leenieweenie

I love Carnival and the Miracle, but if I had a cruise booked on the Miracle to either Hawaii or Alaska, I would cancel and book another line. Especially for Hawaii. Would you chance getting stuck in the middle of the Pacific if the ship were to develop other problems due to the propulsion issue?

 

WE ARE BOOKED ON THE MIRACLE TO HAWAII IN JAN 2015.:eek: WE WILL NOT CANCEL. I DON'T BELIEVE CARNIVAL WOULD CHANCE ANOTHER MAJOR SCREW UP IF THEY CAN AVOID IT. I WILL FEEL SAFE AND WILL ENJOY THE CRUISE I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO FOR YEARS.(25TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION-YIPPEE)!! EVERYONE HAS TO FIND THEIR OWN COMFORT LEVEL AND DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES WHAT IS BEST FOR THEM. WE HAVE SAILED ON THE MIRACLE BEFORE AND LOVED THE SHIP.:)

I e-mailed also and their response was that they are getting close to having all the vendor contracts for the 2015 cruises. They told me to check back end of May and I should be able to see the excursions available for our Jan Hawaii cruise by then. Hope so cause I am excited to book some excursions!! Can't wait. Also I want to be able to compare in case I can take advantage of their new low price guarantee for excursions!

We have cruised several times and never used the hot tubs cause they were always so crowded. Last cruise we stayed on the ship in Nassau and finally enjoyed the hot tub on the serenity deck. It was awesome and I'm sure we will try to find a time to do this again. The ship is sooo different on port days with everyone gone!

Congrats on weight loss! I made goal just before my last cruise. Was a little nervous about how I was going to stay on plan during the trip but I did it! It was a combination of making good food choices (yes there are healthy options!) going to the gym every day and using the stairs instead of the elevators. I even brought my fiber one lemon bars to have for dessert instead of choc. melting cake or crème brulee!! And yes it was worth it. I came home and weighed in at only less than 1/2 pound gained. That was awesome for me cause in the past I have gained between 7 - 10 pounds-yikes. So be confident it can be done. Just have your plan and stick to it! Good luck WW works but you have to do the work too!!

I am so going to look for those tiles! Because every single time-and i mean every time-i come out of the elevator and turn the wrong way!!! And don't even start on me trying to find my table after being in the buffet line. Circle,circle, circle! About the last day of the cruise i can finally find the showroom the first time.

Just reporting back after our cruise. I did take the Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour in Kauai and had a fabulous time. It was definitely one of the highlights of our cruise. Our pilot was Marty, and he was a great pilot with good commentary and smooth flying. I felt completely safe although it was my first helicopter ride. The views of Kauai are just fantastic, and I saw so much more than I would have been able to see on a land tour. If you thinking about a helicopter tour, I highly recommend it especially on Kauai. The most economical way to go is to book directly online at their website. They also pick up at the pier at no extra charge. You can also buy a DVD of your flight, which I did to supplement my photos. Thanks everyone for your recommendations.

How far ahead did u book online for your excursion before your cruise?. Did they say they would refund if ship didn't make it in to port? Thanks u for the info-I want to book this same thing for our Jan 2015 cruise!

Need advice. How far in advance should a helicopter tour be booked? Obviously weather is a concern. Does one wait until the day or two before arriving? Or do they all get booked up and you need to book well in advance? If so, how far in advance?

Looking for input on this also. Our cruise is not until Jan. 2015 but wondering when we should book blue Hawaii helicopter tour. Any info would be appreciated!

Have only been to Belize and we loved it! We did the Xanatunich ruins tour thru the ship and it was amazing. We would go back and do another kind of tour any time! My daughter did the cave tubing and had a blast! belize is advertised as the up and coming place to . Guess it depends on what you like to do. We like adventure and sightseeing. Not into shopping that much. I would say-don't stay on the ship-give it a chance and explore something new! jmo

I was so excited to get one! I immediately thought it would get me on the list for the free cruise letter. Just wishful thinking I guess! I still don't know the rhyme or reason behind who gets the free cruises. Would really like to be on that list right now!!

Thank you, susan m, hoping to book soon, but our dates aren't showing yet on their site. Glad to know it is an awesome experience. Isn't that what we travel for--those unforgettable memories we make!

the heli tours that we've taken (maui and kauai) were well worth the cost. If kauai is a choice for you, that's the one i would choose. We used blue hawaiian for both tours, on their ecostar helicopters.

 

Without knowing what ports you are going to and what your interests are, it's difficult to recommend other "must see/do" excursions. Suggest reading through the list of choices offered by the cruise and see what looks interesting.

