SRQbeachgirl

7 days way back in 1992, when most people didn't know anything about cruising beyond "The Love Boat" on TV. The ships were tiny back then compared to the floating cities of today, and we still prefer the smaller to mid-size ships.

DH and I are in agreement on all of these: - We prefer to book the ship's shore excursions. - We don't drink much, so never buy the drink packages. - We like the buffets. - We don't go on cruises to meet new people. We go on cruises to spend time together without work and other interruptions. - We do not eat at shared tables. Tried that the first few cruises and decided it was a big NOPE for us. - We don't care who the captain is, and don't need to meet him. In fact, we don't need to get to know any of the crew. We will treat them with kindness and tip them well, but we don't need to know their life story. - We don't care to go to any of the theater productions. Would rather catch a comedy show or walk around the open decks enjoying the evening sea breeze and night sky. - We will only book balcony cabins, and spend a lot of time on it.

DH and I got credit from our cruises in the 1990's by providing names, DOBs, ships, and dates of cruises. We didn't have to provide photos or copies of cruise cards, even though we do still have them.

I read that headline completely differently than it was intended. Glad I was wrong, but geez, my heart rate shot up for a second there! ETA: Maybe it's because I'm currently watching an episode of Disasters at Sea! 🤔

We heard from one of the bartenders that we're not quite at capacity, but we're close. We're hanging out right in front of the outside bar there today!

Wow. Sounds absolutely terrifying. Glad you made it to Orlando in one piece!

We definitely should!

We board in 14 HOURS!!!

We are LITERALLY joining you, since we're on the same cruise! We're in an aft balcony on Deck 10. Can't wait to get this cruise started!

I see this blanket statement every now and then and I think it does a disservice to CCL. Every single time I have been able to identify which balcony smoke is coming from I have called Guest Services and every single time they have sent security to that cabin. So maybe that didn't happen in some people's experience or maybe it couldn't be identified as to which cabin it was coming from, but by the same token, do we know that RCL or NCL handles these situations any better?

If this a/c issue isn't fixed by next year I will definitely be switching ships for our November 2023 cruise.

We're looking at the Carnival excursions for either Maya Key or Tabyana Beach Break. Hoping for good snorkeling (not meh snorkeling) both from the beach and where guides can take us further out. We'll be docking at Mahogany Bay and are not interested in a 40 minute bus ride, so that is a big consideration. Anyone have any thoughts between these two excursions?

*makes note to avoid Punchliner area at 2pm at all costs* 😉

Two items in particular made the most impact on cabin life when we cruised with our DS (who is now grown and can pay for his own vacations!): 1. An over-the-door shoe organizer. We put all our toiletries, sunscreens, medications, etc. in the pockets and it kept them from being scattered all over the counters. 2. A cheap shower curtain and strong magnet hooks. We used the magnet hooks to hang the shower curtain between the main area of the cabin and the closet area to provide a space to change clothes without having to perform acrobatics trying to change in the postage-stamp bathroom or send the teenager out of the cabin so mom could get dressed.

We bought my DH a replacement wedding band because his original one had been damaged. We're still married, so I guess that proves it's usefulness. 😆

I will be annoyed beyond reason if they change the meaning of "fully vaccinated" and require boosters to avoid pre-boarding testing. I got my two jabs of Moderna and got so sick with both that there's no way I'm going through that again.

This part of the article makes it sound like a cross between Mahogany Bay and Grand Turk: "The cruise port development includes a pier able to accommodate up to two Excel-class ships simultaneously welcoming guests to a stunning white-sand beach The Bahamas are known for. Guests will be able to explore and enjoy Grand Bahama by way of sea, via a dedicated shore excursion dock, or by land, via the dedicated ground transportation hub. The cruise port itself will also feature an area designated as a nature reserve and an interior pool feature, along with many Bahamian-operated retail, food and beverage options for guests to enjoy."

This is what I do. Silk scrunchies in multiple colors with key ring. Goes with all my outfits and I can just take it off my wrist and hand it to a bartender.

Me too! I start going through withdrawal when I get too far from saltwater!

Our friends who live in Europe have told us so many times that nowhere in the world does air conditioning like Florida and Texas. We tell them a/c is the only reason anyone can stand to live here. 😂

Move to Florida, then you can experience this joy year-round! 😆

^^^This. It would IMO be hard to have a bad cruise on a Dream class. Glad they had a great time for their first cruise!

Yes, previously you needed a doctor's note and an exemption.

Carnival just changed their policy (yesterday or today) to eliminate the requirement for a doctor's note in order to sail with an exemption. So they are likely sending these notices out to everyone who has applied for an exemption, BUT you still have to get the exemption in the first place. In other words, NO, this letter does not grant an exemption. Your brother's GF will still need to be granted an exemption by Carnival in order to sail.

Best. Hobby. Ever. Just when you think you've seen it all humanity goes and surprises you. 🤣