Review--Carnival Elation--March 30, 2006

Worlds longest review (and title) of a Four day Elation cruise which is
redundant as she will no longer sail from Galveston

Review--Elation 4-day Cruise
March 30-April 2, 2006
Galveston-Calica-Galveston

Booked this cruise because I wanted to sail the Elation one more time before she leaves Texas. Did this one as a solo. I am an experienced cruiser, but this was my first 4-day cruise and only the second that left port on a weekday.

DAY ONE
First checked Galveston web cam at 6:00 a.m. before leaving and the Elation was already in port. A good sign. Arrived at EZCruise Parking about 11:15 and was promptly taken by shuttle to the terminal. No lines at security nor check-in. They hadn’t started boarding yet so sat in chairs near the boarding area. I saw a chair on an end back row that had luggage in front of it. I went and ask the man for the chair and he complained but moved his bag. This was not a C-C group and I knew that this may be THE chair. Soon we were ready for boarding and the Carnival attendant said, “we are going to start boarding with that guy (pointing to me). Yep, a first for me, I was the first to board the ship (at least through normal boarding procedures). Knowing the system, I was through the photographers on board before the others knew what had happened. Some cabin attendants apparently have a pool as to who/what is the first passenger to board because I heard “your #1” from several the rest of the day. This may be new, they had attendants stationed in each hallway entrance on all decks to direct passengers. I don’t recall this on Conquest or previously on Elation. My cabin was only the second from the lobby entrance (deck seven E-57) so I dropped my backpack off and was off to the Lido deck. Being first had the advantage off seeing the buffet before anyone is served, I will admit it looked great--almost like the grand buffet. I was the first to begin and that was nice, almost like a private buffet for a five minutes. I got a table facing the others as they came in and began watching “the show” Again this was not a C-C or experienced group for the most part. I overhead one teenager ask her mom, “Wow how much does this cost?” meaning the buffet. After lunch I must go find Maria at the lobby bar for the first “Sail Away”.

When boarding I noticed that the Elissa looked like she was getting ready to sail, so forward to the “secret door” and the view. The Elissa was just off. Very nice to see although she wasn’t under sail but power. Still great to see an 1877 sailing ship.

Cabin was ready by 1:00 and my bag was delivered sometime before 2:00. So unpacking was early and easy. Another sail away special and people watching from the lobby bar until muster drill. Another new thing noticed while setting there is the Platinum club sign above the pursers window. Looks like CCL has the new program down. Some large groups boarding- an Elvis group and two high school bands included. Looks like the ship is more than full. I had tried to add DW a few days before and CCL wasn’t really interested. Now I know why, they probably had lots of 3-4 pax in cabins already sold. Also lots of small kids. Well this will be an interesting cruise.

Muster drill was at about 4:00, but departure was delayed they said because of loading luggage. We got underway about 5:30 and it was a beautiful day to be on deck. We watched for the dolphins and the US Coast Guard move vessels who approached too close to the ship. Soon on starboard (note: wrong side) comes the Elissa. She had been under sail, but with traffic now under power. Still great to see her being maneuvered into Galveston harbor as a cruise ships sails past.

I don’t wear a watch at home and although on my cruise packing list I forget my watch, which I happened to purchase on the Elation in 2004 at the $10 store. The watch has been on seven cruise since until this one. I was depending on the time on the television--mistake. I thought I was leaving early for the Welcome show and I was actually half an hour late. Well god forbid I’m late to dinner so off to the $10 shop for another watch. No way could I set it, but a very nice person, who love challenges, at my table was able to set it for me. Dinner was nice. I had late (8:30) dinner in the Imagination dining room. Waiter was Magi (nickname). You never know what your going to get when you book a solo, but we had a nice six top table. Four booked single, and one charming couple. I had the fruit, salad, filet mignon and cherries jubilee cake. Being late and a long day (1st on ship) back to the cabin for R&R.

DAY TWO
E-57 is an inside, but still a good upgrade from the 1-A’s solo cruisers usually get. It has been a while since I had an inside and I had forgotten how great it is to sleep in one. Wow nice. Almost late for breakfast in the dining room, but made it for the Eggs Benedict. My usual CCL breakfast.