 

Hawaii is an easy place to explore on your own with a rental car (it's also an inexpensive way to explore). A guidebook might be of help - this one was recently recommended here. The latest edition is coming out later this month.

did you book online and did they pick you up at the port or did you need to have your own transportation to their facility? Thanks, i am looking to book them for jan2015. How far ahead did you book?

queen,

 

there have been others who said the same thing about having bad fcc people to deal with on the ship when booking the next cruise. I guess i was lucky to have geoff on the freedom in dec. Very nice person, helpful, talked with wife and i about other options but agreed what we were doing was best.

 

But like you said, i did come well prepared with the info i got online the day before while in the hotel waiting for the cruise, even down to the cabin # i wanted.

 

Steve

same for us =we booked on the freedom with geoff for a 15 day to hawaii and got $200 obc. I was prepared with all my info also and the numbers came out exactly what i had on my paperwork! Easy peasy to get the extra obc. Can't wait! Hardest part for me was waiting for the fcc desk to open. I booked the 1st day it was open!

We loved the movies on the lido deck! You can get cozy blankets from the towel hut and free popcorn from the bar area and then sit back and enjoy a movie under the stars. We could hear it fine-we saw 3 different movies- all of which were on" my want to see" list. Perfect evening. We were on the freedom.

iN MY EXPERIENCE THE BUFFET OFTEN OFFERS MOST OF THE SAME FOOD BEING SERVED IN THE MDR. WE JUST RETURNED FROM 8 DAYS ON THE FREEDOM AND NEVER ATE IN THE MDR AT ALL. WE STILL ATE WELL AND COULDN'T IMAGINE EVER GOING HUNGRY OR NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND SOMETHING TO YOUR LIKING. WE HAVE EATEN IN THE MDR ON OTHER CRUISES BUT - FOR US- THE DINING EXPERIENCE THERE TAKES TOO LONG AND DOESN'T MESH WITH OUR STYLE. NO COMPLAINTS FROM US ABOUT THE FOOD! I GAINED A FEW POUNDS ON THIS TRIP, EVEN WITH 4 DAYS AT THEIR WONDERFUL GYM!

Of course my mom called after seeing the news and I had to explain to her that there is no way she fell over the balcony. It just isn't gonna happen unless someone is climbing or sitting on the railing. Or taking a running leap over it. Sad for the girl's experience, but definitely no liability for Carnival. She should be thankful they were able to rescue her.

I hate to pack. We sail in three weeks and I am making myself begin to put things together. I have my suitcase out and set up in the spare bedroom. I find myself avoiding g that bedroom. LOL

I am with you on the Freedom in 3 weeks. I just today went down to get my suitcases and lay out my 'cruise clothes'. Can't wait to be on the ship. Have already printed docs and taped up my luggage tags! Oh yeah!! See you on the ship!:)

My dh and I have been to both islands and we believe both are truly worth a visit. we are not "beachy" people so I can't answer about their beaches, but Curacao is beautiful. And Aruba was totally different than we thought it would be. Very much a desert environs. we took island tours on both places to get a feel for them. Also, In Aruba, we were there late into the evening and we went to the casino and won $800! so maybe that influences our memories a little.lol. Check out the excursions available for both to see what appeals to you. I'm sure you will be pleased to visit both!

Sailing on the Freedom in Feb. Is there an advantage to book our next cruise while on that cruise? Do you get a discount or OBC or any other perks? Thank you! Oh- going to book for Hawaii for January 2015.:D

thanks

Sailing carnival Freedom in Feb. Wondering what advantage there is in booking our next cruise while on that cruise. Do you get a discount or upgrade or any extra perks at all. Thank you for any info.

I would have kept the Empress Deck also. Just off the Freedom and we had a great time.

Glad to hear you had a agreat time on the Freedom! And for the reassurance about our cabin location!

I was so excited to see an e-mail from Carnival titled Upgrade Offer. It was an offer to upgrade from our balcony on the Empress level to a balcony on the Panoramic Deck. It would cost 40.00 for both of us. We have never been up that high on a ship before.:confused: I turned it down :( hope that was the right thing to do. But we are happy with our cabin location on a deck between other cabin only decks, so we played it safe! but it sure was nice to get the Upgrade offer!

Can't wait to cruise the Freedom in February! Looking forward to an awesome time!:D

We have one cruise this Thanksgiving, after a year's dry spell! :eek: Next year we have two, for Easter and again at Thanksgiving.

 

So that's 3 cruises booked :eek: and I'm looking at Med cruises for 2014. :eek:

can I ask where you are finding listings for 2014 Med cruises now?

Can't wait to board the Victory. my dh and I are cruising Feb 13 !! we plan a romantic valentine's trip-just the two of us.this is our 2nd carnival cruise and the 1st to the southern Caribbean. Looking forward to all the ports on this sailing although we will miss Dominica. Please tell about your excursion plans as I still haven't made up my mind about some of the ports yet. Thanks