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Going on the Paradise on 11/26 Any reviews

prescott

By prescott,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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rianna1411

rianna1411

Posted
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Just returned from a 4 day cruise on the Paradise. This was our 1st cruise (DH, DS-15 and DD-12) please keep this in mind because our trip was PERFECT from begining to end, and that has never happened on a vacation before! I think they sent happy dust with the Docs.

We live in CA so we drove to Long Beach. Stayed at the Holiday Inn Downtown, it was a clean, quiet hotel. The day before our cruise we took a tour of the Queen Mary. It was a great way to get in the mood for cruisin' and we got to see the Pride getting ready to sail.

As this cruise was a last minute decision -DH has never wanted to do this, I booked online in Sept. and got a room w/balcony in the middle of the ship! I think this must have been a cancellation as I have been told these rooms sell out fast. Anyway I recieved the Docs with a pass to the Skippers Club. I had read on these boards the SC wasn't happening at Long Beach so I didn't think anymore about this. Well, we got to the ship about 12:30 and they were checking people in. I showed a Carnival Emp. my boarding pass, he took us to a room (Skippers Club) and we were checked in, on the ship and stepping out on our private balcony by 1:00. WOW

We were in the room about 10 min. when our room steward, Pedro came by and introduced himself. The room was beautiful, comfortable, TV, VCR, refrigerator & lots of drawers and hangers. It also had a King sized bed and the L shaped couch folded out into a double bed - which Pedro made up at night and took down in the day.

OK, on with the review - From the moment I booked this cruise I read the boards every day and had lists on what to bring, where to go, and the very important "1st time cruisers" list! I told my DH "don't ask questions about my lists, just follow me, I know what I'm doing" So after getting lost a couple of times we made it to the Destiny dining room. We had a late seating-8:00 and my list said to check out your table assignment ASAP. Well, we were told they don't put the table numbers on tables until 5:30. I thought this was a pretty good idea, that way you have to share 1 dinner with other passengers before you decide if you need to change. When we went to dinner that night we found we had a table for 4! Didn't I tell you this was a perfect vacation? As we were dancing w/joy around our table, our waiters, Migual & Jose calmed us down and got our dinner orders. The food was good, the service was great and the song and dance the waiters did after the meal was so entertaining. I think that was the highlite for my DD. She is a picky eater and was not going to join us at dinner (she was going to live on the pizza), but after the first night she couldn't wait to see what song the waiters were going to dance to.

The 1st port was Catalina. The weather was beautiful and we rented a golf cart to putt around the island. Lots of fun & great views of the ship sitting out at sea (There is no dock so a boat picks you up alongside the ship to take you to Catalina). As we were leaving Catalina a storm was coming in. It was beautiful seeing the storm clouds and the changing waters. After a stormy night at sea, we arrived in Ensanada Mexico to pouring rain. This didn't seem to stop anyone from getting off the ship. We weren't planning anything special for this port so we took a ship tour van ($3.00 RT) to town and got soaking wet and a few souviners for our efforts. We didn't buy much because the shopkeepers refused to bargain! Got back to the ship, dried off and relaxed until dinner. That night we saw a wonderful show called Hollywood.

Living in CA I have grown up seeing shows in Reno and Lake Tahoe and I have to say this show rated right up there with them. My DD kept asking me if they were really singing. She couldn't believe the singers could sing that good! DH and I went to the midnight buffet that night. So much food! I thought the food they put out was all there was and once it was gone, it was gone. I couldn't believe it when I saw them refilling the meat, cheese and salmon trays.

