JerseyGirlJen

On ‎2‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 4:55 PM, WeBeCruisinMon said:

 

Surprised carnival offered a shuttle that early and didn’t have you go to a certain room and get off early. 

 

Did they start at the highest deck and work down?

I never got any info on meeting at a certain spot to get off early, so who knows. I'm not sure what deck they started calling first, but they called 7,8,9 together (which made no sense because those 3 floors were all room-only...so there would be a ton of people.  I got off before that though.  I'm making it a point to figure out the debarkation process for my next cruise 🙂

3 hours ago, WeBeCruisinMon said:

Are you platinum or had Fttf? Unfortunately we don’t have either.

How early did they let you get off the ship? We plan to be packed and ready to get off before 8am, but just hoping they let us off since we aren’t platinum. 

No, I didn't have either.  I did self assist, and waited patiently😕 in the lounge for my floor to be called (I was on Deck 8), as they only dismiss certain decks at a time so it's not a cattle call. I waited, waited, waited....I purchased Carnival shuttle to the airport that was scheduled to leave at 8:45.  At 8:20 I was still upstairs in the lounge and they were not even close to calling my Deck.  They kept announcing not to come down to disembark until your Deck is called, it's extremely crowded, etc.   So, at 8:20 I just said "F it I'm going" because I didn't want to miss my ride.  I made it down by 8:45 and got on the shuttle without issue. 

I've only been on a few cruises, so I don't even know if I'm doing the "self assist" the right way, because I have read a ton of stories about people getting off the ship early without issue.  (Maybe they are Platinum or Diamond, or FTTF?)

Ship - Dream

Deck - 7

Stateroom # - 8317

Stateroom Category – inside

Starboard or Port Side - 

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Yes.

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - no

Balcony View - N/A

Balcony Size? N/A

Was wind a problem? - n/a

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - n/a

Any specific problems with this cabin? - no complaints

Any other comments? - 

I sailed in April and took a 10:55am flight.  I was off the ship and on the shuttle at 8:30, and at the airport and through security by 9:15.  Things worked fine for me but we also got in early too, I can't recall if we were due in at 8 and just got there early or if we were due in at 6 and got there on time.

Thets a Panera Bread in the vicinity of where you’re looking to go, also a Starbucks. Total Wine is not far from Panera. There’s also a Publix grocery store, and they sell alcohol there too (at least they did a a handful of years ago when I was there). 

See the attached pictures to get an idea of where you need to go. It may feel like a lot longer walk with a heavy bag of soda/wine though. The time estimate is walking. Maybe get an Uber if you are pressed for time that morning.

That’s cutting it way too close for me. Too stressful. What if there’s an accident, or some other issue that causes you to dock late? 

That is a big time difference too. I would call the airline and explain to them your situation and see if they can get you on a later flight or one with another airline, or even perhaps a credit? Maybe you could fly the next day and get a credit for a hotel room?

I agree with Doggielover....go for Port side if smoke bothers you because the smoking side of the ship is Starboard.  

I was on the Dream in April, and I also enjoyed her.  It was also very clean.  I went to different ports than you did, but I enjoyed the ship and would definitely sail her again.  Blue Iguana food was fantastic, give it a try next time, the breakfast burritos were delicious!!  

Inside cabins are fine.  I did an inside, then a balcony, then an inside for my 3rd cruise.  It was inside or don't go at all since it was somewhat last minute and I didn't have the funds for a balcony.  I was a little afraid that I would really miss the balcony, but in reality, I had no complaints.  I wasn't really in the room anyway.  

No way, I agree with Memoak.  Even if you get in on time they still need to clear the ship through Customs, and you have to disembark, go through customs, as well as go through security at the airport.  Weather could delay your arrival too.  Stick with an 11am target window, or something close to that.  

I'm on the Breeze in 698 days  Looking forward to reading more, You're off to a great start!

I will probably stay at the Marina for my next cruise, and I've done a lot of looking into things to do.  I'll probably arrive there early, around 9:30am if I catch the first flight that morning, and grabbing a quick breakfast either at the Hotel or a local establishment (Starbucks, Panera).  I was planning on doing the Water Taxi, and hopefully also doing the Jungle Queen cruise.  I will probably also do a little shopping in the area.

Under the dining room should be ok, it's under the Galley that would be a problem with the noise.  You should be fine

Enjoying your review. I haven’t been on the Victory but I’ve been on the Freedom and the layout is about the same. I much prefer the tiered sundecks on that class of ships to the new style on the Dream where it’s one flat deck. I’m looking forward to reading more.

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Bubba Mug. I get a 12 pack of water delivered to the room and every day I load the mug up with ice and enjoy cold water.

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I second Hilton Riverside. I got upgraded on check in to a river view high floor, and I had a good view of the port. Norwegian was just docking and the Dream must’ve come in first. I walked through the mall to Port.

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You’re off to a great start! The last few days of work are sooooo loooooong....but you’ll be in the sun soon! [emoji41]

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You will be more than fine with the 1:35.

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I went solo on the Dream for 7 days and after day 5 I didn’t go at all. While I enjoyed my time there it was hard to squeeze in the time to go. And it gave me some terrible headaches due to the temperature changes. The area was really nice though. If they offered a 3 day pass I would do that without hesitation. I just don’t need to go every day.

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Following, You’re off to a great start [emoji16]

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I have been on the Freedom twice out of Ft. Lauderdale in April and early December, and the Dream out of NOLA this past April. I’m booked on the Magic out of Ft. Lauderdale next May.

All cruises were between 6-8 nights, but I found the NOLA crowd more low-key than the 2 cruises out of Florida. I noticed it with the deck parties....The Florida cruises had a lot more people attend and and were a little more lively overall. NOLA folks were great, and maybe it was just the sailing I was on, but it was still a fabulous time [emoji16].

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I have been using them for about 10 years. I roll my clothes in them, less wrinkles.

I got mine in various places....Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, and I got a 3 pack on closeout at Lands end. Sierra Trading Post is another good place to try.

I will use the larger and medium ones for shirts, shorts, etc. and the small one in the top zip compartment of my carryon bag to hold my flight medication, keys for suitcases, cash, iPod, and passport/boarding pass for airplane.

I don’t put sweatshirts in the cube, too bulky.

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I learned that, although I enjoyed the different steam rooms and Thallasotherapy pool, I don’t need a 7 day pass. It was great the first few days but by day 5,6 I was getting tired of it. Next cruise I’ll probably buy a day pass or two.

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You can try some herbal remedies for sleep, then you don’t need a prescription. You can try Vitamin Shoppe. You can buy online and they have stores in Miami that you can shop in.

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I also vote for going the day before. You never know what could happen that could wreak havoc on your drive—highway closures for accidents, fuel spills, bizarre weather, etc. 5 hours is too long a drive to gamble with. Plus, you get to start your vacation a day early [emoji2]

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