Just Off Fascination’s Christmas Cruise - Ask Away

[OceansOfTravels]

3 hours ago, burban64 said:

How were the shows?  What was your favorite? Is there comedy shows?

The shows I personally saw were "Divas", "Latin Nights", and "Motor City". I skipped out on both Hasbro the Game Show and the Christmas show because they both were only shown once and they went right through my dinner. But, I do enjoy the playlist productions and have good things to say about all of the shows. My favorite of all three though was probably Latin Nights.

 

And yes, every night in the aft "Puttin' On the Ritz" lounge, there are comedy shows. I actually never made it to one, but someone I went with did and he said the 18+ show was pretty funny.

[OceansOfTravels]

1 hour ago, CruzinKristin said:

When did you get your S&S card?

 

Did it appear that many people check in, eat lunch then debark to go explore PR?  How big of a deal is it to do this?

Our Sail and Sign card was given to us at check-in, so before we stepped foot on the ship.

 

And yes, many did end up disembarking and going back ashore in Puerto Rico. Maybe not a significant amount to the point that she ship was empty, as some people do pre/post cruise stays in Puerto Rico so they don't feel the need to get off while the ship is in San Juan and would rather maximize their port time, but yes, many do it. We did it. We did just that, dropped off our bags (our rooms were ready when we arrived), grabbed a quick bite, and walked right from the Lido Buffet on 10 to the front of the ship, down the elevator, and out via the gangway on Deck 3. Very easy procedure. Just make sure you're back onboard by 8PM! Muster is at 8:30 and they will indeed scan Sail&Sign cards. First time I've ever seen this.

[Hillbillygram]

1 hour ago, CruzinKristin said:

When did you get your S&S card?

 

Did it appear that many people check in, eat lunch then debark to go explore PR?  How big of a deal is it to do this?

We cruised on the Fascination in September. We received our S&S cards at check-in. We had FTTF, so we were able to go directly to our cabin after check-in. We grabbed some lunch on Lido; ran into a couple we had met the night before at Barrachina's. The four of us disembarked; did some sightseeing; picked up wine and sodas at CVS (they are across from the port); shopped the vendors that were set up outside the cruise terminal; and then reboarded the ship. It was not a big deal at all. Oh, there were taxi drivers outside the terminal offering rides to Wal-Mart to pick up last minute supplies. Since sail away wasn't until 9 PM, back on board was 8 PM, so there is time to do some exploring depending on how early you get checked in.

[beshears]

39 minutes ago, OceansOfTravels said:

Same! This was my first time using Cosol and I would absolutely recommend them to anyone. Had a great day!

I'm glad that you like Cosol Tours as well.  Some people think when I recommend a place to see or a facility to visit, or any type of recommendation, I am getting feedback from that company in money. No, I just do it as I am trying to help others find what they need without doing a lot of searching!

[helensobol]

On 1/5/2019 at 11:59 AM, Hillbillygram said:

We cruised on the Fascination in September. We received our S&S cards at check-in. We had FTTF, so we were able to go directly to our cabin after check-in. We grabbed some lunch on Lido; ran into a couple we had met the night before at Barrachina's. The four of us disembarked; did some sightseeing; picked up wine and sodas at CVS (they are across from the port); shopped the vendors that were set up outside the cruise terminal; and then reboarded the ship. It was not a big deal at all. Oh, there were taxi drivers outside the terminal offering rides to Wal-Mart to pick up last minute supplies. Since sail away wasn't until 9 PM, back on board was 8 PM, so there is time to do some exploring depending on how early you get checked in.

 

I saw you said you brought wine and soda post initial boarding.    Could you tell me how that worked?  I thought you could only bring aboard when you initially boarded.   How did they know you didn't bring it twice?   That sounds like a better idea than lugging it with all of your luggage.   Thanks! 

