kdinkus1

Well, I will keep my eyes open and my nose clean to follow the smell of the hemp should it be needed! ha

theriac: You did know that I was only joking about the walking backwards and the necklace of herbs, right? I promise that if a 'duppy' does come near, you'll be the first to hear about it upon my return. :)

Presented without comment for your entertainment ;) :

 

In obeah and voodoo beliefs, a person has two souls—a good soul and an earthly one. In death, the good soul goes to heaven, while the earthly one stays in the coffin for three days. If the earthly soul escapes, it becomes a harmful entity known as a duppy. In Barbados, duppies are repelled by walking backward, or by hanging herbs or funeral clothes in a window.

Interesting... So how do I spot a 'duppy' on the Queen Mary? I want to make sure I repel it by walking backwards or making a necklace out of herbs! :eek:

If you enjoy doing scrapbook kits, then you'll be fine. Otherwise, there isn't much else offered. I usually swing by and pick up my kit, and leave.

I understand Huskie61's skepticism... most everyone I know feels the same. My DH used to feel that way too. Since being married to me, he has come to realize that strange things do occur that have no plausible explanation.

Since 5th grade, I have witnessed the strange comings and goings of 'spirits'. People may be adamant that they aren't real but it's only because they themselves have never experienced it. They may never. And honestly, I wouldn't want them to see or feel some of the things I've witnessed over the years.

That was why I asked about the Queen Mary - knowing that they have 'ghost tours' means the possibility of them making themselves known. It will be interesting to see if anyone (besides vwrestler71) has stories about this ship. I do my very best to not go looking for it but if it's there... not much I can do to escape it. :eek: ha

Anyway... I have no idea how long this thread will keep going but am enjoying reading people's opinions and stories. I hope they keep coming.

My DH and I are booked for the Hawaii Journey cruise in January. I'm excited and looking forward to the sea days! Sounds like there will be so much to do and I can't wait! And here is some info you might be interested in. I have put this on a couple of other posts already and am thinking about starting a NEW THREAD with this being the subject. People have so many preconceived ideas about what a 'journey' cruise is. All they have to do is google Carnival Journey cruises and it goes into great details...

Carnival Journeys cruises will include: ACTIVITIES:

Authentic Eats: Partnering with local restaurants and chefs, Carnival said guests can enjoy onboard cooking demonstrations where local chefs will recreate their signature dishes and traditional cuisines from their country. PARTICIPANTS will also have an opportunity to dine at the chef’s restaurant ashore for a nominal fee and accompany the chef as he or she visits local markets for regional specialties.

“Local”-tainment: From calypso, soca and Goombay to folkloric entertainment, guests will get an up close and personal look at their destination through local entertainment performances taking place outside the ship or onboard.

Academy of Fun:[/u] Through EDUCATIONAL enrichment sessions, Carnival’s shipboard experts will instruct guests in topics ranging from cooking and arts and crafts to digital photography and social media or celestial navigation. All of these activities will be performed in the “fun” style of Carnival.

Throwback Seaday: Carnival promises to set the “way back machine” to 1987 and recreate a fun day at sea with retro pool and deck games, old school DINING options like Baked Alaska and the gala midnight buffet, a white glove Captain’s celebration, popular movies from that era, a circa 1987 version of the Carnival Capers shipboard newsletter, and more.

Shipboard Team Member Connection: Here, Carnival Journeys participants can learn more about shipboard life through question and answer sessions hosted by the ship’s captain, cruise director, hotel director and others, held at different times throughout the voyage and providing an opportunity to engage and interact with the Carnival team in a casual setting. There will also be a show performed by the ship’s crew during the voyage.

