SmoothFlying

For the last week, everytime I click on the news topic at the top of the screen it'll go to the cruise News page, then that message will flash off the screen and will be replaced with one saying 'Oops !! Sorry that's not available right now, check back shortly'. My question is, is this a website updating this OR is it my computer glitch ? Thanks, Mac

Same here. I've been to enough restaurants where a bag of tea is $5. I've thought about doing the very same thing BUT a minor change. I've noticed that the water the ship provides for HOT tea would be an excellent choice to use IF I brought my own instant coffee in packets. However I dread the headache of dealing with BIG brother (TSA) after having the same problem last month on our CCL Miracle cruise to Alaska out of SFO when I took powdered coffee creamer in my carry on. The TSA agent just could NOT understand why I'm bringing this on a cruise when they provided something similar for FREE? If/so/facto this powder must be DANGEROUS ! He as much said so, when he declared.' Well.. I have to check this out and see exactly what it IS !' I told him to go ahead , do whatever he needed to do. He opened the container, sniffed it, eyed it with suspicion, swabbed the bottle cap, running my dangerous white substance through his machine, only to find out it was harmless. But, the it almost made me miss my flight to SFO. Therefore, I've wonder iif it's all worth it, just to have HOTTER coffee ? Mac

I guess it depends on just how many Prima class they're going to build, I may have missed the exact number of ships in this class they're building. From the description of just how beautiful and expensive (NCL seems to have pulled out all the stops and threw the checkbook away) it seems they're building a class just a niche below Regent. Am I missing something here, what your take ? Mac

No kidding, I KNOW (probably 90% of us who cruise) do not like tobacco/smoke inside or even on the ship. Mac

Or, whine obsessively about 'Where or when do I get my OBC ?'. Mac

Oh yes !!! We (my wife and I) Especially my wife, It's her favorite, tied with the Mardi Gras.!! LOVE the Dream so much we've sailed her four out of our 20+ Carnival ships with the Valor, coming in second with 2 cruises. We'd love to do the MG a second time but with our age and her health situation, time may not allow it. That's a shame, because we loved the MG and the Excel class. Mac

We will surely add those named hotels to the list since they are near eating establishments within walking distance. You mentioned parking your car at the port parking lot and I was reading here online that it averages 15 dollars a day ? Is the lot covered (multi-deck) or just a LARGE parking lot or a combo of both? Thank you so much for the info you've provided. When you've never been to the city/cruiseport sometimes it's difficult or a challenge to know WHAT to do about these decisions and.... it IS part of the fun of traveling !😁 Mac

Thank you SO much ! For the info, I had about given up on anybody seeing my post and giving me any 1st hand info. that's a GREAT deal and we will certainly look into them. Did you find them on Travelocity or priceline or can I just call the hotel direct and ask about a 'park and cruise package' at their hotel? Also, how or what did you do about shuttle service to the cruise port? Did the shuttle company provide R/T service to the hotel, Sorry for all the questions,🙂 Thanks, again, Mac

the wife and I have booked a CCL Eastern Caribbean cruise next January and haven't decided if we'll drive or fly (guess it'll depend on the $ of gas by then) but the hotel will have to be $$$ (medium priced) hotel and a shuttle from the airport. Neither of us has ever been in Jacksonville before so any info you could provide would be greatly appreciated. TIA MAC

Atl to SEA but the end of this summer, we (me,my wife and my sister) will (hopefully) fly ATL to SFO for a 10 day Alaska cruise. My wife and I have been there in June of 2010,but my sister has neven there. Mac

Bingo !! That's exactly what happened to me when we (my wife and I and my sister) were on the Dream on a 7 day cruise back in 2019. As we were dressing, my wife literally begged me to wear my dress shorts and collared dress shirt (we knew it was elegant night, but didn't know IF it was being enforced) I told my wife, 'well, knowing my luck it will be,so I'll just come back and slip on my khakis and come back' As we approached the lady at the outside counter of the YTD resturant she was VERY sorry but NO shorts were being allowed in because it was 'elegant' night. Ismiled at my wife, told her to go ahead and get a table and I'd be back shortly. Took me about 20 minuets but we learned that while some are lucky enough to get in the MDR on that night ya never know. We've even seen shorts in the steakhouse, and I know they COULD refuse them service due to a dress code, but it wasn't being enforced. As the old saying goes, " Ya pays your money, ya takes ya chances'. You never know. MAC

Absolurely, My wife and I are plat and we've been joined by my sister in our cabin on the past five cruises and those plat/diamond parties, so they'll let him in as your 'guest'. 'Sides, that'll give a chance to hold it over him,next time yall have a good natured' teasing arguement. 😄 Mac

Sorry, In case someone was wondering,I meant to add we (wife and I ) did an 8 day S. Carribean cruise on the Miracle. Forgot to add the ship's name. Mac

The wife and I did an 8 day Southern Caribbean cruise out of Miami. Loved the ship but I miss small things like the Mongolian Wok. I'm not sure but I believe they don't have a Red Frog Pub either but not sure, always wanted to check one out, but I heard they don't serve pub grug anymore, someting about staffing problems. Oh well, as long as I'm ON a cruise (especially on one going to AK for TEN days, I don't CARE !! I am a Happy Camper ! Mac

My wife (Elizabeth), myself and my sister (Katie) are taking this cruise the last of August of this year. My wife and I have been to Alaksa on the Carnival Spirit out of Seattle in June of 2010 but Katie has never bee there so when we saw a 3 passenger/balcony was available we booked it immediately for the last of August 2020 AND we all know what happened to that idea !!🥵 We've been pushing that cruise AND airfare back ever since. Hopefully, This summer we will be lucky enough to ACTUALLY take the cruise, IF the airline we've been booked on and paid for tickets, doesn't cancel our flight. The airline said we had till Oct 15 to use them but if they cancel too many flights from Atl to SFO, we may have a paid ticket for a flight that doesn't exist. Guess we will just have to wait and see what happens, huh ? We have been checking the weather around the Tracy's Arm/Skagway/Icy Strait Point every week since the first of June trying to get an idea of how the temperature are running to get idea of how to pack. Also, has anybody used the self service washing machines on board and if so, are they very crowded every day ? We're not sure IF we want to wash a load while on vacation (sorta defeats the idea of being on vacation. So, we haven't decided on that issue yet. I do know ALL here ate looking forwards to the cruise IF we can make it to SFO, just have to take it one step at a time. Mac

I hope (and I mean this from the bottom of my heart) that the United States Navy NEVER stoops (as a sign of being 'progressive') to this... And, hopefully IF the cruise industry does, there is some qualifications a prospective captain would have to meet to be considered for such a demanding position. The middle of an winter Nor' eastener is no place for the ship's staff to find out their newly minted Captain doesn't have a clue about what he's doing. Mac

Sounds VERY familiar! I did the same thing for my wife's first cruise wayy back in 2006 (for a cruise on our anniversary in March of 2007). It too, was a 5 day/inside room, because I was a fraid she wouldn't like cruising, so my thinking was, 'WHY get a balcony (there were only 10 on the entire Carnival Holiday, and have her HATE it'. I made the reservation in July 5, 05 for a 5 day cruise out of Mobile going to Nassau/Freeport went ahead and paid for it, closed the computer and completely forgot about it. Boy, did I ever ! A few days after Xmas, she walked into the den. I was on the SAME computer and she stopped and acted as if she had something on her mind. I asked her 'What's up ?' She grinned and said, ' Well, we have a anniversary in a few months, and I know money's kinda tight so I guess we won't do anything'. 'Uh Ohhhh, I thought, I had completely forgotten to tell her. I smiled at her, and said, 'Well, that's not EXACLY true, back in July I went ahead and booked us a 5 day cruise on the Carnival Holiday sailing out of Mobile'. She was FLOORED ! For almost ten years she had FLATELY stated ,after watched television that nothing but tuxedo-wearing snobs go on cruises. Come March she hadn't been topside at the sailaway party, 15 minuets when she happily exclaimed, 'WHEN can we do this AGAIN!!' Now, 20-something cruises later, I know for a fact, the cruise bug bit my wife. Mac

At this point with the LNG and new fuels being talked about with this 'Forced to go GREEN because we DEMAND it' gang, ( I heard one 's0-called' expert proclaim solar power is the cure, and is just around the corner for the cruise industry because ' it's GREEN, CLEAN and FREE') and I thought that's going to be one BIG bank of batteries but who knows because I saw on the news where they're working on solar powered engines for civilian aircraft. So, are the new cruise ships with their fuels the answer and is solar power even possible? Mac

I know what you mean, We live in ATL and I booked us (my wife and my sister) a cruise in late 2919 a cruise out of SFO for August 2020, Needless to say TWO years later, we (hopefully) are finally going to make this said cruise (better late (much LATER) than never. But the round trip air is over $570 (coach) with 1st class costing over $1200 per person, so far, and it MAY increase as well as the cruise. So one good deal isn't enough anymore. Mac

Uh-Ohhhhh !! Sounds like SOMEONE is on their way to becoming a 'total' cruise junkie !!! Welcome to the 'cruise junkie central' (CC) Glad to have you here, suffering from the 'disease' with the rest of us poor souls. Mac

I took early retirement (62) when my company came out with a very GOOD retirement package. Well, good for THAT time when inflation wasn't that BIG of a problem. My 401K was based on how the market was back then. Now, ten years later, we're competing with a goverment that seems to think 'money grows on trees'' in EVERYBODY'S yard and all we have too do is walk outside and pick$1000 whenever we need to, or even better wait for the 'Goverment printing presss' to print a few more trillion dollarsand inflate the market even more. I wonder HOW the folks who retired back in 1980-85 can even keep their heads above all this inflation ? Mac