 Expert Review |  | | | | |
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Editor's Note: All eight of Carnival's Fantasy-class ships will receive extensive upgrades as part of Carnival's $250 million "Evolutions of Fun" program. Expansive children's water parks, a new design style and features for the pool areas, and the creation of the Serenity adults-only deck area will be part of the changes to the open decks of Carnival Cruise Lines' eight Fantasy-class ships. The expanded outdoor recreation areas will be initially incorporated onto the 2,052-passenger Inspiration and Imagination during month-long dry docks in fall of 2007 and added to other Fantasy-class ships in 2008 and 2009 during scheduled dry-dock periods. Being familiar with the layout of Carnival's Fantasy-class ships, which include Elation, Paradise, Inspiration, Imagination, Ecstasy and Fascination, and pretty knowledgeable about the work of Joe Farcus, Carnival's long-time designer, I figured that sailing on Fantasy would offer a similar experience. Not so! As soon as I boarded Fantasy, I noticed a marked difference between this ship and the others in its class that I had sailed: this one's design was relatively calm and sedate, without the weird and extreme decor of most of its sister ships. Fantasy has, it should be noted, recently undergone a major overhaul during which miles of neon lighting had been torn out and more elegant elements added, making the ship look nearly new and adding a patina of elegance that had not been evident before. I don't mind being wrong about this, because the ship is great. The original design, with or without the red and blue neon, was well before its time, with grey melamine cubes covering the walls and plum-colored wood-veneered posts anchoring the elevator lobbies and other spots. It looks so ... today ... that it's hard to imagine that this ship is actually 16 years old. | | |  top | | | | Dining
Dining on Fantasy is traditional; there are two dinner times from which to choose, 6 and 8:15 p.m., in the Jubilee (aft) and Celebration (midship) dining rooms. For the past several years we've been really impressed with the dining on Carnival ships, not just in the dining rooms but in all venues. The food is fresh and well-prepared, and selections are varied. Choices range from spicy curries to light spa-style fare, and although it's less popular than it was a year ago, Carnival still offers a great low-carb menu. When three-Michelin-starred chef Georges Blanc was tapped to design menu selections for Carnival, we were surprised, but it fits with the cruise line's determination to provide an elegant experience (see "cabins" below) at an affordable price (Blanc parted ways with the line in 2008). Although filet mignon was on the menu during my cruise, that night's offering also included a mixed lamb dish, with a braised shank combined with a thick chop. I had enjoyed that selection before on another Carnival cruise, chose it again, and was not disappointed. It was Mediterranean-style bliss. The Georges Blanc selections (one appetizer, one main dish and one dessert on each evening's menu) included items like turbot in a butter-cream sauce and sauteed chicken breast with a fois gras topping. I had his recommended "sundried tomato soup with gin," and although I am not a soup person I could have made a meal of it. Definitely, it was superb (although the gin was really buried in the other flavors). There is no surcharged alternative restaurant or "supper club" on Fantasy, but those who choose to avoid the dining room can dine more casually at the Lido Cafe, which turns into The Bistro during supper time. It's cafeteria-style dining with selections from the restaurant menu, and although it's pleasant, and you don't have to dress up for it, the selections were minimal and somewhat disappointing on the night I chose to dine there. A better choice might have been the fresh pizza, available 24 hours a day, along with Caesar salads. Light as air, with very little tomato sauce, you can choose slices from what is available at the moment or have a pizza made especially for you. Pepperoni, veggie and plain cheese are the pizzas most often made "on spec," but you can order a chevre with wild mushrooms or an anchovy and capers pizza and not have to share it with anyone. Breakfast and lunch are open seating in the main dining rooms but most people choose the Lido Deck restaurant, Windows on the Sea, with different stations for menu choices. During breakfast you can get made-to-order omelets along with other breakfast fare (fresh fruit, cereals, bacon and sausage), and at lunch, one station is dedicated to an international menu that features a different cuisine every day including Indian, Chinese, Mexican and French. And, on the itineraries that include the delightful Half Moon Cay, a full all-American barbecue lunch with burgers, hot dogs and jerk chicken (mmm, mmm good), potato salad, slaw, fresh fruit and dessert is the best choice. Although it's minimal, we love Carnival's room service menu because it's all cold food -- sandwiches and salads -- and very streamlined. We especially appreciate the continental breakfast selection on the door-hung card, since it includes bagels, cream cheese and smoked salmon. Hint: If you go for the bagel and smoked salmon, mark "2" for cream cheese for each person's order or you'll end up with an itty bitty smear that barely covers half of one bagel. Every evening between 5:30 and 8 p.m., sushi is served at the forward end of the Promenade. Best yet, it's complimentary. The quality is good and the ingredients are fresh, but don't expect anything too fancy. | | | | top | | | | Public Rooms
