planetcadillac

1 hour ago, Chunky2219 said:

From first to last, we've enjoyed every voyage, including a couple of upgrades to a Q1 which, sadly, crippled any chance of us ever going back to very smallest, most bijou accommodation.  But I can offer a few thoughts about what you have in front of you.

Thanks for your thoughts Chunky and I largely agree with you. I have found the PG accommodations to be something of the 'sweet' spot in terms of price, value, experience, etc. A lot has to do with expectations current and past. As the market evolves (like all markets evolve) the experience will shift to meet the middle. (Although I have no doubt some corners might be cut here and there). 

1. I was on the QE2 and for a partial of the World Cruise. It is hard to compare the QM2/E/V to that experience. It was 2007 and while the sale to Istithmar had not yet been announced, everyone knew the ship was on borrowed time and the end was near. It very much seemed like a nostalgia tour since the QM2 was slowly but surely supplanting the QE2 on the major routes. With that being said, it is what it is and you have to frame the experience in the here and now and what is in front of you. The QM2 is a wonderful ship and have never been truly disappointed in our experience even in the cheap seats. 

2. Perhaps it is a generational thing IDK but I never cared much for caviar nor do I necessarily equate eating it with any level of standard. I am not much of a seafood person broadly so posh plates of fish are less of an interest. I am not all that fussy of an eater overall. What sets apart the Grills for me is the level of service, the open seating plan, the physical set up of the restaurant (including the place settings), the ability to order custom meals, and getting to know the staff. Most of my meal requests have been easy to accommodate (both in cost and preparation) so the staff has always been wonderful to see it through. 

5. We tip the front life staff well including the maitre'd because especially in the Grills you will likely see these people again if you cruise regularly and it is worth an automatic extra when your recognize as a repeat. No need to be overkill but appropriate. I always remember to fill out the comment cards that are found in the cabins. I once left my business card in the envelope with the cash tip (always in USD in cash in person) with the maitre'd and he eventually replied several weeks later. 

6. I did Baked Alaska once and that was enough. It is not a bad dessert and it is cheeky to see the presentation once but thats it. If we want to enjoy a tableside dessert we usually go for Bananas Foster and maybe spiked with a little rum. 

I am not looking for perfection because 80% of it is going to be your level of expectation and attitude when it comes to the experience anyways. I focus on the bigger picture and that usually wins out. 

I did a partial World Cruise on the QE2 in 2007. 21 days from Southampton to Los Angeles through the Panama Canal. One fifth of a full cruise but given the length it did give me some perspective on how to plan for something like that. I probably would only do a full World on the QM2 for a number of reasons not withstanding the fact that Cunard has self-service laundry and the atmosphere is more relaxed which IMO is preferred once you get past about 10 days on board. Unless money is no object, most people try to economize on such voyages simply due to the fact that little costs can add up quickly. Hence my point about the self service laundry. It is one thing to do $40 everything in a bag for a 10 day or 14 days cruise but for 110 days that can add up. Same with gambling, alcohol, souvenirs. Even eating one week of indulging you can turn around when you get home but 3 1/2 months of uncontrolled eating you might not have any clothes to wear! While I try not to get anal about every penny, for such a cruise I would make a budget even on paper or the computer and set some parameters. 

So if you say OKAY I will spend $1000 total voyage on alcohol. Print a sheet before you leave and keep the paper in your cabin and mark it. Or on your laptop or device if that is better for you. Etc. etc. One advantage of a long voyage is that you can be more restrained in your activities. I may budget one alcoholic beverage a day (see above $10 drink x 100 days = $1000) but on such a voyage I could probably go several days without a drink just because I know I have a lot of time. No pressure "to get it all in" ... I knew of several people on our WC that on sea days never left their cabin save for dinner. Finally, you tend to get to know the long haulers as well as the rest of the pax and you can end up spending time with them and it allows for non-revenue generating activities that help keep the expenses in line. 

Good luck!

Cunard technically has "classes" but mostly for dining aside from the Grill Lounge space. Aside from the room perks cruising today is virtually invisible. You don't really know whose who when you walk around. The QE was launched at a time when the classes were strictly segregated. No intermingle. If I ever had a time machine I would go back and try out the different classes back in the day on historical ships. 

3 hours ago, Scotto97 said:

Thanks for the thoughts planetcadillac. I must admit you're younger than we are (My wife is 44 while I'm 55) I see you've been on 9 Cunard cruises already. Isn't the average passenger age in the mid to late 60's? I would assume it would track pretty closely to Princess Cruises.

