| Overview
As the parade of new ships continues with major cruise lines constructing increasingly grandiose vessels year after year, there is the tendency to focus primarily on the debuts of the newest of the new while neglecting to review many attractive ships that are not among the most recent to enter the market. A case in point is the 2,040-passenger Carnival Elation, still a relative "youngster" in terms of age with just 5 1/2 years of cruising under her belt and plenty of years of smooth sailing ahead.
Debuting in March 1998, the Elation is the seventh of Carnival's eight Fantasy class vessels (which began with the debut of Fantasy in 1991 and concluded with the launch of the smoke-free Paradise in 1998).
The Elation has the distinction of being the first cruise ship equipped with Azipods, the state-of-the art propulsion system which greatly enhances the ship's maneuverability -- and has since been installed on many of the newest mega-liners. From beginning to end of my seven day cruise, every day at sea was smooth and vibration-free and most of the time I was unaware of the "motion of the ocean." Elation was also the first Carnival ship to feature a dedicated conference center, geared toward accommodating small meetings and incentive groups.
The Elation repositioned to Galveston early in fall 2003 -- and underwent a major refurbishment -- where it has become the newest and largest cruise ship to be based in this Texas port year round. Its itinerary features calls at two Mexican ports: in the Yucatan and the island of Cozumel, along with a stop in Belize City.
Entertainment
Like the other ships in the fleet, much of the Elation's appeal is due to the multiple array of entertainment options which passengers have come to expect on a Carnival cruise. A variety of live bands and individual performers entertain nightly along with its elaborate stage shows. Virtually every musical style can be heard from cocktail piano music and 40s swing to raucous rock and disco to more gentle country and folk to funky reggae and calypso.
Among the "happening" places to go at night was Duke's, a piano bar with decor that pays tribute to jazz legend Duke Ellington. Karaoke drew big crowds to the Romeo and Juliet Lounge while the Cole Porter Lounge was the scene of performances by folk and country musicians. The prime entertainment venue is the 1,300 seat Mikado, a Japanese-inspired theater showcasing elaborate Las Vegas style revues as well as performances by individual musicians and comedians. Speaking of Vegas, gaming is typically among the favorite activities on a Carnival cruise and the Elation's Casablanca casino was buzzing right from the opening bell every morning while at sea and continuing well into the wee hours.
There are also many of the traditional cruise ship fun and games available daily that attract substantial passenger participation such as bingo and trivial pursuit contests plus those ever-popular poolside events such as the men's hairy chest contest. Art auctions were also a big draw.
While you can be as active or sedentary as you choose to be on the Elation, this is a ship where "participation" really does make the experience. Its round-the-clock activity means it's not a cruise aimed at couch potatoes or peace-loving travelers!
Fellow Passengers
Demographically speaking there is no "typical" Carnival passenger in terms of age or income, although many fall in the middle income range and are attracted to the reasonable rates. The mix of passengers on my Elation cruise ran the gamut from twenty-something honeymooners to seventy-something grandmothers, and there were also a number of families with children; the largest concentration of children tend to sail during holidays and over the summer. While there were some single passengers onboard, the vast majority were couples and around half of those I met had previously sailed on at least one previous Carnival cruise; in addition, many were celebrating either wedding anniversaries or birthdays (or both!).
The Elation has a natural appeal to the local market as a large contingent of passengers came from Houston and its vicinity with many others coming from various cities and towns across Texas; other Midwestern states such as Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma were represented with very few passengers coming from either the East or West Coast.
Fitness and Recreation
The ship's 12,000-square foot "Spa Carnival" has a full complement of state-of-the art exercise machines including treadmills, Stairmasters, elliptical machines, and stationery bicycles. There are also classes offered (plan to pay an additional $10 per class), such as pathways to yoga and pathways to pilates as well as body composition analysis and personal training sessions ($75 for 60 minutes) Walkers and joggers can work out on the jogging track situated directly above the Nautica Spa on the Sun Deck (eight laps around equals one mile). The ship also has three swimming pools and six whirlpools.
The spa's menu features a variety of massages as well as beauty treatments including deep cleansing facials, manicures and pedicures. Treatments range from a 20 minute foot and ankle or scalp massage costing $20 to a 50 minute Swedish massage for $99, while a deep tissue massage is $105 and a couple's massage is $220. Soothing facial treatments include a 25-minute facial for $25, 50-minute hydralift for $99 and 50-minute aroma-pure facial for $99. Men's and women's saunas and steam rooms are also located within the spa.
For golfers, Elation has a practice range (and instruction is available). This area also serves as a venue for putting contests and various group clinics.
Public Rooms
In terms of layout and function, the Elation is virtually identical to her sister Fantasy class ships. The ship consists of 10 decks with most of the public rooms concentrated on Atlantic, Promenade and Lido decks (8 - 10) while the cabins are situated on Riviera, Main, Upper and Empress decks (4 - 7) Like other Carnival ships, the public areas are designed and decorated in a fanciful, flamboyant style by Carnival's award winning architect Joe Farcus, who has a penchant for augmenting the interiors with more than a dash of neon and glitz. While passenger opinions of the decor ranged from glamorous and elegant to gaudy and gauche, there is no denying that Farcus' whimsical design style enhances the Elation's "fun ship" aura.
The ship's centerpiece is its six-story Grand Atrium which (in mid-November) was already decked out for the holiday season in bright red Christmas ornaments. The ship's glass-enclosed elevators also sported Christmas finery, and throughout the cruise passengers would often pause at the railings surrounding the atrium and gaze in awe at this boldly adorned space. A favorite gathering place before dinner is at the semicircular Plaza Bar on the floor of the Atrium where guests could enjoy pre-dinner drinks to the accompaniment of classical music performed by a trio.
