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Welcome New Members! Hello and thanks for joining our tight-knit cruising family. We encourage you to post your questions, advice, experiences or anything at all about cruising. If you're new to cruising, don't hesitate to ask the questions you may have - All questions are good ones! If you're an experienced cruiser, perhaps you'd like to help answer questions on the forums, post comments to articles, create and manage your own Cruise Blog or Group, offer advice to others, or exchange cruising stories; There is something here for everyone. Again, welcome to CruiseCrazies and we hope to see you posting often.

Those who have cruised before know what a popular place the ship's buffet is on embarkation day. It's as though 3,000 cruisers arrive on board and haven't eaten in days. Eager, hungry vacationers line up at the door, squirt the required antibacterial lotion into the palms of their hands, fill their plates, and search for the grand prize: a seat at which to enjoy their lunch - all while carefully and steadily balancing plates and cups along the way. Depending on the ship and venue, it can be a very organized affair in a spacious area, or it can be a crowded and confusing place, overrun with fellow diners in search of food and table. Instead of beginning your cruise flustered from the crowds bumping to and fro, why not head to the dining room for a leisurely lunch . Most ships have at least one dining room or other alternative dining area open for those who would like a more relaxed meal. For instance, when cruising on the larger Princess ships, my husband and I like to grab a bite to eat at the International Cafe after boarding and eat in the nearby Piazza, while listening to the string quartet or jazz ensemble that might be performing. We're not really interested in filling ourselves with a lot of food at the moment we board. After all, there will be plenty more where that came from in the days ahead!

We have said this many times, but we really, really mean it. We love to cruise! Jerry and I took a long, overdue vacation to visit my family on the east coast. All said and done, we spent more money on this vacation than we have ever spent on a cruise. Between the hotels, car rental, food, and gasoline (not counting airfare because we would have to fly to cruise), ... you get the picture. AND the food was terrible. Okay, maybe not terrible, but for the amount of money that we paid ... shame on the restaurants. $3.50 for a cup of coffee (plain) and it was TERRIBLE coffee. I'm glad we got to see my mom and my siblings I'm glad that the weather was beautiful and we got some magnificent pictures of cherry trees and green yards (brown is the color in Tucson). I'm glad that we got to go to Atlantic City (Lost, Lost, Lost so we won't elaborate). And, I am super glad that we are going on a cruise in September!!! Great to be a fan of cruising.

I know none of the staterooms on a cruise ship are gigantic. Even a suite is smaller then say a suite in a hotel. The storage is actually pretty good and the rooms can be comfortable. Now think about the crew rooms. The smallest passenger room is much larger then a crew cabin. The number of people in a crew cabin depends on your rank. Of course the captain would have the biggest room. The majority of crew members are 4 or 5 to a room. Lower ranked officers have 2 to a room. The general crew will have a couple bunk beds in their room and they will have a stand up locker for their clothes and personal items. There may be a small desk or a table that they all can sit at. There will be a small TV. If all crew members are in the room at the same time the room is totally filled up. There is one small bathroom that they all share and the shower is basicaly about half the size of the shower in the passenger cabins. I was an officer that shared a room There was a bunk bed in the room and I could literally spread my arms and reach both walls side to side in the room. The room was about 10 feet long. The extra space past the bed was taken up by our locker and the bathroom. Now you know why a crew member would rather be working or in the rec room on a ship then spend time in their room.Their room is to sleep in, clean up and change clothes and that is it.

Two minor, yet fun updates to the settings available to all members: 1. A new profile field titled "Cruising Since." As the name implies, it shows the year you took your first cruise. If you had previously entered a full date (year, month, day) of your first cruise within your profile, it has been converted to show the year only. Your "cruising since" date will now be visible next to all of your forum posts along with other helpful, fun information. Update this field and the rest of your profile here. Example: 2. "Like This" daily limits increased. Previously there was a low limit to the number of times you could click the "Like This" button in a day. It didn't make sense to have this limit since clicking the button is a way to help identify helpful, valuable, or fun content and helping identify such content shouldn't be limited. Now each member can hit the "Like This" button many more times per day, helping highlight the best content on the site more than before. Here's what the button looks like, I encourage you to all click it whenever you come across something that deserves it!

We were on the NCL Dawn out of New Orleans and visited the port and new covered dock on Jan, 02, 2017. We were very impressed with this private port of call. Had a great beach, pool, zip lines, bars, restaurants, etc. A host of activities are available. We were told the port will eventually be used by other cruise lines.

Hi Everyone, Excited to announce the immediate release of several new features - All designed to increase activity throughout our community and recognize those adding the most value. Details: 1. Member Referrals - Get credit for referring new members! Share and send your unique signup link to others via email, social media. Receive credit when they use the link to join Access your custom referrer link from the new "Referrer" tab on your profile or Account Settings Don't have the url handy? Give others your Member name and they can enter it on the signup form View all your referred Members on the new "Referrer" tab on your profile 2. Top Content Posters - View who's posting the most! View the ranking of our Members who have posted the most The Top 8 Members are visible by Week/Month/Year The ranking is visible from the right side column of the Forum Index Page 3. Member of the Month - Recognizing our most active Members! To recognize our most active & helpful Members, someone will be selected monthly as the "Member of the Month" The Member of the Month will be promoted across our website, social media, our eNewsletter and more To be eligible: Post/share/comment and refer new Members using your referral url explained above To kick start this new feature, submit your nomination for October. The winner will be announced next month! Thanks for your continuous support in doing your part to keep the conversation going and in promoting our growing community. Any questions, just shout!

With all the new members we've been getting , maybe some of you would like to introduce yourselves. We are a very friendly group and love new members. We have many members who are very experienced cruisers and are glad to answer any and all questions. So, just introduce yourselves and feel free to ask away. I'm Cheryl and I live in So. Florida, about 20 minutes from Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale. We 've been on many cruises, all of them either with Carnival or Royal Caribbean. We are baby boomers and have recently become empty nesters, very happily. We've done a lot of 7 day cruises in the past but now we do the 3 or 4 day cruises. Hoping that some of our new members will become regulars around here. The more the merrier.