For the most part, yes, although there is a sizable minority (say 25%) of people my age and younger. Especially Europeans and especially from the UK where Cunard is a source of pride. I first sailed Cunard in 1999 at the age of 21 so I was indoctrinated early. I am a special case though, in 1999 I was traveling with my grandparents to visit family and friends in the UK. My grandfather worked for Cunard for many years and sailed on the original Queen Mary (the one in California now). I accumulated 9 Cunard trips all transatlantic during my trips to Europe and back. I used it as transportation as much as the cruise itself and a number of those trips I traveled alone. The first four were on the QE2 which was known to attract a sizable solo contingency as the ship was originally built in the 1960s when there were a lot of solo travelers. My wife has cruised 6 times all on more casual lines like Carnival, Norwegian, etc. She is concerned about the social atmosphere on board sitting at a table for dinner with a large group and having to face others who are primary her parents age and up. 

I am less concerned about the mask and more concerned about trips being cancelled or abbreviated due to a breakout on board. Most of us that follow the Cunard boards all heard about the infamous Christmas cruise that was cancelled earlier this month and all of the passengers were flown home from Barbados. Without their luggage. Which they eventually got or will get and were refunded. Who wants to be quarantined on a ship. So we will wait until the end of 2022 or beginning of 2023 to lay down any real money on a cruise. We are a few hours drive from a major cruise port. My parents live in Florida next to another major cruise port. So we have the option of picking up a short inexpensive one later in the year on short notice if we desire to test the waters without a lot of risk.  

2 hours ago, Scotto97 said:

For some background, my wife and I are younger than most Cunard Passengers, and we are going on this crossing specifically for the on-board atmosphere created by Cunard's respect of tradition. (Which we fear will be ending soon), Including the dress-code of suits, Tuxedos, cocktail dresses and formal gowns during the evening. I was lucky enough to marry a stunningly beautiful lady, to which wearing a ugly mask (They are all ugly) would ruin her experience. Also, a crossing in April is destined to be a mostly inside affair, so mask-wearing would be the vast majority of time except while in our suite.(Q4)

What do you consider younger? I am 41 and my wife is 34. I have been on my Cunard cruises while my wife is looking forward to her first coming up. We are recent newlyweds in 2021 and this is something of a honeymoon. We are not cruising until January 2023 on Cunard, nearly a year away, and I hope (and expect) that things will be far more open. Who knows what will happen in 3 months but I tend to think they will be better. 

My suggestion is you have to think long and hard about the distinct possibility of the masks still being in use in April. Cruise lines will be slower than other industries in relaxing Covid rules simply as a matter of the environment on ships and recent past cancellations (the QM2 Christmas Cruise being of immediate recollection). If it is an absolute deal breaker you might want to push it back. Bookings and cancellations are in a flux if traffic on the CC Roll Calls are any indication. 

Between now and then we might try a shorty (week or less) cruise from a local cruise port where the relatively inexpensive price would not be a mask deterrent to the level you describe. One thing I will say is that if I was in a Q cabin with butler I we would end up being in-room much more than if we were booked in Britannia. So the mask thing would be less of an issue. 

I am an easy going person but whenever I have traveled in the Grills, and in coach for that matter, on Cunard I am in a jacket and a tie for dinner...always. If we are going to the restaurant, it is part of the allure (IMO) of traveling Cunard to desire at least a semi-formal appearance. If I want to slum it I stay in the room or take another cruise line. I will be shortly booking a "honeymoon" cruise with my wife who will be a first time Cunarder and we will see how it goes. It is less about being seen by others but more about me, what I expect out of the cruise, and how I feel about the experience especially in the Grills. 

On a different note, I have found the Princess Grills to be my sweet spot. I can do without the butler and while the extra room in some of the suites can be useful I find the PG suites more than adequate. Small requests in the restaurant have been handled without question even the occasional off menu selection since my desires have always been rather easy and inexpensive to accommodate and worth the effort for them. 

I am curious of others have found a difference in the QG experience between the QM2 vs. the QE/V.

9 hours ago, PORT ROYAL said:

One does not enjoy The Club Restaurant on the QM, a bit dull and dingy for one’s tastes, much more prefer Club one the other two Queens.  Therefore, one’s suggestion is to go big in a Princess or Queen’s Grill Suite (Early Saver?).  As aware, Cunard 2023 releases are bookable on 1 February 2022

Britannia Club ? My main interest in a Grill suite is for off-the-menu and in-suite dining since presumable paying the extra tariff we would stay in more. 

