all things ELATION

[LHP]

We will be on the January 6 sailing too! Lucky you doing B2B!!

Did you happen to get any pictures of the gym or the track? Or of the teen areas? If anyone going between now and January could get some of those areas I would sure appreciate it!!!

By the way LHP, we don't live "too far" from Memphis. Small world...

 

Hey Robbie....sadly I am HORRIBLE about not taking pictures. I don't know why we even pack a camera...because we never use it.

 

The good news is that we did USE the track. They have a very nice padded track....but it can get a little windy sometimes. Hubby walks 4 miles a day and I walk 3 miles a day. The gym has 6 - 8 treadmills (all of which were always in use every morning)....they also have multiple other machines that do various things.

 

Our youngest son has enjoyed 19 Club O2s (most of which were on a Fantasy class ships). The Club O2s have a very nice set up. Teens can be as involved (or uninvolved) as they want to be. Some use it as just a place to hang out and meet others. Some get into the activities. Either way, they have the choice to do as much (or as little) as they want to.

 

We have 4 cruises booked before the Elation cruise in January, but unfortunately, none of them are on a Fantasy class ship....

 

Club O2 is on Promenade (in the Atrium area). I think your teens will really love it.

[brcris75]

Hey Robbie....sadly I am HORRIBLE about not taking pictures. I don't know why we even pack a camera...because we never use it.

 

The good news is that we did USE the track. They have a very nice padded track....but it can get a little windy sometimes. Hubby walks 4 miles a day and I walk 3 miles a day. The gym has 6 - 8 treadmills (all of which were always in use every morning)....they also have multiple other machines that do various things.

 

Our youngest son has enjoyed 19 Club O2s (most of which were on a Fantasy class ships). The Club O2s have a very nice set up. Teens can be as involved (or uninvolved) as they want to be. Some use it as just a place to hang out and meet others. Some get into the activities. Either way, they have the choice to do as much (or as little) as they want to.

 

We have 4 cruises booked before the Elation cruise in January, but unfortunately, none of them are on a Fantasy class ship....

 

Club O2 is on Promenade (in the Atrium area). I think your teens will really love it.

 

Thanks for the info! I do take lots of pictures, but for some reason I never did of Club O2 or Camp Carnival areas. The last couple cruises we did DS just hung out with us since he was "by himself" but this time he will have several friends along (there are several families of us going) and they are all first time cruisers and excited about it and wanting to see pictures. Maybe someone going before us will take and post some???

[LHP]

Thanks for the info! I do take lots of pictures, but for some reason I never did of Club O2 or Camp Carnival areas. The last couple cruises we did DS just hung out with us since he was "by himself" but this time he will have several friends along (there are several families of us going) and they are all first time cruisers and excited about it and wanting to see pictures. Maybe someone going before us will take and post some???

 

Our son went through a stage of not going to Camp Carnival when he was 13 and 14, but when he turned 15 and could go to Club O2...that was it...we never saw him again!!!

 

I think Dad misses him not hanging out with him.....

[woodey]

We will be on the January 6 sailing too! Lucky you doing B2B!!

Did you happen to get any pictures of the gym or the track? Or of the teen areas? If anyone going between now and January could get some of those areas I would sure appreciate it!!!

By the way LHP, we don't live "too far" from Memphis. Small world...

I have Pictures of the track.....It is wrapped around the Sports Deck and the mini golf

 

[WeatherGeek]

 

I will say that our 3 cruises so far in 2010 have been better because I started emailed Guess Access Services directly instead of just faxing in the Special Needs form. We will see how the other 4 go this year.....

 

We'll be on the Elation in December and we'll have our 2-year-old daughter with us. She is on the high functioning end of the spectrum. We planned on taking her to Camp Carnival once per day, but I was not sure how they do with kids on the spectrum or if it would even be a good idea to put her in the program. She's a very easygoing child, she is just nonverbal in the sense that she will not spontaneously communicate without prompting and she's speech-delayed. How can I get in touch with Guest Access Services to discuss my concerns? Do you know if it's possible to contact Camp Carnival directly? I really think she would do great in the program, but I'm not sure if they want to look after nonverbal kids or kids on the spectrum.

