Carnival 55+

[kathy32259]

I was glad to see that this thread is picking up! I love to hear about all of your experiences with other Cruise lines. I am working on my Platinum with Carnival - but after I get that under my belt - who knows??

 

I have only taken Carnival Cruises and I really enjoy them! I am lucky because I can pick and choose the dates and usually steer clear of Spring Breaks, etc. But to tell you the truth - I did not have problems with the children on my cruises. I must have been lucky - because they were well behaved and spent most of their time in Camp Carnival. The other thing I usually do to avoid the "crowd" is order my coffee from room service in the morning and enjoy my balcony - then I eat a late breakfast and a snack in the afternoon to hold me over until dinner!

 

Jeralyn - you should try Carnival - just so you will know. I too travel solo sometimes and I feel very comfortable on their ships. I love the casino and would not like it if everything closed down at midnight. By the way - a group of us always travel your way in September. Your hometown is second only to cruising in my book!:) To answer your question about finding deals for solo - I usually watch the Carnival web site and book directly with them - as you can see I am on the Triumph 4 times - the rates on that ship are better for some reason and with my past guest discount and some sales I usually get a good deal! Must have that balcony! In addition I am lucky because I am a business traveler and can use airmiles and hotel points if needed.

 

I saw that someone (somewhere on these boards) was thinking of putting together a 55+ group cruise. I would welcome that! I do need to wait until later in 2007 - since as you can see I have a couple more cruises planned in the next few months! LOL

[Faith77]

Kathy,

I found my Star Princess and Carnival Miracle cruise experiences very similiar.

That said, when I plan to cruise solo, I look at Carnival cruises first. I'm really a casual cruising kind of gal, I love the nightlife and casino on Carnival ships, and I feel that Carnival gives a solo cruiser the best bang for one's buck--love those 1As.

 

Venturagirl.

I've done 3 trips with Grand Circle Travel solo--Mexico Copper Canyon, Thailand, and the Russia River cruise/tour. I think that Grand Circle does a terrific job with solos. You can do almost everything with the group or strike out on your own a bit. I've always found people pretty friendly and always find compatible folks to hang out with. I'd suggest you check out their website--www.gct.com.

 

Faith

[momoforthodoc]

thanks for your advice kathy, i will look into sailing carnival at some point. have this cruise on hal in a couple of weeks to look forward to first. as you can see i usually sail princess and have enjoyed those sailings and itineraries.

 

it would be interesting and something to think about if a 55+ cruise was planned.

 

yes, my town is right up there for most people. i came here on various vacations before moving here from the east coast. it is a happening place and if you enjoy gambling then this is the place to be. i happen not to gamble, just love the lifestyle. sept. is a good month to be here although it can still be quite warm :eek:

i agree with you about a balcony, once i had one i can't go back to anything else, it's certainly addictive.

 

thanks again for your advice.

 

jeralyn ;)

[kathy32259]

Jeralyn - because I love to play the slots I am really glad I live in Florida where I can't do that very often - only on Vacation! LOL:o

 

I really enjoy this site. It is fun to talk with others that have the same interests. Maybe our host will think about putting a 55+ group together in 2007 or 2008! I have planned or used most of my vacation already for 2006!:eek:

[georgette923]

jeralyn - we are coming to visit your city next month!! Can hardly wait. We have two favorite vacations, Vegas and cruising! We're looking forward to going to Cashman Field to see a couple of ballgames. Of course, we want to see Red Rock Casino and Hooters Casino. Saw Wynn and South Coast in December, enjoyed them both.

 

Kathy - we too love Carnival. Our cruise in September will be Carnival cruise number 7! I must say we did enjoy our cruises on NCL and Princess.

 

We've not yet taken a river cruise, hope to in the near future. We like spreading out our vacation time and take a week every 3 months. That way we can cruise/Vegas/cruise/Vegas!!! Is that a plan or what :D

 

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

[momoforthodoc]

georgette, i live right around the corner from red rock so tues. when they opened i was able to watch the fireworks from my backyard. it has caused huge traffic jams in the area :eek: this is progress out here and helps keep my real estate taxes low so i don't complain! i won't go to see red rock until i return in may from my upcoming cruise/tour. enjoy your visit :D

 

kathy, lots of people feel the way you do about vegas. it's better for some not to live here, people lose their houses all the time because they love to gamble.

 

question about carnival. what was your favorite cruise itinerary?? since they now own so many lines i'm wondering how they compare to let's say princess with respect to cabin size, crew service, food. i think i spend more time online searching for a good deal and itinerary and would love to hear the opinions of others.

 

have a great day!

 

jeralyn ;)

[Faith77]

Jeralyn,

 

I'd love to hear a bit about your transatlantic repo cruise. I figure, once one cruises a bit, one develops a cruise personality. I always like to plan/take different types of trips and that goes for cruises too--I usually cruise different lines/itineraries each time. That said, I enjoy sea days but wonder how I'd do with 4 or 5 in a row. I was just thinking about doing a cruise like this possibly in 2007.

 

I always try to read the reviews of solo cruisers on the longer itineraries as this gives me a real feel for this type of trip.

