BallFour4

Here was our most recent experience from Galveston. We had 10:00 - 10:30 check-in and our friends had 10:30 -11:00. Within 15 min of arriving at the terminal we were all seated together.
 
 Our boarding passes had the first boarding group and theirs had the ones to follow. It's not much different than before, but you do need to capture a check-in time on the 48 hour advance window.
 Again, this was from here in Galveston, we haven't cruised from any other port since the return to sailing.

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The HUB app will refresh once you sync with the WiFi aboard the ship. As someone else said above, it might change tomorrow.

Weird side note; I call on UTMB here in Galveston for my career and I can see the features of the HUB app from the Breeze when I go to lunch on the Strand.

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It works great. Carnival charges $5 per device as a one time fee to use the chat feature, and the HUB app features do not require the fee.

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You'll soon discover no Fun Times in printed in three colors and dropped in your cabin anymore. Carnival relies on their HUB app to deliver the schedules, menus and other happenings on the ship. We have used it several times and it has improved each time.

 At Guest Services and a couple of other places on the ship one could get a paper copy of an abbreviated version of what they had before.

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We booked a poolside cabana well in advance. With three couples cruising together it was worth the price. As others have said the service was excellent, and we had a place to cool off inside the cabana. We also got four zip line passes.

 My wife loved the sun lounger water mist feature, as this was a hot day in September.
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As you know the Freedom is a Conquest class ship, and here are some of my images from the aft pool area on that class. Our experience is they have the roof open during the day and close it at night and in inclement weather. This is a great place to sit at the tables along the window for a game of cards or dominoes.
 
Not sure where the comment about this area perhaps being closed due to ship passenger count, but based on our experience so far and friends that hasn't been the case.

See you at sea.

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Leave the $2 bills at home. Crew have reported having trouble using them when ashore.

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Leave the suit, tie and anything from the days of formal cruising from years past if you'd like. I wear khakis and a Tommy Bahama (or like) shirt to dinner and my wife wears a casual dress. Both are within the suggested dress.
 For the other nights it's shorts, a polo and sandals or tennis shoes. Also within the guidelines. Enjoy your trip!

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With answers all over the place, here is the link, the text and my experience for 13 cruises since I got my machine.

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3372/~/cpap-machines

Some variables to ask. Are you using self-debark? Do you have diamond or platinum for priority?

If you answer yes to both of these then the answer is maybe. We've cruised a couple of dozen times from Galveston and been off the ship, in the car and home (37 miles) by 9:30am, the most recent was in November on the Breeze.

 The unknowns are what time of year you are cruising as the winter weather has slowed the Breeze from coming back by an hour or so. Most mornings she is here by 7. You can watch on the webcams on galveston.com and see.

 The other variable is what day you return. The Breeze is here on Mondays, Saturdays and Thursday on a rotating schedule. Saturday mornings there is little to no traffic northbound, but Monday and Thursday are different. I drive down here to UTMB two or three times a week and there are moderate delays both ways.

 Check the flight schedule and see what the costs are for changing flights. Hobby has a smooth system for Clear and TSA Pre, with most days for me at the gate within 20 min of parking the car.

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Catch the trolley over to the Strand. It's a street reminiscent of New Orleans and chocked full of shops and neat places to walk around. Have a drink at Tola Mo Betta Market, take in the water along the pier in front of Willie G's and then have a great meal at Katies Seafood.
 Check out galveston.com for suggestions, and check the trolley schedule for the last runs. These steel wheel trolleys have just returned and they are beautiful.

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Tough go. Hope the next one is better.

The Gulf has been unforgiving this winter. We have rain bands moving in to Galveston now for a wet sail away for the Breeze today.

 Not to rub it in, but here are a few from our trip in November. We loved Erin as our cruise director.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/d6DHtHHjYrjNobtd9

You sure can. We wear shorts and sneakers or boat shoes and a Tommy Bahama type shirt to dinner on non-cruise elegant nights. All within the suggested dress guidelines.

