cocoaloco

All is well. We are in the middle of the Gulf (across from st. Pete.) and doing 19 knots.

We are north of the tradewinds so we are fighting the winds from the west at 25 mph.

Would guess we will make Galveston on time....:cool:

heading north to Mobile at 21 knots !:cool:

We just turned around after backing away from the dock in Cozumel. It has been a great day.

Hopefully, the techs have us repaired so we can make full speed back to mobile.

:cool: A few minutes ago the cruise director announced the technicians has made "some improvements" and we would be staying in Cozumel until 5:30 - our originally scheduled departure time.

:) But it could be worse. We are currently at 14 knots and almost to Cozumel. Will be a short stay - off the ship at noon and back on board at 5 then we head to Mobile with a sea day tomorrow.

This seems to be another electronic control issue - trying to get all the propulsion parts to talk nicely with one another.

I was on board three weeks ago when a similar issue occured and the techs got us back to top speed.

Hopefully they will do the same in the next few hours. :cool:

Our Fantasy Island keeps making the news for the wrong reasons... Evac Helicopter just picked up an ill passenger (no details - privacy issues).

Fortunately we were still in the Northern part of the Gulf of Mexico on our way to Depresso, ummm, Progreso. The Helicopter was within range.

Thoughts and prayers for the evaced passenger and family.

:) Just set sail on the Fantasy after the muster drill. All is good.:cool:

:cool: This could be worse. The Port of Mobile was closed during the night (30 MPH winds) and we did not get the pilot aboard until 7 a.m. local time. We are now underway - winds still stiff (20 MPH) from the North but we are going to dock at 10:15 and start getting people off around 10:45 - so if you are headed to the ship just chill.

Of course people on board are going nuts over rebooking air - which is very limited out of Mobile.

I am blessed to be on board for the next sailing as a B2B. I will report any oddities as things unfold today. :cool:

the best way to hop off and have a good experience is to just go to the right after exiting the ship. You will get to the end of the shopping area after seeing everything ( takes 5 min.) and then you find a liquor store.

Do not waste your money at the name brand bars. Go into the liquor store and buy a couple of brews ( about $5 for 2) then walk 50 steps to the very corner of the port. There is a large lanai with seats where where you can enjoy the beer and the port . :cool:

:) There is separate drop zone for the platinum and diamond lugguge. It is covered. Make sure your porter takes the luggage to that zone - maybe 50' from the curb.

Enjoy your great cruise !:cool:

Love the Elation. Been on there for lotsa days. Ten cruises on the Elation love the ship and love the food - maybe too much.

Double the kudos to the porters in Jaxport. It is the best money one can spend.

:) take 'em on Carnival. I am Currently on one of their ships (Fantasy) and was riding the elevator with a family about to depart in Mobile. Their daughter ( around 16) looked downcast. She asked me if I was back to back and I said yes. (she had seen me in the library with the other B2Bs). Her reply tells it all: If I could have just one more cruise on Carnival my life would be perfect.

Elevator doors open. Your call....:)

:) you will be fine. Forget Faster to the Fun. Arrive at 1- 1:30 otherwise the porters will be nowhere to be found and your parking will be on the outer rim of the lot. As a hint, drop the luggage in the far right corner of the lot with one of your cruisers and get a porter to move the bags. It is a good way to the bag drop so they are worth it. THen by the time you park and walk to the terminal the part time employees will be closing up shop and looking to go home. You may be pushed onto the ship just to make it faster.....for them. Enjoy the cruise.:cool:

:):)Once onboard just head up to the spa. You will likely be the first ones there. they will fight among themselves to make your reservation.

The drill is somewhere around 3:45 and sometimes they are more efficient than others. You can go directly from the drill to the spa. Believe me, they want ya there....:cool:

:cool:Key West is in view so we may exit sooner than the 12 noon estimate. Going to be a great day !:cool:

:cool: The Fantasy is Great ! Does not look like a "ship of a certain age"

And now with the propulsion issues solved we are approaching Key West - and it is a great day to go ashore in one of my favorite ports !

Love the ship and the staff. They are wonderful:) !

:cool: With a kudo to Fireman Bob's Wife - When will I stop cruising? - after they scatter the ashes from the fantail. The sea is for me.... :cool: The other stuff is just stuff.... think about what is important...we only have one life - might as well go through it on a cruise ship ...:hearteyes:

:cool:Definitely stopping in Key West tomorrow. Cruising at 20 knots.

Any cruise where I trade Key West for Coz :cool:is a good cruise.... and we still get the perks.... !

:):cool::cool:The lemonade is made. Currently on our way to key west at full speed (20 knots).

The Captain, engineer and hotel director did a great job with this. The poor souls at guest services had to deal with insults and profanity - pretty much like any other cruise....:cool:

from what little I have heard, and it is all at least 3rd hand from jr. officers, and front desk supervisors, is the coast guard certified to the Customs and Boarder Patrol the vessel did not have the capacity to do a ferry type service to any other U.S. port. Hence the waiver of the Passenger Vessel Safety Act. While at sea, (meaning the shops and casino can open) repairs are to be made.

Apparently these repairs are of an electronic nature not a mechanical one. So hopefully a few new circuit boards and we are good to go.

But . . . . There may be a lot more we will never know....:cool:

I am just curious why wouldn't you take a longer cruise going to different places instead of going to the same place over and over? Just wondering.

 

We will be on the April 27th sailing. I hope the problems are fixed by then. Maybe I will see you around.

I am just off the Pride - did both Panama Canal cruises plus and an add on cruise to each. Normally I enjoy the journeys cruises most but even though I did a Vista 11 Day journeys plus a 6 Day one, I still love the smaller ships.

On the other hand my fav will likely always be the Breeze.

I have never sailed from Mobile before (I am from Atlanta) and wanted to try the Fantasy. I have done most of the Carnival ships and it was still on the list so here I am checking it off with a wondrous cruise to no where!

P.S. we are underway with no issues.

:)I am on board now and a very happy camper er ... cruiser.... - I like to stay on a ship a long time once boarding so I am here for 5 consecutive cruises. Doing a cruise to nowhere for the first one matters not. They just need to turn some wrenches downstairs:cool: so we make the ports for the next sailings.

We set sail at 9 p.m. and will get a mysterious letter giving us the details of perks .... can't wait to see it.

But I do feel sorry for the staff... they work so hard....:)

Did that excursion about 6 months ago. Probably the same bus.....

You will love the ruins but the excursion is ...ummm..... primitive. The restrooms at the ruins at ok but primitive.

There is a "restroom" on the bus. Imagine a hole to the right of a middle bus entry stairway. That is the restroom. In the middle of the stairs. No seat. Just a bowl.

The bus bounces so much using it is interesting. (I did, but I am a guy so we are pretty gross anyway...)

Now all this being said, do the excursion, come back to the port and walk right thru the shops to the bar facing the water with the plastic chairs. Buy 10 bucks worth of cerveza and all will be good. You can look at the hundreds of people hurrying to the ship which is only 200 feet away.

:) No one can accurately predict if it works for your B2B but it did work for me 3 weeks ago on the Pride. Just go to the shop after 7 p.m. and they hand it to ya.:cool:

:) They are doing more to the ship than you will see....recently onboard for series of B2B2B2B cruises and the hotel manager was very kind to have a couple of conversations about the drydock.

The crew quarters and other areas we do not see are getting much needed upgrades. That is why the ship is in drydock so long. :cool: