rdler

Many of us still pay for our cruises. I see no reason that we should have to be near smokers, on our balconies or otherwise. Also, many smokers reek of smoke on the elevators and in the dining room. On my last cruise on the Valor I was seated at a table for two very close to people who had recently smoked and asked to be moved. Certainly the risk of gluten cross-contamination is not something that we pay for, nor is behavior affected by the consumption of alcohol.

Now that this is done, maybe we can turn our attention to alcohol and gluten-free areas!

Sorry, I meant a dollar per person per cruise. Not a dollar a day.

I'd tip a dollar a day per person for the Captain and senior staff to ensure they get the most qualified people possible!

I hope that some of the increased tip goes to the security guys. I get off and on the ship at every port, and sometimes I forget to tip them.

Does anyone know if they will expand the casino and increase its hours to accommodate the smokers?

The OP asked a legitimate question. In this climate, the fact that Carnival posts that smoking is permitted in a particular location doesn't mean that it is on any given ship.

The balcony seems to be the only place smoking is really permitted (casino, too, but not for cigars), but then one has to deal with folks on either side or up and down or at the far end of the ship complaining.

I don't know the answer to the OP's original question. Does anyone?

I, too, thought it started as a club for proud "fluffy" members that boasted of their relatively vast bottoms. I distinctly recall reading somewhere-- probably on here-- that they were responsible for Carnival doing away with most of the arm chairs in the MDRs and on the Lido deck. I am being completely serious here and believe that they started as a real group.

I've never gotten a second call once I've been called for an upgrade and declined. I hope it works for you with the spa balcony. Let us know if you think of it.

The Fun Times is really just an envelope for the advertising inside it. Nobody is going to read or even look another Diamonds International Ad on a device they can control! By stuffing it into the Fun Times, people at least have to look at it before they throw it out.

Maybe, OP, you should just get married. A license or something shouldn't cost all that much and I'm sure an officiant (judge or whatever) to marry you and it would eliminate all these complications. Especially the ones that might arise on separation, bankruptcy, taxes, death, inheritance, etc.

Oops! I failed to see that the OP is from Canada. I know some provinces recognize it while others don't.

While I have no idea of what Canadian Law is on the subject (but would be surprised if it was much different in this matter), full faith and credit doesn't apply to another country, and if comity were invoked, I suspect the matter would be one for the courts.

Common law marriage is still recognized in about 9 states, although it is out of disfavor and the nine states differ as to how it is attained. But it generally includes holding yourself out as being married, demonstrating almost all indicia of marriage, community acceptance of the marriage, adopting a common name, raising children together, the passage of years, invalid attempts at legal marriage, etc.

If I were the OP and were hell bent on demonstrating my marriage to Carnival, I would be prepared to show the indicia of common law marriage that her state recognizes to Carnival and, perhaps, to it's legal department. (I suspect it's above the pay grade of somebody who answers the phone.)

States generally frown on a concept of common law marriage because regular marriage is readily available and when or if one party seeks to move on from the marriage, he or she generally claims that there is no marriage and the question becomes one of mutual intent when dividing property, rights to children, alimony, etc.

If the OP is in a same sex common law marriage, in the 17 or so states that allow same-sex marriage, she should ensure that her state recognizes that marriage on a common law basis. (I kind of doubt it, but that one I don't know.)

Doesn't Mickey have a second yacht?

I believe that he bought the second one from somebody a few years ago.

Lou, if Mickey does by a soccer team as is rumored, will be GS be able to fly him overseas easily?

I was just teasing in good fun. We all got what you were saying. It was a good post.

I also gifted the Maitre d in the steakhouse a steak of the month certificate from Omaha Steaks. He was very grateful.

How many husbands do you have?

Since I live in Florida and we have such great, fresh citrus here, I always bring a bag of oranges. Each day that I receive exceptional service, I leave an orange. My steward really loved them because each day I left one in the morning and each day I left one in the evening. He took them all!

Ditto with the bartenders. When I left an orange on the bar, it would always be taken very quickly.

