Carnival Spirit oh so pleasurable

THE length of three football fields and with endless levels, there is so much to explore on the cruise ship from waterslides to steakhouses, a theatre, casino and the kids club.

carnival spirit escape nov 3

A KIDS' club that stays open until 3am? This is my kind of boat.

I take my seasick pills, load up the family and we embark on an 18-hour Sydney-to-Sydney cruise to welcome the ship Carnival Spirit to Australia, its new home. Fifteen hours more than Gilligan's Island, yet nowhere near long enough to sample all its wares.

Still, I am able to eat on three occasions, including a fine meal at the ship's signature Nouveau steakhouse. Cruising is not just about food, but putting things into your mouth does play a significant role. Calories consumed at sea don't count, which is why lots of people on board are taking the opportunity to let loose.

On a deck by one of the pools the sizzle of burgers is impossible to ignore. It's noon, and with check-ins staggered to cope with the ship's 2000-plus capacity, we're still a few hours from setting sail.

Poolside, the happy people are lounging about drinking, making new friends, hoeing into burgers, fries and chicken schnitzels. An Australian flag flies and the DJ on an outdoor stage throws some Midnight Oil and INXS into the mix.

As the children splash about, I sneak off to check whether Carnival Spirit's outdoor grill has remembered the beetroot  - you can't have a burger in these parts without beetroot. They haven't forgotten and what's more, it's crinkle cut, and sits among the sort of vast salad and condiments section you'll find at a franchise diner in heartland America.

The Green Thunder waterslide, including a 10m almost-vertical drop, is another key lure. I'll blame my reticence on the queues.

The yellow Twister waterslide seems to go on and on. I manage it once, but once is nowhere near enough for the seven-year-old.

Near the Twister is a small playground with a giant bucket that fills with water and tips over. Ropes dangle  - pull on one and water comes gushing out  -  providing endless fun for the young ones.

Getting a handle on a ship of this magnitude  - it's nearly the length of three football fields  - takes a few days. Part of the fun of cruising is exploring the ship's labyrinths. There are three sets of grand formal staircases on Carnival Spirit: one at each end and one in the middle.

Keep wandering and you will eventually come across deckchairs, mini-golf, pools, spas, bars, a theatre, casino, medical centre, lounges, card room, sushi bar, library, restaurants, shops, cafes, chapel and the children's club, Camp Carnival.

There are glass-walled lifts and, in Nouveau steakhouse, a set of clear steps that you don't want to navigate until you've found your sea legs.

Built in Helsinki, registered in Malta and launched in 2001, Carnival Spirit is an impressive beast, whether you're sizing it up from on board or at ground level at Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal.

The largest cruise ship to call Australia home, it rises 53m above the waterline, enough to ensure it'll never sail under the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Its maximum speed is 24 knots (44km/h) and it carries up to 930 crew to cater to 2124 guests. The crew is unfailingly chirpy, helpful and polite.

Many staff are from developing nations and they work long hours to help loved ones at home. One, from Indonesia, tells me she has used wages for family medical costs and to build a house. Three more years and she'll be done with life on the high seas. "I want to start a family," she says.

We drop the youngsters at Camp Carnival and head to Nouveau steakhouse. There is a $30 fee for dining here, but it's a fair price given the quality of food. No complaints about the crab cake, steak with lobster tail and caramelised apples in puff pastry.

Among Camp Carnival's offerings are video games, toys, puzzles, board games, sand art, dance parties and crafts. The kids don't want to leave. And upon spying a box full of Mr Potato Heads, neither do I. 

-- The writer was a guest of Carnival Cruises. 

Carnival Spirit's forthcoming cruises include a nine-night Pacific Islands tour from Sydney on November 27 (Mare, Noumea, Lifou Isle, Isle Of Pines); and a 13-night New Zealand tour from Melbourne on February 16 next year (Fiordland Park, Point Chalmers, Christchurch, Wellington, Napier, Tauranga, Auckland).

Ph 1300 385 625 or see carnival.com.au