Hmmm - July in Greece. Yeah the deck is going to be steamy. OK, am I the only one who thinks that these lawsuits have gotten out of hand? I'll throw him a bone, though. Maybe it was his first cruise and didn't know how hot pool decks can actually get. Either way, I would think that someone who can't feel anything on the bottom of his feet would keep his feet protected no matter what the case. He says he didn't want to go to the hospital so he wouldn't ruin the vacation for his family. If that were my husband with roasted skin dangling off his feet, I would have insisted they get him off the ship ASAP!

Not money but convenience...... Pack some wire (dry cleaner) coat hangers, as there are never enough in the closets. Bring a small night light or, most bathroom doors are not tight at the bottom so leave the light on and it works. If you have a stateroom with a card slot at the door to allow lights to be turned on, use a business card instead of the room key and just leave it in.

When it comes to cruising, many of you know I have no issues just letting it all hang out. Well, I do put my belt on to suck some of it in, but when it comes to deck parties and night-life on the high seas you can bet your bottom dollar that yours truly, his whistle and party crew will be in the house ready to BAA-RING DA NOISE! A conversation I had with a fan inspired this post and I hope the words I shared with her would also encourage you to jump out of your comfort zone and live life to the fullest! YOLO! So there I was a few months ago sitting in the karaoke lounge sailing on Carnival Glory. A fan of the blog approached and struck up a conversation with me. She was saying how she couldn't understand how I could get up in front of so many people and not seem to care what they thought of me; if they were laughing at me and even wanted to know how I "showed my face" around the ship the next morning. I simply told her this, "I stopped caring what people had to say about me when I realized no matter if I pleased 1 or 1 million, everyone was not going to like everything I did - which is fine by me. I also realize that I will never see most of the people on this cruise ever again in my life... so why not give them a show?" She began to nod and laugh. I said, "You only get one shot to live this life here on earth, so why not spend your days laughing hard, cuttin' a rug and showing others they too don't have to just sit there but can join in!" She soon grabbed her teenage daughter, brought her to the karaoke lounge and together they took the stage singing Coldplay's smash hit, "Viva la Viva!" I gave them both a standing ovation and the mother told me, "I did it because I took what you said to heart!" I have walked into many nightclubs on cruises where people aren't dancing and the mood needs to be that of a club and not a community music sitting center. So with all the dance floor space I see, I round up my crew, we jet for the floor and GET IT INNNN! Then before I know it, others are joining us asking if they can hang with us while we're in the club. That's when I realized that when cruising people can get so caught up into what everyone else is thinking of them, they allow strangers to hinder themselves from having a great time. Is that you? Stop that right now if it is! Yes, now I do know that not everyone is an extrovert and/or is comfortable with displaying goofy moments in poolside games, vocal abilities at karaoke or even their gaming skills in the casino, but I do know that we all have a chance to use a cruise to help us step outside of our comfort zone, wouldn't you agree? I mean come on, you eat all that food when everyone is looking (you may not even know it sometimes, but people are watching), so why not put on a show for 'em?! Next time you hit the high seas, don't let your shy and bashful side get the best of you - shine like the brightest star in galaxies and let the ship know YOU know how to bring the noise! As always, you're cruisetacular for reading and I have nothing but love for ya! Keep cruising and grooving--Shon!

I may be all smiles in this pic, but there is a side of me that comes out from time to time that includes arms-folded, inverted eyebrows and an attitude ready to usher you into the ocean . I wear a smile with every out-fit I put on - especially when a cruise ship is involved (who wouldn't?)! But there is a point when not even a cruise ship can keep a smile on my face and it has to do with people. After 30 cruises, I still am amazed that I am blessed to enjoy a traveling luxury - such as a cruise ship - as often as I do. You know I thank God every time I board a ship because I could have easily been the unfortunate man on the sidewalk asking for money or a meal. I just stand amazed! I went from not having a lot to now being able to be spoiled like a prince. I remembered my first cruise like it was yesterday. I just about couldn't hold myself together. The food, the cool people and most importantly the beautiful, sacred connection I was able to find with The Lord. I soon hit this weird phase in my cruising history. You start talking about the paint job the ship needs, the color of the carpet and even how slow the cabin stewards are at getting you a fresh towel. You begin reaching a point where you become a ship snob and boy did I used to be one! You complain out this... and that. Then you start comparing this ship to another ship and wish it was bigger, or not as many people or pray for more activities to do. Well if you were like me, a few years ago, I have two words for you: SHUT UP! Your negative attitude is poisoning the fun that's supposed to be experienced onboard! Take it from a guy who used to RUN HIS TRAP about everything wrong... it doesn't help anything. Honestly, you're traveling in style complaining about some food when there's a kid in Haiti who is wondering the streets right now trying to find food, shelter and protection from predators. Like really? But that hamburger could be less burnt though? Right... If it could, go get another one. Gosh, you act like you haven't paid for the food. You have world class crew members working for YOUR amusement. They leave their family and friends behind for months at a time to hear you complain because they didn't turn down your bed twice in a day? They do not get paid enough to feel both a Caribbean breeze and your hot breath. One is enough and it ain't the latter. Do you even turn down your own bed down at home twice a day? Oh and you must use like a million towels at home too right, because the cabin stewards needs to change them everyday? Put yourself in the shoes of those who are less fortunate than you. The people work non-stop around the clock, for YOU. It would be nice to give them a break every now and then you know? I started meeting with my cabin steward the day I get on and tell them straight up - I don't need turn down service, in fact, I don't need day time service. Just give me the daily activities agenda and and high-five every time I see ya! I am tired of hearing about the things YOU hate about a ship. What is there to hate? You have literally 5 star everything compared to the girl who was just captured and forced into female prostitution. The mouths of complaining and nit-picky cruisers is THE thing I hate about cruising! Please, if you're going to complain, just run back to your cabin and tell someone who will actually care (they'll be looking at you in the mirror). Now I'm not saying you should not rightfully speak up when something like theft of your belongings or something fatal happens and the cruise line is at fault. By all means, please speak up when necessary, but know that you not getting chocolate on your pillow at night is no excuse to just hear yourself bark. Save your breath for all the screaming you'll do at the sailaway deck party! Give it a go. Be a global citizen who understands and tries to help those who've been working for 14 hours straight feeling exhausted and still wears that smile like nothing's even wrong. Stop complaining. Shut up because nobody gives a cup... of coffee! Until we talk ship again, keep cruising and grooving. You know you're cruisetacular for reading and I have nothing but love for ya!

