Safe77

Easyboy - Regardless of what Carnival's policy may be, the tobacco odor was quite strong on both sides of the bar and the ship. Again, I'm not complaining, but, rather, expressing a bit of surprise. This particular bar also happened to be our muster station, so others who obviously were bothered by the remnant odor and particulates had to sit and endure during the extended life boat drill.

nc.cruzers16 - Unfortunately, I cannot tell you anything about the teen club. Boys being boys, my outspoken 14-year-old son (who really is a good kid!) made it clear months ago that he would NOT be participating in any sanctioned youth activities. He was happy to explore the ship and harass his older brother. ;-)

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And our cabin steward had no idea what I was talking about when I asked about a pillow menu or selection of pillows. Our pillows seemed normal and inexpensive. There was no 50-inch smart TV and we never received a chocolate with turn down service. Carnival Ecstasy December 2016. We got priority boarding and a bottle of water. As someone else pointed out to me, if you want suite perks, cruise on Princess, RC or one of the premium lines.

Funat55 - We didn't use the kid's clubs (sons are too old), but I did think that the Ecstasy would be a good ship to work on. I hope your niece likes it!

Thanks, Melissalcsw. We always promise one another that we're going to be patient and have a good time, no matter what happens. (Our first cruise was a comedy of errors rife with facility issues on the ship and making only one port out of 4 scheduled! Still, we had a blast and were immediately smitten with cruising!) I've been known to be a nervous wreck on travel days, as I'm the one in our family who does all the planning (wife and kids are quite happy to leave all of that to me) and I just want everything to be perfect for them. Still, we all stayed patient on both ends of the trip and in between. The same can't be said for a number of others in the terminal as we got off the ship. Some tempers were high. Truth told, from the time we got in line to leave the ship until we reached our car was probably only 90 minutes. We're just used to it being much smoother and faster moving.

If you're following this, I've just posted my review in a new thread. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=51830158#post51830158

There were four of us traveling together: Me, my wife and our two sons (ages 14 and 18). We booked a grand suite (U114) for us and an ocean view (U118) for the boys. We stayed in Charleston the night prior to ensure there were no unexpected difficulties on embarkation day. Let me say from the beginning that while I appreciate the Charleston cruise port being relatively close to our NC home, the port itself is way undersized and, in my opinion, barely capable of handling a cruise ship with 2,000 passengers. We had priority boarding (being suite passengers) with a scheduled check-in time of 11:30. We arrived at the port to begin the drive-through check-in process at 10:40. Glad we arrived early. While we moved fairly steadily through the line past the first two tents (preliminary check-in and baggage check), there were about 30 cars ahead of us at the parking tent. We paid for parking and sat in the car in line until 11:35, when port officials opened the parking warehouse. From the parking area, we were shuttled to the terminal and processed through fairly quickly. We were on the Ecstasy by 12:05. Unfortunately, our rooms would not be available until 1:30. We made our way to the Lido Deck and picked up our Bottomless Bubbles stickers. We purchased beverage cups here, too, only to find out later they weren’t really necessary, as we were given the full can of soda every time we requested a drink. (On past cruises when we’ve purchased BB or similar beverage packages, we’ve been given only a tall bar glass with fountain soda.) Lunch from the Mongolian Grill was pretty good.

We went to our cabins at 1:38 and found them to be in very neat and clean condition. For an older ship that was scheduled for dry dock a month after our sailing, I was very impressed with the appointments and general condition of everything in our staterooms. The grand suite was fairly roomy (we usually book a suite on Princess, having found them to be some of the roomiest suites in the industry). There weren’t really separate living and sleeping areas, but rather a single room with a king bed, counter and drawers along one wall and fold-out couch near the balcony wall. There was a walk-in closet with drawers and hanging spaces on each side. And there was a bathroom that was fairly roomy. Getting in and out of the jetted tub/shower was a bit challenging, as it was quite a step up and over the side of the tub. I’m guessing it was raised to accommodate plumbing and components of the jet system. There was a single sink, a wall-mounted hairdryer and plenty of towels. There was a small refrigerator in the living/sleeping area, but, frankly, it never got much cooler than room temperature. The HVAC system had no thermostat. Rather, cabin comfort was regulated by adjusting the flow of cool air into the cabin by way of knobs on the three HVAC supply grilles. The suite was quite warm when we first entered, but quickly cooled down within an hour or two. If anything, we had to reduce the cool air supply during some parts of the cruise.

