shane_paula2014

We prefer not to associate with the hired help!! ;O)

Uhm wow are you serious??? :eek::confused:

How stuck up!! It's an honor to be selected! !

Yes it was SO worth for us!!! Got us on early & no lines & was got our luggage early too!! Also at guest services you dont have to wait in the regular line, you get the vip line :)

We will definitely be buying it again ! You won't regret it :)

Helpful tip: Get up early, take a towel from your room and put it on a lounge chair in the perfect location. Go get breakfast, head down to the casino and play a few hands of blackjack, browse the shops, go get lunch, head back to the room, take a quick nap, then around 3pm head back up to your lounge chair and soak up the sun for about 15 minutes. Swim in the pool for an hour, go get your towel and dry off!

 

 

Seriously helpful tip: Since it's your first cruise, don't do what we did. They say "all aboard at Xpm". Plan on being aboard an hour before then. If you're in the immediate area of the ship early, then poke around in the shops or whatever. But do NOT plan on getting to the ship at 'all aboard time'. We did that in St. Thomas on our first cruise - we took the gondola ride to the top of the mountain.. went up there in the afternoon, went to the bar and ordered a drink and some food. The food took FOREVER to come.. and then the bill took FOREVER to come. We knew we needed to get back but were waiting on the bill - finally got it, signed the check and heard the ship blowing it's horn. Back to the gondola and sprinted back to the ship. We were the pier runners everyone talks about. Very last people on the ship - I think the ship was actually waiting for us - the engines were running, water was churning, people on the balconies jeering at us, and the deck hands were literally standing at the end of the gangplank, bent over and ready to throw it aboard as soon as we ran across. Very embarrassing. That's why we always plan on being back aboard no later than an hour ahead of time. That builds in plenty of time for unknown delays (and peace of mind). That was a horrible feeling I never want to experience again! :)

Uhm no DONT leave your towel from your room on a lounge chair all day!!!! For one thing you are not supposed to "reserve" lounge chairs, it's a rule. The crew are supposed to come by if they see people have abandoned their stuff for a long time and move it so someone can actually use the chair.. Also it's rude because when someone is looking for a chair it's frustrating to see people that just leave their stuff on a chair for hours and hours!

Also when I was on carnival in February the blue towels from your room, you will get charged like $25 or $35 if it not returned! So I wouldn't just leave it laying around if I were you!

Good luck & enjoy your first cruise:-)

We got the letter, but was never asked for it. I wasn't going to take any chances though, so it was worth the trouble for me.

 

I am beyond thrilled that the next time I cruise with both of my children, they will both be over 18 and I don't have to ask him for #&! $! As a matter of fact, I think I may just start looking for an 18th birthday cruise in January! LOL.

 

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

That IS exciting! ! Anytime we don't have to deal with the EX it's a great day! !! Haha

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Forums mobile app

My DH, DD 14 and I are cruising next week, DH may not be able to go due to work.

 

We all have passports.

 

If he can't go, I am just going to tell them at check in that he will be arriving later.

 

In that case does anyone know if I should have the letter with me or is it OK because DH is on the booking as well?

 

Thanks!

 

Toni

Just curious, why are you going to lie & say he will be arriving later if he won't be?

Better be safe to have the letter, especially since it's easily attainable since you are both the parents.

We sailed last month on Carnival Dream & even though we went through HELL to get the signed letter from the kid's mom, it gave me piece of mind knowing we had it! We weren't asked for it, but they easily could have and i didnt want any issues!!! Get the letter so it's one less thing to worry about!!!

We only had a birth certificate for the kid while me and my bf had passports.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Forums mobile app

Which "dream" ship are you referring to? Because I was on carnival dream & if you buy it in port they hold onto it until the night before you debark ?

Hmm. Guess my post was deleted. ..

Weird.

We were on her last month:) we were on deck 9 & the hairdryer was in the desk. I was bummed as an adapter we brought that you can plug more than one in and also plug in usb's didn't fit because the outlet was so close to the desk :( took pics of it so we will be prepared next time with a different type of power strip...

Wow 27 nights! !! Dang that's a long time! ! Enjoy !!!

Yes we did!! On our last cruise a few weeks ago, as well as on the plane too. Made us feel a little better at least. :)

Thank so much for all of the replies.....I'm not taking my foster kids I'm taking my adopted babies but I was just trying to see if they really needed a passport. Your answers were helpful Carnival it is I'm so excited on our first cruise!!!!!:D:p:)

I would take proof that you adopted them, they have very strick laws to protect kids being kidnapped and taken to another country. From all the research I have done, a birth cert is all you need (no passport necessary) and since you adopted them I would be on the safe side and bring your papers :) Have a great time !!! Also, just my 2 cents but I would save money and not do Disney as well, I think they would have a great time in the Camp Carnival, I have heard great things about it !!

Haha karri meeeee too !! My boss is probably sick of my countdowns!! I just hope all this hype & excitement and planning will all be worth it and we will love it !

I realize crime happens everywhere and you should always be careful, but all these posts about the crime there makes me want to stay on the ship at port !! Seems like everyone on cc is talking about this issue !!

Somehow a miracle happened!!! The mom gave in and signed the consent form!!! Omg you dont know how relieved I am!!! Plus she even had a different notary other than myself sign it !!! Omg i am so excited now. Everything is good to go !! Yay!!!

My first cruise ! Can't wait!

