shipty2

Please correct me if I'm wrong! I live in Canada and I'm pretty sure we can't buy bug repellant with DEET in it? I thought it was outlawed or something. Can we buy it in Florida before we cruise in December?

 

Terry

I live in Canada and I buy Moskol which is 30 percent DEET and works great. I did bring plenty with me too.

I wish I had used it pre cruise in Miami but on the upside at least now I am likely immune.

To say I had joint pain is a gross understatement. What I had felt like something biting me when I moved any joint. My son and husband had to walk me to the washroom in my cabin. Thankfully I am all better now but it lasted a little over a week.

Apply sunscreen first then repellent.

Carnival is already warning passengers. It was on the front of the Fun Times last week when the Breeze stopped in Dominican Republic.

We did not get off the ship at that port but I am pretty sure I got it anyway-likely in Miami where I got many mosquito bites and the only place I didn't use my DEET.

At dinner the taste bar serves the samples mentioned but at lunch time on the Breeze they have three kinds of soup, salad and wraps. It was an awesome place for a healthier lunch option without having to wait in line.

We loved the samples too.

Gambee

We just got back 2 days ago from a cruise with these ports.

In Curacao we went to Playa Porto Mari beach which is not crowded and has restrooms and restaurant with a big tv under shade. The water is cyrstal clear but you have to wear water shoes as it has rocks on the way in. The entrance fee was $2.50 per person and $3.50 to rent each chair.

In Aruba we went to Baby beach which is great for little ones and older folks and it very very shallow and clear with soft sand-no water shoes required. In face I always wear water shoes to the beach because I don't like the feel of sand on my feet but this was so tempting I actually took my shoes off and it was wonderful. It cost $38 each way. There is no entrance fee and chairs are $8 each to rent for the day. There is a restaurant and restrooms also.

I should mention that before going to baby Beach we went to Eagle beach which looks like a postcard from a distance but was way to rough to get in for me so I don't recommend that for small children. Eagle beach is the next beach over from Palm beach-not to be confused with de Plam Island another Aruban beach that is farther away $55 each way by cab.

:(. I really hope you don't have that mosquito disease. Ugh.

Thanks , me too.

We were on this sailing also. We had a great time as well.

For Curacao we went to Playa Porto Mari which was awesome for snorkeling but a little rocky to get in but easy if you wear water shoes.

In Aruba we went to Eagle beach first but although it looked like a postcard it was too rough for my taste so took a cab from there to Baby Beach which is more my style-super shallow and clear.

We stayed on the ship in Dominican because we have been there twice before on all inclusive vacations and also to avoid chikungunya-unfortunately I got sick anyway but the jury is still out on what it is causing this sudden excruciating bone pain.

We used Carnival air for our first cruise because our travel agent recommended it. They put us on a connecting flight that stopped in philly for hours when if we flew direct the flight would have been under three hours. That was the last time I used travel agent.

We flew the same day on that trip as well and I wouldn't do that again either.

I used an American zip code and it worked just fine.

I followed Gambee's NCL Breakaway review intently, even talking about it a year before when the Breakaway was being built! Gambee just so happened to even be staying in the same CABIN a few months before our cruise! I knew everything about that brand new ship, his reviews were great.

 

I started reading his Breeze review then though, oh no, I'm getting sucked in! Looking at the Breeze now for Winter 2015.

We have sailed on the Disney Dream and found reading his review of that ship was almost as good as sailing on her. Now we are looking at Allure for next year. I wish he would sail/review more Carnival ships !

You will enjoy the Breeze. I was on the same cruise as Gambee and we had a blast. There is so much to do, that I didn't get to do it all. Are you doing the 6 day or 8 day?

We are doing the 8 day with Grand Turk, Dominican Republic, Aruba and Curaçao .We have not been to Aruba or Curaçao so we are excited to sail to new ports and a new (for us) class of ship.

Was the sushi bar included or for a fee?

