CARNIVAL FASCINATION & OLD SAN JUAN CRUISE PORT

Our last cruise was out of Puerto Rico. Having never cruised from there in the past, I wasn't sure what to expect. Fortunately, it was a great experience. I would say it is easier than Galveston or New Orleans though my last cruise out of Galveston was a breeze.



The San Juan Cruise Port is the largest and busiest ports in the Caribbean. There are 4 cruise ship piers and 2 modern terminals along the southern shores of historic Old San Juan with a total capacity to accommodate 7 ships at once. The best part is that it location is an easy walk from Old San Juan and it's attractions. 

We flew in the night before our cruise so we had most of the next day to explore. We explored Old San Juan until around 11 and then we headed to the ship. You can drop your bags off outside near the street and then head to the ship. 



We had lunch on the ship and then headed back out to explore more of the city. I highly recommend doing it this way if you have time. It will make your experience much more relaxing.

THE ROOMS

My first impression of the room and bathroom was how small they felt compared to other Carnival ships I’ve sailed on. I immediately took photos and sent them to my friends. We had just returned from a cruise on the Carnival Breeze, and that room felt twice the size.

AROUND THE SHIP



The ship is decorated classic Hollywood style. You will see Passage to India Lounge which I loved.



The classic Hollywood theme is throughout the entire ship including the elevators.






I think my favorite place on the entire ship was the Library.




There’s a six-story atrium flanked by glass-sided elevators, and a playful Hollywood and Broadway theme with lots of jarring chrome and flashiness worked into the ship’s art and architecture.


THE FOOD



There are very few serving stations. The Pizza station and Deli station in the rear of the ship and seemed to always have long lines. It was normal to wait 15-20 minutes for your order.

The Lido buffet was good overall, but it seemed like they frequently ran out of certain items whenever we visited. There are two buffet sides, but all except two times, only one line was open, which caused additional wait times. There is a separate section in the center of the room for salads, meats, and cheeses. This area was rarely crowded, so I ended up eating a lot of salads.



The self-serve breakfast buffet was good as well. While it was usually busy, food was set up not only along the main buffet line but also in the area normally used for salads, which made breakfast much faster than other meals. This is also where you’ll find the ice cream.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you research this ship, you will see a lot of mixed reviews. If you avid cruiser, you may find this ship lacking but the Caribbean islands you visit make up for anything the ship lacks. This particular cruise went to the islands of St Maaarten, St Lucia, St Kitts, Barbados, Antigua, and US Virgin Islands.

I’ve been on several cruises, and this was my least favorite ship. Compared to other Carnival ships I’ve sailed on, this one felt much smaller, looked older, and offered a more limited food selection. There also weren’t as many activities or shows throughout the day, and there was no Movies Under the Stars.

That said, while the food service staff wasn’t as friendly as I’ve experienced on other ships, they were still pleasant. Our cabin steward, however, was amazing—very attentive and took excellent care of us.

Overall, even though the ship didn’t meet my expectations, it ended up being my favorite Caribbean cruise.