CruzinScotty

Sorry, I lost track of this thread. I thought I was getting e-mail updates if someone posted on it. (scratches head). LOL

Anyways, I'm glad people have continued to find this information useful and others have continued to add to it.

As far as the buses are concerned: one time in Miami and also in Port Canaveral; the ship I was on left from one dock and returned to another. As a driver, the first time this happened, I was worried about it an everything was just fine. They had buses set up to return you to your car, just like Charleston uses for every cruise. It's something Carnival is used to and definitely in Charleston as they now have the system down as smoothly as possible.

2 hours ago, Gettys84 said:

Thanks for the info!  We are very excited to go on a larger ship close to home.  We live 2 hours from the port so will be nice not driver for Port Canaveral.  We did a live review on the Horizon in April and it was a ton of fun so planning on doing that on our Sunshine Cruise!  We are spoiled by the Pasta bar for lunch, we wont sail a ship unless it has it now!  

Glad I could help. When are you on the Sunshine; I want to look out for your live review. I like the Pasta bar as well; but didn't manage to get to it this time. That's one thing with the 5 nights with so many dining options; even at lunch: you can't do it all so it's best to just enjoy what you can and make plans for next time!  Enjoy your cruise.

11 hours ago, cruisinmems said:

Do they abide by the check-in times, or is it a free-for-all?

2 hours ago, Swinjaney said:

I was on the Sunshine on June 15, we had a 12:00 check in time.  We arrived at the port an hour early and walked right through the line with no question.  We arrived about 1030 and we were on the boat at 11.    it was the easiest embarkation I have ever been though!  

We are platinum and booked late. The earliest check-in time was 1230; but we knew we wouldn't have a problem. In the past, Charleston hasn't had to enforce the check in time. They used to not start letting people park until they are ready for you to work your way thru the boarding process with no waiting; other than on the bus while it fills up.

Swinjaney; I'm glad to hear the times you mentioned. Our first time from Charleston; we arrived so early we could only drop off luggage and then had to leave the area and line back up outside the parking area until they were ready for everyone. It's nice to see you can arrive that early and know they have things working well. The last two times, we have left our house at 1030 and boarded the ship just before noon. I could tell that even in the handicapped parking there were quite a few people ahead of us; I just didn't know if they let you into the area but not let anyone past the luggage drop off/parking payment area and those people had to sit in their cars for a while like we had previously done. Next time, it sounds like I can easily leave my house at 1000 and get on the ship earlier. For me, the cruise starts when I sit down for lunch. We skip breakfast that day, so the earlier the better.   🙂

On 6/24/2019 at 4:13 PM, Fireman9302 said:

Thanks for info!

 

On 6/24/2019 at 4:22 PM, pirate4me2 said:

We sail the Sunshine Aug 24 and Sept 22 from Charleston, I can't wait. Thanks for this info, it is very helpful!

11 hours ago, 2Shoes2Go said:

Thanks for the updated and very detailed information! We sail in Sept from Charleston. It has been a year or so since we’ve navigated through this port and terminal, so the info really helps! 😀

 

I'm glad that some people sailing from Charleston have found this thread and found it helpful.

5 hours ago, MooNGaTe27 said:

So CruzinScotty If I'm understanding this correctly the bus drops us off at the check in building then we get on a shuttle bus to the ship 

As far as I know, that is correct. 

6 hours ago, MooNGaTe27 said:

I was hoping the bus would be able to drop us off at a check in terminal like Ft. Lauderdale or Miami .It sound as if you get dropped off at security ,show your passport then get on a shuttle to the ship or is there some king of waiting area before you get on the ship ??

 Don't know why bus cant drop us off closer 

I guess one good thing about boarding in Charleston is they don't open the check-in area until they are ready to board. Part of this is because - yes - there is no room for a waiting area. But.....once you start the process; except for waiting on the bus, you just keep going until you are on the ship.  

