Debbierpof

Looking to book a fishing trip while in Ketchikan this June. Any recommendations? I've read about Reel Alaska Fishing Charters. Thanks in advance!

I'm so bummed that the Celebrity excursion at Tracy Arm is sold out (hoping someone cancels). We are going in early June and only there from 1:30 pm to 10 pm. Is that enough time? Too cold? 🙂 Love seeing all the pictures!

We are going to cruise to Alaska on the Solstice in June. Question: Do they have blankets available that we can borrow to sit outside on our balcony or on one of the upper decks? Thanks in advance!

Our family has always preferred using private drivers instead of shore excursions offered by cruise lines. Our day in St. Maarten/Sint Martin was perfect and we have our driver to thank for that. Here's the incredible part -- I'm the one who typically makes the reservations and didn't have anything lined up until the day before our arrival in St. Maarten when I emailed Coral Transportation from the ship and received a prompt response. I was a little nervous because there were no recommendations on CruiseCritic for this company (that I could find) and the cost of the tour was pretty low (questioned if this might be a scam since we paid before arriving in St. Maarten).

Well, I highly recommend Jacqueline Janse with Coral Transportation. We opted for the "Your Day" Tour and it was exactly what we wanted. It's not easy finding a tour for 13 people (6 adults and 7 teens/young adults) - especially one that is affordable. For $35 per person (before gratuities), we toured the island, both the Dutch and French sides for about 6 hours in a new and very roomy van. I talked with Jacquie about some of the things we were interested in doing and my draft itinerary. She listened, made recommendations (including doing my itinerary in the opposite order so that we would experience less traffic and see the big planes at Maho). Here's what we did: Met some iguanas at a roadside stop (you could feed them - my daughter even pet a big one), continued the scenic route to Orient Beach (hung out for about 2 hours at a resort -- kids got to use the water trampoline while the adults enjoyed the gorgeous views and bar), scenic route to Marigot (picked up lunch/snacks at Chez Fernand La French Bakery -- not to be missed!!!), on to Maho Beach for 2 hours (crazy fun and funny), back to the ship -- with the option to stay in downtown Philipsburg to do some shopping or go back to port (she took us to both because not everyone wanted to do the same thing). Jacquie helped with our time management (I think there were 2-3 ships in port that day) and we never felt rushed. She gave great information on the island along the way, answered questions and made it a really fun experience for everyone -- ages 11 to 72. It was the favorite port on our cruise!

1 minute ago, ONECRUISER said:

Yeah, and was a small bottle liquor when I saw it Pre-CV on my Sailings. Only thing been in my Planner Gift Section lately been Bottle Champaign/Strawberries at $149 or Bottle Wine/Cheese for $45, this on 4 Different Royal Ships

Thanks! That's the only thing I've seen for our sailing... I was afraid I has missed something.

Does anyone know if you can purchase a bottle of vodka or rum onboard that you can take back to your cabin and use while onboard? Carnival allows you to purchase bottles (cost about $100 per bottle) to enjoy during the cruise. TIA!

We will be in Roatan next week (Carnival Magic) and had contact the last dive shop we used. They said that the cruise lines were not allowing passengers to go out on their own. I haven't been able to call Carnival to confirm. Does anyone know of any limitations? We are all vaccinated (including our kids). TIA

Will be on the Equinox in 5 days. Trying to figure out if to schedule a massage now or wait until onboard. Are there any specials? Thanks in advance!

Cruising on the Escape this December (yay!) and trying to complete the online check-in. There's an option for Priority Access ($179 per stateroom). There are 14 in our party (5 rooms). Is it worth it? TIA

So excited to be sailing on the Escape - Christmas 2020! We have five cabins for our family (total of 14 -- 7 kids/7 adults). One of the cabins is an inside (Cat IC) - 8th deck. We have one adult and three kids staying in that room. It says it's only 135 sq. ft. -- how is it possible to fit in there?  We also have Cabin 8112 (Balcony/Category BF) -- two adults. Is the view obstructed? Have not been able to locate any info specific to these cabins. Appreciate any feedback! 🙂 

Following!

Going on our first New Year's Eve cruise on the Magic! Do people dress up for this evening? Is there a theme (all white party)? Just want to be ready to celebrate and be a part of a fun night (isn't that every night and day on a cruise? 🙂). Thanks for any feedback and suggestions. Can't wait!!!

On 8/18/2019 at 8:20 PM, MidwesternCruiser2 said:

Never mind...found it!  Thanks anyway.

 

So nice of you to do this, Debbierpof!

I just have one question (we're on Magic, spa balcony, deck 12 in September):

Does the balcony have a roof/ceiling?  We'd heard it didn't, but that sounds like hot days.

Thanks in advance for your reply!

No roof! So part of the day it will be hot. :-) Still loved it!

On 8/19/2019 at 1:34 PM, E Heffa said:

Why avoid the Italian place?  I ate at it on the Vista a couple of months ago and really enjoyed it.

Okay... maybe not avoid -- we may have had an off night. Just didn't seem worth paying extra when our experience was not wonderful.

On 8/19/2019 at 8:21 PM, sj25 said:

By any chance any price list for spa service when in a cloud 9 room...we booked one for Nov 2020 and can't wait!

