lazydayz

Yes, we have used it a couple of times. Very easy. Pull in where you drop off luggage and guests, and they take it from there. Usually takes 5 to 10 minutes to have your car returned. Much better than lugging your stuff across a four lane road!

So happy you are both enjoying Epcot! Cruising soon. Our reservations for Rudi's are 7:00 on Saturday. This is our fav specialty restaurant on the MG. Second fav is Emeril's. See you around the ship.

We are excited too. Only two more days of work!

So glad you are back to enjoying your vacation! Have a drink for me.

Fingers crossed on that passport. Remember she can use a birth certificate if need be. And some states have them readily available to order online or for pickup. Good luck!

What time is your ship scheduled to arrive in Long Beach? If you are off the ship and in a taxi by 8:00, you could likely make it. We did a Panama Canal crossing and were at the airport before 9:00. However, you never know if there is going to be a delay, in either getting back to port or debarking. So I would probably book it but have a backup plan.

Looks like you are making good time. Continued safe travels

Congrats on the new car! For sure need that SunPass to drive to the port.

It really depends on whether having a balcony or outdoor space is worth $1,000 to you. If so, I would go for the Havana Cabana. It is lovely to have your own private space on these large ships. I doubt your kids will spend much time in the Havana area, but they would enjoy the outdoor space. While the Harbor Lounge sounds good, I would expect it to be packed with families with very young kids so pretty sure that would NOT be my pick.

I love Maho Beach and seeing the jets land. So exciting.

Safe travels home and thanks for the live.

Safe travels and I hope to see you on the ship!

interesting, but if MG is going to Amber Cove, which is her usual stop, there is a huge free pool at the port with water slides. Grand Turk is not costly either.

Thank you. Very helpful and a good reminder for my upcoming NYE cruise

I agree with both you and EngIceDave. The staffing and supply shortage has impacted nearly every area. Carnival hasn’t had Heineken for my last three cruises. The cabin stewards have 30 plus rooms, so strictly once a day service but can get fresh towels and ice most of the time. Service in the MDR is usually slow and somewhat less friendly (at least on the MG, our Liberty dining team were outstanding). The specialty restaurants and bars still have pretty good service. So I would say not the same but close enough. Way better than sitting at home. And if you pick one of the Excel class ships, you are likely to have a much better experience. We enjoy the MG so much we are boarding her for our fourth time this year on Saturday. And next up after that is the Celebration.

Glad you are enjoying and thanks for sharing your cruise with us.

Check out the shops and spa on the last sea day. We got some crazy deals on a pre dry dock cruise once. And we didn’t have any issues with noise or construction.

It doesn’t say anything about birth certificates, right? If the name on the ID and the cruise ticket don’t match, that’s when you need the bridging document. The OP was asking for a widowed friend, who most likely has not changed her name in recent years.

Merry Christmas neighbor. We will wave to you from the Mardi Gras on NYE.

Benny, Thanks for doing this and Merry Christmas.

I have cruised with my birth certificate occasionally and never had to show anything to connect my birth name with my married name.

To each his or her own choice. The OP really didn't give us info on pricing other than to say MG was $2,000 more after adding excursions. But with either of these, no excursions are really needed, and either ship would be a good choice. And it is a much quicker to get to PC from Orlando, with no additional hotel expense. I like Royal ships, but with MG you get many free options that are not to be found on the Royal ship. Guys Burgers (versus paying extra per person for Johnny Rockets), Shaq's Big Chicken, Street Eats, etc. And two of the specialty restaurants are included at no charge on the MG, Cucina and ChiBang. In addition, there are more pools and not just on the Lido deck. Add in that MG is one night longer than the Odyssey cruise and it really is a no brainer.

I would go with the Mardi Gras. PC is only about an hour from Orlando and the MG is beautiful with so much to see and do. Really no need to pay for ship excursions in any of these ports. In Nassau, the kids might enjoy shopping in the straw market and seeing the sights, including the Queens Staircase and the fort. In Grand Turk, you walk right off the ship and you are at the beach. At Amber Cove, there is a giant pool and lovely gardens. if you go with Royal, will your kids want to go to the huge water park at Coco Cay? If so, that will cost you hundreds of dollars since at least one parent will have to purchase a ticket to accompany the kids.

Thanks for your fun trip report. Two more weeks and I will be boarding the Mardi Gras.

While they have shown some discretion at the kids' club for younger kids, I doubt they will let your children go to the same club. The age difference is too big, and the older kids are not supervised at all. I doubt it matters too much, though. Usually the kids go on the first night and form a friends group, who they hang with the rest of the cruise. My advise would be to have all of the kids go to the welcome party for their age group, to see if they click with anyone. If not, they can always do stuff as siblings rather than through the clubs.