coasterjan

Yikes. I booked a 12:05 flight out of Orlando on Nov. 15, which is already causing me sleepless nights worrying about whether we can possibly make it....

I'm hoping to be off the ship by 7:30 am, but have no idea if that's even possible.

Janis

Weird. I just completed our check in for the Freedom of the Seas Nov. 8 sailing, and the online waivers were all there and are completed already.

Guess I got lucky?

Janis

My husband is a diabetic, and needs to eat on a fairly regular schedule. We *always* bring some pre-packaged items with us that we can take off the ship for excursions. I usually bring an assortment of nuts, crackers, candies and the like that can be used to get his blood sugar levels up if he's starting to get shaky. Many's the time we've seen others staring at us longingly while we enjoy our snacks, if the excursion runs especially long.

I was on the first sailing after dry dock, and I liked the new water slides/ water park best of all. My husband was the very first guest to use the Green Thunder water slide... :)

My memory is pretty bad, but I thought our TV was a flat screen. I don't pay much attention to it, but I vaguely remember my husband commenting on it. It wasn't a very *large* flat screen, though. We were in an ocean view room on the first floor - perhaps they started at the bottom floor and are working their way up?

Janis

Which category inside did you book? Regular interior or Large interior? We have found that with the regular interior one of us can't go around the bed (to use the bathroom at night) without going OVER the bed. The other side of the bed doesn't have that issue.

 

In the Large interior cabins you can walk on either side of the bed without going over the bed.

 

We are cruising on the Grandeur next month and recently cruised on the Pride. We would choose either ship - depending on price and itinerary but in our opinion the inside cabins on the Pride are definitely roomier than the Grandeur.

 

Enjoy your cruise:)

Hubby and I were definitely in the smallest inside cabin and neither of us could walk around the outside of the bed, but my side was piled up with empty suitcases and Hubby's side was obstructed by a tiny little "couch". . In retrospect, I certainly wish we would have been smart enough to separate the beds! That would have solved the whole problem! :rolleyes:

I liked the Grandeur overall, just hated the room. I thought the food was great and I especially loved the entertainment. The aerial shows in the lobby were fantastic.

But, I still think the Pride is the better ship. I loved the updated water park and slides, and Guys Burgers are so awesome (and fattening!). I found that we really missed the late night comedy while on the Grandeur. It's one of my favorite things on Carnival.

Janis

We've booked out first inside cabin (I said I'd never do it) on the Grandeur for Oct. The cruise to New England.

I'm thinking we won't get much use out of the balcony that time of year heading north.

I am really concerned that we are going to hate it. Sounds so tight. It's 9 days.

I'd recommend being a little bit more reserved with how much luggage you take aboard than I was (between the 2 of us, we had 3 large suitcases, 2 smaller ones, and 4 backpacks/ carry on bags!) . Since we drove to port, I wasn't "limited" by the airlines where luggage was concerned. I think that was our biggest problem - we took way more stuff than normal, and way way way too much to fit in our closet....

Perhaps, if Hubby and I were a little smaller, we might not have noticed how small the room was, too. :)

Janis

I would go with the Pride because, even if it is a little more expensive, you are getting a bigger ship with more amenities (Green Thunder Water slide, Indoor Pool on bad weather days, Guys Burger, etc.) Also, it depends on what stateroom class you are getting, if you are getting an interior, go with Graneur because they are bigger, unless you get a 4K(interior with french doors), which has a pseudo-balcony on it. And if you're getting a balcony, go with Pride because there are a lot more options to choose from. In the end, it's all about what cruising style you personally enjoy, if you prefer a more relaxed (throwing this term around loosely) style of cruising, go with Grandeur, but if you want your cruise to be action packed, go with the Pride.

Just wanted to say that I'm not hallucinating when I say that Grandeur had a much smaller inside cabin than the Pride.

I got this information from Cruise Critic reviews of each ship:

Carnival Pride Cabins

About 80 percent of Carnival Pride's cabins are outside, and of those, 80 percent offer balconies and a sitting area. The 213 inside cabins measure 185 square feet, pretty generous for standard cabins. Outside cabins measure 220 square feet, while balcony cabins are also 185 square feet with balconies measuring another 35, 60 or 75 square feet, depending on category.

Grandeur of the Seas Cabins

Two categories of inside cabins range in size from 137 to 145 square feet, while standard outside cabins measure 152 square feet. Standard balcony cabins (called "superior oceanviews") are 192 square feet with 39-square-foot balconies.

Janis

I've hated having to get back on board at Roatan so early in the afternoon, but it's been like that every time I've been there. I'm guessing it has something to do with the next port being a good ways off.

