latitude918

As long as the jeans don't have holes in them, I wouldn't worry too much. It is your vacation after all, no need to dress to the 9s if you don't want to.

I usually do an office casual look for formal night: slacks or khakis and a shirt with sort of collar and some shoes to match.

I'm on vacation, I don't want to get all dressed up like I'm at work.

These are what I would consider casual sandals. I would never even consider wearing them to a decent restaurant or event. None of my suits come from Sears or any department store. Likewise none of them are machine washable. In fact, my collection of dress attire costs more than my current car. You have some nerve making assuming my suits are poly blends - especially when I am the one saying sandals and jeans shouldn't be allowed! You are all proud of your hubby for not knowing yhow to dress like a gentleman. Whatever floats your boat.

Hold on you 2, I want to make some popcorn :p

What are the changes?

C-A-P-S! Caps! Caps! Caps! -- Just wanted to add in my 2 cents :D

Customink.com -- you can easily make shirts. The more you order the cheaper they are. If you order enough you get free shipping.

If you're going to do it, get sizes and money up front, and have a cut off date.

Advice from being the Tshirt guy before: don't be afraid to be the bad guy. It isn't your problem someone missed the deadline to get their money or order in. You don't want to get stuck with a bunch of shirts you have to pay for.

6a) Enhance efforts to combat chair hogs, perhaps by printing the chair hog rule directly onto the chair, and dedicating an employee to do nothing but label and collect chair hog items for the 2-3 hours between 8-8:30am and 10:30-11am.

This. So...much...this.

I've done that cruise and it is a lot of fun.

If you're the partying sort, they offer a lot of choices of places to get libations. Some places are cheaper than others, just depends on where you want to go.

Just an FYI: Grand Cayman's money is worth more than ours. I didn't realize that until while at Hammerhead's (a little island style bar) they came back with a bill for $50. When I asked if I could pay in American cash, they replied "No problem", came back with a new bill for me and it was about $10 more.

that's awesome. The main reason I want it is because I can't see walking around the ship forever with our carry-on and 3 kids! I'm planning on leaving our hotel around 10 or so. THere is a Ravens game (1:00) on the day we leave...I don't want to deal with traffic

There is always traffic. Always. Ravens game or not, with the massive amount of people living in this area you should always plan for traffic. There is even traffic on Saturday and Sundays. Welcome to the Baltimore-Washington Metro Area :D

 

 

Here I did the Cozumel Bar Hop. Was supposed to meet at Starbucks at 10am for a 10:15am departure, but almost didn't make it.

 

 

I figured leave Elation about 9:30am, catch one of the plentiful taxis, and be at Starbucks in 10 minutes. Easy, right? Wrong.

 

 

At about 9:30am, Carnival Paradise was coming in to dock at Puerta Maya so they closed the gangways for safety reasons. There I stood on the stairway leading to the gangway for an eternity. So close and yet so far. I was not alone.

 

 

Finally, at almost 10am the gangways were reopen and I rushed to get to a taxi. At literally the last second (they were heading for the van) I made it to Starbucks and was able to make the tour. Whew. Luckily, I think another MIA person who was part of a group helped delay the departure long enough for me to make it. :cool:

 

 

If on a ship tour, you probably wouldn't have an issues because the tour operators know what is going on and will likely wait, or Carnial will refund your money. But a private tour meeting at a different pier really has no way of knowing.

Sarge I hate to necro an old thread, but, I just must know: this bar hopping excursion; where did you find it? Looks like a blast!

I recently found out that Carnival is ceasing operations out of Baltimore, which is sad for me because of my proximity to the port. Is Royal Caribbean still going to be sailing out of The Charm City?

Isn't it already like that?

 

Suite vs inside cabin...

 

NCL has the Haven area. Isn't that like a first class separation?

 

Not saying I agree with it or not. Just pointing out that it kind of already exist.

No idea what the Haven area is. Enlighten me.

I like the idea of a higher cost/ separate dinning room .. sorta like celeb's

it would keep fares low and people could choose if they would care for flat iron/meatloaf / or perhaps something that's a bit more quality and expensive .

best of two worlds...

