BeachLoverstoo

You get the coupons to use during your cruise delivered to your cabin. Just hand one to your server (Steakhouse, MDR or even a bartender at any bar) and they will bring your selection. You can check the one you want or tell the waiter. No corkage fee. We love the wine package.

We wish we had done park and cruise in July. We are priority and drove down the day of. Only a fiv-e hour drive with a time change too. Arrived about 10:30 and were told priority didn't matter and to go somewhere for an hour or so, or we could park under the Interstate and wait. We could hear announcements at that point asking for passengers to please disembark! When we saw folks lining up to enter the parking deck we joined the queue. It was chaos as folks cut in the line and it got longer and longer! We finally got to the parking area and many passengers were delayed in unloading because they didn't have luggage tags affixed. Found a great parking space, took the elevator to the terminal and semi-breezed through the process.

At disembarkation there were only two customs agents and the lines were crazy. Instead of priority guests being in the front, anyone that made it off the ship could go ahead. We enjoyed Fantasy, loved Mikey, but probably won't give Mobile a second chance.

Did you get your Sign and Sail card at check in or in your cabin mailbox?

Jamman54, following your review. I wanted to return a favor. Several cruises ago you mentioned staying at the Radisson. We checked it out and have enjoyed each visit there. In May we found a great little restaurant/bar just across the lot - Preacher Bar. Your love for things British might be filled with some of the menu items, but it is the Day of the Dead concept that we love. Menus are printed on old record albums. You can sit at communal tables, or like us sidle up to the bar.

We researched the list as well. We took it to our favorite wine shop and had a blast trying different wines. Then we got on board and the list was slightly different, just more wines to try, and we really liked the Merlot replacement.

After the changes to our itinerary with three beach ports, we will stay on board for one and do Chef's Table in lieu of an excursion. Already booked and excited.

Jacksonville is the only port of late that we haven't done a stay and cruise package. The port parking is convenient. Just a huge flat lot, but no wait for a shuttle like with the hotels. The porters helped with our luggage when we arrived and as we self-assist we rolled our bags off the ship and straight to the car.

I've been following Margaritaville's updates at all the devastated islands. As of 10/12/17, the post stated:

Margaritaville Grand Turk: The bar and restaurant are currently closed. There is no scheduled date to reopen at this time. We will update this blog as soon as we have an update.

We aren't fans of the place, but I know a lot of folks go there and I wonder if the delay reopening it is one reasons Carnival hasn't added it back to the rotation.

Since the new menu was just implemented on Vista and Magic (per JH), we are going to wait and see if there is tweaking to the offerings based on customer responses. We have reservations for Cucina on both legs of our B2B in December.

ricew001. This is a new port day menu, not intended to replace Seaday brunch menu.

Maybe it's just with the BB card you only get a cup of soda, but on the Fantasy last week when DH got a coke, he was given a cold can and a large glass of ice at every bar he went to.

You will need to pick early, late or YTD. We always do YTD and never had a problem being seated at the same table with the same crew. If you like the crew you have the first night just ask to be seated with them the rest of the cruise.

Right there with ya! We ALWAYS ask for the same waitstaff if they are good. AND we always tip them extra at the end of the cruise. We just got off a short 5-day cruise on Fantasy and found our head waiter before we even sat down for the first meal. He was up on the Lido deck selling wine packages and told us he had just switched from the fixed time dining to YTD. Benjamin and his crew of Lucky and Jovan were OUTSTANDING!!!

On embarkation day we go to the Italian restaurant. It's free at lunch, with sit down service and no crowds as most people don't find it for a day or too. Another good spot is the Taste bar on Deck 5 that serves made-to-order sandwiches. The same place they do continental breakfast. Also with two lines at Guy's we've discovered the lines look terrible, but things move fast.

We did the Magic last November, in May and will be back on board for a B2B in December. Just got off the Fantasy and the crowds were there - we won't be doing any more summer cruises. It really is a different crowd, more cabins are booked with 4 guests and the ship really does feel crowded.

 

Can you move your belongings yourself or do you have to let your steward do it?

You will have to coordinate with both cabin stewards. We talked with both and let them handle it. I think the big thing is getting the folks out of your new home and cleaning the cabin. You could give the steward your cell number to call you, but that would mean you'd be toting around your luggage, unless cabin steward #1 was willing to delay cleaning that room so you could leave your things there. Like I said, they do this all the time and work it out, Good luck.

We were on the Magic in May and didn't note any real changes from our B2B on her last November. We enjoyed the pasta bar at lunch on that first day. It's not so busy and with sit down service, we find it a nice change from the busyness of the Lido buffet, and it is free!

