justbreezing

Bruce - thanks so much for the info. Knowing 7 is not far from the bathrooms helps me a lot. I just want to have several options in mind depending on what's available. I'm going to try for #10 if it's not already taken. We have priority boarding so maybe we'll have a shot.

cb- the girls are thrilled with the idea of a cabana. Like Bruce said they're not tied up-they can walk the beach when they want. In fact when I asked for their preference they said they liked the quieter end of the beach better.

I have a Cabana booked for my Nov 28th Glory cruise and am trying to have a few in mind that I might like to choose if available. I'm an older woman and I'll be taking my 3 granddaughters 20, 16 & 13. I'd like to be near a bathroom and not too crowded beach and the girls will love anywhere I'm sure. I have never seen one post about cabana #7 and I have searched many, many threads. Did anyone you know stay in #7. Would it be a good choice or is there something wrong with it. Please help. Do you have any other suggestions besides 9, 10 or 11 -they do seem like the favorites. Thank you my CC friends for your expert advice.

Received the upgrade call last night

2 months to Carnival Glory cruise from Miami

Booked Lido deck balcony 8E - 4 people

Offered ocean suite mid ship on Empress deck

$470. total.

Took it for the extra room, double sofa (so youngest doesn't have to sleep in pull down) and larger balcony. Never had a suite before so wanted to try it and wouldn't have this opportunity again price wise. Saved 900+ by taking the upgrade as opposed to booking a suite. I love being on Lido deck so will miss that but will let you know if it was worth it to us.

11 of us did Jewel of the Seas July 3rd Inner Passage cruise for a cousins reunion. We're all seniors but for this trip put our mojo on and really covered a lot of territory. I have some amazing pictures which I'll put on here whenever my granddaughter shows me how to do it, but for now I wanted to share some stuff that I think might be helpful to some people before I forget.

First off Alaska was not my choice but majority ruled. I had no desire to go there. Boy was I wrong. It is awesome-wherever you look there is natural beauty that's postcard perfect. Everyone couldn't stop talking about how lucky we were. Apparently we had the best week of weather Alaska has had in a long time. We did not get one drop of rain and it was in the 60's, 70's & 80's the whole trip. I'm not going to mention anything about the ship here.

Seattle - Weather was beautiful. We used eastside taxi from airport to downtown ($29. plus tip) (there was just two of us at this point). We stayed at the Paramount on 7th & Pine. Very nice hotel-good location-nice room. Breakfast restaurant in hotel was good. At night it was Asian but we didn't eat dinner there.

We had a full day in Seattle and we both had been there a few times before so we took Argosy Tillicum Village Salmon Bake cruise to Blake Island. It was very enjoyable-the salmon was really delicious-the island is pretty with a beach and waterfall and several animals roaming free. The show was nothing to speak of but the boatride was very nice. Caution-for anyone not too steady on their feet. Depending on the tides the ramp going down to the boat could be a problem to navigate. I have CHF and COPD and they had to take me down and up in a wheelchair. Even some perfectly capable younger people had a hard time with it that's how steep it was. Seattle waterfront is still a mess. It's all torn up and I doubt if it will be done before the cruising season is over so plan accordingly.

Another four of our cousins had arrived overnight so we had arranged for a 6 passenger Cadilac escalade SUV from Tacoma-Seattle Shuttle to pick us up at the paramount at 10:30am to take us to pier 91. Eddie showed up promptly and we were on our way. The pier was very crowded already. The Celebrity solstice was also in port. My 93 year old uncle who they had in a chair was waiting in the disabled area and I also requested a chair. I had to wait about 15 minutes till one was available but once they came they took my whole party with me through priority security. They were very accomodating so if you really need help don't hesitate to ask. We all meet up in the Windjammer buffet and were even able to get a table for 12. We were allowed in our rooms after 1:00PM

Most had OV rooms but we had a balcony on the 9th deck and I was so glad we went for the extra - to me it was well worth it. There is just so much to see you don't want to miss any of it. We saw a few whales, 1 orca, 2 eagles and a few sea lions sitting on top of a piece of ice floating in the water plus the most amazing scenery all from our balcony. The first day was a sea day and we especially was greatful for the balcony.

