mackenzie80

22 hours ago, ChristianDamon said:

Hey there,

 

Lately I’ve been cruising solo and have avoided the MDR because frankly I don’t want to get stuck with a group of complete strangers by myself. If someone was coming with me that would be a different story. What are the chances I’d be able to sit solo at say a two top if I went during a slow time? Has anyone had this experience?

Just request a solo table on Your Time Dining.  You may have to wait 15 minutes or so, but will be accommodated.

I have actually booked several vacations the rest of this year, and next year through Carnival.  I refuse to be scared to enjoy my time off because of the Corona Virus.  I will wash my hands, I always wipe down my room with clorox wipes, and in general I am not around or face to face with a lot of other people.

You won't have service while at sea unless you pay about $4 a minute.  Data is even higher.

Michael Speenburg and Courtney Griffin will be on Carnival Fantasy 1/20-1/25 per John Heald.

3 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

It looks like Motor City, Country Road, and The Brits 

 

https://saintgregtravel.com/playlist-productions

 

Zack Daniels is the piano bar player.

 

If you are on before the 17th Joe Marlotti will be one of your comedians. I don't have any information on Fantasy after that date yet.

I will be on the Fantasy January 20th - can you please post if you find out who comedians will be?

10 hours ago, kscruiseaholic said:

Last winter we planned a girls cruise.  My Sister, daughter and myself.  Our cruise was the first cruise after dry dock.  The ship was a day late coming back from the bahama's due to propulsion issues.  We "roughed" it at a hotel on the coast prior to heading to mobile to board lol.  We were even able to watch the ship arrive into mobile bay.  To put it mildly we were so excited for this cruise. My daughter and myself have been on numerous cruises, but it was my sisters first cruise.  We hoped that the fantasy wouldn't be a big disappointment for her.  Unfortunetly it was.....  Fantasy didn't do well in the high winds and waves headed to cozumel.  Upper decks were closed as well as the the hot tubs.  There was a Horrible paint smell coming from the public areas. So much so that it was overwelming.  When we entered our cabin, there were black specks / clumps of something from the AC vents above the bed and on the floor.   To this day I suspect it was something that caused all the respiratory problems that we experienced before we debarked and was responsible for the illness we all experienced after we returned home.  It took "Me" 2 rounds of antibiotics and inhalers to get grid of that crud!! Not to mention a 3 night add on trip to new orleans that we missed.   I am not the only one this happened to.  The FB group we were members of had numerous posts regarding the very same issues with the black specks covering the beds and illness after the fact..  So....  Fantasy is not on my list of ships to ever cruise on again.  I hope none of you ever encounter the problems we had! If you see the black stuff...... Get a room steward immediately!!

I was on the ship the cruise after yours (3rd after dry dock) and didn't experience any of that.  Hate you all didn't enjoy.

18 hours ago, FlyingAnchor said:

Do they have to be on our same reservation? My husband and I booked our cabin and afterwards a friend of ours booked their own cabin so they're on a different reservation. Would he be included in that $5? 

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it. In addition to loving a good plan (evidenced by booking a vacation 2.5 years out lol) I also love to have a good handle on how things work. So I am thankful for any and all tips and tricks! 

$5 per person.  Then you can talk with anyone on the ship who is using it as well.

18 hours ago, FlyingAnchor said:

1) We are sailing on Carnival Horizon and have booked a standard aft balcony on deck 6. I checked the topic for cabin info in this forum but only found two references to Horizon that didn't appear to apply to our category/location of stateroom. Is there a Cruise Critic spreadsheet kept anywhere I am missing to help us with cabin number/location choice? We are currently at the rear of the ship on the starboard side. Does this put us anywhere in danger of cigarette smoke from below? I've read about this in a few posts on here and just want to be sure. 

 

2) When we sail Celebrity we always choose early dining (6pm) as this allows us to have a nice dinner and then grab a drink before heading to the late show at 9pm in the theater. Does Carnival do set show times like this? For example, Celebrity is always 7 and 9pm (sometimes 10 if it is an adult-only show). I chose Anytime Dining for our sailing just in case, but happy to adjust if needed if we can plan ahead for a late show. 

 

3) For Anytime Dining, is it possible to request the same servers every night? Also, is it possible at the end of our meal to schedule our time to dine for the following night? 

 

4) What is the HUB app and how do I maximize its benefits for our sailing? Does it cost to download? 

 

5) Do excursions and drink packages ever go on sale? I check Celebrity's website often as they routinely do and I've been able to save some good money this way. Additionally, when excursions open up for this sailing, if I book something online can I cancel and refund it and book it at the lower price if it does go on sale? 

