Kitty Park   

Fantasy (Carnival)
3-day Bahamas Cruise – November 25-27, 1999

Preface

An introduction of the travelers: Me, three prior cruises, one on Carnival and two on Holland America, and my adult son who is happiest when pedaling his bike, training to win races. Brett was leery about being cooped up on a ship, so this three-day cruise over the Thanksgiving weekend was ideal to test his confinement limitations.

Embarkation

The Fantasy sailed out of Port Canaveral. Since Brett lives in Orlando, I flew down the day before and we made the hour-long drive to Port Canaveral late Thursday

(Thanksgiving) morning.

Road signs to the port are easy to follow. The parking fee ($7/day) was collected when we entered the lot. Our travel documents, properly filled out before arriving at the port, were processed rapidly. After pausing for the mandatory precruise photo, we boarded the ship. Stewards placed strategically to aid passengers in finding their way, were noncommittal when we asked for directions to reach Main Deck. Twice in answer to our question we received finger points in "that" direction. 

The Ship

The Fantasy is well maintained both inside and out. Colors … I remember lots of blue and gray with accent scatterings of red. Overall, a pleasing décor.

It took me all three days to learn my way between decks. Although there are many elevators, the wait for one was usually interminable. Thus we used the stairs. Big ship, LOTS of stairs.

Our cabin was on Main deck, midship. Although we saw cabin stewards during the cruise, we never knew which might be ours. However, he performed flawlessly by replacing towels, making the expected towel animal, and supplying the chocolate-on-the-pillow at bedtime.

Our dinner assignment was second seating in the Jubilee Dining Room (aft). The dining room staff was friendly and courteous, and the headwaiter came by nightly to ensure our needs were met. The food (both preparation and presentation) was less than I had expected from Carnival. Foods that should be served hot were tepid at best.The tiramisu I had for dessert on the second night was frozen in the middle. I had expected a traditional Thanksgiving meal on Thursday. Well, there was turkey. And there was dressing. But the mashed (white) potatoes tasted like parsnips and there was a swirl of orange on the serving, perhaps to resemble sweet potatoes or yams. I remember seeing two small brussel sprouts rolling around on my plate. The bite sampled was cold. The remainder remained on my plate along with a rubbery piece of something that resembled a giblet.

One of the entrees available our third night was steak. Those who ordered it knew they would be disappointed because the waiter failed to ask how they’d like it prepared. The steaks were served well done, dry and difficult to chew.

We ate lunch in Windows on the Sea Restaurant on the Lido Deck. We were disappointed by the limited selection: hamburgers and hot dogs, which were also available at the outdoor grill, plus chicken and vegetables served one day with rice and the next with noodles. There was also a salad bar and, of course, the 24-hour pizza bar.

On-Board Entertainment and Activities

We had only two days on the ship: Friday and Saturday. Friday’s port-of-call was Nassau, and I suppose for that reason on-board activities were minimal: "Trivia Fun" at 3:00 PM, followed by the Captain’s Cocktail Party at 5:00 and again at 7:15. Saturday, which was spent at sea, had more activities to offer during the day.

On Thursday evening entertainment in the Universe Lounge was a production show presented by The Fantasy Dancers. There was no entertainment on Friday evening (we remained in port until Saturday morning), and on Saturday evening, The Fantasy Dancers performed again. There was also a midnight adult comedy show on

Saturday.

The weather on both days was sunny and breezy. The early birds got the deck chairs. I would have liked to sit on deck away from the noise and activity of the Lido deck, but it appeared that deck chairs were available only in that area.

Shore Excursions

There are a variety of shore tours ranging from snorkeling to sightseeing.

We opted to take a water taxi ($6 round trip per person) to Paradise Island to visit the Atlantis Resort. We entered through the casino and were able to walk along the portico but could not go farther onto the grounds without purchasing a $25 (per person) pass. The resort is beautifully developed. Floor to ceiling glass on the dining room’s exterior wall enables visitors to view fish in the outdoor aquarium.

After returning to port, we walked the few steps to the shops and paid a visit to the Straw Market where stall merchandise is plentiful, colorful and quaint. The vendors are eager to sell you goods, but stop short of being rude.

When we’d had enough shopping, we returned to the ship. It was then that I regretted not taking a tour of Nassau. As it was, we were now tired and out of the mood to go explore the city. In the future, I’ll take a tour early in the day and use the time available afterward to shop and/or visit attractions near the port.

Summary

A three- or four-day cruise is an ideal way for a novice to see whether this type of activity is suitable for his/her interests.

I found the ship adequate to meet my cruising expectations. I was less impressed by the restaurant wait staffs and utterly disillusioned by the food service. I won’t go so far as to say I won’t sail with Carnival again, but with so many cruise lines offering specials, Carnival will not be near the top of my list the next time I book a cruise. As for Brett’s thoughts: he’d consider going again (1) without his mother and (2) with one or more friends his age!

Questions? Feel free to e-mail me! rpark@neo.rr.com  

Kitty Park

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