I am considering a cruise with Carnival this summer. I have been on a Disney cruise and it was wonderful! I don’t know much about Carnival though. The ship I will be traveling on is the "Fantasy." Has anyone been on this ship? Any thoughts or opinions on this ship or Carnival cruise line in general? Thanks!

I’ve been on Fantasy twice. It is an older ship (1990) compared to the Disney ships, and it was refurbished in 2008. It is a medium sized ship by today’s standards, but I wouldn’t call it small. Fantasy is just less huge than brand new cruise ships. The cabins are like most cruise ship cabins – small but comfy, with soft beds and good linens. A lot of the common areas of the ship have been recently refurbed, such as the Lido deck dining area, and the formal dining rooms. The design of the interior will not "wow" experienced cruisers like a brand new ship, but it is clean, functional, and well maintained.

Food runs from basic (burgers and fries, chicken fingers, pizza, etc) to quite good in the formal dining rooms. There’s always plenty of food and it’s almost always free. There will be two free restaurants at your disposal, plus free pizza and ice cream 24/7. Room service is also free, so don’t forget to use that perk. All sodas and alcohol cost extra. You are allowed to take soda on board, which is not a bad idea. Carnival’s soda selection is limited, and it’s also expensive. You are not allowed to take liquor on board, but some people do manage to sneak it onboard in checked luggage.

For a full list of things to do onboard the ship, take a look at the cruise line’s website. The staff will organize lots of activities (bingo, singles events, games, etc). There are are also lots of amenities that are common to most cruise ships, like clubs, casino, gym, walking track, etc. Fantasy has also been retrofitted with Carnival’s "Evolutions of Fun" upgrades. Water Works is one of these upgrades. Fantasy now features a water park that is open to all ages, and is actually a lot of fun.

Service on both our Fantasy cruises has been excellent, both in the dining rooms and also from the housekeeping staff. The staff knows how to take care of passengers and will do their best to do so. The entertainment on our last cruise (December, 2009) was surprisingly good as well, a pretty big improvement from our previous Carnival sailings. The clientele on Fantasy tends to be mainstream, with some people of all ages. Fantasy has programs like Club O2 and Circle C for kids, like all Carnival ships.

All older ships have their downsides. You won’t find things like rock climbing walls or flowriders. There is one smallish pool and I remember four hot tubs, two of which are located in the Serenity (adults only) area at the rear of the ship. Balcony cabins are few on Fantasy, due to the older style of the ship. What you will find is good food, great service, a fun atmosphere, and an extremely low-cost ride to your vacation destination. I would not pay top dollar to cruise on a ship like Fantasy. If you want a newer ship, Carnival has lots of newer (and bigger) ships like Dream, but they tend to sail out of larger markets such as Florida. If you want to sail on one of Carnival’s newer style ships, look for one built in 1999 or newer. Other cruise lines have great ships too, and most of them will be newer than Fantasy. Still, for the very low rates you can get on a ship like Fantasy with all the things included, it can be a great deal.

If you have further questions about the ship, feel free to e-mail me. I can even provide photos of the cabins if you like.

Good luck.