[LHP]

We'll be on the Elation in December and we'll have our 2-year-old daughter with us. She is on the high functioning end of the spectrum. We planned on taking her to Camp Carnival once per day, but I was not sure how they do with kids on the spectrum or if it would even be a good idea to put her in the program. She's a very easygoing child, she is just nonverbal in the sense that she will not spontaneously communicate without prompting and she's speech-delayed. How can I get in touch with Guest Access Services to discuss my concerns? Do you know if it's possible to contact Camp Carnival directly? I really think she would do great in the program, but I'm not sure if they want to look after nonverbal kids or kids on the spectrum.

 

 

 

DJ has been cruising with Carnival since he was 6. He has Asperger's Syndrome. And while he is verbal, he was very hard to understand at a young age. He also has ataxia ( a muscle disorder) which meant he wore pullups until he was 8 or so.

 

I can not praise Camp Carnival enough. His first few cruises, they put him in the age group BELOW his because it was a better fit for him.

 

While they can not provide one on one care, give medication or have a child that is aggressive towards others.....the sky is the limit on everything else.

 

I would recommend that you email specialneeds@carnival.com and explain your situation and your daughter's specific needs.

 

I wrote this article YEARS ago that may help....

 

 

Cruising with a Special Needs Child

 

 

As the mother of a son with a form of autism, we have cruised for over 10 years (starting when he was around 6). When we first started cruising with him, there was not much known about autism and the wide spectrum it contains.

 

There are some recommendations that I, as a Mom, would give any parent considering cruising for the first time with a child with Autism.

 

First and foremost, know your child! Know what they can and can not handle and keep these limitations in mind when planning this vacation.

 

The planning starts when you book your cruise. Contact the “special needs” department of your cruise line. With Carnival, it is specialneeds@carnival.com.

 

Think about all the considerations your child will need. Again, (and I will say this many times) we (as parents) must be realistic. No cruise line is going to provide one on one care. No cruise line’s Children’s Camp can keep a child that is violent or aggressive towards the other children. The cruise line must take the safety and well being of the other children into consideration. However, fortunately, that is just about the only limitations. Again, all references from now on will be about Camp Carnival, since this is the only cruise line we have cruised on with him.

 

Some considerations are as follows:

 

For us, our son can not sleep in an Upper. So it is important that we book a cabin that has a couch/bed (along with the two twins) or book a ship where a cot is allowed. Some of the newer Carnival ships do not allow cots to be brought in.

 

Another consideration for us is our table in the formal dining room. Our son is not comfortable eating around a lot of strangers. We get a table for four (for our family) to accommodate him. We always get the early (5:45pm) dinner seating. Try to keep your routine as close to “home” as possible. If eating with others is not a problem, then simply let the folks know the first night that your child has a form of autism and what to expect. That makes everyone comfortable right from the start.

 

 

Another consideration may be the “age group” your child is placed in. If your child is 9 and you know they are not ready for that age group, you can request they be placed in the 6 -8 age group. However, make sure you get this in writing from the special needs department.

 

Whatever accommodations need to be made for your child, be sure to list them completely.

 

 

Unless you live very near a port, travel to the cruise will require a tiring drive or an airline flight. Both can take its toll.

 

I always recommend driving or flying in a day ahead. This way, your child has a chance to rest up before boarding the ship. Embarkation can be a very stressful time for a child that does not deal with chaos well. Some cruise lines (like RCCL ) may offer a “disability” check in like they do with older folks in wheelchairs. We have never had to ask for this, because we are Platinum and get VIP Check In automatically. Generally, they will allow the disabled person (or child) and one attendant (parent or guardian) to go through VIP with them. If VIP is going to be necessary for your child, I would make sure I have it IN WRITING from the Special Needs Department. That will mean less confusion on Embarkation Day.

 

Once you are on the ship, the cabins are generally ready by 1:30pm. This is an excellent time to familiarize your child with their new living arrangements for the next week. If your child is tired, a nice nap may be in order. Our son always takes a nap for about an hour after we arrive. Once he has done that, then he is ready to leisurely walk around the ship and get familiar with it. I can not stress enough how important it is for the parents not to get overly excited during this time. My husband and I take a very low key approach and keep a very calm manner.

 

Your next hurdle will be the Muster Drill around 4PM. Again, any time there are a large crowd of people and chaos, this may trigger some anxiety. RCCL has a special location for children with Autism. I do not know if Carnival does. (since I wrote this, Carnival has added the benefit of being able to stay in your cabin with your child as long as one member attends the Muster Drill. You will have to get permission from the Guest Services Desk.) We have always just handled it ourselves. I look and see where our Muster Station is. If it is where we are simply going to be seated…like a large lounge or theater…then we arrive early to get a spot near the door. Our son prefers being by the door. If it is where we are going to be standing outside against a wall, then we wait to the very last minute.

 

Our son usually wants to go back to the cabin after the Muster Drill to relax and calm down. We always have the early dinner seating 5:45PM, so going back to the cabin gives him a chance to get ready for dinner.

 

Depending on the age of your child, Camp Carnival orientation is usually around 7pm.

Club O2 (15-17) generally meets up around 5:00pm.

 

If your child is in Camp Carnival, I recommend that the parent attend the orientation and fill out the one page information sheet. This is where you reiterate the needs your child will have. These counselors do not know your child, so you must be specific. The more you tell them about your child, the better equipped the counselors will be to handle whatever situation may occur. These orientations are generally full of kids and can be chaotic, so I used to attend and have my husband stay outside the door with our son until it was over. Then I would bring our son in and introduce him to his counselor.

 

Again, this is where parents must be realistic. For example: when our son was Camp Carnival age, he LOVED the Swim Parties they would have. The water was over his head and he could not swim. The counselors offered to take him, but I felt that was putting an undue burden on them with so many other children to watch. So, I would go with him. That way, he got to attend these Swim Parties he loved so much and the counselors did not have the added burden of watching a special needs child that could not swim. I was there to watch him.

 

Over the years, the counselors and I have worked together to provide the best and safest cruising environment that we could. Again, they can not provide one on one care. And they can not care of a child that will harm other children. But, other than those two restrictions, Camp Carnival has exceeded our expectations time and time again.

 

Later on during the evening on Embarkation Day, generally around 8:30pm, Camp Carnival has a Sail Away Party. This is for children AND their parents. And it gives a wonderful opportunity for parents and children to get to know their counselors a little better. However, there is loud music and a lot of chaos…as parties for kids can be…so we always hung out by the door. Depending on your child’s level of tolerance for chaos…you can decide how “involved” you want them to be in this celebration. However, afterward, do take one more opportunity to have your child talk with the counselor they will have.

 

Camp Carnival starts at 9AM the next morning. And this first day is really a matter of playing it by ear. Camp Carnival (and I am sure other cruise lines) have the beepers so that the parents can be reached at any time. There is a deposit that is fully refunded when the beeper is returned and no charge (at least on Carnival) for this service.

 

I can only relate the experience our son has had. The counselors have always been attentive. Our son has panic attacks around mascots and after Funship Freddie was introduced in 2003, we thought we would have to stop cruising. But the counselors worked with us to assure as little exposure to FF as possible…and they still do. We have actually been able to use this cruising experience as a learning tool to teach our son how to remove himself SAFELY when a mascot appears. And now he has learned that he can be on the same ship as Funship Freddie and still have a good time. Each cruise has our son watching FF more and more. He still won’t get near him, but now he can view him from a distance without panicking.

