Warning Gross short review. Ecstasy poo cruise!

[BoDidly]

A short non sweet review 😖.

Most of you that know me know I dislike doing reviews, love to read them though !

Also some of you may know I am a well seasoned cruiser .  I'll get straight to the point. 

Ecstasy is a ship I and family have  enjoyed in the past several times over. This time not so much.

Even to the point the point of saying we will never board this ship again. 

 

The first part will be main deck has become seriously disruptive with a horrible poo smell .

Going to guest services and complaining will simply get you disgruntled surly faces .

They're tired of hearing the complaints and it shows the minute you comment on it.

This is a serious problem with this ship people.

 

Second part ,Never fazed them , response's were we'll have someone look at it. No smiles nothing.

Ecstasy has never ,ever had this problem in the past while we sailed . Something or sewage pipe has become separated somewhere down the line.

No apology offered or considered . Carnival knows this is a serious problem but continue to book the deck /cabins .

 

Good things were , the comedy club was really great with RJ Brow jaming on his guitar while popping the jokes.

The other comedian Nova something ( can't recall his name ) needs to fine some new material, heard the same show for years now.

 Dave Wilder was killer at the piano bar ! 

 

Food , subjective not a fan of Carnivals food.

Ship has become a rust bucket, the truth . The staff working on welding the frames on rusted windows while in motion.

Fumes burning my eyes while using the aft elevators aft of deck nine.

 

Diamond / Platinum party was like an in and out drive through with two cars in line, that quick.

Servers came around twice for drinks and twice with sushi trays then disappeared .

A guitar player played a few songs then a flash of the ships well you know the rest of that old fiddle playing tune.

 

Here's a thought revamp the party and bring in a comedian , tell a few jokes and liven the party up a bit .

We have seen the ships , no one even clapped for the video showing the ships. Get rid of it !

Who really gives a good jelly bean how many beans are jammed in that damn jar 🤣.

Or  Mr 400 sea days who has five hundred plaques to show for it  ??

Just me being me .

 

[crzndeb]

Then why did you cruise on an 18 year old ship? This one is ready for the retirement home. Sometimes we just have to admit that some have run their course.

Edited March 3, 2019 by crzndeb

[BoDidly]

9 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

Then why did you cruise on an 18 year old ship? This one is ready for the old folks farm.

Guilty as sin crzndeb 😉. Reasoning .Two beautiful green eyes and a quick anniversary getaway before spring break set in on a ship that we once loved . Timing ,before her knee surgery !

Edited March 3, 2019 by BoDidly

[Tiger0613]

1 hour ago, crzndeb said:

Then why did you cruise on an 18 year old ship? This one is ready for the retirement home. Sometimes we just have to admit that some have run their course.

It is 28 years old.  It has been in service since January 1991.  I would still sail on the Ecstasy.  The Fantasy class is my favorite class.  This class has plenty of life left in it.  Old doesn't mean dead.  The Holiday(1985) and Celebration(1987) are still sailing for other cruise lines.

 

My first cruise was on the Jubilee in 2002.  I was 13.  I loved it, and I didn't need all of the bells and whistles of the newer ships to have fun.

Edited March 3, 2019 by Tiger0613

[pyropoodle]

Aww, that's too bad.  Ecstasy was the very first ship i sailed on circa 1996 ish.  Hopefully they'll get the problem fixed and hopefully they can maintain her and get her back to her former glory.   I'd like to sail on her again, just for nostalgia. 

[xDisconnections]

Thanks for the review, Bo.

 

Although I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy your cruise, at least one can know what to expect ahead of time. I hope your wife’s surgery goes well and you can schedule a really nice cruise as a way to celebrate soon.

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for the review.

Hope your next cruise is better.

[Aplmac]

8 hours ago, crzndeb said:

.. an 18 year old ship? This one is ready for the retirement home.

Sometimes we just have to admit that some have run their course.

.

And again I say

it's time Carnival Corp. retires these sad old tubs.

 

They are waaay past their Best by: date

- the entire Fantasy Class!

[jimbo5544]

42 minutes ago, Aplmac said:

.

And again I say

it's time Carnival Corp. retires these sad old tubs.

 

They are waaay past their Best by: date

- the entire Fantasy Class!

If people keep sailing on them, they will keep running them. While I do not remember of the Ecstasy as a rust buck, she is a little long in the tooth.  I actually gave a really good idea to some senior managers at Carnival on what they should do with the Fantasy class, but they were just mildly interested.....

[PhillyFan33579]

11 hours ago, BoDidly said:

A short non sweet review 😖.

Most of you that know me know I dislike doing reviews, love to read them though !

Also some of you may know I am a well seasoned cruiser .  I'll get straight to the point. 