Charleston used to be set up like Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Port Canaveral - Security first, then you check in. The Sunshine has too many more passsengers to efficiently get them on the way it was. IE. I live near the port. I left my home at the same time I did the last time I went on the Ecstasy and got on the Sunshine the same time I did on the Ecstasy. So, now, there is an extra building that is more efficient because they were processing more people in the same amount of time.  Check-in where you show your passport/photo ID is the first stop in the new building. This terminal and the terminal by the ship for Security are not large; so not a lot of walking there. I hate that you have a little walk outside to get to the check-in terminal; and you won't know for sure until you are on the ship: but - it may be possible that the total walking may not be much more than the larger terminals you listed. You just have that pesky shuttle bus you have to take as part of the process.

Someday....someday......they will get a new terminal built that will be like the other ports. I am more than ready for that day as well.   🙂      But, it doesn't stop me from sailing from Charleston when I live 40 minutes from the port.

6 hours ago, Gettys84 said:

Noticed you said that the dining room was open at 5:15. Could you be seated that early?  Thank you for the tips about the new parking process. We are sailing to Bermuda the end of September out of chucktown. Have sailed 5 or 6 times out of Charleston but this will be our first on a large ship out of this port. 

The last two ships I was on - the Ecstasy and Magic - it seems Your Time Dining opened at 5:15 on Formal Night and 5:30 the other nights. But, it definitely is 5:15 - 9:15 all nights on the Sunshine now. We used the app to sign up for our table. You can't click to reserve your table until they are open. Formal night, I signed up at 5:30; but had checked about 5:20 (to see how long the wait time was) and could have reserved a table at that time.

If you have sailed out of Charleston before, you know how small the terminal at the ship is. It worked for the Fantasy and Ecstasy. The Sunshine had left from Charleston previously the years it made it's way up and back for the summer in New York; so I guess they had enough experience to know they needed more space if it was going to be every cruise for however long until the "dancing of the ships" occurs again. Though anything in the Conquest class or Sunshine class (with new Sunrise and soon to be Radiance) are the largest ships that can port in Charleston and all have a similar passenger load. Unless they have a lot of trouble filling the Sunshine; I don't see Charleston going back to a Fantasy class ship. (Though there are many things we love about that class.)

Have fun on your Bermuda cruise!

I boarded in Charleston on June 20th. The terminal by the ship is now only for the Security check. I didn't see any check-in areas there.

At the new check-in building - you show your passport/photo ID for the one and only time. When waiting to board the shuttle to Security; I remember them saying they had specially equipped vans for people with special needs. We parked in the handicapped parking and had a short walk. It seems the drop-off area was right next to it with a similar walk. I can't say for sure, but I don't think the walk from the drop off area to check-in is more than the length of the ship itself; probably less.

I posted a thread yesterday, but don't know "how" you get to the new drop-off zone. I'm sure the bus driver will have that info by then.  gigem_aggies - do either of your grandparents or anyone you are travelling with have a handicapped placard? If so, parking is free and is much closer than regular parking. Unfortunately for regular parking; the earlier you get there; the longer the walk to check-in.

I hope this helps; but also hope someone that has boarded either via drop-off or with special needs will also post with confirmation or better info.

4 hours ago, swissh40 said:

 

Thanks for your reply! Will definitely be using your food ordering advice! Forgot about the lobster going away on 5 day cruises (this is my first five day as I usually think 5 days are too short, but this is the cruise the group picked). Can’t wait to sail out in less than 2 months! 

We did a 5 night on the Sunshine from Port Canaveral; it went to Half Moon Cay, Nassau and Freeport - to many ports for me. I like the 5 night from Charleston better. Have a sea day going down and coming back does make it feel a little longer. 

1 hour ago, swissh40 said:

For the main dining room was it the same American table menus that they hade for ecstasy? Thinking of doing jiji or steakhouse one (or two) nights but I haven’t seen posted menus for this ship in Charleston yet (I usually pick the night based on the dining room selection lol). 

