Volsfan49

Thanks for the info. I did a lot of research as well but I have yet to find someone who was actually at Dolphinaris in Cozumel. I spoke with the facility directly and they said they did not have a pool so I'm still not convinced that there is a pool and VIP Lounge.

To Punkin35 - you mentioned a pool that was for VIP package holders. I have been told my 2 different entities that there is no infinity pool at Dolphinaris in Cozumel. Can you elaborate for me?

Maybe you can answer a question since you were there recently. Is there an infinity pool and a VIP lounge / deck area for those who buy the VIP Experience?

Jenny B

I am strongly considering this on my January 2019 cruise

LA CASA EN LA PLAYA - ADULTS ONLY

Enjoy paradise while you relax at a luxurious house on the beach complete with all amenities including a chef, bartender and gracious host. Read more

Has anyone done this excursion offered by Carnival in the last few months? There's supposed to be an infinity pool and VIP lounge at Dolphinaris that is part of the VIP excursion, however, the event site says they do not have a pool and that was what was told to the Carnival excursion team that tried to find out as well. Don't want to spend $300+ for 2 if this is not available. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

With FTTF you can board as soon as they open the terminal. The purpose of FTTF is early embarkation, cabin ready when you board so you can drop off your carry-on luggage and a line at guest services desk for specifically for FTTF cruisers.

We paid with cash. Not sure about credit cards. And even though it's not a long walk to the beach it is still a nice experience riding in the air over the grounds below. I would also look into an excursion that would get you the chair tickets and lounge chairs do you don't have to search for a good spot when you arrive. There are a lot of folks that go to Mahogany Beach!

We have been on 8 Carnival cruises and we have yet to "dress up" for formal night. Husbands wears slacks and collared knit shirt and I wear slacks and a nice top (never a dress), so as others have stated, think about what you are doing and where and have fun. I don't think they allow shorts but may be wrong.

No booze, we don't cruise. Like having wine with meals and bloody mary's in the morning.

Even though this was not an option on this poll, we like "anytime dining". Main dining is way too early and late dining is way to late. We never know from one day to the next when we will want to eat dinner so this works best for us.

We have this cabin booked for our November cruise. Can't speak to this specific cabin but we always get an aft balcony on deck 7 or 8 and the view is great, the motion is similar to mid ship and noise has never been an issue. The balcony is is usually plenty big enough for 2 people. Hope this helps.

There's a new embarkation process now with Carnival that I discovered this year through other Cruise Critic members. Check-in is now done on line. During that process you choose your "arrival time". From what I can tell it makes the entire process much easier and faster than before. FTTF is great if you are able to get it. I have been checking on a regular basis since February and it is still sold out for our cruise November '18. All of this information is available on your Carnival "Home" page Manage My Cruise.

We are sailing Thanksgiving. Looks like you are sailing in October. Hope we all have a great time on this huge sailing vessel. Looking forward to the different food venues this ship offers.

What does FTTF stand for?

Faster to the Fun is on Carnival and is an "excursion" at the home port. It costs $62.50 (I think) and gives you priority boarding, luggage delivered first and on tender ports priority debarkation which can be very helpful. Even though it may show sold out, you can continue to check regularly as they usually add additional spaces as you get closer to departure. It has to do with the number of platinum cruisers booked who automatically get preferred boarding, etc.

We used them a few years ago in St. Thomas. They told us the pick p time would be the ship's time. Well, they picked up at 8:00 am and the ship docked at 9:00 am. Needless to say we missed the excursion and they didn't refund our money! Never again.

Thanks for the information and so quickly.

How do you "snag" check-in time on an upcoming cruise? We are on the Vista Nov. 18 and FTTF is sold out for now. We have 7 cruises on Carnival and this is new to me.

Without knowing your budget, it would be hard to get specific, however, since you are looking for the most ports you can see, Southern cruises out of San Juan will give you 6 beautiful ports of call. Our 7 day Southern cruise included San Juan, St. Thomas, Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, and Antigua. All ports were awesome with beautiful beaches, gorgeous aqua water and great excursion options. Hope this helps.

Just an fyi - Belize is a tender port so just to get to Belize City is not real easy (we are both older). Once there it's all about vendors, heat and humidity and saying I've been to Belize. We have been on 2 cruises that stopped in Belize. First time we stayed on the ship, 2nd time we went to the port so we could say we had been there. Unless you can find an excursion that's easy, I say stay on the ship.

My head is hurting I have spent that much time researching these cruises. I am looking at carnival cruises out of Miami in April. I have the option of the Eastern Caribbean on the Glory or the Southern on the Vista. The Vista is more expensive but I can' t decide which itinerary. Eastern is Grand Cayman, Mahogany Bay, Belize and Cozumel. Southern is Grand Turk, La Romana, Curacao and Aruba. Does anyone have any useful information on either the ships or ports that might help sway my decision? I love the idea of visiting Mayan Ruins but would prefer to be on a newer ship, that said I sailed on the Fascination last year and we had a good time. I'm just fed up now and can't come to a decision!

Definitely the Southern Caribbean cruise. All 4 ports are beautiful, especially Curacao and Aruba. I haven't been the Glory or Vista but have been on sister ships of Glory. On the Eastern cruise Grand Cayman is the best port. Belize not so much. Mahogany Bay is a great place to spend the day with great beach and several shops and at least one restaurant. Or you can do an excursion and see more of Honduras. I have been to all of these ports - some several times - and Southern is the best!