Anyone just off Fascination???

[luvmygirlz]

I would like to ask a few questions.....If you do not mind

[bmwmom2002]

I second that! Seems to be a shortage of Fascination threads. I would love to know a little more about the ship.

[afowler8]

ME TOO, ME TOO!!! I check for reviews and thread every day, but I'm not getting a lot of info...

[jeanad]

Just returned 3/21. What questions do you have? I'll try to help but I'm not a veteran cruiser.

 

Jeana

[2PinaColadas]

We've been on the Fascination twice. Both times were great. What do you want to know?

[luvmygirlz]

Alright!!!!

 

I am not a veteran cruiser either. Just would like to know a few of the basics. Did you travel with kids?

 

Was the ship in good condition? Did you have good service, food, etc.

 

What is hollywood boulevard? I have read that there may or may not be the new water park on the ship. Could you please verify. Also, for the kids of course, is there a build-a-bear shop on board?

 

Any info you can give would be greatly appreciated!!! We are going on her in Oct after she moves to Jacksonville. October is soooo far away. It somehow kind of makes time go by when you get to talk about it.

 

Thanks so much!!

Michell

[jeanad]

Hi Michell,

 

My sister-in-law and I traveled during spring break without kids but we saw lots of kids having a blast. There was a nice slide into the main pool on lido deck but not a water park as seen on some other newer ships. There was a small mini golf on the top deck.

 

I didn't see a Build-A-Bear store onboard but noticed it listed as an activity one day in the Carnival Capers newspaper. Sorry I can't provide better information.

 

We received excellent service in our cabin, in the dining room and at the bars. The ship appeared to be in good condition and was very clean.

 

Hollywood Blvd is located on Promenade deck and is where all the action is especially at night. This is where the casino and night clubs are located as well as some gift shops, the photo shop, a Starbucks like coffee bar and sushi bar.

 

Let me know if I can answer any more ?'s!!!

 

Have a great vacation!

 

Jeana

[bmwmom2002]

Do you have any pictures? Also, what kind of cabin did you have? How was room service? Was the food in the dining room good? What kind of formal wear did you see on formal night? We won't be sailing until Sept, but I'm already way to excited. I think it's her first trip out of JAX!

[bmwmom2002]

One more question, was it easy to get a chair around the pool on sea days? Did you see a lot of chair hogs?

[afowler8]

BMWmom-- It's such a small world! I grew up in Blue Ridge, Ga... just around the corner from you!

 

Sorry to hijack-- back to the origional topic:

 

I am wondering which dining room has the formal breakfast every morning. I booked a cabin directly below the Imagination dining room and I want to change cabins if I'm going to hear chairs first thing in the AM. Im' not so much worried about dinner b/c we are night owls... but they start serving breakfast VERY early.

 

Also, I have heard that the layout of the Fascination is the same (or very similar) to the Imagination. I know that they are the same class ship, but how similar are they?

 

What was your favorite part of the ship?

 

Are there any "secret doors"? We found them on the Triumph in November and really enjoyed spending time out there...

 

Thank you advance for all your help!

[jeanad]

I didn't take many pictures but here is a link to a short slideshow.

 

http://s246.photobucket.com/albums/gg87/jeanadreb/Carnival%20Fascination%2031708/?albumview=slideshow

 

We had an oceanview cabin on Empress Deck (E238) The cabin was roomy enough for 2. Our cabin was at the very end of the ship.We didn't use room service. Noise was never a problem except when we came back to Miami on the final morning. Had to get up anyway.

 

We ate dinner in the Imagination dining room on Atlantic deck which was one deck above our room. Breakfast was only served in the Sensation dining room located near the center of Atlantic deck.

 

It was difficult to find a lounge chair on deck on our final and only "at sea" day. Most chairs were actually in use as far as I could tell.

 

Didn't find or look for any "secret doors."

 

We thought the food in the dining room was good. I only have one other cruise to compare and it was 16 years ago on NCL. I would say the NCL cruise was superior to Carnival as far as food and dining ambiance. Formal night on Carnival really ran a wide spectrum as far as dress. We did see a few tuxes and ball gowns. Saw some men in nice shirts, no ties. Men and women were dressed nicely for the most part.

