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INSERT INTO `ftreview` VALUES (3,22,'10-3-04','Great Vacation. Great Ship. Can?t wait to cruise agaiN&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;','My Conquest Review 10-03-04    <br /><br /><br />NEW ORLEANS: If you&#39;ve never been to New Orleans before I recommend arriving a minimum of one day early. We stayed at the Landmark/Best Western. Due to Hurricane damage, they had problems with their roof leaking and mold in some rooms, but we all had rooms that were fine for our group.  <br /><br />EMBARKATION: We walked into the cruise terminal to discover all the beautiful yellow chairs. Carnival?s embarkation procedures were painless.&quot; I&#39;m not kidding&#33; If you&#39;re organized the boarding process is a breeze. We walked right up to the counter for our sail and sign cards without any waiting. I had already done the fun pass online, which sped up the process. This is where you present your passports, birth certificates, and photo ID and credit cards if you are going to use one. Then they take you to sit in the awesome yellow chairs. Then we were called to board the ship. We took our security/welcome aboard photo. It took us about 45 minutes to get on board and we arrived before noon. Just make sure to keep your ID handy and fill out your information before hand. We found out when we got to the terminal that our itinerary had changed (again due to hurricane damage, which we suspected all along, we just didn?t know how), we had an extra day at sea instead of Grand Cayman and they gave us a credit on our sign and sail card &#036;25 per person, and we stayed longer in Montego Bay (in at 9 out by 7) and Cozumel (in at 8 and out by 6). Our room was on the Riviera deck 1 very bottom. We had inside rooms; I don?t think I would pay the extra for the ocean view, as we weren&#39;t in our rooms very much.   <br /><br />SUNDAY: Up to the Lido deck for the buffet. After we ate lunch, we went to see if our room was ready about 1:30 and it was. After the muster drill my girls and I headed to dinner in the Renoir dinning room. Folks, if you haven&#39;t been on a cruise before, don&#39;t be shy. Order several appetizers, several entrees and several desserts. You paid for it&#33; Steve Cassel, our cruise director, was very entertaining. We sailed down the Mississippi river for what seemed like hours. Night fell and it seemed like we&#39;d never get into the gulf. We kept seeing lights that we assumed were houses and buildings on land. Don&#39;t let this fool you. We found out on our return trip that the lights we were seeing weren&#39;t from land, but from Numerous Oil Rigs lined up like miniature cities for mile after mile. (Very interesting) <br /><br />MONDAY &amp; TUESDAY: Sea days? I loved the sea days because you were able to relax and enjoy the vacation. They had various things to do for entertainment: game shows, bingo (always had bingo), hairy chest competition, casino, pools were open and of course the bars and food. &#33;&#33;&#33; If you do not think you are going to buy any photos from the ship, think again. They are &#036;20 for a 8X10 which is pretty expensive when you think about it at first, but when you think how much it would be to do on your own, it is not that bad. Just because you took the photo does not mean you have to buy it.   <br /><br />WEDNESDAY: So glad to wake up and see the sunrise over Jamaica. Montego Bay looked beautiful. Also there were Rasta guys outside taking pictures with everyone getting off the ship. Upon arrival, we quickly realized it was not necessarily ready for visitors. For one, Margaritaville sustained lots of damage and was closed. They had temporarily made a make-shift Margaritaville at Doctor?s Cave, They have a little hut set up selling food and drinks and they have a shop to buy t-shirts and stuff. (We didn?t go there). We went to SUNSET BEACH RESORT. Took a Taxi from the port for &#036;5.00 total. Upon arrival at the resort, I was a little surprised to see the armed guards outside at the gatehouse. They escort you into the hotel and see that you get checked in. Upon paying our &#036;20.00, they put your S&amp;S card in an envelope and hold it at the gate. This place was gorgeous&#33; Well worth the money. We snorkeled, ate, drank and partied all day long. My 14 Yr old daughter was able to Kayak and wind surf at no extra charge and all in all have a blast. My 7 yr old just wanted to swim in the pool the whole time we were there. My self I indulged in a few of their daiquiris, also enjoyed the food (the Jerk Chicken and grilled fish were heaven to me&#33;). The food and entertainment were excellent. Highly recommend this place. But like any place take your normal precautions and use your judgment wisely.   <br /><br />THURSDAY: Sea day? Fun, fun, &amp; more fun on the ship.   <br /><br />FRIDAY: Cozumel: We went to Paradise beach. Took a taxi that cost &#036;12.00 for the three of us. Paradise beach was nice and being past the 1st of October they started charging for the use of the water toys, so the kids got wrist bands for &#036;5 each to use the kayaks, water trampoline, iceberg, floats, and life jackets if needed, also they had snorkel equipment. There was someone right there renting wave runners (&#036;55 for 30 minutes), parasailing (&#036;55), boats taking people out snorkeling. They also had hair braiding and wraps, massages on the beach and those henna tattoos. We didn?t have to pay for beach chairs or umbrellas. The food was pretty good and moderately priced and the margaritas were great&#33; Myself I enjoyed the gulf breezes under my umbrella on my lounge chair, while being plied by drinks by Tom the manager (great guy to meet too&#33;). I was amazed at how much this beach had to offer. This port city is absolutely brilliant. There&#39;s a ton of things to see and do. Every &quot;Vice&quot; can be satisfied in this city. And of course we had to make our annual trip to Fat Tuesday&#39;s by the dock to swing at the bar and soak up atmosphere and watch people before getting back on board.  <br /><br />SATURDAY?. Sea day?. By this time most folks are worn out from the marathon they&#39;ve just ran during there days in port. Trust me. You?ll be worn out. Tropical Storm Matthew made for some interesting swaying by the Conquest. Carnival lost a few glasses I know as I could here them falling and breaking while sitting by the lobby bar. But most people made the most of it and looked at it as another adventure on the cruise to tell everyone at home about.  <br /><br />DEBARKATION: We had dark brown luggage tags. The only complaint I had is that the whole luggage retrieval process is a bit unorganized. Mass chaos as several hundred folks hurriedly search for all of their bags in one big room. Oh well. Roll with it.   <br /><br />WORTH NOTING &amp; TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: Do not miss the entertainment on the Promenade Deck 5 near the Casino &quot;Two&#39;s Company&quot; Mary Ann Mendoza and Roger. They are awesome. It was so much fun to sit and listen to the music and watch the people&#33;&#33;&#33; Also they are very personable and were jewels with my 7 yr old daughter, who loves to dance&#33;&#33;&#33;   <br /><br />Marc Rubben (comedian/ventriloquist) pulled a lady from the audience and he put a mask over her face and she pretended she was the dummy, which was hilarious.   <br /><br />Adrian (Romania) a photographer was great fun and very helpful....and was just a great guy to meet. Imade (Indonesia) a bartender at the lobby bar was super with my 7 yr old daughter and her friends, making my stay in smokers Siberia at the side of the lobby bar much less painless (LOL)  <br /><br />FOOD: The food varies from day to day but it&#39;s still above average. Not great, but good. Hint: LISTEN TO YOUR WAITER. They really do know what the best selections are. Thank you Olivera (Croatia) and Angel her Asst. (Peru)&#33;&#33;&#33;   <br /><br />HENRI?S DISCO: This is a happening place after 10 p.m. Good music.. Mix of 70?s, 80?s and a little new stuff. Great Disco music. Loads of fun? Great place to dance and burn off those calories eaten&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;   <br /><br />BLUE?S BAR: Lots of fun&#33; They have a piano sing-a-long that is great&#33;   <br /><br />TOULOUSE LOUNGE: (I think that?s how you spell it?.). Always something going on in there. Game shows were fun to watch. (The Magic Show is great and I really liked Point &amp; Click?. The others were okay. The talent show was also great.)   <br /><br />In closing I&#39;d have to say the ship was always clean and the crew was extremely friendly.   <br /><br />Some folks will tell you that the Carnival Conquest that the ship isn&#39;t very classy...To heck with them. I don&#39;t remember Carnival advertising Five Star Accommodations and a Emeril Lagasse Menu. Do you? The truth is, you&#39;re on a ship. Marvel at its ability to float and serve its 3000 guests every week. Great Vacation. Great Ship. Can?t wait to cruise agaiN&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;',1170735308,0,'Western Caribbean','http://www.cruisecrazies.com/reviews/carnival.gif',1314,'pacerzfan',1,154,0,0,0,0,0,11543,0,NULL),(2,35,'2-9-04','All in all..we had an awesome time...met some great people from Nebraska..','This was our first cruise so comparison would be hard at this point. Embarking and disembarking went very smooth. The buffet where we ate all of our meals was OK..It wasn&#39;t opened as often as I would have liked. Hubby loved the 24 hr pizza&#33;&#33;   <br /><br />We didnt spend much times at the onboard shows. Spent sometime in the karaoke bar and entered the hairy chest contest and reverse scavenger hunt...hilarious&#33;&#33;   <br /><br />The bars were very good. Decor was fine. Most every body was smiling and having a great time. Not too many kiddos....T/G LOL&#33;&#33;    <br /><br />Only complaint would be lack of warning regarding the night before disembarking and the morning of....DONT FORGET TO EAT&#33; LOL&#33;&#33; We were soooo hungry the night before getting off and missed the early closing of ALL food stations&#33; No food after 6 pm...no coffee..nothing&#33; Room service is non-existant.   <br /><br />The morning of disembarkment: Beating on your door at 8 am....crowded elevators...crowded food line....wait and wait...wasnt prepared for it nor warned.',1170406986,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',469,'copperarab',1,112,0,0,0,0,0,11451,0,NULL),(4,22,'1-22-2006','I would do the Conquest again anytime.','This was our third cruise, all with Carnival. This was supposed to be on the Elation. The date was changed to February because the Elation was to be refurbished this week. Then came Katrina. We were changed to May. Then Carnival offered us the Conquest. Yes yes yes&#33; We had to pay more, but they gave us each &#036;100. shipboard credit. Now we had our original date back.   <br /><br /><br />Embarkation went smoothly considering the number of people involved. It didn&#39;t take too long for our group of 34 to get onboard. We went through about noon and were asked to wait until 2 to go to our staterooms, so we went to the Lido deck to eat. We explored a little and then went to our rooms. We were in #2822 on the Main deck. We got off the glass elevators and our room was right there. I liked that location. Our room steward was Melvin and he did a great job. The room was an oceanview and had lots more storage than on the Elation last year. The only problem we had was with our shower overflowing, but we spoke to Melvin about it and it was fixed. Melvin also did the towel animals using my husband&#39;s sunglasses and shoes.  <br /><br />We were in the Renoir dining room at table 121. It was right by a window which we liked. Our waiters were Richard and Jeyrold. They are both from the Philipines. Jeyrold is a riot and looks cute in a pink wig. The food was great and I gained 10 pounds. We went to The Point one night and it was out of this world. It was well worth the &#036;30.   <br /><br />In Jamaica, we did Dunn&#39;s River Falls with the ship&#39;s tour. If I was going to get left anywhere, I didn&#39;t want it to be Jamaica. Others at our table were approached with drugs, had bracelets tied on their wrists and really bugged to buy stuff. We had none of that. Our guide, Marie, took very good care of us.  <br /><br />We did Stingray City with Captain Marvin through Shoretrips.com in Grand Cayman. It was a little rough for snorkeling that day, but the stingrays were awesome. They were rubbing up against your legs like cats. The tour also included a trip to the turtle farm and Hell.  <br /><br />In Cozumel we did a glass bottom boat tour through Shoretrips.com. It was a little difficult to find the boat, but we found it by asking around. The tour vendors are really pushy on the pier. We started out with just 4 of us, but the captain, Franklin, waited around for a family of 7 to fill the boat. We made 3 stops and our guide, Poncho, would freedive down to bring up things for us to hold, a conch, a sea cucumber, a starfish. He also pointed out a lobster and a lionfish. There were fish all around us, as he was feeding them. The parrot fish were pretty big. We had our own snorkel gear and I&#39;m glad we did. Our fins are longer and it was easy to keep up. The ones they supplied were smaller. We were originally sceduled for a 2:00 tour, but the last tender was at 4 and we asked them to change it to 11. No problem Mon. We got in a little shopping before the tour. We were sorry to learn that our blood pressure medication was no longer cheaper than in the states, so we didn&#39;t stock up like we did last year.  <br /><br />Tendering wasn&#39;t as bad as I had expected. Last year we tendered in Belize and it was unorganized getting the tender tickets. We had no problems on the Conquest. We easily made our 8:00 tour.  <br /><br />The slide on the Conquest was a blast. We are in our mid 50&#39;s and we did it several times. The lines weren&#39;t long at all. It was hard to get a lounge chair. We spent a lot of time at the aft pool. The pool and hot tub are adults only and they played a lot of oldies. Pizza, burgers and ice cream are right there too.  <br /><br />Debarkation was better than the Elation last year. We weren&#39;t yelled at and herded like a bunch of cattle. Our TA was with us and got us black luggage tags since we has a 12 hour bus ride ahead of us. Maybe since we were off early they weren&#39;t so grouchy. Customs was a swipe of our passports and we were loading the bus.   <br /><br />I would do the Conquest again anytime. I wish I was still on her. I feel like I am still on her. I don&#39;t have my &quot;land legs&quot; back yet and my head starts spinning when I sit down.   <br /><br />Sewut51',1170735690,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1472,'sewut51',1,424,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(5,22,'3-5-2006','We still have nothing but good things to say about our cruising experience with Carnival - and can&#39;t wait to be &quot;leaving on a funship&quot; some day soon.','We had a wonderful time - as usual, but, again, we are very easy to please. Unless the ship sank (or caught fire - timely or what?) it would be wonderful&#33;  <br /><br /><br />The Conquest is a beauty - sister ship to the Glory. A little hard to find the dining room - but my day 7 we pretty much had it figured out. We were on Upper deck so took the stairs (3up for buffet - 2 down for dining room)all the time so weight gain was not an issue&#33; <br /><br />The food was great most nights - one night was off - not sure what happened but everyone at our table had complaints that night - even us which is very odd. Otherwise the food both on the dining room and on the Lido deck was very tasty (two creme brulees - naughty me&#33;) Our wait staff - Igor and Marcin were very attentive and extremely personable. On the last night the dining room staff all sang a special rendition of &quot;Leaving on a Funship&quot; instead of &quot;Jet Plane&quot;. It made sappy me teary eyed&#33; We had great dinner companions every night - a Mom and Daughter from Houston, and on two nights a Mom and 2 daughters from Detroit. Some very pleasant conversations. DH dropped hints to the waiter at the next table that he was a &quot;secret shopper&quot; for Carnival. Our wait staff played along with it and we had this poor guy looking over his shoulder a lot. The last night we told him what he really did for a living and he seemed pretty releived - we would have given everyone glowing reports though - and we ended up tipping him as well&#33; Zeid - we enjoyed meeting you&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;  <br /><br />The cabin was the usual - not much changes - except the bedding. Carnival has duvets now instead of blankets and they were so cozy. Our only problem was were were right above the teen disco and in really didn&#39;t shut down one in the morning - a lot of booming base and a dj with a very monotonous voice. we called and asked for it to be turned down for &quot;port&quot; mornings because we had to be up early - and they complied fairly quickly. We got the standard letter of apology from the pursers desk but no discount coupon lol.  <br /><br />We only saw our room steward in passing - Sharaf by name. But he kept the ice cooler full and the room was always made up so he did his job well.  <br /><br />I guess I am getting used to this cruise thing because the shows didn&#39;t seem as interesting - except for the comedians - they were really good. And Carnival does do a lot of pushing you to buy stuff - but we just ignore it.  <br /><br />Wasn&#39;t fussy on Jamaica - everyone seemed to have their hand out for tips - and they mentioned it - A LOT&#33;&#33;&#33;  <br /><br />Loved Grand Caymen - what a beautiful spot. We did the Stingrays, Hell and Turtlefarm - best shore excursion ever - except for the sunburn&#33; I will have to post a photo of that&#33; I&#39;ve never been in such a clean place - apparatnley there is a &#036;500 fine for littering and it is strongly enforced.  <br /><br />I was really surprised at how well Cozumel has recovered - and they really do appreciate our coming back. We just spend the day wandering around town and shopping - you really have to watch for the bargains - it&#39;s amazing how the prices change.   <br /><br />The only complaint I would have about the port days is the time - if you book a shore excursion you don&#39;t really have much time to shop - and I love to shop&#33;&#33;&#33;  <br /><br />Getting on a off the ship was a breeze. Being Canadian - we had our own very short line to board. Our luggage was easy to find at debarkation and we got a great porter who took us out to the shuttle. We had to wait around for about ten minutes to get on but he wouldn&#39;t leave - so we gave him ten dollars for his time. He was a really funny guy.  <br /><br />And I can&#39;t say enough about the people we met in Texas - friendly is an understatement. One fellow in Galveston invited me in for tea when I asked if it was ok to take a photo of his heritage home. I love the buildings in Galveston - can&#39;t wait to go back for another visit.  <br /><br />One mistake we did make - the night pre-cruise we booked a hotel in Greenspoint - near the Houston airport - that was scary&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; will do a little more research next time.  <br /><br />We still have nothing but good things to say about our cruising experience with Carnival - and can&#39;t wait to be &quot;leaving on a funship&quot; some day soon. TTFN Jennifer',1170735765,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',573,'hazelson',1,281,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(6,22,'12-19-2005','All in all out of 10 I&#39;d give the ship a 9, the staff a 10, the itinerary a 10 and the hotel a 9.','This ship is older but still grand and so well taken care of. The staff was wonderful, in the dining room our head waiter and his assistant were the best. They had entertainment every evening in the dining room after every meal. We all enjoyed it very much. The cabin was clean our cabin steward took care of everything we ask for. The staff in the kids club were great with my 13yr old daughter she had a blast. We are going on a cruise again in Sept or Oct of 2006 and I can&#39;t find one that has an itinerary as great as the destiny does so unless I find one that will compare to it we&#39;ll be going on the Destiny again.  <br /><br /><br />The ports St Thomas, Dominica, Barbados and Aruba were wonderful. I love Dominica the best of them all, so no commercializied and pretty and our tour guide Lester was so kind and so proud of his country that you couldn&#39;t help but fall in love with it. I&#39;d been to St Thomas before and so it was still just as beautiful as ever, barbados was nice had a great time, and Aruba I want to go back to do the jeep/atv tour there and see more of the island and also go to carlos and charlies.  <br /><br />We did 3 days before the cruise in San Juan and stayed at the Milano Hotel, a great hotel close to shopping the forts and the cruise ship terminal.Clean rooms and they have free wireless internet in the cafe on the roof for all guest and they serve a pretty mean margarita and p colada too. <br /><br />All in all out of 10 I&#39;d give the ship a 9, the staff a 10, the itinerary a 10 and the hotel a 9.  <br />gina',1170735885,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1586,'DestinyinDec',1,108,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(7,37,'1-30-2005','I&#39;d do this cruise again in a minute and look forward to my next Carnival cruise.','My husband and I (both in our 50&#39;s) both had a great time on this cruise. It&#39;s been 10 years since our first cruise and we decided that was too long. We got to Galveston and discovered that it was Mardi Gras. We got in on the end of one parade and got to see one right in front of our hotel. Check in at the terminal was fast and easy. I went right to our room with no problem. I had studied the brochure until it was in tatters so I knew my way around. Our room was not as pink as the picture online, thank goodness. We hardly ever saw our room steward, but our room was clean and we had towel animals on the bed at night. We ate in the diningroom every night, and had breadfast and lunch at Tiffanys. I loved the atrium. It was fun to people watch on so many levels. It was windy out on deck the first couple of days.   <br /><br /><br />Progeso wasn&#39;t much. We went kayaking on a ship&#39;s tour. It was pretty good, but there were no flamingoes or other wildlife this time of year. We went through tunnels in the mangrove trees. It was hard coming back against the wind and current, but we weren&#39;t the last ones in and were able to keep up.  <br /><br />In Cozumel we did the Dolphin Adventure through Shoretrips.com. We had wanted to do the Royal Swim, but it was full. Even so, it was the highlight of our trip. We ordered sandwiches, chips, and cookies from room service before we left the ship and packed them on ziplock bags that I had brought. We had our own snorkel gear but left the fins on ship and regretted it. We also wished we had life vests so that we could snorkel farther out. We went to the beach at the park. We shared a taxi and it was only &#036;5. The beach was nice and had coconut trees and lounge chairs. The snorkeling from the beach was like swimming in an aquarium except the fish were bigger. We ate our lunch and went to the Dolphin area. They have free lockers which was handy. We got lifejackets, masks and snorkel tubes and had a short lecture on what we would do. We were taken in groups of 10 to the docks and down into the pen. The dolphin swam by us several times so that we could touch her. Then she came to each of us individually and posed face to face for a picture, a kiss and then came out of the water so that we could hold her pectoral fins and &quot;dance&quot; for a picture. Then we swam out one at a time and she would give us a ride back in by swimming on her back with us holding on to her fins. It was a blast. After that, we formed a circle with our snorkel gear on and she swam around playing with us. We took pictures both above and below water. We each got to feed her a fish and when it was over, she swam by waving good bye and splahing us. There were pictures and a video available.   <br />In Belize we did the cave tubing through Shoretrips.com. We were picked up on the pier and taken by air conditioned van to the rainforest. It was an hour and a half ride, but the driver pointed out interesting things and answered our questions. When we got there, we were given opportunity to change clothes and then taken to the trailhead where we were given tubes, lifejackets and headlamps. The walk was about 30 minutes, but not hard going. The water was &quot;refreshing&quot; but we got used to it easily. Our guide, Leroy, was very knowledgeable and took good care of us. He gave us extra information and even had us get out of the water to get a closer look at bats and formations because we had children in our group. We didn&#39;t get out where the ship&#39;s tour group did, but kept on floating down the river to near where we got out tubes. There was a cafe there and our lunch was included in the price of the tour. It was delicious BBQ chicken and rice and beans, fried bananas and a muffin for dessert. They got us back to the pier in plenty of time to shop before our ship left.   <br /><br />It was cloudy for the days at sea, so I didn&#39;t do the pool, just the hot tub. We had a wonderful time, but the debarkation in Galveston brought us back to earth. All the officials were unfriendly and we were yelled at to keep moving and don&#39;t leave our luggage anywhere. They didn&#39;t help you know where to go, just kept yelling to keep moving. It felt like a herd of cattle. There&#39;s got to be a better way. I&#39;d do this cruise again in a minute and look forward to my next Carnival cruise.',1170735973,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1472,'sewut51',1,99,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(8,38,'5-1-2002','First cruise','This was our first ever cruise. Only a 3 night cruise, wish it would have been longer as just really getting settled before it was near the end and didn&#39;t want it to end.   <br /><br />Except for some banging pipes in the walls everything was great. We are hooked on cruising.',1170736139,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1486,'jrowland',1,111,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(9,38,'5-1-2002','My third cruise on a &quot;Fantasy class&quot; carnival ship. The Carnival ships are a bit more gaudy, Los Vegasy in decor than most other cruise lines.','I was on Queen Mary 2 in July and the service was better on this Carnival budget class cruise.  <br /><br />Food was great, and dining is staggared at 4 times for dinner. Carnival cabins and bathrooms are larger than most cruiselines, but I dont use the cabin except to sleep in.  <br /><br />My one complaint is about the basic layout of the Fantasy class ships (Carniival has 6 or 7 identical ships) is they dont have a traditional prominade deck below the life boats where you can just sit in the shade without loud music and read a book, watch the sea, and the people passing by.',1170736207,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1,'Daily',1,67,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(10,39,'6-18-2004','I had a great time aboard the Fascination.','This cruise was excellent...by far the most relaxing cruise I&#39;ve been on. The weather was perfect the entire time...not a single dark cloud, just plenty of sunshine. The ship left Miami late Friday afternoon and returned early Monday morning. <br /><br />DAY 1: Embarkation Day<br /><br />We left the house a little after 11 AM, and we were on the ship within an hour...just in time for lunch up on the lido deck&#33; Before heading to the lido deck grille, which is called the Coconuts Grille aboard the Fascination, we stopped off in our cabins, where we dropped off all our luggage, all of which we carried on by ourselves so we wouldn&#39;t have to wait until later to have it delievered. For the 4 of us, we had 1 rolling suitcase and about 4 medium-sized duffel bags, which wasn&#39;t too bad. We got 2 outside cabins next to each other on the Riveria deck, in the very front of the ship. Pretty spacious cabins, with the usual basket of toiletries on the bathroom counter. On our last cruise aboard the Imagination, they had added 2 dispensers in the shower, 1 containing soap and the other shampoo, which was also on this ship. I&#39;m assuming that they have done this on all ships by now. <br /><br />Immediately upon entering the Coconuts Grille, which is the casual dining facility on the aft section of the lido deck, I realized the unique spaciousness and openness, which sharply contrasted against the other Fantasy-class ships I&#39;ve been on (Sensation, Imagination, Paradise). Maybe it is because of the palm tree/rainforest decorations and the light tiling on the floor, the room seemed to have a much more open atmosphere than the other ships, which I loved. Lunch was delicious, and afterwards we milled around the ship, noticing some improvements. Throughout the Coconuts Grille, they have employees pushing around carts stocked with all the beverages you can get from the machines, so you didn&#39;t even have to get up to get a drink. There was also a little sign in several places asking to ring the bell if the service/food has met your expectations. (I took a picture of the sign, it&#39;s in the album along with all the other photos) Nice touch, Carnival&#33; In many places of the ship where there used to be those makeshift, wooden ramps covering the thresholds when you go inside or outside on any of the decks, there are permanent concrete ramps, some of which were even carpeted. Much nicer looking. <br /><br />The lifeboat drill wasn&#39;t too bad considering our Muster Station was in the main show lounge, so we just sat on the nice cozy seats in the lounge for the duration of the drill. About 15 minutes later, the ship silently slipped away from the dock, headed towards the Miami Basin where the ship turned around, and then we headed straight down Government Cut and out to sea, which is always a nice sight. I think the most overlooked aspect of the cruise, from Carnival&#39;s perspective, is the lack of annoucements that are made about the ship beginning to depart from the dock. Of all the cruises I&#39;ve been on, only a few cruises actually played that fun &#39;bon voyage&#39; music and made annoucements to make sure everyone knew the ship was leaving. Because the cruise was only a 3-Day cruise, everyone was anxious to get to the pool right after the ship left Miami, and it was busy there until sundown. <br /><br />DAY 2: Nassau, Bahamas<br /><br />The ship docked in Nassau early Monday morning, and we decided to do the &quot;Discover Atlantis&quot; tour. Being that I always wanted to see Atlantis, I couldn&#39;t have been happier&#33; And lemme tell you...that place is nothing short of amazing&#33; We met right in front of the gangway on the pier at 2:15 in the afternoon, which was perfect so we didn&#39;t have to wake up early. We walked about 10 minutes to get on the boat which passed by all the ships docked (Sovereign of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, the Jubilee, and Regal Empress), past some fancy houses on the water, and it took us to Paradise Island. Then we walked about 10 more minutes to get to the actual entrance of the Atlantis resort. It was amazing...we toured the shark tanks, fish tanks, Eel and Stingray tanks, and we went through the tube surrounded by fish and sharks. I have many pictures I took during the entire Atlantis tour, which are also in the album. After Atlantis, we went to the Straw Market, which was &#39;a shopper&#39;s paradise.&#39; There must have been hundreds and hundreds of vendors and their stands set up in maybe 15 rows that went back as far as you could see. With all the shopping opportunities there, you didn&#39;t need to go anywhere else to shop. This was the first time I had been to the Bahamas, and I loved it...it&#39;s a very calm, peaceful island, with very interesting landmarks and nice people. The ship was docked for quite a while...from about 7 AM to 2:30 AM the following morning. <br /><br />DAY 3: Day at Sea<br /><br />I spent several hours in the afternoon on a lounge chair by the pool with a girl I met aboard the ship from California, studying for my Psychology final exam the next day back home, then we went to the gym which was relatively empty the entire cruise. Surprisingly, there was no difficulty getting a lounge chair on the lido deck. Though many were reserved, there were still plenty of empty lounge chairs everywhere. As usual, the day at sea flew by, and before we knew it, we were packing up and getting ready for our last evening aboard the ship. <br /><br /><br />DAY 4: Debarkation Day<br />Woke up at 6:45 AM (ahhh, I was not too happy waking up so early considering I had gotten only 2 hours of sleep that night, but oh well), so we could take advantage of Carnival&#39;s &quot;self-express debarkation&quot; process. We were in the main show lounge by 7:30, which is the time you must be there with all your luggage, if you wish to debark the ship earlier than everyone else. Now here&#39;s where I get to explain how dad was soley responsible for chaos and the mad dash to the exit doors of the show lounge....So we&#39;re all sitting down, waiting and waiting for the annoucement to be made for us early-bird debarkees to begin leaving the lounge and go to the lobby deck and get off the ship. The lounge was filled to occupancy, and there were even people outside the lounge, waiting everywhere and anywhere there was room. So time is ticking, and no annoucement is made..We wait, wait, and wait some more. Then, dad say&#39;s &quot;I&#39;m going to find out what&#39;s going on.&quot; (here&#39;s where it get&#39;s good).. <br /><br />Remember, no annoucement has been made to us. 5 minutes later, dad returns to the front row where we were sitting, and while standing up and in a loud expressionistic voice so that everyone around us could hear, he says &quot;Come on guy&#39;s let&#39;s go...the lady by the gangway said they&#39;re waiting for us to get off.&quot; So as he says this to us, I&#39;m looking around to see the entire lounge become dead silent, while everyone looks directly at dad to listen to what he has said. So as we start getting together our stuff in a hurry, we notice the couple directly behind us do the same, then the couple next to them stand up and do it too. Before we could even finish collecting our bags, the entire lounge, starting with the people directly surrounding us and fanning out to the further parts of the lounge, are all doing the same thing, kinda like a tidal wave/ripple effect, with everyone dashing for the exit to be the first to debark the ship. Now that was one sight to see&#33; lol. So here we are, all the way in the front of the lounge, stuck behind everyone else who is now on their way to reach the gangway. After a lot of laughter, a few moshpits, 20 minutes, and after being in line for quite some time, we finally made it off the ship into the terminal. So if you were on our cruise and wondering how that mad dash for the doors started, now you know...it&#39;s dad who did that&#33; For next time, dad will have learned to practice his whispering, so he doesn&#39;t cause another chaotic mad dash again. <br /><br />We were home by 9 AM, and I went back to sleep until about 2 PM. Then I went online to take the final exam for my summer Psychology course. The good thing about the cruise being only 3 days long is that the entire unpacking routine took less than 30 minutes, which was a pleasure. <br /><br />FOOD:<br /><br />I have 4 words - &quot;A Week of Chocolate.&quot; Carnival has really improved it&#39;s dining selection, particularly it&#39;s chocolate deserts. Every day there were several different kinds of chocolate cake, mouse, pie, etc. And this wasn&#39;t the same chocolate we have always been served on Carnival....this chocolate was real, rich chocolate - Not the airy, soft, no-taste chocolate cake that has been on every cruise. We&#39;re talking delicious sweet chocolate, semi-chocolate, and any other variety of chocolate you could imagine...available every single day. By now I guess you&#39;ve realized that I&#39;m a huge chocolate fan. Well, I guess it&#39;s time to move on and describe the other food we were served. <br /><br />For the 2 breakfasts on the cruise, the standard pancakes, french toast, omelletes, bacon, eggs, sausage, hash browns, fruit, and cereal were served. One of the few disappointments of the cruise was that breakfast was served no later than 10:30 AM up on the lido deck. On past cruises, breakfast would be served until 12 PM, which provided for plenty of time to get to the buffet. Yet on this cruise, I rushed (along with my sister) to get to breakfast on time, and we set the alarm clock in my phone to ensure we didn&#39;t oversleep. We did not go into the dining room at all. We took advantage of Carnival&#39;s Alternate Dining Program, which is great. The lido deck buffet serves great food, and the deli at the back of the ship had the best tasting corned beef and pastrami as long as I can remember. <br /><br />ENTERTAINMENT:<br /><br />Overall: A. There were 2 unique Las Vegas style shows during the cruise, along with 2 R-rated adult comedians, and a few other shows. The main disco was full of adults all night, every night, dancing the night away. Here&#39;s where a big change has been made....Never before has Carnival provided teenagers with a place of their own, somewhere to dance and hang out, without getting kicked out by security at 10 PM. This has changed. The Backstreet Club, located at the back of the game room on the Promenade deck, right by the casino, was created with exactly this purpose in mind. Unfortunately for us, there was a sign on the door all week long stating &quot;due to an illness, the activities/lounge has been closed for the week.&quot; Nice lounge, Carnival, but what good is it if you let one person who gets sick ruin the fun for everyone? I was very surprised that Carnival did not have anyone substituting the ill person&#39;s place so that the teenagers would have a place to go. <br /><br />OVERALL:<br /><br />I had a great time aboard the Fascination. I left the casino as a winner, not just a donor, which is always a fun thing&#33; This was my 21st cruise, or some number very close to that (I&#39;ve kinda lost track by now), and the first time aboard the Fascination, which is now my favorite Fantasy-class ship. This was also my 1st time on a 3 day cruise. Though it was a great way to get away for just a weekend, I still enjoy the longer cruises more. After getting all excited and prepared for the cruise, it was over too soon. Still suffering from PCDS, I&#39;ve been spending some time in my hammock under the palm trees, going to the beach alot, and still trying to be in that &quot;cruise mood.&quot;',1170736530,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1,'Jason',1,64,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(25,39,'1/10/2005','Wonderful 5 days&#33;','Wonderful 5 days&#33; Crew very friendly, efficient, entertaining. Dining room waiter and cabin steward were great. Wonderful towel animals. Food included filet mignon, lobster, prawns, Beef Wellington, Chateaubriand, fabulous desserts (including Cherries Jubilee and Baked Alaska).  <br /><br /><br />Key West and Cozumel clean fun ports.  <br /><br />Last Carnival cruise I took was in 1980 and this was immensely better.  The ship is immaculate and the crew are very visibly busy keeping it that way. The 24 hour pizza is excellent as is the ice cream and frozen yogurt. There were a mixture of ages and every cabin was booked.  <br /><br />On the downside there is a constant and continual selling of jewelry and liquor and a large array of either items. I found it easy to ignore and it did not detract at all from the trip.   <br /><br />The Camp Carnival appeared very organized and the youngsters looked like they really enjoyed it.',1170916835,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1700,'bucketsfl',1,60,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(26,39,'1/17/2005','The overall experience of the Carnival Fascination was a positive one.','PRE-CRUISE TRANSFER <br />  We arrived in Ft. Lauderdale Airport baggage area at about 10:00 AM. Friendly Carnival representatives were right there when we came down the escalator. We decided to get our luggage before we asked them for directions. Our luggage came fairly quickly so we headed to the Carnival representative and asked about the shuttle for the port. She asked us to go to the far end of the terminal and wait until about 10:45 AM. Someone came in to arrange for the pier shuttle, &#036;16 per person, &#036;32 per person roundtrip. She told us it would be charged to our Sign and Sail card. We were led out onto the ground transportation area of the airport and were instructed to place our luggage in line with the luggage of the other passengers. It was to be loaded by the driver. We boarded the bus at 11:08 AM and were on our way to the pier at 11:17 AM. We arrived at the Port of Miami at 11:55 AM. We waited for our luggage to be unloaded by the driver and then we got off of the bus.   <br /><br /><br />The entire transfer operation was smooth and only took a little over two hours from our arrival to the airport Ft. Lauderdale to the Port of Miami. We only had to wait a few minutes for the shuttle bus to arrive.   <br /><br />EMBARKATION <br />  At 12:18 PM the initial embarkation lines were very short. There was a longer line to pick up the cabin key and Sign and Sail Card but it wasn?t too bad. We had to pass all of the ID inspections and we were on board the Fascination by 12:40 PM. Not bad. We headed for the Lido deck because the cabins would not be ready until 1:00 PM. We took turns washing our hands and then headed for a nice pre-cruise lunch.   <br /><br />STATEROOM <br />  The stateroom was roomy enough for two passengers and the size of the bathroom was adequate. The beds were too low to put the luggage under so we had to put them in the closet. There was one closet that was open, one with a door, and a shelved closet with a room safe. There was only one desk type dresser that was adequate enough for a four night cruise. The bathroom had a large medicine cabinet for the toiletries and the shower was larger than on some of the newer ships. We did experience some flooding of the floor after about four showers. We were able to master the shower curtain most of the time so that the floor would not get flooded. It was very helpful to have a drain outside of the shower to drain the excess water. We just pushed the water into the drain with the extra towels. We knew we would receive fresh towels later in the evening.   <br /><br />SERVICE <br />  Our cabin steward, Derrick was great as well as his assistant who I never saw. Derrick made himself invisible except when he was needed. We didn?t see him much but there was evidence that he was taking care of the cabin. When we did see him he was extremely friendly and pleasant and helpful.    The dining room staff was also very friendly. Our waiter, Anthony and assistant waiter, Weixin were the very best. They not only served the meals, but also kept us entertained during dinner. The assistant waiter got wind that we liked cappuccino coffee and he brought it over every evening at the end of the meal without us having to ask. We would often get into conversations about where we came from and our likes and dislikes. It?s a miracle they could talk at all being a busy as they were.   <br /><br />The shop crew were friendly and very helpful. Some even made suggestions for purchases on shore.   <br /><br />FOOD <br />We used the dining room for breakfast and dinner. We chose late seating because we don?t feel rushed come back from excursions and to make way for the next group of diners. Most of the food was deliciously prepared. The presentation was very well thought out and the taste was just over satisfactory. Sometimes the cold cream soups were a little thin. The vegetarian appetizers and entrees were very good. The desserts were very good and we usually topped it off a cappuccino May traveling companion told me that most of the seafood dishes were well prepared. He said the lobster tail was very well prepared. He also enjoyed the burgers and fries on the Lido Deck. I enjoyed the vegetarian burger with all the fixings. The chefs at the pizzeria seemed a little harried, and there was a little wait for some of the pizzas but the pizzas were very good. It was worth the wait. My cruise mate like a pizza called De Chevre that is made with mushrooms and goat cheese. I liked the Marguerite pizza which is plain. We used room service which had a very limited menu but they were very quick to come to the cabin with the meal and we just had to give a modest tip. Overall the dining experience was satisfying. I would rate the food three stars out of five. The chefs work very hard to satisfy the diverse palettes on the ship. I enjoyed most of the meals. If something was not up to par I would not eat it but ask for something else. It was very rare that I had to do that. The mushroom dishes were outstanding. There was one formal evening during the cruise. Carnival encourages passengers to stay dressed in there finery for the entire evening. Most passengers wore suits and fine dresses during formal evening but some folks opted out and dressed casually or ate on the Lido Deck.    <br /><br />ENTERTAINMENT <br />  The main lounge on the Fascination has a very wide stage. Most seats on the lower level are very good. However, the sight lines in the rear of the second level are very poor. To get the best seats, arrive early and sit on the first level. Go in while guests are playing Bingo and stake your claim. There is such a sense of freedom on the ship that no one bothers you if you just want to go in early and get a good seat. You don?t even have to buy a drink if you don?t want to. The drinks in the lounge are not bad if you decide to indulge. The dancing was the best part of the stage show. The singing was adequate. I fell asleep during the comedian?s show and the comedian on the last night of the cruise had an empty house. There were only about twenty passengers in the main lounge. I was too tired to stay up to listen to her. All in all the stage show was moderately entertaining. Unfortunately, there was not a complete package to accompany the fine dancing even though there were glowing moments vocally. The guest talent show was very good. Some of the guests had very good voices. Bingo is very expensive. One card costs &#036;10 and three cards costs &#036;20. My cruise mate spent about &#036;200 trying to win Bingo. He was never successful at it. The casino was very tight. I?m sorry I can?t say much about the smaller lounges. I didn?t get a chance to indulge. There are so many activities on the ship and walking around the ports that by 2:00 AM I was ready for bed.    <br /><br />PORTS <br />  The Fascination stopped in Key West, Florida and Cozumel, Mexico. Key West was a very short stop. The ship arrived at about 7:30 AM and left at about 2:00 PM so there was not much time to enjoy Key West. On our way to Cozumel, the ship had to turn and go back to Key West after about 2 hours at sea because one of the crew members fell in the galley and seriously hurt himself. The ship docked just long enough to get him to the waiting ambulance. Not one passenger complained about the delay, but most were concerned about the well being of the crew member. It just demonstrated the relationships that develop between passengers and crew during such a short time. We arrived in Cozumel late but the captain allowed us to stay a little later. In Cozumel we took a cab downtown to do some shopping. The cab downtown was only &#036;6 for a carload of passengers, usually about 4 passengers, so try to make some friends from the ship so that you can share a cab downtown. We check out the numerous shops purchased some tequila and vanilla. We checked out some leather goods, shoes and other souvenirs. We found a large supermarket and bought some bottled water to take back on the ship. When I was looking for the supermarket I asked one of the natives in my phrase book Spanish, ?Donde esta la marqueta.? He responded, ?Marqueta? You mean the supermarket.? I was so embarrassed. After shopping we went to a cab stand and took the taxi back to the ship for only &#036;6.   <br /><br />DEBARKATION <br />  Debarkation was a breeze. We left our luggage out before 12:00 AM the night before the cruise. The Fascination did not call the colors of the tags. It?s basically a little wait in line and then you?re let off the ship. At the port you have a chance to find your luggage in the color coded section. Again, there was no problem in finding the luggage. We walked through customs and went to the airport shuttle bus, presented our return voucher and were on our way back to Ft. Lauderdale Airport.   <br /><br />OVERALL <br />  The overall experience of the Carnival Fascination was a positive one. There were many teenagers on the ship so if you want to be away from teenagers perhaps the Fascination is not for you. Most of the young people were very well behaved and did not have to come in contact with me. There was just one occasion when a young girl tried to challenge me by obstructing my path while I was trying to get to my cabin. Her friends looked at her like she was crazy. Despite that, the service from the ground crew to the ship crew worked very hard to help us have a good time. Carnival started taking care of me from the time I got off the plane to the time I got back on the plane, a very complete package. I was very satisfied with my voyage. I would definitely recommend Carnival Fascination. Just be aware that Carnival has a party crowd, albeit, most of the revelers are really very nice.',1170917073,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',172,'Mebert',1,72,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(27,39,'6/3/2005','We love the Fascination. We look forward to sailing her again when the opportunity arises.','We&#39;ve been on the Fascination several times already, but I just realized I never wrote a review on this ship.   <br /><br />We always have a wonderful time on every cruise. Just being on board a ship and breathing in that ocean air is a great feeling.   <br /><br />Since all of our 24 cruises have been aboard Carnival, I am not in the position to compare this line with any other. All I can say is that the Fascination definitely delivers on what we are looking for in a 3 day cruise. <br /><br /><br /><br />Food <br />The food was excellent. We went to the dining room the first night and I had shrimp cocktail and lobster. Both were absolutely delicious. I just wish that they would bring the red cocktail sauce with the shrimp. I always request it when I place my order but for some reason , it never comes with the shrimp and you have to wait a bit for it. Seems like it must be a precious commodity that they keep locked in a vault somewhere on the ship. Anyway, the dinner was fabulous.The second and third nights we ate at the buffet. One night was fish and I can&#39;t remember the other night but we were very happy with the meals on the Lido deck. Our friends enjoyed the pastrami and corned beef sandwiches from the deli since they didn&#39;t want the fish. Of course, the salad bar was fresh and the pasta always good. I can&#39;t fill you in on breakfasts since we skip that meal. We wake up late, head to the gym and then go straight to lunch. Lunches were excellent with lots of choices. Our friends who were with us, who have been sailing Royal Carib. for years since one of them was an RC employee, said there were so many more lunch choices on Carnival. She was amazed that on both sides of the LIdo, there were different choices instead ot the same things on both sides of the ship. Between the hot enrees, the pasta, the salad bar, the deli , the pizzeria which is open 24 hours ,and the grill serving hamburgers, hot dogs, etc., you can not go hungry. This time the corned beef was exceptional and being originally from New York, we are very fussy about our corned beef and pastrami. The tuna at the deli is also the best. Although there was a midnight buffet all three nights, we just attended the 2nd night when they had the deck party. They served tacos , among many other items.   <br /><br />Entertainment <br />I love musicals and I love watching the dancers. The shows were all excellent. Even though we see the same show every time we&#39;ve been on this ship, I enjoy them all over again. The costumes, the music is great. Each time, they add something to the show or change it or the costumes a bit. Those performers work very hard and it really shows.   <br /><br />The port <br />Well, this was the first cruise in which we did not leave the ship. Wayne just wanted to relax and have the jacuzzi to himself. We have been to the straw market many times and actually enjoyed the nice, quiet pool deck.   <br /><br />The cabin <br />The steward was great - the cabin was immaculate and we never even saw him. Last time aboard the Fascination, we didn&#39;t get the towel animals but this time we did. Those new duvet covers are fabulous. You feel like you&#39;re sleeping in a cloud. Love them.  <br /><br />This was a nice , relaxing weekend for us. We always did 7 day cruises and didn&#39;t want to be bothered packing and all for only 3 days. However, several cruises ago, we tried this and now we look at it as a quick getaway for the weekend. Just a lot of r &amp;r. Of course, since we&#39;re only 40 minutes from the port, it is very easy for us. We are also able to get on at the last minute. Another advantage of living here in South Florida.   <br /><br />We love the Fascination. We look forward to sailing her again when the opportunity arises. If anyone has any specific questions about this ship, please feel free to post them. <br /><br />Cheryl',1170917193,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',2,'GottaCruz',1,33,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(28,39,'7/25/2005','All in this entire cruise was ok. I mean the food was ok, the entertainment was ok, and the activities were boring. I enjoyed just being on the cruise myself.','You get what you paid for. Let?s begin with the long lines just to get on the ship. I think you have to go thru 4 different check ins. Just be sure when you get at the port you have your birth certificate, I.D. ready. I can&#39;t believe all the trouble you have to go thru just to get on the ships&#33; <br /><br /><br />First day: We arrived around noon, on a Greyhound that was included in our package thru AAA...after staying a night in Miami. If you choose to stay the night before, go to Bayside and eat at Bubba Gump?s&#33;&#33; Great food and ask for a &#39;to go&#39; cup, and you will get a souvenir cup to carry the rest of your drink in. Anyway, the day you arrive at the port, be sure you have plenty of One dollar bills for the bus drivers and the guys that load your suitcases onto the boat. For each suitcase or bag expect to pay 1:00. Just take about 30 ? 40 one dollar bills. And they ask for it too&#33;&#33;&#33; The first day on the boat, we had to find our own cabin. It was kind of weird as we had no idea where to go&#33; We found our room. This was ocean view and was very nice. Enough room for 2 people&#33; We then decided to walk around. Went to the area that has information and got a map of the ship and checked it out on our own. Very nice but it was hard finding yourself around. Wish they had a more detailed map. Showed what floor you were on, but not how to get around to the front of the ship or the back of the ship...what doors to take to get where you wanted to go. First day we ate lunch at the outdoor pool bar and grill, not knowing we could have went thru some sliding glass doors and eaten inside the air-conditioned dining room.   <br /><br />The &quot;Welcome Aboard&quot; show was good. The dancers were good, the singers were so-so. The comedy, Mark Macy, was great. We also saw his &quot;adult&quot; version Tuesday night which was hilarious&#33; &quot;Wee Jimmy&quot; the cruise director was very funny and we enjoyed his talks on the tours and the shows in the evenings. We really enjoyed the ?adult shows?&#33;&#33; They were funny.  <br /><br />We left the dock about 15-20 minutes late and we decided to enjoy the scenery. Right before we left, around 3:30 everyone was advised to take to life boat drill and we did that. I felt like I had on a neck brace when we learned how to put the life jackets on?it was funny&#33; Then we proceeded to go to the ?muster station?. We were outside, in the rain while it was storming?lightening flashing?.very scary.   <br /><br />After the drill, we went and watched the ship leave dock. That was exciting. Cruising in the rain&#33;&#33;&#33; Anyway, if you decide to watch the boat leave, go to the front?its exciting. Oh yea, don?t worry too much about getting sea sick. This is a boat that you can?t feel the rocking as some people say you do. I took my motion sickness pill before loading, but didn?t need it after that.   We ate and then we went to the first show. It was a show the included people from the audience. My boyfriend was one that pick&#33;&#33; Funny&#33;  <br /><br />Day 2, we woke up to find us docked in Key West, Florida. We went and ate and decided the day before to take the Pirate tour and just look around. We enjoyed our time there. That evening we went and got our formal pictures taken and then to the ?meet the captain? party, reception. It was great, but watch how many free drinks you get. They catch up with you later. We went to eat at the formal dinner and met our new friends, which later went to the Broadway show with us. The dinner tonight was Caribbean and I had lobster. It was ok. After the show we went out side and enjoyed the fresh air and watching the big ship cruise down the ocean on its way to Cozemel, Mexico. After that we went to the Adult Comedy show. That was the funniest show&#33; After that we went to bed.  <br /><br />Day 3- Cozemel Mexico. It was nice and HOT. It?s sad seeing what Hurricane Emily has done to these people. The city was nice and you could tell that there was damage. The top of the huts were blown away, and there was debris on the beach. They were fixing it back up though. We couldn?t even go see the Maya Ruins for what she did. We didn?t have an excursion until 2:30, and since we arrived early to Mexico, we went into town by taxi that cost 6:00 for 4 people, with our new friends we had dinner with and ate at Carlo?s and Charlie?s. It was so great&#33;&#33; Food was great and you get these big Margaritas in these huge glasses. Strawberry was the best&#33; A lot of entertainment there. There was a guy that made everyone balloon hats, which after we left, we gave to kids. They know how to have fun. After that we got another taxi and went back to the boat to get ready to go on our excursion on the Catamaran. Now that was fun&#33;&#33; We left from right around where the boat was docked. We arrived kinda late and had a lot of people in front of us and were wondering if they were going to put all of us on one boat. But it was all good, here came another boat. The man on our boat was so great&#33;&#33; We had all the beer, pop, water we wanted on our way out to sea to snorkel. I had never snorkeled so I was kind of leery about doing this. As soon as you get on you get a snorkel mask, life jacket and the flipper shows. The tour director explained how to fix your mask etc and then we stopped and you could either jump from the boat into the water or take the ?chicken steps? as he called it?..the steps that go right into the water. I chose to jump, but before I jumped I told the director that I had never done this before, he helped me with my fear and in I went. That was the best time I have had in a long long time. Very interesting of what you see below. We even had our picture taken looking at the fish. <br /><br />For about 45 minutes we were in the water, and then we got back on the cat marine and went to a private beach about 30 minutes later. The sand was very hot, so if you have any water shoes, take them. The beach itself was rough on your feet. We could have eaten there for 8.00 but chose not to?.it didn?t look to good. The flies were terrible though. We asked why they were so bad and the director said it was from Emily and the horses that were taking people for rides. After this we were back at the dock around 5:30 and tipped the crew with 5.00 and also bought all the pictures they took of us?.3 plus a free one of the fish in the sea, for 33.00. After we arrived at the dock we went and took a shower, and headed out to meet with our new friends to eat at Ponchos. We then went to the show next to Poncho?s and purchased shirts that were 2 for 20.00 and some necklaces for our girls for 3. 95 each. We then headed to the boat around 9:00 for out departure at 10:00. Our cruise director told us that when the boat was ready to leave, go watch and you will see someone running to the boat about to miss it. Sure enough?.there was one person&#33;&#33; Guess he drank too much at Fat Tuesdays, right on the dock. We enjoyed this evening outside watching the stars and enjoying the ride. Seems like the front or the back of the ship were ever really over crowded.  <br /><br />Day 4 Fun day at sea. Well, let?s see we woke up and decided to go our own ways. We took walkie talkies for this reason. They worked fine and we didn?t bother anyone. I decided today was a pool day for me and he decided on the Casino. The pool is crowded on this day so beware. Although I got there around noon, I found a great spot and layed out for a couple of hours. They had a Caribbean style band playing. In the afternoon they had a hairy chest contest that was funny, and ice sculpting. The pool was very crowded.       <br /><br />And it?s not very big anyway. The hot tub had a bunch of kids in it when it is clearly stated as adults only. There was always someone coming around offering you the daily drink. I never bought one myself, as I saw 6.25 to much. Oh and by the way, if you want to sneak in some alcohol just empty out a bottle of Listerine, add the clear liquid, vodka is what we used, add 8 drops of yellow food coloring and it will go thru the check in line. That was cool. Then all you got to do is get some lemonade or punch from the drink stations and take it back to your room and add the vodka and there ya have it. If you are smart take your own travel mug. Makes it ever better. Anyway, after our time away from one another, we chose to go to the last formal dinner. Before dinner they were serving sushi around the stars lounge, which the line was long with only one person working it. The dinner tonight was American, which wasn?t very good. I had the filet mignon and it tasted like roast. After dinner we went and played some slots, went out on the back deck with a bottle of champagne and drank and then went to bed.   <br /><br />We ported about 7am on Friday and we chose to have the early departure meaning you took your own luggage at 7am to the Palace lounge, and they showed you the way to debark along with your luggage. This way is a lot faster than having to stand around and wait on the entire luggage to be dropped off. Plus we got the first bus out to the airport.  <br /><br />All in this entire cruise was ok. I mean the food was ok, the entertainment was ok, and the activities were boring. I enjoyed just being on the cruise myself. If you don?t want to spend a lot of money and you want to go to be left alone go on this cruise. I?ve heard that other cruise lines are a lot better so next time we will go with another cruise line.',1170917367,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',2102,'sunshineforblue',1,35,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(29,39,'5/8/2006','I have been on royal caribbean 7 times and this was my first carnival cruise','I have been on royal caribbean 7 times and this was my first carnival cruise <br /><br /><br />I was told they are about the same in everything but i do not think so. <br /><br />Getting on the ship was easy and getting to my room was ok.the room was nice clean and big. i went to the 8:30pm dinner and i had a table by myself so i asked if i could sit at the next one over that had two people siting at it  they said yes. that was the only service i got on the cruise they rushed dinner  we were in and out in 30 minutes and that was 3 courses.the food was good perpard nice. <br /><br />After that i went to the casino and played the slots winning &#036;60 then filing good i went to the stage show called the welcome show.  it was so bad most everybody got up and walked out. i stayed hopping it would get better(it did not)i went to bed after that the room was very niceand the bed great sleep like a baby. got up ate breakfast just soso and got off in key west we only had 5 hours there so i was rushed but seen alot got back on board  and ate the buffet the food was dry and the drink machines we not working.  