still not honor that fare rate. I find this to be an appallingly blatant act of price gouging and would have cancelled then and there if we could have traveled at another time. BTW, I was also told that we would get a $100 onboard credit, but only if we booked another Carnival cruise. When I explained that we had to pay $100 each to change our air flights, I was told that this was no concern to Carnival and that I should complain to the airline. So, we rescheduled our cruise at an additional cost of $250 per person. Flat out robbery under the circumstances. A courteous e-mail to “Uncle Bob” with respect to our issues went unanswered.

 

After Wilma struck, everyone knows of the problems in Cozumel. Carnival drug its collective feet for a very long time before announcing its plans for port of call changes – for everyone EXCEPT five-day cruises leaving on Monday out of Galveston. When I called to inquire when a decision would be made I was again hung up on. The next representative was rude when both my wife and I asked questions in a very courteous way. I asked to speak with a supervisor, who was also rude and made it sound like she was doing us a favor to speak with us – going so fart as to say that we were lucky to be taking a cruise at all and that we should be happy to be going anywhere. I have been all over the world on many trips, both for business and pleasure and have never been spoken to like that. Again, I e-mailed “Uncle Bob” and, again, received no reply of any kind. It seems that this guy can be very gracious and return e-mails when people have good things to say – but not bad things.

 

Too, there are several other things which occurred to us with respect to rudeness and inefficiency in the area of customer service but I am too weary to list them all. Needless to say, we were wholly disgusted by Carnival and there actions before we left on our cruise. We were fully prepared to give the cruise a good bashing when we returned. However, we cannot do so because the cruise, for the overwhelming part, was very enjoyable. That said, having experienced their customer service, I would NOT book another Carnival cruise. I have cruised other lines and been treated most fairly and, more importantly, with respect. Carnival did not do this by any stretch of the imagination. It is our feeling that the price difference between lines reflects the quality of the cruise in proportional measure – meaning you get what you pay for. While Carnival cruise are good for the money, they do not match Princess or Celebrity on a dollar/value basis. Add to that the Carnival’s abysmal customer service which clinches our decision. We would rather spend a bit more and have a better quality cruise AND good customer service. On the other hand those that don’t care about customer service will clearly find value on a budget with Carnival.

Pre-Cruise (full) Grade: “D-“

[bjr928]

Thank you very much for your review! I will be on her on Monday! :p This is the most thorough review I've read and I appreciate all your detail.

 

I do have one question - you mentioned that it was 10 am when you made it on shore at Cozumel. Did you wait to go on a later tender or were you one of the first ones after the Carnival excursion people? I ask because I have an excursion booked on Playa del Carmen for 11 am (the only time that had available after the last minute itinerary changes - don't ya love it!) and I am having serious doubts that we will be able to make it on time.

[4yanx]

Thank you very much for your review! I will be on her on Monday! :p This is the most thorough review I've read and I appreciate all your detail.

 

I do have one question - you mentioned that it was 10 am when you made it on shore at Cozumel. Did you wait to go on a later tender or were you one of the first ones after the Carnival excursion people? I ask because I have an excursion booked on Playa del Carmen for 11 am (the only time that had available after the last minute itinerary changes - don't ya love it!) and I am having serious doubts that we will be able to make it on time.

 

We were one of the first groups that boarded a tender AFTER those who had Carnival tours departed. We thought this was doing fairly well because they originally said that those NOT holding Carnival tour tickets would not tender until 10:00, or later. We started boarding the tender about 9:30 and arrived in Cozumel a few strokes before 10. Have fun!!

[hdawson]

4yanx. Glad to hear you had a good time. I agree, Uxmal is awesome.

[4yanx]

4yanx. Glad to hear you had a good time. I agree, Uxmal is awesome.

 

Yes, Uxmal so awesome that a return trip there has vaulted over several other places we've yet to see. Three and a half hours does not do it justice. We'd have paid large to stay longer.

 

Seems like I rambled forever in this review but if anyone has questions that I didn't address, please fire away.

