MississippiMom

So glad I came across this thread. We have two that I purchased the premium wifi package for, because of work and because of college courses. I will make sure they both get the instruction link listed above.

I had a photo of myself and three cousins under a sign that said Carnival Fantasy. I think it was the official “boarding” photo they took back in 1992. I got credit for that sailing, after submitting that plus the names of my two travel companions.

“ . . . and a Poptart . . . “ 🤣 We are also in the single digits! We are in the “excited” and in the “holy s!#t, what are we forgetting” time frame. At some point later today, two out of three of our daughters plan on shopping for more shorts. “Family friendly” shorts, as this mom calls them.

@fozzy1975, if your boys swimsuits look like regular shorts, which is very often the case, I doubt anyone would even notice. I own two Lands End cover ups that are significantly more conservative than many actual dresses. I wouldn’t hesitate to walk in the dining room for brunch wearing them.

We went in 2019, because of my young nephews who were traveling with us. We all LOVED it! It’s definitely an experience thing. (Although my food was yummy, too!). We made reservations again for this summer’s cruise, and none of my kids are little.

New situation arose last night. We have a college senior who is taking classes this summer and will need to be able to watch posted course-related videos while we cruise. She will have the premium wi-fi package through Carnival and we hope (fingers crossed) she manages to log in at a time when connectivity is decent. She just found out yesterday that she will need to upload video presentations (of herself) during our cruise. Of course, she will be reaching out to the professor to see if she can complete her assignments prior to sailing, but if that isn't an option, we are trying to think of alternatives. We know there are plenty of hotel options in Cozumel, but she had planned on joining us on our tour around the island, which includes the more secluded "wild side." So we thought maybe, just maybe, we might luck into a hotel with decent wifi on the beach in Mahahual. Our college student could work in the quiet of a hotel room while her parents and siblings enjoyed the beach. Then she could join us, when finished. From reading on these boards, I was going to reach out to 40 Canones, El Fuerte Beach Resort, and Hotel Blue Reef to check on availability on our port date. I want to stay on the Malacon, in case we want to walk around a little bit. Any others I should consider?

This is such a good way to explain it. Our youngest just found out six months ago that she is now allergic to hazelnuts (we will have an EpiPen with us, just in case), and has an intolerance to kiwi and starfruit. She can still consume a little of those fruits, so not a problem if something is cross-contaminated, but she doesn't really need to select dishes that include those particular fruits.

Clearly, you never had picky children. I wasn't looking for pizza or mcnuggets on the MDR menu. Like many on here, the cheese plate is a favorite for our family, as is the tropical fruit plate. Our older teens love the "didja" (or challenge) foods, like alligator, escargot and frog legs. They definitely enjoy some "family friendly" dishes that appear to be missing like bacon mac & cheese, panko crusted shrimp, roasted 1/2 chicken, braised beef brisket, lasagna bolognese, chicken quesadillas, jerked pork loin, and, yes, the (appetizer) chicken tenders.

I look forward to watching the movies or special events under the stars. One of my favorite cruise memories from many years ago is watching the summer Olympic opening ceremonies on deck.

Doesn’t make us nervous, because we have used this approach before and we figure we are stimulating the economy. Some of our favorite cruise port memories are from taxi driver recommendations. However, if we don’t like the place we get dropped at, we will, probably, just walk over to The Krazy Lobster. We might also ask our MDR server for Costa Maya ideas. The cruise staff are often pretty knowledgeable about where to go.

Any June updates on the sargassum situation?

We don’t cruise as much as many of you, but we like the Carnival dining room options. Cold fruit soups? YUM! Delicious pasta dishes? YUM! Multiple desserts? Yes, please! We have always found something to order for dinner. Lamb? Nope! I have only looked at the first day new menu, and my very first thought was that it looked like a RCCL menu - fancier food, but not family-friendly for the majority of us. Yes, I understand kid’s menus exist, but there’s an age range in between the kid menus and the fancy restaurant menus. If you don’t understand what I mean, then you got lucky and didn’t have picky eaters in your household. I’ll be the odd one on the thread and tell you that the new menu Day 1 didn’t impress me. As a matter of fact, I kind of hated it.