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11 hours ago, Rayefan said:

If you both are in the same room, then yes, you will go on board together.  I just did this and since we both had 1 piece of luggage each I put one of my luggage tags on hers.  Then both pieces arrive at the same time.

That's the best tip so far on this thread!

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Here are our experiences for a cruise in late November from here in Galveston.

There were five couples and my wife and I are platinum. We had a 10:30 Arrival Time and Boarding Zone A01 slot. Our friends had the same Arrival Time and a later Boarding Zone. We waited for them, and they were called a few minutes after our group.

 Once we boarded, and being told our cabin was ready we were met at the Speedo Deck elevator area by a crew member that screened our documents for priority and we put all our friends carry-on luggage in our cabin that was ready when we boarded at 11:20AM. We had lunch done, the new muster drill checked off and were walking around the Breeze for an impromptu tour by noon.
 

To your second question, we've been platinum for a long time and this is the first time the Past Guest Party invitation said "You And One Guest." It was at 5:00PM the last sea day, and was in the main show theater. There were servers everywhere, and lots of drinks and no appetizers. The entire party was around thirty minutes.

 Hope that answers your question. Know peoples experiences vary by cruise and ship. We sail again this spring from here in Galveston and to Alaska this summer. I'm curious to see what has changed.

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You will be fine. The shops along the streets are great, food choices within walking distance are all shorts and flip-flops.

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The Tremont is an experience in itself. It's the gold standard for hotels down here on the island.

The Galvez is undergoing renovation.

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The Breeze was our return to cruising in November. We loved Erin, had a blast in Nachi Cocom and Costa Maya.

Here are a few photos:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/d6DHtHHjYrjNobtd9

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We used the new lot city owned lot by Terminal B last month. It was a little pricey, but we walked off the ship and it was a less than 100 yd walk to the car. No buses, no lines.

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Depends on if you have priority debark. We are platinum and used self-assist last month off the Breeze. We were in the car at 8:04am and home by 9am.

 The facial recognition is really cool. No US Customs forms, no stopping.

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18 hours ago, sanmarcosman said:

and on a day without bacon no less! 

Absent on three of the four mornings aboard the Breeze last month. The horror!

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3 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

If you do not wish to dress for elegant night in suit or sports coat and dress pants...

Neither are a requirement. They haven't been in a decade. 

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54 minutes ago, leitmotif said:

 

Nice to see some judgment from strangers when I'm merely looking for advice. Can't wait to go on a cruise with you! Really, folks? 

 

So, yes, technically I own a suit but that euro fit 31 waist just ain't happening anymore. I suppose I'll see if I have time to procure a pair of dockers or something. NO!

For your critics; in the words of Sgt. Hulka, "lighten up Francis."

Wear your jeans. I just completed cruise number thirty-seven dating back since the Mardi Gras in 1976. The "old days" as some speak of haven't been around for two decades. I haven't seen two tuxes in the main dining room in a long time. Last month the maître d' said "don't sweat the dress policy. Just don't wear shorts."  Dress in feathers if you want, just sit down with my wife and I and let's talk about our day.

 For those that judge someone by their attire or any other attribute I would guess that the pregnant gal in the manger a few hundred years ago would have been banished to the buffet...

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Ahh... the Mardi Gras!

In June 1976 I had a brand new high school diploma, a college scholarship letter tucked away and graduation cash for the bars. Seven nights, three ports including Nassau, St. Thomas and San Juan awaited my first journey at sea.
 
The dining room seating choices were made when you boarded. We had ten in my family, and the largest table was for eight. My cousin and I decided we would venture out and signed up at a table with six women's names. That meant some serious blow dry to the hair, a slather of Brut big enough to make a entire deck of passengers sick and bell bottoms were the order of dress for the first night.

 When we arrived at our estrogen oasis we discovered not one woman at the table was under fifty-five. Now being over sixty that doesn't sting as much. The Baked Alaska was really cool, and one side note, aboard the Breeze last month they brought it back with flames and all!

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I sailed on the Breeze last month with the J and J single dose.

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