Carnival Cruise Lines
Ecstasy Cruise Review
Cozumel

My family and I arrived at EZ parking about 11 AM and waited about 30 minutes before they begin allowing people to park. The process was smooth and only took about 10 minutes. The shuttle bus transported us to the terminal and we began the boarding process. We had completed the Fun Pass registration prior to leaving home and there were about 50 people ahead of us in line. We moved thru the line in about 20 minutes, presented our passports, sign and sail form. We were having our embarkation photo taken by 1245pm and on the lido deck having grilled burger, hotdogs, and fries by 1pm. At about 130pm, we went to our stateroom and found that some of our luggage had already been delivered. Boarding as indicated on documents doesn't begin until 130pm so we were well ahead of schedule. The rooms were exceptionally clean and cool. We explored the ship until about 345pm when we returned to the cabin to prepare for the safety drill. We proceeded to our designated area as indicated on the life jackets provided in your stateroom closet. Our cabin steward realized that our stateroom did not have a child's life preserver and promptly provided us with one before being asked.

Our rooms were always fresh and comfortable and our son loved the towel animals that were in our room after returning from dinner each night. Fresh towels were never a problem. The staff in the Windstar dining room was excellent. After the first night, your preferred beverage was always there and they knew if you wanted coffee with desserts. We had choices of lobster, beef wellington, salmon, chicken, prime rib, a couple of salad selections nightly, 4 or 5 choices for appetizers and desserts. The staff was very attentive and the Maitre'd was great. Your sign and sail cards will have your dining time and dining room on the card. All even number tables were to line up on the left side of the ship, and odd on the right. You could eat all day and night on the ship if you wanted. Our formal night was the first day at sea and the captain's cocktail party was great. The food served was delicious and of course free drinks and meeting the captain and his officers.

Throughout the cruise, we heard several announcements from Captain Viacava. The Cruise Director, Stuart has an incredible sense of humor. The evening entertainment which begins at 8:00 for the guests with early dinner seating and 10:30 for those with late seating is very entertaining. The talent show was great with the quite humorous host. The country show was lively and the dancers and singers do a great job! The newly wed game, deal or no deal, and bingo are a lot of fun. There is a charge for tickets at a chance to play deal or no deal and of course for bingo. Some great prizes are awarded to the winners. There was an arcade for kids which my son begged for more of and the family scavenger hunt on the last day at sea were some of his favorites. We did the beach break in Cozumel and the Dzilbulchultan ruins in Progresso for shore excursions. There is a seminar on board the first day at sea about shopping in Cozumel. If you miss it, just tune in to the ship channel and it will be repeated. There are some awesome deals on jewelry, boots, and other things in Cozumel. Bargain with the shops because they truly do not mind and you will have fun doing it. Also, the shops onboard the ship will have starting prices of $1.00 an inch for gold, good prices on liquor duty free and tax free. We also enjoyed the music that the pianist and violinist played on the Atlantic deck near the bar. There will be plenty of photo opportunities, and the formal night photos turned out really great. There are many backgrounds to choose from and you can do as many as you wish. Our cabin was located next to the elevator and we were never bothered by hearing the elevator or any noise with people using them. Nor were we bothered by noises from next door or above. Our cruise was filled to capacity and we never felt crowded at all.

The ship is run very efficiently, and the entire ship's crew is attentive. If you are an art collector there are multiple opportunities for purchasing beautiful works of art. Darren the auctioneer is really fun! If you drink a lot of sodas, sign up for the unlimited fountain card whenever you board the ship on the lido deck. It is well worth it! The debarkation process took less than 30 minutes. We chose to the self assist and carry all our luggage off the ship. there was no huge lines and waiting. We had an incredible time and I have no reservations about recommending Carnival for my clients. There was a good mix of age groups and something for everyone.