Carnival? Have we got it right this time??

[Blondie008]

Been there, done the rest, soooooo...FOR US..will Carnival be "the Best?"

 

Ok, so dh and I. Started cruising maybe ten years ago. Our first cruise with our daughter then 17, was a 16 night re positioning cruise on NCL, a one off, and holds happy happy memories.. no complaints there.

British Cruising...hate it... had one good cruise on the old Arcadia again years ago, but the "NEW" P&O ships... nup..cant stand British Cruising.(and yes, I am from the UK)

Celebrity..LOVED it... loved Millennium, loved Constellation, and then... having paid our (UK) NON REFUNDABLE deposit, they brought in their new smoking policy. I don't argue their policy, entirely up to them what they do, BUT TELL US when we book so we have a right to choose. They would not refund us, and I'm sorry, but paying thousands of $$$$$ for a suite (or any cabin for that matter) and having to go way up outside on deck for a morning cig, WAS a deal breaker for us. (PS please dont gimme a smoking lecture here just pointing out how I wanna spend my hard earned $$).

So- result being that we had paid over £1500 in deposits for family, we paid another fee to transfer the cruise to RCI... our only option or loose our deposits.

This cruise was to be a family cruise of a lifetime. As a surprise to the family, and as a ONE OFF.. my DH and I as well as booking their cabins, decided on a one off lifetime treat of booking the Royal Penthouse Suite. 3000 sqft of entertainment area. hot tubs, grand piano, mirrored ceilings, bar area you name it, we envisaged lovely family get togethers in there.

We were told we could entertain up to 60 people in there if we wished, as many corprate companies use this suite as a business event venue..

So.... we did it.. was it worth it..NOT A SECOND OF IT!

We were NOT alllowed to "entertain". One neighbour below us continuously complained (all before midnight incidentally). result being, our phone never stopped ringing, and our doorbell constantly being rung... zero party.. and we LIKE to party ...there were never more than 12 guests at a time in our suite, and NONE of the surrounding cabins complained, and none of the other four cabins below us...just one biddy who just made our cruise from a dream to a nightmare...

Having spent all that dosh (and we are not millionaires just hard working folks who wanted to give their family a trip of a lifetime), we came back, and for the last couple of years, said..thats it..cruising days are over...

 

Last week, doing a clear out at home, we came across old cruise pics and smiled at the memories... DH says... "lets do a cruise again next year"

says me... "hmmmmm we cannot get it wrong this time"..

So....we sat down and wrote down a list..what do WE want from a cruise?

here is our list:

prices : Must provide good value for money, must be able to have at least 12-14 days on board as travelling across the pond is not worth it for a short cruise

Food: We are food producers, BUT we know..cruise food is cruise food.. its never gonna gain Michelin stars, and you aint gonna go hungry.. but one thing we DID like was NCLs freestyle dining, so a line which could offer that option was gonna be a bonus. A good "fine dining" option even with a fee would also be a bonus on our list.

Fellow passengers: People are people, but we need to be amongst people who dont object if we wanna get dressed up, but we dont care if they are in jeans and khakis..live and let live... but we dont want whingy old dears chapping our door at 7pm to tell us to lay off...we live life to have fun!

MUSIC: MAJOR factor: We like live music, we love singers, musicians, live pool bands, disco music, in fact..anything that makes our feet wanna dance! We don't really care for harpists in the coffee lounge (dont object to it just doesn't float our boat), we enjoy karaoke, and love those who cannot sing but TRY to join in and have fun... and yup, we two will get out there and give it a blast.

Pool bar.. we don't like pool games BUT dont care if they are going on.. we love the ambience that fun on a ship creates...perhaps we wont participate in hairy chest competitions (although DH cd win hands down!)... but we truly dont care or mind if its going on...

Trivia, pottery classes, photography classes, anything that enhances the mind programmes, - PASS

Casino + YUP... cant play anything but will give it a go and yeah, love to blast some bandits and blow some chips on the Roulettte table.. we go with an attitude of how much we are gonna lose and play for fun..we sure aint gonna win :-)

Smoking: deal breaker for us without a doubt. Rightly or wrongly, we will choose a line which offers what is acceptable for us. There are many lines now with various policies. I get Pd off that I cant cruise Celebrity any more...but rather than whinge about it...aint no choice...just dont cruise with them anymore and thats it... the deal breaker there for us really is the balcony. We will certainly accept there must be smoke free lounges etc, but for us, it is essential that A), we can smoke on our balcony, and B), have a couple of indoor areas to choose from too.

