StanfordsGirl

[/size] I GIVE UP!!!!

Ok, trying one more time and then I'm offline until probably after Christmas. Wishing the Ladies a very Merry Christmas and I hope you all get lots of goodies!! [/size]

Ummmmmm it's called human error LOLOLOL Look up girfriend [/size] Sheeeesh, I'm not a total computer spazz!! I tried that but it didn't work so I'm going to try it again. Hi Reggie!!! I think we are too!!

Hi Reggie!!! Glad to see that you made your way over here!!

Yipppppeeeeeeee, Glenda is here too!!! Can't wait to see you again and to meet Carly!! If she's the type who likes to post, please send her the link. And the two of you have less than 4 months to come up with a suitable YaYa Princess name. And you made me jealous because for some reason I can't get my color to work!!

Yipppppeeeeeeeeeeeee, Bunti's going with us!!!! I'm looking forward to seeing you again because it's been too long. Can't wait until your roomie shows up here too!!

Hi Bunti!!!! So glad you found your way here and I can't wait to see you again! Only 4 short months!!!

Great job Ziggy!!!

I love the countdown!!

I'm sorry to tell you but according to their website , the Oldies cruise has been postponed until 2011. http://www.youroldiescruise.com/

Thanks for the great review Jim!! You have inspired me to finish my review of our Ruby cruise that we took in Nov. Once you see it, you'll understand why it takes me so long to finish it. LOL

I don't know if I toldyou this or not... I went through Cruise Compete.com to book ths cruise after pricing it at Carnival, Costco, Expedia, etc. I got 5 quotes from different agents. The Cost from Carnival with taxes was $1250 for the two of us...one of the quotes from Cruise Compete.com was $100 LESS than Carnival!!! I was shocked.... booked it and that pays for an activity ashore on one of our stops. You may want to check with them the next time you book your next cruise! I have a great TA and he always gets me the cheapest price but if something happens to him, I'll check our Cruise Compete.

My friend Ziggy and I have a group going on the Paradise on 4/26/10. We always do a lot of research and we will post all sorts of info as soon as we get it. So keep checking back under the Carnival forum or under our group area here: http://www.cruisecrazies.com/community/group/25/

Not sure about all of them but my favorites are Kiss on the Lips, Funship Special, YellowBird, Coco Loco, BBC, Dirty Banana, and the Bushwhacker.

I'm really an itinerary girl and have cruised on many lines. But I put this list together for one of my Ladies Cruises as we were on Carnival. As for RCI, I won't be crusing on them again. I was on the swine flu cruise last year to Mexico and we got diverted to San Francisco instead. Nobody had the proper clothes for cold, windy, and rainy and RCI could have cared less. Plus they lied to all the passengers about the CDC recommendations. Princess and Carnival both gave their passengers 50% off their next cruises because of the itnerary change but RCI gave their passengers NOTHING!! So I vote with my dollars and RCI won't be seeing any of mine again.

LOL Don't be so impressed because I am a terrible typer so I use a lot of copy and paste.

I agree with you, Bill. I always check to see if there are any of these cabins available when I book the Spirit class. I love my balcony and if I can get one for cheaper, it's more money that I can spend in the ports or casino.

Happy that I could help!!

The 7A balcony cabins on Deck 5 are a good deal if you don't care about the perfect view. You can see out perfectly but you can't see down to the water. The best cabins are 5236 and 5238 because they have the extra long balconies and they are right by the elevators. Also the lifeboats in the aft section are shorter than the ones forward. And the 3 forward lifeboats are the ones with the bubble top and take away most of your view out.