Hey everyone! This is my first blog here and I am super excited!! I stumbled across this site by chance and loved it! I hope my blogs will offer you some valuable tips as well as some fun entertainment. I have never been a writer… nor thought I ever would be. I am a small town Texas girl who fell in love with cruising. The first time I saw the ocean, a magical calm came over me -- and it has been calling my name ever since. I can’t break that spell. Going to the ocean is my escape. I am by no means an expert, but researching cruises and information when I am on land fuels my passion and allows me to keep sane (somewhat) until my next cruise rolls around. So this is how it all got started…. Our son was not quite 3. My husband and I never took a “real” honeymoon and were approaching our 5 year anniversary. To put it mildly… we were broke, but desperately needed to get away. Thankfully, a good ‘ole Texas spring storm came through and took down what was left of our sad, pitiful fence in the backyard. When we received the money from the insurance company to replace the fence, I got the bright idea that if we cooked some hamburgers and bought some beer, my husband and his friends could replace the fence themselves and save us a TON of money. (You’re welcome honey!) We could use what we saved to go on vacation! Brilliant… I know! My husband wanted to go to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico. However, I was doing the research. Everything was so expensive… and all we had was leftover fence money! It looked like we could go to an all-inclusive resort, but we would have no money left over to actually DO anything. The extent of our vacation would be to drink ourselves silly on watered down drinks on a beach somewhere. Let’s be honest here… after a day or two…that would suck OR we could take a cruise. We would have enough money left over to still drink ourselves silly AND go on excursions in all 3 ports. Neither of us are ones to be bored so I thought this was the best deal! So I booked it. Non-refundable, of course. I casually brought up the idea of a cruise to Mark (that’s my husband), thinking he would love the idea! This cruise thing sounded so like us! His response…no way on this earth was he ever getting on a boat for 7 days. Period. Hmmm… what to do? What to do? … I couldn’t tell him I already spent all our money and I had no way of getting it back. I knew what was best for him… I just needed to figure out a way for him to know it too! I’m not one to lie, so I thought it best to say we couldn’t afford to do the Mexico thing so we were going to go to Galveston instead. I packed his bags (formal night clothes and all… cause that’s how awesome I am) and we set off. Somewhere down the lonely stretch of road to Galveston from Fort Worth, I couldn’t contain my excitement any longer and let it slip that we were going on a cruise. Oh my Gracious! It got ugly in that car! By the time we reached Galveston we weren’t speaking. He finally agreed to get on the boat (thankfully because otherwise, I wouldn’t have had a ride home in a week!), but we were getting a divorce when we got off! True story. Then something magical happened. We had the time of our lives!! The cruise ship was more than we could have ever imagined. We were upgraded from an inside cabin… to one with a porthole! We thought we had hit the lottery. Not even the waves crashing against the boat and threatening to come through the wall at any moment or the ridiculous vibration from the thrusters could spoil our fun! There was stuff to do everywhere! (Food, shows, shopping, casino, nightclubs, pools.) We fell in love with each other all over again!! Sappy… I know! We were already looking for the next cruise to book as soon as we got home. See…. I knew I was right! That cruise in fact, probably saved our marriage. And so it began. Years later, we are still setting off together for our adventures at sea (only now he is a willing participant… minus the time I tried to move us all to St. Thomas, but that’s another blog… and now we can afford them!) I look forward to sharing our cruising adventures with all of you!