3 hours ago, Fairgarth said:

 

Our longest cruise was 18 days (not Cunard) and that was enough.  I think there is a law of diminishing returns.  A 28 day cruise won't deliver as much enjoyment overall as two 14 day cruises.  Having said that, I recognize that some folks do take 'round the world' for 110 days.  And I wouldn't worry about the age of your fellow passengers on Cunard.  Everybody is sociable and friendly.  There are lots of young minds trapped in older bodies.  And congratulations!  I hope you have a wonderful time.

I get your point. On short cruises (week or less) there is a tendency to maximize your activity to squeeze as much as you can in. So you busy from morning to night. What happens after 2 weeks is that you tend to take the days much slower to the point that there may be some days you do not do much at all. Like being stuck inside at home when its raining or something. Some people like but I can understand say on a 28 night cruise with half of them being sea days because of travel time you can get bored. Aside from continually eating it can get slow. 

This is one of those unusual circumstances of getting married for the first time late in life (for marriage) and already being established. She has a house I have a house and we are selling one to move in together. We are using some of those proceeds to fund this honeymoon and invest the rest. We won't be having children so we have less to plan for financially and our professions allow us to make the time. 

Most of the cruises I have taken I have participated with Cruise Critic groups and/or traveled as part of a larger group so we always had people to look forward to see onboard. Hopefully that would be the case on this trip. 

On 8/8/2018 at 9:53 AM, Colin_Cameron said:

Of course, if you do win the lottery, you can always combine either the Queen Victoria suite with the Queen Elizabeth suite, or the Queen Anne with the Queen Mary, then you would have a balcony. 😄

 

Or really splash out and connect all four of them so you don't have to worry which side the sun is on.:cool:

 

When the ship was being designed Cunard were asking lots of people for their opinions. I heard that this space was originally going to be another public lounge but one couple, who always booked the Q1 suites on QE2 for every world cruise, expresed their displeasure at having to take a rearward facing cabin on the new ship that the plans were changed to make this space into suites. However when it was announced that QM2 was to be non-smoking inside they never sailed on her. I have no idea how true this story is but I have met the couple in question.

 

Regards, Colin.

A bit late for me to reply to this post but these suites came up in another thread I was involved in and this thread popped up in my research. I don't know anything about why these cabins are the way they are but I do believe I am familiar with the couple you are referring to. I was on the Silver Anniversary World Cruise in 2007 and remember seeing a couple in the QG Lounge and hearing about they book one suite for themselves and the other for their luggage and to use for utility. IIRC, a couple (and it might have been them) dined with Disney characters at their table for four which if true makes sense with their connection to Disney. To book two Q1 suites for the full World Cruise is a $250,000 in 2007 as I recall. I suppose if you have unlimited resources it is what it is but even most wealthy people I know are not that eccentric. The QE2 had a lot of eccentric people on it as I remember over the years even in the rabbit cabins. 

3 hours ago, exlondoner said:

The danger of upgrades on QM2 is being upgraded to a dreaded Q3, which lacks a balcony - which you'd definitely want in the Med.

I understand the desire for outdoor space for warm weather cruises. After having looked at the reviews of the Q3 Queen Anne Suite I have to be honest if I was booked in a lower grade and was offered that (assuming the upgrade was somewhat considerable) I would be hard pressed not to consider it. I could certainly find outdoor space if necessary somewhere. 😝

13 hours ago, BigMac1953 said:

Having sailed on QE2, then QV, then QM2 and QE, I certainly would not write off QE and QV.

 

I much prefer the Grill restaurants on QE and QV. Even the "Smash and Grab" (Lido) is so much better.

 

Whilst not designed as Liners, they are great cruising ships. Almost all our trips are 12-14 days.

 

Certainly worth considering!

 

 

I am sure the accommodations and services on the QE and QV are more than adequate. I guess I was thinking more in terms of atmosphere, if there is a different "feel" traveling on those ships as opposed to the QM2. Perhaps the demographic or marketing is different. The QM2 was aimed to replace the QE2 I don't know I haven't studied the QE/V itineraries enough to see if they are targeting a slightly different market than the QM2. 

