Just off Venezia to Canada

[Greyhoundcat]

Embarkation: Very smooth compared to the Magic last year from NYC....that was terrible.  Arrived at our correct time, parked the car and pretty much walked right on. 

Met our Room Steward while dropping off our bags (Platinum perk). It wasn't the best interaction and only slightly improved the next 4 days. However, the room was always spotless. We never know what load someone is carrying in their life, so we let it go.

 

Ship: We liked it. Really appreciated the abundance of spaces to sit with couches, chairs, cubbies on deck 10 with chairs next to the windows. Deck 5 also has many areas to kick back and relax outside. There have been complaints about Lido's configuration, lack of openness etc. We didn't mind it, but can see how it is weird at first. People split between the interior pool area and the truly outside pool. Didn't notice it being crazy crowded. Many kids in the hot tubs. We don't use pools or hot tubs...just an observation.

Theater does seem a little small and I just don't get why they have those giant pillars that obstruct a chunk of views. 

One of the prettiest Serenity areas we have seen. Didn't spend much time up there, as we liked the cubbie on Deck 10 better. 

 

Food:  We never ate in dining room, only buffet. It was just fine for us. Not a ton of variety, but certainly good choices. Why do they put the Asian lunch at the Seafood area at the back of the ship? This made no sense to me. We only found it the last day. Java Blue coffee is wonderful. We used it a lot with the punch card. Got a couple free ones over 4 days.

 

Entertainment: Now this is where Carnival shines. A husband/wife duo and the House Rock Band were just amazing. If Carnival is smart, they will keep their contracts!

 

Cabin:  We had a balcony on deck 7. Only observation is that the carpets could already use a cleaning. Balcony is bit smaller on this ship. However, the chairs do recline!  There is a refrigerator that keeps cold. Shower with real door is great. 

 

Debarkation:  We were off the ship at 6:45 and in our car by 7:00 AM! Platinum passengers gather in the Theater. Super fast. 

 

Overall:  Comparing this cruise to the Magic last year from NYC, this was hands down a massive improvement in every way.  

 

 

 

 

 

[jimbo5544]

Nice review, glad you enjoyed the trip and the ship.

[Riles34]

I would agree with everything you said. I loved the ship but glad I didn't have my kids as navigating from Lido main pool to the water slides is annoying due to the roof. Glad you had a good time.

[princess76021]

Awesome! Thanks

Hugs from The oven (Texas)

[Haljo1935]

Thanks for posting; appreciate your insights. We are B2B Venezia NY Canada next month, so your post is timely. 😊

Happy to hear you had a good time, enjoyed the cruise and liked the ship.

Couple questions - where & when did you get the coffee card? Did you have any issues getting ice in your cabin? Early reports of ice shortages & hoping that's been resolved. And did the overall temperature in the common ares (not your cabin) seem ok? Early reports the ship was too warm, hoping that's been resolved.

So excited to see the ship and VERY excited for the cooler weather of 🇨🇦 🍁. Anything noteworthy for any of the ports? We have only booked 2 excursions for the 2 weeks so we're open to recommendations.

Edited August 23, 2023 by Haljo1935
Additional comment

[Riles34]

16 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

And did the overall temperature in the common ares (not your cabin) seem ok? Early reports the ship was too warm, hoping that's been resolved.

 

I thought the elevators were very warm, but the common areas I felt like were perfectly cool. I hate warm areas and didn't have any issue except the casino in the evening when it was packed. 

[CruiseAdict218]

Great review, glad you enjoyed the ship, can't wait for my next cruise on this ship which is the 6 Day Canada at the end of September. 

[Greyhoundcat]

Common areas temperature were just fine. Can't comment on elevator (don't use). Never requested ice because the refrigerator was the best one we ever had. Rained most of the morning in St. John (only port). Lots of construction near port. Just walked around, didn't do excursions. Ask for coffee card at first order at Java Blue. You get punches on first purchase. Well worth it for us.

Edited August 23, 2023 by Greyhoundcat

[Cherries Jubilee]

Thank you for the review!

[HappySails4U]

Thanks for  your review !!  We are also on a Venezia sailing into Canada next month so nice to hear that for the most part things went well !!      I have read that the buffet line can be challenging with everything from salad to entrees in one continuous line.  Did you experience issues in that area?

[Greyhoundcat]

8 hours ago, HappySails4U said:

Thanks for  your review !!  We are also on a Venezia sailing into Canada next month so nice to hear that for the most part things went well !!      I have read that the buffet line can be challenging with everything from salad to entrees in one continuous line.  Did you experience issues in that area?

 

Thank you for this question. There is another thread on this topic that really puzzles me. Yes, there is a line. It didn't bother us at all. We are well nourished people with enough $$ to pay for a cruise. We don't expect instant gratification and are content to wait in a line.  We didn't notice anyone cutting in line or being rude at all. FYI: we ate at the buffet the entire 4 day cruise. Pizza, burgers, tacos, are all available outside and away from buffet if one wants to avoid it. 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Greyhoundcat

[latebloomer56]

Thank yoh for this review we sail in a week and looking forward to our adventure.

[nycruise1]

21 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Anything noteworthy for any of the ports? We have only booked 2 excursions for the 2 weeks so we're open to recommendations.

If you are going to Halifax and a bit of a history or a military buff check out the Citadel.  It is walkable from the port though a bit uphill at the end.  Tremendous views of the city and port from up there.  It is a fort with an excellent museum including exhibits on WWI trenches, military uniforms and equipment, etc.  You can go on your own self-guided tour for a reasonable admission price.

[nybumpkin]

23 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

 

So excited to see the ship and VERY excited for the cooler weather of 🇨🇦 🍁. Anything noteworthy for any of the ports? We have only booked 2 excursions for the 2 weeks so we're open to recommendations.

If you're going to Halifax, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is an easy walk from the ship along the waterfront. The Titanic exhibit is excellent - Halifax is the port from which the salvage ships sailed after the sinking. There's also a very good exhibit about the Halifax Explosion of 1917; two ships collided in the harbor and one loaded with explosives blew up, devastating the city and killing more than 1700 people.

[jameslee]

for embarkation do they use the facial recongition now so it is faster? and have you tried premium options any good?

[Greyhoundcat]

We did use facial recognition. It was a breeze getting off the ship in NYC.