taylor1293

9 minutes ago, NancyW12 said:

10am is just fine! I took the NCL transfer in August. We left the pier at 6:15 and arrived at the airport at 7. The Air France counter didn't even open up until 7:30 and had everybody thru in about 45 minutes. It was just fine.

That’s good to hear because now we are looking at a 9:30 flight to Paris and then flying out of Paris to Florida. 

Thanks for the replies. We were looking at a 10:00 am flight.  As of right now, all the flights after that are at least double in cost. It sounds like it's possible, but, not if there are complications.

We are sailing on the Epic next June. What is the earliest we should consider booking our flight home? I have no experience with sailing in Europe and how early we can get off the ship. 

I’m very sorry for your loss.

We found it very easy to self-disembark out of Tampa.

There is an escalator and an elevator.

We found the rules in Europe are different. We were able to bring liquor on the ship, in fact, there was a liquor store at the embarkment area in Barcelona and everyone stocked up and brought on the ship, no problem. The security over there doesn’t enforce the same liquor rules. I would not get the drink package.

That’s very good to know. I just assumed the rules were the same as they were in the U.S.

Thanks!

Thank you for the detailed review! We just booked the Epic out of Barcelona for next June and your review was very helpful.

I still have no idea if I’m going to take the drink promotion but I appreciate reading all your opinions on the matter. Thanks!

This is a different type of a drink package question.

We have cruised the Caribbean several times and often get a drink package when we do. In June, we are going on our first cruise in Europe. Only one sea day and the port days start early and are long.

So...my question is for those who have done both. If you are one that normally gets the drink package when sailing the Caribbean, did you feel that it was a waste of money (the gratuity fee for the promotion) to get it when you sailed in Europe?

Thanks.

Thank you both for your help :).

How exactly does this work? Do I have to wait until I'm on-board to book the excursion? Or can I book any excursion online now and will receive the $50 later? Thanks.

My husband and I went in 2015 and chose tour 2, I wanted the extra time at the beach. We LOVED Benards’s Tours, it was one of the most engaging and fun island tours we have been on. We plan on booking the same tour next year when we return. I do, however, agree with the poster who mentioned having to wait to start the tour. We waited for quite some time while they filled vans...that part was frustrating .

We rented two villas about five years ago. You can invite anyone into your villa. I wouldn’t pay extra for it.

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So how much time is spent at each bar? Do you have time to check out the beach and/or order food?

About 45 minutes at each - so plenty of time. We eat at Coconuts because that’s more about the view than actually being on the beach.

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I honestly have no idea how many pictures. It was my kids cabin but the one who just got engaged took a lot I’m sure. I am contacting my PVP today to see if she can put me in direct contact with the right department. I was waiting the 10 business days the online firm said it could take before trying to call figuring that would be their first question they ask. Thanks for the good wishes...my own fault but UGH!!!

Hopefully your PVP can help! Good luck!

That is so good to hear! I have a similar situation I am hoping will be resolved. My family was on the Magic for my son’s graduation trip. He also got engaged just before the cruise. We had 2 cabins, one for us and one for the kids. I purchased the unlimited photic package before the trip. Once onboard we didn’t receive any info in our cabin so we went to Pixels and filled out a form listing both cabins and our sons names so all photos woujd be included and they noted it on their list. On the last night when we picked up the photos and USB I only asked for our cabin thinking they would all be filed that way. I saw some pictures of our son so didn’t realize until we got to the airport that all of the pictures for our son in the other cabin weren’t there. I goofed I think and should have asked for both cabins. I’ve filled out the online request but haven’t gotten a reply yet. Hoping I am as lucky as you.

Any idea how many pictures you didn’t receive? Have you tried calling? Maybe that would help. I hope everything works out for you :)!

I would like to give a big thanks to the employees in the photo dept on the Carnival Sunshine.

Last month, we sailed on the Carnival Sunshine, it was a graduation cruise for my daughter. Normally, we only buy one or two pictures on a cruise but since this was a special occasion, I purchased the unlimited pics with the digital images package.

The way it worked was, every day we collected our pictures and they put them in a folder for us - which they kept behind the counter. On the last full day, they scanned in the images we had in the envelopes and put them on a USB drive.

On the last night, we went to the photo area to pick up our package. As my daughter and I were standing at the photo counter they handed us our flash drive (while they were organizing the pictures). Daughter and I were talking about how cute it was (it’s a little cruise ship). Not really sure what happened next, but later when we got to our cabin it wasn’t in the bag. I thought maybe we had left it on the counter so we went back and asked if they had it and we were told no.

The next morning, as soon as the photo counter opened, I went back and asked if anyone had located it. The lady working, Anita, looked around for me and said that it wasn’t there. At that point I thought we were just out of luck. But then she gave me an envelope and had me write my name and address on it. Anita said they could still pull up the photos and would send the missing flash drive to our house.

Last week, I received an email about the usb drive being shipped and, one day later, it arrived.

So, big shout out to Carnival for helping us out!

Here's the end to poolside hogging - "these spots reserved for parents/grandparents (etc) with children using the pool". Kinda like at the supermarket the pregnancy parking spots. Those are the people who NEED to be there!

Why does someone NEED to have poolside chairs if they have kids? My kids are older now but when I needed to watch my kids at the pool, I either sat around the edge of the actual pool or I got in. :)

Personally, I don’t like to sit right next to the pool. Too crowded and too many kids running around that area. I do, however, like to sit in view of the pool for the provided entertainment and people watching.

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Anybody do this tour recently? We did it years ago and had a great time. Was wondering if it is still alot of fun.

We did the tour in 10/16 and again in 1/18. Had a great time both times!

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Yipes, I think we paid around $130 for our cabana at Grand Turk back in 2012 or 2013.

 

We liked it and it was money well-spent since it was for our entire family, but $192 is getting a bit pricey. :o

I agree. We paid $119 in 2013 and $159 two weeks ago. $192 is a bit much for what you get.

Since there will only be two of us this trip, I think we have decided to spend our money on something else :).

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The cabana’s for our July 2019 cruise just came up this morning. $192 [emoji15]

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This is consistent with Magaritaville's Ocho Rios location. They had "enhanced" chairs for rent with umbrellas and safes available there, and I hadn't seen those before.

(At Ocho Rios, having a safe place to deposit your stuff is a really useful perk, too. :o )

 

Yep, it's not as if Carnival is getting that money. I'm not sure how the locals managed to get permission (?) to put chairs there and charge money, but I suspect it's because technically, it's a "public" beach. Atlantis in the Bahamas has a similar problem with Cabbage Beach and "local operators" there, and like Carnival does, they warn their customers about the locals and their practices.

Yeah...having a safe storage place is definitely nice!

It’s kind of disappointing that there isn’t a small private beach area. It can be very confusing for people who haven’t done their research or didn’t hear Carnival’s warnings.

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We are hitting Grand Turk June 2019. I was just looking a the listed excursions and didnt see the cabana rental at Margaritaville listed. Is it possible they are already booked?? Also how do you check to see if other ships will be there the same day?

We are sailing in July 2019 and they aren’t listed for that sailing either.

Some of the ports list their schedules. Otherwise, I sometimes use this site.

http://m.cruisett.com/p/

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Thanks. The Pride is the only ship in port.

 

It is possible they haven't released the cabanas yet. Carnival seems slow at getting shore excursions for this cruise, a 14 day Journeys.

Jealous! I really want to take a Journeys cruise!

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The cabanas are not showing up for our January 6 cruise on the Pride. I have been watching since they began posting the shore excursions.

Are you in port with another ship? That may affect availability.

Or, it’s possible they haven’t released them yet.

Maybe call Carnival and ask :).

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