Aviendah

I'm the same and I love the California Rolls!

I truly don't understand why people even go on vacation when little things like this cause such heartache. Why risk it? When asking for a reservation this early from Carnival I have never not gotten the time I requested. They charge you when you appear for your meal. If you find you have conflicting reservations they will work with you via email to find a time that is satisfactory. Patience is key.

I've traveled with 4 women in a room on five day cruise. The problem we had was the lack of outlets so bring an extension cord; not a surge protector though. If you can travel with carry-ons that would be best because there won't be a lot of room for large suitcases. We did it and had a blast but we all get along well. Having a balcony will definitely get you more space to spread out.

I'm surprising DH with a suite for our Alaska cruise. He thinks we are getting a balcony and he helped me choose the location. Luckily the suite is 2 doors down from where he thinks we will be. I take care of all the billing etc so there is really no way for him to find out until we arrive. The one thing I would recommend is getting Faster to the Fun if you want to surprise her when she walks into the room. If you don't have FttF you will have Priority boarding and you'll end up having to explain why you are in the priority line.

They are twin teen boys. One is a neat freak (like me), and the other is just the opposite.

Your family sounds exactly like ours! We have twin boys and have shared a balcony room with them. Honestly they both enjoy the balcony so much they didn't want an interior room to themselves. I have good boys that are a joy to be around. If they were different I might go ahead and put them in a separate room. We enjoy hearing their stories about new friends and how much ice cream they're eating. Only you can say if sharing a small space with your twins would be comfortable. The other point I would mention is teens usually find so many things to do on ship we have to schedule time to see them. Sharing a room makes sure we get our family time in on the ship. The optimal for us would be two balcony cabins with an interior connecting door. We refuse to cruise without a balcony because its one of the highlights of our trip.

We are on the 7/17 sailing and I booked this tour in January. I would think it should be showing up by now. If you want to try emailing with your booking number perhaps you can get a response. alaska_tracyarm@carnival.com

We ordered both the chocolate and vanilla cakes for a group and they were fantastic. I'm a chocolate lover but the vanilla with strawberry was just as good.

I'll be honest, when traveling with extended family or a group sometimes it's nice not to open the balcony dividers. With them open you have to worry about someone peaking into your room when you are changing or banging on your door when they want something. I've had it both ways and unless my kids are in the next balcony we leave our divider shut.

We don't cruise without a balcony; we enjoy our private space outside away from the crowds.

I used to sell art in a fabulous little gallery in the Midwest. What I learned very quickly is that you can't judge a person by what they are wearing. These folks go to Walmart and sail with Carnival by choice, not because they have to. Personally, I have to dress up all week long and when I go on vacation I want to be casual which is why we tend to vacation on islands. We do wear business casual to the MDR on elegant night out of respect but we also bring a sense of humor and a good attitude. I can't fathom letting someone else's choice in clothing affect my joy in cruising.

Suite Amenities

In addition, guests in deluxe suite accommodations will receive:

•A high level of service provided by our most highly-rated stateroom stewards

•Two complimentary in-suite large bottles ofwater

•One complimentary bag of laundry

The following perks are not for those guests traveling in deluxe suite accommodations unless they are VIFP Diamond or Platinum guests or have purchased Faster to the Fun.

•First Access to Stateroom

•Priority Luggage

•Priority line at Guest Services desk

•Dedicated onboard Guest Services phone number

We had a spa balcony on the Breeze and loved it. We prefer the open balcony in the Caribbean especially at night.

My DH doesn't like wine unless I mix it with 7-up as a spritzer. I like sweet reds or a merlot so this works well for us.

New lamps with usb ports. Usb ports at the desk. Two 110 outlets instead of one...

 

Lamp in new inside cabin on deck 14 (Grand):

 

 

 

EM

I would be thrilled with usb ports on the lamps!

I was curious about what gets updated in the staterooms during Carnival's dry dock process? I've read "hotel maintenance" but was curious what that might include.

From what I have read, the Carnival Alaska cruises don't tend to be as rowdy as the Caribbean itineraries. I just went through this process and we got a suite on Legend for much less than what we could on Princess. With that being said, Princess tends to be the more preferred line for Alaska. The other common consensus is to spend less on your stateroom and more on your excursions when in Alaska. I would also compare the itineraries, ports and how much time you have in ports as that can further impact your satisfaction.

I don't like surprises so we always choose our rooms; it's part of the planning fun for me.

Try to book the cruise again and see what rooms are available and compare the price. Then call Carnival and let them know where you would like to be on the ship based on availability. I just changed from starboard to port side last week for our Alaska cruise.

If you search Zydecocruiser they often have them posted.

One of our roll call members for July emailed John Heald and this was the list she shared.

New Alchemy Bar

Guy’s Burgers

Blue Iguana Cantina

RedFrog Bar and BlueIguana Bar on Lido

I was really looking forward to Guy's and the Cantina especially. I didn't see the email so not sure if there are any more details but it's a good start.

Cindy your photos are just stunning!! Thank you for sharing.

We did ours through Carnival and ended up in Endicott, like so many others. While the Carnival ship follows the small boat tour down the arm, it's still not the same experience. We were on the small boat, maybe 1/2 mile from the glacier. And when it calved, Whoa!! The boat was rocking! It was crazy! But a great time and experience.

 

This was one of the many calving moments...

Waves coming by Cindy, on Flickr

 

And this is the view from the ship once we got back on board...

Dawes glacier by Cindy, on Flickr

From my research it seems that on a round trip cruise it really doesn't matter. If it is a northbound cruise starboard is popular and for southbound port seems to be favored. I booked a room that will be on the mainland side for a majority of our sailing. I think the room location on the ship is probably more important; away from the noise but close to popular areas.

It's very quiet and peaceful up there. I prefer the Spa deck for the great views and room decor.

I booked the boat excursion last night. I really hope we can make the Tracy Arm route in mid July.

We will be sailing Tracy Arm on July 19th this summer and I'm reading numerous reviews that recommend taking the small boat Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer (tender from the ship) excursion for the best glacier viewing experience. I chose this cruise after watching videos and I fell in love with the scenery of the fjord. When viewing this area, do you prefer the small boat experience or higher views from the ship? I'm leaning towards taking the excursion but I don't want to feel like I missed out on the sweeping cruise ship views. I do understand that the ship may not be able to get near Sawyer Glacier for optimal viewing. I read a few posts that state the tender back to the ship may be after the ship has left the fjord. Thanks in advance!