PrincessArlena'sDad

My guess is that those "plastic" golf balls are really biodegradable stuff that look/feel like plastic.

Regular golf balls do not float. Many (most?) mini-golf balls float so when they wind up in water features they are much easier to fish out. So they are less dense. But, most people probably couldn't tell the difference. They could easily break a window. The golf balls that I saw on Disney Fantasy were a light plastic that had a 0 chance of breaking a window no matter how hard you tried.

We were last there in 2018, when kids were 9 and 7, and they were already too big for the play area. It's more for younger kids, I think. It is a long walk from Cabana 9 (which is our favorite), but the ocean is much better than the play area at those ages! I'd just skip the play area. Cabana comes with snorkel gear and mats, those will keep them busy the entire day! Lunch is in the same place, a few minutes walk from cabana 9, but worth it for the quieter area. I don't think there is any food available for purchase, but you really don't need any. I don't think they replenish the snacks that comes with the cabana, but we don't know for sure because our group of 5 couldn't come close to finishing them. Well, they did replace them, actually, because the snacks got attacked by a wild chicken while we were in the ocean. We looked up and there it was, eating the fruit that we hadn't even opened yet!

They had cheap plastic balls on the Disney Fantasy in 2019, but real golf balls on the Pride in 2018.

Guest services wasn't just being difficult. They just don't have the accounting tools needed to accomplish that (though, they obviously should have it). The problem they face is that Carnival (like many others, including Disney) subcontracts out their gift card operations. When you need a refund for something paid for with a gift card, Carnival has to submit the refund request to the gift card contractor, and then the contractor sends the new gift card back to the customer. No money is actually exchanged during the refund request, as the gift card contractor has already paid Carnival the money for the previously sold gift card. Guest services just has no way of circumventing that accounting process to use the gift card credit for a different expenditure than the original purchase. I think the reason they don't is that while it would be relatively easy if identical priced items were being exchanged (as was in your case), but if the new items cost more or less than the original, and then those items needed a refund as well, trying to track back the original forms of payment for a refund or partial refund could get tricky.

We're doing a self guided walking tour CTB_Walkingguide_2015.pdf (ctfassets.net)

I wonder if this is a permanent change or they just haven't fixed it yet.

I haven't read anything since covid, but before covid it seemed to depend on how many kids were on the ship, if they're was room to move them around. I take it your kid is in 6th grade? This time of year, about half the 6th graders will be in circle c, half in CO. So he'll be with kids his own grade either way. But, do you cruse often? Will he get 1-2 more chances to be in Circle C? If so, I'd put it this way.... it's his last chance to do CO. Has he been a shark yet? If he was born late August, and the cruise was early August, then virtually all the incoming 7th graders would be in Citcle C, so I would definitely ask to age up.

It's not a consistent thing. I've booked them as early as 9 months out, so probably sometime soon. Keep checking! We've booked the cabana twice, and they are really great.

We were heavily leaning towards Playa Mia. They at least have a large tent like area with tables and chairs where the buffet is to get out of the sun. But, instead I think we're going to do a catamaran snorkel and beach. It's only 1.5 hours on the beach, which will be good without much escape from the sun. Also, we have a cabana booked for Mahogany Bay, 2 days earlier.

Memory game has replaced the scratch game. 100 points prize for winning (one per day). But, they will also donate $1 to charity with each game play. So, go play! Let's see how much money we can collectively generate by the end of the week!

Our team is me telling my wife what to write down, and then she writes down something else. And we get it right.

Same here. I just wish they'd do something to make the countdown interesting.

We'll be on Glory aug 13. Different ports. We're also driving to NO from a distance. But we're staying in Hattiesburg ms and diving the last <2 hours morning of. But we haven't decided what arrival time to try for. Looking forward to your report, maybe it'll help us figure it out.

As poster above said, don't bring the water shoes, you'll never get the sand out. But, wear sandals/crocks that can be easily rinsed off. Enjoy HMC. It is the best beach I've ever been to, by far.

It really is a sad that people cheat on trivia games. Wife and I often comment that they must have really poor self esteem if they feel the need to cheat on cruise ship trivia games in order to feel good about themselves. A few weeks ago, someone cheated on a trivia game (wrote down the answers when answers were announced for scoring) in order to win a plant.

My wife can't have dairy and likes the nut pods. The smallest container they come in is 11.2 oz, in milk like cartoons. Anyone have success or failure with this or similar?

This was with BJs, not Allstate, but I had Disney gift cards not show up (they were at a 4% discount, I think). Fed Ex tracking didn't have an update on the package for a few days, and their CSR didn't know where it was. I called BJs, and they said they would cancel the gift cards and send replacements. That same day, the gift cards showed up via fed ex, but the tracking number still showed not delivered. I called BJs back, and they were able to stop the canceling of the gift cards, and all was well. But, I would have gotten replacements if they never came.

So this only works on Apple devices? No workaround for Android?

Free laundry. Here's the full description. https://help.goccl.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3593/~/suite-amenities-and-perks

Yes, that is very helpful. But I think it is good for anyone reading this thread to realize there is a big difference in security between the whale lot and the Erato St terminal garage.

If you have a TA, they can add it for you, and it'll be added to the invoice with the cruise fare.

Which garage?

It really depends. For one, the number of guides for your tour can vary a lot, from a single bus driver, to 5-6. Also, it could be a 2 hour tour or a full day. And. even on the same tour, the range of tip amounts people give is huge. Just plan on giving what you feel is right. Take lots more cash than you think you need, and bring home what you don't use.

One other question, if I may. At IP, is there a place to get out of the sun? I know at PM, they have the tent like place where the food is. My wife is a red head that burns easily and needs sun breaks. Thanks!