Ecstasy is a ship I and family have  enjoyed in the past several times over. This time not so much.

Even to the point the point of saying we will never board this ship again. 

 

The first part will be main deck has become seriously disruptive with a horrible poo smell .

Going to guest services and complaining will simply get you disgruntled surly faces .

They're tired of hearing the complaints and it shows the minute you comment on it.

This is a serious problem with this ship people.

 

Second part ,Never fazed them , response's were we'll have someone look at it. No smiles nothing.

Ecstasy has never ,ever had this problem in the past while we sailed . Something or sewage pipe has become separated somewhere down the line.

No apology offered or considered . Carnival knows this is a serious problem but continue to book the deck /cabins .

 

Good things were , the comedy club was really great with RJ Brow jaming on his guitar while popping the jokes.

The other comedian Nova something ( can't recall his name ) needs to fine some new material, heard the same show for years now.

 Dave Wilder was killer at the piano bar ! 

 

Food , subjective not a fan of Carnivals food.

Ship has become a rust bucket, the truth . The staff working on welding the frames on rusted windows while in motion.

Fumes burning my eyes while using the aft elevators aft of deck nine.

 

Diamond / Platinum party was like an in and out drive through with two cars in line, that quick.

Servers came around twice for drinks and twice with sushi trays then disappeared .

A guitar player played a few songs then a flash of the ships well you know the rest of that old fiddle playing tune.

 

Here's a thought revamp the party and bring in a comedian , tell a few jokes and liven the party up a bit .

We have seen the ships , no one even clapped for the video showing the ships. Get rid of it !

Who really gives a good jelly bean how many beans are jammed in that damn jar 🤣.

Or  Mr 400 sea days who has five hundred plaques to show for it  ??

Just me being me .

 

 

If you don’t like older ships and you don’t like Carnival’s good, why would you sail on Carnival. I can respect the posts from people who say they no longer cruise on Carnival due to any number of reasons. What I don’t understand is why someone who feels like you do would continue to sail on Carnival. If I felt like you do, which I don’t, I would never cruise on Carnival again. There are too many other cruise lines available out there. 

[Steel City cruiser]

Long time reader, don't post much.

The original poster made the following statement.

Ecstasy is a ship I and family have  enjoyed in the past several times over. This time not so much.

 

I am not sure why people are questioning him as to why he selected an older ship when the statement above says that they have been on the ship several times and have enjoyed it previously. It seems like other posters may be skimming the threads instead of reading them. I know I have in the past and made incorrect assumptions or came to mistaken conclusions.

[teknoge3k]

Was your comedian Kelly Terranova? That's the only comedian I can think of with a 'nova' name on Carnival. He's pretty funny I think. 

[lcpagejr]

25 minutes ago, Steel City cruiser said:

Long time reader, don't post much.

The original poster made the following statement.

Ecstasy is a ship I and family have  enjoyed in the past several times over. This time not so much.

 

I am not sure why people are questioning him as to why he selected an older ship when the statement above says that they have been on the ship several times and have enjoyed it previously. It seems like other posters may be skimming the threads instead of reading them. I know I have in the past and made incorrect assumptions or came to mistaken conclusions.

 You are 110% correct!! Bo is a huge contributor and a Carnival loyalist.... I have no reason to 2nd guess his comments!!

[BoDidly]

11 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

Was your comedian Kelly Terranova? That's the only comedian I can think of with a 'nova' name on Carnival. He's pretty funny I think. 

Kelly Terranova , yup that's the name. He was pretty funny to , the first time round. But after five or six times several years apart perhaps find some new material to recite. 

[BoDidly]

3 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

Thanks for the review, Bo.

 

Although I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy your cruise, at least one can know what to expect ahead of time. I hope your wife’s surgery goes well and you can schedule a really nice cruise as a way to celebrate soon.

That's the point and to the point of my posting this review. 👍 Thanks for bringing the comments.

[audcc77]

I’m with you, Bo. 

 

With the addition of Guys Burgers and BlueIguana Cantina, I was very excited to board the Ecstasy.  I’m okay with Fantasy class ships, however, I will never sail on Ecstasy again.  The last time was in December 2017 and our room smelled AWFUL the moment we walked in. 

 

I told Guest Services and they sent a guy up immediately.  He was in our room from 3pm to 10 pm,  when it was finally fixed. We were comped a bottle of wine and lobster so that was nice.

 

However, the rest of the ship was falling apart like no other.  Some restroom doors didn’t close or lock.  An elevator was not even working the entire time. The furniture in the dining room and common areas seemed dingy.  The entire ship was just so worn. 

 

So glad that it moving out of Charleston.