No legal issues going on, the divorce is & parenting plan have been final since 2009. She is just being a pain and refusing to sign. We will definately work on this, this week.

My first cruise ! Can't wait!

Thanks. I know you are right. Im so sick to my stomach right now with stress

My first cruise ! Can't wait!

No i meant when i call Carnival or the attorney i am hoping to get reassurance. I hate stupid ex's.... Sigh. Maybe we can just stay on the ship? Lol idk.

My first cruise ! Can't wait!

Thanks for the mind words. My bf seems to feel we will be ok without it. I'm not feeling so sure about it. I'm going to call Carnival again & see what they say. I may talk to a divorce atty that i know & see what she says. Needing some reassurance here.....

My first cruise ! Can't wait!

I don't know if you are going on a cruise but there are a couple of things that you should know. The reason that Celebrity told him he doesn't need the permission slip is because they know the countries the cruise is going to be visiting and they are the ones who control the rules. Generally on a cruise they do not bother with permission slips if there are no overnight stops. This brings me to the most important point that you may not be aware of. The people who determine what is needed are the countries you are visiting as I stated earlier. Those countries have absolutely no obligation to follow court orders of custody from the United States. This will not usually become an issue on a cruise but it could be an issue if you are visiting somewhere for a few days. You will then need permission from both parents irregardless of who has custody. Also, if a child is not yours make sure you get a permission for medical treatment, also notarized.

 

Just one more point, Passports are not permission to travel, even if she had allowed him to get a passport you would still need permission for each and every trip.

Thank you for your imput ! I am seriously stressing out about this. Was crying earlier over it as I'm very stressed out about this, on top of all the planning and money for this trip.

Yes we are going on a Carnival cruise, starting and ending in the same US port, stopping at Nassau Bahamas, St. Martin & St. Thomas ports, with no overnights there, all day stops at the ports. I was told by Carnival that they will do customs in Port Canaveral, FL.

The mom is not signing the form, she's trying to hold it as blackmail for something she wants out of my bf. She is just being jealous and trying to have control. She has known about this trip for months now and has been fine with the son going all along and said he will have a great time, until now when we want her to sign this form.... We have a certified copy of his birth certificate, which is what we were told to get. When I talked to one lady at Carnival, she suggested the permission letter, and said it's better just to have it than not. I am nervous that we will have problems. I know they will probably scrutinize me as I'm not a US Citizen, but I have my passport and US permanent resident card, which is all the documentation I am supposed to have. The kid has the same last name as his dad, so I am hoping there will be no issues, but this is such a huge trip for us and I'm so stressed out about it.

Can someone please give me some peace of mind and tell me it's all going to be ok ??

Hover over a ship's name and it will tell you what hours the ship will be in port. The good news is that Ecstasy leaves at 7 am so there will really only be 5 ships that day. The bad news is that one of them is Oasis. :eek::)

 

It looks like you'll only be in Nassau until 2 pm so that would make it difficult to do Blue Lagoon. The one o'clock ferry won't get you back in time. What is your 9 year-old interested in? The Pirate Museum might be fun and not too pricey.

Yeah Blue Lagoon is out, which is too bad, it's looks like a lot of fun, but just won't work out timing wise. Oh I think he will be fine as long as there's water and some water toys :)

I'm on the Island Marketing website looking at some day passes at either Hilton or RIU... not sure how fast these fill up so I sent a couple messages on a few of the excursions. We will be there Feb 23rd.

Well previously we have gotten day pass for Breezes, lots of fun, food and drink I think it is still $5- -60 dollars per person (all you and eat and drink and non motorized equipment)

 

We just got back today from our Imagination cruise to the Bahamas and this time for the first time we went on a private Taxi tour for $25.00 per person and it was GREAT!!! Got to see a lot of things that we have not seen before! we used Mario "nino" Bethel Taxi # 126 with Go to Guy Taxi & Tour Service. He was right at the end of the pier !

 

You can also get a day pass from Comfort suites right across from Atlantis and still get the bracelet for entry to Atlantis pools and water slides and beach pass (much cheaper then going through Atlastis)!

 

Hope you have fun!!

Is Breezes a kid friendly place? Is it far from the Port ? No info on their website for the day passess, looks like I will have to call them to see how much it is and what it includes. THanks.

Considering doing this, but just makes me super nervous getting around and back to the ship before it leaves port. First time cruiser here. But that island looks like a lot of fun, especially when traveling with kids !

You can get the cruise ship schedule here: http://ports.cruisett.com/schedule/Bahamas/455-Nassau

It's usually pretty accurate.

 

Have a great time with your family!

thanks for that link ! Wow we will be there Feb 23rd, can't believe there will be 6 ships in port that day !

This will be my first cruise, and trying to plan what to do on a budget at this Port. We will have a 9yr old with us too, so want to keep him happy. I ran across the Blue Lagoon website and thought about doing that. Makes me nervous not doing an excursion through the ship, but really want to save money. My main concern would be getting stranded on that island and missing our ship ! yikes. Any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks!

I hope someone still replies to this as we will hv a 9yr old with us & would like suggestions ! Thanks

My first cruise ! Can't wait!

Yes it will go up as it gets closer ! If u feel its a decent price book it now !!! U wont regret it ;) i have 42 days till my first cruise !!

My first cruise ! Can't wait!

Is that an Armageddon quote??? ;)

My first cruise ! Can't wait!