Juneau- If you have any mobility problems I suggest you look off the side of ship to see which ramp they are using-depending on the tides this could also be a steep ramp. I asked for wheelchair assistance and they took me right to the bus area where we were to get our excursion to Mendenhall glacier. It was a short walk for the able bodied. The bus was full and left on time. It felt a little cool right down by the glacier but the viewing area by the visitors center was hot (80). Good to know. There is an elevator if you go around the back of the center so you don't have to do all those flights of stairs. The hike to the waterfall is pretty level and not too long. Absolutely bring binoculars-you cannot fully appreciate the glacier without them. After the glacier we went to the Red Dog Salon for a drink and a bowl of chowder which was delicious. It was very crowded but fun. Warm clothing was available in the stores for a fraction of the cost they get for the same thing in Florida. My suggestion pack light and if you need something warm buy it there.

Skagway- Ship docked at 7:00am. We had booked an excursion with Frontier Excursions for 10:00am so we had a good breakfast in the MDR and took our time getting off the ship. This was a good idea to avoid the cattle call crowds.

This is a long walk from the dock but there are golf cart shuttles from the ship to the security check. We got one right away because most people were already off the ship. Then there is more walking past security to where the various excursions meet. We took a 7 hour Yukon Exploration tour that went up the white pass trail past Frazier into Canada . We saw Bennet Lake, Emerald Lake and everything along the way. We made many stops for photo shoots and because the day was crystal clear we got some amazing pictures.We stopped in Carcross for a BBQ chicken lunch where there was a petting zoo and musher camp. We got to play with the puppies and the bigger dogs. They were beautiful. They had an ice cream shop with the most delicious homemade ice cream. Our tour guide was Heidi and she was just amazing. If you have the opportunity to do this tour which I highly recommend please ask for her. You will not be disappointed. And for an extra special treat on the way back we saw a baby bear on the side of the road grazing on some leaves. We got some great up close and personal shots of him. The best tour ever and even though we were all exhausted it was one of the highlights of our trip.

I will post the other ports tomorrow as I am tired now. I hope this info is helpful to anyone who has a disabled person in their party. I had searched for a lot of this before I left and couldn't find it so I want to help others who might be looking.

Looking forward to this review. Will be doing the same on Glory in November. Will be me and three of my female granddaughters - another kind of girls trip. If you have a lot of pix of HMC please post them. I have rented a cabana and am trying to see which one would be best to try to get. Can't wait to read the rest. Thanks for doing this.

What is Curb? Are they an already existing car service? What makes you think they took over eastside. I'm thinking for a few dollars more it's worth it to use someone proven more reliable since we arrive in Seattle close to 11:00PM. Thanks for all your comments All helpful in deciding.

has anyone used Eastside lately. I really need help with this. Was going to use them from airport to downtown but on yelp and trip advisor they have such terrible reviews and some things are downright scarry. People say they were harassed by a driver who was calling them infidels and quoting the Quran to them and a few said they were quoted one price on line but then the driver insisted on charging them much more. There are no recent reviews however so I'm wondering if it's safe to use them.

I clicked on this review because our next cruise will be on the Glory and I'm so glad I did. You are a really good writer and very funny. Your wasting your time writing cruise reviews you should be writing a book. Can't wait to read the rest.

Just off the Splendor and the cart was there for the Seaday brunch and the Bloody Mary's were delicious but not free because Carnival replaced the free drink coupon for past quests with a 1 litter bottle of water in your room.

Just got back from a premiere casino cruise on the Splendor. The first night they threw us a party before dinner in one of the lounges. It was a great party and they spared no expense. The drinks were flowing (anything you wanted) and really good sushi, chicken, little hot dogs, cheese balls-they just kept coming with the food. At the party they had the first of many drawings for money prizes. In your room were two drinks on us cards two nice cups, a lanyard and a list of times for the events in the casino. When the casino opened you went to the cage to receive your cruise cash. Every night they sent something to the room-chocolate covered strawberries, cookies, champagne, a nice stainless steel thermos and cups in a carrying case and on the last night I received two steakhouse selections in the MDR. They had several special drawings and free slot tournaments if you qualified. The players club really did a great job. Hope you enjoy yours as much.

