This year was the year that we decided to bite the bullet and take our daughter to the land of dreams - Disneyland Florida.
Having been there before, my wife and I were all too aware of the draining heat and the tediously long queues for all the attractions. Therefore, we decided that 10 days in Orlando would be enough and for the final 4 days we would indulge ourselves with a cruise from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas.
We booked with Virgin Holidays and really did have a great time in Orlando - despite arriving only 2 hours before hurricane Katrina.
Eventually, the day we had been looking forward to arrived and we headed for the port to join our ship Destiny. Booking in was quite easy although there were a few forms to fill in then we had the obligatory photo taken before boarding.
Once you board the ship you arrive in the Grand Spectrum with a pianist and violinist playing for you. It looked as good as it did in the brochure.
We found our cabin along a seemingly endless corridor and again were pleased with what we saw. The cabin was a little cramped as expected on a cruise ship but was well equipped with a double bed and a pull down bunk. We had a bathroom with shower, a TV, a fridge / mini bar and a reasonable wardrobe. We also paid a few pounds more for an outside cabin that had the luxury of a window. You can't see much apart from the ocean whilst out of port but it can be a bit claustrophobic in an inside cabin with no view.
The ship was well decked out with bars, restaurants, clubs and a casino. All food on board was included in the price and you could eat 24 hours per day if you wanted.
The main dining room was a formal affair and the service was top class as was the food. If you prefer a less formal eating experience then there is an alternative buffet style restaurant where you can eat as much as you like.
Whilst at sea, there is plenty to keep you amused. During the day there are two pools and sunbathing on the deck. There is a gym, table tennis, basketball, golf (even a professional to give tuition). In the evening there is a Vegas style show each night, a piano bar, cinema, kids club and the Casino. The party atmosphere goes on well into the small hours if you have the stamina.
There are two ports of call on this 4 day cruise and you can pre book excursions at each. The first stop is Freeport in the north. Unfortunately for us there was a tropical storm lashing the island and all trips were cancelled so we stayed on board and set sail for Nassau - our second stop. At Nassau the weather was back to normal - glorious. We had booked a speedboat trip to Blackbeards Cay which was a great experience.
That night we set sail back to the USA. Unfortunately hurricane Rita was building up as we headed back and this caused us to divert to Port Everglade in Fort Lauderdale as it was not safe to dock in Canaveral. Carnival Cruises laid on buses to shuttle us back to Canaveral and four hours later we were able to pick up our hire car and head straight to the airport.
In all, the cruise was very enjoyable. There was all you could eat all day long laid on and plenty of things to do. However, the drinks at the bar were quite expensive and carried a service charge of 15% and the ship seemed a little bit too crowded.
I would recommend this trip as a taster of cruising. It is a pleasant short break at a very reasonable price.
Sounds like you had a great time, still not sure if America or Disneyland is for me. Perhaps when I've been to a few more places nearer home first. It's a big world out there. Cheers Jon.
dempsey_review 20.10.2005 23:27
I'm jealous, sounds like a marvalous holiday. Good review, thanks for sharing. Demps :-)
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Advantages: Dolphin Experience, the end of the boat ride Disadvantages: Every thing was dirty, looked like a floating disco, rude workers, most things were closed 80% of the time, very disappointing.
CharlieJax 03.10.2000 ·
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Review of Carnival
Advantages: Dolphin Experience, the end of the boat ride Disadvantages: Every thing was dirty, looked like a floating disco, rude workers, most things were closed 80% of the time, very disappointing.
CharlieJax 03.10.2000 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Carnival
Oct 20th, 2005
very helpful by (100%):
