Welcome to Your Favorites, where you have the opportunity to share your travel experiences with fellow Internet Travelers around the world.

Cape Canaveral Cruise Line

MS Dolphin IV

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Jay M.
# previous cruises: 1
Date of Trip: April 20, 2000
Itinerary: Bahamas

I remember the travel agent telling us "Well, it ain't Carnival, but the food is good." It's a good trip for a first-time cruise, but anything longer than 3 nights, no way. The boat's not as stable as the bigger ships, and boy, do you feel it. I'd call it intimate, though... It never felt very crowded and most of the folks, albeit they were older, were pretty friendly and relaxed.

The pool was a joke, way too small, and the water kept sloshing around the deck when the ship would pitch and roll, you'd get queasy looking at it. There was no spa/hot tub area, and the lido (pool area) bar was small, too. The dining rooms were quite accommodating and nicely decorated, the main lounge area & bar was large, but only two TV's for 500+ people on the whole ship! The sun decks were nice, plenty of chairs for everyone, with an old-style promenade that went all the way around the top deck. The "Disco," located down in the ship's bowels, if you could find it, felt like you were in some kind of upholstered cell. Maybe that's why it was always empty.

The food (at DINNER and BREAKFAST) was fabulous. Gourmet all the way, with menus you'd probably find at a swanky hotel, they even had chilled fruit soups. You could order more than one entree (or dessert) if you wanted to, and the wait staff were very good, and fast. This part CCCC managed to get right. The buffets (if you got there in time) could have been better, they were nothing special. Go to McD's when you get to port, you'll forget all about it. The room service & pursers were very good and attentive (if you could find one). The bar staff? Forget it. They had all of the pleasantness of a gang of thugs. All of 'em were a bunch of rude, moody jerks, who would call you names in Creole while you were still in earshot, and that's the main reason why I will not take another CCCC cruise again.

Adequate. We had a mid-level cabin, and that bed was still too small. Queen? More like a twin and a 1/4. Comfortable, though. We had a window (all of the cabins do) and two fold-down bunks, one which got loose and crashed down in the middle of the night during a ship pitch. Shower was okay, about phone-booth size, plenty of hot water, good pressure. The sink, BTW, will hold plenty of ice and cold drinks, as there's no fridge in the room. No phone or TV, either. You'll have to find other things to do...

The shows were okay, a nice diversion. I'll give 'em an A for effort. That Aussie cruise director dude kind of got on my nerves, though. He's even in a few of the shows. Too much karaoke, though. I HATE karaoke.

If you take the 3-night trip, you'll go to Freeport and Key West. In Freeport, do NOT walk around downtown by yourself. The local grifters will descend upon you faster than you won't believe. Either stay in the main casino or the straw market, or take the shore excursions to the resorts, Lucaya is beautiful, and it's worth the money. When you're in Key West, rent a scooter and explore the town. The beaches aren't all that great, but fun is literally everywhere. Don't miss the sunset. The ship's photographers were everywhere, and most of the pix pkgs were reasonable.

CCCC caters to two types: Cheapskates (me) and the Seniors, pretty much mixing things up. Not many singles on board, we saw a few families with kids, didn't notice any drunks, miscreants or shady characters like maybe you'd find on other lines. Generally it's an older crowd, though.