Carnival Spirit Reviews

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I would suggest this particular cruise to anyone looking for adventure and ready to go with the flow, especially for those amateur photographers. We enjoyed every port. I have 2 suggestions: 1-If you do one of the first couple of Alaskan cruises in the season, bring lots of layers that are thin and easy to add or stash in a "port" bag 2-Plan ahead before you leave and excursion for each port. We did this and it made it so much easier to navigate the ports. Plus, we had the advantage of seeing more than the port itself. We did not book through the cruise line but small local businesses we found online. The Nouveau steakhouse was delicious. We went the first and last night of the cruise. We received a free bottle of wine with our dinner on the first night, which we asked our server NOT to open (which we enjoyed later in the cruise). The escargot, surf and turf, lamb chops, cowboy ribeye, lobster tail, and cheesecake were tasty. TIP: Ask your server for a cheese plate (with extra crackers) "to go" to take back to your room, yummy! The comedy shows, hypnotist shows and the big jazz show were all very entertaining. If you want to truly enjoy glacier bay, I would suggest getting a balcony for your room. Then on that day order room service for breakfast and lunch (45 mins before you actually want it).

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Very impressed with the Alaska cruise I took with Carnival. The cruise left from Vancouver, cruising the inside passage of Vancouver Island. The cruise offered inside passage for the first full day (east of Vancouver Island), juneau, glacier bay, skagway & ketchikan. The full day was a return to Seattle in the open waters. Embarkation was not great, and that was for me the low point of the whole cruise. We were all seated in Canada Place, little to no communication from Carnival or the cruise port employees. The one 30 second spiel from a port employee to inform us the reason for the delay consisted of saying the ship had been delayed getting into port due to bad weather (not true, someone from the roll call who was in Vancouver that AM saw the Spirit in port at 8AM) and to sit & wait our turn - don't try to sneak into the line to get on the ship ahead of time because "we'll be watching you. And if we catch you trying to cut the line you'll be sent to the very back of the group & have to wait even longer to get on the ship." That was it for communication, no further updates. We were delayed a couple hours getting on the ship, and sail away was 90 minutes late, which didn't help the informal m&g that was planned for our roll call. But once we were on the ship, our cabins were ready so we immediately dropped off luggage. I loved my cabin, a 9A obstructed view balcony. The cabin was spacious & looked more like a suite than a regular cabin to me. There was a nice bar with granite, granite table & also the bathroom had a granite counter top & floor. It had a nice sitting area & the space was worth it to me to have the obstructed balcony. Cabin also had 3 closets, and a dresser to put clothes into. The one downside that surprised me - safe is basically on the floor in a cabinet underneath the tv. The balcony was big, but gosh yes it was more obstructed than I expected. The lifeboat sat not below the balcony, but more flush with it. So you could see out just fine, but despite having cruised before I forgot how BIG these lifeboats are. In my thinking I was expecting more of large rowboat than the huge roofed thing that could sleep 8 if we were talking private yachts. These boats are huge! After dropping off luggage we had a quick lunch in the lido, stopped at the Italian station & had some really delicious fish, and grilled veggies. There was a baked eggplant & cheese dish that was really good too. Our cabin steward & assistant were great, very helpful. For the most part we only had our cabin done once a day with son usually sleeping in too late. But they had their work cut out for them when they finally did get to the cabin, and always left it looking great with the best towel animals I've seen on any cruise so far. Great job Marcus and Arturo(?) sorry I trashed your name the whole cruise & still probably got it wrong now. The food was good for the most part, dishes I've ordered on other carnival cruises were prepared the best I've had in recent years on the Spirit. Did notice a problem with the radish slices curling up like they weren't fresh on the first day - but in general the food was prepared well & I thought the kitchen did an amazingly good job of putting out so much so well. That was at dinner. I only had breakfast one day in the MDR, really disappointed with the poached eggs I got. Not overcooked but they were cold, yuck! The desserts were quite good, in fact too good in the MDR after dinner. I did try some of the desserts in the lido buffet & was disappointed