Melcoug

Thanks for trying...I searched on Benjy and Cabo and found am email address. :)

In Cabo during a cruise when our girls were in second grade we contacted Benjy and did a personal tour through him...

Do you have contact info or is there a website for booking with Benjy?

Glad to hear you were able to find out and that there will be plenty of other teens onboard. Have a great cruise!

I think it depends on the port. Cabo is almost always too cold for me, but Fall months are tolerable. Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta have nicer temps throughout the year.

Not sure where one of the posters got the info about submitting a CAC being illegal. Do you have a reference? I sent mine in, blacked out any Privacy Act info and received credit. There you go.

I got the info during security training events, but here's a quote from Navy.mil which discusses it, "Commander, Navy Installations Command issued an announcement reminding all personnel that the photocopying of military identification cards and common access cards (CAC) is strictly prohibited, Nov. 1.

There have been recent incidents reported of commercial establishments photocopying U.S. government identification to verify military affiliation or provide government rates for service. These incidents are a violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Part I, Chapter 33, Section 701 and are punishable by fine and/or imprisonment.

Although commercial establishments may request to see military/government identification, they may not photocopy or duplicate it in any way. Many military personnel and commercial establishments are unaware of the prohibition and the reasons it exists, which results in this being a fairly common practice.

The only exception to this policy, covered in DOD Instruction 1000.13, Section 6.1.7, is that civilian and military medical providers are authorized to photocopy military ID as proof of insurance for the purposes of providing medical care to DoD beneficiaries.

Because of the access the cards grant, criminal elements and terrorist organizations place obtaining U.S. government identifications at a premium when planning acts against the U.S. military. If a copied military or government identification fell into the wrong hands, it could spell disaster for the Armed Forces and the nation.

Unfortunately, there are no safeguards in place to prevent a counterfeit military/government identification card from being produced based on a photocopy provided to a commercial establishment. For this reason, personnel are requested to remain vigilant in ensuring they do not allow anyone to photocopy their identification cards.

CNIC recommends that all personnel, both military and civilian, provide a state drivers license or other form of photo identification to be photocopied when there is a request for such information by a commercial establishment."

Our school district here in SoCal is on a year-round schedule and we have 2 weeks off at the end of March for Spring Break, so it is possible that there might be other teens onboard. Working parents being able to take more than a week off from work may be a more limiting factor!

I agree that you can call Princess to find out how many others her age might be going. Sometimes it can be better if there are only a few. They will feel like they have to get to know each other an stick together rather than figuring out which group of teens they fit into.

Or if active duty a copy of your ID.

Photocopying current active duty ID cards, the Common Access Card (CAC), is forbidden. Princess has another way for US active duty military to confirm eligibility, which can be found here http://www.princess.com/military_benefit_program/#.VtIpqcdh1E4

After the first time you submit the information, it is automatically applied to subsequent bookings.

Such a nice way to thank military members for all of their sacrifices!

I would call and have them check on it. I faxed mine on Sunday and it was there when I checked Tuesday morning.

Thank you for your feedback. We have six grandkids and we pay for their cruise. My son and daughter can't afford it; so my wife and I pay. a few years ago we took everyone on Freedom of the Seas, it was parked right next to Disney in Port Canaveral. Freedom had so much for everyone; plus we took a seven night verses four night cruise for way less money. I do understand what you mean about Disney's attention to detail. Have a great time.

I really do think it's worth the splurge if you can find a good deal. Many people take the kids out of school for a week to make it more affordable. You can order a DVD to learn more about what a Disney cruise is like. https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/cruise-planning-tools/?CMP=SAC-DCLCMR_ACT_2.22_Facebook%7CFB%7C4163700.CL.DX.01.02

Why do you think Disney is almost twice as expensive than other cruise lines. It is a ship and has the Disney name. Royal and NCL have water parks on their ships and great shows, and character breakfasts. I have not sailed Disney nor Princess; I booked Princess because most people say they are the best cruise line for Alaska.

I mentally and emotionally struggle with Disney's prices...until I'm on board and then I think it's absolutely worth it (especially if you cruise in the off season when prices are much more reasonable). I don't think there is any aspect of cruising where I wouldn't give a slight edge, or significant edge to Disney. Food, kids club, entertainment, private island, ship activities, cabins, embarkation, debarkation...heck, I even love the bathroom toiletries! The attention to detail in ship decor and cleanliness is truly amazing.

Drink prices are slightly higher, but you can carry on board more than just one bottle of wine, so that offsets it a bit.

Just to be sure, realize that they will not get platinum benefits until they are 18 years old.

Yes, I know, but their Captain's Circle numbers reflect their status even if they don't receive the benefits. Mostly they don't like that they are stuck with blue cards. They really wanted to have gold ones!

My soon-to-be 8-year-old just chose a Princess cruise to celebrate his birthday over going to Disneyland. In fact, after this cruise, my kids will earn their Platinum status. We've sailed Disney twice and while they would probably prefer Disney to any other line, they understand we can go on more cruises if we don't do Disney every time. They just like going on cruises. As long as the ship has a kids' club and a pool, mine are good. ;)

On my last Princess cruise I booked a cabin and called Princess each time the price dropped and was given the lower fare without issue. There were still many cabins in the days before final payment so I cancelled and gambled on even better price drops. They did drop and I ended up with a balcony for the same amount as the inside I had previously booked.

Unless it's a Flash Sale or other restricted fare, you can get any price drops up until the final payment date.

I've sailed short cruises on both Carnival and Princess without my husband (just kids). I am mid-40s but did most of my cruising with Princess in my 30s before we had kids. Princess has passengers of ALL ages, and on the short cruises, there were many younger passengers on Princess. I only recently tried Carnival again when I saw a great deal on the Imagination. It made it easy to have my kids try out Carnival and see if they liked it over Princess or Disney. Personally, I just love to cruise, so an experience would have to pretty bad for me not to enjoy it.