Today is Indian day in the Taste of Nations so I had to try the mulligatawny soup. It was just OK. The best is on Rhapsody although the chef on Conquest (he’s Indian) made very good mulligatawny by special request for our table last year. Late lunch in dining room was fair, but nothing special.

Yellowbird is the drink of the day today. Very good, a bit sweet perhaps, but going with the flow.

Captains reception was very good. Sat in the “prime” area to get the maximum waiter exposure. After tipping on the first drink, I never had to ask for a drink the remainder of the party. I always had one (or two) in reserve. Thank you captain Giuseppe Donato. Formal night dinner went well. Second lobsters for those who requested.

Having seen the production show just a few weeks ago I decided to go to karaoke. It was good, even Elvis did a number. The late night comedy show followed and Tim Harkleroad was very good. Recommend his act. Usually not up this late I had to visit the Gala buffet. I had seen the viewing of it in November, but this time I got to partake. Very good with a lot of different selections. My favorite, the Hearts of Palm salad. Desserts looked great. Too late at night for an old rancher so off to bed after the late night snack.

DAY THREE
I used room service as a wake up call and get ready as we arrived at Calica about 8:30 a.m. Debarkation went smooth. I booked an independent tour, the Fat Cat catamaran adventure excursion. There were three C-C members and ten others from the Elation. Met our group and we were off for Puerto Adventuras where the cat is docked. This is the location for the dolphin interactive tours so we were able to see the dolphins, manatees, and sea lions while waiting for the others on the Fat Cat. We sailed about 10:00 a.m. with 49 + crew. They were very generous with the rum punch and beer as we made our way north to the reef for 45 minutes of snorkeling. Water was a bit choppy but used all the allotted time in the water. Setting sail back south, more beer and rum punch along with chips, guacamole, and pico de gallo. We stopped within some protected jetty's for swimming. Very nice and calm waters. We got back to the pier and were taken back to the ship arriving about 3:30. I must say this was a very good and worthwhile excursion. I’ll place a review in the Playa/Calica ports of call page. Nap time and may have missed dinner if cabin steward hadn’t knocked on the door. Others may have napped as only three of us showed for dinner which seemed to be the norm for the entire dinning room. Dinner was good, I had the chateaubriand. Dessert was Baked Alaska which I had to have two just to confirm that it was that good. Back to the cabin to finish the nap.

DAY FOUR
Daylight savings time began so everyone seems to have gotten off to a slow start on this day. Actually lucked out and was able to change the new watch without assistance. The usual Eggs Benedict, French Toast and Bacon for me this morning in the dining room. Good R&R day. Drink of the day is “The Ultimate Suntan” I decided it’s good after several samples, but not as good as Funship or Yellowbird.

Spin is still the production show. Glad I went, there are new feature singers and dancers. Again they are getting younger each sailing it seems, let alone each year. Good dinner, the escargot & pork dish were excellent. Of course the Soufflé for dessert. Best dinner of the cruise. Checked the karaoke as two of the girls from our table were to sing, but didn’t catch them, but it was worth the trip as Elvis again performed. Not a late night for me as I’m up early in the morning.

DEBARKATION
Elected for self debarkation. There used to be only a few hundred doing this, but has become very popular and they have to call by deck now. I was ready with bag in hall and they called my deck first. Remember I was only two cabins away. I was 5th to step off the ship, but first to be presented to US customs. (The family in front had to regroup) I just walked over to the EZCruise lot and was on my way by 7:30.

What are the odds of being the first on and the first off?

GENERAL
As mentioned this is my first Four day cruise. We did not have a return guest party, tiramisu for dessert, nor enough time. A five day is much better as a short cruise. Also much higher percentage of first-timers on a four day.

Washcloths seem to be a thing of the past. No one I asked had any. Don’t know if they will return after dry-dock. I’ll be curious to know. E-57 is not a handicap room, but did have a folding seat in the shower. Not a bother as the showers are roomy compared to most. It was nice to NOT have thresholds between the bathroom & cabin and between shower & bath. There were built-in drains. Should be this way on all cabins, but would be harder to design ships with the extra plumbing.

The new CD is Greg Hutson. A young guy although I may be just getting old. I thought he was very good. The same old CD jokes, but he did them with enthusiasm and improved some (the microwave story). Josh, the assistant CD, is also good and remembered me from previous cruises.

