Bonnie J.

My Husband could not join any military force. He had Polio in 1949 and has a result has two different shoe and leg sizes. I think he was 4F.

We were glad at the time because this was when men were drafted and the Vietnam war was going on. (We had 1 then 2 boys then). We had friends who never came back.

We now live very close to Camp LeJeune and also Cherry Point. Both are Marine bases but different. (One has new Marines the other only pilots for marine aviation).

You would be amazed at all the welcome home Desert Storm Marines got and all the Marines get when they come home. People stood with the American flag when the troops were bused by from our port. One elementary school had their students on the hospital grounds when our Marines went by!

All our TV stations report when any Marines come home with pictures of wifes hugging husband and the same with woman Marines.

This area on the NC coast is very proud of all Military and we make sure they know it!

We always let all Military know how much we thank them.!

We got to know the Hotel Director on a ship. He was from Buffalo, NY but lived in South America, in Uruguay. His wife joined him on a cruise in August and always brought extra suitcases. She would buy things here that she couldn't get in Uruguay. Once when she got home 2 of her 3 bags were lost. She got #2 in September. #3 finally turned up in Texas! No one could figure out why 2 bags were lost but she finally got all 3 suitcases!

We have been on 84 Carnival cruises (and other cruise line ships too, including 5 lines that no longer exist). Carnival has become a family cruise ship. I don't remember the last time I saw a drunk person on any Carnival ship, it is no longer a 'party ship'.

And it is known for its children's program. There is a Dr. Seuss parade led by the Cat In The Hat! with all the kids in it. They parade around the ship.

Don't hesitate to try the Breeze, you will enjoy it!

You are the only one who can use YOUR alcohol drink package and waiters make sure only you drink your drink. You cannot buy one for anyone else. And most ships require everyone, over 21 , in the same cabin, to buy the package but I am not sure if Carnival does this too.

I've never heard of buying 15 drinks each day but there is a dollar limit for the whole package the entire cruise. After you get to that amount, you then have to buy each drink. (think it might be $200.)

Ask this question on the Carnival board. (We just had our 84th Carnival cruise, after 20+ years, on Carnival but we don't drink enough to get the package.)

My husband had a complete knee replacement surgery last summer. It takes a good year for complete healing. He sees the surgeon next summer for final visit. His knee is still sore so he does not like to walk any distances. Tours should be in a bus, not one where you walk a lot. We have no problem just staying on the ship but we have been to most ports more then once. Just about all passengers go ashore so we have the ship almost to ourselves!

When we had a Carnival charge card (actually Barclay Bank) we would get $200 OBC, which we claimed, from them after spending $20,000. We weren't given it, we had to get it ourselves. (We were using this card to pay for rehabbing investment property.) We dropped it when the interest rate got too high though.

When we book on line with Carnival, we have gotten $25 OBC each. This is from Carnival.

I take the two allowed bottles of wine when we cruise. and we cruise a LOT. They look and make sure my wine bottles have completely sealed tops. Lately I think they can see this with the x-ray. But, there have been times I've ha d to open my carry on and show them the tops of the bottles. It is probably easy to see if the cork has been removed and put back. Screw tops are also sealed . An x ray can probably see is a bottle has been resealed.

If you go to Tulum you have to take a ferry from Cozumel. Then a long bus ride to the ruins. If you decide to go there, TAKE THE SHIP"S TOUR! If the tour is late for any reason the ship will not leave until the tour is back. If you take a private tour and are held up because of an accident or whatever, the ship will not wait for you to get back to the ship. It will just leave.Then you have to fly to get to the next port!

I don't think the ruins in Costa Maya are a long way like Tulum.

Our 1st Carnival cruise was on the Fantasy January 2, 1997. We went to Nassau & Freeport. Believe it or not I have our 1st sign 'nsail card for this cruise. I have fun giving it to a bar waiter. Once my 'number' was put in and it belonged to a then current passenger! You cabin number was on it as you had a key to your canin. Card was for drinks only.

Or, look up you history on Carnival. When I do this ALL our Carnival cruises come up with the date of each cruise!

You don't have to buy a tour to see these things in Chankanaab. This is a national park and you buy to tickets to whatever you want. We think the Dolphin Encounter is a waist of $$$. You stand on a platform with others and the dolphin swims by so you can pet it. Then it does a leap. Watch this before you pay to do it. but watching the swim with a dolphin is fun to watch. You don't pay to watch these 'shows'.