[Vanessa L]

4yanx:

 

Great review and I could not agree more. You get what you pay for. And it sounds to me like you GET this. What amazes me is the folks who go on a $1 cruise and expect a $100 experience (figurative, but you get it). It is NOT going to happen.

 

I think if folks would remember when they are going on Carnival that they are going on Carnival and NOT Celebrity or Princess or Heaven forbid, Crystal, they would be much happier. Yes, it is appropriate to expect a pleasant experience and it is frustrating when we don't get it. But expecting a Celebrity experience on a Carnival cruise is not appropriate. And never mind trying to compare Crystal to anyone. They are in a league of their own.

 

It was wonderful to read a review from someone who gets that you get what you pay for and if you don't pay for it, you aren't going to get it. Period. I hate you had to go through what you did with customer service but after reading these boards for a few months now, I am not in the least surprized.

 

Figuring that if you pay $300 for a room vs $1000 for the same room on an upscale line, you can expect only the $300 service, not the same service you would get at the $1000 line. This is not rocket science.

[zqvol]

4yanx:

 

Great review and I could not agree more. You get what you pay for. And it sounds to me like you GET this. What amazes me is the folks who go on a $1 cruise and expect a $100 experience (figurative, but you get it). It is NOT going to happen.

 

I think if folks would remember when they are going on Carnival that they are going on Carnival and NOT Celebrity or Princess or Heaven forbid, Crystal, they would be much happier. Yes, it is appropriate to expect a pleasant experience and it is frustrating when we don't get it. But expecting a Celebrity experience on a Carnival cruise is not appropriate. And never mind trying to compare Crystal to anyone. They are in a league of their own.

 

It was wonderful to read a review from someone who gets that you get what you pay for and if you don't pay for it, you aren't going to get it. Period. I hate you had to go through what you did with customer service but after reading these boards for a few months now, I am not in the least surprized.

 

Figuring that if you pay $300 for a room vs $1000 for the same room on an upscale line, you can expect only the $300 service, not the same service you would get at the $1000 line. This is not rocket science.

Thanks for a great review. I am on Elation in May on the new eastern itinerary. I am looking forward to the cruise but not real thrilled with being on Carnival after only being on Sea Dream in the past.

 

I do realize that I am not going to get the same service or quality, not to mention the fact that I will have to pay for drinks and gratuties, but I envision it being a smaller version of a Disney property and since I can handle that and their food, I think I'll have a good time.

 

You have relieved some concerns about the ship itself.

 

Thanks

[ala-kat]

We were booked last month out of Mobile, and DITTO to all the OP stated about Carnivals notification of cancelation, customer service and price gouging. Only difference is I was never hung up on, but I did do some hanging up myself.

[Snoozeman]

4y

 

Good review--glad you found some Panama's in Coz. Sorry for your troubles pre-cruise. Were you not using the same PVP? We had our Sensation cancelled and ours did a fair job of getting us rebooked. I didn't get my credit until the 3rd time back on CCL, but did get it. Doesn't sound like you were treated well by customer service. We did move our table after the first night in the Inspiration, glad your service improved. Overall I think I/we enjoyed the Elation more than you. We sailed as a family last Christmas and I did a solo in November. Never say never, if CCL has a bargin price or sale, maybe give them another try.:)

[4yanx]

4y

 

Good review--glad you found some Panama's in Coz. Sorry for your troubles pre-cruise. Were you not using the same PVP? We had our Sensation cancelled and ours did a fair job of getting us rebooked. I didn't get my credit until the 3rd time back on CCL, but did get it. Doesn't sound like you were treated well by customer service. We did move our table after the first night in the Inspiration, glad your service improved. Overall I think I/we enjoyed the Elation more than you. We sailed as a family last Christmas and I did a solo in November. Never say never, if CCL has a bargin price or sale, maybe give them another try.:)

 

SM, I think my review fairly indicates that we had a good time on the ship and that I didn't have any major issues with the ship, itself. I read your recent review and don’t think mine is really all that different.

