It would be virtually impossible for anyone cruising on Ecstasy not to get into the spirit of this regional sailing out of Galveston, Texas. Guest capacity is 2,052 and it seems that a large number of passengers are from Texas and nearby states. Indeed, perhaps appropriate to a U.S. homeport, it is a havey "drive-to" cruise, which makes it even more appealing in the days of ever-higher air fares and airline snafus.Carnival Ecstasy Accommodations
Ecstasy's 1,026 rooms break down into 14 categories, but they essentially can be grouped into four main ones: Penthouse Suites (28), Suites (26) Ocean View Staterooms (564) and Inside Staterooms (508).
The Penthouse Suites and Suites are the only rooms with balconies, while six of the penthouses have obstructed views. Nineteen of the inside cabins have upper and lower beds, while the forward-placed outside rooms have portholes instead of picture windows. An ocean-view stateroom on this cruise is comfortably sized and furnished.
Public Areas: Ecstasy's public rooms and spaces occupy virtually all of Deck 8 and above. Only the suites on Deck 11 are separated from the cabins on Decks 4 through 7. The public space starts, though, on Deck 7 midships with the purser's and shore excursion desks, as well as a lobby bar that serves perfectly as a meeting place. Decks 8 and 9 have most of the restaurants, show rooms, shopping, bars and the casino. Carnival also features a stretch of bars with all kinds of different live music for listening and dancing. These are usually packed at night and busy well into the wee hours. And of course, the casino is hopping both day and night.
The upper decks with the pools, spa and gym, plus a casual restaurant are busy on the two days at sea, but are usually not overcrowded. The ship was designed by Joe Farcus, who is responsible for the design on most of Carnival's fleet, so guests can expect a wide variety of styles and colors.
