Eli_6

I wasn't trying to be snarky. I apologize if it came off that way. I am just more excited to NOT be going to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize, and Roatan. Here lately, they haven't even been going to Jamaica or Cayman very much...probably because the Vista can't make it there with her propulsion issues and the Breeze mainly does 4 and 5 day cruises. I know the Dream offers some 8 days to the Bahamas and there have been a few extended cruises but they have always been when my kids are in school. I don't like taking anything longer than a 7 day without my kids for a variety of reasons...mainly because I have learned the hard way that too much time left with grandparents and the chances go up that someone will get sick or have an accident...and then MY trip is ruined.

So, take what I say with a grain of salt because I have only had aft view balconies...although, for many sailings, they or the vista were my cabin of choice. However, I have had them on a couple of different boats and I think at least once it was in the same class. The advantage to the extended aft balconies are: -more traditional room lay out -deeper/bigger balcony (the L-shaped is not as deep) -view off the back of the ship (which I really like) -and I *think* there is a sofa in the room Advantage of L-shaped: -bed faces towards the windows where you can lay in bed and look out (I *think*) I also feel like balconies on the side of the ship get more light than on the back of the ship, but this may have something to do with the decks I was on (i.e. I usually try to get on a deck with a fully or partially covered aft balcony), too, or even the weather at the time of the sailing.

I have an FCC I have to spend by August, but for future years I am looking at MSC and Celebrity. Seriously considering Celebrity for a cruise to Egypt in 2025.

@Joanne G. I also have been discouraged by how few reviews there are for many of the excursions. I hate investing $600-800 for our family of 4 in an excursion and it turning out to be a dud and not only wasting the money, but wasting the only day we have (or may ever have) in that particular port. In some of them that do have reviews, one or two have even said "take the train instead of this excursion...it is only a bus ride and you get more time in town by going on your own."

I have never seen a cruise going to ABC out of Galveston before on Carnival. And this is the first PC cruise from Galveston I have seen offered during school break.

What is wrong with Miracle?

