Aboard the Carnival Ecstasy…
One of the things that’s always puzzled us about golf — and there are hundreds of such personal dilemmas about this infuriating game — is what seems to be an obsession with playing early. Like, let’s get it out of the way so we can get on with our day…and many times these are with golfers who are retired and have nothing but time.
So as we made our way to deck 14 of the Ecstasy to check out the mini-golf in mid-morning, it was no surprise to see the course was jammed. On one hole, there were three groups! Now, when you’re on a cruise ship, whether you’re retired or not…you may as well be. Where’s there to go? What’s the panic? What’s wrong with afternoon golf?
We’ll show them. We’ll come back when nobody’s here. In the afternoon.
Golf is golf, whether it’s played with 14 clubs and Pro V1s or plastic putters and colored balls. On cruise ships, or at least on the Ecstasy, by afternoon the early-morning crowd was off to the water slides or the pool or just doing all those things that motivate golfers to get it out of the way before lunch. Some of us think the best time to play…is any time.
This course may not be a Robert Trent Jones design, but it’s no muni. In addition to the usual twists and tunnels, this course has sand traps on a third of its nine holes. We’ve all seen water holes and rock gardens in mini-golf…but sand traps?
The course is on the front of the Ecstasy, and it comes with a gallery — spectators walking or running the fitness track around the perimeter of this Fantasy Class workhorse that sails Western Caribbean cruises out of Galveston. Carnival calls its fleet “fun ships” and golfers seem to buy into it.
Lots of cruise ships have mini-golf courses but this is the first one we’ve seen where you can work on your putting and sand shots, too.
In the afternoon, of course.