I’m sitting here wondering why it would take you so long to drink it that you needed a walk-around glass. LOL

After months and months of researching the options in Costa Maya, we are pretty certain that we are just going to hop in a cab and tell the driver to take us to “the best” beach bar and see where we land. We have that late 1 pm port arrival time and don’t want to miss our 6 pm early dining on the ship, so an all-inclusive pricetag seems like too much to justify in that short window of time. (We do have six (out of 20) family members who are heading to Bacalar Lagoon with Native Choice.) I am also the oddball non-seafood fan @DeniD. Where did your cruise partner eat at Costa Maya?

Do you mind elaborating on this? Do you mean no owners are on-site at the beach bars in Costa Maya? Or something else?

Pick your dates, first. Depending on the teen’s extracurricular activities, college campus visits, possible college orientation for the oldest, etc., this may be your biggest challenge. The older they get, the harder it will be, since college calendars and high school calendars rarely match up, plus there will be possible internship or summer course conflicts. Then, decide what’s a reasonable port to travel to/from. As an example, a less expensive cruise near Disneyland/Universal or Disneyworld/Universal could allow the teens to enjoy some theme park time without it costing you extra. We have never had the pleasure of cruising in Europe, but my understanding is those are port intensive, not ship intensive sailings. That might allow for a less bells & whistles ship.

To @CaptG, your photos certainly make me hungry. Thank you for sharing. Glad you enjoyed. I think food, as well as personal preference with a dining experience, is so subjective that it makes little sense to stress about other’s negative MDR experiences. Cruisers need to just give it a try and decide for themselves. This summer, we will be cruising with extended family. I expect many varied opinions on the MDR. I already know my SIL will HATE it, because she doesn’t like how long it takes and how much time you waste talking to each other. I happen to love both of those aspects. My brother prefers RCCL over CCL food choices. Two of our three young adult children disagree; the third has no preference. One cousin is stressing over our dining room table assignments, which is based on past travel with her (now deceased) parents. That uncle would only buffet. I feel confident that no one is going hungry on any cruise.

That distance really concerns me for several in our traveling group. They can walk, but so incredibly slow, which will be harder with the July heat. I have to admit that I’m hoping some of my family realizes they should stay on the ship and not risk the exhaustion.

Thank you so much for this. I had come across the Viator listing and wasn't sure about it, since I was unfamiliar with booking any excursions through that site.

I have a similar “routine.” I like to read The Fun Times in bed right before I go to sleep. I don’t know if I’m really “planning” my day or just giving myself ideas. Regardless, I’m so glad to know they are back to delivering them.

After you cruise, I hope you will return to this thread to update us on your experience in Costa Maya. We cruise in July; twenty family members. Currently, six are booked for The Native Choice Bacalar Lagoon excursion. (Not sure if they decided on the Mayan Family combo or not.) It sounds like there are a couple more who are on the fence about also going. My husband and two of our daughters would love something similar to Maya Chan, but as you know, it will be closed. They haven't made a final decision, yet, but leaning toward one of the AI options on the Malecon, in case they want to walk around, too. Maybe Malecon21 or Nohoch Kay. Waiting until our cruise date is closer, though, since no one wants to spend money to reserve a beach club if the sargassum is horrible.

Anyone on here hide the ducks on the ship for folks to find? Or the opposite (I guess) - hunt for the ducks? On our last cruise our 6 year old nephew was so very excited about finding a duck that I'm tempted to take some on our upcoming cruise. But is the small ducks around the ship a "thing everyone does" or a "thing no one does"?

I like Guy’s for embarkation day lunch, too. And our youngest loves Blue Iguana Cantina. (The rest of my family chooses one or the other, but don’t really have a tradition.) So many cruisers hit the lunch buffet that first day that we try to stay away, if possible.

Anyone with recent experience attending a cooking class in Costa Maya? Preferably a non cruise ship excursion. We will be arriving in Costa Maya on a Monday at 1 p.m. on Carnival Valor.

It is impossible for anyone to know the answer, since you would have to know exactly who is at Paradise Beach at any given time. If you are concerned about having anything stolen, don’t walk away from the item. Take the same precautions that you would take anywhere in a public area, regardless of country.