Service was good overall. I do think the crew is getting just a bit “antsy”. Many if not most are leaving at the dry-dock in five days. Some will stay with the ship in Florida. Some will come back to the Ecstasy out of Galveston. Some go to new ships. Womma at the lobby bar is outstanding. Maria also there is also great. Both are leaving at dry dock.

Again, the most unique things to the Elation: the Pizza is great and the water pressure the best of any ship I’ve sailed.

I met lot's of very nice people and enjoyed the cruise very much.

REVIEW-Grand Princess - January 14-21, 2006

Grand Princess January 14-21, 2006

We now ONLY cruise out of Galveston/Houston and this cruise was the final of our cruises on the primary local based ships: Rhapsody, Conquest, & Grand. We have sailed all three now within the past few months, so that will be our basis for comparisons. DW & I are in our 50’s and are experienced travelers.

Embarkation--
We arrived at EZCruise Parking at our usual time of about 11:15. It’s about a five hour drive for us from central Texas. Not quite as simple as in past. They now have two parking lots and the Grand pax were to park in Lot #2. We found the lot and then had to wait awhile for shuttles. New system with some kinks to be worked out, but EZCruise was good as usual. (I’ll have a separate thread on Parking/Galveston) The Grand was at Terminal 2 instead of the larger Terminal 1 where the Elation was docked. Didn’t create many problems though, a line for security and then into the check-in lines. We used the Platinum line which was shorter and saved a lot of time. We were on the ship about 12:30. Overall, a very good embarkation process.

Saturday, Day 1--Embarkation-Galveston
I was very impressed with the Grand staff upon boarding. Lots of staff to assist and direct pax to their cabins, which were readily available. I may have accidentally run into the mysterious Admiral Nelson as there was a ships officer looking for cabins in our area as we first arrived in our cabin area. He disappeared as we dropped off our carry-ons. Since the Grand is one of the few ships to have a restaurant open on embarkation, we went to the dining room for lunch. Our first cruise food and a proper lunch at that. It was not crowded at all as I guess most went to the buffet or were still boarding. After a brief ships tour and a quick match of miniature golf we returned to our cabin. The goodies had arrived. This was my first cruise to sail as an Elite so I’m not sure exactly what was provided as an elite member and what may have been left by our new friend Admiral Nelson. I suspect the Chocolate Strawberries may have been a gift and the fruit, cookies, et al were Elite benefits. We also received a bottle of wine from our TA in addition to the Elite bar setup. Our cabin stewart, Mario, came by and introduced himself. “Mustard” drill went well. I like the system on the Grand best. You stay in your assigned public area and don’t go out to the life boats. Ours was muster station D in the Vista lounge. Our C-C roll call had set a meet & greet for the Oasis Bar following mustard drill so we met our group and had our sail-away from deck 15. Good bye Galveston, hello new friends. The C-C survivors retired to the Wheelhouse Bar. What a wonderful bar, my favorite on the ship. We had late seating for dinner in the Botticelli dining room which was good but nothing special. Much too tired from the long day, we skipped the welcome aboard show and retired for the evening.

Sunday, Day 2--Sea Day
This is a sea day and a day to rest and relax. I had breakfast in the dining room and the Eggs Benedict were excellent. Best of any on any of the other ships by far. DW had breakfast at the Horizon Court which had a very good buffet. After breakfast we explored the rest of the ship we hadn’t seen on Saturday. A little shopping in the boutiques and relaxing until lunch. We again had lunch in the dining room. Red Snapper was very good. Deserts were just OK, but we had to check the desert station on the Horizon Court. They had the best cake I have ever had. I think it was a white chocolate chip cake soaked with some type of liquor. After a nap I spent some time in the future bookings office and the internet cafe which is much faster than the R or C. I trusted the same day dry cleaning with my suit this morning which I would need back in time for the Captains reception. Just after 5:00 Mario brings the suit. Another knock at the door a little later, what? Complementary Canapés!! Wow, It just gets better & better. The Captains reception was held in the atrium area which was somewhat new to us. Dinner was again adequate but nothing special. Dessert was a chocolate soufflé which was very good. When we got back to the cabin there was a bottle of Champagne, no question who it was from as there was a card from the Admiral. Thanks so much. The feature show was Curtain Up, a salute to Broadway. We thought it was a great show.

