moongal

I just managed to get a FTTF pass with only about 2 months to sail time. It was sold out but I checked everyday every chance I was near the computer. I have gotten a FTTF pass for every cruise. I am a night owl so I seem to have good luck in the wee hours of the night! This time I saw it was available around 130 am. I bought it immediately and just out of curiosity I checked back at 330 am and it was sold out again. So just keep checking!

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What is this Bitter and Blanc thing that everyone is talking about? I have been on 4 cruises so far on 4 different ships and one was 7 days but I never saw this on the menu. I’m curious about what it is!

Also all these desserts sound so delicious! I always just get the warm chocolate melting cake because I don’t want to be stuck with a crummy dessert.... I never get dessert at home or restaurants on land so I don’t want to miss DESSERT!! Could I order one of each if I wanted to try them all? I’ve heard people say you can order multiples but does it apply to dessert also? Lol I’d probably be too embarrassed tho to order multiple desserts! They would think I was quite the glutton! [emoji15]

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I found it useful to bring suitcases of different sizes, each one just a wee bit smaller than the other so once emptied they can all be nested together into one suitcase and stored under the bed.

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Don’t feel bad. You aren’t the only one who over packs. I bring everything but the kitchen sink. I wish I could be one of those carefree people but alas I am the kind that must have everything I might possibly ever need. Heck before my first cruise I almost packed an inflatable raft in my suitcase just in case the boat started to sink and we couldn’t get to a lifeboat. (I ended up taking a chance and not bringing it!)

Anyway, to each his own! [emoji4]

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Definitely AFTER muster drill. I am usually stressed out and tired from all the packing and making sure everyone has everything (passports, boarding pass etc) and all the lugging of the luggage on board and schlepping it up stairs (usually hard to get an elevator at embark) and then since I am super claustrophobic, muster drill stresses me out immensely being packed in like sardines on a hot and airless deck in the middle of summer in Galveston. But once the muster drill is over.... its like air being let out of a tire....I go into the happy place and stay there till the morning when we have to leave.

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Actually...you're not supposed to wear water shoes with grippy bits on the bottom on the slides. We were told by several Carnival employees and a cruise director that the reason you're not supposed to wear them is because your feet could get stuck on the side of the slide and cause all sorts of problems for you. :( And that's not fun.

Yikes, I never thought of that. No one ever told my kids they had to take off the water shoes. Guess I’ll try to think of something else

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Just get a pair of water shoes. You can wear them going down the slide so you don’t have to worry about walking back to your shoes. My kids complain about wearing them, but I tell them no water shoes, no swimming/sliding.

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If you have a suite you get to board right after the diamonds and platinums but before the FTTF’s. It doesn’t give you the priority at the concierge desk/excursions. Also your room is not guaranteed to be ready when you board unless you board later after the cabins are opened.

We are booked in our first suite ever but I also purchased a FTTF pass so that once we get on board our room will be ready and we can get rid of our luggage. I didn’t see the point of getting priority boarding if we couldn’t go to our room to set stuff down.

A suite will also guarantee your first choice of dining times. I thought this was really great because I won’t book a cruise if I can’t have any time dining, but we booked last minute (for us anyway) and the only seating available was late seating which is awful for us....we typically are in line at 545 pm. I was put on the waitlist for anytime dining and the very next day when I got up in the morning we had already been moved into the anytime dining.

I think it also grants you a laundry privilege but not sure as I didn’t pay any attention to that since I wasn’t planning on utilizing it.

Gratuities are also a little higher in a suite.

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Ok great thanks for the info!

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Can I take Benedryl (for allergy attacks) off the ship when we make port stops? (Cozumel and Progresso) or will that set off the drug sniffing dogs? Sorry if this is a stupid question but I don’t travel much and thought I read something one time about someone getting in trouble because of some kind of OTC meds in their backpack when they got off the ship at some port.

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So every time my son wants a coke he has to go wait in line at a bar and then sign a receipt and leave a tip?? I thought the gratuity was added in. At least on the website it says it is adding a gratuity (don’t remember how much)

What about at dinner in the MDR? Can they just ask the waiter for a coke or will they (husband and son) need to visit a bar before going to MDR?

I have never purchased any drink package before and I was considering it this time, now not so sure.....

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I was planning on buying Bottomless Bubbles for son and husband BEFORE we leave via the website. Does anyone know when or how you get the sticker? Will it just already be on the sign and sail cards, or will we need to go to guest services or somewhere else to get it?

Is there anywhere in the buffet where you can get sodas or will my husband have to go to a bar before heading to lunch just to get a coke?

Thanks!

Wow that art thing almost looks like a crime scene! Yuck!! Looks like a few candies scattered among some nasty red splotches. Really???? This is what someone came up with?? No cheesecake??? Oh well. By and large I find Carnivals desserts to be so pretty to look at but completely lacking in flavor. It always sets me up for such disappointment! Lol I see such a tasty looking treat but when I bite into it, it’s like what???? Where’s the taste???? I always wonder what ingredients they are using to make all the desserts (well almost) be so bland.

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What the heck is “Art at your table” ???

Don’t know that it sounds too appetizing!

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Spring rolls! The bread they bring you in the MDR, chocolate melting cake (if it is well done and not chocolate soup!) the breads and pastries they have at the Sea Day brunch and of course Guys Burgers!

