cruzinlisa

where did you get the solar glasses

Where I am at, they have them everywhere- walmart, grocery store. And I hear you can order online. But they are making the eclipse a BFD here- something about being right in the middle of the country and on the path. So in normal places, it might not be as easy to find.

You are likely to be seated alone. Every time we have arrived at the dining room with our daughter (on every cruise) we have been seated alone at dinner. Breakfast or lunch is often with others. We usually end up at a 4 top. There are a lot of two and four tops in the dining room -but they are super close together. And I mean really close, not like a normal restaurant. On the ships I have been on, they have like a longer bench seat on one side (or chairs) and then tables like 10-12 inches apart. It could be slightly more, but seriously very close. Just enough room to get in the chair.

Usually even if we arrive without DD, we are seated alone. One time (out of many cruises with MTD) DH and I arrived alone on formal night and were asked if we want to share a table. We opted to do so, although I am sure we could have said no.

We are kind of the opposite of a lot of people. We have just one child and she is school aged (6). At home she plays off on her own most of the time. Having just one child its not that hard to get a baby sitter at home so we can have a date night alone. So we get a fair amount of alone time. But having a small kid and full-time jobs and friends having the same, we kind of have a limited social life and when we do go out with friends, kids are usually involved. So we kind of crave adult interaction. When we don't have our kid with us. If we have our kid, its better if its just us.

I've done both and even with typical dining at home much ealier then late dining we prefer that. It is nice to not have to be rushed getting back from ports. Time to shower and nap if u want. If u have a teen who has the full makeup and straightening hair before they will go late is the way. You can grab snack at lido and skip dessert and make most shows. Only thing I ever missed was 7 ish seaside movie.

This is why I go back and forth between whether I would prefer late and early. I like early because if I eat late then I get tired and feel too full. But I also like the ability to take a nap in the late afternoon- especially after a long hot port day, and take a shower (like my second or third of the day usually lol). At home I rarely wear makeup or straighten my hair, but on vacation, I like to do it, because I have time. With earlier seating I just don't have time. That is probably why I always end up with MTD, because 7-7:30 is perfect for me. Gives me time to get ready, but not as late as late dining. But the trade off for me is no dinner companions. So if we do take a cruise without DD, I probably will pick late dining for the company. Then just watch, we will either get a table for 2 or with people who don't show up. HA

If I sleep in more in the AM, I won't have to worry about being tired as much after dinner. And without having my DD there, I probably won't be as tired. Oh, small children keep you young but they sure make you FEEL old. If I only had 1/100th of her energy.

Yes they can but hopefully they will pick up after themselves' date=' four in a cabin can get rather crowded if stuff is scattered all around[/quote']

 

True, Even without, it gets crowded. My DD is only 6 and with three of us, we have no option but to share. But I have noticed in an inside cabin, its super cramped.

 

I am assuming you are in a bigger cabin, but even so, I can't imagine sharing with 2 teenagers. Of course at that age they have tons and tons of energy so its likely they will barely ever be in the cabin. Ah to be that age again.

I love cruising and Carnival has given me many many good happy memories! And therefore, I will be on my 29 Carnival cruise coming up. So, the number of cruises and sea days that you take with them, definetly shows your loyalty to Carnival ... I would say bring back the Welcome Aboard Party to everyone, not just us Platinums and Diamonds. I think some people started feeling left out when they always got to go the the Welcome party, and then they were not. That would definetly be a start. Bring back the little things, like the Andes mints on your pillow (not the choclate that they switched to that just wasn't that good), bring back the Hurricane glasses that the Drink of the Day came in (without paying extra)... something about those just said "Hey, I am on my cruise, the fun begins now!" Sometimes, it just the little things...

Yeah these things. And I am one of those that got upset with the changes about the past guest parties. First I was demoted from gold to red (one cruise only then I got back up to gold). Then they disinvited golds from the past guest party, just as my DH finally turned gold. I get why they did it and that there are a lot of golds on the ship. And they can't afford to open the party for them. But give us something else. It will be quite a while before I make platinum. Maybe never, because although I have been on a lot of cruises, I like to shop around. I still plan on trying NCL and MSC when the right deal comes along. And if I could afford it, Celebrity would be my cruise line of choice. So just because I cruise does not mean all will be on Carnival. And I will vacation other places besides cruises...

