onebzemom

I saw it on these boards when I posted a question as to would they ever sail that route again.

 

Some VERY kind person posted the link for this SPLENDOR cruise out of Panama on December 10. 2016. 8 days. going to Cozumel. Panama. And Costa Rica.

 

I am posting. Today is the LAST day for a Early Saver Bonus booking with free upgrades.

 

Balconies are going for $839 pp on that cruise and upgrades are for all decks. We are on the Empress Deck, mid ship at that rate. Balcony.

 

Junior Suites $1.100 Ocean Suites $1.278. I was tempted but a balcony is big enough for us.

 

TODAY last day for those rates. they may go up. they may go down. I bet when people are aware that cruise is out there.............it books up. ALL of the Junior suites are gone but one. And the Ocean suites are .........not many left.

 

THANK YOU CRUISE CRITIC POSTERS FOR THE GOOD INFORMATION YOU GIVE EVERYONE.

Thanks for posting. I've called many times looking for a Panama cruise.

They had one the first of June. A Journey out of Galveston. Found while on vacation. When I got home and called Carnival it wasn't there anymore. I think they thought I was crazy. But I printed out a copy. :). It didn't matter, it wasn't available anymore.

I asked to get a call when one came up. A lot of good that did.

I'm glad you posted. We will be on the same cruise. Dec 10 is my birthday. And if the boss won't give me vacation. (Retail Christmas time) I will officially be retired three days before!!!

Who are you renting from? :confused:

 

National, Alamo & Thrifty (and maybe Enterprise :confused:) offer a free shuttle from the MIA car rental center to POM. Renting from one of these I would drop the car at MIA and all 6 of you ride the shuttle

 

Avis, Budget and Hertz are located in downtown Miami - close to POM, maybe a $12 cab ride. Renting from one of these I would drop the others at POM and then one of you return the car and cab back to the port.

 

For 6 plus bags you'll need two cabs - from MIA to POM the cab fare is $27+tip.

Thank you for your reply.

I haven' booked a rental car yet because of the options. Still trying to figure out the best way.

You mentioned two cabs. Hmmmm Could we get a cab 'van' and all ride together for the same $27.00?

Thanks for the help.

We are booked at Hyatt Place MIA Doral before our Splendor cruise in January from POM.

Trying to decide what to do about rental car. Return at MIA? Then get ride from airport for 6?

Return car at location near Port after dropping off luggage and 5 people. Then take taxi back to port?

Return car the night before at airport and get taxi from hotel in the morning of cruise?

Not sure which will be the easiest and least amount of effort.

We will have all our errands done by then. As we are flying into Tampa. Visiting with family and driving through the Everglades before cruise.

Thanks for the help.

Just talked with Budget by POM. They do not offer a shuttle from their office to POM. They told me the Airport only has the license to go into POM. They suggested to taxi or Uber.

On our first cruise we went with a local TA, cruise expert. We were given a price and paid the deposit. Deck 7 assigned inside cabin Carnival Destiny. When it came time to make the final payment, the quoted balance was different. We complained to the owner. They wouldn't change the prices, but offered to upgrade us to a ocean view. We were happy with that. Now, it's time for our cruise and at check in we find we are now on Deck 1 and the very last room at the back of the ship. Boy, were we upset. So up to Guest Relations we went. Carnival said they didn't understand why we moved. Yes, we were upgraded, but to Deck 1?? Carnival said since we booked through a TA, they weren't obligated to do anything. We would have to take it up with the TA. The next day, Carnival called and said they had another room we could move to. We thanked them, but since we were unpacked we stayed put.

Next cruise. We didn't go to the TA. Instead we went with a membership-only warehouse club. Got a better price than directly with Carnival. Only problem was when there was a price drop. The

membership-only warehouse club charged $20.00 for each transaction. So our $80 drop was really only $60.00

All the other cruises. We only go directly with the Cruise Companies. If there are any problems they handle it right away. Whether before the cruise, via the phone or during the cruise. Each price drop is never an issue. Last cruise, we got three. One for $60.00, one for $30.00 and a little one for $12.00. The lady laughed when I apologized for taking so much of her time for only $12.00. She said $12.00 buys a few drinks and when we do, think of her.

Yes, you might get a better price with a TA or online, and get OBC, but if there are any problems, we don't have to wait to get home to get them resolved.

I thought I'd share our experiences.

Just back from a cruise on the Carnival Freedom and I thought I'd share an interesting (and now humorous) experience.