PORTS: We've been round nearly all, from the Med, TA, and Caribbean, and also are world travelled, we cruise for the fun on board more than the ports, but ports where we can visit friends and relatives would be an added bonus.

 

Our daughter lives in the Cayman Islands. During a visit to her last year, we had gone over to Grand for the day, and of course many ships were in. We met this really lovely couple in a bar, who were on a Carnival Ship docked for the day in Grand. Curious, I asked the couple "So whats Carnival REALLY" like. Now, bear in mind we have been brainwashed over the years into thinking that Carnivals ships are..hmmmm... dunno how to describe this...lets just say I envisaged a carnival ship as being cheap, nasty and tacky.. (HOLD ON DONT SHOUT at me yet :0) So..this couple who were adorable, and FUN,...gave us the run down, and showed us pics fom their camera..

So... hmmm ... leads us to our quest this week..

 

So, here we are, spending a whole day researching cruiselines. From HAL, NCL, Princess..you name it...we went through them all, and you know what... we were VERY pleasantly surprised to see how many boxes Carnival ticked for us..

We've been though all of your cruise pics, videos, thank you all of you lovely people who take the time out to post such info..you have no idea how many people you help! Brochures are one thing..the truth lays with the REAL pics and stories, reviews etc..

But then we go on Carnivals website, and TRY to work our way through sooooo many cruises and ships..phew...it was a task!!

Then..my hearta started thumpin...hold on..have I got this right?? :-)

I found an 8 day Caribbean and a 6 day Caribbean..would it be possible??? brains ticking, hearts thumpin...

We have a favourite bar in the world in Fort Lauderdale... hmmmmm its getting better..

We have friends who live in the Keys, our daughter in the Caymans...hmmmm is this too good to be true....

Looked at the price EHHHHH???????? is this right?????? WOW???

I went thru the US booking system, and tried to find the same cabin available for both cruises... did I FIND a cabin HAH!!

I could hardly sleep that night waiting to call our local TA the following morning...so what have I found:

14 nights total on board (2 x B2B cruises) Caribbean which we love

an Aft extended balcony cabin available on both B2B cruises :-)

A FUN, glitzy ship which has EVERYTHING we would want in a cruise ship.

price: Perfect, dont want no fancy suite, had enough of Butlers and Pantries and god know what other wasteful extras that are not worth having..

then the TA asks me.. would you like "Your style dining"...HELLO!!! Another box ticked!

We have gone through this board, reading your comments, reading your reviews, so we think we are pretty clued up now on what to expect..

Thank you...to all of you who take time out to inform others, that information to folks like us proves invaluable when choosing a cruise..

SO as much as I will miss the Martini Bar on Celebrity, and the disco which I love on M-Class ships..I am sure we will find on Carnival, something new and different to love...

What do you think guys...have we got it right this time???

[serene56]

What ship are you ticking off here?

 

2 b2b?? wonderful. Are these weeks all on the same ship?

 

Have you considered 1 b2b on one ship then get off and do another b2b on another ship?

[98Charlie]

have we got it right this time???

Won't know the answer to that until you get back:p But it sounds like you've got your ducks lined up as best possible.

 

What ship and when are you sailing?

 

Hope it turns out to be everything you hope for.

 

Charlie

[jedema]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but Carnival seems to be a popular topic... especially in the Carnival forum... :)

 

I think you will be happy with your cuise. to have an aft-extended for both of your B2B will be very nice indeed! Might I ask what ship you are planning on sailing on?

 

How about you come back here after your cruise and tell us what you thought about it.

[crusing48/51]

I would like to know what a "one off" is? It may be a no brainer question, and I'll feel silly for asking, but I'm not quite sure what it is. Time off from work maybe? Please enlighten me! Thanks!

 

Oh, and by the way, DH and I cruised Carnival for the first time last year and had a wonderful time, met some great people, and found Carnival to be just fine. No complaints here!

[Tapi]

Here are my thoughts:

 

- You are probably looking at Carnival Freedom. I love this class of ship. Its large, bold, and you'll have plenty of venues were you can enjoy different styles of music.