How many times have you gotten off a ship and said "I wish I would have asked for the recipe for that yummy item"? Carnival now has a book called "The Carnival Experience" that has some of your favorite dinner items in it. Here is a sampling of the items included in the book. Watermelon Soup ---4 servings 4 c seeded watermelon chunks & juice 2 tbs lemon juice 2 tbs chopped fresh spearmint 1 tbs sugar 1/3 c white wine 1-1/2" fresh ginger root, sliced- 1/8" thick Fresh spearmint springs for garnish In a blender, blend all ingredients except the ginger. Add the ginger slices and chill the soup several hours. Remove the ginger slices. Serve the soup garnish with mint sprigs. West Indian Pumpkin Soup---Serves 100 (so you might have to convert it to less) LOL 3 lbs Onions, quartered 2 lbs Leeks 2 oz Garlic Cloves 7 lbs Pumpkin Puree 3 1/2 gallons Chicken Stock 2 Quarts Half-and-Half 1 Quart Heavy Cream Salt & Pepper to Taste Heat oven to 300*f. Place onions, leeks, and garlic in shallow roasting pan; drizzle with olive oiil. Bake at 300*f for 30 minutes. Puree Vegetables. Roast pumpkin puree @ 300*f. for 20-25 minutes. In Large stockpot, combine pumpkin puree, pureed vegetables and chicken stock; bring to a boil. Simmer 1 Hour. Add half-and-half and cream; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and Pepper. Baked Alaska---Serves 16 Prep Time:20 Minutes Cook Time:40 Minutes Ready In:11 Hours 2 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 8 egg whites 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup white sugar Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round mixing bowl or deep 8-inch square container with foil. Spread ice cream in container, packing firmly. Cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8 inch pan. Prepare cake mix with egg and almond extract. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven according to package instructions, until center of cake springs back when lightly touched. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt and sugar until stiff peaks form. Line a baking sheet with parchment or heavy brown paper. Place cake in center. Turn molded ice cream out onto cake. Quickly and prettily spread meringue over cake and ice cream, all the way to paper to seal. Return to freezer 2 hours. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Bake the Alaska on the lowest shelf, 8 to 10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly browned. Serve at once. Carnival's Flourless Chocolate Cake Unsweetened cocoa powder 2 (8-oz.) packages semisweet chocolate squares, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup butter - do not use margarine 5 large eggs, separated 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup sugar Grease a 9-inch springform pan, and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Melt chopped chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Whisk together egg yolks and vanilla in a large bowl. Gradually stir in warm chocolate mixture, whisking until well blended. Beat egg whites at high speed with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form. Fold one-third beaten egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture just until blended. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. (Do not overbake!) Let stand in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes before removing sides of pan. Strawberry Bisque 3 c strawberries, washed and hulled 1 ½ c water ¾ c sugar 3 T lemon juice 1 t grated lemon peel 1 ½ c red wine 1 c. sour cream fresh mint leaves Combine strawberries, ½ c water, and sugar in a blender. Cover and blend the mixture until pureed. Stir in lemon juice, peel, 1 c. water and wine. Stir in sour cream until blended. Chill for several hours before serving and garnish with mint. Fettucine w/ Mushroom Sauce & Chicken---Serves 6 2 cups Chicken stock 1 1/2 tablespoons Roux 4 oz. Dried porcini Mushrooms 2 lbs Chicken Tenderloins or Boneless Skinless Breasts cut in strips 1/2 cup Olive Oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped 1 tablespoon clarified Butter 1/4 cup chopped onion 2 cups sliced mushrooms 1 cup whipping cream 1 1/2 lb Fresh fettuccine 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley For Chicken Veloute, bring stock to a boil in medium saucepan; reduce heat to low. Whish in roux; simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until thickened. Soak porcini in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain well; chop. Combine tenderloins, olive oil, garlic, and thyme in food storage bag; toss to coat chicken. Marinate at least 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Heat butter in medium skillet; add onions. Cook until golden. Add mushrooms and porcini; simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken veloute; bring mixture to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; add cream. Keep warm. Cook pasta to desired doneness in boiling salted water; drain. Toss with mushrooms sauce; keep warm. Heat large skillet until hot; add chicken. Cook over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta onto serving plates; top with chicken. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. White Chocolate Bread Pudding 5 large eggs 1/4 lb of butter 1 cup heavy cream 2 cups milk 1 loaf white bread 1-1/4 lb white chocolate 3/4 cup sugar Preheat the oven to 360°F (182°C). Remove the crust from the bread and soak it in the heated milk and cream. Beat the mixture by hand or in a mixer until the pieces of bread are reduced to the size you want. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler and incorporate that into the bread mixture. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until creamy. Add that to the bread mixture and stir until uniform. Transfer the batter to a buttered pan and place that pan in a larger pan of hot water in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the center is set. [start checking the pudding after a half hour in the oven. Because this recipe is cut down so severely from the original, it may take a good deal less time to set.] ------------------------ Sweet Sabayon Sauce to top it with 4 egg yolks 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup liquid (sweet white wine, Madeira, Marsala, sherry, Grand Marnier, orange or lemon juice [or amaretto]) Whisk ingredients in a large bowl, then set over a pan of hot water on the stove and whisk until light and thick enough to leave a ribbon trail, at least 5 minutes. (Note: If sabayon gets too hot it will become grainy.) Serve the sauce warm or whisk off the heat until it cools. If left to stand, the sauce will start to separate. Chilled Avocado Soup---Serves 12 3 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced. 1 clove minced garlic 1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin 1 tsp (5 ml) ground ancho chili (or chili powder) 1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped cilantro juice of 2 limes 1 quart (950 ml) of low-fat buttermilk 12 oz (336 Gram). plain yogurt 5 ripe avocados 2 cups (475 ml) chicken stock or water salt pinch or more of cayenne pepper pinch of dried mint Puree avocados with lime juice in a blender or food processor. Put puree into large bowl and whisk in yogurt, buttermilk, and chicken stock. Add chili powder, garlic, cumin, cayenne and mint. Stir in the diced cucumber. Taste for salt (at least 1/4 tsp) Garnish the soup with cilantro. Bitter & Blanc Chocolate Brioche Pudding---Serves 8 WARNING - it takes a long time, with a lot of measuring and weighing, and you will use many pots and pans and bowls. Do it when you have a lot of time. VANILLA SAUCE: Whole Milk / 6 ounces liquid Sugar / 1 ounce (2 Tbsp) Cornstarch / 1 Tbsp. Egg yolks / 2 quantity Vanilla Extract / 1 tsp. PUDDING: Brioche bread, crusts removed / 8 ounces Egg yolk / 3 ounces Sugar / 2 ounces (4 Tbsp) Heavy cream / 5 ounces liquid White chocolate / 8 ounces Butter / 3 ounces (6 Tbsp) MERINGUE: Egg whites / 2 ounces or 1/4 cup (about 2-3 yolks) Sugar / 1 1/2 ounces (3 Tbsp) GANACHE: Dark Chocolate / 6 ounces Heavy Cream / 4 ounces liquid For greasing : Butter solids / 1-2 Tbsp to coat Sugar / 1-2 tsp to coat METHOD : For Vanilla sauce, boil milk & sugar in small saucepan. In small bowl, cream yolks & cornstarch; whisk in the milk, add vanilla extract. Pour back into saucepan & cook on slow heat till it reaches a coating consistency. Strain lumps. (may add a few drops of milk if too thick). For Ganache: In saucepan, heat heavy cream to simmer. Put dark chocolate into bowl and pour simmering cream over chocolate. Stir gently until smooth. Cool slightly. For Pudding: Remove the crusts of the brioche bread, dice into squares. Put in large bowl and pour cream over bread; let soak in. In saucepan, melt the white chocolate with 6 Tbsp. butter & set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream sugar & yolk, add the melted white chocolate/butter mixture on slow speed. Add the cream-soaked bread, mix well. In a separate bowl, prepare meringue by whipping room temperature egg whites and sugar til thickened; fold into the bread mixture. Grease individual soufflé cups with butter and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Spoon a layer of ganache into the bottom of each cup. Top with bread pudding mixture. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 mins. Remove, cool slightly, dust with powdered sugar & serve with vanilla sauce. NOTES; Brioche is a spongy textured, sweeter, egg bread. Whole Foods had it ($5.99 per loaf - NOT!!) Trader Joe's has brioche rolls (not a loaf) for $2.99 - I used 4 of the 6 rolls and had 2 left for sandwiches. You could substitute a combination of Kings Hawaiian sweet bread and yellow dinner rolls if you can't find brioche - my chef contact said don't do it - it wouldn't be the same. Culinary bakers use scales for everything - hence the "3 ounces egg yolk, 2 ounces egg white, 8 ounces bread." You have to have a kitchen scale and weigh some of the items. Penne Pasta w/ Tomato Vodka Sauce---Serves 6 1 Lb Uncooked Penne Pasta 1/2 Cup Whipping Cream 1 1/4 Cups Basic Tomato Sauce 1/4 Cup Stolichnaya Vodka 1 oz. Caviar 2 Tbsp. Chopped Parsley Grated Parmesan Cheese Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm. In medium saucepan heat cream over medium heat until reduced by half. Stir in tomato sauce; simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Combine pasta with tomato cream sauce; stir in vodka and caviar. Serve in individual pasta bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan Cheese. (You can leave out the caviar because of the cost. I used capers instead and it was delicious.) Caribbean Pepper Pot Soup---Serves 6 2 TBSP Vegetable Oil 1 Cup chopped onion 1 teaspoon minced garlic 3 cups sliced okra 1 cup chopped red pepper 1 cup choped green pepper 1 cup diced potatoes 1 cup diced yams 1 cup quartered and sliced plantain 6 cups chicken stock 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk Spaetzle 1/2 lb flour 1/2 cup water 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro Heat oil in Dutch oil; add onions and garlic. Cook until tender. Add okra, red and green peppers, potatoes, yams and plantain. Saute until lightly browned. Add stock and coconut milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 2 to 3 hours or until soup thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, for Spaetzle, combine flour, water, egg and parsley to form a smooth dough. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Pass dough through a spaetzle mill or colander with large holes. Cook about 3 minutes or until cooked through. Drain; rinse with cold water. Add Spaetzle to soup. Garnish with Cilantro. Napoleon---Serves 16 1 lb. Puff pastry dough 2 Vanilla Pastry Cream (Vanilla Pudding is very similar) 1/4 cup whipping cream, Whipped 1 cup Fondant 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted Strawberry sauce (Take cup strawberries with sugar in a pot and cook till it becomes a sauce) Heat oven to 375 degrees. On lightly floured board roll out puff pastry to 17x24 inch rectangle. Let rest 30 minutes. Cut into 4 sheets. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets; ###### with a fork. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut each into 12 pieces. In a large bowl fold whipping cream into vanilla pastry cream. For each dessert use 3 pices of pastry. Pipe pastry cream mixture between layers. for top layer, heat fondant in double boiler to 110 degrees. Pour over tops of Napoleons. Pipe thin lines of melted chocolat over fondant; pull wooden pick through chocolate for decoration. Store in refrigerator. Serve with strawberry sauce.