The boys’ ocean view cabin was quite big enough for them. It also was clean and well organized. Their cabin had only a small shower and no hairdryer. There was also a single chair and a smaller TV.

The lifeboat drill was a prolonged process that took much longer than any other we’d previously attended. Following the disorganized briefing portion, each group was led to their lifeboat and directed to stand in rows to simulate preparation for boarding. We were then dismissed. I would estimate the entire drill process lasted about an hour.

We used many of the ship’s food venues during the course of our cruise. Overall, we found the food in each to be of good quality, but prepared with little seasoning. For the most part, it was bland and lacking in flavor. We had selected traditional dining and sat with the same passengers for dinner each night in the Wind Song dining room. Tina, our server at Table 337, was fantastic! She was personable and efficient, remembering each guest’s name and drink preferences on the first night. The only complaint I might have about the menu offerings would be that on some nights, it was too difficult to select just one main course! There was a good selection of upscale meal choices. Again, it’s just a shame that most of the food was somewhat bland. One choice that was on the menu each night was the Flat Iron Steak. Don’t be afraid to order it; it was quite tender and flavorful!

One thing that surprised us was that smoking was permitted in bars we had to walk through to get from one place to another. Don’t get me wrong; I used to smoke cigarettes and don’t mind if others do. But I prefer to avoid the odor if I can now. It was our first cruise and this was something we had not encountered on other ships.

We did not go to any of the shows. My wife and I generally like to simply relax while on cruises. The main show was a Motown performance and there were comedians also.

In Nassau, we had booked a day pass to the British Colonial Hilton through resortforaday.com. We would highly recommend this for anyone who doesn’t embark on an excursion and just wants to sit on the beach or at the pool and be pampered! In Freeport, we walked through shops at the port, but spent most of the day at the ship's pool.

Sailing back to Charleston was uneventful. We arrived in port around 5:30 AM. Although we had priority debarkation, we decided to linger casually, since we had only a 3-hour drive home. However, debarkation was where the small port’s inability to cope with 2,000 passengers was most evident. There seemed to be no order to debarkation, with people just getting in the long debarkation line at will. Once inside the terminal, we had to depart the line to find and claim our bags, then get back in the ever-lengthening line that, fortunately, moved fairly steadily toward the US Customs stations. We noticed that some passengers carried their own bags, but got in the line for porters, since it was moving faster. Customs agents were overwhelmed. We were summarily waved through without questions or requests for passports once the agent saw my military ID. Outside of the terminal, there was a line of shuttle buses, but they weren’t boarding anyone and it seemed like it would be quicker to do the bag drag to the parking warehouse. It was! We got to our car before the first shuttle left the terminal.

Bottom line: We prefer smaller ships and I’d sail on the Ecstasy again without hesitation. If I’ve missed anything or can respond to specific questions, please let me know.

I'll be writing a review in the next day or two. Any specific questions or matters anyone would like me to address?

I found links to both versions of the suite amenities and benefits on Princess' website. I'm not sure which one is in effect today. Fortunately, it looks like breakfast at Sabatini's is included on both.

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to everyone who responded. I appreciate your help and guidance. ;)

After our first and second cruises, my wife and I were slightly disappointed to find that there were apparently more perks available to us as suite passengers than Princess listed in written documentation. For example, no one told us that if we wanted something that wasn't on the breakfast menu at Sabatini's, all we had to do was ask and it would be available the next day and thereafter. After leaving the ship, a seasoned cruiser told me a request for an escorted visit to the bridge should have been easily granted for a suite passenger. (Still not so sure about that one!) I understand that the 2 examples I listed might be viewed more as courtesies than perks, but what other unpublished suite perks are out there that might be fun or otherwise make cruising even better?

(For the record, we're just regular, down-to-earth people who wish they hadn't booked a suite for their first cruise; it's hard for my wife to move to something smaller and we both enjoy the nicer things that accompany a suite. But we are slightly uncomfortable with Princess' decision to have suite/club suite passengers dine in a separate area from other passengers in the MDR. That could be perceived by some as kind of elitist and that's not us at all!)

Thanks, audcc77. I'm also a friend to any and all cats. There are days when I wish I was a cat!

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My wife and I have one cruise under our belts so far--Princess out of Port Everglades. We found parking (off-site), check-in and boarding very easy and pretty straightforward. We're taking a family cruise just before Christmas with our 2 teenage sons (Carnival Ecstasy out of Charleston). My wife and I are staying in a grand suite, while the boys are in an oceanview cabin. (It just worked out that way...honest!)

