Just got back a few days ago from 4 night Western Carribean aboard the Ecstasy. Overall, we had a really great vacation but not due entirely to the ship itself, but to the time my husband and I were able to share together. Your vacation is mostly what you make of it, and we certainly didn't let any of the negatives get to us.
Embarkation:
Arrived at the port about 11:15 am and were intending on carrying on all of our baggage to avoid any delays in receiving them later. Upon entering the building, we were told that the largest bag we had was to be left with a porter. Went back outside and gave my bag to a guy who reminded me he wouldn't be seeing me again (hint hint), so I gave him a $2 tip and thanked him and was on my way back inside to start embarkation. We waited on line for a few short minutes to put the bags through the x-ray machine. They asked me to open up one of my carry-on's in which I had 24 bottles of spring water. They were just checking for alcoholic beverages I guess, because, they let us go after that. We then proceeded to a desk to have our I.D checked and get our cabin keys. After that we waited on line for about 35 minutes and then were able to start boarding. The process really is pretty organized and if you are excited about the trip, then it all goes well. Right before getting on the ship, they stop you and take a picture (which we ended up buying later on).
First impression of ship:
The grand Atrium doesn't look so grand at 12:00 in the afternoon, but at night it takes on a transformation. All of the decor on the ship is mean't to be appreciated at nighttime. The hallways are decorated in an atrocious color scheme of geometrics and very outdated framed graphics. The carpets really are pretty worn and could benefit from a shampooing. After the first day though, you are not interested at all in the decor and it really makes no difference.
Our cabin:
We had an ocean view cabin on the Upper deck. I will admit that it was a bit disapponting upon entering the room. The cabins really are not kept that well.The carpet really needs shampooing, the bathroom sink was chipped in several places and the shower sprayer didn't work all that well. It was very apparent that they only change the sheets and towels before the next passengers arrive. The room could have used a thorough scrubbing with a bucket of hot soapy water. But alas, I was prepared--- I had brought a can of Lysol with me! I used that to spray the toilet, sink & shower floor (only took a couple of minutes to do). The light switches were also pretty sticky and so were the drawer handles. The bedspreads were very worn looking and one of our mattresses were sunken in the middle (alot of other passengers commented about the same thing). I was prepared once again and had brought a set of queen sheets from home w/ 4 pillowcases (again, did not take up much room in luggage, and was well worth it!!!). We had our cabin steward put the beds together and asked her to leave them that way for the remainder of the cruise. This worked out great, as our sheets were fitted and did not slip off the bed to expose the bare mattress as the other sheets would have. Another plus was that the sheets helped cushion our souveniers in our luggage for the trip home
It was nice having the window in the room as well. We had beautiful weather all 5 days, so it was nice waking up every morning to sunshine.
There was an amenities basket in the room with the usual small shampoo and conditioner, 2 razors, 2 Tylenol PM samples, small deodorant sample and some lifesavers. These things were not much use to us as we had brought our own. There were NO HAIRDRYERS ladies, so don't forget to bring one if you cruise the Ecstasy. There were also 2 bathrobes which we did not use as our cabin was usually pretty warm.
Lido deck buffet:
I found the food to be mediocre. There was not that much of a variety on any given day. We found the cheesesburgers to be the best choice, They were actually good. The 24 hour pizzeria was also a disappointment. The pizza was always cold and dried out and there was only cheese and pepperoni available the whole time. Carnival boasts these hot specialty pizzas, fresh ceasar salads and garlic rolls 24 hours a day. We were never able to get a salad, nor were there ever any rolls. Bar drinks:
Drinks were great!! I especially loved the drinks of the day. They do not skimp on the alcohol at all, so you definitely get your money's worth there! We also purchased drink coupons in advance and they were accepted for everything except the drinks in the souvenier glasses.
Rolls Royce Cafe
They sell coffee, espresso, cappuccino and desserts at this cafe for a nominal fee. The coffee was very good and I didn't mind spending $1.50 for a good cup of coffee. I also tried the chocolate cake for $2.00 and that was also very good.