As for booking with Carnival again, it isn't about the money. Carnival is always cheaper that other cruise lines, so that is kind of a moot point. The point IS, though, why would I want to? If Carnival cannot even treat me with civility when I call, and the higher ups can't even return a message (even by acknowledging it was received), why should I get back to them? Sorry, but treating me like that ONCE is more than enough for me, let alone several times. That said I don’t doubt that other folks will continue to cruise Carnival and enjoy their experience, but not us.

[Snoozeman]

Glad it was fun for ya. I'm more of a bargin hunter, especially when it comes to CCL. Since I can drive to Galveston I will take them up on a last minute deals. Booked once on two-day notice.

 

I'm interested in your experinces with Uxmal. That's one of the few places we haven't been in the Yucatan. What made you prefer it over Chichen Itza? I may have to make a point to get to Uxmal.

[nimbex1970]

Thank you for an excellent review! We're sailing the new itinerary in Sept. and appreciated the ship info in such detail. Personally I'd keep sending letters to the customer service manager in hopes that an improvement in their "professionalism" can be improved. I also understand and agree that with so many cruising options youre vacation $$ can be best spent elsewhere. Thanks again for the time invested in this great review!

 

carol

[4yanx]

Glad it was fun for ya. I'm more of a bargin hunter, especially when it comes to CCL. Since I can drive to Galveston I will take them up on a last minute deals. Booked once on two-day notice.

 

I'm interested in your experinces with Uxmal. That's one of the few places we haven't been in the Yucatan. What made you prefer it over Chichen Itza? I may have to make a point to get to Uxmal.

 

I wouldn't say that Uxmal is head and shoulders above Chichen Itza, they are actually very close in my book, just different. If I could only choose ONE, though, it would be Uxmal. I rather prefer its architectural style, as well as the relief patterns on the buildings. It is more compact than Chcihen Itza which cuts down on the walking a bit, if that is a factor for you. On the other hand, the Uxmal area is the only hilly region in Yucatan and the walk includes some relatively steeper grades. From the top of the pyramids that you can climb, one can see several "bumps" in the landscape that are actually buildings yet to be uncovered from jungle growth and restored. In addition, it is MUCH less crowded than Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza is kinda like the Sears Tower in Chicago - everyone has heard of it and every one goes there bucking the crowd, while the Hancock Building is lesser known but actually more enjoyable to visit. But, unlike either building, both Chichen Itza and Uxmal are really must-sees and once in a lifetime experiences.

[4yanx]

Thank you for an excellent review! We're sailing the new itinerary in Sept. and appreciated the ship info in such detail. Personally I'd keep sending letters to the customer service manager in hopes that an improvement in their "professionalism" can be improved. I also understand and agree that with so many cruising options youre vacation $$ can be best spent elsewhere. Thanks again for the time invested in this great review!

 

carol

 

I may try a final letter, now that the cruise is over, and see what happens. Thanks for your thanks with respect to taking the time to review. It does take time and I appreciate the recognition, whether my views are agreeable with others or not. However, I wish I had taken an extra 10 minutes to find all of the typos, dropped words, and punctuation errors..... :-(

 

One thing I might mention about the ship, as I am curious in the event anyone else has noticed. While the ship rides very smoothly (some rock and yaw to be expected), there was a distinct vibration underfoot (and under seat) when the ship was sailing at full steam. Wonder if that is a characteristic of the azipods or there was something amiss with the ship. It was not a big issue, just a bit annoying at times.

[cheshyrkat]

...One thing I might mention about the ship, as I am curious in the event anyone else has noticed. While the ship rides very smoothly (some rock and yaw to be expected), there was a distinct vibration underfoot (and under seat) when the ship was sailing at full steam. Wonder if that is a characteristic of the azipods or there was something amiss with the ship. It was not a big issue, just a bit annoying at times.