I do know that some of you like to try new drinks while on your cruise. I have found a few of Carnival's specialties, so mix one up tonight and pretend you are on a ship!! Kiss on the Lips 1 - 1 1/2 oz peach schnapps 4 - 6 oz frozen mango mix 1 tbsp grenadine syrup The mango mix should be blended with crushed ice firstly with the schnapps. Pour the schnapps and mango mix into a cocktail glass with the grenadine already placed at the bottom. Funship Special 1 fl oz Finlandia Vodka 1 1/2 fl oz Bacardi Light Rum 1/4 fl oz De Kuyper - Apricot Brandy 1/4 fl oz De Kuyper - Amaretto 6 fl ozs Fruit Punch (Tampico is the closest to Carnival's) Blend all ingredients together, pour over ice and garnish with orange slice and cherry. YellowBird 1 fl oz Bacardi Light Rum 1/4 fl oz Galliano 1/4 fl oz De Kuyper - Creme de Banana 2 fl oz Orange Juice 1 fl oz Pineapple Juice Blend all ingredients together, pour over ice and garnish with orange slice and cherry. Chocolate Sin 5 fl ozs Hot Chocolate 1 fl oz Bacardi Select Rum 1/4 fl oz Bourbon 1/4 fl oz De Kuyper - Dark Creme de Cacao 1 oz Whipped Cream Rim glass with pink sugar, pour hot chocolate into glass, add remaining ingredients, except whipped cream, top with whipped cream and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Coco Loco 1/2 fl oz Sauza Tequila 1/2 fl oz Gin 1/2 fl oz Bacardi Light Rum 2 fl ozs Pineapple Juice 1 fl oz Coconut Cream Mix ingredients together, pour over ice and garnish with pineapple slice. Coconut Kiss (non-alcoholic) 1 fl oz Coconut Juice 2 fl ozs Orange Juice 1/4 fl oz Grenadine 5 oz Crushed Ice Blend all ingredients together until smooth, serve frozen garnished with Orange Wheel. Riviera Delight 3/4 fl oz De Kuyper - Melon Liqueur 1/4 fl oz Finlandia Vodka 1/4 fl oz Bacardi Light Rum 1/4 fl oz De Kuyper - Amaretto 2 1/2 fl oz Sweet & Sour Mix 1/2 fl oz Pineapple Juice Blend all ingredients together, pour over ice and garnish with Pineapple Slice. Black Orchid 1 fl oz De Kuyper - Dark Creme de Cacao 1/2 fl oz De Kuyper - Blackberry Brandy 2 fl oz Cream - Half & Half Mix all ingredients with ice, strain into glass, serve up. Peach Breeze 3/4 fl oz Finlandia Vodka 3/4 fl oz De Kuyper - Peachtree Schnapps 3 fl oz Sweet & Sour Mix 1/4 fl oz Grenadine Pour ingredients over ice, stir and garnish with lemon slice. Blue Neon (shot) 1/2 fl oz De Kuyper - Blue Curacao 1/2 fl oz De Kuyper - Amaretto 1/2 fl oz Blended Whiskey Pour into a shot glass in order of recipe and garnish with a red cherry. Blue Hawaii 3/4 oz. light rum 3/4 oz. vodka 1/2 oz. Blue Caracao 3 oz. pineapple juice 1 oz. sweet & sour mix Shake and serve over crushed ice. Pink Panther (non-alcoholic) 2 fl ozs Orange Juice 2 fl oz Cranberry Juice Dash Grenadine Pour ingredients over ice, and garnish with orange slice and cherry. Mexican Runner 3/4 fl oz Sauza Tequila 3/4 fl oz Bacardi Spice Rum 1 1/2 fl oz Bacardi Strawberry Daiquiri Mix 1 oz Fresh Strawberries 1 fl oz Sweet & Sour Mix 5 oz crushed ice Blend all ingredients together until smooth and garnish with fresh strawberry. Blue Margarita 1 oz Tequila 1/4 oz Triple Sec 1/4 oz Blue Curacao 3 oz sweet & sour mix Add ingredients and ice to blender and blend until smooth. You can also have this on the rocks too. BBC 1 1/3 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream 2/3 oz. Banana Creme Liqueur Pina Colada Mix Blend with crushed ice and serve into a cocktail glass. Chi-Chi 1 1/2 fl oz Finlandia Vodka 1 1/2 fl oz Pineapple Juice 1 fl oz Coconut Cream 5 oz Crushed Ice Float De Kuyper- Blue Curacao Blend all ingredients together until smooth, pour into glass, float the blue curacao over the top and garnish with pineapple slice. Goombay Smash 3/4 oz Bacardi Spice Rum 1/2 oz Bacardi Light Rum 1/4 oz De Kuyper Apricot Brandy 1/2 oz Coconut Cream 2 oz Pineapple Juice Blend all ingredients together and pour over ice. Garnish with pineapple slice. Dirty Banana 1 oz creme de bananes 1 oz creme de cacao 1 oz Kahlua® coffee liqueur Put all ingredients in a blender, add ice, and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and float a little more Kahula on top. Bushwhacker 2 oz Kahlua 1 oz Black Rum 1 oz Creme De Cacao 4 oz milk or 1/2 & 1/2 4 oz creme of coconut 2 cups ice Blend well and enjoy!