y An engine fire ... a cruise ship dead in the sea without the power to provide the basic of needs. A pleasant ocean escape to the Caribbean becomes a bad cruise to nowhere. Such was the picture on board the Carnival Triumph on its 4-day sailing last week. The unpleasant details of life on board that cruise need not be repeated here. We've all seen the video footage and heard the news reports. When the disabled ship finally reached the dock in Mobile, Alabama, greeted by 200 Carnival personnel who would assist in getting the tired passengers home, TV cameras were on hand to fill us in with more images and interviews of anyone willing to talk, providing sensationalized news coverage at its best - playing off other people's misery. The sorry thing is that the general public sitting at home on their couch eats this stuff up, only encouraging more of this. Such is journalism, I guess. Who do I feel sorry for the most? The first-time cruiser. Imagine you're embarking on your first cruise. You've been on the fence for a long time about cruise travel, but you decide to make the leap, choosing a nice, short 4-day Caribbean cruise to get your feet wet, so to speak. You're all relaxed, you've found your way around the ship, having a great time, thinking - yeah- this is pretty nice. Suddenly, you learn that a small fire has broken out in the ship's engine room. Although it has been quickly contained, the fire has knocked out most of the electrical power to the ship. The vessel has crawled to a halt, aimlessly adrift, and you soon discover that there is no air conditioning, no running water, no working toilets, and no hot food. The ship is slowly being towed to dock in Mobile. It's an agonizingly slow process, with wind, sea currents and a busted tow line impeding the way. You are told it will take days to reach land. Gone is your dream cruise vacation. Instead, you find yourself on a floating sewage barge. Some first cruise. You tell yourself you should have trusted your instincts and picked that all-inclusive resort. Here, on this ship, there's no escape. Despite what some passengers have said to the contrary, Carnival seems to have fairly and adequately compensated its passengers. Each passenger was given a full refund, paid transportation home, and a future cruise credit. I don't know what else they could have done to satisfy their passengers, short of giving them a fully-paid cruise - on Carnival or any other line the customer chooses. The real shining stars of this cruise are the crew of Triumph. Stories abound of crew members who never ceased to smile, offered words of comfort, remained professional, and otherwise made the best of a bad situation. They are to be commended and, I hope, appropriately compensated for their efforts. The same cannot be said for Carnival. Assuring the safety and comfort of its paying customers is, or should be, the cruise line's #1 priority. Regrettably, Carnival dropped the ball on this one. It was unnecessary and inexcusable for cruise passengers to be exposed to the foul conditions caused by the power failure. It was reported at one point that there were five working toilets for 4,000 souls on board - far from comfortable. What could Carnival have done to better assist its passengers during this unfortunate journey, and what steps could the line take to prevent another incident like this in the future? Dare I say that some of the following suggestions may seem elementary and overly simplistic, but I can't help myself. Perhaps the cruise line should have reconsidered evacuation of passengers, even if some risk was involved. Surely, somewhere a ship could be found to make the transfer, at least giving passengers the option of getting away. Portable toilets. It sounds like a ridiculous idea onboard a mega ship, but I have to ask. Why don't cruise ships have a supply of porta potties stored away on board for emergencies such as this? Not possible? Drop 'em in by helicopter. Portable generators - huge ones. I don't pretend to know the inner workings of getting electrical power to all areas of the ship. I only know that when average Joe Homeowner has a power outage, he powers up his portable generator. There must be a large-scale way to do the same on a super-sized cruise ship. Lifeboats. Why are they there, if not for evacuation of cruise ship passengers. Bobbing at sea in a lifeboat at sea might be preferable to conditions on the ship - at least to some folks - no matter how risky it might be. Above all, an emergency back-up plan. With each new ship comes bigger sights, bigger sounds, bigger everything - requiring big power. It would seem that cruise lines would have in place adequate back-up power relative to the size of the ship it is selling to its customers. In the meantime, while the potential for litigation brews, investigation of Triumph's engines are under way. Reports of past engine problems have prompted discussions of whether or not the ship should have sailed in the first place. Time will tell. Just as the Costa Concordia forced changes to safety and security all throughout the cruise industry, so may Carnival re-examine its response to shipboard emergencies as relates to passenger safety and comfort. At least I would hope so. What about that first-time cruiser? Will he choose to cruise again, or has this hellish five-day cruise to nowhere turned him off to cruise vacations forever? If you were to pole the veteran cruisers on board that cruise, asking if they would continue to cruise, I would bet the majority would say "hell, yeah!" Hundreds of ships sail every year without a single major incident. Nevertheless, just like any other form of travel, incidents and accidents sometimes occur. Some of them may be simple annoyances, some may be terrible ordeals, and every now and then one may even result in fatality. Each one can be a learning experience for all involved. For the cruise line, it is a way to change, improve and correct that which is faulty. Just as the old hippy expression says: ***t happens. There is an abundance of seaworthy ships, and there are fascinating places to explore. Opportunities for new discoveries are as endless as the sea. So get back out there, trump the Triumph travesty, and choose to cruise! To read more of my personal cruise and travel stories, visit my blog: Seven Sea Journeys at CruiseCrazies.com

The Carnival Triumph safely returned to port after an ordeal at sea. I’m happy to say that, during the intense media coverage on CNN and other networks—which I was corralled into—passengers unanimously praised the tireless hard work and positive attitude of the crew. There were many horror stories about poor sanitation on the crippled ship. Alas, these are not always relegated to disaster. Allow me to share a particularly gross ship I worked on for months. We crew endure this for you, dear passenger. Gross things are common on cruise ships. No, not the gastronomic atrocities occurring nonstop at the buffets—horrifying as that may be to quantify—but what lies below the waterline. Not the slimy, oil-tainted waters of the bilge, either. I’m talking about what life is like on the crew decks. Carnival Triumph recently made the news when a fire left it without propulsion, little running water, less electricity, and utterly bereft of sanitation. One passenger reported “sewage running down the walls and floors” and said travelers were being asked to defecate in bags and urinate in showers because toilets weren’t functioning. Understandably shocking, considering how rarely passengers endure such privations. The crew deal with it every day. It should be noted they bring it on themselves. Crew are generally denied food in their cabins because it invariably ends up in the toilets in a most nonbiological manner. Hiding evidence of a smuggled, late night snack is always the same: flush it. After all, there are no portholes twenty feet below the sea. But ship toilets are very, very sensitive. The crew? Not so much. When working on RCI’s Majesty of the Seas, fish bones backed up the sewage system so often that the entire aft crew deck smelled like feces. Literally. And this was where the crew kitchen and dining room were located! Oddly enough, this disposing of contraband was the only time many flushed the toilets at all. This can be partly explained by the wide variety of nationalities that compose the crew. Hygiene standards vary radically from nation to nation, but are all but absent in some developing nations. Such is the resource pool from which the cruise industry hires its labor. When first indoctrinated into crew, on day one, everyone is educated on what is required for first-world hygienic standards. They are ordered to wash daily and to use deodorant, whether they ‘need’ it or not. Many even comply. But when working a minimum of eighty hours a week without a day off for ten months straight, focus flags. On Majesty of the Seas, these men—for they were invariably so—lived in tiny, shared cabins along the main corridor leading to the crew mess. Tucked between were communal showers and toilets. Everything was crowded, everything stank. And it was stiflingly hot. Because the cooling system was also spotty, all doors were always open. Three times a day, on the way to every meal, I passed dozens of overworked zombies brushing their teeth beside toilets filled to the brim, lids wide open. A perfect appetizer for a enjoying a meal in a latrine. I learned about such things in dramatic fashion upon signing onto Majesty as a junior officer. After returning to my cabin, I discovered a man wearing officers’ whites bent over my desk, examining the contents. While there was no pretext of privacy on a cruise ship, having my own cabin had given me delusions of it. Upon hearing me enter, the man shoved the drawer shut and irritably snapped, “Cabin inspection. I have reports that you routinely order room service. This is highly improper and will not continue. We have a cockroach problem in the stern deck, and I will not have it spread into this section of the ship.” I didn’t have time to explain that I had just arrived because he brushed me aside to search my shower. Because cabin inspections were conducted by each department head and, since I was a department head, I suddenly realized the man searching my toilet was the most powerful officer beside the captain himself! He dropped the toilet lid with a slam, trying to hide his disdain behind a professional countenance. His grimace worked through. “No fish bones,” I said cheerily. He glared at me and replied, “I am seeking a shoe.” “Um… shoes?” I asked, confused. He corrected me sharply, “A shoe! The entire sewage system is backed up ship-wide because a crewman flushed a shoe down the toilet this morning.” Brian David Bruns is the best-selling author of Cruise Confidential and Ship for Brains, the latter from which the above story is taken.

Welcome Aboard! As a CruiseCrazies Member it's very easy to exchange cruise information and meet other cruisers. We've got plenty for new and veteran cruisers alike, and lots to enjoy before your cruise, after your cruise and even if you don't have any upcoming cruises. Here are some ways you can get started.... Your Account: Customize your profile, cover photo, settings and notifications: Update Create your Forum signature Cruising: Start a cruise discussion in our most popular forum: Let's Talk Cruise Stay up to date: Cruise News, Articles, and Blogs Access our free Packing List and Tips Submit a cruise review Save Money: Preferred Agents Upload your cruise Photos Connect with Others: Start a Roll Call for your upcoming cruise Create and manage a Group Host your own Blog Introduce yourself: New Member Introductions Join us in Welcoming our Newest Members Questions? Cruise questions, planning, information: Let's Talk Cruise Website questions, issues, feedback: Contact Us

Greetings All, hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. Just wanted to update you on some changes that have been made to help streamline all of our forum activities. These changes have also been made to our site navigation. This is round one of some enhancements coming to CruiseCrazies in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more and if you have any questions please contact me directly so I can assist as quickly as possible. Thanks for all of your continued support everyone!! Forums whose topics have been merged into the "Lets Talk Cruise" forum - - Welcome Back! Post Cruise Discussion - Special Interest Cruising (Single Cruisers, Solo Cruisers, Cruising with Children) - Port of Call - Hotels, Resorts, and Flights Forums relocated into the "Cruise Discussion" Forums Category - - Roll Calls - Bon Voyages Forums Removed - - Testing Forum to be Removed - - Recipes will be removed by end of year so please view/print your favorites by Dec 31 Forums relocated into the "Non-Cruising" Forum Category - - Thank you Site Sponsors --> Non-Cruising

On March 25, I had some serious health issuess while on a sailboat off the Miami coast. There are numerous articles about it - just google - Carnival Breeze Rescue. The articles have a few errors. One, It was my friend Charlie and I on the boat. I was in pretty serious trouble and he was exhausted from trying to help me and single hand the vessel. It all ended ok and I am now safelly ensconced in in my new home in Samana, Dominican Republic. If you take a cruise that stops in our beautiful bay, let me know! The most important thing I want to correct about the articles is that I know, from listenting to the radio chat, while waiting for help, that the Captain of Breeze upon hearing the distress calls, called the coast Guard and OFFERED his assistance. Breeze was soon on the scene and we where transferred to the ship by the Coast Guard. We received the finest care and tended to a if as if we were royalty. I had two doctors and I think about five nurses. Soon after being evaluated by the doctors I was airlifted by the Coast Guard helicopter. The plucked me from the top of the ship in a basket on a cable (whew)/ They took me to Jackson Memorial where I was cared for and released a few days later. Yes I love Carnival Cruises. My first was from Tampa to the Caribbean for 7 days. The second was 5 hours on the Breeze. I will be back and enter through the front door! Thank you Captain and crew. Dave

As seen on the Forum Index page, jacketwatch has been selected as Member of the Month for January. Larry, congratulations and thanks for all of your engagement throughout the community! Screenshot from Forum Index:

Hello all my fellow cruisers, My friend Bill and I just returned from a cruise on the Allure. I just wanted to experience that large ship. It is a mammoth ship, twice as large as most of the mega ships on the sea. My favorite feature was Central Park, such a nice place to go sit and relax and people watch or just hang out. It seemed like there was less people there than anywhere else on the ship. The Boardwalk and the Promnade was also awesome. This ship truly has some unique features you don't see on all the other ships. We found the food to be great, we ate most all our meals either in the Dining room or at the Windjammer on Lido Deck. We choose not to eat at the other optional venues as they were so expensive. All of the entertainment was great except the broadway musical "Chicago" we found it to be disgusting because of all the foul language. Our favorite was the water show "Ocean Aria", next was "Blue Planet and then the Ice Games. All the shore excursions were nice but average. My one bad experience was pre-purchasing the "photo book" I ended up with a book with multiple repeats of pictures. You are suppose to be able to go to the kiosk and choose your pictures for each page but thaey only give you limited pictures to choose from. As a result I ended up replacing half of the pictures when I got home. Embarkation and Debarkation was very organized and went smooth, especially for such a large ship. After returning to Ft.Laudredale we took a shore excursion to see all the Million dollar mansions on the sea channels...that was amazing and I never knew such exisited. I would recommend you try it if you like big ships..it truly was amazing.

Just returned this morning from a 3 day cruise on Majesty of the Seas. It was a very relaxing cruise and a very enjoyable weekend. We were lucky- the weather was absolutely perfect. We were thrilled that for a 3 day cruise, there were 2 port days- Cococay and Nassau. What thrilled us about the port days was that , since we don't get off the ship, we had a nice big little yacht to ourselves. Some of you might think we're crazy, but for us, the ship is the destination. The reason for this weekend cruise was just to relax and that we did plenty of. The food was great, as always. The shows were so- so, entertaining, but they don't , in any way, compare to the glitz and glamor of the Carnival shows. The band that played in Boleros was dynamite. Not only did they do the usual Latin music, but also a mix of 50's, 60's and 70's music. The service in the Windjammer, where we ate all our meals, was outstanding. Whenever our favorite ship, the Liberty of the Seas , is doing the Mediterranean, we sail the Majesty . It was very enjoyable and we'll probably sail her again during the summer, before the Liberty returns. Since I've already done reviews on the Majesty , I won't be doing another review right now, but if anyone has any questions, please don't hesitate to post them here.

"Dr. Cass actually took his entire office on a paid vacation, including some of their spouses." If the doctor can afford this, he can afford to lose a few days of the office being closed. He's an eye doctor, not a heart surgeon!! Just sayin'!! Get over it doc........