So did you the spa cloud 9 benefits much?

I had never used the spa or spa amenities before until this cruise. The last day at-sea I spent most of my day in and out of the spa (sauna, steam room, spa pool....). I took advantage of deals and got a 75 minute massage and mani/pedi. They were all fantastic. I'll have to look for the price sheet.

On 8/20/2019 at 11:58 AM, rtap23 said:

I will have to disagree with you on avoiding the Italian restaurant. We enjoyed it so much on the Magic that we went twice.  The service was also amazing. 

It may have been an off day... server was very nice; there was only one table with patrons and we had to wait a bit to be seated (as well as another couple). Food didn't seem much better than the MDR (which means it's good not spectacular). Again, my soup was delicious and my daughter's ice cream was amazing. Hope that it was a one-time error with us because it's nice to have good options. :-) 

On 8/20/2019 at 8:59 AM, HUNNY BUN said:

Did you reserve the Chef's Table prior to sailing?  Did you get to pick which night you did it?  We're on a short 5-night cruise.

Thanks!

Ours was an 8-night cruise and they had multiple Chef's Tables - we were assigned our night. We did book prior to boarding. Enjoy!

Not a full review of the Chef's Table, but here are some photos. This weekend I'll try to post my review of our experience. By the way, the parmesan roll thing is to die for!!! And the magician is always a fun treat and break! 🙂 

On 8/13/2019 at 4:37 PM, kskelley40 said:

I love lobster bisque.  It is my "good luck" charm for playing BJ or poker in the casino so that will definitely be my appetizer.   I also love a good medium rare steak so that is the main reason I am thinking of splurging on it.  We have been on NCL lately and have gotten their specialty dining package as a perk for our cabin, so we are a little spoiled on dining outside of the MDR.  Mainly looking forward to Guy's burgers.  Had one about 3 years ago and I still remember how good it was!

And their lobster bisque was delish!

On 8/12/2019 at 4:50 PM, kskelley40 said:

Can you elaborate on the Steakhouse?  I just submitted a request for a reservation on the first night.  Want to try it and figure the first night will be the best for us.  Was it worth the $38 a person?  Do you know if they still give a bottle of wine for people booking the first night?  Not a big deal if not, we will have the drink package.

Anything you recommend besides the bone marrow?  Not sure about that.

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

The Steakhouse was definitely worth it!!! Avoid the Italian place. I believe they still have the wine offer. Large and delicious portions. The mushroom appetizer and the lobster bisque were great, too. Enjoy!!!

On 7/18/2019 at 9:57 PM, Ellaleah said:

I have booked the Magic for December, 2020 and I will be traveling with my granddaughters that will have just turned 18 the month before.  Were their any social activities for older teens to meet?  Did they offer volleyball? Thank you.

Club O2 is for up to 17 year olds (which is a bummer because we will be back on the Magic in December and our son turns 18 next month). I just asked him and he says they have volleyball tournaments (over 18), basketball tournaments... I'm sure they'll have a great time! So much to do!

On 8/12/2019 at 1:48 PM, sj25 said:

We are looking at the Cloud 9 interior room and didn't know if it is worth the $100 for the both of us compare to a normal interior.

I have never been in the spa of Carnival and not sure how nice and what it is like?  Have only been on one Carnival cruise 13 years ago.  Then didn't know if deck 11 or 12 is best?

 

If you're in an interior room then it doesn't make a difference if it's deck 11 or 12, EXCEPT make sure the deck 11 cabin is still a Cloud 9 room. Also, deck 12 has less traffic (I think). If you plan to use the spa amenities (sauna, etc...) then I think it's well worth it.  My in-laws were on the Magic a couple of weeks ago and paid about $250 to use the spa for the duration of the cruise. You also get a little gift. I really like the location because you have quick access to the shops, lobby, casino, exit to ports... Whatever you choose, it will be fantastic! I'll try to post photos and more info on the spa! 

On 7/22/2019 at 2:24 PM, lisadees said:

I'm doing the Chef's Table in September. Do you have a menu or remember any of the items that were served?  Thank you.

I'll try to post it later. I think we had 14 different courses! My favorites were an olive oil poached seabass and slow cooked crispy lamb. Delicious! And the constant flow of champagne and wine.... 🙂  

17 hours ago, SRQbeachgirl said:

 

Thanks! We are supposed to be the only ship in port that day, so I'm hoping the pool/beach won't be quite as packed.

It's going to be great!!! 🙂 

5 hours ago, JasperCruiser said:

I’m interested in the taxi to Governors Beach too. It sounds simple enough to get there by hiring a taxi at the port but I am wondering about how to get back easily. I’ll have a five-year old with me so it has to be as simple  as possible.

 

 

 

I think you should be okay. There was another family at Governor's Beach, with two very young children, and our taxi went back to get them. The people that work at Governor's Beach also seemed happy to assist. Whichever taxi you take would probably be happy to go back to pick you up. 

By the way, so many sea shells and sea glass! Your 5-year-old will have fun. 🙂  They also sell Gatorade, sodas, and snacks.

Have a great trip!