By far, Crown Princess is a nicer ship. While I haven't been on the Inspiration, my understanding is that she is very similar to the Imagination. In my opinion, on the Crown the decor is nicer, the food was better, (except I had wonderful lobster on Carnival while I've stopped having it on Princess) the pool decks and freshwater pools are much nicer, the beds were more comfortable, and the dining staff was much more attentive. I thought Carnival's entertainment was better and more varied, and the cabin bathrooms were roomier. I met and chatted with more people on Princess, especially when sitting on my own in the wine bar, but I think that aspect of the cruise is going to be entirely of your own making.

No Hairy Chest contests on Princess that I recall, but my husband participated in a Flip, Flop, Fly bellyflop contest. There is also something called "Bar Wars" at the Lido Deck bars that I haven't attended. There was a "Minute to Win it" game in the atrium, as well as wooden horses races.

While I consider myself to be more of a Princess cruiser, it is nice to try out other lines. I know the Princess menu almost by heart and while there are items I really looking forward to having each cruise, it's nice to see completely new menus! I think you should try a new cruise line. If you go into the experience with an open mind and friendly attitude, you'll have a fantastic time!

I took my kids (6 and 8) on the Imagination the first week in January this year. My expectations were low knowing that it was an older ship and sailing a short itinerary. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Other than the buffet being horrible and some spotty service in the dining room, the cruise was very enjoyable. The only passenger issue I witnessed was a family down the hall fighting. It sounded like the mother was upset with an adult child who had too much to drink.

My kids aren't allowed to run around the ship by themselves, but when I finally do let them, if they are doing anything wrong, I hope other passengers will step in and correct their behavior.

You can find examples of bad passenger behavior on just about any cruise. Chances are you won't have cruise FULL of them. If you encounter any craziness, move on and continue to enjoy your cruise!

I know someone who just booked a room for one night because it was cheaper for their family of 4 to do it that way.

Airplane mode is best. I delayed doing that and my phone auto-updated the time based on connecting to a maritime service, which used Alaska's time zone. I didn't realize the time was wrong and was late picking up my kids from the kids' club!

Just went to the Carnival website to read the fine print. The insurance will cover you 100% if he has military orders but only to provide relief or aid in a national disaster.

 

With that said, Carnival's insurance will provide a 75% credit of any cancellation penalty incurred for uncovered reasons. Your son can then use that credit towards a future Carnival cruise.

 

For military personnel, it's always a good idea to find out up front how the policy applies to the very changeable nature of military duty. We are a Navy family, and I know that leave can be revoked at the last minute and for any reason. Call the number your were given, provide them with the circumstances, and see what they will offer to do provided you can present the required paperwork. If that is indeed their policy toward military service members, I would NEVER purchase that insurance. Generally, I've been told with other providers that we would need to provide a copy of his orders or something stating that previously approved leave has been revoked in order to receive a 100% refund for everyone on the policy.

Please update us with how this is resolved. I am always very interested in hearing how companies make accommodations for the military.

I'm sure they will require a copy of his orders or at least a letter from his Command stating that he will be deploying and the date that it begins.

I've never used Carnival insurance nor have had to cancel a cruise, but I believe you will receive a refund credit back to your original payment method in several weeks, not OBC.

Sorry that you are going to miss your cruise and best wishes to your son.

I have traveled twice on Princess (to Mexico) with my kids and without my husband. I've never brought a notorized letter with me, but I have used their Passport Cards, not birth certificates to sail with. Since the other parent has to sign the application for a Passport, permission to travel is implied.

You may want to call and ensure you are covered with whatever documentation you plan on bringing.

There is some construction in the area where the taxis have normally waited for fares. They are now to the left as you exit the zoo.

As you exit, walk out toward the parking lot. Before you come to the parking lot itself, turn left and follow the sidewalk along the outside of the zoo. You will see the line of taxis further down that direction during the construction.

I'm also checking out just paying a cab. Are there cabs at the zoo for when we are ready to go back to the ship?

Yes, there is a line of cabs waiting at the zoo exit pretty much all day long. They tend to be obscured by some trees and advertising as people are walking back to the parking lot, so they miss seeing them. As you exit the turnstiles, keep going straight ahead, don't follow the crowd going left toward the parking lot. Behind the trees/ads, there is a road where the taxis wait for passengers.

A cab to the beach in Coronado would not cost very much and well worth the trip. The ferry will take you over the island, and there is a small sandy area to hang out that's great for small children. But if you are after waves, the other side of the island near the Hotel Del is the place to be. You could easily catch a return cab at the taxi stand at the Del too.

I believe they rotate dining rooms each cruise so whoever is in Anytime this week could be in Traditional during your cruise.

I hope I'm not opening a can of worms with this subject ;) but I'm wondering if anyone has details (pictures, maybe?) of the kids' spaces on the Golden. My experience with this is pretty slim. I've been on the Golden, but paid zero attention to the kids when I was there. Now that I've turned into cruisin' grandma, I have this new interest in all things kid. :)

 

The deck plans indicate that the facilities are forward, decks 15 and 16. It appears that the upper deck is where they have the splash pool and playgrounds, and the lower deck has the other facilities. My grandsons' last kids' club was on the Star where the inside rooms and the play decks were on the same floor. I'm wondering what difference, if any, this two-story situation makes in the experience.

I think the Pelicans and Shockwaves areas on the Golden were a bit of an after thought. Compared to other kids' clubs, they were extremely small. They did not go to the playground/kids pool area at all. Sorry I don't have any photos of either. However, I have to say that despite my disappoint in the facilities themselves, my kids had a great time...and that was after having been on a Disney ship just months before.