The Carnival Ecstasy: Tips, Tricks, and About This Ship

Carnival Ecstasy Departing Cozumel, Mexico

      The Carnival Ecstasy is Carnival Cruise Line's second oldest ship in the fleet at this time, but the ship is filled with many spaces and amenities for cruisers to enjoy. The Carnival Ecstasy was the first cruise ship I ever sailed on and this ship deserves the credit for starting my cruise addiction. This article will give some basic facts about the ship and tips for cruisers that will be sailing on the Carnival Ecstasy in the future. 

Basic Facts:
         The Carnival Ecstasy launched into service in 1991 after being built in Finland.  The Carnival Ecstasy, as well as many other Carnival ships, is registered in Panama. The ship's fact sheet reports there are 920 crew members and 2056 guests (double occupancy). The ship may not be the largest in today's cruise industry, but it weighs over 70,000 tons and is about 855 feet long. The Carnival Ecstasy is a member of Carnival's Fantasy class ships. For more interesting facts about the ship click here to view the Carnival Ecstasy's fact sheet.

Some Highlights Of The Ship's Features and Places:

• Carnival's WaterWorks:  
  ​       As part of a big dry-dock a few years ago, the Carnival Ecstasy received Carnival's WaterWorks enhancement. The Carnival Ecstasy's WaterWorks consists of a splash pad and multiple waterslides. To get on the waterslides you will have to go up to Deck 12's aft, by the ship's funnel. The waterslides will land on Deck 11 (the Verandah Deck). For those that have cruised the Carnival Ecstasy in the long ago past, the WaterWorks replaced the aft pool on Deck 11. 
• Serenity Adults Only Retreat:  
            Cruises are often filled with children and some adults want to get away from kids. Carnival designed and implemented an area on the Carnival Ecstasy referred to as the Serenity that is for adults that are 21 & older only. This area is located at the very back of Deck 9, which is the Promenade Deck. 
• On The Lido Deck:  Red Frog Rum Bar and Blue Iguana Tequila Bar
            Carnival refreshed the Carnival Ecstasy's Lido Deck in a 2014 dry-dock by adding two Fun Ship 2.0 features named the Red Frog Rum Bar and the Blue Iguana Tequila Bar. If you are around the Lido Deck's main pool, you should be able to find both of these bars.
• Blue Sapphire Theatre (or referred to as Blue Sapphire Lounge)
  ​            The Blue Sapphire is the Carnival Ecstasy's main show lounge. This is where the ship's production shows take place as well as some other entertainment activities that draw larger audiences. One of my favorite things about the Blue Sapphire is the stage's curtain. At times, the lounge's lighting system will make the curtains sparkle and look like shiny jewels are sewn into the curtain. The Blue Sapphire is located on two decks. The bottom level of the lounge is on the Atlantic Deck (Deck 8) and the upper level of the lounge is located on the Promenade Deck (Deck 9). 
• Panorama Bar and Grill
                The Panorama Bar and Grill is the Carnival Ecstasy's Lido Deck buffet. The buffet is located at the back of the Lido Deck, which is Deck 10. In the buffet you will find many different food lines that have some different options depending on the day and meal being served. Also, the Carnival Ecstasy's pizzeria and deli are located at the very back of the Lido buffet.
• Guy's Burger Joint 
               Guy's Burger Joint serves free hamburgers and french fries at lunchtime. Prior to getting Guy's Burger Joint, the Carnival Ecstasy had a generic hamburger grill on its Lido Deck. 
• Blue Iguana Cantina
               The Blue Iguana Cantina is another feature Carnival added to the Carnival Ecstasy's Lido Deck. The Blue Iguana Cantina serves burritos and tacos at lunch. Usually, the Blue Iguana Cantina also has some breakfast options too. To compliment tacos and burritos, Carnival's Blue Iguana Cantina also has a salsa bar. The salsa bar has a multitude of options available for cruisers. The Blue Iguana Cantina is complimentary!​
• Alchemy Bar
  ​               The Alchemy Bar was also added during the Carnival Ecstasy's dry-dock.  The Alchemy Bar allows cruisers to purchase mixed drinks in a pharmacy themed bar setting. Cruisers are able to tell bartenders to mix ingredients to make a drink a certain way. The ship's Alchemy Bar is located on the ship's Promenade Deck (deck 9). For cruisers that were familiar with the Carnival Ecstasy prior to this dry-dock, the Alchemy Bar is located where the Society Bar used to be. This near the back area of the Promenade Deck right by the Starlight Lounge. 
• Cherry On Top 
                  The Carnival Ecstasy received Cherry On Top, which is essentially a candy shop. This shop sells candy, gifts, and a few other things. The ship's Cherry On Top is located on the ship's Promenade Deck (deck 9). ​
• City Lights Boulevard 
                On the Carnival Ecstasy's Promenade Deck (Deck 9) you will find an area called City Lights Boulevard. This is a walkway that links many of the lounges and places located on the Promenade Deck.

Some Helpful Tips and Tricks:

• If you are trying to walk from the front to the back of the ship (or vice versa) almost all decks will be able to get you from one end to the other. However, the Atlantic Deck will not because the dining room galley is in the middle of the deck. Also, Decks 12 and 14 are split and will not allow a cruiser to get from one end to the other.
• The Carnival Ecstasy has the full selection of Carnival's youth programs onboard. For those that are interested, the Circle C lounge is located on the Atlantic Deck in the atrium, the Club 02 lounge is located on the Promenade Deck in the atrium, and the Camp Ocean lounge is located on the Verandah Deck. Each youth program has different age restrictions and may not always meet in these lounges. Each program has an activity schedule that give's information about the voyage's youth activities, the times of these activities, and where these activities will take place.
• The Carnival Ecstasy's atrium has two glass elevators. These elevators are sometimes a little slow, but offer a great view of the atrium below. 
• On the Carnival Ecstasy's lido deck, around the middle, you will see a covered stage. On one side of this stage is a glass dome that has a stairwell. This stairwell will take you down into the middle area of City Lights Boulevard on the Promenade Deck. For those needing to get from the Lido Deck to the middle of the ship quickly, consider using this stairwell. 
• At the front of the Carnival Ecstasy's Verandah Deck (Deck 11), there is a door that will allow cruisers to go outside onto an observation deck. This observation deck is directly above the ship's navigational bridge. The best way to get to this observation deck is to walk to the front of the Verandah Deck to the area where the Verandah Deck staterooms begin. You will have a choice to go left or right. Take the hallway to the left and at the very front of this hallway you should see a door that leads to the outside. Once you open this door there will be another door only a few feet away that you will have to open before being completely outside on the deck. 

For More Research On the Carnival Ecstasy:
http://www.carnival.com/cruise-ships/carnival-ecstasy.aspx -  This is Carnival's website page that is dedicated to the Carnival Ecstasy. Here you can find some dining information, amenity information, and the deck plans.

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