DeesEscape
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Posts posted by DeesEscape
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Hi.
My family and I will be heading out on the Carnival Panorama later this year to the Mexican Riviera on our first post-pandemic cruise.
I am looking at outside vendors for excursions because there are none that are being offered by the ship that have any real appeal for us. Since I am the vacationer planner I usually try to find unique experiences to have on trips. I found what sounds like a great excursion being offered by The Shore Excursion Group for Matzatlan. A day at a small village an hour from the port where we can soak in hot springs, visit the small town they are in, and have lunch prepared. It's for a good price and seems like something we could enjoy in the time frame for this port.
Has anyone done this? Would it be too risky given we would be an hour away should something like car trouble occur? I know being back to the ship on time is everything. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
Dee
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13 Days and counting!
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6 hours ago, fabby50 said:
I book anywhere from a year to a year and a half ahead. Never had a problem with cabin choice and I can get it completely paid off early to start planning our next adventure. When we retire, I may look more for last minute specials, but far ahead works great while we're still employed.
This is me completely.
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53 minutes ago, soonernstlouis said:
I was surprised that Valor did have a lot of these rooms still available around the dates we were
looking once I realized to look under Premium Vista. Fell in love with a YouTube video of
8448 mainly due to bed facing windows. What do you see advantageous about deck 7 and starboard?
I chose Deck 7 for two reasons: the first is that before I book a cabin on any ship I do a survey of the best and worst cabins and cabin locations on the particular ship I'm sailing on. I believe the website I go to is called Deckplans.com or something relative to that name. It provides you with information from past cruisers as to which decks and cabins are most desirable and why and the same for those that are undesirable. I've found the information invaluable. It will let you know if a cabin you are considering is around a busy crew service area, underneath or over an entertainment venue, near obstructions of view, etc.
For the Valor Deck 7 was noted as being a great deck to book on mainly because most of the cabins on this deck tend to be quieter due to being in between two other decks of cabins. I like Starboard so that is merely a personal choice. The aft-wraps on Deck 8 were available when I booked but I didn't want to take a chance at being under the Lido deck although I have read reviews by others who have stayed in these cabins on this deck and they had no issue with noise, things being tossed down onto their cabins from above, etc.
I think with any of the aft-wraps you can't go wrong. A lot of people want their aft-wrap on Deck 6 because those are apparently (on the older ships) the only cabins that also have a couch in their cabin which we do not.
Hope this helps.
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We are going out of NOLA on the Valor in early December and we have an aft-wrap booked. It is a Premium Vista Balcony. I booked about a year and a half out and secured a Deck 7, starboard side cabin. The total cost of our trip for two which also includes paid gratuities and travel insurance came to approximately $1,800.00. I also booked the cabin under the Early Saver fare to get the best price deal. Getting this cabin was a miracle because I too had heard that aft-wraps are the hardest to secure because they are so limited in number. When I saw they had one available I jumped at the chance to experience it at least once. I'm a balcony/oceanview girl any way so this was an added bonus. I've been monitoring the bookings on the ship and noticed that the other aft-wraps available weren't all gone until a few months ago which was surprising knowing their popularity. And not all aft-wraps are created equal as the ones I see now on the newer ships have no appeal due to their lack of privacy.
I say go for the opportunity to secure one. It's more expensive but the experience in my opinion would also be more immersive as well. Have a great cruise.
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Just the privilege of being able to unplug for a week to be pampered and waited on by others is a blessing. Enjoying free time to do WHATEVER WHENEVER along with being with my sweetie or family who also are free to do the same. Getting up early or sleeping late; never-ending food; people working hard to see that I am happy and cared for while enjoying new locations, people, entertainment and experiences all in one place. The ability to tailor one's vacation to their specific needs isn't an option with many other forms of travel the same way it is with and on a cruise. Enjoy!
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4 hours ago, thesmiths said:
Sitting on our Aft Wrap and chilling with a cocktail.
Always enjoy sailing away from an Island on to the next.
This will be us in 49 more days and I cannot wait. Amazing pics!
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OP...My sweetie recently developed pulmonary problems and is on oxygen now as well. He has a big tank at home and a portable one for travel of which will be his first time using on a cruise.
You should be fine with a portable tank. I contacted Carnival and spoke with them to confirm all the very in-depth information they already provide on their website. It is very clear and specific as to the process and how they can assist in making the experience one that won't interfere with your trip but takes into account concerns about traveling with any type of health and/or mobility issue. We are going on our trip in December and I have not the least bit of concern that my guy will be fine and able to enjoy every moment of our vacation. I hope the same for you and your hubby as well.
