Just Off the Paradise on Premier Getaway Cruise

[Djptcp]

DH and I have sailed on the Paradise a number of times because we live close to the Port of Tampa and it's so convenient. This was a casino Premier Getaway cruise and I received $500 casino cash (not Fun Play) and both I and DH received free drinks throughout the cruise while in the casino. We like the Paradise and I have submitted a positive CC review previously. We do have a complaint though. There were way too many Getaway Casino cruise people for a small casino like the one on Paradise! We have never experienced this on other Premier cruises - the casino was constantly packed and it was difficult if not almost impossible to find an empty slot machine or table game table to play. The only times I could move from slot to slot was from 7am-10am on the at sea days. Forget later than that or in the evenings after dinner. I could tell all the Getaway cruise passengers by the special lanyards we wore. We are going to mention this in our cruise survey comments and suggest they severely limit the number of Getaway passengers on the Paradise because the casino is just way too small to accommodate that many people. We were far from being the only ones who were unhappy with the situation. I suspect that Carnival won't care since they probably liked that the casino was always packed and more money for them.

[dcwalker]

Ooh. I'm going on a premier cruise on Ecstasy. That's a small ship, too, with a small casino. Not good. How was it getting drinks?

[footballbabe3]

Darn we are doing the Paradise on our first Getaway Casino Cruise. I hope we can find some room to gamble. I have heard a lot of people saying the same thing. 

[sc4125]

I was just on the Glory for an Ultra Casino cruise and it was CRAZY crowded in the casino.  That casino isn't as small as the one on the Paradise (btw I too like the Paradise), but it could have been 10 times the size of the one on the Paradise and would have still been crowded.  The welcome aboard cocktail party was held in the showroom lounge and I have never seen anywhere near that many people at other Premier cruises I've been on.  I thought perhaps it was because they don't offer as many Ultra cruises, but sounds like that isn't the issue since you had the same issue on a Getaway.

 

I liked the fact that we got a guaranteed "prize" - mine was the new Galaxy phone and I was thrilled because I have to purchase a new phone in the next several months - retiring in seven months and the agency is taking their cell phone back, bummer.  That being said, I'm not sure that I would go on another Ultra.  Can't beat the casino deals, so I'm hoping that the next one I take isn't as crowded - we'll see.