I am not much on the Lido unless I find myself hungry at an odd time of the day and need to look for something. Perhaps for lunch if we are swimming or outside and don't feel like freshening up to sit in the restaurant. The "make your own salad" bar is attractive although I think that is offline until Covid stabilizes. 

13 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

planetcadillac,

Wishing you a Belated Happy Wed Lock to you both. This is from a couple who are Cunarders from the 1980's on Cunard vessels (QE2, Caronia and QM2).

 

We wish you a happy life together.. We are this year celebrating happy 45 years together.

 

We ourselves like longer sailings from 9-11-13 days. We hope someday to try a BTB TA we never booked because of parental commitments while they were with us. Now we have the time to vary.

 

We did do 2 Panama Canals sailings in the past. One QE2 from San Diego to NYC thru the PC. And one NYC to PC and back for 13 days. And enjoyed it. We also did a fly over to SOU and went on the Norway Sailing and then TA back to the Big Apple in NYC.

 

We are hoping and praying to get to do our recent booked NYC to Quebec and Back to NYC which will be a 14 day sailing this coming Sept. 2022.

 

We IMHO really see nothing over 13-14 days interesting due to the amount maybe too much. We have in the past found by the 10-11 day time to return to home and 12-13 was fine.

 

Hope you make the right choice and enjoy it.  

My parents are around 45 years. They got married young and probably have another 20 if they can hold out. 😆

Fortunately my parents are not anywhere near requiring looking after and are content in retirement in a 55+ condo in Florida. 

I have largely given up trying to book anything for 2022 even grabbing a last minute sailing simply because of the chance of drama of any kind. My brother lives in NYC (Manhattan) so we have someone to help with logistics when we are in the area. 

I understand some people get "bored" not sure if that is the right term after a certain amount of time. I am not sure I would my wife might but she seems interested so far. She is more introverted than I so she might feel like she has to make an effort to find things to do to occupy her time. Especially on sea days. That is why I have usually enjoyed being seated at a larger table in the restaurant. If you get good mates then it breaks up the day considerably. I have never cruised alone but many times "functionally" solo and learned to blend in well. 

Thanks all for the suggestions so far. If we travel it will be at the end of 2022 or into 2023. We would need that time  just to prepare the logistics of being away. As a Platinum World Club member I am sure Cunard will take care of me/us with whatever upgrades can be had and mentioning the honeymoon probably will help as well. I am very outgoing and having been on Cunard before I can blend in with any crowd at any age. My wife, however, is more introverted and she might be intimidated being seated for dinner facing a table full of ladies our parents age or more. Of course we could always request a table for two or being seated with solos as they will usually make an effort to be inclusive out of necessity. 

As for cabins, on a personal level, I could live in an inside cabin for the full World Cruise if I had to, I am a hardy soul and having spent time in the services I have bunked in far worse... However as a couple you have to think of the whole and it will more than likely at least be an outside in Britannia. A Grill cabin for a longer cruise is way out of the budget but for a shorter one is a consideration. It would also likely alter our onboard activities. Staying in the cheap seats we will more than likely use the room strictly for utility. In and out to sleep/change/refresh, etc. No room service or sleeping in. In a Grill room, we would likely be in absentia on board venturing out only to eat and watch our arrival or departure from somewhere. The ability to dine in suite off the restaurant menu would likely be utilized more often than not. Live/eat/sleep on the balcony. I have done that before. I am sure I wouldn't be the first. Tablemates (if we had them) would wonder if we were alive. I am not a food gourmet so the differences in menu between the accommodations is less of a deciding factor but the ability to order off menu has some appeal. 

Really I think it depends on how we want to approach it. A more inclusive experience or a more public one. 

Hello All - 

I am looking for some thoughts and suggestions from the gang. We are a newlywed couple as of 2021 in our early 40s and due to Covid never had a proper honeymoon. Neither of us have been married before nor do we have any children between us so in many ways we are fresh at this like 20 year olds! With that being said, we are at the point in our lives (logistically and financially) to have a decent honeymoon. We both love cruising and in fact that is one of the reasons we ended up together. I am an experienced Cunarder whilst she is not and am thinking of introducing her. We are also thinking about taking a longer voyage. The longest I have been on has been 14 days (not on Cunard however). We are possibly thinking of doing something like the 28 day Caribbean  or something to that effect. My questions revolve around these: We are not that young but as I know these longer cruises tend to lean older and I worry about social acceptance on board. I have always enjoyed sitting at larger tables because I am outgoing and socializing is a necessary part of the trip. 2nd, while I have been on the QM2 and the QE2 (God bless her) I have never given considerable thought to the QE or QV. I have known a number of experienced QE2ers and QM2ers that find the QE/V less appealing. Finally, while my initial desire is to do a longer cruise which would necessitate us booking Britannia, I have entertained the idea of doing a shorter cruise (like a TA) in the Grill as I have never did a cruise on any line at that level. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! 