Monday, Day 3--Costa Maya
A bit of a breeze today and the water is choppy. Glad this is not a tender port. I had breakfast in the dining room and the Eggs Florentine were very good. DW has been ordering room service breakfast. We disembarked and went to the little village of Mahaual. We found a great little restaurant on the beach which later became C-C group HQ. We had a great group of folks to enjoy the afternoon. Of course who would have known you could get proper mojitos for $5 in Mahaual. After an afternoon of mojitos, mayan liquor, & massages we had to return the Grand. We called it a day after dinner. Dessert was another soufflé.

Tuesday, Day 4--Belize
A beautiful day in paradise. Weather perfect. This was the first tender port and it went off very well. DW stayed aboard to relax and I went to find my tour group. We were originally to meet at 8:00 but was changed to 10:00 because of the Grand's' new extended hours. DO NOT USE CORAL BREEZE, they never showed up and I was told they had lost their license. Another couple from the Grand and I were able to book the same tour through Paradise Air. This was a snorkel trip to the Coral Gardens, the Shark/Stingray alley, and Caye Caulker. This was a fantastic excursion. The coral was OK, similar to most caribbean spots, but the Shark/Stingray’s were far superior to Grand Cayman IMHO. There were numerous large stingrays, nurse sharks, and a very large barracuda that stayed just off our position the entire time. Lot’s of good photo op’s here. We went ashore for lunch on Caye Caulker. Here I split from the group to go the the Caye Caulker Split and the infamous Lazy Lizard. Great spot for a few Bilikins. Returned to the rustic dock for the return and had to buy a fresh coconut spiked with rum for the return trip to Belize City. I would not have been able to take this tour if not for the changed itinerary, so I feel fortunate.
The Circle Club reception was held in the Vista Lounge, It was nice, Captain Andy arrived late as leaving Belize is a bit tricky due to the barrier reef. Tonight at dinner the head Matre'de and chef came by the table. I mentioned that the Red Snapper from the 2nd days lunch was the best meal I have had, so far, and he told me they would gladly prepare it again for me for dinner any night upon request. Wow. Very impressed. Dessert was banana flambé.
We did the 50’s-60’s show and thought is was very good. Couldn’t make anything else as my legs were gone from snorkeling.

Wednesday, Day 5--Playa del Carmen
We considered Xcaret for the day as we were in a perfect place, but decided to just visit the town of PDC and make it an easy day. We were in no rush to reach shore. Light breakfast & internet cafe in the morning. It was about 10:50 when went to the tenders. Having a priority pass we just joined the line at the gangway so it was fairly simple for us. Unfortunately it wasn’t as simple for the others. Tendering was going very slow. The seas were very choppy and the gangways were moving forward & back AND up & down. Mind your head!! A couple I later met went to the Vista lounge at 11:15 and didn’t get ashore until 2:30. The staff was doing the best they could, the seas were not cooperating. While ashore we checked some boutique hotels, the beach, I had a shrimp cocktail, did a little shopping, and then we were ready to return. I guess just by chance of timing we got the very large tender-which isn’t good. It took well over an hour to load, move 300 yards, and then unload. Seems too long to me, but we weren’t really in a hurry. Tonight's dinner is one of the best, it was Italian night. My entree, an Italian pork chop was good, but the appetizer, eggplant parmesan was the best appetizer of the cruise. Desert was Tiramisu. After dinner we attended the comedy show of Jack Wilks. He was great, he did a lot of jokes about Princess, cruising, and cruise events such as the art show, spas, etc. Not the usual cruise jokes about the toilets, a bit more clever. i.e.--”did anyone ever figure out the combination to the shower” I mention because DW called maintenance about the shower temps. He also made light of the tender problems that day.

