CruisingObsessed

Orkney looks so interesting! Thanks for the links. We are history buffs, so this is definitely the right choice for us!

 

Booking a GTY is always a gamble. Most of the time, there's no $ savings. Keep in mind that if you are assigned a cabin you don't like, you can decline it or request any other available cabin as long as it's in the same or lower category to the one assigned. Your TA can help you with this.

I didn't think about requesting an available in a lower category. There's a few open that are listed as obstructed but really aren't too bad. It's for kind of a medium length (12 day) cruise so hoping for the best! We usually don't take guarantees but this time there was a really big price difference with the deal we had. :)

Thanks for all responses!

Curious what others experiences are. We are booked on Royal, BF guarantee. That's an unobstructed balcony. My fear is being placed in a "deluxe" balcony obstructed...thus having a loveseat we probably won't use and no view. Has this happened to anyone or do they generally put obstructed guarantees in those cabins?

Yes, I know when you book a guarantee any cabin equal or above by their list is fair game. I'm just wondering what has happened to other folks.

Hi All

 

The Orkney's is an amazing port of call, can not recommend this port enough.

 

Just so much history in such a small place,

 

Understand two Hollywood movies due out soon about the little chapel.

 

yours Shogun

Very glad to hear that, as we picked the May 21 sailing specifically because it goes to this port instead of Liverpool. Nothing against Liverpool, but Orkney sounds amazing!

Thanks!

I am considering a balcony over the aft promenades. I know one is smoking and one is not---and for everyone's pleasure I am trying to pick the non-smoking side. Anyone know if that's Starboard or Port?

We actually did not go to any of the deck parties but saw a couple of them while they were going on - looked like everyone was having a good time! I will say the CD (Eversen Bevelle) was outstanding - always out and about interacting with guests. He seemed more involved that the CD on my one other cruise.

Thanks! I heard his staff is really good too. Can't wait to find out! :)

Thanks for the review! It's great to see families enjoying each other's company :) And, having an upcoming cruise (my first with Carnival) booked soon, love seeing pictures of the Glory!

Did you go to any of the deck parties? How were they?

Anyone know a good way to get the the English Market? thanks

Need a like button.

Me too. Lighten up people. There's a huge difference between a drink and being drunk. We are all safe, and they ensure it. Don't worry so much!

"Ship was only smokey in the casino, and you could smell it on deck 10, a designated smoking area. I could smell some smoke in elevators and some cabins that I walked past. This was the smokiest ship I've ever been on."

 

Thats the NEW Carnival where all smokers are put in one place where the smoke will be worst then ever.......

Isolating/limiting the areas is actually a GOOD thing...because just one cigarette can spread and make a large area smelly and gross. But I also wondered if they are enforcing the balcony rule.

Thanks for the answers! I'll keep checking :D

put their excursions up for their British Isles cruise, anyone know? We are booked on May 21, only 180 days away and they aren't up yet. Seems a bit late...

Thanks for input! I wish there were some perks, but hey, any day on a cruise is a good day, and the room is a good price! :D

We're trying our first Carnival Cruise (from our usual Princess) for Christmas this year. We have an Ocean Suite and I was wondering what to expect? Is there a minibar, amenities, champagne, fruit, priority tendering, or anything different from regular rooms other than the priority check in?

Appreciate anything anyone can tell us about Carnival's "Suite" experience :)

Being back in the swing of things in work and no longer living the vacation life, I have slacked off on finishing this review. I will get to the last sea day, debarkation and overall thoughts this weekend- promise.

 

Thanks to all who have read it and for all of the nice remarks about our adorable Keiran. I will say, he got spoiled on the cruise. It has been an adjustment for him being home as well. On the cruise, he would say "I want to go to the pool"- sure! "I want to get a cherry"- sure! At home, it doesn't really work that way and he has given mommy & daddy a few "sad faces" for the day when "you aren't listening to me" and giving him everything he wants. Oh well- we were all spoiled on the cruise and adjusting to real life.

 

Keiran said to me this week on the way home one day-"Mommy, you know what we need to do this weekend?" "No, what buddy?" "Pack for our next cruise!" "Kiddo, we aren't going on another cruise for a while. But, I think in a few weeks we will go to Disney World, that should be fun!" Keiran: "That will be fun. Disney World, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas- that is where we should go." :D

 

Kim

And people with kids ask me sometimes if my kids liked cruising (which we did through most of their childhood). About as much as your son, which means a lot!!! Glad you and your family had so much fun!

