OceanZena

Yes! You can choose your language in settings. When I was at my Doctor he was really impressed with it and wanted the name of the app for his hearing impaired patients. He then showed me an app he used that would automatically transcribe from any language to English on his phone so he can communicate with all his non English speaking patients. I was really impressed by that and how these different apps can be helpful to so many.

It would be nice if the theater had something like that, but thankfully my app literalyl picked up everything in there so I didn't miss a word. They did have the movie that was playing up on the Lido deck with subtitles on the bottom of the screen which I really appreciated, but it was one of those Jurassic movies and if you've seen one you've seen them all as far as i'm concerned so I just walked by it. But it's great that they have that at least. They also provided a TTY in my cabin, but I have no idea how to use it so it just sat there all weekend. The door knocker though was really handy. When the steward would knock, the clock on the desk would flash a bright strobe light that scared the daylights out of me lol. But it was really helpful to have.

Thanks. First and foremost is the ocean! I love just being on the ocean even if the ship were going nowhere and just sitting there, i'd love it lol. Secondly is the casino....having the two together is the perfect vacation imo. Here in central FL we have the Victory Casino boat in Port Canaveral that I do every few months. It's like a 5 hour Carnival cruise for me....slots and the ocean...for me it's heaven haha.

I forgot to add my favorite pics!! I found a quiet spot on the deck outside the Lobby during sunset. I love these shots!

