deniuh

I just booked this cruise yesterday for March. Very excited to hear more about the ship. We have two children until 11 and praying they will like Carnival since we have always sailed RCCL. Thanks again!

Grindavik is very cute. Make sure you drive down the jetty to the lighthouse and past all the shipwrecks!

 

This is a great restaurant there .... We arrived too late and had to cancel our reservation. Next time

 

 

This is another hotel that might work for you, it's just west of Vik. We met the proprietor when we did a glacier tour. Might be too expensive, though. It looks really nice from the "highway"

Nit mare just wanted to pop in and say thanks for recommending the Volcano hotel. It was phenomenal....the best on our trip!! We had the family room and Loved loved it. Iceland is stunning!! Thanks so much for your insight and we can't wait to return!!

I'm on a cruise that calls on Reykjavik 02 & 03 Sept. and will be visiting the Blue Lagoon. I'm wondering what to expect with regard to changing rooms, lockers for clothes, etc. It was recommended we wear water shoes because the lagoon bottom is very rough. Is this really necessary as weight will be an issue and I hate to take along single use items even if they are light? thanx

We just returned last Friday. I don't think you need water shoes. Barefoot is fine. There are 4 or 5 private showers but you will probably end up dressing in the open with everyone else. There are lockers that come with entry. You get a band that opens and closes your locker. It's an adjustment in terms of the nakedness but so worth it!!

We are stopping in Reykavjik on a cruise and going to the Blue Lagoon. We're thinking of stopping on the way back for one of the famous hot dogs. Does anyone know if they take charge card or euro, or do I need to stop at an ATM?

 

this was probably covered, if I cab it back to the ship, does the cab take euro or charge card

I just got back on Friday and had a hotdog everyday for the 4 days we spent in the city. They take cards. That's what we used. enjoy!!!!

We just returned from Europe on Friday. We used a Capital One and Wells Fargo cards. They donot have a chip so every time we had to use them like debit cards and enter the pin. We were in Stockholm, Iceland and copenhagen. A few places swiped without issues but for the most part we had to use a pin. Good luck!

Don't worry. Just book through one of the regular car rental agencies like Hertz or Europcar(http://www.holdur.is/en)

 

There is essentially just one road in Iceland and the country is very safe. Just take care when driving.

Oh thank you so much. Life saver. I don't know why I didn't think to come to cruise critic. You always have the answers!

Thanks Karith and Nightmare for the recommendations. I will check them out. Our trip is a month away and I am freaking out. We have 4 nights booked in Reyk, 1 in Grindavik so this is the last accommodation I am looking for.

If anyone has a car rental agency they can recommend that would be great. We haven't done a land trip to Europe in awhile. I am so spoiled by cruising that planning every detail for Iceland is unnerving. I just want to make sure my kids (both under 6) are comfortable. Thanks again!

Anyone have a recommendation for a place to stay in Vik? I need 1 night for June 18,2014 for 2 adults, 2 children. Private bathroom would be a plus. Budget not more than $150. Thanks!

I already checked the major travel sights.

I am a Kittitan living abroad. Our country is devastated by the news of these two men who lost their lives. We lost a young man at the airport yesterday who was servicing the elevators. Please pray for their families.

My family of 4 were also on this sailing. We live in Houston and this was our first cruise where we drove to the port of embarkation. This was our 3rd cruise on Princess and our 9th overall. We had previously sailed the CB out of NYC for a Canada/New England cruise. Embarkation lines were long and it didn't help with the wintry weather outside. Nonetheless we made it onboard and then all of the changes started hitting us day by day. Eventually we just started laughing every time there was a new hiccup....

Overall we had a wonderful cruise. Our motto like most of you is, a bad day at sea is better than a good day at work. We were really looking forward to Belize and Honduras, especially Belize because we had a bunch of school supplies for a local school on the island. It was not meant to be. Hubby and I believe it was divine intervention that took us to Costa Maya. It was our first stop there, we rented a golf cart and drove around Mahaul. There we saw poverty, but beautiful, happy people who seemed thankful for their life. We went back to the ship, packed a bag of supplies from our Belize stash and took it back to the children in the village. We had a wonderful time interacting with the locals and putting smiles on their faces. According to my hubby, this is what should have happened - we were supposed to visit Costa Maya. Definitely memorable for us.