Thursday, Day 6--Cozumel
Cozumel has been one of our favorite places for 23 years when we first visited the then small village of San Miguel and the island. Divers by far out numbered tourist in those days. We wanted to be off earlier as we have a full day planned so I was up early. I enjoyed a great breakfast in the dining room, the lumberjack breakfast. Ranch style eggs on a small breakfast steak with hash browns. Also a wonderful fruit appetizer. Best breakfast of the cruise. I’m afraid I held us up a bit. We were so hoping for an improvement in tendering and it was much better. Weather was better than had been forecast. It was cloudy, but less wind than Wednesday. This helped tendering. We basically walked on board the tender and fortunately saw the couple who had to wait so many hours the day before walk aboard as well. Only a 20 minute process to shore today. We rented a jeep and proceeded to Paradise Beach. I had heard about it so much on these boards I wanted to check it out. DW recommends the peach spritzer. This will be a Dos XX’s day for me at all stops. We stayed about an hour and left before PBTom got there. Seems like a very nice place, especially for families. We are now off for our favorite spot, Playa Bonita. We took the now repaired highway around to the “wild side”. Guess what--the hurricane has created new features: natural bridges extending from the shoreline into the water. There is a new parking area here so that you can stop and take photos. Very impressive and this will add to the “wild side” reputation. Soon we are at Playa Bonita. We were there just following Katrina and they had repainted the building. Now because of Wilma, it has to be repainted again. It is now a white building which I think is their new base coat. They will get that turquoise color back soon I hope. They have repaired and expanded the main palapa and are using umbrellas on the beach. Still as beautiful as ever and our favorite spot on Cozumel. After several hours we are off for San Miguel and Los Cinco Soles. We are greeted by Leah who remembers us as this is our 5th visit and purchase of Talavera in five months. DW wanted to check a shop just off the main square so I waited at a corner sidewalk table at Las Palmeras to watch the jeep and all the people in town and old pier. We’re off to Puerto Maya and as I return the jeep DW is doing the last minute shopping. We’ll meet at Fat Tuesdays which isn’t crowded as I guess most have returned to their ships. We make the last tender and return about 5:30. A great day in Cozumel. Tonight we eat at the Painted Desert Steakhouse. It was very good, especially the jumbo shrimp cocktail and porterhouse. I insisted that we ALSO have escargot since I knew it was being served in the dining rooms and the waiter did comply reluctantly. The intimacy of the smaller room and the company were actually the highlight of the experience. After dinner we went to the Cinematastic show. DW enjoyed it very much, I’ll admit I was too tired. Long day so back to the cabin to see what type of chocolate Mario has left on the pillow.

Friday, Day 7--Sea day
Nice Day. partly cloudy, but clearing. Good day for Lido deck events. Eggs Benedict were again excellent. I think the breakfasts have been great on this cruise. Some cabin organization, and relaxation before our big noon function. We were invited to the Captains Luncheon and it was fantastic. The Senior officer at our table was the chief technical officer and his wife. They were a very nice couple as were the other guest couple. I hope we weren’t too rowdy (in this smaller setting) because from the laughter, I know our table had the most fun. Excellent three course meal with choice of wine, by far, the best meal of the cruise. I was so tempted to eat my wife's appetizer that she didn’t touch (as I would have done in the dining room), but I didn’t want to seem too indelicate with the Captain at the next table. We had an afternoon meet with some C-C group members and then began packing. One last cocktail in the Wheelhouse Bar. The last dinner we spent with C-C folks at a special table arranged by Spongerob. Even with the table change the Matre'de’ was able to get my special request for dinner, the Red Snapper as promised by the chef. A good dinner, but the highlight was the Baked Alaska. Wow, excellent and done in the Princess style, nothing compares from other lines.

Saturday, Debarkation
We thought the self would go off a bit sooner than expected since the ship was early so we were ready early and sure enough---they started about 6:30 a.m. We went through customs without any problems. We were on the sidewalk waiting for EZCruise by 7:00 a.m. We were off the island by 7:35 and home at 12:30. We left the ship so early that we hadn't eaten breakfast and since I’d become used to good breakfasts we stopped for some Miga's in Hearne, Tx and they were great!

