Charleston is newer to the cruising industry than most of the Florida ports. This is one port that is best to NOT arrive early. Park and Sail packages are the way to go for this port, and I'd be happy to set that up for you! If you park at the pier, they have air conditioned motor coaches that will pick you up and drive you to the boarding area.
As soon as you board the Carnival Fantasy you will see the business/computer area to the left.
Like all cruise ships they have you enter into the atrium for that jaw dropping moment. While the Fantasy is a smaller ship, it doesn't disappoint! There is always a bar as soon as you enter any Carnival ship! As well as guest services.
Carnival is always trying to make things better. As soon as you board they now have crew members standing at the entrance to guide you to wherever you want to be on boarding day.
Universe Main Lounge is where many events take place including port talks and nightly shows.
The Fantasy's Via Marina Promenade is a wonderful place to relax and people watch, or stroll the length of the ship while enjoying the view out of the floor to ceiling windows.
Candy Shop! They have a great selection. Try their cookies. While there are free cookies on the buffet, the ones at Cherry On Top are the size of your head and delicious! Our family enjoyed a package of cookies when we sailed on the Carnival Liberty last year and now they insist that we pre-order a package and have it sent to our cabin every time we sail! This is a great little treat if Grandma, or another family members wants to have a special gift waiting for you on the ship! Let your travel agent know and they can get this set up for you, as well as a variety of other gift options.
Our family loves card games and we always pack 1 or 2 when we cruise. Along the Promenade there are tables and other comfy seating areas that are perfect to relax , play game, or people watch.
Casino time! The casinos are decent in size and offer a variety of table games, as well as video poker and slot machines. There is definitely something for everyone that likes to gamble a little or a lot!
The Taste Bar is on my to do list every evening when we sail. Carnival has different restaurants on all their ships and at the Taste Bar they offer up bite size options from these restaurants. Carnival is the only cruise line that I hesitate when one of our favorite restaurants is not on the ship, one of those must haves for us is now Guy's Burger Joint, AMAZING! Although, the great itineraries and close to home ports win us over even if they are missing our favorite burger.
Bars can be found through out the ship and both main dining rooms have bar service.
This lounge was inspired from CATS the Broadway Musical. Here you will see Larger than Life packaging from some popular brands. Very whimsical club and worth a visit!
The Bistro is great if you like specialty coffees. Here you can get a milk shake, frappuccino or a yummy dessert as well. The Bistro is not included in your cruise fare, but the prices aren't much higher than your favorite coffee shop at home.
On boarding day you can get more information on Tasting events as well as the drink packages offered. These can also be set up in advance.
One of my favorite parts of cruise ships are the stairwells. It makes sailing so much more fun. This is deck 9 behind the bar looking down to deck 8 where the Jubilee Dining Room is located.
One of many areas where you can find live music (and some times a DJ) throughout your sailing.
The Verandah deck offers plenty of space for all those that need the sun!
Excuse my finger in the left corner, but this is the only picture I took of the Funnel aboard the Fantasy.
Not all Carnival Ships have water works, so for a small ship to have this much space dedicated to a water play area is awesome! This is located off the rear of the ship. There were plenty of lounge chairs in this area for parents to be near by while the kids (or adults that love to play like a kid) have fun!
Having a very short child, I always need to know the height requirements before we sail!
Adults only area, Serenity, is located at the rear of the ship on deck 9.
Wandering back to the middle of the ship. The main pool area is pretty cool looking.
Table tennis and chess are located near the main pool area and covered! Nice if you need a break from the sun beating down on you.
Circle C is the hangout area for kids ages 12-14. There are planned activities held here as well as spaces throughout the ship. They also offer dance parties and video game time. Club O2 is for ages 15-17 and offer similar activities. Occasionally these two groups are combined for organized events.
Cleopatra's Piano Bar is a fun place to meet up for drinks before or after dinner.
Across from Cleopatra's is the Pavilion Library.
Wandering the halls on deck 9.
Right next to the CATS Lounge is the Electricity Dance Club.
The supervised kids camp area, Camp Ocean, is for kids ages 2-11. On sea days they are open from 9am-12pm, 2pm-5pm, and 7pm-10pm. Childcare is available after 10pm for a fee. The camp is open when the ship is in port for families that choose to exit the ship without the kids.
This is one of the areas in the kids camp. They had games set up to play during the meet and greet. This area is mainly for ages 6-8 and 9-11, but they occasionally combine all the kids ages 2-11 if there is a low number of children on the ship or participating. We have experienced this combining of kids and it didn't seem to make a difference for our children since there were fewer in the camp program to start with. That rarely happens when school in the US is NOT in session,
Craft area! They also do some science based activities here.
This area is specifically for kids ages 2-5.
Having a child that has physical disabilities, I always have to check and make sure that she can access the camp bathroom on her own! Nice low toilets and a step stool for the sink! Works for us!
To book your next Carnival Cruise, contact me today!
Jennifer ~ 412-716-5065
jenniehenn@gmail.com
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