The next day at sea we played bingo, went to the art auction, galley tour, gambled, played ping-pong, relaxed and ate. There was a lot of info about debarkation which was depressing. We recieved a notice under our door to tell us we were VIP'S and could leave the ship with no waiting. Just be on the Empress deck at 7:30 am. For some reason this didn't thrill us like the SC fast embarkation did. To sum this review up, IMOP I thought the crew was very friendly and helpful, there were plenty of things to do, the ship was very clean, I didn't feel pressured to buy anything as I had read in some of the boards. I do have to comment on the passengers - everyone we ran into and made passing comments to had good things to say and were happy and having a great time. A lady was coming back from Ensanada and gave us her umbrellas. I didn't find any seat saving in the showroom, or sloppy attire in the dining room - But....the passengers we did have a conversation with, a couple we talked to while waiting for the Hollywood show to start. A family we talked to while playing bingo, and another couple we sat with for the open seating breakfast one morning. They were a little snobby about this cruise not being as good or the food not being as good etc. etc. as the xxxxx cruise line or the zzzzzz cruise line. I know we were lucky to have a PERFECT 1st cruise, but I hope we don't become cruise snobs and will always appreciate how hard these people work to make every cruise enjoyable.

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skiorcruise

skiorcruise

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DW, DF (DW's friend) & I took the Sept 20 trip. All in our 50's, all first time cruisers, and all badly needing a break from work. It was wonderful. We drove from northern Utah, spent the night in Las Vegas and drove to Long Beach for departure. Arrived at the pier around 1:30, on board and in cabin by 3:00. Other than the lines here, no waiting anytime.

 

Cabin was booked 4a guarentee - we ended up in V-20. Still an inside with a rollaway bed, but in a wonderful location.

 

Late leaving Long Beach due to Coast Guard inspection (I think). IMHO the Coast Guard was hitting the ship hard because it was it's first time in Long Beach. We did the life boat muster while at the dock - HINT: Get there early for seats, but the drill was 10-15 minutes late getting started due to pax not arriving on time. Got underway while we were at dinner. Dining was great - we were at a table with 8. Everyone was determined to enjoy themselves and meet others...it worked out fine.

 

Didn't get to Catalina - waves too high for tenders. Big disappointment. Now we will have to go again.

 

Ensanada was typical tourist Mexico. HINT: the $19 tour to the blowhole is only $13 from in town, and it's the same tour. We rode on the same bus as one of our tablemates, but paid less. Lots of barganing at the roadside shops as we walked down and back. I bought a leather duffel bag for $40 that started at $120. Thought I did rather well untill I found out two other people ended up at $40 also. It must be the going rate.

 

I saw one of the shows (Hollywood) and both late-night comics. All were great. Art auction was good, not great. As a mountain living laid back type, I spent most of the days on deck enjoying the ocean.

 

Overall - a great time and will cruise again. Nothing to compare the Paradise to, but she is a good stable ship with a friendly crew.

 

Feel free to ask specific questions, but I only visit the boards every few days.

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Linda the Book Lover

Linda the Book Lover

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Thanks skiorcruise and rianna1411 for your reviews! I am curious about the nighttime dining and the dress code. Did you always go to the main dining room? Could you give us a little idea about the ship activities as we are interested on some info on "fun on board" :) Acutually as long as I have a place to read and a drink with an umbrella I am pretty darn happy! LOL

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prescott

prescott

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Thanks skiorcruise and rianna1411 for the reviews. I was hoping if there are some experience cruisers to give me some hints on how early should I go, and how to get the most out of the cruise's activities? Short cut on the ship? Is there a lunch after you get on board on the Friday (Once you get onboard) for the 3 days cruise?Things should do/skip? Any advice is greatly appreciated. :) :) :)

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skiorcruise

skiorcruise

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Getting to the ship. We drove in, had a hotel in San Pedro for the night after the cruise. Got set up and in line around 1:30. Could have been there an hour or so earlier with no problems. Early is better to enjoy and explore the ship. Next time we will park at the pier or stay the night prior in town.

 

Lunch. LIDO deck buffet was open and running when we went looking for it around 3:30. I never did find it closed during daylight hours, so I assume it would be open whenever you embark.

 

Things to do... We spent lots of time relaxing on deck with a drink in hand looking at the ocean or the people. People watching is a great sport. Art auction was good if you are in the market. HINT - place a bid on the first mystery item. I was interested in cartoon cels, and they seemed to be the last to come up for auction. Casino seemed to be much tighter as days went on IMHO, so gamble early in your cruise. check out the food on the midnight buffet - the artistic ability of the chefs is amazing. The shows are great, but the lounge has many poles that block your views. Get there early. Try to be on deck as you enter or leave port. Watch for the harbor pilot transfering to or from the ship. Look low on the port (left) side for an open hatch and a rope ladder. There is lots more to do, but that is about what we experienced.

