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leekristina25

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Posts posted by leekristina25

    Coffee Bar

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    You’re welcome! Hope that helps.

     

     

     

    Yes it does. Do you happen to have the drink menu with prices as well? I found one but it is from 2016 and I wasn’t sure if prices had increased..

     

     

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    How to set arrival appointment with unknown traffic/crowd delay? (Mobile)

    in Gulf Coast Departures

    Posted

    Thanks for your tips VideoTech :) I posted in this forum because I have seen quite a few posts that only got for a reply "you would have gotten a better response if you put it in [x forum that specifically applies to the question]" :( So I did that. smh.

     

     

     

    I didnt mention the cruise line (Carnival) because there is only one that uses Mobile, and I figured you vets would already know that. ;)

     

     

     

    Im considering wearing a bathing suit under my clothes for easier changing, saw someone suggest that.

     

    I did read that the parking doesnt open for going in until 10 am because hose leaving have to get out first.

     

    I know about how the bags show up later, altho its too bad they dont put them IN your room, it seems like they are subject to someone rifling thru them just left in the hallway. =/

     

     

     

    I didnt know how it went in the terminal though, so thanks for that insight.

     

     

     

    When you say cruise docs, you mean both the boarding pass and your ID/papers right? Or is that later the check the ID? We're going with birth certs & ID, as we dont have passports and the current price in Florida is $170 each. Too many expenses this summer, along with the cruise, to add that too. If it turns out that we really like it and are likely to go again (not sure how soon though, we are likely to only get one vacation a year and I also would like to travel to see family, and we only have one income ) then we will get passports.

     

     

     

    Also if I may ask further, the luggage tags, they say you can print them- if it's raining wont they get ruined, just being a flimsy piece of paper? Or can you have them mailed? Or do you put them in something? Its been a really log time since I travelled anywhere with checked luggage.

     

     

     

    Also if you didnt see in my followup, I reserved a hotel for my husband and I, so we wont have to park at the terminal. Also, my kids are grown and we don't have any kids together, so its just us. Hoping it will be somewhat of a romantic getaway :hearteyes:

     

     

     

    This is my second cruise, first time out of Mobile, so I can give a few tips. Regarding luggage tags, my first cruise I used packaging tape and wrapped the tags completely and then stapled them to my luggage. It worked very well. This time I actually purchased the tag-holders on Amazon since I’m bringing all 3 kids and it’s just easier that way and less time consuming. Also, I recommend printing the health forms when you print your luggage tags and boarding passes and filling it out ahead of time. You can go ahead and check in online at Carnival’s website and do all of this before your cruise.

    I have a passport card but my kids do not so they will just use their birth certificates. We will each have a backpack that we will keep on us with all of our cruise documents and any items we may need until we can get into our cabin. I also was worried the first cruise about our luggage being left outside of our cabin but nothing went wrong so I’m hoping for the same outcome this cruise.

     

     

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    How to set arrival appointment with unknown traffic/crowd delay? (Mobile)

    in Gulf Coast Departures

    Posted

    That's ok @LeeKristina25

     

     

    I researched every thread on this board that I could find related to this, and found that the experiences really varied. Some people breezed right in, and some people got stuck in lines for hours. It didnt relate to the time because some came early and had issues (too early and the parking garage isnt open because everyone in it has to leave first) and others came late and had just as many problems, while someone else posted the opposite experience. The middle of the day is the busiest time of all from what I read.

     

    So the only way I could relax about it was to just get a park and cruise hotel, and be dropped off by a shuttle, so no need to be concerned with the parking. We will probably have to wait at the terminal, but we can be at the terminal at whatever time we choose to set, and have one less headache, and have one more night of vacation*.

     

    (*My husband's time off starts several days before, and ends several days after, but Im considering vacation as actually being way from home, which since we got together in 2007 we have only done to visit my mom once in 2011, and once for when my mom passed away in 2014, definitely not a pleasure trip. :( So I'm really ready for an actual away-from-home vacation.)

     

    If you cant do park and ride, I guess all you can do is take a chance and hope it goes well, but be prepared to wait in line for the parking. They do say the parking will be sped up if you prepay it, which i guess you can do any time before you actually get to the payment booth. But for another 50 bucks or so, I think its worth it to get the extra vacation time and reduced stress.