You do pay just to get into the park though. Its beach is huge! Google the park.

We were on Princess, a long time ago, and they had a pool that you swam against water. You could set the speed.If you didn't swim, you got pushed back to the other end of the pool. I forget what this is called. The pool did not have to be big for this. There was little use of this pool so maybe its now just a regular pool.

Sorry, don't remember the name of the ship but ask on the Princess site here and see if you can find it.

Carnival has a pool on some of their Serenity decks. This deck is for adults only, no smoking, and they mean that. ( I call the pools full of kids the pee pools!). On this deck, on the Sunshine, decks, 11,12 & 14, there is a waterfall from deck 14 to deck 11 but its only about 5 or 6 stokes to get across the pool.

Most cruise ships use the ocean water to fill their pools- that's why they are salty.

In Charleston you have to walk up a LONG steep ramp to get to deck 7 which is where guest services, tours and a bar are. This is where everyone but handicapped get on. Handicapped goes out a door and walks right to the crew entrance on deck 3. This is also the handicapped entrance where all in wheelchairs get on. My husband is handicapped but not in a wheelchair.(He's had heart surgery and knee replacement surgery.) They know us there but he's never been asked how he is handicapped.

In Port Canaveral it is a very long walk to get to the ship and hadicapped are usually the 1st to get on.

I am just deleting these posts! There are 16 Pages!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am post #318!!!!!There is nothing new and most of the posters are from UK. How many posters here on CC use or have been on any PO cruises?

After 16 pages what new can be posted and who cares now???????????

Without a doubt Cosol was one of the best , if not the very best, tour we have ever taken! And we have been cruising since 1985, more than 100+ tours. Check out everything on this tour on Google and you will see all you do. This includes a trip to a beach, by boat, to just below the Pitan Mts., stopping for free, more than you can eat, local foods and a very enjoyable tour!

All phone numbers come up on our TV screen and we only answer if we know the caller. Or it comes up on our house phone.Otherwise the caller always hangs up when they hear my message to a leave message. If it is a legitimate call they will start to leave a message and I'll pick up and answer.

When get a call on my cell, I tell them this is a Real Estate company, a business, take us off your call list.

My husband had a knee replacement and in Charleston usually gets on the ship on deck 3, the deck for the handicapped. He goes out the door onto the 'pier' and walks on the ship. This is where the crew comes and goes.

Twice when another ship was docked there- not its home port- he was told he'd have to walk up the long steep ramp to deck 7. He asked for a wheelchair and one appeared right away and he was wheeled on then off the ship.

The absolute last thing a cruise ship wants to do is be anywhere near a hurricane! If the hurricane is going to the Eastern Caribbean, the ship will go the the Western. And vice versa. You will never be near a hurricane on a cruise ship!

We were supposed to be on a 7 day cruise last year. But there was a hurricane and the 5 day cruise before ours couldn't get to its home port of Charleston, SC. They closed the port! The 5 day ended up an 8 day! Our 7 day became a 5 day and the only port would be an overnight in Nassau.

This was Carnival. ALL of the passengers on our 7 day were given the option of canceling and getting a full refund of their cruise fare. We had our fare just moved to a New Year's cruise on the same ship. The ship held 2200 passenger but only 800 sailed on her!

I'd have no question saying go with Carnival. They are known for their great kid's program. On one Carnival cruise we were on, there was just under 1,000 kids and we rarely saw any kids! Kids have so much fun, they don't want to leave the program. And Carnival has babysitting in the evening from 9 -or is it 10- until 2 or 3 am. But not in your cabin. It is like a big slumber party when kids fall asleep. But, it is not free there is a cost. You can ask on the Carnival board here on CC. what it is.

Every cruise they have a Dr. Seuss parade around the ship with all the kids matching in it. The Cat in the Hat often leads it. It is fun to watch and the kids love being in it!

We no longer like NCL but never been aware of their kid's program when we cruised NCL.

I can highly recommend Cosol tours in St Lucia! We have been on 100+ tours since our 1st cruise in 1984 and this was one of the BEST, if not the very best, tours we have ever taken.

Yes, it is a long tour but ours went over it by about 45 minutes. They are VERY aware of when you have to be back at the ship and we got back in plenty of time. There are a lot of stops including one where there was fantastic local food to sample free and one to a beach (we went by boat to get there) that was right by the Pituns. (Sp.?.)

In Barbadoes we snorkeled with the turtles- a private tour. In St. Maarten you can got to a nude beach if you want to. We had fun river tubing in St. Kitts, also a private tour.

There are many things to do in St. Thomas, can't say what we liked best.

We haven't done any ship's tours for years. You can find ones by Goggling tours on each island. The tours do not want to have anything but good reviews so you can count on them.

Also go to your Roll Call here on CC and see what others are doing on your cruise. We have joined people from our Roll Calls and done tours we've done together together.

First, don't take bonine because you think you will get seasick. This is not something you take thinking it will work the next day. Bonine is for feeling seasick and doesn't just prevent drowsiness it helps prevent being seasick. That is not quite feeling right, stomach not upset but not quite right , you just want to lie down.

You can also get bracelets in any drug store that you wear to also prevent seasickness. You just put them on in the morning. They have pressure points on your wrists to combate getting sea sick - and you can drink as much as you want wearing them. And there is a limit for the amount of alcohol you buy in all the drink packages. and you cannot buy anyone else a drinlk with it. It is for you only!

If you re supposed to be at the dining room at the 1st or 2nd times, then you are there at that time! The waiter takes everyone's dinner orders at the same time and brings all the dinners at the sametime. He will ask everyone if they want to order or wait for the missing people. Usually they sat to order now, why hold entire table's order up? If you are late, he then has to take your order and this throws his schedule off. He has to go get your order after every else's is being put together. Being late is very rude for others at your table and the wait staff.

Just see the maitre'd and asked to be moved ti the later time. There is a time in the afternoon the day you board for passengers to see the maitre'd and ask for changes or other dining questions. If you go at 1st seating, you can also ask him then to change your times.

Or, go to the buffet and eat dinner there- but this is not the same as eating in the dining room.

We have been on 100+ cruises since 1985 and HATE anytime dining. We also do not like he 1st seating time either! With traditional your waiter will get to know you and what you'd like, My husband asks for milk on 1st night. Then the waiter knows this and brings milk without being asked every night. You get to know your tablemates and enjoy seeing each other not just in the dining room. We met a couple in 2006 as tablemates and have cruised together every year since then. We have also seen tablemates at there homes in FL & PA. If we had only eaten with them one night, we'd never get to know them.

So, ask to move to the 2nd seating and don't use the excuse that that is too late. I have been known to go to the buffet when they open at 6pm, for cheese or the fried shrimp they have 1st night, to munch on before dinner.

I have seen them for sale on the ship.

The only thing you need to carry when on the ship is your sign 'n sail card, nothing else.

(I keep mine in my bra- easy to get to it there.) When going ashore we put our driver's license and ship's card in a pocket and cash there too.

If you are taking a lot of cash ashore, don't put it all in the same pocket! Put some in your back pocket and both front pockets. Then if you are robbed they shouldn't get it all cause they won't think to tell you to empty all your pockets when you give them some from a front pocket. My uncle lived and worked in Venezuela and taught his family and us to do this all the time and whenever traveling.

My husband has a belt buckle that always beeps going thru any metal detector so he now wears a different belt with no problems. But, last summer had a complete knee replacement surgery. He just tells them and it only clicks when wanding him there and they can see the scar as he wears shorts getting on ships.

I put my fanny pack, my carry on and my hat FULL of cruise pins in the container to be scanned, my husband has put our keys and his wallet in my carry on too. Never had a problem getting scanned.

We have stayed at what is now American's Best Value Inn in Cocoa for years whenever we leave from Port Canaveral, Lauderdale or Miami. (it used to be an Econo Lodge.) It is easy to get to from 95. They have a shuttle to the port which is now $5-- less that staying at the port and our clean room is under $100.

We met the same couple twice who drive from Tampa and just park at the hotel only for the cruse. They told us it cost them $30 no matter how long the use.

They are at 321-632-4561, their direct phone number.

In North Carolina my driver's license has my maiden name as a middle name although I have never used it as such. I never had to show our marriage certificate to show my name change before we got our passports 20 years ago. Just showed my birth certificate.

Our passports were lost after last cruise (New Year's Eve) but they expired in June, 2018. Now we are going to get passport cards. (We have notified who ever that our passports are lost and we canceled them.)