While doing some research, I came across some FREE THINGS that you can get on a Carnival ship!! 1. FREE bungee cord with a clip for your sail 'n sign card at the casino. 2. FREE champagne at the art auction. 3. FREE cappuccino in the dining room during breakfast, lunch and dinner (when DR is open). Have them mix it with hot chocolate and you've got a nice mocha drink. 4. FREE medication for sea sickness at the pursers desk and/or infirmary. And you can also get these items there too: Aspirin Ibuprofen Neosporin Bandaids Pepto-Bismol Little packet of sewing needs Pens 5. FREE liquor tasting in the shops (usually the first night). 6. FREE deck of cards at the pursers desk. 7. FREE Afternoon Tea on a sea day. There is an assortment of teas, smoked salmon, strawberries and cream, cakes, etc. ---- plus a nice trio playing. 8. FREE soft serve ice cream 24 hr a day, but on sea days (usually for a couple of hours in the afternoon) they also have FREE hard ice cream and all the fixings for making sundaes! 9. If you go to the port talks that are given, they usually have FREE give aways - sit close to the front as they usually throw items off from the stage. 10. FREE drinks and hors'douvres at the Captains Party and Past Guest parties. And if you don't like what is on the servers tray, order whatever you want and it is FREE. (Past guest parties are on the 5 day and longer cruises) 11. The cruise book in the cabin can sometimes be had for FREE if you ask the steward nicely (I would tip him). 12. FREE room service (but don't forget to tip). 13. Travelers checks can be cashed FREE of charge (there is a fee for personal checks). 14. When you buy the drink of the day, the souvenier glass is yours to take home for FREE. 15. Not every ship has a Sushi bar but if your ship does...it's FREE. They are only open for a few hours in the late afternoon, so watch your Capers. 16. If you are very lucky, you can get a FREE facial or other spa treatments if you go on the spa tour when you first get on the ship. Also, go to the talks from the spa and you can get 10 % off. 17. Enter one of their game shows and you will win a FREE bottle of Champagne. 18. You can order as many appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, or desserts as you want in the dining room and it's FREE. 19. The amenities baskets in the bathrooms have sample sized packs of razors, toothpaste, dental floss, Emergen-C, lotion, shampoo, Advil and it's FREE. You can always ask your room steward for more if you run out (they appreciate a tip for supplying you with more). 20. If you run out of bobby pins for your "updo" on formal night, the beauty salon will give you some for FREE. 21. FREE banana splits and mac & cheese in the dining room.....they are not on the dinner menu but are on the kids menu. 22. FREE postcards with the ship on them are usually in the stationary drawer of your cabin and if not, ask for them at the pursor's desk.

