jdemps

I thought the idea of a good mixed drink from Alchemy was to not taste the alcohol but it's definitely in there.  The cucumber sunrise is delicious and when you watch them make it, there is around 2 ounces of booze in there but you can't really taste it.  

We bought FTTF so will be able to go straight to cabin and unpack when we want instead of waiting.  I've had 3 friends on 3 separate cruises go without luggage on vacation so it does happen.  For me, it's more that I just want to get settled.  Last time we had FTTF was in 2017 out of long beach and our bags didn't make it to the hallway until around 7:30pm on a 4:30pm departure cruise.  Maybe they are better now but I would rather just take my bag with me, change for steakhouse dinner and not have to unpack after dinner.

Most luggage that is for sale will fit through the scanner with the exception of a huge trunk.  I'm not sure why most people think it "might not fit, make sure it fits".  lol 

24 inches wide and 16 inches depth when laying on its side is a pretty big suitcase!  length doesn't matter, mine is 29" and has been fine.  I bring the big one because I have this neck pillow I use for a more comfy sleep.  My neck thanks me for bringing that big bag.  🙂

I'm glad to hear the terminal and gangway are pretty standard.  Thanks.

In my experience, any bag that I would want to pack will fit through the scanner.  I have a 29" tall suitcase and it fits just fine.   Many, many people are confused and believe you can only take an airline carry on at max 22" height but that is not the case.

I haven't been to port everglades before so I'm wondering if there is anything we need to know about carrying on our luggage.  

Are the gangways pretty standard?  I'm not interested in seeing comments from those that don't carry on or their reasons why.

Thank you.

Has anyone ordered the 2 lb garlic crab?  What kind of crab is it?  Curious if it's any good on the ship at brunch or at the seafood shack.  thx

Not sure if you are trying to save space for carry on but you can take any size bag you want on the ship.  Pretty much every size will fit through the scanner so bring your own stuff.  You will be much happier.  Have a great cruise!

Carnival Miracle Deck 4 Vista Aft Wrap - ugh!  That room vibrated all week long.  The room steward had to remove the glassware because it just clinked all night long.  Never again, it was so bad I may never book on the aft again.

I think you should also have been given a refund for the port fees for those two ports missed.  You got $100 on top of that to spend on board instead of leaving the ship.  It's always a risk when you cruise to miss ports or leave late or whatever but its a bummer when it actually happens.

I don't know your 20 somethings but I think most would enjoy the San Juan cruise more.  I'm not interested in the panama canal and the locks and all that - it would just be another sea day for me so I would choose the other one.  Have fun with whatever you decide.

Day two is an option for purchasing but I believe it's an onboard purchase price for all days of the cruise.  I think the OP is asking if they can skip day 1 and just pay for those drinks one by one because they won't drink enough to meet cheers minimum drinks. 

If I'm wrong, disregard comment...lol

3 hours ago, thesmiths said:

Worth it for us, My wife suffers from Chronic Migraines so no telling when or where it will happen.

 

We fly in the day before.

I time the trip from the hotel to the port so we arrive right when it opens and if all is good with the previous cruise we are up and in the cabin by 11ish and if she is suffering she can lay down.

Don't need her sitting in a hotel lobby waiting or suffering in a crowded line at the cruise terminal then trying to find a quiet dark area on the ship waiting for our cabin to be ready would not be a good start to our vaca. She can get a few hours rest prior to Muster and I go eat & drink, To me well worth the money!

This is why I get it and she has no idea what FTTF is and that I do this for her!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

completely not related to cruising but i also have migraines and have been on a new monthly injectable  drug called AJOVY for 2 months and haven't even had 1!  Just thought I would throw that out there in case she wants to investigate it with her neurosurgeon.  🙂

Thanks for the tip!

With a big group having a ton of fun day 1, we spend more on this day than any other day!  Something to think about.

We get most of our drinks from Alchemy bar so you only need 5 of those to meet the prepaid daily price of 51.95 + 18% tip.

What time did you get into the drop off line at the port?  Are there different lines for different types of cars?

Curious if there is a time to arrive to see a shorter line.  We always take uber to the port.

How do you get a table for 6 if each couple has to prepay within the cruise manager?  Thx

I like to get on the ship early, carry on all of our luggage and head to the room after boarding to drop bags. 

I like to get unpacked on my time, not on luggage delivery time which can be quite late. 

That's why we get it. 

The only time I go to customer service is if I need a gift card loaded and the kiosks are being stupid (again!) so I don't care about that perk.

Have fun on your first Carnival cruise.  

Have you looked at the photos and info on cruisedeckplans.com?

That site has pictures that people upload along with stock photography.

The sunrise spa is not very good.  We have a spa balcony coming up on Sunrise and all i can see as a benefit over other ships with no real spa is the heated tile loungers.  They didn't do a nicer remodel of the spa area on this ship and there isn't even a whirlpool in it!  I would get the suite for sure.

5 hours ago, dmdiver said:

Yes that’s what I meant as well. The first time I used it, I kept closing it so as not to use up my battery. As a result, I did t know when my friends were trying to meet up. 

This is my same habit for saving battery on the phone, close all apps when I lay it down.  I will try to remember to leave it open and see if it works better for us.  Thanks for the tips!

On 1/14/2020 at 8:20 AM, dmdiver said:

We've used the app several times.  You do need to leave it up & running if you want to get your messages.  Even if you don't use the messaging feature, the app is great for looking up & marking activities you'd like to do.  We use it to check our account, see what's on the dinner menu, etc.  I tend to have my phone with me a lot for taking pics, so it makes sense for me.

Forgive me if I am a tech noob....lol  What does leave it "up and running" mean?  I had issues in 2017 with the hub chat feature with messages not coming through on time or sometimes not at all.  I signed into the hub app and never signed out of it.  Is there something else specific you have to do to get you messages on time?   Thanks.

On 1/12/2020 at 4:33 PM, mz-s said:

 

You can't buy doubles on Cheers, but you can buy drinks that include more than one shot - manhattan, LIT, etc.

the Alchemy Bar drinks are all doubles with the amount of booze in them.  We stick to those and tip at least a buck per drink.  If we drink more than 4 -5 of those through the day, the tips don't add up to much that were charged with the package on $52 per day.

If you tossed out the gift card because it had zero balance, anyone know how you use the credit they give you if an excursion is cancelled?

7 hours ago, matymil said:

Sorry to be the wet blanket here but we were not big fans of Ji Ji's. Food wasn't bad but if I remember correctly the portions were pretty small. I do remember that it was an extremely long process from start to finish. To each there own but id rather spend the money at cucina or the steakhouse. 

I love noodle dishes at asian restaurants and my experience on cruises has been pretty bad.  Severely overcooked noodles so they are just a bowl of mush with broth.  The upcharge is low so I guess we will try it but I don't go into it thinking it will be great.

Can you call now and just pay with the gift card on the phone so it's taken care of?

If you go with uber, be sure you have enough room for luggage.  OP didn't state how many total but 4 people and their bags for 7 days do not fit in a prius!  I made that mistake only once and now only request uber xl for 4 and 2 ubers at least for more people.

A lot of uber cars are small in my experience.

Does the menu change at JiJI Asian Kitchen or is it always the same?