Now that i'm home and all settled I thought i'd post a mini review of my sailing for anyone who cares to read it. If not, just go on to the next thread haha. This was my first 3 day sailing and also my last. While i'm glad to have tried it, it's way too short and it seems just when you get all unpacked and settled in, it's time to pull out the luggage again and pack up lol. My usual is 4 days and think that's perfect for me. I really enjoy having more than 1 stop on a sailing. I live in Orlando which is just 45 mins to the port, but I prefer to spend one night pre cruise at a Cocoa Beach hotel just to add to the vacation. This time I chose Hampton Inn Cocoa Beach and really liked it. The rooms have been renovated in '22 and beds very comfy and all rooms have a balcony overlooking the ocean. I hated to leave I liked it that much. Embarkation (as well as Debarkation) was such a breeze! They really know how to keep things moving quickly with very minimal waiting. I arrived at around 1pm and was on the ship in less than 20 minutes. (I won't mention the mystery drink charge discovered upon boarding since there's a thread about that.) I had a balcony cabin again. Usually I do OV but after my 2019 trip I need my balcony all the time now. I love the refuge it gives from the crazy crowds and this was a pack sailing and I spent a lot of time on it day and night. Nights were my favorite with all the stars above---there were just so many up there that I could have sat there all night looking at them lol. Here's my balcony pic. I'm NOT a selfie taker but FB friends wanted to see so I grudgingly obliged. I hate pics of myself, but this one isn't half bad, and for 53 I think i'm holding up well haha---although it's nothing i'd want to frame lol. The location of my cabin was forward right next to the elevators which I won't do again. (cabin 6275) It's a very busy area and many times when I opened my door to exit, i'd have to wait for some people to pass through first. I've had cabins all the way aft of the ship and it's so quiet and peaceful back there so that's where i'm going back next time. I have FWD balcony booked for December and am going to see if my PVP can change it to aft. Does anyone know if i'd have to pay extra to change from FWD to AFT if it's the same level cabin? I don't mind paying if I have to for the extra peace. I asked about water bottles in cabin in another thread and I can confirm that if you are red or above, you can just take one bottle from the cabin with no charge to your S&S. I asked my steward and he said it's perfectly fine to do it. I wound up drinking the second bottle as well and was charged $4.50 for it. Still not a bad deal for the convenience. Anything above that price though, i'd probably leave it. I also went to Pixels for my Carnival pin. It's bigger than the previous ones I have. Here's a pic-- I prefer the buffets to Dining Room so that's where I had all my meals. I do notice the food quality has gone down somewhat since my last sailing in 2019. Most of the meat I tried was dry and rubbery compared to previous sailings, but for the most part I was satisfied since i'm not too picky about food. As long as it's tasty and fills me up i'm good. I just wish the buffets were open longer. After 9pm there's only Deli or Pizza open and the lines were crazy long because everyone is hungry and these were the only places to go. I did wait 40 minutes on a Deli line since I was starving and really enjoyed what I got, but wish the buffets stayed open till like 11pm for us night owls. I mentioned in another thread how I miss the door hanging menu you placed outside the night before for continental breakfast to be delivered at a time you chose. I LOVED this perk and really really really miss it!! The steward said he doesn't expect it to come back and that just kills me because it was one of my favorite parts of cruising. It's just not the same having to get dressed and schlep all the way to the Lido for a cup of coffee when you're still half asleep. I know I could have ordered it through room service, but there's a crazy fee for it now. 😞 I just hope Carnival brings it back someday. I enjoyed the casino even though I noticed a lot of my favorite old school reel slots are being replaced with giant video screen games that I have no clue how to play. I never know what the heck i'm supposed to be hoping for when spinning lol. Way back in the 1990's we'd drive over to Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun in CT and in those days all the slots were reels like Double/Triple Diamond, Red White Blue, Wild Cherries---these were what I always played on "back in my day" and I hate that they're getting harder to find. I just can't get into those complicated video slots---maybe it's old age but they confuse the hell out of me lol. I did hunt down a few old time reels and won all my $200 Cruise Cash back plus a little more....so I went home a happy gambler haha. It seemed the souvenir stores had less offerings. I love tacky key chains, fridge magnets, coffee mugs and chintzy things like that but they had such a few selection of those. Thankfully all that is plentiful in Nassau and I was in heaven browsing through all the downtown stores. I love Nassau and find all the people there so friendly and nice. I mentioned Baha Mar in another thread but will repeat how I really liked it over Atlantis. Their casino was huge and impressive and i'll definitely return again. I also liked the bus trip you can get from the port for only $1.25 each way. It's just 4 miles away, all paved along the water and I actually debated walking back to the ship to enjoy the sights on foot, but it was too warm and when I saw the bus coming, I jumped on it. Here's Baha Mar from the bus stop-- I always like to go to the shows, but didn't care for this one. It was called "The World Works" or something like that and was all about Diversity and Inclusion with people from different counties just waving their flags on stage while a guy sings "Imagine" lol. I'm not against this at all...i'm Deaf and Gay so i've experienced exclusion more times than I can count from an unaccepting society in the past and think it's wonderful that the world is becoming much more open and accepting of everyone's differences....but I don't want to think about that on vacation. I want mindless fun with flashy outfits and Vegas style signing and dancing in my shows. 🙂 Speaking of Deaf, just in case it may help someone else here who may also be or knows someone who is---I use and app called Live Transcribe you can download off Google Play. It picks up nearly perfectly all the words spoken and displays them live on your phone screen. I use it everywhere and it's a God send for me. It picked up the show from all the way in the back on the 3rd level seating! I'm sure there were people looking at me thinking "What is that idiot doing staring at his phone during the show?!" Probably thinking I was so addicted to my phone that I was ignoring the show lol, but i didn't care because it allowed me to follow everything just like everyone else. I used it at Guest Services and also during Bingo where it picked up everything perfectly. I can't say enough how handy this app is for Deaf/Hard of hearing, so download it if you or someone you know can use it. I never have to ask people to write anymore haha. Speaking of Bingo---I decided to try it since I won in the casino the night before and had money to throw away but didn't care much for it. I do love Bingo but it's no fun when someone calls "Bingo!" after just the 4th number that's called on a 4 Corner Game---and they won a whopping $600 just to 60 seconds of playing lol. Lucky for them, but not fun for the rest of us. I'll stick to my slots in the future, but i'm glad I finally tried it. I got an Irish Coffee at the coffee/pastry shop by the casino. It cost $10 bucks but it was really good. The pasteries didn't look any different from what you'd get up at the Lido buffet desert for free so I felt it was senseless to pay for them so just got my spiked coffee. That was worth the 10 bucks lol. Everyone I encountered on the ship was friendly and happy. From the workers to the other passengers. I was slightly afraid of doing the 3 day due to hearing about rowdy party cruisers on the short sailings, but I found none of that anywhere. Everyone was just happy to be sailing and having a good time. 🙂 But it's just too short for my taste so December is back to 4 day again. I'd love to do 7 day, but I have an 18 year old emotionally needy Sun Conure that I just can't leave at the Pet Spa for that long or he'll go nuts. So until he goes off to birdie heaven, no 7 day sailings for me---but the day after he's gone i'll be booking it haha. Well, that's it I guess. I hope at least one person found this entertaining and helpful. If not, oh well...I enjoyed sharing and reliving the cruise while writing it lol. Only 278 days till the next sailing! 🙂