We are Eric and Bernadette. We live in the Napa Valley and love to cruise. We have done 14 cruises, all with Princess. our next cruise will be in the fall on the new Royal Princess. We can't wait We are new to cruisecrazies.

This is a video interview (uploaded to YouTube) I did with Memo (one of the managers of Paradise Beach) on the day I hosted the Live Chat from Cozumel for the Crazies on 5/4/2013. I am still learning the editing of my new camera and software so in the future I will be uploading a better and more lengthy version.

I can't believe you're going back in November, I'm totally jealous!! I don't get to be back there until February... but I'm counting the days. And just to add to what you said above, with your $2 wristband you also get access to their *amazing* pool! I know it sounds weird to go to a beautiful beach and lie by a pool, but I can't get enough of those lounge chairs half-submerged on that wide deck around the inside edge of the pool. SO relaxing. Oh man, I can't wait to be back there... -gina-

I didn't want to clutter up Eph60's great thread about the views of a storm from a cruise ship he was on, so I thought I'd start a new one. Have some great pics of views from your cruise? Specifically, pictures you have taken from a cruise ship, like the view of a port from the ship, or a storm in the distance, or another ship, or whatever. I know there are some great pics out there! Here's one I took from my balcony on the Disney Magic several years ago, overlooking Charlotte Amalie harbor in St. Thomas. I had gotten up early to enjoy some coffee on the balcony, because this is one of my favorite harbors to just gaze upon. A small shower passed over the harbor, and left the most beautiful rainbow in its wake... Pictures don't do it justice -- it was a breathtaking moment. Your turn! :-) -gina-

The cruise lines get many rediculous complaints and questions. In many cases complaints are made by people who hope they will get something free just because they complained. When complaints are made directly on the ship, if they are obvious complaints to get something free the word travels like wildfire and the service for these people will go downhill fast in hopes that they never return.

Well said! Well done, Jason! Your comments help to lower the level of hysteria that seems to pervade the media every time there is an engineering problem or a few cases of Norovirus on a cruise ship. It's as if the media is drooling to destroy the big, evil cruise companies You are a welcome voice of cool, calm reason!

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Fran Silverman, host of "Ship to Shore Cruise Radio" talk show. It was a great 30 minute discussion which discusses the history of CruiseCrazies, why we are so unique, what we are known for, and a few blurbs on what's in the future plans for CruiseCrazies. This is just one of several media pieces dedicated to CruiseCrazies. As we continue to grow by the day, you can expect to see more coverage in the future. Listen (and view all other media coverage) here: About CruiseCrazies (Scroll towards the bottom) PRESS - CruiseCrazies Founder, Jason Taub, is available for interviews: Contact Form

Announcing the debut of our newest blog..."The Accidental Cruiser." Written by our very own member Stacey Redish (StaRed), this fun blog will kick off with a series of recollections from Stacey's first cruise experience which was totally unplanned and the reason why she has dubbed herself "The Accidental Cruiser." Like many of us, Stacey's first cruise is what ignited her intense passion for cruising and her craving for more cruising knowledge. When she says she's hooked, she truly means it. Once Stacey finishes her blog series detailing her first cruise, she'll then begin blogging about other fun cruise experiences and memories we'll all enjoy reading. A bit more about Stacey: Stacey and her husband are both passionate about traveling and have visited over half of the fifty states including Alaska and Hawaii, along with Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Honduras, and Belize - through both traditional travel and cruising. They have stayed in several luxury resorts in and out of the country, but their preferred method of travel is cruising. Stacey will be blogging at least once a week, so be sure to check back often for updates. And after you read each blog update, she'd love to see your comments below it. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to our very own resident blogger Stacey Redish, aka "The Accidental Cruiser!" Access Stacey's blog here or from the navigation menu at the top of the page by selecting "More" and then "Blogs."

One of the new features to our community is the Reputation system. A user's reputation is displayed on their profile, next to forum posts, and within member search results - It is based on the number of points a user has, which are awarded by other members. The idea is simple - Find a forum post helpful for your next cruise? "Rep It!" A user receives points when others vote on the content they have submitted to the community. Forum posts and photos all have a button that everyone can use to vote on that particular content. The purpose of the Reputation system, is to identify and distinguish helpful and informative content, as well as the authors of the content, as valuable, trusted, and reliable sources of information. Because we are a cruising community focused on cruise information, this new feature will be very helpful to our members and guests! Here are a just a few examples of content which you may find worthy of 'repping,' or awarding points: A useful tip for preparing for an upcoming cruise A recommendation for a particular hotel or shore excursion A helpful piece of advice on travel arrangements A photo that you enjoy Good to Know: Daily Reputation Limit - Each user can give 5 points in a 24 hour period Self Reps - Users cannot vote on their own content Highlighted Content - If a post or photo receives more than 5 "reps" or points, it becomes highlighted Viewing Content Points - The number of points awarded for specific content can always be seen directly below or next to the content Can View Who Gave Reputation * - This is a new benefit to CruiseCrazies Site Sponsors. Complete list of Site Sponsor benefits currently in process of being revised, will be available shortly Coming Soon: In the near future, I'll be releasing the Member Reputation Levels, along with a tool which will allow users to view those with the most reputation points. I look forward to bringing these updates to you soon. Until then, enjoy!!!

Congrats Jan ..... way to go!!!!!

