Mebert

cruiseduo,[/size] Congratulations on receiving your docs. It won't be long now. O.K., it's time for the cruise doc dance![/size]

dmd, Thanks for that brief review and congratulations on your winning. We look forward to hearing more from you.

badlandssd, to Cruise Crazies.

attagirl, to Cruise Crazies.

It's really interesting how Carnival and Royal Caribbean are sharing names of new ships, Liberty and Freedom. Has our vocabulary become that limited?

jacketwatch, I'm sorry. It didn't work like I wanted it to so that we could share maps. It seems to only work in the signature. But it's still fun to see. Perhaps SMB or Jason can tell us how to post the HTML code in the messages rather than in the signature.

I spotted a link in SMB's signature for a map that colors in all the places you've visited in the world and in the United States. I hope he or she does not mind my borrowing it and that it is an approved site. I thought it might be fun to see how we all have colored the world. Here are the links: World Map: http://douweosinga.com/projects/visitedcountries United States Map: [url=http://douweosinga.com/projects/visitedstates]http://douweosinga.com/projects/visitedstates My maps will appear in the following message.

GottaCruz, Thanks for helping me not look so foolish. dmd, I hope you take us up on telling us about your first cruise. You obviously liked it and you seem to be hooked like the rest of us.

jacndar, to Cruise Crazies.

Jerrywizo, to Cruise Crazies.

JohnG, Thanks for suggesting Uniworld Cruises. I checked out their very interesting website. I was interested in the Normandy and Paris river cruise but it's really pricey for me at the time I would like to go in August. The spring seems like a real bargain for 9 days and it includes airfare. I going to explore that one day when I get my duckets in order.

JohnG, I live in New York and would sail out of New York only because I live here. I really wouldn't come to New York to take a cruise if I lived somewhere else. It's a real pain to get to the pier for the airport unless the cruise lines have those shuttles like they have in other towns. But traffic in New York is so bad I be afraid that I would land at the airport in time but miss the ship because of traffic jams. I love New York but I understand the hassles of getting to that pier when you don't live in New York. I'm not knocking her. New York has a lot going for it if you have time to spend a night or two before your cruise. On the other hand, there are some itineraries that are worth the trip and you can only get them in New York or few other east coast piers, like the New England and Canada cruises.

dmd, Thank you. Do you care to tell us anything about your first cruise. We have a cruise review section on this board. Your experience may be of interest to many members and lurking guests. I really hope you enjoy your cruise on the Mariner of the Seas.

dmd, Welcome to Cruise Crazies. I have never been in a JS. but I wanted to acknowledge your first post. GottaCruz, Thanks for defining JS. I thought it was a new ship by Royal Caribbean, "J something of the Seas." I was too embarrassed to ask since I've been here so long and a newcomer comes in and already knows about a ship I never heard of. :biggrin:

JohnG, You took it very well.

SMB, It was just luck. When I saw the initial price for the 12 night cruise last May, I remembered that I paid $2044 a couple of years ago for another 12 nighter on the Carnival Liberty. I said to myself there was no way I was going to pass up a fair of $1400. It turned out that the price had come down even more in addition to the on board credit. cruisetarp, You are doubly blessed. You are rolling in the dough. Please don't gamble it away. I like to hear when Cruise Crazies find bargains. Hindsight is 20/20. At the time that I booked the cruise I did not really realize what lied in the future. Had I known I would have posted my actions on the board. If I come across something like that in the future I'll post something about it.

Now SMB, you know we'll have to come after you. Wait a minute! You can still post messages from St. Maarten. O.K. We'll make like we can't find you. I don't know what she was feeling, but I'd be out of my mind. I'd rather be eating my way from one end of the ship to the other. She really went cold turkey by having to pay for accommodations and meals. It means she didn't get to eat as much and what about all that available entertainment that seems like it's free. No, I'd rather have made it back to the ship.

I don't know about Princess but I prefer traditional seating even if the other option exists. I just like to know that I can walk in at the same time and sit at my assigned table without a bit of wait. I can always get a snack before or after dinner if I get hungry, which I'm never really hungry because I'm eating all day.

rogue, You are absolutely right about price drops. It pays to have a TA who can negotiate the refunds for you in case the price drops. That's why I checked the latest price for my particular cruise. Congratulations to you on getting that great discount. cruisetarp, Congratulations on your early booking and your savings. It looks like we're both lucky this time. I forgot to mention, and please don't think I'm bragging, I just want to pass on information, I also got a $200 on board credit for booking early.

harley3312, Welcome to Crusie Crazies. We hope to see you post often. Maybe you can tell us about your past cruises. Sailing out of Port Canaveral is like your typical embarkation with Carnival. There are no major differences. Port Canaveral is a little bit further away from the airport than Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, so you have to give yourself a little more time. With Carnival you can board early, perhaps as early as 11:00 AM but your accommodations will not likely be ready until 1:00 PM. So if you intend to board early, try not to carry a lot of bags. It may prove inconvenient. I hope you enjoy your cruise and look forward to hearing from you.

Jason, Thanks for this very important article. I currently follow the hygiene protocol prescribed by the CDC, except I used to wash my hands for 20 seconds and often. I'll have to change that and increase the wash time by 10 seconds. When I took a food safefy course, that's where I got the 20 seconds from, the instructor told us to count one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand and so forth to get the proper number of seconds. I find that I use that method not only on cruises but in every day life. I also carry a tiny bottle of sanitizer to apply just before any meal. Like PrincessOne, I try not to touch anything. Forgive me, but I wash my hands after a handshake and try not to shake hands during dinner. I pick up my knife and fork or hold on to my knife and fork and give a friendly smile and a hearty nod. If I do shake hands, I don't mention anything to anyone, but just go and wash my hands. Sorry. Jason, this article is so important, is there a way to get it a permanent place on the board?

Sometimes last minute fares are great for some unexpected savings, but some cruises are hot and the savings come through early booking. On my particular sailing of the Mediterranean and Greek Isles aboard the Carnival Freedom the fare for an oceanview stateroom is $3,749. Ironically, a balcony is running $2,149 and a suite is $3,249. That oceanview stateroom must be a special category. By booking early for a category 5A (Porthole) Guaranteed (Possible Upgrade) I paid $1,236.60, including insurance. This price was less than the original price quoted by the agent. I hope I'm not dreaming or that this is not some terrible mistake, but I'm glad I booked early in this case. The last minute cruise bargains will just have to come as a wonderful surprise if I can take the time off.

I'm glad to see that this story has a good ending. It sounds like she was in St. Maarten. I wonder if we need to start carrying our passports with us when we leave the ship in case something like that happens to us. Also, the Carnival hands out a paper with important telephone numbers in case there is an emergency. It's real important to have those numbers so the people don't go crazy looking for you or have to alert authorities to look for you if you are perfectly fine. She seemed very calm and made the best of a bad situation, but she should have contacted the ship or island authorities. Afterall, she was like an illegal alien traveling without proper documentation in a foreign country.

Jason, Thanks for the article on Carnival. It's always interesting to hear what's going on in the background with my favorite cruise line.

cmpaula, to Cruise Crazies.