DaCruzNut

Have fun on one of my favorite ships.

Have a great cruise!~

:cry: Sorry, elfed, but I have to disagree with you. I've been on 65 cruises and sailed most of the mainstream lines. Carnival gives its past passengers as much, or more, than the competition. I'm in the Captain's Club (NCL), Crown & Anchor Society (RCCL), etc; etc; and all the lines give you just about the same extras.... :wink: Cheryl, I guess I was informed incorrectly. When I checked in, they told me that I qualified for the Platinum card because I had sailed with them 12 times before. I defer to your authority.

I believe it begins after 12, not 10, cruises. On my last Carnival cruise (My 12th) I got a Platinum Sail & Sign card. Every time I used it, the Carnival employee said, "Welcome back to Carnival, Mr. Stern...."

The best advice I can give to a first-time cruiser is; 1) Remember, most of your fellow-passengers are first-timers, too! Only about 10% to 15% of the passengers, on any given cruise, are repeat passengers. 2) Almost everything you need to know about cruising, you learn on your first cruise. After that, you're a "seasoned cruiser."

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr............ Too cold for me!

Just to give you an idea, this will give you the temps in the Miami/Ft Lauderdale area. MIAMI-FORT LAUDERDALE

I've tried, but that last three cruises they wouldn't let us participate.....something about two guys...... :grin: :grin: :grin:

CONGRATS!

Dancin' right along with ya!

BON VOYAGE! Have a GREAT cruise!

BON VOYAGE! Have a GREAT cruise!

It's similar to a situation we have here, in Ft Lauderdale. Discovery Cruise Lines runs a one-day cruise to Grand Bahama. They give you three buffet meals and a snack; a locker room to change in (no cabin); but all the other amenities (casino; show; lounges;etc;) for $99.00 pp. For a few dollars more, $149.00 pp, you can cruise the Regal Empress for 2 nights; have a cabin, dining room meals and a full, true, cruise experience. Yet, many people opt for the $99.00 vs. the $149.00....

I checked their website and, quite frankly, if they were the only cruise line around I'd never cruise again! I've had small, sparse, inside babins; but, the ones shown on the site are more like prison cells! Although, a prison cell might just be a bit larger. Then, paying additional for basic services, like tidying up thje cabin? Clean towels? Soap? I'll bet that if you add all the charges, it would cost the same as a "real" cruise.....

I don't think that cruise passengers "choose" to visit the Bahamas... The reason so many passengers wind up there is "geography...." Starting at only 60 miles from Florida, Grand Bahama, and most "private islands" which are in the Berry Islands of the Bahamas, are a natural stop for cruises out of Florida! Once Cuba (90 miles from Florida) opens up as a port, I don't think too many ships will stop in the Bahamas, except for the private islands....

Unlike Miami, Port Everglades does not assign a specific dock to a specific ship.... In fact, it is possible that you may disenbark at a different pier than the one you boarded. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. You just need to follow the signs.....

:wink: CONGRATS! :wink:

I think many iof us have taken kids out of school for a few days to vacation, whether a cruise or otherwise. I was once faced with a similar situation; a 'friend' gave me a hard time about my sons losing a few days. He told me, in no uncertain terms, that he would never take his children out of class for a vacation. My answer, "Luckily, unlike some other children, my boys are intelligent enough to lose a few days without falling behind."

I definately prefer the Western Caribbean. I have done each of the itineraries over 30 times! The Eastern usually includes San Juan, Grand Cayman and St, Thomas. The only one of the three ports that's worthwhile is San Juan. The Old City is beautiful and there's much to see and do on the island. St. Thomas has gotten overcrowded and has been ruined by the vast number of cruise ships, daily. The duty-free shopping has gotten expensive because competition has been cut down. When you dump 24,000 shoppers into a town every day, prices rise. You're MUCH better off in St. Maarten. In fact, whenever I wind up in St. Thomas, I catch the ferry to St. John. The Western itinerary gives you a taste of three very different cultures, Mexican, Jamaican and very British (Grand Cayman). There are so many things to do in those ports! Try rafting on the Martha Brae; wlking up Dunn's River Falls; visiting 9-Mile, Bob Marley's birthplace; etc; etc; in Jamaica. Chankanaab Park, in Cozumel, is a wonderland; or visit a Mayan Ruin, in Mexico. Take the Atlantis submarine in Grand Cayman.... By the way, Chankanaab Park is my favorite 'attraction' in the Caribbean. Completely rebuilt and restored in1996, this beachfront park, just 9 km south of San Miguel, offers diverse attractions in a lovely setting. The main beach is studded with palapas for sunbathers, while just off shore there's outstanding diving and snorkeling (equipment rental and dive shop available). Back from shore is a fascinating Archaeological Park, complete with winding jungle trails, replicas from sites throughout Mexico, a typical Mayan village, and free guided tours. There's also an excellent Botanical Garden with over 300 plant species from 22 countries. Topping things off is the site's beautiful lagoon - a sinkhole filled from the sea by underground tunnels. There are several shops, snack bars, a restaurant, and a Mayan Museum. Open Daily. Admission is $12 US and children 3 to 11 years old $6 US.

When I have a cabin with a balcony, I do make use of the balcony quite a bit. But, when I don't have one, I really don't miss it. It's nice to have, but I wouldn't pay extra for it....

My favorite island has to be St. Lucia. The scenery is gorgeous! The Pitons! The drive-in Volcano! The color changing waterfall at the Sulphur Springs! And, let's not forget the people. Still the friendliest in the Caribbean! Of course, that will change as they have more and more contact of cruise ship passengers.

I own two tux's. I sort of outgrew the first, but only by an inch or so, so I used it as an excuse to buy the second one. Now, I fit into both.... As far as being "well-dressed" in a dark suit, that works fine for many lines; Carnival passengers tend to be very informal and I have seen jeans and t-shirts on 'formal nights.' However, on some lines you do see most men waering a tux...

The house began to pitch. The kitchen took a slitch. It landed on the Wicked Witch in the middle of a ditch, Which was not a healthy situation for the Wicked Witch

It began at Stingray City, in Grand Cayman, and then spread to a number of other cruise ports. By now, thousands and thousands of people have 'swum with the stingrays,' without any mishap. Three people, total, have been killed by stingrays in Australia, total. Only 3 known deaths since records have been kept... It's probably more dangerous just living here, in South Florida, and ducking hurricanes. By the way, I'm not sure about trusting those penguins: