Carnival Fascination Review

Older ship, limited options, GREAT itinerary!

Review for the Southern Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Fascination
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6-10 Cruises • Age 50s

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Additional details

Sail Date: Apr 2018
Cabin: Grand Suite
Traveled with children

We sailed 4/1/18 out of San Juan for the southern Caribbean cruise. Transfers from the airport were smooth. Embarkation was painless and we were allowed aboard by 1pm. This was fabulous, as the ship doesn't leave port until 10pm. We had a Grand Suite, U111, Deck 6 (Upper), our first time in a suite. The cabin was HUGE, with a full bathtub and tons of closets, drawers, and living space. The ship overall is older, but was recently refurbished.

Dining options are EXTREMELY limited; dining room, lido buffet, Guy's Burgers, and Blue Iguana Cantina. Pizza and Deli are also here. NO Mongolian wok, NO Indian buffet, NO specialty restaurants (Italian, steakhouse, etc..). Guy's Burgers only open till 6pm, Blue Iguana only open till 3. This was very disappointing to us. Blue Iguana food was excellent, Guy's french fries are to die for! Sushi on promenade deck only offered 4 rolls, 2 kinds of sashimi and that's it. Delicious, but limited.

Chefs Table: We splurged and did Chef's Table for $75 pp. 10 passengers were chosen each night. We met at the atrium bar and were greeted by our sever pouring flutes of champagne. We mingled for a bit, then 2 chefs came to escort us to the galley. We had a brief tour of the galley, then sampled several appetizers right on the line. We were given a demonstration of how the melting chocolate cake is made. Then we were taken to our table, which was setup in the library. Red and white wine were freely poured, along with Pellegrino water. Fresh blue cheese brioche and herb flatbread filled our breadbaskets. A 7 course meal followed, with each dish prepared in the library in front of us, and described in intricate detail by chef-- Veggie terrine, crab cake, teriyaki duck, tomato bisque, stuffed sea bass, and wagyu beef, followed by a decadent plate of desserts. Suffice to say; the experience was OUTSTANDING. It took 3 hours total, the magician came in to perform just for us during an intermezzo, and chef cheerfully accommodated our daughter's eggplant allergy and another passenger's request for vegetarian fare.

Cabin Review

Grand Suite

Cabin GS

Generously sized, significant amount of storage space. Full sized bathtub had very high side; difficult to access, and I am 5'9" tall (had to seriously lift leg to get in). Inside the tub, it is raised, so I was close and hubby (6' 1" tall) was right up against the ceiling. I do NOT recommend the suite with full tub if you are a)very tall, or b)unable to lift your leg high enough to get in.

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