We were a group of six ladies in two rooms. Three first timers in one room unpacking their suitcase found a note in one of their suitcases. It stated that an item(s) had been removed because of safety and it would be returned at the end of the cruise. What was that item? Their electrical strip and a small fan. Surprised, I always bring an electrical strip. I think most cruisers do. It's talked about here on CC all the time. A fan, okay, maybe not okay to bring on. We didn't fight the issue because in someone else's suitcase was another electrical strip. That strip was laid on the counter. After unpacking we headed out to explore and when we came back to the room, we discovered the second strip was taken. :confused: Our room steward said they were not allowed! The two strips taken away were brand new.

What???? Since when??? Well, in our room we had two. So we gave them one of ours and always hid it under our clothes in the closet when we left the room. :D

Now it's the end of the cruise and we are packing our suitcases to sit outside the door. The gals go down to Guest Relations and ask for the outlets. They said they would be given them in the morning. What??? they have to carry them on the plane? I went back with them, explained that our luggage was going onto the airport. They told us to bring the suitcase down to them. They would watch us put the items in the suitcase and then take the suitcase from them and place it in the proper place to go off the the airport. I was shocked and after blinking, shaking my head making sure I just heard that right said "You are kidding, this is a joke right?" No it wasn't and we walked away dumfounded. About an hour later the items arrived to the cabin and we put them in the suitcase.

Home now, and looking up the Restricted items. I LAUGHED OUT LOUD. See the highlight in red! I'm guessing someone in Guest Services was new, maybe our room steward was new also. I don't know, but someone needs to knew the rules printed out for all to read!:D

Here in black and white from Carnival's website:

Are there restrictions on what we can bring aboard? RESTRICTED ITEMS – SAFETY AND SECURITY POLICY

In order to maintain a safe and secure environment, Carnival prohibits bringing certain items onboard. Additionally, we reserve the right to confiscate (and destroy) any articles that in our discretion are considered dangerous or pose a risk or inconvenience to the safety and security of the ship, or our guests, and no compensation will be provided.

Confiscated Items

• Alcohol (hard liquor)/sealed, unopened bottles

• Beer/sealed, unopened bottles/cans

• Wine or champagne/sealed, unopened bottles - beyond the allowable limit of one bottle (750 ml. size) per adult 21 years of age (brought on at embarkation time only in their carry-on luggage)

• Clothing irons and steamers (all Carnival ships offer laundry facilities with irons and ironing boards. Fleet-wide valet laundry service is also available for a nominal fee.)

• Electrical and household appliances, i.e. coffee makers, hot plates, toasters, etc. (See Exceptions)

• Heating Pads

• Hookah

Exceptions:

• Personal grooming devices such as hair dryers, flat irons, curling irons, and shavers, are allowed on board when used with proper caution. However, if such devices are determined to pose a hazard, they will be removed and returned the last day of the cruise prior to debark.

• Electronics such as laptops, cameras, cellular phones, etc. are allowed on board when used with proper caution.

• Electrical devices such as fans, power strips, multi plug box outlets/adaptors, and extension cords are allowed on board when used with proper caution. However, if such devises are determined to pose a hazard, they will be removed and returned the last day of the cruise prior to debark.

As a senior I got a pneumonia shot...best thing I ever did. And many, many people get sick after cruising, air plane rides, and land vacations. Different air, close proximity to people, lack of sleep or rest. Is the OP wanting to blame the cruise line...otherwise what is the purpose for the original posting? Just curious.

Not good to judge.

Strange all of us came home sick at the end of our cruise. We came from different areas and did not see each other until our flight out.

I have no blame. I wanted first to see if others had same problem. Hoping not, but now that others have, I am worried about future outbreaks. Pneumonia is contagious. And I am letting Carnival know, so they can decide what should be done.

We just got off of the Freedom and I have a sever case of pneumonia symptoms started Friday morning Is anyone else feeling ill

I am one of six ladies that were on the Freedom Jan 25th-Feb 2. So far 3 of us have a case of pneumonia. Two others have acute bronchitis. I worry now the people in our two cabins will come down with the same thing. And I also wonder how the people in our cabin before us are doing. I even had the pneumonia shot!

How are you feeling now? Today is the first day I can get out of bed. My first ride in an ambulance. I kept passing out and no one was home with me. My suitcases are still unpacked. Doctor has released me to go back to work on Sunday. A week without pay after a cruise is not what I had planned!

Thanks for the responses.

