mar214

Perfect! Thank you, FTLCruiseGal!!!!!!

Here's a question from a Carnival gift card newbie:  can we set up our onboard account as a cash account, apply our Carnival gift card balances once onboard and then switch to a credit card account? We do not have enough on our gift cards to cover all the cruise expenses, such as tips, etc. Would the gift card amounts show up as on board credit, and then we can just have other charges applied to our credit card? Thanks to all the CC posters for their great ideas!!!!

Il Viaggio is not free on Venezia!

Bedbugs can be anywhere. Horror stories everywhere about them in hotels. Used furniture for sale?? Investigate for bedbugs before buying!! Can't imagine cruise ships being any worse when you are sleeping outside your home. 

We were on Deck 11 Forward. Very quiet, did not feel more motion there than we do midship, no noise from gym. There is usually less traffic on the forward upper decks, so usually less noise from anyone passing by in the hallway. 

We were on Deck 11. We requested an ice bucket and received it promptly. Maybe just lucky??

We were on 6/19 Venezia sailing. Asked cabin steward for ice bucket and had one that was always filled with ice. Just ask for an ice bucket. We have had to ask on other cruises and had one show up with no problems. 

Venezia does not have the new menu yet. It is being rolled out over the next few months, with Dream being the first ship to have the new menu. 

Be prepared to park at Pier 90 and have to lug your bags to Pier 88 to get them checked like we had to do. 🙄

Platinums and Diamonds get 1 free drink during any sea day brunch per each cruise. 

The free drink is redeemable in the dining room at seaday brunch - that is where we go to place our order. You don't have to eat brunch, but this is where you can redeem your free drink. 

Oh my gosh! Yes - check in time!! I must have too many chocolate melting cake thoughts running through my head!!! 🤣

We have received our free drink on any day brunch is offered, even on our first sea day. We stop by the dining room and just ask for our drink at the check in desk. They will bring someone over for you so you can order. Has this changed?

We received text messages Friday night at 7:46 pm. We have 10:00 - 10:30 am boarding. 

Sorry- forgot to include Venezia has the delayed boarding. Wondering why it was decided so far in advance. 

Just received a notice that boarding time for Monday June 19 is delayed by 1/2 hour. Anyone have the inside scoop about the cause for the delay?

I almost forgot about another webcam that also gives amazing views!! This webcam is in Brooklyn and you can see the ship sail with the Statue of Liberty behind it. Looks like it is down for repairs - should be available soon. Here is the link and a sample from last summer:

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/united-states/new-york/new-york/new-york-city-harbor.html     

Sorry the image is not clearer - I took a picture of the monitor screen. You get the idea, though! 

I never thought of including the links to the webcams since I Google them just as I listed them anytime I feel like checking things out. Here they are anyway:

Statue of Liberty Webcam https://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/statueofliberty/?cam=liberty_hd

NY Harbor Webcam https://www.nyharborwebcam.com/

Port of Brooklyn Webcam https://www.cruisingearth.com/port-webcams/united-states/new-york-new-york5/

Port of NY Webcam https://www.portnywebcam.com/

I have been watching ships we have sailed on leaving from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal for years via the webcams that are available. It was great watching Venezia leave today - we sail on Monday and we are counting the minutes! I thought I would share the info in case there are other cruise fanatics like me who may not know about the webcams. You can watch first on Port of New York webcam, switch to EarthCam's Statue of Liberty Harborcam and finish with New York Harbor webcam. You can follow the ship all the way to the Verrazzano Bridge. If you want to have a great picture for your Shutterfly book, you can scout out a location in advance where you can stand facing the cameras. Log in to the webcam while you are on the ship and get a screenshot of yourself when the webcam camera zooms in. We have done this several times. There is a few minutes delay in watching, so stay in place for a little while. We have done this in other ports as well - leaving from Port Canaveral is very easy - the webcam always zooms in. 

TravelBluebird-I love all of your postings!!! Thanks for keeping me so entertained and feeling like I am cruising with you!! We are boarding Venezia on Monday and we feel like we know exactly where everything is! Thanks for the thorough postings! By the way, do we still get bathrobes and slippers in the cabins?

There is a category offered on CC discussing trip insurance. There are a lot of great suggestions there. This should help with your insurance decision. We always choose a policy that will cover any health issues that occur during our cruise. 

I LOVE a Baily's banana colada!!!!!!! They are the best!!!!!

From experience, this is the formula we use when flying overnight to Europe: as soon as we board the plane, we set our watches for local time at our destination. When you see it is 2 am where you are going, that movie on your flight doesn't seem so appealing. You are better off trying to get as much sleep as you can on the plane. When we arrive, we DO NOT NAP!!!! Yes, we our brains are foggy, but if you plan for a "quick" nap, you will fall into a deep sleep, turn off your alarm and waste your first day. We plan at least one activity since there is so much to do and your time might be limited. A visit to one museum or some major tourist site will wake you up and you will be glad you did something productive on your first day. Even just walking around and people watching is so much fun in Europe! Plan for an early dinner and an early bedtime and you will be good to go for the next day. You will probably wake up early the next day, so it's ok to make morning plans. It's always a thrill to be in Europe - have a great time!

You never forget your first Bitter n Blanc ❤️

If this is a new travel area for you, a good place to start is to see what your cruise line offers in each port, then check and see what local tour companies offer the same tour and compare costs. This will give you a good jumping off point to see what the popular tours are. We always check the tour company reviews to see if they have a good reputation. Rick Steves has a book for Mediterranean cruise ports. It's worth the investment to read up on each port and see what he says are the highlights. With Mediterranean cruises, some research is necessary in order to maximize your time in each port. You also want to be sure you plan activities that will appeal to your teenagers. It's worth the research time - you will all come home with some amazing memories! Enjoy!