- You will appreciate Carnival's smoking policy (at least compared to Celebrity). Yes, you can smoke in your cabin, several lounges, casino, and lido deck. Please be considerate of non smokers though. We found several inconsiderate smokers pushing the envelope on our last Carnival cruise. Under different circumstances, we probably would've looked ther other way, but it was hard to do so when we had people blowing smoking a few feet from or infant son.

- You mention that you don't enjoy cerebral or enrichment activities and prefer games for entertainment. Carnival will be a good match! Their activities revolve around activities like hairy chest contests, bartending competitions, karaoke, and several games.

- Since you have experienced suites, butler service, etc keep in mind that cabins on Carnival are nicely sized and more than adequate, but they lack additional amenities or perks, even in the highest categories.

 

Enjoy your cruise. I think it's a good match based on what you wrote!

[98Charlie]

I would like to know what a "one off" is? It may be a no brainer question, and I'll feel silly for asking, but I'm not quite sure what it is. Time off from work maybe? Please enlighten me! Thanks!

 

Oh, and by the way, DH and I cruised Carnival for the first time last year and had a wonderful time, met some great people, and found Carnival to be just fine. No complaints here!

 

It's a one time shot, once in a life time, one and done, never to be repeated thing.

 

We were in the group that believed what others said about Carnival (Wal-Mart, party-til-you-puke, etc.) until cruise #15. Decided we'd give it a shot, got a balcony to retreat to if we really didn't care for the atmosphere and enjoyed every minute of the trip (and the 7 Carnival cruises since then:D)

 

Charlie

[halos]

What do you think guys...have we got it right this time???

 

 

With all that time and research, I'd say HELL YEAH...You have it right!

I hope you have a great time :D

[okgirl]

I suspect too, that you are booking the Freedom. She is a great ship, having come into service in 2007 and the newest and last of the Conquest Class ships......

 

You won't have to give up the martini bar at all.......it's right there on the aft Promenade and is called the Nouveau Wine Bar. I stop in there every evening for a martini on my way to the dining room. The bartenders on Carnival ships are very skilled and you won't have any trouble getting a variety of martini's or other cocktails expertly prepared at any bar.

 

You will also find some other excellent entertainment venues along the Promenade. Scott's piano bar is a great place to sing along and have general fun. The International Aft Lounge, is the venue for the Punchliners Club and the comedy shows there are just not to be missed.

 

The 70's Dance Club at midship Promenade is usually packed in the evening too. And don't miss an evening in the Sun King Steakhouse on the Panorama deck 10 mid-ships. The upcharge is $30/pp but well worth it. They also have a lovely bar that you can use even if you don't have reservations for dinner. This is also the location for Wine Tasting, which will be on a couple of sea days and the charge is $15/pp, you get to sample 5 or 6 wines with various cheeses and fruits.

 

If you enjoy tea time, then that will also be held on a couple of sea days, check your daily Fun Times for the location but the last time I was on the Freedom it was still being held on the Atlantic deck 4 in the Habana Cigar Bar.

 

Welcome to Carnival, I think you will find that they offer everything that you want for an affordable price. On Elegant evenings you will find some dressed in formal wear, many dressed in cocktail dresses/suits & ties, a few more business casual and occasionally some dressed way down.

[firefly333]

I would like to know what a "one off" is? It may be a no brainer question, and I'll feel silly for asking, but I'm not quite sure what it is. Time off from work maybe? Please enlighten me! Thanks!

 

Oh, and by the way, DH and I cruised Carnival for the first time last year and had a wonderful time, met some great people, and found Carnival to be just fine. No complaints here!

 

Yea, they booked the family suite on RCL and were amazed and surprised when neighbors below them complained .. before midnight. Imagine the nerve, some people not wanting a large party going on above their heads and going to bed before midnight :D

 

OP sounds like a partier...might be a Carnival fit

[Chris41]

Yea, they booked the family suite on RCL and were amazed and surprised when neighbors below them complained .. before midnight. Imagine the nerve, some people not wanting a large party going on above their heads and going to bed before midnight :D

 

OP sounds like a partier...might be a Carnival fit

 

Yes imagine the nerve of someone wanting to have fun....How terrible that they didn't tip toe after 1800 hrs.....The nerve of some people....lol

[Blondie008]

