TheCriuseDirector
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Posts posted by TheCriuseDirector
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I don't know why I'd need postit's or a highlighter?
Maybe travel size stuff
sunscreen!
I'd skip the silly stuff, give carnival cash.
a photo album/frame for pictures once they return?
Post-its so that way they can keep track of who went where while whoever wakes up.
Highlighters so that way they can mark things that they want to do in the fun-times
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I would say to bring:
Swim Goggles
Deck Plans of the ship (Find them in the first link)
Carnival Gift Card
Foldable Storage Compartments (Good ones are in the second link)
A bit of cash so they can tip the porters who get their bags
Links:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Winsome-Capri-Foldable-Fabric-Storage-Baskets-in-Black-Set-of-4/11303119
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Unfortunately, that is true. But, even though it is a smaller ship, It's a lot more intimate. There's less people and the atmosphere is nice too. I personally love the fantasy-class vessels because they have such a unique look and they, IMHO, have nothing wrong with them. But look on the brightside!
First, you still get to go to the same ports.
Second, you get a better water slide(s)
Third, you get to experience what Carnival was like back in the 90s (PARTY)
Fourth, AMAZING Serenity area, right on the aft, so you can look out on the ship's wake
Fifth, you will be on a smaller boat so you will discover how to navigate better
etc.
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Congratulations! I was seriously thinking of booking this but I found a great deal on the Victory and am hoping to convince my parents to book. The Conquest and Triumph Classes of ships are known to be some of the favorites for the CCL Cruisers (LIBERTY) so I hope you are going to enjoy this cruise!
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Ok. So this is a question for those on the Carnival Pride in the winter.
Do they close the dome over the lido pool whenever it's snowing? Because if my family were to do a cruise on the Pride over the Christmas Holiday, we wouldn't want it to be freezing for the first 2 days of the cruise. Anything will help. Thanks!
~TheCriuseDirector
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We stayed at my grandparents house before our cruise, but if I am going to give you one piece of advice, it is get to the terminal before 9:30 we got to the ship at about 10:00 ad had to wait for over 2 hours to get onto the boat. If you get there early, you will only need to wait in line for whatever they have outside the terminal, which, IMHO, is the better option. So get to the ship really early.
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I would Choose the sunshine because of the endless things to do on it. Also, you get one more day on board so you can do whatever you like! Also, there's more dining options, I think... and there is a much better on-deck activities (Waterworks, Ropes Course, etc.) I also, like the ports better for the Sunshine
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I would choose the Elation because I LOVE the interior design on it. I also love Half Moon Cay because it is so beautiful! The water is so blue and the sand is so soft!
BUT, the Paradise goes to places where there is more stuff to do (i.e. Swim with stingrays in Grand Cayman). I think it's up to whatever style of cruising you enjoy. Beaches = Elation/ Adventure= Paradise
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Ft Lauderdale and Miami are very crowded. Port Canaveral is not.
Yes, Carnival does have ships at the port, but it seems that they keep rotating them in and out. It is rather difficult to keep track as to what ships, at what times, will be based at the port. It my belief that these rapid changes makes it hard to build up a dedicated base there.
How can one plan a cruise 1 year in advance in that Carnival may decided to change ships?
In addition, it is my understanding that Carnival is coming out with a newer (Vista?) class of ships. This would be a good choice as compared to Oasis or Allure.
I do agree that Carnival is a price leader, but price is not everything.
I just feel that Carnival is losing a very valuable opportunity to set up a strong cruising base at a Port with excellent attractions, excellent facilities, excellent airport, and ceding this, like they have done with the New York Market, to the other cruise lines.
It's not just the price that makes it. Definitely. But Carnival is one of the only cruise lines to have 4 port Eastern AND Western Caribbean 7-Night Cruises. For all the other lines (DCL/RCCL) only do 3 ports for the most part. Disney MIGHT do 4 port 7-nights, but the cost of that is almost 2-3x more than that of Carnival's... So... I think it's all up to what somebody wants in a cruise.
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My only other older ship is the NCL Sky. We are also quite curious as how the Victory will play out. It has been such a long time since we cruise, and we can't wait to board her :)
I'm hoping to go on the sailing after yours (as you can tell by the signature) and I'm super excited to board the ship if we do!
