stargate fan

quick question. we are on the Valor in 45 days. 1st time on Carnival. we have been on Princess & RCCL. on those ships there are places where you can go to pickup "snacks" - pastries-sandwiches-and such at no charge. are there places on the Carnival ships that have the same?

deli, which is open from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm,

24-hour pizzeria,

24 hour soft-serve ice cream machines,

24 hour room service,

and a grill that serves burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, cookies, and brownies and is open from 11:30 pm to 1:00 am.

All are included in the cost of the cruise.

That is on top of the buffet and main dining room.

Think you'll find something to eat? :D

Any opinions on this? We love Lido Deck balcony cabins, but I am kind of looking at a Cove on the Dream...

 

If we do a Cove, any input as to what would be the best location?

 

Thanks guys!

Mike

We love our Lido balconies because we are so close to the pools and the buffet. While we have never sailed in a Cove balcony, one couple who were table mates brought us to their cabin. When we walked out onto the Cove balcony, I felt so closed in. The life boats were directly overhead. The sky above was not directly visible. (I did not enjoy looking up at the butt-end of a lifeboat.) The noise of the water was almost deafening. Though I do not suffer from claustrophobia, I could not wait to get off that balcony.

It is a hard decision. You really have to decide where you'll spend most of your time. Do you like to hang out on Lido? If so, are you OK with waiting for elevators to get from Deck 2 to Deck 10 and back again? Do you prefer to spend a lot of time in your cabin? Will you be on the Promenade ( Deck 5) more often?

Lots of info to consider.

Just printed my documents for our 3/29 Breeze cruise & it says Priority Boarding & I'm now a platinum member. What perks does that get me & how early can you board?

When you get to the port in Miami, go into the building and head to the line on the right. After you go through screening and your carry-ons get x-rayed, you'll be shown to the Captain's Lounge. There you'll receive your S&S cards. There are comfy seats there as well as water and lemonade.

When it is time to embark, wedding parties are usually called first, then people who need assistance, then Platinum guests.

Enjoy! It is fun being escorted onto the ship while all the passengers in the main lounge watch. :D

Neither.

I always have pockets, and 90% of the time my wife's card is in my pocket as well.

Same here.

I always take a little canvas bag on deck with us. It has our books, sunscreen, camera, and a pouch for our S&S cards. When DH and I walk around the ship in our bathing suits AND cover-ups, the S&S cards are in the bag. After we've showered and dressed, the cards are in our pockets, or both in his if I'm wearing a skirt without pockets.

so we're going on our second cruise in may and we actually get to watch sail way this time. our first cruise we flew in on the day of (i know stupid but it was our first cruise and we didn't know). when we got on the boat we had to go straight to muster then we finally got to go to our room (i was not a happy camper because the last time i had eaten anything was that morning before our flight). i was hungry and angry so we ended up standing in line at the deli when we set sail. this time we are driving down the day before and we have fttf. i am torn between wanting to have a private sail way vs watching it with everyone on the lido deck. help please!!

 

 

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We have always gone all the way forward on the ship. usually on Lido deck or lower. We have been joined by a dozen people or so. It's a great feeling - the wind and seeing where we are going.

To get to these not-so-secret decks, go all the way forward. If you are on the port side, there should be a double set of doors on the left; if starboard, on the right. I feel like the scene from Titanic -"King of the World."

I'm sure some one will correct me if I am wrong but if you say you are staying in a cabin with the kids, you will have to buy the soda cards for them.

 

If you say you are staying with the kids, their sail and sign cards will be assigned to your particular cabin. You can switch out once on board down at guest services but I don't know how this will impact your Cheers program.

The kids do not have to have soda cards if an adult in the cabin purchases Cheers.

Which room you actually stay in or can you rearrange who stays with who once on board? The reason I'm asking is I'm booking 2 cabins for my family and I'm the only one who could benefit from the cheers program, can I put myself with the kids in one cabin and everyone else in the other and during cruise stay in the cabin with my DW and let my SIL and DIL stay with the grandkids? My DW doesn't really drink.

Carnival does not care who sleeps where. Twice already we've cruised with family/friends who were new to Carnival. DH and I each booked a cabin as past guests and each had a family member/friend as a roomie so they could the the PG rates also. Upon embarkation, we went right to Guest Services and had them reassign our S&S cards. All it took was a quick swipe of the mag strip. DH had an credit which stayed on his card and moved with him to our cabin.

