Oh I remember back in the halcyon days of working on Cunard ships that whenever we encountered a Carnival ship we would look down our noses at it! Having just experienced one of their cruises....I think we were justified!
OK, so we booked a 6 day Bermuda run for the convenience factor as it left from Charleston SC which is a 3 hour drive from home.
Boy Oh Boy, apart from the Wobbles (see my other post) the Ecstacy is 27 years old and showing wear and tear, my experienced eye kept seeing dents and missing panels in deckheads etc, the exterior was streaked with rust and no paint crews apparent, certainly not what we used to see in the old days.
The elevators were decidedly dodgy, either trapping you or announcing the decks in Satanlike tones!
The interior decor was akin to a Galleria shopping mall...see photos.
I will say that generally the crew and staff were very friendly and good at their jobs, although the cruise staff were a bit too much..."You Vill Have FUN!"
Found the mostly Italian officers a bit stand offish and rarely present, maybe Carnival has strict rules..
Entertainment very good as you would expect from such a large company, main shows full of talent and energy, Piano Bar great as were the Russian Violin duet. Ships DJ was totally out of the loop and insisted on playing Rap and Hip Hop despite most pax being middle aged southern US.
Thank goodness we booked a balcony cabin as the lido/pool are was akin to a Zoo with loud music and drunk pax (first ship I've been on where they serve 100 oz beer towers!). The aft decks would have been nice except for the galley exhaust (bad kitchen smell) eminating from the funnel.
Food a bit disappointing, Lido buffet was very un-appetizing, you do have the option of OK Tacos and Burritos or Guy Fieri's under seasoned burgers and over seasoned french fries. Dinner was OK with an extensive menu although after having shelled out for a premium cabin they want to hit you up for an extra charge for surf & turf etc.
Well at least now I know...next time it's Cunard or HAL.....