This is the best day EVER. I have been wishing for this for so long. Finally, some new itineraries in Galveston! The Miracles is coming in 2024/25 and we finally get to go somewhere other than Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Roatan! SAN FRANCISCO • Carnival Journeys – 15-Day Panama Canal from San Francisco, CA (Tuesday departure) 2024: 10/01/2024 Tue San Francisco, CA 5:00 PM Wed "Fun Day" At Sea Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 9:00 AM 6:00 PM Sat "Fun Day" At Sea Sun "Fun Day" At Sea Mon "Fun Day" At Sea Tue "Fun Day" At Sea Wed Puntarenas, Costa Rica 9:00 AM 6:00 PM Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Panama Canal Transit Sat Cartagena, Colombia 9:00 AM 5:00 PM Sun "Fun Day" At Sea Mon "Fun Day" At Sea Tue "Fun Day" At Sea Wed Galveston, TX 8:00 AM GALVESTON • 9-Day Exotic Western Caribbean from Galveston, TX (Wednesday departure) 2024: 10/16/2024 Wed Galveston, TX 4:00 PM Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri "Fun Day" At Sea Sat Montego Bay, Jamaica 9:00 AM 5:00 PM Sun Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 7:00 AM 3:00 PM Mon Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan 10:00 AM 6:00 PM Tue Belize 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Wed Cozumel, Mexico 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Galveston, TX 8:00 AM • 9-Day Exotic Western Caribbean from Galveston, TX (Monday departure) 2025: 02/17/2025 Mon Galveston, TX 4:00 PM Tue "Fun Day" At Sea Wed "Fun Day" At Sea Thu Montego Bay, Jamaica 9:00 AM 5:00 PM Fri Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 7:00 AM 3:00 PM Sat Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan 10:00 AM 6:00 PM Sun Belize 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Mon Cozumel, Mexico 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Tue "Fun Day" At Sea Wed Galveston, TX 8:00 AM • 9-Day Exotic Western Caribbean from Galveston, TX (Tuesday departure) 2025: 04/15/2025 Tue Galveston, TX 4:00 PM Wed "Fun Day" At Sea Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Montego Bay, Jamaica 9:00 AM 5:00 PM Sat Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 7:00 AM 3:00 PM Sun Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan 10:00 AM 6:00 PM Mon Belize 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Tue Cozumel, Mexico 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Wed "Fun Day" At Sea Thu Galveston, TX 8:00 AM • 9-Day Exotic Western Caribbean from Galveston, TX (Tuesday departure) 2024: 12/06/2024 2025: 01/17/2025 Fri Galveston, TX 4:00 PM Sat "Fun Day" At Sea Sun "Fun Day" At Sea Mon Ocho Rios, Jamaica 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Tue Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 7:00 AM 3:00 PM Wed Costa Maya, Mexico 11:00 AM 7:00 PM Thu Belize 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Fri Cozumel, Mexico 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Sat "Fun Day" At Sea Sun Galveston, TX 8:00 AM • 9-Day Eastern Caribbean from Galveston, TX (Friday departure) 2024: 10/25/2024 Fri Galveston, TX 4:00 PM Sat "Fun Day" At Sea Sun Key West, FL 10:00 AM 6:00 PM Mon Freeport, The Bahamas 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Tue Nassau, The Bahamas 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Wed Princess Cays, The Bahamas 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Thu Bimini, The Bahamas 9:00 AM 5:00 PM Fri "Fun Day" At Sea Sat "Fun Day" At Sea Sun Galveston, TX 8:00 AM • 9-Day Eastern Caribbean from Galveston, TX (Sunday departure) 2025: 04/06/2025 Sun Galveston, TX 4:00 PM Mon "Fun Day" At Sea Tue Key West, FL 10:00 AM 6:00 PM Wed Bimini, The Bahamas 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Thu Nassau, The Bahamas 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Fri Half Moon Cay, The Bahamas 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Sat Freeport, The Bahamas 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Sun "Fun Day" At Sea Mon "Fun Day" At Sea Tue Galveston, TX 8:00 AM • 9-Day Exotic Eastern Caribbean from Galveston, TX (Wednesday departure) 2025: 02/26/2025 Wed Galveston, TX 4:00 PM Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Key West, FL 10:00 AM 6:00 PM Sat Freeport, The Bahamas 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Sun Half Moon Cay, The Bahamas 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Mon Grand Turk 11:00 AM 6:00 PM Tue "Fun Day" At Sea Wed "Fun Day" At Sea Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Galveston, TX 8:00 AM • 9-Day Exotic Eastern Caribbean from Galveston, TX (Friday departure) 2025: 03/28/2025 Fri Galveston, TX 4:00 PM Sat "Fun Day" At Sea Sun Key West, FL 10:00 AM 6:00 PM Mon Freeport, The Bahamas 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Tue Princess Cays, The Bahamas 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Wed Grand Turk 11:00 AM 6:00 PM Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri "Fun Day" At Sea Sat "Fun Day" At Sea Sun Galveston, TX 8:00 AM • 10-Day Panama Canal from Galveston, TX (Friday departure) 2024: 11/15/2024, 12/27/2024 2025: 02/07/2025, 03/07/2025 Fri Galveston, TX 4:00 PM Sat "Fun Day" At Sea Sun Cozumel, Mexico 9:00 AM 5:00 PM Mon "Fun Day" At Sea At Sea At Sea Tue Limon, Costa Rica 10:00 AM 7:00 PM Wed Colon, Panama 9:00 AM 6:30 PM Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Sat "Fun Day" At Sea Sun "Fun Day" At Sea Mon Galveston, TX 8:00 AM • 11-Day Exotic Eastern Caribbean from Galveston, TX (Monday departure) 2024: 11/25/2024 2025: 01/06/2025 Mon Galveston, TX 4:00 PM Tue "Fun Day" At Sea Wed "Fun Day" At Sea Thu Montego Bay, Jamaica 9:00 AM 6:00 PM Fri "Fun Day" At Sea At Sea At Sea Sat Amber Cove, Dominican Republic 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Sun Grand Turk 7:00 AM 2:00 PM Mon Princess Cays, The Bahamas 9:30 AM 5:30 PM Tue Nassau, The Bahamas 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Wed "Fun Day" At Sea Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Galveston, TX 8:00 AM • 11-Day Exotic Eastern Caribbean from Galveston, TX (Monday departure) 2025: 03/17/2025 Mon Galveston, TX 4:00 PM Tue "Fun Day" At Sea Wed "Fun Day" At Sea Thu Montego Bay, Jamaica 9:00 AM 6:00 PM Fri "Fun Day" At Sea At Sea At Sea Sat Amber Cove, Dominican Republic 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Sun Grand Turk 7:00 AM 2:00 PM Mon Princess Cays, The Bahamas 9:30 AM 5:30 PM Tue Bimini, The Bahamas 9:30 AM 5:30 PM Wed "Fun Day" At Sea Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Galveston, TX 8:00 AM • Carnival Journeys – 12-Day Southern Caribbean from Galveston, TX (Sunday departure) 2024: 11/03/2024 Sun Galveston, TX 4:00 PM Mon "Fun Day" At Sea Tue "Fun Day" At Sea Wed Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Aruba 9:00 AM 10:00 PM Sat Bonaire 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Sun Curacao 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Mon "Fun Day" At Sea Tue Ocho Rios, Jamaica 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Wed "Fun Day" At Sea Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Galveston, TX 8:00 AM • Carnival Journeys – 12-Day Southern Caribbean from Galveston, TX (Sunday departure) 2024: 12/15/2024 Sun Galveston, TX 4:00 PM Mon "Fun Day" At Sea Tue "Fun Day" At Sea Wed Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Aruba 9:00 AM 10:00 PM Sat Bonaire 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Sun Curacao 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Mon "Fun Day" At Sea Tue Falmouth, Jamaica 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Wed "Fun Day" At Sea Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Galveston, TX 8:00 AM • Carnival Journeys – 12-Day Southern Caribbean from Galveston, TX (Sunday departure) 2025: 01/26/2025 Sun Galveston, TX 4:00 PM Mon "Fun Day" At Sea Tue "Fun Day" At Sea Wed Montego Bay, Jamaica 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Bonaire 9:00 AM 6:00 PM Sat Aruba 8:00 AM 10:00 PM Sun Curacao 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Mon "Fun Day" At Sea Tue "Fun Day" At Sea Wed Cozumel, Mexico 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Thu "Fun Day" At Sea Fri Galveston, TX 8:00 AM \

I talked to my husband and I think we are going with the May 30th sailing. I have an FCC that I have to use by August 2024 that will pay for at least one room and I have a companion flight ticket with British Airways that expires June 2024 and another that expires November 2024 so this works out perfectly. We will have all been to Barcelona, and he and I have been to Rome (albeit, in 2008), but everything else will be completely new to us on this sailing and several of the ports are places I have been waiting to see...like Pompeii and Pisa.

I suspect the people who think it is boring are saying that because they repeat their itineraries every summer. Many of the cruisers go on B2B2B....and so on...so if they have done even 2 or 3 of the itineraries for a couple of years or more, they have probably ran through all of the possible itineraries. they want to see something different. My husband refuses to take off for more than 3 weeks until Carnival gets better wifi so we have yet to make it through all of the itineraries.

I believe that I am incorrect on that front. I think the lack of Fjord cruises is probably because they changed the requirements in 2024 for the pollution so I doubt Carnival's oldest ships meet that criteria.

Honestly, I don't think these are all of them. Some dates are missing.

I will be choosing between the 12 day western on July 28th and the 8 day Med on May 30th.

FINALLY! I literally contacted John about this yesterday and he told me was going to get back with me...and he did!!! (I am not suggesting that I have that sort of pull...it was surely coincidence.)

What do you mean by "modified a booking"? Do you mean name changes and room changes/category changes? I have no doubt that Carnival can raise taxes, fees, etc. but OP is saying this is to the original cruise rate changed and not the port fees, taxes, etc. Unless the TA booked under a new/different rate or changed her room, I don't see how Carnival could change the base fare.

Now that's just unfair.

Interesting...now you have me want to go back and check on mine. I wonder if your TA changed your booking to a higher rate to get more OBC or drinks on us or something like that.

As an aside, my Diet Dr. Pepper got searched for the first time EVER in 10+ cruises on my recent Galveston sailing so I think they are all around being stricter on security. Or, either that, it was because my husband went through security with my DDP (whereas I normally carry it) and he looks more unsavory than I do.

In Galveston they sniffed everyone as you walked past, but I didn't see the dog alert on anyone.

When I was in Jr High the dogs alerted on my locker. I wouldn't have known what drugs looked like back then. Nothing was in there when they searched it. Ever since then, I have wondered if they sometimes get distracted by things like dog treats, bacon, other food, other dog smells, etc... My husband also once had his vehicle searched in Round Top, Texas because a police officer thought he saw explosives in his vehicle. What he saw was a doggie chew toy for our Great Dane. My husband and the officer both got a good laugh when the officer realized what it was.

Ryder Cup will REALLY drive the prices up. We have been to the Masters and the price of the hotels was crazy in Augusta...which is a small town with not much there...like $800 per night for Holiday Inn Express. When we went to The Open in 2022 for their 150th anniversary, we ended up staying like an hour away because there was NOTHING in St. Andrews at all. It ended up not being a problem at all because we rented a car and they had plenty of free parking and would shuttle you in. They even had a field full of tents that you could rent, but I don't have any desire to stay in a tent with my kids.

That's a good deal, but unfortunately I don't have that card. Both my husband and I have a Chase United and a Chase British Airways to collect miles for flying. I live in Houston which is a hub for United so I fly United for most of my non-Europe flights and I fly BA for most of my Europe flights because there are two direct flights a day from IAH to LHR...and from LHR, I can get pretty much anywhere.

Hmm...the rate should be the same (unless as others have said taxes and port fees went up), BUT I had a similar situation on a booking booked through a TA (and also on a European cruise) where I also *thought* the rate was raised by a minor amount and my online booking on Carnival just shows $0 so I can't go back and see how much I originally was quoted to know for sure. But I had in my mind it was one amount and then ultimately was charged a more so I sort of wonder if this is something going on with either TAs or Carnival. .

Thanks for the responses! We decided to just go into town as yall suggested instead of booking an excursion or trying to go to the estate. I think it will be too much trouble to get to the Chateau and I don't want to pay over $500 for all 4 of us to go.

It was not a good way to start the cruise. All the roads were parking lots in Dover due to some issue with the French border. School had just let out for summer vacation in several of the shires so there was the traffic of people trying to go over the boarder for vacation added to the normal traffic of 18 wheelers with food/supplies coming and going from continental Europe. Roads were completely shut down. It made the international news. The French blamed the British and the British blamed the French. Fortunately, that had all cleared by debark and debark was a breeze.

The only way I was able to finally buy some AARP cards was getting on my phone (not my computer) and paying for them through paypal. The AARP website always says I have incorrect address information BUT my address information is the same on all credit cards and with AARP. I have lived in the same house since 2008. (I do have a lake house we lived in briefly, but none of my bills were sent there and it isn't listed with aarp.)