Mexican Riviera aboard the Spirit
Written: Jan 28 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautifully designed ship, great price, great staff
Cons: So-So food and entertainment
The Bottom Line: Find a bargain week and jump on board for a fun trip down to Mexico!
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| protonsmom's Full Review: Carnival Spirit |
This 8 day trip was my 7th cruise but the first time ever leaving from my home town of San Diego, Ca. Embarkation was seamless. We arrived around 1pm and were on the ship within a half hour. My only moment of confusion was in trying to find out who to give my bottle of wine to so we could have it served to us in the dining room. I asked 3 different Carnival staff and no one knew what I was talking about. I ended up walking onto the ship with my wine and just corked it ourselves in the cabin.
This trip also had the most days at sea I have ever had on one cruise and I loved every minute of it. The Spirit staff constantly had different types of activities to keep everyone busy or if you chose there were places for quiet reading alone. I went to every craft class and ended up coming home with some fun (free)souvenirs. I would have liked to have a dance class available that was not something silly (Austin Powers style was offered for example). Maybe a waltz class on a formal night day would be nice.
Our cabin was directly under the lido deck near the aft of the ship. Nice and quiet most of the time but daily I was awakened by the sound of dragging deck chairs at 7:30am while they set up the pool. Next time I would choose a deck lower. Bed was very comfortable and the cabin was quite roomy. Steward was not all that attentive to detail but nice enough.
Fastest muster drill I have ever dealt with.
We made three ports of call on this cruise. Acapulco, Ixtapa/Zijuatenej, and Manzanillo. We signed up for a excursion through Carnival's website on all three.
In Acapulco we did the city, turtles and birds excursion. It came with a tour of a marsh in a little boat with lots of bird sightings. Then a trip to a turtle rehab place were we got to release babies into the sea. I will say this was a highlight of my entire trip. The guides were great and the bus was comfortable. Snacks were provided. The last bit of the trip they took us to a store but my husband and I just hung out outside. I do not like the pressure sales in Mexico and chose not to shop much.
In Zijuatenejo our excursion was canceled due to not enough people. It was to be a walking tour so we just walked onto the beach and gave ourselves a tour. Everything is close to the ship tender pier so not excursion is needed unless you want a ride into Ixtapa. I felt this was the best port and the best place to shop. Clean beach, friendly people.
In Manzanillo we took the "Colonial Tour". Long bus ride both ways but we did get to see some pyramids that were recently excavated. Have a very tasty lunch (probably the best food or our entire trip!) in a small town. Lunch and a couple drinks were provided as part of the tour.
The food in the ship's dining room was as to be expected for a kitchen that has to put out mass quantities. They try hard to make it nice but I was a bit disappointed in the taste and quality. Service was impeccable. If you are a chocolate fan, the "Chocolate Melting Cake" was offered every night and really is not to be missed.
24 hour pizza and ice cream were available on the Lido deck. The Caesar salads from the pizza place were quite good. We got bored with the buffet by the 2nd day. Food really did not chance much, especially the breakfast. Sit down meals were also available in the dining room at various times.
We went to dinner one night in the Nouveau Supper Club. Beautiful setting on the 10th level with a glass staircase entry. I may be one of the only reviews you read that will admit it was not what I expected. The $30 extra fee per person is too much. Again the service was awesome but I was a bit disappointed in the food. My lobster was very tough for example. Also there is no vegetarian options there (husband is vegetarian). After tip is added on it was $72 for the two of us and I feel it could have been better spent elsewhere.
I had my hair done in a "up do" for the second formal night. It came out very pretty in person but did not photograph well. $65 for the service + tip.
Casino did not have the best air flow so it was always smoky. I did spend a fair amount of time in there though. They have slot tournaments and poker games pretty regularly. Slot machines will suck you dry pretty fast.
We went to 3 shows during the 8 nights. I was not impressed by the dancers and one of their standard Vegas style shows we snuck out of. The big band show was fun and so was the hypnotist.
I ordered chocolate covered strawberries to be delivered to the room and my husband ordered me a birthday cake. Both were very tasty, actually better than most food on board. Yes you pay extra for these items but the cake was only $10 and was worth it.
I thought the ship itself was the most beautiful I have ever cruised on. I am a big fan of Art Nouveau design and it was done well. The main atrium was gorgeous and I loved the Empire dining room as well as the lounges. Pools were small but there are three of them and there is a water slide near the bow we did not get a chance to try (cool weather).
The gym was usually packed. I tried to get in there 3 different mornings and every machine was being used. I gave up. It is a beautiful gym but just not enough to handle a full ship on a sea day I guess.
Debarkation was the fastest I have ever dealt with. No one even looked at our passports and the customs forms were just collected without being looked at. Our bags were waiting for us even though we were in only the second group to leave the ship. Very easy.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
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Epinions.com ID:
protonsmom
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Member: Cheri
Location: California
Reviews written: 55
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Part time personal assistant, part time housewife, animal lover, automotive fanatic.
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