Wendy

Age: 38
Occupation: Licensed Property & Casualty Producer
Number of Cruises: 1
Cruise Line: Carnival
Ship: Spirit
Sailing Date: February 5th, 2005
Itinerary: Mexican Riviera

This was my first cruise. I have heard nothing but wonderful things about Carnival cruises. It was a very easy transition from the airport all the way through Debarkation. Being a first time cruiser and there with a friend, the process was great! I enjoyed the different ports. I took a city tour in Acapulco and was able to see the Cliff Divers. The shopping experience where we viewed the divers was much better than just getting off the ship and shopping locally. We had a great time at the local Beach club "Paradise". I must say that I didn't get off in Ixtapa/Zijuatenejo but was able to lay on the deck and just view how absolutely stunning the landscape was. Others in our group had a wonderful time in Ixtapa.

Manzanillo was quite nice as well, but our mistake was to shop locally. There were about 8 gals that took in the excursion to the all inclusive resort. Everyone ranted & raved at how beautiful it was and how much fun they had. Wish I would of took that in. When we left Manzanillo I stood out on the front deck as we were leaving port and was able to take in the most Beautiful Sunset that I have ever seen. That was an experience in itself.

I was with a group of people for our dining experiences. We were seated in the Napoleon room. We were supposed to be ordering off of the Low Carb Option menu (which was great) but I also cheated and enjoyed the full carb meals which were fabulous. I must mention that we had the most wonderful head waitress "Magally". She was absolutely lovely. The food up on the Lido deck however, did not impress me. It seemed to be the same things over and over again. I did enjoy the fresh fruit selection and array of different salads.

Our cruise director Mike was Phenomenal! So was his assistant. (Shawn I believe) They were both entertaining and informative and made me laugh every time I was able to see them. Our cabin steward (Sue) was wonderful! Every night I got to come in to some wonderful new creation she made out of towels. She was there just when you needed her and was exceptionally pleasant.

I have to admit I spent a large chunk of time in the gift shops and jewelry store. On a daily basis I got the pleasure of getting to see & know more about Phil, Mark, Wendy, Jeff and Duane. They made you laugh, made me feel so comfortable and most of all they were all friendly, charming & incredible! They were so entertaining and I must say that when you were around these guys, you WANT to purchase everything they are showing you!!!!! Duane was impressively knowledgeable as well!

I was able to take in a massage/facial in the spa. I have been to a lot of spa's and the experience was mediocre for me. I was scheduled for an hour and 45 minute massage/facial of which I was in and out in less than 75 minutes. I was a little disappointed with that.

The shows were very entertaining and very well put together. I especially enjoyed Jerome Dabney (Mr. Motown) and Talent night. I also got to participate in a slot tournament and had such fun with that. I actually was ahead when I left the ship. Better than Vegas!!!!

I spent a little bit of time around the pool area. I must say that the decks are quite hot! You need to make sure you wear your flip-flops when leaving your chaise lounge to get to the pool. I found everything to be very clean and organized.

We spent a large amount of time in the disco and that was great fun. They played a wide array of music and let's just say you get your exercise in there until the wee hours of the morning.

I think my only real complaint would be that I felt we were at sea too long. Four days is a little much for me. I wish the amount of time we were in port was longer than just 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. It would of been nice to have been able to take in more sights.

I think that for single people the experience is fun & entertaining. If you are not single, I feel you would probably enjoy it more if you went with other married couples or family. But then again to each his own!!!

My best advice is to go and relax, live a little, dance a little, play a little, eat a lot and seize the moment. :

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