 

Usually by the first day, we are on a good schedule that allows for our son and ourselves to have a wonderful cruise. Now he is 16 and goes to Club O2 and I can not praise those directors enough. This is an awkward age for any child, much less one with special needs and these directors have performed nothing short of miracles. On more than one cruise, our special needs son has gotten to be a “normal kid” for an entire week…thanks to the hard work of the Club O2 director, the entertainment staff, the Camp Carnival staff and the Cruise Director.

 

It has been a few years since our son was in Camp Carnival and I know there are probably some additional tips and hints that I have forgotten…so if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at musicalcruiser@hotmail.com . ( Just put Cruise Critic in the subject line )

[LHP]

One thing we did discover was the door (main floor of the theater on the left hand side) that goes to the front of the ship.

 

On the Fantasy, it says crew only....but not on the Elation.

 

I had my picture taken out there....but since we still have a camera that chisels the image into a stone tablet and not a digital...no telling WHEN I will get them developed.

[WeatherGeek]

Thanks so much for all of the info! My daughter doesn't need one on one care, nor is she aggressive, so that puts my mind at ease. I will definitely shoot them an e-mail to discuss my concerns. Do you know if they typically require a doctor's note to obtain VIP embarkation or what sort of criteria need to be met to request VIP embarkation? I didn't even realize that was an option. I know her developmental ped would sign off on a note if needed, but I need to call now to get an appt by the time we cruise. We've been looking forward to the cruise, but dreading the embarkation line because whether she melts down or not will depend on what sort of mood she is in and that will be impossible to determine until the day of. However, her meltdowns are starting to improve with time as we better manage her sensory problems, so we may not even need it by December. I am an advocate of not using her autism to get special treatment if we don't actually need it :)

[LHP]

Thanks so much for all of the info! My daughter doesn't need one on one care, nor is she aggressive, so that puts my mind at ease. I will definitely shoot them an e-mail to discuss my concerns. Do you know if they typically require a doctor's note to obtain VIP embarkation or what sort of criteria need to be met to request VIP embarkation? I didn't even realize that was an option. I know her developmental ped would sign off on a note if needed, but I need to call now to get an appt by the time we cruise. We've been looking forward to the cruise, but dreading the embarkation line because whether she melts down or not will depend on what sort of mood she is in and that will be impossible to determine until the day of. However, her meltdowns are starting to improve with time as we better manage her sensory problems, so we may not even need it by December. I am an advocate of not using her autism to get special treatment if we don't actually need it :)

 

Most kids are not aggressive, but I always have to add that because of the small number of kids that they run across that are. Sorry, I did not mean to imply that your daughter was aggressive. I just want parents to be completely informed about what Carnival can (and can not) do.

 

Please do not hesitate to make arrangements for the things your daughter needs. No doctor's note is needed.

 

The concessions that Carnival has made for us over the years has made the difference between us being able to cruise or not.

 

I just assisted a lady that sailed from New Orleans with a 4 year old child with Downs Syndrome who is nonverbal. Luckily I have a dear friend who is a Carnival Rep at the New Orleans port and he had everything ready for her when she arrived. It really made a difference.

 

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone in Mobile. So I would suggest that you contact specialneeds@carnival.com and make arrangements for the following assistance:

 

1. Handicapped check in

2. Muster Drill accommodations (sometimes it is to stay in your cabin...sometimes it is meeting in the library with wheelchair etc...quiet and comfortable)

3. Have them send a note to the Youth Director that they will have a special needs child on board. The lady I just assisted had a great cruise, but since her child was nonverbal, he was wet a couple of times when she picked him up and very thirsty. So I would suggest that you ask them to check her frequently for both. (because nonverbal is not something they deal with all the time)

4. If she would do better at a table with just your family, ask for that as well. Sometimes a table for just the family makes YOUR cruise more enjoyable because you are not worried about her disrupting someone else's dinner. Our son simply will not eat at a table with strangers (or even in a public restaurant any more)....

5. Don't forget debarkation!!! This can be long lines.... I suggest that when you debark, have a $5 bill in your pocket and grab a porter. Customs lets the porters go to the head of the line (so that they can make more money) and this will cut down on your Custom wait time considerably...without having to try to do VIP self assist....

 

These are not huge concessions....just accommodations that will assist you in having the best cruise that your family can have!!

 

Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.....

[WeatherGeek]

You didn't imply she was aggressive, I was just thinking out loud in my last post. :) I fired off an e-mail to the Special Needs dept over the weekend and asked about embarking, debarking, if it's possible to contact anyone from CC in advance, what we can do during the muster drill and how we need to handle a food intolerance. I'm looking forward to their response. Thanks so much for all of your help. I had no idea that it was even possible to make special arrangements for this stuff. We're just used to having to deal with it when things start to get uncomfortable or out of control for her, but it would be nice if she's in one of her moods to know that accommodations are available. We have been fortunate that she typically travels well, so I have high hopes! We've already braved Disney World twice with her, once in infancy and once since the diagnosis and we know that as long as we travel on her schedule and make an effort to minimize situations she can't handle, we'll all have an enjoyable vacation.

[LHP]

You didn't imply she was aggressive, I was just thinking out loud in my last post. :) I fired off an e-mail to the Special Needs dept over the weekend and asked about embarking, debarking, if it's possible to contact anyone from CC in advance, what we can do during the muster drill and how we need to handle a food intolerance. I'm looking forward to their response. Thanks so much for all of your help. I had no idea that it was even possible to make special arrangements for this stuff. We're just used to having to deal with it when things start to get uncomfortable or out of control for her, but it would be nice if she's in one of her moods to know that accommodations are available. We have been fortunate that she typically travels well, so I have high hopes! We've already braved Disney World twice with her, once in infancy and once since the diagnosis and we know that as long as we travel on her schedule and make an effort to minimize situations she can't handle, we'll all have an enjoyable vacation.

 

 

I have dropped a note to a friend of mine. If you are comfortable emailing me at musicalcruiser@hotmail.com with Cruise Critic in the subject line ... I don't think it will be hard to get handicap embarkation/debarkation.

 

Once you get on the ship...muster drill accommodations should be a breeze to get.

 

Food intolerance (no personal experience) is one area that Carnival seems to do pretty well at .....HOWEVER, that would be restricted to the Main Dining Room (since there are not as many controls on what is served on the buffet).

 

I would make sure the Maitre' d, Assist. MD, and your waiter and assist waiter knows of her needs. We always meet with the Maitre' d when we board to make sure our son has the private table he needs. This would also be the time to have them note (once again) her food intolerance.

 

Items (like pizza and the deli) where the foods are individually made are also some places that may be of assistance. You can literally tell them what to (or not to) put on her pizza or sandwich.

 

Mongolian wok is also individually made BUT since they do not wash the wok pans between every meal they prepare...there can be some cross contamination...for example, I have a shellfish allergy...so I would not want a meal prepared in the same wok that just make a shrimp "whatever".

 

Camp Carnival. I had a thought. Since your daughter is non-verbal....how about using a sticker system. If she wore a sticker that said "drink" or "pants" or "allergies"...that would remind the counselors to periodically check her to see if she is thirsty, needs a pull up change (if she isn't potty trained) and to be careful what foods she was exposed to.

 

Just some ideas.....

[scrapmamma]

Two formal nights on a 7 day cruise; one formal night on a 4 or 5 day. Deck parties; yes, several during the cruise.

 

 

We'll be going in November and what is a deck party? :D

[scrapmamma]

Hi. I don't know about all the carnival ships, but the ones I've sailed as far as I know, the MDR isn't open, however, the buffet is not that crowded as people are boarding in groups and once the rooms are available the crowd thins out. I personally prefer the delis where you can get a reuben or smoked salmon sandwich over the grill and pizza line.