One Question: Do you think you will EVER do a Fantasy-Class Ship cruise? (Fantasy, Ecstasy, Sensation, Fascination, Paradise, Elation, Imagination, Inspiration)
Another Question: Will you ever cruise on the Carnival Sunshine? I would like to see your take on such an extensive renovation and how well you think it all played out.
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That's HOW Carnival competes with DCL, RCCL, etc. They offer great itineraries for a much cheaper price. And since Carnival already has a fan base there, they know that whatever they do, people will go on their ships.
They are bringing the Magic there (Dream-Class) in summer/fall 2016, probably to compete with RCCL's Oasis of the Seas. But the difference between the amenities (And size of course!) that appeals to people about the Magic rather than the Oasis is the cost of a 7/8 Night cruise. Oasis is like $1,000 while Magic is $600/700.
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Am i the only one who would just adore a small ship through the great lakes? I couldn't take anything massive but it would be wonderful!
I would ADORE that! Mainly because I'm only about 1 1/2 hours to Lake Erie. But I think you could do like 2 7-Day Sailings that go to both sides, then run them in reverse the next week to get back to the port to start the next cruise such as---
7-Day Eastern
Montreal*
St. Lawrence River (Cruising)
Kingston
Toronto
Buffalo/Niagara Falls
Conneaut,OH
Lake Erie (Cruising)
Windsor, MI*
7-Day Western
Windsor, MI*
Lake Huron (Cruising)
Alpena, MI
Saulte Ste. Marie
Lake Huron (Cruising)
Muskegon, MI
Milwaukee, WI
Chicago, IL*
Do each sailing, then do them in reverse. So if it goes East-West, you then go West (Reverse Order)-East (Reverse Order)
*I do not know how these cruises run, but i checked some out and think this has a shot at working...
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What does that mean Cap'n? I'm confused and also anxious. But I think that was the reaction you were trying to get...
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I think that the Sunshine and the Breeze are very similar and there are some things on the Sunshine that aren't on the Breeze. For Example, JiJi Asian Kitchen, Havanna Bar, 3-Deck Serenity, Alchemy Bar (I Think), and an AWESOME 4J interior room that has a window and pseudo-balcony! But, the Breeze is bigger so there is a lot more space for the people to roam around, and it's said to have slightly better reviews, but by like 1-2%. So i think that if you want more amenities, go with the Sunshine; but if you want more space, go with the Breeze.
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Ok. So there are plenty of "What is your favorite ______" going around here on Cruise Critic and I thought this would be a good topic to discuss. Mainly because (at least for me) the lido restaurant makes the ship. This one room is where you get almost all of your meals and I think that a good decor mixed with a good layout makes a ship perfect. That is mainly the reason that I like the Fascination more than the Sensation. I just ADORED the "Coconut Grove Bar & Grill." I just loved how the supports were palm trees and how it made the cruise feel so much more like a vacation. Is anyone else like this? I hope so. But share what your favorite lido restaurant is and why. There doesn't have to be a particular reasoning behind it other than "I just liked it."
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I like all of carnival's atriums. They just give me this lovely feeling seeing the great heights and it gives me a sense of wonder about how big the ships are. Even if they are the dark and dreary atriums i still like them because it's always good to have a balance between light and airy and dark and dreary, kind of like yin and yang.
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My all-time favorite is the Fascination. I don't know why but that ship just sailed it's way into my heart and I found out that they are doing 7-nighters with her! OH GOD! If I could find the money to fly to San Juan, I would do that in a heartbeat.
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I would add more Carnival Journeys in the summer months. This is mainly due to me (a child) wanting to to a 10+ day cruise, but can't due to the school schedule and how they Journeys are set up. Especially some out of Baltimore/New York. An itinerary for that could include Bermuda too!
For Example:
Baltimore/NYC
Sea Day
Bermuda (Overnight)
Bermuda
Sea Day
Sea Day
St. Maarten
St. Thomas
San Juan (Disembark)
They could run that schedule in reverse to get it back to Baltimore/NYC.
Also, I would like to see a better Eastern Caribbean/Generic Caribbean itinerary out of Galveston/NOLA
For Example:
NOLA
Sea Day
Key West
Grand Turk
Half Moon Cay
Sea Day
Sea Day
NOLA
OR
NOLA
Sea Day
Key West
Cozumel
Belize
Progresso
Sea Day
NOLA
These would be my favorite option for improvement because I think it's stupid that Galveston and NOLA get the worst EC itineraries and also they only get 3 port WC. I think they deserve better IMHO.