Of course I would not choose a cruise line based upon repeat guest perks, but if they think it does not factor in at all, they are wrong. Its not the driving factor, but it does contribute to the value of the experience. Right now Carnival is not always the best value for me. And its the little things that have chipped away at the value. Bring a couple of those little things back or give me something new and it may tip things back to Carnival. There was a time that I only cruised Carnival. If you look at my signature and cruise history, you will see that my first several cruises were Carnival. I only started "cheating" recently. :)

My guess is that you'll see a few more things added to red and gold (platinum and diamond will end up with those same things as well). Things likes discounts or buy one, get one offers.

A BOGO drink coupon (1 time use) would be nice and does not really cost them that much. Personally, it would probably be just an extra drink that I would buy over and above what I was planning on, so they would technically make money. And for those that don't drink- no loss. It would make up for the loss of the "free drink" that they used to give for red and gold at the sea day brunch. Maybe something like $5 or $10 match for casino. Again, does not really cost them and you still have to pay to use it. They would probably make money on that with people that don't normally do the casino, especially since most people tend to lose.

Given the "great" changes they made last time when they created red and demoted people from gold to red, I don't expect too much. But it would be nice. I would also like to see a few amenities for gold (mainly because DH and I are gold right now). There really is nothing- except a pin and bottle of water. I know a lot of people are gold, but it seems like every other line gives something better.

:) I can totally see that entire conversation happening. :) The trade off doesn't seem so bad to me. I generally rise very early - especially on vacation ... gotta get in my sun rises - so after dinner just chilling out works for me. Thanks much.

Yeah it's pretty much taken from real life events. It's getting better now though. LOL

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Although many of you are Carnival loyalist on here and that is great for you but this is our experience so please don't inflame as this board is for all opinions. We had large group of family and sail every other couple years together have been on Royal, Carnival and Disney. Our last Carnival cruise though was 2010 on the Dream which we enjoyed. However this time Carnival Magic lacked so much which makes cruising fun!

Embarkation was fine until we got on the boat at about 12:15 & it was a complete zoo never have i seen a lido buffet area with lines that wrapped around the entire inside, huge lines for burgers and burritos, no where to go and down right stifling hot it was so frustrating off to bad start however next time i will make sure we arrive after 1:30 when cabins are open and maybe less people everywhere!! However this foreshadow what was to come, Lines, Lines, and more lines, and people everywhere on this ship!!

The ships public areas are just too small especially the pools and lido buffet etc for the amount of passengers!

Definitely carnival cutbacks, sorry but the food on this ship was below average & not what we have experienced on past cruises. Buffet was awful & dining room dinner choices were few and overall food came out cold and flavorless, the servers are so overworked that when we asked for other things they were never brought and refills were non existant on drinks and drinks took forever, many drinks we ordered but never received.

Entertainment was sparse and consisted mostly of line dancing to same songs, sea days had few activities by the pool only hair chest contest & loud music. The shows were few and not very good and there just weren't a lot of night time activities, the deck party was no food, no midnight buffet or snacks just once again passengers dancing. Only late night food was pizza and the line was so long and slow! Room service twice ran out of food we ordered on menu!

Our cabin was great if it wasn't so hot and never cooled down and basically carnival did nothing to help us offered a fan but never received it! However the cabins are spacious and tons of storage and the closets were big with lots of hangers the bathroom had lots of shelves.

On a good note, the ship was very clean and always being cleaned especially the bathrooms, all the workers we encountered were very friendly and helpful, and working hard! The ports were great, nassau, amber cove (although wished they made a beach area not just a pool) and Grand turk was the nicest! Embarkation was rather painless! The weather was great all week so that was nice, best part the drinks were strong so we drank more then we ate!

We've always liked carnival in past but after not sailing on them in 7 years, things have changed for the worse and too many other choices out there when your spending way over $1000 pp and additional $380 for drink package! If you have any questions i will try to help, every cruise is what you make it of course and we made it fun cause we had large group but the Carnival Magic disappointed all of us:(

I am sorry your cruise was disappointing. Lines are annoying, but you did travel during the peak of the summer, which likely had something to do with it. Perhaps if you traveled during a less crowded time, you would enjoy yourself more.

I don't know what to say about the food. Its obviously very subjective, but also individual. And things like temperature had vary depending on the speed of the wait staff, which could impact the food quality and taste. I have never found the food to be awful, but sometimes better than others. I know when we were on celebrity, I thought the buffet was atrocious, but others praise it.

