NauticalNeophyte

On 4/28/2019 at 3:46 PM, Falconrunner26 said:

A note to those driving from Texas to New Orleans on I-10.  The traffic in Baton Rouge is so unpredictable that those of us who live in the Lafayette area almost always take US 90 south from Lafayette to Morgan City then to New Orleans.  It is about 10 miles longer but has much lighter traffic.  Take I-10 through Lafayette and turn south on US 90 alternately named the NW Evangeline Throughway - Exit 103A.   It is the way the locals travel to New Orleans.  

You are so right. I grew up in Lake Charles and traffic conditions have deteriorated there as well, especially if traveling through the week.  If you know how to cut through Westlake and come up Hwy 378 in Moss Bluff you can save some time, but be prepared for lots of construction and delays there too.  

20 days to go! Whoop whoop!

18 hours ago, Quilcruisers said:

Yes, we plan to do so, from houston to NOLA.  We plan to leave around 5am, with plans to be there before noon, so yes we add a buffer.  Not my preference. We usually cruise out of Galveston, considerably closer.  We have even stayed the night before in Galveston to avoid any delays . 

I don’t know when you were last in Baton Rouge, or when your trip is, but traffic has been an even bigger nightmare lately.  There’s construction on I-10 at Washington St. near LSU, a complete cluster you know what at I-10 and Hwy. 1 as you cross the new bridge from Port Allen, the usual work traffic during the week, school traffic until the end of the month, and more construction on 10 East going into Ascension Parish from past Highland Road.  And next month you’ll have the college graduations too. And we’ve had severe weather with flash floods, high winds and tornado watches/warnings two Thursdays in a row.  

All that is to say you may want to give yourself a little extra buffer just in case.  Leaving at 5 you’ll miss the morning rush, but there’s been some bad accidents that have caused serious back ups lately.  Should you get stuck in some nonsense, hopefully you know how to navigate River Road or Livingston parish to get around it.  

Last year there was a deck party on Triumph.  There were decorations , music, a n out of place but fun conga line and festive vibe.  I had a really good time.

Whoop whoop! I got a shout out from Willdra.  #bucketlist

I’m still laughing at the lady in Italy with the toenails and the leather pants.  

I got mine in the cruise terminal in New Orleans.  No worries.

2 hours ago, Nerkbuck said:

The ship's water is a lot healthier for you than bottled water. Ships have some of the best water plants in the world.

I can believe that.  I bring a bar of dead sea mud soap and take the most amazing showers on board.  It’s a lot cheaper than using the spa and your skin feels just as nice. 

2 hours ago, Crazy4Camping said:

Just a side note, though......it doesn't get delivered in case form; so you can't like pick it up and move it or stack it in your cabin.  It's 12 single bottles that they tear out of that 24 pack previously mentioned.  Thus, ours took up space on the table in our cabin.

Some people like to travel with those door organizers. You could always keep some bottles in that. 

Which ship are you sailing on?  If you’ll have a fridge, just bring a Brita or ZeroWater pitcher.  They take up little room and you can filter your own water that way.  

Also, it’s nice to see people appreciate the reasonable charge for the water rather than complain that they can’t carry on their own bottles.  I feel like Carnival always gets trashed for their faults, but gets little recognition for the things they do right.  It’s just nice that this didn’t turn into another I-hate-Carnival-it’s-just-another-cutback thread.  

I wasn’t interested until they flipped that sofa into an actual bed.  Genius!  That needs to be implemented on every cruise ship ever built.  The shaving bar is pretty nifty too.  

I got the new version today. I think it looks better, like something from this decade.  The balances are easier to see when you have multiple cabins booked.

The to-do list is helpful.

As someone who’s been in your position, I completely understand the major life change you’re undertaking.  You may not be able to sail on the Ecstasy, but isn’t the Sunshine moving to Charleston?  We had to cancel our cruise for next week to a cruise in May on a different ship. It was $50 pp but was far better than losing everything that was paid.  Could that be an option for you? 