 

1:  You should be fine with your location.  However that doesn't stop people from smoking on their balcony even though you aren't supposed to.

2:  There are typically two show times.  A few things may only have one showing.  You should be able to find a copy of the daily schedule.  I also read reviews of that ship by other cruisers here in the forums.

3:  Yes you can, but may have a 15-20 minute wait to get that persons section.  Or you could request to be moved to Early Dining on the first day, which will give you the same server without a lot of wait or hassle.  Just go to the Matire D' on the first day.

4:  It is free - you will simply connect to ships wifi (this is free for HUB App use only) and enter your info found on your sign and sail card.  I think it is Folio Number and DOB, don't really remember.  You can also pay $5 per person to use the messaging app within the App.  This is per person, and you don't have to have the internet package to use the app or this feature.  I would use it to find events I wanted to attend, you heart those, and your phone notifies you when something is about to start.  Can also look at menus for the night.

5:  Rarely if ever in my experience.

17 hours ago, evandbob said:

Not a fan of the Fantasy Class.  Because IMO, they were old and tired a dozen years ago when I stopped sailing them.

 

There's a reason why cruise lines have different class and size ships, so that one can experience them and find a good fit for their own personal preferences.  Whatever ship floats your boat, go for it!  And then do a land vacation to balance things out and gain another perspective!

Funny I find land vacations stressful now.  Prefer not worrying and sipping a cocktail on the Serenity Deck!

1 minute ago, tgms said:

Wonderful, that is what I needed to know. Exactly it. Thank you.  We will arrive early and if we have to sit inside the port a while, I am good with that.  I would prefer the car covered but if not, I could live with it... THANK YOU!

Very welcome.  If you arrive early and HAVE to sit there, pay in advance using the website. 

http://www.shipmobile.com/parking/
 

If you do this, no need to know your tag number when you arrive or board the ship.  If you wait any pay when you get there you have to stand in a LONG kiosk line, enter your tag number, and pay.  Doing it ahead of time saves a lot of time.

They are NOT picky about arrival times.  Chance you can board once you arrive are high.  No harm in trying.

3 minutes ago, tgms said:

Thank you Mackenzie!

 

We will go to the matrie d as soon as we are allowed to that first day.   I also have a food allergy, so I want to be sure and be able to look at the menu ahead of time, like we did on Royal.   Someone who was on that cruise with us, told us on Carnival it was the same process at least then.  It's been a few years, but each night on Royal they would show me the next nights menu and it said what dish had what allergens.   It was great.   My meals were never quite as good as my husbands, but they would offer me like  a steak sometimes when the meal was seafood, etc. so it worked out.  I left happy.  Anything I don't have to cook at home or prepare is good in my eyes 🙂 We are not hard to please with food---just something good is all we need, not finicky at all.

 

Question:  Do you park at the port in Mobile?  I posted a question on the gulf coast departures...   We got the late check in of course (1:30) since we  are first time cruisers with Carnival and I am wondering if we go close to check in time like a little before 1:00, if parking will be difficult?  I don't want to wait so long parking is hard at the port. I saw where I could pay ahead.  Do you have any idea about parking at the port?      We are hoping to stay on the MS Gulf coast and drive in but if we need to do a cruise and park hotel in Mobile we would--but would prefer to stay at the MS coast.

 

Thank you!

 

 

Parking at that time the Garage will be filled, and you will be directed to the parking lots across the road which is not covered.  If you arrive early, it is doubtful they will turn you away.

I use a local man who allows a handful of cars to be parked at his home.  He has a private area.  You take your bags by the terminal and drop off, he lives 2 minutes away, and brings you back to the terminal.
Then you text him when in customs and he comes and picks you up.  Charges $50 and worth not having to deal with the hassle.

6 hours ago, tgms said:

It is good for me to see so many people like it.  We are trying it for the first time.   We've done a Royal Caribbean ship and Celebrity, both older ships on each (but not near this old)  and absolutely had a great time on both.   We are not "exciting" people, do not need bells and whistles.   I have found that on reviews online people either love the ship or tell horror stories.  I guess a lot more people post bad reviews on review sites, too.  Anyway, kind of nervous to try something unknown and new but the size is right and the port is 4 hours from my house.  I am just not up to driving to Galveston or Florida right now...thought we'd try it.   We are happy with a few shows, eating and sitting on deck... no bells and whistles needed for us.    My only concern is we are wait listed for late dining and I hope early opens up and we don't have to do anytime but that would be okay. Anytime is not even an option on my page on carnival... my only option is late wait listed.   On Celebrity, we booked the cruise  late as well and never got a set dining time, even after talking to the matire d-----anytime with them was a long wait on that ship.  I understand Carnival is better as far as anytime dining.

