alligirl78

Yes they do. It was toward the end of our cruise and will be listed in the Fun Times.

Please don't put DEET on and get in the water.

Oil free doesn't mean it's biodegradable. And biodegradable doesn't always mean it's coral friendly either. Coral Safe and Kiss My Face (available at Target) both make good products. Please people..if an excursion into the local ecosystem calls for enviro-friendly products, don't be lazy. There's a REASON they don't want regular sunscreens used; they are damaging the coral. Baby susncreen, oil free, low UV screens...they are all just as damaging to coral.

Another option for both bugs and sun is UPF clothing. I have a dive shirt that I bought realtively cheap on ebay that proctects from the sun and chaffing but also provides added protection from bugs.

Sorry ... and while I've screamed "Go War Eagles" many times ... have to feel a bit better about "Roll Tide" to represent the SEC this year.

:o We are Cocks fans and are lucky to be going to be going to any minor bowl this year. :rolleyes:

Our big game SC Cocks (SEC) vs Clemson (ACC) our arch rival on Saturday. Clem is favored by 3 and is being played at Clem. :o

LuLu

I know my hubby would cringe if he saw this and a lot of people do it (War Eagles)...Auburn's official mascot is (IMO the BEST mascot EVER) Aubie the Tiger and they are the Tigers. "War Eagle" is a battle cry, and even more so now, a greeting between Auburn fans. No matter where we go (we live in Michigan and I'm a B1G girl), when hubby has the Auburn gear on, we will hear a friendly "War Eagle" from someone :) There are actually a few interesting legends about how the "Warrrrrrrr Eagle" came to be, one even going back to the civil war. So, if you're ever cheering for Auburn, yell "Go Tigers" AND "War Eagle" :)

We'll be at Manning's with the NOLA Auburn Club watching the game the night before we set sail on the Dream. It was the only way to top last year's Iron Bowl :) War Eagle!

We booked ES on our upcoming Dream cruise and jumped out of ES (we had already upgraded from an interior to a Deluxe OV with ES) and into the balcony GTY pool with the 35 hr sale. Our room was assigned yesterday and we're in 7447, Empress balcony, rooms above and below and far enough aft that the Lanai has tapered off. I couldn't be more pleased. It's almost to the back of the ship but we're young; we can walk :)

We were booked in a deluxe OV and I managed to jump out of ES into the balcony GTY pool AND get $82 in OBC. We have 4 (2 kids) in a balcony now for $270/pp for 7 days on the Dream. And since we sail in 12 days, I don't care if I can't price match anymore. A few hours after I snagged our balcony, the balcony prices went back up $100/pp so I got a great deal regardless. So excited!! This sale was awesome for us. Our first balcony will be a real treat :)

We are taking our girls (7 & 11) on their first cruise over Thanksgiving. Qe have a stop in Cozumel and already have a reservation for Dolphinaris at 10:20 that morning, the rep said to allow 3 hours for this. Does anyome have any suiggestions for something we should do after this? Our ship does not leave port until 6:30...so we will have from 1:30/2:00 til 6:00...I was thinking of going to Chankanaab just for the beach and maybe some nearby shopping...any other suggestions or ideas of what we should check out that afternoon?

 

Thanks!

 

Kelly

You could catch a cab to Money Bar. No entrance fee, man made beach/sand area with stairs down to the water. Good snorkeling (rental equipment available), good food, reasonable prices. We love Money Bar.

Great Score... I keep thinking about upgrading to a DOV as well. I just really wish the second bathroom had a toilet being the only female I having to share a bathroom with the boys. Sounds like you would understand being the mother of boys.

Uggh..that I DO understand LOL. For $30, I couldn't turn it down. For $300? Nope!

Thanks everyone :) I was kinda bummed that we hadn't received any price drops (not completely because I DID get a great price when I first booked) but I didn't expect to be able to upgrade for such a low price.

Under 60 days...and I'll be sitting in that window, enjoying our view :)

Back in February, we booked a 4F on the Dream for her Nov 30 sailing for $299 pp (4 inside). Couldn't beat the price. We normally do interiors with 4; our DS's are 10 and 13 so we're used to it. I booked ES, just in case, but it has done nothing but skyrocket. Somewhere after booking, our itinerary flip-flopped and prices continued to climb (going to Cozumel first instead of Montego Bay). In the meantime, it's become more expensive to book an interior for 4 than an OV for 4 on this sailing, but still way more than we paid.