Has anyone flown in to West Palm Beach same day of cruise? What ground transportation did you use?

Thanks!

Yes, I see Princess has two ships going back to back, the Crown and the Ruby, both priced exactly the same. Which would you recommend, which is the newer ship. Experience means a lot. My son will be 22, will there be other young adults like him. Thanks. I am really stressing over this.

To Alaska, there will be young adults and families, believe it or not, on Princess so you don't need to worry. But, Princess skews older in general than Carnival (which if you have a 22 year old son, YOU might appreciate). I'd bet there will be more people in their 20's on Carnival. More in their 40's on Princess.

Don't stress, just choose and either will make a great vacation!

I'm going to have to buck popular opinion and not vote for Glacier Bay necessarily.

First of all the ports are the same, but timing might be different so check it out if that's important to you.

Having done both cruises, I give a slight edge to Tracy Arm for Glaciers, IF AND ONLY IF you take the excursion that leaves from the ship and takes you directly to the glaciers and hangs out there. Glacier Bay is beautiful, and I loved the sea otters that you won't see if you do Tracy Arm. BUT, you only get to see it from the ship itself. If the glacier doesn't calve kind of on cue, like it didn't for us, you won't see calving. The ship pauses for a while, but not a long while.

I also found the glaciers in Tracy Arm to be more active, so there were more colors of blue in the ice (it whitens as it oxidizes after calving). We saw the floating ice up close on the excursion, in a way you never will on the big ship. And there are seals on the floating ice in Tracy Arm. You get to see them fairly close up on the excursion.

That being said consider the time of year. Both of our trips were in August. If going in May, do Glacier Bay. There's often too much ice early in the season for even the little boats to get far in Tracy Arm.

Oh, and if you want Glaciers, combine it with taking a helicopter or float plane tour to land on one and see if from that perspective. IMHO you can't truly say you have experienced glaciers until you have walked on one AND seen it from the sea.

That all being said, IMO if you want the ultimate Glacier trip--book the cruise that goes to Glacier Bay, take the Tracy Arm catamaran excursion from Juneau as a day trip (independent, the ship does not offer this but it's the same company), then take the helicopter from Skagway.

One last tidbit---our helicopter pilot said usually your best bet for Alaska weather and Glacier viewing is June to early July. We were there in August and had perfect weather, but he said that was unusual. Whatever you choose have a great cruise! :D

Thanks so much for this review! We are sailing Glory in December, our first Carnival cruise, and I am so excited! We have an aft balcony like yours so it was interesting to hear what you had to say--I was hoping for some quiet. I was also curious what we could except from entertainment, etc, and love the tip on the omelette bar. Buffets at breakfast can be madhouses!

Thanks for adding pictures, and for taking time to write a nice review for us!

Call one of the higher end hotels in Palm Beach--Breakers, The Colony, Four Season, Ritz, etc. and ask who they recommend for a car service. I used to be a concierge at the Breakers and we always had reliable companies to recommend.

Good idea! I didn't even think about that; but we are staying at the Four Seasons after the cruise so the concierge there would probably be happy to recommend someone. Thanks :)

I appreciate the others; but flying in same day from across the country; we just want something easy.

Anyone know a good reliable company to provide same day transportation to Miami from the West Palm Beach airport? Oddly; the ones I have written to have ignored me, or they sent a quote but then I couldn't book. Not sure how they stay in business!

All information is greatly appreciated!

You may see the wildlife' date=' but binoculars will blow them up 8x, 10x or whatever power they are. Last year in Glacier Bay the naturalist pointed out a grizzly bear that looked like a sesame seed to the naked eye, but binoculars brought it into plain view; same with the puffins and sea otters, many of which could not have been identified without the binoculars. They greatly enhanced the experience for me. I use mine for lots of other activies as well.[/quote']

 

This is a good way to put it. When I looked at sea otters without them; I saw three dots. With them, there was a beautiful face and two flippers!

 

Enjoy!

Hi! I'm new to Carnival, was wondering about parties, trivia, games, and things like that. We have been Princess cruisers for a while, just planning to try something different and have Glory booked for fall. Princess has a deck party, something indoors at some point like a western hoe down (hoping for something less cheesy on Carnival):rolleyes: and various game shows and such. Wondering about the selection on the glory?

Thanks!