Willwork4cruises
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Posts posted by Willwork4cruises
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Clevebodden@yahoo.com
To read some of his reviews and see pictures, google TripAdvisor Cleve Roatan. I forgot to mention, he also arranged a boat tour thru the mangrove tunnels which was really different.
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When we were in Costa Maya, some seaweed eventually rolled in but the group had fun playing with it, as you can see in some of the pictures.
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We have cruised Carnival many times. This year we took my stepdaughter Ayrin (14), her cousin Maddie (12), and a friend Amber (15). We had cabin 1448 and the girls were in cabin 1450. Cabin 1448 wraps around the crew staircase so the room is bigger and the closet and bathroom door are in the room instead of the hallway. We loved the size of the cabin but overall this area was noisy. It was not the crew staircase causing issues, it was ship noises and shuddering. I will go back to mid-ship next time.
The Breeze is a good ship but it’s not flashy. I love ships with all the pretty colors (like Magic). We took advantage of the unlimited Thrill theater which was $15 for the week. It was fun and worth the money. Ropes course and slides were also fun. There was a new country show in the main theater we were excited to see. Unfortunately none of the theater shows were very good. However the comedy shows were great.
For excursions, we are open to booking Carnival and privately. I’ve had some great Carnival excursions so I don’t shy from booking with them, if something looks interesting.
In Cozumel we did the Carnival Twister boat to Isla Passion. My stepdaughter has wanted to do the Twister for many years but I always figured she would chicken out. She has finally started riding some amusement park rides so I figured she was finally ready. She didn’t chicken out and the ride was fun. The island and water were beautiful but not our thing. We are not beach people. We throw our stuff on the sand and everybody jumps in the water for snorkeling. Unfortunately we could not find any good snorkeling. I’m glad we did this so we could check it off the list.
in Belize, we did the Carnival Private Cave Tubing and Dry Cave Exploration with lunch. The excursion was fine but not at all what I envisioned or watched on you tube. I pictured the flowing river pushing our tubes thru the cave and out the other side. Instead our group was dragged through a cave by our really sweet guide for about 15 minutes, then we explored the dry portion briefly, and returned to our tubes. At this point we are dragged back to the starting point because there is no other way out of this cave. The cave was interesting and the guides were great, it was just different.
In Roatan, Carnival didn’t have anything that interested me. We booked privately with Cleve. Seven others friends booked this excursion as well. Cleve is incredible. I found him on TripAdvisor, rated number one. He, his wife, and his best friend do the tours. He hasn’t grown any bigger because he worries about keeping the quality of the tour high. He took us all over his island to the pretty places and the not so pretty. We received lots of history and he spoke to our teenagers about respecting parents and told them his life story. Also, he had us meet him as soon as the ship docked so we were the second group to the sloths and monkey sanctuary, and also beat the crowds to the iguana farm and fish farm. He stopped at his mother’s favorite food stand and he bought us drinks, pasteletos, and freshly made cinnamon donuts. I would highly recommend him. One of the best tours we have done. We paid $70 for adults and $60 for kids.
In Costa Maya, we had a Carnival excursion booked. I decided to cancel since our first two excursions wth Carnival this trip were not great. We headed to Mahauhal and encountered the foul stench of rotting seaweed. The beach clubs are gathering it and piling it up. There are fences in the water to hold it back. We kept walking down the sidewalk and the smell improved. Eventually the seaweed was cleared and we found a beach club without any fencing as well and the water was clear. There was no fee if you purchased something during the day. I cannot remember the name (it started with an M). It was not a name I’ve ever seen mentioned on cruise critic. We did some snorkeling, got $20 massages, and ate. The food was good. Our total for five was $56 for lunch and sodas. There were many vendors but they weren’t aggressive. If I said “no thank you” , they would move on. I would return to this place. The tram there was $4 each, the taxi back was $2.
Overall, we had another good cruise. I had booked a Royal Caribbean cruise for next year to try something different but the family is begging to cruise the Fascination out of Puerto Rico. I cancelled the RC cruise this morning.
Feel free to to ask any questions.
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On 4/30/2019 at 5:54 PM, Sauer-kraut said:
ship card and drivers license and credit card are all plastic ----- get a waterproof neck pouch and have fun in the water
We carry something similar to what sauer-kraut mentioned. The size I have is 5x6. It carries 5 passports and cash. It fits into my husband’s swim trunk pocket then we thread the string thru the rivet in the bottom of the pockets (all of his swim trunks have this) then hook the string to the carabiner hook at the top. It is in the pocket and doubled secured with the string. Everything else stays on beach. In Curacao I returned to the chair to find one beach bag emptied on the sand. There wasn’t anything in it other than clothes because my everything valuable was with us in the water. Hope this helps.
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On 4/3/2019 at 11:24 AM, eileeshb said:
I work in a surf shop and my dad used to scuba so all my family has learned how to assess the fit of masks. These days we only sell fairly basic sets but we make sure they all come in packages . . . .
Thanks for the help. I think I will probably also end up with a kids size.
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I hadn’t seen Javin mentioned for St Kitts. See post 14 of my review. It briefly covers our day with Javin. We all enjoyed it.
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6 hours ago, ABQrobin said:
I have the same issue and I found the black-skirted masks fit better as the latex is softer than the clear stuff.
Also, make sure you are not tightening it TOO much as that will break the seal. That is the problem I see with most people - they think if the masks leak, they should crank the straps down tighter. Wrong.
Go to a dive shop, and ask about a black skirt mask. See if that fits better.
Thank you for the advice. I will check into that.
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5 hours ago, Aplmac said:
It all helps.... even your most recent EKG readout...lol
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As a Carnival cruiser and a registered nurse, I want a shirt like this.
