Robert

Age: 40
Occupation: Network Engineer
Number of Cruises: 1
Cruise Line: Carnival
Ship: Ecstasy
Sailing Date: November 1st, 2002
Itinerary: Baja Mexico

My wife and I took a trip on the Carnival Ecstasy that was awesome. We arrived by car at the Port of Los Angeles. It was very easy to find the correct pier and to get parked. The fee for parking was collected on our arrival. This was nice when we returned as we simply drove away. It was a quick 50 yard stroll to the front of the terminal. Our bags were taken from us and we proceeded to check in. As soon as we entered the terminal, security officers started to ask us for ID's and tickets. It was nice to see tight security right from the start. Once we got inside we got in a line to check in. The person who checked us in was very nice and polite. He took care of us quickly and efficiently. That whole process took about 20 minutes. Next step was to have our carry on luggage x-rayed and we passed through the metal detectors. When you check in you get a card that you use to identify yourself with and charge things to on the ship. No cash is used on the ship, except in the Casino. As we boarded we slid our card into a machine that took our picture. Later in Mexico when you left the ship you signed off the ship and back on again with your card. They compared the picture that we took boarding the ship with our faces as we got back on the ship. They were always very careful of who got on the ship, it was very secure. Once we got on there were overwhelmed by the size and beauty of the inside of the ship. This was our first cruise so we had no clue what to expect. There were eager crew members at the door to greet us and direct us to our rooms. We got to our cabin and had a pleasant surprise. We assumed since we had a 4A budget cabin that we would not have a window, but there was a large (about 3' x 4') window in the cabin. This turned out to be an added bonus for us. I would strongly suggest paying a little extra and getting a cabin with a window. Make sure you ask for it when you book. We where just plain lucky to get a window, but next time will ask for one when we book. The cabin was more than adequate as far as size and storage was concerned. We moved the beds together but the crack between the two beds made it a little difficult to snuggle with my wife. I would like to see a single large bed available for couples in the cabin, I would even pay a bit extra if it was an extra service. The room was clean, but a bit musty, and somewhat worn. Not tore up, just well used. We encountered musty, sulfur smells in several areas of the ship which did not bother me, but my wife was not happy about it. It wasn't because of poor housekeeping, I think that musty smells are just part of the ocean, and from what I understand Ecstasy has been at sea at least 10 years. The bathroom was nice with full size fixtures. I am 6'4” tall and was totally comfortable in the cabin. Once we got settled in to our cabin, we went out to explore the ship. The hospitality of the crew started to become apparent right away and lasted all week end. We ended up on the Lido deck which is sort of the central outside area. A waiter fetched us some cocktails and we sat back and started to relax and take in the sights of LA harbor. There was a nice buffet going, but we opted to wait for dinner to eat. We played a little ping pong, had another cocktail and then went back to check on our luggage. It was waiting for us so we got unpacked and then went off to dinner. Next time I will take the late seating, because the early seating people miss getting to watch the ship leave port. I like that kind of stuff so the late dinner would be better for me. We only ate in the formal dining room the first night. It was a relaxed casual atmosphere with 5 star service and food. You are presented with a menu and you have to choose one appetizer, a salad and an entree. Everything was excellent!! Freshly prepared, well presented and quite tasty. We had more cocktails with dinner had a dessert menu presented to us.  After dinner we just cruised around the ship and checked out the sights, we listened to some live jazz too. We skipped the main show the first night. We had pizza and ice cream later out on the rear deck of the ship as we watched the lights of LA slip into the distance. After that we retired to our cabin a bit early. The TV in the room was nice, although more channels would be nice. One little problem I had was the room was a bit noisy. Not noise from other people, but “ship noise”. There was kind of a hum in the background all the time. My room was on deck 4 forward, and next to a fire station (A small room with fire fighting equipment in it). Deck 4 is the lowest passenger deck. It may have just been where my room was that made it a bit noisy. Or it may just be the way it is on a ship. I slept well as it turns out, but a quieter room would have been nice. Generally there was no noise from other passengers when you where in your cabin, just the ship noise.