just coffee or hot water.i did not go to the dinner that night i went to the stage show to see if it was any better then the first it was great. but when i got back to my room the paper showing the next days events said we were going to playa de carmom not cozumel alot of people were upset that night.  got up and ate the buffet. the drink machines were working but the food was dry  and burnt. got of the boat in a port the was used for shiping out concrete  looked like it was just built.had to take a taxi into town and it was nice  i looked around some but got back on the boat after two hours not much there to see just shops. <br /><br />I ate in the dinning room that night and the food was good but there steal rushed us 40 minutes in and outi did not like that after i went to the casino and lost &#036;200 so i went to bed the last day was at sea it was nice and sunny so we layed out and got drinks all day the drinks were good and the price for them was too after the hairy chest and ice carving shows we went back to the room and had showers the water was so hot that night we only took short showers.went to eat dinner again the food was good and after we went to the bingo and last show they were good but the bingo is riged because the person that won &#036;500 the first night won the cruise this night.i hit the bar and then the casino lost some won some. got my bottles from the store and went to the room ware i met my room atendant for the first time. he was nice but i should have met him the first day.getting off the ship was easy also.my trip wes fun and i did have a ok time but it could have been alot better so will i take a carnival cruise again ? someday maybe but royal caribbean has my heart and most of my cruises from now on will be with them thanks   frostyboy64',1170917444,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',2516,'frostyboy64',1,80,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(30,39,'6/2/2006','Would do this cruise again in a heartbeat, anytime the price is right.','Review of Fascination, 3 day cruise to Bahamas on June 2, 2006 <br /><br /><br />We?ve been on the Fascination many times but I haven?t written a review since last year. We arrived at the port about 11:30. This was the first time that we couldn?t board immediately. Customs hadn?t cleared the ship for some reason but we only had to wait for about 10 minutes. Lunch was great as usual with so many choices. For dinner we went to the dining room for the shrimp and lobster. We had a table for 6 but the other 3 didn?t show up. In fact, the dining room was pretty empty. Our service was the best ever. I actually received the red cocktail sauce with the shrimp as I requested , which was very uuusual. The lobster tails were excellent . <br /><br />The service was very quick, the servers were very friendly and we enjoyed a wonderful meal. The show was called Hollywood. We?ve seen it many times but they improved it with some new costumes and some different songs. Excellent show- amazing dancers. We went to do some dancing after the show but we were very disappointed. <br /><br />The music in the disco was blasting- much too loud for our old ears. We went to the Passage to India lounge, where we usually do our dancing, but the trio there was playing rock music which was not our cup of tea. So, we hung out on the Lido deck , just enjoying the fresh air. On Saturday, my daughter and I got off the ship to do some shopping. We went to the Straw Market, where DD likes to pick up a necklace but it was stifling hot there and I just couldn?t bear it. So, we walked in and out of the shops but didn?t find anything we wante to buy. When we had left the ship, they were giving out coupons to get a free charm bracelet from Diamonds International, so we did get that. After a couple of hours, we went back to the ship and decided to get off again after dinner to go on a horse and buggy ride with Wayne. <br /><br />So, we relaxed on the deck, then had dinner at the buffet. Great fish and delicious chicken. We left the ship to go to the horse and buggies but the streets were deserted . We were very surprised that with 3 cruise ships in port, the city was basically shut down. We had assumed that at 7:00 PM , the horse and buggies would still be there. Oh well, guess everyone has to go home sometime. Next time, we?ll go earlier in the day, although we had purposely waited to go when the sun had gone down and it wasn?t so hot. Got to time it better next time. Again, we tried to do some dancing but it didn?t work out with the music. Saturday night was the Mexican deck party. It had just poured so they had to serve the food indoors. We feasted on all different kinds of tacos and other Mexican food. The buffet was great and , of course, we ate too much. One thing I must say, is that on this cruise, we noticesd that tables were not cleared as they should have been. <br /><br />In fact, someone had spilled something on the floor. We noticed the maitre?d put a chair over the mess so nobody will step in it but it took quite a while for someone to come and clean it up. We were very surprised. Sunday was our last day, a sea day. We had a couple of showers, which cooled things down. Then it turned out to be a beautiful day. The show, called Broadway, was excellent as usual, with songs from West Side Story, Tommy, Carousel, Chorus Line, Phantom, and many others. We never get tired of this show. <br /><br />Saurday night we hadn?t been to the show because we?ve seen Zuniga , the juggler , so many times and practically know his routine by heart. He does put on a great show. Since it was our last night, we had some of the delicious pizza before we went to bed. One huge change since our last cruise- the midnight buffets have been changed. They used to have Friday night, a bit of all kinds of food , the Mexican buffet on Saturday night and again the varied buffet on Sunday night. This cruise, on Friday and Sunday nights, at the midnight buffet, they had hotdogs, hamburgers , fires, garden burgers. We never saw them serve that on any of our cruises. I guess they have to cut corners to make up for the price of gasoline. There is still so much food and so many choices that it was no big deal for us. <br /><br />However, first time cruisers, might be disappointed since there was no grand gala buffet like they used to have, with the ice sculptures and all. Although we had a very relaxing weekend , got to meet gymbrat and her mom plus Eva and her family, we were a bit disappointed that we couldn?t do any dancing. O h well, we?ll just have to make up for that on our next cruise. This cruise, did, though, accomplish our purpose, which was to unwind and relax. A great way to spend the weekend. I?m going to post, here and in a new topic, the perks you now get, for being a member of the Carnival Concierge Club, which is after you take 10 cruises with Carnival. Here goes:The complimentary amenities are : <br /><br />A few sheets of beautiful silver stationery with your name engraved, along with matching envelopes. <br />A special Carnival logo item- we got canvas tote bags last time and even nicer ones, styled a bit differently, this time. <br />Petit fours delivered to cabin one day. <br />Behind the scenes galley tour which you can schedule. <br />Priority booking for spa services. <br />Complimentary wash and fold service. <br />Complimentary &#036;20 dollar entrance to Blackjack or Slot Tournament<br />Priority tender boarding<br />Priority debarkation<br />I hear the ship is going into drydock after the summer. She needs a bit of spiffing up , but just minor things. I hope they add a recumbent bike in the gym. Without that, I had a good excuse not to exercise and that is not a good thing. <br /><br />Would do this cruise again in a heartbeat, anytime the price is right. The only thing missing from this cruise was Jason. Hopefully, he&#39;ll be able to cruise with us next time.',1170917563,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',2,'GottaCruz',1,59,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(31,39,'6/2/2006','I booked this cruise 2 days prior to sailing.','I booked this cruise 2 days prior to sailing. Carnival send me an e-mail with deals from Florida sailings. I called and booked right away. Since I&#39;m on summer vacation , my schedule is flexible. My brother and nephew couldn&#39;t make it because his baseball coach called that they would be receiving their trophies for winning the championships this weekend.   <br /><br /><br />EMBARKATION  <br /><br />My mother worked until 12:00p.m. We arrived at port at 12:45. Embarkation was a breeze. The lines were super long, but it took 20 minutes from the time we arrived to entering the ship.  <br /><br />SHIP  <br /><br />I have sailed on the Imagination which is Fascination&#39;s sister ship. I thought that the layout would be the same. It was completely different. It took me a while to find my way around. This ship is absolutely beautiful just like the Imagination. We went to check out the cabin and then to the Lido deck for the Cruisecrazies meet and greet. We couldn&#39;t find Cheryl and Wayne so we had lunch at the buffet. On our way out, we met Cheryl, Wayne, and their lovely daughter, Lacey. They are so friendly and wonderful people. We talked to them for a while and took pictures which I&#39;ve included in my album. It was a pleasure meeting them.  <br /><br />ENTERTAINMENT  <br /><br />The shows and activities scheduled were excellent; so much so that I never made it to the dining room because there was so much going on during my dinner time. This is the only ship that schedules activities on days at port. They had activies scheduled starting at 1:00 p.m.  <br /><br />SERVICE  <br /><br />The service was excellent. All of the employees on the ship were polite and attentive.  <br /><br />FOOD  <br /><br />The food was excellent and there was a lot of variety to choose from. I went off my diet and ate lots of pizza and chocolate. I ate in the buffet area. I never made it to the dining room.  <br /><br />BAHAMAS  <br /><br />I booked a sightseeing and Pirates of Nassau Museum tour since I&#39;ve been to the Atlantis resort a number of times. You must attend this museum. It is amazing. It reminds me of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney.(If you do not want to do the sightseeing tour, you can always walk to the Museum which is 2 block from the ship on your own.)  <br /><br />DEBARKATION  <br /><br />Debarkation was a breeze. I was off the ship at 7:45 and home at 8:15.  <br /><br />Those of you sailing from Miami or Fort Lauderdale: Please let us know when you&#39;re saling so that those of us from Miami can meet you prior to or after sailing. It was great meeting the CruiseCrazies in person after corresponding with them for so long on the board.',1170917662,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',566,'Gymbrat33',1,53,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(32,39,'12/22/2006','I highly recommend this cruise for anyone interested in a 3 day getaway. We sail this ship as often as we can and love it every time.','Well, we&#39;ve been on this ship so many times so the refurbishment we had heard about would be really obvious to us. We were pleasantly surprised by so many changes. In the cabins and throughout the ship, the carpeting was new. In the cabin, the bathrooms had a complete makeover. The toilets and sinks were brand new. The medicine cabinet was gone and in it&#39;s place was a glass shelf above the sink. The floor was done in some kind of plastic , bright blue, with raised dots , as was the shower floor, making both completely slippery proof. There was more hanging space in the bathroom, extra towel bar and additional hook. The cabins looked great. The surfaces were redone in a wood looking venner and instead of handles, there were toggle loops on the drawers and closets. The mirror above the vanity/desk was very modern with lights stretching down the length of the mirrors. There was an LG flat panel TV mounted on the wall in the corner. The ugly storage box that held the life vests was gone and there were just 2 small shelves under the tv. instead. Of course, the new comfort bed system is amazing. I am going to post some photos that I took of the cabin but the photos don&#39;t do it justice. <br /><br /><br />Big changes in the spa. The jacuzzis were gone, which disappointed Wayne. But they made the gym area larger with all new machines and good for us, was they finally added the recumbent bike. The ladies and mens sides were upgraded with beautiful glass sinks and much more . <br /><br />After being on this ship so many times, we practically knew the formal shows by heart and loved them anyway. We were thrilled, though, to find out that they did change the shows. The first one was great, Fiesta Latina, with many songs by Gloria Estefan and Harry Belafonte. The costumes were great and very colorful. However, the 2nd formal show, don&#39;t remember the name, but something about the 80&#39;s, was our favorite. They did Footloose, Flashdance, Staying Alive , Blues Brothers, Madonna. It was amazing. I don&#39;t think they stopped to take a breath. The music was amazing- well, Wayne and I love the 80&#39;s music so it was perfect for us. <br /><br />The unusual thing about this cruise was that there was a group of 350 people from India or of Indian origin. They were clothed in magnificent outfits, flowing garments, the men and children too, with beads and such. They had their own parties, with their own food and even their own musicians. It was fascinating to watch them dance in a huge circle with inner circles, kind of reminded me of square dancing, in a way. I found it beautiful and very interesting. <br /><br />The food was great, as usual, nonstop, any hour of the day or night. The weather was perfect- mid to high 70&#39;s, calm seas. <br /><br />I highly recommend this cruise for anyone interested in a 3 day getaway. We sail this ship as often as we can and love it every time.',1170917706,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',2,'GottaCruz',1,86,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(33,25,'2/28/04','Sorry for being so long winded, but we had such a perfect time.','Ok - so I&#39;ll start with the complaints ...... That was easy - NONE&#33; We sailed from Port Canaveral on Feb. 28th. We took the redeye from Vancouver and arrived at the airport at 6:30 a.m. - can you believe it - Carnival reps were there to meet us, they told us where to be for the buses and we hung around, people watching, until it was time to head for the Cape. We spotted the Glory from quite a way out, she really is impressive. It took about 45 minutes to get through the boarding process, get cards and pics and all - then up to the Lido to start a week of non-stop eating. We were allowed in our rooms about 1:00 p.m. so we took a nap and waited for the excitement of the muster drill&#33; After the drill - which no one actually paid any attention to - we went back to our cabin to wait for sail away. I was actually in the bathroom when we started off - and didn&#39;t feel a thing - the sail away I mean - not that I usually feel anything in the bathroom - lol - but I digress. <br /><br />It was so neat to see people on shore wave us away and honk their horns - very festive. The water got rough pretty quick but the patch actually worked - will wonders never cease - I get seasick in the bathtub - but it was great. It was pretty funny watching the other pax get their sea legs - sort of bounciong off ht ebulkheads and into each other - like a bunch of Irish men on St. Patrick&#39;s Day - well that would be today. <br /><br />Dinner in the dining room was wonderful - Lina and Frank made eat evening a realy occasion. We were at a table for four - but the other couple never showed. After meeting our wait stafff we decided to stay put - they were the greatest. I have never been so pampered in my life. My dh and I do have fun no matter what we do and we just go with the flow - but we had absolutely great meals and so much to choose from. We ate in the dining rom every night. We also tried the fish and chips, the deli, the sushi bar and the buffet - it was pretty good all around. And don&#39;t even mention the desserts - wow. Good thing I had lots of baggy pants with me - they got a little snug around day five. <br /><br />Our room steward - although she did a wonderful job - we only met her in passing. She was on top of everything like ice and such but we had no requests as it was always just done. The balcony was so great - we usually got lunch or snacks and ate out there - didn&#39;t want to miss anything. I even went out every night - in the middle of the night - so peaceful - just the moon and the ocean and the tropical breezes - Hmmmm&#33; <br /><br />Mark Price our cd was so funny - he seemed to be everywhere - I think he must have been a twin - because he never slept - he was always around. The entertainment was tops (and we spend a lot of time in Vegas). Everyone was so enthusiastic about what they were doing. And the Robin Hood audience participation sketch - strap on the Depends - it was that funny - my sides hurt for days. <br /><br />We didn&#39;t spend any time around the pool or the bars or lounges - not our style. We just mellowed out on the balcony and wasted a few bucks in the casino. The people we met were really fun - it&#39;s amazing how on a ship with over 3,000 passangers you keep bumping into the same people all the time - on ship and on shore. <br /><br />In Key West we just roamed about and did some shopping. In Belize we visited with the howler monkeys - that was great. And in Cozumel we did the Dolphin Encounter. There is nothing quite like a dolphin kiss - what a memory. And Chakanab Park was fabulous - good thing we had the digital camera or film developing would have cost as much as the cruise - over 300 pics. We actually enjoyed Progresso. We took a bus tour - &#036;2.00 that showed us the sights - or lack of sights - but it was interesting. The beach was beautiful - lots of drinking places - but with the patch on I steered clear of those. <br /><br />Watch out for those ship photos - they actually made the two of us - old coots that we are - look pretty good - they must air brush them in the back room - we bought a whole bunch of those - what are we going to do with all those 8 x 10 glossies? <br /><br />Debarkation - though it came much to soon - was a snap - we had breakfast in the dining room and waited about an hour for our colour, retreived out bags from a carousel and the porter even let us use his cell phone to call the rental car company. Being Canadian, our passports were held until the last night - we picked them up about ten in the evening - we were expecting a 6a.m. pick up - but this was great. <br /><br />Sorry for being so long winded, but we had such a perfect time. Do you actually get used to it - does the second or third or tenth cruise loose it&#39;s luster - or are they all as perfect as the first? Please e-mail me with any questions - Jennifer',1170919020,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',573,'hazelson',1,118,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(34,25,'3/27/04','Food- Good<br />Cabin- Excellent<br />Service-Excellent<br />Excursions-Excellent<br />Entertainment-Good<br />Cruise Director, Mark-Excellent','My DH drove us to Port Canaveral, traffic into the drop-off area was pretty jammed, it seemed both Disney and Carnival cruisers were using the same lanes. Anyhow, once dropped off we were very pleasantly surprised to see there was no waiting on line for check-in (about 11 am)...right up to a very friendly agent who did our paperwork quickly and we were on the ship in no time flat. I think we actually got on faster this time than last year when we had the pleasure of the &quot;Skipper&#39;s Club&quot; priority check-in. <br /><br />The ship:<br />Carnival Glory is beautiful. The decor is modern with the theme of &quot;colors&quot;. The lounges had different color names e.i. Turquiose lounge, Green room, Golden diningroom, etc. Being a new ship everything was is tip-top shape. The casino is beautiful. <br /><br />Our Cabin:<br />We booked a Cat. 9A aft port-side (7440). It&#39;s one of those odd shaped cabins kind of on the corner of the back of the ship,(only sleeps 2 max.) the best part is this particular type of cabin had a huge wrap-around balcony&#33; We just love that. <br /><br />Sat 3/27:<br />My son ,KJ, and I didn&#39;t waste anytime...he got his soda card and I got my drink special of the day in the fancy glass&#33; We were told our cabin would not be ready till 1:00 so we got a bite to eat and explored a bit. Got into our cabin at 1:00 unpacked quickly and off again for the sail-away party on the Lido deck. Had a great first night, won &#036;65 in the slots&#33; KJ met a bunch of teens to party with. (he stayed out later than I did&#33;) <br /><br />Sun.- Port of Call Key West:<br />Arrived at noon...you have to take a trolley (provided by Carnival) to the town. We we arrive at Mallory Square my DH called me on my cell to ask how we were doing and where exactly we were, we have all been there before so when I told him we were up in the big tower that overlooks the Square he said look toward a certain area....well, I looked and there he was&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; After dropping us off at Port Canaveral he and my cousin drove down to meet up with us the next day (about a six hour drive) They drove down in my new convertible so we all hopped in and toured around the Keyes.....It was great&#33;&#33; He&#39;s a sweetie&#33; <br /><br />Mon- Fun day at Sea:<br />Beautiful weather the whole trip. I got to be a judge for the &quot;Men&#39;s Hairy-Chest Comp.&quot;..LOL&#33;&#33; The only thing that annoys me is &quot;Lounge-chair HOGS&quot;. Even thought I was just one person, I had a difficult time finding a lounge chair anywhere close to the pool. As always chairs were marked saved when no one sat on them for hours&#33;&#33;&#33; ERRRR...Oh well, I had a drink and didn&#39;t let it bother me..LOL. <br /><br />Tues.-Belize:<br />We took a wonderful snorkeling excursion on a catamaran&#33; They anchored after about an half-an-hour ride, we all snorkeled and they relaxed on a tiny island where they served drinks, rum-punch, sodas. Back on the catamaran for the ride back they kept the rum punch flowing and the music playing, we danced,sang and had a blast&#33;&#33; I can&#39;t say enough about that excursion....it was the best&#33; Very friendly and knowledgeable staff and beautiful new and clean boat with bathrooms&#33; Took a nap on the Lido deck when we returned..(Too much rum punch..LOL) I spoke to a lady that evening that had done the Belize City Tour and she said it was depressing and not interesting. <br /><br />Wed.-Cozumel:<br />Up early for Beginner&#39;s Scuba Excursion; it was great, again great people running it, had a place to leave your stuff, bathrooms, food etc. Awesome.. and KJ really loved it. We all plan on getting certified real soon. <br /><br />Thurs.-Progresso:<br />We took our time get off the ship and then did a little shopping just at the stores right at the dock. Progresso has a huge long pier and you have to take a bus into the town which we didn&#39;t bother to do this year. It was very nice to slow down a bit after the past two days of getting up early and heading out on excursions. <br /><br />Fri.-Fun day at Sea:<br />Just that...a fun day, hanging by the pool, meeting people, won a trophy at a trivia contest&#33; Skipped dinner that night...too much fun on deck&#33; <br /><br />Sat.-Debarkation at Port Canaveral:<br />We were told that there was a problem because the terminal had lost all power and of course would hold up the process, which it did. But those things happen so we just waited, KJ ran around saying good-bye and exchanging emails and phone numbers with all the kids he met. It did take quite a long time to finally get off and through customs and all, and I was tired, maybe a bit cranky..LOL <br /><br />To sum it up:<br /><br />Food- Good<br />Cabin- Excellent<br />Service-Excellent<br />Excursions-Excellent<br />Entertainment-Good<br />Cruise Director, Mark-Excellent<br /><br />Any questions please don&#39;t hesitate to ask.<br />Hope this wasn&#39;t too long&#33;&#33;<br /><br />Nora',1170919104,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',289,'Slainte',1,91,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(35,25,'9/11/04','Let me start this review off by saying we had a blast. We will go on this cruise again.','Let me start this review off by saying we had a blast. The food and entertainment were excellent. The cabin and our itinary was something else. Let me first start off with the cabin. We were in cabin 6463 inside. This was the cabin from hell. everytime the ship moved the tv and the cabnets in the room would creek and groan. One night I woke up thinking someone was banging on the door. I did report the problem and they tried to move us to a cabin right above from where we were already at. We decided to stay. would take too much time to repack and unpack. <br /><br /><br />Well we were suppose to visit Belize, Costa Maya and Cozemel but all of this was changed due to Harricane Gaston we had to do the southern we were to visit St Maartin, St. Thomas and the Bahamas. Well, we made it to ST. Maartin we had a beautiful time, we was going to do the snuba but all excursions were cancelled. We hd to leave ST. Maartin early because harricane Ileen(sp) was heading directly towards the islands. We never visted ST. Thomas what a bummer and we ended up in the Bahamas 2 days later. <br />This was a 7 day cruise we ended up on the water for 5 days....but we did party until the sun came up 4 of the 5 nights. I would say we did have a nice time even thought we didn&#39;t get to see land for days on end. OK the colors on the ship were very nice. We had late sitting for dinner and our head waiter Jeorge and Artis were the best. the food was excellent. <br /><br />We did go to the shows and late night comedy and we all had a blast. embarkation/Debarkation was smooth. We never waited for more than a hour either way. We will go on this cruise again.',1170919158,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1389,'snellom00',1,134,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(36,25,'9/18/04','This was an excellent cruise and I have nothing but praise for Carnival and the way they handled this situation with the safety of the passengers utmost in their minds.','This cruise started out a little disappointing with a call from my TA that our itinerary had changed because of the hurricane. They changed our ports from the EAstern Caribbean to the Western. OUr TA gave us the option to cancel but we decided just being out to sea was vacation enough for us. So...........   <br /><br />Embarkation <br />  Went very smoothly at Port Canaveral. Traffic was at a minimum and we were checked in and having lunch within an hour and half.   <br /><br />Cabin <br />  Yipeee...we had booked an OV guarantee and were upgraded to a balcony. We were in seventh heaven. They know what they are doing when they upgrade you because now Ken and I are hooked on a balcony. The cabin was huge and there was a place for everything. The bathroom was very roomy and had three glass shelves on each side of the mirror giving plenty of room for all our toiletries. Nothing like watching the sun go down from your balcony.   <br /><br /><br />Entertainment <br />  The entertainment was great and the cruise director was the best. I am sure some of you have heard of him. His name is John Heald and we left the nightclub each night with belly aches from laughing. I was chosen to be on stage for the Welcome Aboard show and it was hilarious. We bought the tape and have watched it a few times already. My family thought it was great and they weren&#39;t even there. The two Las Vegas type shows were good. The second show &quot;Rockin&#39; down Broadway&quot; was excellent as was the comedians and magic show. The &quot;r&quot; shows were really good if you are open minded.   <br />Food <br />  The food was very good as usual. I just wish Carnival would change their menu from time to time. The menu was exactly the same as it was on the Paradise in February. The lido deck food was very good as each day they had a diffferent theme Italian, Oriental, Indian and of course the grand buffet. The midnight and chocolate buffets were excellent. Of course there is the 24 hour Pizzeria and the deli where you could get a great grilled rueben into all hours of the night. The fish and chips area was also a nice plus as was the grill where you could get cheeseburgers, hot dogs and fries most all day and until later in the evening. The wait staff was great and put on a few good shows for us during dinner.   <br /><br />Disembarktion <br />  We had to stay out to sea two extra days because of Hurricane Jeanne. We had to dock in Port Everglades with 9 other ships and 22,000 people getting off these ships. Carnival had arranged for busses to get us to our destination. The order of getting off was this: Guests with their cars at Port Canaveral would get off first and be bussed to the port to pick up their cars. So off they went...next would be the people that booked their airfare through Carnival and off they went...next was us who booked their own airfare and off we went.....It was a little hairy leaving the port with all the guests that were leaving at the same time but it was not a big deal. When we heard the announcement at 5 Saturday morning that we would be going back out to sea we had gotten a strong signal on our cell phone. I guess because we were so close to Miami that the signal was so strong.When I saw that I immediately called family members and Delta to change our flight from Saturday night to Monday night. Not a problem. We arrived at Orlando Airport about two and checked in. We had a leisurely lunch and meandered down to our gate about 4 ( our flight was at 5:30). Our flight was delayed until 7 and again no problem. Flight was smooth and we landed in Newark Airport about 9:30.   <br /><br />Overall <br />  This was an excellent cruise and I have nothing but praise for Carnival and the way they handled this situation with the safety of the passengers utmost in their minds.',1170919206,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',754,'teacp',1,60,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(37,25,'10/22/05','All in all a great time and some special moments with my wife.','Hello,  <br /><br /><br />WOW......where to start.............i am just overwhelmed......................  <br /><br />We were to have sailed the western route to Key West, Belize and Cozumel. Good luck to you all. Instead we went to Nassau, St. Thomas and San Juan. The reasoning for San Juan was St. Maarteen was already full. We did not know the change until about 4 pm Friday. No problem we wanted to cruise&#33;  <br /><br />Got to the pier a few minutes after noon and had a short wait to drop off bags. Then i paid the &#036;70 and parked on the 4th floor of the parking garage. Nice and easy to get around no problems at all.....went through a few lines and viola we were on the ship&#33; The whole parking and emabrkation process took us all of about 40 minutes or so. I did the Funpass and that seemed to save a few minutes.  <br /><br />The ship........... <br />  Very nice and new looking. Seems like Carnival has upgraded tremendously from the Fantasy class ships.  Promenade deck was great..........sushi bar, casino, picture taking and a few bars made it a nice place to be and not too overcrowded.  Pool area...after 11 cruises now, i can make a challenge of sorts....take me on any cruise and no doubt i will find you deck chairs to sit in. There were many chairs around the pool areas and tiers. I personally counted 23 at one time in the immediate pool area. AGain, never ever a problem.  <br /><br />Cabin.........1st balcony cabin......nice&#33; I had it decorated and a bottle of champagne. Wife loved it. MR. G was our room stwerad. Did an excellent job and hardly ever really saw him. We tipped him frequently throughout the cruise. Thanks. Plenty of storage space for empty luggage, seemed roomy and the balcony was a special treat. Shower and bathroom was nice. Never had a problem with the shower curtain getting stuck to me. Wife did not care for the supplied hair dryer, she did bring her own with an extra extension cord. Seemed to be enough lighting in the room. More than enough space for all clothes.  <br /><br />Dining.............Excellent.......Bierslaw our waiter and Mille the busboy were awesome and did an excellent job. My wife got a kick out of berry....our waiters nickname....ordering for her&#33; He even got mine right a few times.....calling me traditional...lololol.....3 minor snafu&#39;s......one night i ordered Salmon and wanted a lobster tail also. Never got the lobster tail, but didn&#39;t really care.....too much......wasn&#39;t served water one night......no biggy i guess.....and the bar waitress didn&#39;t come back for a 2nd or 3rd drink order. All minor of course and did not take away from my excellent thoughts of them. Saw all kinds of dress....from short and tshirts the 1st night to any kind of dress imaginable for ladies on formal night. ME.....jeans every night and never a problem.  <br /><br />Our daily routine seemed to be waking between 6-7 am.....why i don&#39;t know...i cant ever sleep in on a cruise. We love the mornings on deck, or in this case on the balcony with our coffee and Baileys that we brought. Then we have some breakfast and prepare for the day. We just go all day and in this case, dinner was at 8pm. By the timne we eneded dinner....9:45 or later we were tired. I was allowed to go to the casino a few nights, but still back in bed by 12:30ish. Even with 5-6 hours of sleep a night i felt rested. Before dinner every night we woud go to the Promenade deck and have sushi and drinks and people watch. Very nice&#33;  <br /><br />Debarkation......good....it took over an hour to find my last bag. It was sitting off to the side, don&#39;t know if someone took it by accident or where it was.......  <br /><br />Ports............ <br />  Nassau.....did the Yellowbird booze cruise. We were in Nassau from 8 am to 2 pm and this booze cruise was from 9 to noon. Took a walk to catch the Yellowbid and this one took us to Blackbeards Cay across from Cable Beach. We paid &#036;35 a person from Carnival, but saw someone pay &#036;30 a person for them directly. Plenty of rum punch and i was happy. Did a little linbo...and danced, just fun.  <br /><br />St Thomas...........went to Maegans Bay....been before and still like it...&#036;8 bus ride there and a &#036;3 admission fee. John and Shannon were excellent bartenders and the food good. They were open from about 8 am to 5 pm. Food prices from &#036;4 to &#036;28.95 for pizza. Gas was &#036;3.00 a gallon.  One bit of dissatisfaction......cabbies are getting rude there. All we encountered seemed to have an attitude and not a good one......  <br /><br />San Juan.....went walking around at first...blah.......found a cabbie to take us to a beach. I asked the name of the beach and i guess it was El ALambique. A bar was across the street where i spent some time. Tony was good to me.  On the return trip we stopped at Senor Frogs and had a good time.  <br /><br />All in all a great time and some special moments with my wife.  <br /><br />Any and all questions welcomed&#33;  <br /><br />Thanks again for all the help.',1170919258,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',558,'gogetter',1,245,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(38,41,'12/18/03','We all had a great cruise.  This cruise was definitely the highlight of our holiday','The Ship<br />We just came back from another great cruise aboard the Imagination. This was our third or fourth time on this ship and we had another wonderful time. The ship was beautifully decorated for the holidays with a beautiful menorah in the atrium lobby and wreaths with Xmas ornaments all over the ship. Xmas music played throughout the cruise and the menorah was lit at 5:00 P.M. for Chanukah.each night. :P <br /><br />The First Night<br />The first night was the Welcome Aboard show with audience participation and a comedian, Pete Michael who was very good. The cruise director was Matt Ross, who was excellent. The ship was not very busy as people were exhausted from their traveling. The midnight buffet was excellent , ribs, beans , corn, etc. Of course, being the first night , we stuffed ourselves too much. Oh well, we weren?t going to worry since it was only a four day cruise. How much damage can you do in 4 days??? Oh well, we were NOT going to worry about that. :D <br /><br />Life Boat Drill<br />The life boat drill was a bit long but we enjoyed it as we met some very nice people that we chatted with. However, next time , we will get our preservers and go to our muster stations in advance of the drill so that we can use the elevator and not have to climb the stairs. My calves were achy for the next couple of days. That?s how fit I am. <br /><br />Weather<br />The weather was very cool and windy. It was definitely not swimming weather for us, or for most of the people. In fact it was so windy, that signs were posted by several glass doors with warnings not to open them due to high winds. We wore jeans and sweatshirts all four days. Even in Cozumel, it was cool and several tours were cancelled due to the wind.I was so glad that I took my winter clothing rather than my summer cruise clothing. I felt really bad for those folks who never cruised at this unpredictable time of the year. Many sweatshirts were sold aboard the ship on this cruise. :) <br /><br />Food<br />The food was great , as usual. The highlight for me was formal night dinner. I had two shrimp cocktails and two lobster tails. Everything was excellent. The service was the best and we had very friendly, enjoyable tablemates to spend dinner with. We?re hoping to see them join our forum soon. We only had dinner in the dining room on formal night because we were not hungry at the time of our assigned seating. The dinners on the Lido deck were great also. Every night we had a salad bar with delicious baked salmon one night, shrimp stir fry , roast chicken the other nights. We enjoyed the food every night. The late night , midnight or 11:30PM. buffets were pretty good. Our favorite night was the first night when they had ribs, etc. Their ribs are to die for. The Gala Buffet was something to see, as always , but we kept it light the rest of the nights with some fruit or salad . Thank goodness for their hot chocolate machine, available 24 hours, which was a big hit due to the chilly weather. People took advantage of it all day and night. It was a delicious way to warm up. I just wish they had served some key lime pie or cheesecake once during the cruise. That would have warmed me up also. Oh well, I guess they did me a favor by not serving it. Instead of the 2 and a half pounds I gained, it would have been more. :D <br /><br />The People <br />The crowd was great. We met some lovely people- hopefully some of them will be joining our forum.It was a very casual crowd. People looked beautiful for dinner and then most changed into casual clothing either before the show or after. We stayed dressed for the evening since our formal clothing was very comfortable. We spoke to several crew members - one from Lithuania and one from Portugal. We also met the ship?s doctor at dinner on the Lido deck. He told us he has a private practice in London but wanted to work aboard the ship for a change of pace. He was extremely friendly . I asked him if , because of flu season, there were many patients this cruise and he said no. I also asked him how the crew , especially the dancers, are able to maintain their weight . He told us something very interesting. He said that many crew members are on a 3-2-1-eating plan. That means that the first day they eat 3 meals per day, next day 2 meals per day and then 1 meal and start again. He said it really works and in fact he does the same thing. By the looks of him, it certainly does work. I thought that was very interesting. :) <br /><br />The Ports<br />Key West was great. We took the conch train with Jack the conductor from Long Island who narrated the whole time. He is hysterical. Try to take his choo choo train when you?re there. While in Key West, the area had a power failure but noone let that stop their search for souvenirs. The shop owners weren?t too happy but noone else seemed to mind. We had to be back on the ship by 1:30 PM.so there wasn?t much time but it was great to be there.Cozumel was great, as usual, with many cruisers visiting Pancho?s Backyard for some drinks , etc.Jason and I did the shopping thing. Wayne and Lacey preferred to stay on the ship, Lacey with the friends she made and Wayne, just relaxing. We never did get to Roberto?s for his black coral but enjoyed the shopping we did. We just bought souvenirs for a few people, some tee-shirts, shot glasses, etc. I had bought myself a nice necklace with matching earrings in the ship?s store. It was great just spending quality time with Jason. :D <br /><br />Vittorio?s Internet Caf?<br />They charged &#036;3.95 for your first connection and after that the charge was 75 cents a minute . A couple of days they had a deal, buy 5 minutes , get the second 5 free. In Cozumel the rate was 15 cents a minute and they advertise ?high speed? but their computers are soooo slow, not even pentiums. :( <br /><br />The Casino<br />We made our usual donation ;) <br /><br />Entertainment<br />I can?t rave enough about the entertainment. Basically, as they did on our last 4 day cruise on the Imagination in July, they squeezed the best entertainment of the 7 day cruise into the 4 day cruise. We had 2 formal night shows, even though there was only one formal night. The B- Bop show is just phenomenal. We?ve seen it so many times and love it every time. They do the Beach Boys, Tina Turner, etc. Great show&#33; There were 4 different comedians- all very good. Our favorite is Happy Cole . His X rated show was just hysterical. On the last day of the cruise, there was a Holiday show in the afternoon, featuring the Imagination dancers and their stars plus they had the kids from the camp sing a couple of songs with them. Santa Claus made an appearance and the dancers handed out candy canes to all. The last evening was the B- Bop formal show, the guest talent show plus there was a late night comedy act. They really squeezed in so much . It was great. :lol: <br /><br />Debarkation<br />This was a new experience- they had express debarkation. Anyone who could take all their own luggage of the ship and could get to the Dynasty lounge between 7:30 and 8:30 AM could get off the ship immediately. We took advantage of this since we each had a small pilot?s case on wheels and Wayne wanted to get to work as soon as possible. We were off the ship at 8:30, wheeled our suitcases across the street to the new parking garage and were in our house by 9:30. It certainly beat waiting for our color tag to be called. :D <br /><br />Great Cruise<br />We all had a great cruise. We were able to spend lots of quality time together, which was very important to us since Jason left home for college last June. This cruise was definitely the highlight of our holiday',1170919690,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',2,'GottaCruz',1,33,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(39,41,'12/18/03','In conclusion, I had a great time on the Imagination last month.','Embarkation Day:<br />A little bit different from last time. There are major changes being made at the Port of Miami. Construction of new roads, an overpass, and new routes were visible, probably for security purposes. Instead of a huge parking lot, there is now a multi-leveled parking garage for the passengers of the ships, which was just a little walk away from the terminal. Since our suitcases on wheels were just small enough to fit through the security scanners, we were able to wheel all of our luggage right on the ship with us. This was great because we didn&#39;t have to wait to have our luggage delivered to our cabins. We had 2 cabins on the Main deck; Dad and I shared a cabin and Mom and my sister shared the cabin next door. After tossing all our luggage into the cabins, we were due for a very important date - lunch&#33; The lunch upstairs in the Horizon Bar &amp; Grile was delicious. Since we hadn&#39;t been on a ship in quite a while, it felt great to be back onboard a cruise. I hadn&#39;t been on the Imagination in maybe as much as 4-5 years, but right away my memory of the ship&#39;s layout came back. The departure of the ship was very punctual, unlike some of the cruises we have been on in the past. Lifeboat drill at exactly 4 PM and the ship slipped away the dock at 4:30 PM. It just so happened that the night before we boarded the ship was supposed to be the coldest night of the year for South Florida, and it was very chilly the day of embarkation. Everyone was wearing jackets, long pants, etc. I think it was in the 60&#39;s, and to top it off there was no sun - Overcast all day. Despite the lack of tropical weather, we were still in for a fun-filled vacation aboard the Imagination. <br /><br />Key West, Florida:<br />If you ever have the chance to go to Key West, I highly reccommend it. Living in South Florida, I have been to the Keys many times, and I could never get sick of it. The atmosphere is just so laid back and calm. When you get off the ship, you must take the Conch Train to get into the tourist part of town. This is because the ship docks at a U.S. Navy base, so you cannot walk around on your own. The ride took about 10 minutes, it was very interesting to ride through the Navy Base and then a residential neighborhood before we got off. Walked around for a while, did some shopping, and had a great time. The power for the entire area was knocked out for a while. This didn&#39;t prevent all of us tourists from browsing the stores, though the shopowners weren&#39;t too happy about it. Key West is home to the infamous &quot;Hogs Breath Saloon,&quot; a famous nightspot. Key West sounds like a very happening place at night, with lots of places to be and things to do. After we were all shopped out, we returned to the ship, ate lunch and relaxed for the rest of the day. Watched the ship depart from the island mid-afternoon, which is always exciting, and worked out in the gym. <br /><br />Cozumel, Mexico:<br />As always, we had a nice time in Cozumel. Did lots of shopping, with lots of great deals. Got some t-shirts, a few things for myself, souvenirs for a few of my buddies back home. They really built up the shopping area right by the entrance shops to the dock. Several years ago when we were last there, there was Fat Tuesdays and just a few little shops and vendors. This time there was an entire shopping plaza, with dozens of different buildings and vendors everywhere. Way to go Cozumel&#33; <br /><br />Entertainment:<br />This was the first cruise which I spent lots of time with my parents - Went to the shows with them, ate all meals together, and spent lots of quality time together. All of the shows were excellent. The first Las Vegas style show as ok, but the second one was amazing, as always&#33; (B-Bop&#33;) I&#39;ve always loved the comedians on the ships, and this time they had a comedian every single night in the main show lounge, and they also had one every night performing the Adult R Rated show. The best comedian by far was Happy Coal. Anyone else ever see this guy?? He is amazing&#33; <br /><br />Disco/Club:<br />Didn&#39;t really spend too much time in there this time, because it was usually just older people dancing, and if it wasn&#39;t the older crowd in there, nobody was dancing. This was the first cruise ever which I didn&#39;t mean a huge group of kids to hang out with all week. It&#39;s much harder at my age (18) now and I just really couldn&#39;t be bothered any more like I used to. lol. I enjoyed relaxing and not having anything to have to do. <br /><br />Casino: <br />This was my first cruise I have been on that I&#39;ve been 18 - of course I had to hit up the casino for the first tiem&#33; And listen to this - I was a winner 2 nights&#33; One night I won &#036;19 and the last night I played &#036;5.00 in the quarter slots. On the second to last quarter that I had, I won &#036;25&#33; So as you can imagine, I had a ball in the casino on this cruise&#33; Not bad for a beginner, huh? <br /><br />Weather:<br />For the entire length of the cruise, I wore long pants half of the time during the days. It was just too windy and cold to be wearing shorts. Because of the wind mixed with the cool air, the lido deck was half empty every day, even when the sun was out. This was my first cruise ever which I didn&#39;t step in the pool/hottub at all - it was just too dang cold&#33; The hot chocolate was a huge hit the entire week&#33; It was mmm mmm good&#33; Next time we cruise, I hope it&#39;s a little warmer out so I can lounge around the pools all week. Oh well. Despite the cold weather, the cruise was still lots of fun, a great way to spend 4 days and nights&#33; <br /><br />Food:<br />It was good, as usual. One night for the midnight buffet they had BBQ ribs - Oh boy, were those good&#33; I must have had 2 full racks worth of those ribs&#33; The best ribs I have ever had&#33;&#33; Our table-mates in the dining room were very nice people, they may even by joining us here. Throughout the 4 days, they served some very nice meals. Such as salmon, Roast Chicken, and all sorts of really tasty meat, stir fry,etc. Deserts were ok. Still the same old Carnival-style deserts though...tasting very airy and light. Oh well, maybe Carnival is doing us a favor that way. :) <br /><br />Debarkation:<br />This was the most distinguishable facet of the entire cruise&#33; Carnival has a new thing, where if you can have all your bags and be in the main show lounge by 8:30 AM (maybe it was 7:30), you can debark from the ship immediately. It wasn&#39;t fun having to wake up so early after being out so late, but it was worth it&#33; We were off the ship and in our car by 8:45 AM, and I was home sleeping in my nice comfy bed by 9:30 AM, attempting to make up for the loss of sleep that previous night. Slept till about 11:30-12ish, then went back to reality and went to work at my job that evening. <br /><br />Overall:<br />In conclusion, I had a great time on the Imagination last month. It was a great, relaxing, care-free way to spend 4 days and nights. Though the weather could have been nicer, still had a blast. The food, entertainment, ports, ship, and everything else was all great&#33; After all the cruises we&#39;ve been on, it still amazes me how these gigantic ships are able to stay afloat so easily&#33; The first chance we got, we posted our CruiseCrazies Door Hangs on our cabin doors, so everyone could find out about CruiseCrazies&#33; I have pictures that I took, but it&#39;s taking me forever to post them because they are on my new camera phone, and I am waiting to receive a cable that I bought so I can transfer the pics from my phone to the computer. I already bought one but it didn&#39;t work so I had to send it back. Now that this past cruise is history, seems like there&#39;s only one way to cure our Post Cruise Depression Syndrome - Book another one&#33;&#33;',1170919756,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',566,'Gymbrat33',1,34,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(40,41,'7/15/2004','I went with my mother. She celebrated her 57th birthday on the ship. This was her first cruise.','I went with my mother. She celebrated her 57th birthday on the ship. This was her first cruise. She went all out and booked a suite. On the second day she was already planning her next cruise. She loved it&#33; Embarkation<br />It was a breeze. We arrived at 11:45 and were on the ship at 12:15. I was on the Imagination 2 years ago and don&#39;t remember having a key to open the cabin instead of the sail and sign card. I went on the Victory in March and on the Glory last August and the Sail and Sign card was used to open the cabin. <br /><br />Cruise Director<br />Troy Linton was the cruise director. He&#39;s been working for Carnival for 12 years, and will be retiring in September to pursue a career in television. He was not my favorite. All throughout the cruise, he kept making fun of Miami people saying that they barely speak English(not true). He didn&#39;t target anyone else. <br /><br />Dining Room and Wait staff<br />The food was delicious. I always look forward to going to the dining room because the wait staff is very friendly. Our waiter introduced himself, and didn&#39;t speak to us except to take our order. He didn&#39;t even ask us our names or where we were from. There were a lot of people wearing jeans in the dining room including formal night. I dressed up in formal wear every night because I love to dress up. <br /><br />Entertainment<br />I loved all of the shows. There were a lot of fun activities scheduled on sea days. There was always something to do. <br /><br />Cozumel<br /><br /><br />We booked a sightseeing and shopping tour through Carnival. We then went to Carlos &#39;N Charlies. It was a blast. <br />Key West<br />Since we didn&#39;t go to this port due to construction of the pier, we received a &#036;10 shipboard credit. <br /><br />Sail and Sign Account<br />I missed the feature that other ships have where you can check your sail and sign account and book your excursions on the t.v. <br /><br />Lounge Chairs<br />The ship was full, but I never had a problem finding a chair. <br /><br />Debarkation<br />We did not use the express debarkation because we purchased so many items at Cozumel. We were off the ship at 9:15. Carnival called me a week before the cruise because they had overbooked the ship. They asked if we were interested in going the following week on a 5 day cruise instead of the 4 day. My mother had already asked for those days off and couldn&#39;t change them. My mother was surprised that there were people her age and a lot of families. She didn&#39;t believe me. She thought that she wouldn&#39;t fit in, and that it would mostly be a young party crowd. I had told her that there were a lot of families on the cruise and people her age. She&#39;s ready for her next cruise which will be 7 days.',1170919822,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',566,'Gymbrat33',1,72,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(41,42,'4/7/05','WE WENT ON A 4 NIGHT 5 DAY CRUISE AND TOTALLY ENJOYED OURSELVES..IT WAS TURLY AMAZING WE ARE NOW HOOKED ON CRUISING AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR NEXT ONE..','WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME..THE CREW THAT WORKS ON THE CARNIVAL INSPIRATION REALLY WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO PLEASE AND ACOMMMODATE EVERYONE. THE FOOD WAS GOOD,WE BOTH GAINED..LOL THE INSPIRATION IS AN OLDER SHIP, BUT SHE IS STILL A BEAUTIFUL SHIP.. THE CREW TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN HER,AND IT SHOWS IN HOW WELL THEY MAINTAIN HER. I DID NOTICE SCRATCHES HERE AND THERE, BUT A FEW SCRATCHES DEFINITELY DID NOT AFFECT MY CRUISE. .CARNIVAL KEEPS TRUE TO THEIR ADVERTISING..IT IS A FUN SHIP..PLENTY OF FUN TINGS TO DO FOR ALL AGES..  <br /><br /><br />WE HAD A GREAT TIME IN COZUMEL..WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED IN CHANKANAAB PARK. IN OUR OPINION IT WAS MADE UP TO BE MORE THAN IT ACTUALLY WAS...CARLOS AND CHARLIES AND SENOR FROGS ARE DEFINITELY THE 2 HOT SPOTS TO GO TO FOR NIGHT LIFE..  <br /><br />WE WENT ON A 4 NIGHT 5 DAY CRUISE AND TOTALLY ENJOYED OURSELVES..IT WAS TURLY AMAZING WE ARE NOW HOOKED ON CRUISING AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR NEXT ONE..',1170919886,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1862,'lilrosie',1,55,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(42,42,'1/7/06','I still love cruising, but it will never be with Carnival again.','This was our second cruise but our first on Carnival. We had sailed Disney before and we went on this cruise with an open mind and no high expectations.  <br /><br /><br />The reason we chose Carnival was for the golf excrusions that they provide and the fact that they have golf simulators on board to keep us busy on those sea days.  <br /><br />The golfing was amazing and our 2 golf pros were the best. This was the only highlight of our trip.  <br /><br />The Port of Tampa in my opinion is a nightmare. It is way too small and crowded at embarkation and disembarkation is even worse.  <br /><br />The Inspiration is an older ship but it was not in too bad of shape. The cleaning crew is not the best and the amount of sea spray that was on eveything was unreal. When we sat outside for lunch at our first port of call the tables had a thick layer of salt on them. This is unacceptable and should have been cleaned up before 1:00 p.m.  <br /><br />We booked a suite and were very disappointed in how small our room and balcony were. Our stateroom attendant was good.  <br /><br />The food was awful. We only ate in the dining room 3/5 nights because there was just nothing on the menu that we liked. We found the food that we did order to be of poor quality (maybe to save &#036; - they use the cheaper cuts of meat?)  <br /><br />The service was nothing to write home about. They were just doing their jobs and that was the extent of it.  <br /><br />We had a great time golfing, but for the rest there no other activities on board. I am glad I did my research before hand and made sure that there was actually a golf simulator on board or we would have been bored to tears.  <br /><br />I still love cruising, but it will never be with Carnival again.',1170919927,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1466,'chasbos',1,114,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(43,42,'10/28/06','Overall this was a Great cruise','First off let me tell you this is our second cruise both being on the Inspiration..I may be biased but it was great...This is long but dont want to forget anything...sorry.... This was a 5 night 6 day cruise   <br /><br /><br />Our sons were in total awe of just how big the ship really was..THey had never saw a cruiseliner before so they just could not picture how big she really was...When we were walking up from parking lot they were totally blown away...kept saying OH MY GOD..OH MY GOD...My oldest sons comment..Mom you know I&#39;m scared of Heights...(LMAO)  <br /><br />Embarkation we arrived in Tampa at 11:00 was on the ship at 11:45. Walked on had to get lunch the rooms would not be ready until 1:30. Had a nice lunch and sons could not wait to Explore the ship...the pool would not be open til we pulled out of port (thought that was odd) by then it was 130 so we stopped by room to drop off carryons..For some reason we did not leave port til 5..never did find out why...but hey we were onboard so who cares..lol  <br /><br />Rooms...we had 2 rooms deck 7 Empress 194 and 198..very convenient to pursurs desk and picture gallery..plus that was the deck we embarked on..My Mom and 2 sons had room 194 1 twin and bunk beds...they had plenty of room with 3 people in 1 room...plenty of storage space never tripping over each other..Mom was amazed at just how roomy the rooms were..plus she loved having her bed right beside the window to stare out at the views...Our room was 198 spacious...great view...always clean..loved the towel animals...we had stingray,, elephant,,monkey,,swan,heart in hubby and my room and the pig...too cute..sons really loved going into the room each night just to see what animal they had...  <br /><br />First nights dinner...met our servers...Headwaiter Trevor..Asst Maynard...had the filet Mignon and sons had the steaks..very tender and good..Carnival has new chef and the food was wonderful..we bought our sons the soda cards 24 each that was really worth it..saved us a bundle..plus when they did not want soda we got one..I DO NOT like the Iced Tea onboard..I am a Iced Tea drinker so a fellow passenger showed me how to brew my own..Maynard learned our names right away and was always smiling and greeting us wherever we were..we kids loved that he had their sodas waiting for them...Trevor was OK....he did his job..that was IT..Maynard was very friendly...and loved our boys..we All dressed up for Halloween Carnival had a costume contest so it was expected to wear costumes to dinner..Trevor (head Waiter) didnt really like the idea..(very obvious) but Maynard was Very Happy and excited that kids were in costume..just kept laughing and joking with the kids...Maynard knew I loved the Dried tomatoe and basil bread..well they ran out the 2 night...I asked for some he informed they they were out and suggested that I try another..I liked it..but not the one I loved..well the 3rd night he informs me he has soemthing for me..he brings me out a plate with warm crispy crusted tomaote bread..he tells me I know how much you like it..so I talked to Matri D and had them make more for you..(that earned him a nice lil extra tip..lol) I forgot to tell you we were seated in the Carnivale Dining room..we had a center table..but I really wanted a window seat..they moved us quickly no problem...extra points there..overall our dining was great...did not like our table mates..Trevor was OK..Maynard made up for everyone else hands down..still had a great dining experience..boys totally loved the singing and dancing..so it was great..  <br /><br />First night...everyone was sick..8 to 10 foot waves..ship was rocking very bad...they had to put out the sea sick bags everywhere...Took drammamin and kids and I went to bed... Next morning smooth sailing..Sea day layed out...kids went to check out Camp Carnival..very lame ..but my sons are 12 and 14 so not much for them to do..smaller kids had a blast..always activities to keep them busy..The pools..we like to sit on the upper deck around the pool always found a chair..hot tubs were great..Carnival has really improved on keeping at least 1 hot tub for adults only..we were in 1 and sons were with us..when we got out security walked over and asked us if they were wit us..and if we were getting out they had to get in the other one...that impressed me alot...at least they are making an efffort to keep the kids out for the adults..  <br /><br />First Port..Grand Caymand..was only in port til 3 so we did not have enough time beautiful..very espensive though..We took a taxi 25 for the five of us 1 way (wow) We went to the public beach very beautiful..swam in the beach and did a little bit of shopping..tried the tortolla rum cakes (chocolate) sooo good...had a great time started to pour down rainging as we were inline to get back on ship..got drenched..but overall a great day..  <br /><br />Next port Calica Mexico...Wonderful...BEAUTIFUL..MOm and kids were amazed at the police walking around everywhere with machine guns..that scared em a little..they loved the way the shopping was..everyone saying come amigo come in my shop I make you great deal...if they didnt have what you wanted they ran into another store to get it for you...we got some great deals..14 year old got a beautiful silver necklace for 40 and 12 year old got a gold eagle charm thick for 40...did some more shopping and went to the beach..my husband and 2 sons went snorkeling..had coronas, cokes, chips and salsa and some wonderful nachos, plus the snorkeling all for 60 dollars including tip..we were there until 4 had to be on ship by 530 but we were exhausted..we talked the police into letting us take a picture with them.they flat do not want their pictures taken.(??) back to ship...took a short nap and time to get ready for Halloween trick or treating and costume contests..hubby was one of the runners up..lol ..tonight was the first comedian..Kenny Miller.he was.OK thats all I will say..The second comedian TOny Esposito Hilarious..he did 2 shows genereal one and the Late Night Adults only one..hysterical he had some dirty jokes but I should have taken my 12 year old..he really wasnt that Adult dirty like that it would have hurt for 12 to be there..he was just flat out funny..loved it..come to find out he is from Dunnellon about 15 miles from where I live..that was cool  <br /><br />Last day sea day...played the usual pool games Fear Factor, Hairy Chest contest, kids and I loved the Slide...had to pack up to get ready to go home..Had our last dinner with the singing and dancing stayed up as late as possible to enjoy our last night at sea..  <br /><br />Disembark..went smoothly lengthy..did not get off ship til 10...we chose to let them take our bags so had to wait to get off....which was fine we had breakfast and kids were amazed watching as they were reloading all the food and supplies for the next cruisers leaving..Semis full of supplies...  <br /><br />Overall this was a Great cruise...the food was great..our room steward whom happened to be named Justina and my youngest son is Justin they hit it off greatly..she went out of her way to make us comfortable...Maynard asst waiter was the Best...he never stopped smiling and joking...kids adored him..I have been on this cruise before and had a good time..but I would have to say this was better than the first time...I would recommend Inspiration in a heart beat to anyone..It is an older ship..but they take pride in keeping her shiny and beautiful..Oh the beds were great I am going to buy the comforter and pillows soo comfortable I wanted to sneak it in my suitcase..just wouldnt fit..lol..The next cruise will be on a different ship ONLY because I want to see a different port other than Mexico..Sorry this was soo long but I wanted to cover as many areas as possible..',1170919974,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1862,'lilrosie',1,119,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(44,26,'12/12/02','A great anniversary cruise.','Arrived in FLL late due to rainstorms, with the plane routed via Bimini&#33; Taxi to Port Everglades &#036;11 with tip. Arrived at pier about 1:40pm, along with most of the passengers at the same time, apparently. Lines moved along, but formed outside, wrapped inside, into security, then into long ropes queue at check-in, short stop for sign and sail card, past boarding photo (numbered for ease of locating later) and aboard in 1 hr 20 min. There are plenty of Carnival staff to work the crowds, but the terminal is not set up well for handling large crowds. The new ship in port does not have the best setup. <br /><br />Day 1:<br />We were berthed in cabin 5299, an 8C centerline stern cabin on Upper Deck. 3 closets, 2 large drawers under the extra bed. Short on drawer space in vanity. Hair dryer in drawer. Safe, and stocked refrig (soda was only &#036;1.50 a can, same as at bars). Room steward nowhere to be seen, and no name card. Robes and beach/towels provided. The TV has some U.S. TV from TN and NY, free and pay movies, cruise cams, travelogues, and a sign and sail account summary. <br /><br />Quick lunch (12-2:30 daily) in Unicorn Caf? on Lido deck, where service is divided into 8 stations to avoid lines, including poolside grill open daily till 6pm(hot dogs, burgers, chicken breasts, steak sandwiches), Chinese, Taste of Nations (countries change daily ? Italy, India, Caribbean, Japan, America, France, Mexico, Greece), Deli (reuben, turkey, roast beef, pastrami) open 11-11, Pizza (open 24 hours), Rotisserie (three or four selections changes daily), Salad and Fruit bar, dessert station. After lifeboat drill went to Lido deck for sail away, which was about 30 minutes late due late boarding. We were interviewed by the Travelogue video crew and for much of the cruise people greeted us with ?we saw you on the video?, which plays on the TV. We made our Golden Fleece reservations for later in the week on day 5, 8pm, and got a great table for two by the windows. <br /><br />For our 8:15pm dinners in Truffles Dining Room, we were assigned a table for 2 on the balcony level, deck 3. The dining room has a terrific layout with all service stations on the sides, not among the tables. It cut down on noise. Our table overlooked the main floor from the balcony, as did most of the table for 2, and there a lots. Our team was Jelena from Croatia and Roberto from the Philippines. We brought our own wine all week, and corkage was &#036;10, but was only charged 5 of 8 nights. We also brought extra champagne for sipping on the balcony. Dinner was rack of lamb and tilapia. We skipped the welcome show and enjoyed Satchmo?s Lounge with the Music Society, a 4 person Philippino band playing 60?s ? 90?s hits for dancing, and the Johnny Favourite band in the Firebird Lounge playing slow dancing music and jazz. <br /><br />Day 2 At sea:<br />Enjoyed room service breakfast, prompt delivery. Checked our arrival photo, the shops, enjoyed the sun on the aft Lido deck by the pool. This was were the hot tub was supposed to be reserved for adults, according to the Cruise Capers and to the signs posted there, but was filled for days with age 7 and under children, many without adult supervision all cruise. Attended a reception in Satchmo?s Lounge at 2pm, the first Carnival has hosted, for over 40 people from a cruise board. They served iced tea, lemonade and Champagne, thanks to Sandy Schindler of Carnival. Participated in a ?state? gift exchange and met folks we spoke with for the remainder of the cruise. This was the first formal night, with the Captain?s Welcome Reception in the lounges forward and in the Follies Lounge. Dinner included lobster, prime rib, and a Japanese plate with a petite filet mignon, cherries jubilee, and singing waiters. The after dinner show was ?Jazz Hot?. <br /><br />Day 3 At Sea:<br />Eggs Benedict in the dining room, and a lazy day on our balcony except to view ice sculpture. Dinner included 3 great soups, escargot, salmon, roast sirloin. Went to Satchmo?s again instead of attending the first of three comedy shows. They did have Big Band dancing before the show, but we were the only ones dancing&#33; Also had late night dancing in Firebird Lounge, which was mostly empty but intimate at night??.loud/overdone when the lights were on. My wife enjoyed the piano work of the Mike Mallon, an accomplished pianist for 22 years and 3 original CD?s in the lounges at various times all week. <br /><br />Day 4 St. Maartin:<br />Arrived 7am, and berthed stern first so we had a view of Phillipsburg from the balcony when we woke up. Did our first breakfast in the Unicorn caf?, where eggs to order, including omelets, were available daily. Taxi from pier to Philipsburg was &#036;3 per person. Taxi to La Galleon beach on the French side, east of Orient Beach, which we had found on the internet was &#036;18 for up to 3 persons, each way. Arranged for taxi to return to pick us up. This was a nice uncrowded beach. Fair snorkeling, great windsurfing and sail boarding. No hustle by vendors. Chair rental was &#036;5. There was a restaurant and bar, and restrooms available. Tops optional. Back to Philipsburg to shop (Marigot is closed on Sunday even when ships are in). Liquor is &#036;3-4 per bottle cheaper than on the ship, and cigarettes are &#036;4-5 cheaper per carton. So?..we bought my wife a ruby ring there for our anniversary. Ended the afternoon at Everyt?ing Cool, and had my first Big Black Banana there. Great&#33; Taxi back for &#036;3 per person at 3:30pm. Long line boarding caused sailing 15 min late ( a trend here: long lines boarding and late sailings). They still had lunch open aboard, too. Dancing waiters again at dinner (Macarena), filet of sole, Beef Wellington. The show was a tribute to Sammy Davis Jr and Frank Sinatra by Christopher Allen Graves, and received the only standing ovation I can ever recall on a cruise. He was great, started as a player in shows, then producing, now starring. He alternates between the Spirit and the Legend. He got the audience involved in the show. Finished the night in Satchmo?s again, and in late night dining in the Unicorn Caf?, where the jambalaya was great. <br /><br />Day 5 Barbados:<br />Had champagne and room service breakfast on the balcony, as we were not due in Barbados till noon. It was a long run at 21 knots for 20 hrs to get there. As a result, scheduled in port till 10pm. Unfortunately, because we were the last to arrive, we were berthed on the breakwater. The Sea Princess, the Costa Mariner, and SeaDream were already berthed closer to the terminal. After lunch we walked into town, about a 20 minute walk. We located the bus terminal across from St. Mary?s church, and for 75 cents per person, each way, we rode about 20 minutes to Folkestone Park, the national underwater park and beach just beyond Holetown. Entrance is free, and there are restrooms, showers, souvenirs and refreshments, picnic tables, a children?s playground, and chair rentals (&#036;5). At high tide the sandy beach is limited, but there are plenty of sunny areas. Snorkeling is best over the reef about 100 yards offshore to the right of the beach in front of the rocks to the right. Nice coral and schools of multicolored fish?.hundreds in a school. Water was very clear. Took the bus back to town and shopped at Harrison?s, downtown, then took a taxi for &#036;5 to The BoatYard, a beachfront bar and grill with water sports, trampoline, rock climb, and a great bar/music with inexpensive drinks (&#036;2 beer and &#036;3 rum punch). Taxi to ship &#036;6 at 7pm. Most shops in the cruise terminal closed at 7pm, but a few were open till 8. After a dinner of turbot and beef tenderloin, they had music on deck at 9:45, a buffet at 11:30pm and games at 11:45??island night. <br /><br />Day 6 Martinique:<br />Arrived 7am. 8am cleared to go ashore. We left at 9am, took a taxi for &#036;8 per taxi to the town, where the ferry landing was located, off the city park. For &#036;6 each, round trip, we took a 20-minute ferry ride from Fort du France, to Pointe du Bout. Two hotels make their beaches available to the public, and we chose the Meridian. The famed black sand beaches were not here, as they had soft white, probably imported, sand. Chair rental was &#036;5 each. Some topless. Snorkeling was excellent around the rocks and a nearby rocky point of land. Saw many fish and a few schools of larger ones, and even a sea snake on the bottom. The resort town there had many little shops and restaurants. After returning on the 12:15 ferry, we went into Fort du France to locate a CD of French popular music for our daughter?s French teacher. We asked a woman on the street where we could have a glass of wine, and she walked three blocks to lead us there. Despite frequent forewarnings, on this our second visit to Martinique, everyone we met was polite. Not as much English spoken here, but pidgeon French will do. We stopped at a waterfront place near the newer pier in town, and had great French wine for &#036;1.50 a glass. Taxi back to port for &#036;8 per taxi. The Destiny had come in while we were ashore. After the early sail away at 2pm, we relaxed until the Past Cruiser receptions at 6:45. We told the Cruise Director, Mike Mullane, that it was our anniversary when he greeted us at the door. They put the invitations into a bucked and had a child pull out one. We were selected and went on stage. The captain came out, and congratulated us, gave us a bottle of Pierr-Jouett Champagne (&#036;99 on the wine list aboard), and asked how many cruises. We said 16 and that my wife had been on 8 Carnival and I on 7, and we reeled off the names when he asked: Tropicale, Jubilee, Fantasy, Inspiration, Sensation, Destiny, Triumph and Legend. As a result, for the rest of the cruise we were greeted by strangers with ?Happy Anniversary?. Then we went to dinner at the Golden Fleece, the premium restaurant with &#036;25pp cover charge and jackets required for men. The musical duo, Just Duo, is outstanding. The Captain was having dinner with his officers at the adjacent table and cheered us with a ?Salute? as we sipped our champagne. A 6 course meal, including appetizer, starters, soups, Caesar salad prepared tableside, 18oz Porterhouse steak and 12 oz Maine Lobster tail, an anniversary whipped cream cake, and dessert including triple cr?me Brule and a cheese and fruit tray, accompanied by a good Wolf Blass Australian Cabernet that was only &#036;22. A great time dining, dancing, and photos. Finished the evening dancing in Satchmo?s. <br /><br />Day 7 At Sea:<br />A casual day. Breakfast in the Unicorn Caf?, and sun on the balcony. Late lunch in Unicorn Caf??Mexican today. They held a 4pm Christmas show with children performing and photos with Santa and his elves. The Banger Sisters with Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon was the TV movie of the day. This was the second formal night. We had not posed for formal shots till not, but there are multiple locations all over the ship and the lines were shorter than on any cruise we have been on. Another struggle in the dining room with lobster, snow crab, Chateaubriand and baked Alaska. Finished at Satchmo?s again. Met our board friend, another website and her husband, finally. Tonight was the only Grand Buffet, available for photos in Truffles from 11:30pm to 12:15, and open at 12:15am. <br /><br />Day 8 At Sea:<br />Truffles Restaurant for Eggs Benedict, and sunning on the balcony again. Had a nearly 2 hour meet with another website and her husband and toured their Cat 11 suite with extended balcony. Then at 1:45 the group of cruisers from the bulletin board had arranged a group luncheon in Truffles. Before dinner we began to pack and struggled through prime rib at dinner. Visited Satchmo?s one last time. I did not use the internet caf? in the library at all, for a change. Cost is &#036;3.95 one-time set up charge, a needless charge in my opinion, and 75 cents a minute plus 50 cents per page for printing. Packages of minutes can be purchased: 30min for 55 cents a minute or 60 minutes for 40 cents a minute. <br /><br />Day 9 Ft Lauderdale:<br />Ship was not cleared till almost 9:30am, but there was no push to get us to vacate cabins. And there seemed to be no lines at stairs or overcrowded lounges, for a change. Leisurely breakfast in Unicorn, vacated cabin and waited till our tag color was called. No problems debarking or locating luggage, and we got a taxi within 5 minutes of arriving at the curb. Couldn?t do curb checkin at airport due to a close connection, but it was not problem despite a marginally acceptable 62? bag. The radar went down and we sat in plane at the gate for 2 hours, missing our connection in Charlotte, and arriving home two hours late and without any checked luggage. However all was delivered by 9:30am the next day. <br /><br />Overall: D?cor: 4 stars.<br />The Legend theme is carried effectively throughout the ship, elevators, lounges, art, etc. It is NOT over the top as some Europeans termed it. There is no ?neon? as is noticeable on Destiny and other Carnival ships. The sight lines in the Follies Lounge, especially the balcony, are terrific. Cabin d?cor was very different than that on the older ships. <br /><br />Service: 4 stars.<br />The room stewardess never introduced herself, but was very efficient and accommodating, provided extra ice and put our champagne in the fridge. Our dining room staff was excellent, and bar staff spoke to us often. One night when the waiter was ill, the assistant filled in admirably. They brought things we used every night without having to ask again a second time. The Cruise Director was very personable and one of the best we have had. His wife is aboard as an entertainer, and looks like a red haired Liza Minelli. <br /><br />Food: 5 stars.<br />Dining room was absolutely superb at any meal. The tremendous selection at lunch in the Unicorn, with extended hours for the grill, deli and great pizza, made lunch an adventure every day. And any cruise with eggs benedict available every day in the dining room is great. And bagels with lox and cr?me cheese from room service. I shop and cook at home, and this was superb. The best in 16 cruises, bar none. <br /><br />A great anniversary cruise.',1170920657,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',131,'JohnG',1,94,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(45,26,'1/1/03','This was my 8th cruise - my previous cruises have been on Carnival (once), Princess (three times), Celebrity (twice) and Premier (once).','This was my 8th cruise - my previous cruises have been on Carnival (once), Princess (three times), Celebrity (twice) and Premier (once). My previous Carnival cruise was in 1991 on the Fantasy and I will say right up front it was my least favorite cruise experience. I had been hesitant to cruise with Carnival again because of this; but decided to give the new Spirit-class ships a try with a longer itinerary and a different ship design from the Las Vegas neon-like ships of the previous Carnival classes. <br /><br />I spent one day pre cruise in Fort Lauderdale; stayed at the Amerisuites on 17th St. As has been stated before this is a nice place for a one night stay. <br /><br />Embarkation -<br />I must say I think Carnival could learn from some of the other cruise lines here. Other lines have places on line where you can fill in all your information allowing you to expedite the check in process (Princess, Celebrity, RCCL.) I arrived at the port at 11:00 am to be met with lines snaking outside the doors to the terminal building. The line moved slowly down a long wide hallway until you turned a corner and you were then split into two lines to go through the x-ray machines (two machines for more than 2200 passengers.) Then it was into another line to wait for check in; then another line to get your sign and sail card. Then you sit in the terminal and wait for them to start boarding the ship. Then into another line to do the embarkation photo and another line to get the picture for your sign and sail card. It took 2 hours to go through this process. <br /><br />The Ship -<br />the Carnival Legend is the third ship in the Spirit Class. She is 88,500 GRT and is commanded by Captain Claudio Cupisti. I entered the ship on deck 2 (Promenade) right into the atrium. The first words out of my mouth were &quot;What were they thinking?&quot; Which soon turned into &quot;Well it takes a few minutes but it does begin to grow on you.&quot; I am going to get this out of the way right now - yes, there are urns EVERYWHERE&#33; Urns are used as barstools, door handles, stair rails, table legs - you name it, they use an urn for it. After a few days, you don&#39;t notice it anymore. <br /><br />The Cabin -<br />I had booked a Cat 4A guarantee and ended up with cabin 1109 - a Cat 6 on Riveria deck - it was a nice sized outside cabin (185 sq. feet) with two &quot;twin&quot; beds (really a lot narrower than normal twin size beds), a couch and a table, a vanity with a small stool and the bathroom. There was plenty of storage in the cabin - 2 full closets, one closet with shelfs in it, drawers at the vanity (the top drawer on the right held the hair dryer and yes it was strong enough for normal use), the next four drawers were empty. There was one long drawer where you would sit at the vanity. There was a mini fridge in the cabin and above it was another cabinet with the safe in it (need a card with a magnetic stripe to used the safe) and above that was the TV. The bedside tables were really small and practicall worthless to put anything on top of them or inside them. There was also a cabinet to the left of the mini fridge which had two shelves in it that was also used for clothes storage. I thought the bathroom has plenty of room for storage and the shower was large enough for me to use (and I am not a petite person) without the shower curtain clinging to me. The water pressure was good and the temperature stayed relatively stable while in use. <br /><br />Pubic areas -<br />I won&#39;t go into every area here - just the ones I used and enjoyed. The Holmes Library held the internet cafe. The Odyssey Bar on deck three just before the Truffles dining room - went there a couple of nights for a pre-dinner drink, but it is one of the bars on the ship where smoking is allowed, so be aware of that. The Atrium bar is where I hung out a lot - one of the bartenders there (Claudia) was a hoot and was always talking and joking with the passengers and after 1 day remembered our names and preferences. The pool areas on Lido deck are nicely laid out....there are three adult pools and one children&#39;s pool. And yes, there were children on this cruise and with one exception they were all well behaved and their parents were around and aware of what they were doing. There are also three outdoor hot tubs and one hot tub up in the gym/spa area that was not used as much because I think people really didn&#39;t know it was there til later on in the cruise. <br /><br />Dining Room, Unicorn Buffet and the Food -<br />The Truffles dining room is a large, two storied dining room. It is a very beautiful room, but the layout tends to make the dining room very noisy. Also, the dining room was kept fully illuminated during the whole meal except for the times when the waiters were doing their little show every night. Personally, I prefer it when the lights are dimmed a little during dinner (just a personal preference.) The food in Truffles was good - not excellent but good (and please remember that everyone has their own tastes and likes and dislikes, and this is my personal opinion only.) The meat and pasta dishes were uniformally done very well - if a steak was requested rare, it came rare. Where I was a little disappointed was in the salads and chilled soups. Neither were served chilled but at room temperature - that is unacceptable; if it is chilled Strawberry soup, it should be served chilled, not at room temperature.....I tried the chilled soups twice and then gave up. I did report this to the maitre&#39;d but there was no change after the first night. The desserts were pretty good also, especially the flourless chocolate cake (mmm mmm good&#33;) The Unicorn buffet is set up in sections, and each section serves different food. There is the deli, the Taste of Nations, the pizzeria, the grill, the roasted meat carving station, the dessert station. Lots of beverage stations with nice plastic glasses. Plenty of seating and never had trouble finding a place to sit. The food up here ranged from good to excellent. The grilled burgers and minute steak sandwiches were excellent as were the french fries. <br /><br />Ports of Call -<br />first stop was St. Maarten. Really did nothing here as I had gotten a little too much sun the day before so I basically just went in and shopped and then went right back to the ship. The only ship in port with us that day was the Sea Dream (the former Song of America from RCCL.) Barbados - had arranged for a private tour here, but for various reasons we never found the tour operator (miscommunication on both of our parts.) So I ended up shopping here also and enjoyed a drink at Coconuts bar at the cruise ship terminal. We were one of six ships in port that day: besides the Legend there was the Braemer (of Fred. Olsen Cruise Line), the Mona Lisa, the Fairwinds, the Sea Cloud II and the Stavros A. Niachros. Martinique - I had originally just planned to stay on the ship in this port after reading a lot of negatives about this stop on the internet, but I decided after not getting the tour on Barbados to do a tour here. I chose the Jeep Safari adventure - and it was a wonderful excursion. Our driver was Sandrine and she took us up and out of Fort-de-France up to a banana plantation, we then did some off roading and then went up through the tropical forest, down to St. Pierre and Mt. Pelee and then to the De Paz rum distillery. It is here that I found my dream home - it is called Chateau de Paz - it sits in the shadow of Mt. Pelee (a dormant volcano) overlooking some manicured grounds, some sugar cane fields and the ocean and there is a gorgeous breeze that blows there every day. We then went back down the coast back to Fort-de-France. The shopping here at the terminal and in Fort -de-France is not geared towared tourists, to say the least. And Fort-de-France is an industrial port and city, not really geared to tourists, so to get the true flavor of Martinique you need to get out of the city. <br /><br />All in all I did have a good time on this cruise - Celebrity is still my favorite cruise line, but Carnival has made great improvements in both their customer service and their food since I last cruised with them. Would I sail Carnival again? Yes, on a Spirit class ship (I think the Destiny and Conquest class ships are too big, that is my personal opinion) if it was an interesting itinerary and I got a good deal. Would I recommend Carnival? Yes. <br /><br />A special hi to: Cliff, Brendon, Claudia and the gangs from CM and CC&#33; <br /><br />Just a few additional notes here: The service on the Legend was absolutely fantastic - it rivaled that on Celebrity, especially our waiters Daniel and Servotor. Our room stewardess, Ni Made, it was her first week on the job on her own and she did a very good job - yes, she missed a dirty glass one day, but I don&#39;t sweat the stuff like that. The room was cleaned, our towels exchanged, our beds turned down, the chocolate was on the pillow and we had the cutest towel animals every night except the first and last. Also, I had to change flight arrangements while I was on board and the staff at the pursers desk were phenomenal - Jorge and Carole, thank you&#33; I couldn&#39;t get the satellite phone to work in my cabin, so they let me use their cell phone to call the airline and when I was finished I handed my sign and sail card over for them to charge the minutes - they refused to charge me for the 15 minute phone call. Kudos to them&#33;',1170920714,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',333,'sailinglisa',1,63,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(46,26,'9/28/04','We highly recommend the Carnival Legend and look forward to again cruising with Carnival.','This cruise was kind of a last minute decision by Diane and me. When we returned from our March 6-13 cruise on HAL?s Zuiderdam we were in absolute agony. It was far worse for Diane because she simply had no motivation or desire to go to work. I was afraid I was going to need to find her a shrink. I?m basically retired but help her out at the salon with tanning so my problem was I just wanted back on the ship.   <br /><br />So to appease her and, yes me too, I booked another cruise for 6 November on HAL?s Zaandam. By July we determined November was just too far away and needed to get onto a ship sooner. When I received a notice from Carnival about an 8 night cruise at drastically reduced prices?we had to go.   <br /><br />If any of you have read my review of the Zuiderdam cruise, you are aware of Diane?s fear of flying, riding in anything that moves faster than ?the Small World ride at Disney World?. The Legend cruise sailed from NYC so we traveled by train, avoiding the flying part of the fear. She popped a few of her ?I fear nothing? pills and sucked down a few wine coolers and she was feeling no pain. Even the short taxi ride, which otherwise would have resulted in permanent imprints of her fingers in my leg, went without incident. <br /><br />Diane and I had concerns about Carnival cruises. Not the ships or service or itinerary but the ?Fun? part. We see cruises as kick back and relax times. We avoid noise and partying and kids. Yeah we did get spoiled on NCL and HAL with our suites and concierge but as long as we had our balcony we would survive and we go back to a suite on the Zaandam in November. We call this our Kicks and Giggles Cruise.   <br /><br />September and October are the peak hurricane months and this was a minor concern. Then along came Charley, Francis, Ivan and finally Jeanne. I know ships make itinerary changes to avoid hurricanes. Actually, when you think about it, cruises are better vacations choose than a stationery resort which can?t move if a hurricane comes along.    <br /><br />As I followed the track of Jeanne I became concerned about how the Legend was going to get back to New York City to pick us up. Needless to say my concern was unnecessary and everything went off without a hitch.   <br /><br />Embarkation: <br />As I mentioned earlier we traveled to New York City by train which arrives at Penn Station. It has been suggested to get out across the street and walk to the Pier which is about a 250 foot walk. Taxis must go down 2 blocks and make a U-turn onto the ramp. The ramp is jammed with traffic and takes a while to get to the ship. We chose to have the taxi take us to the pier. The cost was &#036;10 including tip.   <br /><br />The legend was the only ship arriving/departing that day which was a Tuesday. I wouldn?t want to try this on a weekend when 3 or 4 ships were there.    <br /><br />There were no porters around so we had to lug our luggage into the terminal. It is a short walk and really no problem. Inside was a Carnival rep. who checked our luggage tags and a porter to take the luggage away.  <br /><br /> <br />We arrived at 11:15 and Carnival had us line up for security check at 11:45. Then we stood there for about an hour waiting, waiting and then wait some more. Apparently Carnival was having a luncheon and tour for about 200 travel agents. They were processed before allowing the passengers to board which was around 12:45. Not a lot of fun there&#33;   <br /><br />The Ship <br />The Legend is an absolutely beautiful ship. The first thing you see is the Atrium. Three glass elevators which go up to Deck 10. Lots of other elevators make getting from place to place with no problems.    <br /><br />Our stateroom was a category 7A (obstructed view balcony) on deck 5. The cabin was very nice. It was larger than similar category cabins on other class Carnival ships and most other lines. Plenty of storage. Even the bathroom was more spacious than I expected. Soap and shampoo dispensers in the shower were handy.   <br /><br />We tend to stay in our room until 9:30-10:00 each morning. This may be the reason our room wasn?t cleaned until after 4:00 on TWO DAYS. Did not make me a happy camper. We never did figure out which cabin steward was ours.    <br /><br /><br />Truffels is the main dining room. We had the early seating at a table for 6. This was the 35th cruise for one couple (Sam and Anne). Service was adequate. The assistant waiter must have been having personal problems. The waiter (Azam) was very attentive.   <br />The food was just OK. I had rack of lamb one night which was a bunch of bones on top of meat that tasted more liver IMHO. I?m a meat, vegetable and potato kind?a guy so the way the meals were presented was not to my liking. With the exception of one meal with mash potatoes and broccoli the vegetables were buried under the meat.   <br /><br />Each night we were entertained by the serving staff to a song or dance. The Flaming Alaska parade is now a thing of the past due to liability issues we were told.   <br /><br />The late night buffets were your basic fair. The gala buffet however was outstanding if only for the skill and talent required to prepare. The various carving from ice and food were wonderful. 45 minutes before the buffet are set aside for picture taking only.   <br /><br />The Unicorn Caf? is located on the Lido Deck. A terrific assortment of food which changes each meal. We ate most of our breakfasts and lunches here. Absolutely no complaints about food at the Unicorn Caf?.   <br /><br />The juice dispensers deserves a comment. They were always full with tea, apple juice, punch and lemonade. They were not watered down so adding ice made them icy cold and not tasting like flavored water. Thank you Carnival.   <br /><br />The ice cream is always available but it?s actually ice milk and tastes like it.   <br /><br />The Grill is located by the main pool and offers hamburgers, big fat hotdogs and fries.  t also has mushrooms, chili, etc.   <br /><br />We, unfortunately, did not take advantage of the Golden Fleece Restaurant. The people we talked with who did eat there said it was well worth the &#036;25 p.p. fee.   <br /><br />Entertainment in the Follies Lounge was very good. The cruise director, Brett Alans, is an accomplished magician and was an act one night. There was a tribute to Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. by Christopher Alan Graves which was very nice. The Carnival Legend Dancers put on a Vegas style show on two nights.    <br /><br />One of the nights there is an opportunity to have your picture taken with a Showgirl as you exit Truffels from dinner.    <br /><br />Live entertainment of various types was available in the many lounges and a D.J. to spin discs in Medusa?s Disco   <br /><br />Club Merlin Casino is a casino. What else can I say. Actually I can say this is the first time I didn?t lose money in the slots, I got to even and quit. A gambler I?m not.   <br /><br />A major concern we had was children. We figured there would be limited children on a cruise at this time. I believe there were less than 100 children on the ship. With the exception of running and yelling in the hallway outside our stateroom every morning and evening children presented no problems at all. They were all well mannered in the public areas. During the summer months or school breaks it may be different. The aft pool is reserved for adults only and families with children respected this restriction.   <br /><br />We did not participate in any excursions. We had been to St. Thomas and Tortola in March so we just got off the boat and walked around Old San Juan for an hour or so.   <br /><br />Debarkation was another disaster. We walked into the terminal, found our luggage. Then we had to lug it about 200 feet, get on line to wait for a porter who would then take it the next 200 feet to the curb. We decided to forgo the porter. It took a couple 20 minutes to get a porter. By that time we had gotten into our cab and were on our way.   <br /><br />We went shopping for luggage with wheels the day after we returned. We had never experienced a shortage of porters before but I?m not taking any chances on having to carry luggage again.   <br /><br />With the exception of embarkation and debarkation we had a wonderful time. I?ve had better service and meals but this was minor compared to everything else on the cruise. I certainly didn?t starve. We highly recommend the Carnival Legend and look forward to again cruising with Carnival.',1170920757,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1338,'Popdog',1,36,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(47,26,'4/20/06','We will start it off by saying that a good time was had by all&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;','We will start it off by saying that a good time was had by all&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;  Getting to the pier was easy as pie, we drove straight there from upstate NY, NYS Northway to the Thruway. From the Thruway to the Palisades Parkway, over the George Washington Bridge to the Henry Hudson(9A South)followed the signs to the pier. Unloaded our baggage and parked the car - Big drawback is the cost of parking, &#036;24/day - OUCH&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; Total 5 1/2 hours.  <br /><br /><br />Arrived at about 1 PM and walked right in to the checkin line, wait time approximately 15 minutes, and on to the ship&#33;&#33;&#33; Found our cabin and dropped our carryon bag and went for a quick snack and tall fruity drink. We stayed on the Lido deck and took in the sights of the NY harbor, of course there was the mandatory drill before leaving the dock, but then it was back to the Lido deck to see NY as we set sail. The weather was fantastic, the sun was just starting to set as we left, got some great pictures of the skyline, bridges, Staten Island Ferry, and of course the Statue of Liberty&#33;&#33;&#33;  <br /><br />The first dinner was great - my group of 10 met Maria and Ken and her friends so there was a total of 14 of us. The company, the food and the service made for an enjoyable time, so much so we did it every night of the cruise.  We went to all the shows, saw the comedians, and would have to say that the enertainment was right up there.  <br /><br />After a day at sea doing all the things that we do on board, eating, drinking, seeing the shows, eating, a couple more drinks, and did I say eating&#33;&#33; We arrived at the Naval Dockyard in Bermuda, while waiting to tie up we had something to eat then went ashore. Six of the 14 headed for their motorscooters to see the island on two wheels and brave the wrong way traffic, while the rest of us headed to the ticket counter and purchased bus passes for both days at the cost of &#036;20 each. This is a great deal as the buses will get you just about anywhere and they are good for the ferries also.  <br /><br />Our group went to the Zoo and Aquarium where we spent most of the afternoon, then it was back to the ship to eat and trade stories, have a couple of drinks, see the show and rest up for the next day. Our next day consisted of taking the ferry to Hamilton and then the bus to the Crystal Caves, our daughter and her boyfriend went to Jacobs Cove(pink sand beach) to go snorkeling. They were the only ones there and had the beach to themselves, they did mention that the water was a little cool but the sun was warm and they both have a sunburn to prove it. After the caves we went back to the Dockyards to see the Maritime Museum, the Dolphin Adventure, and the shops that are located there.  <br /><br />We returned to the ship with a 1/2 hour to spare, had something to eat and a nice cold one and bid Bermuda farewell and headed to Newport RI.  <br /><br />We had another day at sea and we spent it eating, having a couple of cold ones and trading stories with each other. We arrived in Newport the next day, it was cooler but this is to be expected as this is spring in New England, the sun was out and there was a breeze. We ate an early breakfast, had to stand in line for immigration as we were going to land on US soil, went ashore as we had booked an excusion to Rose Island Light House with the Harbor tour by boat. While waiting for our excursion we walked around town looking at the shops and doing a little sight seeing. Newport is a very quite town at this time of the year so it was nice. After the excursion we returned to the ship and headed back to NY. The last night was topped off with eating and a few more cold ones.  <br /><br />We arrived in NY harbor as we were eating breakfast, what a sight&#33;&#33; Then it was time to say our goodbyes and to start making plans for the next cruise. Debarkation was simple as we had done Immigrations the day before, we found our bags with no problems and walked back to our cars although with a slower stride then when we first arrived six days earlier.  <br /><br />Any specific questions you might have about this review feel free to PM me&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;',1170920798,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1845,'hamster92256',1,56,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(48,26,'4/20/06','All in all we had a great cruise and are looking forward to our next one.','I really don&#39;t have much to add to Chris&#39;s review. We were at our daughter&#39;s house in Old Bridge, NJ for 5 days before our cruise. On the morning of our cruise we left her house with my son-in-law driving(we were lucky we didn&#39;t have to pay to park.) to pick up our friends at Newark airport. We proceeded to the pier at about ten thirty and at eleven thirty we were having lunch on the Lido. Very uneventful embarkation. As usual our rooms was large and spacious ....The New York skyline from our balcony was awesome........  <br /><br /><br />The meals were great and we had great company. Chris and Karen are fun and we feel we have known them forever.  <br /><br />The Carnival Legend is a beautiful ship and spotless. Our room steward was great. We never had to want for anything. Bermuda was great and we were one of the couples that rented the scooters. I thought it was a blast. We drove from the Royal Naval Dockyard to Hamilton. My friend Maureen wouldn&#39;t get back on the scooter so she took the ferry back and Ken, me and her husband Dan rode back on the scooters. The next day we took the ferry and then the bus to St. Georges which also was beautiful and the beaches and scenery you pass along the way are unbelievable. The public transportation is easy and really no need for a car....I asked the bus driver why she kept beeping the horn and she said because the island is so small everyone knows each other and they are saying hi.  <br /><br />We had lunch at the Swizzle Inn which is famous in Bermuda for their rum swizzles. Wow they were delish &#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; It is a nice restaurant/bar with outside seating.  <br /><br />Newport was okay but I would have rather done another day in Bermuda.  <br /><br />All in all we had a great cruise and are looking forward to our next one.  I can&#39;t think of anything else right now but also if any one has questions I will be glad to answer them if I can.',1170920833,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',754,'teacp',1,38,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(49,27,'8/25/05','Carnival gave us a trip of a lifetime that as affordable and very exciting. I would recommend this cruise to anyone.','AIRPORT <br />  We arrived at Fumicino International Airport in Rome, Italy at 7:45 AM. We proceeded through the Immigration booths and on to the baggage area. We were immediately greeted by Carnival representatives who were waiting at the bottom of the escalators on the way to the baggage area. They instructed us to pick up our luggage and meet them in an area not far from the baggage carousel. There was no way that Carnival was going to let their passengers get lost. There were so many Carnival representatives there. We had pre-paid the transfers from the airport to Civitavecchia, Italy so when we finished picking up our luggage we were able to transfer them to the Carnival baggage handlers who took our luggage to the ship. We went by separate motor coach to the pier. The entire process was very easy and seamless. There was a little confusion, it may have been a slight language problem, with the transportation folks not understanding that we already had our transfer vouchers and did not have to stand in a line with people who did not have pre-arranged transportation. That was quickly straightened out when I presented our voucher to another person in authority. We were on board by 9:00 AM, which means that the entire process from the plane, through Immigration, the baggage area, transfer processing to the bus took approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. That was not bad at all.  <br /><br /><br />Some passengers opted to take pre-cruise tours of Rome. Carnival offered two, Holy Rome and Rome at a Glance. If you?ve never been to Rome and you arrive early before the cruise, this is the only opportunity you have to see Rome unless you spend a day or two before or after the cruise. There is also an opportunity to do the same tours as a post cruise tour if you have a late flight after the cruise. <br /><br />Rome is such a beautiful city. It would be a shame to get all the way to Italy and not see Rome. If you can?t stay a few days in Rome, try to arrive early or book a late flight so you can take one of these tours.  <br /><br />The ride to port city of Civitavecchia for the Carnival Liberty took approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.  <br /><br />As the bus winds down to its destination there are several opportunities to see the impressive and massive Carnival Liberty with its white hull and familiar red white and blue Carnival funnel.  <br /><br />Even though the Carnival Liberty departs from an Italian port, it is very much an American ship. Most of the passengers on the ship are American. Most if not all of the crew speaks English and the announcements over the public address system are in English and Spanish, with the exception of occasional alternate languages for some the foreign guests.  I even spotted two friends from separate parties that I did not know were taking this trip.  <br /><br />EMBARKATION <br />Embarkation was a breeze. Carnival had many counter processors on hand to handle incoming passengers. There was no waiting when I entered the terminal. Since I had completed my Fun Pass on the web, mostly everything was done. I only had to present the credit card that would be used for my Sign and Sail Card.  <br /><br />BOARDING <br />There was a brief line to board the ship because the ship&#39;s security had the responsibility of taking the security photos for the Sign and Sail identification/key card. There were only two stations available for that task. We were on board by 11:15 AM. We were given the deck plans of the ship and directed to the Emile?s Restaurant on Lido Deck for Lunch. We claimed a table in the huge air conditioned dining area of Emile?s and took turns washing our hands which is a habit that cannot be overemphasized on any ship. While walking about the ship I noticed that the design of the Carnival Liberty was a little more subdued than it?s sister ships. There is still some element of glitz but there are more shades of beige and wood rather than the flashy shining metallic neon settings that Carnival veterans are so familiar with.   <br /><br />She?s still a beautiful ship however.    Because we boarded the ship so early, we were not able to enter the stateroom until 12:30 PM.   <br /><br />STATEROOM <br />  Our stateroom was on the Riviera Deck or first deck of the ship. We had an oceanview cabin (porthole) that allowed us to see when the sun rose and set and let us peek out at certain ports. Carnival staterooms tend to be very roomy. There were three closets, two for hanging garments and one with shelves. There was more thank adequate space for hanging clothing. There was a desk-like dresser and vanity table. The dresser drawers are a little on the thin side but just barely adequate. There was a small refrigerator in the cabin that could have been opened by the steward if requested. A small in-cabin safe was available free of charge. The safe was locked by the use of a credit card. There was no charge to the account for the use of the safe. We opted not to use it. There is a Venetian tone to the art in the cabin as well as most of the other parts of the ship. The bathroom was roomy and had lots of counter space and shelf space for toiletries. The shower seemed slightly more spacious than on other ships. The shower curtain did not stick to my body as has happened in the past. The use of duct tape to prevent floods was not really necessary. We did flood the bathroom floor a couple of times, but there was a small drain outside of the shower where one could push the water to avoid embarrassment.  <br /><br />SERVICE <br />  Our stateroom steward, Nelson and his assistants Suchada and Ida, were very friendly and accommodating. It did take a while for them to figure out our schedule so that they could fix the beds and bring in fresh towels on a daily basis. The two assistants got to know our names and said our names when they greeted us. They were extremely cheerful in the mooring and in the evening. It was always good to see them in the hall.   <br /><br />I must say the Carnival has one of the friendliest crews around. Even though most of the crew members are not directly responsible for you, they always offer a fond hello and a big smile to all of the passengers as they go about doing their daily chores. That often helps to make the cruise.   <br /><br />The waiters and waitress on the Lido Deck at Emile?s were also very helpful and friendly. They kept the tables cleaned so that there would always be tables available for passengers who opted to dine informally.   <br /><br />Our wait staff was great. Branimir and Iuliana took great care of us and got to know the extra things we liked and made sure it was on the table waiting for us. Iuliana, who is slightly built, carried a tray that was stacked with plates of food and plate covers. Every time she set the tray down at the waiter?s station she would smile as if she were amazed that she was able to accomplish such a feat. They kept us very entertained during meals with their singing and dancing. They even got me to get up and dance.  <br /><br />The maitre d? and assistant maitre d?, Miguel and Mehmet, respectively, treated guests as if they were royalty. I met Mehmet on another cruise ship and we remembered each other. He sent over some special treats on the second night of dinner.  <br /><br />Carnival made sure to place its most experienced staff on the ship. I saw quite a few crew members from other Carnival ships that I have sailed on.  <br /><br />FOOD <br />We had main seating in the Golden Olympian Dining Room (5:45 PM and sometimes 6:00 PM), a little early for my taste but I made do. As a vegetarian it is difficult to judge the quality of the food by my personal taste. Most of the vegetarian entrees were very delicious and well prepared. I only wish there was more variety in texture. Most of the vegetarian food was very soft. It would have been nice to have something crispy. There were many cold cream soups, almost every night. One night I had a hot vegetable pureed soup that was most welcomed and very delicious because it was different. My traveling companion said his meals were very good to excellent. He had things like lamb, scallops, quail, chicken, mussels, and salmon. He seemed to like them all. The waiters tried to keep me very happy. If they sensed that I was dissatisfied with something, which was rarely, they would say ?We can take this away and get you something else.? They seemed genuinely concerned as to whether or not you enjoyed your meal. The starters, salads, desserts and cappuccino were all very well prepared.  <br /><br />The pizzeria on Lido Deck was a big hit and never very crowded as I remember it being on other ships. I never had to wait for service. It may have been coincidental.  <br /><br />Carnival seemed to have added another station so the lines on the Lido deck are not as long. In the morning there are about four omelet stations working on one section of the Lido Deck and I?m not sure but there may have been four others in another section. The lines never seemed too long at the Restaurant Cezanne on the Lido Deck.  <br /><br />We had breakfast most of the time in the Silver Olympian Dining Room. The table service was very good and there was never any waiting even though the dining room offered open seating.  <br /><br />There are several dining options on the Carnival Liberty besides the main dining rooms and Emile?s. There is also a Grill that offers hot dogs and burgers with all the fixings, a deli, a sushi bar on the Promenade Deck, and high tea served at 4:00 PM during sea days. It?s real easy to overlook the Fish and Chips on the Panorama Deck, one deck above Lido. There is also Harry?s the alternative restaurant one pays &#036;30 per person for a gastronomic treat.  <br /><br />All in all, the food was good to excellent.  <br /><br />SHIP CONDITION AND AMENITIES <br />  I boarded the Carnival Liberty when it as virtually a new ship. I was not the first passenger in by cabin, but the fourth, therefore everything was spotless. The woodwork in the cabins is beautiful. There are no rusty areas in any crevice of the ship yet. The crew constantly is cleaning and polishing all of the public areas.  <br /><br />The most pronounced theme on the Carnival Liberty is Venice. There are Venetian masks all over the place. In the Venetian Lounge there are Venetian masks on the ceiling and the cocktail tables are made from the shape and colors of Venetian masks. The stage of the Venetian Lounge has harlequins that are also thematic of Venice. The ship is very colorful, but tastefully done.  <br /><br />ENTERTAINMENT <br />  The driving force behind all of the ship?s activities is John Heald, the cruise director. He has got to be the best cruise director I have ever encountered. He was involved in everything and even had on onboard television program where he played tricks on people and passengers could play practical jokes on their shipmate friends, all in good fun. Of course this particular voyage was bitter sweet because of the devastating hurricane that hit New Orleans and other cities along the Gulf. John tastefully acknowledged the tragedy and put people at ease by letting us know that Carnival was finding some way for the passengers to help. There was such a feeling of helplessness aboard the ship. He certainly helped us to get through it. His cohorts were Butch, Noonan and Heidi who were hilarious.  <br /><br />John also had some of the familiar game shows that are performed on Carnival ships but he had some new ones too. He had quite a repertoire of activities for a 12 day voyage.  <br /><br />The Venetian Lounge is the main performance venue for the big shows.    The first major show was with dancers and singers and was quite spectacular. The next show ?Rockin? on Broadway? was too much rockin? for me. The pace stayed at that quick rocking and loud level throughout. The highlight of the Rockin? on Broadway show was an excerpt from ?Dream Girls? and ?Evita.? That?s just my personal preference. Other people seemed to enjoy it.  <br /><br />Another fine entertainer was Marcus Anthony, a very fine singer with a phenomenal voice.    Another of my favorite evenings was the guest talent show that is always entertaining.    The shows also featured a ventriloquist, a comedian and a hypnotist. They were also very entertaining.  <br /><br />ITINERARY <br />  This was a 12 days cruise. The ports included Naples, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia, Venice and Messina, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; Cannes, France; and Livorno, Italy. The thing that I noticed most was that the Euro is very expensive right now. I?ll leave that at that.  <br /><br />In Naples we took an excursion to Pompeii, the city that was destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius, which was always in full view as we rode the motor coach to Pompeii. Pompeii is a very impressive ancient city. For those of you who wait the minute to book tours, you may miss out on Pompeii because there are not any tour vendors near the port of Naples offering less expensive tours like they do in the Caribbean. There was also a tour to Herculeneum or Ercolano another city destroyed by Vesuvius.   <br /><br />The ship spends a day at sea while heading for Dubronik, Croatia.    Dubrovnik seems to be recovering from the civil war that occurred about 10 years ago. They have repaired all of the tourist area and there are no visible scars. The walled city of Old Dubrovnik is a breathtaking sight as the motor coach approaches the terracotta roofs from the hillside. Visiting the walled city reminded one of being in a medieval town surrounded by a great wall enclosing a number of churches and great halls. The Dominicans, Franciscans and Jesuits all have churches within the small area.  <br /><br />We arrived in Venice at approximately 2:00 PM. the next day. The ship sails right next to Venice. One can see Piazza San Marco very close to the ship. It?s a great idea to head toward a balcony or deck of the ship so that you can see this magnificent city from a very high perspective. The better view is on the starboard side. There is a little secret area on the Lido Deck, Deck 9, if you go all the way to the bow of the ship, on the port side, there is a door that leads to the very front of the ship that will give you an unobstructed view of Venice. The ship stays in Venice overnight which gives you plenty of time to sightsee and sample the different restaurants. You can take a gondola ride through the smaller streets off the grand canal, feed pigeons and be surrounded by them as you picture is taken in the Piazza San Marco, visit the art Accademia, grab a gelato, shop, explore hidden corners, feel safe because there are no cars on the narrow streets, visit the churches that contain works of art or are architectural works of art in themselves. My suggestion is to get a good map and learn to use the Vaporettos which are the water buses that get people from place to place in Venice.   <br /><br />Venice is also known for Venetian Glass or Murano Glass. The ship?s shopping specialist can arrange free transportation to Murano so that you can see how Murano Glass is made and maybe even purchase some and have it shipped to the states.    Burano is famous for its lace. We did not go there this time because we did it as a land vacation in 2000.    Venice is the city of dreams. You will not believe it if you?ve never been there.  <br /><br />The next day is a fun day at sea.  <br /><br />Messina, Sicily was the next port of call. The ship stops right in the downtown area. We could see the see cars and trucks on the little highway right next to the ship. There are several ship tours but we got a map from the information booth and went to see some of the monuments and churches that we could see on the hillside from the ship. A must see is a clock tower at the Duomo in Messina. There is a spectacular show of the clock at 12:00 noon. The clock has four levels of huge moving parts on one side, a roaring lion at the top, a crowing rooster underneath, a series of men, possibly the apostles, worshiping a Christ-like figure. The climax is the playing of Schubert?s Ave Maria. A mechanical calendar and zodiac clock on another side. The demonstration is outdoors and free to the public. We did Messina on our own.    Next was our last fun day at sea.    The strenuous part of the cruise was about to start, no more days to sleep late and a great desire not to miss anything.  <br /><br />Our next stop was Barcelona, Spain. We took there tour to Montserrat, Spain where there is a Benedictine Monastery high in the Mountains. At first glance from below it appears to be one building cut out of the side of the mountain, but when you finally arrive to the top it?s a very developed little city with hotels, retreat houses, shops, and a grand Cathedral that houses the Black Madonna or the Virgin of Montserrat. The views from this mountain retreat are astounding.  <br /><br />We got back to Barcelona in time to do some souvenir shopping on Las Rambles and then went to designated meeting place to board the bus back to the pier. The line for the buses back to the pier is rather long but it moves relatively quickly.  <br /><br />Some passengers did a formal tour of Barcelona and got to see the famous Gaudi Cathedral and the Olympic Stadium.  <br /><br />Now my favorite part of the cruise is an adventure I would not recommend to the faint of heart. The next two countries we did on our own. It?s a major risk to take major trips on your own because if the train you?ve taken is late or breaks down, you?ll miss the ship. Now that I?ve mentioned that disclaimer, let?s talk about what we did.  <br /><br />Our next stop was Cannes, France. From pier we walked to the railroad station and took the train to Monaco and Mote Carlo. When we arrived, about an hour and thirty minutes later, we proceeded to have our passports stamped at the information booth at the Monaco railroad so that we could have bragging rights. From the railroad we took the No. 1 bus to the palace area. There, we took a little sightseeing train around Monaco and Monte Carlo. After seeing the sights and taking pictures of the tremendous yachts in the harbor, we did some souvenir shopping. We then left early enough to catch the train back to Cannes. Thank goodness there was no delay. We got back in time to explore Cannes a little bit. Cannes is quite a cosmopolitan city and not a little sleeping village.  <br /><br />When taking trains in Europe you have to remember to validate your ticket at the station at one of the validating machines before you board the train. If you don?t validate your ticket or time stamp it, you are subject to pay about 5 euros as a penalty. Five euros is about &#036;6.50 more on the fare you?ve already paid.  <br /><br />The railroad in Europe is very reasonable, much more reasonable than the ships package where you do Monaco and Monte Carlo on you own.  <br /><br />Our final port was Livorno which is the port for Florence. The ride was about an hour and a half. One has to take the courtesy bus to the centre of Livorno. From there one takes the No. 1 bus to the stacione. There is a local train for Florence. Again, we took the risk of getting to Florence on our own by train. The fare was only 12 euros per person round trip.  <br /><br />In Florence you can check out the outdoor market where leather goods are sold along with silk objects. Leather jackets, pants, belts, wallets, pocketbooks, wallets, and brief cases are all available at reasonable prices. Then if you have time you can visit the Accademia Art Museum and the Duomo. The Duomo is a massive cathedral that has a terracotta roof that can be seen from all over Florence. It also has very beautiful fa?ade of colorful marble. Think of all of that marble on the largest cathedral you have ever seen.   <br /><br />After that wonderful visit it was back to Livorno. When we got back to the stacione we discovered that a number of passengers decided to do take the railroad rather than the ships tour. Therefore the No. 1 bus was very crowded going back to the meeting point for the courtesy bus. As a matter of fact, there was not enough room for us on the first bust that came. I managed to get on the second city bus. We made it back to the ship with plenty of time to spare.  <br /><br />This was that last evening. It was time to give out extra tips to the outstanding staff members. I put the tips in an envelop because I was so ashamed of what I was giving the crew for the outstanding service they had performed. We said goodbye and hugged the wait staff and they told us how happy we made them by sitting at their table. That was very strange because they made us more than happy.  <br /><br />Disembarkation <br />  All good things come to an end. We were given colored numbered tags to place on our luggage. The color and the number determined what your post cruise plans were or what time you had to be at the airport. We packed our luggage, tagged them and set them out for the crew. The next day was disembarkation. We had to rise very early in the morning. We had breakfast, and were call of the ship by 8:45. Carnival had plenty of buses waiting. So we made our way to the airport without a problem. I liked the disembarkation system very much even though I hate to get up early.  <br /><br />SUMMARY <br />  Carnival gave us a trip of a lifetime that as affordable and very exciting. I would recommend this cruise to anyone. It would be nice if it were offered all year so that one could take advantage of the lower airfares during other periods.   <br /><br />The disabled may have some difficulty in parts of Europe because not everything is accessible, but they?re getting better. Venice is extremely difficult with all the bridges and steps, but it?s not impossible.  <br /><br />I?m looking forward to other European cruises by Carnival or other exotic destinations.',1170920897,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',172,'Mebert',1,153,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(50,27,'11/10/05','This ship is absolutely beautiful. I would definitely sail on it again.','I decided to take 4 first timers on this cruise. My 2 brothers, my 6 year old nephew, and my brother&#39;s girlfriend. They had been wanting to go on a cruise and I thought this would be the perfect one since it&#39;s a large and new ship.<br /><br /><br />We drove to Port Everglades since it&#39;s 45 minutes from my house. We got lost on the way there with directions that I got from the internet. I had never been to that port.  <br /><br />Embarkation was super quick. It only took 30 minutes from checking in to boarding the ship. <br /><br />Once we boarded the ship, we checked out our cabins. We booked ocean view connecting rooms. We were on the riviera deck. We found a letter that they left for the passengers that were in there before us that they gave them a &#036;25 shipboard credit for a complaint about noise. We didn&#39;t encounter any noise or disturbances.  <br /><br />We then headed for the Lido Deck for lunch. The food was absolutely delicious. They now have a station for Thai food in addition to the oriental one that they already have. They also have a pasta station in which you choose  which type of pasta you want along with the sauce and they make it right in front of you.  The Lifeboat Drill was superfast. <br /><br />The sail away party was a lot of fun, but they only played 2 songs and that was it. The only complaint that I have is that they did not have many activities for the guests. They neglected us because there were so many Carnival employees on board. They only had a trivia game one day and karaoke on both nights. The shows were excellent. <br /><br />We never made it to the dining room because my brothers were at the Casino the whole time and we were super late for dinner. They made a large contribution to the Casino. They cannot wait until next time. We had dinner on the Lido Deck.  <br /><br />My Nephew loved the arcade and eating pizza and ice cream. <br /><br />In Nassau we went to the Atlantis resort. We were going to do the dolphin encounter, but my nephew had a bad cold. He loved the aquarium at Atlantis Resort. <br /><br />Debarkation was another story it took super long, but it didn&#39;t bother me at all because I was on a cruise and I didn&#39;t want to get off. <br /><br />This ship is absolutely beautiful. I would definitely sail on it again.',1170920930,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',566,'Gymbrat33',1,263,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(51,27,'5/31/06','Overall, a great cruise.','This is a bit late, but here goes: <br /><br /><br />This was a 12 day cruise aboard the Carnival Liberty. The ports included Naples, Dubrovnik, Venice, Sicily, Barcelona, Cannes, and Livorno.  <br /><br />DH and I arrived at BWI with about 2 hours to spare. I have traveled for a number of years and check in was never so easy. It took all of 5 minutes. We walked straight to the counter, 3 bays to check in, 2 carry on bags, checked passports ? done. Not even the customary question ?did anyone besides yourself pack your luggage? was asked. The plane left at 6:05pm for NJ and I have never flown in such a small plane (only 3 seats across the entire plane) but it got to NJ safely. We had a lay over of about 2 and ? hours and then boarded a much bigger plane (7 seats across) for the 7+ hour trip to Rome. We arrived in Rome on time around 12:30. Customs was a breeze. I had two people in front of me and since I have an EU passport, they didn?t even stamp it, just looked at it and waved me through, but they did stamp my husband?s who is a US citizen ? total time about 7 minutes. Getting our luggage took about 30 minutes. I had booked the ?Rome at a Glance? tour with Carnival but was told that there were no more tours that day, so we boarded the bus for the 1 + hour trip to the pier. Once we arrived at the pier, check in was very fast, never asked for the fun pass (which they said was very important), give them our credit card for the sail and sign account, they took my passport and gave me a receipt, gave us our sail and sign cards ? about 5 minutes. We had a late lunch on the Lido deck, returned to the cabin to await our luggage which arrived several hours later. We did the mandatory fire drill, had dinner and retired for the night.  <br /><br />NAPLES: <br />The director (Brent Mitchell, I was disappointed, I had heard so much about John Heald, but Brent wasn?t too bad) warned us of the traffic here and he was not kidding. The drivers here were so impatient, all you heard was honking horns, and as soon as the lights turn yellow, they were ready to go. We had the ?Ruins of Pompeii? tour in the afternoon, so we decided to walk into town. Not much to see and we got soaked when it rained. - I forgot our umbrellas in the cabin. At that point we turned back and headed back to the ship where we dried off, had lunch and waited for our tour. Pompeii was fantastic; you should not miss this tour. Get yourself a good pair of walking shoes, the cobblestones are hard on the feet, you are walking for several hours, but it is worth it.  <br /><br />DAY AT SEA: <br />Explored the the nooks and crannies of the ship and had dinner for the first time in the dining room. Our dinner companions were very nice; they were from York, England. I order the Delta prawns. I thought prawns were supposed to be bigger than shrimp, but maybe the Delta ones are not. The prime rib was delicious, and my husband enjoyed his salmon.  <br /><br />VENICE: <br />We were here for two days. We did the Murano/Burano Island tour on the first day and we had an enjoyable time. Murano was especially interesting because we were able to see excellent examples of glass making and in Burano we saw lace making. The second day we did the Doge?s Palace/St. Mark?s Basilica tour, these buildings were very impressive.  <br /><br />CROATIA: <br />A shuttle bus took you into town, it was 10Euros per person return trip, they would not accept their own money ? kunas, it had to be Euros. We took the ?Walk the Ramparts? tour, not to be missed, the view was fantastic.  <br /><br />DAY AT SEA: <br />Another sunny relaxing day at sea.  <br /><br />MESSINA: <br />Did the Taormina/Mt. Etna tour which was a full day excursion but worth the long day.  <br /><br />DAY AT SEA: <br />Another sunny relaxing day at sea. A passenger became gravely ill and had to taken off the ship. The captain stopped the ship and the passenger was taken off board and taken to shore by launch. There were some islands to our left, but I am not sure what they were called.  <br /><br />BARCELONA: <br />A shuttle took you into town for 5Euros per person return trip, walked Las Ramblas did a ton of shopping. We did the Gaudi and Barcelona tour, which was interesting to say the least; you cannot miss Gaudi?s works.   <br /><br />CANNES: <br />We had to tender at this port, but the process went smoothly only had to wait about 20 minutes before our number was called and going back to the ship we had to wait about 5 minutes. We did the Cannes Walking tour.  <br /><br />LIVORNO: <br />We did the Leaning Tower of Pisa tour. What they did not tell us was that when you get into town and left the bus, you had to walk about 20 minutes before you get to the leaning tower. I felt sorry for some folks because they were elderly with canes. They should have told us that up front. It is such an unique piece of architecture, but if you want to go to the top you had to climb several hundreds of steps, I was content to see it from the outside.  <br /><br />DISEMBARKATION: <br />We had to rise very early in the morning. We had breakfast, and our color and number was called by 6:50am. We had difficulty finding our luggage, our three bags were in three different locations, but Carnival had plenty of buses waiting. So we made our way to the airport without a problem. Getting through customs at the airport was a breeze, it took about 20 minutes.  <br /><br />OVERALL IMPRESSIONS OF THE SHIP: <br />Very nicely decorated, not too much glitz, I especially loved the Venetian Room where most events were held. The center piece in the ceiling is a sight to behold made from Murano glass at a cost of 200,000 euros, according to the director. The piano bar is tastefully done, I love the black and white theme. The internet caf? is in a horrible location, you have to walk through a bar filled with people smoking, poor lighting once you get there, about 12 computes for 3,000 passengers, it was a nightmare. Everyone was complaining about it.  <br /><br />I love George Michael, Sade, Simply Red and Stevie Wonder, but after hearing the same songs for 12 days, I was ready to tear my hair out and offer them my CDs to play.  <br /><br />The food was very delicious and well prepared, but the desserts were horrible, everything seemed to be diet. The only time we had great desserts was in the dining room.  <br /><br />The shows were ok. The dancers were a bit hesitant with the more elaborate moves, but the comedian (I can?t remember his name) was hilarious. The choices of movies in the cabin were slim to none.  <br /><br />House keeping was especially efficient, Pat was very accommodating.  <br /><br />Our balcony stateroom was very roomy and the bed was the most comfortable I have ever slept on.   <br /><br />We booked all our tours through Carnival and the tickets were in our cabin when we arrived. We were very pleased with Carnival?s tours, they were well organized and the tour guides were excellent.  <br /><br />Overall, a great cruise.',1170920977,0,'Western Mediterranean','[-review]Carnival_Liberty_in_Naples.jpg',2613,'mercedes',1,233,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(52,28,'3/12/04','The end of the cruise came too soon.','I wish I had kept a journal to remember everything. Our family consists of myself and husband (both 49 years of age) and our two teen-aged sons (17 years and 14 years). We took this cruise on the first weekend (Friday-Monday) of our school&#39;s spring vacation. <br /><br />We got to the port at around 11:30. The ship was visible from the road we were on. I was surprised at the size of the Miracle. There is one two-lane road to the pier so the traffic was slow going. We dropped off the luggage while my husband parked the van. We waited several minutes while workers were loading other people&#39;s luggage onto trolleys. The boys and I walked over to where the luggage was going, and an employee told us we could bring our luggage in and drop it off. Then we walked into the building. Not knowing what to expect or what to do, we happened to get in the correct line. We got our sail and sign cards and were directed to a line to board. This line was not well planned out (we intersected with another line of people trying to check in). The whole process took about 40 minutes, so I didn&#39;t think that was too bad. <br /><br />We got on board. The difference between outside and inside was amazing. One minute we were in the bright Florida sunshine, then the next minute we were in the dim lighting on the Metropolis lobby. It seemed like we were in a different city as soon as we walked on board. We went to the elevators which seemed to be moving slowly (or maybe it was because there were many people trying to go up to the Lido deck to eat). We got up to the Lido deck to eat lunch. The guys got in the first line they saw, which was Italian. I walked around the corner and got in the a line that had roast beef and chicken. Other than a breakfast one morning, that was the last time I ate at Horatio&#39;s on the Lido deck. It was a tasty lunch. I was surprised at how good it was as I imagined something like school cafeteria-type food. Our boys ate at the pizzeria a few times and said it was good. <br /><br />We checked out our cabins. We were on the Empress deck, two inside cabins. We put the boys in one and we were in the other. The travel agent sent a bottle of wine and a bottle of champagne to each cabin. We met out room attendant (is he called a steward?). He asked if we wanted to mini-bar unlocked. I asked if we could keep the wine in there, and he replied that he would get an ice bucket. So, we kept the mini-bar locked. The cabins were larger than I expected. There were two large fluffy bathrobes in one of three closets. There was plenty of drawer space. A hair dryer was in one of the drawers. The cord was a little short, but it had sufficient power. The bathroom had a large counter and several glass shelves. We had plenty of room for all of our toiletries. We didn&#39;t spend much time in our staterooms, so I thought they were large enough. <br /><br />There was so much to do that we missed much of it (like the Captain&#39;s Cocktail Party). The ship was easy to get around. There were many places to sit and enjoy a quiet moment. There were plenty of chairs outside. The ones by the pool were usually taken, but on upper decks, there were stacks of unused chairs. &quot;Total Eclipse&quot; was the Calypso band out by the pool. Our 17-year old son said the jazz band (&quot;Gavin Ahearn Trio&quot; in the Gotham lounge) was good. We went to a karaoke session with KJ Foxx.&quot; KJ ended up singing several songs to fill in for the lack of passenger-singers. The ones who did perform were very good. <br /><br />My husband spent some time in the casino. Slot machines were in ample supply and if one wanted to play the slots, there was always one available. There were a few blackjack tables, but they were &#036;10 minimum. There was one &#036;5 minimum blackjack table, but that was usually full. We wished there had been some &#036;2 minimum tables to make our money last longer. There was one craps table and I believe one roulette table. There were also some tables that we thought we blackjack tables, but they played various poker type games. I didn&#39;t look at those close enough to be able to figure out the game. The only show (other than the non-judged talent show) that we went to was the last show - a tribute to the Beatles. It was very good. We spent a lot of time just walking around the ship, looking at all of the lounges and rooms. We got sunburnt on Saturday in Freeport, so we spent most of our time on board inside or in the shade. That was disappointing, as I had planned to read on deck in the sunshine on Sunday - our &quot;Day at Sea.&quot; <br /><br />Everything was gleaming as one would expect on a new ship. The amount of granite on counters and floors surprised me. We ate our meals in the Bacchus Restaurant, which is as bad as you&#39;ve seen in pictures. The food was wonderful and varied. I don&#39;t eat pork or beef and I was surprised that I had several choices of entrees every evening. We took a bottle of wine to our first dinner, and our waiter (Roland) told us since the cruise was so short, he would not charge us the corkage fee. So we gave it to him as an additional tip. <br /><br />Our 14-year old son (freshman in high school) said the activities planned for him were too young. The dance he attended (12-18 years of age) was mainly full of 12 year olds. He tried to attend the &quot;disco&quot; with his older brother, but it was for 16+ and he was carded. He spent a lot of time in his cabin watching college basketball. <br /><br />The end of the cruise came too soon. We decided to carry our luggage off so we wouldn&#39;t have to interupt any activities to go and pack. Our deck was the first to be called off, so we were the first group to leave. We&#39;re already thinking of taking another cruise. I have a feeling that we have been spoiled by the Miracle.',1170921028,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',267,'SAAdds1',1,101,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(53,28,'4/3/05','Overall I am really glad we did this itinerary, we got beautiful weather &amp; some lovely excursions, the ship was as fun or as relaxing as you wanted it to be and we all had a great time.','I really wanted to write this review once I had figured out how to insert some pictures but as I am struggling I will proceed with my review &amp; have to do my pikkies separately.  <br /><br /><br />OK - Boarded the Beautiful Miracle on the Sunday lunchtime on a nice sunny day in Tampa, boarding took about an hour as we had pre-completed the fun pass on line. After being forced to stop for the boarding picture (we came to realise it was easier just to grin for the camera and not buy the picture afterwards than try to avoid the ships photographers&#33;&#33;) we set off to find our cabin. We had opted for an 8a balcony so we could put our son (Jamie) to bed and sit out with a book &amp; glass of wine in the evening and also so we could have some peace &amp; quiet in the sun without going up top&#33; The cabin was spacious and the ship still felt very new as the she is only about 15 months old. A lot of people have mentioned the decor due to it being Myth &amp; novel themed and there were lots of statues &amp; art around but most of it was quite tasteful with the cherubs in the restaurant now being clothed ect there was a bit of neon but not too much, except in the dining room where they could do with taking a few of the &quot;grapes&quot; down from the walls&#33; the Gatsby Garden was a very pleasant corridor to walk down or just to sit and relax and our rooms were lovely..  <br /><br />Left Tampa late afternoon and watched a couple of Dolphins playing in the bay before sailing under the bridge out to sea, sailing was very calm. After completing the emergency drill we started unpacking, went to the Camp Carnival meeting for Jamie and then got ready for dinner. We had been given the late sitting (contrary to our request at time of booking) in the Bacchus restaurant which we knew we would never be able to hold out for so went up to Lido for the first night. The following lunchtime we went to Bacchus and the Matre&#39;d quickly got our sitting swapped to the early one at 5:45 in the upper floor of the restaurant. The food in Bacchus was excellent, portions not massive but adequate, and beautifully done. We got into the habit of ordering a bottle of wine with dinner each evening and by the 3rd night Jamie had his crayon, colouring book and drink waiting for him when we got to the table and we were handed the extensive wine menu. Most breakfasts and lunches were taken up on Lido deck in Horatio&#39;s and there was a choice of hot &amp; cold breakfasts with complementary juices &amp; coffee available and at lunch there was a choice of salads, hot meals, pizza (where you can also get a fab Chicken Caesar salad with a portion of Garlic bread), a different country theme everyday and a sweet counter, there is a counter near the main pool which does hot dogs, hamburgers, chilli ect but that was always quite busy (for some reason). It took us 4 days to suddenly find a counter we had managed to miss which did Chicken Tikka wraps which were also spot on&#33;&#33; The ice cream machines were open each day for the majority of the day which Jamie liked playing with and making his own cornets.  <br /><br />We had 2 formal nights during this 7 night sailing, the first being taken far more seriously than the 2nd. Everyone made a great effort for the captains cocktail party, the evening started quite early with several free drinks being handed out in the Phantom lounge, there was a speech from the captain and a bit of entertainment before going to Bacchus for dinner. The second formal night did see people making an effort but it appeared most people had worn their best frocks for the first one, everyone still looked nice though. The waiters &amp; waitresses, servers ect were very helpful and loads of people made such a big effort with Jamie which kept him amused (not just in the main restaurant but throughout the whole ship) - I think we ran out of space to name people on the comment card at the end of the cruise.  <br /><br />Our first port of call was a day in Grand Cayman and we booked the Sea &amp; see tour - Turtles, Hell &amp; submarine/boat which was a good excursion if you have not been to Cayman before. We were the first ship in on the day and I sat out on the balcony and watched 2 Royal Caribbean, the Celebrity Century, 1 Princess ship, the Carnival Valour and another very small cruise ship sail into position before going down to get the tender over to George town.  <br /><br />The second port of call was due to be in Costa Maya but the captain announced that the swell was too rough too dock (wise choice after The Grandeur&#39;s mishap) so we took a leisurely day at sea up to Cozumel.   <br /><br />The third port of call was Cozumel where we went to Chankanaab Park and did the Dolphin encounter, Tatich was our Dolphin and even though he was quite a young Dolphin he was very entertaining and cute, well worth doing&#33; we did a bit of shopping in the area built for the ships but disliked the rip off feel to it all - I wanted a silver necklace as a pressie for a friend and as silver is so cheap was looking to spend about &#036;50ish, I saw a silver &amp; pink coral one &amp; asked how much it was and was told &#036;150 so I said that was too much and went to leave &amp; the guy asked how much I wanted to spend and gave it me for &#036;53 - bit of a difference&#33;&#33;  <br /><br />Our last port of call was Belize, we did the Altun Ha &amp; River Wallace excursion and apart from how rough the road was out to the temple it was a great excursion. We got to climb up the side of the biggest Mayan ruin which had good views of the rain forest and our guides were very informative. In the boat back to Belize we had kept the same guide &amp; he pointed out Crocodiles, Bats, Howler monkey&#39;s (he shouted at them until they shouted back&#33;) &amp; Iguana&#39;s - also we were lucky to see 3 Dolphins in the river who seemed to have a bit of a play around the boat in front of us. One of the nice things about Belize is that the Ship is tendered quite a way out &amp; the tender in &amp; out of Belize goes past loads of little atolls/Islands which was slightly reminiscent of the Maldives.  <br /><br />On the last day at sea I took advantage of the final Spa offers and treated myself to one of the combination massage &amp; facial packages - which was bliss (although did spend more than I would have liked on after treatment products&#33;&#33;) I sent my dear hubby to sit through the debarkation talk with Karl (with a K - for all who&#39;ve encountered him before haha&#33;) and Jamie went to camp, which he loved (he didn&#39;t even want to come to see the Dolphins once he found out he couldn&#39;t spend the day in camp when we were in cozumel) - just 1 point re Camp Carnival, if you have any worries that your kids wont enjoy an excursion that you want to do just send them to camp for the day - they are really looked after, fed by the Camp staff and generally kept happier than they would be out in the heat for hours with no toys to play with&#33; the camp was a God send for us with Jamie being 5 years old as he would have really struggled climbing the ruins ect..  <br /><br />On the day of debarkation we were called down to the Mad Hatters lounge to go through the customs procedure and we were also asked to go &amp; see the customs guys re the amount of goods we were taking off the ship - not impressed&#33;&#33; luckily as we were heading back to the U.K. the following day we were not charged any duty on our goods. As we were not flying home until the day after arrival back into Tampa we were in no rush to leave the Miracle so we went to grab some breakfast after immigration and then left the cabin at about 9am and went upto the Lido deck for an hour to allow people in more of a hurry to disembark, there were still a few breakfasts items around and juices ect so we grabbed a drink and sat and chatted to another passenger for a bit (she had a young son with her too so the boys were kept busy playing together for a while), when we did leave it took us about 10 mins as the queues were much shorter at that time and headed out to the terminal where a Dollar car hire guy kindly took us back to the depot to collect the car.  <br /><br />Overall I am really glad we did this itinerary, we got beautiful weather &amp; some lovely excursions, the ship was as fun or as relaxing as you wanted it to be and we all had a great time.',1170921068,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1801,'KarenUK',1,134,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(54,43,'2/8/04','Of course we have nothing to compare it to but we enjoyed the smoke free Paradise very very much and we are definitely hooked on cruising and cant wait to go again. There were a few small complaints but no major problems.','Western Caribbean (7 nights) from Miami, Fl Sailing Date: February 8th, 2004 Ports of Call: Belize, Honduras, Grand Cayman and Cozumel <br /><br />This was our first cruise. <br /><br />Embarking/Disembarking<br />We arrived at the Port of Miami about 10:30 and unloaded our luggage and went to park the car which was uneventful. (&#036;84.00 for the week). We got online at 11:00 and everything went very smoothly and we were eating lunch on the Lido Deck at 12:05. Disembarking was very smooth we were cleared to disembark about 9:30 and we were in our car and on our way at about 10:15. <br /><br />Stateroom:<br />We had an oceanview stateroom which was very comfortable and certainly big enough(185 sq. ft.) for all our belongings. The bathroom was a nice size and the shower was certainly big enough for two. Our steward Michael greeted us(with our luggage) about 2:00 . We were unpacked and ready to explore by about 3ish.There was room for everything and it is amazing all the hooks and shelves and crannies to put your stuff. We stowed our luggage under the bed. The muster drill was uneventful and we were on our way about 4:00. <br /><br />Food<br />Our dining room was The Elation and it was very tastfully decorated. Our waiter and his assistant were very attentive and obliging. The food was very good but could have been hotter. We mostly did lunch on the Lido deck but ate all our dinners but one in the Dining room. The Lido deck buffet was excellent as was the always available hamburgers, hot dogs and fruit. The 24 hour pizzeria was a nice plus and the pizza was very good. <br /><br /><br />Shows<br />The shows were very good and the comedians were hysterical. We went to the &quot;R&quot; midnight shows which were hilarious. They had a variety of shows from Las Vegas type shows to magicians and jugglers and the passenger Talent show was a hoot. The only complaint is that if you don&#39;t get there early you have an obstructed view because there are a lot of poles in the Normandie Lounge. <br />Daily Fun<br />The pool area and hot tubs were very nice. The social host(Tina) was a doll and we had a fun time with her.We didn&#39;t feel the photograhers were overbearing. <br /><br />Ports<br />Our first stop was Belize city and we took a tour of the city and we went to the Belize zoo. It is a very depressing area. Our next stop was Honduras which was even worse and I was getting depressed seeing all the poverty there. I felt like I was in an informecial of Save the Children. Our guide was a 14 year old who spoke very good english and I wanted to take him home and give him a bath and some new clothes. Of course my husband said they picked the right one when they picked me and of course I gave this kid ten dollars extra which is probably like a hundred to him. I felt better when we got to Grand Cayman and said this is what I paid good money for after all. We went to Stingray City and that was great being in the water with the Stingrays. Next stop Cozumel where our tour was cancelled because it was raining and we were booked for a beach party on Passion Island. So, we just took a carriage ride around the town and of course went to Senor Frogs and Charlie and Carlos or is it Carlos and Charilies? We decided to leave that to the young folks and walk around the mall there which is very clean and they have many good bargains there on jewelry. <br /><br />Tipping:<br />Carnival puts your tips on your sail &amp; sign card so you don&#39;t have to bother with it at all if you don&#39;t choose to. Some people have it taken off when they board ship and tip themselves. We choose to leave it there and decide before the cruise was over if we were going to up it or lower it. We decided to leave it as it was and tipped our waiter and steward with extra cash on the last day. <br /><br />Summing it all up for a first timer<br />Of course we have nothing to compare it to but we enjoyed the smoke free Paradise very very much and we are definitely hooked on cruising and cant wait to go again. There were a few small complaints but no major problems.',1170921409,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',754,'teacp',1,46,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(55,43,'2/6/06','All in all, I will cruise on Carnival again-especilly since we won a a 3,4, or 5 day cruise in the raffle on board-woo hoo, and it is an ocean view room&#33;','Our check in was smooth at The Queen Mary. We were late bording due to the departing guests...the &quot;superbowl&quot; cruise was pretty wild (and not in a good way) I heard. Once we were on board, we easily found our stateroom (E49) and enjoyed walking around the ship. We had a bit of lunch(loved the deli sandwiches)and walked around some more. We purchased adult fountain cards so we wouldn&#39;t have to pay for sodas. This was a great deal at &#036;22 pp plus &#036;6.60 gratuity. I did notice that the bartenders(tho not all) will not hurry to help you when they see a fountain card, so best to leave it in your pocket until you order if you don&#39;t want to wait.  <br /><br /><br />Dinner the first night was good (probably the best) food wise. The service was friendly, but not as &quot;wonderful&quot; as it has been in the past- maybe this is due to the length of the cruise, but it was fine. <br /><br />Our stateroom was fine-comfy &amp; clean&#33; If you like to sleep in the complete dark, an inside cabin is the one for you-you could sleep forever with the gentle rocking of the ship, so if you need to be up get a wake up call or set an alarm. <br /><br />We did not go to any shows the first night, so I cannot say how they were, but when we did get to the shows, they were fun. There are not many &quot;good&quot; seats in the Normandy Lounge, but we survived. <br /><br />The art auctions are fun&#33; I &quot;won&quot; a piece on the first night-in the main bar in the atrium-by the way Renate, the bartender there is GREAT, they do a mini auction. If you are the first to bid, they will give you the piece free-just be sure it is a piece that starts at like &#036;5- don&#39;t do this on a &#036;2000 piece-he will not give you this for free&#33; <br /><br />I did purchase a nice harbor scene at the actual auction,, which was fun&#33; <br /><br />  Catalina Island was fun-we rented the golf cart and zipped around. There are many great photo ops, and be sure to watch for the dolphins on your tender trip over to the island. I enjoyed the entire experience-the shops are cute, even though I didn&#39;t purchase anything, I enjoyed browsing. We were back on the ship early, noon I think. We layed in the sun &amp; watched the dolphins all day.   <br /><br />Dinner was formal this night. They served lobster-way way way overcooked. I was very dissapointed. I have had lobster on cruises in the past that was perfectly prepared.It seemed that the food went downhill from there. <br /><br />If you do not want cold food, do not eat breakfast at the Paris lounge, enjoy your breakfast at the Destiny dining room. Lunch at the Paris was fine, deli &amp; a salad or go to the Destiny for lunch too. They had a nice Mongolian Steak Salad when we went.We had dinner everynight in the dining room. <br /><br />Cabin service-hmm, it was ok...Thursday my room did not get made up until 5:30 pm, and we were out of it at 9:15 that morning. I complained to the purser, got no resolution. When I saw a steward, I was told &quot;she must have forgot&quot;. HMMMMM. I also had to ask for a wash cloth twice. This seemed like a no brainer. If the room starts with a washcloth, they should be replaced during the cruise.  On Friday morning (debarktion looms) we had one last breakfast, then were off the ship bye 8:15. No waiting, they called our color, then we walked off, into customs, where we waited 1 hour. The other lines were moving quickly, ours was not-luck of the draw, I guess.   <br /><br />All in all, I will cruise on Carnival again-especilly since we won a a 3,4, or 5 day cruise in the raffle on board-woo hoo, and it is an ocean view room&#33; <br /><br />So, I am planning our next trip. I will pick a newer ship.  I hope this had been helpful.',1170921449,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',2346,'TCGgal',1,90,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(56,29,'3/6/05','I would give it a nine out of ten','We drove from Langley, British Columbia down to Long Beach - just for the heck of it lol. Stayed one night pre-cruise on the Queen Mary. What a grand old ship. The cabin had to be thirty feet long. I&#39;m guessing they needed lots more trunk space back in the good old days. No ghost sightings - unfortunatley - but lots of history. Well worth the price of the room.  <br /><br /><br />Boarding was easy - about an hour start to finish. We did the early check-in in the morning on the Queen Mary, checked out of our room around 11, parked the car, dropped off the luggage and wandered around the shops.   <br /><br />We got an upgrade - one we did not want. From the main deck we had chosen - we had been moved to the panorama deck - right under the lido buffet. We said thanks but no thanks. They tried to tell us we had to take it - because they sold our cabin to someone else. We said to move them to deck 8 - we figured they had been upgraded to our cabin, then up four more floors - figured they would be pretty happy lol. Our luggage went to them , theirs came to ours but it all got sorted out very quickly - and we were on our way.  <br /><br />Service all over the ship was great - all the staff seemed happy - smiles all around. We had a great dining room team as well - but once again we were at a table all alone - for the whole week. Gotta check my deodorant :o)&#33; There were actually several empty tables in the dining room - even though the ship was full to capacity.  <br /><br />We did the Jungle Tour in Puerta Vallarta - saw some pretty secenery and had lunch in the mountains. Then we had a chance to shop in town - but we waited to buy anything until we got back to the dock - the prices were much better. At dinner that evening we were entertained by local musicians strolling through the diningroom - serenading us. It was lovely.  <br /><br />In Mazatlan we rode with Randy&#39;s Happy Horses - another one of the things we have always wanted to do - it was great riding on the beach and Randy is very professional We had a great lunch at Victors right on the beach at Stone Island. And the jewelry - we bought right at our table as the vendors came by -beautiful silver pieces. Randy keeps them at bay until we want to see them.  <br /><br />In Cabo we did the whale watching tour - we actually saw only one but the tour was nice anyway - it is a very pretty spot. Drinks were included - as much as you wanted - with or without alcohol and the fellow that did the talking for the tour was really quite funny. I had not been to Cabo since the 1980&#39;s and it had really changed - I think for the better. There are some incredible hotels on the beach now. They have some great shops as well - right off the tender dock. The bargaining is fun - it&#39;s just hard to get away sometimes&#33;  <br /><br />We really enjoyed the sea days - especially the tea in the afternoon - complete with little sandwiches and pastries - yum. We ate in the ding room every evening but visited the buffet during the day - the food was surprisingly good -especially breakfast - omeletes made to order and tons of bacon. Don&#39;t think I will get my cholesterol levels checked for a while.  <br /><br />The entertainment was also very enjoyable - especially the comedians. The production shows were very well done as well - but then I think we are pretty easy to please, Vegas style suits us just fine. We bought lots of photos - we never seem to get any of us together - we are always taking the pictures - so they are nice momentos.  <br /><br />The ship itself is very well laid out - easy to navigate around and I loved the art work. It was impressively clean everywhere we went. The cabing itself was very roomy - especially with the balcony. I was outside every morning we pulled into port - my favourtie time of the day.  <br /><br />Even the casino was good to us - I came away with at least four hundred dollars of their money - just an added bonus.  <br /><br />All around a great trip - second cruise - both on Canival and the third will be as well. Hey - if it ain&#39;t broke - don&#39;t fix it. It is laid back enough to suit us and glitzly enough to warrent going on a cruise.  <br /><br />The only thing I would change is that they be more persistent with their dress code in the dining room - I&#39;m not a formal person, but like to get dressed up in something fancy every now and then - but jeans in the dining room on formal night - crappy faded jeans at that - they have to have some sort of enforcement.  <br /><br />I would give it a nine out of ten - there really is no such thing as perfection - just ask my dh lol. TTFN Jennifer',1170921505,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',573,'hazelson',1,84,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(57,29,'10/30/05','Ports: Puerta Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas','Cabin #6232 ? secret huge balcony Category 8E  <br /><br /><br />We flew from NH to LAX on Southwest airlines direct with only one stop in Baltimore. We arrived a half hour early at 11:15 Pacific time. We had reserved Prime Time shuttle and after getting a luggage cart and shuttling the bags to the center island, boarded our van within five minutes. However, as many have written, Prime Time or Super Shuttle do not leave the airport or port without a full van and all of those passengers are not going to the same place. After 3 stops; El Segundo, Redondo Beach and the aquarium in Long Beach, we finally were at the Coast Hotel at the Long Beach pier area by 1:30 p.m.  <br /><br />Pre-cruise Hotel:  We booked the Park, Stay and Sail package at the Coast Hotel even though we did not have a car. I wanted to stay there, so did not want to chance bidding. Our package rate of &#036;145 including taxes was for the King (all rooms are non-smoking), 8 nights parking and port shuttle both ways, buffet breakfast which was &#036;9.95 plus tax regularly and all taxes. Our room was on the 4th floor in building 3 with a view of the garden area. This hotel was perfect except for noise from folks getting off the open area elevator but that only lasted for a few moments. The Passport Free shuttle bus into Long Beach including transfers to Shoreline Village and the Aquarium area was great. The Parker Lighthouse was excellent for an early evening dinner for these East Coast travelers. Long Beach has really blossomed into a seaport destination over the last 20 years since we had been there. Since this Saturday was the turn back the clock evening, we had a 4 hour time difference to adjust to&#33;  <br /><br />The Sunday morning breakfast buffet had just about everything that we could desire for a great start to our day. We alked along the bay after breakfast and enjoyed the sights and fresh morning air. We had signed up for the 10:40 a.m. shuttle and boarded the van by 10:30. Once at the Parking Garage at the pier, I held my arm up high and made eye contact with an available porter within minutes, who gladly took our luggage. We met a couple of first time cruisers, who we invited to tag along for check-in. We proceeded into the Queen Mary for our pre-boarding and were given Zone 1 tickets. Then the wait began&#33; Unknown to all waiting passengers, we later found out that the CDC did an inspection of the ship. People were still disembarking this ship after 1 p.m. No one even the wedding parties started to board until 1:30 p.m. It was the longest and slowest embarkation that we have ever experienced. Even for the pre-checked in passengers, there was only one security screening area. I saw folks who had not pre-checked in who got on board before us, after checking in at the terminal. Carnival does need to reassess there embarkation process at Long Beach.  <br /><br />Cabin: We had booked Cat. 8E, Cabin 6232, with the extra long balcony. We dropped off our carry-on bags and proceeded to the Mermaids buffet for a wonderful lunch. Three pieces out of 4 of our luggage arrived about 3 p.m. and we started to unpack just before the 4 p.m. Life Boat drill. When the 4th piece arrived, we had an opportunity to meet our cabin steward Pitash, who fulfilled our every request. Our daughter &amp; family had sent a bottle of champagne for our Anniversary Celebration. When we called to thank them, she also informed us that they had ordered the Anniversary decoration package but the room was not decorated. A Carnival representative called right after sail away and explained that the ?decoration package? was not on board and had not arrived before sailing. Our daughters account would be credited for the purchase. Our travel agent also sent a Bottle of wine which would be served at dinner.  <br /><br />Ship: Since we had sailed on the Pride during her inaugural in 2002, we did not need to check out the public areas and photograph each room. There were very little changes except for the Carnival Vacation Club utilizing one of the Card rooms. We were invited to join the Vacation Club but I declined to attend the presentation.  <br /><br />Dining: We had requested late seating and a large table. Our table #346 was on the upper deck 3 of the Normandie Restaurant. We were seated in a booth with a nice couple from the New York City area. We were both in cabins on the Empress deck and in a similar age category which was very nice. Our servers Nicholas and Zhilde were rather quiet but attended to our needs graciously. We had pre-ordered two bottles of wine during our embarkation luncheon, which were both ready for pouring when we arrived at our table.  <br /><br />Ports: Puerta Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas  <br /><br />Tours:  We only booked two tours; one was independent on Mazatlan with Randi&#39;s Happy Horses (&#036;45 each) and the other booked on the ship (the tour company will not book cruisers independently but will book hotel guests) on the Rhythms of the Night adventure (&#036;89 each) at Las Caletas at Puerto Vallarta. We also managed a late afternoon local tour at Mazatlan on a Pulmonia. I bartered for &#036;20 for a one hour tour. That was long enough and we really got to see everything in the old and new Vallarta. We did not make any stops accept for photos, although our driver offered. At Cabo san Lucas, we took a Glass Bottom boat tour again independently for &#036;12 each out to Los Archos and the sea lion area. Again 45 minutes was long enough and we got to see both the Sea of Cortez side and the Pacific side of this natural wonder. Seas were a little ruff and looking into the glass bottom couldn&#39;t be done for long without getting queasy&#33; The temperatures and sun were hot in Mexico. We both decided to skip the beach stops. DH said after we were back on ship, he wished we had done the Zip Line tour in Puerta Vallarta.  <br /><br />Sea Days: Monday &amp; Tuesday and Saturday   <br />Both Monday and Saturday were rather cool out on deck. By late Monday, you could sit on the balcony and out by the pool as the sunshine was bright. Friday it was extremely windy, cloudy and impossible to sit or even walk out on deck. Many doorways were closed to passengers due to the heavy wind velocity. I used the Jacuzzi in the spa late Monday afternoon and the steam and sauna rooms. This really helped with the Sinus congestion that I had gotten just the day before our vacation.  <br /><br />As our first day at sea was Halloween, they switched the first formal night to Tuesday evening. Carnival decorated throughout the ship and held a great Halloween costume contest and parade for both children and adults. Surprisingly to me, there were a lot of great adult costumes. The Captain and the Pirate, the Pillsbury Dough Boy and his baker wife, and two Wilma and Fred Flinstone couples, plus Dracula and his Bride topped the list of great couple costumes.  <br /><br />Overall View:  As usual, Carnival photographers were everywhere and there were numerous opportunities for Formal photos. Surprisingly, the embarkation photo back drop was very nice but the picture was produced in 8x10 format at &#036;19.95 each. Most of the other photos were in 5X7 @ &#036;6.95 each which was standard.  <br /><br />Everyone always wants to know about the ?dress code? experience. I found this cruise to be the most casual of our 16 cruises. Jeans, t-shirts and sneakers were prevalent throughout the week both daytime and in the dining room in the evening even on Formal night. Men were seen without a sport jacket in the dining room. One man wore black jeans and a black blazer with black shirt and bolo tie. I did see a couple who came to the Normandie for breakfast in their Carnival bathrobes turned away&#33; Both the first night and last night were termed ?casual? dress with the other 3 nights ?Smart Casual?.   <br /><br />We made good use of our extended balcony this cruise and enjoyed the Sunset Garden for reading during the cooler times. Barry at the Ivory Piano Bar is very entertaining and gets a great crowd, however it does get smoky in there as well as in the Raphael Lounge (outside the Normandie) and Players Lounge (casino). Shows including the Pride Idol were fine. We skipped Vroom as we had seen it on previous Carnival cruises.  <br /><br />Embarkation: As we had 12:40 p.m. flights from LAX, we got early embarkation tags and had to be in the Taj Mahal theater by 7:45 a.m. Noonan started the process of embarkation from the main level of the theater when we were told to sit in the balcony level. He started about 8:15 with LAX flights at 10, 11, 12 etc. However, then the line just stopped outside the theater with no direction. Finally the line started moving through the Venito shopping arcade and they let 25 people off the ship at once. I had packed my Sign &amp; Sail card in my checked luggage accidentally, so had to clear debarkation with security which only took a minute. We found our luggage after clearing customs and awaited a porter for about 5 minutes.   <br /><br />Again, Prime Time shuttle had been reserved, but with a little confusion at the island, we managed to get on-board. However as we left the garage, we found we were going to Long Beach airport first&#33; There were six passengers who had gotten off early plus a couple who were going to Burbank after we got off at LAX. They recommend a two hour pre-flight arrival which we made with extra time to spare.',1170921589,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',822,'nanatravel',1,108,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(58,44,'4/8/04','All in all it was a great time and I (as usual) hated getting off the ship. Cant wait for my next cruise.','Hi All, <br /><br />Just got back from the Sensation this past week. I took some time to get settled, but now I am ready to share my experience. <br /><br />Background<br />This was our (DW) tenth (10th) cruise and I must say they have all been short cruises. Unfortunately, both of us have jobs that require a lot of time. Living in Florida we are able to drive to the pier, jump on the ship and be off in time to still catch the majority of the next work week. However, we are now committed to doing a seven (7) day cruise next year. <br /><br />Pre-Cruise<br />We stayed in Tampa the night before the cruise at the Radisson Bay Harbor. Got the hotel on priceline and were very pleased. We paid &#036;58.00 (plus tax) and it was clean, well appointed and the beds were very comfortable. I was only mildly disappointed that we did not get a room on the Bay side, but who cares. The four of us (my cousin and his wife) decided to trip down to Channelside the night before the cruise. Being a Wednesday night, it was very slow. We ate dinner (and drank) at Stumps Supper Club. We all enjoyed the ribs and the beer was cold and delicious. For the four of us (each had a few beers) the entire bill was less than &#036;100.00. We were very satisfied and ready to continue drinking so we went to Howl at the Moon (Piano Bar). Again, it was really slow so it was not as fun as I thought it would be, but who can have a bad time the night before you get on a cruise ship. We all drank quite a few beers and had a pretty good time. I will say that I was a tad disappointed in the talent at the bar that night, but I guess with it being Wednesday this was probably not their best talent. I would like to go there on a Saturday Night and check it out. I will bet it can get pretty fun. <br /><br />Embarkation<br />We arrived at the Port of Tampa (Pier 2) the next day at approximately 11:15 am. A little early, but a security guard told us the night before that the earlier the better. His logic was that it gets really crowded at 12:00pm. After a short wait in line for the porters we dropped our bags, and parked the car. While dropping our bags we found out that DW and I were assigned cabin M89. Since we were an O/V guarantee we were certainly happy with the upgrade. Joe (cousin) and his wife were pre assigned to cabin E-76. They were also happy with their assignment. The parking at the port is &#036;10.00 per day and prepaid. The garage was clean, safe and had security both times I was in it. This made me feel comfortable. After our check in (maybe 20 minutes) we were told to sit in what I call the bullpen area. We were in group two and should have boarded the ship very quickly. Unfortunately, the ship had some problems (unknown) clearing customs on this day and did not start boarding until 1:00 p.m. Nevertheless, the wait was kind of fun as we were doing quite a bit of people watching. It always amazes me how diverse a cruise ship is on a given voyage. There were definitely people there from all walks of life. <br /><br />The Sensation<br />What else can I say about the Sensation except that she is purple. I guess, a lot. I like the Sensation better than any Fantasy Class ship that I have been on. It seems to me that she is cleaner that the Ecstasy, Imagination, and Fascination and doesn&#39;t have as much wear and tear. I like the new atrium bar and didn&#39;t make it past there to order my first drink. When we boarded the ship, the violinist was playing soft music with an accompanying piano player. This ship is old, but I was never disappointed in the cleanliness. There is always someone working on something to keep the ship in tip-top shape. The cabins are all the same on the Fantasy Class ships, but the Sensation, with her recent renovation has new down comforters and life vests. The beds on the Sensation are extremely comfortable and there is certainly ample room for all luggage. My wife and I over pack for each cruise we go on. We hang everything up and have no problems finding room for our stuff. In the bathroom there was a basket filled with goodies. We found the rolaids and the toothpaste very useful but did not need the shampoo and conditioner they provided. Also in the basket were dental floss, nightime pills, and a few other things. Carnival didnt used to provide this basket of goodies, but I like it. If I forget something, I know I can get it from the basket. Walking around in the public areas was nice. We especially liked the fitness area, and the spa there. There are rarely a lot of people in that area of the ship, and never kids. Speaking of children, this cruise was during the Easter Break (for many schools) and we had our fair share of kids. While I am not opposed to kids on a cruise, there was a group that was near us that did not have enough chaperones. Later in the cruise we paid for that dearly because several kids in a cabin got really drunk. They wrestled, fought, cursed, and threw up. After that, they went to sleep and must have vowed not to drink anymore, because we didnt hear from them again. The Piano Bar is a popular spot for us as well. Darin was the talent there and does a great job. Another musician that I liked was a guy that used to call his group curveball. While they split up, this soloist still plays classic rock tunes on the Promenade deck. he was really great. <br /><br /><br />Food and Entertainment<br />The food on the Sensation was good, but not great. Being a vet of the short cruise market I know the food quality. I have had better and I have definitely had worse. The portions were pretty good and I never left the table hungry. As for me, I had the Beef the first night, the Lobster on Formal night, and the Pasta on the final night. We did not eat on the ship while in Cozumel. The only complaint I had about the food, was that on the second night, the shrimp cocktail was warm instead of cold. Not a big complaint but it was kind of yucky when I ate it. Other than that, the food was good. Of course, the Desserts were very good. We had a bottle of wine with each dinner and had great table mates. With the four of us was another group of four from Tampa. We always had conversation and ended up meeting some good people. Word to the wise. If you order Pinot Grigio by the glass it is cheaper than having a bottle. This kind of annoyed my cousin since he had ordered several bottles of it and then found out it was cheaper by the glass. Oh well. As far as entertainment, we only saw one show and it was about what I expect from Carnival. The music and dance was pretty good. We also went to the adult comedy show. It was funny as usual. We were all disappointed in the Newlywed (Not so Newlywed) Game. When we sat down for the show, Jorge (Cruise Director) began speaking and had already pre selected the three couples for the show. he later told me that he did not pre select the couples but we were not convinced. he was also a bit defensive when posed with what Carnival terms an &quot;opportunity for improvement&quot;. It took away from the comedy and seemed that they had time to think about their answers which looked bad. Perception is reality and we perceived that the game and answers were rigged. <br />Cozumel<br />In Cozumel, we went on the Fiesta Party Boat tour. We had a good time. Having been on this one before, we knew the game. We sat upstairs and enjoyed the ride there with a few cocktails. Before we boarded the Catamaran we went to the Fat Tuesday&#39;s and had a 190 octane. These drinks will throw you for a loop. Watch out. After we spent about 2 hours on Playa Sol, we headed back. Being that there were many children on board the hosts of the party boat were somewhat subdued. Nevertheless, it was fun. We got to enjoy some tequila drinking and watched the kids try to break open the pinata (SIC). When we got back to the pier (Puerta Maya) we immediately took a cab over to Carlos and Charlies. The cab ride was fun and only costs &#036;10.00 with tip. At Carlos and Charlies, we had dinner (four people, about &#036;70.00 American). We each had a single Dos XX with dinner and then went to the bar for some fun. This was a good time, but again there were some young people at the restaurant. This must have been where the young HS students got drunk, because I guess the drinking age must be 18 in Mexico. After lots and lots of beer, we headed back to the ship. I was tucked into bed by 10:00 pm that night. I guess I just can&#39;t hang like I used to. <br /><br />Disembarkation<br />This was a piece of cake. We were carrying our luggage off and got to wait with the people who were taking early flights. At about 9:30 am we were off the ship and on our way back to reality. All in all it was a great time and I (as usual) hated getting off the ship. Cant wait for my next cruise. Any specific questions, please feel free to email me. Glad to help. <br /><br />Dennis',1170921660,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',959,'ruag8tr2',1,108,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(59,32,'11/11/03','Reviews here have pretty much covered everything I wanted to say, so I thought I&#39;d write a list of all that I learned on the Carnival Triumph, western Caribbean sailing for 1-11-03 and for cruising in general....','Using frequent flier miles -- find two or three cruises you&#39;d like to go on about 10-12 months down the road. Reserve your airline tickets using the least amount of miles with perhaps a day leeway.  <br /><br />BUYING ITEMS -- Make a list of stuff you want to buy and write down prices here in the USA so you&#39;ll know when you find a good deal.  <br /><br />BUYING YOUR CRUISE -- check every week or so to make sure there will be cabins left when it&#39;s time to buy. You could reserve the cabin you want and watch the price... or wait till one or two weeks before the cruise and secure the LOWEST rate...as long as you keep checking to make sure cabins are still available.  <br /><br />HOTEL -- go ahead and put a reservation in for a place to stay as long as you can cancel. A week or so ahead, check biddingfortravel.com for your city to see what price to offer on priceline.com for a hotel in the area you want (we stayed at the Hyatt Regency Miami for &#036;35 a night and could see the cruise ships from our balcony).  <br /><br />PACKING -- it&#39;s true---pack half of what you&#39;ll need and twice the money. I suggest leaving the expensive jewelry at home.  <br /><br />PLASTIC BOTTLES -- instead of bringing large bottles of shampoo, aloe vera, conditioner etc pack the hotel mini-bottles. The large plastic ones expand and deflate in the airplane and explode. The mini-bottles can be thrown away as you go.  <br /><br />TOILETRIES -- In each cabin are &quot;samples&quot; of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shavers, Tums, deodorant etc. but it&#39;s a one-time-only. There is probably enough toothpaste for one for the entire cruise.  <br /><br />LAUNDRY --- On the Triumph, laundry rooms were behind the middle elevators in the hallway with three washers and three dryers. Each needed four quarters. Use sandwich bags for a scoop of dry laundry detergent each and a bag for dryer sheets. On &quot;at sea&quot; days it only takes a minute or two and all your favorite clothing items are clean again&#33; Pack a collapsible bag for laundry the rest of the time to bring home. There were two days where there was a &quot;laundry special&quot;...all you could pack into a laundry bag for &#036;12 and they would wash, dry and iron (if necessary).  <br /><br />TAXI -- for Miami airport to the port and the port to Miami airport, it&#39;s a flat &#036;18 whether you have one person or four. QUICKER and CHEAPER than the package deals&#33; Hotels in the downtown area of Miami are a little more. Takes about 15-20 minutes; more if during busy times.  <br /><br />SPA -- as soon as you board, call the Spa (or Salon) and see if they need a volunteer for the facial demonstration or any other demonstrations. It will only take a little more than an hour and the price is right&#33;  <br /><br />INTERNET -- There is usually a drawing the first few hours for 100 free minutes... or free time to &quot;try-it-out&quot;.... if you think you&#39;ll spend time here, get the package deals first and save &#036;&#036;&#036;. It&#39;s open 24/7 and is on the 4th deck next to the Oxford Bar.  <br /><br />GRATUITIES --- we had a charge of &#036;68.25 per person on our sail-n-sign card the first day. Gives you an idea of what to bring if you do this in cash the last day (just have the purser take the charges off your account). I had a &#036;1 tip for the person who brought the morning coffee to the cabin. It was a different person each time (not the cabin steward).  <br /><br />SODA CARD -- &#036;20 for kids and &#036;30 for adults. From the bar, sodas were &#036;1 a glass, &#036;1.50 a can, and &#036;2.50 for the 20 oz twist top. This is the same price as the ones in the room, as well as the machines (next to ice machines) located behind the elevators in hallways. The cards are easier to use since you don&#39;t have to sign for each drink.  <br /><br />STAMPS -- you can buy the postcard stamps you&#39;ll need for the next port-of-call at the purser&#39;s desk (they don&#39;t add a handling fee or anything).  <br /><br />MEDICINES -- go to the infirmary, deck 0 forward (regular elevators by the atrium) and walk into the waiting room for free samples of seasick pills, Alka-Seltzer, aspirin etc. You don&#39;t have to even see anyone since the waiting room is separate. It has a weight scale too if you want to weigh your suitcase.  <br /><br />CUSTOMS -- keep track on a piece of paper as you buy items from other countries. Makes it easier when filling out the form at the end of the cruise. You&#39;ll need item name and how much you paid.  <br /><br />CASINO -- you can put your &quot;sail-n-sign&quot; card in the slot machines for points...but...the points are only good for the NEXT trip and can be used starting at 25,000 points&#33;&#33;&#33;  <br /><br />UNDERGROUND TOKYO -- used 25? tokens bought from a machine near the entrance. Kids could get &#036;20 a day (you can adjust that with the purser) and adults could get &#036;50 a day.  <br /><br />ANNOUNCEMENTS -- there were only a few each day that were in the hallways. If you wanted to hear what was being said you had to open your door. The only announcements that came into the cabin speakers were during disembarkation.  <br /><br />CABIN RADIO -- located next to the switches above the headboard (we didn&#39;t find it until the last few days).  <br /><br />GIFT SHOPS -- there will be a 25% to 50% sale towards the end of the cruise on clothing and jewelry.  <br /><br />PHOTOS -- the photographers take A LOT of pictures&#33; If you have one done with the backgrounds, they develop them as 8 x 10&#39;s which cost &#036;20&#33; I suggest you find your own background, use your own camera, and ask someone to take it for you. As for developing YOUR OWN pictures...it&#39;s a great deal at &#036;8.88 for double 4x6 prints and they include a &quot;Carnival&quot; photo album with each order free.  <br /><br />GRAND CAYMAN -- the turtle farm is made up of circular cement pools with turtles swimming in them. You can pick them up for a picture. That&#39;s it (don&#39;t be disappointed)... as for Hell, it&#39;s a small souvenir shop with a place to walk out and see rugged lava-type rocks. If you need tender tickets from the ship, be aggressive, since sometimes they aren&#39;t fair on who gets them and when.  <br /><br />OCHO RIOS -- get your &quot;water shoes&quot; here&#33; Buy them in the gift shops at the pier for &#036;10. You can rent them for &#036;5 at the Dunns River Falls. You&#39;ll need them, since the water is fast, slippery, and the rocks are smooth. There may be better deals on ebay...check first.  <br /><br />DISEMBARKATION -- wait till the crew has the fire drill before leaving your cabin. When your color is called, no hurry... just stroll down to deck 3, show your &quot;Sail-n-sign&quot; card and passport, and stroll off. There are bathrooms where you collect the luggage, and the last thing you&#39;ll need is the customs form after you have collected your bags.  <br /><br />As for SHORE TOURS offered in Miami... we were given an advisory saying we could NOT be at the airport any more than THREE hours before our flight left, and Carnival had conveniently offered shore tours for &#036;39 a person (&#33;&#33;). We took the &#036;18 taxi and arrived 4 1/2 hours early. Delta tagged our bags (no line) we got in the security clearance line (45 min wait) and we were able to find a bite to eat near the gates. We could have gone to the Bayside mall...it&#39;s on the left as you get back to mainland from the cruise ship area.',1170921714,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',295,'suemecham',1,119,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(60,32,'11/27/04','Overall this was a very good cruising experience for us and we are likely to cruise again in the near future and enjoy just the aspect of cruising itself (there were a lot of distractions on this one with all the concerts and meet and greets, etc...).','This was my first time cruising and would probably not have ever gone on one if it wasn&#39;t for this particular special event...Rock n roll Holiday Escape. What I came to realize while on board was this was a private group booking by Clear Channel radio and other than Carnival providing the space for various events and concerts, the cruiseline had very little to do with it. Many on board had no idea that they were on a ship with rock n roll bands. Some were upset as they would have liked to participated if they had known about it when they booked their cruises.   <br /><br />As for the Triumph...just beautiful. Its so big I would sometimes forget I was even on a ship. I felt more like I was in one of the big casinos on the Vegas strip. There were a lot of people on board but everyone was accomodated with food, beach chairs, slot machines or whatever usually without any wait. Getting on and off at the ports was a breeze as well. One complaint would be such short stays at each port but I suppose they have to keep to a schedule. <br /><br /><br />The entertainment for this cruise was simply Rock n roll history in the making. The main Rome lounge was the perfect intimate venue for seeing Journey, Styx and REO and the bands all agreed about this at various times on the cruise. I also took in a couple comedy shows there as well and they were very good. <br />Our stateroom was nice with a balcony but a little smaller than I expected. Our cabin steward keep the room clean and was attentive to whatever our needs were.  <br /><br />Overall this was a very good cruising experience for us and we are likely to cruise again in the near future and enjoy just the aspect of cruising itself (there were a lot of distractions on this one with all the concerts and meet and greets, etc...). This is my first review to write and I am sure I have left many things out. If you have any questions or would like to know details feel free to post and I will do my best to answer&#33;   <br /><br />jrnygrl',1170921755,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1385,'jrnygrl',1,129,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(61,44,'4/9/06','It was an excellent value, but I guess I&#39;m spoiled by all the bells and whistles of the newer, larger Carnival ships, as I&#39;ve been on Triumph, Victory, Legend and Conquest since I was last on Sensation.','This was a last minute decision to take this cruise, and it was about the time they decided to swap the Fantasy and Sensation for each other&#39;s itineraries. We already had air tickets to Orlando but 6 days was too short to prebook Carnival transfers to Port Canaveral. We were to pick up our tickets as the pier. At the airport in Orlando, after a long wait for baggage at AirTran, we found where the Carnival shuttle departed from, paid the fare by credit card, and caught a 2:15 shuttle. We arrived after 3pm, picked up our documents at the customer service desk, and were aboard shortly after. Boat drill was to be at 4, but was about 4:30pm for a 5pm sailing.   <br /><br /><br />Our cabin, R116, was a double that they put a &quot;rollaway&quot; in, as there were only 6 oceanview cabins left when we booked. The rollaway for our teenaged daughter really jammed up the space, and was about 8 inches high, too short for her, and wouldn&#39;t fit under the regular bed during the day if the cot was made up. You had to climb over the bed to get to the window side, as there was no way around the bed. No hairdryer in the cabin. Cabin was clean and kept that way by the steward, who ensured we had extra ice for champagne, etc all cruise.  <br /><br />We had sailed on this ship to the Western Carib in 1999, and didn&#39;t notice much difference. There are no tables for two in the dining rooms. The shows, Vegas style reviews...one of which was advertised as PG because of costumes...were excellent. However, sight lines are obstructed in places by poles and glass railings. They did have one formal night, almost no tuxes, except my white dinner jacket. The dining room had all the standards even on this 4 day cruise: beef wellington, chateaubriand, lobster, lamb, a nice selection of fish each night, cherries jubilee, singing and dancing wait staff, but no creme brulee&#33;&#33; Wait staff were excellent. They did have one Mexican late night buffet under the stars on deck, with dancing.   <br /><br />We visited Freeport and Nassau. In Freeport we took a shared taxi to the Lucayan Marketplace where we shopped, enjoyed eating again at Zorba&#39;s for some of the most authentic Greek food since I lived in Greece years ago, and then walked across to the Sheraton and the Weston. We selected some loungers over looking the beach and enjoyed several hours in the sun. Only the pool facilities are limited to those staying at the hotels. The rest is open to all. We were back to the ship by 4pm.  <br /><br />In Nassau the visit was an overnight, the first ship to arrive and staying until 7am the next day. It allows ample time to do whatever you wish. We took a taxi to the public beach beyond Atlantis where we spent a few hours, then walked to Atlantis, tooks photos and looked at the aquarium, put a little in the slots, and cleaned up from the beach in the restrooms. Then taxi back to town for more shopping and winding up at Sr Frogs for some food and libations. We headed back about 6pm, as we had 8:30 dining, and didn&#39;t go out again that night, as that was the Mexican buffut/deck party.   <br /><br />The last day was a sea day, with plenty of time to enjoy all of the ship&#39;s facilities. They didn&#39;t pass out baggage tags for debarkation, as they debark by deck location, unless you have an early flight...then you can get an early tag. Bags in the halls by midnight. In the morning in Port Canaveral they let those who can carry all their luggage with them debark first, starting about 8am. Breakfast is until 9am, so we took our time and by the time we were finished, they called our location to debark withing 30 minutes. We were off by about 9:30, claiming our luggage. We had arranged a rental from Thrift in Coco Beach, and the shuttle picked us up after about 15 minutes, and after getting the car, we drove back to Orlando for a day and a half visit to Universal and SeaWorld before flying back Friday night.   <br /><br />It was an excellent value, but I guess I&#39;m spoiled by all the bells and whistles of the newer, larger Carnival ships, as I&#39;ve been on Triumph, Victory, Legend and Conquest since I was last on Sensation.',1170922136,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',131,'JohnG',1,170,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(62,33,'6/12/05','I went with my mother. This cruise had 4 ports of call: Belize, Isla Roatan, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.','I went with my mother. This cruise had 4 ports of call: Belize, Isla Roatan, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.  <br /><br /><br />Embarkation-Due to the fact that people were disembarking from the Valor and the Victory at the time that I arrived to the port(11:00 a.m.), we were in traffic for 45 minutes. Once we entered the terminal, we were on the ship within 20 minutes.  <br /><br />Ship-It is absolutely beautiful with an American Theme.  <br /><br />Cabin- We were in a balcony cabin 9275 on the Lido deck. There weren&#39;t any disturbances.  <br /><br />Entertainment-I loved all of the shows. They are not to be missed especially the 80&#39;s theme Las Vegas Style show, Valor Idols, and a tribute to Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr(The singer had an amazing voice.) He will be going to the Liberty in a few weeks. I went to Karaoke a few nights.  <br /><br />Food-It was excellent. There was a lot of variety to choose from. Our wait staff only spoke to us to take our order. They were not very personable. Our tablemates were great.  <br /><br />Bingo-They no longer have win a cruise bingo. Instead you must purchase raffle tickets in oder to win a cruise.  <br /><br />Carnival Mastercard Sea Miles-This is a new credit card that they offer where you could earn a free cuise as well as free air travel. When you use this card to make purchases onboard the cruise ship, you earn double the points. They also mentioned that there are no black out dates on the free cruise that you earned.   <br /><br />I booked tours through Carnival for Belize, Isla Roatan and Grand Cayman. At Cozumel, we went on our own. We went shopping and headed to Carlos N&#39; Charlies.   <br /><br />Cruise Director-Brent Mitchell was the Cruise Director. He was excellent and made everyone laugh at all of the activities that he hosted. He did an excellent job entertaining the guests.(I read negative reviews about him before I left)  <br /><br />This cruise seemed so short(Don&#39;t they all?) because of the 4 ports of call. Next time I will take one with 3 ports to enjoy the ship more.',1170922191,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',566,'Gymbrat33',1,109,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(63,33,'10/2/05','We have been on several cruises before but I have to say that the Carnival Valor cruise to the Western Caribbean (Oct 02 through 09, 2005)was the best of all the cruises I have been on.','The ship, crew and daily activities set out by the cruise director was 2nd to none. Overall, I give this cruise line an EXCELLENT rating all the way. <br /><br />If you are seeking a cruise to have the best of food, fun and excitement, this is the one I would recommend. I can see why Carnival is referred to as the &quot;FUN SHIP&quot; cruise line. Carnival has it all. They accomidate all ages to the fullest. This is the first time I had ever written a review but this trip made me feel like I just had to spread the news. If you are planning a cruise, I recommend Carnival and the Valor very highly. Have a great time.    Mike Milano',1170922229,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1,'Michael Milano',1,59,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(64,33,'12/19/06','I am ready to book a Royal Carribean one next time.','We just returned from our 7 day cruise on Valor, firstly I was quite disappoited in the ship in general. It was not very pretty, lots of modern art, gaudy gold eagles everywhere, lots of chrome and dull colors. The ship was hard to navigate around on however our room was very centrally located to the shops, theatre and one dining room. We had an inside cabin and it was very well equipped, lots of storage and the bathroom had ample space for toiletries.  <br /><br /><br />The entertainment lacked alot of excitement, one show was good but that is about it. The small venues, game shows etc were poorly attended and not much variety. There were soooooooooooo many kids and the ship was very crowded at meal time and sea days.  I can write more if anyone is interested but the overall rate I give this cruise is 5 out of 10  I am ready to book a Royal Carribean one next time.  <br /><br />Marcia',1170922272,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',2386,'myval48',1,96,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(65,33,'4/23/06','I will sail Carnival again but I&#39;m going to sail some other cruise lines to see how they do things.','Pre-Cruise Experience  <br /><br /><br />We arrived in Miami at 10:30 AM and picked up luggage by 11:00 AM.  <br /><br />Unfortunately there was not a Carnival Rep available in the baggage area to direct passengers to the right line for ground transfers.  <br /><br />Three lines were created for all Carnival sailings from Miami. The ground transportation crew redeemed themselves by making announcements and apologizing for shuttle delays. Some of the ground transportation crew helped to ease the tension in the crowd by having friendly conversations. Some passengers were irate just the same.  <br /><br />I understand that things happen sometimes that cause delays with even with the best of companies. However, the whole Miami cruise line ground transfer situation should be analyzed and improved. They have competition with the regular taxis that charge the same rate. I would consider taking a taxi from the Miami airport the next time.  <br /><br />We did not board until 12:15 PM. The bus driver worked very hard to load the entire luggage by himself. We finally departed at 12:34 PM. The driver turned out to be very pleasant and the experience started to be the Carnival experience even though he was a subcontractor. My vacation was finally starting.  <br /><br />We arrived at the port by 12:55 PM. The approach to the pier, as always, was very exciting. As we approached the pier we could see several huge cruise ships. Royal Caribbean had two ships, NCL had two, and Carnival had the Valor &amp; the Victory. New cruisers could be heard gasping at the size of the ships.  <br /><br />We had to deal with aggressive porters who asked how many pieces of luggage we had and what cabin the luggage was going to even though all of the information was on the pre-sent luggage tag. They gave the tacit impression that your luggage might not make it to the ship if they were not tipped.  <br /><br />We entered the terminal and immediately went to the Carnival Vacation Club VIP desk at around 1:15 PM. Everything was a breeze until we got to the unavoidable photography line. It moved but delayed our progress by 20 minutes. We finally boarded the ship at 1:40 PM.  <br /><br />The Ship  <br /><br />I immediately noticed the valiant &amp; patriotic themes around the ship. All of the d?cor were images of characters who displayed courage under great adversity. The elevators were designed in such a way as to imply the U.S. Flag or the Stars and Stripes without using red, white and blue. On each of the columns that flanked the elevators the colors were brown and silver vertical stripes. On the floor in front of each column were boxes with 9 squares that reflected against the metallic columns suggesting the stars and stripes of the American flag draped on the columns. On the top of the columns were beautiful gold gilded eagles. These columns and golden eagles were found throughout the ship, but particularly on the Promenade Deck.  <br /><br />We later discovered that the Valor remained true to the courage themes in each of the lounges and all of the corridors. Rosie&#39;s Dining Room on the Lido Deck, a beautiful room colored in lime green and yellow, honors women and their contribution to the labor force during the Second World War. The ceramic tiles had paintings of women laborers of different ethnic backgrounds. The climax of the dining room is huge 15 foot painting of Rosie with a bandana on her head, flexing her muscles. The caption above her head said ?We can do it.? That theme had to do with ?Rosie the Riveter.&quot; The images demonstrated the contributions of women in the war effort and a continuity of the courageous theme.  <br /><br />The stateroom corridors are decorated with large images of famous courageous people. We spotted Eleanor Roosevelt, Marian Anderson, Rosa Parks, Joan of Arc, Teddy Roosevelt, and Mahatma Gandhi, Moses and Sam Houston and many others that I could not identify by name.  <br /><br />Continuing with the courageous theme, The Ivanhoe lounge, the Valor&#39;s main lounge, one is greeted by slightly over life sized replicas of knights in shining armor. The huge knights also surround the interior of the Ivanhoe Lounge like sentinels guarding royalty. There are two medieval castle-like towers that flank the stage on the left and right.  <br /><br />Stateroom  <br /><br />We entered the stateroom at about 2:00 PM. We are always impressed with the beautiful red wood that is used for the closets and the bathroom. The stateroom had three good sized closets and plenty of room under the beds for the luggage. The shower seemed slightly larger and we did not flood the bathroom not even once. We washed up and headed for the Lido deck.  <br /><br />The muster drill took place at 4:00 PM.  <br /><br />We went back to the stateroom and took a nap before dinner.  <br /><br />0ur cabin steward, William from Columbia, introduced himself formally. He actually had greeted us the day before and of course we had seen positive evidence of his taking care of the cabin.  <br /><br />Dining  <br /><br />We were assigned to the Lincoln dining room, located on the forward section of the ship. The dining room was a deep pink and beige and had gold and white trim with golden cameos of Lincoln flanking the windows. We did not get the table for two that we had requested. We had to see the maitre d&#39;, &quot;Mr. V,&quot; to have it changed. He was polite but a little impersonal. He sent us to a waiter who directed us upstairs. Upstairs we asked another waiter where the table was and he directed us to go to the other side on the right and the table turned out to be on the left. We shortly saw the maitre d&#39; personally escorting another party to a nearby table. Hmm&#33;  <br /><br />All was not lost. The next morning at breakfast in the main dining room we ran into the maitre d&#39; from the Washington dining room, our old friend Mehmet. Yes, the maitre d&#39; we had met from the Fascination and the Liberty. Everything was taken care of after that. God is good.  <br /><br />The next night was formal evening and we had a great table for two, thanks to Mehmet. We met our new waiter and assistant waiter, Iulian from Romania and Imade from Bali, Indonesia. The bar waitress, Nicoletta, was also very nice. Our wait staff quickly found out the regular things that we like to eat or drink and made sure we had plenty of it. Imade, the assistant waiter always had a cappuccino for each of us each evening.  <br /><br />Mr. V, to his credit, came to the table to see if we were satisfied with the new table. He turned out to be very entertaining during the waiter presentations and was very friendly during the rest of the cruise.  <br /><br />The food well prepared and tasted very good. There are many dining options on the ship including our favorite Fish and Chips counter. Not only can you get fish and chips but you can also get fried oysters and chips, bouillabaisse soup and lightly grilled tuna. We also visited the New York Deli and the Orient counter. Of course, there was the 24 hour pizza and ice cream. I forgot to mention that there are a variety of pizzas. Our favorite was one called de Chevre made with goat cheese and mushrooms.  <br /><br />The desserts were better than ever. There were some real cakes made with flour instead of cream to be had. The chocolate buffet was also a lot of fun and very delicious.<br /><br />Entertainment  <br /><br />We finally encountered our first female cruise director, Jen Baxter. She was very entertaining and made sure that all of the comedians and one hypnotist were very good. The dancers were superb and I think one of the best dance teams that l have ever seen.   <br /><br />Shipboard Activities  <br /><br />We went to the Park West Art 101: Art Collecting Seminar. I found the session very informative and was treated in the end to viewing of a thought provoking cartoon created by Salvador Dali and Walt Disney called Destino.  <br /><br />I made my contribution to the casino and won about &#036;80. I got greedy and ended up with &#036;20. I refused to go bust.  <br /><br />There are also the onboard games with passenger participation that are lots of fun. Some of the games were ?The Newly Wed and Not So Newly Wed Game,? The Hairy Chest Contest,? and ?Survivor.?  <br /><br />Ports of Call  <br /><br />Nassau, Bahamas  <br /><br />We&#39;ve been there so many times that we just walked around the downtown area because the ship was going to leave by 2:00 PM.  <br /><br />St. Thomas, V.I.  <br /><br />There is a new immigration procedure when the ship gets to St. Thomas. Everyone had to go through immigration while on the ship. At first it seemed hopeless but the line moved very quickly. Passengers received a sticker that we had to wear to leave the ship. While in St. Thomas we walked to K-Mart to purchase some St. Thomas Chocolate Rum. <br /><br />St. Maarten <br /><br />I think St. Maarten can easily be called one of my favorite islands. It is very clean and the vendors don?t seem as pushy. We went out to the taxi area and joined some other passengers for a tour of the entire island. Because the dispatcher took the trouble to find a group for us to join we only had to pay &#036;25 per person. The cost is much more if you have a party of two. The driver, ?Easy Boy,? drove us to the downtown area and gave us time to shop. We were taken to the higher part of the island to get a great view of the harbor. The driver later took us to the French side of the island where we stopped a beach that turned out to be a nude beach. That was a first for me.  <br /><br />The two days at sea were very relaxing and passengers can take a rest if they want to or participate in onboard activities.  <br /><br />Debarkation  <br /><br />The debarkation is the only negative of this cruise experience. It might not have been so bad if might flight was not so early. First of all I had booked a 12:35 PM flight with American Airlines. They cancelled the 12:35 PM flight and rescheduled us for an 11:35 flight without even a phone call. We received an e-mail regarding the change. I called the cruise line and they assured me that I could make the 11:35 flight. I checked with the purser?s desk while on the ship and told them that we had an early flight and had to get off the ship early but had too many items to do the self-service debarkation. They assured me that everything would be o.k. I also went to the Carnival Vacation Club desk and was told that we would be leaving the ship at about 8:30 AM and that we should me in the One Small Step Lounge before 8:30 AM.  <br /><br />Well, we did not leave the ship until about 9:45 AM because something happened with Customs. There was complete mayhem with passengers trying to find transport to the airports or other destinations. The line was huge and no help was offered to passengers with early flights because the problem was with Customs. When we got off the ship, we picked up our luggage from the designated area, rushed through Customs and headed for the shuttle to the airport. There are dozens of buses in the area going to different places. There was only one bus going to the American Airlines terminal and everyone was on their own to find their bus. No consideration was given to passengers who had early flights. Ground transportation folks were not very helpful and there were very few of them. When we got to the bus there was a line and no one available to direct passengers as to what to do with luggage and what passengers needed to do to board the bus. We finally did board the bus but it was extremely stressful because of time constraints. While trying to leave the airport, traffic was horrendous. We ended up in an automotive cue to leave the airport. We were almost on the move when a supply truck hindered our progress by trying to park a huge 16 wheeler into a loading dock. We finally got to the airport at 10:45 AM and ended up in another cue for a bus parking space. We were told to wait in the bus until all the luggage was unloaded and had to wait for the bus driver to unload the luggage by himself. We got into the terminal at 11:00 AM, already too late to even attempt to board our plane. We had to book a later flight at 3:31 PM. We were not charged for the change because we had a good explanation for being late and we also explained that the airline had altered our itinerary in the first place.  <br /><br />Summary  <br /><br />The overall cruise experience with Carnival is excellent. The onboard service, entertainment, and food are excellent. In fact, it is heavenly. The experience is a very enjoyable one and one seems to have control over what one is going to do on a daily basis while on the cruise. One does not have a care in the world while aboard a Carnival cruise. It just seems to end too early.  <br /><br />Carnival needs to explore how it can improve the ground transportation issue at the airport and inform their contractors that major improvements need to be made in that area. There also should be some correlation with early flight times and debarkation. I did not have a sense that the Valor reps had a handle on that situation.  <br /><br />In Miami, if you have a small party you may want to consider a taxi rather than a shuttle to the pier. The cost is the same. Perhaps the best advice I can give is to book flights after 1:00 PM. It will cause a lot less stress. There are so many ships that arrive on Sunday in Miami that the demand far exceeds the supply for early flights. Carnival needs to use its clout to improve the Customs process and the ground transportation chaos. If Carnival can do that, the passengers will have a completely positive experience from start to end.   <br /><br />I must admit that this is the first time that I?ve had a major problem with debarkation. That is it for early flights for me. I still love Carnival and its crew. The good far outweighs the hassles of ground transport.  <br /><br />I also must say that I&#39;ve had too many positive experiences on Carnival to think that the negative experience is the norm.   <br /><br />I will sail Carnival again but I&#39;m going to sail some other cruise lines to see how they do things.',1170922316,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',172,'Mebert',1,101,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(66,34,'10/17/03','Having been on Destiny, which I did think was very ?neon? in d?cor and a bid gaudy, the Victory was a pleasant surprise. We knew the layout of the class, but liked the Victory?s colors and d?cor.','Oct 17-19, 2003 <br /><br />Arrived in downtown Norfolk about 12:20pm, parked in the Town Point garage, and walked across the street to the cruise terminal/pier at Nauticus. There was no line and we were through check-in, security and photos, and onboard by 1pm. We had decided to save money this year and just get and inside guarantee. We were assigned cabin 6289 on the Upper deck. A large room, with beds made up as a king. <br /><br />We sent directly to the Atlantic dining room, to which we had been assigned for late seating at 8:30pm, only to find that we were seated at a table for eight and had requested a table for two. Marko, the Matre d? was very accommodating and set us up with a nice table on the upper level. <br /><br />We enjoyed embarkation lunch in the Mediterranean restaurant on Lido deck, where the Chinese wok, deli, buffet lines, Mississippi BBQ, and Pizza kitchen were all open. Lifeboat drill was about 25 minutes later than scheduled, so we sailed about 4:45pm. It was a sunny day, in the low 70?s, the outstanding pool band Ecstasy was playing, and Karen even sunned in her bathing suit. With sunset about 6:20, we were still in the Hampton Roads channel at sunset. <br /><br />We found our favorite wine and martini bar at the Caspian Bar and enjoyed pre-dinner cocktails. <br /><br />At dinner hour we reported to the dining room only to see from the entrance that someone was seated at our table. I asked to headwaiter to check, and she moved the couple. She said to wait a few minutes until the table was ready. No one came to advise us, and finally at 8:45 we just walked to the table and sat down. The wait staff did an outstanding job of accommodating us at that time and by the time of the main course we were right on line with everyone else. <br /><br />I brought my own wine to the dining room each night, prepared to pay the &#036;10 corkage fee. We were not charged either night. The waitress, however, knew little about wine other than how to uncork it??not offering me a taste and immediately filling my wife?s glass to the brim. The second night I asked her to just let it breath after opening and I?d pour. We had no trouble with it during boarding. They x-rayed the boxes and asked if it was wine. I said yes and they sent me on my way with two bottles of champagne and two of dinner wine. I had carried a copy of the policy from the Carnival website FAQ?s that allow it. <br /><br />The menu the first night was not memorable, but good. I had gazpacho, and rack of lamb and Karen had catch of the day: tilappia. Dinner the second night was outstanding. I enjoyed smoked salmon, strawberry bisque, Caesar salad, three lobster tails, and cherries jubilee, followed by birthday cake. <br /><br /><br />Both nights the dining room staff paraded and danced during dessert. They actually appeared to be having fun and enjoying it. <br />The shows both nights were outstanding, possibly some of the best we have seen aboard Carnival. The lead songstress, Diana LaSalla, has an awesome voice and vocal range, and Kevin Jayroe, the lead singer, was very good. The dancers dressed both nights like a Vegas review and were excellent. They were so good that neither of us fell asleep either night&#33; <br /><br />The weather on day two was as bad as last year, raining till late afternoon, and eliminating the normal pool activities and making the food lines very long and slow. They moved some activities inside, and the Siren?s Pool on Lido deck, with the retractable cover, was busy. A blackjack tournament made the casino the most crowded I?d ever seen on cruises. They did have nickel slots and me made our customary donation. Photo portraits were available both nights. Camp Carnival was in full swing, including a coketail party and formal dinner for them. <br /><br />There were far fewer men in formal dress than on any other cruise we have been on, including this same cruise last year. Women were mostly formally attired. At the captain?s welcome aboard party, in the Adriatic Lounge, there were plenty of free drinks and appetizers even after the Captain and other officers were introduced and left, an uncommon situation. <br /><br />There were a nice variety of music/dancing venues both evenings, from 70?s to jazz, classical, rock, etc. A Filipino band, The Bestsellers, was awesome. Because of the rainy day on Saturday we did attend a matinee comedy show with two comedians. TV is VERY limited. No CNN and intermittent movies. They did have Saturday college football in the sports bar by the casino. <br /><br />The ship returned about 7am Sunday morning but we were able to stay aboard with luggage in our room until 9:20. We enjoyed breakfast in the Pacific dining room, the larger of the two dining rooms. I thanked the matre d? for his attention to our table problems. Leaving was easy, and we walked across the street to the parking garage, deposited our luggage and returned to the park adjacent to the terminal to watch the ship sail and then attended the Town Point Wine Festival to make a who weekend of it. We had a nice weekend holiday. But two years in a row of lousy Saturday weather stealing our sun time, darn.',1170922387,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',131,'JohnG',1,118,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(67,34,'7/1/06','Despite a few nuisances, we truly had a marvelous time on Carnival Victory. Compared to other cruises we?ve taken, this one held up nicely in most respects and fell short only in those categories we had expected it would (such as a less-than-formal atmosp','ms CARNIVAL VICTORY <br />5-Night Atlantic Canada cruise <br />New York - Halifax - Saint John - New York <br />July 1-6, 2006  <br /><br /><br />As cruise reviews are highly subjective, I feel it important to provide some of our background and the reasons we enjoy cruising. We are a family of three (DH and I are early 40s and our son is 12) that prefers the more traditional aspects of cruising -- dressing for dinner, walking on an outdoor promenade, enjoying good food and a bit of pampering, and -- most importantly -- spending time together as a family. Our cruise history spans 16 years and includes NCL, Royal Caribbean, Cunard, Carnival, Celebrity, Princess, Holland America and a few lines that are no longer in business. This was our second cruise on Carnival Cruise Line, and our fifth to Atlantic Canada  <br /><br />Overall, our five-night cruise on Carnival Victory to Halifax and Saint John was very enjoyable. This was by no means an elegant cruise -- and we knew that going in -- yet we highly recommend it to anyone who wishes a quick getaway to two wonderful ports while enjoying good food, service, and entertainment.   <br /><br />ARRIVAL AND EMBARKATION. We opted to fly from Boston to New York to avoid the four-hour drive. As the flight time is only one hour and there are numerous flights every Sunday, we went against tradition and flew down the morning of the cruise. Upon arriving at LaGuardia Airport?s Marine Air Terminal at 10:45 am, we gathered our luggage and quickly hopped into one of the many waiting taxi cabs. Forty-five minutes and &#036;37 later (including tip), we arrived at Pier 92, where Carnival Victory had just finished disembarking passengers from the previous cruise. We were directed to a row of chairs in which to wait until embarkation was to begin. At 11:40, a mere 10 minutes after arriving at the terminal, we were called to check in. This took just a few moments as we had completed our paperwork online, and had our credit card authorization form ready to go. The only glitch was that our Sail and Sign Card indicated that we were assigned to an 8:30 pm dining time, which is terribly late for us. We knew we could fix this on board, so we followed the signs to the gangway and -- after posing for a ?Welcome Aboard? photograph and another photo for security purposes -- boarded Carnival Victory for the first time.  <br /><br />FIRST IMPRESSION. Having been on near-sister ship Carnival Destiny previously, I had some idea what to expect in terms of layout. Yet, once I stepped onboard, directly into the ship?s lobby on Deck 3, I found stark differences in d?cor. Whereas Carnival Destiny?s atrium felt dark and closed in to me, Carnival Victory?s lobby seemed larger, brighter, and more welcoming. I thought Carnival Victory?s d?cor beautiful -- the photos I have seen simply do not capture the elegant shades of green in the lobby. Certainly, a lot of the design is whimsical, but it works. I wonder how many of designer Joe Farcus? critics have actually been onboard these ships as opposed basing their opinion solely on other peoples? photographs.   <br /><br />SAILAWAY. As it turned out, our dining time was not changed that first night, but this allowed us to experience the wondrous trip down the Hudson River?and more. While I could not bear to look at the lower Manhattan skyline, changed so drastically nearly five years ago, I knew when we were in the vicinity as the ship?s whistle sounded in tribute. The mood changed when we approached the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. This is a tall cruise ship -- 13 numbered decks. I heard that we had just 5 feet to spare when going under the bridge. We were on the next-to-top deck, near the base of the funnel, and the view was amazing. It truly looked like there were inches -- not feet -- to spare. All those on deck gave a round of applause once we cleared. Our voyage was off to an exciting start.  <br /><br />CABIN. Of all the ships we have cruised, Carnival has the largest and most comfortable standard outside cabins. Our family occupied Cabin 2281, a category 6A triple not far from the forward elevators. This was a very convenient location, just one deck down from the main lobby and dining rooms, and I?d recommend it. Our two twin beds were pushed together, and our son slept on a sofa bed that was converted to a single bed in a way that did not use additional floor space. We loved the upgrades Carnival recently made to its bedding, and I slept better on this cruise than I had in weeks.   <br /><br />The cabin boasted an incredible amount of storage space. One of the three wardrobes contained two shelves plus a magnetic-strip safe, while the others had ample hanging space, even for my long gown. We also had a desk with three deep drawers and two additional shelves for storage. We made minimal use of the two shelves within each of the two nightstands. In the bathroom, we had a corner mirrored medicine chest with 3 shelves. The shower was equipped with a curved shower rod -- not once did I fight with a clingy shower curtain -- and two wall-mounted units dispensed body wash and shampoo, both manufactured by Dove. If you have a favorite conditioner, bring it along. The wall-mounted hair dryer by the sink worked well on my long hair.  <br /><br />SHIP LAYOUT AND D?COR. Other than a few obstacles here and there, which I will discuss in a moment, we were very pleased with the ship itself. The theme of the ship is ?Oceans,? and the ship was beautifully decorated throughout. I even enjoyed the touches of whimsy such as the seahorse statues holding up the stairwell banisters, the seashell design that adorned some of the carpeting, and the huge, coral-like chandelier in the main show lounge.  <br /><br />It didn?t take me long to find my favorite spot -- the outdoor promenade deck, in a deck chair under the lifeboats. The chairs were resin with very comfortable removable pads. The location on Deck 3 was close enough to the water to hear the marvelous sound of its displacement by the ship. The promenade is teak, but not a wraparound. There were about 30 chairs on each side, and passengers made good use of them. I also enjoyed the ship?s library, located on Deck 4. I came here often to write, as the surroundings were beautiful. It is richly decorated in warm wood tones; and subtle shades of red and dark green on the ceiling. There were a few hours a day during which the library was staffed and the bookcases unlocked (not much of a selection, unfortunately), but the room was always accessible. Finally, the central pool decks were very well laid out and I loved the tiered design that offered ample seating and easy access to the lido areas.  <br /><br />That said, there were a few areas on the ship that didn?t quite appeal to me. First was the frustrating layout on Decks 3 and 4, most noticeable when searching for the Pacific Dining Room, located aft on those two decks. I had expected this, but still managed to get lost a couple of times. By Day 4 of the cruise, I had finally figured out some tips for navigating these two decks:   <br /><br />(1) For the Pacific Dining Room, take the aft elevator to either Decks 3 or 4. Alternatively, take the amidships elevator to Deck 4 and cut through the Internet Caf? and Ionian Bar.  <br />(2) For the Atlantic Dining Room, use either the forward (lobby) or amidships elevator.  <br />(3) For the photo shop, library, main show lounge, shore excursion desk, pursers desk and lobby bar, use the forward elevator only.  <br /><br />I also felt that Lido Deck could use some improvement. For some odd reason, the 24-hour pizzeria and 24-hour ice cream machine are located near the adult pool, aft on this deck. These two eateries could be moved near the main pool so that this area truly becomes an adult oasis. The machine is already portable, and perhaps they could swap the pizzeria with the area used for the daily ?Taste of Nations? buffet that doesn?t really appeal to kids, anyway. There may need to be some reconfiguration of the kitchen areas, though. It is obvious that the current set-up contributes to the widespread use of the adult pool and hot tubs by underage passengers.  <br /><br />Finally, while the Caribbean show lounge was beautifully decorated, there were enough interrupted sight lines to make this a bit uncomfortable. The lounge is three decks high, and the upper two decks extend 270 degrees, limiting the view of the stage as you sit further from the center. This is one of those show lounges in which you need to arrive at least one-half hour early for the best seating.  <br /><br />DINING. We were very impressed with the quality and quantity of food on this ship. We took most of our meals in the dining room. Breakfast and lunch were open seating, and our requests to sit alone or with others (as the mood struck) were always honored. Service was a bit spotty during those meals, but the food was good, particularly the two lunches. Dinner in the dining room was superb. In some cases, the quality was far superior to that which we had experienced on Celebrity Infinity a few months prior. It is not served with the same flourish, however, but I?ll take better food rather than a show any time. I did find it unusual to have only three utensils in the place setting -- but as I did not have to set the table or wash the dishes, it did not bother me in the least.  <br /><br />I?d heard that Carnival changed its menus recently, and we were very pleased with the results. We enjoy trying entr?es and appetizers that we would not normally have at home, and there were plenty of choices. Among our favorites were foie gras cr?me brulee appetizer, tilapia with eggplant tapenade, sirloin strips, and Grand Marnier souffl?. I also enjoyed the lobster tail - a compliment indeed given that I am from New England and practically live on fresh whole lobster during the summer. And, the cheese plate was served with thin toasted bread, a far cry from the Saltines I?ve seen on some other lines.  <br /><br />We dined at the buffet several times -- once for breakfast, twice for lunch, and a number of times for mid-afternoon or late-evening snacks. With the exception of the scrambled ?eggs? that should be avoided at all cost, the food was very good. The sliced beef I had here was quite tender, and the salads very crisp and flavorful. And, the pastrami sandwich from the deli was remarkable. I usually don?t like buffets as I am a light eater for breakfast and lunch, and standing in a long line for just one or two items does not appeal to me. Yet, there were a number of aspects of this buffet that I liked. Cloth napkins and utensils awaited diners on the tables, and there were no trays, making this feel less like a cafeteria. I also liked that there is an upstairs seating area that few passengers seem to know about. Let?s keep that one a secret.  <br /><br />SERVICE. As is typical, service ran the gamut from excellent to fair. The ship was kept fairly spotless both in the public rooms and on deck. Our cabin steward kept our living space in good order, and saw that we received everything that was to be delivered to us. Our waiter and assistant waitress were also very good, and attentive to our needs. For example, when we mentioned that the Carnival repeaters? party was scheduled to begin just one hour and 15 minutes after the beginning of our meal, they ensured that we got through dinner with time to spare while not making us feel rushed.   <br /><br />We ran into only one issue that we did not consider minor. When we boarded, we learned we were assigned to the latest of the four dining times, 8:30 pm, rather than our requested time of 6:15. Although Carnival accepts requests for dining time when booking, it is not their policy to confirm those times. So, we fully expected that we might have to see the maitre d? upon boarding, and found him in the Atlantic dining room (nothing mentioned in the daily program; we just knew to do this). However, we did not expect to be told that it was also the line?s policy that no changes could take effect until the following evening. He was quite pleasant, and explained that he would put us on a wait list for early dining, which we received the second evening. Still, I do not understand why Carnival is unable to confirm dining times. Other lines do, including several owned by the corporate parent. It wouldn?t be necessary to do this for all four seatings -- confirming ?early? or ?late? would suffice. As this was our first experience with Carnival?s onboard service, it did not make for a good impression. Fortunately, it was not indicative of the service we were to receive the remainder of the cruise.  <br /><br />DAYTIME ACTIVITIES. Our two sea days offered the usual art auctions, trivia, pool games, casino tournaments, and a very nice afternoon tea. I did find that the schedule for the second sea day was comparatively slim, which is something I had not noticed on other cruises. Port day offerings were very limited -- the main activity offered during our times in port was a noon-time big-screen movie -- which didn?t affect us as we spent these days ashore, but I?m certain there were passengers who would have preferred to stay onboard for at least part of the day. Still, my son and I enjoyed our tea time, and I also had fun in the slots tournament, although I didn?t qualify for the final round. We also could have gotten ?temporary tattoos? had we wanted, but decided to pass this time. Yet, this might have been the right amount of activities for this cruise. Most passengers seemed content to spend time in the pools and hot tubs, many braved the water slide, and others -- like us -- enjoyed gazing at the ocean from the comfort of a deck chair.   <br /><br />EVENING ACTIVITIES AND ENTERTAINMENT. Generally, the production shows were excellent. ?Living in America,? was well organized, had great sets (including a boxing ring) and good singing and choreography. Special effects on ?Vroom? were great, and more than made up for the seemingly random order of songs toward the end.  <br /><br />The ?Welcome Aboard? show was more tolerable than most. The timing was unusual in that it was offered only once, rather than separate showings for early and late dinner seatings, but the reason became evident during the show. (And, sorry -- for the enjoyment of future passengers, I will not disclose what this was.)   <br /><br />My son and I did not care at all for the magic show. Let me put it this way: My husband chose to skip the show in order to do laundry, and I became jealous.  <br /><br />Shows were introduced by cruise director Dana Hodson, who was a far cry from the lounge-lizard-showman type we had on our last cruise. Dana said straight out that he is not part of the entertainment -- he is an information source. Still, he was a skilled emcee and did his job well, despite a spiel that was contrived at times.   <br /><br />Aside from the production shows, our family also enjoyed the classical music played by ?Trio Lirica? in the lobby bar just prior to and following dinner, and the 50s/60s/70s dance music in the Adriatic Lounge provided by ?Bestsellers.? (Yes, we have eclectic tastes.) Unfortunately for us, the only jazz music was in the Ionian Lounge, which was also the ship?s cigar bar and was, not unexpectedly, too smoke-filled for us.  <br /><br />PORTS OF CALL <br /><br />We chose this cruise solely for the itinerary and were not disappointed. We had been to Saint John twice previously and Halifax three times, and enjoy returning as there is so much to see and do. For those curious, we remained on ship?s time (Eastern Daylight Time), although we crossed into the Atlantic time zone. This put sunrise at approximately 4:30 am and sunset at 8:00 pm. Temperatures both days were around 75F/24C.  <br /><br />Saint John, New Brunswick <br />8:00 am - 4:00 pm <br />It was a glorious day in Saint John. We disembarked at about 9:00 and went on a self-guided walking tour using information from the Saint John tourism department (http://www.tourismsaintjohn.com). Our tour was called ?The Loyalist Trail? and included sites in old Saint John, such as the spot where the Loyalists first landed after fleeing America during the Revolution, and spots where they settled. The trail was estimated to take 1 ? hours, but took us 3 as we made many stops. Among these was Trinity Church, which contains the Royal Coat of Arms of the House of Hanover, rescued from the Old State House in Boston during the U.S. Revolutionary War. Being from Boston, this captivated us, as we had not heard the story before.   <br /><br />Other stops where we lingered were the Jewish Historical Museum, City Market, the Old Burial Grounds, King?s Square, and the Saint John Firefighters Museum. All were interesting and educational. There was a lot of history I did not know -- such as the Great Fire of 1877-- so we made a quick stop at the New Brunswick Museum Shop in the Market Square Building to purchase a few new books for our library. (We did not have enough time to visit the museum itself, but will make I tour first stop on our next trip.) While at Market Square, we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Grannan?s -- I had the seafood crepe, my husband had the lobster roll, and our son downed a large, adult-sized portion of fish and chips.   <br /><br />Halifax, Nova Scotia <br />9:00 am - 6:00 pm <br />Our day in Halifax was superb. With each visit, we find something new to do. Today it was to visit the Pier 21 Immigration Museum, adjacent to the cruise terminal, and later traverse more of the city by foot. The Immigration Museum was amazing. It is set in the exact location where 1.25 million immigrants entered Canada between the years 1928 and 1971. There were numerous exhibits encompassing the immigrant experience, including arrival by ocean liner, customs, transfer to railroad, and a welcome to one?s new home. The best, in my opinion, were the areas devoted to the largest group of immigrants -- war brides -- and the videos in which people who once passed through these doors shared their stories. Not surprisingly, each was poignant.   <br /><br />Our walk was long and pleasant. As it was a nice day, we walked along the boardwalk to the Halifax Historic Properties, where we shopped for a bit and enjoyed the harbor views. We then ventured back toward the city center.  One spot I wanted to see was Saint Paul?s Church, which has a piece of metal lodged into one of its walls from the 1917 Halifax explosion. The metal was determined to be steel from one of the two vessels that collided in the Harbor that day. (For those who have not yet been, I highly suggest a visit to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic to learn the history of this wonderful city -- we didn?t have a chance to go there again on this trip, but it is a favorite place.)   <br /><br />DISEMBARKATION. This was very quick and painless for us. We did not opt for self-disembarkation, and as we were considered to have an early flight (defined as prior to 2:00 pm), we were instructed to wait in the Ionian Lounge. From there, after all self-disembarkation passengers were called, we were escorted off the ship by a crew member at about 9:30. We found our bags quickly in the terminal, and a porter assisted us to the ground level, where we did our usual routine of flagging a taxi on 12th Avenue to avoid the crowds at the taxi stand by the terminal. We made it to LaGuardia Airport early enough to be offered seats on a 10:30 flight, three hours before our scheduled departure, and were back in Boston by noon. Yet, I emphasize that we got very lucky with this timing -- recall that passengers on the prior cruise had just finished disembarking at 11:30 -- and strongly suggest that future passengers heed the cruise line?s recommendation to book flights departing after 12:45.   <br /><br />IN CLOSING. Despite a few nuisances, we truly had a marvelous time on Carnival Victory. Compared to other cruises we?ve taken, this one held up nicely in most respects and fell short only in those categories we had expected it would (such as a less-than-formal atmosphere). Still, we found Carnival much improved over our last cruise on the line six years prior, and would undoubtedly repeat this ship and itinerary in the future.',1170922438,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',151,'Lisa63',1,132,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(68,23,'12/19/05','All in all out of 10 I&#39;d give the ship a 9, the staff a 10, the itinerary a 10 and the hotel a 9.','This ship is older but still grand and so well taken care of. The staff was wonderful, in the dining room our head waiter and his assistant were the best. They had entertainment every evening in the dining room after every meal. We all enjoyed it very much. The cabin was clean our cabin steward took care of everything we ask for. The staff in the kids club were great with my 13yr old daughter she had a blast. We are going on a cruise again in Sept or Oct of 2006 and I can&#39;t find one that has an itinerary as great as the destiny does so unless I find one that will compare to it we&#39;ll be going on the Destiny again.  <br /><br /><br />The ports St Thomas, Dominica, Barbados and Aruba were wonderful. I love Dominica the best of them all, so no commercializied and pretty and our tour guide Lester was so kind and so proud of his country that you couldn&#39;t help but fall in love with it. I&#39;d been to St Thomas before and so it was still just as beautiful as ever, barbados was nice had a great time, and Aruba I want to go back to do the jeep/atv tour there and see more of the island and also go to carlos and charlies.  <br /><br />We did 3 days before the cruise in San Juan and stayed at the Milano Hotel, a great hotel close to shopping the forts and the cruise ship terminal.Clean rooms and they have free wireless internet in the cafe on the roof for all guest and they serve a pretty mean margarita and p colada too. <br /><br />All in all out of 10 I&#39;d give the ship a 9, the staff a 10, the itinerary a 10 and the hotel a 9.  <br />gina',1170922727,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]carnival.gif',1586,'destinyindec',1,90,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(69,48,'10/29/05','On a scale of one to five I would give this cruise a 4.3/8 stars (I never give 5, almost never a 4 or above) One word description of our Celebrity adventure? OUTSTANDING.','The Classic Century Nine Night Caribbean Experience  <br />October 29, 2005 thru November 7th 2005  <br /><br /><br />With everything that was going on in Fort Lauderdale at the time of this cruise, We arrived at the Port of Everglades around 10 am and had a wait due to the ship going thru several inspections.  At 2pm we were invited to start the embarkation process that went very smoothly and were escorted to our stateroom, by a well mannered crew member.  <br /><br />We were in cabin 1065 which is a sky suite. The cabin was ready except for the fresh fruit that was in our room shortly after we returned from verifying our dinning assignments. Which were correct a table for two. Late setting.  <br /><br />Rosa, our cabin steward was in the hallway upon our return and introduced herself to us and asked if she might come inside the cabin and explain the features of the stateroom. She also indicated that Aries our butler would be by in a few moments to introduce his self and to set the standard of service that we desired.  <br /><br />After meeting with Arles, and informing him of the level of service we desired we were answered with the 5 most beautiful words in customer service &quot;It would be my pleasure&quot;  <br /><br />The stateroom itself was average in size; the bathroom was small but very  functional. Marble countertops and a bath tub and shower combo with a whirlpool  feature.  <br /><br />Overall the entire stateroom was in good condition considering this vessel is over ten years old and scheduled for a dry docking in early 2006. Yes there are small blemishes but in no way were the defects anything to cause concern.  <br /><br />After unpacking and meeting with the staff that would be on the front lines of treating us famously. We made our way down to the Promenade deck (deck 6) for our bon Voyage cocktail. Piano Music playing in the bar area as we ordered our beverages.  <br /><br />Once our Bon Voyage toast was made we made our way for a slow stroll around the Century to discover what little hidden treasures were available to us for the next nine days.  <br /><br />The ship has new technology all around, but is still able to maintain that old world charm that so many have become to expect of the Century.  <br /><br />It was then time to begin dressing for our first nights dinner a casual night, so while we were getting dressed our butler stopped by with hor&#39;dourves and light beverages.  <br /><br />Assistant Matre&#39;de Andrzew Ponchek greeted us at the dinning room entrance.  Our wait staff consisted of our waiter Reynold and his able-bodied assistant WiWid.  <br /><br />No request was too large for this team, as they went thru the motions of making sure that everyone of our requests was met quickly and accurately.  <br /><br />After two days at sea, we arrived at our first port of call Philipsburg, St Maarten.  <br /><br />This was to be our first beach day. Being one of the first to leave the ship we made our way across the pier by water taxi. (Five dollars USD for an unlimited use of taxis) Our destination for the day Antoine&#39;s by the Sea, a small charming little restaurant and beach bar across from the pier, a five-dollar charge per person for lounge chairs WITH cushions, umbrella included&#33; We sat and enjoyed the water and had a leisurely lunch while being waited upon by Leo the restaurant&#39;s capable beach person.  Tropical beverages with up to five different alcohols were less than five dollars. The water was warm and inviting, it was indeed all that we remembered, and more, if you visit Philipsburg, look for the Blue chair pads and say hello to the staff at one of the best beach spots on St Maarten.  <br /><br />Our next port of call would be St Lucia; we were scheduled for another beach day, but decided after the sun from St. Maarten had turned me to a crisp it might be a better idea, to do a little browsing in the local shops. Things seamed to be a bit pricy for a duty free shopping experience. The local trades&#39; people seemed, very aggravated, and indifferent almost to the point of saying &quot;Americans leave your money BUT go home Soon&quot;. We did not purchase.  <br /><br />Upon returning to the ship, our Captain Nicholas Pagonis announced that due to one of the engines having problems we would no longer visit Barbados. Instead, we would move the Antigua stop up one day and add St. Thomas as the forth stop. We were disappointed.  <br /><br />St. Johns, Antigua was OUTSTANDING. Millers by the Sea, was perfect place to unwind, enjoy the Caribbean Sea water. We arrived by 8:30 am and for almost an hour had the place to ourselves. Once again, a lounge chair was only &#036;5.00 usd. In addition, cab fare from the pier was only &#036;5.00usd one way but our driver Elijah, asked us what time we wanted to return to the ship and was there at the scheduled time to drive us back for an additional &#036;5.00usd per person. St Johns, is a lovely place where according to our driver, a person can purchase a home including land for approximately &#036;110,000 usd  <br /><br />Our last port St. Thomas USVI was a real disappointment. After taking a suggestion that, we visit Magons Beach, once we left the port we discovered that the cab fare would be &#036;8.00 usd per person one way and that we would be required to &quot;share&quot; a taxi with up to 14 others and would have to wait until the cab was full before leaving the port.   <br /><br />Once again, we felt the locals or the islanders were downright rude and the shops were indeed nothing more than tourist traps with high prices and low quality goods. We will not visit St Thomas again.  <br /><br />Back on board the ship, we prepared for the last two days at sea before returning to Fort Lauderdale, and our return flight to Los Angeles.  <br /><br />Our first time on a Celebrity vessel was overall, a very enjoyable experience. The crew and staff do an outstanding job; the food in the dinning room is as good as in any four star restaurant. The cold soups are Fabulous.  We would readily suggest this ship; it may have blemishes, but still is a very fine ship, only enhanced by the superb treatment by the staff. <br /><br />On a scale of one to five I would give this cruise a 4.3/8 stars (I never give 5, almost never a 4 or above) One word description of our Celebrity adventure? OUTSTANDING.',1170958359,0,'Southern Caribbean','[-review]celebrity.gif',2066,'JoeyandDavid',1,139,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(70,49,'9/7/04','Report on Transatlantic Cruise aboard the GTS Constellation Sept. 7, 2004','We flew out of New Orleans using a Celebrity Package since comparison airfares were much more due to the return city was not the same as the arrival city. We arrived in London Gatwick and were met by our previously arranged driver Steve Knibbs nibbs@airport-transfers and taken to Sir Christopher Wren Hotel in Windsor for a fee of &#036;128.27 (exchange rate of &#036;1.83/GBP). There are cheaper ways to do this, but with 6 pieces of luggage it seemed worth it. <br /><br />We visited Windsor castle and toured around Windsor until departing the hotel by taxi to go to Heathrow Airport where we joined up with the Celebrity transfer to the ship in Dover, England on Sept. 7th. We had received e-tickets for the cruise which means we did not have any luggage tags. We had only one sample tag, but I made tags using a copy machine and laminated them for endurance. I was happy that I had done this as I turned my luggage over to a truck with several hundred other pieces of luggage in it. Surely the ones with luggage tags identifying them as going to a certain cabin would get there sooner than ones without tags. I would definitely recommend making your own luggage tags rather than depending on someone to find your luggage without a tag and have to use a cross reference to find out where it was suppose to be delivered. The instructions had stated that you would get tags at the pier to put on the suitcases. I am thankful I did not have to go and find my luggage at the pier to put a tag on it. I did here one gentleman asking a Celebrity agent where he could get tags to put on his luggage. I didn?t stay around to find out how he came out. <br /><br />We had been aboard the other Millennium class ships before and knew right where to go, so we grabbed our glass of champagne and headed to the room. We had cabin 7202 which was very comfortable and our friends had the inside cabin just across the hall. We visited on the veranda several times, but on a transatlantic crossing the veranda is not used that much.  <br /><br />As usual we had to get our dining reservations fixed. Celebrity always drops the ball on this one, and puts the strain on the dining room staff and the passengers to get fixed what they thought had already been arranged. Miami has a problem here. They have finally gotten the captain?s club pre cruise specialty restaurant reservation problem fixed.  <br /><br />The San Marcos dining room is still as pretty as it was in 2002 and we really enjoyed our tablemates. The four of us always travel together but enjoy having others at our table and mix in so we can visit new people. We had a couple from New Jersey and a couple from England as our very nice tablemates. <br /><br /><br />I don?t know what it is, but I always try to order the fish on the first night and it is always dry. Maybe hake is supposed to be dry. The rest of the time the fish was very good. Buffet dining topside was very good as well as the rest of the nights in the restaurant. The Ocean Liners specialty restaurant should not be missed and is something we always enjoy.  <br />We sailed to LeHarve France, our first port, arriving on Sept. 8th, and our friends had made arrangements for a rental car which we picked up and set off. We got over the Honfleur bridge then headed for the coast road rather than to Caen. It was a pleasant drive and we stopped in a small town Trouville that was having a rather large festival and did some shopping.  <br /><br />We visited the Beaches of Normandy, Sword, Juneau, Gold, but did not get up to Omaha and Utah beaches. We did visit the Pegasus Bridge where gliders landed to capture this all important bridge. For our return trip to the ship we followed a tour bus for the best route back and that was a stroke of luck, since it would have taken us two more hours to find our way back. I don?t think renting a car was a good idea here since even with maps one can get turned around. The highway markings were not familiar and that can make it difficult. It would be OK to just go to Honfleur but all the way to the Beaches is kind of far by rental car with many opportunities to make mistakes along the way. <br /><br />Sept. 9th we sailed for Cork, Ireland, arriving at Ringaskiddy dock for Cork on Sept. 10th at 7:00 AM and departing at 6:00 PM.  We had a pre arranged tour with 15 of us and it worked out well. We visited Cobb, Charles Fort and Kinsale in County Cork, where we had a wonderful lunch. We visited a museum that had exhibits of the Lusitania that sunk not too far from Cork. The town nestles between the hills and the shoreline on the estuary of the Bandon River. <br /><br />Sept 11th we arrived in Belfast, Northern Ireland, still a part of England. We set out on a small tour with about 15 people (about &#036;25/person) for the Giant?s Causeway. This is a natural rock formation with many myths associated with it. We passed along the Antrim Coast road seeing several Glens. We visited the Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge and did cross it. Very safe as long as there are no high winds. It does lead you to a rock that has some dangerous cliff edges. The path does have some unstable stepping areas. We visited a museum which depicted the exodus of Irish to the United States and elsewhere during the potato famine. There is a tribute to the Lusitania sinking.  <br /><br />While in Belfast, the captain of the vessel determined that the weather in Iceland would be too bad to off load passengers by tender and rather than wave to Iceland as we passed by, he decided to go to Vigo, Spain a city just north of Portugal.   As we sailed toward Vigo, we had a medical emergency and the captain announced that a helicopter cable evacuation would take place off the bow of the ship. The collapsible fences were lowered and two persons came aboard and then one left and the other went up with the basket carrying the patient. We later learned that the patient expired at the hospital.  <br /><br />Vigo, Spain is a port city located in the Province of Galicia. It has a very strong Celtic influence and is not visited by North Americans very often. We walked into town from the ship dock. This is a tiered city and walking up was somewhat tiring.    <br /><br />We set out from Vigo across the Atlantic for the six day run to NYC arriving past the Statue of Liberty about 5:30 AM. During the transit we enjoyed eating at the Ocean Liner?s restaurant and had several afternoon performances of entertainers as well as night time performances. The casino was busy as usual. Computer classes in Photoshop were offered and were quite busy.   Arriving in NY we used the double deck Grayline tour busses to tour around the sites and also saw the show Lion King at the very pretty New Amsterdam Theater.  <br /><br />It was a good trip except for missing Iceland.   <br /><br />Joe Reynolds',1170958427,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',1240,'scapel',1,162,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(71,50,'1/28/04','We loved it. I would definitely cruise Celebrity again.','Using directions from the Maryland Port Authority website, we easily arrived at the terminal after a 4 hour drive from southeastern Virginia. After paying &#036;55 parking, we were guided to a place to unload luggage, and then directed to a parking area. With carryon luggage we boarded an air-conditioned bus and were driven to the passenger terminal. After a few minutes in line we completed the paper work and sat, boarding number in hand, until our number was called, about one hour in all. Very smoothly handled. <br /><br />We had booked an inside quad with two upper bunks for our 12 and 14 year olds. The cabin was adequate, with two closets, a large shower, dressing table, two bedside tables with drawers, two chairs, TV. The TV could be used to review accounts, order from the limited room service menu, and watch CNN, TNT, in house movies both free and pay, Discovery Channel, music channels, and even gamble. Since we had brought our own wine (two cases checked with luggage), the room steward(ess) provided both a wine ice bucket and a regular ice bucket and ice water, and two champagne glasses, refilled twice a day. Behind the dressing table mirror was a huge cabinet and the safe. The area served as a fine wine cabinet&#33; The bathroom contained a conditioner/shampoo dispenser and a hand lotion dispenser, as well as a fine selection of toiletries, including cotton balls, q-tips, etc. <br /><br />The ship sailed at 6pm and made a night transit of the Chesapeake Bay. The schedule of dress was: 5 Casual Nights (Days 1,4,6,8,11), 3 Formal Nights (Days 2,5,10), and 3 Informal Nights (Days 3,7,9). <br /><br />Day 1 Departure. Day 2 At Sea. Day 3 Visit Charleston, SC 8am-4pm, Days 4 and 5 At Sea, Day 6 (Sat) Visit St. Thomas 8am-6pm, Day 7 (Sun) Visit St. Maarten 8am-5pm, Day 8 (Mon) Visit San Juan 8am-4pm, Days 9 At Sea, Day 10 (Wed) Visit Nassau 8am-1pm, Day 11 At Sea, and Return to Baltimore 10am on Day 12. Breakfast was available till 9:30am and snacks at 10:30. We debarked about 12:30 and were through the terminal and onto the bus and into our car by 1:35pm. It helped having US Immigration inspectors board in Nassau and conduct that check on the afternoon of day 9 at sea, avoiding an early lineup on departure day. <br /><br />Departure Day. After sail away, we were scheduled for late seating and a table for four. Galaxy has a single dining room and the buffet is not open for dinner. Someone was seated at our table in error, and it took 15 minutes for them to seat us at the empty table next to them, where they were supposed to be. Corrected for the rest of the trip. I brought my own wine bottle to dinner. The wine steward charged the new &#036;12 corkage, and later that night said if I was planning to bring wine each night, he would no longer charge corkage if I would remember him on gratuity night. Deal&#33; The first night show was mediocre, mostly introducing staff and self-promoting. Midnight buffet (11:30pm actually) alternated between a buffet and ?gourmet bites? of hot and cold snacks served by roving waiters in public areas of the ship, including the lounges and casino. <br /><br />Day Two, at sea, quite rainy off the coast of the Carolinas. I checked to see if I could get two corsages for our first formal night and was advised that while they had flowers, no florist was aboard for this trip, but I could get single long stemmed roses for &#036;5 each, delivered to the room. Wine tasting event in the afternoon &#036;8 each. Each day for lunch on the Resort Deck near the Oasis Pool there is a grill that daily served variations for lunch: Paella, shish kebob, taco/burrito, Asian, ribs &amp; chicken BBQ, etc. My favorite lunch spot. Welcome aboard party before formal dinner. LONG lines for formal portraits. As much as an hour in line. The show was Broadway Express, and quite good. People tended to stay in formal dress all evening. There are many quiet, uncrowded areas on the ship to sit and read, or just relax. <br /><br />Day Three, Charleston. Rain cleared up. We visited the Marketplace for souvenirs, just 1 ? blocks from the pier, where many people took carriage ride tours?&#036;55 for a family of 4. There are many restaurants in the area. We boarded a trolley bus for &#036;1 each and had the same tour, stopping in Battery Park to view and take photos of Fort Sumter. It also passed the Charleston Museum and Visitor Center. We then went to Hyman?s Seafood/Aaron?s Deli, on Meeting Street, a local institution, where a bottle of wine was only &#036;11 and the seafood and deli sandwiches were great. Charming, management visited every table. Watched the sail-away from the Stratosphere lounge, wrap-aroung windows. Quiet and relaxing during the day, dancing to combo in evening and disco after 11pm. Great place. That evening was our first visit to the casino, which has nickel slots as well as the others, Minimum credit is &#036;20, for which they gave us &#036;10 cash and 10 in nickels. The show was a comedian, and we skipped it. <br /><br />Day Four, At Sea. Found that Eggs Benedict were available every day in the dining room for breakfast&#33; A wonderful, warm relaxing day at sea. The pool chairs are all cushioned and the daily newspaper points out that unattended belongings left over 30 minutes will be removed by attendants for safekeeping. No problem finding chairs. The gym opens at 6am, is not crowded and has the usual assortment of exercise machines, weights, etc. Internet Caf? charges are 95 cents a minute, no minimum, and we ran up WAY too much on the Internet. <br /><br />Day Five, At Sea. Warm and sunny. Watched Lord of the Rings in the theatre. 50?s/60?s night in the lounges?.interesting since it was the second formal night. Odd. <br /><br />Day Six, St. Thomas. Took taxi from pier (&#036;7 each) to Coki Beach to snorkel. No admission fee, free restrooms/shower. Vendors have chairs, drinks, etc. Plenty of fish, particularly because people feed them. There is a reef between the beach and the Coral World attraction to the right. Taxi back to ship, quick shower and off to the shops at Havensight adjacent to the pier. Best liquor price was at A.H Cohen?s across the street. Movie onboard was Moulon Rouge. My 14-year-old son was suffering from a sore throat and after dinner we took him to the medical center onboard, where the doctor examined him, tested for strep to rule it out, and dispensed penicillin tablets. Cost &#036;67 for office visit, &#036;32 for step test, and &#036;11 for pills. Provided forms for us to file with our insurance company. Cost is very comparable to costs at home. It worked, too. Tex/Mex late night buffet and dancing around the pool. <br /><br />Day Seven, Sunday, St. Maarten. We decided that taking taxis was running a lot, and decided to rent a car on the pier from Budget. Had a Toyota Corolla, air-conditioned for &#036;43 including tax for the day. Having been to the island several times but only having visited Philipsburg and Orient Beach, we decided to drive to Grand Case on the French side, and found an empty public beach where we saw some of the biggest starfish I have ever seen. Scenery very French. Would have enjoyed eating there. Drove to Marigot, the French main city. Unfortunately it was Sunday, and most shops were closed at 1:45pm, but restaurants were open. We did drive up and then climb up to Fort St. Louis, the historic fort overlooking the city and harbor. Wonderful views and photos. Drove back to Philipsburg parked and shopped. Ended the day at EveryT?ings Cool enjoying food and beverages overlooking the beach. After sail away and casual dinner, we spent the night in lounges dancing. Three different music choices: Simon Chill duo with mix, danceable. Starlight Duo, country and pop. Legends 5 member band, reggae, pop. (poolside and Savoy Lounge). <br /><br />Day Eight, Monday, San Juan. Immigration checks from 7-8:30am for all. We debarked and walked to the nearest corner to the Parada sign where the free trolley stops. About 11 boarded one for the ride to El Morro. &#036;3 admission. Walked back to Old San Juan in a light shower. Shopped along the way. Ended up at Hard Rock Caf? for lunch. Service is slow. The RCL Crown and Anchor club down the street went out of business and is for sale. On the way back to the ship stopped at the Chamber of Commerce center near pier 1 (two blocks to the left of our pier) where there is an open rum bar courtesy of Bacardi. Several frozen thingees fortified us for the trip to our pier. Tonight?s theme was Island Night, and the late night as a tropical food, fruit, and sherbet night around the pool. The show was an outstanding performance of Cirque de Galaxy with acrobats, dancers, and the adagio duo. <br /><br />Day Nine, At Sea. Second day with formal and informal afternoon tea, and wine tasting. Received email my new grandson had been born this morning&#33; A hot, sunny, relaxing day enroute the Bahamas. I loved to sit on the open teak deck astern behind the garden pool on Resort Deck. There were tables, chairs, umbrellas, and overlooking wake. Food and drink close by. Wonderful location, my favorite. Skipped the show, dancing after dinner. <br /><br />Day Ten, Nassau. A short day. Passengers cleared ashore at 8am, and due back by 12:45pm. Taxi to Paradise Island public beach access for &#036;4 pp and &#036;1 toll. Sandy beach, crystal clear water, few fish. Vendors provide jet skis, parasail, beverages and chairs. After 90 minutes in the hottest sun of the week, we walked to the Atlantis resort for a self-tour. We used the restrooms, viewed the shops, casino, and public areas including the aquarium where we saw sharks, stingrays, and lot of fish, all for free. Worth the trip. Taxi back to Strawmarket, which is still in temporary tent location, then walked back to ship. Last formal night. Show after dinner was Concert in B with singers, dancers and the adagio duo. Le Grand Buffet in the Dining Room with photos from 1145-1215am, and buffet open 1215-1:30am. <br /><br />Day 11, At Sea. Another relaxing day with no real agenda. Reality sets in: We debark tomorrow. Packing, bags out by 11pm. <br /><br />Day 12, Arrive 10am. Off ship at 12:30 (those who drove and were on lower decks were last to leave). In the car in 60 minutes. Very smooth. The 4 hour drive home took 6.5 hours due to Friday rush hour traffic. <br /><br />Overall comments: The ship is spotless. There are hardly any announcements. They were not really hustling alcohol. Padded lounges in pool areas, ample towels, including special large ones for days ashore. They take but were not pushing photos. The movie selection in the theatre included: Moulon Rouge, Lord of the Rings, Princess Diaries, Ali, K-Pax, Jurassic Park 3, The Score, Swordfish, and Osmosis Jones. First rate. There is no buffet at dinner. The only alternative dining is room service or casual dining by reservation in the garden area by the Oasis Pool. Same menu, suggested &#036;2 pp tip. The buffet has no breakfast variety?.same every day. There is an omelet/eggs to order station, and they have eggbeaters. Some type of breakfast is available somewhere 7-11:30 every day. Lunch buffet is 11:30 ? 2pm, including pasta stations, with pizza and burgers available later. Lunch buffet was mostly uninteresting. Dining rooms seatings are 6 and 8:30pm. Entrees included plenty of fish and pasta, steaks, roast beef and prime rib, filet mignon, lobster, lamb steaks and roast, chicken and duck. Mini-pizzas are available through room service. Great&#33; The smoking convention is: smokers on the port side of public areas, starboard is smoke free. Very few exceptions were observed. There were very active programs for young children (under 10), a Youth program (Ensigns) for 10-12, and a Teen Program for 13-17?.which few appeared to use. Agenda was provided to each room daily. The Youth and Teen programs participants are free to come and go as desired. Vibration. On lower decks, and aft, including the dining room have VERY noticeable vibration any time the ship is underway, not just entering/leaving port. Every time they speed up or turn. At breakfast the last day entering Baltimore, while we were sitting in the Dining Room, the vibration was so bad every glass and piece of silver rattled. <br /><br />This was our 13th cruise, the first over 7 days. We loved the 11 days. I don?t want constant action and enjoy sea days. I enjoy having the option to go to shows or casinos or not. I enjoy having dancing opportunities. I don?t like to be hustled for drinks and photos. We weren?t. Even in the buffet the waiters take your tray and carry it to find you a seat. Service is superb. We loved it. I would definitely cruise Celebrity again.',1170958519,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',131,'JohnG',1,103,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(72,50,'8/1/05','This cruise for us was very disappointing.','This cruise for us was very disappointing. In my opinion, what Celebrity states to offer is not what we received. Some of this ship is outdated, broken down and not kept up. We had computer issues causing us to have to skip one of the ports. There were computer issues once getting on board. The air conditioning was down during one of the afternoons. I had trash in my room from a prior cruise. My TV, remote and blow dryer had their own issue. The bed/mattress looked old and was very uncomfortable. The room was a decent size for a cruise ship and there was a nice storage area to store your belongings. <br /><br /><br />On many occasions the associates at Guest relations were inattentive. In the main dining the food selection appeared to be an expensive variety but our table was right next to the service area so we only ate there once. The buffet appeared to be closed more evenings than it was open. Be prepared, we did not have an electrical outlet in the bathroom that could be used for curling irons... The entertainment on the ship was not to our liking at all. No comedians and only one night of family type entertainment. Be prepared, the internet service is frustrating. Many of the minutes you paid for are spent on waiting time and not actual use time.   <br /><br />I did send a 7 page letter to Celebrity and I managed to get &#036;225.00 certificates for use on a future cruise. This &#036;225.00 amounts to about 10% of my cruise cost. This was an insult and will probably never be used.',1170958587,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',2215,'Chris13',1,48,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(73,50,'2/25/06','We have already booked our next Celebrity trip - February 2, 2007 out of Puerto Rico - to the south. Keep planning - Keep Cruising....  With Celebrity.','By Tom Treimel   <br /><br /><br />Celebrity Cruise Lines  Galaxy<br /><br />February 26th, 2006<br /><br />The travel oddesy began when we booked the Celebrity air for this trip. Celebrity flights to the ship from Newark that day were or Delta. One stop going from Newark to Atlanta then Atlanta to Houston. I like to use Continental direct flights - Newark is their hub. But only got one of the flights for the trip home. The Celebrity air also provides insurance to make sure you will get to the boat no matter what. They also supply the transfers from the ship to the pier and back. We used this because of the dire bad winter predictions in the North East for this winter - but this was not a bad winter at all. We got dropped off at the airport about 1:00am and got as comfortable as we could in the airline chairs. Catch a little nap. The Delta check in opens at 4:00am - through there by 4:10am. The TSA does not allow you to go down to the gates till 4:30AM or so. Wait some more. We took off right on time and were right on schedule landing in Atlanta. Sunny when we landed but rained hard later. We had an hour between flights - took out time to find the next gate. Get the wife a hot chocolate as it seemed chilly in the airport. The plane we were to depart on was a few minutes late arriving so we were a few minutes late departing Atlanta. Plus a long queue on waiting to take off did not help. We, I was picked off right away by, were noticed by our instant friends Marsha and Hank from the Cruise Critic group. They were connecting from North Carolina. Not a problem on the trip to Houston. Where we were a little late landing. Then the fun began. All the luggage came down - great no problem there. But a piece of Marsha&#39;s luggage was missing. Great. Now it&#39;s go back and find the person to talk to and back track it. We then register with the Celebrity person to get onto a bus. But wait - there are no busses at this time. So we have to wait 1 1/2 hours till a bus comes to pick us up. In-between help Marsha try to locate the missing bag. Found out it was still in Atlanta and did not want to make our flight. Their missing bag was returned to them later that night on the ship. Tote all the luggage to the bus. Get it packed and away we go. I was hoping for a quick transfer from the airport to the ship. But... Did not read the Cruise Critic suggestion to use Enterprise rental to the pier and back till it was too late. Would have cost less. Been a lot faster. I had wanted to take a walk into the Strand District which is near the pier area. But it rained on the way down to Galveston from the airport and was raining when we arrived. Plus it was after 3:00pm so - forgot about that.<br /><br />Embarkation: At the pier I retrieved our luggage from the bus and put the Celebrity baggage tags on them. They turned up at the room before we sailed. Into the terminal for the check in. Through the id check and security check in screen your bags process. This line was very small at this point. Onto the Elite - Suite line - we were the only one&#39;s in it. I had already filled out the Celebrity express pass and printed the boarding ticket in advance. So it was just a 5 minute wait till an open check in desk could be gotten to. Then a 5 minute check in to imprint the credit card. And it was onto the ship. We have had most people recommend that you plan to arrive the day before in the city of your port. We agree with this as it will lessen your stress levels. Being in the Captains club get&#39;s by some of the longer check in lines.   Onto the Ship. We stopped to get our security pictures taken - a must to get on and off the ship. Stepped onto the Galaxy and were welcomed aboard by some of the Hotel staff officers level 5 of the ship just off the main lobby. Picked up our welcome glass of Champagne. And the vacation starts. One of the staff took our carry bags and escorted us to our room.<br /><br />Cabin: #8155, cat. 5, Panorama Deck. This is one of the regular sized cabins on the ship. 170 sq. ft. We have always found the Celebrity cabins to fit us perfectly. Slightly larger than some of the other industry standard cabins at this level. Very roomy for two. We had the two beds made into a king. The one small one person sofa-sleeper/couch there the wife used to put her large suitcase on and work out of it for most of the cruise. There were also 2 large closets with a hanging bar in each for your formal wear and other hanging garments. The third closet has 6 drawers to store other things in. There is also a cabin safe with a keypad to enter your own code, an interactive TV which we used for the music and seeing some of the old time comedy shows while getting ready for dinner or bed. You can also use the interactive TV for access to your shipboard account, book excursions, order room service, pay-per-view movies (also, newly released movie videos - no charge, dresser/desk with chair, small glass coffee table, plenty of mirrors in front of the desk and the wall the bed is on. The light wood panel tones were the same we have seen on most of the Celebrity ships. Also each night stand has it&#39;s own table lamp for night reading. The bathroom is perfectly sized for the room. If you bring any beer or wine onto the ship just ask your cabin steward to open the refrigerator under the TV. Then stow your wine or beer in the fridge. If you remove and keep / use any of the items they will be charged to your shipboard account at the end of the cruise. Just tell the cabin steward you are doing this so he will know not to replace missing items. We opened the fridge about two times during the cruise. <br /><br />We had tried to get a balcony cabin this time but they were all sold out when my wife booked the cruise while on the Zenith on the Bermuda run in the summer. The cruise sold out about a month before sailing. This was our 18th cruise or so cruise with Celebrity. We have booked and split about half the time between inside and outside cabins. The only room preference is that we are on the ship. The cabin was in a great location for both of us. Just up three decks to the Oasis for breakfast, lunch or the pool. Down two for the dining room. We both like to walk a bit more on the ship when we can. This could be the fewest times we have used the elevators on a cruise. One time. And it was the wife this time. Barbara used it with Hank when coming back onto the ship in Jamaica on day. From level 2 to level 8. Yes. This would have been a lot of steps. The location we had got us to walk up and down the stairs a lot of times. Being right next to the central stair case. The Casino was right below our room so after dinner it was not a long walk to pick up Barbara&#39;s quarters for the slots. I have only one type of luck in the Casino - Bad. Plus I work in computers and understand the odds on the slots and most games. So I don&#39;t play that much. The library is also located just off the central staircase on deck 8. We used this to cut through to the main staircase for the grand foyer of the ship. Quick way to the shops, main lobby or the theater. The card room is just opposite the library on deck 8 also. Some days both the library and the card room were very busy other days not.<br /><br />Dining Room: The Orion Restaurant like all the Celebrity and Century level ships is spectacular. Soft lines and the flowing stairway to the upper level was picture perfect. There is plenty of space between tables for the passengers to move along with the wait staff. We were on second seating dinner at table 530 in the main level. Just midway between the bottom of the main staircase and the Captains table. Over to the starboard side of the ship. This was set as a table for four. We sat with Pam and Malcolm from Canada. We had met them on deck during the day as we walked about the ship. We had a great time with them. They could be found sampling the splendid Martini&#39;s prepared and served off the Martini bar just outside the main floor of the dining room. We were invited to dine with Captain Petridis on the first formal night. He was very entertaining. I think he is one of the youngest Captains, if not the youngest, in the fleet. Why us? This was my wife&#39;s Barbara&#39;s 18th or somewhere near to that number cruise with Celebrity. Me I&#39;m just a piker along for the ride at 16. Barbara sat next to the Captain and found out he was single. Then pitched the thought of meeting a young lady from New Jersey. Our daughter. Mom will do just about anything to get to cruise. Tom and Judy Carroll from Texas sat across from us at dinner this night. A fun night with the Captain. The best time we have had eating at the Captains table. We were also picked because the Social Hostess saw me walking through the main lobby of the ship the first day we came on the ship. Miss Melanie Mowat. And she remembered me from our cruise last February. <br /><br />I chalk this up to the great memory all Celebrity employees have. As for me making any kind of impression on the cruise staff. Heaven forbid. ;) And as always the with staff were splendid. We always had our Ice Tea on the table every night just after we would sit down. By the end of the cruise I was letting the waiter bring me whatever he thought I would like. Never made one mistake. Also being Celebrity Elite members - one of the perks so to speak - you are allowed to invite or have a ships officer dine with you. Well the Captains Club hostess and just about anyone you interact with is considered an officer. So I invited Melanie and the future cruise sales person Laura to dinner on a night of their choosing. This ended up as the night we left the Cayman Islands. Another night of fun with two of the lovely young ladies Celebrity seems to have on every ship. Both charming and gracious. I have found being an Elite member does have a big plus side to it. Getting to have special guests to dinner and making new friends on the ship. There were a lot of people missing from our area of the dining room. There was probably an overflow of people on the first seating dinner. I got up early a few times and had breakfast in the dining room and Barbara and I went to open seating in the dining room for lunch three times. This is where I would give Celebrity a less than stellar grade on menu items. Twice - we loved it. The food was always great. One time was not so great as we did not find anything we liked on the menu. At that point we should have went upstairs. But we were seated in at a nice table at the rail overlooking the main restaurant floor and the windows out the back. So we stayed. Maybe next time we will look at the menu before we enter. There are some items you can only get in the dining room as opposed to the buffet area - Eggs Benedict, V8 juice, and a few others. One of the nice things is to just go. Sit and be waited on. Relax again a little more. Your on vacation.  <br /><br />I&#39;ll go through the public areas of the ship now to tell what I found they were used for on this trip.  <br /><br />Central Foyer areas: This includes the ship services on deck 5 and goes up to deck 8. Deck 5 is where you will find all the ship services areas. The reception desk, Shore Excursion, Bank, shopping guide information, concierge desk, future cruise sales - Laura - and the Captains Club Hostess desk - Melanie Mowat. We did have a golf tourney a few days in the lobby area with Zsolt the Sports coordinator on the ship. This was for our Ryder cup golf putting. A lot of fun to putt the ball around on 50 to 70 feet of carpet - most times when we were at sea. The first day we were really rolling a bit. Hey how did I end up under the couch. There were about 20 of the faithful playing each time. One of the ladies actually got a hole in on a rolling sea day. Great shot. Deck 6 off the central staircase is the Cova Cafe Milano. As with all Celebrity ships this is a nice area to sit and watch the people go by. They had some tasty baked treats - you could only get there served every day. Right across from there was the Michaels club. They had some of the specialty wine tasting and art auction run by Jane. I popped in one day at the wine tasting while Malcolm and Pam were there. This was where they got to try six white and six red wines. Not a bad way to spend a hour or two. I also happened by just after the Champagne art auction run by Jane near the end of the cruise. They needed someone to help them dispose of the extra champagne and snacks they had left there. Someone&#39;s got to volunteer for these tough jobs. Just moving forward from deck 6 on the starboard side is the On-Line computer center where there were classes given on how to make your digital pictures better. Across from here was the Cinema. Anyone up for a first run movie. Large area that would have easily seated 200 people. Large comfy chairs. Up on deck 7 is the shopping areas. There are a few distinct areas in the shopping area. The one I went into most was the place where the duty free liquor was on sale. And I get to look and dream. Rum...Rum...Rum.... Wake up&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; Darn. They had most of the major brand names here and from what I could tell the prices were just about what you could buy on the islands - without the hassle and carrying back to the ship. Be aware anything bought here is sent to your room on the last day of the trip. <br /><br />They do not carry the local brands of liquor in the shop so you may want to watch and buy them in the islands where you stop. There were also other things here you may have not brought from home and needed. Tylenol, film, swim goggles, and a lot of other things. The other shop areas are divided into clothes, jewelry, perfume, statues. All good prices from what my wife tells me. They also had sales running just about every day in this area during the week. One sale was on &#036;10 watches, one on clothes, another for gold by the inch, and a few others. All of the sale information is sent to your cabin by the staff in your daily program to watch out for. We had a &#036;200 plus room credit - but that disappeared when the wife saw a nice pair of pearl earrings and a double heart gold pendent with three diamond chips. So much for me using that credit. The last area off main staircase is deck 8. The starboard side is the card room and the port side is the library. Both nice places to hide and read. The Library has daily quizzes and crosswords you can get. They have not yet gotten Suduko - the number puzzle game. The game room has decks of cards and a few board games you may want to use. You can borrow and return them when done. Barbara brought her Rummy-O tile game. This is a gin rummy type game where you have tiles and try to be the first person to get all you tiles down in combinations. I won the first two games of this. But lost the next 9. Our waiter saw us playing it one day up at the lunch buffet. He and a few of the other waiters were commenting there is a similar game at home they have. I suggested we give them the game, as I was having no luck playing it, and Barbara agreed. With my bad luck aspect as she was reveling in spanking me every time we played and giving it to our waiter as a small gift. Onto a few more of the public areas. <br /><br />The Savoy lounge located in the Aft Section of deck 7. This is where we had our cruise critic meet in the group. There were 50 plus registered for the party. And about 40 plus actually showed up. Our host was the cruise director. We all talked a bit and he answered some questions we all had. This room also is where the &quot;Battle of the Sexes Trivia&quot; contest was held. I was the captain of the men&#39;s team. We would play every sea day here. We had about 25 men and 30 women playing each time we met. Made for a lot of fun between the teams. There were also the cooking demonstrations here as part of the Celebrity Enrichment program. This was also where they held some of the private parties for the Captains club members. Just outside the Savoy lounge moving forward is the Art auction area. You can view all the work on display and for auction on the cruise. There is artwork place in a few different areas about the ship. Not just in this one place. The art auctions are run by Jane Lodge. A friendly young lady from the UK. I had met Jane on the Zenith in 2004. She was then part of the cruise staff. Has since moved positions within Celebrity. And she remembered me. Hmmm... There&#39;s a trend forming here. If you caught Jane without her raffle tickets you get a free piece of art work - a small reproduction. As you move forward again into the next area you would walk into the Casino. The land of the lost money. For me at least. Barbara plays the video slots when we cruise and does well enough to break even most times. Me - if it were not for bad luck. I&#39;d have no luck at all. This is where I should just go in and give them the money and be done with it. I just stroll around and watch the black jack players and the craps table. I&#39;m still in the learning stages of this. <br /><br />Celebrity does have short classes on the TV for the casino games. But I still was not sure about how you could bet and the odds. I did get a little help on afternoon from one of my ship friends and the dealers working the table - when no one was there. There is so much activity going on when the dice are flying it is hard for me to follow the complete table and what is being bet and why. Maybe the next trip I will catch on and understand better. For now I just stand back a few feet and watch. All the people who work in the casino are willing to help you learn to play the games a bit better. One of the best things I do get from being in the Captains club is coupons for &#036;5 match play at selected games and getting &#036;12 for the slots for &#036;10. I also use the casino as my ATM machine. You are allowed to get up to &#036;2000 each day from here. I use this service to get my &#036; for the tips for the trip. It&#39;s easier than carrying any form of money. And it goes as a ship board charge on you credit card. Not a cash advance. There are plenty of slots to play along with the standard table games. They have not yet put in the Texas Hold&#39;em table(s). As I feel there would be too much of a range for players here. Going forward as you exit the casino are the shops. Then just past the shops forward is the Celebrity Theater. We are into the shows. Being we have been on a lot of cruises. But the theater is great. And they always look great. The chairs are way too comfortable. We just went in to see the welcome aboard show. <br /><br />And took one of the dance lessons offered while on the trip. They offered 5 free dance classes. But after the first one with Barbara. We both decided we have four left feet in the family and no rhythm. At dancing. The classes are hosted by the dance teams choreographer. There were about 35 couples who attended the first lesson. We missed out on the comedy acts they had on the ship. But meeting the dancers and performers about the ship is very nice. <br /><br />On deck 5 just outside the restaurant is the Champagne bar. Our cruise table mates Malcolm and Pam used this area to wait in before dinner. They sampled some of the special Martini&#39;s that were listed on the Celebrity drink menu. We were told - none disappointed them. Just above this area is the Orion foyer. A long stairway connects these two areas. The foyer area is used as extra seating for the Champagne bar. You can hear some of the music from the piano playing below or the nightly dancing music from the Rendezvous lounge. We would walk down for dinner through this lounge area to enjoy some of the music and if early sit for a few minutes. The waiters were always attentive asking if we would like anything to order off the drink menu. Back to deck 6 just forward of the Orion foyer is the Rendezvous lounge. This is where we had most of our games on the ship. Taboo, Scatagories, Outburst and Pictonary. We would usually get at least 10 people at all the games. Sometimes we had groups of 30 or more where we broke into large teams to play. These were run by Halsey, Laura and Kevin of the cruise staff. Lots of good guessing and fun with the other passengers here. This room - with the correct lighting effects transforms at night to a dance club. The Black and White Duo performed here most nights. As you would exit this area to go forward there is the photography display area on both sides of the ship. They would be open at selected times when the ship was at sea. Those special pictures the ships photography staff would take of you about the ship and in the port area. They also had some great pictures of the Galaxy and the public rooms about the ship. <br /><br />Going up to Deck 9 in the aft section of the ship is the Ship Mates Fun Factory. This is where the younger cruisers have their own area. The room area has a lot of toys and games for the young kids along with a slide, ball pit and a pool outside for them. The area is secure and only the parents or someone designated can remove a child from this area once they are in. There is a full staff on the ship to help the younger cruisers enjoy their time at sea. There were only 10 children on this cruise. One being from our Cruise Critic group. I only saw them about the ship one time while they were playing a search for information game. <br /><br />Up on deck 11 - the Resort deck are the pools, health club, grill, Oasis buffet area. Starting from the bow - front of the ship is the Aqua spa area. This contains the well used gym workout area. They have about 10 walking machines for daily use and about ten or so Universal workout machines. They also have some Elliptical trainers and lots of bikes for your use. There is a small free weight area also. But due to the times the ship may bounce about this is limited to just hand weights. The most used time of the day here is the early am from 7 till about 9. The Aqua spa staff does have free classes and some they charge for. There is a large wide open workout area for the classes they give. You can also have the trainer help you keep you on your workout schedule. One of the most unused areas here is the Thalassotherapy pool. I call it the T pool. This is the bubble pool where you can lie on a bed of stainless steel bars and there are soft bubble jets coming from them. A great way to relax. Barbara and I used this twice. Both times no one else was around. The T pool also has some other type of water jets you can use to relax from. An overhead water spout you could use to massage you neck and shoulders. The rest of the Aqua spa area is for the massage rooms and the other beauty salon services. Some of these are hair, nail, seaweed wrap, mud bath, aroma therapy and a lot of other exotic things. <br /><br />As you leave this area going to amid ship you would walk into the pool area. This is the pool well as I call it. Here there are two pools to use. They are salt water but with chlorine in it to keep the water pure. The water temperature was cold the first day of the cruise but was warmer all the other days. One of the pools is about 50 feet long by 20 feet wide. It is also quite deep - more of an adult pool. I used this to swim in every day. When you get here about 8:00am there is no one in this bigger pool most days. There is a smaller pool here also. About 30 feet by 20 feet and a lot shallower. We had the pool games here. King of the Ship, passengers vs the crew water volleyball, and the passengers relay contest. No pillow pool contest as the pipe they used was broken. Please replace this as I&#39;ll be back next February. Nice area as you can watch all the going&#39;s on from you comfortable pool lounger or above at the rail looking down into this area. The pool area has a shaded overhang on both sides so you can be in the open and not is the sun. Getting the ship breezes to lay back and read that book you were trying to finish. The area has all glass windows enclosing it. So you can look out at the ocean as you cruise along. There are also four hot tubs in the pool area. Their temperatures varied a little bit to give you a choice. I would use them to relax in after I finished my morning workout. There is also a fresh water rinse shower here to get any salt off you. There is an open deck area here that is used for some of the dance nights on deck and the dry games they had while on board. Next to the dance deck floor area is a raised band stand area the house bad would come out and play on during the afternoon. <br /><br />The grill is located here also on the starboard side of the ship. They opened about 11:00am and closed about 7:00pm every day. Hot Dogs, hamburgers, fries, some salads and all the fresh fixings you would need. Just what we needed another food station. :) To the port side of the ship is a drink station you could get lemonade, ice tea, coffee, and other types of drinks all day and into the night. To top off you pool enjoyment at 2:00pm they would have the sorbet parade. The wait staff would bring cold delicious sorbet around to you at the pool. Can you pamper me some more. And to tell it like it was. There were not many - under 6 from what I could tell - Chair Hogs. Those people who place their belongings on a chair but never return to use it. But their numbers were so few - it never mattered.   As you move to the aft - back section of the ship now you would walk past the ships center stairwell and into the Oasis restaurant area. This was the most used food area on the ship. They started serving at 7:00am and would barley close then open for the next round of food presentation. <br />In the morning they would have four areas open here to get you breakfast when you wanted it without much of a wait. There were also two areas here that you could use to have specialty egg orders filled. Get the omelet you have been waiting for. I would order from here just about every day. They had about twenty different types of fixings you could request be added into the omelet. Cooked to order. The buffet line has a good selection of fresh fruits and the normal food selections, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hot cereal, and the french toast. Great morning treat. Have it with a little honey over the top. To die for. There was also a spot where you could get just about any type of toast or muffin. And there was a large cold cereal selection here. They also had two stations here where you could get a morning pastry or some of the fresh baked rolls and popovers - as I call them. The Oasis was much the same for lunch but one of the stations was transformed into a place where you could get your own specialty sandwich made. The lunch selections up here were right on the money every day I stopped by. About four or five cold salad selections. One was a seafood salad with baby shrimp, muscles, and diced calamari in a vinegar and oil dressing. That hit the spot. Went back for seconds on this. Yum. There are also ten hot lunch selections to try each day. <br /><br />And at the end of the line a large selection of deserts. I swear that chocolate cake was calling my name every time I went by. The area where they had the omelet station in the am transformed into the ice cream bar for lunch and beyond. They had the standard flavors here each day with a lot of toppings. I usually like Rum Raisin only. And would stop by and ask for it each day. One day they had it and I want back for more. The last two areas they used this for was first the Alternative dining after 6:00pm each night. You could call ahead and come for dress down dinner. There is a limited menu I&#39;m told and the selections repeat themselves every four days or so. But a nice place to have dinner if your late for your early dinner or just want to come as you are for dinner. The second and my favorite is the Sushi bar. They opened at 6:00pm and closed at 10:00pm. We stopped by here every night of the cruise. Great selections. The staff were very friendly and would make something special for you if you asked. We would get our sushi every night and play a few hands of gin rummy or a game of Rummy-O while enjoying the food. <br /><br />When I did pry myself away from this area in the am or around lunch time and walk to the back of the ship I would hit the Oasis pool. This is a small pool area to cool yourself off in. The area is covered by a moveable canopy of frosted glass to cut down on the suns rays. They had a grill here also. This grill opened at about 7:00am every day and closed... I don&#39;t know when. In the morning they would make you waffles or pancakes as you showed up. With plenty of toping choices. For lunch this area would be converted into the pizza and pasta station. You could get your daily pasta fix here topped with some of the five different sauces they had. You could also have you own pizza made to order here with over 20 toppings you could request. The three standard types I tries were all good. They stayed open to the wee hours of the morning. So if you got done dancing late you could stop by for a quick slice. There was also a bar in this area and they prepared the drinks of the day. They have these available just after 5 pm or so. Some of them at 2 for one pricing. <br /><br />The last area on this deck is the very aft section just outside the Oasis pool area. A nice area to sit out in and enjoy the end of the day with a nice drink or greet the day with breakfast outside.  Up to deck 12 the Running / Jogging / Walking track amid ship: A good place to stretch the legs out on those calm sea days. This place is for everyone. There are about 12 plus laps here to a mile. But this may not be quite correct. But your on vacation - so who cares. I would run up here about 7:00am daily when we were at sea. Done by about 7:20am or so. The walkers are out in force by about 7:30 am so be ready to dodge about a bit after that. I also like to reverse run some days. This because of the curves and stress on my knees. But if I time it right there is no problem doing this. This area is deserted after 5:00pm and if you want to walk around a bit can do so them. Barbara would walk a bit in the late afternoon to work on an appetite for sushi. There was a steady group of walkers out here every morning. On the port early days I would be the first off the ship run on land while the temperature was not unbearable. <br /><br />We came from the north in 30 degree weather to the south into 80 plus and humidity. So you have to be careful where to pick and choose your spots to do this. I ran on land in Mexico, Costa Rico, Jamaica. Sweated a lot on land in Panama and the Cayman Islands. At the aft section of the ship are the two basketball courts you could use for playing and the volleyball courts. Under the overhang was the table tennis areas. And on the starboard side the dart board. Zsolt the sports coordinator ran all the games up here. I was lucky at darts a few time. And terrible at basketball and table tennis. But it&#39;s all in fun. The forward section of this deck is the Stratosphere lounge. They held some of the theme night dances hosted by the cruise staff. They also had a running feed from the satellite on ESPN here. Just wish I could have turned up the sound. We had our final Battle of the Sexes trivia contest up here. The men&#39;s team won the overall by about 16 points. But we lost the final question and the women won the day. Darn. We had a great time doing this with Mike on all the sea days. This was fun as it drew in a wide range of passengers to play. <br /><br />The last upper deck area is deck 13. The forward area is for looking out way over the horizon to see other ships and land masses as you pass by. A nice spot for full quiet as there are some lounge chairs up here and it&#39;s way off the beaten path of most of the passengers. Get your tan in private and quietly. The Golf simulator was on the aft section of this deck. You could meet the onboard golf pro for lessons or sign up to play in one of the contests they had on ship.  <br /><br />Staff: <br /><br />*Our cabin steward Mayanna was excellent. It was like she was a ghost. I saw the cart about during the day but only bumped into her in the room one time. This was as we were making a quick transition to go ashore one time. I&#39;m up early and Barbara is a late riser. So we did not give a lot of time in the AM to get the room clean. But clean they did. And when we came back it was spotless. Even with the mess we leave after showers at night. Fresh towels and a spotless bathroom. They even resupplied my soft side cooler to keep my beer cold. They opened the small fridge - but we only looked in it two times. As we come to expect - great cleaning service.<br /><br />*Dining room wait staff -waiter, assistant waiter, head waiter - Excellent. We saw the area Mater&#39;d each night as we entered the main dining room. We were invited and sat at the Captains table the first formal night. The head Mater&#39;d waited on us along with a few of the other staff. Our table waiter worked tirelessly for our group of four. Getting everything exactly right one time. Those 4 Lobster tails that I had the last formal night just capped off the trip. What a way to feel famous. Just ask and they bring it. I think we only double ordered one or two other meals the whole trip - where Barbara and I split another dinner. We are not wine drinkers so the wine steward was not around at all. Malcolm and Pam had their drinks brought into the main dining room by the wait staff in the lounge. Another nice extra Celebrity provided. On the first night we requested ice tea for the both of us. And the assistant waiter had them there every night as we would sit down. The waiter got so good on food recommends I would just let him pick out what he thought I would like off the menu the last few days. Great food and great service every dinner time in the main restaurant.<br /><br />Passengers: This was a 12 day cruise going into the Panama Canal then back out. There were only 10 kids on the trip - from what I was told. This was an older crowd. We had a good group of game players on the ship and good groups just about every time we had a game to play. The average age was about mid 50&#39;s or so from what I could see. As usual I had a great time with this friendly group of passengers. Sometimes you just have to listen to pick up that great bit of information from someone who has been or done something out of the norm. Or maybe done something you may never would have thought doing. The long time Celebrity cruiser was on the first seating dinner with somewhere around 22 cruises. Barbara was the top cruiser on the second seating dinner with somewhere 16 or 18. I just lost count. I know I&#39;m two celebrity cruises behind her. And she has three weeks more at sea than I do.<br /><br />Cruise Staff: Halsey, Laura, Mike, Kevin and Zsolt. Another great cruise staff on a Celebrity ship. Willing to put up with some of the interesting things I would do. Allowing me to volunteer to be the first to go in the games we played. Laughing here. My cruise fun is in playing the games on the ship and interacting with the staff and my fellow passengers. <br /><br />Disembarkation: The Galaxy docked in Galveston right on time. We waited up in the - mostly empty - Michael&#39;s club. About 8:30am I went to the main theatre and asked Mike if we could leave. He said yes. And asked why I was not being escorted off earlier. Kidding here. I thanked him for having a great time on the trip with him. Off we went along with Hank and Marsha our North Carolina friends. Getting the luggage was not a major problem. We were missing on piece of luggage - par for us. But found it quickly. We struggled a bit getting in line for the pass through customs. We have the clips but have not mastered clipping a few of the pieces of luggage together yet. So we would move forward a few feet at a time. Then struggled through customs. The only thing Barbara declared is where do you toss the broken husbands. Noted observation while getting luggage and in line is the ships hotel staff are downstairs here making sure everyone gets their luggage and there are no hold up&#39;s for the people leaving the ship. They work hard for you coming and going. Our flight was booked through Celebrity air and was from GBI airport in Houston. This is about a an hour plus drive back. We dropped the luggage with the bus driver and climbed aboard. <br /><br />We waited about 20 minutes more for - who knows what - the bus to leave. At this point you are at the mercy of the group operating the busses to the airport - not Celebrity. We had air reservations out of Houston on Continental at 1:20pm for our direct flight home. We did not have to rush around now. We had the Concierge at Celebrity print up our Continental boarding passes the day before. So we went to the auto check in and went through this procedure. Not bad. It only took two tries with the computer to get it right. After we had the luggage tagged we dropped it off with the TSA people to scan and send it to the plane. All told it took about 15 minutes to do this. Then find the right gate to go to and take the tram to it. The plane was there right on time but waited to take off a few extra minutes. The flight time was right on schedule and we arrived just a few minutes late to the gate. Back out through Newark - it seems we get the longest gate to walk from to the luggage area. Picked up by Barbara&#39;s sister and her husband Tony. No problems. Back home to the master of the house - the dog Morgan. And he was happy to see us. <br /><br />Ship Impressions: This ship is in great shape. It is going in for a refit in a few months. There are some tell tale signs of wear in the pool area. But that is to be expected. Just the right size and layout to move about in. We had a great cabin location - as usual through our great Travel Agent Deb. The central atrium area has a lovely picture there and it moves to reveal 8 large screen TV&#39;s that would show anything they had on the satellite at that time. The ship sounds did not carry up into the top area like some larger ship do. I guess we come to like the Celebrity fleet more and more as we travel on their ships. I also liked how the public areas were slightly separated for noise containment. The color scheme was very soothing to the eye. No harsh colors. <br /><br />Trip: We liked the extra days at sea, so this trip was just right where you had five sea days and six port days. Well spaced apart. Followed by the 5 islands, and then 2 more sea days before the return home. <br /><br />The Panama Canal is spectacular. Your in the canal area in the dark and start your transit into the Canal in the early am. You could not find a space on the rail by 6:00am. Watching the Mules move the ship up theough the locks into the lake. The ship move up levels. Then the large doors open into the next area. There was about 2 foot clearence on each side of the ship. Watch the sun come up to the south and beautiful red sky over the canal area. Get your coffee early and don&#39;t miss out. You may not come by here again. They are going to vote in Panama soon on making another set of locks near the original ones. This would handle larger sized ships. Currently the canal can only handle ships 108 feet wide and about 1000 foot long. Large by the standards of 1910 when they were laying out the size to build. Buy not large enough by todays standards. Still a spectacular sight and a marvel in engineering.  <br /><br />I hope this covered a lot of ground on what we did on the trip. We have already booked our next Celebrity trip - February 2, 2007 out of Puerto Rico - to the south. Keep planning - Keep Cruising....  With Celebrity.  <br /><br />Thomas Treimel',1170958665,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',2449,'longboysfan',1,146,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(74,173,'11/18/03','We feel that the Horizon was an excellent cruise experience and we give it a 9.6 on a scale of 10.','Eastern Caribbean (11 Nights) from Tampa, Florida<br />Sailing Date: November 18 2003<br />Ports of Call: Nassau, San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Martin, Tortola, Key West <br /><br />This was our 10th cruise with Celebrity. Our 40th cruise overall. <br /><br />The m/v Horizon is a cozy, almost intimate ship compared to today&#39;s mega-ships. Although she is showing her age in places and scheduled for a major refurbishment in 2004, the ship is overall in very good shape. Here are our impressions: <br /><br />Embarking/Disembarking<br />Check in was a breeze, although we arrived a little earlier than we should have. We arrived via Bay Area Van from our hotel which was located near the Tampa Airport (&#036;8.00 pp) at about 11:45 AM. There were plenty of porters on hand to handle luggage. Doors upstairs had not yet opened and quite a line had formed. However the doors were opened shortly after our arrival and from that point all moved quickly for Captain?s Club Members. We were boarding the ship at 12:15PM. Disembarking seemed to move much better than past experiences. They have changed their disembarkation procedures since our last cruise on this ship in April. Everyone is assigned to a public area to wait; however you do not have to leave you room until 9:00AM, which made for a very relaxed breakfast in the dining room and a no rush trip back to our stateroom to pick up our hand luggage. We were in the second group called for disembarkation and were off the ship and had our luggage and cleared customs by 9:15AM. <br /><br />Stateroom<br />We had an ocean view stateroom #4066 on deck 4 (Florida Deck). The room was clean and well kept. The stateroom steward did a fine job. It almost seemed as if he had ESP and knew when we came and went. We never ran out of towels and always had ample ice &amp; water. We were missing one robe upon arrival and our life jackets indicated two different Muster Stations, both of these items were corrected quickly. The staterooms are nice size (about 160 sq ft) and have more than enough storage space for clothes for 12 days. We actually had a couple unused drawers&#33; <br /><br />Food <br />The Starlight Restaurant is the main dining room. There is also the Coral Seas Caf? &amp; The Grill. We ate all evening meals, except for our day in San Juan, in the Starlight. The quality and variety of food was excellent. The beef dishes were all superb. The lobster was excellent. Overall, the food was the best we can recall on recent cruises. Desserts and breads to me, were great. We did the Alternative Dining option while in San Juan because we did not want to rush back to the ship for our early dining room seating. We ate most breakfasts &amp; lunches in either the Coral Seas or Grill. Breakfast was very good, especially the omelet bar. Lunch was generally quite nice with cooked to order pastas, the hot dogs &amp; burgers from the Grill were also very good. Cafe service was first class and there were also ample waiters to assist those with carrying trays in the buffet line. My only negative comment is the chairs in the dining room are not very comfortable. The bench seats are more comfortable, but for petite folks, like my wife, you end up a little far from the table, for my 6?3? frame they were perfect. <br /><br />Shows <br />There were the usual mix of musical revues and guest entertainers. We enjoy musical production shows and the three presented during the trip were excellent. The guest entertainers were all quite good.. They also had the usual audience participation shows (newlywed game, karaoke, etc). The main show lounge had good sight lines from both lower &amp; upper levels and the seats were comfortable. Seats tended to fill up early for the Main Seating (Early) folks. Shows for Late Seating folks were less crowded. <br /><br /><br />Entertainment <br />The Cruise Director, Chris Moody, and his staff worked really hard and were very friendly &amp; pleasant. The party band (Exodus) was very good. Their music was very good, and they could play anything from country to rock to Caribbean. We enjoyed the Class Action Duo in the Rendezvous Lounge. About mid-way through the cruise we discovered that they too are from Las Vegas and live about 2 miles from our home. We also enjoyed the Polonaise Duo who appeared late nights in the America?s Cup Club. The casino was not as big as on other ships, but it never appeared too crowded. As Las Vegas residents this area had little appeal for us. <br />Bars<br />The Americas Cup lounge offers a great view and was also never crowded. We enjoyed a nice, quiet card game up there one afternoon. The Cova Cafe &amp; Rendezvous Lounge were the main gathering places. The Cova Caf? is very comfortable and they serve the themed coffee (Irish, Italian, Aspen, etc.) that used to be served in the dining rooms aboard Celebrity ships. Bar service was very good. The Zodiac Dance club was also small, and this is where the DJ did his thing. Did not spend any time there. <br /><br />Other<br />The pool area was nice. The ?Bubble Pool? seemed to get a lot of use. The exercise room was more than adequate for the amount of use it got. Even though there were only a handful of stations for internet access, they did not seem to be overused. This probably had something to do with the .50 per minute charge. We used an Internet Caf? in St. Martin to catch up on our emails and communicate for the family back home. The gift shops were well stocked and stayed open generally past 11 pm. The photographers were around the ship but never intrusive. Announcements over the ships intercom were kept at a minimum, and you can turn them on or off in your stateroom. <br /><br />We dined with Captain Panagiotis Skylogiannis on the last of three formal nights. At 37 years old he is the youngest Captain in the Celebrity fleet. He has been with Celebrity for 16 years and a Captain for 3 years. He is a very entertaining dining companion. <br /><br />We were also among the 35 or so passengers invited to a private ?High Tea? on one of our sea days. As great fans of tea, scones and clotted cream we had a fine time. <br /><br />Celebrity is now using a different, alternative way to handle tips. You may charge all tips to your on-board account and specify the daily amount for each person. This is an ?opt-in? system not automatic as on some ships like Princess. You have until quite late in the cruise to make this decision. We used it and were very pleased with it. Vouchers were delivered to our Stateroom the last sea day for distribution to the staff the final evening. We like this change very much. <br /><br />Ports of Call<br />Since we have visited all of these ports of call many times we did not take any excursions, simply went to our favorite spots and shops and enjoyed ourselves on our own. St. Martin shops were open even though we were there on a Sunday, as were the shops in Key West on Thanksgiving Day. <br /><br />Overall<br />We feel that the Horizon was an excellent cruise experience and we give it a 9.6 on a scale of 10.',1170959263,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',920,'The Skipper',1,36,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(75,173,'12/29/03','Would we chose to cruise on this ship again--no, unless it choose us again? Of course, we have yet to repeat on any ship. Just too many out there.','A very short review of our Horizon cruise. We choose this ship and cruise because it was only one of two that offered a greater than 7 day cruise for New Years. Actually the cruise chose us. It was a shorter drive to Tampa then to Ft Lauderdale. <br /><br />Was it a bad cruise? No, there is no bad cruises. Even the Titanic was probably a good cruise up to the moment it sunk. Was it a great cruise? Probably not except that it allowed Rita and I a temporary escape from all the rigors of life. This was the first time I have been away from my daughters and grand-kids for two weeks. That was the hardest part, what if they needed dad/grandad and stepmom/grandma for something? Well, they got along just fine&#33; I am just a natural born worrywart&#33; <br /><br />We had a great time on maybe a not so great ship--in our opinion only. Having cruised on five HAL ships with approximately the same passenger count, we just didn&#39;t like the arrangement of things. No aft outdoor pool, no &quot;real&quot; hot tubs, and no Ocean Bar. The lounge chairs on the lower level where reserved for life. We just do not get up early enough, nor care to. The only times we had a wake-up call was in PR to present ourselves for a mandatory US Immigration inspection and for disembarkation on the last day. The PR inspection was a fiasco as the officer did not show up when scheduled. A lot of excursions had to be canceled for lack of enough time. According to some of the Horizon staff this happened all the time. Our schedule the rest of our days was to sleep late and stay up late&#33; We danced at the Zodiac most evenings and then made our donations to the casino before retiring, usually around 2:00 a.m. <br /><br />We were late diners and had a table for eight against the wall in one of the &quot;wings.