Writer Eric Amrine based this independent review on his 7-night Western Caribbean cruise departing from Galveston, Texas.

Barely six years old, Elation cuts a sleek white profile for a mid-size ship that carries more than 2,000 passengers. That’s because port and starboard sides lie unencumbered by the ubiquitous balconies that newer ships flaunt for many of their oceanview cabins. Aboard this officially branded “fun” ship, throngs of passengers chomp at the bit to join the party, or create one. The atrium soars from the main desk area up five more decks.

Elation departs Galveston each week for Belize, Cozumel, and Progreso on the Yucatan Peninsula. It’s the first ship outfitted with Azipod propulsion, now an industry standard, which nearly guarantee a smoother ride and happier motoring for the Captain and crew.

Why Elation?

• Price point: For a ship that has everything anyone would associate with a good time at sea -- dancing, music, food, parties -- Elation covers all bases quickly and simply at advantageous rates.
• Informality: Low fares and a heavy Texan presence equals a laid-back charm from staff and passengers alike.
• Spontaneity: Organized activities indoors and out nearly guarantees anything that can happen will happen, especially if it’s loud and loose.

Who should go
It’s the young and the youthful of middle-America who rule Elation, with some retirees looking for rejuvenation. Families with young children and early adolescents will find their charges pleasantly preoccupied with ship activities in the kids’ camp or hanging out poolside with other children. Even the cabin TV programming defaults at launch to MTV, so the 20-30 crowd will always be entertained by themed deck parties, the thrill of a vacation at sea, and most of all, themselves.

Who shouldn’t go
Upscale metropolitan travelers used to French perfection might find themselves fish out of water. Service is adequate and above, but waiters never force the hand and foot treatment, nor do most passengers expect that. The ship is quite comfortable and clean, but she’s also showing signs of age, wear, and disrepair if you look closely. Do not sail if you depend on made-to-order cuisine and 2-to-1 ratios of crew to passenger.

Heard on the deck (to a renowned psychiatrist): “With your income, why not yacht?”
His response: “Four kids, four answers: Tuition, tuition, tuition, tuition.”

Hits and misses

• Don’t miss: The Captain’s Cocktail Party -- the ship orchestra blasts “That’s Amore” as the Italian head officer strolls on stage, and an assortment of complimentary cocktails makes the rounds.
• Best part of the ship: The well-trod Promenade leads to the art deco flavored Cole Porter Lounge, the casino, a one-man-band country singer, two loud rock clubs, and a pleasant café with classical musicians.
• Best experience: Everyone can use the men’s or women’s steam room and dry sauna at no additional charge. Even in the tropics, some find the treatments indispensable.
• Best shipboard activities: Key members of the ship’s orchestra accompany passengers who perform in the Talent Show, filling in the holes and forgiving the missed notes or stilted material.
• Needs improvement: Attention to detail -- repair and replacement of worn or broken basic fixtures does not seem to be on the technicians’ task lists.
• Activities to skip: The Hairy Chest contest, by the main pool, hires a jury of women to announce the victor, but only after the male competitors’ wild dancing and stuff strutting.

How to meet the captain
The best and only time a typical passenger can meet the captain is during the Captain’s Cocktail Party. The kinetic Cruise Director introduces the Captain as the band strikes up “That’s Amore.” The Captain then brings out the chef to the tune of “Hot! Hot! Hot!” You can shake the master’s hand just outside the theater as you file out, but you’ll seldom see him the length of the cruise unless you have an exclusive party booked that includes him. There are no bridge tours offered.

Heard on the deck: “We booked our next cruise with Carnival… before we even left for this one.”