 

Did serenity seem crowded? I’m going w a large group of adults in August who will most likely all want to be in serenity (i booked spa cabin so my pale self can have some breaks from the sun while still being close to the action)

It is still the American table; but the menus have changed a little. We thought about JiJi's; but never made it there. If you use the app; you can see the menus for the entire cruise the day you board if booking a specialty restaurant while on board works for you. It seems the first night's menu was the same; with the Port of Call entree for Charleston being shrimp and grits. I had them and they were very good.

A couple of menu changes: When Formal night took away lobster for 5 nights or less; they added scallops as an appetizer and duck as an entree. Both have been removed. They still have prime rib on Formal Night and replaced the scallops with a crab cake which was wonderful; if you like them. They also removed prime rib from the final night. If you are a beef eater - on the Every Day part of the menu, the Flat Iron Steak the last night is replaced with grilled beef tenderloin which was fabulous. For desserts, they took away the bread pudding. They still have WCMC every night and creme brulee on Formal Night. The Baked Alaska the last night is a HUGE improvement. It is much more like I'm used to in days gone by. Mostly ice cream with a real meringue and baked in the oven. 

If you eat at the buffet for lunch or dinner, there is a smaller selection. With more people; they have 4 smaller areas instead of 2 large ones. The appetizer/entree selection is still very nice; there is still a carving station. But, if you want veggies from the buffet - the only option is over at the salad bar.

On most ships, Serenity will be full. The fresh water pool is wonderful; but small - even by cruise ship standards! Serenity on the Sunshine is spread over 3 decks, with the middle deck having the most shaded seating. We were inside the first sea day. The 2nd sea day the winds were high, so the top and largest part of the Serenity deck was closed. Hopefully it will will all be open for your cruise.

Have fun!

They have vans and buses. We were on a large bus going over. If your carry on is heavy or large, they will store it underneath.

Hopefully someone will see this that can better answer the drop off question. Though, if the Uber driver has to stop and ask for directions a time or two; it will be worth it. You don't want to be lugging luggage all over the port area. Especially in August.  🙂 

1 hour ago, Cruiseman38 said:

 

As far as I know, it is currently fleet wide.

Just got on the sunshine and can  confirm it is here in Charleston. 

Is this process on all ships/homeports now?  Asking specifically for Charleston/Sunshine.

3 minutes ago, TrinaLC said:

 

Charleston embarkation is back to being a mess though, as they have changed the process yet again and no one directing traffic has a clue. 

Oh my. What have they changed about the parking has changed? I know all parking it outside instead of the covered warehouses; but figured they've had months to figure out the new configuration.

17 hours ago, anewell28 said:

 

Food:

My time dining was super easy with the app and our tables we nice.

 

 

 

Thanks for the great review and fair comparison of Carnival and RCCL. 

I'll be on the Sunshine soon. I had heard they were upgrading so you could use the app to get your table for My time (Anytime) dining; but wasn't sure it was on the Sunshine yet. I'm so glad to hear that it is.

Misc Info

Weather: In spite of some rough seas on our missed Grand Turk day (that I personally didn’t notice); we had wonderful weather! Sunny, with high's in the low to mid 80's most days. A little overcast here and there to give you a break from the temperature. A rain storm headed mid-day at HMC, but I believe it missed us, same thing in Nassau - at least near the ship.

Tea Time - I went on the first Sea Day. The treats were good as usual. It wasn't the best staff, but it wasn't the worst I've had. We enjoyed it, though I don't think people should have to bring their own tea bags instead of paying for the previously free Specialty tea bags. (I'm fine with them cutting costs by taking them off the Lido.)

Veteran's Appreciation Meet - My dad was one of THREE World War II vets that attended. This is always a wonderful and touching tribute.

Trivia - among our group, quite a few attended many of the trivia events. Antoinette, from Jamaica, was really great at hosting.

Comedy - as I mentioned, I saw each comedian at least once; a lot of the family saw a lot of the shows. After sailing on the Sunshine, the size of the venue was fine for the crowds. LOL I did find the smaller chairs to be very uncomfortable tough.