 

Entertainment was pretty good in the Palace Showroom. Singers and dancers good. I didn't really care for the 2 comedians. They probably rotate them in and out as well as the entertainment in the night clubs. I thought the band playing in "Passage to India" was not good at all. Low key entertainment such as in the Atrium bar (piano and guitar players) was good.

 

Jeana

[shipshapegal]

i love this ship. it is clean and the crew are all so friendly, smiling and knowing your name. we had a fantastic back to back in february and i would book this ship again in a heartbeat.

 

smiles, bee

[luvmygirlz]

Thanks for all the response! I knew I could count on this site. Keep it coming if anyone else has any input!

[Aoumd]

Just off Fascination as of 28 March.

 

Re: posted questions,

Did I travel with kids? No. However since my traveling partner is an elementary school teacher and we thus must travel when K-12 schools are on break, most of the ship was families with kids, who by their voices/expressions as they milled about the ship seemed happy. There were also a lot of teenagers on the ship.

 

Was the ship in good condition? Yes. Very frequently cleaned and everything was paid attention to. I will point out, however, that since Fascination was built in the early 1990s, the decor reflects that, but what is there is kept clean and well-maintained.

 

Did you have good service? Yes. The crews were friendlier than some of the reviews I have read in the past would suggest, and you could tell they would always do what they could to make things great for you.

 

Was the food good? I'll give it an OK to yes. This wasn't spectacular dining, but the food wasn't bad either. We ordered room service one night and it was very prompt. The Coconut Grove grill on Lido Deck is open for all meals and has a great selection if you go for lunch or dinner. They also have a 24-hour pizzeria, which can only be good if traveling with kids. The Deli had good sandwiches and even has bagels with lox and cream cheese, though its open 11a-11p so it doesn't serve breakfast then.

 

Hollywood Boulevard is the name of the central corridor of the ship, linking the Grand Spectrum (the big atrium with lots of stuff), the dance club, two lounges and a couple bars and shops. I will point out, however, that if you are traveling on a sailing with a lot of families, that cuts down on the number of people in the dance club during the adult (non-teen) hours.

 

Water Play There is a big, long, twisting water slide on the ship, but it does not yet have the full water park package it should be getting soon as part of its refurbishment program. I noticed the difference when Fascination was docked stern-to-stern with its sister ship Carnival Imagination in Miami.

 

Bear Building didn't have a shop on board, but a "Teddy Bear Workshop" and "Bear Making" were advertised in Carnival Capers, the on-board newspaper/activity guide.

 

Chairs on Sea Days are popular, but there are a lot of them. If you go in mid-afternoon like we did, when most of the people who want a deck chair have already claimed their real estate, you'll still be able to get one in the sun or shade, though it might not be the most coveted of locations.

 

Formal Breakfast is 7:30-9:30 AM in the Sensation dining room. I wasn't directly under this room, but my cabin seemed pretty quiet except for docking and pulling away from the dock, when the bow and stern thrusters were in operation.

 

Deck Plans While walking through Miami Beach embarkation morning, I stopped by a travel agency and picked up Carnival's brochure. The layouts are so similar that Carnival, on Pages 106-107, publishes one common deck plan for all eight Fantasy Class Ships--the Fantasy, Ecstasy, Fascination, Sensation, Imagination, Inspiration, Elation and, after they ran out of y's and ions, the Paradise.

 

My favorite part of the ship at mealtime were the outdoor chairs in the back of the Lido deck, behind the Coconut Grove. Best place to eat and watch the sun set. During the day, I'd have to say it's the Lido Deck center, where the pools, etc. are--but the tables off to the side. My girlfriend and I spent much of our day at sea sipping drinks and playing Scrabble at one of those. At night, I'd have to say the Grand Spectrum was cool. Even though it's not an entertainment center within the ship, it was a fun place to walk around.

 

Secret Doors - I didn't notice any that I was authorized to go through, but there are plenty of doors all over the ship.

 

My review was just posted yesterday, which should offer more of a story.

 

Feel free to ask me any more questions! Talking about my cruise vacation makes me feel as if I were still on it!

[shipty2]

We loved Fascination! Don't let her age fool you. She is in good condition and the staff are wonderful. Room service was speedy as always on the Fantasy class ships.