 

I've been pleased with the food. The buffet is decent, the MDR above average, imo. I've never had something that tasted bad but I've had better in higher class restaurants on land. The don't miss items, hands down, are chocolate melting cake and the crab cakes. The flat iron steak was also good.

 

I have never been disturbed by smoke on board. There are designated areas. I also have never been offended by over indulged guests drink wise. Yes, there is a fun atmosphere and silly games and the wait staff will ask if you want drinks, but the falling down drunk in aisles idea you may have is just not so prevalent.

 

Carnival offers your time dining as well. We did it on our last sailing out of mobile and liked it a lot. We don't attend dinner each night unless we are with family who request it so it worked out well for us.

 

There seems to be a lot to do on a 5 day cruise, although I've only been on a 6 day for my longest. We go more to chill out and relax and wander around than to be entertained 24/7. And we've sailed with kids every time until our next cruise on Elation..which is just hubby and I.

 

The one thing I can tell you about mobile is that it's southern hospitality from your fellow passengers. The vast majority of passengers are TX, GA, LA, AL, KY, TN with quite the sprinkling of OH, IN, IL folks as well. It's, and I say this affectionately and with NO negativity, a real down home crowd. We LOVE sailing from Mobile. There's little or no pretentiousness or snooty attitudes, just fun, polite, yes ma'am and no ma'am type treatment. The men hold the doors for all the ladies and I've never been offended or treated badly out of Mobile.

 

Go for it!

 

I'm reading "Jerry Springer" nascar type here. :p

 

It might be nice to be on a ship with such a layed back atmosphere.

[WeatherGeek]

I have dropped a note to a friend of mine. If you are comfortable emailing me at musicalcruiser@hotmail.com with Cruise Critic in the subject line ... I don't think it will be hard to get handicap embarkation/debarkation.

 

Once you get on the ship...muster drill accommodations should be a breeze to get.

 

Food intolerance (no personal experience) is one area that Carnival seems to do pretty well at .....HOWEVER, that would be restricted to the Main Dining Room (since there are not as many controls on what is served on the buffet).

 

I would make sure the Maitre' d, Assist. MD, and your waiter and assist waiter knows of her needs. We always meet with the Maitre' d when we board to make sure our son has the private table he needs. This would also be the time to have them note (once again) her food intolerance.

 

Items (like pizza and the deli) where the foods are individually made are also some places that may be of assistance. You can literally tell them what to (or not to) put on her pizza or sandwich.

 

Mongolian wok is also individually made BUT since they do not wash the wok pans between every meal they prepare...there can be some cross contamination...for example, I have a shellfish allergy...so I would not want a meal prepared in the same wok that just make a shrimp "whatever".

 

Camp Carnival. I had a thought. Since your daughter is non-verbal....how about using a sticker system. If she wore a sticker that said "drink" or "pants" or "allergies"...that would remind the counselors to periodically check her to see if she is thirsty, needs a pull up change (if she isn't potty trained) and to be careful what foods she was exposed to.

 

Just some ideas.....

 

Great ideas,thank you! Especially the Camp Carnival sticker! I'll drop you a note shortly :)

[WeatherGeek]

Thought of another question - does anyone know if soy milk is available at the buffet? I know you can request it in the MDR, but not sure about the buffet?

[LHP]

Thought of another question - does anyone know if soy milk is available at the buffet? I know you can request it in the MDR, but not sure about the buffet?

 

I don't know...but if you don't get an answer before October...I will check when we sail on the Triumph.

 

Lido is fairly consistant from ship to ship.

[Seafor2]

Thought of another question - does anyone know if soy milk is available at the buffet? I know you can request it in the MDR, but not sure about the buffet?

 

They told us they had soy milk, but we were afraid to test it. My dd is allergic to milk. I bought the individual sizes of Silk that don't have to be refrigerated with us. They worked great.

