elfed

Hi Jason, Many many thanks for your info re the game. Sounds good. I bought my wife Canadian Trivia for Xmas and am hoping she will reciprocate with this one! Many evenings of entertainment ahead. Thanks once again, Regards, James.

Well it depends really on what ship we are on. Normally all our breakfasts are taken on the Lido deck. We tried the dining room one morning on the Carnival Imagination and was herded to a communal table where nobody spoke-it was awful- never again. Our Lunches always on the Lido deck but dinner 99% of the time is in the assigned dining room. On ships that have alternate dining we take one night there instead of the regular dining room. Regards, James.

Great question again! As my wife Donna has a heart problem, she must carry 3 different kinds of pills for the duration of the cruise plus an extra day in case we miss our flight. On top of this we carry anti nausea pills plus Tylenol for headaches and a bronchial inhaler (Donna). Regards, James.

Great question once again guys. In my case I look forward to either the filet mignon or the fish dish . I do not like the lobster on Carnival as it is always "rubbery". I also enjoy the pasta dishes. This is making my mouth water even at 1 in the morning!!! Regards, James.

I've wanted this for quite some time but am not too up on world geography! Can you tell me if there are cruise ship/line questions or does it contain strictly destinations of cruise ships? Regards, James.

Hi Guys, Yes I think you may be right. However when my wife saw it did not have a pool just a 6 person hot tub, she balked!! So I may have to choose another one!!! Regards, James.

Another great question! It's a shame the Caribbean is being "infested" with Mega Liners and soon to be Super Mega Liners because that area of the world is wonderfully therapeutic for us Northerners! There are still some islands that are relatively quiet compared we'll say to Grand Cayman. These include Grand Turk, St. Kitts and Bonaire. But I think Islands like those mentioned should only be open for ships of 90,000 tons or less. May I also offer an opinion about Jamaica. I, along with many others, firmly believe that this island will be dropped from cruise line inteneries unless the Jamaican Authorities somehow stop the persistant pestering for tips. Of all the islands I have visited, Jamaica is the worst for aggressive behaviour towards cruise ship passengers and we shall never visit there again. It would be great if I could afford the South Pacific Islands but costs prohibit it. If only we lived in Hawaii!! Regards, James.

Hi Joey and David, Many thanks for the info:. I checked with that hotel and they are full for the day we wanted. However we did find another place called Comfort Suites for a reasonable price. Many thanks again for your reply. Regards, James.

Hi Folks, Can anyone tell me of a reasonably priced hotel in the Fort Lauderdale area which provides transportation to the cruise port? This is for January 25th 2008. My wife has been searching sites but either the hotels are reportedly bug infested or way over 240 dollars per night! Thanks for your help, Regards, James.

Hi folks, After our rain shortened All Inclusive to Jamaica, my wife felt "shortchanged" with our recent visit to the Caribbean. She insisted on another cruise to "make up" for the 3 days that were washed out at the resort!! So it was with a smile on my face that I began cruise hunting! We are going back to our co- favourite Carnival. This will be 8 days to the Southern Caribbean on the Carnival Miracle leaving on the 26th of January 2008 out of Fort Lauderdale. A while ago we had booked the Caribbean Princess out of New York for May next but this was cancelled and after discussion we wanted to see a bit more of the Southern Caribbean. So when we saw that the Miracle called at St. Kitts and St. Lucia along with a favourite island of ours St. Maarten, we couldn't resist. Unfortunately only obstructed view balcony cabins were left within our price range. But a wonderful agent at Carnival e-mailed me a photo of this type of balcony and it doesn't look too bad at all. The sea can be seen and only 5 feet of the lifeboat below the balcony is visible. To say we are both excited is putting things mildly!!! Regards, James.

Enjoyed your mini movies very much. Looks like you had tons of fun! But that's to be expected on Carnival though isn't it? We love 'em! Regards, James.

Hi Folks, Very interesting to read of your comparisons. I felt the same way comparing our trips to the Caribbean on the Caribbean Princess and the Celebrity Century. However on the Century it was by far and away the WORST cruise we've ever been on! It was last year's New Year's Eve cruise to the Cayman Islands. The ship virtually closed down after 11 p.m. Even New Year's Eve most people had left the deck party by 1 a.m. My wife had to start the sail away "party" as the Cruise Director's staff had no clue what to do! The ship was lifeless. I suppose it's the people who help make a cruise and there were large numbers of people like myself over 60. Still that's no excuse. The entertainment didn't come close to Princess except for an acapella group of four guys. Like you say Joey and David, the food and service were outstanding on Celebrity but we won't travel with them again. Regards, James.

