Carnival Elation Review
Rating by category
Additional details
It's been a number of years since we sailed on a Fantasy class ship, but I recalled the pace feeling less frantic, not feeling crowded and having incredible service. Elation did not disappoint and reaffirmed those remembrances.
There was never a venue, dining room, bar, deck, etc that we were unable to easily find a seat in. Service was generally top notched and there was always something to see, do or watch if you wanted, or a place to chill out if that was desired.
The ship looks really nice after her upgrades and I noticed people cleaning on a regular basis.
Cabin Review
Interior
Our cabin was in a great spot to get to the venues that we enjoy. A walk down the hall to the atrium, or a quick ride up or down a deck or two to get to the Lido deck or the Promenade deck.
Our room steward, Nelson, was incredible. We did not interact with him a great deal but every single thing we asked for was taken care of in spades, the room was always clean, and our towel animals were terrific fun.
The room was a bit warm, that seems to be standard for Carnival these days. The only 'down' part of this room is that you are directly under a dining room and from time to time you could hear them shifting tables around. It was infrequent and did not disturb our cruise.
Port Reviews
Jacksonville
We did a cruise and park deal through a local hotel. The shuttle was fine, but there was a long wait to get into the port. Just far more traffic than the port can handle arriving. After we got off the shuttle, things were pretty easy going. Some lines, but they moved regularly.
Half Moon Cay
When can we go back?!? True powder white sand, easy tendering, beautiful beach and view. We had no issues finding decent seats and were actually happy we had not reserved a clam shell as they were all in the back behind everyone. While snorkeling was not 'the best' right off the beach, it was still fun to get out and get some practice in where you could still see some fish and be able to put your feet down any time needed. The food was good, the jerk chicken was great! Just a perfect beach day.
Amber Cove (Puerto Plata)
We just walked off and wandered around a little bit in port. There were some stores with some different items than you find at a lot of ports, some historical exhibits, and the flora and fauna around the port was just beautiful.