I packed my Carnival lanyard with me but didn't bother using it on this trip. I kept my S&S card in the pocket of a slim leather card holder with my ID in the window pocket on the other side. (pic below) It's so slim and fits easily in pocket or purse. You can get them cheap on Ebay in different colors. I got one in black and found it very handy.

Yeah, but what about the people who never notice it on their S&S accounts hidden among all their own charges? I didn't realize just how much it happens until this seeing other people's experiences shared in this thread.

This is good to know. Thank you. I bought my ticket last fall and vaguely recall there were times to choose for the shuttle. I must have chosen the 8:30 one out of whatever was available. But knowing this now, I won't fret in the future if I miss one shuttle knowing there are others.

I was there for about 3 hours midday and noticed a few open tables while wandering around. I don't play tables so there could've been more I just didn't notice. I'm unsure about their hours throughout the day though, but between 12 and 3pm on Saturday there were some tables open. Not a whole lot mind you, it seems the middle of the day is a low point at the casino where everyone is out at the beach. It was pretty empty so I had my pick of slot machines. I'm sure that place is hopping in the evenings. I actually liked it more than Atlantis and will go back there again in Dec. Off topic, but having to do with slots....Yesterday on the ship, I dared to try a $5.00 slot machine (I usually don't go that high)....On the third spin I got a single Bar/Triple Diamond/single Bar and saw the credits only said 30 won. I thought that can't be right! Only 30 bucks for THAT?! I was so upset thinking the machine screwed me over that I cashed out only to see the 30 display then changed to show $150.00 cash paid....It took me a few seconds to realize that I had to multiply the credits shown by 5 and it wasn't 30 dollars won. I felt like such a moron---but a rich moron though haha!

Well the bus left at 8:10am lol. Luckily I left my cabin at exactly the right time to get to the bus at 8:10 and as soon as I got on they closed the doors and pulled away. It's a packed bus so I guess as soon as it's full they go or maybe I was the last one the list to board? Debarkation was such a breeze too!

Thanks. I went back to guest services and the line was shorter and was told to just show my ticket and they would let me off at 7:30am. I can sleep easy now without nightmares of being stranded! 🫣

I bought transportation to MCO through Carnival and they left the ticket in my cabin. It says depart time on the ticket is for 8:30am. Guest service line is crazy long so I figure to ask here. Will they let me get off the ship in time to make the bus? I guess since it's through Carnival they should but I always fret about these things and picture myself missing it and being stranded lol. If anyone's used the Carnival shuttle from port to MCO I'd appreciate any feedback!

Yes seagulls lol....or maybe...baby pelicans haha.

I bought this beautiful frame at a souvenir shop in port. It was the last one of it's kind but the paint was all chipped but I loved the pelicans on it and really wanted it and the girl was so nice and took 2 bucks off it for the damage and gave it to me for 8 dollars. I'm going to put the Baha Mar photo in it that I posted above.

Here's the Disney Wish sailing into the sunset. Now that they're gone I have a clear view of downtown Nassau from my balcony. 😄 Norwegian Encore is here too and it towers over Liberty. I think I want to try that ship sometime. It looks really nice.

Thank you. I'm enjoying posting all the fun stuff. This is my first vacation since before 2020 and it feels wonderful. I'd forgotten how much fun traveling is it's been so long! I'm just sad I chose a short 3 day because I don't want it to end and am already planning my next cruise for later this year lol.

Thank you. I'm enjoying posting all the fun stuff. This is my first vacation since before 2020 and it feels wonderful. I'd forgotten how much fun traveling is it's been so long! I'm just sad I chose a short 3 day because I don't want it to end and am already planning my next cruise for later this year lol.