[marcia014]

I was on the Fascination in mid-January and really loved it. Here is a link to the 4 day capers (Calica itinerary): http://community.webshots.com/album/562195003ckPkIX

 

Here is a link to my review: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=696453

 

One of my favorite places was under the bridge as far down as passengers were allowed. On the lido deck, go forward as far as possible (past where you can look in a window to the bridge and see the navigation equipment) then start walking down outside stairs. At night it is very dark and there is little light, but it is truly OK to be there. I believe you go down 2 or 3 flights of stairs. You end up a deck or 2 below the bridge and a deck above where the staff go for recreation away from us passengers. It is really quiet and a great place to watch sail-away from the night time ports.

 

The ship was in great shape and the staff and crew were so very friendly. This was my 7th cruise (5th on Carnival) and probably my favorite ship.

 

We had an inside room and felt is was definitely big enough for 2, and the only time we heard any people was the morning of debarkation. We were in M204 and it was just around the corner from the elevators. One thing I didn't like were the separate door keys. I thought you had to really push the key in the lock HARD to make it work and open the door. Pretty hard when you are in a hurry...

 

Any other questions?

[triplee]

Hi,

 

We and another couple sailed together aboard Fascination. I loved the ship! The crew could not do enough for us. Our morning room service calls were always answered pleasantly and the delivery of coffee was prompt. The room steward was very friendly and efficient.

 

Our waiter was great. Food was delivered fast and it was good. Water glasses were promptly refilled and hot bread was always offered.

 

The formal night was nice. We saw many dressed in formal attire and a few in "not so formal" attire. To each his own, live & let live. I just enjoyed getting away from winter in Virginia!

 

Key West is a port that I want to visit again! I really enjoyed the conch train and wandering around. I want to return again someday and spend more time in Key West.

 

The ship was very clean.

 

The only "negative" was going up from the Main Deck to the Lido Deck for the Lifeboat/Muster drill. Crawling up several deck levels, cram into a room full of other folks and listening to an officer tell everyone where to report. If there were a real emergency, everything would be chaos because not too many folks really pay attention. I guess this is true on all ships not only Fascination.

 

You will definately enjoy your cruise on this ship. Too bad it does not have a supper club aboard!

 

Enjoy,

Lee

[bmwmom2002]

Afolwer8--Wow it is a small world. Blue Ridge is about 20 minutes from me!

 

Thanks everybody for your reviews and tips. Fascination is moving to JAX in Sept and changing to a 5 night cruise. My dh and I are so excited to be finally cruising again.

[afowler8]

Thanks for all your help! We are taking a Girls' Cruise that leaves on Labor Day... this will be the first for just my girlfriends and I... I can't wait!

[fligster]

Do you have any pictures? Also, what kind of cabin did you have? How was room service? Was the food in the dining room good? What kind of formal wear did you see on formal night? We won't be sailing until Sept, but I'm already way to excited. I think it's her first trip out of JAX!

 

We traveled in January with our almost 3.5 year old son. We had a Cat 12 suite. Here are some pictures: http://travel.webshots.com/album/562275980WtyFhn

 

They had build a bear activities within camp carnival, but not a separate shop. The cabins had been refurbished, there is no water park. There is a slide in the main pool, I think you have to be 48 inches or taller to use (this may not be accurate, trying to remember). There is a small kiddie pool. In the pictures, it is the one with the sun on the bottom. As you might be able to see in the picture, adults without kids would sit in the kiddie pool because it wasn't crowded.

[golf43]

We will be sailing on the Fascination in July. Can someone tell me what is on the menu in the dining room the day we are in Cozumel? We are trying to figure out if we want to eat in Cozumel or the dining room.

 

Also can you still use coins in the slot machines?

 

Thanks

[stolcamp]

I didn't take many pictures but here is a link to a short slideshow.

 

http://s246.photobucket.com/albums/gg87/jeanadreb/Carnival%20Fascination%2031708/?albumview=slideshow

 

We had an oceanview cabin on Empress Deck (E238) The cabin was roomy enough for 2. Our cabin was at the very end of the ship.We didn't use room service. Noise was never a problem except when we came back to Miami on the final morning. Had to get up anyway.

 

We ate dinner in the Imagination dining room on Atlantic deck which was one deck above our room. Breakfast was only served in the Sensation dining room located near the center of Atlantic deck.

 

It was difficult to find a lounge chair on deck on our final and only "at sea" day. Most chairs were actually in use as far as I could tell.

 

Didn't find or look for any "secret doors."