every time - except for the chocolate rum mousse offered on chocolate day. I was too impatient to stand in line for the chocolate buffet but was able to try the mousse at a line that was more reasonable. Really, really good. The real star of the cruise was glacier bay. We lucked out with decent, albeit cold weather. Some crazy girls were in the hot tub & standing up getting their pictures taken in their bikinis. Don't know how they tolerated it, I hope they didn't catch their death. Ports of skagway & juneau & ketchikan were fun as well, even though the rain was pretty heavy in ketchikan. The naturalist Michelle was great I thought, always watching for wildlife & coming on to announce over the PA system when she saw something of note. Also park rangers came on the ship for Glacier Bay. As far as activities - it seems Carnival is cutting back on what is offered. At least for what is of interest to me. In the past I would have 10 things highlighted a day to take part in. This cruise, there might only be 2 things a day I might want to do. Usually if I found one activity that appealed, like the naturalist giving a talk on the whales - that was also when tea was offered. I noticed that, being very little I wanted to do for activities in a day but if there was something good it was all offered at the same time so you had to choose. But maybe that's because I'm picky, no interest in bingo or the hairy whatever contest. Also, I always try to take part in the fitness activities offered. I wish I were an early riser, because 7 or 8 is when the free fitness classes like stretching, etc, is offered. I did do a pilates class and also a stretching class at 5pm, and a circuit training class. Was surprised at how poorly attended the classes were I went to. The trainer for the pilates class was good & it was a tremendous workout. My abs HURT the next day. There was 1 other lady at the class, and someone who left half way through the class & claimed she did not know it was a pay activity. :( The circuit training class - I was the only one there. Trainer told me to congratulate myself on being the only one on board of 2,000+ cruisers who wanted to work out. I did enjoy the production shows. They were very well done I thought, I was impressed with the quality of the singers & dancers. Also surprised one night the water was really rough, and they did not cancel the show. The dancers all looked great, and they had to have been not dancing full out but only maybe 70% (if that, i.e. holding back quite a bit) considering how bad the ship was pitching. Everyone landed their jumps & no one fell. I was expecting rough water for the return to Seattle, and it was rough the night we left ketchikan. I thought the water was fairly calm the next day though, and there was a fantastic show put on by a pod of Orcas who were swimming next to the ship. All in all a very good cruise for a very cheap price. Also the green thunder waterslide looked awesome, I'm envious of the Aussies who will soon get the Spirit.

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We booked a 7 day cruise to Alaska last minute. We had cabin class 7A which is a partially obstructed balcony. The obstruction was at the bottom of the balcony and was the top of a life boat. This did not bother us at all and we were happy to have the savings. Embarkation was not super quick, but we were traveling with a 3 year old and they put us in the expedited line, which was fantastic. I think we were on board in an hour, it wasn't horrible. The food was better than I expected and we ate mostly at the buffet. Made to order omelets in the morning, etc. great salad bar, lots of fresh fruit and good variety in the evening. Hot food was hot, cold food was cold, veges were not overcooked. Room was clean and spacious. I wouldn't say the staff on this ship is overly attentive, but it was fine, and I didn't feel ignored. My 3 y/o daughter LOVED camp carnival, to the point where I could hardly get her off the ship. She made lots of friends and was happy with the activities and staff. My favorite thing was the ship. It never felt crowded, there were lots of neat places to explore. We did not go to any shows, or participate in any activities. Our goal was to read, nap, relax, and recharge. Great bed, quiet room. This was the first ship to Alaska for the season and we saw Glacier Bay, which was excellent. Lots of eagles and whales seen during the cruise. The spirit class is now my favorite ship and I would definitely go on one again. I liked it WAY better than Emerald Princess, and somewhat better than RCCL Mariner of the Seas. Stu the cruise director was fantastic, good information, but not annoyingly intrusive like some cruise directors. Getting off the ship was the best EVER. We got up, went to breakfast and literally were in the middle of breakfast when they called our group to get off. No lines, no waiting in a theater with nothing to do. Dreamy. Very relaxing vacation.