General Observations
We really enjoyed this cruise. One of our best by far. The good friends we met and the new Elite status certainly enhanced the experience. The new Cruise Director is Neil Chandler. He was good, not too pushy with bingo, etc..., but informative. His morning show, Wakey, Wakey was very humorous. Overall the food was good, but I think the lunches were actually better than most dinners. Breakfast was always good. The staff on this cruise was super. With only one exception, everything was handled in a positive and a most helpful manner by staff, crew, waiters, etc. One of the reasons we did the traditional dining was to assure good service, but would not hesitate to use personal choice as all members of the dining staff were good when we ate other meals in the DaVinci dining room or Horizon Court. Our cabin attendant was very good. He made our bed as specially requested, left extra ice, and called us by name the entire cruise. We really didn’t do any pool activities nor use the spa, but there were more than enough activities to keep us busy. I liked the layout of the ship especially that the casino was forward and not midship. We were pleased with the port changes and especially the credit given. I think Princess is a first class operation.

REVIEW-Carnival Conquest December 4-11, 2005

Carnival Conquest December 4-11, 2005

This was our 3rd & 4th CCL cruise this year and 2nd time on Conquest.

SUNDAY--Embarkation went very smoothly. Arrived at EZCruise lot at 11:45 and taken to pier about noon. The line’s were short at security and check-in. They had many more stations open than they did when we sailed in September. The process was much much better and they have improved the embarkation experience. We were onboard about 12:30.
Made mandatory visit to Lido deck for lunch. First of the deli Rueben sandwiches for the week. Also visited Sur Mer as we hadn’t on previous cruise. Went to the cabin after 1:00 and met Rasheed our stewart for the week. I think we may have had the infamous cabin recently mentioned in the video message to Uncle Bob. The damaged & stained lamp shade was the same and we were near the laundry. The cabin was very clean. Perhaps cleanest I have had on CCL. We do bring disinfectant wipes for the phone, door knobs, table tops, etc. and use them first day, so we do note the appearance of the cabin and this cabin was very clean. Explored the ship with our friends who sailed with us and had our “sail away” drinks from Boris who remembered me from previous cruise (Really did, not fake “oh you”)--but again I did tip him well 1st time--more on Boris later. Met several on our CC roll call at 4:00 at the Sky bar. Muster drill was about 5:15 and went well as it was a direct to stations type drill.

Dinner was late seating in Monet. Bad draw on table assignment, an outside upstairs. Didn’t try to change as it was full. The excellent waiters made up for it. Zoltan from Hungary and Vlad from Serbia. Every time Zoltan did something good he received the “Zoltan sign” (from the movie “Dude where’s my Car?”). We made double hand “V” sign for Vlad so he could join in the fun. Welcome Aboard Show and comedian Phat Kat.

MONDAY--At Sea--Good sailing day and good weather. Usual sea day activities. Formal night (Lobster) and Captains reception. Formidable was the feature show and very good. Two new feature singers and some new dancers since September. Much improved.

TUESDAY--At Sea--Again good weather and the usual sea day activities. The return guest reception was held today, two groups which were held in the afternoon. Better on a sea day than an evening later on in the week. I think it worked well doing it this way. Now the big news that was announced was that the Freedom will be coming to Galveston. That’s probably already made the CC boards, but was new news for us on the Conquest. Conquest will return to NOLA. Ron Joseph was the entertainer this evening. Good singer and funny with audience participation.

WEDNESDAY--Montego Bay Jamaica--beautiful day and beautiful island. We took a taxi to Doctor Caves Beach. Very nice. We were able to arrange our own (group of four) boat to snorkel the reef. Very nice and private compared to the tours. A few Red Stripes in the bar and some local music. Walked to Margaritaville for lunch and it was already very busy. Slide was closed, but people were swimming below the club. The food & drinks were very good. A bit of shopping and then a taxi back to the ship. We didn’t have anyone approach us selling anything illegal, but we weren’t in the city center either. A good day in MoBay. Production show was “Deja” a magic show. The Conquest dancers were very good, magic was ok.

THURSDAY--Grand Cayman--a nice day, but water was a bit choppy. We booked the “Rays, Reef, & Rum” tour with Nativeway. This was our second trip with this same tour. The Stingrays were great. The Reef was better than Jamaica with a lot of colorful fish. Rum Point was great with lunch waiting for us as we got off the boat. A few Stingray beers in the bar after lunch and we had to return for the last tender back to the ship. This was the second formal night and the production show was “Point and Click” The late night comedian was Marc Rubbean and he was great, IMHO. Tonight was the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and it was great. Very funny and I felt very sorry those poor newbies on the front row. Rocky fans will know what I mean.