 

Things to skip... The galley tour wasn't much, just a quick run through a gleaming stainless steel kitchen. It is worth seeing, but I won't do it again. We took swinming suits, but ended up not using them. Since our day on Catalina was canceled, DW felt she had to spend the credit getting me a manacure. I'll put my foot down and skip that next time in favor of a few more drinks.

 

Biggest hassle onboard was disembarking - everyone seemed to want to get off at once. Relax in your cabin or on deck that morning until the lines get shorter.

 

Hope that answers everything. Enjoy your trip, we certainly enjoyed ours. We are already planning on another cruise.

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skiorcruise

skiorcruise

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Sorry, I missed a few.

 

Dinning - we spent every night in the dinning room. Don't stress on the dress codes. We are "professional white collar workers" and our daily work clothing was fine. Just think look nice, not shorts or tank tops. We did see jeans and a tee shirt or two.

 

Take the time to read the Carnival Capers every day. About day 3 DW figured out that she could take it to breakfast and read the schedule to find out what to do. By then I had read them and planed my day.

 

Paradise is in good shape, although not in brand new shape. Carpets could use a good deep cleaning in several hallways, minor chips in paint or decore, etc. The crew was cleaning and polishing and things looked great as long as you don't get really picky.

 

Enjoy,

D

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mom22

mom22

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Thanks for the reviews. Rianna1411, how was Camp Carnival, if your kids went? If not, what did they do? We are going in January with dd15 and ds11 and I'm not counting on it being warm enough for the pool. Us So Cal folks will be bundled up, lol. Also, any ideas for what to do in the ports with teens, dd loves shopping, ds hates it!

 

Thanks, Cheryl

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rianna1411

rianna1411

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Thanks for the reviews. Rianna1411, how was Camp Carnival, if your kids went? If not, what did they do? We are going in January with dd15 and ds11 and I'm not counting on it being warm enough for the pool. Us So Cal folks will be bundled up, lol. Also, any ideas for what to do in the ports with teens, dd loves shopping, ds hates it!

 

Thanks, Cheryl

Hi mom22,

My kids didn't want anything to do with Camp Carnival. They had plenty to do w/homework, ping-pong, checking out the ship - they really liked the 24 hr pizza and ice cream. We also got them a soda card. After the 1st day I was telling them "they need to use that card because I wanted to get my moneys worth!" I can't believe I was telling them to drink more soda! I'll skip the soda card next time - HA

I insisted on dining w/family each night and I think this was their favorite. We were lucky to get a table for 4, and the waiter and his asst. did a great job to make the evening very entertaining. We couldn't wait to see the song and dance the waiters were going to do each night.

If you don't have the table you want, I think you can switch. We noticed after the first night there were a few empty tables.

The kids were not interested in the pools - summer was over. We have a pool so they are spoiled for warm water and weather (we are in Sonoma CA).

We loved Catalina, rented a golf cart and drove around the island. Very fun, but my DS wanted to drive and you have to be 21 to drive the cart. We solved that by just scooting over a little and he could drive without any problem. The funny thing is, my DS plays golf and knows how to drive a golf cart. My DH and I have never driven one! The cart rental is $30.00 per hr, but you have to leave a 2 hr deposit (60.00). We drove around 1 hour and it was plenty of time to see the island. Took the cart back and got $30.00 back. Then on to shopping! Lots of shops and areas to sit and watch the people. That's all we wanted to do in Catalina.

It was raining in Ensanada, but we decided to go into town for a quick visit. The streets were flooded and after visiting a few of the "safe" shops (they wouldn't bargin, said they couldn't change the prices) we went back to the ship.

It seems that we didn't have an extra minute to spare. I don't know how the kids would have found time to spend at CC if they wanted to.

We have been back two weeks and my kids keep asking me "when are we going to take another cruise"?

Hope this helps,

Janet

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