GirlsClub4

Look at the availability of flights from your city to Quebec City. We've looked for this a few times in the last few years and I've had to do some fancy footwork to make it happen in a (somewhat) economically manner. We actually ended up just doing a one-way car rental from Montreal one way and flying straight out of Quebec City the way back. Train is an option... Just compare cost/time involved with car/train/flight options.

$200 OBC pp for #1 & 2. $25 drink GC each for pax #3&4. That’s how it shows up on our booking. I rebooked and the rate for the #3&4 also dropped about $100 pp. 

9 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Definitely keep checking for price drops.  Depending on your itinerary there are sure to be fluctuating prices between now and then.  Welcome to HAL!

Thank you! Will do!

Originally booked two cabins for six people in the N category - I know, super cheap! I called about the E4 promo and was totally shocked when even after bumping us up to L cat, I saved a total of $88, plus $800 OBC. I expected the $800 to only apply to suites.

$200 pp., then a $25 gift card toward beverages for pass #3. Pinnacle Grill for pass #1 & #2 for each cabin. I wasn't planning to go with any upcharge dining, but I don't mind a few $25 bev GCs for sodas or coffee. We aren't drinkers, so I am happy to put the OBC towards gratuities, spa, or wifi. First time cruising w/HAL. Should I assume this is the best possible offer for us going forward? We sail July 2020 and I'm used to checking for price drops with other lines.

The other surprise is that although the price for #1 & #2 pass went up about $75 (could have been moving to L cat) the 3rd pass price dropped $200.

I just looked up Princess because now I'm curious. Looks like there's a 10-day on August 7 that is one way and would include most of the same stops and a 13-day on July 25 that is one way, but starts out in FL. << This explains why it isn't on my list! 🙂

I just did a screen shot of my notes - sorry if the bold/underline make it confusing. All the HAL cruises are the same itinerary. There MAY be a Princess cruise also, but for some reason it didn't make my list. Most cruises ONLY include one Canada port. The HAL cruises include the most Canada ports. They are all one way. It won't get you as far north as Newfoundland. The ports will be Nova Scotia and not quite New Brunswick. There will be a few days in the St. Lawrence River. It's considered a 7-day.

On another note, play around with the Rome2Rio site for ideas about including some of your wish list. I've put together some pretty cool trips with our family that way - consider a very quick plane trip or train ride. Even the bus system is great. We are a family of six and my husband now is totally sold on taking alternate transportation instead of driving for these adventures!

I had to go through this process over the last few months, also. I have a list of the 16 cruises on this route (NE Canada/US) from end to beg of summer vacation! martincath has some very good suggestions on how to create your itinerary if you want to get creative.

Creepers reading your posts?! Good to know.

So if I understand it correctly, I could in theory type out my daily saga on my iPad, trot on over to the Fun Hubs, access the Forum site via wifi, log in and post from my iPad? (While taking a nap, presumably?) And this is without having the wifi package? Alternately, I could sit down at a Fun Hub computer and monopolize it while I update? I am pretty computer literate, but how does using the mobile site fit in with all of this?

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Thanks for the feedback, everyone. First time we're leaving our four very tech-savvy daughters. And it's a repositioning cruise, so over a week! I know they will want to hear all about it, but I would rather do it on my own terms... Time differences, the 4YO sitting on the phone silently, the 11YO going on for 20 m$n$tes about the cat... You get the picture.

I'm a little confused about the slowness. If I am using the "fun hub" to access, is it still that slow? Or we're these references to using a laptop and the ship wifi package? In that case, is it still possible to compose and transfer? That was a very good suggestion.

Thanks for mentioning the public nature. I poked around and decided this shouldn't be a problem. I anticipate spending a little time in port doing FaceTime or Skype, but using the Forum for the more mundane "this is what Daddy & I did today."

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Can anyone tell me how the Funville Forum works? Is is fast/slow? Anyone used it to stay in touch with family? Good? Bad? Also, is there a way to upload iPhone pics via bluetooth or wifi or ...? I'm not interested in purchasing the wifi plan - I would just like to know how far I can take this concept while on the Carnival Dream. Thank you!

Thanks for your great review. We're planning our first cruise next year and this, for some reason, was really informative for me. My husband is a vocal musician and we've discussed whether we would be disappointed in the entertainment or if we're just being snobs! And ice-cream is a food group in our family, so it's convenient that it is also a good foil for seasickness. (I laughed out loud.)

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I had to laugh at your original post -- in sympathy! When I decided to plan our first cruise, I was totally amazed that the details were so hard to find. I was open to the departure city, activities, ports.... And you have to know these things before you can search for a cruise. My recommendation is to first decide what port to depart from. I discovered that decides where you are sailing. Airfare and transport to the ship from the airport, etc, cost of the hotel, can be the deciding factor for whether or not the cruise is "affordable." For instance, Galveston sounded like a great idea, but those costs made me decide against it. Cruise shopping sites will give you a search function where you can choose and eliminate some. For instance, you know you won't be going to Alaska or Hawaii and there are some departure ports too expensive to travel to. You will start to see a pattern of options that will help you decide. We said No Mexico at first, but our final choice ended up including Cozumel. This is a really sweet thing to do for your wife!

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Thank you! Relaxing to me usually has included books/music, so that is very helpful.

marimojo: My point exactly! That was an awful story, but I had to laugh.

Thanks for the comments, everyone. I tend to be pretty comfortable with whatever when it's other women, but have a much different standard when it's coed, so I was debating...

Good comment about the slippers. Weird. I hope the robes had pockets to stuff them in. So, no rules about going barefoot I would guess. Most spas I have been to have pretty strict guidelines about some kind of footwear. I have leeetle feet, so the spa sandals sometimes seem a bit clownish.

This sounds like a dumb question, but I have to ask.... If one is hanging out in the spa area/rooms, I presume electronics are a bad idea, but does anyone bring a book? Or is it really meant for people who can relax enough to just sit and do nothing (ha)? And in that case, is there more chatting/hanging out as opposed to just relaxing quietly? I have been to spas on both ends of that spectrum!

And I would really like to get a better idea of whether folks are showing up in their spa robe, towel only, swimsuit only, shorts & tee...? Maybe depends on the time of day?

Thanks for your willingness to share your experience. I'm planning our first cruise - a YEAR out - and I've been so frustrated by a lack of sensible reviews of the stuff I want to know about. And I'm a visual person, so "the lounge was great" doesn't really work so well for me.

I was going on the assumption that the cruise food was plentiful, but meh. The idea there would be a Chef's Table experience worth the $$ wasn't even a consideration. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing the photos and your opinion. It's now on my Maybe-we'll-splurge list.