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First I would like to thank CruiseCritc.com. My husband and I had never been on a cruise and I really wasn't sure what we were getting into! I read many reviews on CruiseCritic.com, and they really helped me to understand what to expect. We set sail on our grand tour of Alaska's Inside Passage on May 1, 2012. Embarkation was very easy and we were in our cabin rather quickly. Bagus, our steward, was wonderful. He was there when we wanted or needed him, but wasn't overbearing in any way. He always referred to us by name! We were so impressed with the look and feel of the ship. Something that really stood out was the cleanliness of the ship. From the hand sanitizing stations all around, to the tissues placed on the back of bathroom doors for use with the handle, Carnival really felt clean. My husband works for the health department and he took the Galley tour, nervous of what he would see. He was very impressed by everything he saw, and by the answers he received from the crew members giving the tour. Good Job, Carnival!! Ports: We traveled to Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. In Juneau, we took the Blue Bus to Mendenhall Glacier. This was a great deal--$7 each way! We enjoyed hiking the trails to Nugget Falls, the magnificent waterfall next to Mendenhall Glacier. This is a beautiful place, just 30 minutes outside of town. Afterwards, we wandered through Juneau, visiting the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church and then went shopping. Skagway was our next stop, and my favorite port. This is a cute town with an "old west" feel. The board walk sidewalks and wooden buildings reminded me of Tombstone, AZ. We took the White Pass and Yukon Railway 3 hour roundtrip train trip. This was a beautiful excursion up into the snow. At points, we traveled through 15 foot tall snow drifts. The scenery is magnificent and shouldn't be missed. Ketchikan was our final port. On this day, the weather was terrible---strong winds and rain. Many people never even left the ship and most of the tours were cancelled. We did explore the port and enjoyed the Totem Heritage Site and the Bald Eagle center next to it. We had fun walking the trails up to the Totem Heritage site behind Creek Street. I was really surprised by the number of tourist "junk shops" lining the ports--mostly in Juneau and Ketchikan. You really have to search off the main drag to find actual items "Made in Alaska." Most of the shops carry the same cheap items that were made in China. I will admit, these stores are great for when you have to bring a lot of souvenirs back to co-workers! Glacier Bay--- After Skagway, we sailed Glacier Bay. This was truly a gift and an experience I can't compare to anything else I've done in my life. We picked up the National Park naturalist and first sailed to Marjorie Glacier and Grand Pacific Glacier. The night before, a National Park map was left on our bed (with our cute folded Carnival towel animal)--so we could easily follow along with the naturalist's descriptions of our location. We were very lucky and saw Marjorie Glacier calving! The sound you hear before the ice falls into the sea is indescribable! I've heard it referred to as "White Thunder," and thunder is the closest word to describe it! After visiting Marjorie, we sailed passed Reid and Lumpaugh Glaciers, before heading up to Johns Hopkins Glacier. We couldn't approach Johns Hopkins, due to seal birthing. Johns Hopkins Glacier was fabulous, especially as the skies turned blue at this time of the day. I truly can't say enough wonderful things about Glacier Bay---it felt like we were in a different world. I was so impressed by the Park Service employees, from their commentary, to the slideshow presentation, to the table of information (including animal skins to touch) set up by the pool area. Food-- We had all of our breakfasts and lunches in the La Playa Grill. They were fine. Some were better than others. The "De Chevre" pizza was wonderful! The chocolate buffet--FABULOUS!! The main dining room, however, was a treat to behold! We had "any time" dining, but ended up requesting Nanka from Bulgaria every night we could. She was so friendly and attentive. She really made our evenings very enjoyable. The food itself in the main dining room was Incredible!! The Chateaubriand was very memorable and wonderful. I did try the frog legs----I don't need to try them again. But, I can say that I tried them! I enjoyed my nightly cappuccino that came with dinner. What didn't we like-- The only things that we really didn't like were how much they try to sell you things on the ship. They are constantly taking your photos---which was fine, except that it got a little old every night at dinner. I did attend the art auction---the free champagne was nice. I didn't like the hard-sell pitch before the auction and at some of the other events. I didn't mind the cost of wine---it was comparable to the cost of wine at any restaurant. We really enjoyed the lemonade, so did not purchase the soft drink card. Lemonade, Iced Tea,water, Coffee, and Hot Chocolate were the "included" beverages. The iced tea was syrupy, but the lemonade and hot chocolate were wonderful. Weather--- we had wonderful weather for 90% of the cruise. On the day we sailed between Ketchikan to Seattle, we went around Vancouver Island out into the Pacific. This was a very rough day with 30 foot swells and strong winds. All the decks were closed, but the swimming pool looked like a wave pool, splashing all its water outside of its enclosure! Many people were ill---barf bags suddenly appeared in all the hallways. I was very grateful to my SeaBands and Dramamine. I don't know if this was normal, but it did make me question whether I would cruise again. After about 12 hours, the waves calmed and the sea was again like glass. It was then that we had a pod of orca breaching right outside our balcony window! What a treat!!! I can't recommend this trip enough. I also can't recommend Carnival enough. Granted, this was my first and only cruise, but my husband and I both have lived overseas and traveled extensively. We both really enjoyed this experience. We were very impressed by the cleanliness of the ship and the friendliness of the crew. Thanks Carnival, for giving us memories we will cherish forever!

