CruizCuz

I think FTTF would be worth the cost at Jacksonville Port. The two cruises we took out of Jacksonville were delayed and lines are a lot longer for those sailings. The worst was delayed boarding at 1:30 & everyone showed up. We waited in line 2 1/2 hours, others traveling with us who were platinum were on in 15 mins. Also, having the room ready when you board is great! Have a fun cruise!

Thank you for the advice! We have FTTF and have also used it in the past. I REALLY enjoyed getting into our rooms early and dropping off the carryons. I also used the customer service line several times, and not having to wait in those crazy lines was great. I have worried about Jacksonville's delays, and this really reassures me that our purchase is well worth it!

My kids always wore lanyards, but the adults never did. That said, I would want to wear a lanyard other than CCL since there might be others on the ship and they would look alike. I agree with the poster about getting umbrellas for the drinks, and some red, white and blue items to go with Carnival's colors. I would also consider for "prizes" maybe an over the door shoe hanger (for organizing in a cabin with very little counter space), travel sized room sprays (for those "stinky" bathrooms), extension cords (only one plug in some cabins), insulated mug/cup (keeps drinks cold on those hot days), travel fan (for white noise), etc. These are not only great prizes, but would initiate conversations (especially for any first time cruisers) about necessary items to have in your cabin.

Because of kids and other obligations, we have a difficult time getting away form more the 3-5 days on cruises. Therefore, since we don't want to drive down to Miami, our cruises are limited on ports. That said, we LOVE to stay onboard when the ship is docked. The crowds are gone, and we enjoy having a peaceful day. The waitstaff is awesome and there are usually discounts in the spa and salons.

Getting in and out of JaxPort was really easy. We parked and walked with our luggage to the entrance. We were able to pull up into the parking lot by 10:30am, though there were still previous passengers getting off and loading up their cars to go home.

 

We did have FTTF. We found it really useful and very worth it. We were directed to a specific check-in line and were seated in a specific section.

To disembark, it was also great. Once we finally received clearance, it took all of maybe 7 minutes to get from the dining room where we were waiting to the outside doors of the building. We were at our cars by 8:45am, and this was much needed since we had a long 7 hour drive home.

Thank you SO much for this information. From what I'm reading from everyone, we should get to the port around 10:30....no earlier. We are very excited and are doing the double digit countdown now!

This thread is not meant to be a "is FTTF worth it"? Rather, I have already purchased it and have used it in the past on other sailings. There have been quite a few bad reviews about Jacksonville's port. So for anyone who has recently sailed on the Fascination, what time can you drive your car onto the lot? Would it be better to drop off the luggage and people, then park, or would it be faster to drive to your spot and everyone walk with their luggage? Is there a designated line for FTTF? I read that some people were misdirected because the workers at the port had never heard of FTTF. Which deck level do you embark? I am with my elderly parents, and want to know if we will be able to walk to our rooms (empress deck) or have to catch an elevator. We enjoy getting onto the ship early and having our carry-ons dropped off in our rooms upon boarding. What time did you actually get to start boarding? Thank you for the help!

Thank you for the responses. I was SO hoping that the Fascination had an Alchemy Bar, especially after reading so many positive posts about it. I love a good, handcrafted cocktail!

I haven't been on the Fascination in years, and haven't cruised with Carnival since the "Alchemy Bars" were instituted. Does the Fascination have this bar, and if so, where is it? What makes it so special?

I agree with the poster's question about where you are staying. For the intracoastal area, which would be about a 35 minute drive, I HIGHLY recommend Marker 32. They take reservations with Open Table and I suggest you make them. Go to their web site and view their menu. For the beaches, I would suggest The Fish Company (very casual, no reservations allowed), Ragtime (great nightlife, brewery on premises, great walking around the "town square" afterwards) or Jaxon Social (live music, great food). There are places around the cruise port, but are more towards the airport and at the River City Mall. I'm not as familiar with that area. At the Town Center shopping mall, off of JTB Blvd and 9A, there are a number of great places to eat. Google their web site and check it out. I recommend Brio's (upscale northern Italian) and Blackfinn (upscale seafood and steaks). I hope this helps.

I am VERY prone to motion sickness. I either book cabins aft or midship. I have read that it's calmer on the lower decks, but I prefer the Empress or Upper decks for proximity to everything. That said, I always start taking Bonine the evening before we sail. I take it every night at 8 pm. That way, if it does make me a little drowsy, no worries. I can not take the scopolamine patches or Dramamine, as they put me out like a light. The Scope patch makes my mouth dry and I am dizzy. I have never gotten sick on a cruise, although when we encountered huge waves one night, I was a little queazy. But that night at least 75% of the ship stayed in their cabins. That has only happened on one cruise out of dozens.

Thank you all for the comments and feedback. I have emailed Sandlot and will definitely use them and make reservations if possible. The money saved will buy me a couple of drinks! Happy cruising!;)

I have cruised the Fantasy class ships numerous times. I love the lay-out and ease of navigation around the ships. They also seem less crowded than the larger ships. My favorite deck is the Empress deck. I love the Atrium bar and the alcove to the side of that. It's a nice place to meet the others traveling with us before dinners, shows, etc. I find that I seldom have to take an elevator, as this floor is closer to the action. I prefer aft on this floor though, because once we were too close to the Atrium bar, and the noise was audible at night in our cabin. This didn't ruin our cruise, as we travel with a fan for the white noise, but it might have been upsetting to light sleepers. I hope this helps!