We had no problems with twice a day service in our room. A simple, "we have 3 adults in our cabin, we need servicing twice a day" and "no problem" it was.

We were very happy with most of the staff we encountered. From what I hear on CC and what other family members who cruise multiple lines have echoed, Carnival is usually at the top with friendly staff. The one exception that someone mentioned to me was at The Alchemy Bar, which surprised me. We've always had good encounters and most of us did get a drink one night on our way to dinner. But, one afternoon, just before opening, someone was walking by to see if they were open yet and the bartender sounded a little full of himself in saying, "we're not open yet". Sometimes, it's not the words; it's the tone. ;)

Debarkation - they need more than one elevator for those who can't do the escalator; it really slows down the process.

This is our second cruise since September - no more Immigration Form to fill out! They just looked at our passports to make sure we were who we said and sent us on our way.

We parked at the port. We miss the hotel discount on parking they used to have; but we still enjoy the convenience of getting off the ship and leaving at our convenience.

We really love Port Canaveral, especially now that Terminals 5 and 6 are finished - the Magic leaves from Terminal 6. You avoid the Disney/NCL parking line when entering; plus the parking garages are just so conveniently close to the terminal.

We missed 3 of our 4 original ports. But, we made the best of it. For this trip, the family reunion was the highlight, the ship and the ports were the icing. When you are able to go on a 7 night cruise with someone in their 90's who is fit enough to travel, it was all sweet to us. Not everyone got off at all three ports, but my Pop is one that did. He went with me on every excursion I discussed.

I guess that's about it for this review.

Happy cruising and I'll still be happy to answer anything I may have forgotten.

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Ports of Call

Amber Cove

We decided to take an excursion into Puerto Plata, just a short highlights tour to see a little of the country. I went to the Carnival site to post a review and now I can’t find the excursion. LOL There was even a Carnival employee on the trip to make sure the excursion did what the description said it did. And, it did! So, I’ll discuss anyways and maybe it will show back up. It was a 2.5 hour tour called “Panoramic Tour of Puerto Plata” that only cost $29.99 per person. It stopped at the city square which is where a church with beautiful stained glass is located. They had a vendor set up who was great with a machete slicing open coconuts for the milk and meat. Yum - the coconut meat was very good. Then, to the obligatory gift shop which is a part of every town square. LOL

We then drove around and stopped for a photo op at the Malecon, their ocean side Drive, to take pictures of a Neptune Statue on a small island just off shore. Then finally to the fort where you could get out and take pictures or stay in the air-conditioned van and relax. There was some traffic getting to town, that took maybe 20 minutes longer than normal to get to. But they didn’t sort change us on time; we were actually gone almost 3.5 hours. The Dominican Republic is a poor country and it shows. But, I’ve been cruising since the 1970’s and Puerto Plata reminded me of smaller ships that could get into smaller and more authentic ports. Don’t get me wrong – I love me some Amber Cove, Grand Turk and HMC that are man-made – I just like the best of both worlds!

We had lunch back on the ship and then a couple of us ventured back out to do a little shopping in Amber Cove. Surprisingly, we did not see Amber Cove t-shirts there, and only one was available at the t-shirt sale on the ship. There were only a few and of course, not the needed sizes. But, Amber Cove had plenty of Puerto Plata t-shirts for sale. I’m glad we went to town, so I can say I DID go to where my t-shirt says I went. ;) :')

Half Moon Cay

We already had an extended stay here with our first itinerary change. I was concerned with the size of the ship. Though I don’t know all of the itineraries by heart, I don’t recall a Dream Class ship going to HMC when one of them had been on the East Coast of Florida. With more people, how would the tenders work? How much longer would it take to get off the boat? How crowded would the beach be?

