Homosassa

And the last three posts are examples on why the recent Princess passengers were left at the pier. Always read the written cruise line website for the documentation requirements.

Celebrity provides clear information concerning this on their website. You don't have to search for it; there is a link at the top of the home page. It is better to obtain the written policy from the cruise line web site then depend on second hand information.

We were on one of the last cruises that had Cartagena on the itinerary back in March 1985 (Sitmar Trans-Panama cruise, Aruba to San Diego). The port stop was interesting. We were traveling with our then eighteen month old daughter. She was one of the six children on board ship. The day before the stop, all the parents were called for a meeting with the Captain and Cruise Director. For safety reasons, they wanted all children to remain on the ship and had us fill out information on emergency contacts and any legally designated guardians. We were also asked to turn over their passports to be kept with the file. (Gasp!!!! All passengers had passports for the cruise). Passengers could only go ashore on ship excursions and each tour bus had an armed escort on board.

Remind them that there are many other cruise lines besides Carnival. If Carnival is not a good fit, they should try a different line.

It took less than two minutes to bring up the Princess website and find the following information on travel documentation: https://www.princess.com/learn/faq/pre-cruise/prepare-for-your-cruise/?accordion=travel-documents

If you want to make sure that you have the tour experience that you want, I would arrange a tour through Viator (no u in tour). They are a reliable agency and arrange local tour guides. I would not pick a guide outside the pier gates. Many will take you to stores or roadside vendors that they receive kick backs from. You may also find that the guide is not reliable.

Altun Ha is in Belize.

This is what I saw somewhere about the drink packages with that added statement about the decision based on dates, passenger demographics, and embarkation ports.

The dogs have already done their job before the passengers disembark and the luggage is out in the terminal. For those doing self disembarkation with luggage, the dog(s) and handler(s) will be somewhere where one passes through.

Pro tip: No matter the duration of your cruise; as per my experience; they've NEVER sold drinks packages during public holiday weeks, marked as "extra" season, at least here in Europe. Thank you for this explanation. I saw a MSC statement (somewhere) when the three day short cruise drink package was deleted that decisions on alcoholic drink packages would be decided on a basis of itinerary, expected passenger demographics or date of embarkation. Now I know what they mean and can only hope that this extends to the US cruise ports of embarkation. (Sorry, for the bold print. Had trouble citing Nunagoras' statement and the bold has carried over).

The ticket contract on the Celebrity website has the restrictions for booking children in a cabin.

This would certainly be "fungus" to have happen. 😊 (posted by a fellow poster who has bad typing skills and worse proofreading ability)

Service on MSC is professional and courteous. What throws some people is that they are use to cruise lines where the crew is obsequious and beg for a high rating. Food is not the sugary, salty, fried goop so dear to some. Some are surprised that an Italian cruise line doesn't have garlic bread, meatballs served with overcooked noodles drowned in a sugar based tomato sauce, or pizza with BBQ sauce, pineapple and ham. As far as your cruise bein a spring break party cruise with overserved guest, MSC has recently changed their offerings of alcoholic drink packages to discourage passengers who are mistaking MSC for another cruise line known for booze cruises and misbehaving guests. Drink packages are not available on three night sailing from the US. I would not be surprised if drink packages are also not available on a four night US cruise during spring break.

US Customs does not check carry on luggage for a cruise at embarcation. It is local port security. However, if port security has a problem of any kind, the appropriate law enforcement agency will be called. Debarkation can be a different manner where US Customs and Immigration can take an interest in passengers and luggage.

My husband was your neighbor - Farmingdale.

Curious about your home town. I grew up in Patchogue.

You are confused about the cruise line. This is the Celebrity forum, not the Princess forum. Wrong cruise line, wrong corporation....

Over and over again we see the misinterpretation of "Freestyle" as only being about a dress code. When it was introduced it was defined, and still is, as the idea that one is free to follow one's own schedule and not be forced to follow a fixed schedule. One of the components of following one's own schedule is also the idea of being free to dress up or not. However, NCL also recognized that there are passengers who enjoy dressing nicely at dinner and appreciate being in an atmosphere where dressing up is encouraged. To that end, there were provisions to have dining options where the recommended dress code is enforced in a MDR and some other food operations. (Revising the title of my Do Not Sail" list " to ""Will Sail under Very Limited Circumstances")

This is correct. Even on non-dress up days, there will be a recommended dress code that will be enforced in one of the dining rooms and other on board restaurants. If one wishes to eat in those venues, the dress code will be enforced. (Stated as one that started cruising NCL in 1978 and has a long perspective of the on board NCL experience and not as the newly designated category of "Cruise Line Board Stalker. See Post #30).

Just remember that the guarantee cabin which is assigned can be changed by the cruise line up to the time of embarkation.

I don't know if any one on this thread realizes that the Fettucine Alfredo was a nightly staple on Sitmar Cruise Lines. Each night, the maitre d' wheeled his cooking cart with all the ingredients for the sauce into the dining room and proceeded to mix up the sauce and swirl it with the al dente noodles. He then wheeled the cart from table to table to serve portions to passengers that wanted it for the primi course. The fettucine was retained (along with the Neapolitan pizza and other Italian specialties) when Sitmar was brought out by Princess. The abomination of the fried parmesan basket came along when the Princess was bought out by Carnival and the Carnivalization of Princess began.

Yes, I know very well that Carnival cruise Lines is a part of Carnival Corporation . I actually was already cruising in the 1970s when Carnival was the cruise line that many travel agents would not sell because of the booze cruise orientation (some things haven't changed). Travel agents who would book a cruise on Carnival keep the brochures tucked away and only did the booking after making sure the clients knew the low quality of the cruise experience they were paying for. When I refer to Carnivalization, I am referring to the way Carnival Corp has bought various lines and has slowly stripped away the things that made the cruise line unique and special. Princess and HAL are two examples of the loss of certain unique cruise experiences that made each line special.

LOL, My daughter got her first taste of escargot at eighteen months on a Sitmar cruise. She loved it and there was no turning back. While she may have shared other food items with us, escargot was the exception. She always had her own order. That way, we had a chance to eat our orders.

Princess has not always been US based. While the original Princess was originally a small US based line, it's scope and itineraries sailed broaden when Princess bought Sitmar Cruises. Sitmar was an upscale Italian line and its purchase by Princess was to hopefully upscale the market demographic. Sitmar sailed itineraries from European and Australian ports as well as US ports. Princess took over the Sitmar itineraries. Sidenote: the one thing Princess retained from Sitmar besides the Italian bridge staff, was the Neapolitan pizza and excellent pasta and other Italian dishes. Sadly, with Carnivalization, they have slowly disappeared. Princess later became a subsidiary of British P&O and sailed itineraries around the world from Europe, Australia and the US. Princess was sold to Carnival Corp and the slow Carnivalization started.

May be, but the entertainment value of certain cruise line boards are irresistible. Also general cruise knowledge that applies across the board to all cruise lines can be helpful to many questions asked by cruisers. As far as the break up and stalking comment goes, sometimes you just want to warn the newest target of what is in store for them....