Thebosn1

I have sailed out of Port Canaveral before but never stayed at Cocoa Beach. I was thinking of staying there this April for my cruise on Sunshine.

I stayed right on the beach in Fort Lauderdale one time and it was such a disaster that it actually put a damper on the first couple days of the cruise.

I would value some input and suggestions from anyone who has stayed in Cocoa Beach pre-cruise. Positive and negative experiences on where you stayed and transportation to the port would be great. Thanks! :)

My husband took my small bag with my S&S card in it and disappeared for three hours. Had to go to guest services and beg for another card just to get into my cabin and buy a drink. I'll have three kids on our next cruise as well. If I don't know where someone is, how can I "just go talk to them."? You can bet we'll be using this.

I see. I guess in that situation it would be nice to be able to contact your people directly. When I sail, it's just me and my wife and we are never that desperate to find each other haha!

I rely on technology as much as the next person, I just try to get away from all of that when I'm on vacation. I even hate that big stupid TV with the news on it.

I see a lot of people on CC and other places complaining about chair hogs, who come out and put a towel on a chair in a good spot by the pool in the morning and then don't come back until after lunch or whatever. People also cry that the staff does not police these acts of rudeness, and that it puts a negative blotch on their vacation.

This confuses me. If I see towels and flipflops on a chair that I want, and I saw it sitting there since that morning and it has not moved, I have always just moved it. I would never touch anyone's things if I wasn't sure they were being rude by leaving it there all morning, but I'm telling you right now that if I see a buch of chairs "reserved" by a towel since breakfast time, I'm moving the suff. I have done it before and the folks nver said a word to me when they finally showed up.

I think we need to make the most of our vacation, and part of that is not relying on the staff to take care of rude fellow cruisers. There are just too many for the staff to police.

I'm wondering if any people that try to hold chairs this way have had their stuff moved, and if so how did you handle it?

I don't get it. Funtimes is free, and if I want to talk to someone i will just go talk to them. And my phone goes in the safe about 30 seconds ofter I am inthe cabin and stays there.

Very informative review thank you.

The same people that would complain about the change would also demand a full refund if they got the snot knocked out of them on the northern rout.

I do understand how not eing able to get to Bermuda would be a bummer, but you can't reason with the hurricane season. Oh and BTW:

The 735-foot cargo ship El Faro was en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it was caught in the Category 4 storm that's battering the Bahamas, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard Atlantic Area command center in Portsmouth, Virginia, said it received a satellite notification saying El Faro was overcome by the storm, lost propulsion and had taken on water.

So just try to enjoy your new ports and be glad you are not around where this ship was last heard from.

Yes, but also remember that the pools are small, and crowded. For safety reasons though, I am sure they would be allowed.

Best excursion is to stay on the ship and actually enjoy the day...

Hi Jim, I have no experience with the aft balconies but I can tell you that I LOVED the Serenity area on Sunshine. The lower area (deck 10 with the waterfall and pool) is noisy because it overlooks the lido deck and pool, but there are two more levels up and around the front that are very quiet. It's nice having a bar right there, too. The bar area is shady and great for people watching.

 

We stayed on deck 11, and I loved being able to go out in the early mornings and sit in a clamshell by the pool with my coffee, watching the morning news on the big screen.

 

Hope you have a blast!

Perfect! That is exactly what I was hoping to hear! Thanks!

I'm about to book a 9 day Eastern on Sunshine, and I was hoping for some first hand info on the extended aft balconies, and also the serenity area.

Aft balconies differ from ship to ship, I was wondering if anyone has had an extended aft balcony on Sunshine, and if you though it was worth the extra money.

Also, my favorite spot is the serenity area, and I was wondering how it is on the Sunshine. Do they enforce the age limits for entering? Is there enough room up there? It looks a little small...

Anyway, thank in advance for any first hand info anyone can give me on these two spots on the ship.

Jim

I just got off a cruise a few weeks back, where a member of the entertainment staff was drinking in between trivia/events in the Redfrog Pub on several occasions.

A few cruisers, including myself, even bought him drinks a few times.

 

He never seemed to be intoxicated, though.

I HAVE seen entertainment staff have more than a few. Especially the commedians and some of the folks in the bands. Doesn't bother me a bit, especially when they are buying!

I have seen the younger crew members drinking ashore, but maybe that is because they are the only ones that have the energy haha. Remarkably, I saw our CAPTAIN in the piano bar having a couple drinks at about 11 PM the night before an early port call. Won't say what ship or what Captain, but post Costa Concordia, I thought that was pretty crazy!