 

I noticed that, too. In the Mikado lounge on the Port side it was so pronounced that it was like sitting on one of those old-fashioned vibrating mattresses! It just about vibrated me to sleep on a couple of occasions. I had wondered if there was not something wrong with the azipods. I have heard that azipods are supposed to be quieter and have less vibration, but also that a large percentage of ships that have the azipods have problems with them. My mother thought there must have been some kind of "engine" problems because when she was on the Maasdam they missed a port due to problems and there was a similar vibration. Of course neither of us are experts on the issue! Conquest's ride was much less jittery.

[4yanx]

I noticed that, too. In the Mikado lounge on the Port side it was so pronounced that it was like sitting on one of those old-fashioned vibrating mattresses! It just about vibrated me to sleep on a couple of occasions. I had wondered if there was not something wrong with the azipods. I have heard that azipods are supposed to be quieter and have less vibration, but also that a large percentage of ships that have the azipods have problems with them. My mother thought there must have been some kind of "engine" problems because when she was on the Maasdam they missed a port due to problems and there was a similar vibration. Of course neither of us are experts on the issue! Conquest's ride was much less jittery.

 

I am wondering what were your impressions of Elation, given that you were on the 5-day Monday sailing just prior to ours. You had quite a number of questions prior to sailing, and I was thinking you'd post a review. If you have done so, please direct me to the link. Otherwise, I'd have interest in whether your onboard experience was similar to ours.

[4yanx]

I should note that we expereinced this vibration ONLY when the ship was under full steam (maybe the first few hours after leaving a port). Makes me think it might have been an issue of balance in a drive shaft. When approaching or departing port Elation was one of the smoothest ships I've ever sailed. Close you eyes and you could not tell when you docked or left port. Nice.

[diamondgirl45]

You said you tendered at Cozumel. We have been there twice and going again in February.

Are they docking at a different place ?

Thanks,

diamondgirl

[4yanx]

You said you tendered at Cozumel. We have been there twice and going again in February.

Are they docking at a different place ?

Thanks,

diamondgirl

 

Yes, everyone is tendering in Cozumel since the Wilma damage. There is MUCH damage still evident. We tendered in and were dropped off at what's left of the Playa Mia dock. There are only six ships allowed in port at any one time and I am not sure if Elation tenders to the same dock every time or they mix and match. When we were there, in addition to Elation, three RCCL ships, a Princess ship, and an NCL ship were present. The ships cannot even anchor so as not to disrupt the coral reefs. It is my understaning that such will be the case well into next Spring, so you will no doubt be tendering if you port at Cozumel in February.

[nimbex1970]

please excuse, that I didnt re-read to locate your cabin #. Our only experience with the vibration that you spoke of was on our first sail in the back cabins. When we pulled in, and or the anchor dropped, the vibrations were unmistakable. Was your cabin located twords the back on a lower deck?

 

thanks

carol

[nimbex1970]

Just wanted to add, that today I was reprinting our pics of our conquest sail. Imagining Cozumel pier to be gone, the shops, restaurants, like fat tuesdays... then looking at New Orleans, then remembering our second last sail to gran caymen in 4/05 where much was still devistated... I'm appreciating my cruising more than I thought I would.

 

Never would have guessed that so much would be destroyed in 18 months from Ivan to Katrina... very sad indeed. I hope that our cruise itinerary remains intact with this next season!

[cheshyrkat]

I am wondering what were your impressions of Elation, given that you were on the 5-day Monday sailing just prior to ours. You had quite a number of questions prior to sailing, and I was thinking you'd post a review. If you have done so, please direct me to the link. Otherwise, I'd have interest in whether your onboard experience was similar to ours.

I did not post an individual review of my experience. I added onto another review. Aside from all the pre-cruise confusion I really enjoyed Elation. I thought she was a beautiful ship. I had a similar experience to yours with some small differences...

 

-I didn't have quite same problems with customer service as you, but I have no idea why. There are some Carnival reps that just plain don't know what they're doing and once I found someone who could give me appropriate answers I kept calling them back specifically. Don't know how it would have turned out otherwise.