 

I am sure you will enjoy the Fantasy.  She is a old ship, so there are a few visible things like rust in a spot or two, and dated decor.  But I have never had anything but the best service from staff.  I believe the Fantasy is a training ship or used to be for newer hires.

To get early dining when you get on the ship go to the dining room and speak with the Maitre De' and ask him to move you.  The generally will accommodate your request, especially if you do it immediately when boarding.

The Casino is the only inside area that allows smoking, so if you are sensitive to that, you may smell smoke in that area.  My mother is sensitive to it, and she never had an issue or could smell it badly.

Anytime dining might work for you, but you could have a 10-15 minute wait for a table.

I have cruised several times, and am younger, and I enjoy the pace of Fantasy.  Let me know if you have any specific questions.

I have cruised on her 4 times now and loved every single one.  To me I don't care that you go to the same port.  I enjoy getting away, laying on deck, and just getting away.  I go back in 79 days!

It is there.  On Lido deck near the pool

Those safes are easy to open, but I locked myself out on a cruise and a security officer had to come to open.  Story just seems odd.

3 hours ago, K&RCurt said:

I really wish the media would stop with the "Fell off of Cruise Ship" headlines.

 

There is NO WAY anyone "Falls off" a ship.  There has to be some asinine behavior, assault or intentions of self-harm invoked to get overboard.

 

I grieve for the family of this person.

I cannot agree more.  The rails are high enough that if you "fall" off the ship, it was stupidity or intentional.  My mother was terrified to cruise because of these types of stories, then her first cruise made the comment, "You have to be stupid or crazy to fall".

On 10/2/2019 at 6:32 AM, BNBR said:

We have found Facebook Messenger to be the best app for video/phone calls while on the ships.  Works great.

agreed

I have enjoyed Progresso each time I went.  Vendors do tend to heckle a bit more, but it is how they make a living.  I just ignored and kept walking.  It is a quaint little city.  I enjoyed some of the local tours.  If you haven't been it's worth the trip IMO.  Not as beautiful as Cozumel or many other ports.

On 10/15/2019 at 8:17 AM, Tom.Terrific said:

We enjoyed a wonderful cruise on Fantasy last month.  Wait stations in the MRD appeared to be well organized and clean.  But I can't think of a time when the MDR didn't look good.  All the serving areas in the Lido buffet were kept as spotless as possible.  Spills were rapidly cleaned up, tables were pre-bussed and cleaned quickly after being vacated.  Even saw crew cleaning the recycling stations inside and out, as well as the underside of the self-serve beer stations.  Seemed like there was always someone hovering around the condiment statiiions ready to clean anything outside Guy's and Blue Iguana.  Clean seemed to be the order of the day every day.

Every time I have cruised on Fantasy this has been my experience as well.

Usually 2.  Last year 3.

Personally I would suggest having the childs card on them if possible.  A lady on our cruise her daughter was 7 and in a big crowd in Cozumel she dropped her hand for a second to pick up a shirt, daughter was right next to her, then daughter was gone, she had stepped around a corner, then walked out thinking she had seen mom in the crowd.

Child got lost, and because a sign and sail card was on her, authorities got her to where she needed to go, and was able to notify the ship where the child was.

I understand children losing things, but in a foreign country some form of ID on them is a good thing.

You can take a spouses sign and sail card.  But if you are getting 2 coffee's on your sign and sail card you will have to wait 5 minutes.  Usually water isn't a issue.  I have found the key is find a good bartender/barista and tip them well, they remember you and tend to do more for you.

The Fantasy scored a 99 on its October 5 inspection.

https://www.wkrg.com/top-stories/carnival-fantasy-passes-re-inspection-after-failing-july-health-inspection/

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Mobile city officials and Carnival Cruise Line officials will sign a contract extension keeping the Carnival Fantasy in Mobile for three more years on Monday. The ceremonial signing is set for noon aboard the Fantasy.

The three year-contract extension would keep the Carnival Fantasy in Mobile through November 2022.

Carnival resumed service in Mobile in 2016. Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson has been an advocate for the city’s relationship with Carnival saying it brings tourists to Mobile.

The contract agreement also outlines the Carnival Fantasy’s schedule through December 2020

https://www.wkrg.com/top-stories/mobile-city-council-to-vote-on-contract-extension-with-carnival-during-tuesdays-meeting/

It is Empress.  But not for port calls.