Just returned from the Holiday

[Cotton]

My husband & I are flying into New Orleans for the Minnesota Vikings - New Orleans Saints game and were planning on spending 4 days laying on Pensacola Beach - Thanks alot Ivan - now we are looking at the Holiday on the 21st of Oct. What is the eariest time you can depart with taking the luggage yourself ?

The cruise is out of Mobile I am wondering how hard it would be to fly out of New Orleans and make a 11:25 am flight?

How far is it from Mobile port to New Orleans Airport? Patty

Patty-I'll be at the Saints-Vikes game on the 17th, too. Geaux Saints!:)

 

I would say it would be impossible to make an 11:25am flight from N.O. if you have to drive from Mobile.:eek: Sorry, but it's about a 3-hr. drive. (I live about half way between both cities.)

 

The thing is, even though the Holiday would dock around 8am in Mobile, it could be one or even two hours before you disembark, then get to your (assuming) rental car, and get to N.O. And, the airport is on the other side of N.O. ...So - I would strongly suggest y'all arrange for an afternoon flight. Good luck!

[dryehair]

this was a great thread.......found out alot.....we will be going on the HOliday the 4th of Oct.....cant wait......just hope we can find some great friends cruising also......sounds like all of you had a great time......just hope there is some other teens on this sailing....for our boys 15 and 16......is there much for them to do......we have been on other carnival ships....but not on the Holiday.

[tbrown]

We just got home from cruising the Holiday and I can assure you all we will NEVER cruise this ship again. The employees were rude, the room steward was (good question never seen him, and can assure you he did not do his job), they never were on time, told us of three options that we could take to get off the cruise from hell out of Galveston TX because that is were we ended up because of Ivan and then when we get there they change that too. The only people that we can say was any good was the ones in entertainment and the dining room. What really seems funny if this ship is so great why was the staff that has contracts coming up going to transfer out? Seems that they too are not happy. I wish anybody that is going on this thing good luck but I can tell you that I will be calling headquarters Monday and somthing had better be done because if not we will be causing alot of people to think twice before booking with Carnival again because out of fourteen hundred passengers I know of atleast half that is unhappy and ready to let anybody and everybody know about it.

 

Oh don't get me wrong the ship is beautiful but the crew was not.

[ker2169]

I was on the Holiday just a couple of weeks ago and thought the crew was great. Our room steward we saw all the time and always had our room clean and fresh towels even when we tried to save them like they ask. He always filled our cooler with ice twice a day and the towel animals were great. Our dining room staff was great and very funny. The staff at the informantion desk were great, our room wasn't far from it and I was always there with ?'s and they always had the answer for me. Everyone has a bad day and you just may have hit the ship on a bad week. Sorry that your cruise wasn't everything you thought it would be, but it was for me.

[vikeqn]

Thanks for the advice so far. We are now looking at a 1:30 flight out of Pensacola. Northworst airlines is not being very helpful. I am canceling hotels , changing dates , rebooking airfare and trying to find ground transportation. I wonder if I can get a shuttle/ taxi/ town car to take us from Alabama Sate Docks to Pensacola airport. Renting a car and then returning it may be a nightmare. espically when we have a plane to catch.

Cotton - did you see any NFL on the Hoilday when you were on it? Ya ya record it- I am toooo obsessed about my Vikes!

Haven't booked yet as I am still fighting with the airline- they want 200 bucks just to change my dates around. Ya I know they have their rules BUT??? !!!

Anyone have rental car or shuttle advice?

Thnaks !

Patty

[Yazoo cruiser]

was in the area , I thought the captain did a great job keeping us safe. This was our 29th cruise and my daughter and son-in-laws 1st. We have been on the Holiday 4 times and I continue to love this ship. We were scheduled to go to Playa Del Carmen but had to go to Progresso instead. Then instead of Cozumel, we went to Veracruz, a port we had never been to before. We took a tour of the city including the aquarium and fort that protected the city in the 15th and 16th century. I obviously would have rather gone to Cozumel, one of my favorite ports, but I appreciate the decision to keep us safe. We were redirected to Galveston because the possibility of the port of New Orleans being closed was a real possibility. As soon as they found out New Orleans was fine, we were taken to the home port. They allowed every cabin a 5 minute phone call home and this was appreciated. Our dining room waiter, Jose, was one of the best we have ever had. Our cabin steward, Tony. was not very visible, but did a great job of keeping our room clean and neat at least twice a day. There were several cruisers who were unhappy about being charged an extra day of tips for for the stewards who I felt deserved it and probably more. They were great. I heard a lot of criticism of the captain and his decisions, but being in management myself, I know I would hate to have had to make those decisions. I personally told every member of the crew that I came in contact with How much we appreciated their extra effort to take care of us on our extra day at sea. Again, it was unfortunate that Ivan had to change it's course and effect our cruise, but I would go back on the Holiday anytime, and do plan on doing so in January or February from Mobile.

[sailing suzie]

awsmrn,

One more question, Which kind of motion sickness therapy would U suggest?? We have heard that they do sell a motion sickness band on the ship. But also the patches have been suggested to me. Just wondering what you maybe used or heard people talking about using themselves??

 

Thanks for the excursion list you e-mailed me. I really appreciate that, very helpful in our decisions. We have seen alot of different prices but this one is the more accurate I am sure.

 

We are getting excited...........Hopefully these hurricaines will cease by Novemeber!!!!!

Ready to sail,:)

Suzie

[HOSKI]

try the bands first. Some people have allergic reactions to the patches and it can be worse than seasickness.

[DBruna]

On the Riveria Deck forward there is a laundry with irons you can use FREE. I had been on this ship 2 x previously and did not know this until this last trip.

[luv2cruise123]

Also laundry room on upper deck right across from U 64.

[SevenVII]

the only people that we can say was any good was the ones in entertainment and the dining room. What really seems funny if this ship is so great why was the staff that has contracts coming up going to transfer out? Seems that they too are not happy. I wish anybody that is going on this thing good luck but I can tell you that I will be calling headquarters Monday and somthing had better be done because if not we will be causing alot of people to think twice before booking with Carnival again because out of fourteen hundred passengers I know of atleast half that is unhappy and ready to let anybody and everybody know about it.

Thats too bad you didnt have a good time, but did you have to be so mean to the english language? What did it ever do to you? :o

[Cotton]

Just as a point of fact, there are laundy facilities on each deck of the Holiday.

[dryehair]

i have been on 5 other carnival cruises.....and i have never had a bad experience.....always had a great time......we have had some mishaps like having our luggage lost, rude table mates, and also had to stay at sea in a tropical storm with a ship a few years ago that had broke down.....(belive me that was not fun, and i wouldnt want to be stranded alone at sea, so it was fine with me to stay with them).....carnival always did whatever they could to make things right and enjoyable.....i am sure this cruise, on the Holiday will be just as great......even though...its a smaller ship and we have alwaysbeen on larger ones....but from eveything you guys have said about it....im sure it will be just as wonderful.....its kinf of like the t-shirt i saw once...."its not the size of the ship, but the motion of the ocean"......carnival will come thru i know.

oh yeah still not found anyone going on the message borads for the Oct 4th sailing.....but im sure there will be alot of great cruisers.

have a good one everyone

David