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59 days until we are sitting on our aft-wrap toasting to sailaway!
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We have an aft-wrap on our upcoming Valor cruise in December and the only reason I went for it was because it was an aft-wrap which will give us the option to either be out in not too hot weather but even if it is hot we have the overhang on the side to protect us and still allow enjoyment of the balcony. I will try to remember to comeback and report what it was like.
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I made reservations for our upcoming trip on the Valor and yes, I reserved and had to pay up front. Since this is our first time doing the steakhouse and it is only for 2 of us I got that cost out of the way.
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On our next cruise we are going to try:
Steakhouse
Chef's Table
Serenity Hot Tubs on a Port Day
Somewhere other than Embarkation lunch at the Lido Buffet
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Great. Thank you.
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83 days. Online check-in completed!
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I'd like to know as well for our sailing in December.
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I just completed check-in for our cruise on the Valor in December. We are also on Deck 7 aft and the color on our luggage tag was green. I don't have to officially print them out now but that is what they looked like on my download screen. Hope this helps. Have a great cruise.
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131 days until we sail on Valor
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Not afraid in the slightest.
Leaving in a week for our 1st cruise of the year with another right after Thanksgiving. 😁
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3 hours ago, Cruisingwithoutthekids said:
Southwest opened flights thru January 5, 2020 this morning. Good luck everyone!
Thank you! I was able to get my flights booked for Nov-Dec and not a moment too soon (Wanna Get Away - Yay!). Was able to give the heads up to my co-worker as well so she thanks CC as well. Safe and happy travels everyone.
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On 4/24/2019 at 6:51 AM, MWBearFan said:
Definitely agree with arriving a day early and staying overnight if at all possible. Depending on where you live vs the cruise port flying out is ideal. Our first cruise was last October and we decided to drive 16+ hours from Indiana to Orlando two days prior and and drove the final 3 hours the morning of embarkation. Never again we were still recovering when we finally got to the ship. never again. You want to arrive at your ship well rested and ready to relax and enjoy your tropical vacation. It's an experience you will never forget, and likely will be hooked as we were.
Try not to over plan, focus on enjoying the moments and keep in mind that anything you may miss out on you can do on your next cruise. Go with the flow, do what you want (within the rules of course :P) Experience new things. You can do as much or as little as you want. 7 days is a good length of time you should have at least a couple sea days to explore the ship. Our October cruise on the Victory was just 4 days and we had a blast but wished we could have had more time to explore. We are also booked on the Breeze for an 8 day cruise in 2021.
Treat the staff with respect and take time to interact with them, they work hard to make your vacation special, and they are away from their families for long stretches of time. The interaction is welcome and makes them feel appreciated.
Pay attention to time when in port. Ships time trumps local time if they say be back on board by a set time be there and good practice to be back a little early. If your not on the ship when it's ready to leave it will leave without you. You don't want to be one of those people running down the port watching their ship sail away. That said on our cruise it did seem that they were a little lenient in this area as the ship didn't set sail right at the time just don't rely on that leniency.
Be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen, and meds you think you'll need like motion sickness, aspirin, Tums, etc. While you can buy on the ship it's marked up cause they know they got you. Packing is a balance of bringing just what you need without over doing it. Where that balance lies depends on the person. One tip though is to plan versatile wardrobe that can be modified/accessorized to have variety. Plus you'll probably spend more time on the cruise in your swim wear than regular clothes, and you can wear the same outfit for multiple elegant nights again think versatility over quantity.
Cruising has a learning curve and the best teacher is experience. We learned things good and bad on our first cruise that we'll carry into our next cruise and so on.
Great tips!
To piggyback off of all the great info you provided I'll add bring good comfortable walking shoes, a multi socket outlet for your phones, camera, etc. as usually there is only one maybe two in the cabin, patience (your on vacation) and open mind and a smile. Some of the BEST people in the world can be found while cruising. Have an amazing time!
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Question for Saint Greg - do you have any information on French Market Inn? I was able to secure a room at a great price (by comparison to other FQ hotels) but would like your input as you are so well informed and forthcoming in NOLA hotel goings on. Appreciate the help. Thank you.
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wwcruisers the photos are up on the website but they still haven't posted the videos. Everyone looks to have had a blast!
Carnival Panorama
in Carnival Cruise Lines
Posted
Great post. ITA.