ISHCruising

This was about a 50% savings, but I think we talked ourselves out of it.  We'll save the money and book the pricey dive excursions instead.  I'm sure its a nice room, but I can't justify it for the extra footage alone.

Hi,

I was offered an upgrade from my Ocean suite to a Grand on the Pride.  Is this worth the upgrade?  It sounds like you gain a few feet, but I think the other amenities are the same.  The balconies look fairly similar as well.  It was an additional $550. 

I was certain priority boarding was standard with suites.  Though honestly I didn't really see much advantage.  Being the first one off the ship at 5AM seemed more like a punishment than a perk 😂

From Nassau there are two options to see piggies:

1.  Sandy Toes on Rose Island https://www.sandytoesbahamas.com/ as others have mentioned, these are not wild pigs, they are maintained (fed, cared for) by Sandy Toes, and brought out for photo ops.  

2.  Exuma.  This is approximately 1.5-2  hours via speedboat from Nassau, and is the real deal.  You will be pressed for time coming via cruise ship, and only one company guarantees your  return on a cruise ship.  http://www.exumawatertours.com/

It is VERY expensive ($400), and the reviews on TripAdvisor are VERY mixed.  I thought long and hard about booking this tour even with the steep price, but ultimately decided I didn't want to risk it.  Simply too many variables, and just sounded like it could be too much rushing around while i'm on vacation trying to relax.  

The other option is to book a puddle jumper flight from Nassau to Exuma, but again, a lot of variables.

I would get it done on the ship vs. wasting a good port day at a nail salon!  🙂

Thanks for the insight!  We decided to use a 3rd party tour operator to explore the other part of the island away from the crowds.  The reviews via TripAdvisor were pretty solid.  And speaking to the operator over the phone she sounds very professional and experienced, and offers many tours to cruise ship passengers.  We love the ease of cruising, but like to be able to get away from the crowds.  This port sounds a bit like our experience in Roatan, and we were SO thankful to have booked with a third party, even if it meant having to show IDs etc to leave the gated compound 🙂 

16 days to go, so ready!  

Can someone give some insight on what to expect at this port?  I read a review of Carnival sponsored excursion which indicated that lunch was included on the Carnival island.  Is this correct--or do we need to re-board for food?

We will be diving in Freeport, which is a very expensive excursion, but wondering if it's worth booking anything at Princess Cays?  If we bring our own mask and snorkels, are there areas to snorkel?  Has anyone used a 3rd party for booking tours?  Fishing or otherwise?

Thanks!

Great review! Since I was part of the group travelling, I wanted to share some of my personal feedback--especially as a first time cruiser.

The service was really top notch. Every staff member we encountered was just lovely, patient, and accommodating.

The food at the Blue Iguana, Pizza shop, and Tandoor were my personal favorites for the trip. I only wish they offered the Blue Iguana and Tandoor for dinner options, as I might have been inclined to skip MDR for the other flavors.

We had booked the suite 7368, and while the room could have been 5 stars, we had the issues with smoke (Previous occupants were the cast of Mad Men?), and our neighbors smoked on their balcony throughout the trip. Staff did try to remediate the issue, and while the smell was not as strong on day 7 as it was on day 1, it was obvious when you entered the room each day.

We spent most days out on the Serenity deck, which was lovely though several of the lounge style love seats were near a loud mechanical area on the ship making it a little less serene. Drink service in this area was the slowest we encountered on the ship, and it seems to me this would be an area to add an additional server or two.

I bought the internet package premium daily rate for one day to check on updates for work. It was incredibly slow, and not at all worth getting unless you absolutely can't wait to send or receive an email. Not a big deal otherwise, and I freally enjoyed being "unplugged". The Carnival Hub app worked great, and was a wonderful way for us to be able to coordinate meal times and meet ups with the other travellers.

We had priority onboarding and offboarding with the suite, which was wonderful on day one, but our debarktion time was 6:45 which felt more like a punishment than a privlege ;) We leisurely left our cabin at 7:30 with no issues or delays and were at the airport by 8:30!