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Cruising cockroach,
The masks I’ve bought previously were all packaged so I couldn’t test before hand. I’m going to try one of those dive shops and they can help me figure out the fit. The other thing you suggested wouldn’t work for me. I’m not a strong swimmer and can only imagine I might panic with the water in my nose. However my daughter is like a fish and would love this over the traditional snorkel mask. She also struggles with leaky mask but not as bad as me. Thank you for the suggestion.
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We have passports and require whoever my daughter brings along to also have one. The first reason is the emergency situation. The second is in case we don’t make it back to the ship in time from a private excursion. Already having the passport would make this situation much easier and quicker to handle. We’ve always carried our passport ashore in a small crossbody bag. They go in a swim dry pack that has a rope secured to it and a carbiner clip which I run the string through a metal rivet at the bottom of my husbands swim trunk pocket then clip it to itself. I’ve read mixed stories on here about whether the cruise line will or will not go through the safe to retrieve passports so I’ve always just carried them with us.
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21 hours ago, omeinv said:
Amanda,
There's no way to say which mask would be best for you. Generally the cost isn't the determining factor. The best way to get the right mask is go to a dive shop that has a good selection, and have the staff help you select one for you. Ideally, they'll have a pool where you can try the mask out. The right mask for you is going to depend on the shape of your head and face. One common mistake people make when a mask leaks is to try to tighten the strap more. All that does is make the mask uncomfortable as well as leaky. In water the mask strap is inconsequential on a properly fitted mask. The water pressure is what actually holds the mask in place.
Harris
Denver, CO
My husband always wants to tighten mine. Sometimes it’s pressing against my forehead so much I have to quit snorkeling. Lol. I told him I didn’t think the mask would need to be that tight.
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Thanks for your suggestions. I would pay $140 to have a mask that doesn’t leak. I will check for dive shops in Richmond and Raleigh (I’m midway between the two). If anyone lives in either area and knows of a good shop please let me know.
Thank you
Amanda
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I’ve tried a few different mask over the years including the full face mask. They always leak. Some leak instantly, others after 10 minutes or so of snorkeling. Any suggestions on what to buy. I’m an adult female with a small, somewhat narrow face. Most of the ones I’ve tried cost about $30, but I’m willing to spend more to get one that doesn’t leak.
Thank you
Amanda
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We have taken a friend on 4 cruises. Last cruise we took two friends. The girls were 11,13,&14. It went well. We are taking both friends again this May.
They had their own room. We allowed free time after dinner and always gave a curfew and they had to check in at least once during free time. I think they mostly behaved. A coworker was also cruising on the same ship and said she spotted them several times, usually just sitting around talking with other kids or playing at the sports square. We did have issues with horseplay and wrestling in the cabin that I had to jump on them.
For us, we have to like the friend too because we are spending a lot of time with them. We also require a passport and permission to travel letters. Also we pay for all excursions and food on ports but the girls are responsible for any extras such as souvenirs, arcade, or milkshakes. Hope y’all have a great time.
Amanda
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8 hours ago, Allura_317 said:
Could you link the reservations? I don't know much about this topic, but would this eliminate the trouble as they would be considered one group? Or would they not be considered one group if they have linked reservations?
We will definitely link reservations and let Carnival know of the plan once we board. Hopefully that will take care of any issues. Thanks for all the help.
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Thanks to everyone. We will link our accounts with the parents and also ask guest services to show that she has permission to leave with her father.
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11 hours ago, kerryincork said:
When you are checking in will you have a letter of permission from her parents?
So don't you need permission from the parents even though the child is in your cabin?
On the other hand if everyone has the same name it might not be an issue.
Yes we will have the permission to travel letter when she embarks with us.
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19 hours ago, Athankfulheart said:
My children have been stopped when attempting to "ding" off the ship at port ahead of me. I wanted to see if this is a standing policy and found this at Carnival's FAQ page:
Getting Off the Ship in Port
- Minor children 16 years of age and older may debark the ship in port without a parent or guardian. If the parent or guardian wishes to raise this age limit, they must contact the onboard Security department.
- Minor children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult (18 years or older) within the same travel group in order to debark the ship in port.
This is good information. Thank you for finding it.
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Thanks for helping me out.
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Coevan,
They do have the same last name and she has a passport. I’m feeling like it would be ok too. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond.
Amanda
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We are in cabin 1450. Her dad will be in cabin 1260. Originally it was just my group going. Her parents decided to join us later but we wanted her to cruise with us as planned instead of moving to parents cabin.
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Coevan,
On our last cruise, the minors were stopped from leaving the ship in one port. The agent made one of the adults in the room scan our card first. We were right there in line behind them. That made me wonder if it might be an issue since she won’t be linked to the father’s card in any manner. I appreciate your quick response.
Thank you
Amanda
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We are cruising with my DD and her cousin (12 yrs). The cousin will be with us for most of the cruise including embarkation. However in Belize she wants to do a special excursion with her dad who is also sailing. Does anyone have experience with this situation? Would a birth certificate showing relationship work or will she be required to exit with us. We are participating in a separate Carnival excursion. I have emailed Carnival to get an answer in writing but they have not responded but while I wait I was curious if anyone else has experienced something similar.
Thanks
Amanda
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Here is link to my quick review of a similar cruise (we also stopped in Antigua) in May 2018. It was our best cruise so far.
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Quick Western Caribbean Breeze Review
in Carnival Cruise Lines
Posted
I actually figured it out looking at pictures on trip advisor. The hotel had beautiful spiral wooden staircases so I focused on finding that. The name on the shirts of the workers was Mazamao. The hotel was El Fuerte.