SlvrFox85

I just got off the Magic a few days ago and I loved it.  It was my first ever cruise so I can't compare,  but it definitely met my expectations of what a cruise was supposed to be.  The YTD didn't need any reservations or whatnot in my experience.  We just went to the restaurant started on our card aafes they had us at a table within minutes.  Could have been luck for us.  We also took advantage of all the other food offerings so we may have been eating at unpopular times. The hub app was awesome,  sucks you can't get it.  They did have the next day's Fun Times out around dinner the day before,  but having the app kept it at your fingertips.  Plus all the other things you could do with it.  

On 5/25/2018 at 2:52 PM, Teekkanie said:

In all my past cruses I never really gave the CD much thought. Until my Panama Canal cruise on the Splendor which we had MarQ. Oh my gosh, he was fantastic (never had a lap dance by a CD before). We are sailing again on Splendor in Oct to Hawaii and he is not our CD. Dose anyone know where he went?

I hope this new CD is just as good as MarQ was!

I know this is old,  but we just got off the Magic with MarQ being the CD. He'll be on the Magic until March-ish, or so he says. This being my first cruise I have nothing to compare it to,  but I will dau I believe he set the bar high for fun.  I don't know where he stores his energy,  my kids couldn't keep up.  The kids and adults alike loved him.  Made the kids day when he sent cookies,  chocolate covered strawberries,  and Carnival Santa hats to the cabin just as he had promised when they ran out at a show. We will be looking for him on our future sailings.

I've searched this forum as well as many other sites across the internet and I can't seem to get a straight answer. I am going on a cruise soon with my wife and 3 kids, ranging from 6 to 12. The wife and I both have passports, however, our children do not. This will be their first vacation outside of the United States and may be their last for awhile due to various reasons so we did not see the need to get passports on a limited budget and about 9 months to plan this trip.

My main question is with Grand Turk. Will they need passports to get on and off the ship? I realize that Carnival Cruise Line website says that closed loop cruises do not require passports. However, I read on the Turks and Caicos website that they were required for entry. We sail on the Carnival Magic on December 16 so it is kind of late in the game. When first reading about it I went with what the cruise line had on their website, but after reading about a couple that didn't have required documents for part of their cruise (found out mid way in) that they were kicked off the cruise and sent home. I did read through other forums on here and it seems that children are not required to have them as long as they are cruising but for whatever reason we cannot get back on the ship due to an emergency it may be pricey and take a bit of time to get back to the United States.

Any help and clarifying guidance would be helpful. Again, I realize getting the passports may have been the easier thing to do, but in reality with our budget and the premise that they may not do any travelling again any time soon it didn't seem like that big of deal. I may just be getting the jitters as this is our first big trip and first cruise ever.

Thank you so much.

I booked a dive excursion and according to the website it is set to begin at the same time the ship is stating that it will be in port. Will the excursion wait a time period for those that have booked with them? Also, how close in time is the listed port times and the actual port times? This is my first cruise so I am not sure how everything exactly works, I just don't want to have paid for something and then have it leave without me because the ship itself was late.

Thank You!

While I haven't cruised before, I have been to Mexico on a trip in the past. I know what you mean about things catching your eye. We paid for everything with either the USD or our credit card. I would caution you on using the card though. On one transaction there must have been a skimmer or something to that effect, a few months later we were charged over $400 from Mexico. Luckily, before I left I called my bank and informed them of my travel dates, so when I called back and shown them the transaction from months later they refunded the money with no problem. Can't say that all banks will do the same or if you'll notice if something missing in time. But good luck, hopefully you run into no problems, I'll be on my first cruise in less than 30 days and the excitement is too much.

Thank you for your ideas. I have not booked anything yet. When would I know what drive shop was conducting the excursion if I book through the cruise line?

My family and I will be stopping in St Thomas on December 19, 2018 aboard Carnival Magic. I was looking into the two tank certified dive, and since no one else in my family will go diving with me they were thinking about doing something else. My wife and 3 children (6, 11, 12) are planning on hanging out close to the docks and browsing the shops for a few and then getting back on the ship. Are there other safe alternatives they could look into that would allow them to see and experience more of the island without being put in any danger or questionable positions.

This is our first cruise so we are unsure of how things really will be. I imagine that most excursions she would take will more than likely have other large groups and be relatively safe. But at the same time I don't want to assume anything. I've told her I'd forgo the dive, but she is real adamant about me going; recently certified and may not be back down in the Caribbean for awhile.

Thanks for any help or advice everyone can provide.