Excursions:

We booked a private fishing charter in Roatan. We used Jackson Marine Adventures http://www.carribeanroatan.com/fishing.htm

The downside is that Carnival prevents 3rd party agencies from picking up at their port. We had about a 10-15 min walk from the ship outside of the port gates to our meeting point. Our guide was waiting for us, and easy to spot with our name on a sign. Whether conditions were a less than ideal, but we were determined to make the best of it. We snorkeled for about 30 minutes, then went out for some deep sea fishing. Really fun experience, and nice to get away from the crowds.

Our Belize excursion (booked through Carnival) was really wonderful and informative. It requires some walking (a little over 1 mile), and optional climbing of the ruins. I am so glad that we did this excursion, but like has been mentioned was harrowing at the end (and we were on the other boat!). It's clear that this is a very compressed trip given the distance from ship and tendering process. However, we felt the bus ride back was travelling at a rate a speed not safe for the conditions (it was raining, and the roads are in rough shape). It was clear that Carnival does have an expectation with these contracted groups to get us back to the tender before last call, but at what cost?

In Cozumel we booked again through a third party for our intro to scuba lesson. Simple enough to walk and find a taxi, and is 10 minutes from port to Chanakabb. This was the highlight of our week, and I highly recommend it! Enrique at Chanakabb was our instructor and guide, and he was incredibly patient and ensured we were both comfortable before we set off. I felt safe at all times under his guidance, which allowed me to relax and take in all of the marine life and the sunken statues. This is a great way to see the animals in their natural reef habitat, and you should definitely do this instead of swimming in a pool with captive dolphins :)

I think we will definitely cruise again. But for the smoking issue, this would have been a 5 star vacation all around, I was impressed with the efficiency of it all! What a wonderful way to taste different cities in a short amount of time!

I love that they showered you with gifts and food like you were a Tribute in Hunger Games arriving to the Capital :')

Newbie question:

There are 6 of us travelling together (in 3 rooms), we have all booked the flexible dining time. Do I need to "link" the bookings in order to ensure a table together, or do we just turn up and ask for a table for 6?

Follow up:

If we "link" the bookings, does this mean we always have to eat together? While I suspect we will have dinners together, we will likely all opt for breakfast and lunch on our own.

Thanks

This is our first cruise, we typically stay at all inclusive resorts. For this reason we opted for the Cheers program, as we don't like to get a surprise bill at the end of our trip.

It's true, most people don't consume 15 boozy drinks/Starbucks coffees a day at home. But this is supposed to be a vacation, and for us that means mimosas with breakfasts, frozen drinks by a pool, wine with dinner, and port or lemoncello night cap. :hearteyes:

Hi,

Is it logistically possible to visit the blue hole from the Belize City port? Does anyone know of any outfitters that offer snorkeling or diving tours from the mainland?

I didn't see that policy expressly written at all, just that 21+ need to purchase (no mitigating factors listed). Seems a bit discriminatory that someone be required to pay more because of a partner's pregnancy.

That doesn't sound particularly "heavily" discounted to me. That was about the difference in price for us from a balcony to a suite was $700 on the Dream.

Just a discussion that came up recently with friends. Surely Carnival will not require two Cheers packages for guests 21+ if one traveler is pregnant? Or a recovering alcoholic? The policy seems black and white, but has anyone requested an exception?

Yep, embarkation only. There will be a table set up when you get back on the ship for turning in purchased alcohol. You get it back at the end of the cruise.

 

 

However, the security varies, and you may be able to avoid turning in the alcohol. I've seen security shout people down attempting to avoid the table and I've seen people walk right past the table without a problem. YMMV.

Thank you! Do you receive a ticket or something to indicate what you dropped off? I would hate to spend the money on nice bottles only to have them "lost". Also, is there a limit? We like to stock up on Havana Club when travelling abroad.

Piggy backing on this discussion:

Is it only when you first embark on the cruise that wine is permitted? If I were to buy a bottle of wine at port, would I be allowed to take it on board?

Also, what if I would like to buy liquor at port? I understand I might not be able to consume it during my trip, but I like to buy nice bottles for the people that will be housesitting for us.

Hi, my husband and I are first time cruisers and have booked an Ocean suite on the Carnival Dream. The bed indicates that it's two beds that convert? Does that mean that there will be a crack down the middle?? Are there other rooms that don't involve pushing beds together?