Cruise, J.D.

You can also use the trick that lets you see your cruise documents. They will show you as platinum.

We were there at the same time as the Mardi Gras back in December and there were no beach chairs available by the time we got down to the beach that morning. I mean literally none, believe me, we looked 😂. We finally found a spot at a picnic table at the very end of the beach area. It ended up not that bad as that area had a DJ and a bar. You might want to check the port schedule and adjust your plans to get down there as early as you can if other ships are there.

I emailed the Hilton La Romana inquiring about day passes for cruise visitors and received the following response:

Please receive a very warm greeting from Hilton La Romana.

It will be my pleasure to assist you. In regard to your inquiry, we do have and will have day passes available . The cost is US$85.00 per adult and children between 3 to 13 is 50% off from 10:30AM to 05:00PM, ID is mandatory and payment could be done at the Reception via credit card or cash.

Note: This is all-Inclusive Package. however, Day Pass does not include room, Club Preferred Area nor Transportation.

 If you need any additional information or if I can be of any assistance please feel free to contact me.

Best regards,

Es un placer!

Carlos King

Concierge

carlos.king@playaresorts.com

So I'm assuming you can't access your booking yourself online on the Carnival site? If you can, this is easily corrected. I'm sorry this happened! 

Thank you so much for your review and pictures! We just booked the Horizon for June 25th😀

One question - are the gelato and empanadas daily at the Lido buffet? I saw your picture of them and was excited to see those options.

Thank you for your review. We are looking for things to do at Amber Cove and this looks great. I've noticed there is another operator, Marysol, and I wonder if there is any significant difference between the two.

My BC is the same, a photo copy with the record keeper's certification. It's fine.

We did the Fulton Place rooftop parking on our last cruise. I found the employees helpful and don't have any complaints. The rooftop parking price was excellent.

For our hotel we stayed at the Hilton Riverside. We were only there one night pre-cruise. It was fine. It is very close to the cruise terminal - you could walk to it.

My favorite location for a cabin is one that is midship and that is above promenade and below lido, with cabins above and below. This location makes it easy to get to all the fun places.

4 hours ago, travelplus said:

The front public  decks on various floors.

Yes, the "secret decks" are fun to find and usually no one is there. 

Oh wow this thread brings back lots of memories. My son was 14 months old on his first cruise. You are already doing my #1 suggestion: bring family to help! I'm sure your daughter will appreciate having grandparents that can help and give her some adult time every now and then. I know we did!

I'm not seeing that. Port/ship? Is it moving after May?

3 minutes ago, evandbob said:

Very true.  Back in my early sailing days, the staff would collect the invite cards, put them in a drum, and then have a drawing for prizes (bottle of wine/champagne/ spa discounts, etc.).  The winners went up on stage and had a picture taken with the Captain and officers.

 

This was later changed to giving recognition to the cruiser with the most sea days on Carnival, the oldest and then the youngest cruiser.

Yep. On our recent cruise they didn't even ask to see the invitations. I didn't know they weren't doing the drawing anymore.

The invitations did include a guest.

I think they usually set up a location to get a tender ticket the morning of the port day, first come first served on the numbers.

44 minutes ago, Magic City Cruiser said:

Thanks, all. I should have mentioned that I am more interested in how long Suite guests would have to wait in the loading area and if it is a separate area from other cruisers. Yeah, I know, if you are worried about Covid you shouldn't cruise but I'd like to avoid close contact when I can.

Honestly, waiting until the last time available to board would be your best option. It might start clearing out by then. Otherwise, I don't see how you can avoid close contact during the boarding process. It was packed to the gills with a long line by 9ish (before we were even allowed in the terminal) and we had A01 boarding priority. 

The spending limit worked for us. My son got cut off at the sushi bar trying to buy some poke 😁

Yep, take her birth certificate too just in case. If it's a closed loop cruise and she is a US citizen, then birth certificate + government issued ID can substitute for a passport.

1 hour ago, MisterOJ2 said:

 When I cruised out of New Orleans last month, Suites were the first group called to board. The second group of just regular passengers was called about 5 or 10 minutes later. So those in Suites got about that much of a head start. That's about it.

This was our experience too in late December. They also had a separate sitting area at the front.

Yes, and it was a nice benefit on our last cruise (12/26)!

Sorry to hear that and I agree with you. Most cruise ports are "meh", but I still like to get off the ship a bit and walk around. Wife likes to do some shopping too.

We were on the NYE cruise. There is a thread here discussing the cruise (12/26 cruise). We had a great time. There were some cancellations, but nothing that significantly affected our experience. Just go with an open mind and expect some variability. If you have any specific questions I'll try my best to answer.

Yes, a rapid antigen test is acceptable for vaccinated guests.

Return to Service FAQs | Have Fun. Be Safe. | Carnival Cruise Line

I personally would not cruise 4 to a cabin, but for the nonpaying guests (the teens), I would not hesitate to put them all in one cabin! 😄

Have Fun. Be Safe. | COVID-19 Guest Protocols | Carnival Cruise Line

There is nothing in the protocols linked above that allows a doctor's note to substitute for a negative PCR test for an unvaccinated individual.

2 minutes ago, L1211 said:

Found this port day breakfast menu on the app.  I did not know Carnival had port day breakfast- is this new? Looks great and I do love a nice sit down breakfast. 

The MDR has always been open for breakfast on port days, but the special brunch menu is only on sea days.