Thank to so many of you who have offered many good ideas. I am very well aware that my son needs to buy into this diet and healthy food choices. He is doing so thus far, with some lapses, which are treated like that-- just lapses. And I don't criticize-- or try as hard as I can not to. And I've received a lot of help from his doctor and his shrinks who are well aware that my son had a tough life early on (he is adopted) where the struggle to eat and otherwise survive virtually every day was a struggle.

And those of you who suggest that I am probably part of the problem, you are entirely correct. I am quite a bit underweight for a man of my height and age and I've had a struggle eating since an operation that went wrong a decade or so ago. So there have been snacks around-- not bad stuff per se, but things like yogurt and those energy bars and stuff like that which can really pack on the calories. So I am having to adjust things so those products are simply not around and I'm trying to shift the bulk of my eating to the daytime when my son is generally in school.

But my son is doing well and has a fairly good attitude thusfar. I know it's very hard for him or anyone for that matter. I'm firmly convinced that my little man is the greatest kid ever and that he will be successful.

I hate to say this, but my adolescent son is fairly porky. His doctor and I finally have him on a diet, and he is doing quite well, but it will be a long process.

Wouldn't you know, just when we're really getting started with the diet, a cruise is coming up.

Does anybody have any tips for keeping weight off on a cruise? And remember this is a 12 year old boy who likes food that we're talking about. And he's not especially athletic, so I don't think he's going to be playing pick up basketball.

The only things I can really think of are having him take a lot of steps instead of the elevator and then walking him (and me) to death both on the boat and ashore. Any food recommendations? It will be hard for him to resist Guy's Burgers, so if he sees that, I fear the diet is history.

And does the Steakhouse have anything that is not a calorie-laced cholesterol buster? Similar question with the MDR?

For the first time, a cruise is coming at just the wrong time. I should add that I'd rather not torture the boy.

Thanks in advance folks. I really do need some words of wisdom.

Tee, hee. I think that idea of pasting Bryson into the pictures is superb! I can just hear you all insisting that he was with you and perhaps shouldn't have had that pina colada at your brother-in-law's house.

Thanks so much for doing these reviews each year. They are truly a pleasure to read.

I'm sorry to be a pain, but I have a question. My son and I are leaving in a couple of weeks on the Breeze. One of our stops is at Grand Cayman. For the life of me, I haven't been able to figure out something fun to do there. Has your family ever been to Grand Cayman and if so, can you point me to your review of that cruise and maybe even suggest something that might be fun for a 13 year old boy to do?

Again, thank you for the review.

I am a smoker. I don't like that I am, but I am.

I think that if you look around, you can find cruise lines that for the value with their packages of things that you'll spend money on otherwise, as cheap or cheaper than Carnival on an all-in basis.

Every year, I go on a Thanksgiving cruise on Celebrity. Their smoking restrictions are sheer torture for smokers. Especially on days of crummy weather. But they are a far better value and a higher quality product (I think) than Carnival.

Look around.

Because of their policies, I like to cruise Carnival. Others I travel with want a more upscale cruise. When the price all in is about the same, I cruise on other lines, even though I find their smoking restrictions almost unbearable.

Paul, can my son and I come on a cruise with you someday. You and your family always seem to have a good time, you have a great attitude and your enjoyment is palpable.

Paul, I apologize for the question, but I am curious. How did you get the Captain to try to illuminate your brother-in-law's house?

Oh, yeah. And I'm truly enjoying your review (as I do annually). Thank you.

Paul, like many others, I am delighted to see another Paul Medik review. Thank you very much. Your reviews are the best of the year.

OP, I think many of the posters here should have put you at ease. Carnival is very familiar with plus size passengers. If you have any lingering doubts, you can call Carnival's special needs department. If you ask for a supervisor, they can give you the tolerances of the furniture and recommendations as to where and how you can sit comfortably. They will even tell you the size of the doorways to the cabins.

My sister wanted to cruise, but thanks to the information that they provided determined that she would not be able to fit comfortably into and out of the cabin doorway. At your size this should not be a problem, but again, they should be helpful if you were to call with specific questions.