[Hillbillygram]

13 minutes ago, helensobol said:

 

I saw you said you brought wine and soda post initial boarding.    Could you tell me how that worked?  I thought you could only bring aboard when you initially boarded.   How did they know you didn't bring it twice?   That sounds like a better idea than lugging it with all of your luggage.   Thanks! 

Prior to our cruise, there was a great thread on here that discussed all the ends and outs on cruising out of San Juan. Due to the many posts on that thread, we learned that We could disembark to buy our sodas and wine. When we reboarded the ship, they had us send both cases of soda and our 2 bottles of wine through the scanner; no questions were asked and back on the ship we went. I know several people posted that they brought their drinks on board in their carry-ons; took those to their cabin; disembarked, bought more and got back on the ship with their "new" purchases without being stopped. We weren't that brave. There is Walgreens across from the cruise terminal also. Hubby and I had done price comparisons the day before and CVS was cheaper for the same items.

 

[bmci3398]

I haven’t been on a cruise in 12 years and even then it was as a class advisor for a high school senior trip. My family is booked on Carnival Sunrise Dec23rd-28th, 2019. I’ve tried to find MDR menus and information about holiday cruise itineraries on board, to no avail. Can anyone give me some ideas as to the decorations, special meals, shows, etc. that might make the trip feel like Christmas away from home? Also, we are bringing my 87 (will be 88) year old mom with us. She has a walker. Is this an issue? Are there ways to get a wheelchair or something for getting her on/off the shop and to the beach or other excursion tours? She has trouble walking long distances. I’d really appreciate any insight. Thanks! 

[h2owill]

Hi, I'll be on the March 3rd sailing and I'm curious if I have late dining, will I miss the sail away party? Thanks!

[LittleYiaYia]

h20will, you will not miss sail away.  On the first night it is open seating in both dining rooms.  They closed the dining rooms promptly at 8:30 (this was for a 10PM sailing) because of the muster drill.  Everything shuts down during muster.  When you get on board be sure to check the Fun Times to see what time the dining room closes that night.  We are sailing in February, and I know sail away is now at 9:00 PM. 

 

[Crazy4Camping]

On 1/5/2019 at 12:24 AM, OceansOfTravels said:

 

Hello!

 

It's okay with all the questions, that's what this thread is for. For the excursion question though, with 5 ports, that would be a long list. And, some ports, I have found it better to not even do an excursion, but rather do something on your own. Could you maybe tell me what you already have planned so we can focus on what you have yet to plan?

 

Formal nights on my specific cruise, due to Christmas, were after the sea day and St.Lucia. I don't think this is normal, because I remember that a few years ago when I did the same itinerary on the Liberty, the formal nights were after the sea day and the day in St.Kitts. But, it is guaranteed that there will be two. And the formal night menus are also of more class and have a nicer selection, but the options like the grilled chicken will still be offered even on formal night. Expect some interesting, fancy dishes though!

So far, I plan to do the Kon-Tiki boat on St. Thomas, Beach Hopping Fun in Barbados, and maybe Party Bus in St. Kitts?  My husband and I are travelling with another couple that aren't as-hmmm-limber I guess would be a way to put it, so we aren't looking for hiking or strenuous things(although that would def be MY go-to).  Also trying to not spend too much!  Tours sound interesting but idk if the other ones would be bored-they've cruised several times before.

 

Also, I believe somewhere it was mentioned that there are shampoo/conditioner/body wash dispensers in the shower?  Is this true and is it good quality or should we def bring our own?

[helensobol]

 

Crazy4Camping...  

 

Some cost effective tour suggestions: 

 

St Kitts - thenfordgrey  or royston tours always get great reviews.  Last time I was in St Kitts, I went ATVing which I wouldn't recommend. 

St. Marteen - Bernard tours are very popular.  Another fun option is to take the ferry to Pinnel Beach/Island 

Barbados - go to one of the many beach clubs. 

 

The shampoo and body wash is the same for all ships.  They don't give conditioner.  The quality is average at best.  If you are particular I would bring your own.   