 

 

[BoDidly]

19 minutes ago, audcc77 said:

I’m with you, Bo. 

 

With the addition of Guys Burgers and BlueIguana Cantina, I was very excited to board the Ecstasy.  I’m okay with Fantasy class ships, however, I will never sail on Ecstasy again.  The last time was in December 2017 and our room smelled AWFUL the moment we walked in. 

 

I told Guest Services and they sent a guy up immediately.  He was in our room from 3pm to 10 pm,  when it was finally fixed. We were comped a bottle of wine and lobster so that was nice.

 

However, the rest of the ship was falling apart like no other.  Some restroom doors didn’t close or lock.  An elevator was not even working the entire time. The furniture in the dining room and common areas seemed dingy.  The entire ship was just so worn. 

 

So glad that it moving out of Charleston.

 

Thanks your post tells me that it is an on going problem with blank stares at guest services.  Our comp was blank stares .  You were comped at least 👍

 

Edited March 3, 2019 by BoDidly

[MrFunInTheSun]

11 hours ago, crzndeb said:

Then why did you cruise on an 18 year old ship? This one is ready for the retirement home. Sometimes we just have to admit that some have run their course.

 

He's sailed on her and loved her in the past, why would he pass her up now, even if she is 28 years old.

Though I do agree, its almost time for them to be totally revamped, poor girls are getting tired.

 

1 hour ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

If you don’t like older ships and you don’t like Carnival’s good, why would you sail on Carnival. I can respect the posts from people who say they no longer cruise on Carnival due to any number of reasons. What I don’t understand is why someone who feels like you do would continue to sail on Carnival. If I felt like you do, which I don’t, I would never cruise on Carnival again. There are too many other cruise lines available out there. 

 

Not sure he said he didn't like Carnival, I'm not seeing that in his review. He's just stating his observations from a seasoned cruisers viewpoint from some of his past great cruises he's had on this ship.

 

12 hours ago, BoDidly said:

A short non sweet review 😖.

Most of you that know me know I dislike doing reviews, love to read them though !

Also some of you may know I am a well seasoned cruiser .  I'll get straight to the point. 

Ecstasy is a ship I and family have  enjoyed in the past several times over. This time not so much.

Even to the point the point of saying we will never board this ship again. 

 

The first part will be main deck has become seriously disruptive with a horrible poo smell .

Going to guest services and complaining will simply get you disgruntled surly faces .

They're tired of hearing the complaints and it shows the minute you comment on it.

This is a serious problem with this ship people.

 

Second part ,Never fazed them , response's were we'll have someone look at it. No smiles nothing.

Ecstasy has never ,ever had this problem in the past while we sailed . Something or sewage pipe has become separated somewhere down the line.

No apology offered or considered . Carnival knows this is a serious problem but continue to book the deck /cabins .

 

Good things were , the comedy club was really great with RJ Brow jaming on his guitar while popping the jokes.

The other comedian Nova something ( can't recall his name ) needs to fine some new material, heard the same show for years now.

 Dave Wilder was killer at the piano bar ! 

 

Food , subjective not a fan of Carnivals food.

Ship has become a rust bucket, the truth . The staff working on welding the frames on rusted windows while in motion.

Fumes burning my eyes while using the aft elevators aft of deck nine.

 

Diamond / Platinum party was like an in and out drive through with two cars in line, that quick.

Servers came around twice for drinks and twice with sushi trays then disappeared .

A guitar player played a few songs then a flash of the ships well you know the rest of that old fiddle playing tune.

 

Here's a thought revamp the party and bring in a comedian , tell a few jokes and liven the party up a bit .

We have seen the ships , no one even clapped for the video showing the ships. Get rid of it !

Who really gives a good jelly bean how many beans are jammed in that damn jar 🤣.

Or  Mr 400 sea days who has five hundred plaques to show for it  ??

Just me being me .

 

 

My first cruise ever was with Carnival Ecstasy back in 2000 for a three night cruise out of Miami. So she always has a special place in my heart, even with it being only a three night cruise which got me into this cruise addiction thing. 🙂

 

That said I went on many cruises on many ships and ventured past Carnival after a being very loyal to Carnival then a brief transition to Royal. These Fantasy class ships are amazing and surely easy to get around, but this doesn't mean they don't need some new loving.

 

My last cruise with Carnival was back in 2012 on Carnival Ecstasy for a five night cruise. Kind of nostalgic with my last Carnival cruise going back on the ship where my cruising adventures began. I did a "Live" trip report from that time period.