So, I'm not 100% convinced that there are ghosts there, but I NEVER intend to go back!!! The place is just old and creepy! (and I'm a whimp!):(

LOL! Thanks for sharing your story and although I'm still concerned, I am more than excited to take part in the Queen Mary experience. I have no doubt that once on board, I may regret this but we will see. I just know that if anything 'odd' takes place, it will make an interesting story to share here! :eek:

CARNIVAL'S OFFICIAL EXPLANATION OF WHAT A JOURNEY CRUISE IS:

From John Heald's FB Page: (He is the Carnival Brand Ambassador)

INTRODUCING CARNIVAL JOURNEYS, A NEW SERIES OF ONE-OF-A-KIND LONGER LENGTH VOYAGES

FEATURING SPECTACULAR PORTS OF CALL AND SPECIAL ON BOARD EXPERIENCES

New Cruise PROGRAM Encompasses 28 Nine- to 15-Day Adventures Visiting Nearly 40 Destinations

Throughout the Caribbean, Central AMERICA, Hawaii, Mexico and The Bahamas

MIAMI (March 5, 2015) – Carnival Cruise Line has launched Carnival Journeys -- a unique collection of nine- to 15-day seagoing adventures that kick off this fall and feature spectacular ports throughout the Caribbean, Central America, Hawaii and Mexico, along with unique shipboard experiences created especially for this one-of-a-kind cruise PROGRAM.

Carnival Journeys is designed to provide guests with exciting new itinerary choices that will feature less traveled, more exotic ports of call. Carnival Journeys itineraries have been specifically designed for guests who are looking for a longer cruise vacation that will provide the opportunity to visit a wide variety of great destinations and more time to fully enjoy all of the features and facilities AVAILABLE on a selection of the line’s newest and most innovative ships.

Carnival Journeys cruises will also include exciting shipboard ACTIVITIES to provide a truly unique Carnival vacation experience.

Incredible Itineraries

Carnival Journeys will debut with an 11-day cruise aboard Carnival Dream from New Orleans to San Juan Oct. 4, 2015. The PROGRAM will run through Nov. 27, 2016, encompassing 28 departures from eight convenient North American home ports including Los Angeles, Galveston, New Orleans, Miami, Port Canaveral, New York, Baltimore and San Juan. Cruises will operate either round-trip from these home ports or one-way between these ports and San Juan. The itineraries are unique and not available on any other cruise line. A detailed listing of all 28 Carnival Journeys sailings is available here. Additional Carnival Journeys sailings will be announced in the near future.

On Carnival Journeys, guests can experience and explore nearly 40 different tropical destinations, including less visited ports like Tobago, Grenada, La Paz, Martinique, Bonaire and Ixtapa, each home to diverse cultures, centuries-old landmarks and historical structures, and unforgettable natural attractions.

Memorable ACTIVITIES

Carnival Journeys participants can also enjoy unique shipboard experiences that will be tailored to each itinerary in the areas of dining, entertainment, team member connections and enrichment, all infused with the line’s spirited brand of fun. These experiences will include:

• Authentic Eats: Partnering with local restaurants and chefs, Carnival Journeys participants can enjoy on-board cooking demonstrations where these culinary artists will recreate their signature dishes and traditional cuisines from their country. Participants will also have an opportunity to dine at the chef’s restaurant ashore for a nominal fee and accompany the chef as he or she visits local markets for delectable regional specialties.

• “Local”-tainment: From calypso, soca and Goombay to colorful folkloric entertainment, Carnival Journeys participants will get an up close and personal look at their destination through local entertainment performances taking place outside the ship or on board.

• Academy of Fun: Through these EDUCATIONAL enrichment sessions, Carnival’s shipboard experts will instruct guests in topics ranging from cooking and arts and crafts to digital photography and social media, even celestial navigation. All of these activities will be performed with the fun and entertaining style that only Carnival can provide.

• Throwback Sea Day: Carnival will set the “way back machine” to 1987 and recreate a fun day at sea with retro pool and deck games, old school dining options like Baked Alaska and the gala midnight buffet, a white glove Captain’s Celebration, popular movies from that era, a circa 1987 version of the Carnival Capers shipboard newsletter, and more.

• Shipboard Team Member Connections: Here, Carnival Journeys participants can learn more about shipboard life through informative question and answer SESSIONS hosted by the ship’s captain, cruise director, hotel director and others, held at different times throughout the voyage and providing an opportunity to engage and interact with the Carnival team in a fun and casual setting. There will also be an unforgettable show performed by the ship’s crew during the voyage.

Please feel free to pass this on when future questions are posted or confusion about JOURNEY cruises...