 

 

[Hillbillygram]

14 minutes ago, Crazy4Camping said:

So far, I plan to do the Kon-Tiki boat on St. Thomas, Beach Hopping Fun in Barbados, and maybe Party Bus in St. Kitts?  My husband and I are travelling with another couple that aren't as-hmmm-limber I guess would be a way to put it, so we aren't looking for hiking or strenuous things(although that would def be MY go-to).  Also trying to not spend too much!  Tours sound interesting but idk if the other ones would be bored-they've cruised several times before.

 

Also, I believe somewhere it was mentioned that there are shampoo/conditioner/body wash dispensers in the shower?  Is this true and is it good quality or should we def bring our own?

We did Thenford Grey's Island Tour on St.Kitts with Pastor Henry as our tour guide. We went to Romney Manor & Caribelle Boutique; Brimstone Fortress; Black Rock (where I got to hold a monkey); the spot where "Amazing Grace" was written; and Frigate Bay for beach time. It was the best excursion of our whole cruise. In St. Thomas, we took a taxi bus to Sapphire Beach--not as nice as Magen's Bay but hardly anyone there. Barbados we did the Atlantis Submarine--that was a second favorite. In Dominica, we did the Botanical Garden/Hisbicus Falls tour--informative but the bus had issues that had us questioning if we would get back to the ship alive. St. Lucia we went deep sea fishing. And St. Maarten We did the top ten through Carnival--it was a waste of money.

 

We always bring our own bath products--I don't care for hotel quality items for more than a night or two.

 

 

 

[Hillbillygram]

5 minutes ago, helensobol said:

 

Crazy4Camping...  

 

Some cost effective tour suggestions: 

 

St Kitts - thenfordgrey  or royston tours always get great reviews.  Last time I was in St Kitts, I went ATVing which I wouldn't recommend. 

St. Marteen - Bernard tours are very popular.  Another fun option is to take the ferry to Pinnel Beach/Island 

Barbados - go to one of the many beach clubs. 

 

The shampoo and body wash is the same for all ships.  They don't give conditioner.  The quality is average at best.  If you are particular I would bring your own.   

 

 

Helensobol--We did Thenford Grey's tour on St. Kitts--the best excursion we have ever been on!! If we ever go back to St. Kitts, we would do it again.

[soulsistah007]

Curious about your experience cruising at Christmas as we're considering doing so with our 2 kids. Most likely not a port intensive cruise (my husband and I did this route on the Victory pre kids and had a great time!).  Besides the Christmas dinner, any other activities that Carnival provided to give it a Christmas feel?  I assume a lot of kids on board too?

[OceansOfTravels]

On 1/6/2019 at 1:57 PM, bmci3398 said:

I haven’t been on a cruise in 12 years and even then it was as a class advisor for a high school senior trip. My family is booked on Carnival Sunrise Dec23rd-28th, 2019. I’ve tried to find MDR menus and information about holiday cruise itineraries on board, to no avail. Can anyone give me some ideas as to the decorations, special meals, shows, etc. that might make the trip feel like Christmas away from home? There will be Christmas decorations in the lobby. There was also a very nice tree in the lobby as well. There is a Christmas themed show on Christmas night, and they even make it "snow" in the atrium. Also, we are bringing my 87 (will be 88) year old mom with us. She has a walker. Is this an issue? Are there ways to get a wheelchair or something for getting her on/off the shop and to the beach or other excursion tours? Yes, you can contact Carnival now in order to make sure you reserve a wheelchair (just to make sure you have one, I am not sure if they charge for them, but I have heard of people reserving them.) But, the ship is not very big, and has three elevator banks, so she should be able to make it around the ship just fine. I would recommend getting breakfast and eating it at the station by the pool, though, because the Lido buffet will be absolutely packed in the mornings, especially on a port day while everyone is rushing to get off. She has trouble walking long distances. I’d really appreciate any insight. Thanks! 

 I put my answers to your questions above in red! Hope I helped!