 

Faith

[momoforthodoc]

faith - i was on the star princess last year leaving ft. lauderdale to copenhagen. i too love sea days, for me the more the better as i find it very relaxing. we actually had an extra one since we couldn't get into the azores due to weather. i found that this cruise was very relaxing and the atlantic was nice and calm, even when we got up north. last year's sailing was half empty so i felt like i had the ship to myself, don't know if that happens every year or not. i'm sure after the star's fire this year everyone tried to get onto other crossings. i would do this cruise again because of the sea days. once the ship arrived in europe we had 5 ports before denmark with two more sea days. lots to do onboard while in the atlantic so if you enjoy the laid back sea days you'll be just fine. this sailing went to a number of countries so it offered a nice variety for everyone.

 

i'm off tomorrow for my cruise/tour so won't be on the boards for three weeks. i'll check back when i get home. hope everyone enjoys their communications! happy sailing.

 

jeralyn ;)

[georgette923]

Jeralyn - have a wonderful cruise. Looking forward to hearing about it when you get back. I know we'll enjoy our visit to your "town".

 

Have fun and be safe!

[Faith77]

Jeralyn,

 

Thanks much for your feedback about your Star repo. I cruised on her during her first year in Alaska. This was my first cruise on a 'monster ship'.

 

Have a wonderful time on your cruise.

 

Faith

[judyzoo]

Wasn't aware of the 55+ forum until I ran across this thread; must check it out. Meanwhile, somehow I've managed to fit in that category for almost ten years, DH a little longer. While Carnival isn't our favorite line, we've never had a bad Carnival cruise. Sometimes the itinerary and/or price determine which line we sail, and Carnival prices tend to be more reasonable than others, I think.

[kathy32259]

I happened to be online when you posted! Don't always expect this quick of a reply on this board. It is kinda slow but picking up a little.:)

 

I cruise on Carnival because of the price and I have never been disappointed yet! In fact I leave in two weeks on the Triumph. I usually have a cabin to myself (odd person out) so the price is important. I would rather cruise more often than pay more for an upscale line and cruise only once a year.

 

Welcome again! Maybe you and your DH will be on a cruise with me and my friends sometime. The last time we cruised on the Destiny there were 10 of us - all over 55+. I am 55 now and I was the youngest in our group!

[momoforthodoc]

one last check of the boards before my ride gets here to take me to the airport.

thanks for your good wishes, faith & georgette!

 

georgette, hope you enjoy walking around the new hotel. a friend went opening week and said it's really beautiful. i'll get there some time in may when the crowds thin a bit.

 

anyone else that's leaving before i get back have a wonderful cruise or trip. i look forward to seeing how many more posters we'll get on this board by the time i'm home.

 

bon voyage!!

 

jeralyn ;)

[judyzoo]

The last time we cruised on the Destiny there were 10 of us - all over 55+. I am 55 now and I was the youngest in our group!

 

 

On our last Carnival cruise (Triumph), in February, there were 38 of us, all 55+. And we all had a great time.

[Grammy444]

My sister and I will be (hopefully) on the Carnival Libery Med cruise, leaving Rome on Oct 22, and we are both well into the 55+ category. We are hoping to connect with some other women (guys are OK too!):) to just kind of hang with, especially for shore excursions. The only other cruise I have been on is a 3 day Carnival to the Bahamas two years ago - we went over Easter-big mistake - too many kids. Have also done many Windjammer Barefoot cruises in the Caribbean, so this Med thing on a 'big boat' will be a whole new experience.

Bonnie

[georgette923]

:confused: Where is everyone?? Everyone on vacation already? I know Jeralyn is having a great time!

 

When we get back from our Vegas trip we will be in two digits days until our Carnival Elation cruise!!

 

Anyone been to San Juan, Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay or St. Thomas? Looking for some ideas, we're thinking about doing the Rum factory in San Juan and going to the Old town. Any suggestions? (beside checking the port threads, been there)

[kathy32259]

:confused: Where is everyone?? Everyone on vacation already? I know Jeralyn is having a great time!

 

When we get back from our Vegas trip we will be in two digits days until our Carnival Elation cruise!!

 

Anyone been to San Juan, Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay or St. Thomas? Looking for some ideas, we're thinking about doing the Rum factory in San Juan and going to the Old town. Any suggestions? (beside checking the port threads, been there)

 

Hey Georgette - I am here - but not for long. Just returned from a business trip so I unpacked and am getting ready to repack the suitcase for my cruise. We leave for Miami in the morning. Triumph Eastern cruise.

 

We are taking the Bacardi tour on Monday - I can let you know how that is when I return.

 

I've been to St. Thomas - and depending on what you like to do - any tour of the island is great, shopping is great, and my DD and her DBF are going snorkeling on Tuesday - I have heard that is great too!

 

Good News! We booked our Vegas trip this week for Labor Day weekend and beyond! Now I have something to look forward to when I return from my cruise!

 

Have a great weekend! I will check in when I return!

 

Somewhere - beyond the Sea!

[georgette923]

Hey Kathy,

Have a great cruise!! Thanks for the information, I'll be anxious to hear about the Bacardi tour. Maybe a tour of St. Thomas may be fun, we were there one time and all we did was shop.