&quot; The ladies complained about being cold because the return air was over our table. No one seemed to know what to do until the final 3 evenings when they took our suggestions and arranged another table. We had great table mates and enjoyed the conversation all eleven nights on board. They were the highlight of our cruise. We could not have asked for better. A couple from Florida who live not to far from our timeshare. We plan on meeting them for diner one night in May. Another couple from Colorado, who we will try to get together with on their next trip to St. Louis. We also shared our table with a mum and her daughter from England. They all seemed like family&#33; We miss them&#33; <br /><br />Now for the food--in our opinion it was all very good. We especially liked the variety for the lunch buffet in the Coral Seas Cafe. We only made the full breakfast buffet once and it had a good variety, as well. We like the idea of the light breakfast buffet which went until noon. That&#39;s the one we made. It filled our needs. We never had lunch in the dining room, however, we did have breakfast in the dining room on our two early days. The service and food for our late dining in the Starlight Restaurant was very good. Our Waiter was somewhat of an amateur magician and he entertained us all nights. The assistant waiter was vert attentive and knew after the first night who wanted tea or extra breadsticks, etc. He always had a big smile on his face. They worked very well as a team and served us well. <br /><br />Our cabin--very nice, although we did miss having a couch. Plenty storage space was available for all our stuff. This was the first time we were this high up, on the ninth deck. Very convenient, one deck down to the casino, probably to convenient. Two decks down to the Martini Bar and to the Starlight for diner and two decks up to the Coral Seas. We had an obstructed view cabin. A lifeboat blocked some of our view but not all of it. I think we will look for this type cabin on future cruises. It was better then our usual steerage cabins. Our cabin steward did a good job and quickly learned our schedule. We tipped him a little extra because of our schedule. He was from India and had a very beaming personality. <br /><br />Entertainment--fair at the best. The Broadway type shows were old hat. The juggler/comedian was a legend in his own mind. The piano entertainer was just not our cup of tea. The international vocalist, Jack Walter, was in one word--outstanding. We did not catch his performance, however his rendition of Auld Lang Syne at midnight Jan 1, 2004 was the best we have ever heard&#33; I had on my battery operated flashing lights bow tie and Rita had on her flashing light necklace for the New Year celebration at the outdoor bandstand. The comedian, Beni Mason was very good. We especially liked his joke about the 90 year old Jewish widower who&#39;s family sent him a lady of the night for his birthday. When he answered the door he asked her what she wanted and she said she was there to give him super sex. He thought for a moment and said he would take soup. <br /><br /><br />Lounges--some good some not so good. The Martini Bar was good for a pre-diner drink. The two servers had outgoing personalities and gave the place life. Watching them shakin&#39; and a dancin&#39; with the Martini shakers was a favorite of Rita. The specially Martinis at &#036;7.95 plus 15% gratuity was a little excessive, however. Also, the seating was very limited and the bar very small. The Rendez-Vous Lounge was located next to the Starlight and got very crowded just before diner. Why do people deem it necessary to stand in line for diner 15 to 20 minute before the doors are opened? Is there some kind of honor in getting in first? We attempted to do our pre-diner dancing there, however, it was just to crowded. Rita got stepped on one night by a couple who thought they could do ballroom dancing on a barroom dance floor. Not enough room. Use your head people&#33; She had a bruise on her leg and a run in her hose. I told the male that in my younger days I would have punched his lights out for being so stupid. A few days later we had breakfast with them and his mother. The couple that played the music was pretty good and would have been better served if they had been in the Zodiac away from the dining room. The dance floor there was larger and it had plenty of seating. Michael&#39;s Club--Very neat looking place that was mostly very empty, at least when we stopped by. It was once used as a cigar bar. Cova di Milano Wine Bar--Seemed like a waste of good space. Had a piano player want to be? America&#39;s Cup--Had NFL and college bowl games. Zodiac Club--was our favorite, however, just not enough live entertainment. The party band Exodus was very good, but they just did not play enough--in our opinion. <br />Ports, Nassau--went to the straw market and Senior Frogs. San Juan--should be skipped until immigration gets it&#39;s act together. That would have saved us some money that we lost at the Hotel casino. St. Thomas--did not dock at Havensight so we did not get off ship. Stayed on and got lounge chairs at the pool&#33; We do like St. Thomas but just decided we would wait for St. Maarten to shop for two of our grand daughters upcoming 13th birthday. St. Maarten--our favorite port. We found silver necklaces and bracelets for our grand daughters. Tortola--New port for us, not much to offer. Key West--shopped and had a beer and margarita at Sloppy Joe&#39;s. Met a 100 year old gentleman and his nurse from our ship. She told us another gentleman turned 100 on the ship. How amazing is that--two 100 year old men on our cruise&#33; <br /><br />Other observations--Photos, not good. We both wear glasses and the photographers did not know how to deal with them. All our photos had glare. Also, they set up in the most crowded part of the ship in the before mentioned Rendez-Vous Lounge. The photo prices were outrageous, especially considering the quality. Palladium Show Lounge was very well set up and all the seats unobstructed. They also showed full feature movies during the day and, of course, bingo. We skipped both. Our afternoons were spent on the top deck having umbrella drinks and sunning. Service--Very good in all areas. Bar service was probably to good. Also, I had a very nice birthday aboard ship. Rita made it special when she made the finals of the slot tournament and won me a high rollers shirts. It is probably the most expensive shirt I&#39;ve ever owned&#33; She also won the hula hoop contest the next evening at the Zodiac 50s &amp; 60s rock and roll dance. Embarkation and disembarkation--typical to other lines, maybe a little slower on embarkation. <br /><br />Pre and post cruise--We drove to Tampa, leaving on Saturday morning, 12/27/03. Our intentions was to make Lake City, FL by 6:00 PM. We ran into bumper to bumper traffic from Atlanta on. Did not arrive until 9:00. There was many accidents. The next day the traffic remained heavy until we hit 275 to Tampa. We stayed at the Hilton Westshore by the airport for &#036;130.00 per night. It included free parking for the length of our cruise. That saved us &#036;110.00 for pier parking. It cost us &#036;5.00 each for transfer to and from ship, so adding &#036;5.00 each way for tips, we figured the stay only cost us &#036;80.00. Not bad and Rita was happy to shop at the big mall near by. Our shuttle was waiting for us upon disembarking ship. We give the Hotel an A+++ We arrived back to the Hilton about 10:30 am on 1/9/04 and made it to Dalton, GA by 8:00 PM and to 27 degrees the next day. We made it home by 3:30 PM on the 10th. End of story, which now does not seem so short&#33; <br /><br />Would we chose to cruise on this ship again--no, unless it choose us again? Of course, we have yet to repeat on any ship. Just too many out there.',1170959332,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',139,'Keith & Rita',1,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(76,51,'12/5/04','This was a great cruise, but we didn?t have enough warm days out on deck.(this can be different at different times of the year, of course).  I?m glad I had the opportunity to sail across the Pacific at least once. It was quite an experience.','Our Background: We are a married couple, retired early, and we were traveling with my sister-in-law and her husband. This was cruise number 8 for us and number 2 for our friends. This was our 3rd cruise on Celebrity and our friends 2nd. Our ages range from the 40s to the 60s.   <br /><br /><br />Flight to San Diego: Our flight was arranged by Celebrity, and we had no problem with the flight to San Diego. We flew on Delta. We changed planes in Salt Lake City, Utah.   <br /><br />San Diego Stay: We stayed at the Sheraton Marina Hotel. We have stayed there before, and we were happy with the arrangements. We did think, though, that the rooms we had last time in the West tower were newer and nicer. The hotel was decorated for Christmas with a beautiful large tree and many other decorations. It was beautiful&#33;   <br /><br />When we arrived in San Diego on Friday evening, December 3rd, it was in the low 60s, and sunny. The very next day it turned chilly and it rained off and on all day. Saturday, we took the Trolly tour and rode theTrolly most of the day to places like, Old Town, the Gaslight district, Balboa Park and the Zoo area, Coronado hotel and beach area, etc. The Trolly is a great way to see San Diego. You can get on and off wherever you want and pick up the next one to continue the tour. We bought our tickets (&#036;20 pp for all day) at the hotel and got a ride to Seaport Village where we started our tour. My brother-in-law wanted to get off and shop at the last minute in the Gaslight district, and I felt bad because of the quick decision, I didn?t have time to tip the Trolley tour guide, but we did have her again at the end of the day, and we had a chance to talk to her. She was great, as were most of the others.   <br /><br />Embarkation: We had a transfer by bus from our hotel to the pier, and all went smoothly. They handled our luggage, and we got to the pier around 1:30 or 2 pm. The ship didn?t sail till 9 pm, but we were onboard within around a half-hour. Embarkation went very smooth. They had snacks available in the terminal, but embarkation went so fast that we didn?t have a chance to grab anything.   <br /><br />Once onboard, we were given the choice of champagne or orange juice and led to our room by a white-gloved steward. Nice touch Celebrity&#33;   <br /><br />The Ship: We had been on the Infinity once before, so we already knew our way around. The Infinity is a beautiful, very clean, well kept, and very classy ship. It carries around 2000 passengers, but it never really seems crowded. The ship has the usual night-clubs, bars, and theaters. The main show room, the Celebrity Theater, is two-story and has good site lines.    <br /><br />Infinity has a wonderful Aqua Spa, sauna, and a Thalassotherapy pool. I did not use any of these great amenities, but others said they were wonderful. There is no charge for the Thalassotherapy pool on the Infinity. There is also a very large gymnasium with a sea view for those who wish to work off the calories from all the good food. There is a very good size pool and whirlpool on resort deck. My husband says that there is a walking track, too, but there?s plenty of walking just from forward to aft on a ship this size. The ship was beautifully decorated for the holidays&#33;   <br /><br />Sail-Away Party: There were around 250 members of a large cruise board on this cruise, and we were invited to a sail-away party in the Penthouse Suite. Our hosts were wonderful people, and it was a great start to the cruise. We met many wonderful people on this cruise which helped to make it so special.   <br /><br />Our Room: We had a balcony guarantee which turned out to be room 8011 which was forward of the ship. There were only two other passenger rooms ahead of us. The room has plenty of drawer space and a good amount of closet space, but for me, on a 15 night cruise, I could have used a bit more closet space. There was room under the bed to store the suitcases. There was a glass table and a loveseat (which made into a bed) next to the balcony, and there was a dresser with mirror, also. The balcony had a small table and two chairs. We were happy with our room.   <br /><br />Room Steward: Our room steward, Wilbert, was excellent. We asked for extra washcloths and to raise the head of my bed a bit, and he did both. He always had the extra washcloths, and the room was kept spotless even though I liked to sleep in on sea days. Our ice bucket was always full and our water pitcher was always full. We were very pleased with our room steward.   <br /><br />Room Service: I only ordered room service once, but I had a nice chef salad brought to me by my own room steward. The salad actually had more meat and cheese on it than I needed.   <br /><br />The Weather: The first few days out of San Diego were a bit chilly, and we had some rough seas. The captain said we had the tail end of a storm. Marc, my husband, thought it was the typhoon from the Philippines. Not sure about that, but, many were a bit seasick the first few days, including me. The weather stayed a bit chilly till we got close to Hawaii, and then you saw everyone out on pool deck soaking up the much awaited sun.   <br /><br />Kauai was our first port, and it was very windy that day. Other than that, we had excellent weather in Hawaii. It was in the low 80s with sunshine for the other ports. It stayed warm for the first two days leaving Hawaii, and then it got chilly again. It was too chilly to stay out on deck the last two days returning to San Diego.   <br /><br />The Food: The food in the Trellis dining room was for the most part, excellent, in my opinion. All the beef dishes I had were of the best quality and well prepared. I did have a problem at first in getting my steaks medium rare, but after I asked my waiter to be sure to bring it medium rare, I always got it medium rare. The fish dishes I had were excellent. I had a scallop dish that was wonderful. The scallops were so fresh and lightly done. I had a seafood brochette one evening that consisted of, shrimp, scallops, salmon, and cod (I think) and it was great. The lamb that I had was excellent. We did have lobster on the last formal night. It was good, but I wasn?t as impressed with it. I could have ordered another one or even two, but didn?t need to.   <br /><br />The deserts were wonderful. My favorite is still the cr?me brulee and Celebrity?s own home-made pistachio ice cream. The soups were, as always, excellent.   <br /><br />I never made it to breakfast or lunch in the dining room. I usually ate at the buffet. I was not as impressed with the buffets as I used to be. On my first Celebrity cruise on the Zenith in 1992, the buffets had food almost as good as the dining room and better than food in the dining room on other ships that I have been on. The food on the buffets was good, but I did notice some cutbacks. There doesn?t seem to be as many choices as usual for one. The food was still very good, just not as good as on past cruises on the buffet.  <br /><br />They offered hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, and pizza from 12 noon till 6 PM on pool deck. From 6 PM till 1AM they had pizza and pasta bar. They also had a sushi bar. Every afternoon at 4 PM they had afternoon tea with wonderful little sandwiches and pastries. It was hard to go hungry on this ship. They also have a healthy dining buffet in the Aqua Spa area, which is now open from noon till 8 PM.    <br /><br />I almost forgot, they have a waffle station in the very aft of the ship which makes wonderful homemade Belgian-type waffles in the morning. They also have an omelet station for made-to-order omelets in the morning. From 12 to 3 PM they offered soup, salad, and sandwiches besides the regular buffet lunch.   <br /><br />They have a nice area called the Cova Caf? which offers coffees and coffee drinks and pastries. The gourmet coffees have a charge, but the pastries were complimentary.   <br /><br />Celebrity brings around hors d?oeuvres (Gourmet Bites) at around 11:30 PM for people to enjoy in the lounges. They did have a few themed midnight buffets, like Hawaiian, chocolate, deserts and crepes, and fruits. On the last formal night, they had the Grand Buffet which was amazing. We didn?t eat, because we had late seating, but we did take some photos.    <br /><br />The SS United States is a specialty restaurant that you might want to try. The experience is wonderful, and the food is excellent. Some suggestions to order? for appetizers: Goat Cheese Souffl?, and the Caesar Salad which is tossed at your table. Entrees: Rack of Lamb, and the Steak Dianne which is flamed at your table. For dessert, try the Chocolate Souffl?. There is a &#036;30 pp cover charge for this restaurant, but the &#036;30 is for the tip. I, personally, thought our food and service in the Trellis restaurant was almost as good, so we only went once to the specialty restaurant. Again, it?s very hard to go hungry on this ship. Great food&#33;   <br /><br />Cocktails: I usually just have one or two here or there, but I have to mention a great drink that I happened upon one day in the Martini Bar. It?s called a Cr?me Brulee Martini. It?s great&#33; It?s not cheap, but it?s worth it&#33; I think the only other drink I had was an occasional Pina Colada topped with Meyer?s rum, and a White Russian. Oops, I forgot about the BBC. That was good&#33; Once or twice, I had a glass of Chardonnay with dinner, and it was great. There is an automatic 15% tip added to all drinks.   <br /><br />Waiters and Assistant Waiters: Our waiter in the Trellis restaurant was Sasa(sp?), and our assistant waiter was Eduardo. They were both excellent&#33; Everything was served on time and the way it should be served. We always had our water filled and anything we asked for was eagerly brought to us. We had a great time with them.   <br /><br />We had great tablemates&#33; We had a husband and wife from a small town in England, and we had two ladies, friends, who were cruising together and who were members of Cruise Critic. We had a wonderful time with them, and it made the whole experience very special and memorable.   <br /><br />Maitre d?: I have to mention the maitre d? because, she was amazing&#33; She was at our table, and everyone else?s it seemed, every evening. She was so concerned that we would have everything that we wanted and the way that we wanted it. She was the best&#33; She took time to talk to us all, and to make sure we were happy with everything. She also told us of things that we shouldn?t miss that would be happening on the ship. I think her name was Dominique.    <br /><br />Casino: There is a good size casino, and my husband did pretty well with the slots. He came out &#036;1200 ahead. I didn?t do so well, but, I still came out ahead, because he shared a little of his winnings with me. This made me able to give a little extra to my room steward and my waiters who helped to make this trip so great.   <br /><br />On Board Activities: I was pleased to see that Celebrity has added more activities for the sea days. There were many things to do to occupy your time. They had lecturers, and culinary demonstrations, tango lessons, wine tasting, computer classes, golf lessons, hair care seminars, face-lift seminars, skin-care classes, line-dance class, photo seminar, ice carving, much, more, and the usual trivia games, pool games, karaoke, bingo, and shuffleboard, etc.   <br /><br />Entertainment: I thought the entertainment ranged from very good to excellent. The big production shows that I saw were excellent. The singers and dancers were very good, and the costumes were very colorful. The two comedians, I thought, were good, but not great. I did appreciate that they kept it clean. I missed the illusion and magic show which I heard was very good.   <br /><br />One person that I have to mention was an international pianist named Brooks Aehron. His first show was a mixture of comedy(Victor Borge style)jazz, rock, and classical. The next day he put on a classical concert. He was fabulous, and he received a standing ovation. He was so popular that Celebrity found some time for him to put on another classical concert. He was just excellent. He was more serious with the classical concerts, but one thing that he did that I liked was that he told us a bit of the story behind the composer and the piece that he was playing. He had some CDs for sale after the concert, and the line was quite long. He signed the CDs for us, and he was just the nicest man. He was great&#33;    <br />One thing I have to mention about the entertainment schedule that I don?t care for is that some of the shows for the late diners are put on early at 7 PM. I had to miss a few shows because of this. I book late seating for dining for many reasons. Some of them being not wanting to miss sail-aways and not wanting to rush back from ports to dress up for dinner, etc. I wish Celebrity would change this or find a better solution.   <br /><br />There was entertainment in the other lounges that also was very good. They had a great A Cappella group and another nice duo in another lounge. The party band was Vibz. They were good, but I didn?t like them as well as Onyx, the band on our last Celebrity cruise. I thought it was kind of strange for them to play country- western music one day at a sail-away from Hawaii. I like country-western?it just didn?t fit the moment?in my opinion. There was a Hawaiian singer before them, on pool deck, but it was kind of hard to hear her unless you were right up there with her.    <br /><br />Internet: The internet caf? is very nice, but a little pricey, I think. The cost is .75 per minute. This can add up fast. Still?it?s nice to have available.   <br /><br />Ports: Our ports were: Kauai, Honolulu, Hilo, Kona, and Maui. We had all been to Hawaii before so we didn?t book any ship?s tours except the submarine tour in Kona.    <br /><br />Nawiliwili, Kauai?We just stepped off the ship and saw some cabs waiting, and we took a cab tour, it was in a van, with a young lady. We set our price before we left. We had a great tour of the island.   <br /><br />Honolulu?My husband and my brother-in-law wanted to climb Diamond Head, and we gals were not that anxious to exert ourselves, so we did what a lot of women would do?we went shopping. While the guys were climbing the mountain, we took a free bus to Hilo Hattie?s (this was right across the street from the terminal) and from there, we were able to get a free shuttle down Waikiki. We stopped at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for a bit, and we stopped at the Ala Moana shopping center. We met up with the guys at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel(the pink one)at the Mai-Tai bar on the beach area. I was going to be searching for the best mai-tai in Hawaii, but as it happened this was the only one I had? but it was great. Thanks to Linda, Cruise Diva, for telling me about it.    <br /><br />Hilo?We took a cab to the old section of town and wandered around. We had breakfast, and then we toured the tsunami museum. From there we hailed another cab, and we took a tour of the island with him. We went to some of the beaches and some of the pretty areas, and to the Macadamia Nut farm. We had a nice tour around the island. We left Hilo around 6 PM, and from the ship at around 10:30 PM we saw the lava flow down the mountainside. It was magnificent&#33;   <br /><br />Kailua, Kona?This was the only tour that was booked onboard the ship. Our guys went on the submarine tour in Kona. They did really enjoy it&#33; I?m a bit claustrophobic, and submarines aren?t my thing, or my sister-in-law?s, so again, we went shopping. We walked along the shore and stopped at the many shops. We met up with the guys later and stopped for a drink and some appetizers. We had some great calamari, and some great mushrooms with scallops at an open restaurant(Cassandra?s) on the waterfront. We tendered ashore here.   <br /><br />Lahaina, Maui?This was our last stop. We didn?t have much time here, and we had to tender ashore, so we got going as early as we could. With me not being an early bird, that meant, after breakfast, around 9 AM. Maui is my favorite island, and I was a bit disappointed that we had so little time here. When I first booked this cruise, the time here was listed from 7AM till 11 PM, but it was later changed. Oh well, we made the best of it and had a great day. We took a taxi tour with a young lady. I suggested that we go to Iao Valley Rainforest or State Park area. We were there before, and it?s a beautiful area. We also visited the Maui Tropical Plantation area, and some pretty beach areas. Surf was really up on some of the islands, and some of the best surfers in the world were in Hawaii. Maui seems to be much more populated than it was on our last trip 13 years ago. It?s still a beautiful island, though. We got back to the dock area to get the tender back to the ship around 1:45, and the line to get on the tender was around a mile long. Not much exaggeration here&#33; The last tender was to leave at 2:30, so I think everyone had the same idea to be here at the same time.    <br /><br />It was around 84 degrees and the sun was hot. I have had heat exhaustion before from being in the direct sun for too long, so I suggested to my husband that we should wait at the open restaurant hotel (Pioneer Inn, the old whaling hotel) that was right in front of the security area where you boarded the tenders, and when the line was coming to an end we could just go and get in the line, with no standing in the hot sun for an hour. He didn?t go for it, though.    <br /><br />I think he was afraid they would just leave at 2:30 and leave all the people there. The ship was to leave at 3 PM. I wasn?t worried that they would leave us with all those people in line, so I told him to save my spot, and I went and waited at the hotel. I found a place to sit and had a nice cold coca-cola and an appetizer, some great calamari(excellent) while I waited to see them come up in the line. When they got up to the area to board the tender, the line behind them was just as long as before. At that point I started feeling guilty and thought I should go to the back of the line, but everyone knew they had saved my spot in line, and they insisted that I get in line with them. I got in line with them, and we boarded the tender. No problemo&#33; The ship left around 3:10 or 3:15, so they really did move the people faster than I thought, but it all worked out.   <br /><br />Places to See If It?s Your First Time in Hawaii: These are places that we went to the last time we were in Hawaii, and are a must see, I think. <br /><br />Kauai?The Waimea Canyon. (The Grand Canyon of the Pacific) <br />Oahu?The Polynesian Cultural Center, Punchbowl Cemetery, the Arizona Memorial, Diamond Head State Park <br />Hilo?Volcanoes National Park,  <br />Maui?Iao Valley Rainforest and State Park area, Maui Tropical Plantation area    <br /><br />Disembarkation: This went very well. We gathered in the Celebrity Lounge, and our color was one of the first to be called, and we were off the ship in no time.   <br /><br />Flight Home: Our flights home went well, but we don?t know why Celebrity booked us with a six-hour wait in between flights. We were off the ship pretty early, so we hoped to check our luggage in with United, but they said we couldn?t check in until 3 hours before the flight, so that killed our plans to go over to Seaport Village and have a nice seafood luncheon. We were able to get an earlier flight to Denver, but that still left us with waiting in Denver airport for around 5 hours for our next flight home. All in all it was no big deal, but it seemed strange that our original flight from San Diego wasn?t until around 4:30 PM and we got to the San Diego airport by around 10 or 10:30 AM. We had to wait with our luggage for a few hours until they would check it in. Then we had the big wait in-between flights. It just seems like it could have been scheduled a bit better. Like I say, it was not a big deal, just a lot of waiting around. One thing I should mention is that, on the flight out, we had been very careful to weigh our luggage, and we were within the limits. On our flight back, we did get charged &#036;25 for an overweight suitcase. I didn?t really bring back that many souvenirs, but the suitcases were already close to the limit, so it did make a difference.   <br /><br />Summary: This was a great cruise&#33; The food and entertainment and service were all great. We met many wonderful people and had some good times. The ship was decorated for the holidays. There was a beautiful Christmas tree in the main lobby, and the grand staircase was decorated with gorgeous poinsettias all the way up. There was another Christmas tree on the staircase in the main restaurant, and there was a menorah for Hanukkah. There was a Catholic priest onboard to say Mass, and there was a Rabbi for Hanukkah services. There were also non-denominational services. One thing that I really noticed was how nice and friendly the staff was. Everywhere I went, room stewards or waiters or officers?all were very friendly and polite. I would really recommend this cruise. It was great&#33; I would have liked more time in Hawaii, but with the time it takes to sail round trip that would have been hard to do. I have been to Hawaii before, so I was o.k. with what we did in the ports. I did really want to go to a nice luau, though, and the ship didn?t offer one at night, and my husband was afraid that we wouldn?t make it back to the ship in time, so we didn?t go. I did go to one the last time I was in Hawaii, though, so, I wasn?t too disappointed.   <br /><br />Extra Personal Thoughts: This was a great cruise, but we didn?t have enough warm days out on deck.(this can be different at different times of the year, of course). I love to sit out on pool deck on a cruise. I also would like to have more time in Hawaii. If we get the chance to go again, I think I will fly one way and stay a few days before the trip back. I?m glad I had the opportunity to sail across the Pacific at least once. It was quite an experience.',1170959419,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',274,'Shari2',1,93,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(77,52,'9/24/04','I would sail Celebrity again as we had a great time but in this case it was our fellow cruisers that really made the trip for us.','A little background: My husband and I have had the pleasure of sailing more then 20 times with various lines. We decided to try the Celebrity Mercury because this was our 20th anniversary cruise and we were taking no children. This was a new itinerary to us.   <br /><br />We arrived in San Francisco with a full day to explore. There were many things to do and with so little time we decided to do the full tourist thing since neither of us had been to San Francisco before. We took the Red and White Ferry (17.00) for a short cruise around the bay, past Alcatraz, and under the Golden Gate Bridge. This was a lovely way to start the morning and the views were wonderful. We arrived at Fisherman?s Wharf and looked around some (don?t miss the Sea Lions) and then decide to take the Gray Line Motorized Cable Car tour to familiarize us with the city in case we should decide to go there again. Our guide was wonderful and we enjoyed seeing, Chinatown, the crookedest street in the world, Union Street, the Palace of Fine Arts, and Union Square. Well worth the &#036;27.00 per person.    <br /><br />That evening we had dinner at Neptune?s Palace at Fisherman?s Wharf. We met 7 others for dinner that we had talked to via a message board. We all had a wonderful time and we knew we would have a great time.    <br /><br />We left our hotel Hyatt Pier 39 (paid &#036;60.00 per night via Priceline) we arrived at the pier in San Francisco around 11:30. It was crazy with passengers trying to disembark and embark. Embarkation was a breeze as we were one of the first ones there. We received no escort to our cabin but we did get our complimentary champagne on boarding.   <br /><br />We were in a concierge class cabin on deck 10. The room was fine for 2. There was enough storage. One morning I did hear dishes from the Caf? above but it really didn?t bother us. When we arrived in our room we looked for the extras that we thought would be a nice touch to our trip. There was a bud vase in the bathroom that contained small roses and a vase on the desk that didn?t have flowers until the 3rd day. Our champagne was chilling and 2 glasses were there for our enjoyment. There was also a basket of fruit which was replenished daily. The bathroom had 2 hair dryers, toiletries and extra fluffy bathmat and towels. The shower head was very powerful which I loved. On the desk there was an ice bucket and a water pitcher. Each evening we received canap?s before dinner but they were nothing to write home about. Our cabin steward was OK.   <br /><br /><br />We spent the rest of the day exploring the ship. We met all our cruise board friends at the Sky Bar for the Bon Voyage party on the deck. Many that didn?t join us for dinner joined us this evening and we all became friends very quickly. What a wonderful bunch we were and everyone enjoyed themselves laughing, drinking, dancing and gambling all week.    <br />On a personal note: My daughter was home alone for Hurricane Jeanne and all these people were extremely supportive of us all week. Some loaned us their phones to call home, others just listened to us. If it wasn?t for this group of people we probably wouldn?t have enjoyed ourselves as much. I truly hope we get to sail with all of these people again as I consider them all friends.   <br /><br />We sat at a table for 8 and had 2 wonderful couples with us along with a gentleman I had met on a cruise board. We spent lots of time laughing and enjoying each others company and the wonderful service we received from our Waiter Saby and our Assistant Waiter Felix.   <br /><br />The Ports: First stop LA. It really was a wasted stop. If you didn?t take the ships tour then you would have to get a cab to go anywhere. Very expensive. We decided to go to Ports of Call a small shopping area reachable from the ship via the Red Cars. The ride on this rail car costs only &#036;1 per person. We looked around and returned to the Mercury for some rest.   <br /><br />Next stop was Catalina Island. What a lovely island this was. Sorry that I really didn?t get to enjoy it but Hurricane Jeanne was hitting our home as we got there. We did manage to have a friend loan us a phone and everything appeared to be OK at home. We stopped at Luau Larry for some refreshments and roamed around the streets some.   <br /><br />Puerto Vallarta-We jumped in a cab with some friends for a tour of Puerto Vallarta. It was hot&#33; We went to taste some Tequila and then shopped a little downtown. The area reminded me of downtown Cozumel. Back into the cab and the best part of the tour began. The homes were lovely and the view even lovelier&#33; We really enjoyed the day.   <br /><br />Cabo San Lucas-I decided to book the one hour boat trip to Los Arcos. Absolutely the highlight of my trip. The view was spectacular and it was well worth the money. I shopped a little and met friends for drinks at the Giggling Marlin. What a place, they hang people upside down and pour shots in there mouths. Was totally exhausted after the long hot day.   <br /><br />Our last day was packing up and catching up with our friends. My birthday was the day we disembarked and my husband arranged for all our friends to come to the casino at midnight to sing Happy Birthday. It was wonderful and a nice surprise. I also had a good evening in the casino and won for the 9 day trip a few hundred dollars, mostly at Black Jack.    <br /><br />The Ship: The ship was well kept but rather plain in comparison to other ships we?ve been on. The crew was good but not very friendly. The service in the dining room was outstanding but the rest was just OK. The casino staff was very nice and we enjoyed our time there. <br /><br />The food: Having heard much about the Celebrity cuisine we were very interested in the food aspect of this trip. The beef dishes in the dining room were excellent, tender and served to your preference. The rest of the food was pretty average as a whole. The buffets were typical buffet food but the fresh waffles at breakfast were very good.    <br /><br />Comparisons: We?ve been loyal to Royal Caribbean for many years and really wanted to try Celebrity?s upscale experience. There were some nice extra touches like the champagne greeting but it fell short in our expectations from everything I read online. I would sail Celebrity again as we had a great time but in this case it was our fellow cruisers that really made the trip for us. Special thanks to all of them for their love and support.',1170959494,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',334,'Sailingrose',1,38,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(78,52,'2/18/05','Can&#39;t wait for the next one: Alaska in August&#33;','This was our 20th cruise and our first to the Mexican Riviera. I had heard that the first days out and back would be cool, due to the cooler Pacific waters off California, so we booked an ocean view cabin instead of a balcony.    <br /><br /><br />We flew Southwest to San Diego, arriving the day before sailing after 7h 20m flight cross country. With time zone changes, it was only 3:50pm PST when we arrived. We rented a car from Avis at the airport because we wanted to do some errands the next day before sailing. We drove to the Airport/Harbor View Days Inn which offered a double room with refrigerator and continental breakfast for only &#036;89 per night and offered a free shuttle to the pier. From the hotel you can see the pier, which is only about 3-4 blocks away. We enjoyed dinner at Anthony?s Fish Grotto, adjacent to the pier.   <br /><br />Feb 18: The next day we drove across the bridge to Coronado, purchased four bottles of champagne to take aboard ship, visited the Hotel Del Coronado, and had a leisurely breakfast at Marie Calender?s restaurant and bakery in Coronado. We drove back to the hotel and I drove 1 1/2 blocks to the Avis downtown location to turn in the rental car, and they offered to shuttle me to the ship. I walked back to the hotel and took their shuttle. There was a sign at the pier that passengers would be allowed onboard at 11am. We took the 12:00 shuttle and the embarkation process was the smoothest and fastest we have experienced in several years. There was no congestion, speedy check-in, photo, and onto the ship by 12:30, greeted with the Celebrity customary glass of champagne at the gangway. They said lunch was available but to remain in public areas until a 1pm announcement that the cabins were ready. We found our cabin and a steward let us in on arrival, as it was ready. We met our steward and asked him for an extra wine bucket and to keep it filled all week, as we would be enjoying champagne in the cabin. After reminding him the first day, he did very well, and several evenings showed up about 6pm with a fresh bucket of ice.   <br /><br />We had selected a midships oceanview cabin on deck 4 starboard, cabin 4078. It was actually a quad cabin, and the two Pullman beds on the wall, although not used, made space alongside the bed very tight. The cabin has two closets with adequate drawers, drawers in the vanity, and drawers in the end tables. We did not even use them all There is a refrigerator stocked with the usual miniatures, sodas and snacks, for a charge. The vanity has a large mirror behind which is a large storage cabinet and the room safe. I had planned to use it as a wine rack, as I had once before, but the motion of the ocean made it noisy at night and I had to move the wine the first night to the closet. The bathroom had ample cabinet storage and dispensers for lotion and shampoo. The shower curtain is too short and invariably the floor got wet when showering, but the size of the bathroom and shower were ample. The television had CNN all cruise, pay per view movies and free movies like Troy, The Last Samurai, and others, music channels, and Celebrity commercials. The shopping/port talks were repeated all day, every day, and the cruise director Dru Pavlov, a bright Canadian cruise director, did daily updates which were also repeated throughout the day. It meant that we didn?t have to go to a theatre at a fixed time to hear port information.   <br /><br />After dropping our carryons in the cabin we went directly to the dining room to check on our seating. We had requested a table for two at the late seating (8:30pm). We found the Maitre D set up outside the dining room and he promptly changed our table to a table for 4 and told us we could have it as a table for two all cruise. It was table 631 on the upper level, in an excellent location. The tables for 4 are small and actually crowded with four people. After a lunch buffet in the Palm Springs Grill (the Lido-style buffet area), and a tour of the ship, we returned to the cabin at 3pm and found our luggage had arrived. Boat drill was at 4:30pm and included both assembly area instruction, donning life jackets, and then proceeding to lifeboat stations. Weather was unseasonably cool, as the west coast had been inundated with more rain for a week than they had in the past 40 years, so jackets were needed. Sailaway was at 5pm and the temperature was in the low 60?s with low clouds and wind. The first dinner was excellent, dress was casual, and ended with cr?me brulee?.not bad for a start. We did find a 5 member band to dance to in the evening, Top Secret, which served as the pool band and dance band. It was one of the best we have enjoyed on cruises. They played a variety of music at night, 50?s -90?s, for dancing. We skipped the introductory show after dinner which featured a ventriloquist and the introduction of the cruise staff.   <br /><br />Mercury conducts computer classes in a computer center on deck 6, and just outside it are internet workstations. There are four more on deck 5 on the port side near the Excursions desk. These workstations are open 24/7 and there is no additional charge for printing. I purchased a 120 minute package for the cruise for 60 cents a minute and used it all. It was quite reliable.   <br /><br />Feb 19/Day 2: We awoke to temperatures of 62F and windy but mostly sunny weather on deck. We tried the dining room for breakfast and found that they offered eggs benedict every day&#33; A little sun bathing around the pool, many people covered with the towels due to the temperature, and a second lunch buffet. I noted that the lunch buffets were, frankly, boring. While they had some theme lunches, e.g. Asian, Italian, Mexican, it was still mostly typical cafeteria fare. They did have an salad bar area where you could make your own salad, and just outside was a grill near the pool where pizza, burgers, and pasta were available daily. In addition, adjacent to the aft, covered pool on deck 11, there is a sandwich bar, which daily features a wrap of the day, and a sandwich of the day, and one day of sushi. We participated in a wine tasting seminar in the afternoon in the dining room for &#036;8 per person. I usually enjoy these, but the session seemed rushed, and two of my 5 glasses had lipstick and water spots on them, which I had have exchanged. I did mention this to an assistant Maitre D? afterwards. The problem did not occur at dinner, only at the wine tasting. This was the first formal night, and I was able to stop at the purser?s desk/guest relations and request a corsage be delivered to the our cabin by 6pm as a surprise for my wife?.who had never had one in high school or college. At 6pm they announced that a passenger was critically ill, later diagnosed as an aneurysm, and they were turning around to get closer to San Diego to get within range of a Coast Guard helicopter to evacuate him. At 8pm they announced it would be midnight before the helo could reach us, and because we would lose 12 hours from reversing course and then back, the ship would not be able to make our first port call in Cabo San Lucas if we were to make the rest of our 10 day schedule. We would spend the next day at sea, instead. They refunded the excursions already booked, and I was a bit disappointed as I had wanted to go to Los Arcos and snorkel. After before dinner dancing, formal photos?and there were no lines?., we enjoyed a French themed dinner which included among the choices: escargot, onion soup, Caesar salad, scampi, beef tenderloin with mushroom sauce, and cherries jubilee. Before the show there was a chance to meet the captain and officers and enjoy a champagne toast. The show, ?And the Winners Are? was a musical review of the Oscars, emmees, grammees, etc., and it was very good. We found out later that the cast was on the last cruise of a six month contract and were very polished. One observation we made that day was that there is no real hustling of drinks by the roving bar staff. During sailaway on day 1 and around the pool on day 2 it was actually difficult to attract a roving bar waiter and get a drink. They were readily available in the lounges. We set our clocks ahead to MST overnight.    <br /><br />Feb 20/Day 3: Still cool and windy. The breakfast buffet includes a waffle station near the after pool, and eggs or omelets to order, as well as the usual breakfast fare. Of particular note is that at meal hours in the Palm Springs Grill area, there are ample waiters and they almost insist on carrying your tray for you and finding you a table. Very accommodating. We had found that deck 14 upper level offered European style sunbathing, but it is forward of the superstructure and very windy and cool. We did see whales and dolphins from the pool deck today. It was Sunday, and their was a Catholic priest aboard, and Mass was at 5:15, and daily thereafter in the mornings. Dress for dinner was informal/coats and dresses. The show this night was before dinner at 8pm, and was an adagio duo and a musician playing the hammer dulcimer. Dancing this evening included Motown and Latin/Salsa in the lounges.   <br /><br />Feb 21/Day 4: Finally, a port&#33; After eggs benedict again in the dining room we relaxed on deck and watched the entry into Mazatlan, arriving at the pier about noon, later than originally scheduled due to our medical emergency. They decided to extend the visit until 7pm. Shuttle buses meet the passengers at the gangway and move them to the terminal were there are a few shops and taxis available. We chose to walk to town, and visit the cathedral, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Perhaps a 15 minute walk, it was worth the trip, beautiful inside. The church is in the center of the old town, with many modern shops, and a few department stores. We found a Senor Frog?s clothing outlet, picked up a free map of Mazatlan and directions to where we could take a bus to the Hotel Zone. The exchange rate was roughly 11 pesos to the USD, and the bus fare on the Segundo Centro bus was 9 pesos per person. If you handed the driver a dollar, he gave you 2 pesos in change. It was about a 20 minute ride, and we got off in the hotel shopping district, where there are plenty of shops, restaurants, beach access, parasailing, etc. After a brief time on the beach, upper 70?s here, we took the bus back to Senor Frogs, about 4 miles back toward old town, where we met other cruise passengers. It was the original Senor Frog?s&#33; We took a small VW sized taxi open taxi called a pulmenaria back to the ship for &#036;7. Sailaway was at 7pm. There was a pre-dinner production show. Dress was casual for dinner, and it was ?big band sound? night for dancing with the ship?s orchestra in the lounges. At 11pm they had a TexMex night at the pool with line dancing, and a buffet from 1130pm-1230am with tacos and chimichangas. We set our clocks ahead to CST that night.   <br /><br />Feb 22/Day 5: Another sea day. Warm enough now for comfortable sunbathing on deck, the first one&#33; Still very windy. The usual pool sports and bingo, and dance classes were available. This was the second formal night. The show, a male singer, was at 7pm for late diners, which I prefer. I?m sleepy when the show isn?t till 10:45 or 11pm. This was followed by a Captains Club reception at 7:45pm. We did formal photos again, and no waiting lines at any of the three sites. By the way, 8x10?s are &#036;24.95, and the candid 6x8?s are &#036;9.95.    <br /><br />Feb 23/Day 6: We arrived in Acapulco at 7am berthed at a pier at the cruise terminal across from old Fort San Diego. At an information desk outside the terminal we got a map and some advice on where we could go to relax and snorkel. We had visited Acapulco before for several days, seen the cliff divers, and more, so we weren?t looking to sightsee They recommended we catch a taxi to Boca Chica Hotel, which was on the Pacific side of the harbor overlooking Isla Roqueta. Some people catch glass bottom boats there, or ferries to Isla Roqueta which has a secluded beach and snorkeling. We chose to go to Boca Chica, which we were advised allowed cruise passengers to use the facilities at no charge. It was a &#036;10 taxi ride and was a beautiful older hotel overlooking the water, with lounge chairs and umbrellas, a pool, bars and a restaurant overlooking the water. There is also a dive shop there. I snorkeled among the rocks along the shore from one side of the hotel to the other and saw many larger tropical fish. We ate lunch in the restaurant, and for &#036;25 including tip we had 8 giant steamed shrimp, a hamburger and fries, and four beers. The taxi back to the ship was only &#036;5. After changing we headed into the hotel zone. The port talk had said we could hail yellow buses along the main street outside the terminal and the bus fare was only 5 pesos per person or two for a dollar. We rode through the hotel zone and got off to visit Carlos and Charlie?s Bar and Grill, which pretty empty in late afternoon. Acapulco is a night town. After catching the bus back to the terminal, we stopped at a liquor store across from the terminal to make our purchase of 2 bottles of tequila. They had a wide selection. On boarding the ship they x-rayed all parcels every day, but they did not take the tequila for safe-keeping. They had scheduled a folkloric show in the Celebrity Theatre for 7pm which included singing, and dancing and costumes from all over Mexico. At 8pm we changed for dinner, which was tropical casual dress. There was dancing around the pool, and a tropical buffet at 1130pm, including ribs, chicken, rice, fruit, and sherbet. The ship sailed at 11pm with the tropical party in progress.   <br /><br />Feb 24/Day 7: We were scheduled to arrive in Ziuatenejo at 7am, with a shorter stay scheduled, leaving at 2pm. We enjoyed a full room service breakfast in the cabin. We had placed a wakeup call on the telephone system for 7am, but room service called at 6:50am to say they were on there way. After checking email, we went to get a tender ticket at 8:30, only to find that there was no waiting. We had chosen to enjoy the easy pace of Ziuatenejo instead of Ixtapa, the hotel zone 4 miles north. It seems the Mexican Tourist Bureau wanted to develop Ziuatenejo into a tourist mecca, but the local residents didn?t want the development. So, they are trying to develop a hotel zone in Ixtapa. Instead, at the pier, we were able to purchase ferry tickets for &#036;3 per person, round trip, for a boat ride to the other side of the harbor to Playa Los Gatos. It is a lovely beach with many small restaurants. The chairs and umbrellas are free if you plan to eat or drink there. The water is shallow and clear and there is a man-made reef not too far out. On the outer side of the reef there were many large tropical fist, and I enjoyed snorkeling for about 90 minutes. I bring my own snorkeling gear. After enjoying rum punch and Corona?s, we were offered a tray of whole fresh red snapper marked with the price in pesos. We selected a nice one for 150 pesos/&#036;13.50. Shortly they set a table behind us and brought out the whole grilled snapper on a platter with rice and salad, and tortillas on the side. The total price for the fish and meal and the drinks was &#036;25 including tip. Sitting on the beach, eating the superb fish, seeing the ship anchored in the harbor, was ideal. Sadly, about 12:30 we headed for the ferry and went back to town. We walked the cobblestone streets and briefly visited a ?straw market?, the local church, and Bandito?s sports bar for a libation before catching the last tender back at 1:30. By the pier we saw a sailfish a passenger had caught on a fishing excursion. After sail away we spent the afternoon on upper deck 14 viewing the beautiful harbor and coastline, sunbathing despite a brisk wind. Dinner this night was casual dress. At dessert they offered optional crepe suzettes&#33; There were about 60 Greek-Americans aboard for this cruise, many seated around us. As I had lived in Athens for three years while in the Navy, and speak some Greek, we had made friends with these passengers. The Celebrity line has Greek officers, and they were taking care of the group. At dinner several nights they brought out baklava, or sliced feta, or Greek Salata Horiatiki (village salad?no lettuce). And our waiter, a Columbian, made sure they shared with us. In fact, he was asking me to give him a few words of table Greek. We made a short contribution in the casino and called it a night after a very full day.   <br /><br />Feb 25/Day 8: We arrived at the pier in Puerto Vallarta at 9am. After a buffet of omelets and waffles, we went ashore at 10:50. There is an information booth on the pier and they provided advice and maps. We found we could catch a city bus just down the street for 4 pesos per person which took us past hotels into the city center of old Puerto Vallarta. The driver indicated where the city buses were waiting to take us Mismaloya Beach and Los Arcos for 8 pesos per person. This is a small beach with two hotels within sight of Los Arcos, three large rocks, some with arches cut by the sea. We walked the south side of the beach to the site of the filming of The Night of the Iguana, and climbed the steps to the site of the John Huston Restaurant and Bar, now closed. Back down the hill to the beach and we settled in a chair in front of one of the waterfront vendors, with no charge for chairs and umbrellas. I found a boat to take me to Los Arcos to snorkel for 1 hour for 150 pesos. They launch the boats from the beach into the surf. On the way there I say dolphins and a seal. The boat toured the rocks and then anchored while I dove in. Schools of angel fish and other tropicals. The visibility was very good in about 20 ? 30 ft of water. When we returned we enjoyed rum punch, beer and freshly made salsa and chips. They also had the grilled whole fish available here. Restrooms were available for customers. At 3:50 we boarded a bus back to the city for a 30 minute ride back to Puerto Vallarta Old Town. We walked about a mile to the shopping district where I surprised my wife with a set of ruby earrings to complete her ruby pendent, bracelet, earring set. We caught a taxi for 25 pesos back to Senor Frog?s, which was near the bus stop, for liquid refreshment. Great fun. We are making an effort to visit all the Group Anderson establishments, having now visited Senor Frog?s/Carlos &amp; Charlies in Cancun, Cozumel, Aruba, San Juan, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Nassau. At 6:15 we reluctantly caught a taxi back to the pier for 75 pesos, arriving at 6:45. The ship sailed at 7&#33; After enjoying the sail away, followed by a great seafood dinner in casual dress, we were tired from a long, very enjoyable day, and turned in early. They set the clocks back an hour to MST overnight.   <br /><br />Feb 26/Day 9: Our fourth sea day. Enjoyed the breakfast buffet with eggs to order. My wife spent the day in the sun around the pool. Having had too much already, I spent the day inside, checking email, reading, and watching TV movies (The Last Samurai) and the disembarkation talk on TV. Our luggage tags had arrived. Lunch was a Mexican themed buffet. I ordered another corsage as this was the third formal night. Their was a culinary demonstration in the afternoon, the second of the cruise. Each time they pass samples of what was prepared to all the attendees. Jackpot bingo was the event being publicized today, and my wife succumbed, falling only a few numbers short. We had our last formal photos done before pre-dinner dancing. It was lobster night and they were succulent?both of them. The show was after dinner at 11pm, a Broadway style production. At 11:3pm they opened the restaurant for viewing and photos of the Grand Midnight Buffet, and we headed there after the show. It was a remarkable display which included beef Wellington, something I?ve never seen on a midnight buffet.   <br /><br />Feb 27/Day 10: Our last sea day and it was windy and very cool. We relaxed, enjoyed some sun, picked out our formal photos, and made our last donation to the slots in the casino. The debarkation procedure asked that we have out luggage outside the cabin by midnight, so we packed before dinner. Dinner dress was, of course, casual the last night. We celebrated my wife?s birthday at dinner, had a cake and the obligatory &quot;Hoppy Birsday&quot; chorus. After midnight I did go to the internet to print out our boarding passes for our Southwest flight.   <br /><br />Feb 28/Debarkation and return home. The ship arrived in San Diego at the pier at 7pm. Breakfast was available in the dining room until 8 and in the buffet until 8:30, and we could leave our carry on luggage in the cabin. With their debarkation luggage tags, all passengers receive an envelope with a memo directing them where and what time to go to a specific lounge for debarkation. As a result there are no announcements of colored tags being called, and no congregating at stairwells. Wonderful. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, did a little last minute socializing, and then picked up our bags from the cabin and reported at 9:30 to the Celebrity Theatre. At 9:45 they lead us off the ship. The process in the terminal going through customs/immigration and luggage pickup was a breeze, and the taxi queue outside was short. We had a taxi in about 5 minutes which hustled us to the airport for &#036;10 before 10:30. With a 1:40 flight we had plenty of time.   <br /><br />Summary: Celebrity Mercury was a great ship, with excellent service by the entire staff, without exception. The embarkation and easy debarkation were a pleasure. The ship is in excellent condition. The lunch buffet?s are unremarkable and seemed all very much the same, but they did have three freshly made pasta stations every day. The seafood variety and preparation at dinner was very good. Announcements are kept to a minimum because they replay daily programs on the shipboard TV. A minor complaint: We order a bottle of wine every night for dinner, reds, unless it is a champagne. The typical cost of what we order is &#036;30. Yet in order to get us very large red wine glasses, as we use at home, the wine steward had to get a supervisor?s permission, and that was just one night. They only give them to those ordering the &#036;45-&#036;100 wines. Unsatisfactory. Coupled with the dirty glasses at wine tasting, it did leave a bad taste in my mouth, so to speak.    <br /><br />I had heard that the West Coast cruises were cool due to the cool Pacific water (64 degrees), which is why we didn?t select a balcony cabin. They were right. At least the first two and last two days were really too cool and windy for making the best use of the on deck facilities. The itinerary, without Cabo San Lucas, was half sea days, a bit more than I bargained for, since they weren?t warm and sunny. But the ports were great, especially Ziuatanejo and Puerto Vallarta, which we?ll be sure to visit again. Only one of the four ports was a tender port.    <br /><br />Can&#39;t wait for the next one: Alaska in August&#33;',1170959555,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',131,'JohnG',1,133,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(79,53,'10/29/06','Scale 1 to 5 (1 needs improvement - 5 Excellent) <br />Guest Relations 5 <br />Accommodations 4 <br />On Board Activities 3 <br />Entertainment 2  <br />Food 4 <br />Specialty Restaurant 4 <br />Overall Cruise Experience 4.5','Celebrity Millennium <br />October 29-November 10 <br />Barcelona to Venice  <br /><br /><br />We booked this cruise that would take us from Barcelona to Venice, May 2005 with an Embarkation date of October 29, 2006.  <br /><br />We reserved stateroom 9160 upon Celebrity&#39;s Millennium. This is a Concierge Class aft cabin, which is approximately 251 square foot and a large 200 square foot veranda.  <br /><br />Boarding this ship had never been easier, once our taxis dropped us off at the Pier in Barcelona, a porter was very eager to accept our luggage and guide us to the entrance to the embarkation lobby.   <br /><br />We were immediately asked to sanitize our hands before entering a ship controlled area and would later discover that this is now SOP aboard Celebrity, we were also offered a cool fruit punch while we stood in the proper line.  <br /><br />The line moved quickly and was thru security and champagne in hand by 12:00noon. As with so many cruises that allow early embarkation our Cabin was not &quot;ready&quot; until 1:00 by we just could not resist stopping by and &quot;dropping &quot; off things. Once there we met Gregorio and Tailer our stateroom tag team that did a pretty good one two punch in Stateroom cleanliness and attentiveness. Any concern we had through out the cruise was always met quickly and efficiently.  <br /><br />October 29 Night one shortly after our sailing from Barcelona while getting ready for dinner I became aware of Mediterranean Fruit Flies that had infested our cabin. I was distraught and after expressing our displeasure firmly, with the staff at guest relations we were moved to another cabin while they attempted to correct the problem.   <br /><br />After expressing my displeasure to The Guest Relations Office.  The entire staff of the Millennium did their best to turn a negative into a positive the Lead Guest relations Officer Ms. Jann Ramos could not have been more understanding of the situation and her performance in this situation reminded me of just why we chose Celebrity.   <br /><br />It took a little over 36 hours before we could get back into the cabin we had purchased for this adventure. When things at the start of an Adventure begin to turn negative, and you see all of you dreams go up in a mist. It can become very scary and disappointing to say the least.   <br /><br />Ms. Ramos not only coordinated the cleanup effort between the various departments, she made an effort to keep in touch with us every step of the way&#33; I must applaud the entire staff for a Job well done&#33;  AND we are back in our stateroom where on David&#39;s Birthday October 31, we were able to wake up and have breakfast on the veranda. SUCESS&#33;  <br /><br />The Millennium as a whole is in fine condition, all carpets appear to be in good repair, and it show little signs of age. The support staffs have done a wonderful job with maintenance.  <br /><br />We opted for late dining a table for two we received table 552, which is at the top of the staircase in the Dining Room located adjacent to the Jan Martini Quartet so our meals were always filled with music. Nice touch.   Our Wait Staff, the team of (Glenn) Joseph and Richard; a nice combination that did their best to please. However At times, they seemed to be a bit overwhelmed.  <br /><br />Sebastian our Sommelier was attentive and supportive. He accepted our boycott of first night no wine sales with real grace and on night two made an effort to find a specific vintage that we asked for... He was outstanding and very personable.   <br /><br />The food was Just as we remembered the cold soups were just as remarkable while the roast beef was just as tender and the Escargot which are now part of the regular standby menu were outstanding.  <br /><br />With this being a very port intensive cruise, we did not see much of the late night activities?. So the entertainment; we really cannot comment on.   The exception was for a review for a fantasy type show that the &quot;Singers and Dancers&quot; &quot;entertained&quot; for the passengers ? ( I personally didn?t care for it.)  <br /><br />On November 4th a formal night we had reservations for the Olympic Restaurant. Once again, a table for two and this time a great duce by the Harpist. The meal was outstanding and the service exceptional Thumbs up to Stanislaw Stoyanov, Maitre D&#39;Hotel he runs a fine restaurant, Our only exception was for the Sommelier who was unhappy that we chose not to buy wine and refused our request to purchase a second sparkling water.   <br /><br />We were planning a small gathering in our stateroom to samples some wines Gregorio had anticipated the tasting and offered to provide cheese, crackers, and things before we had to ask.   He was amazing.  <br /><br />The Casino when open had a nice selection of slots and our favorites Little Green men , Texas Tea, where I was able to pick up a few hundred on this cruise so that?s a nice feeling.  <br /><br />Over all we felt we did in fact receive our moneys worth&#33; Got our Bang for the buck as they say.   The Millennium is a fine ship with an outstanding crew, and would not hesitate to sail it again if the Itinerary would present itself.  <br /><br />Respectfully submitted by JoeyandDavid 11/21/2006  <br /><br />Now to Rate the Cruise line: <br /><br />Scale 1 to 5 (1 needs improvement - 5 Excellent) <br />Guest Relations 5 <br />Accommodations 4 <br />On Board Activities 3 <br />Entertainment 2  <br />Food 4 <br />Specialty Restaurant 4 <br />Overall Cruise Experience 4.5',1170959627,0,'Western Mediterranean','[-review]LP.jpg',2066,'JoeyandDavid',1,120,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(80,53,'10/29/06','We will not sail with this line again. <br />We will not cruise Europe.... we enjoyed it so much more as a land based vacation. <br />We will probably cruise Alaska and tropical destinations for laid back relaxing and scenery watching.','We were in CC cabin 8067.  <br /><br /><br />Embarkation was a breeze, no waiting. Check-in personnel were efficient and polite.  The ship was nicely decorated, but the layout was somewhat choppy.  The shops were small and uninteresting, but I find most shops uninteresting.  The library was very nice and the librarian most helpful.  The spa was wonderful, the staff was very friendly and proficient. <br /><br />The gym was spacious but the equipment was old and in various states of disrepair. (maybe they will remedy this in dry dock)  Our cabin was in very good condition. Our stateroom attendant left alot to be desired. If I found her to be in charge of my cabin again, I would have to ask to be relocated. Fortunately, her assistant worked in overdrive to make up for the deficiency. <br /><br />As for concierge class... If you are accustomed to the services provided by a competent hotel concierge, you will be greatly disappointed. The concierge on this ship was incapable of arranging event tickets, finding train schedules, making dinner reservations, or arranging for taxi service. The concierge was unable to perform one single requested task.  <br /><br />The dining room was very nice. We had been assigned to a table of 8 in a crowded area of the restaurant, but requested a change to a table for 2. We are not very socially adept, and uncomfortable in crowds. We were immediately changed to table 522 (just around the corner from Joey and David.) and were quite happy there. Our waitstaff: Sanjay, Richard, and our Sommelier Sebastian were the service highlight of the cruise. They attended to our every need and anticipated our wishes. In general the food was just slightly above a good chain restaurant, the filet mignon and the pistachio cream were excellent exceptions. The buffet was just average with poor selection, the same for room service. <br /><br />We did one ship sponsored shore excursion (Athens and Sounion) it was nice as bus tours go... I just do not like buses.  Entertainment was minimal and uninteresting. The port intensive schedule combined with the advanced age of the cruisers contributed to a rather sedate experience. It seemed that most of the ships &quot;activities&quot; were geared toward getting you to buy something. The level of selling on this ship was greater than on any other we have sailed. <br /><br />We chose to stay at the airport Marriot the last night in Venice as we had a very early morning flight. Our final impression of the ship was marred beyond recovery by the aforementioned incompetent concierge. We requested a taxi be called to pick us up at the ship terminal and take us to our hotel. The first four times we called with this request we were told the concierge was tied up and would get back with us. Mind you, we had called the concierge desk the day before to inform them of our travel needs and were told &quot; call us just before you are ready to disembark, it is no trouble to get a taxi.&quot; So we are waiting with our luggage in our cabin for the concierge to call.....not spending time in Venice. When we finally contacted a concierge by calling them again.... they never called us.... we were told &quot;go on down to the terminal, the taxi will be there. Just ask the guard at the gate where to find the taxi.&quot; <br /><br />We rolled our luggage to the ships terminal... no taxi...we asked the guard at the gate... he didn&#39;t speak english and didn&#39;t seem to understand the word &quot;taxi&quot;.... so I asked him in italian... he just shook his head. We waited outside the terminal with a pile of luggage looking for any sign of a taxi.... not one hint of one ever arriving. We rolled all of our luggage into Piazzelle Roma and hired a taxi to take us to the hotel. <br /><br />In summation: <br /><br />We will not sail with this line again. <br />We will not cruise Europe.... we enjoyed it so much more as a land based vacation. <br />We will probably cruise Alaska and tropical destinations for laid back relaxing and scenery watching.',1170959688,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',2594,'s73645',1,103,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(81,54,'5/17/04','This was absolutely one of the best vacations I have ever had....and a special thanks to Servio, Jose, Ronald, Christian and Milla for making it special.','Well, here it is: a review of a short land trip and 11 day cruise on the Summit. I usually book my own air, but because this was an open-jaw itinerary, I ended up using Celebrity&#39;s air/sea program, it came in over &#036;1000 cheaper than what I could find on my own. <br /><br />On May 11, I left for Honolulu from Milwaukee via St. Louis on American Airlines - I ended up on a TWA plane which did not have the extra legroom in coach like American has. I arrived in Honolulu about 4:00pm (9:00pm at home) to find it was raining...this was to be a theme for most of my time in the islands. Took a taxi to my hotel in Waikiki where I met up with some friends. We walked down the street to a small local restraunt where we had a light supper - and our little group ran into some more friends....we did a little shopping then headed back to the hotel to crash for the night. <br /><br />Sunday was spent driving around Oahu - we went up past Diamond Head up the coast to the North shore where we stopped at Sunset Beach and the Bonzai pipeline - the waves were not to spectacular that day, and it was starting to drizzle a little. We then drove down through the center of the island back to Honolulu and Waikiki. That night we went to the Hale Koa (a couple of friends were staying there) for their Sunday night buffet (which just happened to be on Mother&#39;s Day). After dinner we walked over to the Hilton Hawaiian Village where we surprised a couple of people - they had been planning this cruise for over 9 months and we had all said there was no way we could make it, but we decided about 6 months out to book the cruise and try to surprise them...and we sure did&#33; As we were walking back to our respective hotels that night we got caught in a downpour....not a quick tropical shower, but this rain lasted all that night and til about noon on Monday. <br /><br />Monday was the day we boarded the Summit - we got to the pier around 11:00AM - we had to wait in line til about 11:30 to be let into the building to begin checking in.....i can truly say my friends, April and her mom CeeCee, Doug, John, Pat and Don were within the first 30 people in line - we went through the check in process and were on board by 11:45am. April, CeeCee and I went to check out our cabin - we had a cat 1A (9154) on Sky Deck - it was the last cabin on the starboard side before the aft cabins. We were pleasantly surprised with the cabin - 191 sq feet - it had a king size bed and a double bed that pulled out from the sofa bed. There was ample closet space; two of the closets you were able to hang your clothes and store some stuff on the bottom of the closet. The third closet had shelfs and drawers in it - 6 pull out drawers, and three shelves - one of the shelves held the safe - you could operate the safe either by putting in a code or using a card with a magnetic stripe. Three bathrobes and three beach towels were in the cabin when we arrived along with two flower arrangements sent to us by some friends. <br /><br />I guess now would be a good time to talk about food and dining options on the Summit. There were 15 in our little group within the larger group - two had chosen early seating, the rest of us chose late seating. Those of us on late seating (except for one couple) were at a table for 12 on the first floor of the Cosmpolitan dining room. Our waiter, Ronald and his assistant Christian, had to be the best servers I have had on seven cruises. Nothing was a problem for them - all special requests were met with a smile, and we never had to ask for anything a second time. One of my tablemates had requested mashed potatos on the first night we all sat at the table - they brought out two plates of them that night - we just kept getting more and more mashed potatos every night. <br /><br />First night of this cruise, we did not sail til midnight, so it was open seating for both early and late seatings...as some people were still arriving at the ship during supper. <br /><br />I found the food in the dining room for supper on the Summit to be better than the food we had on the Millennium in February 2001 - everything was done to perfection. Beef, fish, veal and chicken were all very good and the desserts (especially the chocolate ones and the ice creams) were to die for&#33; AS for breakfast inthe dining room - all I can say is stick with the eggs and danish - the pancakes and french toast left something to be desired. I only ate one lunch in the dining room and it was ok - nothing really special. For breakfast I found the food in the Waterfall Cafe to be much better - a great selection of fruits, meats, potatoes, salads, desserts, breads. Also in the Waterfall, in the morning there was an omelet station, which at lunch turned into a pasta station. There was also an area that at lunch had a themed buffet each day - Italian, German, American, etc. There was also ice cream and frozen yogurt available during lunch and the afternoon. The Waterfall grill was open for burgers and hot dogs and fries. This turned over to pizza after 3:00pm and was open til 7:00pm. You could also get pizza from the room service menu from 3:00 to 7:00pm and again from 10:00pm to 1:00am. There was also room service available 24 hours a day and also a special breakfast menu from room service besides the continental breakfast menu that you could put on your door at night. Oh, and how could I forget about the Normandie restraunt? A group of 4 of us dined there one night - I had alway been one to question why people would pay for eating at an alternative restraunt - I know the answer now - it was fabulous&#33; The chateaubriand I had literally melted in my mouth and the chocolate souffle was exquisite. The service was perfect. I would dine there again in a heartbeat. <br /><br />I must also say that the crew on the Summit was much friendlier than the crew on the Millennium in 2001 - everyone I ran into smiled and said &quot;Hello&quot;, or &quot;Good morning - How are you today?&quot; Nothing was a problem except at the purser&#39;s desk...and they were usually very pleasant too, but some passengers did run into some problems with them. <br /><br />As for the ports, our first stop was Kauai; and let me tell you Kauai is beautiful - it is probably more beautiful if it would stop raining once in a while&#33; A couple of friends and I rented a minivan and drove up the the east coast of the island all the way up to Ke&#39;e beach, where between raindrops, we saw the Bali Hi Mountain of South Pacific fame and the start of the NaPali cliffs. We also stopped in Hanalei and had lunch at Bubba Burgers...man they were good&#33; We also stopped in Princeville to do some shopping; the sun actually did come out for about half an hour - the clerk at the store said it was the first time in 2 weeks that the sun had come out - we had been hearing on the news about the unusually heavy rains in the islands, but there was a lot of flood warnings that were issued while we were in the islands. One thing though, the waterfalls on the island were spectacular&#33; We also stopped at Kilauea lighthouse and Opaekaa Falls. <br /><br />Next we headed to Lahaina, Maui...we were there for two full days. This was the one stop where we actually had sunshine&#33; The first day some of our group rented a convertible and did the road to Hana; one friend and I rented a minivan and drove up to Kapalua and down back through Lahaina down to Maalea and up to Wailuku - stopping up at the Iao needle and the Tropical plantation. We then drove back up through Lahaina up to Kaanapali and to Whaler&#39;s Village where we had lunch and did some shopping. That night, some of my friends stayed on board the ship and dined at the Normandie restraunt, while the rest of us went to the Old Lahaina Luau - the food was fair, the drinks were ok, the show was pretty good, but the best attraction that night was the sunset&#33; The next day in Maui - we were all off the ship well before 6:00am - we had booked independent snorkeling and diving tours - the snorkelers went out to Molokini and snorkeled there - on the way out we saw sea turtles and on the way back we were entertained by a dolphin that decided to play with the catamaran. <br /><br /><br />Next stop was Kailua-Kona on the west coast of the big Island of Hawaii. Some of us did a ship&#39;s tour that day - went to a painted church, to a Kona coffee mill, and to Puuhonua o Honaunau National Park - it was a place of refuge where those who had angered the Gods or had broken some taboo came to to find absolution. By the way - it rained again that day. <br />Our last day in Hawaii was spent in Hilo...where we had expected it to rain as it is the second wettest city in the USA, behind Ketchikan, Alaska. It rained off and on all day, but those who had booked helicopter tours were able to do them. I had chosen to do Volcanoes National Park - we did the Crater rim drive. This place is not to be missed. You can actually tell where the different flows of lava are and you can see how nature begins reclaiming the land. We also went to the Thurston Lava Tube and we stopped at the Mauna Loa Macadamia nut factory. <br /><br />As we sailed away from Hilo that night, we started our 5 straight sea days.....that was the roughest night of the cruise, the ship was moving at 23.5 knots and it was very rough that night. <br /><br />The first two days at sea were wonderful - sunny and warm enough to sit out in the sun and relax. The next two were cloudy and very cool. Our last sea day started out that way, but by 2:00pm we had spotted the coast of the US and the sun came back out - down near the pool out of the wind it was more than warm enough to get some more sun. That afternoon and evening we sailed in to and up the Straights of San Juan de Fuca - that evening we had a great view of Mt. Baker before we turned north to heads toward Vancouver. This are of the Pacific northwest is absolutely beautiful. <br /><br />After 11 days on the ship we arrived in Vancouver friday am, May 24th. I was off the ship by 9:40am - to the airport by 10:45, and checked in for my return flight on Northwest (I really don&#39;t like flying Northwest) by 11:00am. I arrived home after 9:00pm that night and found out I was still on Hawaii time.....and still very laid back from my cruise and my trip to the islands. <br /><br />There were a couple of negatives on this cruise and it related to some misinformation that Celebrity printed in the Summit Daily. The most important one happened on our second day in Maui. Some of our group had to be down in Kihei by 6:15am and the rest of us had to be in Maalea by 7:15am. Celebrity was running a tender all night long - according to what was printed in the daily the night before, the tenders were to leave the ship for the shore on the half hour (ie: 4:30 and 5:30am) and leave the shore for the ship on the hour (5:00am and 6:00am) - well when we got down to the tender embarkation area, they told us that that was wrong...well, let&#39;s just say after showing them what was printed in the daily and trip up to the pursers&#39; desk (which really was wasted as the girl got the &quot;deer in the headlights&quot; look when we approached her) they called the tender back to pick us and the others who had gathered to catch the 5:30 tender - we got on shorejust before 6:00 am - and we found out that those of our group who had shown up for the 4:30am tender had to go through the same thing. Not everyone single one of us who showed up on the half hours could be wrong - a case of one hand not knowing what the other was telling the passengers. There was also an incident in one of the tender ports where some crew members who were returning from personal time on shore literally pushed passengers out of the way to get off the tender first - it was totally uncalled for and someone could have been injured. I know that the passengers had requested a meeting with the staff Captain to address these issues - I don&#39;t know what the result of that meeting was. Also, and this is just a personal thing, I think the itinerary needs a sea day in the middle of all those island days, just to let everyone rest and recharge - we were exhausted by the time we got to our first sea day. <br /><br />This was absolutely one of the best vacations I have ever had....and a special thanks to Servio, Jose, Ronald, Christian and Milla for making it special. Also a special hello to Jovan who was one of the good crew members I had met on the Millennium and who is now on the Summit - he was my waiter on the Millennium and remembered me and my tablemates.',1170959743,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',333,'sailinglisa',1,84,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(82,55,'9/4/04','Bermuda is a great place and we highly recomend this cruise line&#33;','My husband and I wanted to cruise somewhere other than the Caribbean or Mexico.  <br /><br />We didn&#39;t want to fly too long to get to the port so we x&#39;d out Alaska and Hawaii. We chose Bermuda&#33; What a great choice it was. We really had a blast. The Celebrity Zenith is not a new ship and not my favorite in the Celebrity line up... however the service was excellent and the embarking and disembarking went the smoothest of all our cruises.The food was great and we loved our Waiter and wine attendant.Rooms were o.k. not anything special.   <br /><br />Bermuda is a beautiful 21 mile island 700 miles off the US coast. The 2 days at Sea and the 5 on the Island was perfect time to see and do it all.We never expected it to be so beautiful and fun to see. The ship sailed out of New York which added to the fun and excitment of seeing the Manhatten Skyline, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  <br /><br /><br />We reccomend the bus pass instead of the expensive cabs. The mopeds look like alot of fun however we saw and spoke to so many vacationers that got into accidents, They are very dangerous to an amatuer...especially not being used to driving on the other side of the road&#33; These bikes ruined many a vacation so we say forget it...take the A/C on the bus and you can go anywhere.  <br />We loved Tobacco Beach for the snorkeling as the Beach itself is small and usually crowded. When you dock in Hamilton you can walk to the square and catch the Blue Bus ( can&#39;t use the pass on this one)For &#036;5.00 you can get up to Tobacco Beach, Fort Catherine and 2 other nice Beaches. All the beaches have food, drink and snorkle equipment for sale. For beaching and swimming Horseshoe Bay is the best. Elbow Beach has a wonderful Hotel / Resort and the Beach is nice but not as scenic.Take the tour at Fort Catherine, it&#39;s worth it.  <br /><br />We enjoyed the caverns, hiking and having &quot;Swizzles&quot; at the Swizzle Inn. The island has many things to do and great place to shop and wine and dine.  <br /><br />We went back to the ship each day around 5:00 p.m. to relax before our 8:30 p.m. dinner seating. We always choose to sit with a group. Our table of 8 was a highlight of the trip. We all got along so well...and had so much fun together. Bermuda is a great place and we highly recomend this cruise line&#33;',1170959904,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',1491,'zstkbrkr',1,15,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(83,55,'2/25/06','All in all it was a super trip.......my only regret was that we didn&#39;t book our April 19th trip while we were onboard since it would have saved us some money.','This was our first cruise and we chose the Zenith because of the smaller size and because we really didn&#39;t want to end up on a &quot;party boat&quot;. It was perfect for a first cruise&#33;  <br /><br /><br />It doesn&#39;t take long before you realize that the staff is a happy group and so very well trained. Everyone greets you with a smile and before long they start calling you by name. At our first dinner in the dining room I requested lemonade and from that night on, a glass of lemonade was placed before me as soon as I sat down.  <br /><br />I thought the food was great&#33; But I&#39;m ashamed to admit that my favorite meals were at the lunch buffet. Be sure to go to the sandwich station where they make up the sandwich of the day on a huge croissant roll.....yummy&#33; (I&#39;m still working on getting rid of those extra pounds I gained)  <br /><br />We didn&#39;t get off at Grand Caymen so I can&#39;t comment on the tours. We stayed aboard and enjoyed having the ship almost to ourselves. It&#39;s also a great time to get a lounge chair by the pool. It seems as though every morning people got out to lay claim to chairs earlier and earlier.   <br /><br />Key West was fun though all we did was stroll through the shops and had a drink at Capt. Tony&#39;s (my husband was there 30 years ago and felt we just had to stop in.  <br /><br />Debarkation didn&#39;t take long but it seemed as though it took us forever to find our bags. Maybe I&#39;ll paint big RED stars on them before our next cruise LOL  <br /><br />A word about room service....usually I&#39;d order a couple chocolate chip cookies for late night snack. On the last night we got to our room pretty late so I didn&#39;t bother (my husband had a few too many so I didn&#39;t figure he&#39;d want a snack). Anyway, when I got up in the morning there was a room service tray with a big sandwich on a roll and a half eaten sandwich. I asked Ray abt it and he laughed and said he&#39;d called room service to order a couple danish.....they brought 3 tuna sandwiches&#33;........guess he might have slurred his words LOL  <br /><br />All in all it was a super trip.......my only regret was that we didn&#39;t book our April 19th trip while we were onboard since it would have saved us some money.',1170959993,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',2439,'popsec',1,30,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(84,55,'5/13/06','It was a wonderful week, and we feel revitalized and refreshed.','ZENITH REVIEW ? OK, NOT GREAT  <br /><br /><br />CHECK-IN: We arrived in Bayonne faster than expected. Joe dropped me off with the luggage. A baggage handler reluctantly interrupted conversation with a friend to touch the three heaviest suitcases we wrestled out of the car. Shamefully, Joe tipped the man. Signs saying ?Tipping Optional? were visible when we arrived a week later, and the attendants were far more attentive. NO CONCIERGE CLASS CHECK-IN was available at 11:45 when check-in began, but the express line for ordinary check-in was fast. We ate a light breakfast so our buffet lunch tasted good. We were in our rooms by 1PM BUT had no working keys two hours and two phone calls later. We found our luggage in a pile and dragged it to our room.  <br /><br />THE ROOM: 172 square feet of poorly-planned space between paper-thin walls. Our neighbors never spoke to us, but we heard then snore, shower, and converse loudly. Less than 30? separated the two beds in our room, only one person could dress at a time. I slept under the pull-down bed whose ladder jiggled in the waves. The closet contents and drawers also slid in and out in the rough seas. The sofa, jammed into the few inches between the bed and the closet, became storage. The desk held the refrigerator-mini-bar poorly. To open the refrigerator, one moved the tiny useless table, opened the desk drawer to the right, moved the refrigerator sideways, then opened the refrigerator to the left. The table blocked access to the refrigerator, or the bathroom, depending on its placement. The entire set-up was far too awkward for room service. The one time we asked for special ?concierge class? breakfast foods delivered to our room, the foods were unavailable and the room service set-up too awkward to eat there.   <br /><br />HOUSEHOLD STAFF: Our house staff were friendly. Period. Our stateroom attendant, Aida, was pretty. Period. Aida failed to mention the ?pillow menu?, so we slept on two standard slabs of foam. She failed to bring our room keys after two phone calls. We pre-ordered four bottles of wine. At the suggestion of the wine steward, we asked Aida to take the wine to the dining room so the wine steward could chill and store the wine for us. We made this request at 10:30AM, and it still had not been carried out by 4PM. That evening the wine steward couldn?t find our wine ? Aida ?gave it to the wrong person?. He did find the wine, but when our laundry didn?t get taken by 9AM because ?there was no list? (I did make out a list&#33;), the tone was set for a less-than-wonderful evaluation.   <br /><br />PORT TALK: This was one of the best I?d experienced in a long time. Our cruise director, Jeff, presented an automated show which downplayed shopping and informed us about the island. He evaluated various excursions and alternatives. He answered my inquiry about ?sea glass? promptly with a note and a print-out from the internet.   <br /><br />WEATHER: Yes, the Atlantic is rougher than the Inside Passage. You?ll feel the ship going down and back. Wrist bands, pills, patches, all help. The daily schedule recommends avoiding overeating and alcohol ?yes, right, uh-huh?. I personally recommend you sit underneath a tree. Seriously, we even had our trip to St. George?s cancelled due to the threat of bad weather. When I saw the Town Cut from a ferry, and realized how narrow a passage we had to cram through to get to St. George?s, I was happy we cancelled the cruise ship?s stop there. We did get torrential rain and winds on the final morning., and nobody wanted to go outdoors.   <br /><br />TOURS: We bought a three-day transportation pass (&#036;28 per person) and a Bermuda Heritage Pass (&#036;25), both of which proved to be bargains. We arranged a tour of the Bermuda National Gallery by a former curator, worth far more than the &#036;8.00/person charged. We left &#036;20.00 for the two of us, and they gave us a glossy program. Marlee Robinson. The guide, was wonderful&#33; She met us at the boat, gave us a mini-tour of the architecture and history of the area, and even persuaded one artist to tell us about her work. We?d visited the previous day, but Marlee really made the artwork intelligible for us. We took the ferry at sunset, and rode the bus to gather pink sand at Jobson?s Cove (part of Warwick Long Bay). The ?dunking? scene at St. George was a howl&#33; The poor lady who got ducked deserved an award ?By far the BEST part of the Heritage Pass was the little-known Bermuda Underwater Exploration Museum, less than a mile from our ship. We stepped into the simulated shark cage and even went down 1200 feet on a simulated dive. One of the best parts of our trip, I?d certainly return to this place before I set foot in another crafts market. You can make your own tours in Bermuda, where the people are prosperous and you can feel safe taking the bus. I did pick up a flyer for ?solitude charters?, which claims to charge &#036;35.00 per person, the lowest prices I?d seen. I know nothing more than they list a phone number of 441-799-9594.  <br /><br />SHOPPING: VERY pricey ? we bought a pair of Bermudas at the Outlet Store for &#036;29.00, and one for &#036;19.00. You had to LOOK for reasonably-priced items. I brought warmer clothing than needed, so the &#036;10.00 dresses at Davidson?s came in handy. I also found a set of 8 numbered prints at the Museum in St. George?s ? replicas of sketches from the 1800?s, &#036;10.00 for a portfolio of 8, and very subtle. We ate our meals on the ship, carried our own water in a water bottle, and even shamelessly made cheese sandwiches at breakfast to carry us through lunch at St. George?s. (You?re not supposed to bring meats, fish, fruit, or veggies onshore, so we brought cheese and bread.). Joe?s bowl of fish stew (excellent) cost &#036;6.00, and my lentil soup (so-so) was the same. With the sandwiches and a glass of water each, it came to &#036;15.00. I understand Bermuda is a prosperous island, thanks mostly to the re-insurance industries, BUT the prices were uniformly high. Look for ?sale? signs, comparison-shop before you leave home, and don?t be afraid to leave the item in the store. <br /><br />FOOD: Abundant, sometimes wonderful. Some diners didn?t know you could always ask for shrimp cocktail, broiled salmon, chicken or a sirloin steak and found the food ?too fancy?, or vegetarian if you?d like a non-meat meal for a change. Why doesn?t the menu mention this? They take up a great deal of space telling you about the chef?s suggestions, which are reiterated verbally by the waiter, but fail to mention this helpful fact. The food was often superb. The wait staff and wine steward were excellent: attentive, eager to please and considerate.  <br /><br />Buffets were perfectly OK, but not up to the high standards set on our prior cruises on Windstar and Radisson (Regent).  <br /><br />EVALUATIONS: I regret turning in our surveys before the disembarkation talk, and rating the wait staff ?very good? instead of ?excellent?. Jeff the Cruise director explained that an ?excellent? rating gives a crew member 90 points, but a ?very good? rating only gives them 66 points. That?s too large a drop?  <br /><br />ENTERTAINMENT: This cruise offered excellent entertainment. The ship?s own music-makers were uniformly fine, if limited in their repertoire. All their own singers and musicians provided lovely melodies, tasteful and well-chosen music beautifully performed. Their comedian, Louis Johnson, gently made fun of all our foibles. Even his ?lecture? on humor was funny?Darren Williams had a tremendous vocal range, everything from ?Carmen Jones? to Elvis. Their own dancers and singers could have given Broadway a try, and the material was crowd-pleasing. We loved being able to go from a fine meal to a fine show. As Joe said after a few minutes of Louis Johnson ?I haven?t seen you laugh this much in a long time?.   <br /><br />OVERALL: Well, the joy of going all over the ship with a card in my hand instead of a heavy purse always makes me happy. No phones, no fax, equal no worries. We avoided the ?Art? auctions, the wine auctions, the casinos, the bingo, and found no surprises on our bill. Planning our time in Bermuda, talking about the entertainment, got us away from dreary and depressing everyday trivia. Our fellow cruiser from another board provided a few laughs, and even joined us on a fabulous excursion. It was a wonderful week, and we feel revitalized and refreshed. Next time, I would NOT use a computer company to book our cruise. A travel agent should have warned us about the room, telling us to be sure to book a room without the overhead bed, or with one bed instead of two. I was very disappointed in the room, the room service, the stateroom attendant, and our computer booking. I was thrilled with the food, entertainment, most service, and the fact that both of us still feel relaxed and happy the next day.',1170960187,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',2167,'JoanandJoe',1,20,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(85,55,'5/20/06','All-in-all in was a super cruise...Mom and I had a great time and I wouldn&#39;t hesitate to do this cruise again.','This was my second cruise on the Zenith this year (my husband and I were on a 5 night cruise out of Miami in Feb). On this trip I took my 85 yr old mom and left DH home with the pups.  <br /><br /><br />Since I wasn&#39;t sure about the long drive from Vermont we decided to stay at the Best Western Newark Airport. They have a stay/park/cruise rate (I think it was about &#036;175 including tax). There was a shuttle from the hotel to the pier and a shuttle to pick us up after the cruise and take us back to the hotel to pick up the truck. The hotel was in an industrial type area with no stores or restaurants around it. There was a restaurant in the hotel for dinner and a good continental breakfast was included. Rooms were very large and clean enough so it worked out ok.  <br /><br />Embarkation was the quickest ever...we were on the ship at 11:45 and had our bags by 2:00.  <br /><br />We were &quot;upgraded&quot; to the Carribean deck, room 6145 (inside room). This location was horrid...I believe the dining room was over us and around midnight or 1 a.m. it sounded like they were dragging chairs and tables across the floor every night&#33; Our cabin steward was just ok...I had to ask for the tote bag and captain&#39;s club coupon book and CC coctail party invitation.  <br /><br />Food was great,as usual. Since we didn&#39;t bring formal clothes, we ate in the casual dining alternative. We had a super waiter, named Franco, who made meal times fun.  <br /><br />It was cloudy and cool when we left NJ but we had nice weather in Hamilton and St. George. The last day of the return trip was very rough and alot of the passengers and quite a few of the crew were seasick. I had Mom take Bonine before we set sail and she was fine...just had a little trouble walking because of the excessive ship movement. The last night we had thunderstorms and it was fascinating to see the lightning light up the bow on the ship bow cam on our television.  <br /><br />We didn&#39;t take any organized tours. In Hamilton we strolled through some of the shops and took the bus to Horseshoe Bay Beach. In St George we spent a morning at Tobacco Bay Beach (&#036;4 PP cab ride) and then toured through the town.  <br /><br />Overall this was a rather odd cruise....mostly older passengers, who grumbled, complained and didn&#39;t seem to be enjoying the cruise much. Also, not a friendly group, overall....it was just different. I asked the woman at guest relations if it was just me or if this was just a not so happy group and she responded that &quot;they just weren&#39;t very enthusiastic&quot;.  <br /><br />All-in-all in was a super cruise...Mom and I had a great time and I wouldn&#39;t hesitate to do this cruise again.',1170960221,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',2439,'popsec',1,69,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),(86,55,'10/7/06','Tony and I returned from a wonderful 7-night cruise to Bermuda.','October 17, 2006:  <br /><br /><br />Tony and I returned from a wonderful 7-night cruise to Bermuda. I had booked this cruise in June after my friend    Shaun invited me to join him and his fianc?e Melonee after     I invited him to join me on a Mediterranean/Black sea cruise    for October 2007?I?m still trying to convince them to join me.         Tony and I have never been to Bermuda and thought the     price of the cruise was very reasonable. We liked the idea     of cruising to Bermuda rather than a land based trip since     Bermuda is a very expensive place to visit. Hotels start     around &#036;250, which is out of our price range. Dining is very     expensive too. With the cruise, we had our room and board,     tons of dining options and entertainment.       <br /><br />Planning this cruise was really easy since it was just one place (two port stops) we would be visiting. I met fellow passengers on Cruise Critic and even organized a sail away party for our group.   <br /><br />Friday October 6, 2006:   <br /><br />This was the first time I packed my suitcase ?last minute.? I did have most of my things out (my office was a mess&#33;) but I sort of panicked since I gave myself just a couple of hours to pack. And I over packed. I figured since we were driving to the port, rather than flying, I could take extra clothes. No worries about luggage or weight restrictions. In addition to the usual items, we packed our beach mats, reef shoes and my mask &amp; snorkel.   <br /><br />We dropped Lucy off at my in-laws house. She was NOT a happy dog that we left her there. She stayed overnight and then was taken to a friend?s house to take care of her for the rest of the trip. We left Frederick at 11 am and got to our hotel in Avenel NJ at 5pm. We stopped along the way to get a bite to eat and fill the car with gas. We drove via Rte 78 through Allentown PA to avoid any Friday traffic on 95 and the NJ turnpike. It had rained in Frederick, but no rain the rest of the day. However, there was a tropical depression near Ocean city, so lots of rain and winds on the east coast. The hotel was located in a real crappy area. We met up with Vicki, a fellow cruise mate, who got us a discount at the room since she works for Marriott. She was traveling with her mother Fay and Fay?s friend Darlene. Our room was only &#036;35 plus taxes. The room was nice and the bed was comfortable. This was a Fairfield Inn and Suites, so our stay included continental breakfast. Thanks again Vicki&#33;  <br /><br />Before dinner, Tony and I went out to get cash from an ATM and also pick up some bottled water for our cabin. We found a shop-rite store, which reminded us of Wegman?s, a wonderful grocery store. We thought we?d stop there before heading home to pick up some meats and cheese, but later decided against it.   <br /><br />For dinner the five of us dined at Dominic&#39;s, a very good family style Italian restaurant. We didn&#39;t know it was a BYOB, but the waitress gave us each a glass of wine from the kitchen. I thought it tasted liked cooking wine&#33; She later asked us how we liked it. I just told her, &quot;It?s not bad.&quot; She wasn?t too happy with that answer. Well, I didn&#39;t want to say it was bad&#33; The osso bucco was delicious&#33;  <br /><br />After dinner, Vicki opened a bottle of wine and we had drinks in our room while the ladies went to bed.   <br /><br />Vicki arranged our car service for 10:30am but it arrived at 11am. We got &#036;10 off the bill for their tardiness. The driver Anthony picked us up in a Lincoln but it was not large enough for 5 people. I had to squeeze up in front. Thank goodness the trunk was deep and our entire luggage fit. None of us were pleased with this, but at least we were on our way to the port.  <br /><br />Saturday October 7th Bayonne NJ/Cape Liberty  <br /><br />We arrived to the port at 11:30am. There were plenty of porters to take the luggage but man, they were rude and pushy. I only had the large suitcase for them to take. The rest Tony and I carried directly to our room. My wine and champagne, for our in cabin consumption, made it on board without any problems. Based on other people?s comments, no wine was taken away from any passenger.   <br /><br />Check in literally took 5 minutes and absolutely no waiting in line. I had also checked in via the Celebrity web site prior to leaving home. This was the fasted that I have ever checked in on a cruise. It was a breeze. We had our photo taken and then on to the bus to take us to the ship, which was just a 2-3 minute ride.  <br /><br />We walk on board via deck 3 (deck 5 was open too but you have to climb two flights of stairs) and I was surprised to see NO champagne&#33; We walked up 1 flight to our deck and there standing near the elevators were two waiters with platters of champagne filled glasses. We quickly dropped off our luggage and went back for our glass of champagne. Let the cruise begin&#33; Up on deck 11 we ran into some cruise critic members (Misti, John, Carol, Dolores, Ken, and Lee) while in the food line at the windsurf cafe. We had lunch with friends Mike and Maureen.   <br /><br />After lunch, the 4 of us checked out the dining room and found our table, #136. It was very close to the entrance and the piano and seemed like we would be in the way of the waiters; however, we were very comfortable there. We checked out the various areas on the ship. The Zenith is much smaller than the Millennium and Constellation, but I felt very comfortable on board. The Zenith had a cozier feel.   <br /><br />At the Marina bar we met up with some of the cruise critic members for our sail away party. We hung out for a while before having to do the muster drill, which went by quickly. We went to the top deck to watch the scenery as we left NJ. We could see the skyline of NYC, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We sailed under the Verrazano Bridge. It was very cold outside with the wind and the temperature was in the low 60s.   <br /><br />My camera started to act up and didn?t work properly the rest of the trip. It was accidentally knocked out of my hand a couple of months ago but Tony fixed it?or so we thought. The lens wouldn?t retract completely, so I had to be very careful with the lens so that I wouldn?t get it scratched or filled with dust. At least I could still take pictures. I?m not sure if this is covered under the 1-year warranty. If not, I lost a lot of mula on this purchase.  <br /><br />We went back to the room and unpacked our clothing. I was glad that my suitcase got there early. Our room, cabin 4102, was pretty nice but does show the age of the Zenith. The bed looked like it sagged, but it was actually very comfortable to sleep in. Our beds were pushed together and against one wall, so getting out of bed at night meant scooting down to the foot of the bed. Our room had upper bunks too, but they were not in the way. We didn?t have any mini refrigerator, but I didn?t miss it on this cruise. There was plenty of closet and drawer space. The shower was large enough to move around. Our cabin attendant was Santano Rosario from India. He always had a smile on his face and kept our room clean. We never saw him he was that good&#33;   <br /><br />At 7pm we met Mike and Maureen in the Martini bar for the martini tasting. I&#39;ve done this before: &#036;10 for six different types of martinis. I gave Tony the regular martini. I loved the Flirtini&#33;  <br /><br />Dinner was at 8:30pm. Our table of 6 included Mike, Maureen, and Shaun and Melonee. We had a nice time together. For dinner I had their veal picatta, which was excellent. I started with a mushroom pastry appetizer, while Tony had the shrimp cocktail. I had the tomato bisque and Caesar salad. Tony had the prime rib. And for dessert: Cr?me Brule&#33;&#33; Yum&#33;   <br /><br />I was tired so I went to bed. We didn?t go to the welcome party, but we didn?t mind.   <br /><br />Sunday October 8th at Sea  <br /><br />Sunday was a beautiful day. I woke up about 8am, but it was actually 7am, as we lost an hour due to the time change in Bermuda. The seas were pretty rough, although I slept well. Many people were sick and barf bags were placed throughout the ship, including next to the elevators. We didn&#39;t get to the cruise critic party at 9:30am because of the time change. Only 17 people showed up. I was told Celebrity would give it a second try on another day since so many people missed it. There were about 71 people signed up. It turned out they hosted it again on our second sea day, but what was the point?   <br /><br />Tony and I had a light breakfast on the aft deck 11. I had a part of a bagel with smoked salmon and grapefruit. The breakfast buffet was the same every day: assorted breads, pastries, a variety of fruit, smoked salmon, cream cheese; assorted meats, cheese; scrambled eggs, bacon, corned beef hash, cereal, etc? There was also a waffle and pancake station. At the aft at the Windsurf caf?, there was an omelet station.   <br /><br />At 11:30am Celebrity held an anniversary and honeymooners party, which we had received an invitation in our cabin. One couple had been married for 67 years&#33; Anna and Hooch, another cruise critic member, were married 18 years ago on the 8th, just like Tony and me. Champagne and cake were served?well, one small glass of champagne and a piece of cake for each couple. We were told &quot;the champagne will be flowing,&quot; but it wasn&#39;t. Tony got up and got 2 more glasses from the bar. Tony felt the whole event was cheesy. They should have either skipped it completely or done a much better job. Once the cruise director left the spotlight, he and the rest of the crew (minus 2 bartenders) disappeared.   <br /><br />I had a small lunch on deck at the pool area while watching the pool events. I also like to people watch. All the deck chairs were filled with people enjoying the sun and outdoors. Yes, people do hog the chairs. I felt a little queasy because of the rough ocean. I took another seasick pill and felt fine the rest of the day.  <br /><br />While on the pool deck, there were several events: Sherbet was served (I do like the little things that Celebrity does for its passengers), a chef did a fruit carving demonstration with watermelon; and there was contest with four guys who had to dance, sing, yell like Tarzan and serenade to a woman. It was pretty funny.  <br /><br />Every day at 5pm, the sushi bar opens up. We enjoyed the variety they had every day&#33; We enjoyed this before our 8:30pm dining time. <br /><br />Sunday was our first formal night and our 18th wedding anniversary. My travel agent had informed Celebrity that we would be celebrating our anniversary, so we received a cake after dinner. However, we already ate our dessert, so we didn?t eat it. In addition, I think they use the same cake to celebrate other people?s events.   <br /><br />We didn?t go to the captain?s welcome party. It was at 10:45pm and we just decided to skip it.   <br /><br />Monday October 9th Hamilton  <br /><br />We arrived in Hamilton about 9am. We got up early enough to watch as we sailed into the harbor. We saw many beautiful and expensive homes on the way in. I saw a few that I would love to call home&#33; Hamilton is a lovely town with very colorful buildings.   <br /><br />After our usual breakfast, we took the bus to Horseshoe bay with Mike, Maureen, Shaun, and Melonee. We all purchased the 3-day bus/ferry pass (&#036;28pp) at the bus station, which was located a block up from the ship and two blocks inland. We all loved the beach with its wonderful soft powdery sand. The weather was perfect too. I spent most of the time in the water playing in the waves. I also took a few photos with my underwater camera. Later, Mike, Tony and I walked to other parts of the beach. There are lots of secluded spots; however, we enjoyed the far end of the beach away from the rest of the crowd. There are changing facilities, which I used. I took a very cold shower, as I wanted to get the salt off me. We were surprised at how salty the water was, more so than other beaches.   <br /><br />After our time at the beach, Mike, Maureen, Tony and I headed to the Dockyards, while Shaun and Melonee stayed at the beach. We took the &#036;1pp van ride to the top of the hill. Now, it wasn?t overly steep, we just decided to ?splurge.?  <br /><br />Once in the Dockyards, we headed to the Frog and Onion pub for some drinks and snacks. I had their fish chowder, which was pretty tasty and one of the few reasonably priced items on the menu. Shaun and Melonee popped in and joined us. Sitting at the next table were Misti, John, and Carol who were enjoying their lunch. Anthony, our waiter, kept joking with us, so when our bill came, we all gave our boarding card for payment. He laughed&#33;   <br /><br />Just before heading to the ferry to get back to the ship, we ordered drinks in to-go cups. I was surprised we could do that, but we were in Bermuda. Ferrying over to Hamilton was very nice and relaxing. It took only 20 minutes to cross the bay.  <br /><br />After dinner we went to the Island Night at the pool deck. It was fun to watch people dancing and having a good time. Of course, they did the typical line dancing. Lots of food was served but we were still full. I suppose that?s the one negative thing about eating at the late seating. The advantage is having more time to prepare for dinner after getting on board the ship or even going to the gym?which I never saw. Ribs, chicken, fruits and assorted desserts were served.   <br /><br />Tuesday October 10th Hamilton  <br /><br />While having breakfast on the pool deck, we saw a Royal Caribbean ship come in to port. I learned that there was also a ship in St George and one at the Dockyards. It made me realize we made a very good decision to go to Horseshoe bay when we did, as I?m sure the beach was packed on this day.   <br /><br />We walked around Hamilton after breakfast and met up with Mike and Maureen at the ferry dock at 9:50am to catch the 10am ferry. We ferried over to the Dockyards and toured the maritime museum (&#036;10pp). I felt the price was great for all that we saw, including the dolphins at dolphin quest. I was surprised we could see them. I thought they would be in a different area. On the grounds were sheep and goats. We wandered through the museums and grounds.   <br /><br />Mike wanted to have drinks at the Frog and Onion, but I suggested we go to Somerset Village for drinks and lunch. Something different to see. The bus ride was just about 10 minutes. Somerset Village is tiny. We dined at outdoor terrace of the Somerset Squire Country Pub, located along the water. Tony and I had the fish and chips, which were very good and probably the cheapest on the island (&#036;12.50). Maureen had a Caesar salad with grilled chicken and Mike had a fish sandwich, all good. The place had a few other customers, but overall, it was a nice quiet place to have lunch and relax. I think Somerset Village is a place most people don?t visit based on the number of tourists I saw. It did rain a little but we were sitting under large umbrellas.   <br /><br />After lunch, we wanted to go to the lighthouse, but after three busses passed us packed with tourists, and also discovering the place closed at 4pm, we took the bus back to the dockyards, Maureen and I window shopped while the guys had a beer.   <br /><br />We did see a moped accident with some locals while waiting for the bus in Somerset Village. There were two guys on mopeds and we could tell they ended up with ?Bermuda tattoos.? They tried to pass a car that was turning but cut the driver off and they ran into the back of the car. A woman at the bus stop told us not to think about rending mopeds. There are just too many accidents on the island, especially with tourists who are not comfortable driving on the left side of the road.  <br /><br />After taking the ferry back, Tony and I walked around town. We even checked out one of the local grocery stores. Some of the food products were reasonably priced.   <br /><br />Dinner was fabulous&#33; Appetizers included salmon mouse and duck parfait. I think we all ordered the rack of lamb, which was just amazing. It was cooked perfectly and size/portion was very good. Desserts were delicious too and always a nice variety to choose from. <br /><br />After dinner we attended the newly and not-so newlywed game. It was very funny&#33; This included a couple who was married for just a few days to the one couple married for 67 years.   <br /><br />Wednesday October 11th St. George   <br /><br />Tony and I woke up at 8am so we could watch as we entered the ?cut? into St. George. The cut is a narrow entrance and only smaller ships like the Zenith can go through it. As we entered the cut, the town&#39;s crier greeted the ship with a single canon shot and his welcome. By the time we arrived at the pier, so did the town crier, where again he greeted us. It was a beautiful clear, sunny morning. I took lots of photos as we entered the port. St. George is just lovely with its colorful houses. It?s smaller than Hamilton and has more charm.   <br /><br />We ran into Mike, so the three of us ate breakfast in the dining room. They both had eggs Benedict while I had a Spanish omelet. We sat with a couple from Canada. So far everyone was enjoying the cruise.   <br /><br />We decided to go to Tobacco Bay to do some snorkeling. We went ahead of the rest since Maureen, Shaun and Melonee hadn&#39;t had breakfast yet. It was a nice walk from the ship through town to the bay (just over a mile). We stopped along the way to see the unfinished Church. As we continued to the beach, the clouds came in. I snorkeled for a short while. It was too cloudy to take any good photos, so I just took three. Soon after I got out of the water it rained. We packed up and started to walk back to the ship and it came down in buckets&#33; Fortunately I spotted a small shelter, which we sat and waited out the rain. After about 45 minutes, it turned to a light sprinkle. We headed to town and to King&#39;s square. In the middle, the town&#39;s crier was in the middle of &quot;punishing&quot; two people. The square has stocks, a pillory and a whipping post, and the crier was reenacting what might have happened 400 years ago. One person was a tourist and the other an actor. She was &quot;charged&quot; with being a gossip and nag. We got to see her being dunked in the water several times.  <br /><br />We ran into the four others, who obviously didn&#39;t make it to the beach because of the rain. We all had a drink at the bar in the town square, White Horse Tavern, and then Tony and I headed back to the ship to shower, while the rest went on a glass bottom boat ride. <br /><br />After our shower, we window shopped in town and again ran into the gang. They were taking pictures of each other in the stocks, so Tony and I had our picture taken too. We all tasted rum cake at a store and then took the bus to the Crystal/Fantasy caves. We toured the Fantasy caves (&#036;15pp), which was quite interesting. For our reward of going up/down 88 steps each way, we had drinks and nachos at the Swizzle Inn. Everything tasted great. The pitcher of rum swizzle was &#036;22 and pretty strong. It started to rain again just as we finished our food. It lasted just a few minutes.   <br /><br />We caught the bus back to St. George and window shopped. I wanted to buy a few water color prints, but didn?t see anything close to the ones I saw at the shop at the Fantasy caves. I should have remembered my motto, ?If you see something and like it, buy it&#33;? They were much nicer than the ones I saw in St. George. At the time, I didn?t realize there were several local artists doing the same kind of art work.   <br /><br />It rained again&#33; Time to get back on the ship.   <br /><br />Back on the ship and before dinner, we had drinks in the Michael?s bar. This was a very nice bar. Gabriel, from Romania, made my cosmopolitans.   <br /><br />Another delicious dinner. I had the salmon, while Tony had the rack of veal. After dinner we attended the 60?s Show. It was pretty good. It lasted about an hour and the singers/dancer sung various tunes from the 60s.   <br /><br />Thursday October 12th St. George  <br /><br />This was our last day in Bermuda. Since it was an overcast morning, Tony and I decided to skip the beach. This helped us from having to carry bags, towels, and beach mats. We spent the morning visiting the unfinished church, walked back Tobacco bay to Fort St. Catherine. We circled back and probably walked 2.5 miles total. The Fortress was interesting and included replica British Crown Jewels.   <br /><br />Back in town in King?s square, we window shopped and I finally decided to buy three small water color prints. Tony picked up a couple of nice shirts for only &#036;10 each. Everything else was pretty expensive. I looked at some jewelry but didn?t see anything that I liked. After tasting the Rum Swizzle drink the other day, I wanted to buy some Gosling?s black rum. We headed to the liquor store where we were told we couldn?t buy any duty free liquor. We were told we had to purchase the liquor before 10am. We didn?t know that. If it was in the Celebrity Today I didn?t read it. However, we were able to buy it on board the ship at a very good price.  <br /><br />Celebrity hosted an Oktoberfest in the Fleet bar. The food wasn?t that great and it wasn?t all German food&#33; I expected to see knockwurst and Wiener schnitzel. The potato salad was NOT German potato salad. Tony said the hotdogs were very good. I should have had lunch at the buffet area. I did win a Celebrity tote bag during the contest that was held. They were all questions about Oktoberfest.   <br /><br />Our ship left port at 3pm, so I wanted to be on a lower deck to take pictures. We hung out on the deck with the lifeboats. The afternoon started to clear up. Too bad we didn?t have perfect weather, but it was still a nice visit to Bermuda. As we passed through the cut, we saw several people on the shore waving to everyone goodbye.  <br /><br />The evening was our second formal night. Tony and I never did get to have any formal pictures taken. We attended the Captain?s club cocktail party with Mike and Maureen, as well ad Nick and Diane, who we met at the Martini tasting. Drinks were definitely flowing at this cocktail party&#33; This time there was a larger list of drinks to choose from, rather than the usual wine and champagne, including Mai Tai?s and Martini?s. I had ordered a Mai Tai and 15 minutes later the waiter still hadn?t returned with one. In the meantime I ordered one from another waiter, who promptly served it to me. About 10 minutes later, the original waiter came up to me and apologized for not bringing my drink. He had been bumped by another person and his tray spilled all over him. I had heard the crash and looked over. He had left and changed his shirt. I thought it was very nice he remembered my order and came to tell me what happened. I told him I understood and that I was taken care of.   <br /><br />My dinner was delicious (yes, every night was delicious ? Celebrity did not disappointment me one bit with their food on this cruise): Chicken terrine, Caesar salad, and prime rib&#33; The baked Alaska was served after all the waiters paraded through the dining room. The midnight buffet was soon after. I took a bunch of photos of the displays of food, which were beautifully displayed. Tony originally wanted to have some food but he was still full from dinner, so we headed to bed.   <br /><br />Friday October 13th Day at Sea  <br /><br />Saturday was a relaxing day. We gained back the hour we lost the previous night, so we slept in. It was a day of packing, reading, and just hanging out on the ship. I sat out in the sun for an hour, and then headed in for lunch while Tony read his book in the library. By the time I finished eating, the clouds rolls in and the temperature dropped. I walked around the ship visiting the various areas. Back in the cabin I showered and packed my suitcase. It was much easier and faster to pack ? just dump in suitcases.   <br /><br />We had one last round of sushi and drinks (at Michaels?) before dinner: Beef tenderloin. A few nights before we asked the assistant maitre?d if we could have escargot and Cr?me Brule for our last night. He did. It was a great beginning and ending to our meal. We passed our tips to the waiter (Yusuf from Turkey), assistant waiter (Carlos from Honduras, I think), and assistant maidre?d (didn?t get his name). They all did a great job.   <br /><br />Back in the room we finished our packing and went to bed.  <br /><br />Saturday October 14th Home again  <br /><br />Our original time to disembark was at 10:20am; however, since we were traveling with Vicki and two older women who needed wheelchair assistance, we made plans to meet them at the Casino at 9:30am?with all the people in wheelchairs. After breakfast in the dining room, I headed to the Fleet bar to say goodbye to Mike, Maureen, Shaun and Melonee. I also ran into a few other cruise critic friends too. It took a while to get the wheelchair folks off the ship, but overall the debarkation went very smoothly. Celebrity should have blocked one set of elevators for just the wheeled chaired people. By the time we got to the luggage area (we were in the lavender section) there were only about 8-10 pieces sitting, so it was very easy to spot ours. This was a nice change after being on our Princess cruise and having to go through thousands of pieces of luggage&#33;   <br /><br />Again, our limo service got a car where I had to squeeze in the front. We certainly won?t use their services again?unless it?s for 4 people or less. Back at the Fairfield Inn, we put our luggage in our cars and headed home. It took 4 hours to get home, after stopping to pick up Lucy. She was so excited to see us and she was ready to go home.   <br /><br />Cruise Summary:  <br /><br />This was a wonderful cruise and I loved sailing with Celebrity. Tony loved it too except for the noisy pool atmosphere with all the games and the cheesy anniversary party. We both thought the food was exceptional, as well as the service on board.   <br /><br />The Zenith does show her age but is still in very good condition. I did like the smaller ship feel, and especially enjoyed seeing friends again and again while on board. That?s hard to do on a large ship. Tony too likes the smaller ships. I hope when they retire the Zenith, they?ll replace her with a same size ship.   <br /><br />Tony and I certainly got our exercise while on board. Every morning we would walk from deck 4 to 11 for breakfast. We used the elevator only two times.   <br /><br />Our next cruise will be on the Galaxy and we?ll be heading to the Mediterranean and Black sea for 14 nights (plus 3 pre-cruise nights in Rome). I?m looking forward to sailing with Celebrity again&#33;  <br /><br />Other Comments:  <br /><br />Luggage:   <br /><br />I had found out that one woman never got her luggage&#33; She told me Celebrity was giving her &#036;200 to buy clothes on board. I recommend that anyone traveling (whether it?s a cruise or land based tour) is to split all clothing into two suite cases, which one should be a carry-on. This way, you?ll have half of your clothing. I did this on my Baltic cruise. I divided all casual to formal clothing between both suitcases, down to the shoes. If I lost one bag, I would have been fine and probably would have used the laundry services on board. Even though our room was not ready until 1pm, we were able to bring our luggage on board and place them directly in our room.   <br /><br />Passengers:   <br /><br />I would say the average age on board this cruise ranged from the 40?s to 60?s, along with the elderly and children, who were well behaved and seemed to have a great time too.   <br /><br />Food and Drink:  <br /><br />I thought the food was better than on my other Celebrity cruises. I always order the filet mignon and prime rib cooked rare and that?s how I got them. I wonder if the food was better because the chefs and cooks dealt with 1300 passengers rather than 1900 like on the Millennium and Constellation. I loved their cream soups but didn?t have them every night. Everything was well presented but not fancy. <br /><br />The nice thing about Celebrity is that you can order other items that are not on the menu, such as steak, salmon, and chicken; shrimp cocktail and Caesar salad. In addition, you can pre-order an item, like we did with the Cr?me Brule and escargot.  <br /><br />Sushi ? There was a variety of sushi, including salmon (my favorite&#33;), tuna, tilapia, eel, shrimp, as well as rolled sushi: spicy tuna and California roll. In addition, there was a miso soup bar, where various items could be added to the soup. I didn?t have the soup since I just wanted the sushi as an appetizer before dinner.  <br /><br />There?s also:  <br /><br />- Pizza and pasta station  <br /><br />- Burgers and dogs, as well as other sandwiches   <br /><br />- Mini-sandwiches and cookies around 4pm  <br /><br />- Pastries in the Cova Caf?   <br /><br />Drinks ? we enjoyed some of the Drink of the Day specials, including the Mai Tai?s (I had to ask for a float of dark rum to make it authentic), Cosmopolitans, and Sea breezes.  <br /><br />Casino and Cigarette smoke:  <br /><br />We played the slot machines and lost our &#036;10. We?re not gamblers but know others did win &#036;200-&#036;300. The casino is small and we didn?t like the fact it was filled with cigarette smoke. Even walking through the Rendezvous lounge was not pleasant. Smokers hung out on one side of the room.   <br /><br />Money in Bermuda:   <br /><br />We were lucky that Bermuda accepts USD. We didn?t have to exchange any money and the value of the USD was the same as the local currency. Master card and Visa were widely accepted.   <br /><br />Photos:  <br /><br />We didn?t purchase any photos on board. They were expensive. It always amazes me that these cruise companies charge so much when I see so many thrown away. I?m sure if they were to lower their prices, more people would purchase them. I would. It?s all done via digital camera and the development, I?m sure, is cheap.  <br /><br />Questions?  <br /><br />Email me if you have any questions, although I think I covered everything on this cruise.  <br /><br />My cruise photos: <a href=\"http://www.worldisround.com/articles/315820/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.worldisround.com/articles/315820/index.html</a>  <br /><br />My cruise Food Photos <a href=\"http://www.worldisround.com/articles/315918/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.worldisround.com/articles/315918/index.html</a>',1170960283,0,'Select a Destination','[-review]celebrity.gif',1,'mjpileggi',1,47,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,NULL),