Is the Batik shop within walking distance from the zip line? Would we be able to catch a cab from there and head to the beach? We will be going to Shipwreck or Carambola.

Doing our zip line through Carnival. How much time after zip lining did you have before leaving? I want to visit and shop at the Batik factory. I don't need to see the gardens. Just want some fabric and then head to the beach.

We will be on the Freedom and I was wondering if the computers on the ship allow you to back up your photos to a memory stick.

I usually bring my mini laptop for my husband, but he's not going this time. I really don't want to bring it just so I can copy and paste everyone's pictures to a memory stick.

We are a group of six ladies and it would be nice to copy everyone's pictures and then put them on each ones memory stick.

To get a better idea of the lay of the land go to the St Kitts Tourism web page: http://www.stkittstourism.kn there is a tab below the outline map, click that and it is a map of the island that may give you a better idea.

Thanks for the map. It helped getting my bearings. Still trying to coordinate everything with everybody.

A group of six will be in St Kitts from 7-5pm.

Only four of us have a zip line planned through Carnival. We meet at 7:30 and the tour last 2.75 hours. I'm guessing this means we will be back at the ship by 10:30?

Two of us want to visit the Batik factory. But only one of us will be doing the zip line. From reading other posts the Batik factory is close by the zip lines.

Then we want to spend the rest of the day at the beach and are looking at the Marriott. Should we do a different beach? We want to swim, snorkel, and get umbrellas and loungers.

I am trying to organize this day. But not knowing the lay of the land, taxis etc., I'm having a bit of trouble.

Should all of us go to the zip line? What would the other two do while the four of us zip line?

Should the four go back to the ship and then head over to the Batik Factory?

How far is the Batik Factory from the Marriott? and what should I expect in Taxi fare?

Should we get a taxi/van tour and have him just stay with us after the zip line?

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated?

Bailey & Sophie - As others have stated, there is no Sandals on St. Kitts. The batik factory is not near a resort. It is located on Romney Manor, and you can read about it here: http://www.caribellebatikstkitts.com

 

Ika1012 - Yes, you can buy fabric by the yard. Keep in mind, it is not cheap and may be less expensive for you to buy a dress there. They have clothing, bags, home decor, etc. A friend who quilts bought fabric to share with her friends but found it to be expensive. Good (real), hand-made batik often is.

I sew and I am planning to buy fabric for quilt projects. Just how much is expensive? Do you have to have cash or do they take credit card? I really didn't want to be carrying a lot of money on me.

It is the same and there is no saving. Just as an aside question, if a restaurant offered you the option of paying your tip before you ate your dinner, would you take that option? If a taxicab driver offered you the option of tipping him when you got into the cab, would you take at option? Why would you even think of doing it on a cruise?

 

I do not understand why people prepay tips.

 

DON

I'll tell you why we're doing it.

My husband is paying for my sister's cruise with me and five other ladies on a girl's only cruise for my 60th birthday. He prepaid the tips as part of the cruise expenses. Now her on board expenses will be all her responsibility. No worries on keeping track of who is paying what

I use the patch. I put it on 24 hours before my cruise. I never had any side effects. I replace it every 3 days. Once I tried to go 4 days and the motion got to me. Now I follow the directions. A few times when seas were rough I had to take a Bonine also. No problems or side effect either.

I really varies. My goal is for a Zone 2 card. Haven't been able to get a Zone 1. But we haven't had to wait very long for any of our cruises.

Here are my two unusual experiences:

We usually get to the Ports by 10:30-11:00. Once we got there at 10:30 and had to wait outside in line. The doors to the terminal were locked. We had someone who needed a wheel chair which is why we got there at 10:30. I don't know if there was a delay in Customs, we never found out. But we kept asking for a wheel chair. Finally we were told they were still using them to get passengers off the ship.

At 11:30 the doors opened and we went inside. With only a few people ahead of us, we checked in at the counter and was given a Zone 2 card. I was shocked. The gal at the counter explained to us that Zone 1 cards were for VIPs, and wedding parties. Handicaps would go on right after Zone 1 and before they start calling Zone 2. Which did happen. We were on the ship by 11:50.

On our Freedom cruise, out of Ft Lauderdale, in Jan 2013, we got to the Port at 11:00. Very much later than I wanted. Again only a few people in line ahead of us. But while waiting in line we were handed a Zone 7 card! I was really bummed. While checking in at the counter I asked what happened to Zone 2 cards. I was told they had already been given out. This was only 11:00ish. So we proceeded to find a seat, get ourselves comfortable. I pulled out my Kindle to start to read when they started calling Zone 1 people. Knowing we had a long wait, I just decided, we are here, we are going on a cruise, don't let a number bum me out. When all of a sudden they called Zone 2, a few minutes later they called Zone 3. Finally Zone 7. We were on the ship by 11:35! Wow, that surprised me.

While our short wait, I noticed a few people who came in the door after us, were given Zone 1 cards. So they must hold some back.

This is the second time I purchased FTTF. The first time, we were on the Magic out of Galveston and we were one of the many stuck in the oil spill. Long lines to board the ship. We waited 20 minutes in that long line, before I remembered our FTTF. It was so worth having FTTF. We passed everyone up and was on the ship in no time.

This upcoming cruise in January on the Freedom again, I am anxious to see the advantage of having FTTF under normal circumstances. But we will still get there by 11am.

Also, I will add, if you get there too early, you will have a problem getting a taxi to the port because of all the people getting off needing taxis. On one of our cruises we were told by the taxi company they would not guarantee our early pick up. And the one time we got to the port early, it was a mess with Taxis coming out and a few trying to get in. Cars getting in and out of the parking. Shuttle buses trying to get out etc. No to mention no one was available to help with our luggage. The porters were so busy getting people off that ship. One porter told us to wait and not move. We did and in less than 10 minutes, he came back and helped us.

So I won't recommend any time before 10:30.

M & M's peanuts are my choice of snacks. It's got the crunch, the salty and the chocolate. Satisfies all my cravings. I pour some in the wine glasses supplied in the room. Instant candy dish.

I also bring some protein or granola bars for a quick hunger headache cure when I go off the ship.

Thank you for the replies.

And thank you for the Fun Times.

I'm back planning and my group of 'Newbies' are asking questions.

We will be in San Juan from 7am-2pm in January. (Since we are on vacation I don't think we will be getting off the ship at 7am.:rolleyes:)

We are a group of six, 50 something gals.

I'm the only one who has been to San Juan. My husband and I spent a week there before a cruise. It was great.

Since we have to be back on the ship by 1pm, I'm not sure what we have time to do.

I realize San Juan is not much of a beach stop, but more seeing Old San Juan or the Forts.

Is there really enough time to see the forts, and shop Old San Juan? I've heard the traffic is terrible. I don't remember traffic at all when we last visited.

I remember being at the beach and playing in the waves. That was a lot of fun. I'd like to do that again.

I believe all the beaches are public. I'm also looking for a hotel on the beach and close to the port that we can get a day pass.

I'm looking for options so any suggestions for our short day would be wonderful.

RE: Seasickness or potential seasickness...I always bring the patches. I have very little side effects....sometimes dry mouth or sleepiness which seems to subside after a day or so. I also bring candied ginger along. If I feel a little queasy, I will eat a piece.

I am afraid to wait until I start getting sea sick...I would rather prevent it than try to stop it once it starts. ;)

I agree!

I've only been seasick once. And the ship was just leaving the dock. The last day of our cruise my 24 hour pill had worn off during the day when we were in port. Got back to the ship and I was a goner. No last night redo's. No dinner. No nothing. Spent the whole night in bed in the dark. DH had to pack our suitcase. That was a disaster!

Now I use the patch. I don't want to take any more chances. No more counting on the pills.

On our last cruise out of Galveston, it was so windy. We got stuck in the oil spill last March and we were two days behind. So the captain put the pedal to the metal. With the wind and the speed, I got a bit queasy even with the patch. So I took a Bonine that our waiter gave me and I was back to feeling good again.

Next cruises, the patch and Bonine just in case!

Thanks for all the replies.

Good to know about the Walgreens. We can get our soda there and not have to carry it too far.

I had read about Total Wine. I think we can manage carrying a bottle each. Especially since we will be getting our soda from Walgreens. It will be in the evening before dinner so it shouldn't be so warm.

I would like to know if all the food options are open on Embarkation Day. I know the Buffet will get really crowded, but I'm not sure if I want to just order something from the Dining room. Choices, Choices, Choices. What will be my choices?

Hi, We are staying at the Hilton Marina.

I see the Harbor shops and wondering how far of a walk? We have no car and I'm wondering if we will need a taxi to get us back to the hotel after our purchases. :rolleyes:

I am wondering if there are any other stores closer to get last minute items. Soda, wine, suntan lotion, forgotten items, etc.

I'm interested in this one too. And we are only in Port 7 am till 2pm. Hummmm :confused: