CruisingMummy

We just booked Anthem of the Seas for next April so we shall see. I have read a lot of posts similar to yours. How was the entertainment?

This will be our 5th Carnival + 1 Royal Caribbean. The entertainment on Royal was of a higher quality and the ship seemed cleaner/newer/prettier. That being said, Carnival seemed much more fun for kids. Music, limbo games, colorful spur of the moment games. We felt a bit nickled and dimed on Royal. Everything seemed to be a small extra fee. Even a muffin if not grabbed at the right restaurant would be extra. Royal seemed classier to us during the meal service and overall feel, but Carnival felt more "fun". Also, Carnival seems to have more partying going on which can be good or bad with kids. Thankfully their kids clubs kept them entertained and when they weren't there they were with us playing mini golf or swimming, so they stayed away from anyone that had too, too many.

I'm sure everyone will have their own experiences though. This was just ours. Hope you have a great vacation! BTW, I can't get logged into my Royal account right now, but I'm 99% sure we took the same Anthem of the Seas ship. It's a beautiful ship!

Can someone link me to one that might be able to go inside the bathroom vs on the closet door that is appropriate for 2 adults/ 2 teens. We're not the type to bring the entire house, but some basic makeup, sunscreen, hair straightner, brushes, clippers, etc. We can share some things, but an organizer sounds like it would help keep clutter on the sink and room a little better. With teens & their clothing ANYTHING would be helpful.

Hi guys. Can I get some clarification on how this price matching works? It's been 3 years since we sailed with Carnival, but got an email recently offering a free cruise for 2. It came out of the blue because their ships aren't as full as normal this year. Anyway, we decided to add on 3rd & 4th passengers. We're booked under a promotion for the first two passengers, but I'm wondering if I can take advantage of the drop for 3rd & 4th. It was booked directly through Carnival. I've already called them 3 times this week, so I hate to annoy them again if we're excluded for this. Is there something I should look for on my receipt that will tell me? Thanks!

Just a sidenote, but on our last cruise we did the underwater helmet thing. I can't remember the name of it (lots of fun though). Anyway, the owner explained to us that on days when ships are not in port all of the excursions are @ 50% less. He encouraged us to consider flying in next time if we were wanting to do several excursions as we'd save quite a bit overall. He said that they have to sign a contract with the cruise lines not to give discounts or they'll lose the agreement.

It appears to have been true advice because we flew into Cancun last year and did parasailing and other excursions for about 35% - 40% of the advertised price, much less whatever the cruise price would have been. That being said, we really wanted to cruise again this year.

Our excursions are for Cozumel (Elite Champagne Catamaran Sail & Snorkel), Belize (Sharks, Rays, Barrier Reef Snorkel & Island Escape), and Roatan (Dolphin Swim & Snorkel).

 

Thanks for the advice!

I just tried to book for the Roatan Dolphin Swim & Snorkle excursion (the one that lets you interact with them freely), but unfortunately they're full. Do you or anyone else have a similar dolphin experience that could be recommended in either Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay or Costa Maya? Preferably one that is extended and more casual? Thanks!

I have never tried the strawberry bisque, but after so many recommendations, my daughter would like me to ask where we can find this lovely dish!