purrlinda Posted April 7, 2010 #76 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Good luck tonight! I hope you make it to Belize on time. :) Hey, being stranded somewhere on a cruise ship is far better than being stranded on the ground in an airplane so enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spencercoop Posted April 7, 2010 #77 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Good luck tonight! I hope you make it to Belize on time. :) Hey, being stranded somewhere on a cruise ship is far better than being stranded on the ground in an airplane so enjoy! That's true!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare crewsweeper Posted April 7, 2010 #78 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Paul, Glad you enjoyed Clip N Zip. It's really a great deal and you don't have to worry about transportation. The two person kayaks were better than the flat bottom singles. But BIL and I were a bit disappointed in the limited range they allowed you to roam. We wanted to go out into the ocean and completely around the small caye. You're a good man on th ecamera. Hope you find the owners. And hope you're in or getting close to Belize when you wake up. Crew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy & Carmen Posted April 7, 2010 #79 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Hey Paul, Heard y'all will be missing Belize today....are they gonna stop anywhere or have 3 sea days? :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy & Carmen Posted April 7, 2010 #80 Share Posted April 7, 2010 OOPS?......I forgot about Costa Maya.....you still have that port....so I'm guessing sea day, Costa Maya and then Sea day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMedik Posted April 7, 2010 Author #81 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Good afternoon everyone! We pulled out of Roatan around 8:00AM this morning and our scheduled stop at Belize has been cancelled. The winds were gusty all night at Roatan so we weren't able to leave. The Princess ship is still out in front of us. They were scheduled to stop in Cozumel today, but I doubt they'll be making their stop either. It was a very peaceful night on our balcony; I spent hours sitting out there listening to insects making whatever noise it is they make, birds chirping and dogs barking! How often do you get to sit on your ship's balcony at night and listen to dogs barking in the distance? It was an awesome night really! The ship itself made absolutely no noise! No engine noise, no sound of waves crashing or our wake churning up behind us. Very memorable. They also opened the casion last night around 10:30 and accounced that the shops would open and be open most of the night as well. I donated more $ to the casino..... We had decided earlier in the week to make Belize a Fun day at sea with most of the passengers on shore, but instead of having a near empty ship, we now have a FULL ship. Basically we now have 4595 passengers on board with us. The chair hogs most definately are on board Dream this week. I have pics of chair hogs numbering in the thousands....Entire sections of the ship have been taken over by them with no humans in sight. I don't really have too much of an issue because we have our own balcony to retreat to, but I did hear many frustrated wannabe sun worshipers voicing their dismay at all the chair hog droppings. The CD announced early this morning that each cabin would be credited $20 for having missed Belize. We received mail a little while ago indicating each passenger would receive $7.16 posted to their S&S accounts as a refund of Belize goverment fees and taxes along with automatic refunding for purchased excursions. I think Dream would be ideally suited for a Southern Caribbean route out of San Juan or St Thomas with port stops every day. The deck areas are plentiful on port days, but days at sea are filled with too much time either avoiding people or hogged chairs. After watching a few hours of video on the wayward video camera I was able to identify that they were from this ship, from Germany, and the names of three of the family of four. No last names though and the phone number was part of a Sony advertisement. One video is of their meeting their room steward for the first time and he introduced himself, but as luck would have it, our steward didn't recognize him. As I was sitting in my cabin with the door open, the Hotel Director walked by. I summoned him in and showed him the video. He recognized the steward, but said he was new and didn't know his assigned area. We reviewed the video a few times and he called someone to locate the steward's phone extension. It turns out that he is assigned to deck 8 Forward. The Hotel Director then called him and had him come down to our cabin. When he arrived he immediately knew the people, their names, cabin numbers, and where they were from. We went to their room to return the camera, but they were out and about so he left it in their room for them. As it turns out, this is his first week on Dream, but his ninth contract with Carnival. BTW, his favorite ship is Conquest for all you Crazies! His name is either Arbus or Argus....I wasn't able to determine for sure, but anyone who has him as a steward, be sure and tell him that really the only way those people got their camera back was because he did his job well and they got it on video! