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Age: 31
Occupation: Attorney
Number of Cruises: 3
Cruise Line: Carnival Cruise Lines
Ship: Carnival Spirit
Sailing Date: March 3rd, 2002
Itinerary: Exotic Western Caribbean
OVERALL
-I recently went on the 8 day Exotic Western Caribbean cruise on Carnival’s Spirit. I chose this
cruise because of the itinerary. I was excited about the Panama, Costa Rica and Belize itinerary
because it was so unusual and afforded my husband and I the opportunity not "just to shop"
on our vacation. I was hoping to participate in some excursions that involved exciting activities
that Carnival’s shore excursion list seemed to promise.
PAST CRUISES
-I have traveled on Carnival before, as well as Princess. Overall, I was very disappointed in this
cruise.
EMBARKATION/ BOARDING
-I arrived at Miami’s port right before 1 PM. My husband and I went through a security check and
obtained our sign and sail card quickly. We then waited until just after 3:30 to physically get on
the ship. Along with hundreds others, my husband and I waited in an unconditioned hallway to board
the ship. No announcements were made as to why there was such a wait. People were sitting on the
floors and getting angry and thirsty. Eventually, we heard from another passenger that only one
machine that took pictures for the sign and sail cards was working. It would have been nice to hear
an occasional announcement as to what was going on. When we eventually boarded the ship, there was
no one to direct us to where the elevators were or where our rooms were. Our luggage arrived by 6
PM.
THE SHIP
-The ship itself was beautiful. It is mostly dark wood with gold tones. The ship had a lot of
columns, marble, ample seating, sculptures and statutes. The lobby was not overwhelming and it was a
great place to relax. The ship itself was laid out well with most amenities such as the casino, main
restaurant, lounges etc. on the same 3 floors. The pools were also laid out along one of the top
decks. The remaining floors were all cabins. I felt that the ship’s public areas were in perfect
condition, not worn out. The only thing I did notice was that the wood railings on all the cabin’s
balconies were well worn and this could be seen looking at the ship from the docks.
ENTERTAINMENT
-There were approximately 2 main/ "featured shows" during my cruise. The main male singer,
Christopher Alan Graves (who was a singer on the Triumph when I went in 1999) was exceptional. He
sang in the 2 main shows and also in a Tribute to Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. one evening. He
should not be missed. There were also several midnight shows with comedy acts (better then most and
don’t miss Eddie Capone), jugglers etc. There was also a talent show which was excellent. As for
the music, well, it was a mixed bag. The lido deck had probably the worst calypso band, Rhythm
Krazy, I have ever heard in my life! I hated sitting near that band and always look for a deck chair
far from them. That bothered me because I liked to sometimes watch the Lido Deck games but decided
against it because the band was that band. There was also a singer in the Shanghai Bar, Emily. She
was just as bad as Rhythm Krazy. Other then that, the music was excellent. Not to be missed is the
band and singers in the Supper Club. I would even go to the bar and have some drinks even if you
don't chose to have dinner there. They were that good. Also, the guitar player in the lobby bar area
was excellent. The band, Zest in the Club Cool was great as were the jazz bands in the bar and
sitting areas before entering the main dining room. It was relaxing to listen to them with a glass
of wine right before dinner. The bar areas (approximately 18 of them including a sports bar,
specialty bars, pool bars etc.) were plentiful and the staff at the bars catered to your needs and
poured stiff drinks (if that's what you like). The casino, which I thought was surprisingly large
for this class of ship, had slots ranging from a nickel to about $5. There were also numerous table
games. There were several blackjack and slot tournaments. I would just be careful about the casino
rules for the table games (basically there are no rules and play at your own risk; my husband
learned this first-hand).
FOOD
-I was disappointed in the food in the dining room on this cruise. My previous experience with
Carnival’s dining room food was excellent. This cruise offered many choices but below average
quality. I just never thought any dish was excellent. I never finished a meal and had to send back
several dishes. The desserts were an embarrassment (especially the cheesecake). I never went to a
midnight buffet so I cannot comment on those. I did think the La Playa Grill food and selections
were better then average. I was never disappointed in my meals (only lunches and dinners) there. The
selection was varied (a grill serving hot dogs, burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries; a Taste of
Nations area that had a different country’s specialties everyday; a Chinese food area serving
soups, noodle dishes and meat dishes which changed daily; a deli; a pizza area; a salad bar area).
The Supper Club though, as many posters have indicated, is a MUST! The $25 per person charge is
steep, yet I have to say that the atmosphere, entertainment, service, and food, is top notch. I only
wish they could jack up the price for the cruise and have the same experience in the dining room. I
had a crab cake appetizer, ceasar salad, porterhouse steak, and multi-desserts (they never stopped
with the desserts)! Did I say the service there was impeccable?! It is well worth the experience.
CABIN
-I had a category 9A. I was surprised the room was so small. There was ample closet space. The
bathroom was tiny but laid out well with enough room to store toiletries. It was adequate for 2
people but on Triumph, I had a lower category cabin but more room. I will say that the balcony was
extra-large and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was on deck 8, below the pool near the La Playa
Grill and location was actually great. It was convenient and I heard no noise from that area. I do
have to say that one night during the cruise, the air conditioner leaked on me at 2 am and after an
hour + of attempts to clean up the water on the bed and sheets, and a promise to return in the
morning to ensure there was no more leak, no one returned. The leak stopped thank goodness by the
AM. Nevertheless, I was exhausted from my early morning ordeal and the purser never returned my 2 am
phone call the next day about our problem. I had to go to his office myself and tell him how upset I
was. When I did, he was extremely patronizing.
PANAMA
-After arriving late at the port (with no apologies for not advising us before anyone sat and waited
1 hr plus for the shore excursions to start departing), we went on the kayak and Gatun Lake / Panama
Canal tour. It was excellent. I would highly recommend this tour.
COSTA RICA
-Although our ship pulled into this port (and I mean literally pulled in-the ship was parallel to
the dock), there was a very short announcement made that no one would be allowed to get off the ship
because the seas were too rough to enable a safe exit from the ship. Some people were told at the
purser's desk, as I was, that no one left the ship because it was so unsafe however, from my balcony
along with the hundreds others who had balcony rooms on port side, I saw several people leaving the
ship in Costa Rica. With that ONE announcement, boom, we were gone. No further announcements,
apologies, alternative ports offered, offers of reimbursement or explanation about refunding port
charges. I asked about port charge refunds and was given 2 separate answers about refunds (a yes and
a no). Finally, I found a $20 pp refund on my final bill for port charges.
BELIZE
-I cancelled my tubing excursion through Carnival and chose a city tour with a taxi cab driver. It
was excellent. Please email me for his name and cell # if interested. He will take you anywhere. He
would be glad to make arrangements with anyone for a personal tour. He even returned my camera when
I accidentally left it in his van.
DEBARKATION
-Couldn’t be smoother. Off the ship by 9:15AM. Tip: sit in the lobby area for quick departure.
CONCLUSION -Although I had a relaxing trip and I thought the ship as a whole was beautiful, I will not sail with Carnival again because of this experience. I feel the quality of Carnival has gone down substantially since my last cruise with them.
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