 

 

 

Will say, even back in 2012 when walking up on the upper decks and going between certain floors there was always that "Poop" smell. Can't imagine how it is now seven years later. I remember standing up on the upper deck in certain areas and the stench was so strong it made your eyes water. However that "poop" smell certainly isn't exclusive to Carnival as I've observed that smell on a Royal Caribbean ship too, mostly the older girls though.

 

Hopefully they have some plans for these ships, they must be bringing in some cash to not retire them, though not enough to totally revamp them. A few weeks ago I was on the Symphony of the Seas and whilst we were docked in Cozumel, Carnival Triumph sailed in. Know she is now going for her revamp to become Carnival Sunrise, but boy did she look like they have stopped any upkeep on that ship from a distance. Poor girl, hope she comes back better and perkier than ever. 

 

 

 

Looking forward to sailing on Carnival Mardi Gras in 2021!

 

[BoDidly]

8 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

If people keep sailing on them, they will keep running them. While I do not remember of the Ecstasy as a rust buck, she is a little long in the tooth.  I actually gave a really good idea to some senior managers at Carnival on what they should do with the Fantasy class, but they were just mildly interested.....

Fantasy class still has life in them for sure, perhaps taken out of line and completely remodel them fixing all known problems . And do so before the customer gets blindsided into booking a cabin with problems already known by Carnival.  Very misleading to the customer paying and expecting clean breathable cabins to enjoy.

Poo Deck two air is not sanitary, very unhealthy for the human being to breath. That section should never have been allowed for booking.

[pcvtmom]

Huh...we just got off the Ecstasy Feb. 20-25 sailing.  We noticed NO poop smell, had a great cruise, and the only complaint was less than satisfactory room steward service!  It was our 27th Carnival cruise, so we aren't "newbies" with no expectations. We also had an excellent time at the Platinum/Diamond party, with free-flowing drinks and more food than we needed. Were you on the same cruise?

[BoDidly]

11 minutes ago, pcvtmom said:

Were you on the same cruise?

No ,the cruise after yours. 

[Tiger0613]

13 minutes ago, hotsauce126 said:

The Celebration sails for Bahamas Paradise, which is somewhere in between actual cruise line and a glorified ferry. Take a look at the photos/videos of it today and tell me you would pay money to sail on that.

Two days is too short.  I would only take a two day cruise if the total cost was cheaper than staying in a hotel.  I also have no interest in only going to Freeport.  If the itinerary was longer and better, I would consider it. 

 

I have stayed in several hotels that looked a little worn.  I don't have unrealistic expectations of lower-end hotels, and cruise ships are floating hotels.  I'm good as long as the room is relatively clean with no bugs, working locks, working AC, and working toilet.

[scpirate]

8 hours ago, Steel City cruiser said:

Long time reader, don't post much.

The original poster made the following statement.

Ecstasy is a ship I and family have  enjoyed in the past several times over. This time not so much.

 

I am not sure why people are questioning him as to why he selected an older ship when the statement above says that they have been on the ship several times and have enjoyed it previously. It seems like other posters may be skimming the threads instead of reading them. I know I have in the past and made incorrect assumptions or came to mistaken conclusions.

With some of these fine people carnival.can do no wrong as long as they don't run out of booze.my last carnival cruise was ecstacy and I thought it was poo too.for the record "I" prefer other lines my wife gets to choose every other cruise.so we sail carnival.when it's my turn we don't sail anything carnival owns.i don't know why she chooses carnival.she just told me not 15 minutes ago carnival is nothing but a booze cruise and we don't drink due to diabetes and wanting to keep our appendages.

[Tapi]

We sailed on the Fantasy Feb 18, and I made similar comments about the cosmetic condition of the ship. She had just come out of dry dock, but she looked like she was bleeding rust from every window and vent, along with large rust streaks along the sides. My stateroom had a myriad of maintenance issues, including brown water, closet door that ripped right off its hinges, broken water faucet, TV that didn't work, intermittent electric outlet, and a leaky window. Throughout the ship, there were other unaddressed maintenance issues as well. 

 

 It seems to me that these Fantasy class ships have reached a point where the maintenance required surpasses what's being done. Carnival may be spending money on them, but they are not spending enough to truly keep them at their possible best. As they age, maintenance gets costlier, and if Carnival doesn't address this, I'm afraid that the maintenance issues will just keep mounting. 

 

For the record, we did have a GREAT time on this cruise! Fantasy still packs a lot of fun, but it's just sad to see her age not so gracefully and somewhat neglected. 

[BoDidly]

Tapi states the obvious truth when it comes to the Fantasy class ships. It also reminds me of our cabin bathroom door case and frame being rusted completely through around the shower and water would trail down through the hole You had to make sure the curtain was closed to avoid this water draining into the hole. Showing this to the Steward he explained maintenance would come but they never showed..