haply

We just returned from a 4-day Liberty cruise out of Port Canaveral and had a surprisingly good time! Our past few cruises have been on Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, so decided to give Carnival a try and were very glad that we did.

It was a moms-kids-nana cruise and we had two balcony rooms next to each other on the sixth deck. The balcony rooms were larger than the Royal or Norwegian ones. Our porter also opened up the balcony divider between our rooms, and it was nice to have one large balcony between the two rooms (Norwegian did not allow us to open up the balcony divider on our last two cruises). The beds were really comfortable with nice linens. The room was dated but very clean and functional. Everything was in working order. One thing that was unique to Carnival is that the porter only cleans/visits once per day (not a big deal though for us, except missed the twice-per-day ice refill and turn-down service).

Both pool areas and the serenity deck were crowded but manageable (definitely not as crowded as other ships, especially with a sold-out cruise). The entertainment staff were GREAT (the best out of all the cruises/cruise lines). I really enjoyed the lively and happy atmosphere. There was always fun music and activities at the main pool, etc. The kids club was well-run and our kids asked to go every day. They even gave the kids a small backpack at the end of the cruise. Also really liked the Dr. Seuss stuff. Norwegian had discontinued their Nickelodeon theme, so really appreciated the characters, etc.

The variety of bar service was also really good. There was never a long line for drinks anywhere in the ship. I did not purchase the drink package on this cruise as we were in port for two of the four days. Carnival does allow you to bring a case of can sodas and two bottles of wine without a fee if you keep it in your room (unlike the other cruise lines). I opened/poured the wine in my room and brought it to the dining room, etc. without any problems. Carnival also lets you purchase bottled water for $4 per case that is delivered to your room (a really nice perk as Norwegian charges over $30 per case for the bottled water). I think that I will definitely take advantage of the drink package next time though as the Carnival drink package is very generous. For around $50 per day it includes pretty much everything (any drink under $50, bottled water, specialty coffee, sports water, etc). The drink package on our other cruise line was more expensive and had a $15 per drink coverage limit, and did not cover bottled water or specialty coffees.

The buffet was GREAT, SUPER!!!!! Carnival has nailed this with Guys burgers, mexican burrito/wrap place, stir-fry wok place, bbq place (excellent macaroni & cheese), pizza oven and a made to order grill. The Liberty had duplicate buffet lines that moved quickly. The desserts on Carnival were really good also. They had a chocolate buffet one day that were upper-end restaurant quality.

The dining room service was hit or miss. The food was good cruise/all-inclusive quality. The service however was excruciatingly slow, running about 20 to 30 minutes between each course. They have a different/separate person doing the drinks, so it took us a long time to get iced tea, coffee, etc (and forget about ever getting refills). We had to skip desserts two days so we would not miss a show. We had the my-time-dining. I do not like two-hour dinners, but nana does, so keep that in mind. We did go eat in the dining room for the sea-day brunch, which was really good.

The entertainment and nighttime entertainment is definitely geared towards the 20's to 40's crowd (and the 50's young-at-heart). It was nice to have several comedy shows every night. There were dance clubs, karaoke, deck parties, etc. nightly. The broad-way-type shows were lacking and not very good however. Nana and aunt, who enjoy the broadway-type, classical song-and-dance shows, were disappointed. I will probably choose another line if ever sailing with some of my older/elderly relatives.

We did do two excursions as Carnival offered the special 20% off deal if you bundled your excursions and purchased them within 24 hours of booking your cruise. We did the Blue Lagoon island in Nassau (our second time there). Love the Blue Lagoon, but it was quite disorganized getting there. They also drop you off outside the port, which is about a half a mile walk back to the boat (not fun with kids and lugging all of there stuff). We did the dolphin interaction in Freeport which was great! The Freeport docks at the industrial area however, which is not a nice area/view at all. I am glad that we visited the other side of Freeport for our excursion, which was much nicer. I hope that they can some day build a cruise dock on the other side of the island.

We did get the FTTF pass and were able to walk past the very long lines boarding the ship. Also helped being able to skip the guest services line. After 10+ cruises, I usually try to be one of the last ones off of the ship to avoid the lines (better than getting up at 7 AM to try to get off the ship first). As we were driving, we enjoyed a long breakfast, and got off the ship at the very end with no lines at about 9:30.

In summary, I really liked Carnival, in fact, I have already booked another one with my hubby and the kids. If you are a young or young-at-heart, highly recommend!

Thanksgiving has been a sold-out cruise with A LOT of kids, which was fine for us because we have kids. We were very happy with the Dawn's kids club staff and activities. The bars and pool areas are crowded but not unmanageable (especially with the Dawn having the stadium style seating around the pool). They did offer the traditional Thanksgiving dinner in the dining room but that was about it. They did not put up any Christmas decorations during our last two cruises on the Dawn. The Gulf/Mexico waters are still warm from the summer in November so the ocean and pools were very swim-able. The weather did not really cooperate both years however. November seems to be the rainy season in the Gulf/Cozumel/down the coast. We had about 50/50 rainy/storm days both years. Would like to maybe try the Eastern Caribbean ports some time for the Nov. sailing as the weather may be better? We really like New Orleans and the port of New Orleans. Embarkation and debarkation was organized and ran smoothly both years. New Orleans is a fabulous city to visit. Lot's of attractions including kid-friendly places to visit such as the Audubon zoo, Aquarium of the Americas, Insectarium, Children's museum, New Orleans City park and amusement park. Would definitely be worth spending some time before or after the cruise!

Thank you. We did book the excursion through Carnival so will most likely return directly to our dock. When we did the excursion through Royal Caribbean a couple of years ago, we were able to go back on the 4 PM ferry (again, took us directly back to our boat dock). Hoping that it will be the same this time around.

Hello. We are signed up for the Blue Lagoon excursion through our June Carnival cruise. Our ship is scheduled to leave Nassau at 5 PM. Will they make us take the 2 PM ferry back or allow us to take a later ferry? Really would like to spend more than a couple of hours on the island. Thanks in advance-

Was on the Dawn last Thanksgiving our of New Orleans, and this year will be the Pearl out of NO. The Dawn has a nice kids Dinosaur slide pool area in the back, which the Pearl does not have. Was hoping that they would put back in the pool slide in the Pearl, but seems like they did not. Our kids loved the kids buffet in the Dawn , but was taken out in 2016. Hoping that the Pearl will keep the kids buffet area in for the 2017 Thanksgiving cruise (usually around 700 kids on-board so they should!).

We have a group going to Blue Lagoon June 5th for the beach day. My dad has COPD and doesn't need to sit directly in the sun for a long period of time. Are there very shaded areas where he could come with us and enjoy the day with us in the shade? Also, is the food area/restaurant air conditioned so that he could go in there if need be?? Does the ferry run all day so he could leave if he needed to? Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

1. There were plenty of shaded areas when we went a couple of years ago.

2. The food/restaurant area is NOT air conditioned. In fact, I do not remember any air conditioned areas.

3. The departure ferry started running around 1 - 2, then every 1 1/2 to 2 hours (ours were 2 PM, then 4 PM). The ferry did take us right back to our cruise dock however.

We really enjoyed the Blue Lagoon. The ferry ride is 30 to 45 minutes and not air conditioned. Also, quite a walk from the dock to the lagoon/beach area (some sandy spots).

Thanks everyone. Traveling with two kids and "Nana" so late dining time will definitely NOT work. Want to maximize being able to get the early or any time dining slot. Booked through a travel agent so cannot do anything until I get on-board (called Carnival to check the waitlist status but they redirected to my TA, who told me that there is nothing she can do). Really do not like leaving things until the last minute/just more things that I have to do on-board. Guess I am heading straight to the matre'd when I get on board.

When we booked our June Liberty cruise they only had late dining time available. We are "wait-listed" for My Time Dining. If I purchased the FTTF, will I be able to choose my dining time (i.e. have a better chance of getting My Time or early dining)? Thanks in advance-

We do prepaid gratuities and will adjust if poor service. We also however "tip-as-we-go", for much better service. We usually give $ 5 per day for our steward (usually guarantees towel animals, extra towels, etc), $ 1 per drink to the bar tender (they do remember who tips), $ 1-2 buffet, $ 2-5 dining room meal/seating. For both cruises and AI's the service usually is much better when we tip. It just makes our vacation that much easier and enjoyable.