Wow! Sorry that happened to you! All the more reason to scrutinize the S&S account. I can't believe they added it all back on and I hope it doesn't happen to me, but I won't cry over $15 bucks now compared to what happened to you. I think Carnival needs to do something about this and hope they make some changes to provide more security to our accounts. Today was Nassau and to change things up I went to Baha Mar instead of my usual Atlantis and I really liked it. It has a nice big casino and a nice alternative to Atlantis. I took the city bus both ways for just $1.25 each way! Great deal....I just about lost all the money I brought until I won half of it back and then felt like a winner lol. Here's a nice picture of outside...it's a beautiful warm day and feels like summer 🤩

That brings back such memories! But it's really what Carnival WiFi is like. You'd think by now they'd have normal speed service.

The charge was showed as the exact time I was down in the boarding area arriving for the cruise so I couldn't possibly be up at the pool bar too. It is kind of funny now that it's all been taken care of, but yeah, it is a shock to think they're charging me for drinks before I'm even on the ship. 🤣

One thing I really miss is the breakfast room order that you fill out and hang outside the door the night before. I loved having my little carafe of coffee with toast delivered to the cabin before starting the day. I really hope that comes back someday as it was one of my favorite perks. The WiFi is appalling, even the so called premium I have. If this is premium I can only shudder at the thought of having the basic plan lol. Its akin to 1995 AOL waiting for pages to load. I can almost hear the little man saying "Welcome! You've Got Mail!!" playing in my head as I sit and wait for pages to open. 😂

Reading the last 2 replies, I now wonder how much of an ongoing issue this is and how many people aren't even aware of these extra charges being made unless they closely scrutinize their folio? I'm not rich, (i.e. poor lol) so I have to keep track of every dollar so I watch my HUB folio like a hawk to make sure I track every dollar I spend (and lose in the casino haha). If I hadn't checked it yesterday when I boarded, I probably would've missed that $15 drink charge. Perhaps the lesson here is to watch that folio app closely for mistakes made by the servers. I wonder why they can't just swipe our cards during purchases that automatically deduct from our accounts like credit cards do? It seems manually entering a 5 digit number each time by the employee is ripe for making mistakes. And that $200 spa charge mentioned above is scary!! I'm glad you got that reversed!

Thanks. I'm sure they can locate the receipt at the pool bar and see that someone else signed it and realize it was most likely a server error. I just hope they don't get in much trouble... Carnival will probably dock their pay for the drink I guess? Other than that hiccup the cruise is off to a great start. I won $200 at the slots already and made a beeline for my room to lock it in the safe to take home lol. So I got all my Cruise Cash back haha. It seems to be a packed sailing so I'm taking refuge on my balcony enjoying the sunset. I could sit here all weekend!

I guess that makes sense and perfectly logical....I also hope that's what happened...that means some lucky passenger got a free drink today. 😄 On a lighter note....my cake was waiting in the room and it seems they really are cutting corners everywhere. Instead of "Bon Voyage"....it's just "BV" on the cake now lol. It's really good though! 🙂

I'm just curious if this has happened to anyone else? After boarding today I headed straight to my cabin and set up my WIFI and checked my HUB account to ensure my $200 Cruise Cash was available to spend. Well, almost all of it was lol. Apparently someone beat me to it and there was a $15.73 Pool Bar charge for a Miami Vice including a $2.25 tip. My Sail & Sign envelope didn't have any rips in it and didn't appear tampered with, but I went straight to Guest Services to alert them of the mysterious charge. She nicely took off the charge and handed me back my S&S Card, but when I asked "Shouldn't I get a new card with a different Folio number to ensure the culprit can't buy more Miami Vices, or anything else?"....I was given a dumbfounded look, like why would I want to do that? She said they were going to investigate the charge and see if it was an actual person who made the charge at the Pool Bar or just a computer error...Ok, but what do I do in the mean time if it was an actual person I asked? Again, I got the dumbfounded look from her lol. But she finally conceded after some pressing on my concern and said "if you really want a new card, I can give it to you."...."Um, yes, please!"....With $200 available on there, I wouldn't want to risk more Miami Vices racking up on my account before the ship even sailed! All is well and I have my new card now, but the whole thing is just really odd because my envelope didn't appear to be tampered with. I'm just really curious if this issue has ever happened to anyone else? It makes me want to check my account every 10 minutes now to make sure nobody else has my new Folio number.