Bookworm1985

I wear the same pair of LLR leggings that have cruise ships on them every embarkation. 

We just got off the Sunshine on Saturday and we are looking to book this asap (just waiting for another good sale!)

I have gotten the specialty coffees before…i know one had Jameson, Kaluha, Baileys…i forget the other ones but they were all good

I honestly don’t think this is possible, but how cool would it be to take tenders between the boats and get to see the different ships? 

I had Cheers in Europe on the Horizon, and had it the entire time. The ones in port were just taxed differently from what I recall. We took alcohol aboard and it was not confiscated. 

My last cruise on Carnival i was on the Horizon and I was able to check in using the computers by guest services.

9 hours ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

You won't need the marriage certificate. Every spouse has their maiden name on the BC. They won't care and won't even look at the marriage license (we took ours JIC but it was not needed). They will look at the drivers license or state ID for the current legal last name. Just need a drivers license/ID (not expired & for anyone 16 or older, not required for those under 16) and a original or certified copy of birth certificate (required for all at any age) and you are GTG. I'd bring the passports as well. 

 

Hope that helps!  

That is not always true. My mother-in-law had to show her marriage certificate with her birth certificate on her last cruise.

We stayed at the Best Western Plus convention Center twice. Close to a grocery store and down the street from a great creperie. Its the one at 517 E First Street. easy walk to the beach. Shuttle to/from the airport and the port. 10/10 would stay there again if we ever do a cruise from Long Beach again. 

On 10/28/2019 at 6:15 PM, Snit13 said:

On a cruise Nov. 2018 cabin attendant told me any body fluids on sheets/towels/etc. had to be placed in a plastic bag and sent to be BURNED.  She said it could not be washed by the ship laundry.

I highly doubt this is the case. Do you know the amount of “body fluids” that are on those sheets from vacationing couples alone? They would have to destroy every single set of sheets. And washcloths are used for more then your face.

The longest out I ever booked was for my upcoming Journeys cruise...it was just over two years. Its usually in the 6-18 months range.

There are bathrooms in Europe but they are few and far between, and most require some sort of payment to use. They also tend to have long lines from my experience. If you come across one, GO! You don’t know when you next chance will be.

Has anyone had any recent luck with the AARP gift cards? I am a member and I have more then enough points to buy gift cards to pay off my cruise, but i never actually SEE any there to buy. I also have Allstate rewards, so I at least have some access for discounted cards, but AARP is faster to earn.

On my cruise on the Glory a few years ago, there was a little boy (maybe 10?) in the serenity hot tub. He was wearing a snorkel mask and would dive under the water and stare at peoples chests. He muttered “boobies” and giggled a few times. No one said anything at first when he had just been sitting their calmly , but as soon as that happened I ran and grabbed someone. Even though he was a child it was still kinda creepy.

I still can’t log on and its very aggravating. I did join for $12. Its worth it for the savings.

I haven’t hated any of the ships I have been on and would gladly sail any of them again if the price was right during the time I want and where I want to go to 🤷🏻‍♀️ I am not picky though. The only ship I haven’t really cared for was Royal’s Adventure of the Seas, but again, if there was a cruise I wanted and that was the ship so be it.

On 9/3/2019 at 9:33 AM, ray98 said:

....but why does it matter.  It isn't costing you anything other than a temporary reduction in limit.  It is all a numbers game until it actually posts.

Not every has huge limits on their cards. It can cause valid purchases to be declined.

Just remember that most two tops are not really that far from other tables and are by no means “private”. So if having a private table for medical concerns is needed, as another mentioned ask for a small booth. 

My mother had cancer and had 1/3 of her tongue removed, so I understand someone having issues with swallowing. She too takes her time eating. She is terrified of water so will never be caught dead on a cruise, but if she were to go with us we would do YTD and request a booth. That was she has as much privacy as you can get in public dining room, and as much time as she needs to eat. I would not do traditional dining as there is someone sitting in that table for late service, and for late service they need to turn tables for breakfast the next morning and just want to go to bed as soon as possible.

I have never had a bad snorkeling experience with Carnival, but I am not picky and crowds don’t bother me. I have actually never had a bad excursion period. Just lucky I guess? 

I will say, I have had the ship held for us twice while on Carnival excursions. Once in St Thomas on a Snorkeling tour, one of the ships engines broke. We still had one, but it was slow going getting back. We were about two hours late after the scheduled departure time. I was sitting near the captain and heard him talking to the ship several times. The second time in Rome there was a huge accident and we were a little over an hour late. The tour guide was in constant contact with the ship. It seemed like as soon as our bus boarded they took off. So some might say it is a “myth”, but from personal experience, if on a Carnival excursion they do in fact hold the ship if you are late getting back. 

We did SEATAC. We booked a wonderful bed and breakfast right near Pike Place Market for a few days (arrived Saturday, cruise started Tuesday). We just took the tram from the airport right to it...there was a stop like a block from the hotel. In the morning we just took a taxi...was like $15. On the way back we just took a taxi to the airport...$40 bucks flat rate.

Just wait until there is no line. Early morning or late at night there is never anyone in line. And try not to wait until the last night/morning, because that is their busiest time.

I always do a cash account with a credit card back up. They do not even touch the credit card unless we happen to run out of cash credit (which is rare). We prepurchase most everything so have very little on board expenses. 

11 minutes ago, dgadwa said:

I am past final payment date.    I do not think I would want an upgrade up one level as it would put me right under the galley..... maybe noisy?  

Upgrade in level does not mean going up a floor. It means going up a category type. Each cabin has a category based on how “good” it is. Ocean views are higher categories then insides, balconies are higher then ocean views. Midship is higher the forward. Empress deck is higher then riviera etc. so if you are doing price match on a early saver rate, you have to compare prices on the same category you booked. You can’t  compare suite prices to an interior.

Out of eight cruises, three have been in January and we have another one planned for this coming January. Living in Michigan it is the perfect time to go...though each time crazy snow storms had my anxiety at an all time high!

They don't care if you bring water bottles onboard as long as they are empty going through security 

For budget purposes, I fly Spirit a lot. You can use your phone to check in for free. you can always check in the morning of the flight if you do not have a plan on the ship. Save paper and stress and just use the mobile app.