just4cruzin

Thank you for the review.  We are heading out on Saturday for our cruise.

just got off the Freedom and yes, it's still there.  It's above the lido buffet in the aft of the ship.

Look for the ship with the whale tail and get on that one.  It's not confusing when you pull up.  Enjoy your trip, the Paradise is our favorite!

At 18, they can legally go into the casino.  Do a slot pull with them.

I won $750 in one of the fireball drawings and got handed a 1099 to file...ugh!

I can't believe no one has suggested this, but for a nominal fee of I think $100, you can transfer the booking from your friend to another person.  For $100, it's amazing how many friends you might have who would want to go.  I can't vouch for solo cruising, however this is another option.  Good luck and hope your friend feels better.

we were on the paradise earlier this month and the cabins had sets of two on each side of the bed (king size bed)

We live right by the bridge and watch the ships leave which is very hard to do wishing we were sailing. For a 4pm departure, you should be going under the bridge at 6:30 give or take 10 minutes pending on the tides and weather.

We will be on the same cruise. Normally, the elegant nights are on Monday and Friday on a Sunday to Sunday cruise. See you on board.

I have purchased mine at the mall in the past. The customer service counter at the mall sells an incredible amount of different types of gift cards.

I am by no means in the cruise industry and I am not a Carnival cheerleader, but I am in a business that was effected by the hurricane in Florida. Yes, businesses are set up to accept money quickly, but in my case as well as the cruise, refunds don't happen too often. When they do happen, only X# of employees are allowed to issue refunds. When something happens in the magnitude that this storm hit Miami (Carnival headquarters), many changes internally need to take place to continue business. As a business, I'm sure they would like to retain as many customers as possible by offering a different cruise to keep the cash flow going which means contacting customers on a case by case basis. Now, for the customers asking for refunds, training has to take place for additional people to handle this (it's not just a click of a button). This also means you have to have employees who can come to work that didn't evacuate, that have electricity or a means to get to work. This took at least a week to somewhat come back to normal.

I'm sorry if I'm all over the place, but until you experience something like this in your own business or life, it's tough to understand. Trust me, Carnival and the other cruise lines want to retain every customer they can, refund or not. Take a chill pill and give them a chance to hit the 3 week mark to issue refunds. And if you think this is just Carnival, please read the other boards and you will hear the same complaints from other lines.

We were on the Magic in January and had the same shows just listed. The country show (not my favorite music genre) was ok, but it was entertaining enough to keep my attention. The movie show was outstanding!!! The female lead singer was the best I have ever seen on a cruise ship. She could handle Adele, Celine and Whitney which is not an easy task. The last show was a rock music show and was pretty good. They didn't utilize the female lead from the previous show as much which was disappointing. All said, it's the best entertainment I've seen on Carnival in a long time.

We travel on Carnival mainly for the price. We go for rest and relaxation and can get that on any cruise line. In regards to benefits, we are now platinum on Carnival and really only utilize getting on early and free laundry. All other benefits are nice but not necessary and I'm not sure if the other lines can offer much more. I do enjoy gambling on cruises and I have found that their casino benefits are the best and that's a major incentive. I have had at least 5 free cruises (except port fees and taxes) and that's a MAJOR benefit I have not been offered on the other lines.

I was on the Magic in January and they had the Quest Show. While it wasn't X rated, it was pretty raunchy and hilarious. Don't miss it if they have it.

I know it's an all inclusive but is there anything there you need cash for (other than tipping)? Messages? Thanks

Pre-Cruise -

Booking and planning is always a rush.

Once on the ship -

Hearing the "ding" as they log you in.

Throwing the cell phone in the safe and getting away from the rat race.

Spending quality time with my wife.

Getting my next free cruise from the casino manager on the last day. Going for 5 straight! This also makes the last day just a little brighter.

We will be on the ship January 7th. Regardless of which week you are going, check into the roll calls to meet other people on your cruise and see what others are doing and suggesting. It's a great reference point. Overall, relax and enjoy!

Putting my cell phone in the safe and putting work out of my mind for a week.

When the pit boss gives me my free cruise voucher.

Spending one on one time with DW.

In regards to the cash they give you, do they actually give you cash or special chips to play with. I was on a bounce back cruise where I got $75 in special chips (yellow and oversized) worth $5 each. I got a premier cruise offer in the mail yesterday that I'm contemplating. it's offering $900 in cash. Thanks.

Elainmir had a great response. I just completed my 7th sailing on the Paradise and had a great time! Yes, the ship is old, but it really comes down to what you are looking for in a cruise. It doesn't have the bells and whistles the larger ships have, but you will still have fun, you won't have to cook, you won't have to clean, you won't sink, they have alcohol, they have food, they have the casino, they have entertainment. ENJOY YOURSELF!

On the paradise we had Win, but we also had him on the Legend. Our second time with him was pure accident. He is one of the best.

I leave on the Paradise this Saturday and sent an email today asking if we could have a specific waiter. I received a reply in less than 15 minutes stating that our request was confirmed. Be nice and ask. If they can, they will accommodate you, and if they can't they will let you know. Thanks Carnival! Thank you thread for letting me know how to contact the maître d' on a specific ship. :)

There were three of us in M132, a couple of cabins down. It was myself, wife and 27 DD. We had two beds put together as a king and then there was a cot in what little room that was left. It was a tight situation, but only for a few days and we were hardly in the room together. We knew it going in and made the best of it.

I grew up in Louisiana and was on the Liberty many years ago where they have the fish and chips. Not a fan of fish and chips, but I went up there to try it. WOW, the oysters they prepared were the best I ever had! Salty, well battered, and nice and juicy! They would serve two at a time, so they didn't appreciate it when I asked for a dozen of them. After they realized I wasn't kidding, they eventually fulfilled my request.

I would assume due to the delay that they would have to take out either Cayman or Cozumel to make up time. How would you like to be working in guest services for this one!:eek: