The Paradise cruise ship by Carnival cruise lines is an older ship but still in very nice condition. It is a smaller ship which carries about 2100 people is ported in Tampa. Tampa can only accommodate the older smaller ships as the new bigger ships will not make it under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in St Petersburg.
Although it being a older ship it is kept very clean, the décor may feel just a little dated but that really didn’t bother me. Mostly everything as far as entertainment happens in the middle of the decks. It does not take long to walk from the front to the back of the ship. I went on Labor day weekend and this particular crowd was up to party. I would say this cruise was more for adults although their were some children I don’t think this cruise is geared for the kids.
Entertainment
Ok I have been on about eight or so cruises and this cruise was probably the least entertaining one I have been on. That being said you still will have fun and it wasn’t all that bad but compared to other cruises in the past it just does not measure up. But this a value price cruised so you have to have realistic expectations. The performers for the rock show had an amazing show packed with energy but then the 80’s pop show lacked dancing and the same energy. They are still very talented though and give them all the credit in the world for what they do. The Love & Marriage show which they have on every cruise ship in the world I think was very boring. I don’t know if it was the contestants or what but they seemed to have a different format when asking the questions and it did not have the same laughter of other shows. The nightlife was pretty decent they had a Latin band playing every night which was packed with people dancing and having a good time and the main night club had a variety of different types of music but late at night it was more for the 20’s crowd. There was an 80’s glow party on the outside Lido deck one night it was very short but fun. I did go to one comedy show and the lady was very funny and entertaining.
Food
The food was a mixed review in my opinion although again knowing this is a value priced cruise I held my expectations on the lower side. I would say overall the food was pretty decent with a few exceptions. I only had dinner at the main dining and the buffets for lunch and one day I did have a burger from Guy Fiera’s which was nothing to call home about. One night at dinner I did upgrade to the steak and lobster tails and was very disappointed. I could have cooked a better steak and the lobster tail was very tough unless you are getting it for free I would not pay the extra money for it again. I did have prime rib one night and I thought that was cooked perfectly and tasted really good. So the food is good enough I would not book this cruise just for the food if you know what I mean. It was not awful but it also did not inspire.
Casino
The casino is very small and was pretty much packed every night. There is half of the casino where you can smoke but the smells still resonate through the entire casino and on one night there was a terrible smell of marijuana I know the it’s hard for the employees to control that but I really hate the smell of it but what can you do? I really don’t know why casino’s still allow smoking it’s not like people are going to stop gambling, Ok to the gambling part I don’t gamble as much as I did in my younger years probably because I like to have the money in my pocket and not the casinos but I did dabble a lit bit with three card poker I’m not going to lie. It was a fun crowd and the dealers were very friendly. No I did not hit big but I was able to play and have fun for a while. I heard someone did hit a jackpot on the cruise but I can’t confirm or deny that. For being a small casino there are still all the popular games like blackjack, three card poker, craps, roulette, and of course slots. The Casino was pretty fun but like most Casinos smoky.
Ports/Excursions
Only being a four day cruise there was only one port we went to and that was Cozumel which is a beautiful place. I always recommend taking a tour excursion through the boat only so if you run into any problems getting back the boat is going to wait for you, but if you go on your own you may miss the boat and that would not be fun. So I did do the Beach,Snorkel,SUP which they took us on about a twenty minute shuttle to a beach resort I can’t think of the name but it did have nice facilities, showers, pool, chairs etc. The snorkeling was ok it was just along the beach area and saw some beautiful fish, I just came back from the Keys it did not compare to the reefs in the Florida Keys. The snorkeling was only about twenty minutes long which was the main reason I wanted to go on this tour for the snorkeling. If you are going for snorkeling I would look into another tour although this one had the highest ratings. If you just looking to get to a beach and have some drink by the beach or pool then this would be perfect for you. The cost was pretty reasonable through Carnival.
Value/ Is this cruise for you?
I know I pointed out some of the negative points of this cruise but when it is all said and done this is still an amazing value for a cruise especially if you live in the Tampa area. Where else can you get meals all day long a place to sleep, entertainment every day, and to see a beautiful Caribbean destination for these low prices? Is this cruise for you? Although I went solo and from what I saw I would say it is not the best cruise for families and more of cruise for those looking to party, have fun and let loose for a few days. Looking to book this cruise or another one? I like to browse Orbitz to find all the best cruise deals!