Wow! These are great Jason.Very clear pictures too. Regards, James

Why oh why do I have to listen to other people's lives on a 'phone? I think there should be a time zone set by the cruise line where you could receive and make calls in a designated soundproof area only. Nothing aggravates me more when trying to catch some sun than to hear a cell phone ring nearby,then having to listen to the person talking loudly into their phone. Where is the consideration for other passengers? The biggest mistake yet in my opinion was to allow people use of their communication systems whist cruising. Bah humbug indeed! Regards, James.

Well any of those ships will I'm sure, be a wonderful experience. We have been on the Valor and Triumph. The Valor was newer and had a very lively crew with better more up to date shows in the main lounge than the Triumph. I understand the Liberty is even better than the Valor for other reasons. Whatever you choose you'll get great value and a memorable cruising experience. Regards, James.

No, I like to choose my cruises and cruise lines. I don't like others doing this for me. Regards, James.

Good question with the possibility of many answers. My biggest fear is saturation of the cruise industry.(Too many ships). Cruising is already a cutthroat industry-the popular lines cutting prices and,cutting service in some cases etc. etc. People only have so much holiday money available each year and they look for the best deals. Last minute bookings are very popular as consumers won't pay the regular prices offered by the travel agents. I can see further merging of the major cruise lines up ahead. Cruising is still a wonderful way to spend one's holiday-there is nothing like it. But it is not cheap by any means if one adds on airfare, ground transportation,taxes, shore excursions and spending on board. The industry needs a TRUE all inclusive rate but somehow I don't think that will ever occur. Regards, James.

Hi Debra, Have heard of very few problems in the North of Jamaica (Montego Bay and Ocho Rios) But by and large it it is better to go with a group of people such as a ship's shore excursion than venture out on your own. We have been to Jamaica a few times and are going again in November. There is a BIG problem with poverty like a lot of the Caribbean therefore it is common to be constantly asked to buy things by the locals. Some folks would call this being hassled. Being polite and a pleasant, but firm "no thank you" usually works. If this sort of thing makes you feel uncomfortable then it's best to remain aboard. However Jamaica is a lovely Island and it would be a shame not to see any of it. Regards, James.

They look enormous! Are they for real or is someone having us on???? Haven't read anything about these on the Carnival website but there again I could have missed it! If they're for real I sure would like a pair. Regards, James.

Carnival for sure is a great cruise line. Probably not THE best but wonderful value for money.Holland America is I find, a wee bit above Carnival re the service and food. Princess too is a great cruise line with food and service just a tad above Carnival. However the Speciality Dining on Carnival's newer ships is quite simply divine! Well worth the extra 20 or 30 dollars. Again in comparison, the Speciality restaurant on the Celebrity Century was incomparable! Gee Wiz I could go on forever! Don't do what we did though. We took 5 cruises in a row on Carnival(different ships) but were fed up in the end of the same old, same old daily activities.Our next cruise is on the Caribbean Princess in May. We have been on this ship before to the Eastern Caribbean but were unable to book their speciality restaurants because they were already booked on embarkation! This time we will book Sabatini's on entering the ship! Regards, James.

Well Pam if it's us, we make sure to pick a ship's shore excursion which includes lunch! This of course means an excursion of over 5 hours. I've never heard of a 'packed lunch' from a cruise ship but that's not to say they don't exist. Most times though we'll pick an excursion in the morning and allowing time to return to the ship for a quick lunch,go out again in the afternoon for another excursion. Regards, James

Great memories of the Imagination as it was our first cruise with Carnival.That ship is somehow special! Most people who have cruised on her have a wonderful time. You'll have a ball! Regards, James.

Yeah, Carnival is great cruise line. We love 'em. We've been on 5 of their ships and each one has it's own personality so to speak. Our best memories are of the Carnival Valor. It was her first season and the ship gleamed! Superb shows and great service. Next in line was the Carnival Legend-a different kind of ship altogether than Valor. This was closely followed by the Carnival Imagination-our only New Years cruise with Carnival The other ships we sailed on were the non smoking (at the time) Paradise and the Triumph which was our last cruise with them and unfortunately the most boring with service extremely mediocre. We are presently taking a break from Carnival which was a case of same old, same old as we had taken the 5 cruises in a row with them. We shall probably return when the new Carnival Dream is launched. I think this will sail in either 2009 or 2010. Regards, James

What a great idea! All other cruise lines should take note of this. Imagine a Lego model of the Freedom of the Seas. Wow! Regards, James

Thanks Skipper for your reply. Did you use a cab both to and from the Terminal and if so was it easy to hail a taxi from the Terminal? Regards, James