eselby

Carnival has clearly changed since I last cruised with them (and swore I'd never take a ride on that Greyhound bus of a cruise line again).

I found the food on the Getaway to be surprisingly above average - so much so that that extra money spent for the specialty restaurants now seems like a waist of money.

Maybe because we just didn't need staff interaction, but I never felt neglected or forgotten by the staff. Our cabin steward did a fine job. The beds and linens were comfortable. The bath and shower were acceptable (and I'm not a small person).

The coffee sucked, but then I'm a coffee snob - most coffee sucks to me.

I disagree about everyone's love for the Illusionarium. I found it to be nothing more than cliched Vegas stage magic done poorly (one exception was the performer who did the too short routine with the soap bubbles). It is one of only two things I wouldn't do again on the Getaway. The first is the dining package. The food was so damn good everywhere that the dining package just wasn't needed.

Don't miss sitting on the Waterfront and watching the ocean pass by.

Don't miss building memories and stories with your kids.

Is this some kind of strategy you folks play? Buy a lower tier room in the hopes of paying more for an upgrade later - with the gamble that the upgrade will be less than the on-line rate?

Y'all take those upsells. That'll leave our (as yet to be assigned) balcony room eligible for better assignment.

I purchased the Dining & Drinking package for our vacation.

The terms of the package say, "The Ultimate Dining Package is honored in all specialty restaurants with the exception of Ocean Blue, a la carte priced restaurants, entertainment-based dining, mini bar and room service."

While making reservations for our 4 meals I see that only Moderno and Teppanyaki fit the terms. Le Bistro, Cagney, La Cucina are all a la carte. Ocean Blue is an $18 charge.

Surely this can't be right. I mean, I don't mind more than one night at Moderno (low-carb diets are not in trouble there!), but a big old medium rare porterhouse would be good, too.

Your travel companion has mobility issues. The Belize stop is a tender, not a walkway. That should be all the info you need. Stay on the boat in Belize :)

We are flying into FLL for the 5/29 Getaway cruise, and I am exploring ground transportation options from FLL to the cruise port.

I know NCL offers a service for $25 each person, but are there other recommended methods that don't necessarily require packing onto a bus? Or is the NCL option the smartest option?

For my bride and me, the boat is way to move us from one port to another. It was a cruise that introduced us to the Virgin Islands (where we have spent a few non-cruise vacations since then). This time (the May 29 sailing) we are looking forward to being introduced to other parts of the Caribbean.

We're not looking for top of the line service and amenities - just a clean, safe, comfortable way to see other parts of the world.

Minor nit-picky note

The Baths are on Virgin Gorda - not Tortola.

Like I said - minor nit pick

We vacationed on Tortola two years ago (almost exactly). There was a small shop at Sage - good place to get a drink if needed. The trails aren't much, and the views were even less.

That said, as mentioned above, hit TravelTalkOnline (http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/postlist.php?Board=BVI) for more specific info. The board tends to be sailboat/bareboat heavy, but the people on the board were invaluable for our land-based Tortola vacation.

Sit on the couches on the Waterfront, bring your books and enjoy some drinks. I never found the Waterfront to be that crowded.

Couches on the Waterfront? Now THAT'S our speed :)

My wife and I will be vacationing on the Getaway for the 5/29 sailing. Neither of us are "joiners" or big on crowded decks and parties. We're getting a mini-suite primarily to sit and watch the ocean go by while we read our books and dream of a real life in the Caribbean.

Of course we will have to come out for food and drinks, so the big ask here is - what do you suggest to "enhance our calm" on the Getaway?

Some photographer friends and I do an annual road trip to get away from our normal photography sets, scenes, and styles to try new and different settings. I am exploring the possibility of doing a cruise-based road trip this year, and weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the various ports.

I've been to Nassau a twice, and wasn't really impressed with what I saw. But I was trying to do things that would keep my wife, son, and/or other family members happy. This time it would be a half dozen photographers.

Where would you suggest, as far as feasible from the cruise port and people, for a 5 hour photography trip in Nassau?

Just returned from Coco Cay and yes it is possible. We walked a good ways down the beach away from everyone and had a nice little "private" area of beach to ourselves. :)

Oh - was that you??