Writer Lee Ann Christensen based this independent review on her 3-night Bahamas cruise departing from Miami, Florida.

Fascination is a 60-hour floating party. Built in 1994, she’s middle-aged in cruising terms but holding up nicely, with few blemishes and a Hollywood theme adding a touch of glamour, from the plantation-style, Gone with the Wind-themed Tara Library to the glitzy James Bond-ish Diamonds Are Forever disco and Casino Royale. Passengers won’t find rock-climbing walls, alternative restaurants, or half a dozen swimming pools, but they will find an energetic staff and fellow travelers taking the “fun ship” theme to heart.

Heard on the deck: “I’m nobody’s mother this weekend. It’s all about me, me, me…”

Why Fascination?

• Passengers: Spend the weekend with a young, exuberant, loud, yet easy-going crowd interested in drinking, dancing, and relaxing.
• Affordability: Get all you can eat plus 3 or 4 nights at sea for less than you’d pay on most other ships – or hotels for that matter – and oceanview upgrades for unheard-of low prices.
• Nightlife: Find packed lounges every night, from the disco to the piano bar to boisterous karaoke to Vegas-style shows (Tip: Weekend sailings deliver the rowdiest nightlife).

Who should go
All age ranges are represented, but this ship really caters to passengers in their 20s through 40s. Passengers make the most of their short time at sea, with weekend cruises quickly becoming 60-hour celebrations -- not much of an early-night crowd on this ship. Short, inexpensive flights from the country’s heartland make this a popular cruise for Midwesterners, and the short itineraries are a good option for first-timers wanting a taste of cruising.

Who shouldn’t go
This ship doesn’t cater to cruisers looking for a quiet respite or a variety of cultural activities.

Hits and misses

• Don’t miss: 88, the piano bar -- don’t let standing room only stand in your way
• Best part of the ship: Any of the lounges after dark, decorated in over-the-top Hollywood themes
• Best experience: The totally underused waterslide
• Best shipboard activities: Watching couples embarrass each other at the Newlywed game, and seeing some surprisingly talented performers at the passenger talent show
• Needs improvement: Too few dining options
• Activities to skip: The art auction -- If you’re a Thomas Kinkade fan, this may be your thing; otherwise, get the free champagne and head for the sun

How to meet the captain
This ship has no captain’s table per se, but you can meet him at the captain’s reception held on formal night. You’ll know who he is: The charming fellow in his formal white uniform happily greeting the crowd. Have your photo taken together, and be sure to pick up a couple of free cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.

Sensation and Inspiration
The main dining rooms serve all meals, with breakfast and lunch open-seating and dinner at assigned times and tables. Food here is the best on the ship, especially at dinner, where satisfied passengers indulge in fresh fish topped with creative sauces, tasty soups and salads, and rich desserts -- amazing what a pastry chef can do with chocolate and liqueur. Wait staff is friendly but sometimes forgetful -- just smile and remind them about your missing drink and you’ll see it quickly.

Tips:

• If you’re claustrophobic, avoid tables for six; they’re actually cramped booths.
• Don’t miss Sensation’s Grand Gala Buffet. The dragon ice sculpture is truly a work of art, with details so fine that it’s a shame it has to melt. Food is limited to basic breads, meats, and cheeses, and the desserts – cakes, pies, mousses, pastries, you name it – are a huge hit.

Coconut Grove
This ubiquitous buffet restaurant is open for all meals (with the exception of dinner the last night, which is only served in the main dining rooms). Cuisine leaves much to be desired, but it’s the best spot for a quick meal on the go. Pizza is always available, though varieties are limited. The grill serves many of the same selections you’ll find in the restaurant, plus the very popular hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries.

Other dining options

• Sushi bar – Sushi is palatable (and free), but hours are limited and portions are ridiculously small. Order multiple pieces, as one California roll really means one very small slice of a roll.
• Room service – Room service is free (a small tip is customary), but the menu is limited to cold, pre-made, on-the-go options, with no ordering off the main dining room menu during dinner.

Best dining

• Dish: Lobster tail, fairly new to Carnival cruises and on the first or second night’s menu
• Dessert: Grand Marnier cake
• Restaurant: Main dining rooms, both for quality and selection
• Food seminar: Ice-carving demonstration: No ice-carving tips, but guests are able to watch a master at work, and the winner of the “guess what he’s carving” contest wins a gold ship on a stick (more on that in Entertainment and public areas)

How to…

• Get a table for two: Visit the maître d’ station a couple of hours before the ship departs Miami, and be flexible with dining times
• Celebrate a birthday or anniversary: Simply visit the maître d’ station the day before the event to get a cake at dinner, and maybe even a song
• Change seating: Visit the maître d’ station any time during the sailing; tables can often be changed daily based on nightly dining preferences
• Dress for formal night: Slacks and sports coats for men, with few tuxedos or dark suits; women often choose sundresses, with a few in evening gowns
• Dress for casual night: Slacks and oxfords for men, and skirts or slacks for women; some inevitably dress in shorts, a practice frowned upon by the staff
  
  Tip: While some ships may charge a small fee for dining at specialty restaurants, all dining onboard this ship is already included in the cost of the cruise.