We enjoyed Flick, 88 Keys and the comedy club. Our cabin was cleaned 2x a day. The pools are small, but we didn't have real problems with chair hogs as attendants were marking the times and removing items if guests did return before that time. Not so fond of the Serenity deck on this class, but it was popular. We spent a lot of time on Deck 5. Live music there and in the atrium.

Others are correct about the staggered check in times. As for disembarkation, if you don't do self-assist, you will get Zone tags the night before and that determines when you can leave the ship.

Last year on the Magic we received a fruit basket and bottle of champagne on the 2nd leg of our B2B. :We are looking forward to our second B2B again on the Magic in December. Our first was 16 days, Western and then Southern. This time, Western and Eastern.

Sorry you had a bad experience! Thanks for sharing.

Were there taxis waiting at the port?

Don't remember seeing any taxis; just a lot of hotel shuttle vans. I am sure there must have been an airport shuttle or two BUT I really did not pay attention as we were just trying to get to our car and on the road.

I How are the customs there?

Got off Fantasy Thursday and customs officials forgot to show up. Only two for all those passengers. No more customs forms handed out the night before. While our cruise was lovely, we won't be sailing out of Mobile again.

We just returned from the Fantasy and the port situation was the worst we've seen other than Miami during a cab strike. We arrived at our check-in time and were told by the cop at the entrance to the driveway to the parking deck to drive around or wait under the over pass and come back in an hour. From our spot we could hear announcements for passengers to get off the ship! at about 11 the line to enter the parking deck was growing so we joined that. Shuttles were allowed in, but we waited another half hour to be able to pull in. Once in the terminal we were processed and on board. Disembarkation was chaos. We did self assist and ended up in a long, long line because customs officials had not arrived. By then, everyone was urging the two people in charge to let priority guests go first, but were told priority doesn't count here.

We won't be sailing out of Mobile again, though we loved the ship, crew and especially Mikey the CD. There are just too many other ports that seem to understand how to deal with crowds.

I would call and talk to someone else. We've made reservations online through the Carnival site and never had to pay. In fact you don't pay until you finish your meal. You should have received an e-mail response, check your spam folder.

No eggs benedict in May, but scrambled eggs, grits (I think) and breakfast meat like bacon or sausage.

It wasn't listed in May, but we went to the Taste Bar and were surprised to find some hot items as well as bakery goods, cereal, fruit and beverages. Just missed the hot chocolate and passion fruit-guava-orange juice that's available on the Lido. It's a great place with seating in and out and when we were there, no crowds. No one seems to care if you grab a table with a few items and pop back to get whatever you need.

Can't be ordered online, but you can call the Fun Shops’ Department at 1-800-522-7648, 8:00am-10:00pm ET.

3 bottle package: Basic ($77), Deluxe ($97), Premium $114.

5 bottle package: Basic ($131), Deluxe ($135), Premium ($193)

The Premium wine package is available only 5+ day sailings.

We like it because there's no delay waiting on a bar server for a 'glass' of wine. After the first night, the waitstaff expects us to order a bottle and delivers it usually before we order our meal. There's no hassle and we've been known to ask for a bottle at the end of the meal to take back to enjoy in our stateroom. Hence the preference for volume!

I realize all wines are priced differently, but has anyone compared the Fun Shop price vs the onboard price? I plan to bring 2 bottles in my carry-on and thought about purchasing 2 more to be delivered to my room vs buying them at dinner. Any thoughts? We are going on an 8-day cruise lol, hence the "volume" :)

 

 

TIA,

 

Tallyfins

Haven't considered that option as we buy the Cruise the Vineyard package, even more volume with a 5-bottle package.

Do the family and adult shows run in the same place, back to back? I'm thinking if they do then why not watch the first and stay in your seat for the next?

 

I'm willing to bet it's not that simple though (a girl can dream!)

 

 

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On the Magic they empty the club after each show. We experienced the ticket process there in May. After leaving the main theater we walked to the club and saw a sign at the Vibe night club to pick up tickets for the comedy show. We walked in and got two tickets, People were hanging out drinking, talking and waiting. It was probably 15 minutes. Then the first group was called. We were lead to the club, handed in our tickets to the guy at the entrance and found seats. I liked it better than standing in the line that snakes back from the piano bar and down the hall. Folks constantly cut that line and there was the general congestion to get to the steak house, piano bar or elevators. They did announce when there were no more tickets or SRO and that was much better than waiting in a line only to learn there were not enough seats!