Imagination and Inspiration
Two main dining rooms, Imagination and Inspiration, seat passengers at five designated times per night, with one room open for informal breakfast and lunch. Versatile menus consist of the day’s specials and an array of imaginative desserts. Entrées focus on popular recipes and large portions using beef, lamb, chicken, and fish, each presented artfully with occasional ornate plate painting made from sauce swirls and garnishes -- out of character for a ship where informality is a way of life. Brief singing, dancing, and parading by the wait staff illustrates the festive occasion of dinner. While your entrée awaits delivery to your table somewhere back in the galley, the waiters may be doing the Macarena or a Baked Alaska parade by your table. At the request of the Italian maître d’, Asian and Eastern European waiters phonetically sing the words to O Solo Mio, in Italian.

Tiffany’s
Tiffany’s Buffet welcomes informal diners into an eatery bedecked in factory-molded facsimiles of the famous designer’s leaded glass work. Evening specials may include a large roast of ham, turkey, or beef and steam trays filled with side orders galore. It’s not an endless buffet, but ample in quantity, and Tiffany’s does a lot with a little. Occasionally, one of the two lines will feature savory preparations of Indian or Mexican dishes -- complete with pungent chutneys and a selection of salsas -- to complement the prevailing trio of meat, potatoes, and green vegetable medley. The always-open pizza counter bakes a remarkably soft and chewy crust to support the heavy mantle of cheese and delectable gourmet toppings, such as chevre, artichokes, wild mushrooms, and roasted garlic; passengers boast of tackling a few slices just before sitting for dinner. Across the hall, the frozen yogurt and soft-serve ice cream machines never rest. Machines dispense coffee, fruit beverages, and iced tea, but any other drink must be ordered from a waiter.

Heard on the deck: “I’ll really need to work this one off good to make room for dinner -- which is in about 45 minutes.”

Other Dining Options

• Lido Grill: There’s always a quick-moving line of famished passengers stocking up on cheeseburgers and fries, the former piled high with sautéed mushrooms and grilled onions. The cold salads may include marinated octopus or savory lentils.
• Musical Café: Easy to miss, this quiet hallway alcove serves up decadently rich desserts, ice cream, milk shakes, and espresso drinks. Jazz or classical combos occasionally play here in the evening.
• Room service: Tips may be appropriate, but otherwise, room service is complimentary. Choices include basic sandwiches, fruit plates, soups, salads, and desserts, and service is prompt.
• Sushi bar: The complimentary sushi bar operates from 5 to 8 PM.
• Midnight gala buffet: Once per cruise, Elation hosts this visual and culinary adventure in excess. Food is typical buffet, but the highlight is the desserts, all as rich as they look. The line opens at 11:30 PM just for oglers and photographers, with eating starting promptly at midnight.

Best dining

• Dish: Served up in three delectably sliceable pieces sprinkled or rubbed with spices, the pepper-seared Long Island duckling impresses with a moist and tender texture, and deserves to be more popular.
• Dessert: The dense and creamy chocolate decadence came and went too quickly.
• Restaurant: The two main restaurants are identical in style and menu choice, but Tiffany’s indoor and outdoor buffet lines win the popularity contest for lunches and breakfasts.
• Food seminar: The Mikado Theater fills up with eager participants waiting for the galley tour, which is preceded by an engaging presentation of the cold, hard facts about the tonnage of fresh food prepared daily.

How to…

• Get a table for two: The main restaurants are primarily filled with booths and tables for six or more, but there may be some smaller tables available. If there is a special occasion, it never hurts to ask the hostess or maître d’ for a favor.
• Celebrate a birthday or anniversary: Simply ask your head waiter on the fly or consult the maître d’ in advance of your celebration. Singing ensues, with “Happy Birthday” often ending up sounding like a Baltic drinking song.
• Change seating: Elation has no flexible dining structure, other than the buffet lines, so if you want to change times or tables you must ask the maître d’ at your assigned dining room.
• Dress for formal night: Men wear dark suits or coats and ties; a minority opt for tuxedoes or slightly upgraded casual attire. For women, the cocktail dress is the clear favorite, whether in silk, taffeta, or sequins.
• Dress for casual night: Women have more freedom to interpret resort casual with style and flair. For men, anything but T-shirts, shorts, and sandals seems to make the grade.