Today, I got an email from Carnival offering an upgrade to a deluxe OV for $50. When I logged in, it stated my upgrade cost would be only $30. I called my PVP and sure enough, we upgraded to a 6M for $30 total. I don't mind the riviera deck at all, we're perfectly midship and having the extra sq footage and extra bathroom with 4 in the room?? I am so thrilled with this offer.

We got the OV for over $300 less than it's going for right now as he just added the $30 to our original booking price. Taxes have gone up as well and we didn't get charged the difference either.

YAY for being the only girl in our room..cuz I get MY OWN bathroom!!!! Well worth $30 IMO. LOL

We are booked on the Liberty leaving from Port Canaveral and ending in San Juan. I am going to get myself and my daughter passports but my question is about my son. When I got his driver's license I went ahead and bumped him up to an enhanced driver's license. From my understanding, that should be all I need for him, correct?

 

I checked Carnival's website FAQ's on the issue but if you read their information it makes it sound like you only need a regular driver's license and birth certificate which I know isn't right. I did more googling and came upon Norwegian's information, which is much easier to read and they say that an enhanced driver's license is acceptable. Just wondering if anyone has actually used one on an open jaw sailing?

 

This question in no way indicates whether I will or will not be getting him a passport, it is just a question.

Yes. He is all set. We are one of 4 (I think it's 4) states with EDL's and they are sufficient for land and sea travel, just not air.

Has anyone bought the Verizon gift cards for Carnival and used them to set up their sign and sail account? I was told thru Carnival that I could set up the sign and sail card with a credit card and after boarding the ship go and add the gift cards to the account. I was wondering if anyone else had used these cards for their onboard account and also were there any limit to the amount that you can use at one time?

If you search this forum for it, you'll find a big thread on these.

Thank you for sharing. I'd have been on deck bawling. It was a beautiful tribute.

Our Dream cruise the week after Thanksgiving did nothing but skyrocket. For some reason, Carnival flipped our port schedule around to visit Cozumel first instead of Montego Bay and prices went up, up UP. It's $500 more for the cabin we booked back in Feb. But I'm ok with that. I booked ES but booked a great price so if it stays up, I know I got one heck of a deal.

First thing I do is take a deep breath and vow to leave all my stress on shore. I try to take a few moments to be thankful for the experience I am about to have and enjoy my family as we all prep for another family adventure. After that, WHATEVER! I'M ON A BOAT!

All good suggestions. We really enjoyed walking around " old " San Juan, including around the outside wall of the fort.

I love San Juan. I love it's rich history and the architecture in the old city, Paseo de la Princesa and the brick streets, the walls of the city...sigh. It's so different from the mainland and you just can't find buildings as old as Del Morro here in the states. I know, I'm a nerd but I dig that kinda stuff.

My dh and I leave out of Miami on Sept. 20th for a 7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise. We stop at these 4 ports: Half Moon Cay, St Thomas, San Juan Puerto Rico and Grand Turks. We have not been at any of these ports and really need help planning our excursions. We usually book thru Carnival but are open to other options. We love to snorkel and sight see but not just lay on the beach all day and drink. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We are so looking forward to visiting these ports. TIA

HMC is Carnival's island so if you see something you want to do, you'll have to book through Carnival. But honestly, it's such a beautiful beach, I'd make that a beach day.

St. Thomas has a lot of options. Magen's Bay is also beautiful and one of the top destinations on the island. But there's lots of options depending on your preferences.

If you like history, San Juan has 2 very old forts, Del Morro and San Cristobal, that you can walk to if you don't have mobility issues. Old San Juan City has lots of food and coffee options and is known for beautiful, bright colored doors on the homes/buildings.

If you want good snorkeling, Grand Turk is wonderful. There are many private companies on the island that will take you to shallow snorkeling and then take you to snorkel over "The Wall', a huge 7000 foot drop into the ocean.

If you check out the "Ports of Call" boards here, you'll find all kinds of good info on all the ports. Enjoy!

Just sent these to my DH, who has only been on Fantasy. So excited!

I bought one as a gift for my DH on his first cruise and the first one didn't just leak, it had a big hole in the seam of the lining. I took it to guest services and they replaced it. DH loves it and especially appreciated the beer included lol. We don't have a dishwasher so I've had to wash the cups by hand. After about a year and a half the lettering has started to come off but they're sturdy plastic and the kids use them quite a bit.

I know here in my area most people are sticking to that custom. Do you see a lot people on cruises still wearing white after Labor Day?