     

     

     

    I’m regretting not getting a hotel but I had previously purchased event tickets the night before the cruise so it’s too late for that. We are driving down the morning of, we are about 4 hours away from port. I also pre-paid for parking so that is taken care of. Now I just have to hope for the best with the traffic situation. Lol. Earliest check in that I could get is 12:30.

     

     

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    Excursion Ideas

    in Progreso/Merida (Mexico)

    Posted

    Do an excursion through your ship. Progreso is really the gateway to the Mayan culture and the cruise lines have some fantastic short or long excursions that are suitable for you. Progreso itself is a tiny fishing village, dirt roads, lots of poverty, very few people speak English. There really is nothing around the port, out of the long long long pier, but shops for the tourists. If you aren't doing an excursion, then you have to take the free bus down the pier to town, then get off there in town.

     

     

    When we were at Progreso a year ago, we did the excursion to Uxmal ruins. It was absolutely amazing. You can also go to Chichen Itza from that port.

     

    I have a little video:

     

    Yes, it is a 6+ hour tour, but it was amazing and the guides were fabulous. There are others that are shorter to other places, if you want that.

     

     

     

    Can you tell me if there is places to eat at Uxmal?

     

     

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    Excursion Ideas

    in Progreso/Merida (Mexico)

    Posted

    We have decided to do Uxmal for our excursion. Thank you for your advice. I think we will use a private tour instead of Carnivals tour though. There is a huge price difference and both companies I am looking at have very good reviews.

     

     

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    Altun Ha or Lamanai Ruins

    in Belize

    Posted

    I did Lamanai on a private tour and made it back okay. Altun Ha is closer so there's virtually no risk. If you do Lamanai make sure you've got enough time and get off the ship early.

     

     

    What tour company did you use for this?

     

     

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    Belize's Three Ruins - Pros/Cons

    in Belize

    Posted

    We enjoyed going to Lamanai. We have not been to the other two so can't comment on them.

    If you have time, you might like to look at pictures my wife took and made into a slide show for her website. It will give you a good idea of what you will see if you go to Lamanai.

     

    Lamanai Shore Excursion

     

     

    Who did you book this excursion with?

     

     

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    Coral Breeze Excursion Cancelled

    in Belize

    Posted

    No we are there the 26th. Are you on the same itinerary as we are?

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

     

     

     

    Lee,

     

    Are you there on May 25th? I am contacting them on Monday to see if my family of four can take the observer tour to Caye Caulker.

     

     

     

    Eric

     

     

    Are you on the dream leaving Sunday the 22nd?

     

     

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    Coral Breeze Excursion Cancelled

    in Belize

    Posted

    Lee,

     

    Are you there on May 25th? I am contacting them on Monday to see if my family of four can take the observer tour to Caye Caulker.

     

     

     

    Eric

     

     

    No we are there the 26th. Are you on the same itinerary as we are?

     

     

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    Coral Breeze Excursion Cancelled

    in Belize

    Posted

    I have an excursion for Caye Caulker booked for Thursday, May 26th. We booked through a link on the Ship Mate app. It was through Shorefox. The company has a guarantee policy to get you back to your ship in time for debarking.

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

     

     

    Thanks! I'll check that out. I forgot shipmate has that option.

     

     

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    Coral Breeze Excursion Cancelled

    in Belize

    Posted

    I would go to Trip Advisor and look at popular tour guides and email them. There must be one with two seats available.

     

    Many people from the ship book outside excursions.

     

    You should go it is a wonderful trip. Pooh pooh on that company. We went with Li Alphonse' a couple of years ago and we were the only ones.

     

    He still took us out.

     

    There is plenty of time!

     

    Good luck.

     

     

    I hear ya! I felt like they should still take us but the email said it would cost them too much to only take the 2 of us. With 1 week out from our cruise, that is quite disappointing.

     

     

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    Coral Breeze Excursion Cancelled

    in Belize

    Posted

    I really enjoyed my day with Caveman snorkelling. Depending on the number of people you have in your group, he tends to be cheaper and offers a private boat to your group. You do have to use the water taxi service yourself to get there and back though.

     

     

     

    If the travelling on your own makes you nervous, might be best to book through Carnival. It will probably be a very large group though.