Passenger cabins line unadorned hallways with carpeting that’s seen better days. Each minimally furnished cabin embraces utilitarian principles rather than lofty designer concepts. Forget feng shui or modern pastels -- think pleasant and very basic furnishings. Extra bunks fold into the walls, commandeering most of the available space in standard cabins for two or four. Single beds line the walls at right angles, or can combine for queen-size sleeping. Furniture consists of a small chair, desk, and ottoman, making the rooms relatively spacious. Storage includes a hall closet and a built-in unit with shelving, security safe, and more space to hang clothing. Bed sheets are soft and in good shape, and pillows may be flat or fluffy. There is no refrigerator or cooling device, but the steward brings ice twice a day. Fluorescent lighting dominates hallways and cabins, except for two built-in reading lamps. Elation scores points with large bathrooms (by cruise ship standards) and shower hardware with two spray settings and adjustable height.

Heard on the deck: “Why do they keep putting butter patties on my pillow?”

Cabins for guests with disabilities
Elation makes every effort to accommodate disabled guests, and all public areas -- including Sports Deck -- are accessible by elevator. However, the hallways do not have railings, and those who need transportation with lifts may have to arrange alternative means for transfers or shore excursions.

Heard on the deck: “I keep forgetting that all these people keep cleaning up after me.”

Tips:

• Passenger deck hallways and many cabins are nonsmoking. Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you are bothered by smoke in a nonsmoking area.
• Make sure you are not staying above the main entrance on Deck 3. Otherwise, you’ll be the first passenger awake on port days when doors open and gangways clatter.
• Ships often sail at or near full capacity, so if you plan to ask for an upgrade at check-in, it pays to be early.

Crowds form for art shows and the auction in the Cole Porter Room, and for the required at-sea game of high stakes bingo in the Shogun-flavored Mikado Lounge. The Mark Twain library and card room attract an older, settled, and sedate crowd, while several rockin’ establishments don’t even open until after hours, at which time a live dance band tries to motivate passengers into calorie burning revelry, or dee-jays blast life into a singles party that starts after midnight. Smokers may find themselves butted out of many indoor areas, although the large and roomy outside decks have wall-mounted ashtrays serving as an invitation to light up.

Bars, lounges, and casino
The Plaza Bar shares the atrium floor with the Internet Café and the Information Desk, and is a great place to get dizzy watching glass elevators travel up five floors. Duke’s piano lounge provides smokers moorage, and features jazz standards sung by the pianist in such a whisper you’ll think you’re imagining it. The calming gold hues and soft deco curves of the Cole Porter Room pacify and make quiet reflection easy. The lengthy Drama Bar offers welcome respite from its more kinetic neighbors: The hopeful atmosphere in the large Casablanca Casino around the corner; the inviting live dance band at Romeo and Juliet a few steps away; the dee-jay’s bass-heavy thrum inside Jekyll and Hyde; and the nearby solo country singer, complete with ten-gallon hat and pointed boots, strumming away. Look for the string trio, sometimes with piano accompaniment, performing in the atrium on occasion. The house classical pianist performs in the Musical Café as well, and often looks carried away with the melody.

Swimming pools
Perhaps because the main pool reserves nearly half its area for the tall blue waterslide’s landing path, it doesn’t get much action. Adjacent hot tubs do, however, with ample circumference so groups as large as nine adults can fit in snugly, if not comfortably. Depending on whether school’s in session or not, the children’s pool can be unusually quiet, but so is the Verandah Deck pool, where two hot tubs bubble away without much of a crowd. Deck chairs near all the pools fill up as soon as the sun’s rays begin to peak over the ship’s railings. None can be reserved, but when poolside is full, seek out chairs along the teak decks which look down from above.