 

We're not big beach folk, we prefer the pool! So when we're in "beach ports" we usually just go see some of the local areas of the island. Walking or taking a taxi/shuttle to check out the area.

 

Don't you just love Vegas!! We are so looking forward to it the end of this month.

 

Have a wonderful cruise and I'll be looking forward to hearing from you when you return.

[judyzoo]

:

Anyone been to San Juan, Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay or St. Thomas? Looking for some ideas, we're thinking about doing the Rum factory in San Juan and going to the Old town. Any suggestions? (beside checking the port threads, been there)

 

I'd say in San Juan, definitely tour the old town, and include a visit to one of the forts. St. Thomas -- if you haven't been there before, I'd suggest going up to Mountain Top and seeing the island on the way up. The only thing we did on Half Moon Cay -- and it was enough -- was renew our marriage vows in the little chapel(delightful), have some barbecue, and sit around listening to music and having some nice drinks.

[georgette923]

Thanks Judy for the information. How long have you been married? Sounds like you had the perfect day to renew your vows!

 

We are thinking about going on the Rum Factory/Old Town excursion offered by Carnival. The itinerary said they also stop by one of the forts for about 45 minutes. Kathy on this thread is going on this excursion this Monday, I'm hoping to get some input from her when she returns.

[judyzoo]

You're right. It was definitely a perfect day. At the time we'd been married 30 years; now we're up to 35!

[momoforthodoc]

hi everyone!

 

back from my three week journey through the canadian rockies and alaska's inside passage. yes, georgette, i did have a wonderful time especially through canada. it was just amazing scenery and i would do it again but probably not this time of year, too cold for this desert flower! the cruise portion which was on the hal zaandam was ok, nothing to rave about. i actually like princess a whole lot more. the food, entertainment and activities on princess ships is much better in my opinion. i realize that everyone has their favorites and if i have options it's going to be princess over hal.

 

got back to vegas and we had our first day of triple digit temps yesterday :cool: turned the ac on and probably won't turn it off until oct.

 

still getting settled but will check back in a day or so.

 

jeralyn ;)

[georgette923]

Hi Jeralyn, Welcome back. Glad you had a good time. I don't like cold weather vacations either, vacation is about sun & heat!

 

I'm heading west in two weeks! Looking forward to the warmer weather, even triple digits sounds good. It's been rainy and chilly here for weeks! I want to see the sun!!

[kathy32259]

My mind is still in the Caribbean. The worst part of the cruise was going back to work on Monday!:p

 

The Barcardi tour was fun. With the exception of the crazies that thought it was going to be a bunch of free alcohol. We got two drink tickets and that was it. (more than enough for me!) I do now have a new favorite drink - and I don't drink much - the Mojito. It tastes like springtime to me - and you can't taste the rum. Was very good. Oh yes - you take a little ferry boat over to the other side of the harbor and they served rum punch - more rum than punch - I couldn't drink mine. The tour itself was VERY interesting. I recommend it for those who are interested. Some good history there.

 

In St. Thomas I went shopping at Havensight while the kids went snorkeling. They loved their Castaway Girl Snorkel Catamaran. I went through all of the shops at Havensight. When they returned we had lunch across the street at the Shipwreck. I had a Philly Cheese and Fries and it was GOOD!

 

St. Marteen - we took the ferry to downtown and shopped on Front Street then had lunch at a little beach bar restaurant. I don't remember the name. They had live music and we just relaxed and enjoyed the experience. Believe it or not - it poured down rain for about 15 minutes and it was so hot - 15 minutes later nothing was wet.

 

Debarkation - for some reason Customs and Border Patrol would not release the ship when we arrived in Miami. We were not called to begin debarkation until after 10. It can happen - so be very careful when planning your flights out post cruise. I am a real proponent of arriving in the port city the day before and don't try to book an early flight out. Lucky for me I drive to the ports!:D

 

The GOOD NEWS - we booked our trip to Vegas in Sept right before I left for the cruise - so I have something to look forward to! We will be out there over labor day - great rates at the Golden Nugget that week. We stay there every year - it is tradition.

 

BAD NEWS - the casino on the Triumph was not good to me this cruise. People were winning all around me - beside me - but not me. I had to quit!:eek:

 

I met 4 people on my roll call - but never did get to meet the others. Even though we planned a get together on the lido at embarkation - most never showed - or took one look at us and ran the other way:confused:

 

At least I have these boards to help with my cruise fix until the next time! Hope you all are having a great weekend.

[ergator]

First time I ever really read this board and for the heck of me I don't know why. Looking at 59 next month so I definitely qualify. Never understand why people dread birthdays. I hop I keep piling them up for years and years. Never cruised till DH and I got married 5 years ago and since have gone every year in Jan or Feb. Have a cruise booked on the Norwegian Sun next Feb out of New Orleans to western carribbean. Have done that route before but never to Belize. I just think cruising is the ultimate vacation, but I have never been to Vegas. :) Now that sounds like fun to for one of those after Labor Day getaways. I shall look forward to reading what everyone posts about that.