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMedik Posted April 7, 2010 Author #82 Share Posted April 7, 2010 OOPS?......I forgot about Costa Maya.....you still have that port....so I'm guessing sea day, Costa Maya and then Sea day. Randy, Yep, that's the itinerary for now. :) Good luck tonight! I hope you make it to Belize on time. :) Hey, being stranded somewhere on a cruise ship is far better than being stranded on the ground in an airplane so enjoy! purrlinda, Amen to that! Paul, Glad you enjoyed Clip N Zip. It's really a great deal and you don't have to worry about transportation. The two person kayaks were better than the flat bottom singles. But BIL and I were a bit disappointed in the limited range they allowed you to roam. We wanted to go out into the ocean and completely around the small caye. You're a good man on th ecamera. Hope you find the owners. And hope you're in or getting close to Belize when you wake up. Crew Crew, ClipNZip was great for sure. We didn't ask where we could roam, but the current limited our travel distance in the four person paddle boat. Bryson tried to pull us using the kayak, but that didn't work too well. I am very glad to have found the camera owners. From their videos I can tell they had planned their vacation video well and had quite a bit of memories stored already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gail811 Posted April 7, 2010 #83 Share Posted April 7, 2010 What a great feeling it must be to have solved the mystery of the camera owner Paul! I lost my video camera at a college wrestling match last fall, shortly after my brother passed away. I had the video of the party we had for him, including the Marine Color Guard playing taps on my mom's island (it really is a small island on her lake!) I was crushed, because I had not yet saved those files to a disc. Lucky for me, I had taken a picture of our name and address with the camera, and luckier still, someone honest (like you!) turned it in to the tournament director. I am forever grateful, and I know that family you helped must be too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PunkinsDad Posted April 7, 2010 #84 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Awesome story about the camera. You are a class act Paul!!! Sorry you missed Belize, it's one of our favorite ports to date. Just make sure you aren't late back to FL because we are in line to get onboard as soon as you disembark!!!! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dprg644 Posted April 7, 2010 #85 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Wow now that is something you just don't see or hear on a cruise!!! Great job on the video camera and taking the time to get it back to the owners. I love the live play by play and a thank you for taking the time from your vacation to post live. We will be on her in just a little over 2 weeks so reading the live review helps with pre-cruise excitment. Good afternoon everyone! We pulled out of Roatan around 8:00AM this morning and our scheduled stop at Belize has been cancelled. The winds were gusty all night at Roatan so we weren't able to leave. The Princess ship is still out in front of us. They were scheduled to stop in Cozumel today, but I doubt they'll be making their stop either. It was a very peaceful night on our balcony; I spent hours sitting out there listening to insects making whatever noise it is they make, birds chirping and dogs barking! How often do you get to sit on your ship's balcony at night and listen to dogs barking in the distance? It was an awesome night really! The ship itself made absolutely no noise! No engine noise, no sound of waves crashing or our wake churning up behind us. Very memorable. They also opened the casion last night around 10:30 and accounced that the shops would open and be open most of the night as well. I donated more $ to the casino..... We had decided earlier in the week to make Belize a Fun day at sea with most of the passengers on shore, but instead of having a near empty ship, we now have a FULL ship. Basically we now have 4595 passengers on board with us. The chair hogs most definately are on board Dream this week. I have pics of chair hogs numbering in the thousands....Entire sections of the ship have been taken over by them with no humans in sight. I don't really have too much of an issue because we have our own balcony to retreat to, but I did hear many frustrated wannabe sun worshipers voicing their dismay at all the chair hog droppings. The CD announced early this morning that each cabin would be credited $20 for having missed Belize. We received mail a little while ago indicating each passenger would receive $7.16 posted to their S&S accounts as a refund of Belize goverment fees and taxes along with automatic refunding for purchased excursions. I think Dream would be ideally suited for a Southern Caribbean route out of San Juan or St Thomas with port stops every day. The deck areas are plentiful on port days, but days at sea are filled with too much time either avoiding people or hogged chairs. After watching a few hours of video on the wayward video camera I was able to identify that they were from this ship, from Germany, and the names of three of the family of four. No last names though and the phone number was part of a Sony advertisement. One video is of their meeting their room steward for the first time and he introduced himself, but as luck would have it, our steward didn't recognize him. As I was sitting in my cabin with the door open, the Hotel Director walked by. I summoned him in and showed him the video. He recognized the steward, but said he was new and didn't know his assigned