Shows
Several cuts above even the best Vegas-style shows at sea, Elation’s use of a live orchestra on stage adds sparkle and life to the productions that otherwise might seem lackluster. Musical flourishes and embellishments spice up everything from standard Broadway show music to a Blues Brothers tribute. Elation has a fascination with comedians as well. Comics stand up to full houses for several performances each cruise, and one begins as late as midnight. Main performances timed to dovetail with the completion of each dinner seating allow for some creative ways of dividing up an evening. If you have an early dinner seating, you can sample the early show afterwards and return during the late show to see your favorite highlights or parts you missed.

Shore excursions
Viewing Elation’s price list and generous quantity of shore excursions online gives a great heads up. But there is no booking ahead for tours. As soon as you arrive onboard after check-in, get in the line at the Shore Excursions desk. The phone lines will be so busy to the point of useless, and nothing works better than face-to-face appointment making. If you don’t mind waiting for confirmation, simply drop the order form in the nearby drop box. Unless space runs out, tours can be booked as late as one day before departure. Likewise, feel free to cancel booked excursions within the designated time limit. It’s a little frantic leaving the ship, since groups do not preassemble for all the tours. Keep an eye peeled for signs posted with your destination.

Weddings and vow renewals
Prices begin at $750 for a basic onboard wedding package that includes the cake, officiating officer, bridal bouquet, champagne, and more. More elaborate wedding programs may include remote locations while the ship is in port, but you need to ensure such packages apply to your cruise. Alternatively, you may simply hire one of the ship’s photographers to capture a special moment on your own.

Weddings and vow renewals
Prices begin at $750 for a basic onboard wedding package that includes the cake, officiating officer, bridal bouquet, champagne, and more. More elaborate wedding programs may include remote locations while the ship is in port, but you need to ensure such packages apply to your cruise. Alternatively, you may simply hire one of the ship’s photographers to capture a special moment on your own.

Looking for…

• Quietest spot: Duke’s, the smoky piano bar, opens only after dinner. When closed, it’s a dark haven away from people and activity. Open, it’s nearly as still, save for a few mellow chords and the singer’s whisper.
• Liveliest spot: Lido Deck’s waterslide attracts kids of all ages and the full reggae band supplies the soundtrack for soaking up sunshine with cold beverage in hand.
• Most popular spot: Tiffany’s quick-moving line of passengers hungry for huge burgers and fries with deliciously gloppy toppings.
• Best view: Sun Deck allows unobstructed views of the horizon forward, as does the upper deck just below the aft funnel, which is also a popular people-watching perch.
• Best show: Captive audiences flock to stand-up comic routines, with standing-room only crowds for most shows.
• Best show: The non-competitive Passenger Talent Show -- with the help of the Elation Orchestra, almost no one sounds terrible.
• Best drink: Deck bars sell beer by the bucket, but daily specials on drinks with inventive names bring brisk sales for the bartender. Most appropriate drink name: Ultimate Suntan, a sweet concoction of blackberry brandy, dark rum, banana cream, orange juice, lemonade, and grenadine.

Heard on the deck (from a wife to her husband on embarkation day): “Where are we going next year?”
His reply: “Why wait a year?”

Tips:

• Attend the art auction in the Cole Porter Room. There’s something for all tastes priced to sell, and free champagne never hurts.
• If you want to talk shop with the one who hires much of the talent on this ship, the orchestra’s band leader unwinds at Duke’s after the last show of the night.
• Cabin literature suggesting that the provided beach towel is your daily allowance contradicts the availability of more towels at a table on deck. Simply show your key card to obtain towels poolside.
• Keep your eye open for special deals on Bloody Marys in the AM, and other bar price breaks each day.
• The top deck aft that wraps around the funnel allows topless sunbathing, but restricts access to minors and disallows photographic equipment.

