lulu_cruising

Was in NOLA over Halloween. The mall is closed due to renovations.

Awe! That sucks! Oh well, we'll survive.

I'll be cruising for the first time next week so thanks for the heads-up! I will also let my kids know that the balcony doors and cabin doors will slam loudly. I'm usually pretty conscientious about the doors anyways...I travel a fair amount and there's nothing more annoying than the slamming of doors in a hotel. I've had to go out in the hall more than once to ask young kids to be more considerate and they've always responded well to that. I suppose if I have a neighbor on the ship that does this I will take the time to mention it to them and hope they stop.

If it is raining too hard to go to the regular Café Du Monde just go to the Riverwalk Mall which is next to the cruise terminal, lots of interesting shops there. There is a Café du Monde in there where you can get Beignets and Café Au Lait.

Oh perfect, thank you! I have two teenage daughters, they will never complain about going to a mall!;)

Thanks Donna, I will. I'm really looking forward to showing the kids New Orleans. Both my husband and I have been there separately on business but never together, and never with the kids. Bring on the Beignets!

I suspect that if it rains during a sea day that my DH and I will be doing a pub crawl! The kids (teenagers) will probably find a quiet corner and read.

I think as the "planner" of this vacation I feel pressure to ensure everyone has a great time and everything is perfect. This is the kids Xmas gift this year so I'm really hoping the weather cooperates. I'm a bit of a control freak which is why weather can be so frustrating, it's completely out of my control! :)

I made the mistake of looking at extended forecasts...always a bad thing, they are never right and then you end up worrying unnecessarily. We are arriving in New Orleans on the 13th and they are showing rain rain and more rain for that weekend. Fingers crossed that the weather man continues to be completely wrong! :-)

I like that idea! :-)

I've read that the liquid lounge area is pretty small. I wonder how well the sunshine accommodates large groups of people having to be indoors. Personally, I don't mind the rain as long as it's warm out. Beats the heck out of the freezing rain and snow we're getting!

Thanks for the feedback! We're having such bad weather right now that I just can't wait for the warmth and hopefully a lot of sunshine!:)

I've never been on a cruise before and our family is booked on the Sunshine on December 15th. I'd love to hear what everyone does on a cruise when faced with rainy weather. I'm hoping that we get the typically beautiful weather that the Caribbean often has, but one must be prepared! So how do you spend your rainy days?

We're going to have a couple days before our December trip to enjoy New Orleans....the food pics look amazing! Can't wait.

Have your posted a review or your cruise yet?

I'm cruising for the first time too and will be on the Sunshine in December. I just read the reviews this morning and agree, they weren't very good. I just dismissed them, after all, a vacation is what you make of it. I also think that those with cruising experience have a set of expectations going in where as I have none. When we went to an all-inclusive in Jamaica last year it was the same thing, lots of bad reviews, but our first time there so we loved it.

We're booked in a balcony on deck 7 near the back. I don't know if this location will be good or bad either.

I'm cursing the breeze this cuming Sunday and I can't wait to try guys burgers.. I love a lot of bacon on my burger.. Too excited.. Lol!! Fat moment!! :)

hmmm, spelling error or Freudian slip? ;)

Self Assist. We got in around 6:00 a.m. more or less and they began self-assist a little after 7 or so. They called deck #1 and 1,200 people decended upon the lobby. One our friends had an early flight and we went to customer service the night before about it- they stated just come down when you want- nobody checks. So self assist took well over an hour. As an experienced cruiser who's been platinum for several years- we used to feel valued meeting in a room near the lobby and being "escorted" off orderly. Now it feels like half the ship leaves and loyal platinum guests are all but forgotten. Both embarkation and debarkation were chaoitic. First time cruising from New Orleans- so no frame of reference. I say chaos compared to the orderly fashion I've experienced in Miami, Baltimore, Port Caneveral and Tampa.

I was thinking of doing self assist but was going to wait until a little later to disembark. Do I have to go when called or could I wait until say, 8:30 and then leave?

Thank you for your review! I will be travelling on the sunshine December 15th and it will be my first cruise. I imagine as I have nothing to compare it to that I will be thrilled with everything!

***Best new feature was the Meritech Hand Washing stations!!!!!!!!*** all the kids used them and used them often. I'll beat this cruise had the best sanitization of passenger hands than any other Carnival cruise. One would simple insert hands into two holes, then the machine would run briefly like a dishwasher machine and sanitize your hands!!! Too cool.

I'll be on the December 15th Sunshine cruise and can't wait. Should I be nervous that one of the best things you can say about the cruise ship was it had an impressive hand sanitation process? :)

How was the food? Did you hear anything about changes to the menu? Were you happy with your room?

We cruise as 3, wife, daughter (8) and I. We each have a small roller that fits in a planes overhead. Plus my wife and I each grab a bag to carry quick to get things like books, paperwork, carry-on bottles of wine etc. My daughter also has her smaller school backpack. When moving we all roll our bags with the other resting on top. This is everything for the 7-10 days we are gone. With this set up there is never a need to check anything at the airport or at the Port ( no need to tip porters), plus we never have to wait for luggage or fear it will go missing.

Okay wow, that's impressive! There is no way I can get two teenage daughters in carry-on....oh who am I kidding, there's no way I can pack in a carry-on! :-)

and

 

Thank you! I can't wait to try them all!

There is a "new" menu on Carnival Sunshine.

I'll be on Sunshine in a couple weeks. Have the prices gone up? I'm curious about the martini prices...I plan on dedicating an entire day to martinis! :)

actually, back packs are a good idea. We wanted to bring them anyways for excursions, and we have FTTF so it's not like we need to lug them around. That might be easier for us than bringing a carry-on bag as we had planned on packing all our clothes into large suitcases for the flights and checking bags.

We use one bag for all of us in the cabin, and have never had any problem. Once, in Long Beach, the security screener counted all of us to make sure there were enough people for the wine bottles and soda (there were 10 of us so we had a number of bags), but it was no problem since we all boarded together.

Great, thanks!

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but if you are travelling with four people can you put all the wine, soda and water in one carry-on? Actually, it will probably take two small suitcases for everything.

WOW! It has been a long time since we had a "Robes in public" thread. I almost thought this issue had died.

 

I don't see many Old School CC members posting either.

 

This topic has debated countless times and there are people on both sides the aisle. IMHO, there is not solution. Unless you decide to outlaw robes or make them illegal or what have you. People will do what people will do. Its your choice to be bothered by it or not.

 

"Do I look bothered? No, I'm not bothered." (Any Catherine Tate fans?)

I'm a newbie so not familiar with previous threads, but I have to say, it won't bother me to see people in robes. I think my reaction would just be surprise, followed by humor at the situation. That being said, the visual the one poster had about robe sleeves dipping in the food grosses me out! :eek:

The only threads I seen on robes have all been about the possibility that they aren't washed between cruises...now that I've read that I think I'm going to find it very difficult to put one on anyways.

I think kids can get away with a lot more than adults.

 

My 5 year old wears cute kid PJs, I wear boxer shorts. You don't want me to sit in public in my boxer shorts…I promise… :eek:

lol, no that probably wouldn't be well received by most passengers! ;)

Hmm, this thread has me wondering. Do people wear their PJ's to the movie playing deck side at night? I could see letting my kids wear PJ's for that.