area. We reviewed the video a few times and he called someone to locate the steward's phone extension. It turns out that he is assigned to deck 8 Forward. The Hotel Director then called him and had him come down to our cabin. When he arrived he immediately knew the people, their names, cabin numbers, and where they were from. We went to their room to return the camera, but they were out and about so he left it in their room for them. As it turns out, this is his first week on Dream, but his ninth contract with Carnival. BTW, his favorite ship is Conquest for all you Crazies! His name is either Arbus or Argus....I wasn't able to determine for sure, but anyone who has him as a steward, be sure and tell him that really the only way those people got their camera back was because he did his job well and they got it on video! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyshoreBruce Posted April 7, 2010 #86 Share Posted April 7, 2010 To anyone who has ever lost a camera go to www.ifoundyourcamera.blogspot.com This guy setup this site and posts pictures from lost cameras. Also about the Dream the main and only complaint i heard from a friend that went on the Dream is that forget about eating at the lido buffet unless you have 20-25 minutes to burn on the lines....they were always long! Doesn't sound to good to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMedik Posted April 7, 2010 Author #87 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Hello All! The seas are heavy and winds are high this evening, but at 5:25 we slowed to a crawl and are sailing in small circles; my guess is it's to provide smooth sailing for dinner time. Karen and I just returned from the thermal spas and are very relaxed! Heading down to the Dream bar for drinks with the wayward camera family. Everyone have a great evening! Oh yeah, the lines on Lido are a frequent complaint that we've heard too, but we're still hitting them at slow times and having no issues. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navybaby1113 Posted April 7, 2010 #88 Share Posted April 7, 2010 When I heard people complain about the long lines on the lido, I was guessing 45 minutes to an hour. 20-25 minutes doesn't seem that bad to me. Sounds about what we experienced on the Celebration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cina409 Posted April 7, 2010 #89 Share Posted April 7, 2010 I enjoy any review I can get but, this is the best review yet. Thanks for taking us with you I feel like I'm right there with you guys. I can't wait for the photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted April 8, 2010 #90 Share Posted April 8, 2010 Paul - That's great that you were able to find the owners of the missing camera. Sorry you missed your "sea day" in Belize - we did that in Jamaica in February and loved having the ship practically to ourselves. I saw on the webcam this morning that you were still docked in Roatan and figured Belize wasn't happening. Thanks for all the updates!:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger Lilly Posted April 9, 2010 #91 Share Posted April 9, 2010 Hi Paul - can you get us the Capers? We go the end of May and I'm dying to get my hands on them. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickymjw1 Posted April 9, 2010 #92 Share Posted April 9, 2010 That is a great idea that I never thought of,..take a picture showing my name and address. Will do, just in case! I am going to take a picture of my cabin # too! Paul, is the Spa nice and quiet? What is included in your Spa package? What do you enjoy most in the Spa? Thanks and enjoy your cruise! We are sailing her 5/15..hopefully we will be less crowded! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMedik Posted April 9, 2010 Author #93 Share Posted April 9, 2010 Good evening everyone. Today's port was Costa Maya. When we arrived at 7:00AM ship's time, it was 5:00AM Costa Maya time and was still dark. The ship vibrated it's way into the pier for over an hour so we were all a bit tired from waking up early. It was our first trip there since the hurricanes a few years back wiped it out. On our previous visits to Costa Maya we always went to Chac Chi through the hole in the wall, but Chac Chi is nothing but a shell now so we went directly to Mahuhual (sp?) We rented chairs and a table for the day and enjoyed a few drinks and calm surf. Each of the boys got massages and raved about them afterwards. We were due back on board by 2:30 and that's about what time we reboarded. We were due to sail at 3:00, but at 3:10 the PA speaker was blaring for over a dozen different people to call 7777 so we had quite a few stragglers. NCL and RCCL were in port with us with later departures so it was hard to tell if people coming down the pier were for our ship or one of the others. We can't see the gangway due to the Lanai so that changes things a bit too. There was another BlackJack tournament this evening. I went out on the first round by doubling $500 on 10 to the dealers 4 and I drew a 6. The dealer drew 17. The good news is that I was $400 ahead for the evening on the regular BlackJack. We had our first opportunity to speak with Guest Services at the Conscierge desk. Our son Britt was looking forward to the late night party til 3:30 which he goes to every cruise. When Karen signed him up for it they told her it was full. Britt was very disappointed. My question was since we receive guaranteed reservations for dining, supper club, spa, etc, shouldn't the guarantee also cover Camp Carnival