ctmedica504

We sailed the Valor two weeks ago, fantastic ship, fantastic crew. I'm sure this incident was handled quickly and well by the on-board crew. You sail a vessel of 2000+ occupants every week, and careless incidents are bound to happen, it doesn't matter what cruise line your on, things can go wrong. Glad no one was hurt and the damage was isolated.

Playa Del Carmen's current infrastructure simply can't support a daily visit from large cruise ships... It's suffering already in its current state with a booming population. When we first started vacationing in PDC it was just emerging from it's sleepy fishing village into something special. Now when we return it's still much better then Cozumel or Cancun but simply not the same, its become over built. The sewage system is just horrible and there has been problems with raw sewage making its way into the ocean near one of the fishing piers, the town grew too quickly and they're spending lots of $$ to catch up now... I don't think you'll see a cruise ship dock there for a long time.... so for now just dock in Cozumel and take the ferry over and enjoy it.

Just an additional option, we utilized Priceline for hotels for our pre-cruise and post-cruise stay. We leave this weekend so I can't speak for it yet but the reviews we've read of the hotels have been good and we've had friends and family that have stayed at both. Pre-Cruise we're staying a night at the Verdanza Hotel in the Carolina area near Isla Verde just a few minutes from the airport and near the hotel. We figure we're flying in late after working the night before so we're okay with a quick trip to the hotel. Especially seeing how by the time we check out in the AM we can board the boat and still have the entire day to explore Old San Juan and its a short cab ride away. We got the hotel for a great deal doing the name your own price, just over $100 a night. Post-Cruise we got the Intercontinental San Juan again same area in Carolina but right on the best part of the beach, again for just over $100 a night which is a steal!

Can anyone tell me if red bull is available on the bottom less bubbles

Also just an FYI when I sailed on the Legend the only place I could find Red Bull was at the coffee bar, none of the bars had it.

I didn't think Carnival was doing the overnights in Nassau anymore?? When did they start doing them again? Sadly the Bahama's just aren't the same anymore..... not to mention the ridiculously high crime rate now

Based on what I've read I wouldn't be worried about the new menus on any ship other then the Glory. They stated it was a trial run on the Glory and the Glory only for the months to come. Sounds like your doing a whole lot of research for nothing.

We are going to playa in a few weeks. What should we not miss doi g? We are up for about anything

A visit to Tulum is a must do, the ruins are fantastic to see and bring a bathing suit because below the ruins is one of the most breathtaking beaches I've seen.

If your looking for adventure try XPlor, best zip-lines I've ever seen.

My speculation is that if it were indeed suicides they needed to be investigated by the police and perhaps Carnival thought it would be better to have the investigation in the USA and at the port where everyone disembarks. Rather than delaying the process and the delay of the disembarkation for the other passengers Carnival decided to return 7 hours early so as to make sure everyone would be disembarked in a timely manner in the morning after the investigation.

 

Again this is just a speculation. Do you think I'm right?

Again Police Departments in the USA have no jurisdiction over incidents at sea, its a USCG problem, they wouldn't rush back to have an investigation done by local cops.

Seriously!!! Thank you. People worry about their vacation being ruined and people die all the time in ships? Where do people get their information or " misinformation? Disheartening to say the least.

People die on ships, its not misinformation.... it happens far more then you think, after all why else would you have a morgue?? Yes, cruise ships will offer the family of a deceased passenger the opportunity to disembark early and help them make travel arrangements home from that port if possible, of course at the passengers own cost. Many times the passenger choose to disembark and go home to family while the body continues on with the ship because it's cheaper to fly home their loved ones remains from the ships home port in the US then out of the country..... These are things you don't think of as a traveler but trust me the travel industry thought off and has contingencies for...

As far as rushing back for "police involvement" there is nothing the police at port can do, the land cops have no jurisdiction out at sea...

It sounds like no one knows a true story... two people covered in sheets doesn't mean they were dead, maybe they were covered to hide them from the embarrassment of an entire ship staring at them while they were brought off the boat... besides dead bodies typically aren't covered in sheets, they're in a bag...

I understand that most users recommend purchasing their own airfare but I am looking at the Valor out of San Juan and Carnival's airfare is about $95 less per person (there are seven of us) than what I can get on my own (leaving out of NYC) in August 2014. Has anyone ever booked Carnival's airfare for this cruise out of NYC area? If so, did you get a direct flight? How soon before the cruise did you get your flight information? Were there any problems or regrets? I am planning on monitoring airfare until final payment to see if the prices come down.

Any info or feedback would be appreciated.

I'd monitor air fare... I like having the flexibility of booking my own airfare so I can make changes if needed.... Also keep in mind this is an expensive time of the year to book flights... We just happened to get a 20% coupon for JetBlue for our flights out of CT for January... keep looking...

Exactly, you're not just paying for the itinerary - you're also paying for the experience. Five star cuisine is going to cost more than Carnival's good, but lesser quality dining options. I've certainly never paid Olive Garden prices at my local, family owned Italian eatery; the quality levels between these two products are light years apart ... as are the costs.

Sadly most people don't get that... They don't want to pay for quality service, they expect it at any price.... We now live in a "entitled" society where everyone thinks they're entitled to everything.

Had him on the legend in Nov '11 he was fantastic!