I've booked quite a few private excursions in Roatan, and they've always been waiting for me when I get there - even when it's 5:30 AM local time...

Janis

I was on the Grandeur in May last year, and the Pride in November. I would absolutely choose the Pride.

I *hated* our teeny, tiny little inside room on the Grandeur. It was absurdly small. So small that we couldn't pass each other in the room - somebody had to go into the bathroom. And with only 1 small closet with no place to put our suitcases, and they wouldn't fit under the (very uncomfortable) bed, I had to put our empty suitcases between the bed and the wall, requiring me to climb onto the foot of the bed and sit on my pillow to be able to crawl under the sheets to go to bed. The bathroom was a joke. The sink was so small that I (a smallish female) couldn't fit my hands under the faucet. The shower was just stupidly small, and the toilet *touched* the far wall.

The only way I'd ever consider the Grandeur again would be if someone else was paying the bill and they booked me in a *much* bigger room.

On the other hand, I loved the Pride. The Spirit class is my favorite among Carnival ships, and the Pride just came out of dry dock the beginning of November (immediately before our cruise). It has all the 2.0 upgrades, and the new water park was a huge hit with the kiddo we had with us.

Janis

May 2013. I developed a kidney infection the day before were to fly to San Juan for our cruise, went to my doctor who, unfortunately, gave me the wrong antibiotic. I wasn't feeling well from the moment I stepped on board the Valor, and proceeded to get sicker with each passing day. My room steward was so incredibly kind and attentive, bringing me anything I might want (extra blankets, extra ice, hot water for tea, etc), plus she stopped by to check on me regularly during her (very precious and very minimal) time off! By the 4th day in, when I had developed a raging fever and my husband was off the ship on an excursion, she helped me to the infirmary and stayed near my room until he got back that afternoon to make sure I was ok. Amazing, considering how much she had to do, and yet she went waaaaay above the call of duty to take care of me.

The dining room staff that trip was also amazing. My stomach was very unhappy, and they were so good about helping me find something I could eat. They also kept me supplied with mint herbal tea and crackers for the week - enough to take back to my room, too.

We hear a lot about Carnival's staff being overworked (they are), but yet, they are still so willing to take on even more work to help their customers.

Yeah, I'm a fan for life.

Janis

I wonder what kind of order they are sending out emails? I cruise in 23 days and haven't gotten anything.

I'm sailing Nov. 9, and I got mine last week.

Must be something wrong with me, because it makes no sense to me to huddle on the floor cowering if a plane flies close by. It's not like being on the floor is going to save my life if it hits the ship, and I want to *see* what's coming for me.

I'm fascinated by planes. Yep, I'd be the nutcase running out on the balcony in hopes of catching a glimpse of it.

Janis

I asked this on another string (scuba/snorkeling) but haven't had a reply... does any one know which dive company the Conquest uses on their stop in Belize?

Every time I've been diving with Carnival in Belize, we've used Hugh Parkey. I haven't been there for a while now, but that's who took us out from Nov. 2006 through Nov. 2012.

Janis

Can I wear dressy capris in the MDR? I have several nice dresses for the formal night. I appreciate your comments.

Yes. My mother-in-law wears capris for most nights except formal night, and no one has ever batted an eye about it.

Janis

In the Past I have been able to bring a bottle on board lets say Seagrams 7 in a 2 liter Ginger Ale bottle, along with Real Diet Coke, and about a 6 pack of 1liter water. Have they got more restrictive it has been a few years since last time I cruised. Please advice sailing in a couple months

 

 

 

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Like the other guy replied, it's likely you won't get the alcohol on now. We usually pack bottles of water and Pepsi in a carry on (rolling) suitcase, and the last few cruises, we've had to step aside while they shake each and every bottle to verify that it's not alcohol.

Janis

Personally, I think a person would be *nuts* to book a flight from MCO before 1:00 PM the day a cruise disembarks.

Maybe, just maybe, if I had a person sitting in a car at the pier waiting for me to get off the ship and I was carrying all my luggage off with me and could do self-debarkation (which I always do), then maybe I might consider a Noon flight as an absolute last resort, but I sure wouldn't be comfortable with it.

I just can't imagine it being possible if you'd have to wait for a shuttle or pick up a rental car....

I got off the Dream and made it to the Epcot parking lot by 10:00 AM once, but we were seriously hauling butt. I think we were among the first 20 people off the ship, got up at 5:00 AM so we could be standing in the lounge on the 3rd floor waiting for them to clear the ship so we could GO....