With most of the neon removed from The Grand Spectrum, and the colorful but functionless central sculpture also removed (a nice round lobby bar was put there instead), this main atrium space now has purpose and is a great meeting place before going off to any number of activities. Late in the afternoon, a classical quartet provides a musical backdrop. Just above this level, circling the atrium, is the cool and comfy Pavilion Library (open most of the day for reading but limited hours for book check-out), the Celebration dining room and Cleopatra's Bar. Fantasy-class ships have a unique, starboard-side indoor promenade, a "street of dreams" if you will, on this ship named Via Marina. Filled with columns and statuary that might be found in ancient Greece or Rome, it provides seating along the windows, with public rooms radiating off to the port side. At the forward end is the photography display surrounding the atrium, but as you meander towards the aft end, you have your choice of Fun Ship venues. The 21st Century Bar, adjacent to the casino, gets extremely lively in the evenings, with a country-western singer a-strummin' and a-hummin' ... and it goes from there along the fronts of several other social hot spots: Cats Lounge (named for the Broadway show Cats, which was in full production at the time the ship was built), Electricity Dance Club, the Bistro coffee and pastry bar, the Internet center and then the clubby Majestic Bar that stretches the width of the ship. The Forum, located behind the Majestic, is the late-night spot for karaoke. Most of the shops are located forward, on Atlantic Deck, just before the entrance to the main show lounge. They're big and bright, selling all manner of duty-free goods, logo items and clothing. On Promenade Deck are a couple of other shops including the "$10 for anything" costume jewelry shop and Formalities, where you can purchase a corsage and some Jelly Bellies or licorice twists. | | | | top | | | | Cabins
There are five different types of cabins on Fantasy: inside, outside, outside with porthole, suite and deluxe suite. The latter two accommodations have verandahs, with the suites forward on the Veranda Deck at the top of the ship and the deluxe suites located midship on Upper Deck. Both have whirlpool baths and expanded living space, and are decked out in marble and wood. The suites (Category 11) have very small balconies that are not completely private as they are viewable from the forward, public portion of the Veranda Deck. The deluxe suites (Category 12) are bigger and have large, private balconies. Fantasy's renovations also included a complete overhaul of the staterooms. Gone are the pink, purple and orange drapes and bedspreads; the coral, blue and gray carpeting; and the salmon-colored Formica on the desks and closets. Gone too are the flat foam pillows and scratchy light-blue sheets. In fact, the only remnant of the old decor that remains is the cranberry-orange colored aluminum wainscoting that encircles the room and the pink aluminum lights that protrude from it. You walk into a room that is trendy and chic, in the mode of a four-star hotel. No more giddy color schemes; instead, you see a white ribbon-cut down duvet and fluffy white down and feather pillows covering the brand new Carnival Comfort Beds. The carpeting is brick red with flecks of gold. The bedskirt and drapes are in a pale gold fabric, and the drum-shaped stool and small, rounded aluminum chair have been replaced with contemporary furniture: a square ottoman with wood legs and a wooden Shaker-style chair, both upholstered in a brick and gold thin-striped fabric. The desktop, desk drawers and closet doors have shed their Formica and are now covered in a maple-wood veneer. The salmon colored box that took up space in the corner under the television has been replaced with a molded-wood end table (in fact, there are now two of them). And the ugly salmon-colored television surround has been replaced by a flat wooden platform. The rooms are an elegant retreat to which to return after a day enjoying the rest of the "Fun Ship." Bathrooms, too, have received a facelift. In fact, they have been completely gutted and fitted with pre-formed modular units. Molded floors, walls and shower have taken the place of the tiled space that had been there before. A new pedestal-style sink has been added, though alas it now eliminates most of the counter and space for personal items. And yet in spite of that, the new form gives the bathroom a sleek, stylized look, with Italian-styled faucets in the sink and shower, and a cool, modern shower head. There's plenty of hot water and the water pressure is fantastic. Big, new, fluffy white towels and a bathrobe for use in outside cabins round out the picture. The television channels include CNN, CNN International, several in-house channels hawking shore excursions or items from the gift shops, Cartoon Network, ESPN, two movie channels (and a separate one that is geared to children), ABC, CBS, and NBC. Standard staterooms do not have hair dryers, so plan accordingly. Guests get a bar of soap, and a wall-mounted pump bottle of shampoo and shower gel in the shower. Carnival has partnered with several companies to supply sample sizes of personal items in a bowl or basket on the sink counter. It's fun, because you never know what you're going to get. On this trip I got dental floss, rinse-off body lotion, disposable razors and Dentyne Ice gum. | | | | top | | | | Entertainment