IMHO, I think the extra time helped to spread out the crowd - some. Plus, since we had a 7 hour head start after missing Grand Turk; we got another extra hour at HMC – starting at 8am. Being an early riser and the non-crowd lover that I am; we did decided to go early. Having just gotten to Platinum status, it was nice to try out the priority boarding at a tender port. I must say it was very nice. We only waited in the Northern Lights Dining Room (mid-ship for YTD) about 5 minutes. Then, I was pleasantly surprised we went out the back of the dining room and down the mid-ship elevators. They were using two tender boats at a time to get people to the island. Sweet!

We were there before 9am and there were still plenty of chairs in the very first section. We did get our feet wet, but chose to spend most of our time at the first bar, the one with the “I Could Stay Here Forever” sign. We were the only ones there for quite a while! Then, the crowd slowly arrived. We decided to head back to the ship for lunch and enjoy the afternoon where the crowds were not. ;)

Nassau

I have a hidden gem for you, if you’re game to give it a try. Carnival does have an excursion, but we went on our own as this was our second time there.

We arrived in Nassau around 8am and got off the ship at a leisurely pace – 9:15. We headed thru security and past the initial row of people trying to sell you tours. (They still push a bit; but have toned down the hard sell a bit from a few years ago.) Once outside the gate, we found our own cab driver who was more than willing to take us to our destination.

A mere 5 miles from the port you are transported back in time. Think of Florida in the 1950’s.

Welcome to Ardastra Gardens and Zoo. A place with stone walls and paths, lots of vegetation and flowers, birds galore and lots of……..quiet. We arrived at 9:40 and only saw 3-4 people until 5 minutes before the first main show when the cruise tours arrived.

Look for it on the site that Advises you on Trips ;) and you will find tons of pictures. It is listed as one of the top 10 things to do in Nassau – yet – how many of you have heard of it or been there? The zoo is famous for their Marching Flamingoes Show (1030) and being able to feed the Lory Parrots (1100). There are other times, but we chose the early ones to beat the crowds and the heat. There is a gift shop here. Things are expensive, but they are also extensively into conservation. I hope that part of the proceeds are going where they say.

The cab ride was $4 per person each way; the cost of admission was $18.

We had our cab driver come back after two hours. We saw the main events, but could have spent another 30 minutes looking around at things we missed.

Are you sensing a trend? We like to get off the ship and look around and find interesting things to do. But, we like to take shorter excursions and enjoy lunch and a less crowded ship each afternoon. It works for us.

We had the same game plan had we made it to Grand Turk. We hoped the water was warmer further south and planned to swim in the ocean that day. And shop. And see how things looked post-hurricane. But that and the other "lost ports" are what bucket lists are for. J

Please feel free to ask questions about anything on the Magic or on this particular cruise.

,

Hello, I used tiny pic dot com to host my pictures. It was free and very easy to use. I didn't want to pay to host my pictures and really wanted to post here. I post a lot on the groups on the book of faces but prefer this site because of the shared love of cruising. Thanks for your review, I am subscribing.

I had many problems using Photobucket so on my last report with photos, I did use tiny pic. It was much easier to use. But, I had been using the free part of Photobucket and they started charging ridiculous prices. It seems I found that tiny pic is owned by the same company. True or not, I just have the fear that all of the free photo sharing sites will start charging and this is the only place I share photos. In addition, putting together a much longer report, complete with organizing photos would just take more time than I have now.

Thanks for reading my review and suscribing.

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Let’s talk about food!

Remember this is my opinion and food is very subjective. Read at your own risk. J

Breakfast:

I’m a fairly early riser andnever had any lines.

From the Blue Iguana, I had the Arepas and Huevos Rancheros. I really love the Watermelon salsa – I put it on everything! Well, not the Arepas. LOL

I had a freshly made omelet one day, yum.

Most days, I did try to eat a little lighter – lots of fresh melon and some assorted pastries – the banana bread was a particular hit this time.

I don’t often have hot drinks on a Caribbean cruise. But, I did have the hot chocolate a few days – it’s a winner.

I did not attend the Sea Day Brunch or port day breakfasts. But, many in my family do enjoy these sit down meals. I can confirm that the new port day breakfast menu is available and that the item with toast and avocado was a big hit.

