All4fun&fun4all

Unfortunately no. The Preservation Society is still fighting it.

Not sure if this link will work here but this was updated 23 minutes ago.

http://skift.com/2013/12/03/charleston-cruise-port-case-to-get-mediation-next-month/

 

Why didn't you tell us Bill Clinton was on the ship with you? :D

Holy moly!!! I totally missed that! That's flipping awesome! If I had made the connection I would have asked for a picture.

Your review was great, it got me excited to go on my second CCL cruise last week, Nov 17-24 to the Mexican Riviera on the Miracle. To tell the truth my first one was not a hit for me on the Inspiration. I wanted to Thank you for the information regarding the way you kept in touch with "The Andrew", I used the same method to keep in touch with the hubbee at home. It was great!! I posted everyday and told a bunch of friends to look for it. I felt guilty at first, but the computer guy told me not to worry and have fun!! Well, my cruise was Great...from the ship itself, the food, the staff and my favorite.....lots of trivia games. More on this ship then I have ever experienced in all of my cruising. I would do it again for a 7 day trip.

So glad some info was helpful on your cruise and glad you had a great time!

I just got my cell phone bill today and the 7 minutes worth of phone calls that I made to the Andrew from Nassau totalled $17.50. My service provider is At&t and I didnt set up any sort of calling plan before I left because I really didnt think I would call home. My intention was to find free wi-fi and skype with him. Oh well. It was worth it just to hear his voice.

It would be the same price as Bon Voyage. In the many times I have ordered room service rum I haven't been charged a 15% gratuity but always tip the person who brings it a couple of bucks.

You do have to be in the room to sign for it but they are pretty quick about getting it to you.

I was just looking at the videos that I took of LSC and they are recorded up and down and not side to side so it isn't very good. I am hesitant to even post a link. Boo! :(

It really depends on the port as to how thoroughly they will check your bags. On Fantasy they have always taken wine, water bottles and sodas out of the carry on bags for closer inspection.

On Fascination a few weeks ago, they didn't even open the suitcase to see what I had in there.

Just checking that the food is included…..and Can you use your room key for purchases?

Thanks

Kerri

Yes food is included and your Sail and Sign card can be used for beverage purchases, however, you will need cash in the straw market.

Awesome review, I love to see someone have fun and really enjoy their trips, so thank you so much for sharing! I live halfway between the Fantasy and the Fascination and have yet to go on either. My first 2 cruises were on big, new ships. I went on the Sensation back in June, and besides the delightfully tacky purple interior I LOVED it. There was something about the older, smaller ship that made me feel like I was really on a cruise. Your reviews have made me want to try both the Fantasy and the Fascination! Thanks again!

I agree with you about the smaller ships but I have only been on one other ship that wasn't a Fantasy class ship and it wasn't that much bigger. I would imagine that I would probably get sooooo lost on the Dream or the Breeze.

I really enjoy myself in everyday life and when cruising it's amplified by at least 20 times. I cant wait to book my next one!

Great review. We are booked on a b2b in Sept 2014. We generally do a b2b on the Fascination in October to go to HMC but we went there in June instead as we did the 15 day Hawaii sailing this October. Last night I talked our besties (never cruised before!) into going with us on the b2b. I am going to see if I can send this thread to them so they can see what it is like to go to LSC--which I still call Coco Cay as that is the name I went there under. We are going to have the best of both worlds as the first leg we go to LSC and the next leg we go to HMC! Can't wait. Thanks again for the wonderful review.

I am glad that you enjoyed reading it. I really do tend to ramble and worry that I lose half the readers after a few posts. :o

What's funny about LSC is that they still sell the Coco Cay merchandise in the little straw markets. And now I just realized that I forgot to inquire if they were selling the Coco Loco drinks that people were talking about in the Private Islands threads. Boo!

Thanks for this review! I really enjoyed your pictures. I really don't feel like working today and this gave me something good to occupy my time with. ;)

What else can I do until 5 o'clock? Think I'll check out your fantasy review. :D

You can easily kill and entire day by reading the Fantasy reviews! Glad to be of some help. :D

All of your reviews are awesome. Quick question. What cab service should I use from Shem Creek Inn for my January Fantasy cruise. Sorry to go off topic.

 

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Yellow cab is the standard cab company in the charleston area. I use them when I take a can from my moms house. Let me see if I can find the number

843-577-6565

They can be really slow and customer service is deplorable but they get the job done and it's cheap. I would call them around 10am for pick up. They will get there within 40 to 45 mins typically

I just finished reading your review and really enjoyed it, just as I have the others. Thanks so much for all the pictures of LSC. I know Carnival just added that one recently and have always heard of the comparisons to HMC, which we've been to in 2010 and loved, and that HMC is so much better. I certainly wouldn't mind LSC, it's different from HMC, but still looks very pretty and I know I would enjoy it. Thank you again for this and all of your other reviews. Boy, do they take a lot of time! :)

Thanks for reading! I am glad people still enjoy my rambling and tangents. They really do take a lot of time but it's worth it if it helps anyone out that may have questions.

