GatorGirl57

Wow...love this and would totally pay $5 pp to do it, even though my DH and I have no children...

 

Any ideas on the rollout? We are cruising the Legend in June...no way it will be there yet...right?

It would be helpful if you put in the poll what they already received. I thought it was a refund and a free cruise. I did not realize there was an extra $500. That would have changed my answer. Guess it doesn't really matter, but...:confused:

Here is a link to a table without tablecloths:

 

 

http://www.sunkissedadventures.com/uploads/1/0/8/9/10896706/9895199_orig.jpg

 

I think it still looks nice. I am late 20's, and we have a beautiful wood table in our home with no tablecloth, just placemats. I think it is just the style now. I would never have a tablecloth in my home.

I have been to Belize and I took a tour from one of the people inside the cruise terminal. Maybe $30 pp. It is one of my favorite excursions ever. He showed us his home, his dog, we met his grown daughters (one was a teacher), he drove us by the hospital, took us to the grocery store, also drove us by the historical spots. I had a great time. I only wish I remembered his name, because we are going there again in the summer.

 

However, I would not recommend leaving the cruise terminal area without some kind of tour. It seems like a very poor area.

I don't buy many photos, but on most of my cruises me or someone in my party has bought at least one. We generally tell all photographers a polite no, and then get maybe one or two at a particular time that is important to us, like formal night.

"Behind the Fun" was amazing on that ship $100 pp, but we got to go on the bridge, to the engineer room, laundry, crew areas, etc.

 

I second the pasta bar, especially on embarkation. No one knows its there.

I'm comparing it to Carnivals ON season.

 

Right...so that is not a fair comparison?:confused:

We sailed Disney, and didn't pay an arm and a leg for it. We just sailed off season. Paid the same we pay on Carnival for a balcony room. Just after the kiddies went back to school.

 

...But, is the Carnival price you are quoting on season or off season? Carnival prices also go down during off-times.

What is your reason for wanting to be early? We normally get on board between 1-2pm, no lines to get on and less lines at the buffet.

On the formal night-is nice white capris and a pretty top and dressy sandals ok?

 

Some will disagree, but that will be fine. I often do not dress up on formal nights and wear jeans and a nice top and flip flops. No problems.

Thanks for the review, and I agree with basically every point. However, even after my Disney cruise, I went back to Carnival --- you are paying for all those great extras on the Disney ship. For a current comparison for thread readers:

 

Carnival: 7 Days out of Port Canaveral on the Sunshine in June 2014 (St. Thomas, St. Maarten, San Juan)

 

Inside room: $844 per person

 

Disney: 7 Days out of Port Canaveral in June 2014 (St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Castaway Cay)

 

Inside room: 2,569 per person

 

You could go on the Carnival cruise three times ($2,532) for slightly less than one time on Disney. Or, you could eat at the steakhouse every night, buy pictures and alcohol galore, and expensive shore excursions, and still not be as expensive as Disney.

 

Don't get me wrong, I loved my Disney cruise. But, don't think it doesn't come with a price.

...I would like to hear the awesome excursion recommendations for Grand Caymen!

If they were able to sell all the ocean view cabins at a high rate, they could theoretically move you to a balcony, a little unlikely, but it could happen.

That being said I don't think they allow kids into the adult shows. I'm no prude and my kids hear lots that they shouldn't but some of the adult shows go just a tad far for 13 and 11 year olds.

 

If there is an adult with a child, no matter the age, they do allow them in. We had a comedian make fun of a couple that brought a young kid (5-6) into the adult comedy show.

Sorry, but I agree with the other posters. I like the adult shows much better and wish they were earlier - I feel like they can cover more content and are not limited in their jokes, which makes them funnier. But, I am not a night owl and like to be in bed between 10-11.

