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Carnival Cruise Line
MS Paradise
Your Rating:
Reviewed by: R. David Vergara
# previous cruises: 4
Date of Trip: February 14, 1999
Itinerary: Caribbean - Western
The first few steps aboard this ship paved the way for the rest of
the cruise... a beautiful wooden and stained-glass atrium, a trio playing
chamber music, and not a hint of smoke anywhere! I truly admire vision in
marketing, and Carnival has made history again. But the best part is that
Carnival is very serious about maintaining a smoke-free environment for
their guests aboard this ship. (They escorted an entire family of six off
the ship because a guest reported to the crew that their 15 year-old son was
smoking on one of the open decks)
I gave this ship a 5-star rating because of the friendly & well trained
crew/staff, overall cleanliness of the ship, value-added services provided
by the staff, the sustaining level of superb service by the dining room
personnel, and (most important) because I never had to smell smoke the
entire time while on the ship.
The public areas were large and spacious both inside and on
the open decks. During the days at sea, I noticed many guests on the
Promenade (Carnival Blvd.) and perched in the corners of the empty lounges
quietly enjoying a book, their favorite drink, and the peaceful view. At
night, the Paradise lounges had something for everybody. We enjoyed
everything from production shows to comedy acts, and dancing to a sing-along
piano bar. I loved the smoke-free casino and heard numerous other guests
lauding their praises for Carnival.
However, I do wish they would open the Piano bar earlier (about 7pm) and
allow the Karaoke to continue later into the evening (Say about 11pm, for
the benefit of the diners at Late seating)
Being a former waiter/bartender/manager at various fine
dining establishments on the West Coast, as well as a world traveler, I have
pretty high dining expectations from a $250/night/person all-inclusive hotel
. However, we really enjoyed both the food and the exceptional service that
the Paradise had to offer. We sat at a window table for eight in the Elation
Dining Room with friends that we brought on the cruise with us. The
ever-changing variety of food in the dining room was always prepared and
presented exceptionally well. The service was always friendly,
accommodating, precise, and non-intrusive (Our waiter, Okto, had a different
table trick for us each night!). The Lido Deck buffet food was generally
pretty good and very convenient. And the 24-hour Pizzeria served some the
best pizza we've ever had on this planet. The Room service menu was somewhat
limited, but was always delivered within about 5 minutes after you hung up
the phone (that's FAST!!).
Our outside cabin was located on the Empress Deck Forward behind the
Purser's Office and was quite adequate for the both of us. The closet and
drawer space was more than enough for my wife to enjoy. Carnival has done an
exceptional job in insulating outside noise from coming into the cabin. (Our
room was just below the dining room and we only faintly heard the footsteps
of the dining staff during their nightly march around the dining room) The
shower was more than large enough and the water was always hot. However, I
wish they would replace their current toilet seats to a more comfortable
(wider)version and use softer toilet tissue instead of thin sandpaper.
We attended all of the shows in the theater after dinner and
I thought they were very well done. The orchestra was very good and never
over-powered the performance. The midnight comedy acts were very funny but
not too vulgar. The classical trio playing in the atrium bar seemed to
always give the ship a continual aire of luxury.
The cruise staff was friendly, enjoyable, and very informative. We really
appreciated the list of Carnival-recommended shops and that Carnival has
purchase agreements with these vendors that guarantee the quality of the
products that you buy form them. I also noticed various members of the
cruise staff while in port helping Paradise guests with their shopping
questions. (That's value-added service!)
Activities: While aboard ship:
- Saw the nightly production shows and daytime game shows
- Played BINGO
- Went to the Information Sessions about the Ports of call
- Always ate at a table on the fantail for lunch
- Ordered as many food items as I wanted to sample in the dining room
- GOT A MASSAGE!! (and found a new best friend)
- Played in the casino at night
Shore Excursions:
- Went to the ruins/beach at Tulum (Playa del Carmen)
- Snorkeled at Chaunkanab (Cozumel)
- Ate at a REAL Mexican Resturant while in Cozumel
- Saw mexican Mardis Gras parade
- Fed the Stingrays. VERY COOL!!(Cayman)
- Ate Conch fritters and Turtle steak. VERY GOOD!!(Cayman)
- Went to Brimmer Hall Estate & Plantation (Ocho Rios)
- Climbed Dunn's River Falls. WOW!! (Ocho Rios)
- Ate Stew Peas w/Red beans & Rice (Ocho Rios)
We booked this cruise with (3) other couples that were also
celebrating their wedding anniversaries and had a GREAT time together. We
all did our own thing (sometimes together) then always met for dinner.
Ages of the other guests ranged from toddlers to the elderly, with the
majority being 30 to 50 years-old. Also, due to spring break in the
Northeast, we had over 2500 guests aboard (a Paradise record), with about
530 of them being minors. However, other than the occasional "pattering
feet" down the cabin passageway, the line at the pizzeria and the frozen
yogurt machine, and the nightly meeting around the Atrium Bar with their
"Coke Cards", we never really noticed them anywhere else.
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