 

 

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I use cruising as a great excuse to wear white after Labor Day :) Yes, you will see plenty of white onboard.

Goths tend to get a bad rap. While I'm not personally in the goth scene, we have a few friends who are. And they are some of the most fun, goofy people we know-who also have a deeply cynical streak, like wearing dark clothing and a lot of makeup, and many are in the local theatrical scene. The ones who are cruising are likely to be more fun and a bit more social than the ones that get a little demonized sometimes. I think it'd be fun!

Your experience is the same as mine. I've been a part of our local theater scene and I've met two of the bands that will be on this goth cruise as we had them here performing for our annual Vampire Ball a few times. Aside from their physical appearance, they will be no different than anyone else and tend to be smart, witty, creative sarcastic, funny and insightful. They are also a very tolerant group. They should be a blast to cruise with :) And I bet you'll see MAGNIFICENT costumes for the masquerade ball!!

What is the best Carnival offering for Mayan ruins? I mean combination of ship, itinerary and anything else I should consider. Thanks.

One that goes to Progreso and Cozumel. From Progreso, you can visit Chichen Itza, Uxmal or Mayapan. In Cozumel, if your port time allows, you can take the ferry to Playa Del Carmen and go to Tulum from there. At Mayapan and Uxmal, you can climb the pyramid and walk on the structures but the other ones have closed their pyramids for climbers. Tulum has one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever set foot on. But your port time has to be long enough to allow travel to and from the mainland.

You cannot compare a family reunion with a bachelor cruise. They are simply friends or acquaintances thrown together with who knows what their intentions are.

Why not?? For MANY of us, our friends ARE our family. Just because they don't share blood doesn't make them any less special. I took a girls' cruise last October with some dear friends. In May of this year, one of them was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. She will be on chemo for the rest of her life. She's only 50. And I absolutely consider her family, more so than some of my relatives who I don't even speak to on a regular basis. Since her diagnosis, I have cherished the memories of our cruise every day.

And what does "who knows what their intentions are" mean, exactly? Maybe to have some guy time, relaxing, bonding, away from wives and kids and wedding planning? I had my bachelorette party in Vegas and it was an awesome time.

Can I only get an OBC if the price of my cruise drops and I buy Early Saver? We did not buy Early Saver and have paid the cruise off when we booked it. Any chance of getting an OBC? We leave out of Miami on September 20th.

No-that's the perk of booking Early Saver. Once you're past final payment, there's no OBC but I have seen people get upgraded in a next higher category's price drops too.

I would choose the Glory because of the itinerary. I don't like Nassau and I haven't been to LSC in a long time. I have been to all the ports on Glory's itinerary.

 

You're never 100% safe, but on Roatan, Carnival has its own island, Mahogany Bay. You get off the ship and it's right there. Just be careful of the excursions you choose and your transportation at other ports.

Agree. Cozumel, Roatan and Grand Cayman have some great, kid friendly beaches. The only port I'd be mildly concerened with is Belize and I took my kids out of Belize City and went cave tubing with them.

Is it better to book with Carnival or on your own ? If your ship misses the port because of weather and you booked it thru Carnival will you get your money back ?

Yes, you will get your money back from Carnival. And many private vendors have similar policies. I booked with one in Cozumel and we were unable to participate due to weather and received a full refund. Others have you put down a deposit, or even just take your name, and have you pay cash the day of your excursion to avoid the hassle of refunds if necessary. Just depends on the company.

I've read some of your reviews and enjoyed them very much. We sailed on the Fantasy back in 2012 and had an interior room.

My question is, do you know how the interior porthole rooms on the R or M deck are. Don't remember what it's like being that low or that far up front on the ship. Much noise, ship movement?

I'm so sorry for your loss. Being from Goose Creek we're almost neighbors.

Thanks

I visited All4fun&fun4all's room on our 2012 cruise and they were way up front, and were on the Main deck, if I remember correctly. They loved it. They said you could hear the waves hitting the side of the boat sometimes but their room was very quiet as far as traffic (no one needs to go down there except the people staying down there) and really spacious for 2 with the open PT "seat" and natural light. I admit to being a little jealous :)

We all felt a little ship movement on our way back for some reason. Someone explained it to me the last night but, I forgot why we felt so much motion. I was too busy prepping myself for end-of-cruise depression:o

ETA* They were in R-1 on the Riviera. There's pics in her 2012 review.