Lunch:

Pizza Pirate – I had the mushroom pizza one day, I do like the thin crust. The line moves a little slow. The day I was there was good so we only had to wait for a fresh pizza.Other days, family members would take whatever was available if they had waited in much of a line.

Guy’s Pig and Anchor – I can confirm that this venue was open on Embarkation Day and the lines are shortest when most people don’t know it’s open. I had lunch from here twice. Over those two visits, the only items I didn’t try at least once was the potato salad, the roll, and the collards. DW had thecollards and enjoyed them. I enjoyed every item I had and was happy to stand inline the last sea day to get a 2nd meal, since this venue is only ona few ships right now. (There's another thread today about the many types of BBQ available in the USA. I'm staying out of that fray. I live in the south and am familiar with the different types of BBQ. I also realize we're on a ship that serves a LOT of people so I had realistic expectations and they were exceeded.)

Guy’s Burger’s – I was first in line one day and watched the initial cooking of the burgers. I didn’t realize there were two kinds of cheese. The Ringer is my burger of choice.

Blue Iguana – I had tacos one day; always a favorite. If you like watermelon and haven't tried the watermelon salsa - DO! I used to get the Burritos at breakfast and lunch, but switched to the tacos and huevos rancheros because #1 – there is less breading and #2 – the lines are always shorter!

Tandoor – I do remember this from the Dream; it’s the only other time I’ve eaten Indian food. For everything I was brave enough to take, I enjoyed. A few things had a little kick to them, but nothing I couldn’t eat.

Others in my gang enjoyed the Mongolian Wok and did eat from the buffet some days.

I did not eat at the deli, butI did notice the new menu. I can’t speak to the new process of how they are made; but I personally don’t care for the choices as much. Especially since they removed a staple of mine: the Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese on a bagel.

Lunch desserts were what we typically see: if it is gelatinous, it usually has no flavor (unless you are getting plain jello – LOL). For cake type items, if things look dry; they usually are. And, it has varied from ship to ship with no rhyme or reason.

The Chocolate Extravaganza is getting a little better – there were more moist cake options. The chocolate cheesecake was very good and light. I usually get the chocolate pudding; I’m glad it was also back to a lighter version instead of the heavy almost fudge/cake icing-ishversion I’ve seen recently. One of my favorite things is the rice pudding and DW discovered some Churros this time that she enjoyed.

And there’s always time for the24 hour per day self-serve ice cream!

Dinner:

As previously mentioned, we had YTD and were usually in line early because we have a large group and preferred to be at the same table. And get to evening events.

With 11 of us, we had a wide, wide range of appetizers, entrées and desserts. There were only a few things someone may not have liked. But as I said food is subjective and the two thingsI can think of are things that other family members also chose and they liked them. See – I proved my own point. J

If you have any specific questions about anything from the MDR, please feel free to ask.

We did not attend the 2nd Formal Night as we had reservations at the Steak House. I’ve only been to theSteak House on the Dream, the one on the Magic is MUCH smaller. It seemed to have more noise and was less intimate. We tried to get a reservation earlier in the week, but they could not accommodate 11 of us except the night we attended.

The new menu is in place here as well. We again had a huge variety of the appetizers and the entrees; all of which were great! Again, feel free to ask questions.

The dessert menu is very different. One person chose the apple and said it was good, but not great.

So let me speak about the Steak House new dessert called something along the lines of “Art at the Table”. I wish I could post pictures, because it did look interesting. It was explained that it was made at the table. We were told there is a white chocolate ball with ice cream and a chocolate type cake in the middle. Two kinds of chocolate plus ice cream had us sold, so the rest of us tried it.

Well…..we wished we had seen it done at another table first. For the 10 of us – that's a lot of varied taste palates there - it was a once and done thing.It was neat to see them bring the large board out – we had one at each end of our table. There were sauces, IE. Raspberry spread out like someone making art deco. Then, they added other items: small chocolate cookies here, passion fruit and other jellies there. Then, there were two large white balls of chocolate placed in the middle. They literally smashed the top off so you could see the icecream and chocolate cake in the middle. It really was quite a presentation.

