Carnival Cruise Ships -  Holiday

Passengers: 1452
Launched: 1990
Gross Tonnage: 46,050
Length: 728
Decks: 9
Registry: Liberia
Nationality: Italian officersand international crew
CDC Score: 86


Itinerary: Holiday cruises from New Orleans offering 4- and 5-day cruises to Playa del Carmen and Cozumel year-round.

Overview: Carnival Cruise Lines is the largest cruise line in the world carrying one-fifth of all cruise passengers. A good percentage return again. This is a great main stream cruising value for those that are looking to have a "FunShip" vacation with a party atmosphere. You will find excellent spa and fitness facilities, great programs for kids and some of the largest cabins in this price range. Onboard all Carnival ships, guests under 21 must be accompanied by a parent, relative or guardian 25 years of age or older. This cuts down on the "Spring Break" reputation Carnival is trying to beat.

Holiday was the first is a series of three sisters in the Holiday-class that debuted in 1985. Her sister ships Jubilee and Celebration, followed in 1986 and 1987 respectively.

Now sailing four- and five-day cruises to the Western Caribbean from New Orleans through 2003, Holiday is a good choice for cruisers looking for a festive atmosphere.

Public Rooms: The decor is "Broadway" which is best experienced on the enclosed Broadway promenade highlighted by The Bus Stop bar featuring a vintage 1934 bus complete with traffic lights, street lamps leading into a Times Square area. The Americana Lounge is the main show lounge that features Las Vegas-style acts. Doc Holiday's western theme is a hit with two-stepping dancers and country fans. The Gaming Club casino is appointed with all the lights and tables to rival a Vegas casio and is are full all night long.

Dining: The two dining rooms, Four Winds and Seven Seas are totally nonsmoking and each serves dinner in two seatings. The Wharf Bar & Grill is located on the Lido deck with ample seating for informal breakfast and luncheon buffet and a pizzeria which offers delicious complimentary pizza and caesar salad around-the-clock. In addition to the regular menu items in the dining rooms, Carnival offers low-fat Nautica spa selections. The dining room service is very good -- professional and attentive, yet also extremely warm and friendly.

Cabins: Cabins are simply decorated and include closed-circuit TVs, small safes, radios and telephones. Hair dryers are not standard equipment, but the steward can provide one. Carnival has added amenities baskets that include a variety of necessities like a disposable razor, mini-shampoo, breath mints and soap, but be sure to bring your own shampoo to be safe. There are 10 suites with balconies available (some with obstructed views) that include bathtub jacuzzis. The majority of the cabins are oceanview with a large window, smaller porthole and inside cabins are also available. Thir and fourth berth cabins are available in most categories. There are no self-service laundries available but send-out service price lists are in the cabin.

Entertainment: Carnival's shows are arguably the best afloat. The fabulous Vegas-style shows (that doesn't mean nudity, as one fellow passenger thought) exhibit a degree of professionalism hard to beat, with extremely talented singers, dancers, costume designers -- even the lighting effects are spectacular. Full scale Broadway-style reviews have lovers of musical comedies smiling and suppressing the desire to sing along. Additionally, late-night, R-rated comedians entertain the grownups. Various bars throughout the ship offer music entertainment throughout the cruise with mixture of music styles. The Reflections disco is popular and everything from "house" music to disco keeps passengers dancing till the wee hours.

Fitness and Recreation: The pool complex on the Lido Deck is the scene of live music around the pool. A topless sunbathing area is situated aft on the Verandah Deck. The Nautica Spa and fitness center includes a beauty salon, sauna and a gym offering pneumatic pressure machines, treadmills, stationary bikes, and Stairmasters. It's operated by Steiner, as on most cruise ships. Spa rates are pegged to the cruise passengers and are lower here than on the more upscale ships. There's a jogging track on Lido and a children's pool on Promenade deck.

Fellow Passengers: Lots of young couples and families choose this ship, partly because of the complimentary Camp Carnival program and the shorter cruises. However, it also draws a complement of singles.

Children's Programs: Families are a major market for Carnival and the minimum passenger age is 4 months with no ship maximum on the number of children allowed on a particular sailing. Kids pay the flat rate for third/fourth guests in a cabin. Parents should pay “tips” on children aged three and up.

Camp Carnival is divided into four categories. Toddlers (2 - 5), Juniors (6 - 8) Intermediate (9 - 11) and Teens (12-15). There’s a playroom for under-3s. Operating on sea days from 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. On days-in-port, Camp Carnival offers supervised free-play from arrival until 2 p.m.; scheduled activities run from 2 - 10 p.m. Babysitting is available on sea days and port days; cost is $6 for first child, $4 apiece for additional children and babysitting is a group activity (available from 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. in the children’s play room. The dining room features a “daily junior special” each day plus a regular kids menu with the usual staples (chicken nuggets, hot dogs, pizza, pb&j). On formal nights, counselors host a kids-only dinner at the Lido buffet. Diapers are sold in the infirmary, and there’s a turndown service featuring fresh baked chocolate chip cookies at bed-time. Carnival also offers teen-only shore excursion outings and walkie-talkies available for rent onboard. A Fountain Fun Card ($9 - $23 depending on length of cruise) is available for the under-21 set.

Tipping: The line suggests $3.50 per person per day for the cabin steward and table waiter, $2 per person per day for assistant waiters and additional tipping for maitre d' and head waiter. Tips for drinks are included in bar bills.

Clothing: The Holiday is a casual cruise. There is only one formal night, and most gentlemen opt for a suit and tie as opposed to a tuxedo. Most ladies wear a short cocktail dress or a dressy pants outfit on formal nights. Other nights are casual, with most gentlemen wearing a sport shirt and long slacks and most ladies wearing a casual dress or skirt and blouse or pants outfit. Shorts are not permitted in the dining rooms at dinner. The dress is very casual during the day, with swimsuits, shorts and t-shirts being the rule. Swimsuits are not allowed in the dining rooms, but you may opt for casual breakfast and lunch on the lido deck or around the pool.