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On reflection wouldnt trust it for even 250 ponds.

 

You dont know who was up there before and for all you know the bunk is in a weakened condition.

 

Better to see if you can get a rollaway bed or perhaps someone sleeps on a couch.

My thoughts exactly!

To the OP: This is a comment I made on another thread about the 'Journey' cruises. Thought I would share it here... (My DH and I will be taking one of 'those' cruises to Hawaii in January and this is what Carnival told me when I asked about what it meant.)"I called Carnival to ask what a 'Journey' cruise was and was informed that it has something to do with bringing the 'Journey to Hawaii' to the ship. I guess there will be informative classes, history, arts and crafts, dancing classes, chefs from the islands, etc... everything having to do with Hawaii. It sounds as if we can be as busy as we want or do nothing at all." So take out the word Hawaii and place your destination in its place and VOILA... there is your journey cruise! Hope this helps!

KELKEL2 : I know that most people are skeptical when it comes to 'ghosts'. :eek: However, I have 'seen' things all my life and I no longer try to convince the skeptics that spirits do exist. ha So when I saw that the Queen Mary has a ghost tour, I began to worry a little. (my DH booked the pre-hotel room) Needless to say, I was just curious if anyone had seen anything themselves.

Also, I will take pics and let you know should I experience anything! LOL!

My question would be for your son and his GF. Do either of them suffer from motion sickness? The aft cabin movements can be quite 'vigorous' at times, especially during a storm. The whole room would roll UP and DOWN! (not side to side like some of the front cabins do). One time my sister and I shared an aft and it proved to be comedic in so many ways. She'd roll out of bed as I was being thrown backward into the wall and then I would be thrown out of bed as she would be forced against her wall. We wrapped blankets tightly around our bodies and fastened them to the underside of the mattress just to hold ourselves in our beds! When that didn't work, we finally put our mattresses on the floor and slept that way! It was hilarious and we were laughing for hours!! Thankfully, the other afts we have had hasn't been that bad. Also, there were times we had no breeze... almost stifling. Lastly, some afts have little to no privacy as well. With all of this being said, please know that even though I won't do an aft again, I did enjoy them. Everyone should try them at least once if given the opportunity. :D

So this is supposed to be 'tweaked' by the end of the month? Wonder what that means? Maybe because of the low attendance, the invitations will include ONE GUEST only from the Plat/Diamond's room. Bottom line... Carnival is a business.

We stayed on her last December and didnt meet the ghosts but they do have a special tour for this.

I saw that too. However, not really interested in going on a search for them. Real life is bad enough... ha Also, I wanted to tell you that a comment you made on another post was hilarious! (about 'just call back' if you want a different answer. I will never forget that quote!!) I tried to post a reply but they had locked the thread...

I use to defend my choice but not anymore. People will always find a reason to put Carnival down. So I memorized this ditty that Kathie Lee sang when she was doing the TV commercial for Carnival. Here it is: "If they could see me now, right on a fun ship cruise, eating fancy foods doing what you choose, I'd like my friends at home to get a good look, at the first great Carnival cruise that you took. All I can say is 'Wow!' and look at where you are, what a fun ship holy cow, they'll never believe it if my friends could see me now!" Of course, by the time I'm finished, they usually leave the subject alone... :cool:

I know that the subject of 'ghosts' will either bring out the believers - the skeptics - or those who will make fun of this question. :) (I was not sure where to post this at so it may be moved but I do hope I will get a few comments first) Anyway - I am curious for those who have stayed on the Queen Mary before or after their cruise; have you ever experienced anything strange or unnerving? My DH booked us a two night pre-cruise package and though I'm excited, I have been reading about people who have questioned certain 'happenings' on board. Just wondering if anyone has experienced anything odd while staying here? Thanks!

Please keep in mind that not all captains are 'sociable' people nor should we expect them to be. To ME - their responsibility doesn't lie in entertaining us but in making sure that we have a safe cruise. Please give the captain a break. You made it home safely and hopefully had a wonderful trip!

It's amazing how right the public are about Carnival's inconsistencies... Why should we believe that anything might be different just because Carnival said it would.

