BoatrideLover

Unfortunately, where Jeff and Cheryl live got hit really hard. We live just south of Daytona Beach so kept a close eye on this storm all day on Monday; we only got top winds of 39mph and 1" of rain, lasting only about 4 hours. They are reporting on our local news stations that it could take 2-4 weeks for people in south Florida to get their electricity back on. Hoping and praying everyone in south Florida is just fine! Dawn

BON VOYAGE!! Have a great cruise!!

BON VOYAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BON VOYAGE!!!!!!

I sincerely hope you have a fantastic cruise!! Enjoy the time with your wife, too!! Have a great time, and be sure and let us know all about it when you return; a review and photos would be nice!! Bon Voyage!!! Dawn

Gogetter - Sounds like you had a great day!! We have eaten at Rusty's several times; what a great place to have a nice meal and watch the cruise ships sail by! Hope this is a fast week for you so you can board that ship ASAP!!! Dawn

Gogetter - Thoroughly enjoyed reading your pre-cruise review! Be sure and post a post-cruise review, okay!? Dawn

I just LOVED reading this; the way you said it is exactly the way it was for me! Dawn

72 + my 7 = 79

Welcome to the boards!!! I have never cruised to Alaska, but my sister and her family took this same exact cruise you are taking aboard the Carnival Spirit. They absolutely loved it and saw some breathtaking sights!! They didn't have a balcony, so with you having a balcony, I can only imagine the beautiful sights you will see. Make sure you take plenty of film!! The one thing I can think of to pass onto you is that they cruised in June and it was pretty chilly; so be sure and check out the weather so you pack the right kind of clothing! Congrats on the cruise, and welcome to the boards! Dawn

Have a safe and wonderful cruise! Bon Voyage!!! Dawn

I don't know where this is...but it's one of THE prettiest pictures I've ever seen!! Dawn

You must be so excited! If I remember correctly, you had originally booked a 3-nighter, and then kept getting better and better deals, and ended up with a 7-nighter on one of Carnival's newer ships! Congratulations!! Dawn

Hi Gogetter. My sister and her family took an Alaskan cruise on the Carnival Spirit last summer. From what she told me, and from her pictures, it's not my cup of tea either. They went in July, yet they were cold and the only music she heard on the cruise was by string quartets of some type. She said it was a nice cruise, but she also agreed that it was back to the tropical cruises with steel drum bands for her; I agree! Dawn

I LOVED the photos; thanks so much for posting!! Dawn

LOVE the photo! It's so great to put a face with a name! Dawn

Gogetter - Congrats on that 7-nighter! I hope you love that balcony. We've had a balcony on the last 2 cruises and have a balcony booked on our next cruise, and we can't imagine ever sailing again without one. We used the balcony soooooooo much!!! Congrats again!

I, too, love your new avatar!! And I also agree with you. We would NEVER pay extra to eat in a specialty restaurant on the cruise. We don't cruise for the food anyway; we'd be happy eating PB&J and hot dogs all week, as long as we are cruising!

We've used walkie talkies on the last 3 cruises we took, and will take them in November on our cruise as well. They are a great way to keep track of our son and have peace of mind. We keep the volumes down very low and keep talking to a minimal. And we never take them into any kind of shows, etc. The key is to remember to be courteous of others while using them.

We have always bought travel insurance, and have had to use it, resulting in saving us lots of money! My husband, son and myself were booked on the Carnival Fantasy for the fall of 2002, along with my parents, in cat. 12 suites, so it was a little pricey. Seven weeks before we were to sail, my mom had to have a triple by-pass and heart valve repair surgery so we couldn't go on the cruise (we rescheduled for January, 2003). Thanks to the insurance, we were able to get all of our money back! We have it for our upcoming cruise in November. When the travel insurance only costs $89.00 for the three of us, why would we even think twice?

My in-laws have gone on one cruise with us, and have never gone again. They were very disappointed in how small the cabin was! When they first walked into it, my mother-in-law said, "I feel like a saltine cracker in a cracker box". My husband tried to explain to her that we were on a ship and space was limited, and went on to explain that you spend very little time in your cabin...but they weren't real thrilled with the concept! Go figure!!

I've probably missed you...but hope you have a great cruise! Bon Voyage!!

Thanks so much for posting this link! Just watched it and thoroughly enjoyed it! What a beautiful ship she is!!!!

You have been an absolute incredible help!! I will stop by McDonald's and pick up that book; I've seen it before so I know what you mean. Thanks again for your help; it is greatly appreciated! Dawn

Thank you SO MUCH for your response; that sounds like a great idea! Since it's been 30 years since I've been to Miami Beach, do you have any good suggestions for a nice hotel? Thanks, Dawn