The room issue would be annoying as well. I don't know what happened with that, but its super hot and maybe the AC just did not keep up. They should have given the fan- likely they forgot. No its not an excuse, but an explanation.

All in all, it sounds like a not fabulous cruise. I don't know that I would write Carnival off forever for it, but I can understand your disappointment.

In my mind I like late dining, but I go back and forth. Early dining seems so early- even though we eat about that time at home. And sometimes we eat a later lunch and I am just not hungry that early (on cruises that is). But when I do late dining then I am usually tired right after dinner. I probably eat more, due to actually being hungry at dinner time. Then with a full belly I want to let it settle before having a drink or doing too much. Then I get sleepy. I get more reflux too, due to not digesting everything before falling asleep.

But with late dining I also have less snacking- especially at night and drink less. So there are trade offs.

We usually do MTD, but I have told my husband if we ever cruise without our daughter, I would like to do traditional dining. MTD is great with smaller children because you are less likely to dine with others. I don't mind dining with others, but when my DD (who is six) is there, its difficult to both be a watchful parent and a good conversationalist. Kind of like when someone asks what we did that day and my answer is " Well we- put that down please- went to the- I said don't play with the sugar- beach and- No don't touch that, I will get you a piece of bread- Sorry- where was I..." But if it was just us, I would not mind the opportunity to have some dinner companions.

That's not what I understood, but that's fine because THAT'S the point-- "everyone's answers are based on their own perception of their own personal experience." No two experiences and understandings are exactly the same. Take what you can/want for reading someone else's experience, go to the source for facts (and note that exceptions may be made for you), and use common sense to help form your own experience!

 

 

~Profile Says Everything~

I get what you are saying but doesn't this apply to everything- like life in general. Not necessarily a profound thought, although I guess some need to be reminded. It feels like this is one of those life lessons you should learn in grade school- along with "life is not always fair."

Of course I guess there are some people who still need to hear this. (And I am sad for that)

Which port in Jamaica?

I think Jamaica is a beautiful Island, but it can be a bit scary. I recall seeing guys with machine guns on top of buildings on the way out of the gate. But Mexico can be a little unsettling too and I love Cozumel. I have been to both Ochos Rios and Montego Bay. Ochos Rios was fine. We took a taxi and went to Dunns River Falls. Did not climb it, just saw it. Got accosted at the little market outside there. Then to Margaritaville. Not too exciting or scary, except at the market.

In Montego Bay we had our daughter with us so I was more uneasy. We had planned to walk around the terminal, but there was pretty much nothing there. Its not like Cozumel or some other ports where you could just walk around the port area. We did Carnivals' Hop on Hop off bus, which worked well for us. It goes to the Rose Hall shops, Doctor's Cave Beach, Margaritaville and a flea market type of place. At the flea market, the driver says, don't go over there (across the street), its very dangerous and you could get hurt or killed. It was literally across the street. At the flea market people were relentless. They don't take no for an answer. If you are going to buy from one vendor, be prepared to buy from them all and probably don't buy more than 1 thing at a time. When we got off the bus at Doctor's Cave beach there were 3 ladies in front of us, probably mid 50s. Three different people came up to them and tried to sell them some "local herbs." These ladies really did not look like the type to indulge IMO. No one approached us- probably the 2 year old scared them off.

If I went back to Jamaica, I would still get off the ship, but I would probably leave my kid on the ship. It was unsettling. Which is a shame, because I thought it was a beautiful Island. I have met a couple people from Jamaica and like the culture. But drugs are rampant and its kind of scary.

Well, *THAT* didn't take long.

 

Carnival rewards are now gone from the app, FB and mobile. Not just showing as "sold out,' but GONE.

I saw that. Hoping they come back. I have 850K (give or take) points just sitting there, waiting to be redeemed. I would like to redeem on Carnival.

Like eColi and Norovirus? Those are my favorite germs to have running thru my body when on vacation

This. I am not really a germophobe, but the cruise line is super worried about noro, which can spread like wildfire and result in massive extra cleaning (and bad PR). No thanks. It would be nice if they could have some sort of indiv portions of salty snacks, but they would probably not taste good anyway. I am not sure if its the humidity or what, but even when they have chips they lose their crunch.

