Carnival Elation Cruise Review
The Elation is a ship built in 1998 for Carnival Cruise Lines. She was the first ship to have the azipod propulsion system. Everything you read about Elation will include a little background on the azipod system. You might be wondering what the heck that is, so I’ll tell you. It’s a lot like having source wheel drive in her car. Instead of the power source pushing the ship, it pulls it. This makes maneuvering the boat much easier, so you can be sure the boat won’t list or capsize on your cruise. It also reduces those vibrations that cause dizziness in people like me.
Enough of the mechanics because Carnival has the fun, right? Yes sir, they do. The Carnival Elation has three pools. One with a 214 foot water slide! This is where the music and pool games are. Expect it to be busy the first few days. My favorite pool is the one at the back of the ship on the verandah deck because it takes about 3 days for new passengers to find it, so the first few days of your cruise it’s not very crowded. The last pool is the children’s pool on the promenade deck at the aft (back) of the ship. This pool is a bit like swimming in a toilet with all the babies in diapers, which are not allowed.
If gambling is your thing, head to the Casablanca casino. There are over 200 slots to choose from, including several mega cash machines that are linked with other Carnival ships throughout the fleet. The biggest jackpot I have ever seen was over a million dollars won at the now defunct Carnival Jubilee. I stick to the slots, I figure it’s the quickest way to lose my allotted play money and then I can get on with the rest of the cruise. If you are a more sophisticated player than me, you can also play roulette, blackjack and Caribbean poker.
Free drinks on a cruise, impossible you say? not so You can attend wine tastings or, while we’re going, see the art an hour before the famous art auction where they give out free wine and cheese. If you have been on more than one cruise with the same line, you can attend the last guest party. Don’t write this off as a waste of time if you like to drink: drinks are free and plentiful and all you have to do is watch a short spiel where the cruise line congratulates itself on giving you a great vacation. There is usually a night when the liquor is free to sample in the shopping area.
If you’re into healthier pursuits, you can head to the jogging track on Elation’s Sun Deck or the gym on Sports Deck. The Carnival Elation has a half court basketball court for your enjoyment and they provide basketball to play on. Elation has a full-service onboard spa. I’ll confess I’ve never been to a spa, but I know they offer foot massages for around $20 and everything up to a couples massage for $220. Sounds over the top, but imagine how relaxing it would be to have a message and then not have to massage! to another person!
For the kids there is Camp Carnival. Our son has been to Camp Carnival on many cruises and always loves it. The children are divided into age groups and have activities planned for those ages. I recommend that your child go the first night where you can sign them up for camp. There they introduce themselves and socialize a bit. It doesn’t mean they have to travel ever again and there is no additional charge, although we do usually tip the staff because they can ruin your child’s cruise experience. Our son went to an activity called swim under the stars where the pool was off limits at night except for the kids in the program so they had the pool and slide to themselves. Simply drop your child off for whatever activity they would enjoy. For young children, you will be provided with a pager so staff can contact you should your child want to leave. Their activities take place inside Children’s World, which is a 2,500-square-foot area filled with computers and toys and games. Activities for older children are held in different areas of the ship; for example, pizza preparation takes place at Tiffany’s. The last night there will be a farewell party for the children. Arrive on time or you may not get in. All children receive a gift to share at this party, that is, a backpack or a CD case.
As for my favorite part, the art of gastronomy, there are endless options. Carnival Elation’s two formal dining rooms are Inspiration and Imagination, named after sister ships in the fleet. You will be assigned one of these with a specific time for dining. I always check the menu early in the day so I can decide if I want to arrive at the agreed time or eat elsewhere in my spare time. The other places to eat on board the Elation are Tiffany’s, which is the buffet restaurant that changes the menu daily and is different for lunch than it is for dinner, or the snack bar on the Lido deck where fries and hamburgers are offered. for lunch. Tiffany’s lunch menus are called Taste of Nations, where one day it might be Mexican food with salsa and fries and another might be American BBQ featuring fried chicken and potato salad. There was also Indian and Italian that I can remember. In the background, to the right of Tiffany’s, you’ll find Carnival’s famous pizza that is made fresh all the time. You can order a whole pizza and choose your toppings or get a slice fresh from the oven. The deli sandwiches are made in the same place. This is a wonderful place to eat early in the trip as your fellow travelers won’t know about it yet, therefore there will be no line for you.