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I grew up in Texas and we always just referred to all sodas as “coke”. Lol we ask if you want a coke and then ask what kind. I find it so funny when I hear it referred to as pop. I think of lollipops.

Interesting to know about the different juice mixes.

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With the current drug violence having reached Cozumel, my wife feels "safer" on a Carnival-sponsored excursion. I tried explaining that Carnival isn't actually running the excursion -- it's a local vendor contracted by Carnival and marked up in price. That didn't sway her.

Where have you heard about recent drug related violence happening in Cozumel? I know about the ferry explosion but I read that it turned out to be something about a new competitor ferry operator/insurance scam thing and not drug cartel related. Are the drug cartels operating in Cozumel now? Kind of makes me leery about going if this is true. What about Progresso? Are the drug cartels active there?

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Has anyone ever specifically asked the steward to convert back to sofa each day? I don’t want to be a pest or unduly hard on the steward. I suppose I could have him show me how it is done (if it’s not like a normal sofa bed) and I would be happy to take care of it myself.

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Question 1

We are in a grand suite and will have 4 people in the room so will be using the sofa bed. Do the stewards return the sofa bed back into a sofa every day or leave it set up as a bed the entire time? I would really like to have it put away each day, so we have more space. If this is not the common practice, would it be asking too much for them to do this? (Would tip extra).

Question 2

We also have a FTTF pass because I like to be able to put luggage down. On shore days does that give you priority getting off the ship? I think I read it gives you priority tendering but wondered if that applied to leaving the ship on port days. We have an early excursion scheduled at one port and was wondering if there was some kind of priority exit available for FTTF?

Question 3

At Mr.Sanchos all-inclusive, do you tip the server every time they bring you something or one time at the end? Do you get better service if you tip each time?

Thanks!

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I have always carried mine on. Too paranoid about getting lost. Every cruise I have been on there has been a flyer circulated “have you seen this piece of luggage” so I’m assuming that at least one goes missing per cruise? (At least in my limited experience)

I have always purchased FTTF though, so I could get rid of the luggage quickly.

If I couldn’t score a FTTF pass, I would just show up later, after the cabins are opened.

Yes, it is a pain lugging all our luggage from the parking garage all the way onto the ship but for me it is peace of mind. I always wonder when walking down the hallways on embarkation day and seeing everyone’s luggage outside their rooms in the hallways, how more luggage isn’t stolen or “lost” than is reported.

It’s not a chance I care to take.

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I’m not for sure which excursion you are inquiring about. There is a DELUXE catamaran sail and snorkel and an ELITE champagne sail and snorkel.

If you are asking about the deluxe catamaran sail and snorkel, I can tell you about that one. I did that excursion on my first cruise.

It was just ok. It was good for someone maybe new to cruising and Cozumel if you want a little taste of a sailboat ride and the beaches.

The catamaran ride was very crowded, the snorkeling was super stressful and I don’t remember even seeing one fish. We were all herded into a small area near the shore and it was just a constant struggle to not get kicked in the face by all the flippers of all the crowded/herded fellow snorkelers. My daughter was having trouble with her mask leaking and every time we got it situated someone would kick her in the face and knock her mask off. ( because of this experience she HATES snorkeling now and won’t even consider trying it again) then after what seemed like mere minutes we were herded back on the catamaran for the ride to the private beach. Beach was ok. Water was not clear as shown in the photo. Was very cloudy. Inflatables were very crowded and seemed to be in deep water. I couldn’t touch the bottom. Wouldn’t recommend these for young children or people who were not strong swimmers. Did not attempt to purchase the burger lunch that is available for $11 because the line was long. About the time we started to relax it was time to be herded back to the catamaran. The sail back was fun, music and dancing but somehow it seemed like an attempt to increase tips since the demeanor of the crew was so markedly different than the way there.

All in all it wasn’t horrible, the actual ride on the sailboat was pleasant, but the whole thing overall seemed rushed and crowded. It turned me off of doing all Carnival sponsored excursions and now I try to book private tours or do our own thing.

Just my 2 cents on the experience.

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Thank you so much for all the information! Just one more question, do the drivers sit and wait for you while you walk along the beach or swim? I wouldn’t want them to leave us there as I would probably be worrying if they might not come back. If we stop to eat, do I need to buy lunch for the driver? I’m not sure what the etiquette is. Is asking them to stay while we swim or walk along the beach ok?

Thanks!

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Thank you so much for the information! You covered all my questions! [emoji4]

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I have been researching what to do when we are in Cozumel and the “wild side” seems very intriguing.

I am thinking of hiring a taxi for the day and just skipping around exploring the east side of Cozumel.

Has anyone ever done this? Does anyone have any experience with hiring a taxi for the day? Is it better to go through a tour operator or can you just hire a taxi for the day at the taxi stand? Is it safe?

If anyone has explored the wild side, do any of you have any recommendations on where to go? Is Punta Sur part of the “wild side”.

I want to go somewhere where I am guaranteed to see beautiful white sand with CLEAR blue water. I’ve been to Nachi, and Fury Beach on a Carnival excursion, and some other beach that I don’t recall what it’s name was but at all of them the water was cloudy and seemed dirty.

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I too wish Guy’s stayed open later. I wish there were more late night choices besides just pizza. I never have been able to understand why they couldn’t have at least one other venue open late at night. Based on all the loooooong lines I see for pizza at midnight, I don’t think there would be too much waste if they were to increase the options.

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