Where did you buy the beach day for Freeport?

It is an excursion from Carnival. I know in Nassau there are beaches you can walk to from the ship or take a taxi so you don't have to purchase one of from the ship. Freeport is an industrial port and there isn't much to do there in the immediate vicinity.

There are three levels of the excursion, just the beach package, beach package plus all alcohol, and beach package with alcohol and a buffet. Food is expensive there so eat on the ship before or after.

http://www.carnival.com/Activities/Excursion/416063

We just got off this fish boat last Friday. We are late 30s but traveled with no kids. Speaking of kids, there are organized activities for them from 4-17 roughly. I have generally heard good things about them. Oct. 1 probably have a fairly limited amount of school-aged kids for the obvious reason that that is not natural holiday time for them. With that said, there will be some and the upside is that if your kids do the organized program they will get more attention and if they make friends it will be a blessing in disguise.

As a consequence there may be a more limited amount of cruisers 25-40 prime age for lesser aged kids who would otherwise be in school. But don't worry about that unless you and your DH are explicitly looking to socialize with like ages.

The drink packages aren't worth it unless you drink a lot of them. The alkie packages are by cabin so as it was stated by others unless you drink like $500 between the two adults it is not worth it. Soda packages are individual so if one party will consume at least 3 a day you will break even. Sodas on the fantasy were $1.95 + 15% gratuity. Soda package averages $6/day so you can do the math. The alkie sticker (and the soda sticker) can be purchased the first full day as well which actually shaves a day off the price since you are essentially on board only half of the day. Disembarking day does not count obviously. Beers are $6 on average wines usually average $6-8 cocktails $8-10. The really rare drinks like Courvoisier are over $10 and not included. The two of us drank 11 alcoholic drinks and 1 soda during 5 days. Miami Vice is a good drink (aren't they all...)

There is a self-service laundry on most floors for $3 per load w or d. Probably not use it for only 5 days but its there. Most cruise ships have a la carte laundry and dry cleaning as well as laundry by the bag (flat fee for whatever you can stuff in the bag) but can't remember if Fantasy did. For 5 days unless your kids go through a lot of clothes probably won't be doing laundry.

Dining is Casual except on the first sea day which is cruise elegant. Most people wore decent clothes on all days. We never really saw any blatant violators of poor dress code but Carnival is casual. Cruise elegant would be considered at least business casual for men to shirt and tie and maybe jacket. I did not see one tux. Women wore the equivalent usually a dress "church clothes" as we say in the south. Basically anything clean will work that isn't a t shirt or shorts you wear into the pool.

Fantasy does not have major alternative restaurants like most other ships. You eat at one of the two main dining rooms (depending on your selection) or you eat at the buffet at the back of Deck 10. There is a Taste Bar on Deck 9 near the atrium that you can miss if you don't look for it that serves appetizers free of charge. The Bistro is the specialty coffee bar that basically is like a Starbucks concept and priced accordingly. There is an Atrium Bar near the front, Midship Bar on Deck 9 in the middle, Majestic Bar on Deck 9 in the back by The Forum lounge. A pool bar outside and of course you can buy pay drinks in the main dining room. In the main dining room, especially with fixed seating, they will learn your habits and act accordingly.

On the Fantasy, and this applies to the Fantasy specifically and may not apply to other ships: Dinner is served in both main dining rooms every single night. They record your names and cabin #s when you enter so I assume you can only go in there once per dinner day. Now breakfast and lunch operate differently on this ship. There is no separate breakfast and lunch with attendant menus. The dining rooms are open daily from 630a-230p and they offer you a SeaDay Brunch menu that has breakfast and non-breakfast options.

The buffet on Deck 10 aft serves breakfast buffet every morning, lunch buffet every mid day and dinner buffet from 630p-930p. In the far back of the buffet is a pizza stand and a deli that operate 24-7. The drink machines in the buffet operate 24-7. There is plenty of seating inside and outside nearby. You can organize a tray at the buffet and take it to your room if you'd like.