Sushi is served every night on the terrace on the seafront. There was no raw fish (Sashimi) the week we sailed, but many varieties of sushi made fresh before your eyes to choose from. Wasabi, pickled ginger and soy sauce were of course also available. I guess there is never a sushi line because no one seems to realize that this is also included in the cruise fare. Needless to say, we went there every night. Tortilla chips and salsa were served on the Promenade terrace on Mexican day night while a mariachi band played for us.
Room service, room service, how do I love you? Let me count the shapes. Room service is free, but a tip is required. Pretzels or chips can come with any sandwich, a tasty midnight snack. Room service was always fast and correct. You can also order cookies, “crudites”, fruit and salads. At your service 24 hours a day.
If you need to stay in touch, the cyber cafe offers internet usage for 75 cents a minute and different packages of up to 250 minutes for 40 cents a minute. You can bring your own laptop and use it in the cafeteria, but not in your cabin at Elation. You pay for usage, whether you use theirs or yours. I’m not sure if that makes it worth charging.
Speaking of cabins, we had a category 6C with an ocean view. We had three people in the cabin and we fit comfortably. This ship has only 26 half suites (category 11) and 28 suites (category 12). I don’t really care which deck as there are lifts to go up and down.
The Virtual World arcade is right next to the Mikado lounge, a perfect place for your teen to hang out while enjoying one of the lounge’s Vegas-style shows. There are the usual driving games and shooting games. Video games have chips that are bought inside the game room. You can use your sign and navigation card to buy tokens. At some point during the cruise there will be a video game tournament for the children, in this case the games are free. It is part of the Camp Carnival program.
The Mikado hall is where all the shows take place. There was a comedy show, a magician, a hypnotist, a G-rated dance show for girls. There are also music shows. The week I sailed there was a special guest announced at the end of a musical show. After much preamble, Mr. Stevie Wonder took the stage. People ran out of the movie theater for his friends and family to see Stevie Wonder. There were screams that I thought only the Beatles could provoke. Being a pale face from Canada, I’m not too sure of Mr. Wonder’s resemblance, but I was wondering which cabin Stevie Wonder would stay in on the Carnival Elation. Don’t get me wrong, the Carnival Elation is a fine ship, but with someone of this caliber on my ship, how could she be? The lights dimmed, I could barely see. As I stepped forward to get a better look at our famous shipmate, I fell down the stairs. I fell headfirst for several sections. Not one person turned or helped me up so enthralled as to see this celebrity. In the end, “Stevie” removed his wig to reveal that he was just a celebrity impersonator. They all complained that they knew all along and were never fooled. The next day it seemed that he had a meeting with UFC star Tito Ortiz.
The Mark Twain Library is a bit of a misnomer. There doesn’t seem to be a convenient way to get any books, so bring your own. It is beautiful and generally quiet.
The Romeo y Julieta room is an elegant room that was used for private parties on some nights and karaoke on others. Salsa dancing was a popular nightly activity here.
Folk and country music is played and danced in the Cole Porter Lounge. Just stopped by here on my way to the ocean view massage chairs. Duke’s is the piano bar named after the talented Duke Ellington. It’s a jazz club with a striking entrance inspired by the Triumphal Arch in Washington Square Park. This is an ideal spot for photos around the white baby grand piano. We saw a wedding reception being held here. The Jekyll and Hyde nightclub is the place to party. The monitors show your fellow cruisers dancing to the scintillating beat. The giant heads of Jekyll and Hyde also move to the beat of the music, a bit creepy but great after you’ve had a couple of drinks.
The Carnival Elation is a magnificent ship. Somewhat mutated by Carnival standards. The decoration of it is copper and inlaid woods. If she is hesitant to try Carnival Cruise Lines, then this is the ship to try first. The service was second to none. The price of a Carnival cruise is always reasonable, but by booking well in advance about eight months we got an even better deal, some would call it a cheap cruise. Don’t be put off by Carnival’s long-standing reputation for being a group of party ships. They are The Fun Ships after all. Sure there’s a party going on if you want, but there are dozens of places to read or sit quietly at Carnival Elation. There’s nothing more serene than sitting in a chair on Carnival Elation’s teak deck and watching the ocean slowly roll by. Whatever your concept of fun, they offer it. Believe them when they say that Carnival has fun.