hirent

Carnival has an adults-only Serenity area on most ships. They only allow 21 and older in these areas. Though enforcement of the rule could vary. And I agree with the above, on a longer cruiser to Hawaii, you will see a much more relaxed atmosphere than a shorter 'party' cruise.

Regarding the food, there are a number of posts here regarding the newer menu on Carnival.

Some good, some bad and some average.

So I'm booked for two cruises, both under the Early Saver rate. I noticed that for one, in the description, it says that it comes with "free upgrades." Can someone explain to me exactly what that means?

All rooms are classed according to their decks; lowest is Category A, then B, C and so on and so forth.

Upgrade simply means; if you purchase an interior room on Deck 2, you may be upgraded to an interior room on Deck 7 for instance. Same with an Oceanview or a Balcony room. The higher the alphabet, the higher the deck and higher the price.

Great review so far. Enjoying it very much.

Thank you for taking the time; keep at it.

I've been on the Valor (out of San Juan) because of the itinerary, but wouldn't take it again unless it got the 2.0 upgrades.

Go with the Glory, which has the newer options.

For you; after the Breeze, the Valor would be a disappointment.

And of course, whichever ship fits your budget the best.

In the end you will still be on a ship somewhere, away from everything.

We haven't decided on an exact date, but sometime between September-end of the year (that's what works with our work schedules). After doing some research, it looked like the Sunshine was our best bet. However, after reading some reviews here, it looks the Breeze might also be a strong contender.

Breeze is the newest ship on Carnival (a few years old). It has by far the most options for dining and activities of all the ships.

I and my wife cruised on the Sunshine when it was still the Carnival Destiny. The Destiny was the largest ship in the world when it was first built, now it doesn't even make the top 10. Carnival did a unique refurbishment to the Destiny and added more cabins and public spaces; hence the name change to Sunshine.

Breeze is a lot bigger than the Sunshine and that is why people might get the feeling of being crowded on the Sunshine.

What identification docs are needed on the 2 day cruises to nowhere?

I ask because the hubby and I are thinking about taking his 16 y/o daughter on one. We have her birth certificate, but the only photo ID she has is her school ID.

For the future (not for this trip); it might be helpful to have her passport made.

It is better to get it done now when you have plenty of time and don't need it immediately.

All the best!

We would love some suggestions for shore excursions- what you loved/hated, what company to use/not use. In the past we have booked both thru carnival and privately.

What are your sail dates?

We did the same itinerary on the Valor.

Here's what we did (from one of my older posts):

On our Valor cruise, it was our first visit to these islands so we did an island tour everywhere.

Barbados: Go to Bathsheba and see the Mushroom Rocks; this is not on any excursion list nor is visited by most cruisers.

Bathsheba is on the other side of the island (doesn't take that long, ship is there for 8 hours). The mushroom rocks out in the Atlantic ocean are worth the trip. A typical tour of places near the port is $35/person, the guy offered us a nice Camry and driver to go anywhere we wanted for the day. So we ended up with a taxi for $150 for 4 people (would have been $140 for a normal tour).

St. Maarten: We got a taxi from the pier and did the longest available island tour (standardized tours from the pier). Driver will take you anywhere along the route, including the French side with some time in the capital, Orient beach and the Maho beach airport.

Don't miss the plane landings at Maho beach. St. Maarten is famous for its Maho Beach airplane landings.

KLM is the only airline that brings a '747 Jumbo Jet' to the island anymore.

And the flights are only on Sunday, Tuesday & Friday @ 12:40 p.m. local time.

St. Lucia: Land and Sea tour with Herod's tours. Picks you up from the pier, goes through the town of Castries, through the mountains. Stops at a banana plantation, at a village bakery for some creole bread, to a water fall, then to the volcano and sulfur springs mud bath. Authentic creole lunch cooked by his mom and served at their home. Then a speedboat takes you to a beach between the Pitons where you have 1 hour of snorkeling time. Then the speedboat takes you via the ocean straight to the ship though a small 'tunnel' rock formation (Pirates of the Carribean). And unlimited drinks along the way.

Fun packed tour of the island. Fantastic way to see the most of St. Lucia in one day. And all of this costs just $85!

Here's what I posted in a different thread a few months ago:

------------------------------------------------------------------

My wife and I were on the Valor in Dec.

Since we did an all day island tour at every port, we didn't really have a lot of time on the ship.

Here are some suggestions though -

[1] Hit the steam room & the sauna.

[2] Do the water slide.

[3] Relax in Serenity.