Room Service is nice operates 24-7 free of charge but like others` said $2 tip at least is nice. There are a half dozen cold sandwiches, half dozen hot sandwiches, a selection of salads, fruits, vegetables, and a couple of desserts. Soda cards don't apply for room service. If you get room service and want a soda have to go to a bar and bring it back. They will bring you water, lemonade, or iced tea or a selection of juices however. I suspect the Cheers program works the same as well.

You will feel some movement on the Fantasy, as you will all ships, even in sunny skies water is always on the move and there is a natural sway to a ship you get used to. However the Bahamas are usually ultra-calm unless you are dealing with a tropical storm. From Charleston, you are not really way out into the ocean basically you hug the Florida coast 20-30 miles and Bahamas are off the southern tip of Florida. To me, as some one who has crossed a whole ocean on a boat in rough water, I did not feel anything. However you can gets pills and patches for sea sickness even on board. As for location on the ship mid ship is desirable, in the back on the lowest decks you will hear and feel the engines some it is not intrusive inside the cabin but its background noise. The ship basically putters along for most of the voyage since the Bahamas are really not that far.

Get to know the staff personally and make yourself regular with them they will learn your habits and will be johnny-on-the-spot. I dropped the lead waiter for our table a $20 when I so him walking off the ship when we debarked in addition to the prepaid gratuities.

The TVs in the cabins have dozen or so channels so if you or your kids needs to be kept indoors for any length of time they can usually find something on the tube to occupy them.

Freeport is an industrial port so there really isn't anything to see to walk off the ship for. The International Market that you could have walked to from the ship basically died so if you want any action go to Lucaya. You can get there either by taxi and walk around or book excursion. We just did the beach day think because we wanted to sit in the sun, sand, walk through the water a bit and relax under umbrella. It was $35pp. There is a $50pp version that includes all your alkies you can consume in 3.5 hours. That's a good value if you really want to hit the sauce hard one day and not jump in the deep end with the Cheers program. There are a few other excursions for Freeport like kayaking that are ok but the beach seems to be the most popular.

We stayed on the ship in Nassau. Other than scuba/snorkel/sub excursions the rest were various tours of various commercial historical and governmental landmarks and shopping. A lot of people get off to walk to Sharkees or Senior Frogs. With who kids in single digits that is a no-go. The upside to staying on board is you have basically unrestricted access to all the outside goodies you might not have been able to get on sea days. Prime seats, open pool, open Jacuzzi, etc.

Fantasy has basically two "show" lounges. Universal Lounge in the front is two floors and Fantasy does two main shows, a British musical act, and a Motown act. There are other events in there like bingo, Hasbro game show, and port talks etc. The Forum lounge in the back of Deck 9 is for the late night comedy shows.

Basically the ship is like this: Decks 4-5-6-7 are cabin decks. 7 forward houses the Atrium Bar and the lowest level of the 5 story open area with glass elevators. Embarkation and Debarkation in Charleston occur on Deck 7. In Port Lucaya and Nassau you get off on Deck 3 forward. Deck 8 basically houses the restaurants for most of the deck except for the lower level of the Universal Lounge in the front. Deck 9 is where most of the indoor activity is where the upper level of the Universal Lounge is located, the photo studio, shops, casino, a couple of bars, and the smaller lounges. The Cats Lounge and Electricity Nightclub seemed underutilized on our cruise. Most of the picture staging takes place there as well. It is basically Grand Central for inside the ship. It can be smoky around the casino.

Deck 10 is the pool deck. Which takes up most of that deck except in the back where the buffet is.

Deck 11 is just open space above Deck 10 full of lounge chairs, etc. in the very back is where the water park is for the kids.

Deck 12 is just a partial deck in the front where the spa is located.

Deck 13 is just a partial deck in the front above the spa that houses a mini golf course and a walking track.

Serenity Adults Only area is in the very back of Deck 9 behind the Forum Lounge. The doors to the Forum Lounge are usually closed during the day so most people seemed to just take the outside stairs from Deck 10 down to the Serenity area. This area is strictly for people 21+ no kids. There are a lot of lounge chairs and two hot tubs out there but no pool.

Fantasy is probably a good ship for first time cruises who do not get bored easily especially with kids. This way you can feel your boundaries without feeling like you missed stuff. Most of the staff have been there a long time and you know it.