I think the only comparison between LSC and HMC are the fact they are both islands, both tender ports, both ports serve lunch but the comparisons really stop there. I loved LSC and I love HMC.

Thanks for the info on the parking. I get really antsy about getting on the ship early...I just want to park at the port, but would love to save the cash by using off-site parking. Oh, decisions, decisions.

 

Your review was awesome---totally enjoyed it! Thanks again.

You are welcome. I get really antsy about getting on the ship too but I just kept telling myself I will be there before it leaves...so I settled down.

I don't think I will be sailing on anything other than Fantasy for awhile so it's easy for me since I live just outside of Charleston. I drive to my mom's and hop in a cab to the port for less than $10.00. :)

Thanks!! Never thought to look on their website for off season bathing suit! I have a top from there that I love. I missed the clearance sales for bathing suits, too busy with my wedding planning!

 

Best way to get through not having a time clock is to book a cruise. :rolleyes: My family thinks I'm crazy cause I'm trying to plan another one even though I haven't left on this one yet.

I think it would be awesome to have one booked before you leave for the next one. It would help alleviate that "post-cruise depression"

Can you answer a few questions about this parking lot?

SURE!

1. Was it $10 per person for the shuttle to the port?

It was $10.00 per vehicle. We had a person that flew in to Jacksonville that needed me to give her a ride to the airport and they let her ride back from the port to the parking lot with us.

2. How many people earned you a "group" discount? We have a group of 9 going with us.

I think we had 10 cars total. I started a FB page and most of us talked about pre cruise planning there and then gathered a group of folks that decided to park there too. Give the guys there a call and ask what they can do for you.

3. What time did you get to the parking lot, and what time did you get to the port?

I want to say that I got to the parking lot around 11:30 and we got to the port around noon. There was a little bit of a wait while we waited for the big bus to come and get us and they waited until there were a fair amount of people onboard. Be prepared for a wait but nothing that was outrageous. I was so anxious to board that it seemed like a really long wait. Don't go there expecting that when you park you will just then hop on a shuttle and head right to the port.

 

Thanks!

ANSWERS ABOVE IN PURPLE!

Loved the review! I live in Jax but am not considering the Fascination for my next cruise only because it's been SO long since my last & I want to go on a longer cruise on a bigger ship. That being said, fun reviews like yours are making me realize that a great shorter cruise out of my backyard is possible.

 

I have the exact same Catalina bathing suit & also have it in the cherries pattern. It seems to be nearly universally flattering on all body types - it has amazing reviews on the Walmart website.

It really does look good on every body type. I swear it's the best bathing suit I have EVER owned and that includes when I was super skinny.

On our final day at sea, our roll call was to do a putt putt tournament, problem was only three of us showed up.:( You know it's a great cruise when plans get changed, because you are more in the now, than the plan. All4Fun&Fun4All showed up, and Catmando and myself. Now here is where it gets weird, and kind of disappointing. The balls and putters are up by the golf course, but no pencils or paper to keep score. Where are they? On all previous cruises, the balls, putters, and score cards were picked up by the pool. but not on this cruise, so we had to keep track of our own score, and putting on a moving ship is a challenge. So if you plan on playing on this ship, bring our own score card. I won, but not by much:)

I am finally getting around to reading your review. Great job! I enjoyed our time playing putt putt and for once I didnt have to worry about Andrew gloating about his victory to anyone who would listen. LOL I found it odd that there were no scorecards either and I am amazed that I was able to do the math.

Before long, Sheryl called us and we headed down to the debarkation area. I wanted to get a quick picture of the Tara Library.

Waiting to leave

It was around 9am before we were led down the elevators to the debarkation level. We dinged our cards for the last time and went to the luggage area to find our luggage.

Where is my luggage? Thank goodness I have a very unique color of luggage. It was in the wrong zone completely. We went through customs and walked out to locate zone 3 which is where Jetway told us to be for pick up. Then a porter mentioned to us that they werent going to be in zone 3 since it was raining on and off. We found their shuttle (they had the small one) and it filled up very fast. People were jumping the "line" (common courtesy line) and one couple in particular positioned themselves so that they would be next, even though they just showed up. I found this very tacky especially since Sheryl's mom has mobility issues.

When the next Jetway shuttle showed up about 15 minutes later this couple actually jumped ahead and lucky for us, Trace started putting our luggage in the shuttle to make sure we got on next. I am not sure if there is anything Jetway can do to know who was waiting longest or if this was just a mankind having entitlement issues but I was genuinely angry about this and was not how I wanted to end my cruise.

We got back to Jetway and they already had our cars pulled up to the front line for easy access which I found very helpful. I went inside and paid our group fee and loaded up my car.

Me and Jetway guys

I loaded Melissa in my car as well (she got to ride too) and drove the 5 minutes down the road to drop her off at the airport for her flight home. I left Jacksonville around 10:25am and made it back to Hollywood, SC by 2:00pm with only two stops made and a few confusing moments when I forgot that even though I was looking for exit 33....I needed to look for that exit in SC and NOT in GA. (there is only a milemarker 33 in GA and I thought I was really lost)

And there you have it! My review of Carnival Fascination 5 day to Nassau and LSC on HALLOWEEN! I hope you can find something in here that will be helpful for your next cruise. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask away. Thanks for reading!