Dining Room:
We ate all of our dinners in the dining room and breakfast there twice. The dinners were pretty good, there was a nice variety. The only thing was that the quality of the food was inconsistent. Some things were overcooked, some undercooked and some just right. The wait staff was not very attentive nor were they friendly. They didn't seem to care either way whether or not we enjoyed anything. Sometimes we would be halfway into our meals without even receiving any beverages. Breakfast in the dining room was a waste of time, because it was the exact same food that we could get ourselves on the Lido deck buffet. I ordered room service once and it came very quickly. We ordered a BLT and a brownie/cookie plate. I didn't like them at all. Key West:
We chose to take the Catamaran Fury as a shore excursion in Key West. It was very nice. The boat was very clean and the staff was friendly and very professional. They take you out for an hour ride while giving a short snorkel instruction. Then you get 1 hour to snorkel with a lot of supervision if you are a beginner or you can go out on your own if you like. That day, there happened to be a whole lot of giant jellyfish in the water, so I opted not to snorkel at all. My husband went in and was careful to avoid them and he had a fun time. After that, there is another hour ride back to shore while they serve cold beer and soda on board. It was so nice to just lay on the sundeck and relax. We really enjoyed that trip and would recommend it highly. Once back on shore, we walked around Key West and did a little shopping and sampled some Key Lime Pie. The only complaint I had was that we had to leave so soon. We got off the ship that morning at 8:15 and had to be back by 1:30. It really isn't enough time to do that much. Cozumel:
We were able to get off the ship in Cozumel at about 1:00 on that day and we decided to take a cab to Chankanaab Park. It cost us $4.00 to get there because we shared a cab with other people. It then cost us $10.00 each to get in to the park. It is a beautiful place and they keep it very clean. There were clean restrooms, an outdoor shower, lockers, lots of chaise lounges in the sand and outdoor bar/restaurants. There were also stands in which you could rent snorkel equipment. We had brought our own with us. You have to walk down rocky stairs to get into the water, so be careful because they are very slippery. The water was clear and beautiful and there were lots and lots of fish to see. After that, we walked around the park in the botanical garden and looked at some statues. The park closes at 5:00. We then took a cab from there to Carlos & Charlies ($5.00-shared again). C&C's was very busy. We got a table and ordered drinks and food. The staff was very friendly. They took a souvenier photo of us which we purchased for $13.00. Finally we spent the next 2 hours shopping, but did not make too many purchases as I am not into haggling and that is the only way to shop in Cozumel. The price tags on everything were always way beyond what you were supposed to end up paying. After a while, I decided I didn't want to play those pricing games anymore. We finally ended up going back to the ship at about 8:00 and had dinner. Everyone was due back on the ship no later than 9:30 pm. All in all we really enjoyed Cozumel a lot. I found the people to be kind and the city to be clean.
Day at Sea:
Thursday was our last full day on the ship and it was very relaxing. We just chose two deck chairs and laid in the sun most of the day. We also purchased several very nice photos from the photo gallery. They really do take very nice pictures. They also charge a lot of money for them! I really didn't mind though because they make nice memories. Played bingo in the afternoon, but didn't win. Then attended a disembarkation discussion which was informative. They basically explain how to fill out the customs form and when to place your luggage outside the door and also where you are to wait the next day for disembarkation
Tips:
We left all the recommended amounts and tipped a little extra to our cabin steward (only because she was always available and very friendly - not at all for the way she kept the cabin as I explained earlier.) Oh, and we only got 2 towel animals out of the 4 nights-she made the same thing twice.
We were not at all impressed with our waiter, but as I stated, we did tip the staff the recommended amounts. As a matter of fact, the service on tip night was the worst of all the nights!
Miscellaneous:
The toilet in our cabin stopped working on numerous occasions, as did other passengers' on our floor. When we would bring it to someone's attention, we would be snapped at that they knew already.
My husband had a massage in the Nautica Spa which he enjoyed very much.
None of the staff was very attentive at all. Some were not even friendly. This is the area that we saw the most difference between our cruise on Royal Carribean. We never felt pampered-we sometimes felt like a nuisance! Overall, we had a great time because that is the way we wanted our vacation to be. We did not expect perfection and we obviously did not get it. I think we might cruise again with Carnival because they are less money, but may go for one of the newer ships next time.
This is all I can think of at this time, but if anyone wants any specific questions answered, please let me know.