gannk

For me, the biggest perk of FTTF wasn’t priority boarding and room entry. It was the guest services line. When my key card fell out of my pocket I did two things, go straight to guest services and skip the mile long line to get my card back, and then report directly to the fun shops for a lanyard [emoji23] Having the guest services priority was worth its weight in gold.

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We liked YTD, and never experienced a wait when we went to our dining room. I have read that many people do have a wait, especially if you head down at a busy time. I do miss having the same waitstaff every day, but I suppose this could be easily remedied by asking for the same section every night. There may be a wait for something that specific, but there are ways to have a traditional experience at your own convenience.

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I was doing some research on this topic today, and found that the average year round water temp is about 78-83.

Be advised that we did have a little trouble with it on Valor last winter. My FIL seemed to never get messages when he was in his room. To be fair though, he was all the way forward directly under the bridge. We think he was the farthest point from where it was centered and just didn’t reach him.

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This is a great breakfast. Last year we took our kids (2&4), my FIL, and my husband’s 79 year old cousin. Everyone had a blast.

We had sign ups in the atrium outside of the shops upon embarkation. At the same time, we registered all of our info for Camp Ocean, which saved us a bunch of time the first time we did a drop off.

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We brought our two year old on a cruise last year. She had just turned two a few weeks earlier, and we made friends with a family who had a little one just a bit under two. They definitely were bummed that Camp Ocean wasn’t available for standard drop off, but loved that there were opportunities for family play time in Camp Ocean whole the bigger kids were on a break. You also have the option to leave the under two kiddos for the for few evening care (I think it was about $5 or $6/hr).

We never felt uncomfortable with our kids on board (we also had a 4 year old) and the staff was truly amazing. I didn’t bring a stroller, but opted to wear her. They offered me a chair during the muter drill, they offered to help hold her while I plated the kids food, they played with the kids so I could actually eat breakfast in the lido buffet. Everybody (passengers included) was welcoming to the kids, and I loved that!

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I would recommend making any last minute calls, your “I’m on a boat and you aren’t” Facebook post, and then going into airplane mode. You don’t want to forget and pay the price (literally) later.

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I wouldn’t worry too much. Even if you do sail through stormy weather, the ship is built well and can take it. We have had the unfortunate stormy sea day, and while it is a little rough on the sea sickness (not to worry, I saw LOTS of bags around for your stomach churning pleasure), the staff do their best to keep you safe. If possible, your captain will avoid as much of it as possible. If the seas are too rough, I’ve experienced some of the outdoor decks being closed off.

If that is the worst that you have to look forward to, you are in pretty good shape. Sit back and try to enjoy your wait for the cruise! You’ll be ok!

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Disclaimer: I’m going to play devil’s advocate here.

When I first started cruising, I thought it was the end of the world that we had late dining. We ate early every night, and that was what I was hoping for on board. Once we had late seating, I learned to really enjoy it and was a tough sell on YTD when we made the change. Now, I’m not sure I would go back if I had the option. While I had grown to love late dining, it was nice to have flexibility around the entertainment schedule. Additionally, you can still eat around that late seating hour. You could even request the same serving team every night if you find that you love the team you have that first night. Essentially you can still have the late dining experience that you prefer. Heck, maybe you can start a little earlier and work your way back every night to show your parents how great late dining is!

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Thanks all!

 

Much appreciated.

Sent out the Passports on Tuesday, my wife asked why I was getting hers renewed.

She knew mine was expired and I was heading on business trip in April to Bangkok, so I told her it only made sense to have them both done at the same time.....so we are not off schedule with each other.. she bought it..

 

So surprise is still going on!

 

As far as alcohol. I am just going to order a bottle for the cabin for me and pay as I go.

( I will check once onboard though for 1 package)

Strawberries are a must as well as chocolate cake thanks..plus I'll do the flowers...going to do away withe hanging decorations, Order a Hoodie, tote bag so she can have after the cruise.

 

Glad I saved for this...!

 

Thanks again.

