Carnival Ecstasy Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This is my fourth cruise on this lady, Carnival Ecstasy, she is in good shape for an old gal!
EMBARKMENT: My wife and I drove down from North Carolina and utilized the new cruise port parking arrangement. We used to park in an old warehouse and take buses after you dropped off the luggage at the parking lot. Now you drive in, they take your luggage and your park in the open air parking lot and take the shuttle to the cruise terminal. It appeared to be a little faster. The bottleneck at the terminal remained the same, long lines that are slow. You do get onto the ship in about an hour or so.
ON BOARD: Your room key is now at your cabin's mail slot next to the cabin door, so when you get on board if you want a drink you have to show your boarding pass and give your cabin/stateroom number, the new system is a little faster, but not much. You head to the buffet on deck 10 and have the "standard" buffet food, good but not great. You get into your cabin by 1:30pm, you room key card and onboard charge card is in the mail slot next to the cabin door.
Cabin Review
Balcony
Standard interior cabin dated but functional. Small area in the bath room for your toiletries, shower with curtain, and the on the wall body wash and shampoo dispensers. Beds were comfortable but only one outlet, bring a power strip, but hide it in you luggage, as they may remove it upon inspection.
Port Reviews
Charleston
The port city of Chaleston is magical, with the shops and dining, the horse drawn carriages and the historic homes. Arrive a day or two earlier or stay a day or two later and explore
King's Wharf
This is at the Royal Dockyard across the inlet from Hamilton which is about a half hour ferry ride. Kings Wharf is an historic naval fortress, that has several shops, restaurants and a museum to visit, otherwise, not much to see. For whatever reason the ship arrived during the day and sailed out at night to return to the same port twice in the three day stay.