Carnival's entertainment options are always stellar, whether it's a snazzy, jazzy and colorful production show in the Universe Lounge; the calypso band by the central pool; the rockin' country singer at the Casino Bar; or the quiet strains of the classical quartet that set the tone for pre-dinner cocktails in the lobby bar. A large part of the entertainment offerings on any Carnival ship is the participatory activities that involve guests ... whether it's the hairy chest contest, the Mr. Elvis and Ms. Aretha challenge, the passenger talent show, or the calypso-themed deck parties. On Fantasy they were all colorful and fun, and there were several activities that were family-friendly (the deck parties, for instance), with parents and children all enjoying the revelry. Carnival has revamped Fantasy's casino so it now has a large selection of $0.02 and $0.05 slot machines. They've added a bonus feature, too: You can draw funds right from your Sign and Sail card without having to go to the teller window; you can do it right from a slot machine with the use of a PIN number. Whatever amount you download into your "player bank" is transportable from slot machine to slot machine. Taking money from your Sign and Sail account costs 3 percent per transaction, but moving money from one slot to another is free. The system doesn't work on table games, however. Note: This "cashless" system is almost too easy. If you're winning a lot on the slots, it's great ... all of the winnings can go into your card bank to be used on another machine or even on another day, or you can cash out your winnings. If you aren't so lucky you might lose track of how much you draw out to play, so use caution. There are several blackjack and poker tables (including a Texas Hold 'Em alcove), a roulette wheel, and a craps table. Tournaments are held during the cruise with a fairly low buy-in. The two-deck main showroom, Universe Lounge, is located at the bow of Fantasy, and despite it having been toned down from its original wild design, it still has bright red neon stretching across the ceilings and stage front. Although there are several posts that can be obstructive, the theater has plenty of comfortable banquette seating, so finding a good spot shouldn't be too hard. The production shows are energetic, colorful and fun; the individual performers range from ho-hum to really compelling. During the most recent Fantasy refurbishment, one of the passenger hallways on Empress Deck was turned into an "Art Gallery," with the Park West inventory on view prior to the daily art auctions. Of course there's daily bingo as well, and trivia challenges of just about every kind imaginable. | | | | top | | | | Fitness and Recreation
Spa Carnival, located at the forward section of the Sports Deck, has been renovated to reflect the classiness of the rest of the ship. New equipment, the latest in high-tech workout gear, has been installed, and a new aerobics room added. There are men's and women's sauna and steam rooms, a whirlpool spa between them, and a forward view from the treadmills and ellipticals. The spa treatments include massages and wraps, with several specials on shore days ($99 for three treatments). There's a beauty salon for hair and nails, and classes in yoga and Pilates at an additional fee of $10. A new, fun nine-hole mini-golf course has been added to the Sun Deck. The central Lido Deck pool features Carnival's signature spiral slide, not limited to use by children. We saw plenty of 60-somethings repeatedly climbing the stairs for another go at it, big smiles on their faces. There is a quieter pool at the aft, with tons of deck space for sunning. Although there is no ship-circuit outdoor promenade, the Verandah Deck does offer a walking-jogging track. There's a half-court for basketball, Ping-Pong tables, a volleyball court and a topless sunbathing area for those who prefer European-style sunning. | | | | top | | | | Family
"Fun Ships" are meant for family fun, and Fantasy is no exception. The children's area, located behind the Majestic Bar, is divided into three main rooms, with colorful, age-appropriate materials in each. There's the new Club 02 for teens, and Camp Carnival for youngsters aged 2 to 14. (Carnival is one of the few lines to allow non-potty-trained kids to participate.) All the programs are administered by trained professionals, and are designed to ensure maximum fun and safety for the kids. Special teen-only shore excursions are designed by the kids themselves; they are accompanied by counselors from the programs. The younger kids get sleepovers, pizza parties, dance lessons, movies, and -- of course -- the ubiquitous video games. Group babysitting is available for $6 per hour for the first child, and $4 per hour for each additional sibling in the same immediate family. | | | | top | | | | Fellow Passengers
Most of the guests on the cruise I took had driven to Port Canaveral from southeastern cities. It's an ideal short getaway, and although there weren't a lot of children onboard during my cruise (school was in session) there most likely will be plenty of kids during the summer months. All age groups were represented, and I met a lot of first-time cruisers who loved the experience and vow to return. The average age group was late 30's to mid-40's. | | | | top | | | | Dress Code
There is one formal night on each of the four- and five-night cruises; otherwise, dress is casual during the day and a bit dressier at night. Carnival's material asks for "resort casual" for dinner in the dining rooms, and most people looked quite spiffy indeed. No tank tops or shorts allowed in the main restaurants for any meal. | | | | top | | | | Gratuity
Carnival adds $10 per day to your shipboard account for basic tips, but makes sure you know that the maitre d' is not covered. An envelope to give him cash is delivered to your room on your last day; apart from that, you are free to add to or subtract from the amount on your account, but most people leave it and tip further in cash. My room team made me feel like a celebrated princess ... it was easy to offer them an additional tip. Heck, the perfectly executed towel animals that greeted me each night were alone worth some extra. --by Cruise Critic contributor Jana Jones, who has also written for a variety of publications, including Vacation Agent, UK's Travel Holidays and Ocean Drive Magazine. | | | | top | | | | | Expert reviews are provided by CruiseCritic.com, an award-winning cruise community. This objective information can help you choose just the right ship for your next cruise vacation. | |  | |
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