since Britt is also Platinum? The answer was; 'I will call, but I doubt they will make an exception.' I replied that it's not an exception, but rather a guarantee since he signed up prior to the end time for signing up, he should be granted a spot. She replied that isn't part of Platinum benefits. I thanked her as we left, but the real issue is she said she would call, but she never asked his name, nor my name, nor did she even ask to see my card. She flat out lied when she said she would call, because she doesn't even know who she will be asking on behalf of. On our last cruise we received Platinum cards, but not one Platinum benefit. No gifts, no petit fours, no canape's, no letter outlining benefits. We even got high debarkation bag tags and though those are all Platinum benefits, we never said a word to Guest Services. The one time we do, we are lectured about what Platinum benefits are. On this cruise we have yet to receive a letter stating what Platinum benefits we are to receive. The boys got one in their cabin that stated Platinum members can receive one wash and fold laundry service per cabin, per cruise. I know that's new if it's really the case. Sorry to rant, but when a Nine year old Platinum cruiser can't attend a late night party because it's full, there's an issue with the number of passengers on a ship. He signed up well before the time required. It wasn't like he forgot and suddenly wanted to attend, he has it marked on his Camp Carnival schedule with two smiley faces. I can't muster up a good give a crap about things that could affect me, but I don't like anything affecting my sons, and I don't appreciate poor customer service. If she'd have at least asked for his name to pretend she was going to try and call, it would have been a different experience. Anyhow, back to vacation mode and looking forward to a Fun Day at Sea tomorrow; most likely spent on our balcony. We tried out the hammocks in the Serenity area this morning prior to getting off in Costa Maya and they are VERY comfortable! I guess I could go sleep in one tonight so we'll have it tomorrow. That is a great idea that I never thought of,..take a picture showing my name and address. Will do, just in case! I am going to take a picture of my cabin # too! Paul, is the Spa nice and quiet? What is included in your Spa package? What do you enjoy most in the Spa? Thanks and enjoy your cruise! We are sailing her 5/15..hopefully we will be less crowded! :-) Nickymjw1, Yes, the spa is VERY nice and relaxingly quiet. You'll love it. Thallosotherapy hot tub, steam rooms, heated loungers, and a relaxation area with refreshments are all included. Hi Paul - can you get us the Capers? We go the end of May and I'm dying to get my hands on them. Thanks. Tiger Lilly, As of now we have them all. If they make it home with us I will do my best to scan them in and get them online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falkcor Posted April 9, 2010 #94 Share Posted April 9, 2010 Our son Britt was looking forward to the late night party til 3:30 which he goes to every cruise. She flat out lied when she said she would call, because she doesn't even know who she will be asking on behalf of. Sorry to rant, but when a Nine year old Platinum cruiser can't attend a late night party because it's full, there's an issue with the number of passengers on a ship. He signed up well before the time required. It wasn't like he forgot and suddenly wanted to attend, he has it marked on his Camp Carnival schedule with two smiley faces. paul - dude, that's messed up... i know that you're a well mannered, amenable sort of guy, but honestly i'd elevate that matter if i were you - for britt! i understand your comment about the number of people on the ship, but you should perhaps remind them, that this fact should not detract from the experience of, especially platinum 9 yr old (lol, i wish!), passengers... that's just not right, since you did everything 'right'... hope it works out for you guys... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nybumpkin Posted April 9, 2010 #95 Share Posted April 9, 2010 I'm with Mark - something's screwy. We sail during holidays and summers with our kids and they're always pushing the late night party - last cruise, right up to the night before. I wonder if they're understaffed for the week? Anyway, our kids are Platinum too (last cruise, our youngest son was a hit in Camp Carnival showing off his card:rolleyes:) and you'd like to think they'd deserve more than $5 in arcade tokens. (BTW, make sure Britt gets his tokens - you may have to go with him. Matt, our middle son in Circle C, had a tough time getting his.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdawsonrn Posted April 9, 2010 #96 Share Posted April 9, 2010 GRRRRR That's just not right!! I hate that he can't go to the party :mad: Hope you enjoy your last day at Sea!! I've got a lot of questions for you when you return! BEWARE ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Tom-n-Cheryl Posted April 9, 2010 #97 Share Posted April 9, 2010 ...We had our first opportunity to speak with Guest Services at the Conscierge desk. Our son Britt was looking forward to the late night party til 3:30 which he goes to every cruise. When Karen signed him up for it they told her it was full. Britt was very disappointed. My question was since we receive guaranteed reservations for dining, supper club, spa, etc, shouldn't the guarantee also cover Camp Carnival since Britt is also Platinum? The answer was; 'I will