More Secrets and Travel Tips When you first get on the ship, you need to go to the purser's desk immediately if you want to have them open your balcony dividers. Do it early as only 25 can be opened cabin and the steward is not allowed to unlock them. The ship has 2 types of toilet paper. The sandpaper type is called "envision" and you don't want to use it for 9 days. Ask your room steward to make sure your cabin is stocked with "preference" TP instead. Ask for a children's dessert menu because they have banana splits. The children's dinner menu has the best mac 'n cheese so order it as an appetizer one night. Every Carnival ship has a secret door and it's up to you to find it on the Spirit. If your balcony only has chairs and a small table, ask your room steward to bring you one or two lounge chairs. But make sure you tip him first. Ask your room steward for the hardcover book about the ship that is in your cabin and he will give it to you. It makes a nice souvenir. After late seating, the photo backdrops are usually still up and unattended so you can have someone take pics of you with your own camera. There is a door all the way at the front of the ship on deck 6 or 7, that leads to a secret balcony. Very private and romantic but sometimes very windy. If you wait until the last 2 days at sea, 4 different types of massages are offered at $99.00 each. The Blue Carnival Photo albums are usually on sale the last day for $5.00, instead of the usual $16.95.

More Secrets and Travel Tips[/size] You can review your Sail N Sign charges on the TV in the cabin. Be sure that if you need bottled water to take meds etc the last night of the cruise that you take it out the fridge before you head to dinner. The room steward LOCKS the mini fridge the last night as they have to submit charges to the purser's computer. Also we had a bit of a problem with bottled water we purchased at the bars ... the room steward if he found an empty one in our trash would then charge the room for it too. The room steward is the ONLY one who can take mini-fridge charges off your bill, the purser's desk cannot. The day in port they will sell bottled water and insulated carriers for the large bottles as you go down the stairs to exit. The insulated carriers have a very long strap and they make great protectors for camera lens. Bottled water is sold at all bars and the carriers often up at the pool bar area. You can view the dinner menu on the TV each day plus the menu for lunch and dinner is posted outside the main dining room on deck 2. As you exit the dining room it will be to your left on the wall across from the stairway. Extra copies of the Carnival Capers (daily paper) and ship deck plan are on display at the purser's desk. Help yourself. Wake up service is available thru an automated phone system. Notify your credit card company where you'll be traveling so they don't put a "fraud alert" on your card. So embarrassing to have your card denied, especially when they don't tell you why. Packing your hang up clothes in dry cleaning bags really helped for no wrinkles! I still took and used my Downey Wrinkle Releaser. Extra zip lock bags come in handy for wet suits on the last day, things the kids collect, snacks on excursions, oozing sun screen etc... Don't forget the night light, and the flash light for power outs. Since we always do a lot of snorkeling excursions, I take a Beach bag w/zipper and Key-chain watch (a cheap one) to put on my beach bag, that way we can leave our good watches in the safe We also find those water wallets very useful, we each have one and our money, credit cards, ID, and Sea Pass all fit nicely and we wear them in the water on our bodies, and they work great! I also wear mine (the ship) around my neck on casual days or at the pools. Shortly after arriving in our cabin, armed with dinner time and formal night schedules, call the salon and arrange for the necessary services. Remember that everybody will be scheduling on those days, so get your request in early. Always gather your identification docs early enough to get replacements in case you loose one! Tip on what not to do! My friend laminated her birth certificate to make it more water proof and not show wear and tear. Guess what LOL its now in good condition and totally useless as cruise lines and immigrations wont accept them now!