sjmbruce

3 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

Temporary Cal's isn't often open for lunch, so you'll need to check their website versus the day of the week you are in Roatan.   Plus TC's and West Bay are for all intensive purposes on opposite ends of the island.  So think 20 minutes from cruise port to TC's and then 45 minutes from TC's to WB.

 

There are very goo places to eat in WB or West End (where a little shopping can be done.

Gumbalinda Park is another option that is close to WB.  But it may take a cruise ship excursion to visit, which often includes some time on a WB beach.  

Thanks so much for the information on Temporary Cal's! I don't think the location would work for us, I'll have to start looking up restaurants closer to the rest of what we're doing. 

I am planning the day for a diverse group of eight. My parents (mid 60's) sister and brother in law (early 30's) my niece and nephew (teens) with me and my husband (mid 30's & mid 40's). My dad and brother in law are bigger guys and aren't super into physical activity. I refuse to go to any of the monkey/sloth/animal places and won't include them in our plans (unless there's a recommendation for a reputable place that provides adequate enclosures and doesn't allow sloths to be manhandled). Anyways, off my soapbox.

The plan is to go to Temporary Cal's for lunch, then West Bay Beach for the rest of the afternoon. I figure the active people can snorkel and swim while others lay on the beach and get some sun. I'd like to fill a couple of hours in the morning with a few activities. The chocolate factory in on the list for sure, but I don't know what else to add to the itinerary. Carambola Gardens? A few photo op locations?  I'm at a loss. 

Can underage minors be left at the waterpark or must an adult be present at all times? I know an adult has to purchase a pass in order for them to have one, but my sister would rather not spent her entire day there. My niece and her cousin will be 16 at the time of our sailing. They are already pretty mature teenagers and are more than capable of being responsible at a waterpark for a few hours without supervision. 

Are there any rentals such as floating mats and snorkel gear on the island? Is there any way to reserve those things? If not, where do I go on the island to get them? 

So many questions with much more to come, thanks for any help!

Thanks everyone! I'll call the general customer service number, it sounds like this has happened to at least one of you and it was resolved. And sorry for asking about the PVP number, forgot it was against the rules. 

Carnival cancelled my cruise (Radiance in August). They gave me the option for the FCC with OBC or to cancel with a 100% refund. I received a phone call from a PVP to help me, but I accidently deleted the message. No big deal, I went online and chose the 100% refund option with the realization that the refund would take awhile. I opened my email this morning to find a message from Carnival stating that they are sorry I cancelled my cruise, and because of that I will be penalized my non refundable deposit. Part of it will be FCC and the rest of it is a loss.  I would understand this if I backed out, but they are the ones who cancelled. Ugh. I'm not happy right now.  Anyone have a PVP phone number they are willing to share? Or some advice?

Carnival cancelled my cruise (Radiance in August). I chose the 100% refund option.  Not only have I not received my refund, I received an email stating that since I cancelled my cruise, I won't be receiving my non refundable deposit back. Is this right? Anyone have a number other than the generic 1-800 that I could call?

41 minutes ago, Mother27 said:

This helped me (a little) when considering our September cruise out of NYC on the Radiance. A member of our FB group for the cruise emailed John Heald. Here is her question and his response:

 

We have a group scheduled to sail on the Radiance Sept 27th out of NYC. The cruise has been taken down from the website but we still have access to our cruise planner. ANY information you could give us would be greatly appreciated.

 

From John Heald: Hello, at the moment we hope this cruise will go ahead as scheduled and once work starts again in Spain we will of course be able to let you know if there are any changes. But for now please keep your bookings and of course if we need to we will take great care of you.

 

 

Thanks for sharing his response. I just don't want to be stuck on another cruise headed somewhere we have zero interest in going. I guess I will be joining the wait and see crowd 🙂 

We are a group of eight: my 15 year old niece and her 16 year old cousin, my sister and her fiance in their 30's, me in my 30's and my husband in his 40's, and my parents in their 60's. My mom is active but my dad has some physical limitations. I'd like to find a tour similar to what we did on Aruba. We piled into a van and took a tour of the island's points of interest and picturesque views, then had a few hours at the beach before being returned to the cruise ship. I would like to take us all to St. John for this, but would stay on St. Thomas if something fit our preferences. Any suggestions? 

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

It was supposed to be added at her drydock 5 years ago but they had technical difficulties so it was scrapped then.  Never part of the plan for this recent drydock 

Boo, I'm super bummed. I must have been looking at old plans when I booked. Thanks for the information!

I could swear that Wonderland was supposed to be added to the Oasis during refurbishment but it's not listed anywhere now. I was so excited about going to dinner there too! Have I lost my mind? 

I'm going to start with a little back story, as everything I'm worried about now has a base in my short past with Carnival. During the fall of 2019, my husband decided he wanted to go on vacation for his birthday in February of 2020. We booked a cruise to Cuba with Carnival. It was our first booking with them. Then the laws changed and we were no longer allowed to cruise to Cuba. Obviously not Carnival's fault. However, it seemed like the other cruise lines were offering generous cancellation or rebooking options, while Carnival had offers for bookings through December of 2019. After that, you were out of luck. We had made a non refundable deposit. Ultimately, our overnight Cuban cruise turned into a fairly expensive Bahamas cruise with a stop in Nassau. Regardless of who made what decisions, that is what we were stuck with. We made the best of it - we took full advantage of the perks included with our spa cabin and enjoyed Half Moon Cay. 

