Carnival Cruises ... the Most Pathetic Vacation EVER!! Internet

This was my first cruise.... a four day cruise in April 2010 from San Diego to Catalina to Baja on the Elation Ship. The only "Elation" I felt was when I finally got off the ship. Honestly, I don't even know where to start-- 

I guess I would begin with the 80.00 I was charged to pay for "prepaid tips". I prepaid this figuring I wouldn't have to be bothered at each and every turn.

WRONG! When I wasn't charged again for it on my bill for drinks and other services, I was being asked several times a day by various people to "not to forget to tip" this person or that person.. because the money I had prepaid wasn't available to them! 

MEALS: 

The dinners ( I've had better meals at the local nursing home while visiting)... were pathetic. Our centerpiece on the table at our "formal" dress up dinner was a large 1.5 liter plastic bottle of water.  Are you kidding me?  The first night, we opened it and drank it. 

At the end of the meal we were presented with a bill +tip for the water we drank! 

For the meals in the "Tiffany" the food left much to be desired, it was truly carnival food, rubbery, waxy and bland.  The service in the bar areas was especially bad.  On the last night we went to the Romeo and Juliet Bar, the three people behind the bar were talking and laughing.. after waiting about 5 minutes to order a drink, we finally left. They were too busy socializing to actually be concerned about doing their job. 

EXCURSIONS: 

The "Wine and shop" trip for 30.00 each was a total joke, they drove us to a big old abandoned warehouse that had several large wine casks, NOT a winery!!!! Then to another abandoned old building where they "invented the marguerita" and served "margueritas" in a tiny plastic dixie cup and then led us to a very, very small courtyard for some "good deals" on shopping, it amounted to about 10 street vendors selling beaded bracelets and some pottery. We were horrified that we got completely taken by Carnival. They had promoted all day before about their fantastic excursions.

On the morning we pulled into the Mexico port, I looked out my window to see a bay filled with floating garbage. Much to my horror, I saw a beautiful dog, a shepherd mix, large and gray dog floating next to our ship. 

ENTERTAINMENT AND USE OF POOL 

There were children running wild all over the ship the entire time, they filled the pool so it was not possible to even use any of the services on the Lido deck. People were smoking all over the ship, it was hard to get away from the hundreds and hundreds of children or the smokers. (750 children aboard the ship)  This should have been disclosed, as adults we weren't aware it was a "Spring Break" cruise.  We were looking for a romantic getaway...NOT!!!

 As for the entertainment, Steve, our cruise director held a game called the "marriage game" or something along those lines... one of the question we heard before we left, went something like this: 

when you husband gets out of the shower... what kind of car does his p***s look like? a limo or a pink VW bug..... ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This is Carnivals idea of entertainment?  We did attend the Cha, Cha, Cha, lessons, which were fun.. but then no opportunity to practice, we were shoo'ed off the stage to make room for something else.

DEPARTURE 

This was the worst part of the cruise.  

On the morning of departure, I woke up vomiting and with diarrhea. (food poisoning?)  

I begged the housekeeping staff to stay in my room until we were called to leave the ship. Unfortunately, we were the scheduled to be the very last to be called, of the 25, we were 23. It would be about a 3 hour wait in the lobby filled with hundreds of people and misbehaving children. I was told I had to leave my room, I told them I was sick.  The girl in her broken english said "YOU MUST GO..NEW PASSENGERS COMING".  

I then called the infirmary to see if I could rest there-- near a bathroom. I was told that would not be possible, when I ask why, I was told it would be VERY expensive. 

At this point I carried all of my luggage over to guest services and was told to just go sit in the lobby. I told the woman, that would be fine, I would be throwing up in her lobby! 

She then gave me a pass to leave the ship immediately.  Hundreds and hundreds of people were blocking the doorways with their luggage, it looked like a refugee camp on the dock in San Diego.  It took another 15 minutes just to wade through the sea of bodies to get to the dock and to find a cab.  What a hellish way to end a vacation.

Without a doubt, the worst vacation my husband and I have ever had, and we're in our mid 50's, so we've had many vacations over the years. 

We will probably never cruise again---and NEVER, EVER with Carnival... What a pathetic vacation they offer.