The Elation's public spaces encompass a diversity of styles and design elements celebrating the arts of music, literature and the movies with references to the Muses and other Greek mythological figures added to the mix. Among the venues with an arts theme include the Romeo and Juliet Lounge, Gatsby's Great Bar, the Cole Porter Club, the Jekyll & Hyde Disco and the Mark Twain Library. One of the most expansive public areas is the area known as Elation Way on Promenade Deck, which is decorated with striking columns featuring crafted classical reliefs of the Muses. Promenade Deck gets especially busy at night as it connects the main "evening" lounges, such as the Romeo and Juliet Lounge, Musical Cafe, and the Drama Bar, which is next to the Casablanca Casino (it sports a Moroccan design after the movie of the same name).
Other public areas include the Galleria shopping mall, the Virtual World arcade and the ship's photo gallery. There is also an Internet cafe with access priced at 75 cents per minute; for those who plan to spend more time on the computer, there are 100 minute packages available for $50 (50 cents per minute) and 250 minute packages for $100 (40 cents per minute). There is also a self-service laundry onboard.
Observation #1: While the ship is meticulously scrubbed and polished daily and appears in tip-top condition both inside and out, there is obvious wear and some staining on many of the carpets lining the corridors.
Observation #2: There seemed to be more photographers per square foot on this ship than on any in recent memory. Picture taking at times bordered on an obsession with photographers frequently snapping away both in the public areas and off the ship. While some passengers commented on their aggressive tactics, many others didn't seem to mind and were only too happy to pose.
Dining
While a growing number of ships have gone exclusively to open seating with no set dining times, the style of dining is more traditional on the Elation with passengers assigned tables in one of the ship's two main restaurants. The Imagination is located on Atlantic Deck, mid-ship, and the Inspiration is on Atlantic Deck aft. There are four seating choices for dinner: 5:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. for early diners; 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. for those preferring later times. There is open seating in the restaurants for breakfast and lunch.
Carnival's fleet-wide effort in recent years to upgrade both the diversity and quality of its menu selections seems to have paid off. Each menu featured six starters, a couple of salads and six or seven main courses (with choices including pan fried fillet of red snapper, sweet and sour shrimp, rack of New Zealand lamb and Beef Wellington). There were also several Spa Carnival selections on each menu -- dishes that were lower in calories, sodium, cholesterol and fat. A vegetarian selection was also available.
We were also quite impressed with the service provided by a classy trio of waiters who were most cordial and professional in carrying out their duties.
Beyond the Inspiration and the Imagination, the ship's other main dining venue is the informal Tiffany Restaurant on the Lido Deck, which offers both inside and poolside seating. All meals here are served buffet style and there is open seating for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Other alternative eating options include a 24-hour pizzeria, a complimentary sushi bar and 24 hour room service. Carnival is one of the few lines to still offer midnight buffets; themes varied, from a Mexican night to a gala "anything goes" spread.
Caveat #1: Tiffany gets especially crowded at breakfast and congestion often built up near the omelet station due to a slow-moving line. So you may want to get up early and eat breakfast sooner rather than later if you want to avoid delays here.
Caveat #2: The dinner buffet offerings in Tiffany were very limited compared to the extensive choices on the menu in the main dining rooms; there may be only one or two main courses to choose from and the choice of appetizers, salads and desserts is also less than what is available in the restaurants.
Caveat #3: There are very few tables for two in either the Inspiration or Imagination with most tables accommodating six, eight and ten people; those who want to dine with only their spouse or significant other would have to eat either in Tiffany, which has many tables accommodating couples, or order room service.
Dress Code
While this is a very informal ship, there are two formal nights on the Elation's seven-night cruise with men required to wear tuxes or dark suits (most opt for the latter) while women wear evening gowns. Informal attire (T-shirts and shorts) is acceptable for all meals at Tiffany.
Family
The Elation has its own version of Carnival's acclaimed Camp Carnival program which offers a full schedule of supervised activities, from finger painting and sing-alongs for younger children to photography workshops, late night movies and pool parties for older kids. The ship also contains a 2,400-square foot play area known as "Children's World," stocked with a computer lab plus a climbing maze and activity wall and an assortment of toys, games and puzzles. Kids also have access to the ship's three swimming pools, including a wading pool and a main pool with a 115 foot long water slide.
Parents can also participate with their children in family arts and crafts sessions and other multigenerational activities.
Cabins
60% of the Elation's 1,020 cabins (a total of 618 accommodations including both standard cabins and suites) have ocean views and there are 407 inside cabins. The vast majority of cabins measure 185 square feet and are basically furnished with king size bed (can be converted into twins), small desk and chairs, a telephone, TV, large closets and sets of drawers containing ample storage space and large bathroom/shower. The shower is especially powerful and well designed.
The Elation was built just prior to the shift toward constructing ships with an abundance of cabins with verandahs, so just the 26 demi-suites (250 square feet) and 28 full suites (400 square feet) come with verandahs. Full suites are the only accommodations with whirlpool baths.
Cabin stewards do an excellent job in making up the rooms twice daily, and they also display a special talent of towel folding where they shape towels into fanciful creatures every evening and leave them on your turned-down bed along with the goodnight chocolate squares. Gratuity
Plan to pay gratuities in the amount of $9.75 per person per day, which goes to your cabin steward and dining room attendants. Those who want to adjust this amount can do so at the Purser's Information desk before 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, the morning of debarkation.
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