Fantasy B2B 10-22 & 10-27 w/Hurricane Sandy

[kjeanne2001]

Thanks for the review. Tell me more about this express line. I've always waited in the long lines just to get fries.

[cruiseonthebrain]

Great review Joan! And congrats on the back to back and your daughter's wedding!

We met another lady the second to last day who was doing four back to backs and still had one more to go- can you imagine?

 

Wish we could have met you on this cruise but when we were introduced you waved us off and said you didn't remember names. Maybe next time.

[hockeyluver]

Forget to say anything about the actual process of the B2B...

 

I had a letter in my cabin on Friday night telling me to be at the service desk by 9:45, but I was actually out there by 9:15, and the ship was empty by 9:20.

 

Risa then told us about someone first thing that morning being extremely insistent that he be allowed to disembark immediately, even though the ship had not been cleared. He then proceeded to become verbally abusive, despite there being children in the vicinity. Security was right there, since they're the ones who Ding you on and off the ship.

 

Apparently he would not calm down, or tone down the abusive language. She then made a comment about how they really can't do much with these passengers (which is why people behave the way they do - no one can get in their face without being sued).

 

So they called Customs in. The man ended up being led off in handcuffs by the Customs agents who ensured that he would be "thoroughly" searched. Perhaps that would bring about a change in attitude. :D

 

A staff member came out with our new cards. We took our old cards, the new cards, our passports and custom cards and took the elevator down to Deck 3, Ding'd out our old cards, walked down the little ramp, had a door opened behind the regular check-in counters, had our passports checked and custom cards taken, turned around and went back up the little ramp, Ding'd in our new cards, and back up and on the ship. Couldn't have taken more than 10 minutes, total.

 

thanks for the info on the turn around day :D almost down to double digits here!!

[NCTribeFan]

Thanks for the review. Tell me more about this express line. I've always waited in the long lines just to get fries.

 

It's at the end of the regular grill line. Had hot dogs and buns, fries, grilled onions, chicken strips.

 

Great review Joan! And congrats on the back to back and your daughter's wedding!

We met another lady the second to last day who was doing four back to backs and still had one more to go- can you imagine?

 

Wish we could have met you on this cruise but when we were introduced you waved us off and said you didn't remember names. Maybe next time.

 

Was that the first day? Sorry, didn't mean to wave anyone off! Kept meaning to get up and wander around and chat during our M&G and failed to do that, too! My solo leg, the Roll Call was dead (met one couple while we were outside in the tent waiting to board), but since I had others with me for Leg 2, I just didn't do much socializing with others (and I'm really not that outgoing - most of it is bluff :o ). And, yes, I could imagine it 4 B2Bs. I could live on a ship!

 

Multi-quote only picked up two, so...

 

Libertyflame - there are "spa" options available at dinner that are supposed to be healthier. And there is always the salad bar for lunch.

 

Barbatkins - I'm on the other side of Rt 54, before Fayetteville - basically across I-40 from Southpoint. I can walk to the Harris Teeter, McDonald's, Kroger shopping areas.

[NCTribeFan]

I brought home virtually every piece of paper I received in the cabin - not just the FunTimes for all 12 days, but all the inserts about jewelry, art, spa, excursions - everything!

 

If I can remember, I'll bring them in to work and scan them all.

 

Oh, and here's the link to the Flickr album for the other photos. Let me know if the link doesn't work. I don't think you have to sign in to view them. I keep rearranging them so that they're in chronological order, but they keep displaying randomly. Still trying to figure out Flickr.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nctribefan/

[nodogkisses]

It's at the end of the regular grill line. Had hot dogs and buns, fries, grilled onions, chicken strips.

 

Are there cheeseburgers at the end of the regular grill line, too, or just hotdogs? Please say yes. It's so pathetic that I would so excited about not having to stand in a line just to get one cheeseburger and leave right away.

 

I'm so glad you were safe in that hurricane and that your daughter's wedding had beautiful weather and all went well. I also was thinking about you out there on your B2B's. My Pride cruise that week was cancelled, but I'm thankful for that.

[NCTribeFan]

No, you have to wait in the "regular" grill line for burgers.

 

We really didn't have it all that bad. Could've been much worse. Could've sailed from NY, Baltimore or Norfolk!

 

I'm seeing that HAL was able to stop at HMC on Tuesday. I'm going to be rather annoyed if that's true. We were told on Monday afternoon that we couldn't stop on Wednesday, so Tuesday in GT was extended.

 

Trying to find confirmation.

 

And I guess it goes without saying that I'm not thrilled to be back at work!

[NCTribeFan]

Forgot to bring the FunTimes in to scan. Maybe I can remember to do it tomorrow. I still have stuff spread all over the house, but at least I got most of it out of the hallway!

 

Was in a meeting yesterday afternoon and missed a call from my PVP. He's very anxious to know how the cruise went. He always calls me shortly after I cruise to get my input. And, of course, I forgot to call him back when I got home.

