Cruising the Caribbean on the Fun Ship Carnival Fascination

We just returned from a 5 day cruise on the ship the Imagination....Before we left I had doubts about the ship due to some reviews I had read....One article stated Carnival was the Walmart's of the cruise industry...what did that mean I wondered?

Not that there's anything wrong with shopping at Walmart's but why the comparison with these ships? I didn't know what to expect, would there be announcments made, like "attention cruisers" would there be a lower end priced decor or staterooms? would the service be iffy?...what would the majority of the cruisers be like?

All I know is that this cruise was first rate all the way..Our stateroom was truly nice, much larger than the last one we had on a Royal Caribbean ship. We had two twin beds put together to make a kingsize bed and it was one of the most comfortable beds I've ever had the pleasure to sleep in....there was a good sized bathroom with full shower, plenty of hot water and pretty good water pressure, not great but adequate, and lots of storage space with hooks to hang your stuff along with your wet bathing suits. There were complimentary oversized terry cloth robes in the closet as well as a private safe.....Our window was large and I enjoyed watching the beautiful blue Caribbean sea just outside as the ship made it way through the water.

The service was better as well as friendlier. The food very plentiful and decent, not spectacular though, but good...The ships public areas were truly well kept , everything was spotlessly clean. The main atrium was circular and extremely eye catching....The ship has undergone a recent renovation so even though it's one of the of the older ships in the fleet it had a newer feel to it.

Carnival calls their ships the "fun ships" and I can see why, the Fascination was certainly no exception. they offered so many activities to make sure you have fun and enjoy your cruising experience. Events are planned every day to entertain the passengers, one way or another... games by the pool, nightime themed parties, also by the pool, just to name a few. We spent two days at sea and during that time I couldn't believe all the things there were to do...they had specials offered in the spa, shows in the theater that featured first class performences by the dancers, singers and comedians and of course the casino....Like Bingo? Well, there were games planned troughout the day. There was even a small library if you wanted some quiet time. And of course shopping was available in the Duty-free shops with many interesting items for sale.

We went to Jamaica and Grand Caymen Island where we had a blast on some snorkeling excursions and swam with Stingray's on Stingray Island...I just loved that, being the nut I am for all sea creatures, I held one and even had one on my back....feeding one was amazing as it grabbed the fish out of my hand...

Snorkling over a reef in the sparkling blue waters just off the coast of Ocho Rios was a wonder....our guide found an urchin and gave it me to hold out for the little fishes...when they came to me to feed I was astounded as to how beautiful they were, the brilliant colors, the funny little faces...we had brought two underwater disposible cameras and actually got a few good shots but not close up enough for me..

Anyway, the point of the this article is to say that whatever the reason this cruise line was compared to Walmart's, whether negative or not, it was a strange comparison, as it had no bearing whatsoever about what this cruise was actually about or the people that were traveling on the ship...there were passangers of every age and race as well as people of all shapes, sizes and social status....the one thing we all had in common was that we were there to have fun and enjoy ourselves and all the activity we could take part in. It seemed to me that this objective was realized by all.

The Fascination really was a "fun ship" and cruises are available at a reasonable price. for 3, 4 and 5 day cruises out of Miami.....Let the adventures begin.