FRIDAY--Cozumel--This is now a tender port and it was pretty slow going for those going ashore. You report to Lounge for tender numbers and they call you aboard. They are using the old Coz-PDC ferries which are very large and take a long time to load and unload. Lots of damage in Cozumel, but there is a lot to do. They are not ready for more than three cruise ships at a time though. The places that were open were crowded. We rented a jeep, went to Coconuts on the wild side, Cinco Soles to shop, and Ponchos Backyard for lunch. Found time for a mojito at the Havana Club while DW shopped. Talent show was tonight, we skipped and from the TV replay made the right decision.

SATURDAY--At Sea--Had a proper dinning room breakfast today and last chance for Rueben at lunch. There was a cajun band from Lafayette LA who played in the afternoon. They had a large number of fans aboard and they were a great group of people. A special treat was the Christmas show in late afternoon. We had sailed on the Elation on Christmas last year and there was not a Christmas show so this was special indeed. The Conquest singers & dancers, Carnival Kids, and staff did a nice Christmas Show. Final production show was a juggler and Marc Rubbean. Marc is very funny, don’t miss him. Last dinner was great and of course Grand Manier Soufflé for desert.

Debarkation--we did self and was off the ship about 7:10 a.m. Off the island by 7:45 a.m. Very smooth.

GENERAL NOTES: Very enjoyable cruise, Food was very good to excellent 99% of the time. Ship is looking very good and is well maintained. Our waiters and cabin attendant did a great job and can add a lot to the enjoyment of a cruise. Ours did so on this trip. Boris, the cocktail waiter, is always on the ball and seems to be a favorite of many. He always called me by name from the first day and knew my folio number so that I didn’t need my card. He is also mentioned by several of the entertainers from the stage which is adding to his following. He must work all the time as he seems to be everywhere. After talking to other guests he seems to give the same personal service to all. Everybody Loves Boris should be the theme. Our cabin attendant, Rasheed, always called us by name when passing in the hall and as already mentioned the cabin was very clean at all times. New menu deserts are fair, DW loved one, but most didn’t care for the ‘new' ones.

We have mixed feelings about the new bedding (3rd time)--that will be a new thread

REVIEW-Progreso, Mexico - November 16, 2005

I wanted you to see a photo of the shrimp cocktail mentioned in my review. The hat was actually purchased at this same restarant a year earlier. A good place to visit when in Progreso is Saint Bonnet Ave. Malecon by Calle 78.

REVIEW-Carnival Elation-November 14-19, 2005

Elation November 14-19, 2005 One disappointment--Great Cruise

This was a spontaneous cruise. Booked on Friday for Monday departure. Wanted to go to Veracruz which was one of the scheduled two ports of call on 5-day cruise. Second time on Elation, 1st time last Xmas with DW & DD This cruise booked as a single. Very pleased with price which included single supplement and upgraded cabin. I was assigned cabin E-8. Two port holes and large.

Monday
Arrived at EZCruise Parking in Galveston about 11:30 a.m. and was taken to terminal. Embarkation was very smooth. They began boarding while I was in the line for check in so my timing was pretty good. I was on board by 12:30. Dropped carryon at cabin and went to Lido deck for lunch. Several Fun ship specials while rediscovering ship. Yes, I found the secret door. I didn’t know what to expect with dinner assignment having- very late seating, being solo, and late booking. I had a great table with 7 people all cruising solo. Two others had also booked on Friday. We had a good group. Imagination dinning room late seating. Waiter was Michael Hill. Very good service.

Tuesday
Fun day at sea. It was. Only disappointment was the announcement that we would not be going to Veracruz because of weather (a cold front). Very disappointed because that was the ONLY reason for the cruise for me personally. But how upset can you be when your on a cruise? Formal night: attended Captains welcome party. Used the CC tip of seating near waiters door and tipping well on 1st time the waiter comes by. He did not disappoint, he came by several times. We had 8:30 seating and most people left because of the 8:00 seating-we were just letting the room thin out and here come our waiter with a double round of drinks!!!--(post party) Thanks Captain Antonio Marchetti. Lobster night--’nuf said. Production show was Rhythm, a very good show.

