Holiday...your opinion please

[soohoo]

Our family is considering cruising the Holiday this fall when it relocates to Mobile, AL. We have sailed newer ships and like balconies. We can opt for a suite which will then cost a little more. Does anyone know if the ship has undergone refurbishment lately?

My 12 year old son would like to bring a friend and is this a good ship for early teens? He likes activities and video games but not the "babysitting" type stuff. He has enjoyed Disney and RCCL VOS, but not NCL SKY or NCL Star. NCL's kids program is extremely weak for the pre-teen age group. I know with this being an older ship it may not have all the bells and whistles, but do the pre-teens/teens have a place outside of the kiddie area?

I have tried using the search for the last couple of days and keep getting error messages. Thanks for any information you may give. This information will help us decide on whether to save on air and allow our son to bring a friend, or just bite the bullet and fly to a newer ship.

***Planning a cruise soon!***

[Cotton]

As you can see at the bottom of my post, I obviously love the Holiday! So much so that I just helped my son book his first cruise...yep, on the Holiday, Nov. 8. Now, would I steer my own son wrong? [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

She might be older (actually, the oldest Carnival ship sailing), but she was in drydock in December for refurbishment. There are new duvets, new carpeting in all cabins, as well as whatever else they do to a ship in drydock (mechanically?)... [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img]

I honestly don't know if there's an arcade on board or not, but I've seen lots of kids that seem to be having a great time. Maybe somebody else will know about an arcade. The curving slide at the main pool seems to be big with the older kids. You KNOW they'll love the 24-hour pizzeria and ice cream!

Festivale 1987
Carnivale 1988
Mardi Gras 1989
Pacific Princess 1990
Norway 1994
Holiday 2001
Holiday 2002
Holiday 2003

[pc2425]

We just returned from the Holiday. I have mixed feelings about this ship. The service was wonderful. Cabin steward, dining room, etc. The cabins were great with new down comforters and pillows. There was a definite sewage smell at times. It wasn't every day (but most days) and seemed to be only in certain places. Our cabin was on the main deck and we could smell it in our hallway. Also, our cabin was in the very back of the ship. There are auxillary engines that they use when going down the river and going into port. VERY LOUD in our cabin. You couldn't really hear them when you got away from the cabin, but it defnitely interrupted our sleep several days. My son (16) was bored at times, but he didn't have a friend with him and there weren't many kids because most people's spring break was over. There is a video arcade that he visited several times. There is also a water slide. He never used that, however. He did love the 24 hour pizza and ice cream! For the money, it was fine. Just be sure you realize it is smaller and older. Our first cruise was on the Pride and I will probably stick to the larger ships from now on.

Peggy

Pride 03/03
Holiday 04/04

[Cotton]

Peggy, you're about the third person that I've noticed mentioning a 'slight sewage smell' at times. On all three of my Holiday sailings, I've never encountered this. I've been midship, forward, and aft - on Main, Upper, and Empress decks. I've never noticed it at all, and haven't heard any fellow passengers mention it. Not doubting you, just observing that it must not be on all sailings?

Where is the arcade located? I just don't remember seeing one.

Festivale 1987
Carnivale 1988
Mardi Gras 1989
Pacific Princess 1990
Norway 1994
Holiday 2001
Holiday 2002
Holiday 2003

[SallyMay]

We just got off the Holiday a few weeks ago. I did not notice any smell. I'm not doubting that you smelled it. We were mid-ship on the Empress deck. When I boarded, I did go around sniffing to see if I noticed any odor. There has been so many threads regarding the sewage smell. Sorry you had to experience that smell.
[img]http://www.cruisemates.com/animated/Dolphins.gif[/img] Sensation 4/23/05
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=111111&cdt=2005;4;23;16;00;00&timezone=GMT-0600[/img]

Holiday 4/2004
Holiday 4/2003

[pc2425]

Cotton- The arcade is small and I think it is located on the promenade deck. Whichever deck has the kiddie pool. There is a door from the arcade directly out to the kiddie pool.

I don't know what to say about the smell except that we all noticed it. I had read about it on here but intentionally didn't tell my family about it. But when we got on, we definitely all smelled it. And continued to smell it at various times throught the 5 days. Never in our cabin, but in the hallways.

We had a great time though, and couldn't beat it for the price!

Peggy

Pride 03/03
Holiday 04/04

[boomboom51]

My wife and I are sailing next Thursday on the Holiday and I'm curious about oportunities for dancing. We enjoy ball room dancing but also enjoy dancing to any danceable combos often found on board ships.

Thanks in Advance

[pc2425]

I'm sorry I can't help very much with this one. We are not dancers. I know there is a disco and they had a ballroom dancing class one day. There was also a band one night on the lido deck and couples were dancing.

Peggy

Pride 03/03
Holiday 04/04

[Cotton]

Boom - The night of the Captain's Welcome Aboard party, after the ship's officers are introduced, and as drinks and hors d'oeuvres are passed around, the ship's orchestra plays for awhile. I've always seen lots of couples go up on stage and dance.

Also - are you a past guest of Carnival? At the Past Guest party, a combo plays for dancing. Those are the only two times I wish I was part of a couple instead of a solo cruiser. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img]

Otherwise, I'm not sure if any of the small lounges have dancing...except for the dicso.

Festivale 1987
Carnivale 1988
Mardi Gras 1989
Pacific Princess 1990
Norway 1994
Holiday 2001
Holiday 2002
Holiday 2003

[PINEVIEW01]

We were on the Holiday 4/9.
What Cottom said about the dancing.

Missed the smell except when at port in N.O. Cozemel. Think they were unloading.

Melody

Paradise, 9-5-04
Holiday, 4-10-04
Inspiration, 11-30-03
Inspiration, 1-26-03
Victory,3-31-02
Sensation, 11-28-98
Holiday, 3-19-94

[Deltala]

just bite the bullet and fly to a newer ship.

I'm just off the Holiday.....won't rush to go back.

[waterbound]

We got off the Holiday a few weeks ago and didnt notice the sewage smell... although we noticed it last year when we sailed on Jubilee.. Maybe it is one of those things that you just dont smell all the time.. This was more of a relax and do nothing cruise for us and that is really what we did--nothing!! but it was very nice!! The shape of the ship was fine to us... of course its not as glitzy and glamorous as the newer bigger ships, but we thought it was very nice... considering her age.. We truly enjoyed Holiday--- Perhaps not to the extent as we did on Conquest or Pride, but you have to realize they are much larger ships and also more to do and more time to do it in... We noticed ALOT of kids on this past cruise.. They always seemed to be busy and having fun.. The slide and pool on the Lido deck seemed to be a big hangout for the kids.. I know when we took the kids on Jubilee last year, which I thought was on the same path as Holiday or at least very similar, they had an arcade on it, however like Cotton I will say I never saw one on Holiday.. Very possible that I didnt see it though because I wasnt looking either and we didnt have the kids with us this time so we had no use for it.. and of course the pizza seemed to be a big hit...

Pride- 07/06/02
Jubilee- 02/22/03
Conquest- 10/19/03

4/15-- Holiday--Surprise cruise for my boyfriend!
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5/15-- M&M at Rawlings All American Grille
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03/13/2005- Conquest with the kids[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=111111&cdt=2005;3;13;16;0;00&timezone=GMT-0600[/img]
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Days til Valor Vampires Cruise
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