timeinthesand

Quickly approaching 30 days until our Cruise! I felt more prepared the week after we booked and now I am scrambling to see what we need to get ready over the next few weeks.

 

So what do you start thinking about 30 days out?

 

We will be driving to port so one of the things on my list is oil change/ tune up.

 

So what about you? :)

I begin booking my excursions for the next cruise!

The sheriff is a brave man. Wow

Amen! Their county is lucky to have him!

DW and I really enjoy RCI but thinking of changing things up by going on an 8 day, Carnival Sunshine cruise out of Orlando, Grand Turk, San Juan, St Kitts and St Maarten in Nov 18. Looking to hear from die hard Carnival cruisers, did we make a good choice? Thx!

Yes!

Yes, its truly disappointing to some.

 

To others, not so much.

I suppose one could gather an extra napkin and use it as a place mat, if one was so inclined.

I meet with a surgeon on Monday, who will most likely tell me I need gallbladder surgery.

Why dont you ask the surgeon? I would ask and listen to his/her advice. I hope you get to go!

My dd-22, my mom-70 and I-49 at the time were in a group on the Breeze last year that one first place. I came home with the wrong bra. Didnt even try to explain that one to my dh who didnt sail with us lol

 

 

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That dang Leigh!

there is a quest video on youtube of the 12-4-16 carnival breeze.....

When can you select a check in time? Can this not be done until cruise is paid in full? I booked this week for October and did online check it but cannot find where to select a check in time? I only put a deposit and have not paid in full yet. Thanks for info.

Some cruises have them, some do not. You mentioned October, I have one for the 28th out of Galveston and there is no option. I have 7 booked right now, with balances due of $0 to a few thousand, and that does not matter - some have check in time some do not.

Keep checking though, it may appear.

I love Carnival, but it's been 9 years since my last cruise. I know Carnival has cut back on some costs in the last decade. Is there anything that you miss that Carnival used to offer that they don't offer now?

 

From what I have read here in Cruise Critic, it appears that Carnival has cut back on:

--no more mints on the pillows

--no more lobster on the shorter cruises

--no twice-a-day housekeeping on some ships

--no past-guest party for non-platinum guests

--no tablecloths on non-elegant nights in the dining room

 

Anything else?

they now give you an oar so that you can help keep the ship moving

and the first night you get the wine deal, if you are interested.

I had a cruise booked on the Freedom for December 3rd, 2016. I received an e-mail over the summer that said Freedom would be going into dry dock for what amounted to the week before, of, and after this cruise and my cruise was cancelled. I cruised on the Breeze on the 4th instead.

We probably all already know that this dry dock did not happen, I figured because of the Liberty's issues, but I have not heard of a rescheduled dry dock. It wouldn't surprise me though.

In addition to the loungers they have those roundish hard plastic blue ones that rock when you sit in them. They are very comfortable too...

it is horrible, it is getting worse and worse.

Great info, thanks! We are driving and should arrive Thursday night (March 30th)around 6 or 7pm. We are staying in League City for two nights then to save a few bucks and we get on the Freedom Saturday morning. So we will have all day Friday to explore Galveston. Any recommendations on things we should do in Galveston? I've prepaid to park at EZ cruise parking so just planning to drive there that Saturday morning and have them shuttle us to the cruise terminal...

EZ cruise is a good place to park. Did you do the park and walk (about $50.00) or the park and shuttle (about $70)?

Either way you may want to drop everyone off with luggage, then go park and head back over to rejoin. I would get there about 8:30 - 9:00 on cruise morning, but that's just me!

You will be traveling down 45 to enter Galveston, the exit for the terminal is harborside drive. This is not a very good first impression of Galveston, as you really dont see any of it. Go past that exit instead and take a right on 61st street and follow it until you see the gulf. Make a left on seawall boulevard and follow it up to 21st street. Make a left there (on 21st) and you will be heading directly into where the cruise ships dock (few miles away, but a straight shot). (( if you leave early on cruise morning this is a nice first impression of the ship)) also, play the look for the whale's tail on cruise morning as you get to the bridge to galveston island. (It will be ahead and to the left)

I recommend the pleasure pier in galveston, the boys wont be bored there and its nice for adults too. I also recommend the Kemah boardwalk, very similar to pleasure pier, but with a little more to do, again fun for adults and kids. These are both amusement park themed, our boys loved them both!

Galveston also has Moody Gardens, the Bishop's Palace, the Moody mansion, if you like those sorts of things. Galveston also does helicopter tours, biplane rides, and harbor (dolphin) tours, there is a lot you can do! All of these should have information available online so that you can learn a little more to see what may interest you.

The biggest bang for your buck is probably either Kemah or the pleasure pier, both offer all day ride bracelets.

The Valor will be leaving on March 30th, probably around 4:00-4:30 if you happen to make it in time for that you can see the sail away.

I hope this helps, if you have any questions feel free to ask!

Without delays, probably around 11:30-12:00. I think the boys will be fine waiting in the area for them to start boarding. They have a window where they can go watch them load supplies on the ship, and the excitement really builds in that waiting area. Are you driving in, or flying in? When will you arrive in Galveston? With faster to the fun, you can always show up past your check in time (say around 1:00), and go straight to check in and straight to boarding, if they are boarding already. I dont recommend that though, part of the fun is waiting and talking to others!

The line will start forming, regardless of what your check in time is, around 9:00.

I hope this helps, feel free to ask anything you want, I am a local and sail out several times a year.

Did you leave from Galveston? Wondering how embarking was... We signed up for 10am check in time and have faster to the fun. Do you have any thoughts on our chances of getting on the ship that early? Thanks!!

0% chance of getting on that early. That is your check in time, not boarding time.

That's just Carnival's way of surprising us!

We have been on the Breeze, the Magic and the Freedom. Our personal favorite was the Freedom. Maybe it's because we have been cruising for such a long time, but we were taken aback by the Breeze's chopped up design & we did not like it at all! They not only packed more cabins onto the ship, it seems they reduced the sizes of other amenities so they could get all the new stuff on. If you have better cabin locations on the Freedom, we would go with that. It all depends on what is most important to you on your cruise. We personally don't care about the colors & decorations on a ship, as long as we have a nice crew, decent food & friendly people to meet! Some people love to go on the ships simply because they are new. We just think the Breeze & the Vista are poorly designed! Freedom has better ebb & flow to its design.

 

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100% agree. I love the Freedom! I like the decor of the Liberty a little better, but the layouts on Liberty and Freedom work a lot better, in my opinion.

Nice blog. I always loved that "ding" too!! Hopefully the Freedom still has it, it did in October but the Breeze had tablets in December.

Yes, normal. Their explanation is that fun shop purchases could be surprises, so they leave them off of the documents as to not spoil them.

You will need to ask. On the Breeze on a 7 day, they delivered the night before. On 5 day Liberty and the Triumph, pick up in aft restaurant the morning you leave. Same on 3 different 7 day on Freedom. Just ask, I do and they always tell me. All of these out of Galveston and in 2016.

You are scheduled to be there from 7:00-4:00. 5 ships will be in Cozumel that day, two arriving at 7:00, one each at 8:00, 10:00, 11:00.

I would ask the third party excursion group if they are waiting for you if the ship is delayed. The answer is usually yes.

The plus just means longer hours in port, you will be able to travel further and/or have more time on the excursion.

What are you planning on doing?