 

On my last cruise, they spent a lot of time picking on the kids in the front, which I did not find amusing. My DH and I seriously thought the guy was running out of material. We saw him a couple hours later at an adult show, and it was hilarious. There just aren't many places besides a cruise ship where they even do family comedy, so they don't have as many jokes.

 

PS - If you are really careful with your time, you can go to ATD, then the early show, then several comedy shows before 11 pm or so. We did that almost every night of our cruise.

2 questions:

 

1. If you sign up for Late Seating, can you switch over to YTD after the cruise starts?

2. If you have YTD, is it a shorter wait if you try to get a table closer to the late seating vs the early seating?

 

1. You would have to ask the Maitre'D about switching. If there is room, they will probably move you. If someone else wants your spot and has already come to them, they will switch you. If it is a full cruise and no one wants to switch, you have to stay with late seating.

 

2. It really depends on the individual cruise. We normally get there about 5:35 or so and are let in almost right when it opens, so less than a 15 minute wait. The dining room continues to fill for about 30 minutes or so. Then, people are given buzzers and have to wait for a table. If you came in really late (about an hour or so before it ends) you probably wouldn't have to wait at all.

 

I don't think it is a big deal to wait a few minutes for the freedom of eating when I want. For instance, on our last cruise we wanted to watch the movie at sea. Then, we went to dinner around 7:30 or so. The other nights, we mostly went about 5:35. I liked the freedom of doing what I wanted to do.

 

Same with the 2 person tables. Seems like there can only be so many of them available.

 

I have been placed at a 4 top with no one else if we requested a 2 top and there were none available in YTD. This is not usually done in the MDR unless your other people just happen to not show up.

With regards to the two top tables, many are so close together they really aren't all that different than eating at a large table. Being a foot apart means if the person next to you sneezes, look out ;).

 

This is true, but if I walk over to a two top and I think it is too close to another one, I just ask them to put me at a different table. They always do, without a problem.

That has been my experience in the past, so that is a good answer to the OP's question as to why some people would want it.

 

I have been told in the past (several years ago now) that two seaters in the main dining room for regular dining were saved for people on their honeymoon.

 

Anyone with first hand experience getting a two person table in the main dining room at early/late seating?

with mtd, you will be able to get a 2 person table. no problem

 

I know that, I am wondering people's experiences with the regular dining, not my time dining.

The main reason I choose My Time Dining is I do not like eating with people I do not know, and, at least in the past, Carnival was not able to guarantee my DH and I would have a two person table at a regular dining time. We have been at four person tables, six person tables, etc. If we show up at 5:45 for MTD, we always get a two person table. Simple as that for us. We are actually toying with calling Carnival and seeing if they can guarantee us a two person table now, can anyone tell me if they are more prevalent now than they were a few years ago?

Just wanted to check on this and I think searching is still disabled, and I haven't been able to get the Carnival FAQ on their home page to load.

I will be earning Gold status on my next cruise. My DH will be one day short - does he get to come to the Gold party with me?

RCCL does allow this, wanted to double check about Carnival.

Just have to add in my two cents...I went on the Behind the Fun tour last time, and there are so many people back there you never see! The laundry people on the Dream and the sweetest little men ever (they make jokes about being short) and they would probably get no tips without the auto system. Please keep these people in mind if you are thinking about cash tips only. Remember, these boats are not registered to America and Carnival does not have to pay American minimum wage.

Yes, he was there on the New Year's cruise in Dec. 2013. I actually thought he was pretty funny.

This is just one person's experience, but I have booked an "inside guarantee" cabin on Carnival on a New Year's cruise once, and I ended up with the two regular twin beds that were combined into a king. HTH - but I think you can end up with the bunk beds - I am pretty sure my DH and I thought that could happen, but we decided we would save the money and take a chance.

 

My thought on this (and it could be very wrong) is that there is a certain type of cruiser that wants those bunk beds (friends, people with kids, who knows) and there are less of those rooms, so they usually fill, leaving the "inside guarantee" people with the regular inside rooms. IDK