I haven't been on a ship with American Table so I am giving this based upon the original menu. Some of these might not exist anymore:

Appetizers: Spring rolls, mushroom soup or Tom Ka Gai soup

Main: Chateaubriand, filet mignon and braised short rib, Lobster

Desserts: Black Forest Gateau, amaretto cake, chocolate/raspberry vanilla cake,

and bitter and blanc

Sea Day brunch: Steak and Eggs, Spicy Tomato soup, Ceasar salad

Our last cruise on the Magic, we went to the omelet station. One lady in front, so I got in that line instead of the one next to her with 2 people. She then ordered 11 OMELETS! We waited forever. Someone said something to her, and she said her kids couldn't stand in line because they are "little." Guess they are going to be getting a LOT bigger on those 11 omelets!

Gee. How many kids did she have. My kiddo could not eat one by herself.

I'm a coke zero person myself and just read Coke is discontinuing it! But I always mix Carnival's ice tea with a bit of their lemonade - and I personally think it makes it a tasty drink!

I hope not. I never was that much of a coke zero fan, but I am acquiring a taste for it. I don't like Diet Coke that much either, so sometimes I mix it half zero and half diet. But I do prefer Coke Zero when I have Malibu. It has a hint of something so its just a little spicier. It works well with Mailbu which is really sweet.

I have learned a lot about Ice Tea from this thread. I like it okay. I sometimes order it instead of soda when its super hot or something, but generally I will prefer soda. I don't make it all that often at home, but when I do, we drink it. I don't do sweet tea unless its with splenda. I do like the Gold Peak Diet tea. But other than that, I never noticed a difference in a brand of tea bag or between regular and cold brew (I know that there are some that are supposed to be for ice tea specifically, but did not notice the difference). I don't care whether it sits in the sun or, pour hot tea over ice to make it cold, or if it sits in the refrigerator. I never noticed any difference in taste. LOL But even with my unrefined tea palate, I can tell you carnival's ice tea is gross. It tastes old and instant. Lemonade is pretty good, but pretty strong. Some people mix half and half but I don't because I don't like lemon in my tea and also because the tea is bad tasting.

Most places yes but where my BFF works she can't. She's already had to put in for 2018 vacation time and it's been approved. She can't change it or get someone to switch with her sadly.

Yes, this. My DH's job requires him to submit all "seniority based" vacation in January for the entire calendar year. He can submit leave for other times of the year, but since its not seniority based, it will be based upon availability, which means it is not likely you will get an entire week approved unless it is not during the popular times of the year, near any federal or state holidays, or a core training week (which is once per month). He could withdraw his request, but getting a new full week would be a different matter. Would have been okay in this instance, since it is a diff calendar year, but if it were this year, we would be out of luck. It limits our ability to travel with others since we have to plan far in advance- especially since we, like our friends and family, try to stick to times when school is out.

OP- Since your schedule is flexible, I would rebook and take the OBC for your trouble. And have a good time.

This is very true and child dependent. My son was in preschool for 6-9 months before we took his first cruise just shy of 3. He was thrilled with camp and had zero separation issues. Other kids at even 8 or 9 report that they don't like camp as much as being with Mom and Dad. So really, whenever you chose to take your child it pays to have a good idea of what your child is likely to prefer!

 

 

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That is true too. Its definitely very individual to the child and their temperament. Now that I think about it, my daughter did not start formal preschool until after our second to last cruise. We always had in-home child care with small number of kids (usually less than 6) or with grandpa (just her). I thought it might be easier for my DD because being an only child she is relatively independent with her play and does not really look to us for fun. But the flip side is that she is much more introverted- having no siblings to play with such that a bigger group was harder for her. This past cruise was the first one since she started school and it went much better, probably because it was a familiar type of set up as school.

But there were still plenty of younger kids having the time of their lives, so definitely it is individual. The moral of the story (yes there is a point) is OP (or whomever) even if you reschedule when camp is available, don't count on it. Lots of small children love it and others don't. I really thought my kid would love it, but I was wrong. Now that I think about it, I should have known it all along...

Kiss on the lips. Tried to recreate it at home and never quite right. Its a peachy, mango frozen drink. Although it is a sweet drink, it has a bit of tartness to it that makes it more refreshing than some of the other frozen drinks.

I also like the funship special, which is like a fruit punch type of drink. I am not sure if its that I just like the taste or because its a first day special so its like the epitome of being on a cruise. probably both.

Even if the child was 2 there would be no guarantee that he would be comfortable/happy staying in the camp. That is an age where new environments and leaving parents don't always go well together!