Booking yourself with the kids so only you have Cheers is very smart and has been done a lot, according to other posts I've read.

The porters aren't usually available to start receiving luggage until around 9:30. They are busy in the morning getting all the luggage off the ship and assisting the departing passengers with theirs.

 

Maybe go someplace after you get to Miami for breakfast and head to the pier around 9ish......You do have to be checked in no later than 2:30 so don't spend too much time sight seeing.

The porters aren't there until at least 9 AM.

At that point you can leave all luggage except for your carry-ons.

 

LuLu

~~~~

We have sailed out of the Port of Miami many, many times and arrived before 8:30 am. Every time there were a few porters at the entrance accepting luggage for the incoming passengers.

On our last cruise back in October, we met a family that had taken a red-eye from LAX. They arrived at the port at 5:00 am. The porters took their luggage.

YaWk3Y_BoMb3r, the simple answer is yes.

Some states have no time limit on gift cards or certificates. California is one of those.

So is NH. :D

Sadly, we only have one FCC left. Had I known they were being discontinued, I would have purchased a dozen.

SAS dropped us off at Embassy Suites.

 

They have a free happy hour in the evening and breakfast in the morning.

 

There is a shopping area behind the hotel with a Publix and restaurants.

Well there are ,too many to list, but the Embassy suites is in on the list, would you stay there again?

We have stayed at the Embassy Suites on 17th in FLL. It's a fantastic hotel with a gorgeous outdoor pool area. We asked for a room on a high floor overlooking the port. The view was amazing!

To elaborate on the free breakfast, there is a made-to-order omelet bar, hot and cold meats, hot and cold cereals, fruits, pastries. The reception every evening includes complimentary alcoholic drinks (limited but still free) and snacks.

Would we stay there again? In. A. Heartbeat! In fact, we wouldn't stay anywhere else in FLL. We now stay at Embassy Suites every time there is one available in the destination to which we are traveling.

And we always use SAS too.

We'll be on the Breeze in a few weeks. For anyone recently on the Breeze, what time of day was the fitness room not very busy?

After 5:00 pm.

On most of our cruises, I went to the gym really early so I could get in as much outside time as I could afterwards. But the gym was so crowded that I often had to wait for machines.

Then just last year I tried going at 5:00 pm, after we got back from one of our excursions. I was the only person in there, then a few people came it.

Since then, I always go after 5:00.

Enjoy Breeze. She's a beautiful ship.

Back in June my boyfriend and I took a cruise to the Bahamas on Carnival and loved it! We're now thinking of taking another cruise November 2014 but, we're unsure of when to book. Last time we booked 6 months in advance, which was plenty of time to book flights, plan excursions, etc. He thinks booking now, early January, is too soon. I think the sooner the better! When do you usually book your next cruise?

 

 

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The furthest out we've booked was 441 days. We usually book way in advance so we can choose just the right balcony cabin on the Lido deck. I watch the prices and contact out PVP when the prices go down. He adjusts them as needed.

Any specific cabin numbers on Lido deck balconies that are quiet but located by elevators and outside area ?

We sailed Liberty back in April. We were on the Lido deck, where we love to be. BUT...stay away from 9276 through 9294 and 9275 through 9293!!! We had a vent over our balcony (9276, the first cabin under the red section in the picture.) that sounded like a jet engine. The noise never stopped. We could even hear it with the balcony door closed. Forget about enjoying our balcony-we couldn't.

The rest of the cabin numbers I mentioned were also under the colored section with no cabins above. Any cabin forward of that should be fine.

That said, it is so nice being on the Lido deck. We were steps away from the pool, the buffet. If we forgot something in the cabin, it was a quick walk back.

What class is everyone's favourite, out of the Conquest class, Fantasy, Spirit and Dream class and why? I've sailed on the Conquest, Breeze and next year will be on the Valor. So far I think the Breeze was the best so far. I hear the Spirit class are real nice.

 

 

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Great question.

Our favorite class is the Spirit Class. We love the layout of the ship-we can walk forward to aft on all decks, there is no big screen noisemaker, the entire aft Lido deck is Serenity and has a pool, and the feel is more intimate.

Our next favorite ship is Splendor, which is a class by herself. The aft Lido deck is wide open so we parked ourselves by the back railing and watched the wake.

We do like the Dream class with the wide open aft Lido deck.

