azjim66

Hi,

Yes once you arrive at Medano they will just nose the boat until the bow touches sand. You hop off in ankle deep water from there.  I have not been to the Sandbar but have been to the Office and Mango Deck and both were great. 

We carried on our bags on our last cruise out of Nola. We had FTTF so it worked out great. We went straight to our room dropped off bags. 

14 days til The Dream!!!  We are going 3 days earlier to have fun in New Orleans prior!!

20 minutes ago, bury me at sea said:

Nice!  I think I would have done the same thing.

 

I hope you and your friends have a great cruise.

Thank you!! 

After reading many threads regarding the upgrade fairy, I finally got an offer via email.  We are currently booked on the Dream in January in a forward balcony on the Verandah Deck.  The offer was to move to a midship Vista Deck balcony for $32.   Happy to finally receive an offer but we declined. We are traveling with 4 other couples who all have balconies on Verandah Deck so we'll stay put.  Had it been for a suite.. we might have ditched those guys ;).  Just happy to finally get an offer, maybe next time it will a better one! 

I just ordered 3 $500 gift cards that were delivered by UPS today actually and yes you have to sign for them.  A week prior I ordered a $100 gift card, which are shipped via regular mail and you do not have to sign for those.  My $100 gift card never arrived and after the 10 business days had elapsed they issued me a refund.

We have done the Miracle out of Long Beach down to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta twice. Only difference was that one time we spent 2 days in Cabo and the other 2 days in Puerto Vallarta. Both cruises were phenomenal and we loved them both. Looking forward to many repeat cruises on the Panorama out of So Cal!! It's an easy drive from the desert and once on board I really don't care where we go!!

Hi All, Has anyone purchased these with a Capital One Venture Card? I am curious if they would show up as a "travel charge" on the statement. It would be great to get the 10% off and be able to use points to erase the purchase.

Hi All, My group is getting to Nola a few days before our cruise in Jan '19 and we got a great Priceline Express deal at the Renaissance New Orleans Arts Warehouse Hotel for $83/night which is a great deal for a 4* hotel. same dates were $199/night on Expedia. I just thought I would share if anyone else was planning on getting in prior to the cruise. We are really looking forward to a fun cruise!!

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Hi All, My group is getting to Nola a few days before our cruise in Jan '19 and we got a great Priceline Express deal at the Renaissance New Orleans Arts Warehouse Hotel for $83/night which is a great deal for a 4* hotel. same dates were $199/night on Expedia. I just thought I would share if anyone else was planning on getting in prior to the cruise. We are really looking forward to a fun cruise!!

:confused:Was your cruise on Splendor booked under an ES rate? The rules are different depending on what kind of rate you booked initially.

I think it was a casino offer.

I switched from a September 2018 cruise on the Splendor out of Long Beach to a Jan 2019 cruise on the Dream out of Nola earlier this year and expected the $50/fee but they switched me with no penalty and just transferred my deposit to the new sailing. Just call Carnival and ask them. Good Luck!

Great start!! We are going on the Dream out of Nola in January.

Thanks for a great review! Sailing to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel in February on the Dream out of NOLA. Loved all the pictures!!

Thanks for your review! We will be on the Dream for the first time in January. The largest ships I have sailed are the Spirit Class so looking forward to the Dream Class.

I will have to wait until Feb 2020 to try the Seafood Shack on the Panorama. As a Connecticut native and specifically the shoreline, born/raised in New Haven and was a resident of Clinton before I moved to the seafood lovers paradise of Phoenix Arizona ;) I can tell you I never saw a lobster roll with mayo in nearly 40 years in that state..not one. They are just called lobster rolls served with drawn butter and they are spectacular!!. If you ever find yourself driving along the CT shoreline do yourself and your taste buds a favor and stop in at this shack..it is awesome!! At high tide the water would splash up between the floor boards https://newengland.com/today/travel/connecticut/lobster-landing-best-lobster-roll-in-ct/

We always get FTTF because we like to get on fast and start partying. We like dropping our bags in the room as soon as we board. Separate line at Guest Services Desk should you need it (and that line can be looooong, so it can come in handy)We frequently cruise out of Long Beach to the Mex Riviera and when you have the 2 days in Cabo itinerary the priority tender is a great perk. Lastly when it is time to go we use self assist with FTTF and are usually off the ship between 7:30/8 am. To us it is obviously worth it. It is an individual choice.

Not quite following you there regarding the stress of driving with no-one around. That sounds very relaxing to me. I found my stress levels were much higher when I was commuting every day around DC on 495 or getting back across the causeway from Malaysia to Singapore with everyone else after weekend jaunts.

I agree with you except if you have a mechanical/traffic issue...and...no ones around. In some remote areas there aren't many detour options if an accident happens and they shut down the freeway out in the desert. The drive itself isn't bad at all, we just prefer to get there a day early and gives you options if there are any issues etc.

We live in Phoenix and have cruised out of Long Beach several times. We have always drove (6+ hours) the day before and done a park and cruise deal (Hotel Maya) each time. It is a little more expensive than just driving to the port the day of and paying for parking at the port, but not that much more. We feel it is by far worth it to pay a little more and avoid the stress of same day driving through miles and miles of empty desert!! We get in the day before and start the party early. I say do whatever you are comfortable with.

Check out cruisedeckplansdotcom there you can click on your cabin # and see whats directly above and below.

Thanks again Sid for taking us all along with you on a great journey. Your writing style is contagious to say the least. I laughed out loud several times along the way. Maybe a book is in your future? Confessions of a solo cruiser in search of a Tequila sunrise!! All the best to you.

Awesome pic!! Well done!

I might do that itinerary too in February, I hope you like it! I'd say it was definitely a good choice to stay away from the Bahamas that time of year. The other two were a toss up.

I agree on the toss up. We had folks that just couldn't be off work in February as it turned out and the itinerary that went to Mahogany Bay/Belize/Cozumel would have ended Feb 3. So we picked the Western Caribbean week that we could get balconies all next to each other. I am sure we will have a blast before and during the cruise!

Great Choice! (y)

Thanks!

Great review!! Thanks for the laughs along the way!!