 

I used to get sick after every cruise, which isn't really surprising considering how many people are packed into such a small area. But I hadn't in recent years. But I'm fighting something now - burning sinuses, sore throat, and cough. Sitting in the theatre on Friday night watching Ticket to Ride, and someone behind us coughed the entire time. I kept envisioning those microscopic droplets landing all over us. Ewwww.

 

And we know that not everyone is terribly conscientious about hand washing. Twice I commented to women who walked out of the stall and straight to the door to WASH YOUR HANDS! Not even a glance - just walked right out. I was especially careful to use the little door handle tissues on those occasions. :(

[joydisney]

Thanks for taking the time to write your review and info. I found it very helpful.

[NCTribeFan]

You're welcome! There haven't been many comments, so maybe people would really prefer to have an hour-by-hour, meal-by-meal, drink-by-drink review.

 

As I've felt it necessary to say so many times in this thread already, oh well! :p

 

And it appears that I also brought home the flu bug. I stayed home yesterday and again forgot to bring in the FunTimes this morning. I'm headed out-of-town this afternoon and won't be back in the office until Monday, so I'll try to remember to bring them then.

 

This is assuming that anyone really has any interest. It takes quite a bit of time to pull them apart and scan them. In the past, I've scanned them as pictures so I could just upload them to Webshots. Now that I'm on Flickr, I don't know that I'll do that. I may just put them in a PDF file and if anyone wants a copy, they can give me an email addy.

 

Since both itineraries were altered, I'm nost sure how useful they'll be, so we'll see if there's any interest. I may scan them anyway for myself since I sometimes like to go back and refresh my memory about certain things.

 

I see that Risa will be off from 4/28 until 7/6. We had decided that she is definitely pregnant (although she's already showing a lot to not be due until the end of April! Wonder if she's expecting twins?!?).

[Coolcruise02]

Great review and pictures!

[4hunters]

Thanks for the review.

[deedle7544]

I like all reviews, minute by minute and overview. Thanks fr taking the time!

[tandemcruzr]

You're welcome! There haven't been many comments, so maybe people would really prefer to have an hour-by-hour, meal-by-meal, drink-by-drink review.

 

I'll add my thanks for your review and an extra Thank You for not giving us the hour-by-hour version. I rarely, if ever actually finish reading one of those. :D

[NCTribeFan]

OK, so some have preferred the "summary" review rather than the "detail" review. I'm back from my trip to the mountains. Still feeling really, really awful. Had to sit through 8 hours of CPE yesterday and, feeling that lousy, it was really a bad day.

 

But I was with cruise buddy, so we got to re-live some of the cruise.

 

Will try to get in touch with my PVP. Friend got the "comment card" email, but I didn't. Honestly, I never get anything from Carnival. But I almost always have another cruise booked. That annoys me. Why do they assume that just because you're booked again that you don't want to receive any emails?

 

Of course I've thought of other comments I meant to make but now I can't remember. :o

[Sh1035]

Really good review and glad you made the most of it! Also, glad to see you didn't lose a phone this cruise!

[LOVECRUISING100%]

Thanks for posting .. Glad to hear the B2B process was fast and easy !!

[TrinaLC]

Couple of questions:

 

1. First time cruising without a balcony. We were thinking of bringing a small collapsible chair - the kind that parents typically bring to kids' soccer games - so we can sit and read on the promenade deck and/or be assured of having a place to sit in Serenity. We are driving to the port so easy to do. Any thoughts about this?

 

2. Can you order BV bottle from room service (or from the service desk)?

[TrinaLC]

And one more - what exactly did the thorough nature of examining liquids on boarding consist of ?

[NCTribeFan]

I haven't been around much, so I was a little surprised to see this back up on the front page!

 

You may also want to post your questions in the All Things Fantasy thread to get the input of others.

 

As for the "thorough" search of liquids in Charleston, it had been posted before and it was the case with me that if you have clear liquids (I just had two small unopened bottles of water), after your carry-ons are screened, you go over to a table where security takes the bottles, examines the seal, and shakes them.

 

From prior reading, I understand that if you carry on a 12-pack of water, they will do this for every bottle. So no thinking of hiding gin or vodka in a water bottle in the middle of a pack.

 

I don't drink hard booze so have never tried to smuggle or order from BV. You should find plenty of threads on both, though! ;)

 

There really isn't enough space on the Serenity deck to set up your own chairs. And people drag the loungers all over, turn them around to face the sun (when there is any), and after a few hours, it looks like a tornado has come through and just thrown the chairs everywhere - to the point that you cannot walk from one side to the other without having to detour and practically climb over people. It's ridiculous, actually.

 

Next time I drive, I may consider carrying on a director's chair and take it out to the exterior promenade deck. On the Fantasy-class ships, that's unused space and I think it's a shame that there isn't seating out there. Some of us actually want to sit somewhere away from the crowds and noise and it's virtually impossible unless you're out at 8 am (which I often am).

 

But I wouldn't try to put one in the areas where there are already loungers, since those areas are pretty much full of seats to start with, and have very limited space even to walk through.

[TrinaLC]

Thanks for your response! I think we will bring collapsible chairs - I prefer to be away from the crowds and by your description Serenity doesn't exactly sound like its name!