magic1

Do on line check-in if you can....

Not to nitpick, but the department is actually Disney Photo Imaging (DPI), which is a part of entertainment. Photopass is the role. I only know that because my daughter is a Photopass Photographer.

I am actually a coordinator with DPI . I called it PhotoPass because most Guests who come to the theme parks know us as PhotoPass (patches on our vest say as much) and not as DPI.(so yea a little nitpicky)

Also keep in mind that the photographers you see in the theme parks are part of a department called PhotoPass and are company Cast Members while the photographers on the ships are a third party vendor called Image Group and have a contract with DCL to take photos on the ships and can just about charge what they want within the context of their contract. They hire their own employees and "rent out" the space on the ship to sell their wares.

We took a 5 night Dream cruise last August with a double dip to Castaway Cay. We had some awful weather for our first stop at CC. The captain worked hard to get us docked and it took us awhile but he did it. Unfortunately we missed our kayaking excursion but we stayed at the island longer. During the finale of the Pirate Party, the fireworks would not fire but the crew worked on the problem and we saw them the next night. The point of all this is that DCL works very hard to make sure that get the most out of your cruise and are able to see and do as much as possible during your time with them.

Just a quick note. Just back from sailing on the Inspriation and the two Main Dining rooms are the Mardi Gras and the Carnivale. Sitting at the doors of both dining rooms are models of the ships the dining rooms are named for. Thought that was a nice thing for CCL to do, give cruisers a glimpse at the early ships and where they started.

It's amazing how many "first time cruisers" went on this ship. And that picture sure brings back memories. It sure felt bigger when I first sailed on her but if you compare her to what Carnival has going now it sure doesn't compare. Still I think that there is alot to be said for the quaint smaller ships. You got to know your way around faster and didn't need a map your entire cruise just to find your state room.

My first cruise was on the Mardi Gras as well. I still remember the real wood deck and deck chairs. How the beds is in some of the cabins were numbered from the days when singles were assigned cabin mates. The small hallways. I will always consider the Mardi Gras as one of my favorite ships. Such a sad ending to a wonderful ship.