Spa and salon
Spa Carnival stays open 8 AM until 10 PM daily. Body treatments include hot-stone, Swedish, and deep tissue massages at reasonable prices; along with more expensive image-improvement regimens such as teeth whitening, cellulite reduction, and exfoliation with exotic ingredients that would make a fine cocktail, like lime, salt crystals, and ginger. Patrons may wait in the unassuming lobby area by the desk, usually hopping with heavy foot traffic and incoming phone calls for appointments or cancellations, or choose to take a sauna or steam bath prior to scheduled appointments. While the public areas leave a lot to the imagination, the treatment rooms succeed in creating a serene and comfortable space. That said, it’s clear that the running track one deck above gets a lot of use.

Fitness areas
The gym is fully stocked with elliptical trainers, treadmills, stationary bicycles, stairclimbers, and more. The steam bath and sauna are free for all passengers, but could stand to be serviced more often by the maintenance and cleaning staff, and some hardware was missing or nonfunctional. Note special deals posted daily in cabin literature for $99 fitness specials, where you choose three sessions from a list that includes Pilates, yoga, metabolism tests, personal training, body detox consultations, and physio ball exercises.

Heard on the deck: “Hot tub and steam bath in the morning, steam bath in the evening, I’m all set for more relaxation.”

Tips:

• Expect deep tissue massage to live up to its name. It’s strictly not for the meek and mild.
• Make sure to cancel appointments 24 hours in advance or pay a 50 percent penalty.
• Bring a water bottle with you whenever you head to the spa or gym. The only source here is a water fountain, and no cups are provided.
• The showers near the changing area feature deluxe four-head nozzles and heavy water pressure. Consider bathing there just to escape the basic cabin unit.
• Frequent pickup basketball games arise in any large and predominantly young group. There’s always room for one more.

Heard on the deck: “The seaweed wrap was awesome and nothing short of divine, although I felt like I was covered in pesto the whole time.”

Even on sale days when hallways outside the Galleria shops fill with crowds and merchandise reduced by a third or half, it’s still soft sell. Stores sell moderately priced gems, watches, costume jewelry of every size and stripe, Carnival souvenir items, and Carnival merchandise such as sportswear emblazoned with cruise line graphics. Promotions may include even further discounts on tax- and duty-free alcohol, where samples are generously provided; or raffle tickets to win $250 Galleria shipboard credit. Sidewalk sales occur daily, so don’t miss them if you’re in a shopping mood. Listen to the Shopping Director’s presentations to familiarize yourself with the cruise line’s preferred retail jewelry outlets and other details of shopping ashore. Otherwise, it’s always buyer beware.

Tips:

• Generally, the ship’s duty-free liquor prices are unbeatable, and they are not shy about saying so.
• Don’t hesitate to begin bargaining at less than half a listed price in stores near the pier. You may notice the price dropping significantly the further you walk from the ship.

Children from 2 to 92 have lots to do aboard Elation. There’s a small video arcade on Promenade Deck, while high above the atrium Camp Carnival thrives with young children. Expect all the right ingredients for your children’s entertainment from a staff of 13. Activities include ping-pong tournaments, pizza and ice cream parties, computer lab activities, volleyball games, finger painting, building with Legos -- basically, a lot for a relatively small space. Fees apply only for kids two and younger, and formal babysitting after 10 PM costs $6 per hour for each child.

Heard on the deck: “My daughter doesn’t ever want to be picked up from Camp Carnival. She’s already asked me if she can stay here when I get off the ship.”

Tip: Don’t forget to pick up any artwork your child may have produced in a guided activity. Look for it outside the door to Camp Carnival.

Elation sails from Galveston to Progreso, Cozumel, and Belize City on seven-night Western Caribbean cruises all year.

Heard on the deck: “My boyfriend and I want to apply for work onboard in the summer after our first year in college. It looks like fun.”

• Cruise line - Carnival
• Ship name - Elation
• Type of cruise - Fun/Casual
• Total cabins - 1021
• Private balcony cabins - 54
• Decks - 10
• Passenger capacity - 2052
• Total crew - 920
• Officers nationality - Italian
• Ship size - Large
• Year entered service - 1998
• Tonnage - 70367
• Ship length - 855
• Registry - Panama