Yes, it is Freedom, and thank you for all the tips and bar suggestions

Our "one off", was the Royal Penthouse Suite on RCI, not the royal family suite, its one if its kind on the ship we were on, we only had us two in the suite, but invited the family who were in various cabins to join us..just seemed silly that a suite with a 16 speaker surround system, and lounges capable of entertaining 60 people, a grand piano lobby and a balcony with tubs etc was totally wasted as we really could not utilise it. Sure, its VERY nice, BUT.. we even cancelled our daughters engagement party we had planned for it to avoid any more confrontation with the said person living below..

anyway..nuff.. we have moved on and NOT going there ever again :)

No, we are MORE than happy with our regular 180sq ft (or whatever they are now) aft balcony. Looking back at our old pics, we remembered the fantastic times we had in our wee humble cabins..and for us two... it will be just perfect :).. We have had outside, no balcony, oceanview balconies, sky suites on Celebrity, and the Penthouses.... but NOTHING changes the people we are, and all we want is a nice cabin, think we have lucked out on the aft as we love the wake of the ship.. it will be lovely to have morning coffee out there, and my DH will happily sit there with a bottle in hand while I spend my many hours trying to make the best of what 40+ has given me ;)

I LOVE going to bed at night with the balcony door a wee bit open to hear the ocean waves... be it 180 sq ft, or 3000 sq ft..theres ZERO difference in that!

Smoking... YES, we ARE very considerate smokers and are well aware of being polite and kind. In fact, I am a gadget person and have these little ashtrays I take on vacation which have a lid which vacuums up the smoke ... NUTS huh... I truly appreciate been given my little corner, so treat that with respect. I dont like smokers who are not considerate as it only spoils things for everyone... I am actually a bit ashamed of our smoking thing, and in fact, may well have stopped before the cruise, but... even that aside, even if I did stop, I wont ever give X my money again for taking that non refundable deposit..matter of principle there...

I am still happy to hang out too at non smoking lounges...the Nouveau Wine Bar sounds FAB... ooooh.... now if they do Chocolate Martinis thats it.. they have won me over :-D

Its kind of been a bit of soul searching for us this week. When we sat down and discussed all the BEST moments we have had on cruises, few of those moments involved "top end stuff". We have been lucky to dine at Captains table on many occasions and I know for sure, we made for "interesting" tablemates...(one Captain whispered in my ear he was gonna take his leave but would we join him on the bridge for a party hah could tell a few stories there!) We were brought up in very humble backgrounds, and yes, are blessed (no we are not we just worked damned hard!) in that we have over the years come to afford to go that extra mile, but you know what...money never buys happy times. I LOVED my litte 180 sq ft cabins...its FELT like I was on a ship not a hotel room. Looking back, and knowing what we know now...

I asked my husband, should we book a suite... he said to me "what for?".. and he was right... we've been there...done the ultimate suite... did it make us any happier...nope... in fact quite the opposite...

VIP boarding.. we have experienced being taken on the ship even before the VIP queue was taken on..but there again.. two of the closest friends I still have to this day I met in a long slow queue outside Boston port years ago sneaking a last minute cig... how many times sitting waiting to board, do you end up chatting with folks, and enjoy the anticipation of stepping on board that ship...

I guess what we found in our soul searching, was what we really wanted, was a ship that gave us all the factors we enjoy about cruising, and "back to basics"..ie... "no we can manage to unpack ourselves...yes we are capable of calling room service.. no, we dont mind waiting in a queue to board, yes we can ask our cabin steward to fill our bar with what we want, and oooh... the shower squeeze ;)

So there you have it, Carnival converts I hope. Got a LONG time to wait. If we didnt already have this years vacations booked I think we would be going sooner..but meanwhile... got nearly twelve months of anticipation..

I am thrilled at going back to back, getting off and back on again 15 minutes later, that will be fun :)

I am sure you will all have forgotten me by the time my cruise comes around, but promise, when the time comes, will duly post my trip report on here. Meanwhile, hope you all enjoy your cruises, and look forward to reading your forum .. thanks to all of you, what a lovely bunch of people!

Its just lovely to have made our booking, its all confirmed and our non refundable UK deposits paid..so.... for sure we are going :D

[Blondie008]

Oh and PS

 

Reearching your forum we found 8450, there were similar available on deck 6 and 7. I asked my husband which one he wanted for us, he looked at the deck plans with me..says "take 8, theres a bar above it, one flight up for morning bloody marys" - says it all really huh:rolleyes:

[laumicmah]

I love CCL because I feel like I can make my cruise what I want it to be. You can customize and have anything from an affordable 'basic' cruise to a fancier more 'top notch' cruise. We are driving to Jax for a quick 4 day on the modest Fascination next month(sans kids), but are looking at flying to Ft.Lauderdale for a family cruise on the Freedom next year. We are thinking about booking a balcony and we will do at least 1 night in the specialty dining venue. OP- I think you got it right and will have the best time. Enjoy!!