 

We thought the food in the dining room was good. I only have one other cruise to compare and it was 16 years ago on NCL. I would say the NCL cruise was superior to Carnival as far as food and dining ambiance. Formal night on Carnival really ran a wide spectrum as far as dress. We did see a few tuxes and ball gowns. Saw some men in nice shirts, no ties. Men and women were dressed nicely for the most part.

 

Entertainment was pretty good in the Palace Showroom. Singers and dancers good. I didn't really care for the 2 comedians. They probably rotate them in and out as well as the entertainment in the night clubs. I thought the band playing in "Passage to India" was not good at all. Low key entertainment such as in the Atrium bar (piano and guitar players) was good.

 

Jeana

 

Jeana:

 

We are in E238 leaving on 5-5-08. Is the window in this cabin actually at the end of the ship or is there something else there. The deck plans make it look like there is some space between the wndow and the end of thes ship.

[colturn]

Hi shipshapegale - you did a B2B, I have a couple of questions. Were the staff aware you were B2B? Secondly, did you have to leave the ship after the first cruise

 

Thanks:D

[jeanad]

stolcamp,

 

As you can see on the deck plan for the Fascination, cabin E238 is the last cabin at the end of that hallway. There is a door at the very end of the hallway facing the end of the boat between E238 and E240. We saw crew accessing the door but I can't say for sure whether it ran the entire length of our cabin. It was a supply closet of sorts, I believe.

 

Jeana

[Vyhanek]

I was on the Fascination a year ago.

 

After probably 10 cruises on several different lines I liked the Fascination the least. Mainly because the ship looks OLD and feels OLD. It has been well maintained and is very clean but the decor in all public areas is the old Carnival tacky stuff with the cheesy, plastic decor like plastic gold and silver cheesy stuff. I would pick a different, newer ship if you haven't already booked.

 

We booked a Cat. 12 suite. It was very nice and was recently refurbished with granite counter tops, flat screen TV and nice leather wrap around sofa. The balcony was very small for this level of suite though. Again, a very old ship and back then they built ships with small balconies.

 

The food I thought was really good. Of all 10 cruises I've been on I would have to rate the food as the best. Service in the dining room was excellent. The desserts GREAT and beat the heck out of other major lines NCL and RCCL for sure!

 

Kids Club was disappointing. The staff wasn't as happy and playful as we have seen on other cruises. Usually my kids don't want to leave kids club but on this cruise it lacked excitement for them. The Build A Bear deal is just an activity they do in Kids Club one day. You pay extra (of course) if your child wants to make a build a bear and decorate a T-shirt for it. I think the additional cost was $25 or $30.

 

Shows were good however the show times weren't conducive to families with children. Shows on this ship didn't start at like 8pm or 8:30pm as they do on other ships allowing parents to see the show while the kids are in Kids Club. The shows started late like 9:30 or 10pm which made it hard. I could have left the kids in Kids Club late but heck what responsible parent keeps their young kids awake until 11pm or later night after night? Especially when you have big plans to get up the next morning and make an excursion or something.

 

In Cozumel we went to Mr. Santos Beach. Its just down the road a little bit from Paradise Beach which is very popular (and very, very crowded). Mr. Santos is a quiet, uncrowded place that serves lunch, guacamole, beer right on the beach to you. They don't have all the toys and equipment than Paradise Beach has but you also don't sit packed in like sardines stacked several rows deep like you do at Paradise. You could get your hair braided and a massage but they don't have the trampoline or the ice burg or the water bikes and stuff like that. Its more of a quiet, traditional beach.

 

Key West is just OK. I'm not nuts about it mainly because there isn't a nice beach to go to. It has its fair share of trashy T-Shirt shops and if you have a child who is a reader they will get an eye full of four letter words displayed on T-shirts displayed right on the main side walk. I haven't noticed this in other ports as much. If you are a drinker and like to get off the ship at 9am and head straight for a bar you will really love this place. There are lots and lots of open air bars one after another ready and waiting.

 

I had absolutely no problem finding lounge chairs around the pool. If you are up there after about 9am you might not get a lounger right around the pool, you might even have to pull a lounger off a stack and set it up yourself but I saw plenty of loungers if you looked and if you are ingenious enough to pluck on from a stack you will have no problem.

 

The waterslide was fun for the kids but the pool was very small for so many passangers.