Cruise Newbies!!!!!!!! LOTS and LOTS of Questions????

[jasjess7881]

OK so, my husband and I booked our first cruise with Carnival Ecstasy and I am just thrilled!! I have just have a few questions?

 

I am enrolled through an online school and I am worried that I will not be able to complete my assignments and get my attendence credits......I have heard that you have to pay by the minute for online usage, I have a wireless card through my cell phone that I use for my laptop and I am just curious if I can use that or if I still have to pay the charges through Carnival.?

 

I am also traveling with 3 kids ages 8,5, and 2 and we booked an ocean view room for 5...I am wondering how crowded we will be:confused:???

 

Also I am little curious about the Kids Camp and how secure it really is.

 

Also any other helpful hints for first time cruisers would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

Thanks

[Guienevere_Arianette]

OK so, my husband and I booked our first cruise with Carnival Ecstasy and I am just thrilled!! I have just have a few questions?

 

I am enrolled through an online school and I am worried that I will not be able to complete my assignments and get my attendence credits......I have heard that you have to pay by the minute for online usage, I have a wireless card through my cell phone that I use for my laptop and I am just curious if I can use that or if I still have to pay the charges through Carnival.?

 

I am also traveling with 3 kids ages 8,5, and 2 and we booked an ocean view room for 5...I am wondering how crowded we will be:confused:???

 

Also I am little curious about the Kids Camp and how secure it really is.

 

Also any other helpful hints for first time cruisers would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

Thanks

 

Hi there! The most helpful hint I can give you is to give yourself about four to five hours, a cup of coffee or wine, and sit down and read the threads on about the first ten pages of this message board; you will find so much helpful information, answering questions you didn't even know to ask! Also, read the member reviews on the Ecstasy. I've been and it's a lovely ship!

 

Another very important piece of advice I offer is to take the bad reviews on this board with a grain of salt...some ppl will never be happy, so don't let their negativity ruin your cruise experience.

 

Also, in my humble opinion, I really think that many ppl in one room will be crowded...any way y'all can spring for a connecting room for the kids?

[*Mach*]

OK so, my husband and I booked our first cruise with Carnival Ecstasy and I am just thrilled!! I have just have a few questions?

 

I am enrolled through an online school and I am worried that I will not be able to complete my assignments and get my attendence credits......I have heard that you have to pay by the minute for online usage, I have a wireless card through my cell phone that I use for my laptop and I am just curious if I can use that or if I still have to pay the charges through Carnival.?

 

I am also traveling with 3 kids ages 8,5, and 2 and we booked an ocean view room for 5...I am wondering how crowded we will be:confused:???

 

Also I am little curious about the Kids Camp and how secure it really is.

 

Also any other helpful hints for first time cruisers would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

Thanks

 

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic and congratulations on your first cruise!!

The internet connect is rather slow. It's satellite based and all the passengers share that connection. It's also fairly pricey... there's a $3.95 one time setup fee and, if you buy minutes ala carte it's $.75/min! You can purchase a block of 60 minutes for $24 and save a bit. Connect late at night or early in the morning for the best speed.

You're connect card likely won't work on board, mine didn't when I tried it just for fun.

You CAN find internet cafés in most ports and get online for a few bucks an hour... your best bet.

I don't have kids but everyone says that Camp Carnival is VERY secure. The employees are all thoroughly screened so there's no fears there.

Your cabin will be a bit crowded but the roll away won't be present during the day and the upper berth will be stowed as well.

Y'all will have a fabulous time!!!

Any other questions just ask! You've found the BEST website in the world for cruise information!!!

Mach

[soon to cruise]

My family of 5 went on the Fantasy (sister ship to the Ecstasy) this past June and we shared a room because it was a last minute choice to go) My kids are 17, 13 and 9. Yes, it was crowded but we just werent in there that much. I think you will be fine with the 3 young ones in one room. Lots of family togetherness!!! Isnt that what it's all about?

[Essiesmom]

Cruise lines want thier passengers to be happy with their cruise, and not have any unpleasant surprises to mar the experience. Therefore, they have very extensive websites. My advice is, before you spend hours going through page after page of this website, go to Carnival.com and read EVERYTHING, especially the FAQ area. Many of the questions asked here would not e necessary if the posters had read Carnival's site. EM

[buddyjo143]

I was taking an online course when we cruised last summer. I would not recommend trying to get online while you are on vacation. You are on vacation.

 

What I would suggest, if you can, is print out any readings beforehand, post to your message board before you leave and check with the instructor to see what he/she would like you to do.

 

Life happens and we can't always access the internet during our term. See if the instructor will let you work ahead of the course week or will accept late work from you. You mentioned attendance credits. Are you required to be online every day? If that is the case, then you will have to pay some good money to get online on the ship everyday. Just know that the connections can be very slow and you can't upload anything (documents and such) from the shipboard computers.

[thinkpink]

I work at an at&t store..

 

laptop connect north america plan is 109.99 100mb

 

dataconnect global is 139.99 100mb

 

best bet would to be to go into a CORPORATE store and talk to a rep .. tell him or her where you are going.. and they can tell you exactly what you should do.

 

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/dataconnect-global.jsp

[work2wander]

Thank you Thinkpink!

[A&Jfamily]

OK so, my husband and I booked our first cruise with Carnival Ecstasy and I am just thrilled!! I have just have a few questions?

 

I am enrolled through an online school and I am worried that I will not be able to complete my assignments and get my attendence credits......I have heard that you have to pay by the minute for online usage, I have a wireless card through my cell phone that I use for my laptop and I am just curious if I can use that or if I still have to pay the charges through Carnival.?

 

I am also traveling with 3 kids ages 8,5, and 2 and we booked an ocean view room for 5...I am wondering how crowded we will be:confused:???

 

Also I am little curious about the Kids Camp and how secure it really is.

 

Also any other helpful hints for first time cruisers would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

Thanks

 

Camp Carnival is EXCELLENT, and for that age group 100% secure. ONLY parents can sign the kids in and out, and the person that drops them off needs to be the person that picks them up.

 

As for traveling in the room, yes, you will be in very close quarters...the rooms are 185 sq feet. So just be prepared for that!

 

Just remember you are on vacation and try to relax as much as possible! Enjoy!

[firefly333]

I work at an at&t store..

 

laptop connect north america plan is 109.99 100mb

 

dataconnect global is 139.99 100mb

 

best bet would to be to go into a CORPORATE store and talk to a rep .. tell him or her where you are going.. and they can tell you exactly what you should do.

 

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/dataconnect-global.jsp

 

So you dont have to connect thru Carnival's satalitte?? First Iv heard that this would work. I can see how this would work if you were in a port, but I know that ATT towers arent out at sea, just curious how this could work in the middle of the ocean thru ATT?

[tnt091605]

So you dont have to connect thru Carnival's satalitte?? First Iv heard that this would work. I can see how this would work if you were in a port, but I know that ATT towers arent out at sea, just curious how this could work in the middle of the ocean thru ATT?

 

I agree this will not work out at sea.