[Crusing Nut]

Been there, done the rest, soooooo...FOR US..will Carnival be "the Best?"

 

Ok, so dh and I. Started cruising maybe ten years ago. Our first cruise with our daughter then 17, was a 16 night re positioning cruise on NCL, a one off, and holds happy happy memories.. no complaints there.

British Cruising...hate it... had one good cruise on the old Arcadia again years ago, but the "NEW" P&O ships... nup..cant stand British Cruising.(and yes, I am from the UK)

Celebrity..LOVED it... loved Millennium, loved Constellation, and then... having paid our (UK) NON REFUNDABLE deposit, they brought in their new smoking policy. I don't argue their policy, entirely up to them what they do, BUT TELL US when we book so we have a right to choose. They would not refund us, and I'm sorry, but paying thousands of $$$$$ for a suite (or any cabin for that matter) and having to go way up outside on deck for a morning cig, WAS a deal breaker for us. (PS please dont gimme a smoking lecture here just pointing out how I wanna spend my hard earned $$).

So- result being that we had paid over £1500 in deposits for family, we paid another fee to transfer the cruise to RCI... our only option or loose our deposits.

This cruise was to be a family cruise of a lifetime. As a surprise to the family, and as a ONE OFF.. my DH and I as well as booking their cabins, decided on a one off lifetime treat of booking the Royal Penthouse Suite. 3000 sqft of entertainment area. hot tubs, grand piano, mirrored ceilings, bar area you name it, we envisaged lovely family get togethers in there.

We were told we could entertain up to 60 people in there if we wished, as many corprate companies use this suite as a business event venue..

So.... we did it.. was it worth it..NOT A SECOND OF IT!

We were NOT alllowed to "entertain". One neighbour below us continuously complained (all before midnight incidentally). result being, our phone never stopped ringing, and our doorbell constantly being rung... zero party.. and we LIKE to party ...there were never more than 12 guests at a time in our suite, and NONE of the surrounding cabins complained, and none of the other four cabins below us...just one biddy who just made our cruise from a dream to a nightmare...

Having spent all that dosh (and we are not millionaires just hard working folks who wanted to give their family a trip of a lifetime), we came back, and for the last couple of years, said..thats it..cruising days are over...

 

Last week, doing a clear out at home, we came across old cruise pics and smiled at the memories... DH says... "lets do a cruise again next year"

says me... "hmmmmm we cannot get it wrong this time"..

So....we sat down and wrote down a list..what do WE want from a cruise?

here is our list:

prices : Must provide good value for money, must be able to have at least 12-14 days on board as travelling across the pond is not worth it for a short cruise

Food: We are food producers, BUT we know..cruise food is cruise food.. its never gonna gain Michelin stars, and you aint gonna go hungry.. but one thing we DID like was NCLs freestyle dining, so a line which could offer that option was gonna be a bonus. A good "fine dining" option even with a fee would also be a bonus on our list.

Fellow passengers: People are people, but we need to be amongst people who dont object if we wanna get dressed up, but we dont care if they are in jeans and khakis..live and let live... but we dont want whingy old dears chapping our door at 7pm to tell us to lay off...we live life to have fun!

MUSIC: MAJOR factor: We like live music, we love singers, musicians, live pool bands, disco music, in fact..anything that makes our feet wanna dance! We don't really care for harpists in the coffee lounge (dont object to it just doesn't float our boat), we enjoy karaoke, and love those who cannot sing but TRY to join in and have fun... and yup, we two will get out there and give it a blast.

Pool bar.. we don't like pool games BUT dont care if they are going on.. we love the ambience that fun on a ship creates...perhaps we wont participate in hairy chest competitions (although DH cd win hands down!)... but we truly dont care or mind if its going on...