It sounds like you covered the surprise pretty well! I love your thoughtfulness in wanting to send some surprises to the cabin for her! That’s something I’ve always secretly wished my husband would do when we sail, so I’d say you are making some great choices.

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I would consider a few things, first being reaching out to your cruise line. They may have accommodations available for people who have different sensory needs. Second, I might think about arriving a little later than the big priority boarding rush. There should be fewer people in the terminal at that point, though you would contend with the possible sensory overload getting on the overwhelming ship once it is already pretty crowded.

Good luck! I hope it is smooth sailing for your son!

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I’ve sailed in mid January out of Galveston, and the breeze combined with the speed of the ship made it very uncomfortable to be outside. If I recall correctly, we went inside right after we passed the friends who were waiting to see us off at Seawolf Park.

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Good call, Cruisegirl6!

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What band stand ? Those rooms are fine cabins with little noise.

It is on the deck map, but now I’m thinking it wouldn’t be a problem anyway - it looks like it is on the other side of that area.

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We just got an email from the upsell fairy, and I’m hoping someone can help me. We are being offered rooms on deck 11 (11265 or 11266), which would be great for us - but they are close to the bandstand. My husband and I are wondering how loud the music is at night, and how well we will hear it through our doors.

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John Heald posted on his Facebook group that it would be available shortly. This was a week or so ago, so I'd expect it soonish.

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We have only had FTTF once, but had grew staterooms in our party. All of our luggage was promptly delivered, which actually surprised me because we seemed to have a pretty quick turn after a fog delayed the disembarking process for the group ahead of us.

I noticed that the OP was sailing on Breeze, so they are out of Galveston. FWIW, we were on Valor out of Gaveston so we are talking about the same group of porters. I believe I recall my FIL mentioning that we were FTTF - maybe that reminded them to send them to the proper priority section?

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They need to have a place holder on your account for boarding time. There will be a corralled area for Plat/Diamond/Suite guests, who are the first group called. FTTF is called once all of your group is through.

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We always just hit the towel exchange on the way in from port. They have one right as you come in through security. This way, we don't need to worry about our room steward bringing a fresh one before the next morning.

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We budget, save, and pay a little bit every month. I think this is actually easier than a traditional vacation. We already have (almost) everything paid for in advance, and don't have the huge credit card bill looming over us when we get home.

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We didn't purchase it on our first Carnival cruise and I regret it. I feel like I would have been much more willing to just grab a drink or smoothie. I made a point of telling my husband I want to save up and snag it next year on Breeze.

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Last sea day on Valor in February! My husband thought I was wrong when I told him this was a thing. I love when I'm right [emoji23]

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My 2 and 4 year olds had a great time at Camp Ocean. They actually begged us to take them every day! They had a mixture of education and fun with a bigger emphasis on fun or at least that's how it seemed from what my 4yo told me. They learned about sea creatures, then colored them. They played a lot of games and had great age appropriate toys. They had a magic act that he STILL talks about, and their evening parties are great.

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They are currently available, we just ordered some.

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If you have more than 2 in a cabin and are using the bunk beds or the couch, the steward will prepare them for sleeping during evening turn down service. Then during morning service the steward will return the bunks to the ceiling. That has been our experience in the past without a conversation with the steward.

 

That being said, I also have seen photos of the bunks left down. I think it probably needs to be addressed on the first day that you will need the bunks put back up each day. It's unfortunate that you need to tell the steward, but it's better than dealing with them down for the entire cruise. I do think the more people you have in your room, the better the tip needs to be. But then tips should always be based upon the service received. We have only had 1 steward in all of our cruises that I felt was not up to par. We are not difficult demanding travelers and always keep our room neat and orderly. I don't expect a steward to pick up after me, but I do expect a clean room, clean towels, and a filled ice bucket 2 x day. I'm another one that doesn't care if I receive a towel animal.

Ours was left in the sleeping position for our entire trip. Not a huge deal because our kids are little and don't take up much space, but I could see that being an issue when they are a little bigger.

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