1. So, I'm guessing we all get priority boarding together because of the suite. Correct?

2. Our scheduled boarding time is 11:30 AM. Does that mean we should plan to arrive at the port at 11:30, or should we be there earlier in order to walk up the gangway at 11:30?

3. From what I've read, processing through the port sounds slightly more involved than Port Canaveral, which I would liken more to an aircraft terminal departure. Do I understand correctly that we drive up to the port entrance, show boarding passes, IDs, etc., are directed to pull forward to a tent where our checked baggage is turned in, then drive to the parking area and from there, either walk or take a shuttle bus with our carry-on bags to the terminal, where we are processed and directed to the ship?

Perhaps it is a simple process; I'm just a (too-)thorough person who wants to know what to expect ahead of time. I'll relax AFTER I step onto the ship. Honestly, before that precise moment, I loathe travel day! Lol! Thanks very much for your assistance!

My wife and I book a table for 8 on our cruises. Table for 6 sounds good, but what if there's that one couple you just really don't care for or are having difficulty conversing with, and the other couple doesn't eat with you one night? You're then kind of stuck with an awkward dinner. I do like the idea of switching places at the table each night.

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My wife and I have booked a mid-aft Vista Suite on the Regal for a March 2017 cruise. From the photos we've seen, it appears that the balconies are quite narrow. Has anyone tried to have an Ultimate Balcony Dining on the Regal? If so, how did it work out on this balcony? Thanks in advance.

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Getting ready to book a suite on the Regal for a March 2017 sailing. My wife and I are looking at a Forward Premium Suite. Available suites are C101, D121 and D122. Can anyone shed any light on whether one of theses suites is better than the others? Or, would we be better to consider a Mid-Aft Penthouse suite? We're primarily cabin-and-balcony people (to us, the journey is the destination), so creature comforts in those places are more important than shows and facilities on the ship. It appears that balconies on all cabins are equally tiny, so I presume there is not much chance of an Ultimate Balcony Dining experience on the Regal. I greatly appreciate whatever help anyone can provide.

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My wife and I booked a Vista Suite on the Coral Princess in February 2016 and were very impressed with the robes provided. They were plush, comfortable and quite ample. I would love to have one at home, but could not bring myself to spend the $90 they charge for them.

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Excellent photo tour! Thanks!!

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On board the Coral. Contrary to rumors, Sabatini's has not been replaced. Nobody on the ship knows a thing about Share and were booked for dinner at Sabatini's tonight.

ETA is 0916

And thus circumventing the spirit of the AIBP. Eventually Princess will come up with a way to squelch people from sharing--perhaps insisting that all bottles of beer be opened by the server and poured into a glass.

Uh, for the record, I am a firm believer in playing by the rules and would never really seek to cheat the system. That's not how I roll. Wife doesn't drink, so there'd be no point to amassing all of that beer. Besides, I much prefer bourbon!

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cb at sea - lol!! Sounds like a good plan for building one's own bucket of beer! Buy beer. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Ask for bucket and ice. Enjoy with a friend or two. Thanks very much!! :-)

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Sorry to be posting so many questions. I feel like such a newb. Wait; I am a newb to cruising!

Once aboard the ship and having purchased the AIBP, can I order a bucket of beer (ice and bottled beer) or the 5-For-4 package under the AIBP?

Does AIBP kick in as soon as I board the vessel?

Also, in the MDR, is wine sold by the glass under the AIBP, or must I purchase an entire bottle of wine? Can I take the remainder of the bottle back to my cabin?

Thanks very much for your patience and responses!! :D:D Y'all are providing so much more information that Princess has!!

I've had the same experience with the pre-cruise emails.

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Thank you very much for your prompt response!. Perhaps you can answer two additional questions. Is a gratuity added to drinks purchased using the AIBP, or is that included in the purchase price? Does the AIBP include specialty coffees, such as espresso in the MDR?

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We're hoping to have dinner at Share on embarkation night on the Coral Princess. I assume our luggage will have been delivered by 6PM, but, leaving nothing to chance, will put clothing for that night in our carry-on bag. What should my wife and I plan on wearing to the restaurant that night? Can I get away with khakis and a golf shirt, or do I need to dress a bit nicer? I don't plan on packing a suit in my carry-on bag! I understand that standards may be a bit relaxed on embarktion night. Thanks!

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