The taste and other factors were another matter. Now, we are one big happy family; but something was missing: plates! We had forks and were to just dig-in and help ourselves. That was fine for the finger food jellies and caramels. But to just grab part of the white chocolate dome and use your fork to put some of the ice cream and chocolate cake on it…..not so much. And you really couldn’t try the different sauces they used without feeling like you were contaminating that section of the board for others.

Overall; we really enjoyed ourvisit to the Steak House and the dessert is definitely a story to tell.

Coming soon are the Ports of Call

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I was also on this sailing and found it disappointing port wise. The cruise itself was great. We met a lot of people and had wonderful service. It was hard missing Grand Turk as this was the one port I wanted to go to. Carnival can't control the weather but man it just seemed like one thing after another lol.

I hear ya; we really missed Grand Turk as well. Deja vu looking back at the island two years in a row for most of us.

Thanks for reading.

Subscribing! This is a great review so far! [emoji7][emoji7][emoji7]

I'm glad you're enjoying, thanks.

The Ship and Entertainment

My only comparison to the Magic was the Dream in 2014. That wasn’t a great cruise as I was way overworked and exhausted at that time. I remember feeling more crowding, and not liking the rear pool not having much shade to sit in.

I tried going in with open expectations. I will say we try to avoid the crowds and did for the most part. The buffet lines were long and there doesn’t seem to be enough space for people. I didn’t eat at the buffet, but did have to weave through the mass of people occasionally. We found a table near the Pizza Pirate and Tandoor a few days when we wanted to eat outside at lunch.

I did enjoy the décor of the Magic. I understand the changing times and getting away from the Fargus/Vegas glitz of the Fantasy and Conquest class. But, I will say I think those ships stand out more because they are so different. I also liked the décor on the Sunshine. What I haven’t cared for is it seems the Sunshine, Breeze and Vista have similar color palates. The pendulum can swing too far; it seems other neutral, but modern, theming can be done for each ship. But, I don’t want to get off on that tangent any further…..so………

Let’s talk about Dr. E – the Cruise Director. Most people really love him, but as usual, you can’t please everyone. He is definitely great at the shows, music trivias and the Embarkation Briefing. Those are really in his wheelhouse. My only wish is that he would tone it down – just a bit - on the overhead announcements. Of course, he was very serious when he came on after the Captain announced we would miss Grand Turk and he was very appropriate at the Veteran’s Military Appreciation Gathering. Overall though, I really enjoyed him.

The Shows:

88 Keys was the First Formal Night; it’s the first time I’ve seen it. I heard it was good and agree completely. I like that Brandon from the Piano Bar is part of the pre-show. I also like that the Piano Bar near the aft on Deck 5 is open so you can hear the music when passing by.

Country Roads (?) was the next night. This is a fairly newshow. I know enough Country Music to know that this show was not good. It was the worst show I have seen. The song selection was horrible and the few songs I did know were arranged so poorly they were almost unrecognizable. Any other country fans out there that have an opinion of this show? There are tons and tons of country songs that the regular public know – that could have done an updated version along these lines. They did not.

America Rocks – I believe this used to be called 80’s Rock? Someone correct me on this if I’m wrong. I remember that show had some 70’s songs and it didn’t totally fit the name, so maybe they changed it? This show really did rock! One thing I LOVED about the show is they take the PlaylistProduction singers/dancers and add the other rock group on the ship. (I’ve seen this show 3 times on 3 different ships and didn’t notice this until the 2nd time which was on the Ecstasy). So, you do have live music and more singers for more variety.

