Carnival
Fascination
Western Caribbean

Martin Jackson

Age: 50
Occupation: Insurance
Number of Cruises: 10

I booked this trip based on price and length. I had not been on so short a cruise but my partner could not take more time off.

The transfer staff found us at the baggage claim and took us to the bus.

Check in was a long line, but progressed smoothly and somewhat efficiently.

The cabin was bigger than the ones I had before, was very well decorated and the bedding was more comfortable than I had on prior cruises.

I like a very cool room but if you're not a fan of cooler rooms, the ship can be a little chilly.

PLEASE NOTE: If you don't want to share facilities with families and children, stay away! This cruise was very family oriented and there were many children. Please don't take this as a criticism, just a reality. Forget using the main pool, go to the one on the aft of the Veranda Deck.

The crew and staff were very professional and friendly. As good if not better than other cruise lines.

The buffets were okay, nothing spectacular except for one day when they had Indian food. Very good.

I was disappointed with the dinners in the dining room. I usually look forward to having special items that you normally don't find on a menu unless you go to expensive restaurants frequently. The lobster tails were tepid but had good flavor, the beef Wellington was naked except for a small patch of puff pastry. The Coquille St. Jacques was surrounded by mashed potatoes. Soups were very good. Pasta was fair. One night we stared at cleared dinner places for 15 minutes and gave up waiting for a dessert menu.

The 24 hour pizza was not bad. Good crust, standard toppings.

The cocktail waiters were very available without being pushy about the drink of the day.

If you like casinos, this ship has a very good one and the variety of the games available will meet anyone's taste. Lowest Blackjack table had a $10 minimum bet.

The stop in Nassau was all day so we had a chance to shop, swim at the beach and tour the aquarium at Atlantis.

I would have preferred to stay in Nassau for the "day at sea" even if we had to tender to the ship instead of using a dock. The fact that it was raining didn't help, but I can't hold that against the cruise line.

I would cruise with Carnival again, probably during a time when school is in session and I would go for a longer cruise. There is too much time invested in check in and debarkation to make 3 days worthwhile. Also, you are just beginning to unwind by the time you are getting off the ship.

Debarkation was smooth. They asked people with early flights to meet in the library and they took us off as a group. Unfortunately, we had to wait for the general debarkation people before the bus transfer to the airport was full.

Miami Airport has a new terminal that allows for the bus to bring you to separate outside check-in that was very quick and efficient.

Ask a Question About Carnival Cruise Lines