I guess I'm confused here. So nothing was said on the invitation that a 'guest' could come but someone with a blue card was allowed in? What about a gold card guest? Sorry... just trying to understand better.

We are booked on this Hawaiian cruise from Long Beach, CA. 15 day

Did you confront the steward? You stated: " Apparently while we were out of the cabin, our steward had gone through our pile of paperwork and removed the letter!" I am wondering if your invitation was laying in plain sight or among other Carnival papers? If it was, then I don't understand the problem about it's retrieval. BUT if it was among your 'personal' items, (I keep piles of lists/papers/receipts/Carnival items/ etc... all together), then you should have at least spoken with steward. Especially since you made this comment here on the CC boards. I'm sure the steward meant no harm however I would imagine that Carnival's policy would frown on their employees 'rummaging' thru our things. (not saying that a few might but I certainly hope not!) Anyway, I do appreciate the reminder to keep important papers/receipts in the safe or at the very least, 'hidden' out of sight.

What happens if I book a cruise and then find it for less on a site other than Carnival? (I hope it's ok to ask this question here) Do I call my Carnival TA or not? Thanks in advance... Also, I know that there are different categories as well, so do I call the 'other' company to get their price (I wonder if they will tell me $$ since I'm already booked) for that category. Has anyone done this before and how is it suggested that I do just that?

We are Platinum and have received similar emails and phone calls prior to most of our cruises. We ignore them. We arrive at the port at our usual 9:00 am. We check right in and wait in the VIP lounge. We usually embark by noon. I'll be darned if I'm going to wait until 2:00 to even arrive at the port after embarkation has begun, especially with priority embarkation as one of our perks.

We also arrive at the port at 9 am (When my DH and I travel together), otherwise with others, 10 am. Being Platinum ourselves, we like to check in early and wait in the VIP lounge. We enjoy the opportunity to meet fellow passengers before we board. Oftentimes, we have continued our conversations on the ship and become fast friends. There have been a couple of times that boarding was nutty crazy but it wasn't so much because we were at the port early. EX: Our last cruise from Long Beach. The port people didn't seem to know what each other were doing so it was chaos! I really do hope that we never have to go thru that type of mass confusion again...

That's a good idea. You could hang a sheet of white butcher paper with tape, and have some crayons for people to leave a message. If you hung a pen up it might not work as well due to gravity.

I have done this before many times because I do enjoy decorating the doors. However, be aware of the fact that crayons/pencils/pens are an invitation for kids to mark everything in sight if they want to be mischievous! That happened the last time we cruised and we came upon a group of teens 'decorating' the paper and the walls surrounding the door with the pen. Thankfully we had used an erasable pen instead of the usual ink pen we have always brought before. Lesson learned! From now on - erasable ink or don't do it at all! (BTW: We always roll up the marked sheet and put it away with our other memorabilia from each cruise. It brings back great memories!

...same being that goes to all the DI and Cariloha shops at ports to get the free plastic charms and color changing whatevers.

 

Looking through this thread, it appears that those that have not and do not attend the art auctions seem to me the most critical towards those that do.

 

 

Exactly

gammy3gks,

 

First, art is only worth what someone will pay for it and not what it is appraised for. Next time you get a piece appraised ask them if they will buy it on tne spot fof that amount. When they say no, ask them what they will offer and don't be shocked when it is 20% or less of their appraised price. (i.e. $200 on $1000)

 

Second problem with Park West is seld-appraisals. Would you prefer to buy my home at the price I say it is worth or at the price a respectable trusted 3rd party appraiser says it is worth? Self-appraisals are worthless and if not clearly disclosed border on fraud in my opinion.

I appreciate you taking time to post on my comment however I guess I didn't explain well enough. The 'appraisals' we have received are from very reputable art appraisers. Plus, we don't go in and tell them what we paid for our art in advance. We let them do their work and have found that either the art appraised for about the same amount of money or higher than what we purchased them for.

I have never felt the need to ask them if they would purchase them for the quoted price but I would assume that they would say yes. Any reputable dealer would know that their appraisals would have to match the true price of the art piece. Otherwise, they could be sued for fraud.

I do thank you for your thoughts on this subject but I can reassure you that we are happy with our purchases. :D