carol louise

Thanks for the responses. Indeed I logged on this morning after "regular" check had opened up, and was able to continue as if nothing had gone wrong (the info I had earlier submitted was still there). So, all's well!

As Platinum, I was able to start early check-in yesterday April 10, for our April 26 cruise. I was not home, so did it except for passport number and emergency contact, and it had seemed like information was saved for completion later. I logged back in tonight at home, and am blocked. It tells me check-in is available tomorrow, April 12. What gives? Does early check-in have to be done all at once, or you lose it?

If your ship is in port until 10 pm, there may be some evening Carnival excursions available. Several years ago we took an excursion in Aruba called something like “Sunset catamaran cruise” and it included cocktails. It was scenic and convivial, and transportation to where we boarded the catamaran was provided since it was a ship’s excursion.

I’d say it’s comparable to walking to Margaritaville in Grand Turk.

I live on the West Side of Manhattan and almost always travel out of Newark. But I second the suggestion of flying in the day before, so it won’t matter so much which airport (LaGuardia, JFK, or Newark) you choose. And stay at a Manhattan hotel. That way your transfer to the terminal on embarkation day will a much shorter taxi ride than a taxi from any of the airports.

Be aware that there is a large meandering pool at Amber Cove, but no beach at the port area. Grand Turk has beach and the Margaritaville pool.

Who knew? Just did an image search online for “ducks on Jeeps.”

I agree with this. I took a solo cruise in 2009 (obstructed-view balcony on Carnival Miracle). I emailed every evening with my sister (my frequent cruise companion) and an old friend, to bring them up to date with my trip. Between those connections and the open friendliness of fellow cruisers, it was a pleasant combination of quiet solitude and companionship. Wishing you smooth travels home today.

I have found that the deck plans on Carnival’s own site to be very accurately to scale. So if you measure with a ruler how far from the elevator or stairway you are on your deck, and measure the same distance on the deck below, you will see what is there.

Happy New Year, @Haljo1935 and best wishes for a smooth, delightful return trip from Hawaii! CL

I’ve been to Nassau several times. The straw market near the dock burned some years ago and I have not seen it since it was restored/rebuilt. It was good shopping, as I recall. I can recommend the Ardastra Gardens—there may be a ship excursion there. A lovely combination botanical garden and zoo, including a fascinating performance by trained flamingoes. https://ardastra.com/ Half Moon Cay has the whitest powdery sand and clearest water I’ve ever seen. Highly recommend!

Yes, a little luxury when on vacation. I used to envy my former boss’s wife when she mention on the phone that she was heading out (to the salon) to get her hair washed. I only got it washed professionally when I went for a trim and color touch up. Now, it’s pandemic long and natural color and I never go to a salon!

I love facials. Sometimes it includes a soothing scalp massage (so maybe don’t get your hair done just prior!).

My first-ever spa treatment was a spa manicure. It’s a more luxurious version of simply shaping and polishing the nails. I agree with posters who suggest a pedicure, as well.

There is a trip report on the Carnival board by a poster who traveled with her two grown sons, one of which has a service dog. She wondered about the dog in an emergency situation, only to find upon arrival in their cabin a dog-sized life jacket! (She realized that’s why the line had asked pre-cruise about the dog’s weight.)

Even at $11.95, I think it’s still worth the convenience of having it delivered to your cabin for your arrival. Carnival may have had to raise the price because of a higher cost from their venders due to lingering supply chain issues.

Greetings, Haljo1935. I wandered over from my usual hangout on the Carnival board and am pleased to see you are enjoying a holiday cruise. The HAL San Diego/Hawaii itinerary is one I’ve daydreamed about since I did a number of HAL cruises some years ago. So sorry you endured a difficult journey to embarkation, especially after that stormy end to your Venezia cruise in September. Wishing you a wonderful cruise and happy holidays. P.S. re the dogs, I wonder if the owners are related to an officer or high-level staff member, and that’s why the rules were relaxed.

One of my pleasantest surprises on Venezia was on the lido buffet lunch, too: mussels. What a treat, to serve myself a whole bunch of them!

So true. It’s fascinating to observe how the lines operate, from a business point of view. Regarding the cabanas, I expect some executives—when someone first suggested building three-sided sheds on the beach with air conditioning and a fridge with snacks and charging big bucks to rent it for a few hours—wondered if anyone would pay so much extra for that. And the rest is history, as they say.

See also: cabanas on Half Moon Cay. My sister and I have been cruising since the early days, watching them seem all to be filled whenever we visited even as the price just kept going up and up. So we imagined HAL and Carnival executives shaking their heads saying to themselves “we haven’t reached the maximum, so let’s raise it again.” They are still available now for our 4/2024 cruise at $699. It’s an optional expense for cruisers, so each person can decide if this special extra is worth it. To the extent such extras keep cruise fares more affordable it’s good. Just a different pricing model to the luxury lines where nearly everything is included in the fare, whether you take advantage or not.

Momof3cruisers, I’m sorry you, C, and Max have to put up with problem people. It is kind of you to attribute the crew’s clumsiness to not understanding the etiquette around service animals. Maybe it would be a good idea to suggest additional training for them, at the very least before cruises where there is going to be a service animal on board. But some of what you encounter is just obtuseness—opening the mouth without thinking. Thank you for your good nature about it, which may serve to educate people to be more careful the next time.

I recommend trying a cappuccino from the Frizzante bar; I found them quite delicious. And the seating nearby is good for people-watching while you enjoy the coffee.

The port webcam shows it just entering the channel now (11:22).

Whew, that was tense reading! Good thing you had your phone activated with international service. It looks to me that depending on the very last possible train to get back was the miscalculation that led to the adventure. As poster Dan83 mentions, it’s best to have a backup plan.

What a delightful start to my day! Looking forward to the next installment, and wishing you and your family the best.