Carnival Elation Bahamas Trip Report: Day 1

by M&C · February 4, 2018

We’re so excited to share all of the details of our recent 4 Day Bahamas trip on the Carnival Elation! We sailed on January 18, 2018. The ship was scheduled to leave from Jacksonville, FL and visit two ports of call: Freeport and Nassau, Bahamas. Catherine’s sister joined us on this cruise and we all had a blast.

This trip was a little different from other cruises we’ve taken because the whole purpose was to get to a destination wedding taking place in the Bahamas. After looking over resort prices and the cost of flying direct, we quickly looked around to see if any ships would be stopping in Freeport on the day of the wedding. Lo and behold, the Carnival Elation would be in port from 1:00-7:00pm and the times aligned perfectly for us to make the wedding ceremony. We kicked around this idea of arriving via cruise ship instead of via airplane, and even though it seemed a bit crazy, we eventually booked the cruise because…well, why not?

Since we planned to travel in January, in the middle of the winter for most of the United States, we decided to book a flight to Florida the night before the cruise was scheduled to leave. This gave us a little wiggle room in case the flight was delayed due to weather or even cancelled completely.

In an incredible twist of fate, when we stepped off the plane, the temperatures in Jacksonville were nearly as cold as they were at home. Add in a brisk wind and boy, we really felt it on our ears and faces! We took the hotel shuttle to the Jacksonville Plaza and Suites hotel and called it a night.

In the morning, our hotel offered a cruise shuttle for a moderate price, so we took that to the cruise port and arrived around 11:15am. Here’s our first real glimpse of the ship:

The luggage drop area, not too busy yet

Our first time cruising out of Jacksonville, FL

Earlier in the week we upgraded to a grand suite which allowed us access to the Captain’s Lounge along with priority boarding. This was a treat and it was awesome! We sat on cushy couches as we waited to check in.

Complimentary water and lemonade was available

Right after we checked in, we walked out of the Captain’s Lounge and we were able to board. The whole process was really smooth… and it probably spoiled us for all of our future check ins. That’s okay, it was fun!

We went straight to the lido deck to get lunch before the ship got busy. Remember how the temps were in the 30s? The parts of the lido deck in the shade were icy. Watch out!

Mark was reunited with Guy’s Burger Joint and he was so excited. Check out this guy who was first in line.

We also checked out the buffet then decided on some fresh tacos from Blue Iguana Cantina. Guy’s Burger Joint and Blue Iguana Cantina were both recently added to the Carnival Elation during dry dock.

After lunch we walked around the ship to get familiar with everything. Our first stop was Circle C, the Carnival area specifically designed for 12-14 year olds.

A long circle-ish couch to sit on and hang out

Looking out toward the atrium. Magazines are near the door and there’s a white board for pictures and messages.

Tons of board games to play!

Computers to use

We left Circle C and headed past the casino

And then we went through the Cole Porter Club Aft Lounge. Two people got married as soon as we boarded the ship and the seats were still set up from the ceremony.

The adults-only serenity deck is located behind the Cole Porter Club on deck 9.

The serenity deck has a row of chairs along the back wall in full shade – nice for those really hot, direct sun days. Loungers are available in the sun.

Looking out over the back of the ship

There were two adults-only hot tubs on this deck. This is about the only time we saw them both completely empty.

Entrance to Club O2, the area for 15-17 year olds

Walking into Club O2. Lots of board games to play, a wall of fame with lots of pictures from previous cruises. The magazine rack here is actually full of craft books and coloring books which was neat.

Club O2 Refresh Station with a dance floor area

Foosball table

After our self-guided ship exploration, we went to the muster drill where we sat near the casino as the crew went over important safety information. No pictures were allowed. Our room key was swiped on a tablet to prove we attended. Afterwards we went to our cabin to drop off our bags. We were in room U111 for this trip (a suite!) which was located in the middle of the ship on the starboard side. For more photos and details, you can read the stateroom review here:

Carnival Elation U111

We ran (power walked?) around the ship looking for the perfect place to watch the sail away. Nothing jumped out at first. We started at the back of the ship and then trudged all the way to the front to get a spot on the “secret deck” for the best view as we passed under the Dames Point Bridge. It was still about 45 degrees at this point, so it was chilly outside. The captain pulled the ship away from the terminal and then did a complete 360 degree turn before heading out to sea.

Lots of passengers watching from the secret deck up front

Approaching the Dames Point Bridge

About to cruise under

As we got closer, it looked like the ship might not even clear the bridge. We watched with anticipation as we went under… and of course we made it, but the top funnel of the ship did come really close to touching the bridge. The captain did a great job manoeuvring the ship and all of the passengers on the deck with us cheered as we made it through without any issues. People cleared out pretty quickly afterwards because it was so cold (and we were in the shade up front).

Going back inside, the gym was having an open house type event, so we took a look around and snagged some photos before people started working out.

Lockers and towels are available

The steam room

The sauna, located to the left of the steam room

Ellipticals with views of Jacksonville going by

Stationary bikes and some of the weight machines

Free weights

We caught the tail end of the sunset just as we left the mouth of the St. Johns River and made it to the Atlantic Ocean. The USS New York, in the photo below, was docked in Jacksonville as we were leaving. Some of the steel used to build the ship was salvaged from the World Trade Center after it was destroyed on 9/11.