What exactly is a group cruise? When I offer a group cruise to someone, I often get looks of puzzlement or replies like "I don't like to travel in herds" or "nope, don't like crowds of tourists". What many people - those who have never experienced group cruising - don't realize is that a "group" reservation doesn't mean that you have to follow one another around the entire trip as if you were attached at the hip. For some, the term ‘group’ conjures up images of eating every meal together, doing every excursion together and doing every onboard activity together. On the contrary, you are absolutely free to come and go as you please and are never required to follow the crowd anywhere, if you choose not to. However, many groups are formed by families, friends or communities with the intent of enjoying the experience together - and do enjoy the comraderie a group provides. But for those who don't necessarily like the idea of cruising as a posse, rest assured that the real reason you are choosing a group is to take advantage of the special amenities that come with it - onboard credit, gifts from your agent and other group perks. If you happen to enjoy the company of your fellow group mates, all the better! As an example - if you don't know - CruiseCrazies is organizing our 3rd annual group cruise for community members next summer: Caribbean Princess 10-day Canada/New England-August 9-19, 2019. As a member of our group, you are never required to participate in anything with the group - though we would love it if you would (it's kind of why we have a great community in the first place, right?). In fact, beyond one or two shore excursions and a cocktail hour, we don't plan anything as a group. We let the group - or individual members - decide what they want from their cruise, and how and with whom they want to spend it. So reserve that group cabin and enjoy the benefits and amenities you get. Invite your friends and family, and hang out together - or don't. No pressure. It's your cruise. It's your choice. Just relax, sit back and enjoy! For more information about our CruiseCrazies 2019 Summer Cruise, go to: Our Community Group: Reservation Link: https://7seajourneys.com/mbg/canada-and-new-england-summer-cruise-2019/

CONGRATULATIONS, SHARI!!!!! It's an honor well deserved for all you do here to keep us coming back. Plus, you are always happy and cheerful, and you're the CruiseCrazies ray of sunshine! ☀️ Keep up the great work! ?️???

I don't believe he was awarded the lower amount. It said it was reduced to only the accommodations. It looked like they were trying to get the entire bill back. They paid for the the lower priced cabin. Which they would have been moved to because of the noise. But once upgraded they felt they should not have to be downgraded. If you move back to your original level how are you downgraded? I side with the line. I was on Oasis of the Seas the 2nd year and my room flooded on the 5th night of the cruise. Our hallway looked like a river. Two Junior Suites on the Hump were destroyed by water. An overhead A/C line ruptured at 3 am. We had just returned from the bar at 230 am when we heard pounding on our door. The neighbors had a waterfall coming out of the ceiling. We barely slept that night. The next day we asked for a room for a few hours to catch some sleep while our room dried. It was the coolant smell plus the high humidity in the Bahamas that kept us from sleeping in our room. The staff was great. The went over and above to help us. We received a $300 OBC on our cruise and a 35% off our next cruise. I was good with that. Wanting the entire amount is insane. And it said it was a week into the cruise that those people moved in. 7 from 11 is 4 days. So maybe 30% discount. But not 100 or 150%

My name is Kelly, and me and my DH Jim went on our 1st cruise 2 months ago(NCL Dawn/ 2/18-25/18), and now we are SO hooked, we have 3 more booked ? (Carnival Fantasy/ 8/30/18...RC Vision /12/22/18...RC Rhapsody/ 2/2/19, all less than $100/day pp, which is our limit) That will be 4 cruises within our first year! Hubbs possibly thinks I've gone a wee bit crazy, but it's all I think about when I'm not working. Which is what brought me to this site, as I am truly a new but totally smitten cruise crazy lady, and hoped to find some cruise crazy company in my new addiction. I don't even want to go shopping anymore, just so I can save more money to go on a cruise! Please tell me I'm not insane. I never want to go on any other kind of vacation again, ever....

Our first was on the Carnival Sensation in Sept 1997. W were married in Vegas in Jan of that year so we made our first our honeymoon cruise. Photo is from that cruise with our dining partners. They helped make our cruise extra special. Some we've cruised with on later cruises.

First Cruise: 2000 Holland America's Ryndam Alaska - to this day my favorite destination ? OK - here we are....what do we do now?! Of course now, after our 26th (28th?....something like that) cruise, we know exactly what to do and that feeling of crossing the gangway onto the ship just keeps getting better and better!

Oh yeah, we need to bring the mega bottle of Tums to handle all that food!?

At last the day has arrived! No, this is not the day when we embark the Grand Princess in San Francisco bound for Alaskan waters, nor is it time to pack our bags and fly to the “City by the Bay” for three days of pre-cruise sight-seeing. But it is a time of equally enthusiastic celebration. It’s the day we do the “document dance”, also sometimes referred to as the "happy dance"! Confused? Just ask any avid cruiser who has ever been part of an on-line cruise community. The “document dance” is one of those idiosyncrasies found on cruise forums and blogs and a term fondly used by cruise fanatics everywhere to describe the joy one gets from knowing their cruise documents are ready for processing. These days, agents or cruise lines seldom mail or hand-deliver your cruise documents. Rather, documents now come in the form of E-docs to be downloaded and printed in the comfort of your own home. Whether my documents come in paper form or cyber form makes no difference to me. I can dance either way! Today, we received a personal email from Captain Lawes, our fearless skipper who will guide us along on our journey ship through Alaska’s inside passage to Glacier Bay. The fact that every other soon-to-be guest received the exact same captain’s message wasn’t going to burst my bubble, either. I immediately clicked on the attached link, and there was the commander’s smiling and welcoming face bidding greetings from the bridge of the Grand Princess. With excitement beyond anyone’s comprehension, I immediately went to that wonderful place called “My Princess” at Princess.com and clicked on the “Cruise Personalizer” where my booking summary was prominently displayed in all its wonderful glory. As my eyes glazed over and drifted around the page to be sure that everything was in perfect order – that all forms were completed (check√), “Whale Watch & Mendenhall Glacier Photo Safari” excursion properly booked (check√), cabin selection (check√), dining choice (check√), etcetera…etcetera, my eyes stopped and stared at a link with just two precious words: “Boarding Pass”. This could only mean one thing – my cruise documents were ready to print! Sure enough, I clicked on the link, and there they were – those phrases that every cruiser longs for - “Print Boarding Pass, Print Luggage Tag” – indicating that our cruise is no longer a distant date on a calendar and, in fact, is just eight weeks away. Hallelujah! Start the music and let the document dancing commence! As we still have 60 days to go before our cruise, I have not yet actually printed the documents, but just knowing they are there makes me happy. Now – on to the packing list! Photo Credit: alwaysbelieveblog.com

Hi everyone, Just a quick note to let you know that CruiseCrazies will be getting a significant facelift in the coming months - To ensure our community is as stable as possible, fully accessible across all devices, and loaded with the latest and greatest features available. Beginning this week you'll notice some differences in how the site looks and in some areas, how it functions. You'll also notice new features which are being introduced silently for now. Once all enhancements are completed, all the details will be shared. At that time, you can expect to witness the next generation of CruiseCrazies. Lots of excitement ahead. Stay tuned!