Sailed the Splendor last week and was disappointed in the food. I was on the Breeze last March and the Freedom this past November and the best food was hands down on the Freedom. The Lido deck food on the Breeze was excellent but their MDR food not so much. The Lido deck food on the Splendor with a few exceptions was horrible. One day they had pot roast and mashed potatoes that was very good. I was so looking forward to Tandoor because it was so good on the Breeze but not so much on the Splendor. Pizza was okay and the cookies outstanding. The MDR food was okay. The Sushi appetizer is delicious but very small so order two. The soups are pretty good. Most of the beef dishes are okay but the prime rib was not. The short ribs were excellent. The lobster was small

and not cooked right. The escargot were pretty good. The two times I got the chocolate melting cake it was overcooked. The ice cream was always melted by the time it came to the table. The bitter and blanc was good but not as good as on the Freedom. The room service food was always fresh, hot and really good. All the dining room servers were great-they work so hard. But if you're a foodie the Splendor is not the ship for you.

The Splendor had it on the last night of the 3/8 sailing.

No passport needed if he is a US citizen but you will need an original state issued birth certificate and a letter from his custodial parent allowing you to take him on the cruise. I think it has to be notarized but not sure-you could check with Carnival. As for Camp Carnival he can't choose what age group to be with they will put him with the age appropriate group. I have not sailed the magic but I have the Freedom and it is very kid friendly. They have the Suess

breakfast and parade. If he is sports minded they have sport ball courts and ring toss contests. I took six of my grandchildren on the Breeze and never saw the 11 and 12 year old boys the whole cruise they were so busy having fun. As for the dining room you could email the maitre'd and ask to be seated at a table with other children. Which ever ship you sail on you're sure to have a great time with your grandson.

ISA65 - Thanks so much for your reply. I contacted Carnival about wheelchair assistance for this purpose but they said they can't arrange for that but I can ask when I'm on the ship and they may be able to help me. I usually travel with my family or friends and bring my wheelchair but this will be my first time solo so I'm a little concerned. I think I will cancel Grand Turk since I've been there before and take my chances in Curacao and Aruba.

I'll be on the Freedom in November and am trying to make a decision on excursions. I realize the walk from the ship to the place where you get your carnival excursion is probably a short walk for most healthy people but what about for people with COPD , CHF, or mobility problems. I have seen videos of Grand Turk and that is a long walk to someone with these health problems but I have not been able to find any footage of the piers in Curacao and Aruba to see how long the walk is as compared to the walk in Grand Turk. Could someone please help me out. There is no chance of using a wheelchair or scooter on this trip. Thank you.

An awesome start. Doing Alaska in 2015 so I'll be waiting for your adventure-bring it on

We were there in March on the kids spring break. I had my six grandkids and their parents with me and all three generations loved Paradise beach in Cozumel. The kids said it was their favorite day of the 6 day Breeze cruise. You can lounge on loungers in the water in the pool and they will serve your food and drinks right by the side of the pool. The water toys on the beach were great fun but you do need water shoes. There's hammocks on the beach under trees. As others have said very clean facilities. The price was $3.00 for entrance and $15.00 for use of all water sports which included kayaks and snorkeling equipment besides all the water toys. A great way to spend a day. Have fun.

You can use cash in the machines however you also have to insert your S & S card. When you cash out it will go on your card. The machine will not pay you cash. You can take your card over to the players club window and they will take it off your S & S card and give you the cash.

Hey Dude - get busy writing a book. You're a much better writer than many of the published authors I've read lately. Great review - hilarious -- I'd buy your book in a heartbeat. Seriously - have some fun - write one - you never know where it might lead.

thanks Elaine - some people are really crazy - the guy that posted this on Carnival forums was complaining that Carnival was deceptive in not telling us Freedom had the new menus and that his friend was on her right now and they did have American Table. Probably some Carnival hater. Thanks for the accurate info.

Does anyone know if American Table and American Feast is now on the Freedom.

Someone on the Carnival forums posted that the Freedom had the new menus on the last two sailings. Does anyone know if this is true and does anyone recently off the Freedom have menus to post.

You guys are all great - thanks so much

what you need to do is take the elevator to deck 11 and get off and walk across the hall to the other elevator.

 

you can see the E marked on the deck plans (its located outside the spa

http://travel.travelocity.com/ecruise/ShipDetailsDeck.do?shipId=217&deckId=Deck%2011

Thank you so much -this was just what I needed to know - perfect.

Will be going on the Freedom in a few months and am getting excited. Last cruise was on the Breeze and I very much enjoyed that ship except to get to Serenity on the Breeze you had to climb a long flight of stairs. I was wondering if their is an elevator on Freedom that goes to the deck Serenity is on. I am an older woman with knee problems and it is very hard for me to climb stairs. How high a deck does the Freedom elevator go to and what will I be missing out on if I can't climb the stairs. Thank you all for your help