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If you are in a suite, your entire stateroom will get priority embarkation. So FTTF would be ideal for the balcony goers. Also, you can self debark which means that you carry your own luggage off the ship when they call your deck. I have done self-debark and regular-debark and the self debark is a LOT easier, plus, you can easily get to the car/shuttle to go to MCO early.
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I have only sailed out of Port Canaveral once, it was on the Sensation. We departed from Terminal 5, the one where the sensation goes if all the others are taken up, here's a picture to help illustrate in case im being confusing.
That terminal didnt have zones when you board the ship, but I'm wondering if terminal 6 does? If i take my hopeful cruise, we will be sailing out of that terminal and I would just like to know if we would be in zones.
Thank You!
~TheCriuseDirector
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The sunshine has a few sets i believe, but they do book quickly for those types of rooms so be warned.
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Hey, so I'm looking at a short cruise for my family to take over the summer, since we have not taken one in 2 years. I would like to go somewhere other than the Bahamas, and I would like to go on a larger class of ship than we have previously been on. Also, it should be under $450 for at least an ocean view so I can pay my way. I have one option and that is the Victory 4-Day Western Caribbean out of Miami to Key West and Cozumel. THE PRICE FOR THIS IS AMAZING!!! IT'S LIKE <$400 FOR A BALCONY!!
Do you have any other suggestions? If so, please tell them to me as I would love to hear.
Thank You in Advance!
~TheCriuseDirector
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Ok, so, I found this article (The link) and I'm wondering if anybody thinks that CCL will get some new ships? Also, I may have missed this but, is there already a confirmed 2nd/3rd Vista Class ship?
Thank you!
~TheCriuseDirector
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I think, that since the port of embarkation doesn't matter, that you should go with the Fascination. This is because you get to go to 2 ports of call and also that it is longer. Also, I personally liked the feel and grandeur of the casual-ness on the Fascination as well. Hope you have a great sailing :)
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Thanks in advance for checking out my post everyone. I'm hoping to get some thoughts, recommendations, or even hear some of your past experiences.
My wife and I are looking at taking our kids (ages 5 & 3, both boys) on their first cruise later this year. At the moment, a cruise on the Fascination out of Jacksonville in October is the leader in the clubhouse. I do have few questions and was hoping a few of you guys could help us out.
First, do any of you have any past experiences sailing with kids that age? If so, was it good or bad?
Two, is there enough on board activities to keep kids that age occupied? I'm a little concerned they may get bored. My wife is not quite as concerned.
Three, what's it like getting off the ship in Freeport and Nassau with kids?
Four, what room would you recommend?
Again, thanks in advance. Also sorry if this has been brought up before. I searched around but couldn't really find what I was looking for.
DD
(1)I would say that sailing with kids those ages is going to be quite a challenge in someways but not at all in others. It all depends on how you expose them to things and get them used to it and also how to get them excited about going.
(2) Camp Carnival Is good with the younger cruisers because you can drop them off in the morning and pick them up at dinner time, but if you want to look for more family time, there's a pool and a splash park for all of you, and if either of your sons are 42'' or taller, then there are a few waterslides they can ride.
(3)Disembarking with children is easy as long as you have the proper paperwork and documentation. After you get off, there are usually a lot of people so make sure that they learn to stay close by to you so they don't get lost.
(4) I would recommend either a Port Hole, Oceanview, or Balcony room when booking because they each have a lovely view into the ocean blue and they are really relaxing too. If you are concerned about the railing on the balcony, it is about 40''-48'' in height and there is a glass wall to prevent them from falling over board.
(5) Have Fun! The fascination is my favorite cruise that we have taken and there is so much to do! I'm so glad my baby is going down to San Juan so maybe i'll do a week aboard her then!
Best (Regular) Stateroom Ever
in Carnival Cruise Lines
Posted
Ok, so what I mean by "regular" stateroom is a stateroom where you don't select a specific type of stateroom in the category (NOT Porthole, Scenic Grand OV, etc.).
My absolute favorite regular stateroom is E253 on the Carnival Fascination or the equivalent to it on other Fantasy-Class ships. I love this stateroom because there's a little extension to the hallway to get to the stateroom. This means that nobody, and I mean NOBODY goes by your room at night because they see no point on going down that one little part.
If you're looking for a stateroom on the Fascination, book this one because it's amazing.
What is your favorite room and why?