[4] View a few sunsets from one of the hot tubs (front of the ship) as well as your balcony.

[5] Go to the not-so-secret balconies and experience a ship docking.

[6] Hammocks!

[7] Behind-The Fun tour (though to tell the truth, we didn't enjoy it much). It takes place on the Sea Day from 8 or 9:00 a.m. and lasts about 4 hours.

[8] Food (goes without saying), try the Taste Bar, Mongolian Wok and Fish & Chips.

[9] Try different combinations of items: for instance someone posted that they take a few brownies and mix them with the softserve icecream to create a milkshake. There is a thread on here dedicated to creative recipes that cruisers have tried out on board Carnival ships.

[10] Try something on the menu that you have not had before, especially from the 'Didja' section. And if you like it, order double!

Off-shore:

St. Thomas: Go with Luen's Taxi service for an island tour.

Barbados: Get together with some people, hire a car and go to Bathsheba. Its on the other side of the island but the mushroom rocks are worth it.

St. Lucia: Herod Stanislas of Herod's Tours; you get an authentic Creole lunch cooked by his mother at their home.

St. Kitts: Island tour with any taxi driver.

St. Maarten: Island tour from the pier.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

We would have to fly but is about the same price for both( sunshine including airfare would be about the price of the pride without). Does anyone prefer one ship over the other??

I don't have a preference either way about the ships.

But why fly if you don't have to?

Granted, the cold weather is a factor during that time frame.

But leaving from Baltimore will allow you to take more luggage with you without paying any bag fees.

Plus no hassles or additional expense of a hotel stay, airport transfer, cruise port transfer etc.

And then there's always the danger of a freak storm and flights being canceled on that day.

If you can drive to a port, I would suggest just drive, don't fly.

I could care less about the EA Sports Bar.

Now, if they would do a 'BW3's Sports Bar & Grill' with unlimited wings; I would be in paradise! :D:D

Carnival, most likely wanted more money to have that right. Typical Carnival.

It's a business corporation; of course it wants to make more money.

Wouldn't you do the same? I would. :):)

In your honest opinion, do you think it is worth the extra money to pay for an ocean suite or is a junior suite just as good?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

The difference between the two, seems to be only in the size of the balconies.

To be honest, if you want a big balcony, you might want to check if any of the aft-balcony rooms are available. They have elongated/extended balconies and the wrap-around afts are highly desirable.

now I need more info lol. What is the difference in the suites?

Check it out here.

Carnival Liberty Staterooms

Captain's Suite

Deck: Lido Deck

Category: CS

Size: 500 sq ft.; Balcony: 150 sq ft.

Occupancy: Up to 5 guests

Amenities: A separate bedroom with two twin beds that convert to a king-sized bed, a private large, furnished balcony, living area with sofa-bed, two private bathrooms, one with full-size bathtub with whirlpool jets and shower, the other shower only. Additional amenities include a vanity area with sink and table, dressing room, walk-in closet, bathrobes, toiletry amenity basket, beach towels, refrigerator, mini-bar, 2 interactive flat screen TVs, mini-safe, phone, and hairdryer.

Please Note: Smoking is prohibited in all guest staterooms, but is permitted outside on balconies. Beginning October 9, 2014, smoking will not be allowed in staterooms or on balconies.

Grand Suite

Deck: Empress Deck

Category: GS

Size: 345 sq ft.; Balcony: 85 sq ft.

Occupancy: Up to 4 guests

Amenities: Two twin beds that convert to a king-sized bed, a private furnished balcony, and sitting area with sofa. A private bathroom includes a shower, whirlpool tub, double sink, and bidet. Additional amenities include a vanity area with sink and table, dressing room, walk-in closet, bathrobes, toiletry amenity basket, beach towels, refrigerator, mini-bar, interactive TV, mini-safe, phone, and hairdryer.

Please Note: Smoking is prohibited in all guest staterooms, but is permitted outside on balconies. Beginning October 9, 2014, smoking will not be allowed in staterooms or on balconies.

Ocean Suite

Deck: Empress Deck

Category: OS

Size: 275 sq ft.; Balcony: 65 sq ft.

Occupancy: Up to 3 guests

Amenities: Two twin beds that convert to a king-sized bed, a private furnished balcony, and sitting area with sofa. A private bathroom includes a shower, whirlpool tub, double sink, and bidet. Additional amenities include a vanity area with sink and table, dressing room, walk-in closet, bathrobes, toiletry amenity basket, beach towels, refrigerator, mini-bar, interactive TV, mini-safe, phone, and hairdryer.