Wednesday
Progreso, Mexico. This was my 3rd visit to Progreso so I had been to the area Mayan ruins, seen the flamingos, and was in Merida just a few weeks ago. Living on a ranch in a rural area I thought I would just treat it as a “day in town”. I went to the bank, the pharmacy, the barber shop (great haircut), the internet business ($1 for 1 hour), a few shops, and finally lunch. Having checked the email-there was one from J.Todd in Veracruz and he did mention bad weather coming, so I guess that confirmed what I had heard on the ship the day before. At the restaurant they remembered me as it was my 3rd visit. When I mentioned my disappointment about Veracruz, they brought me a shrimp cocktail ala Veracruz. It was very nice-for those who haven’t seen one it’s a very large shrimp cocktail-almost a meal in itself. Back to the ship for dinner. Tiramisu for desert tonight, don’t miss it, It’s great.

Thursday
Calica, Mexico. You could see the hurricane damage from the ship. Xcaret was within view and there was lots of noticeable damage. Taxi into town. More damage, but more than half the shops open. Senior Frogs along the beach--mostly gone. Most places on the beach were very heavily damaged. The further away from beach the more shops, bars, etc. were open. I wanted to take ferry just to see if San Migel was just as bad, but was convinced it was actually worse. I know they have worked very hard and it was fairly clean of debris, but there was construction and repairs everywhere. The only highlight I saw as I walked the beach was the beautiful topless sunbather. Highlight of the day actually. Watch out for the ‘pity sale’ . “Senior, senior, I have not sold anything since the hurricane. See the photo of my three daughters, please please you must buy something”. (yes I did buy something). Returned to ship early after purchasing some gifts. Pulled out of Calica into rough seas. Got rougher as we went. Either that cold front or TS Gamma. Not many at dinner tonight. Desert was Baked Alaska. Smaller production show, dancing cut short due to roll of ship. Did the piano bar. First time for that, but too smoky for me.

Friday
Fun day at Sea. Somewhat overcast and cooler today. Rough seas during morning and early afternoon. Most used this day to rest or read, as did I. One new thing for me was the Sushi Bar. One of my new friends encouraged me to try. I liked it. Especially with the wasabi. I can’t tell my friends back home about this though--it’s bait to them. Dinner was good. Best desert of the cruise was tonight--Grand Manier soufflé. (I think that’s what it’s called) Big production show called SPIN. Very good. The Elation dancers and the two feature singers are excellent. Better than the shows on the Conquest IMHO.

Saturday
Debarkation went smooth. I did early self and was on the sidewalk by 7:33 a.m. and off the island by 8:00 a.m.

Elation
Very clean ship!! Just as I remembered from last year, the unique feature of the Elation is the great showers. Larger than normal and the best water pressure of any ship I have sailed. There seemed to be more nonsmoking areas than in the past. Especially noticeable along Elation Way--much better. Larger casino than most. I love the lobby bar. It was on my deck and stocked my favorite imported beer. I will hate to lose the Elation, I wish It would stay and do the 4-5 day cruises and the Conquest the 7-day cruises from Galveston, but the Conquest and Ecstasy are fine.

Preview-My Cruise Blog

Cruising is a favorite pastime/hobby/holiday for me. It seems to be a perfect fit for myself and family. Since we live in a rural setting a cruise ship holiday provides: good food, entertainment, culture, travel, etc.. Some things that we may not be able to get at home. We are experienced cruisers, but now only cruise from Galveston or Houston as we no longer care to fly to a cruise port. Galveston is a nice drive from Bosque county and is easy to do--so we have begun to cruise again! Thanks to NCL who began the Texas trend with their Texaribean cruises.

This Blog is a collection of reviews I have written for various cruises in the Caribbean. Most of these were posted to Cruise Critics forums, but I wanted a place to collect them together.

Rhapsody of the Seas

Rhapsody of the Seas

Rhapsody of the Seas
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean Int'l
Ship: Rhapsody of the Seas
Itinerary: 7-Night (Galveston Round-Trip) Western Caribbean Cruise
Stateroom: H-Oceanview, Cabin 3594
Departs from: Galveston, Texas
Departure Date: Sep 11, 2005