bguppies

On 9/17/2024 at 9:30 PM, attran99 said:

@cruiseaholic777 we’re coming into Port with our friends and their 2 young kids (both under 7).

 

How did you feel about the facilities kids’ play area and pool)?  What did your kids enjoy?

 

How were the food and drinks?

 

I have a feeling the adults would enjoy Paradise more, but Playa Mia looks like it has more for the kids.

Yeah when I was a kid, I would definitely prefer Playa Mia's kiddie pools, water slides, etc...Easy enough to find detailed pictures to see if the facilities at Playa Mia would be good for your kids. I would think it would be better for younger kids than teenagers. Can't speak to the current condition of the facilites.

Now we are die-hard Nachi goer's as their 130 person limit and spaced out loungers and the facilites fit my Wife and my wants for a beach day. When I was in my 20's or 30's I would probably have preferred Mr. Sanchos more lively day. My 30's and 40's would probably have been Paradise Beach. In our late 40's and 50's, Nachi has been perfect for us.

18 hours ago, Homosassa said:

Something else to check for any ship above the theater.

 

Check the deck plans carefully. If there are blank spaces for one  or more decks above the stage area of the theater, the space is the stage flies. 

 

Sound will carry up and will be audible in cabins with cabin walls on the space.

I always wondered what those blank spaces were. Thanks.

21 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

Do they still deploy the anchor?

Haven't been on any of the newest 3 ships, but I know on the Fantasy, Spirit and a few of the bigger ships they did. (happened to us on one of the fantasy class where I learned my lesson)

On 8/5/2024 at 7:15 AM, kad56 said:

And why? 

 

I've seen a ton of info on the new class of ships, but I'm finding it harder to figure out which older ships are nice. I like clean, well-maintained ships where I might find a quiet spot when I want to retreat from the fun. A nice serenity deck....

Sunshine has a nice serenity Deck layout, but the ship itself was let go over the shutdown and was the worst rustbucket we have ever been on. (and we have been on all the oldest Fantasy Class ships)

Our balcony had rust spots all around and a developing rusty hole in the floor of the balcony. Looking off our balcony, all the winches and equipment within view were all rusted. (I joked we had better not go down, because I seriously doubted any of the lifeboat winches actually worked anymore.)

The bathrooms throughout the ship were not kept very well. Gunk in the corners and mold and gunk buildup on the toilet partitions.

Any of the Spirit class ships will have the best layout. Plenty of quiet spots to relax and read a book.

Great flow for the amount of passengers on the ship. (easiest to get around on ANY class of Carnival ship.)

On 2/28/2019 at 2:10 PM, Anyislandwilldo said:

Thanks for asking this question and thanks for the replies.  Now I know not to book about the theater.

Or below the Lido Deck where they are dragging out lounge chairs early every morning and restacking them every evening. 

Also near the very front where the anchor dropping early at every port.

Somebody posted this excellant map of West Bay Beach on another thread about snorkeling.

Snokeled there myself 12 or 13 years ago. Easy walk in from shore and tons of fish throughout the coral.

Wow that is a much better map than I had 13 years ago when we went to West Bay. Incredible snokeling from shore. Best I've seen in the Caribbean,

I snorkled at West Bay beach and the reef is really close to shore. Lots of variety of fish. Forget who we had as a guide, but we did a open tour where they took us to see the monkeys, then to an Iguana sanctuary, then to West Bay beach.

Same question I had. We stayed at one many years ago that was really close, but I forget.Bump for an answer.

Thanks for the answers. Much appreciated.

11 hours ago, klfrodo said:

OP, I've been on this board since it was an AOL only chat room.

Your question is a question that will never have a consensus. 

Do what YOU want to do.

 

Some are adamant and will die on the hill that THEY are right and everyone else is wrong.

 

Myself, Anytime I step on foreign soil, I have my passport with me. If others don't, that's okay by me .

Exactly how I feel. It's up to each person what they feel comfortable with. I just don't get, how a passport is anymore an inconvience than having to carry a driver's license? It is barely bigger or thicker than a card. I just presented a few scenarios where you'd want your passport in another country for somebody who might know any better. But if someone has a passport and chooses to leave it in their cabin safe and rely on the ship to get it back to them if they need it, more power to them....

free: orange | grapefruit | pineapple / apple | tomato | prune                  I'm sure they can find some cranberry juice at a bar, but it won't be free.

Been on a bunch of other Carnival ships and we are trying to choose a cabin on the Mardi Gras. My Wife uses a walker, so I try to find a cabin, closest to the elevators we will be using the most. (last cruise our dining room was at the front of the ship and our cabin was in the rear, which made getting to the elevators, down the long hallway each night a PITA.)

1) Which Dining Room is Anytime Dining? (I'm assuming the smaller, single floor dining room, the Flamingo?)

