Carnival Elation Review

4.0 / 5.0
1,135 reviews

Carnival Elation

Review for the Bahamas Cruise on Carnival Elation
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bellamae
6-10 Cruises • Age 40s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Aug 2018
Cabin: Interior Upper/Lower
Traveled with children

This was my first time on a Carnival Cruise. I didn't like it at all. The service was great from everyone that worked there though.however the cruise itself was disappointing. This ship is really dated and it shows. The handicapped room we had was very small and claustophobic like. The bed that came down from the ceiling made sleeping on the one below it feel like a casket. It had wood on top of you and on the side of you which didn't allow u to be comfortable in the bed. You can hit your head and won't be able to watch TV from it. The way the room is setup is very weird. The TV needs to be placed where everyone can see it. There's a lack of walking space in between the beds and the cabin itself. The bathroom was spacious and comfortable.it was nice to sit on a shower chair and have great pressure come from the hand held shower. The floor does get wet but the water drains thru the drains on the floor. There is good space for putting things away like clothing and personal items. There's a small fridge and a safe. This cabin was R298. It was in the middle of nowhere as far as trying to access any of the popular area from it.It was quite a walk.

I recommend a scooter not a wheelchair on this ship and in the Bahamas. Way too much walking and the heat on the island is extremely hot and fatiques you easily. the elevators were small and took a very long time to come down to you and a lot of the time they were already filled with people so you had to continue waiting even longer for the next elevator. the ship itself had barely any gift shops to shop at and they were very small not to mention very expensive. I highly recommend to have any medications or toiletries with you from home instead of buying them on the ship. My mom got sick on the ship with a cold and had to pay $12 for a small package of cold medicine. There were a lot of bars and lounges on the ship, however I didn't feel that there was enough of a choice of food to eat. The buffet had two sides to it and both sides had the same kind of food which was very limited as far as what they were serving. I was looking forward to the Mongolian station but I never did get to see it. Guys burger joint and blue iguana Cantina are located outside near the pool area which is extremely crowded and very hot. There were two main dining rooms and I did not like the food on the ship at all regardless of where we ate. The temperature of the food a lot of times was just warm not hot. The room service selection was extremely limited unless you were willing to pay a few dollars extra to get something better such as quesadillas. otherwise you were mostly stuck with a couple of salads and some sandwiches to choose from. There was also a deli located around the corner from the buffet which was okay. It's served some sandwiches and hot dogs. I was under the understanding that there was a place called The Seafood Shack on this ship but I did not find that either.The lemonade and the ice tea that are served on the buffet are ok in taste. There is only 1 pools in this ship that I found.It was the main one that had two small hot tubs on either side. A lot of the time the pools were extremely crowded and the hot tubs were filled with children so I was not able to experience either of them. The Serinity part of the ship is completely outdated, it is dosent have the relaxing blue colors they are dull gray colors. I think I saw a small hot tub and no pool. I don't even remember seeing any umbrellas over you while you sat there. There is no bar located there, I did however see someone coming around taking drink orders. We're okay there was a lack of activities to do on the ship. The Spa was extremely small and it did not have a relaxing atmosphere at all almost felt like you were in a doctor's office. my fifteen-year-old attended the teen club once however the club was barely open and it seems very outdated and it also was small. for kids with disabilities they do offer a phone that you can get where they will call you if they are any emergencies for a deposit of $100. I did attend an art gallery showing which was fun it allowed me to learn a little bit more about art and also to enjoy looking at some art and attempting to get some prices and relax with some free champagne. the embarkation process was very simple and organized and the disembarkation process as well however I cannot strongly suggest this enough to have someone with a scooter if you have any mobility issues because it is a lot of walking and it is extremely hot.I would recommend another ship I will try Carnival again but definitely not this ship.

Cabin Review

Interior Upper/Lower

Cabin 1A

Very comfortable and very small to move around. There was barely any walking space in the cabin or between the beds. The bed that came down from above you made it very difficult to sleep on the bed beneath it because it had wood on the side and right above you where you can hit your head. And also blocked the television. it did have a small fridge from do you have space to put away your belongings.

Port Reviews

Half Moon Cay

Half Moon Cay is a beautiful island. However there is an extreme amount of walking to get around the island. There is a trolley that will pick you up and take you from the front of it to the lunch that is offered. The lunch that is offered is very bad. The burgers that my son had made him sick because they were extremely dry. They're very long lines to get your food. And there's barely any sitting areas that are covered. And they are outside in the extreme heat there is no air conditioning or fans. Beware of the big black fat rooster that is walking around he tends to nip and get a little too close to the legs.There are a couple of bars. The beach is at the beginning of half moon cay.There is a lot of walking from the time that you get off the tender boat to the island itself. The beach is clean and the waters are clear and very refreshing. You can see some fish in the ocean and I did get a glimpse of a reef shark.I did see a few places where you can rent things for water activities such as loungers and scuba gear. I had to convince the guy to sell me a single beer at the lunch because he wanted to sell me a bucket of beers for $35. there are a couple of stores to shop at however they only accept cash and I feel that you will get a better deal in Nassau itself.

Nassau

When you get off the cruise ship there is a lot of walking to get to Nassau. there is a lot of walking in there are a lot of shops mostly jewelry. I do recommend bringing some cash or at least a Visa or MasterCard. Be aware rarely do any places accept American Express. It is very hot and it is very crowded some gift shops have better deals than others. A lot of the jewelry store seems overpriced. There are very few places to eat right in that area I would recommend doing a tour guide since they know where to take you and also you will be in an air-conditioned bus comfortably since the roads are very poor to walk on and the heat is Extreme. Be weary of the marketplace it is very dark and it is also very big and crowded with people that are trying to sell items. You can have good deals here because they are willing to bargain with you however only cash is accepted. I would recommend bringing a small bag with ice water. I don't agree with the Atlantis Excursion that is available since you end up on a public beach not one that is private and they end up overcharging you just to get there. I did visit Senor Frog's which was very fun. It is an extremely loud bar by the ocean and it does have great drinks the food is okay but it is very expensive. We had great service.

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