Trivia, pottery classes, photography classes, anything that enhances the mind programmes, - PASS

Casino + YUP... cant play anything but will give it a go and yeah, love to blast some bandits and blow some chips on the Roulettte table.. we go with an attitude of how much we are gonna lose and play for fun..we sure aint gonna win :-)

Smoking: deal breaker for us without a doubt. Rightly or wrongly, we will choose a line which offers what is acceptable for us. There are many lines now with various policies. I get Pd off that I cant cruise Celebrity any more...but rather than whinge about it...aint no choice...just dont cruise with them anymore and thats it... the deal breaker there for us really is the balcony. We will certainly accept there must be smoke free lounges etc, but for us, it is essential that A), we can smoke on our balcony, and B), have a couple of indoor areas to choose from too.

PORTS: We've been round nearly all, from the Med, TA, and Caribbean, and also are world travelled, we cruise for the fun on board more than the ports, but ports where we can visit friends and relatives would be an added bonus.

 

Our daughter lives in the Cayman Islands. During a visit to her last year, we had gone over to Grand for the day, and of course many ships were in. We met this really lovely couple in a bar, who were on a Carnival Ship docked for the day in Grand. Curious, I asked the couple "So whats Carnival REALLY" like. Now, bear in mind we have been brainwashed over the years into thinking that Carnivals ships are..hmmmm... dunno how to describe this...lets just say I envisaged a carnival ship as being cheap, nasty and tacky.. (HOLD ON DONT SHOUT at me yet :0) So..this couple who were adorable, and FUN,...gave us the run down, and showed us pics fom their camera..

So... hmmm ... leads us to our quest this week..

 

So, here we are, spending a whole day researching cruiselines. From HAL, NCL, Princess..you name it...we went through them all, and you know what... we were VERY pleasantly surprised to see how many boxes Carnival ticked for us..

We've been though all of your cruise pics, videos, thank you all of you lovely people who take the time out to post such info..you have no idea how many people you help! Brochures are one thing..the truth lays with the REAL pics and stories, reviews etc..

But then we go on Carnivals website, and TRY to work our way through sooooo many cruises and ships..phew...it was a task!!

Then..my hearta started thumpin...hold on..have I got this right?? :-)

I found an 8 day Caribbean and a 6 day Caribbean..would it be possible??? brains ticking, hearts thumpin...

We have a favourite bar in the world in Fort Lauderdale... hmmmmm its getting better..

We have friends who live in the Keys, our daughter in the Caymans...hmmmm is this too good to be true....

Looked at the price EHHHHH???????? is this right?????? WOW???

I went thru the US booking system, and tried to find the same cabin available for both cruises... did I FIND a cabin HAH!!

I could hardly sleep that night waiting to call our local TA the following morning...so what have I found:

14 nights total on board (2 x B2B cruises) Caribbean which we love

an Aft extended balcony cabin available on both B2B cruises :-)

A FUN, glitzy ship which has EVERYTHING we would want in a cruise ship.

price: Perfect, dont want no fancy suite, had enough of Butlers and Pantries and god know what other wasteful extras that are not worth having..

then the TA asks me.. would you like "Your style dining"...HELLO!!! Another box ticked!

We have gone through this board, reading your comments, reading your reviews, so we think we are pretty clued up now on what to expect..

Thank you...to all of you who take time out to inform others, that information to folks like us proves invaluable when choosing a cruise..

SO as much as I will miss the Martini Bar on Celebrity, and the disco which I love on M-Class ships..I am sure we will find on Carnival, something new and different to love...

What do you think guys...have we got it right this time???

 

We sailed on the Freedom. You will find everything that you want on it.

The your time dining is nice but make sure you try the Steakhouse and try to book the chef's table. But most of all have fun!

[Blondie008]

I suspect too, that you are booking the Freedom. She is a great ship, having come into service in 2007 and the newest and last of the Conquest Class ships......

 

You won't have to give up the martini bar at all.......it's right there on the aft Promenade and is called the Nouveau Wine Bar. I stop in there every evening for a martini on my way to the dining room. The bartenders on Carnival ships are very skilled and you won't have any trouble getting a variety of martini's or other cocktails expertly prepared at any bar.

 

You will also find some other excellent entertainment venues along the Promenade. Scott's piano bar is a great place to sing along and have general fun. The International Aft Lounge, is the venue for the Punchliners Club and the comedy shows there are just not to be missed.