It was a fitful sleep, and before long I heard the sound of thrusters as we pulled in to Jacksonville. As the ship slowly rocked back in forth into it's place, an eerie light shone through the portholes and moved up and down, up and down. It was almost spooky. This picture doesnt really translate how cool this was but I am throwing it in here anyway.

Room service came right on time. We wanted to see if we added something to the room service menu would they bring it. So we added the words peanut butter off to the side so Melissa could have a PBJ on toast.

They brought it

And I, of course, got my last bagel with cream cheese and lox

Roomie enjoying our last breakfast together

In room artwork.

Melissa wanted to order a little room service. She got a grilled cheese sandwich and veggies

Our suitcases were outside the cabin and ready to be picked up and my carry on bags were ready to roll in the morning.

We put out a room service order for breakfast and I made note that lido deck looked pretty vacant

And saw how close we were to Jacksonville already

I had a few cocktails in bed and saw this sad sight

Love reading your reviews....can't wait to finish reading the rest!!

Thanks you so much. I should be finishing up here within the hour! I hate writing about leaving the ship though.

When I was scoping out the Bahamas, I stumbled on your reviews and I <3 them! This time I read your review because you always seem to have a blast on your cruises. I'm at 50 days til mine. :D

 

I have to ask, where did you get your bathing suit? I love it!

Thanks for reading my reviews. I love having a record of my vacations and if it helps people along the way then even better! I am jealous of your countdown. I want another countdown ticker.

I got that amazing bathing suit from Walmart believe it or not. I ordered it online and the size was perfect. It is made by Catalina and if you google catalina and slimming bathing suit you should see it. I bought it last year but this year they added a few new designs. They had one with cherries and ones with anchors! I really need to get another one. Most "pin up girl" style bathing suits are very expensive but this one was right around $40.00 I think.

Great review!! Sounds like such fun:D One ? I have is about the coffee filters on the sink in the bathroom.....you use them for?

I had to go back and look to see if I actually packed coffee filters and then I realized that is the porcelain bowl that the steward fills with amenities. We had soap and toothpaste in it this time

After dinner, I was pretty much done. Stick a fork in me, I am DONE done! I went by the internet cafe and typed a short message to the Andrew and all I wanted to do was just get off the ship and go home. This is the first time I have felt this way on the last day of a cruise.

I went back to my cabin and took some pictures of my cabin. Seemed like the right thing to do.

Towel "animal"

Perspective?

Shower

Flushed

Beds

Then the waiters performed Ghangham Style. This was more entertaining than I thought it would be

Gede removed his vest and started doing a little pole dance for us. YOWSA!

And Melissa went to tip him for his dancing skills

Go Melissa

Go Gede!

Also noteworthy and pretty cool. Earlier in the week Melissa inquired about the Creme Brulee to see if it would be on the menu. We had heard that usually they dont serve it on 5 day sailings and since it was her favorite dessert, she wanted to confirm if they would have it. It was not on the 5 day menu. So she begged on that first night to see if they would serve it to our table. And ya know what? They did! On our last night, our entire table got creme brulee!

She is sooooo happy

Dinner was a silly mess of nothing but laughter. I dont even think anyone was thinking about this being our last dinnertime together.

I WUV YOU MELISSA

Trace and Gede

One of our tablemates brought in this little toy that made Halloween sounds. I told Sheryl about the wonders of Siri when we were back in Savannah and she was trying to summons Siri with this noise machine. I couldnt stop crying I was laughing so hard.

Then Robin tried

For starters I had the sushi and the crab cake. The crab cake was pretty good. I have had better in the past and the sushi was just meh.

As a side note, I hate that they have gotten rid of the sushi bar. The Taste Bar makes no sense to me since none of the restaurants are represented on this class of ship. I didnt remember to go down there and give it a try so I cant report on if it was a tasty morsel or not.

For the entree I had the flat iron steak. I know some folks have had some issues with the flat iron steak but as long as I order it medium rare it has always been very good.

There is a story behind this face.

Maitre d Fuat. He was fast. I could never get a good pic of him

Great review!!!!! Though kind of weird seeing a review from you and not seeing the familiar sights of the fantasy. Lol

It is a bit bizarre isn't it? Never fear! I will be back on Fantasy in May!

Thanks for the review-I knew I forget to get to that PG party, but I was sitting in a hot tub on the Serenity deck. Why have I not been there before????

I still haven't been in a hot tub on a cruise ship yet. I am really hot natured and I don't know if I could stand it too long. I just cant sit still for more than a few minutes.

When did they start that $1.00 a minute for massages on Lido?? I was on the Freedom in March and I didn't notice it. I'd like to try it on the Imagination or Sunshine next month

I have seen it on Fantasy before on sea days but never tried it. It's only for a few hours though. My roomie called the spa to see what hours they would be doing the massages because we didn't see it in the Fun Times.