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Ship Details
Began service: June, 1994
Guest capacity: 2,052
Total staff: 920
Length: 855 feet
Passenger decks: 10
Swimming pools: 3
CDC
inspection score: 97
Fascination overview
The Fascination cruise ship
departs weekly from the Port of Miami. Throughout the year, she offers
ocean cruises to the Bahamas and Western
Caribbean.
Check Dates & Prices for cruises
to Bahamas, Western Caribbean.
Carnival
Cruise Lines is the largest cruise line
in the world carrying one-fifth of all cruise passengers.
This is a great main stream cruising value for those that
are looking to have a "FunShip" vacation with
a party atmosphere. You will find excellent spa and fitness
facilities, great programs for kids, and some of the largest
cabins in this price range. Onboard all Carnival ships,
guests under 21 must be accompanied by a parent, relative
or guardian 25 years of age or older. This cuts down on
the "Spring Break" reputation Carnival is trying
to beat.
Many first-timers get their initial taste of cruising
on the Fascination and are generally younger than passengers
on other lines, with a high concentration of couples due
to the short cruises. Today's cruisers are honeymooners,
young families, and singles as well as veteran travelers
who like the Carnival ambiance. Dancing is a popular pastime
for all, and late night adults-only comics bring out huge
crowds.
Cabins
Standard cabins are 185 square feet and most cabins
have twin beds that can be configured into a queen-size
bed. Lighting is good with individual reading lights at
each bed. Bathrobes are included in the amenities of all
outside cabins. In-room safes, satellite television and
standard amenities are offered ship-wide. Bring your own
hair dryer. Only suites and demi-suites offer balconies/verandahs.
Twenty cabins are equipped for physically challenged passengers.
Six cabins on Verandah Deck offer partially obstructed
views. Drawer and closet space is more than adequate for
two people sailing seven-day itineraries.
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Dining
The two main dining rooms, Sensation and Imagination,
are not at all crowded and service is quite good.Tables range from
booths for four to tables of 10. Three meals a day are also available
in Coconut Grove Bar & Grill, through room service,
and a 24-hour pizzeria. The Coconut Grove Bar & Grill
provides good service but passengers carry their own plates to the
table and have to wiggle past the line to get drinks from another
area. The same dinner menu that is offered in main dining rooms is
available in Coconut Grove Bar & Grill with waiter
service. A Nautica Spa menu provides calories and
carbohydrate totals for some menu items and special diets are available
with advance notice.
Room service comes on time is available 24 hours a day but offers
a limited menu. Staggered serving times on Fascination, as well as
other Carnival ships, mean early sitting is at either 5:45 or 6:30pm
and late sittings at 8 or 8:45pm. Midnight buffets continue to be
popular on Fascination where passengers party heartier and stay up
later than on similar mass market cruise ships. Carnival's food service
has been kicked up several notches and presentation and variety are
superb.
Entertainment
The Palace lounge features Carnival's popular Vegas-style
revues nightly. This state-of-the-art theater has laser lights, special
effects and a fabulous sound system.Be sure to get there early to
get the best seats; some of the seats have limited or obstructed views
of the stage.
The Casino Royale offers blackjack tables,
roulette, craps and poker tables, and a variety of slots. Tournaments
are scheduled almost every day.
One of the most popular places on the ship is 88,
the sing-along piano bar. Get there early if you want a seat. Later
in the evening, it was standing room only -- in the hallway! Passengers
in the mood for a high-octane dance club will find the Diamonds
Are Forever Dance Club a satisfying alternative. The Puttin'
On The Ritz Lounge is another popular spot with live music
most nights.
Fitness & Recreation
The large pool complex on the Lido
Deck has live music and a blue sliding board. Snorkeling
equipment is for rent for the length of the cruise. A topless sunbathing
area is situated aft on the Sun Deck. The Nautica
Spa is a good size and includes a beauty salon. A fitness
center offering pneumatic pressure machines, treadmills, stationary
bikes, stairmasters, and whirlpools get plenty of use. The spa rates
are lower here than on the more upscale ships. There's a jogging track
and a total of six whirlpools.
Public Areas
Hollywood Boulevard
stretches the length of the ship and is lined with popular venues
for nightlife including Passage to India Lounge and
the Casino Royal. Hollywood Boulevard
is the place to see and be seen nightly after dinner.
The $1 million art collection is displayed throughout the public
areas but renditions of famous stars such as Marilyn Monroe, James
Dean and John Wayne on the Boulevard capture the
attention of the crowds.
Two self-service laundry rooms are located for passenger usage, $1
to wash, $1 to dry and 50 cents for detergent.
Families
Families are a major market for
Carnival and the minimum passenger age is 4 months, with no ship maximum
on the number of children allowed on a particular sailing. Kids pay
the flat rate for third/fourth guests in a cabin. Parents should pay
"tips" on children aged three and up.
Camp Carnival is divided into four categories.
Toddlers (2 - 5), Juniors (6 - 8)
Intermediate (9 - 11) and Teens
(12-15). The camp operates on sea days from 9am - 10 pm, and in-port
days, there is supervised free-play from arrival until 2pm; scheduled
activities run from 2 - 10pm. Babysitting is available on sea days
and port days; cost is $6 for first child, $4 apiece for additional
children, and babysitting is a group activity (available from 10pm
- 3 am in the children's play room). The dining room features a "daily
junior special" each day plus a regular kids menu with the usual
staples (chicken nuggets, hot dogs, pizza, pb&j). On formal nights,
counselors host a kids-only dinner at the Lido buffet.
Diapers are sold in the infirmary, and there's a turndown service
featuring fresh baked chocolate chip cookies at bed-time. Carnival
also offers teen-only shore excursion outings and walkie-talkies available
for rent onboard. A Fountain Fun Card ($9 - $23 depending
on length of cruise) is available for the under-21 set.
Expert Fascination reviews are edited by Michelle, and provided by Ian and Cruise Critic.com,
an award-winning cruise community. This objective information can
help you choose just the right ship for your next cruise vacation.
Check Dates & Prices
for cruises to Bahamas, Western Caribbean.
Fascination cruise reviews
Carnival Fascination "Stuck
at Sea"
Date: January 26, 2006
Reviewer: Miami Beach 411 User, Bonita Springs, FL
We planned our first vacation together with all 6 of our children.
2 came from MT, 2 from, FL, and 2 from Minnesota. We all met in Miami
for a 5 day cruise to Mexico. We could not leave the Port of Miami
because of an airplane that went down in the water there. We could
not get off the boat for 2 days. The kids had fun getting together
anyway. When we finally did depart, it was too late to go to Mexico,
so we had 2 days in the Bahamas. There was nothing left of Freeport
after the hurricane went through and it was cold and raining. It was
not the weather we had packed for had we gone to Mexico. We got $100.00
returned, but Carnival didn't handle this well at all. We paid for
5 days in Mexico and got 2 in the Bahamas
Cruise Ship Inspection Report
All passenger cruise ships arriving at US ports are subject to unannounced
CDC inspection. Fascination Score:
97
Cruise
Critic: Fascination
The Cruise Critic gives Carnival's Fascination a 3-ribbon rating.
Web links
Carnival
Cruises
Request a brochure, or find a travel agent who represents Carnival
Cruises at the company's official Web site.
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