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I never do this, but I flew into San Diego the morning of the cruise. I arrived at 10:15 AM. I was meeting my cousin who arrived in CA two days earlier. Because of the extremely low rates for this repositioning cruise, we each booked our own cabin. Originally we booked 4K interior with French doors, but due to price drops we were able to upgrade for very little cost to these adjoining balcony cabins on deck 7. I had cabin 7132 and he had cabin 7136. Embarkation was quick and easy. Luggage drop off was a bit confusing as there were no porters, just one cruise line person with a luggage cart that they were piling multiple passengers' luggage onto. We arrived at 12:45 and were one the ship at 1:10. Hopefully this is my last Carnival cruise "not VIP." Hallway doors were already open so we headed to our cabins. We ate some lunch and did the spa tour. We had prebooked massages plus there were great specials offered. I added "taste of spa" and my cousin added a seaweed wrap treatment. We met with Cruise Critic members (over 100 on our roll call) in the Atrium lobby at 3:00 pm. Following this was the muster drill (no life jackets required), then back to cabins to unpack. I am a "friend of a friend" of Dorothy so I went to the GLBT meeting, attended by about 10 people. Following this, we signed up for a private cocktail party (also Cruise Critic) in the Shanghai piano bar from 5:30 to 6:30, all you could drink for about $12 pp. We had Your Time Dining confirmed, so met with a couple of new friends and went to dinner where we got a table for 4. Dinner was very good in the MDR. Second night also ate in MDR with new friends, this time a group of 14. We went at 7:45 and were able to be seated within 10 minutes at two tables next to each other, one for 8 and one for 6. Pretty good for YTD with a big group, on a full ship!! Second night was also the one formal night on this short cruise. Third night we had booked the Steakhouse for 2, they were able to accommodate our request to increase to 4 the day of the reservation. Food was great! I had the NY strip, companions had other steaks and all were good and prepared to our liking. I also had escargot, the spinach salad, and the chocolate sampler. Meal was LONG, from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Comments about services / entertainment we experienced: Gym: wonderful equipment and view. I used bike, treadmill, and the Nautilus weight machines. In my local gym I do a circuit of about 12 Nautilus machines. They had at least 8 of the same ones available in the gym. Spa: excellent services, I had my first hot stone massage ever. Very nice! Danelle did not try to hard sell me on all the products. Housekeeping staff: wonderful, we met him the first day and then did not see anyone again but they kept our cabins spotless and our ice buckets filled. Dining staff: excellent service and very quick with the YTD meal service both nights. Ate breakfast once in the MDR and also very good. Steakhouse already mentioned, and Lido deck buffet used for rest of meals was adequate. I really liked the deli sandwich station. Asian food was not as good as prior cruises. Did not make it to the free sushi. Room service: I used room service twice and service was very prompt and accurate. Can't beat free room service!! (tipped of course) Art auction: I attend the art auctions and sometimes I buy, sometimes I don't. It was a nice diversion on this Cruise to Nowhere. Casino: nice casino, not too smoky. Won a little, lost a little, it was fun. Entertainment: we went to the Welcome Aboard show the first night. It was just ok, both comedians did a brief standup. I did not go back to the comedians in the Comedy Club but they had a lot of different showtimes so it would be convenient to catch them. I went back for the show the third night but it was cancelled due to rough seas, and they showed a movie instead. Debarkation: our number was one of the last ones called but off the ship by 10:30. Collected luggage and had a cab give us a city tour on the way to the airport. Total time in cab about 1 hr 15 minutes and only cost $70 plus tip. We were lucky to have a knowledgeable cabbie who had lived in Vancouver for 20 years! I went on this cruise knowing it would be cold and windy with very little "outside" time due to weather. They did put the dome over the middle pool and all three pools were open. You could check out blankets as well as pool towels. I did not try the new waterslide but it looks scary. I would have to say the weather was worse than I expected. We moved along at a pretty fast clip. The seas were VERY rough although I don't think the waves looked that high. I did use my balcony for a few minutes at a time and was glad to have it for the view. There were barf bags posted next to all the elevators and I noticed that a lot of them were taken. I took meclezine but still got seasick on the second day. If I were taking this cruise again I would book a lower deck and at the middle to rear of the ship instead of forward. We had a lot of up and down as well as the usual side to side rocking of the ship. Overall this was a really fun getaway for a long weekend!

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