[CruzinKristin]

What time are room ready for those not having priority status?

[OceansOfTravels]

On 1/6/2019 at 2:58 PM, h2owill said:

Hi, I'll be on the March 3rd sailing and I'm curious if I have late dining, will I miss the sail away party? Thanks!

 

No, you will not, because dining on the first night is open seating for the entire ship. Both restaurants are seated randomly, and you just go whenever. They stop letting new people in at 7:30, and completely shut the restaurant to new people at 8, so at 8:30, the dinnergoers are finished and then the entire ships attends their muster station around 8:30-8:45. Then, the ship departs at 9PM.

 

So, no, you will be fine!

[ABQrobin]

After the cruise, how hard is it to get to airport?  Are there lots of taxis?  Is 10:30am too early to book a return flight?  

[helensobol]

15 minutes ago, ABQrobin said:

After the cruise, how hard is it to get to airport?  Are there lots of taxis?  Is 10:30am too early to book a return flight?  

 

 

10:30 might be a bit iffy.    You would need to self debark and then it is dependent on the tsa line.  

[OceansOfTravels]

On 1/7/2019 at 9:23 AM, soulsistah007 said:

Curious about your experience cruising at Christmas as we're considering doing so with our 2 kids. Most likely not a port intensive cruise (my husband and I did this route on the Victory pre kids and had a great time!).  Besides the Christmas dinner, any other activities that Carnival provided to give it a Christmas feel?  I assume a lot of kids on board too?

 

First I want to say, I would recommend a less port intensive itinerary for the kids. Having so many ports really leads to less of a "relaxing" vacation, which can get even worse with young children. Definitely do a cruise with 3 or 4 port days, one where you have the days to relax.

 

Regarding Christmas, there is a Christmas-themed show on the boat. Also, they do some fake-snow in the lobby and have the entertainment team sing a bunch of Christmas songs. It was very nice. I also saw this on the Conquest, which I was on for Christmas 2016. So, yes, there will be some Christmas-activities. Plus, many of the staff as well as passengers will be wearing Christmas hats, so it's a cute feeling. And yes, there are some kids, but not as many as you would see during, say, Spring Break or Thanksgiving. Lots of families prefer to stay home for this particular holiday, so I will say I've noticed more kids during Thanksgiving and Spring Break. But, definitely more kids than January and February. 

[OceansOfTravels]

10 hours ago, ABQrobin said:

After the cruise, how hard is it to get to airport?  Are there lots of taxis?  Is 10:30am too early to book a return flight?  

 

There was absolutely no line getting off the ship when I disembarked, I went from my stateroom to the curbside in literally 10 minutes. I believe you can start disembarking around 7:30AM, and you will need to remove your own luggage. And yes, there are many taxis portside. I cannot say I would advocate for it, because it is predicated on a lot of things going right, ie the ship begins debarking on time, you have a short immigration line, you find a taxi easily, there's a minimal TSA line, etc. But, if it is feasible, given that absolutely nothing goes wrong, the answer would be yes. But I would check whether your airline has a rule regarding baggage because if they require all checked bags to be checked no later than an hour before the flight, then I most definitely would advocate against it. Too little time to ensure you will be all ready to go and at the airport by 9:30.

[Joebucks]

12 hours ago, ABQrobin said:

After the cruise, how hard is it to get to airport?  Are there lots of taxis?  Is 10:30am too early to book a return flight?  

 

There were all kinds of vehicles after the cruise. While you can't grab an Uber at the airport, you can always grab one to the airport. There was plenty nearby. 10:30 is doable. As always, there exists risks that could hold you back.

[OceansOfTravels]

On 1/9/2019 at 7:42 PM, CruzinKristin said:

What time are room ready for those not having priority status?

 

I believe it is at 1:30PM, but I boarded the ship at 3:30PM, so it was ready when I boarded. So I am not sure. Hopefully someone else who cruised on the Fascination and boarded earlier can tell you for sure!