Absolutely true. We took our daughter on a cruise when she was 2 years and 3 months old. Every single time they would call us and say she was crying and wanted us. The only time we did not get the call was when we were off the ship for a Carnival excursion, but they probably would have called if they could. We were lucky if we got an hour before the phone call. They don't really interact with the kids one on one which does not always work well with kids that age. Even at 4 camp was hit or miss. Now my DD is 6 and would rather spend time with anyone/thing but us most of the time (yes it starts earlier than you think) so she enjoyed camp last go around. First time.

February 2014 was our first cruise that there was no ice sculpture and no fruit carvings. Our prior cruise was February 2013 so the change was somewhere in that period. I was very disappointed and thought it was specific to that ship. That first view of the fruit carvings in the Windjammer was my WOW moment when boarding. I was told by one of the chefs that the elimination of the carvings was due to staff cutbacks and there aren't enough hands in the kitchen now - he also said that it is not a food issue because almost all of the fruit was able to be used or consumed in some way.

I wish they would bring back fruit carvings or ice sculptures to some degree. Maybe not as much the grand gala buffets on 10 years ago, but on a smaller scale. It is the WOW factor. A lot of what has been lost is the WOW. Cruising is a good value, service is great, food is very (or at least pretty) good. But its less over the top than before. The little extras like fruit/ice carvings, chocolates on the pillow, towel animals, etc don't make or break my cruise. I doubt that many people would say that they do, but they are what puts cruising a few steps up from other vacations. IMO, cruising is still more luxurious than most of the vacations I would take (except maybe at the nicest resorts), but just a couple of little things would give it the extra touch. Its not enough of a big deal that I will stop cruising, but its a little less of a non-brainer to me.

That said, there are still lines (or classes within lines) that get you the extra amenities. Of course, you pay a lot more for those.

It's been my and my family's experience that if you currently have a cruise booked you don't get any good offers. It may be different for others, but month after month, year after year this is what I have observed.

I have nothing book and have never had an offer other than past guest upgrade offer, which is not all that great.

I always check, but there is nothing. That said, I don't cruise carnival for the offers. Maybe if I got a good one, I would. I cruise them when I want an inexpensive cruise. And if I have more to spend, I look other places too.

We did a Disney Cruise once- when my daughter was 4. It was to celebrate my 40th and our 10 year anniversary. It was a fabulous time, but very pricey. We actually did a 7 day cruise on Disney Fantasy. I cannot remember the exact price, but I know that it was under 4k and we actually had a balcony room.

As far as amenities, you of course have character meets- often. We had not been to the parks before with my DD, but at that time, she was a little small for rides and the characters were what drew her interest. We met basically every character and got tons of pictures.

The rotational dining is very interesting, you switch dining rooms, but have the same table and wait staff.

Movie theater is cool too, we saw Cinderella and DH also saw Avengers (3D) which were in theaters at the time. And the shows were very good, much better than any other cruise ship show I have been too.

Pirate night, parades and fireworks were great.

The adult only areas were wonderful, it was like a ship within a ship.

Overall, it was just very good service, characters and a lot of family fun. I don't know that I would have liked it without my little one, or if she were not so into Disney. If you are thinking of doing it, don't wait too long. My DD practically came out of the womb loving Disney. She could say "Minnie Mouse" when she was barely a year old. And she just loved princesses. A few weeks ago Mickey Mouse club house was no longer her favorite show. And she told me the other day that she "did not like princesses that much." She is only 6 1/2. I did not think she would outgrow it so quickly. :(

Just reading thru this post again. One of the happiest memories of my life..

 

Getting ready to take our little Julie - now almost 4 - on her first cruise in the Breeze this Sunday!! Life is so so good.

 

 

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<3<3<3 This. We did not have for nearly as long, only 4 years trying for us. But I found out I was pregnant in route to an all inclusive resort to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. I still tear up thinking about it. Its magical.

My daughter surprisingly liked it quite a bit. That surprises me because she did not care for kids club much on any of the other cruises (including Disney). She was in the 6-8 group, which concerned me because she fairly recently turned 6 and while I would not say she is immature for her age, she prefers being around younger kids than older kids. She liked the toys and stuff more in the 3-5 room than the 6-8 room, but she ended up having a good time anyway.

Having many cruises with a child (from 14 months to 6), the best advice I can give you is not to plan around it. If she likes it, wonderful and if not, well that is the way kids that age can be- right.

As far as whether its safe- absolutely. I am picky with who I leave my child with. I have had two non-family baby sitters, both of which are family friends and personally known. And I never once was concerned leaving her in kids club- not on any ship.