Janis

I booked the November 9th 2014 cruise on the Pride without checking the dry dock schedule - D'OH! Well, I guess we'll see if the ship is really "done" by November 9th....

Janis

In my experience, the price listed PER PERSON has gone down significantly with this sale, but the actual cost per room hasn't changed a whole lot.

I had priced both an inside cabin and an ocean view for 3 guests a couple weeks ago, and the cost under the old sale and the new "more the merrier" sale only is only a few dollars different (the 3rd person was being charged at a much lower "third person" rate before, and now all 3 are being charged the same amount). Of course, that might have just been for my particular sailing. Your mileage may vary, as they say.

Hubby and I are scuba divers, and that exact itinerary has been my all-time favorite. St Kitts, St Lucia, and Barbados are *beautiful*. I wish I was going with you! Can't get Hubby to fly all the way to San Juan again, sadly.

Be sure to enjoy Old San Juan, too. I loved the castillos.

Have fun!

Janis

I forgot to check the dry dock schedule, and booked the Pride for November 9th last night, the first cruise scheduled after dry dock....!

I got on the Victory immediately after it came out of dry dock in 2007, and swore I'd never do *that* again - they were still laying down carpeting and painting all over the ship (including the funnel which I stupidly fell asleep under *during* the painting and got myself and my bathing suit seriously sprinkled with red paint!), plus the computer system and the on-the-TV information stuff never worked right the whole week, making for terribly long lines at the shore excursion and guest services desk. Annoying stuff like that.

Anyway, having already booked it since it's the only cruise the whole family could agree on, do I now need to worry about it getting cancelled if dry dock doesn't go well? I can live with the little frustrations if I need to, but we can't re-schedule our vacation.

Has anyone ever heard of a ship not being ready to sail after a routine dry dock? (I'm excluding Carnival Splendor and Carnival Triumph after their fires, that took longer to repair than expected...)

Janis

Isn't it your first?

Yes, this will be our first cruise with RCCL. I'm probably overreacting, but so far, it seems that I just might not be a "Royal" kind of gal. I'm trying to keep an open mind, but not succeeding so far. I've got to admit, paying almost $800 a piece for an inside cabin in the basement has sort of freaked me out. I'm used to paying half that amount for a better room....

There's been lots of frustrations already, both with trying to navigate that *awful* website, spending over 2 hours on hold when trying to make my final payment a while back (during the "kids sail free" promotion), and other petty things (like this not knowing if we can actually carry on our own drinks, so my husband insisting he has to buy an overpriced drink package thing).

I've received some good suggestions here, and I'm going to try taking a big ol calming breath and just chill out.

:-)

Janis

We're going to get a drink pkg on Freedom. Do we have to carry the cup for the machine or do they have disposables there?

My understanding is that if you want to use the Freestyle machine, you have to use the provided cup, as it has a computer chip in it that makes the machine work. If you don't want to use the souvenir cup, you'll need to get a soda from the bar. (I haven't actually tried it on RCCL yet, but that's what I was told)

Janis

I couldn't get the Cruise Planner to open for a couple of days on my computer at home (got some sort of "oops message about Royal Caribbean being on vacation), but it would open at work even though I was using Chrome on both machines. My husband cleared "cookies" on our computer at home, and then the page opened up and worked fine.

So, my suggestion is to try to clear your cache and cookies, and see if it fixes your problem too.

Janis

They have Mr. Pibb ZERO, which has no sugar.

 

 

Joe

The issue is that Hubby hates Mr. Pibb, while he loves Dr. Pepper. Personally, I can't tell the difference. But then, I don't care if I'm drinking Coke or Pepsi, either. Of course I am perfectly happy with the free beverages, myself, so I'm not going to be drinking any of the soda. I was just hoping that Hubby Dear wouldn't be too unhappy.

So, the question becomes "which does he hate less, Mr. Pibb Zero or Coke Zero?"

Thanks everyone, for the replies.

We'll try to make the best of it...

Janis

I believe the machines have Mr. Pibb, which is Coke's version of Dr. Pepper.

Drat, I was afraid of that. He won't drink Mr. Pibb. So it seems he won't like *any* of the soda choices. Until recently, we hadn't seen a Freestyle machine that *didn't* have Dr. Pepper. I wish I hadn't already pre-ordered the $140 drink package. :-(

It would be nice if Royal allowed people to bring their own waters and sodas on board, like I've done for my previous 13 cruises. It's going to be a rough week, dealing with a extremely picky (and also very unhappy) person. Ugh.

I would imagine this will be our *last* Royal cruise...

Janis