     

     

    It is only the 2 of us and when I looked at Cavemans website it seems pretty pricey for only 2. [emoji17]

     

     

     

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    Coral Breeze Excursion Cancelled

    in Belize

    Posted

    I just received an email that our SharkrayAlley/Caye Caulker excursion has been cancelled Bc we are the only ones who booked it. We leave next Sunday for our cruise and I am so disappointed! Do I find another private company or just book through Carnival?

     

     

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    MITSUGIRLY lets the BREEZE flow through her hair-Spring Break Review/Pictorial

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    What were the late night options from last year on your funtimes? Just wondering. Like what were the times and what options did you have? I'm just wondering when it changed because I don't (off the top of my head) remember having these issues on the Pride or Dream (but then again, I could be getting some of my cruising mixed up and I'd have to check my funtimes as well).

     

     

     

     

    Thanks for the comments and glad you enjoy them.

     

    I actually carry around a small crossbody purse with me because I carry other things and a lanyard wouldn't work for me. When we are at the pool, I just throw them in my beach bag with all my other things.

     

     

    Thank you. I actually use a small cross body purse daily Bc I hate lugging around a big purse so this will work fine for me.

     

     

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    MITSUGIRLY lets the BREEZE flow through her hair-Spring Break Review/Pictorial

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    I guess it's that time...time to start my BREEZE review. (Man, didn't I just finish a review???). It looks like I have some impatient people waiting, so I'll at least get it started for now.

     

    I have ALWAYS wanted to sail on the Breeze and have been dreaming of it for years. I finally got my chance and I'm so happy I did!

     

    This cruise consisted of just me, the hubby and my youngest daughter, Sakari (age 7). The rest of the family stayed back at home pouting and complaining...especially since I just returned from a cruise less than a month prior to this one. I have to say, I was jealous of myself too.

     

    I booked this cruise at the end of last year after I had made up my mind that we WERE doing another Spring Break cruise. Last year we were on the Pride for Spring Break and it was an AMAZING cruise! So why not repeat it and why not repeat it with Carnival again?

     

    Here's my little insert about my family and my cruising (copied and pasted for my convenience) for those far and few in between that might not know me or read any of my reviews...are you people living in a shell? (Just kidding of course. You will find I have a quirky sense of humor...and then again you may find I have no sense of humor).

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ABOUT ME/US

    A little about me and the family. We "try" to cruise often (3x a year...with an "extra" 50th birthday cruise thrown into the mixture this year, I might pull off 4) and my little family consist of me, the hubby and our now 7 year old daughter, Sakari. (Pronounced just as it's spelled SA-KAR-I)

     

    I have 4 "kids" (LOL) ages 29, 27, 21 and 7. All the adult children have children of their own. Most of the time my oldest daughter (27 year old) and her family cruises with us, which makes for an interesting cruise, but not this time. She had surgery scheduled for the week that I was gone and wouldn't be able to make it. My youngest son (21 year old) tries to go at least once a year and my oldest son (29 year old) went for the first time with us last year (after taking a 16 year break from cruising lol).

     

    We are a fun loving and goofy family that loves to have a good time. We make the best of everything even if it's a bad situation. Anyone who follows my reviews knows the "crap" I've dealt with on cruises from breaking my hand in St Maarten, breaking my toe on the Getaway, missing our flight due to my "dear daughter" :rolleyes: Kendra...who is the most non-punctual person you will ever meet, to anything else that is thrown at us (with our most recent cruise last month coming back with noro). We make light of the situation and we roll with it!

     

    We crack a lot of jokes (and I have a quirky sense of humor...my kids do as well) and love adventure and trying new things. My youngest (Sakari) is an animal lover and if there's anything involving animals, we have to do it. We have done swims with the stingrays, dolphins, manatees, sharks and held so many things in the sea (yes, even those we didn't know better and paid the price for it). She LOVES to draw. She's actually really good at it too. Sakari would rather sit around drawing (mostly animals) than playing with toys. Sakari has been cruising since she was 3 years old (this will make her 13th cruise...you're welcome daughter for us making you Platinum before you're 18) and she just thinks it's a way of life. She is a DAREDEVIL!!! She will do anything we do and doesn't think twice about it. She zip lined in the jungle, by herself at the age of 3, cavetubing, held tarantulas, jumped off 2 story decks into the ocean, went on the biggest waterslides on the ships (and yes, even the ones that you stand in and the floor drops out from under you)...the list goes on. There's nothing she won't do. She's like having an extra adult with us...other than the fact that her age and height sometimes restricts her from certain things...otherwise she would do it. We LOVE LOVE LOVE the beach. So if I can find a beach or snorkeling...that's where we'll be. If you ask me some "touristy tour seeing the history" type of thing, forgetaboutit...because that's not me.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    MY CRUISING EXPERIENCE:

