Carnival Cruise Lines - Elation Review

After cruising on the "Elation" from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, 7/3/08 - 7/7/08, I would not recommend the Carnival Cruiseship "Elation" for the following reasons.

(1) Dining Room Experience - Not only were we packed in like sardines, the staff was mostly rude and/or incompetent. For example, when we asked one of our waiters why some tables were finished with dessert when we hadn't even been served dinner yet, we were told that they were busy. In one instance, some people at my table had eaten and finished their appetizers before I had received my appetizer (even after asking three times). When I asked the waiter (at the beginning of the meal) to sing "Happy Anniversary" for my parents 50th wedding anniversary, they waited until 24 of our 34 guests had eaten and left and then it  was after 3 requests - and  then again I was told because they were busy).

(2) Unknowledeable Staff - Repeatedly we were given different answers to the same question by various staff members. For example, members of my group needed something, they asked their Room Steward, who then referred them to the Purser's Office, who then referred them back to the Room Steward.

(3) Dissemination of Information - Both in the daily bulletin and signs posted, information was usually either incomplete, or incorrect. For example, the daily bulletin listed a teddy bear workshop, but when we arrived we found required fees to participate (none of which were in the bulletin listing). Another example is when one of our group members went to hear an information meeting about metabolism and weight loss, only to find it was a high pressure sales pitch for a product costing $1500.

(4) Disembarking at Cabo San Lucas - Signs were inaccurate (or nonexistent) for disembarking. For example, hundreds of people were standing in the halls and on the stairs prior to 8 a.m. to disembark. As more people arrived, they pushed and shoved and cut in lines to get to the front. Instead of having guide ropes up and signs for people to form lines, by the time staff arrived, all they seemed to do was yell at the crowd to form one line, which was like trying to put the whipped cream back into the cannister. The crowd was so packed in, my daughter became so overheated that she could not wait in line and did not sail on the tender with me to go to land.

I think you get the idea, though I can list more if anyone wants.