Cozumel - we have been there 3 times and didn't care whether or not we missed it. Surprisingly we decided to try Chankanaab and had a lovely time. We found a new appreciation for Cozumel and realized that we took the place for granted. This cruise left us in a state of thankfulness. Our 5 year old cannot stop talking about the children in Costa Maya and she has already asked if we could mail them more supplies. We have the address for the school there and the local church so we plan to do so.

The attitude on board was very positive. I didn't see or hear a lot of upset passengers. There was disappointment but overall everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves with their families. We purchased FCC just in case but I am not sure I would cruise out of Bayport again due to the channel issues. According to the staff, it's an ongoing issue. We will probably look at RCCL out of Galveston - I actually miss the promenade deck with the open Atrium feel. After awhile the Piazza started feeling quite cramped because with the Lido deck windy and cold, most passengers found themselves midship checking out the Piazza entertainment.

Kudos to the kids club staff who did a fantastic job. My daughter has sailed 5 times in her 5 years and this is the first time she spent so much time there. Our 10 month old boy was treated really well by the staff and everyone was very accommodating. Despite the hiccups, we had a lovely time and we wouldn't hesitate to sail Princess again...after all...they do have more varied itineraries.

Try having meals in the dining room for breakfast and lunch (and dinner if that's your preference). I found that the Horizon/Caribe buffet was over crowded on sea days and the food was not that great. The dining room meals were lovely with the exception of a filet mignon meal that Hubby didn't like. Macin - excellent Head Waiter. Passion Band from St. Lucia made our sea days worthwhile!

Also Cabin E420 - Obstructed View had an awesome view. I wouldn't hesitate to book it again.

Happy Holidays to All!

Hi, you have received a lot of advise but I'll give you my thoughts too. We've been on 7 Disney cruises with 8&9 booked this summer on Fantasy. We were on Dream last summer. The category 8 with 2 portholes are different than the 2 porthole rooms on Magic/Wonder. Dream/Fantasy cat 8 rooms have 2 large windows with padding on the bottom to sit on. We have a cat 8 room for next summer. One thing to know about these rooms is that you lose the split bath.

 

Verandas on these ships are kid friendly. Kids would have to work to climb over, although it could be done. There is plexiglass on the inside of the railing. The ones that list white walls are limited. These walls are railing height or lower.

 

I'm fairly new to the cruise critic boards but the disboards have lots of detailed info on the different cabins available. Check out the trip reports section, many post pictures of the cabins.

 

Good luck! Have a wonderful cruise.

Thanks so much for the information, especially the verandah reassurance and the split bath information. We have decided to stick with deck 7 and switched to a starboard cabin since my research shows we will get better views. Now I have to plan our time at WDW prior to the cruise. I will need this vacation for real!

Thanks everyone for your input and the links to the disboard reviews. I believe we will stay on Deck 7 but try to move more midship. The currently assigned cabin seems closer to the front than we would like. There are cabins above and below and it's not too far from the Kids Club on 5. I am so excited. Hubby is actually talking about the cruise now, so I am really excited. Yeah!! Thanks again everyone.

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for your input in this process. Our cabin choices are as follows:

Category 5C Cabin 7058 & 7084 (Verandah)

Category 9B Cabin 2028 (Ocean View)

My husband does not like the idea of a lower deck. I've look at deck plans and all rooms seem okay. Any suggestions/feedback? I searched the forum to see if anyone had sailed in them but didn't find anything. Read a few comments on the disboards.

Your help is appreciated. I will check out the TA's as recommended since I am losing my $25 onboard credit if I process the booking that they are holding which I made over the phone. ridiculous!

OP, this might be getting a bit off topic.

 

On the Dream, there are proportionally much much more verandah cabins than Inside and OV, and that this ratio is higher as compared to the same ratio on the Magic/Wonder. What that means is that, the price difference between a cat 8 and a cat 7 or cat 6 isn't really differ by that much. For example, I was just looking at the 1/24/2013 3-day sailing. For 2 adults, the difference between a cat 8B and a cat 7A is only $24 total (or just $4 more per person per day), for a real balcony with fresh air. Yes you'll have more usable indoor space in the cat 8 as they are 241 sq ft, as compared to the approximately 200 sq ft indoor space in the cat 7, plus the verandah. Of course it is your personal choice and there may be other reason not stated that an OV cabin is actually more preferred in your case, which is totally fine. Just a thought.

 

Hope you have a wonderful Disney cruise!