I have been Gambeefied! I had every intention of booking the Freedom-I even had the Sarah Brown DVD of it. Then Gambee's review came along and I read it voraciously which can't be helped with a Gambee authored review. i couldn't stop talking about it until finally my DH asked "Why aren't we going on this Gambee's ship ?" So today I booked us on the Breeze.

I have sailed on both lines. The Carnival kids area is much smaller however many of the activities for kids do not take place there. For example the camp Carnival staff may take the kids to the lido restaurant where they make then eat their own pizzas. Or they may go to an age appropriate show together. My son's favorite activity when he was camp age was "swimming under the stars" where the staff take the kids to the pool which is at that time off limits to anyone not with the group.

Camp Carnival is an activity program not a daycare . They make it easy to see the list of activities so your son can attend what he wants. I encourage you to bring him to the first night where they meet each other , the orientation.

The food is comparable between the two lines and the menus on Carnival are not the same every night so in spite of dining in the same venue the food changes and the staff will be the same.

Some ships have a suess brunch if your child needs to see characters but I don't know about your ship.

Don't worry be happy. You will have fun.

My sister got married on the Liberty a few years ago. It was awesome and easy. The license was from Florida as that is where they got married(the ship's embarkation port).

are you going on the Breeze Sep 13th , 2014?? Well if you are so are we, if you look at all the offerings for the Breeze the Sept 13 sailing is the ONLY sailing that had 8 nights and the ONLY one with our itinerary , which is one of the reasons I selected it! But I have already asked since I booked it in January and their are no 8 night menus for the Breeze. Please join us on Roll Call too if you haven't already.

The Breeze sails this particular itinerary at least all summer long alternating it with the Freedom

I have been on 17 cruises and never drink. I see people all the time having fun and drinking but never saw anything untoward yet. Go ahead and have fun in your own way!

Gambee for president! Oh wait I am not even American so Gambee for mayor of Toronto!

Seriously I cannot believe the planning and attention to detail in this review.

Thank you for taking the time to write a comprehensive review.

I am now planning a summer cruise !

Personally I would much rather sail out of Barbados . I love San Juan too but Barbados has better beaches by far for a pre cruise stay.

I don't get this anti sharing thing. Everyone seems to think the other people have some gross disease they want to spread around.

Actually they do. I have been a dental hygienist for 25 years and am also an infection control practitioner (commonly referred to as hospital expert on infection control) so I feel confident in my knowledge. There are plenty of communicable diseases that are transmitted through saliva. Many people lick their fingers while consuming a meal . If those people then touch the serving utensils then there is the potential for someone else to become colonized with whatever has been left .

I am by no means paranoid and cruise often and also eat in restaurants frequently. I know that if you wash your hands after using the restroom and prior to eating you are fairly safe. The problem here is the potential host(person with infection) is right at your table and there is no time for the bacteria/virus to die before you also have to touch the same utensil.

Before I get jumped on and droves of people say they have never got a disease like this I will share with you all that 3/4 of people have some form of gum disease and we are not born with it.

I am sure it is more about liability than anything.

Roses! The decorations do clutter the room

My sister got married on the liberty 8 years ago. There was no chapel then as now. They have a multipurpose conference space they decorate as a chapel which is very different looking than the ships with a chapel.

Not a chance. I wouldn't be comfortable letting my child roam around a large hotel complex unsupervised and a ship has more inherent dangers than a hotel.

I have seen this happen too many times to count. Once while cruising with my diabetic nephew his blood sugar went low and he went to the bar to get a soda to raise it quickly . He had his card out where they could see it. He was the only one waiting to be served and it took so long that his mother ran to lido and got a juice and ran back before the bartender served him. We complained at guest services and they acted all shocked like no one had ever experienced this before.

Carnival has certainly increased traffic to the Carnival website with all of us clicking away to find our free offers and telling others to do so.

I am sure this is at the top of the list of reasoning behind this type of marketing campaign.