Day 1: We left before the sun came up for the drive to the Port of Jacksonville. With a few short stops, (we did not have to stop 10 times for our kids to go to the bathroom!) we arrived at the port at 12:00 PM. Being 2 strong women, we took care of our own bags and made our way to the long line to go through security and get checked in. Yes, you have to go through security, just like at the airport. The same things banned from a flight are banned from a cruise! Once we were checked in, had the 1st of MANY pictures taken by the staff, we made our way to our cabin. This process went smoothly and rather swiftly. We were in our cabin by 12:35PM! Not too bad Carnival!!
We had some time before the mandatory Emergency Drill so we explored the ship. This drill is mandatory for all guests and just may save your life in the case of an emergency. The Elation is one of the oldest in the fleet and smaller in size, with a capacity of just over 2,000 passengers. We booked a standard Ocean View cabin on the Rivera Deck. We had requested that our beds be apart, seeing as we are both married and value our own space! Well, our cabin steward failed to notice this but by the time we came back to the cabin later, our beds were appropriately spaced apart! TIP: bring nesting luggage and store it under the beds to maximize space!
Being exhausted Mom's on vacation, it was important for us to find some lounge chairs and enjoy Sail Away. This was my friend's very first cruise and she was overwhelmed but fascinated by everything. One of the cool things about sailing from Jacksonville is that you sail under the Dames Point Bridge. There are mere inches separating the top of the funnel and the bridge! It is a really cool thing to experience.The rest of the day was spent exploring, eating and resting!
Day 2: Freeport, Grand Bahama Island. Due to Hurricane Matthew, this port had been closed to cruise ships for quite some time. We were among the first to visit once it re-opened. We had a snorkeling excursion booked so we proceeded to the waiting area. There is a covered area with picnic tables so you do not have to wait in the sun. This is a great time to apply your sunscreen! And you WILL need it if you care at all about the health of your skin! Further on, there is a small shopping area and many, many, many taxis waiting to take you to the beaches and to the main shopping area in Port Lucaya. Freeport is an industrial port, so you need to travel to other parts of the island for shopping and beaches.
Once aboard our bus with only about 8 others, we were on our way to Paradise Cove for snorkeling. Our guide was very informative and told us stories about his adventures in the hurricane. We could see power lines still down and houses and trees ripped apart. The damage was devastating to see. The reef at Paradise Cove is named Dead Man's Reef. Pirates would sail into the rocks and then be......dead!
You can see the reef offshore. We swam out and back and were out there for a good while. The reef was amazing and teaming with life! I even saw a Nurse Shark...for a short time because it scared me and I swam away!! The beach is beautiful and there are facilities and a small restaurant/bar. This was a great excursion and I recommend it if you are ever in Freeport, Grand Bahama!
Day 3: Nassau, New Providence Island.
You can see my friend WAYYYYY back there! Oh, and look at the shadow from the phone! Squirrel!!! Sorry. Not sorry!
There were 5 ships in port this day, so Nassau was VERY busy!We had a full day here and decided to spend it shopping! We did not have our husbands with us, so we took advantage of the time and shopped until we just about dropped! In fact, we were so pooped that we decided to drop off all of our packages and go back in to town for a Big Girl Drink!
This was our view from the bar. People watching was fun as we relaxed and enjoyed our very strong, very blue drinks!
Day 4: Sea Day. We finally decided that we needed to move and got up to the track for some exercise. Having done our due diligence, it was time for Brunch! Carnival has a Sea Day Brunch that is usually pretty yummy! While we were not disappointed in the food, we were however dismayed at the level of service we received. I asked for Pineapple juice. Well, you would think I asked him to swim to Hawaii for one! He said NO! O........K......... Then I asked for just some apple slices and strawberries because I don't like melon. Wellllllll, again, he was pretty rude and told me NO! I don't believe I have EVER been told NO on a cruise before! I decide to not ask for anything else different and keep my head down. That was until he was VERY rude to a fellow diner......she had been waiting a VERY long time for her food and simply asked where it was. OH. MY. GOODNESS! "I will get to your food when I am done with this other table!" That was it for me. Being a seasoned cruiser, that behavior is totally unacceptable. I usually never complain but this guy needed to be called out on his behavior. Shortly after leaving the Customer Service Desk, I received a phone call from the Maitre'd of the dining room asking what happened. He asked if there was anything he could do. I stated to have that waiter take some etiquette lessons!
Aside from this unpleasantness, we had a very lazy day. The only down side to this day was the weather. While it was sunny and warm, the swells were becoming larger due to the Super Moon.
This was the moon over Atlantis Resort Paradise Island as we were leaving Nassau Harbor. By the time we were done with dinner, we both felt like we needed to go down to our cabin. We did not feel sick, but our brains were rocking and it was making us dizzy!
Here is a shot later that evening. It was amazingly beautiful but I we were not happy what it was doing to the sea!
In closing, a 4-Day Cruise from Jacksonville on the Elation is a great cruise for a 1st Timer or for just a quick getaway. The port is within driving distance and easy to get to. The itinerary is short and the ship is small so you will not be so overwhelmed. This cruise was different for me because I was with a friend. I did not have to worry about keeping up with the kids or the husband. Basically, we did what WE wanted to do, when WE wanted to do it! Many memories were made and a friendship was made stronger in 4 short days!
Until next time......many Happy Travels to you!
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