Flick – I believe this is the new show John Heald mentioned that is something unlike Carnival has ever done? I thought it was the best show I’ve seen on a Carnival ship. It features songs from movies (hence the name Flick); but there are a lot of lights, lasers and artistry involved. It is hard to describe. I could follow what the “emcee” (who was from the dance group) was doing with the laser until he somehow “picked it up” and had it going horizontal. Part music, part dance, part light show, and part magic!

Other Entertainment:

Music Trivia – I was at the Motown, 70’s and 80’s, and the 90’s music trivia. They were all great and this is where Dr. E really shines.The 70’s and 80’s is best, he does a few costume changes along the way.

There were various other musicians that I caught bits and pieces of. There was a steel drum player (though I only heard him on EmbarkationDay), a great string trio, the aforementioned band that was also in the America Rocks show, and with the Piano Bar more open;we stopped by to listen to Brandon a few evenings. There was also a countryband – the Blackjack Band that played old style country music. We saw this group circa 2006 on the Celebration out of Jacksonville and have been trying to catch them on an East Florida ship ever since. I’m glad we finally got to hear them again.

Comedy – I saw at least one show for each of the 4 comedians. Mostly the PG shows, but that was more due to timing to get to the production shows than me being offended by the R-rated ones. We were supposed to change comedians in Grand Turk – but we didn’t stop there. That night there was no comedy, but it was scheduled the night after Half Moon Cay. There is a small airport on a neighboring island near HMC. One comedian got off for a family emergency, the other stayed on to do some repeat shows that night. I’ve not seen us pick up new comedians in Nassau before. But, with an altered itinerary; I’m also not used to a sea day AFTER Nassau at the end of a cruise. So, we had our new comedians the last 2 nights. Both started their sets with, “I was in Grand Turk– thanks for picking me up.” J

A few other comments about the ship:

We loved the outside deck on 5 which you could walk all the way around the ship. It was neat that the Red Frog Pub had outside seating andeven a few table/gliders.

Having just been on the Ecstasy in September, the hallways on the deck floors felt really, really long. LOL

This was our first time with the photo gallery being digital. Without a paper copy, paying the same price to download the photo on your phone just seemed ridiculous. And that was the least expensive way to purchase anything. Carnival is on the right track in saving paper, etc; but they have to come down on the prices. We did get some photos, but not as many as usual.

This is my 3rd cruise using the Hub. In September, they had added the Menu's on the Ecstasy. On the Magic, the menus section did not work well. Sometimes, you would see every day - but if you hadn't memorized the next day's menu; you wouldn't see it the next day. Some days you could see most of the menu, but not the Port of Call or Dessert menus. This is a nice addition to the Hub - even better when it works all the time! The rest of the Hub was great, and they were quick in updating activities for our un-scheduled extra sea day. Being able to see your account information in one of the best functions, things often show up within 5 minutes of your purchase.

I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot; please ask any questions.

I’ll discuss food and then excursions in separate posts.

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There was one last week on the Magic as well.

Tis the Season

I thought I'd talk about the decorations for those that may be cruising over the holidays.

The ship was definitely decked out, with Christmas trees galore; all matching these decor of the area. The Atrium tree had lights of green, gold and white. It is set for musical theming as was used during the tree lighting the first evening and for the Ugly Sweater contest followed by the arrival of Santa on the last night. But, most of the time, the lights did not blink. It was beautiful and fit in with the overall green theme of the Atrium. I will admit that the Atrium lights with the dot in the center sure did look a lot like Grinch eye's. ;) You could notice the tree moving when the ship was at sea and decks 4 and 5 had lots of garland to set the theme. There is also a large Menorah in the Atrium.

They had a special Holiday Show at 4PM on the last day. The various ages in Camp Carnival participated as well as some of the Playlist Singers, Dr. E telling an updated version of Frosty The Snowman, an appearance by the Grinch and of course, Santa.

On Deck 5, near the coffee/pastry shop, they had a holiday scene set up. There were lots of Gingerbread houses - it smelled really good. LOL They also had a bridge complete with a few miniature Carnival Ships.

More on the decor and the ship coming up. Got to head to work to pay the bills. :)