[LHP]

They told us they had soy milk, but we were afraid to test it. My dd is allergic to milk. I bought the individual sizes of Silk that don't have to be refrigerated with us. They worked great.

 

I have a friend who is lactose intolerant and they always have the kind of milk she needs...but I do not know if that is the same thing as soy.

[candace n dave]

That is a really nice article. We seem to have a lot in common... my son "DJ" is 9 and also a high functioning. We have taken him on one cruise with our other son that is 2 years younger. He too struggles with large crowds and new people. We have since taken our younger son and left him with the grandparents and now it's his turn in a week for a cruise without his little brother. I'm really looking forward to having the one on one time with him without the stresses of everyday life. I am hoping he really enjoys the time with Mom and Dad too! ;-)

[WeatherGeek]

They told us they had soy milk, but we were afraid to test it. My dd is allergic to milk. I bought the individual sizes of Silk that don't have to be refrigerated with us. They worked great.

 

Can I ask why you were afraid to test it? Did they bring it out in a glass instead of a single serving size carton that had an ingredient list?

[LHP]

That is a really nice article. We seem to have a lot in common... my son "DJ" is 9 and also a high functioning. We have taken him on one cruise with our other son that is 2 years younger. He too struggles with large crowds and new people. We have since taken our younger son and left him with the grandparents and now it's his turn in a week for a cruise without his little brother. I'm really looking forward to having the one on one time with him without the stresses of everyday life. I am hoping he really enjoys the time with Mom and Dad too! ;-)

 

 

Years ago, the majority of Guess Access Services requests had to deal with wheelchairs, oxygen and assisting an older cruiser with refrigerating their insulin.

 

Now the need for assistance with special needs children is growing rapidly.

Unfortunately (just like in real life) the needs can vary so greatly from child to child. DJ is now 19 and I can not express how appreciative we are at all the life lessons that he has learned from cruising.

 

The ability to teach him how to handle every day life tasks in a controlled environmnet.

 

Of course it has taken 12 years and almost 40 cruises....but when he gets on a ship now....it is like he gets to be a "normal" kid for a week.

 

If you comfortable, feel free to email me at musicalcruiser@hotmail.com if you have any additional questions that you may not want to talk about in public.

 

Just put Cruise Critic in the subject line....

[vancelot]

Things should be looking up for better embarkation here in Mobile. Just last week it was announced that the City of Mobile had purchased the old Amtrak property just north of the cruise terminal and will turn it into additional parking for cruisers. It is near and an easy walk to the terminal. This will eliminate the overflow parking at the civic center which required either being shuttled or a long walk to the cruise terminal.

Glad to hear improvements are underway. After hearing of the problems because of the larger ship, I suspected they would eventually do something to address it. Any kind of time frame for completion indicated?

 

Vance

[richcrow]

Glad to hear improvements are underway. After hearing of the problems because of the larger ship, I suspected they would eventually do something to address it. Any kind of time frame for completion indicated?

 

Vance

 

Haven't seen or heard of any completion dates, but I wouldn't think that creating a parking lot would take that long. Being that it will be government project the secret will be just getting it started.:)

[dengirl]

Were u told you could get one cabin for 5 people? My pvp told me today I had to get two cabins? Maybe via my daughters are older? Im disappointed..

[LHP]

Were u told you could get one cabin for 5 people? My pvp told me today I had to get two cabins? Maybe via my daughters are older? Im disappointed..

 

You can get a cabin for 5 people (OV or Interior) on any ship built 1999 or earlier.

 

This includes all the Fantasy Class Ships....the Destiny, Triumph and Victory...since rollaways are allowed.

 

You can not put 5 to a cabin on the Spirit class or Conquest class ships or on the Splendor. (no rollaways allowed)

 

However, the Dream has some "family cabins" that allow 5 and have 2 bathrooms!!

 

(The 1999 rule is a Coast Guard rule that restricts the number of people in a cabin.)