 

BTW the people complaining about meetings are either not invited to them or not effective in them :D

Since we're diving the dining room by class, why don't we divide the decks by class: those who want to pay more can have the better decks, pools and chairs /endsarcasm

c'mon man. Divided dining rooms? High and low class dining. That is getting a little extreme imo

I pack a small Coleman multi-tool in my carry-on thru pier security here in NYC and not a problem over the years. The folding knife blade is only 1.5" and well below the published limits or guidelines.

 

Waiting for SAK and others to make & sell a TSA/traveler's friendly version of their tools - without a knife blade, perhaps.

Leatherman makes one

http://www.rei.com/product/840641/leatherman-style-ps-multitool

I'll wear one just for convenience. On the ship I usually wear a swim suit and don't have pockets. On shore I'll go in my little backpack I take with me into port.

I don't care that it makes me look like a noobie. I stopped giving a crap about what people think about me a lonnnnnnng time ago. :D

You are assigned a color on your luggage for the staggered embarkation. They will call your color when you are cleared to disembark. If you have indicated you have an early flight, your color will be called earlier than (for example) someone who indicates they drove. Staggered disembarkation means all 3,000 passengers aren't trying to get off the ship at the same time.

I bought FTTF so I'll get off after the diamond/platinum people anyways. :)

We've got a later flight, and flying in the day before, so maybe I'll just omit this info. Seems odd to me.

...Why is the cruise line asking me for my exact flight an hotel information? Seems a little bit big-brotherish of them.

Am I missing something important for why they'd need it?

Anyone out there omit this information?

Do the cabins on the Paradise have mini refrigerators in them? We always bring some bottled water on with us.

They do not. Just ask the steward for some ice. :)

EXCELLENT post, and review. THANKS for posting.

Nope, "Paradise" has NOT had the 2.0 upgrades yet. A VERY BIG plus, IMO. No Blue Iguana, but the ship still offers the BIG production shows. FANTASTIC entertainment available each and every night! :D

I've already sailed "Paradise" three times this year, and have two more voyages booked before the end of the year. BEST cruise, and crew at sea IMO. :cool:

 

"SKY"

Ken

2.0 upgrades? What are these?

We are doing this same trip on January 6. We are also flying in the night before but I haven't made hotel reservations yet. What did you do for transportation from the airport to the hotel, hotel to pier, and then back to the airport?

 

Is there a steakhouse on the Paradise? Was the dining just lido deck and buffets, pizza, MDR, and taste bar?

for hotel to pier a lot of hotels will have shuttles to the port. Usually they'll say on their website if they do.

How did you like those ports? GF and I were eyeing up those ports before we decided on a short, 4 day to Key West and Cozumel.

1) It is actually $49.95 pp/pd now, on almost all ships (there are maybe 2 that are still $42.95)

 

2) Service/liquor quality - depends on how polite you are, how well you tip imo

 

3) Yes, it is strict.

 

4) No, you cannot purchase additional drinks once limit is reached. However, BEFORE you hit 15, you can buy drinks that are not included in the program (beer buckets/tubes, souvenir cups, bottles of wine, drinks over $10) and it won't affect your count. Once you hit 15 though, game over until 6am.

So if I wanted to "stretch" the package, I could get 2-3 buckets, and then have 15 drinks before being cut off?

Carnival used to (and may still, I'm not sure) offer an open bar package to large groups. It had to be 30 or more cabins, and everyone had to buy it. It also had to be approved on a case by case basis, so each group wasn't guaranteed it.

 

It could also be rescinded, like in the case of an especially rowdy group that was with an Orlando based radio show. If you do some digging you can probably find one of these groups with the old package and join them. Shoot me an email, its my screen name @cox.net and I can give you some info that I can't put on CC.

 

"Cheers" is similar, but subject to the silly 15 a day cap.

 

 

 

Mind if I email you too? I wouldn't mind a little more info about that package, if its okay with you.

Drink card? What is this drink card that is shown in your pictures? I must know more!