As for Charleston, we live in Charlotte, 3 hours away but elected to do a hotel package for the night before. It was $159 and included transportation to and from the port. This works out great for a couple of reasons. Its $85 to park at the port per car per 5 day cruise. The hotel we stayed at (Hampton Inn West Ashley) was fancy and gave us a real hot breakfast in the morning. The shuttle collects your luggage in the lobby, you board the van, he drops you off at the terminal at the luggage depot, then you get on another bus for a short drive to the processing building to get on the ship. Walk in get in one of the 3-4 lines they have. From the time we pulled into the terminal facility into the van until the time we walked onto the ship was less than 30 minutes. We arrived around 11:45a. So when we added up the various costs and conveniences it was a great deal. Parking at the port drags the process out another 30-45 minutes.

For a 5 day cruise the ship is fine, especially for first-time cruisers. By October 1 not sure if Fantasy is getting the new American menus or not. Finding something you like is usually not a problem either in the dining room or buffet.

One thing I will say, as you may have found out upon booking, there is not really a lot of cabin selection. You basically have insides, outsides, outsides with balconies, and about 2 dozen larger cabins with balconies that are located on one of the lower decks where the balcony is "in hull." All but those Grand Suites are basically the same size so it comes down to whether you want a window or not and whether you want to be forward or aft. There are three stair and elevator banks so you are not really far from going up and down.

Enjoy!

Why don't you try a hosted singles cruise. There are a fair amount of them. I am not too familiar with them to comment directly but they exist. This way you would have exactly what you want and it is not a match making service but rather there is a "Singles' Director" that host different activities (that are optional) and try to introduce everyone to everyone else so you know who the right crowds are.

I have only cruised solo once, and it probably wouldn't be classified as a cruise per se I took the QE2 from the UK to NY when I went back home back when it was still at sea and they had single cabins. Cunard gets a lot of solos but they are not the crowd you are looking for. I am late 30s so I am roughly in the crowd you are talking about. A large number of 25-40 on a cruise can be hit or miss. The Carnival Fantasy 5 day I just got off of last week was mostly college-kids or 55+ with just a low % of people in the middle and virtually no minor aged kids.

For all cruisers it is a very sad incident and our heartfelt feelings go out to the friends and family of this young man. For experienced cruisers some of whom have been on board ships where incidents occur know it can cast a pallor over the rest of the voyage. With that said, the only thing I am going to say is cruise incidents (including man over boards) can and do happen to many different people not just college-aged kids. Those of us as parents or influencers of young people like this we can only give our advice and stress the importance of being careful on board. That goes to everyone including the adults who can and do get unruly too although usually in other ways.

We just got off the Carnival Fantasy last week from a 5 day cruise out of Charleston. I would say (roughly) 25% or so of our pax were spring breakers or of the age of 21-mid 20's whether they were in school or no. Aside from some isolated incidents and the fact that they took over the main pool itself (not necessarily the area around it) they were drama free. We are late 30s so I tend to not really have a problem with that crowd unless incidents develop because I was that age once (although I didn't cruise) and I know what it means. I will say that a lot of them did not utilize the dining room but a surprising amount of them did and actually dressed better than a lot of the >30 passengers. Perhaps it was because we sailed from Charleston and a lot of the adult pax were rednecks lol. There were very few primary school aged children on our cruise you had to really look. There were not a whole lot in our age group either. So it seemed like it was 25% college kids, 25% ages 25-55, and 50% 55+. One upside to the college kids is they leave the ship en masse on port days and on sea days dominate the pool and outside so the facilities inside are usually under utilized.

There are always bad seeds on a cruise especially one that attracts a more regional crowd like those that sail out of ports not in Florida. Spring break is usually one calendar week so it was no wonder our 5 day cruise was popular. 7 might be tight depending on when the cruise falls on the calendar. Doubtful you will see very many college kids on a 7+ simply because it would eat away school days.

Not trying to sound biased in favor of that crowd but relaying our experience and my personal lack of concern. I am sure if you interviewed a dozen people who cruised with a lot of spring breakers there is bound to be 1 or 2 that will make it sound horrible. Stuff happens on cruises when you have 3-6K on board. Even if there was no one 18-25 on board and you miss a port I would be more worried about those unruly crowds... Moral Of The Story: Do your homework, think about your priorities, what you will utilize on board and what you want to accomplish but don't worry about that crowd.