Blue Lagoon Island hands-down! We went to Blue Lagoon with our kids a couple of years ago and are going again next month on our June cruise. With such a short time in port however, I would only go if there is availability through your ship's excursion. The morning ferry leaves at 8:30 and 10:30 I believe. The return ferry starts around 1:30 so would be cutting it close to return to the ship (unless your ship's excursion department made a special return time for your tour). Blue Lagoon is very much like a private island without the crowds. Beautiful water (kid-friendly on the lagoon side). Lot's of beach trampolines, bouncy toys, etc (it was an extra $15 per kid for our excursion however). You can walk around and look at the dolphin and sea lion area. Good drinks (extra charge). Lot's of little "nooks" that you can sit and relax. Highly recommend!

The prices have definitely gone up, especially during the school holiday weeks. We are only able to travel when school is out, therefore relegated to paying higher prices. Kids-free promos are usually only offered during the off-months. We usually go on two to three vacations per year. Have been doing more AI resorts, which we find are becoming a better return for our $ (even with the airfare factored in). We usually choose the mid-size AI resorts on a nice beach, kids club, etc. Rooms are bigger, less running around/planning ahead, much less crowds/lines, nice beach every day, etc. I still like the "bling" of cruises, but AI resorts seem to be winning out lately.

Can anyone tell me if they still have the kids buffet area in the Pearl after the upgrades? I know that I am in the minority, however we really liked the kids buffet/dining area, and were really disappointed when removed from the Dawn. Thanks in advance.

Hello. Tried to pre-book the Dr. Seuss breakfast for our June Liberty cruise but not available/showing on-line. Called Carnival and was told that could only book/reserve once on the ship. Does this sound right? I usually like to book as much as possible prior to boarding. Thanks in advance-

The farther end of Mahuhal has quieter beach clubs. Pez Quadro has probably the better food, and a wide beach area, tables, lounge chairs, etc. Pez Quadro is part of/attached to the 40 Cannons hotel, so you get a bit more of a true restaurant food preparation. It is pretty quiet there though. Krazy Lobster and Tropicante is in the middle of Mahuhal, and are pretty lively. Music, free kayaks, etc. They also have good food, but not quite as good as Pez Quadro in my opinion. Blue Kay is closest to the cruise ships, but I have never eaten there. We went to Pez Quadro last year, but we chose to go to Krazy Lobster this year because were looking for a more lively atmosphere. It depends if you want good food and a quieter area, or a more lively area.

We took the Victor Bodden tour in November and did not enjoy it. We requested to go to the monkey place, then to West End beach. Our guide drove us around the slums for about 30 minutes (going the opposite direction). We then drove back another 30 minutes to the monkey place. We live in a big city and travel quite a bit, but it was still unnerving for us. We spent about 20 minutes at the monkey place (additional charge). We really disliked West End beach. Narrow beach, very crowded (with only one ship in town), and dirty. I know that people say that it is one of the best beaches, but not for us. We have been to much, much, better beaches. We did eat at Beachers, which was very good. We did not go ziplining or horse back riding so that may be a better experience for you. We will however not return to mainland Roatan. We will take a private snorkeling excursion off of the mainland if we ever return.

We spent the day with our 5 and 9-year olds at West Bay beach off our November cruise. We hated West Bay beach. There was only one cruise ship in town and it was very crowded, especially down by the Tabyana/Infinity Bay/Paradise/Bananarama end (where there is one ocean bouncy slide). They also allow boats to anchor directly at the beach/in the ocean down at the area so the water is very congested with boats. It is NOT quiet or peaceful at all. The beach is pretty narrow and filled with beach chairs, vendors, huts, etc. We ended up at the other end at the Henry Morgan resort (next to Beachers and Fosters). It was $ 10 per person for use of their beach/chairs or $ 15 per person to also be able to use their pool. They have a very wide beach area with security (also in front of a no-boat zone), which was a bit less crowded and the people were not "on top of eachother" as compared to the other end. The food and drinks were however awful at the Henry Morgan. We ended up walking next door to Beachers where the food and drinks were much better (although a very small beach front area). The kids did play in the sand and the ocean was easy to swim in. We travel quite a bit, and this is one of the places that I felt a bit uneasy and always "watched". We do not plan on returning to West Bay. Will probably do a snorkeling/catamaran excursion and stay off the mainland.

We took our first tour with Victor Bodden off our November cruise. Unlike most reviews, it was not very good. We requested the monkey park, then to West Bay. Our driver first took us on a very long detour (opposite way away from where we wanted to go) driving around the slums for about 45 minutes. We then had to drive back where we came from to the monkey farm. The monkey park was OK. We were then taken to West Bay to the Henry Morgan resort. We thoroughly disliked West Bay. Henry Morgan was probably the best option for West Bay (large beach frontage, security, pool, farther away from the busier end). The food and drinks at Henry Morgan however were awful. We ended walking next door to Beachers where the drinks and food were much, much, better. West Bay beach was dirty and crowded (with only one ship in town too). The beach is very narrow. Boats are allowed to anchor right into the beach/ocean instead of at the dock. Pretty trashy with vendors and people on top of each other. Walked down past Infinity Bay and Tabyana, both which had very small beach frontage. Very disappointed and never plan on returning. If we ever go on a cruise to Roatan again, will stay on the ship or take a snorkeling tour off of the mainland.

Just back from the Dawn and disappointed that they took out the kids buffet. Do you think that Norwegian is planning on taking out all of the kids buffets as they refurbish the ships?

We were on the Dawn last November, and going again tomorrow. We hit two big storms last year (enough to flood out/cancel most of the Belize excursions). 10 foot seas, etc. The ship was remarkably stable. We were on the 10th deck, aft, and felt little movement, slept fine, no sea sickness, etc.

We alternate between AI's and cruise vacations. We have recently found the AI's vacations in the Riviera Maya very reasonable. We get much larger rooms/living areas, great service, good kids clubs, activities, etc. for a bit less than a cruise price. You will not visit different ports as in cruises, however with the port-times becoming shorter, less of an issue for me. We will choose cruises within driving distance during holidays when the airfare prices are higher. Still enjoy the "bling" of cruises. Don't want to start a heated debate between the cruisecritic and tripadvisor crowd however....

This will be our second Thanksgiving sailing out of NO (currently the Dawn) with our kids and we love it! We like the medium-sized ship of the Dawn and Pearl. The Dawn has a great dinosaur pool/slides area in the back, and really hoping that they will put back in the pool slide for the Pearl during their refurbishment. Our kids really enjoyed the kids club also!

As far as Costa Maya, we chose to do our own beach day vs. Maya Chan. The Costa Maya port area is nice, with a large pool, but very touristy. It is really easy to take a $ 3 trolley (at the very end of the port area/exit) into town (About a 5-minute trolley ride. Not an option to walk as it is a busy high-way, etc.). There are many beach clubs along the beach walk-way in town. They will set you up with shaded tables/chairs, food/drinks, and beach activities. Some of the popular beach places include Blue Kay, Tropicante, Krazy Lobster, Pez Quedro (many reviews here and on trip advisor). We have not booked in advance, as we were the only ship in port both years. Maya Chan seemed nice, but we wanted the flexibility to "come and go" for our larger group (Maya Chan is a bit of a drive, but good service from what I hear).

New Orleans is a great city. Also a lot to do for kids such as the Aquarium of the Americas and Insectarium right downtown, Children's Museum, Audubon zoo, and City Park amusement park.

You can book your kids in another room as long as they are connecting. You will have to call however as the computer will not let you do it online. You can check them in online at http://www.ncl.com/oci. No sneaking required.

Thank you for the replies. Specific question regarding the beach blow-up toys/park however: the one at Playa Mia looks pretty far out, but the one at Paradise beach looks closer, with more variety. Anybody who has been to both Playa Mia and Paradise beach who can comment on the beach blow-up park? Thank you in advance.

We went to Maya Key last year and will not return. NOT a nice beach at all. Very muddy when you go in the water. Old beach chairs but all in the shade. They do have a small pool and animals, but do not choose Maya Key for the beach. Much nicer beaches in other parts of the island.

Hello

We are looking at taking 3 kids (5, 6 and 9) to a beach club with blow-up beach park/toys. The ones at Paradise beach look closer to shore? Which ones are more user-friendly (closer to shore, easier to get to, best variety, etc), especially for younger kids. Thank you in advance!