Thanks.....no cruising for us........i'll just keep watch over the forums...lol

The Sea Days are my favorite part of a cruise. There is nothing in the world more relaxing than looking out over the ocean. You never know what you'll see. You may only see the waves of the ocean, But you may see another ship passing and wonder where it's going, or porpoises riding the wake of the ship, or a little island passing by, or the first glimpse of your next port. Just a wonderful feeling.

Couldn't agree more, Tim, and I say that as a parent. Some people seem to check their common sense, manners, and what little parenting skills they have at the gangway on embarkation day, I think! My son and I have been sailing since he was just turning 6, and he's 17 now. From the very beginning, I made a "cruise rules" list, and made him read it and sign it (which I think helps kids feel and become more accountable.) Over the years the list has been tweaked to reflect new privileges with age and maturity, but the gist of it is the same. Here is the list from our most recent cruise: CRUISE RULES None of these are optional You are not to enter any cabin other than ours without me. Ever. No one is to enter our cabin except you, me, or the staff. If you are in our cabin alone, hang the "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on the door. Remember to remove it when you leave. You are not to drink any beverage unless it is handed to you by one of us or a staff member. You are not to drink anything that you have let out of your sight. If you change locations from where you last said you were going to be, you need to either swing by the stateroom and write it on the white board (including the time), or use a house phone somewhere and leave a message in our stateroom voicemail box. Do not hang out, horse around, or run in the stairwells, hallways, or elevators. Your curfew will be decided on each day. It will vary depending on the teen activities that are planned, and what time we need to start the next day. Your SeaPass card is tied to my credit card even though you have your own funds on there. It is up to you to check your balance daily. If you lose your SeaPass card, notify Guest Services immediately. Towels for the pool have to be checked out with your SeaPass card. It is *your* responsibility to turn your towel back in. They charge $25 for each towel not checked back in, and that will come out of your funds. Our dining time for dinner is 7pm, so you will need to make sure you allow yourself enough time to finish whatever you’re doing and head back to the cabin with enough time to get yourself ready and either leave with me at 6:45 or meet me at the dining room entrance by 6:45 (or earlier if we’re taking pictures, which I will let you know about ahead of time.) If you order room service, don’t forget to tip them. You know where the tip money is. Also don’t forget to gather up any dishes/silverware/napkins/etc as neatly as possible for the room steward. If we arrange a check-in time and you miss it by more than 15 minutes, you get one "I-fell-asleep-at-the-pool" free pass. After that then you will spend the rest of that day with me or in the cabin. I expect you to be the Southern gentleman you have been raised to be, using please, thank you, and excuse me at all times. Hold the doors for people, allow people to get off of the elevator before you step on. Being on vacation is never an excuse for leaving manners at home. Handwashing is a must!! If unable to wash your hands with soap and water, you will always have hand sanitizer available. USE IT! No going to the outside areas of the upper deck at night. Do not leave the stateroom a mess. The room steward has enough to do! Keep all of your valuables in the cabin safe. Always, always treat the ship crew members with respect, every last one of them. You know how they always go out of their way to make our cruises special and happy – go out of your way to smile and say "hello".　 All those people on the Roll Call list? They’ve all seen your picture and know you’re my son. If you’re acting like an idiot somewhere onboard, I WILL find out about it. :-p 　 I, XXXX, agree to follow these rules. _____________________________ So far so good, haven't had any discipline issues yet! -gina- 　

My name is Chris and my wife is Tammi and we are addicted to cruising. Nothing can help us except for us to get on a ship!

Ahoy Cruisecrazies..... Thanks for the welcome!... We just joined today... We are a retired couple from the sunshine state of Florida. We love last minute deals out of any of the many cruise ports available to us. We have met many friends along the way including a group named the pirates back in 2006 via another posting board. We now cruise annually and get together from all over the world. We look forward to meeting new friends and learning new things. Thanks for being here for the cruisers. Dorothy & Barry .

We also did red-eyes in our younger days, when we were more alert and didn't require much sleep. Now if I were to try that, I would look like one of those zombies from Walking Dead. :0 "We want our sail-away drink and we want it now!"

Here is a copy of the letter I have just emailed to the Senator............... Dear Sir, As an Avid cruiser since 1990, with five of my last eight cruises being on Carnival Cruise Lines, I feel it necessary to contact you regarding your continued attack on the cruise industry. Some of the stories I am reading indicate you are pursuing recovery of the monies from Carnival spent for the assistance provided by the U.S. Coast Guard and other entities. First off Senator, we as cruisers pay taxes on our trips so with the lack of incidents such as on the Carnival Triumph in the past many years, all the taxes paid prior to that incident paid for the assistance provided by my Government operations in advance. There are more stories of cruise vessels providing assistance to disabled vessels at sea then there are incidents requiring assistance from the Coast Guard. NONE of those cruise lines ever pursued financial recovery for their acts of heroism to rescue those needing assistance. When was the last time my Government pursued financial recovery from a train, bus or airplane incident where Government assistance was provided? Granted, the passengers on the Carnival Triumph experienced a very uncomfortable situation. But that is what the court system is for. They are free to file a suit against the cruise line and from what I have been reading, there are more than enough lawyers willing to take them on. I sir do NOT wish for you to approach a situation that will swallow up more of my tax dollars by going forward towards a congressional hearing. Our Country has squandered enough taxpayer dollars on unneeded expenses. Our Government has already cut services to airports and now the passenger terminals where it has been reported that there are two or three I.C.E. agents to offload a ship with 4000 plus passengers turning what was a one or two hour debarkation into four plus hours. How about a hearing on that? I ask sir that you discontinue your unneeded attack on the cruise industry. Approach the U.S. Coast Guard for insight and recommendations. Please concentrate on what is starving our economy and fix that. Surely with using the anger you have towards the cruise industry, you should be able to help more in that approach.