call, but I doubt they will make an exception.' I replied that it's not an exception, but rather a guarantee since he signed up prior to the end time for signing up, he should be granted a spot. She replied that isn't part of Platinum benefits. I thanked her as we left, but the real issue is she said she would call, but she never asked his name, nor my name, nor did she even ask to see my card. She flat out lied when she said she would call, because she doesn't even know who she will be asking on behalf of. On our last cruise we received Platinum cards, but not one Platinum benefit. No gifts, no petit fours, no canape's, no letter outlining benefits. We even got high debarkation bag tags and though those are all Platinum benefits, we never said a word to Guest Services. The one time we do, we are lectured about what Platinum benefits are. On this cruise we have yet to receive a letter stating what Platinum benefits we are to receive. The boys got one in their cabin that stated Platinum members can receive one wash and fold laundry service per cabin, per cruise. I know that's new if it's really the case. Sorry to rant, but when a Nine year old Platinum cruiser can't attend a late night party because it's full, there's an issue with the number of passengers on a ship. He signed up well before the time required. It wasn't like he forgot and suddenly wanted to attend, he has it marked on his Camp Carnival schedule with two smiley faces. I can't muster up a good give a crap about things that could affect me, but I don't like anything affecting my sons, and I don't appreciate poor customer service. If she'd have at least asked for his name to pretend she was going to try and call, it would have been a different experience. ... Sorry to hear of your experience with CARNIVAL CUSTOMER "SERVICE". Paul, unfortunately it would appear you have joined the ranks of "those forgotten". We have also had cruises where we received nothing - even after calling the "special" Concierge phone # EVERY DAY (I recalled the # from previous cruises). We have also had our share of sub-par experiences with the Concierge line at guest services. There is an entire (new) thread on that topic running as we speak. There are those like you and I who have been on the receiving end of "service" which shows NO appreciation for our loyalty, and those who have (thus far:eek:) glided along and feel everything is OK (ignorance IS bliss :D). The FIRST I heard of Carnival limiting the Laundry perk, it was on the Blogger's Cruise in December (Dream). At that point the "reason" was that there were over 600 Platinum guests onboard. Apparently that was just the start. I already felt that their perks, though appreciated, were lacking a bit (especially for Milestones guests, but that's another thread entirely) - now they are starting to water them down! :confused: As BIG a Carnival fan as I am, you may note from my signature that we are branching out (intentionally) to lines NOT affiliated with Carnival. My rose colored glasses are getting a bit foggy. Carnival needs to send me a spray bottle of Rain-X... though I am not holding my breath. :rolleyes: BTW - I would most definitely PUSH the issue regarding Britt. GOOD LUCK!! Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pe4all Posted April 9, 2010 #98 Share Posted April 9, 2010 Though not platinum yet (getting there!) we sail at high capacity times- re: school vacations. My niece and nephew (8/9) have never had problems getting into the late night party, and we sail with 800-1000 kids on board. CC must have been short-staffed. That would get my hackles up. I can do without, but when it comes to my kids/family members, I can't stand them being disappointed over something that should have been rectified. I would follow up on this. It should be a platinum benefit. I will say this - nephew came back from camp on Liberty at least 2 times saying that his age group "watched" a younger age group while some counselors went on their breaks in the later evenings. (past 11) I couldn't believe it - but BIL actually "caught" it happening when he dropped by to see if this was true.:eek: He spoke to the supervisor, and was told the practice would end, but due to the number of kids in camp, the counselors were spread too thin, and "must" have their breaks. Have a great time on the rest of your cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare crewsweeper Posted April 9, 2010 #99 Share Posted April 9, 2010 Paul, sorry to hear of your run in with Customer Service and Brad's missing the party. You should definitely continue to pursue this, and Platinum perks issues with all powers that be. If it were me, I'd even take it to John Heald via his blog. I'm a long way from being Platinum on Carnival, but we'll hoping to be there someday. From what I've read on these boards, other lines like Celebrity treat their loyal cruisers very well. No reason why Carnival can't do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LemurCat Posted April 9, 2010 #100 Share Posted April 9, 2010 Paul, I'll just pile on with the shared disappointment for you and Britt. In short, that sucks. I hope you mention this liberally and often in your comment card and any other cruise review you're submitting to Carnival. In short, it just ain't right. What's the point in getting to Platinum if they aren't going to honor it? Anyway, I hope you and the fam enjoy the rest. Good running review. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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