After the first formal dinner we never ate in the dining room again. Not because we had a problem with it, it was just more convenient for us to eat at one of the buffets. The buffet food was excellent also. For breakfast you had a wide choice of foods as well as an omelet bar. There was always mil, coffee, tea and juices for free or the bar was right there too. There was a buffet for each meal, and in between during the day was fresh grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, salads and deserts out on the Lido deck...At midnight was an excellent pasta buffet. And 24 hours a day you could get fresh baked pizza. One night I got up at 2:30 am, had pizza and beer, went for a walk around the deck and then crashed out.... On Saturday we docked in Ensenada. A very nice town, but a lot bigger than we anticipated. The dock for the cruise ship is clean and new and secure. One mistake we made was hopping on a shuttle bus to take us in to Ensenada. It cost us 2 dollars each and ended up being a sales pitch for a tour to La Bufadora, the blow hole. What they offered did not sound too bad, but we just wanted to hang around downtown. A little later we realized it was a 5 minute walk into downtown Ensenada and that the shuttle bus had been a waste. No big loss, we just were not paying attention. Next time we will probably go to La Bufadora but not this time....Also you could rent a small 4 wheel ATV or golf cart style car at the dock and drive yourself around. We will probably do that next time so we can cover more ground. As it was were able to go back to the ship several times. It was nice to be able to come and go as we pleased. We finally got back on the ship for good around 3:00 pm. We ate our fifth meal of the day, took a nap, and then went up on deck to watch the ship sail away....That was cool to watch. That night we ate more, saw a very nice comedy show, gambled in the casino, played ping pong and soaked in the jacuzzi several time. There were 4 jacuzzi's that I counted and we never had trouble getting a spot in one. Another thing that was nice was the ship was big enough that you could find a quiet somewhat private place to get away from the crowds for a while. Sunday was what they call a “fun day at sea” which is exactly what it was. The ship just motored about off the coast while we all partied. For November the weather was so excellent that we were all able to sun bathe like it was summer!! Sunday night they had you put your luggage outside of your room so all you had to deal with was carry on luggage. The debarkation process was not quite as pleasant as I wish it was but it is not Carnival's fault. There are like 2000 people and everyone of them has to pass through customs so it just takes a while. Monday morning they had breakfast for us, then we were to meet in one of several areas at 8:00 am. Depending on what deck you where on you get a different colored luggage tag. They let you off the ship, one colored tag group at a time. My group was nearly last so it took us until 10:20 to get through customs. At that point I was so relaxed it did not matter!!

So to summarize my experience and what I have learned.... First of all I must say that this whole experience was incredible. In the 3 months prior to going on this vacation I had been averaging 75 to 80 hours a week in my job as a network engineer. This cruise totally and instantly decompressed me. All my needs were addressed by a very friendly, efficient, happy crew who all genuinely appeared to be concerned that I was having fun. Carnival really does things correctly and for a budget price I got 5 star service all the way. It was nice to see that even though I had an economy cabin, I still got the same service and had access to the same facilities as passenger who chose the more expensive cabins. There was a nice cross section of people...Different ages, marital status, cultures...It was just as good for families with small kids as it was young people just out to party and have a good time. No one got out of line at all, there was a lot of drinking going on but all were just having a great time. There is 24 hour room service and our cabin steward really made us feel at home. Other nice little things were the small safe in the room and ice, soft drinks, and bottled water in the room.

Tips and hints

-Take as much stuff as you need to be comfortable. Luggage handling is very easy for us compared to airline travel. I will take more next time. -When you book, ask for a room with a window. This will cost just a bit more, but it is worth it.

Positive comments
-The ship is huge and well maintained. Plenty of room for everyone. The crew is professional and friendly and want to make sure you are having fun.

-The food is excellent and plentiful. I over ate and I suggest you do the same!!

-A very excellent environment in which to relax and decompress. You can find peaceful tranquility or exciting crowds all on the same ship.

-Excellent bars. The drinks were stiff and reasonably priced. The daily drink special is a good deal as you get $2 off on refills.

-The “Sign and Sail” card system is very nice because you do not have to carry cash or credit cards with you. When ever you make a purchase, such as a cocktail, you simply hand them your card, and then they present you a receipt to sign. Each morning there is an invoice of the previous days charges presented to you. If there are any discrepancies it is easy to correct on board. If you loose your card no one else can use it without getting caught. It just helps ensure you have almost nothing to worry about on your voyage. You either leave a cash deposit and settle up the last night of the cruise, or use your credit card which is what we did.

Negative comments
-The ship was a bit musty in places, including our room, which was a problem for my wife. I bought a can of air freshener in Mexico and that freshened up our room. I would recommend that you bring a small can of air freshener with you.

-On the last night room service was not operating. I had to get up and go get bottled water in the middle of the night. They should have room service available the whole time. On a positive note this little complaint indicates how much the spoil you the rest of the weekend!!

-It would have been nice if the ship stayed in Ensenada until 9 or 10 in the evening. You had to be back on board by 5:30. It would be nice to experience some of the night life. Since there is no hurry to get back to Los Angeles, why can't they stay in port later on Saturday?

Well that is it....It was an excellent, rejuvenating experience to go on this Carnival cruise. I will be going again within the next 6 months for sure!!

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