Please Note: Smoking is prohibited in all guest staterooms, but is permitted outside on balconies. Beginning October 9, 2014, smoking will not be allowed in staterooms or on balconies.

Wheelchair Accessible Staterooms: 7228

Junior Suite

Deck: Lido Deck

Category: JS

Size: 275 sq ft.; Balcony: 35 sq ft.

Occupancy: Up to 3 guests

Amenities: Two twin beds that convert to a king-sized bed, a private furnished balcony, and sitting area with sofa. A private bathroom includes a shower, whirlpool tub, double sink, and bidet. Additional amenities include a vanity area with sink and table, dressing room, walk-in closet, bathrobes, toiletry amenity basket, beach towels, refrigerator, mini-bar, interactive TV, mini-safe, phone, and hairdryer.

Please Note: Smoking is prohibited in all guest staterooms, but is permitted outside on balconies. Beginning October 9, 2014, smoking will not be allowed in staterooms or on balconies.

None of the Caribbean countries require passports for CRUISE PASSENGERS.

AFAIK, no cruise port checks for documentation. It is the duty of the shipping company to do so.

Simple fact is, there are 3-4000 passengers on a cruise ship, multiply that by 2-5 (depending on the day) and you can have 15-20,000 international visitors. The ports are not set up for that. Anyone who has traveled internationally has seen what happens when a few hundred passengers line up at an airport to clear immigration. It would take hours to clear even one ship's passengers. The countries keep the responsibility on the ship to track the exits and entries at port.

On a separate note:

Bahamas requires a visa for travelers from some countries; and it is the only one to do so. The rest of them don't require any visas (or passports).

Most countries in fact allow international travelers to visit (via air/road) without requiring a visa if they already have an US visa and are entering their borders through the US.

What side of the ship were the majority of the ports of call on when entering? We are on the port side and hoping to be able to see most from our balcony in the morning. Probably one of my favourite things to do while cruising?

St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Kitts - Starboard

San Juan - Port

This can of course change at any time depending on port conditions.

we were thinking about a Premium Vista Balcony on the Breeze.

Not sailed on either one but in general, Carnival treats all guests the same whether you are in the cheapest inside room or the most expensive suite.

Carnival has a lot of included dining options (most of them for lunch only/afternoon).

Breeze is the newest ship in the Carnival fleet and has by far the most options for dining.

Secondly, why do you need to ask what should they wear. Isn't it your responsibility to "teach" them proper manners, and etiquette? They would wear what you are expected to wear, because they are not toddlers.

Why do you need ask these questions of her? I would say they are even more useless considering that your post doesn't contribute anything except talk down to a person.

Yes, it is a parent's responsibility to teach their children. So all the more better for parents to learn themselves and teach their children.

I would say she's doing a better job than most, since she's not assuming that she knows everything.

And admitting that, is the first step towards gaining new knowledge. One can always learn something new at any stage of life.

All of the embarkation ports mentioned above have the same size scanners, which fit our 26" suitcases just fine (28" would be ok too because it is just longer, not wider).

Thanks!!

We will be participating in elegant night as my teen boy would NOT be happy about missing out on the food that night!!

Personally, I believe that a collared shirt tucked in with a belt and a tie can appear formal even with a pair of jeans.

Is there a rule that says you can't carry big bags (checked bag size) yourself through the checkpoint?

I mean if they have to check/scan the luggage they need to have the proper tools and equipment.

Really? Ask for a discount on the fitness classes?

I thought the price was set by the cruise line at $10 or $12??

Yeah, why not? Why should you be embarrassed about asking for a discount? Doesn't matter what the price is, if you feel the price is more than you are willing to pay, what's wrong with asking for a better price?

Just to be clear, I was responding in general to the OP, not specifically to a $10 or $12 class.

They offer discounts and free stuff all the time; spa discounts if you sign up on the first day, free wine with steakhouse dinner on the first day, on-board shops have a sale on the last day and it goes on and on.

I am wanting to take 1 or 2 classes but not if its outrageous.

If the price is not to your liking, simply state it to them and request a price you are comfortable with. They might offer you a discount. Speak with a supervisor or manager if the instructor doesn't not have the authority.

Can anyone recommend excursions for St Maarten, Barbados, St Thomas ? I have cruised a lot, but I want to pick good excursions. I am going 12/14 on carnival valor for my 50th birthday and want to make it a great one:)

Have you been to any of these islands before?

Do you wish to see the islands or go out on the water/adventure sports?

On our Valor cruise, it was our first visit to these islands so we did an island tour everywhere.