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

We did a southern Caribbean on the Valor years ago and pulled into Cozumel and took a bus tour to Tulum. It was one of the coolest places I have ever seen on any cruise. Absolutely incredible, I was blown away.

Not sure what ship has that itinerary now, but I would check it out and see if you could find that tour. It was like 120 degrees that day, but it was an amazing spot.

That said, we also did a mayan tour in Belize. Can't remember the name of it but after Tulum it was NOT very impressive. I would skip that one.

Me too! Looking forward to the legend's trip to Sydney

SO CLOSE! See you on the ship!

Thanks All, great information.

I was going to take an organized ship tour in this port but I cancelled it. Can anyone give me a little advice on a way to take an "informal" tour around papeete and the surrounding area? I want to see Pt. Venus, etc.

Are there cabs that can just drive you around? Are they trustworthy, english speaking at all, expensive?

If anyone has done their own thing in and around Papeete, I would appreciate any tips or ideas. THANKS!!

After over a YEAR of planning (and paying) my amazing cruise from LA to Sydney is 9 DAYS AWAY! I almost does not seem real! I'm used to waiting six months for regular caribbean cruise but this was a year wait for an epic 23 day cruise across the South Pacific!

Single digit dance never felt like this before!

Congrats to my fellow cruisers in the single digits! :D

LIKE - but forgot to add complimentary Metamucil tastings in the library, followed by free Geritol samples.;) All kidding aside, I think the cruise lines do a decent job of attempting to please everyone, with the exception of music, that is.

 

 

 

Same here - they can take their rap/hip hop/ghetto music and toss it overboard as far as I'm concerned. Then again, I also think the country CD's deserve the same fate. I personally like classic rock, and I know there are those that don't care for that either. I think the best approach would be to have the DJ's play a general mix of EVERYTHING, not just what THEY like - that way the rappers, Top 40, classic rockers, country listeners, jazz listeners, etc could all have a fair experience. Now as far as classical music, not sure how that would fit in the mix, however. Something about jamming Led Zeppelin, Beethoven, and Pitbull in the same set just really sounds weird.:)

I agree. On the BREEZE, they had a DJ most days. But the kid played EVERYTHING. hard rock, classic rock, country, hip hop and dance music, even some oldies. The result was that everyone was able to enjoy themselves. Most afternoons around that pool, there was a fun, party atmosphere and just about everyone was smiling and dancing and just having fun! On FREEDOM, it was either hip hop or that frigging giant TV, and half the people could not enjoy themselves. Completely different vibe.

I hate line dancing and would be happy to see those songs gone. No creativity involved at all.

Well I hate hip hop. Talk about no creativity. I hate the DJ and the ridiculously LOUD crap they play. I also HATE having a giant friggin tv blasting in my face when I come on deck in the morning. Few old line dances seems like the least evil of them all. Can't please everyone all the time.

One time on a port day (Key West) I found myself up that early. I got a cup of coffee and went to serenity area and climbed in a hammock. I woke up at 9:30, my coffee sitting on my chest and everyone getting off the ship!

We have a younger child and like to eat at the buffet not all the time but quite a bit. I know food is subjective :) but would love some feedback! Havent been on carnival since we did Dream but looking forward to seeing the Breeze.

We did an 8 day on Breeze last year and never even went to the MDR! The Lido Buffet was very good IMO, and then there is Guy's and the Blue Iguana, the pizza and Fat Jimmy's on sea days! My wife and I both thought the food, over all was very good.

I'm cruising with over 50 of our friends at the end of this month! Ages range from 7 - 50+. Anyone out there done this before and do you have any suggestions for us? Thanks!:)

I have never sailed with more than a few friends, but as someone who has never sailed with a group let me say this;

Please do not use the fact that you are in a large group to give you any advantage over families and individuals. Some large groups feel entitled to "take over" entire sections of the ship for themselves. I had a really bad experience onthe Freedom a few years ago where a group kept showing up some place and basically pushing everyone else out so they could have it for themselves. Last night of the cruise I finally lost it when they piled into the piano bar and were telling people who had been sitting there to "Move, we are a group!" It didn't go well.

I'm sure your group is not like that, but just keep in mind that families and individuals paid for their cruise same as you, and have the same right to enjoy ALL the venues just the same. Even if they are not all wearing the same T-shirt.

I would love recommendations for balcony rooms on the Breeze (not cove rooms please).

 

Quiet and good location (don't mind walking to elevator or stairs).

 

Thanks!

We were in 9409 and we loved it. Close to everything yet it was still quiet.

Some mornings it's a regular breakfast...eggs and bacon. SOME mornings its soft serve ice cream and a bloody mary!:D

Thanks for the information everyone.