 

The 70's Dance Club at midship Promenade is usually packed in the evening too. And don't miss an evening in the Sun King Steakhouse on the Panorama deck 10 mid-ships. The upcharge is $30/pp but well worth it. They also have a lovely bar that you can use even if you don't have reservations for dinner. This is also the location for Wine Tasting, which will be on a couple of sea days and the charge is $15/pp, you get to sample 5 or 6 wines with various cheeses and fruits.

 

If you enjoy tea time, then that will also be held on a couple of sea days, check your daily Fun Times for the location but the last time I was on the Freedom it was still being held on the Atlantic deck 4 in the Habana Cigar Bar.

 

Welcome to Carnival, I think you will find that they offer everything that you want for an affordable price. On Elegant evenings you will find some dressed in formal wear, many dressed in cocktail dresses/suits & ties, a few more business casual and occasionally some dressed way down.

 

 

Janey, you just summed up our perfect cruise..thank you!

[Blondie008]

Here are my thoughts:

 

- You are probably looking at Carnival Freedom. I love this class of ship. Its large, bold, and you'll have plenty of venues were you can enjoy different styles of music.

- You will appreciate Carnival's smoking policy (at least compared to Celebrity). Yes, you can smoke in your cabin, several lounges, casino, and lido deck. Please be considerate of non smokers though. We found several inconsiderate smokers pushing the envelope on our last Carnival cruise. Under different circumstances, we probably would've looked ther other way, but it was hard to do so when we had people blowing smoking a few feet from or infant son.

- You mention that you don't enjoy cerebral or enrichment activities and prefer games for entertainment. Carnival will be a good match! Their activities revolve around activities like hairy chest contests, bartending competitions, karaoke, and several games.

- Since you have experienced suites, butler service, etc keep in mind that cabins on Carnival are nicely sized and more than adequate, but they lack additional amenities or perks, even in the highest categories.

 

Enjoy your cruise. I think it's a good match based on what you wrote!

 

Tapi, I wont smoke near my dogs, let alone kids... these are precisely the kind of smokers that get me riled. If only everyone would just be that bit considerate, then perhaps there is room to keep all on board happy. If I am visiting friends who dont smoke, but dont mind me smoking, I take with me my "smokeless ashtray". its an ingenious little tool which has a lid to filter the smoke... I am the one with the habit..I dont want to inflict it on them... so no... no ways would I smoke near infants... :(

Games....lol..no, we give them a miss. But we sure dont mind others enjoying themselves. We do like to dress up, in fact, do so to the nines nearly every night casual or not..its just our way, but we respect everyones preferences..and dont really care one way or the other how people dress..my only objections are hairy armpits and barefeet..(even worse in men:D).

Our biggest love is music, singing and dancing. We love food, but we really do know our food well., and are world class in our own food profession, so we accept cruise food for what it is, and now and then, we get amazingly surpised. We will enjoy the steakhouse from time to time, but we know well....cruise food is cruise food, its not junk, but its not Michelin star, its good food, plated and served well, and is precisly what one pays for on a cruise. There's certainly plenty of it! And who doesnt like a sneaky bit of junk food at 3am :)

Thanks for your thoughts!!

[Blondie008]

Whats the "chefs table"??

[okgirl]

Oh and PS

 

Reearching your forum we found 8450, there were similar available on deck 6 and 7. I asked my husband which one he wanted for us, he looked at the deck plans with me..says "take 8, theres a bar above it, one flight up for morning bloody marys" - says it all really huh:rolleyes:

 

You might want to rethink cabin 8450. There are many complaints about the loud scraping of deck chairs when they are being set up in the early morning. Also, I believe the deck 6 & 7 balconey's are more private, since you can look down from the Lido to the deck 8 balconey.

 

I personally would choose 6450 since I spend most of my time on the Promenade and it's a quick run down the steps rather than waiting on elevators (these old knee's being old and all.......:o), but that cabin may be a bit loud in the late night since the Comedy club is just underneath...Though it sounds like you are late night people anyway.

 

I am a Committed Carnival fan and proud of it....I've never found any reason to sail on another line and will be embarking for my 22 cruise in 24 days.

 

Edit to Add: Chocolate Martini's are a ritual with me......so enjoy......

[Geezers]

Oh and PS

 

Reearching your forum we found 8450, there were similar available on deck 6 and 7. I asked my husband which one he wanted for us, he looked at the deck plans with me..says "take 8, theres a bar above it, one flight up for morning bloody marys" - says it all really huh:rolleyes:

 

You will love 8450. We had that cabin on the Freedom and have it on our upcoming Valor cruise. What you might not know is that cabin is one of a few that has a larger balcony than others on the Aft. You can ask your cabin steward for a lounge chair to be added since you have about 4 feet more in width.

