Dan

I don't know what you originally booked, but if you had booked a 6A, you are getting a 2 category upgrade. But, like you, I don't consider this an upgrade. Going from one category to another (window to balcony for example) is an upgrade in my eye, but that doesn't happen a whole lot. As for higher up being more suspeptible to seaskickness, you'd have to be really easily made sick for this to be an issue. You are only going up 2 decks, and if I'm reading the deck plans right, you are on Upper Deck, which is still very low on the ship. The ships are very stable, and generally don't sail through very rough weather.

Are you sure you are in a 6A, and not a 6B or C etc? When they say upgraded in this sense, it means a higher deck. The letter simply means which deck in that category, with A being the lowest deck for that category. On Carnival, category 1A is the smaller, upper/lower berth (bunk beds basically), some with portholes, and usually on the very lowest deck. Sometimes they are desirable, depending on the ship. They usually don't have many of these type of cabin on a ship. 4 is the inside cabin. Category 5 is the obstructed view cabins located behind the lifeboats on the Spirit class of ship. I beleive these have french doors, and a railing. Cat 5's on Fantasy class ships have portholes. 6 is the outside view cabin. The older ships have up to 5 decks of outside cabins, while the newer ships have fewer outsides, because of the large number of balconies. 7 is the obstructed balcony. 8 is the regular balcony. 9 is the large balcony. I think 10 is skipped. Cat's 11 and 12 are the suites. The letter after a category number doesn't refer to a specific deck. For instance, a 4A and an 8A aren't on the same deck. Those letters just start at A and go up in each category. Carnival is actuallu an easy system of categories. Take a look at the Princess and Holland America brochures, and they start throwing around those A, AA, BB, AS etc.

Unless your on some old tub, then yes, the game will be on. They will likely have a Super Bowl party on board, with a big screen and everything. As for the time change, either the ship will go ahead an hour the first night, and go back an hour the last night, or they won't change at all, and just leave the ship's time on Eastern. If they leave the clocks alone, you have to make sure you don't follow the time you see in port. This isn't as big a deal in the eastern Caribbean, since if it's 4 in St Thomas, it's still 3 on the ship, so if anything, you'd be an hour early to things. It's when you are in the western caribbean, and the ship sails at 5, and you see a clock in the store that says 4, and you think you have time to get back LOL

Visa

Speed 2: Cruise Control. Seabourn Pride or Legend. (The movie was so bad, I haven't seen it in years, and forget which ship was in it)

Pride of Hawaii? Might they have meant Pride Of America, or is this another new name? Also, the Aker ship will have a balcony on all outside cabins, but there will still be inside cabins on this ship.

I just wanna see Shaq try to use a ship shower LOL. (Well, OK, I don't really want to *see* it, but you know what I mean LOL)

OK, I'll start with the obvious guess, and say Port Everglades (Ft Lauderdale), since that's where we sailed on her from on our first cruise, 9 years and 20 days ago.

It's not anything that's in the HAL fleet now (none of the current HAL ships have lifeboats up top like that). My first thought was the Westerdam that is now Costa Europa, but the bow looks a little more swept in this pic. I would guess either the Noordam or Niuew Amsterdam.

Well, I guess I was wrong that Carnival wouldn't use that anme so soon now that RCI also has Freedom Of The Seas. Hopefully those 2 ships aren't docked side by side in some port, or people could get confused LOL

I make sure any dry cleaning gets done that needs to be done. Make arrangements for mail and newspaper holds. Do any shopping for additional or new clothing (usually underwear, and running shoes), as well as bathroom items, film and camera batteries. Might think about exchanging money around this point, but that's not a concern if you are American. We usually don't start packing until the day before we leave. Less chance of forgetting anything if you leave it out so you can see it. If we put stuff in the suitcases 1 or 2 weeks ahead, we'd forget what's in there and assume certain things were already packed. Really though, I don't find it that hectic the last couple weeks before a trip. Excited yes, but I can be told on Friday I'm leaving Saturday for a cruise, and be ready without any problem.

Nothing. Until they make it a mandatory service fee (like NCL is trying to), then a tip is a tip, which just like a land based restaurant or hair dresser or taxicab, is voluntary.

Wow, and I've been there. Didn't recognize it without the 9000 shipping containers, and gantry crane right next to the ship LOL

Definitely Celebrity Millenium-class, not sure which particular ship though. No idea on the port, so I'll guess the Millie in Cozumel.

I posted this thought elsewhere, but I'll say it here too. It's a great name, and I'm surprised Carnival hadn't announced this name for their fifth Conquest-class ship. Conquest, Glory, Valor, Liberty. Doesn't Freedom seem to fit there? They still could name it Freedom, but considering the only common name between RCI and Carnival is Legend, I don't think Carnival will use it now. I think they missed the boat here LOL

We haven't booked it yet (waiting until Christmas spending is out of the way), but we've decided amongst our group that we are going on the Sapphire Princess Jan 21, 2006 to Mexixo out of LA.

Cool, so I wasn't far off when I said Tahitian/Pacific Princess first. At least I had guessed an old Ren ship LOL. I would never have got the port though.

Insignia/Regatta, or maybe a different R-ship depending on how old the pic is?

Saw a picture on another site of the World Of Residensea, and it looks like that could be it. Didn't have a clear aft shot though.

I have no idea other than to say count the decks. This is a small ship. (Skip, remember the Grand/Golden have the Skywalkers lounge suspended over the stern) I'm thinking Tahitian/Pacific Princess in Papeete, or at least a ship in that size range.

The Voyager actually debuted in Novemeber 1999, but small details LOL. I'd say you won't gow rong with any of those. The Radiance is the smallest of the 4 (and may have much fewer kids at that time of December, before school is out), but by no means a small ship. For kids that age, I'd lean to the Voyager/Explorer myself.

When I get off that last morning, they have to move the gangway down to deck 0, from deck 1 LOL.

Breakfast is basically bad in terms of healthy eating for me on a cruise. I do eat more fruit and vegetables on a cruise than I normally would, but for breakfast, I load up on eggs, bacon, sausages, toast, potatoes. If it's a port day, I don't eat as much, since I generally don't eat in port, unless we are off the ship for a long time, or there's a place we want to go eat at. Sea days, I find myself grazing at the buffet a lot, or hitting the bbq or pizza joint in the afternoon. Dinner's are usually the healthiest of all meals for me. I rarely order second entrees and usually have one dessert. I hardly gain weight on a cruise, or maybe a couple pounds at most. I do get a lot more exercise on a ship though. All that walking, and up and down stairs. I mean, the corner variety store here is closer to my house than the length of the Grand Princess, and I drive there LOL

If she posted the ports in order, then immigration would have been done in San Diego, so that makes debarkation run much smoother. We did this in Ft Lauderdale one time, when we were in Key West the day before. The difference then was that we still left our luggage in the hall and had to retreive it in the terminal. Customs still boarded to settle up on purchases, and I'm sure the dogs still sniffed the luggage, but since immigration was done the day before, it sure made for a leisurely morning on board while we waited for our flight 5 hours later LOL

You know, it never even dawned on me that cruise lines should be going this route, but it makes perfect sense. I mean, as small as cabins are, having that big shelf sticking out of the wall makes it seem even smaller. Having LCD screens will definitely help make the cabin seem bigger, as well as the appearance of luxury.