One tip about Barbados: Go to Bathsheba and see the Mushroom rocks; this is not on any excursion list nor is visited by most cruisers.

Bathsheba is on the other side of the island (doesn't take that long, ship is there for 8 hours). The mushroom rocks out in the Atlantic ocean are worth the trip. A typical tour of places near the port is $35/person, the guy offered us a nice Camry and driver to go anywhere we wanted for the day. So we ended up with a taxi for $150 for 4 people (would have been $140 for a normal tour).

St. Maarten: We got a taxi from the pier and did the longest island tour. Driver will take you anywhere along the route, including the French side with some time in the capital, Orient beach and the Maho beach airport.

Don't miss the plane landings at Maho beach.

St. Lucia: Land and Sea tour with Herod's tours. Picks you up from the pier, goes through the town of Castries, through the mountains. Stops at a banana plantation, at a village bakery for some creole bread, to a water fall, then to the volcano and sulfur springs mud bath. Authentic creole lunch cooked by his mom and served at their home. Then a speedboat takes you to a beach between the Pitons where you have 1 hour of snorkeling time. Then the speedboat takes you via the ocean straight to the ship though a small 'tunnel' rock formation (Pirates of the Carribean). And unlimited drinks along the way.

Fun packed tour of the island. Fantastic way to see the most of St. Lucia in one day. And all of this costs just $85!

Here's what I posted in a different thread a few months ago:

------------------------------------------------------------------

My wife and I were on the Valor in Dec.

Since we did an all day island tour at every port, we didn't really have a lot of time on the ship.

Here are some suggestions though -

[1] Hit the steam room & the sauna.

[2] Do the water slide.

[3] Relax in Serenity.

[4] View a few sunsets from one of the hot tubs (front of the ship) as well as your balcony.

[5] Go to the not-so-secret balconies and experience a ship docking.

[6] Hammocks!

[7] Behind-The Fun tour (though to tell the truth, we didn't enjoy it much). It takes place on the Sea Day from 8 or 9:00 a.m. and lasts about 4 hours.

[8] Food (goes without saying), try the Taste Bar, Mongolian Wok and Fish & Chips.

[9] Try different combinations of items: for instance someone posted that they take a few brownies and mix them with the softserve icecream to create a milkshake. There is a thread on here dedicated to creative recipes that cruisers have tried out on board Carnival ships.

[10] Try something on the menu that you have not had before, especially from the 'Didja' section. And if you like it, order double!

Off-shore:

St. Thomas: Go with Luen's Taxi service for an island tour.

Barbados: Get together with some people, hire a car and go to Bathsheba. Its on the other side of the island but the mushroom rocks are worth it.

St. Lucia: Herod Stanislas of Herod's Tours; you get an authentic Creole lunch cooked by his mother at their home.

St. Kitts: Island tour with any taxi driver.

St. Maarten: Island tour from the pier.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Hirent, do you happen to know how hard it would be to find parking near Posada San Francisco?

 

We're already booked there pre-cruise, but would also like to spend the night before heading to the airport, except we'll have a rental car at that point and I'm worried there might not be any parking nearby.

Parking might be difficult. There is only street parking available there.

We didn't stay there after our cruise, we stayed at a place called Dreams Hotel; it is in the middle of the city and inexpensive. $60-$70 for a double room for 4. They arranged parking nearby.

I would suggest you contact the Posada, they might have some suggestions on parking.

Someone had mentioned that you can order as many plates of whatever is offered as you want. This is a secret cruising tip according to them. Any truth to this? I have a hard time believing I can order like 3 lobster tails.....

It's not a secret anymore. The waiters themselves suggest bringing extra dishes. Once my wife couldn't stomach a particular dish she tried and our attentive waitress noticed it (bless her), recommended an alternative and replaced the dish.

Lobster night, the chefs, waiters and indeed all of Carnival knows that guests will order more.

Only one caveat though; no matter how many you request, they will bring individual plates. Meaning each plate has two tails (IIRC) and you can only order in multiples of the plates, not individual servings.

The chefs are instructed to prepare each dish according to the master chef's layout and they don't deviate from that.

Now, I don't know what they would do if you order 9!

The most I have tried is 2 plates.

I would order 2 appetizers & 2 entrees most nights. Some entrees are not that big (serving size) or filing.

Depending upon traffic and weather, an average time is about an hour. My husband makes this drive every day and I drive it often. Even in the middle of the night it has never taken my 35 minutes.

Angiemom, no way will you make your cruise on this flight.

You are correct. Glad to have your input.