Our least favorite class in Conquest Class. We really dislike the big screen noisemaker, the adult pool are is recessed so we can't turn our chairs with the sun, the layout is such that we have to walk up/down a few decks to get from forward to aft (Which is really a minor problem.) In fact Liberty is my least favorite ship even though we have been on her twice.

Planning for our next cruise. Appears we will be going on the LIBERTY. Not sure which would be a good balcony room...as far as quiet and spacious. I realize most are real similar, but at the risk of just tossing it out....any recommendations on specific balcony rooms? Thanks!!!:)

Stay away from 9276!!!

We had that cabin on Liberty back in April. We had a vent (in the red area) over our balcony that sounded like a jet engine, day and night. I hardly slept, even with the balcony door closed. It was so loud that we could barely hear the ocean while sitting on our balcony.

Anything forward of that should be quiet.

I imagine the vents in the blue area, which is more aft, are also noisy.

We have had lots of other Lido balcony problems with no vents :mad: and no issues. We LOVE being on the Lido deck.

Our family of 22 people ( 8 cabins) all booked using the Holiday Saver rate for our cruise in 3 weeks. Final payment has already happened. Is it possible for some people to switch rooms with others without having to pay a fee?

 

Everyone that we want to swap are in the same category room.

Yes.

We have sailed with family/friends where some were past guests and others were not. In order to get the best prices, our PVP booked each past guest with each new guest.

Once on board, all who wanted to switch cabins met at Guest Services. The guy behind the counter reassigned the mag strips on our Sail and Sign cards so that spouses could be together. It took all of two minutes. Everyone's credit card info stayed with their own S&S cards. We had an on-board credit for owning stock and that moved with my DH's reassignment.

We've done this twice so far. with no issues.

When you print luggage tags, put the tags of the cabins that people WANT to be on the luggage so they will be delivered to the appropriate cabins.

We LOVED the aft area, but it was closed from Monday - Thursday (well, the entire outside of the ship was closed with caution tape due to bad weather) We were finally able to spend some time there on Thursday and the few days after and were ELATE, but it was usually very cloudy / windy / not able to be out there. It's a great area and we spent as much time there as possible.

Whoa, that's crazy! Only once have we had an outside deck closed. It was on Dream in 2012. It was super windy one night so the Promenade around deck 5 was closed. The Lido deck was still open, though.

We did have one RC cruise, back in 2002, where the seas were so rough that the ship was seriously rocking. Think Gilligan's Island-"Quick Before It Sinks", the episode where Gilligan moved the lobster stick further out but the Professor thought the island was sinking and had the castaways practice eating and sleeping on a wildly moving fake ark. (Please tell me someone remembers that episode!!) We were all bumping into walls and each other and making friends, plates and glasses were sliding off tables, barf bags were placed everywhere. It was an adventure.

Thanks! I did mention to my husband how different a cruise is when you're island hopping down in the deep southern caribbean, but it might be hard to convince him after this. :eek: Maybe in a few years we will. The Breeze looks nice. I just really, REALLY didn't like the enclosed lido. I've been in enclosed Lidos before (Royal Caribbean ships always have an enclosed solarium) but never have I felt so enclosed. There's just one little pool and everyone is in loungers facing a big tv screen. I felt like I was on a ship with a bunch of zombies. Someday in the future maybe! It does look like they are trying to make their ships more tame lately. :D

When we sailed Splendor back in 2011, the entire aft (back) Lido deck was wide open. We parked our deck chairs against the railing and watched the wake. Did that get closed in or did you just stay in the middle with the retractable roof? One reason I really dislike the Conquest class of ships on Carnival is the closed-in aft pool area.

One thing we loved about Splendor, and laughed, about was the pink zebra circle decor. We never looked at strawberry frosted doughnuts the same way.

We HATE the big noise makers on the ships. If we wanted to watch TV, we would stay home, so I understand.

We sailed Breeze back in October. She is a beautiful ship with lots of open spaces and bright, light decor. She also has the wide open aft Lido deck.

FTTF are "not suppose" to board before Plats and Diamonds.

 

The reality is that it happens all the time depending on the port.

 

The worst offending port reported is surprisingly Miami. You would think they would be the ones that would do it right. In Miami a Diamond was told to go to the end of the line while a FTTF was issued to the front of the line.

 

Sadly that is Carnival....sometimes they can mess up toast.

 

Happened to us in New Orleans many times but now they have remodeled the terminal and friends who have sailed the new remodel said the problem as been fixed.