Friend100, I've been puzzled by that option all night so I am glad you brought it up. It's a few dollars more to upgrade to the verandah but then there are all these whitewall choices. We are getting on OV because we have a 4 yr old and wasn't sure about the verandah option. I wish I could just pull up the deck plans like on a RCCL ship and see exactly where the cabins are. I must be doing something wrong. After 8 cruises, I didn't think booking on Disney would be so confusion...lol. Keep the advice coming. I am looking at the Jan 2, 2013 sailing.

On another note, does disney allow you to book combined packages with WDW? Thanks!!

Thanks Smhoo. I will call them directly. I don't mind the guarantee room. I am just afraid of being at the very front of the ship. I hate the movement. Really appreciate your help!

I was trying to book based on what you told me, and now it seems all I can get in those categories are guaranty cabins. If I proceed with booking, can I call and select my own cabin? I am looking at the Jan 2013 sailing on Dream.

Hi Smhoo, thanks for responding so quickly. Are two small portholes better than one porthole with seating? Do the small portholes have seating? I read that cabins 8a-8D are at the front of the ship. I am still trying to figure out the deck plans. Might need to call Disney customer service to chat. I really appreciate your help.

Hi everyone,

Finally convinced Hubby to go on a Disney Cruise, so before he changes his mind for the 100th time, I want to get it booked tonight. I am online booking but can't figure out what the categories mean. 8A, 8C, 8B? I am looking at a Family Ocean View Room. My options are decks 5, 6, 7, or 8. One room has two portholes. I haven't gotten to the area where you actually select a cabin number. Can you please give me some advice on how to make my selection. I've cruised before and prefer midship since I am prone to sea sickness. This will be our first OceanView. So excited!

Thanks everyone!!

Cruisebunnies,

 

I would not take my child to Vegas because there really aren't any good children's facilities there. The main draw is gambling and other "things". There is a reason why they call it Sin City...

 

However, a cruise is entirely different. They have great kids facilities and activities, and every waiter has treated her so special that she can't wait to go to dinner. It is so family oriented.

 

If cruising is not for little kids, then Disney has thrown away hundreds of millions of dollars building ships for no reason.

Cruising Greek, I totally agree with your Disney statement. While I agree that kids should not be allowed at the Chef's table, I disagree with all of the comments that suggest that kids should not be allowed to cruise. My goodness, there is a family forum here on cruise critic - are you people crazy? RCCl has revamped it's brand to encourage families to bring their kids on cruises - DREAMWORKSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!! Just got back from sailing Allure with DD who is 3 and all she talks about now is Shrek, Alex and Fiona. I am sure some of you who are so opposed to kids cruising will be the same ones in line to ride the Carousel on Allure and Oasis! Maybe RCCl should have an age limit for riding - how about that? There were many adults and I am talking senior citizens riding the carousel, just as there were many of them attending the character breakfasts. As a matter of fact I overheard a group of four adults - I would guess 55 + asking if it was okay for them to attend the Character themed breakfasts so that they could hug and take pictures with the characters. Cruising is for everybody who wants to. We just have to use our discretion regarding what is age appropriate and what is not!! Stop the Nonsense People!! Stop the Nonsense!!

I didn't know that you had to make a reservation for the character breakfast. We are going without any kids but I really wanted to see Donkey! How does this work? madmarti:rolleyes:

Donkey is not onboard...sorry...

I didn't know that you had to make a reservation for the character breakfast. We are going without any kids but I really wanted to see Donkey! How does this work? madmarti:rolleyes:

I couldn't figure out where to make reservations so as soon as I got on the ship I called ...you will see the number in your compass...and I reserved all 3 character breakfasts. They might ask you which one you want....but if you want to do all of them, make that clear. Our 3 yrd old was in heaven!!

I believe your grandson would love it. We took our 3 yr old daughter and she couldn't stop oohing and aahing!! Blue Planet is an amazing show. We were scheduled for the Saturday night show but after getting a sneak peak at the 9pm Friday night (we stood in the back), we went on standby and was able to get into the 11pm show. It was worth it! Make sure you get there early and sit on the first level. We saw it on the 2nd level the first time but realised that the lower level was much better to see the visual effects. Have fun!!

Trainman, your live thread is a reminder to all of us to treasure life and truly enjoy the people around us. I hope cruise critic keeps your thread and puts it in a special area where others can access it forever. It is in moments like these that I truly appreciate being apart of the the CC community. I hope you find strength from the love and encouragement that is being sent your way. Carol was truly blessed to have you as a Hubby!! She is looking down and saying - "That's my Man!!"

Good night, our dear sweet Carol and may a flight of Angels sing thee to thy rest!!