 

-Also, I didn't really care for Spin. It was the only one of the major shows that they had that I went to. I don't generally enjoy those types of things anyway, so that doesn't mean the show wasn't actually good! I only saw Blood Power perform at the Past Guest Party and they were not wearing bras, etc...they weren't the best I've ever heard but certainly not the worst. That guy standing outside the Drama Bar (to me) was lacking in talent. Maybe he had an off week when we were there but he was quite often off-key and more often than not he was singing songs he had no business even trying to sing. I'd cringe as we walked past him!

 

-We had great service in the dining room (Imagination) and the only issue I had there was with the people who we were seated with. I am very tolerant (almost to a fault sometimes) but wow...Actually it was the teenage girl seated at my table who was the culprit. It's unfair for me to lay blame on everybody. She belched loudly at the table, ridiculed the waitstaff to their faces and was generally disagreeable. Good thing they only came to dinner 2 nights. I was embarrassed for her. But that's not Carnival's fault at all.

 

-Room service was spotty for us as it was for you. Some days it was really late, but we never had it not come at all.

 

-Uxmal was amazing. A tour in Progreso seems to be the only way to go. Cozumel was devastated, but it didn't stop us from doing anything that we had wanted to do. No tour here, just shopping, really.

 

-I also found the Cole Porter Lounge and Gatsby's to be some of the most appealing decor I've seen on a cruise ship.

 

If you have any questions I'd be happy to answer them.

[4yanx]

please excuse, that I didnt re-read to locate your cabin #. Our only experience with the vibration that you spoke of was on our first sail in the back cabins. When we pulled in, and or the anchor dropped, the vibrations were unmistakable. Was your cabin located twords the back on a lower deck?

 

thanks

carol

 

We were in cabins E61, E63, E38, and E42 - quite a bit forward and both port and starboard. We felt the vibration in the Mikado Lounge (about as far forward as you can get), but somewhat stronger in the aft lounges and Tiffany Restaurant. Again, though, it wasn't a huge deal, just a bit annoying.

[yeehaw!]

I want to toss in my 2 cents on the service. We were on Elation over labor day, needless to say, that was the week right after NO got hit. That being said, Carnival had agreed to loan the Ecstacy to the national gaurd, since this ship goes out of Galveston, they we're in the process of canceling the 7 days and letting the Elation take over the 4 and 5 day. We were to depart on Sunday, Sat afternoon, we got "the call" we figured we were not going, however, they just made our 7 into a 6 day, and the Carnival rep was very polite and apologetic. In addition, we were given a 15% refund on board, and a $200 credit (100 per person). This was more than fair. We had zero issues leaving, and the ENTIRE staff begining to end was awesome.

 

We all know that storms are part of cruising, and while I am in Texas and did not have to pay to change a flight, I would have done so without a complaint, I was going on a cruise, and the fact that the WEATHER changed things should not be held against a company. I am sorry to hear about the horrible customer service and hope that was an isolated problem, as we are going back on the Elation on 2/6/06!

[4yanx]

And, just to make my position clear, I was NOT blaming circumstances that occured because of the "WEATHER" on Carnival but, rather, their response to those circumstances as they related to their already booked customers. I don't see anyone in this thread that is saying otherwise.

 

In our and many others' cases, these things could have been dealt with in a MUCH better manner and the utterly greedy way they handled things fare-wise and the terrible treatment we recieved by customer service (apart from service on the SHIP which was decent and acceptable, but not outstanding) left a decidely bitter taste. My wife has been a nurse and nurse manager for over 25 years. I am in a business where I deal with paying clients that I have to keep happy everyday. We know from personal experience how customer service PROVIDERS should be treated and spoken to, so the tired old "sometimes customer service people react to how they are treated by customers" excuse does not hold water in this instance.

 

I'm sincerely glad you had a good time and glad you get treated in a way that you thought was fair. Many others were not. You will book again with Carnival, we will not. Enough said. :)