Renovations Make Ship a Holiday

In an attempt to provide something for everyone, especially first-time cruisers on its three- and four-day cruises to Ensenada, Carnival Cruise Lines’ Holiday has recently undergone a major renovation, adding a country-western club with line dancing, a white whale slide for the children’s wading pool and the first shipboard simulcasts of live horse races from thoroughbred tracks around the world that passengers can bet on.

While the ship was glitteringly avant-garde at its Miami inaugural in 1985 and extensively redecorated for its Los Angeles debut in 1995, it ran the risk of being overshadowed by the line’s recently arrived, brand-new Elation, which is also based year-round in Los Angeles.

In place of the Holiday’s Blue Lagoon Virtual Reality Center is a new lounge called Doc Holiday’s, decorated in natural woods and earth-tone Southwestern fabrics.

The video and arcade games are not gone, just relocated to a smaller room nearby called Cyber City.

In the renovated and expanded casino area, the new Ocean Turf Club offers the only live video simulcasts at sea of horse races by satellite from top tracks. Passengers can pick a horse and place a bet that is transmitted by satellite and confirmed with a betting slip in seconds. The odds and payouts are the same as at the track and winning bets are cashed at the ship’s casino window.

Jazzing up the enclosed promenade called Broadway, floored with shiny black tile, are stylized new “taxi” chairs in black, yellow and white, paired with yellow-and-white tile-topped tables.

The casual Lido buffet area has added 24-hour pizza service, self-serve ice cream and frozen yogurt machines, an expansive salad bar and a Caesar salad corner. Downstairs in the dining rooms, menus offer a choice of six main dishes at dinner, including a vegetarian specialty and a fresh fish. A wide selection of moderately priced wines is available by the glass or the bottle.

Unlike some cruise lines that have adopted 18 as the legal drinking age at sea, Carnival restricts alcohol to passengers 21 and older.

For the three-day cruise, the Holiday departs Los Angeles every Friday afternoon at 5:30 p.m., spends Saturday in Ensenada, then sails back on Sunday, arriving Monday morning at 8 a.m. Published brochure prices range from $609 to $1,029 per person, double occupancy, including port charges, and vary by accommodations and season. The lowest prices, in effect from September until mid-December, are for an inside (windowless) cabin with upper and lower berths. The highest fares are for summer sailings in a suite with private balcony, twin or king-size beds and separate sitting area.

On the four-day sailing, the ship leaves Monday afternoon at 5:30 p.m., spends Tuesday in Catalina, Wednesday in Ensenada and sails back on Thursday, arriving Friday morning at 8 a.m. Published brochure fares range from $699 to $1,199 per person, double occupancy.

Passengers who book well ahead of sailing time get a discount up to $600 per cabin on the three-day cruise, $700 on the four-day cruise.

First-time cruisers who are not sure they’ll like cruising can take advantage of Carnival’s Vacation Guarantee plan. If the passenger is unhappy with the cruise, he simply informs the information desk before the ship arrives in its first non-U.S. port of call. The line will refund the unused portion of the fare and provide air fare back to the port of embarkation.

To get a free color brochure, contact a travel agent or call (800) CARNIVAL.

Slater and Basch travel as guests of the cruise lines. Cruise Views appears the first and third week of every month.