Thank you for the review! I'm glad you loved the Sensation. It has always been one of my favorite ships.

I always bring a large box fan on our cruises. I purchase one new for under $20, so there is never a question about it's safety. I print out a luggage tag, and attach it to the box and check it with our luggage. I have never been questioned or had a problem. I hope this helps!

I have purchased FTTF twice and loved it each time. Every poster is correct in that it's a personal decision. We have traveled with kids, and many times there has been an issue in the game room, taking their money. GS has handled it for us quickly each time. I enjoyed the perk of the "short" line, especially when I wanted to be dancing, sunning or anything else while on the cruise, other than standing in line. ;) That said, I have never purchased it in Jacksonville. When we cruised out of Jacksonville previously, it wasn't available. I can't remember how soon we can arrive at port? We live in Jacksonville, so would like to begin our vacay earlier than later. When can we arrive, and how soon on the ship?

Does anyone know when this change is supposed to take place? And where will the Fascination go?

The Fascination will have it's repositioning cruise in April 2016, where it will relocate to Puerto Rico.

We are sailing on the Fascination in September and have been on this ship a few times. However, in our attempt to get 3 rooms together, we are aft on the Empress deck, in 3 rooms that are listed as having 2 pull down bunks. Are these rooms any different than other OV rooms, other than the obvious bunks? Will we be missing anything in our rooms, to make room for the bunks? There will only be 2 to each room. Thank you to all who have stayed in one of these rooms in the past and can answer these questions!

My favorite bars are those on the ship ;), even while in port.

We stayed at my grandparents house before our cruise, but if I am going to give you one piece of advice, it is get to the terminal before 9:30 we got to the ship at about 10:00 ad had to wait for over 2 hours to get onto the boat. If you get there early, you will only need to wait in line for whatever they have outside the terminal, which, IMHO, is the better option. So get to the ship really early.

I have read in several different places, suggesting NOT getting to the port before 10:30, with some saying 11:00. The posters said that Jaxport wouldn't allow anyone on the property until the entire ship had emptied of it's previous passengers. I have even read reports of people being turned away at the gate by security and told to return later. Anyone been on the Fascination lately, that can respond? Thank you!

I haven't been on the Paradise, but have been on the Sensation and Fascination several times each. All 3 ships will have the same layout and same size. I know the Fascination and Sensation have the Waterworks areas, serenity deck, and more added balcony rooms. The Fascination just came out of dry dock and therefore will have updated and newer carpeting, drapery, etc. I found the food on the Sensation to be better than the Fascination. That said, we will be sailing with the Fascination in September 2015, and hopefully it's better. I have read many great reviews about the Fascination lately. For me, it's about price, length of cruise, and ports of call. We chose the Fascination because there will be minimal driving, great price and we get to visit Half Moon Cay. I hope this helps ;)

Don't get me wrong I didn't let any of the things I reviewed ruin this cruise for us..no way! Vacation is VACATION!:D Which means your not at work! Nothing can ruin that! I'm willing to make lemons with lemonade..I just wanted to relay our experiences..good and bad.

I personally would like to thank you for your honesty, and also for giving the reasons for your opinions. It helps because there are some areas I can avoid, and some I can hopefully make better. I agree that any cruise is a good cruise. But I also have realistic expectations, and your review definitely helps keep those same expectations in "check".

Agree 100%. Adding more people into the mix only adds to the chance that it will get screwed up. I always contact the maitre'd directly every cruise, and most times I will get a response, a few times I will not, but I have ALWAYS gotten what I requested. For my upcoming Pride cruise, Ken Byrne sent me TWO nice replies. And yes, please and thank you goes a long way!

THANK YOU for the responses! I have only contacted the maitre'd once, and that was years ago on the Sensation. My request was not only granted, but I also received a personal email. Once onboard, the maitre'd approached our table on night 1 and wanted to make sure that it was what we had requested. It was very nice. I realize that none of this is guaranteed, but it's so nice when it happens!

According to the web site, the Fascination should be out of dry dock now. Has anyone been on it that can report what changes were made? My understanding is that it's new carpet, drapes, etc. Anything else? We are sailing on the Fascination in September and would love to know! :D Thank you!

Email should be the first 2 letters of the ship followed by maitred@carnival.com

 

ex....Victory vimaitred@ carnival.com

 

Thank you SO much for the information! :D

You should also be aware that they are in no way obligated to respond to your email.

 

You can also post a message with your ship, sail date and specific dining arrangements on John Heald's FB page. Do this 4 days prior to your sail date and he will contact the ship for you.

 

And don't forget to throw in a please and thank you.

 

Yes, honey has always attracted more flies than vinegar! LOL! I will also go straight to the dining room after boarding, to see our table and try to change it if necessary. Even if we don't get the table we want, it will in no way ruin our cruise. But getting the table will certainly make it nicer! :D

A few years ago I found (I believe on CC :)) information on how to contact the various Carnival Ship's Maitre' D's. I was able to politely request a specific table arrangement, because of a physical disability of one of our travelers. It was accommodated, and appreciated. Does anyone have the information on how to contact the heads of the dining rooms? Any suggestions on when to do this? Thank you!