Actually, the port employees are NOT employed by Carnival or the other cruise lines. They work for the port authorities, which is why I think things often get messed up.

I will be going on the Miracle next Nov 15. For day 3 it says we get to Coabo at 9:30 and leave at 6pm and day 4 arrive at Cabo at 7 and leave at for so does it really leave the port and then do some sailing at night then redock the next day?

When we sailed Mexican Riviera on Splendor back in 2011, we did the two day Cabo itinerary. We were to be back on ship at a certain time, then the ship left port and sailed lazy circles all night before heading back to port in the morning.

Anyone know the legal age for drinking in Aruba?

18 for drinking and gambling.

So I'm not a HUGE fan of sushi but I like it a lot. I used to enjoying going and getting a pre-dinner treat. So now I hear that the Bonsai has taken that away and its a charge now. Ok Maybe I will decide I need it enough to pay for it but my question is can I still just pop by order it and enjoy or do I have to be seated and all of that. I'm the only one who likes it in my family so we def wont be eating dinner here but I might still like a sushi snack. Hope this makes sense.

We became sushi aficionados thanks to our Paradise cruise in 2000. (We've eaten sushi all over the U.S. and Canada since.) On each subsequent cruise we found that Carnival's sushi was hit or miss, more hit over the last few years.

Then came Bonsai. We thought it was terrible. The maki rolls we ordered were flavorless. We were actually upset with ourselves for having wasted the money.

That said, you can order "take-out." Just walk up to the counter and place your order. Your order will be packed in a box for you to enjoy wherever you want.

Can anyone help me in deciding if I want to book a Cove Balcony on the Dream.

Thanks in advance,

While we did not have a cove balcony on Breeze last month, we visited one. (We made friends with our table mates and we all saw each other's cabins.) The balcony was a little deeper than our Lido Deck balcony, but the life boats above our heads made us feel very claustrophobic in the short time we were out there. Being close to the ocean was cool but the constant sound was a bit overwhelming. Our friends admitted that they did not enjoy having to wait for elevators to get anywhere.

I'm sure lots of people who have actually booked them can give you full info.

Personally, we love being on the Lido Deck.. We are mere steps from the pools and the buffet.

Good like deciding.

Specifically, Carnival Liberty 9/13/14, Port Canaveral. 4:00 pm departure

 

In my limited cruising experience I, regretfully, arrived at peak crowd time for embarkation. This time I may splurge and get a suite, or at the minimum FTTF, and would be eligible for priority check in. Is there really a huge crowd/line difference in arriving early?

 

I've read in various threads that many folks swear by arriving early, sometimes as early 10:00am. Is that reasonable or too early? With a 4pm departure, what would be the earliest they would board priority and FTTF? (I know FTTF is after suites).

 

Also, is lunch available immediately once they begin boarding?

 

Any other early arrival tips, tricks and experiences you'd like to share would be appreciated. :)

We sailed Liberty back in April. We got to port before 9:00, gave our luggage to the porters right away, and started a line outside since they would not let us in until 9:30. We were #1 - #4. :D Since we were Platinum, once we got in, we walked to the right to have our docs checked, then through security. Once we got to the Captain's Lounge, we waited. We made friends with the port employees and the other early birds. By 10:30, the lines to check in in the main section of the port building were crazy! When Platinum passengers were walked onto the ship at 11:30, the check-in line must have had 100+ people in it.

We figure that we could wait in a hotel room or wait at the port. We chose the latter and will continue to do so. Our cruise begins as soon as we get to port.

Lunch was available as soon as we boarded.

In Baltimore what is the earliest you have gotten to the port and on the ship without VIP or FTTF ?

We sailed Pride in October 2012. We got to the port before 9:00. Porters took our luggage right away. The port building was open but the screeners had to turn on the scanners for us. They were really nice and we all laughed about our early arrival. We got our S&S cards right away and took our seats.

We didn't get onto the ship until after noon because of a Coast Guard inspection. But we did make friends with security, the port personnel, and other passengers as they came in.

Cookies? Cookies? Are these on the buffet, or where do I find them?????

Yes, they were at the dessert station every day except the Chocolate Extravaganza day. Don't know about dinner buffet but I did order them off the kids menu in the main dining room a few nights.

They were also found at the late night grill. And room service, of course.

This was my first meal upon embarkation on October 12.