I hope everything works out, and congrats on the addition to the family!  Having my girls for those three years blessed me in ways I could never imagine.

This is from the website.  Unfortunately, you must be 6 months to sail, but depending on the birth date, you might make it.

Infants must be at least 6 months of age at the time of embarkation in order to sail. Children must be at least 12 months of age at the time of embarkation to sail on trans-ocean crossings and remote itineraries, where there are more than 2 consecutive sea days.

2 hours ago, Alh0126 said:

Yes!  We're going for 4 days on the Liberty in May!

Thanks!

We sail in May too. Which date? I’d love a photo review.

9 hours ago, DANCING GRANDMOMMY said:

Are these similar to baby wipes?

 

Yes. They’re made for adult incontinence, so they’re about twice the size of a baby wipe, and don’t leave a sticky residue.  They smell clean but not babyish. 

5 minutes ago, Mommawo said:

😂 um didn’t even see that until you posted. I must be in the wrong circle of friends.  

And clearly I’ve been doing yard work all wrong!

21 minutes ago, CA_Cruzing said:

 

You’ve been warned. Cabin walls are thin. Sound travels.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MBDMJRD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_YicBCbGEFWNFS

 

 

Am I the only a little curios about this being designed for “patio, garden, gate, yard, parties, wedding”?  

I have learned to bring these washcloths on my next cruise.  A hot Caribbean day, sunscreen and deet are not a good mix.  With these you can wipe the stickiness off during your excursions, clean hands, faces, tables, etc.  Pair it with a travel stick of deodorant and you’re good to go for hours. 

Also packing cubes made life much simpler.  No need to unpack underwear or pajamas, just slide them in the drawers.  And they took up less space in my suitcase.  I also have the travel toiletry bag by the same compay. I liked that it could hang in the bathroom.  A hanging jewelry organizer was also nice for all the small items.  

A lightweight throw is nice to have on windy sea days.  

https://www.amazon.com/Toiletry-Cosmetic-Accessories-Toiletries-Organizer/dp/B01IHBHCOA/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549841513&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=bagail+toiletry+bags&dpPl=1&dpID=51h7rkAljOL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/Packing-Various-Travel-Luggage-Organizers/dp/B01IB8Q9HA

Yes, this was me last year. I enjoyed my first cruise overall, but I was a little bored on sea days. There’s only so much lounging on lido one can do, and I don’t want to be sold goofy gadgets at those “talks”.  In hindsight, I didn’t take advantage of as much night life as I should have other than comedy.  I told my mom and sister I didn’t feel the need to cruise again. Give me my roller coasters.  

I am very excited for the upcoming cruise though. The whole family will be together, I can navigate the ship better, and think i know how to use my time more wisely.   I also enjoy port days more than sea days.  I know I will have a great time and want to give cruising another shot before I write it off completely.  

Russell was really nice, and a hell of a piano player, but his singing left something to be desired. And he kept changing up the notes so that you couldn’t follow along, although he kept asking you to sing with him.  I’d go see him again though, understanding that it's kind of a music-comedy hybrid.  

JMHO

I have to advise that if Russell is in the piano bar, you may want to skip, or at least go with much lower expectations.  It was good “entertainment”, albeit a different type.

Definitely have a guava margarita at the Blue Iguana Cantina. I also enjoyed the comedians, particularly Al Katz, but I don’t know if he’s still on the ship.  I thought the band Ridge Asia was pretty good too.  Have fun!

Our plans for a Spring Break cruise on the Sunshine got thwarted, so now we’re on the Liberty in May.  117 days to go and the whole gang is going. I can’t wait!

I particularly enjoy reviews by Willdra.  She’s hilariously entertaining.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2540688-willdra’s-hyperactive-carnival-horizon-april-15-22-cruise/

That 17 year old is going to be the hard sell, but I know if he goes he’ll like it. Maybe he’ll be open since his sidekick will be with him.  

Thanks for that excursion.  I think we have a winner!  I keep hearing that Freeport is boring or it’s a lousy port, so this might be what we’re looking for.