Fascination was built in 1994 before the advent of cabins with balconies, so most are inside or oceanview. Most are a standard 186 square feet and come with TVs, telephones, desks, and bathrooms with showers. They’re fairly barebones: No bathtubs, hair dryers, clocks, refrigerators, or minibars. Ice is delivered nightly, and water and soda are sold in cabins for $2-3 per drink. Bathrooms have soap and shampoo dispensers and an array of toiletry samples, from new toothpaste and dental floss flavors to lotions and perfumes. Bedding is standard, as if staff knows not a lot of sleeping happens on this cruise.

Lounges are plentiful and days are packed with scheduled activities, most inviting direct passenger involvement (think “The Newlywed Game” and “Survivor at Sea,” Carnival’s versions of the popular TV programs). Contest winners occasionally receive gift shop merchandise, though most receive what the staff often refer to as a “24-karat gold plastic ship on a stick” (a most unique tchotchke: A gold-colored plastic cruise ship glued to a stick), something you’d never buy at home but will likely covet while on this cruise!

Bars, lounges, and casino
Fascination has a wide variety of bars, all appealing to different types -- Younger folks tend to frequent Diamonds are Forever whereas Passage to India is more popular with the middle-aged crowd. One bar that’s frequented by all is the 88 piano bar, where passengers of all ages sing along to pop tunes from the past three decades.

Weddings and vow renewals
Fascination houses no chapel, but ceremonies are performed in the lovely Tara Library a few hours before the ship sets sail. The ship does a great job of cordoning off the area during ceremonies, keeping them private.

Looking for…

• Quietest spot: The library or the Beverly Hills Bar (quiet areas are rare; even the Internet café is situated among Promenade Deck lounges)
• Liveliest spot: The casino -- as slot machines pay out and card players pack the tables, winners and watchers cheer with excitement
• Best view: Verandah Deck aft’s 270-degree ocean views from the hot tub, the small pool, or one of the many deck chairs
• Best drink: Daily blended drink specials, with such tasty concoctions as the fruity Funship Special, Bahama Mama, and Yellow Bird
• Best show: The Broadway tribute show, with lively dancing, singing, and somewhat risqué performances

Tips:

• For an extra dollar, daily drink specials come in a take-home glass, an inexpensive souvenir.
• Arrive at 88 early for a good seat -- as the night wears on, the bar becomes standing-room–only, with the crowd spilling into the hallway.

Spa and salon
Spa Carnival is the typical cruise ship spa offering the typical spa and salon services: Basic facials, hot-stone massage therapy, French manicures, pedicures, formal night updos, and the like. The waiting area is nothing special, and locker rooms are outdated. Expect to pay what you would on other cruise ships, a significant amount over land-based salons and spas.

Fitness areas
The large fitness center is filled with treadmills, Lifecycles, stair steppers, elliptical trainers, weight machines, and free weights. A spacious aerobics room schedules exercise classes throughout the day, including aerobics, kickboxing, Pilates, yoga, and spinning; most charge a $10 fee. The ship also has a walking track and golfing cage. Any time is a good time to visit -- lounges may be busy, but exercise areas are not, leaving personal trainers with a lot of extra time on their hands. The fitness center only has a drinking fountain, and no filtered water.

Tips:

• Interested in a free spa visit? Get to the ship early, head straight to the spa, and offer to be a model. If you don’t mind passengers watching you on their spa tours, your treatment is free.
• Hot tubs are packed with partiers, unless you go to the spa. The hot tub may be indoors, but oftentimes it’s completely empty. And though it’s not widely advertised, using the spa’s hot tub and sauna is free for all passengers.
• For reduced prices, visit the spa on port days, where rates generally drop 20 percent below those on days at sea.

Shops sell the standard duty-free items: Carnival logo paraphernalia, jewelry (think gold by the inch), basic clothing, cosmetics, perfume, and alcohol. Tuxedo rentals, fresh roses, and chocolate-covered cherries are all available from the Tuxedo shop. Alcohol purchases made in port or on the ship are held until the last night of the cruise, at which time impromptu parties fill the hallways. Passengers planning to shop in port should attend the onboard shopping seminars, where the full-time shopping expert gladly gives advice on the best and worst shops, what to pay, duty-free allowances, and more.

Tips:

• For a few free mini shots, head to the gift shops the first night of the cruise for free liquor tasting.
• Wait until late in the cruise to make your onboard purchases. You'll find increasingly better sales as the cruise progresses, including discounts on jewelry and perfume and two-for-one deals on T-shirts and souvenirs.

The children’s center is open to three- to 15-year-olds and the teens' center is open to 16- to 18-year-olds, with arts & crafts, meals, parties, and dances scheduled throughout the day and evening. Most children sail during summer and school holidays, but activities are scheduled year-round.

Fascination’s affordable 3- and 4-night Caribbean itineraries make her a popular ship. She sails out of Miami every Friday and Monday, stopping in Nassau on the weekend and Cozumel and Key West during the week. On weekends, the ship overnights in Nassau, but most people choose to explore the port by day and party onboard at night.

• Cruise line - Carnival
• Ship name - Fascination
• Type of cruise - Fun/Casual
• Total cabins - 1026
• Private balcony cabins - 54
• Decks - 10
• Passenger capacity - 2052
• Total crew - 920
• Officers nationality - Italian
• Ship size - Large
• Year entered service - 1994
• Tonnage - 70367
• Ship length - 855
• Registry - Bahamas