Carnival Fantasy Review
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This cruise was a last minute decision. It was either rent a condo on the beach or take a five day cruise. With no groceries to buy, no cooking and cleaning, no beds to make, and no towels to wash and dry, my wife voted for the cruise; I wholeheartedly agreed. We spent the night before the cruise at the Renaissance Riverview hotel across from the port. The Cruise& Park rate including tax is $167. This includes free parking for the length of the cruise and a van to take you to the port and return you to the hotel. If you park at the port, it will cost $20/day. So, that makes the room at the hotel $67/night.
Now to the cruise: Embarkation was quick; once the long train that blocked the access to the port had cleared and the Customs officials could get to the port to disembark the previous cruisers. This delayed us about an hour; but the shuttle from the hotel waited for the train to move and then took us over. Once in the terminal, checking in was quick. A tip: if you have a carry-on and are not Platinum or above, you may have to roll it around while you eat lunch. Or you may opt for only carrying the valuables and essentials in a small backpack or for the ladies, a small beach bag until you can drop them off in your cabin..
The ship is OLD. That being said, she looked pretty good for her age. She had a few wrinkles of rust showing. Once onboard, the atrium, the hallways, the dining rooms, the pool and hot tubs and the lido deck in general showed that the interior had been updated.
Cabin Review
Ocean View
Reviewed in the body of the main review.
Port Reviews
Mobile
Mobile is continuing to upgrade it downtown appeal to travelers. The parks are clean. There have been new restaurants and bars opened. The original Wentzel's Oyster House on Dauphin Street has great and fresh seafood. From 3-6, beer and drinks are half price and there are appetizers for $5.99. There are other Wentzel's location, but none compare to the one downtown.
Costa Maya
The port was built by the cruise lines and is very similar to other ports; shops, pharmacies, and restaurants. However, there is a huge pool with a swim up bar, a dolphin swim area and a few instances of entertainment. If you opt not to partake of the pool or the shopping, take the shuttle or taxi to the town of Majhual. Before the hurricane hit a few years back, it was a small fishing village with few restaurants and a hotel for any tourists who knew about it. It has less of that small village atmosphere with the addition of more restaurants and hotels but you can still enjoy the peace and friendly locals. You can sit by the water at a table and umbrella and be served drinks ad food from the restaurants and, for those wanting a massage, they are available and much less expensive than on the ship.
Cozumel
Extensive shopping for liquor and souvenirs at the port. At the far end of the shopping area is a restaurant called Poncho's Backyard. Good variety of Mexican food and great cold Margaritas. The service is great. If this is your first visit to Cozumel, you may want to take a taxi downtown to shop, eat or just walk around. Other options we have tried are Paradise Beach ($3.00 entry fee) and Mr. Sancho's ($50 entry) that is all inclusive of food and drink for all you can consume.