[okgirl]

Whats the "chefs table"??

 

Chefs Table is a new VERY exclusive offerring. They only have one seating per cruise and it's for 12 people. You begin with a cocktail party and meeting all the chefs then a mini tour of the galley where you will be seated for a 7 or 8 course meal of the highest quality. Wine and champagne are included and the meal is closed with a personalized picture and menu gift.

 

It's a bit pricey at $75/pp, but I've heard well worth it from almost everyone that has experienced it.

 

The best way to reserve your seat is several months (even 6 months) before your cruise go to John Healds blog and there is a link there to make a reservation. If you wait until you are on the ship you will probably not make the cut.

[jagsfan]

Reading your requirements, I would say that you and Carnival will be a perfect marriage.

Have a blast, and many happy returns.

[Blondie008]

You might want to rethink cabin 8450. There are many complaints about the loud scraping of deck chairs when they are being set up in the early morning. Also, I believe the deck 6 & 7 balconey's are more private, since you can look down from the Lido to the deck 8 balconey.

 

I personally would choose 6450 since I spend most of my time on the Promenade and it's a quick run down the steps rather than waiting on elevators (these old knee's being old and all.......:o), but that cabin may be a bit loud in the late night since the Comedy club is just underneath...Though it sounds like you are late night people anyway.

 

I am a Committed Carnival fan and proud of it....I've never found any reason to sail on another line and will be embarking for my 22 cruise in 24 days.

 

Edit to Add: Chocolate Martini's are a ritual with me......so enjoy......

 

 

Janey LOL you might think this a bit odd..but we did read and take into consideration the deck scraping noises.. we totally wont mind them :), honestly, we do not sleep, I dont wanna miss a single minute on that ship. One memory I have is getting into bed on a TA cruise where you lose hours every other night, we just got in, and the cabin steward came in with morning coffee.. time to get back up..and we did :D, we will find a bed to sleep on thru the day, if we can grab around 4 hours thru the night thats fine. I horrify my DH by getting REALLY early coffee... I dont make a sound to disturb neighbours..so having only a deck above us, means I only have one neighbour below, and one on side to worry about.. we truly live that cruise every single minute. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to be awake at sunrise on any vacation cruise or not, so yeah, did think about the deck scraping bit... liked the idea more we can pop up to grab buffet food or brekkie food, or drinks... the stairway confused me though?? Is the stairway shown from our cabin a staff only stairway?? Hmmm could always get the deck scrapers to throw me a bun or two down ;)

 

I also thought of folks looking down on us..I will have my toe nails perfectly manicured and painted, and ocht, if we are the best they can look at och well... I'll just give them a wave :D

The only real times we are likely to be in our cabin are early mornings, and early evenings.. late at night (quietly ssshhhhhhh nightcaps) and perhaps a later afternoon snooze.. so yeah pros for us outwighed the cons and 8 it is :) but thank you value your input!!

[Blondie008]

Chefs Table is a new VERY exclusive offerring. They only have one seating per cruise and it's for 12 people. You begin with a cocktail party and meeting all the chefs then a mini tour of the galley where you will be seated for a 7 or 8 course meal of the highest quality. Wine and champagne are included and the meal is closed with a personalized picture and menu gift.

 

It's a bit pricey at $75/pp, but I've heard well worth it from almost everyone that has experienced it.

 

The best way to reserve your seat is several months (even 6 months) before your cruise go to John Healds blog and there is a link there to make a reservation. If you wait until you are on the ship you will probably not make the cut.

WOW!!! Thats a MUST Thank you!! Where is John Healds blog?

[Blondie008]

You will love 8450. We had that cabin on the Freedom and have it on our upcoming Valor cruise. What you might not know is that cabin is one of a few that has a larger balcony than others on the Aft. You can ask your cabin steward for a lounge chair to be added since you have about 4 feet more in width.

 

Larger? I knew the aft wrap cabin was larger but we didnt like the interior of that one, but didnt know 8450 was larger than the other afts beside it? Is that what you mean?? (Does this get any better :)) Have you got any pics of 8450. I have been unable to find any. I found pics of the aft wraps but not precisely of 8450? THANK YOU!!