We decided to give Carnival another chance, and booked a cruise to Bermuda out of NYC on the Radiance for fall of 2020. Radiance refurbishment - halted due to COVID 19. NYC - COVID 19 hotspot. Again, not Carnival's fault. However, we don't trust them to help us. I received an email stating that we'd know their decision by today, but I have yet to hear anything. Honestly,  I fully expect them to stick us on another ship to a random location without any other choice. Their contract says they can. I'd really like to try and stick the wait out to see what's going to happen, but my uneasiness with Carnival is nudging me towards cancelling now. 

Any constructive opinions or thoughts for this anxious traveler? 

Thanks everyone! I didn't know that the daybeds came with loungers, so two day beds might be an option. If we get on the island early and snag some loungers and umbrellas, we might be good for free. Thanks again!

There will be eight of us on an upcoming cruise with a stop at Cococay. I'm looking at the excursion list and I see cabanas and daybeds for rent. The daybeds won't work for our group, and the cabanas only come with two loungers. Is there an easier/inexpensive option to have some shade and be near each other? Maybe clamshell rentals? Also, will we be able to rent floating mats and snorkel gear once onboard? Or will we have to wait until we arrive at the island and hope they aren't sold out? Thanks for any insight - the island has changed so much since we were last there (in 2003!). 

My husband and I are talking about booking one of those overnight Bermuda cruises (2 half days, one full day). We haven't decided yet but I'm already in planning mode 😆

I'd like to get some good pictures of Horseshoe Beach before it gets crowded and am willing to wake up super early on day two or three to get there before the masses. Will there be transportation available when the sun comes up or should I try to find a private ride there?

I'm not sure yet if we'd continue on with our day or go back to the ship to drop off our camera equipment. I'd like to bring our nice/expensive camera with us the entire day, but it's kind of bulky and we're most likely going to be swimming and snorkeling with no place to store it.  Even though it'd waste time, we'll probably  head back to the ship after getting pictures of Horseshoe, bring the camera back to the room, and head out. 

On 2/9/2020 at 6:07 PM, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

Where are you sailing from? That might make a difference also. Baltimore, for instance, has boarding start around noon, on average.

We are sailing from Charleston, SC 

Are there any "secret" foods we shouldn't miss? I've read something about the Asian restaurant doing free lunch and I don't want to miss things like that. 

I purchased FTTF, but the earliest arrival appointment available online is 1:30. I'm assuming we can show up earlier than that? How much earlier? Thanks!

Thank you all for your replies and especially the pictures! We only have five days onboard so I don't want to miss anything 😄 I am even more excited now! 

I am so excited to be boarding the Sunshine soon! My husband and I are going to celebrate his birthday and it will be our first cruise with Carnival. Please share anything and everything about the Sunshine! Or answer one of my many rambling questions.

I bought FTTF. What time should we have an Uber drop us off? What should we do first? What will be open for lunch?

Is there still fun french toast (I saw fruit loop crust) on the seaday brunch menu? We have two sea days - what time is brunch?

How does your time/anytime dining work? I've read about having to go to one floor, put in your name and go to another floor for dinner.

I booked a spa room - anything I need to know or ask for? It looks like we get a discount on services but we need to book on board to get it.

How difficult is it to figure out when places like Guy's or the Blue Iguana are open? I'm hoping Guy's will have a veggie burger option.

How crowded does the Serenity area get? I'm hoping to lay there all day on sea days but don't want to get up at 6am to snag a chair. 

I'm sure I have a million more questions but that's all for now. Thanks everyone! 

The day of embarkation, my husband and I will return our rental car at a location about a mile from the port. Can we simply walk? If not, what are our other options? Thanks! 

My husband and I have a spa cabin booked on the Sunshine. How do I use the discount on spa services - by booking online or once we board the ship? Thanks!

On 10/21/2019 at 7:37 AM, NCTribeFan said:

Ships without the pub, Happy Hour at the casino bar, not at the Red Frog bar by the pool.  YMMV.

 

I'll board Sunshine on Saturday and I'm planning on heading straight to the pub.  Will report back but not until I'm home since I'm not buying an internet plan and have never gotten the phone app for these boards to work.

I'll be on the Sunshine early next year. It will be my first cruise with Carnival. I'd be grateful for happy hour information or any other tidbits you can share. Have a great cruise! 

I might be overthinking this - no, I’m definitely overthinking this. Help me under think this.

My husband and I are going on our cruise in February to celebrate his birthday. It was supposed to be a cruise to Cuba, but unfortunately we’re stuck with an expensive Bahamas cruise. We’re disappointed, but it will be okay. Moving forward.   

So we’ll be at HMC on my husband’s actual birthday. I’m thinking about renting a cabana but I can’t decide. We have FTTF, but I don’t want to make him wake up early on his birthday just to get onto a tender first thing. However, I’d also like to make sure we get good seats, a clamshell, floating mats and snorkel gear.

My biggest concern is spending $360 on a cabana and ending up with bad weather. I’m sure if it’s awful and tenders can’t run we’ll receive a refund. What I’m picturing is a cold day with a steady drizzle. Sure, the tenders might be running but who wants to spend the day on the beach in those conditions. At that point, I’d rather spend a few hundred dollars in the spa, cuddled up in a bathrobe with a warm drink.

Any thoughts, opinions or advice? I’m just thinking out loud to fellow cruisers who might understand my neuroses. Thanks!

Do clamshells, floating mats and snorkel gear sell out quickly? We have FTTF but not sure if we want to get up early to take advantage of it. 

I put FTTF in my cart and went to my cart to check out. The purchase page specified check in time as 12:00-1:00. Is this time normal? It just seems a little late for a "faster" program. Being new to Carnival, I'm not sure and am looking for some advice or information. Thanks!