cathycaz

On the Magic, do the Cloud 9 Spa Balcony have a mini frig? If they do they are probably fill with the little bottles of alcohol I(Mini bar). Will they remove them so we can put water bottle in it? Thanks for your help!!!

We always gather all of the little bottles (and full size sodas) they put in the mini fridge and put them into a seldom used cupboard so we have full use of the fridge, then we reload it on departure day. We've never bothered the room steward to do it, but I do know they will.

Just came off the Carnival Dream on Sunday. This is NOT a Carnival sponsored tour -- it's WAY better than any Carnival tour (and I've sailed CCL and used it's tours for most of my 13 cruises). Spent last Wednesday aboard the Free Radical with the owners, Ed and Julie. Ed and Julie, from Canada, circumnavigated the globe, traveling more than 60,000 miles, in a smaller catamaran before settling in Roatan. There were only 7 of us booked on this charter. Their van driver picked us up just outside of the Carnival owned port area and drove us 20 minutes across the island to their dock. Ed and Julie greeted us and as soon as we boarded, offered fresh baked muffins and beverages (they live aboard and have full cooking/baking facilities). After our first amazing snorkeling stop, there were fresh baked peanut butter cookies, pizza baguettes and homemade pico de gallo with tortilla chips. The second snorkeling stop was even more amazing than the first! After another hour or so in the water, the lunch bell sounded. As they started setting out the buffet, I asked if they knew there were only 7 of us - to which Julie replied they do the same food for 6 as they do for 30, just in smaller quantities! They offered soda, beer, and fresh made pina coladas, then homemade lasagna, caesar salad, grilled chicken kabobs, meatballs in pineapple sauce, and island red beans & rice dish. All of this amazing food (none of which goes to waste, leftovers are distributed to the crew and scraps ground for food for island pigs) was followed on the ride back to the dock with fresh baked banana bread with buttercream frosting and carrot cake muffins with cream cheese frosting. It was worth far more than they charge.

Please let me know how it turns out with Dion. We're on the CCL Breeze Exotic Eastern in September, in port at Tortola on 9/18 and have found several of the private charter companies take their own vacations and do boat maintenance in September, returning to full service in October.

Will you please post afterwards about which nights are 'cruise elegant'? Since this cruise - I'm sailing 7/23/13 - has its 4 port days at the end of the cruise, with the final night a 7pm-11pm in Victoria, BC., I would find it odd to have the 2nd formal night then. Have a fabulous cruise!!