2) Where are the Omlet Stations set up? (I know on all my previous ships, it has been at the Pizza Pirate and Deli in the Buffet area. But the Pizza and Deli appear to be on another deck on the Mardi Gras.)

3) Where do they hold the Trivia and other Games on the Mardi Gras? (most previous ships were either in one of the music venues or in the promenade seating areas near Java Blue coffee shop)

These three questions and any other ship specific tips would be greatly appreciated.

If I'm ever in another country (Bahamas, Mexico, any of the other island nations) I always take my passport.

If not, why do you have it?

If for some reason you miss the boat (broken down excursion bus/cab or injured sitting in a hospital, etc.) your passport will sail on and you'll be stuck in a foreign country with a piece of paper with a picture of your passport (or a picture on your phone) which is good for nothing. (except maybe speeding up some help getting a new passport at the closest US Embassy.)

If you are not worried about losing your driver's license or phone, why would your passport be any different?

Tons of stuff to do in Nassau. (Walking tour on your own, Plenty of beaches/pool days Margaritaville right at the port area, etc. ) 

Bimini is a tiny island (like 7 or 9 miles long and super narrow. You can see all the way across from the lido deck of the ship) We just did the Resorts World excursion through Carnival, but I'm pretty sure you can just catch the free tram there (as it is one of the three stops) and save a few $$$$$$$.

Graycliff is pretty close. Walked it a few times. If you are aware enough to walk around any decent sized US city, broad daylight in Nassau should be a no brainer for you. If you are afraid to walk decent sized US cities I would pony up for a cab.

Thanks everybody

I Read through ten pages of posts looking for any tips about Jax-port, but not one mention...

Haven't been to Jax in probably a decade, so was curious if anything has changed at the port or parking-wise.

Will probably make the short drive down the morning of the cruise, so just need to find out about parking and boarding.

Thanks in advance for any help.

We had seen heavy Sargassum on one of our previous trips to Nachi, but if I remember, it was a trip in the springtime, so after many stops at Nachi in Dec-Feb, I was just surprised at the Sargassum so soon.

Didn't impact our day, but just thought I'd mention it, so it wouldn't be a shock to a first timer to one of the beach clubs.

Went to Nachi this past Thursday and the Sargassum was pretty heavy on the beach. Don't know if it was from the storm that diverted us from Grand Cayman to Key West, but the shoreline was pretty deep in Sargassum earlier than we've seen in previous years.

Just a heads up for anyone traveling to Cozumel in the near future.

On 2/4/2024 at 10:45 PM, c-leg5 said:

If you have time, could you take and post a photo of increased taxi fares to share? It has been a long time since I have seen an updated list, although still trying to find out if the increase is official.
 

Is there a board at Nachi Cocom - I don’t remember? I know the hotels and some beach clubs have boards.

Sorry I couldn't get a shot of the board this trip, as by the time we arrived at 10AM, the Jubilee and Glory had been in port for two hours and the taxi line was wrapping back and forth through the covered area and all the way back out to Los Cico Soles. (took about an hour from start to cab)

But I did notice some destination changes, as Paradise Beach used to be lumped in with Playa Mia, Sanchos and Nachi, Now is in a separate group with Chankanaab for $18 from Puerto Maya and Playa Mia, Sanchos and Nachi were still grouped together for $20.

Also, not taxi related but Sargassum was heavy. (maybe from the Nor'easter that wiped out our Grand Cayman stop.)

You might have to book an AI unless you try one of the hotels near the pier that offer daypasses. (not sure how lively or how much music they will have. Realistically Mr. Sanchos sounds like the perfect spot, but I thought they had gone to 100% AI like Nachi.)

We are going to be in Cozumel this coming Thursday , with only 6 ships in port, and people in our facebook group for the tiny little Carnival Paradise, have been saying for the past week that Nachi, Sanchos and Paradise Beach have been sold out for over a week.

All in a row on the same bit of beach, Paradise Beach, Playa Mia (lots for kiddies to do), Mr. Sanchos and Nachi Cocum. 

We do Nachi everytime we go, but we are looking for a less crowded, quiet, relaxing day, which is what Nachi delivers in spades. Very few kids, very little music, no more than 130 people with plenty of space between groups and their loungers.

As a matter of fact gonna be at Nachi Thursday, for the first time on a sold out day.

Hope you find a beach club to your groups liking.

Been there a few times in February and other than the time we left Tampa with snow flurries and low 70's in Cozumel, it has always been in the low to mid 80's.

Going back next Thursday and I'm pretty sure the forecast was for like 80/81 degrees when I chedked last week.

On 1/29/2024 at 12:19 PM, bookbabe said:

You should look. 
 

I am sitting in the airport right now, and both duty free stores carry an assortment of BBD.  I can’t see how the duty free stores at the port, which are run by the same companies, would not have it.  
 

I’ve also seen it in other stores around the island.  It’s definitely still available.  

Thanks for the heads up. I will check in....