That is great to hear. It seems like Carnival's insurance is a good deal. I had always looked at alternatives. I do have one related side question, what did Carnival do with your belongings ? Since it took a while to get back to home I wonder what they would do with it. I have usually always purchased insurance for medical, and I know Carnival offers it when you book. With that said, during our travels with Cunard, given the often older clientele on the longer voyages it is almost de rigeur and openly discussed. If you take anything longer than a week or a far destination they practically yell at you if you don't have insurance.

We just got off the Carnival Fantasy last week. I cannot speak for Carnival at other ports, but at Charleston, since we did a Snooze 'N Cruise and were dropped off at the port, it did not seem like FTTF or status would have given us much benefit. We were dropped off at the luggage depot, got on a shuttle to the ship around 1145AM, went inside, there was not much of a line, waited maybe 8-10 minutes to see someone at the counter, and were proceeding to the ship. Since we did not have really any carry-ons, we just went to the lido buffet fixed a plate and leisurely ate for about an hour. Then went to the Spa for a tour and demonstration. About 2 walked down to our cabin, bags were there and we proceeded to unpack and set up before sail away. By the time we were about to sail we found one of the secret decks to watch the last minute activities and the cast off.

I think it will depend on the terminal situation and your particular need to get into your room quickly. Otherwise we seemed to manage quite fine without anything special. Same for tender ports. If you need/desire to get off the ship quickly otherwise we take our time.

These menus look a lot better than the ones that they started out with last year. They seem to have found a nice balance mixing new items with favorites people like!

The new menu seems to be very 'Midwestern' like the old meat-and-three. I do wonder where all the pasta went and many of the old favorites. I am not interested in eating steaks, ribs, and pork chops with potatoes and green beans every night.

Jacksonville is a bit too far of a drive for a day trip and the difference between Fantasy and Fascination isn't enough to warrant the extra 2 hours. Like others have said, if we are going to go to Jacksonville, we will just go all the way to Canaveral, Lauderdale, or Miami. Better selection of ships and longer voyages. Our trip was GREAT! but 5 days is just too short. I have done a 21-day cruise and several 10+ and those are best not as rushed. This definitely felt like a weekend getaway.

As for the crowd, the college kids were among the least intrusive crowds on the ship. There are always a few bad seeds on the ship, drunks, people with no self control, sneakers, cheaters, etc. Otherwise nothing major that significantly impacted the experience. I have been on a couple of cruises that were so quiet that you thought everyone was sitting around waiting to die. lol.

We did not go to the Punchliner I am not that old but hard pressed to sit at a show that starts at 11PM. We did see some lines there but otherwise no real lines elsewhere since we got to dinner early. Even the lido buffet was manageable. The main shows did not completely fill up so you did not have to rush in there really early and take a book or something to read as I have heard on some other ships. Our ship sailed full from what I understand but people were pretty well dispersed. One advantage of a lot of college kids they usually do not take advantage of all of the shows and other on board activities so competitive for space is less pronounced.

As you can see from my signature, we have mostly sailed the more traditional experience lines and this was quite a departure in atmosphere and style from what we normally encounter. With that said especially for the money we paid it was a tremendous success. Of course, like with most things, it is what you make of it. Unless I got sick, was physically attacked, had something stolen, any cruise would be a good cruise.

We are relatively new to Carnival - however on other lines a lot of the cruises on the same ships are sold as segments and sometimes packaged as larger cruises. We have done segments of the World Cruise on the QE2 where about 1/2 of the pax stayed for the whole 3 1/2 months and the other have came and went at different times. The process was a little different there was not getting off to get back on during the segments you didn't debark unless you wanted to visit that port.

Now on say Carnival where every voyage is cataloged separately it makes sense for you to debark for a formality to deal with customs and get a new S&S card because in essence you are taking two separate trips that happen to coincide on the calendar. Since Carnival really does not do longer cruises I imagine that is the process they came up with.

I would imagine if you were going to do a B2B have different itineraries and try your best to get the same cabin. I can't imagine the hassle of moving. If you are going to be on board for 2 weeks or more you set up your stuff and want to stay put.

I would definitely go to some interesting places with B2B or a large ship so you can maximize the experience. We just got off a 5-day on the Fantasy Friday and I wouldn't do a B2B on that ship. We had a wonderful time but 10 days in the Bahamas would be a waste. Repos are always good and another option. Also pick your ship and atmosphere and expected crowd well. If you didn't like the crowd on the first part it might not change much on the second if it is at certain times of the year.