     

    As you can tell from my signature line, we mainly cruise with NCL and my goal has been to do the entire fleet....I'm almost there with the Gem left to go of the older ships and the Escape for the newer ships. (Other than the POA, which I have a tendency to forget it's in the fleet all the way over there in Hawaii).

     

    I have adventured out and tried Carnival twice now and absolutely loved the ships we have been on with them so far. The BREEZE will be my 3rd Carnival ship. We did a Royal Caribbean back in the 90's and also NCL Seaward back in the 80's.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Gotta always throw in the disclaimer....

     

    MY THOUGHTS:

     

    I do my reviews as honest as I can and I know everyone has a different expectation during a cruise and will have a different experience, even when on the same cruise.

     

     

    I tell my story through my eyes and my take on things. Everyone may not agree or have the same opinion, and that's ok, but I'm honest with the way "I" see things.

     

    I'm a planner. I do EXTENSIVE research prior to any cruise. I read reviews, I look on the web, I take notes, copy maps, save websites, make spread sheets and everything has to be perfectly planned. That's just me. The family just "rolls with it". I crack up because I feel like a mother duckling and they follow...in a line and (seriously) if I turn one way, they do too, if I quickly turn back, they do too. Sometimes I start weaving back and forth in a "S" shape just to throw them off...then they'll catch on to what I'm doing and laugh. It's all a game and I have fun with it. (See what I mean? That's my quirkiness coming out). Don't worry, the hubby is the same and he pays me back. He's my personal GPS and he likes to throw me off too as a payback. ;)

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     

    CAMERAS:

     

    Another thing I get asked a lot is "what type of camera do you use?" Well, I'll get that question answered right now before we begin. I have 2 cameras. They are both Olympus Tough point and shoot cameras. The models I have (which there are TONS of them out there and always being updated) are 620 & 830. I feel they take excellent pictures. I use to carry my DSLR with me, but I felt that it hindered my fun a little, not to mention I would get highly upset if I couldn't take pictures of the fish when snorkeling. There's just too much equipment to carry with me. It's heavy. It's bulky. I found a camera that does a good enough job for me and that's all I use now. I find that I can enjoy my cruise more. Are the pictures always perfect? Nope...I do a lot of walking and snapping...sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and get blurry. It is what it is. :p

     

    I also have people ask me about the settings. For the most part, the cameras are about the same with settings, however, with the 830 being an updated version, it of course has a few more settings on it. I LOVE the "tilt shift" setting. It really makes the colors pop, while blurring around the edges. Such a cool setting. I rotate using various settings at any given time. There are some for night time, which drinking and "snapping" don't go well with that setting if you are trying to hold a steady hand (due to a longer exposure). There's several awesome settings that will make the colors pop and also soft. I have found lately that one of my favorite settings and used most is the "Sports" setting. I walk and snap a lot and on the sports setting, they turn out less blurry.

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     

    WHY I DO IT:

     

    With that being said, these reviews are meant to be helpful to others, show you around the ship, places we go and give you some ideas. I feel that a picture is worth 1,000 words, which is why you'll find my reviews very picture heavy. I'm a site person and I know it really helps me to put a picture to something someone is trying to explain. By no means do I ever try to influence you one way or the other to do the things we like to do, but merely give suggestions. I try to help out others on this board the way they have helped me so many times in the past and I am so grateful for that.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    So now that we have all that out of the way....

     

     

    LET THE REVIEW BEGIN... :D

     

     

     

    I really enjoy reading all your reviews! Saying that, how do you keep up with your sail card? Lanyard, with or with clear holder, or something else? I'm leaving for my first cruise next month and not sure how to handle this Bc I assume I'll be in my bathing suit most of the time with no pockets. Lol.

     

     

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