purplephenom

We did this excursion. Blue Bay is a little less crowded than Mambo, but closer than the western beaches. If you have kids, there’s a protected cove area that’s good for them to swim and play in. 

The Snorkeling is decent around the edges of the cove. The excursion includes a mask and snorkel but not fins. It’s wavy enough that you’ll probably want to rent them- I think they were either $10 or $15. 

The food there is ok but it just takes a bit so order before you’re starving. 

The bus on the way there gave a quick city tour.  Bus doesn’t have window panes so you can take pics of the colored buildings. 

On on the way back, the bus drove past the flamingoes and stopped for pictures. It was ok to see but they were sort of far away so don’t count on amazing pictures. They’ll drop off in town or at the pier for shopping. 

We enjoyed the beach. We were there about 3 hours. It really wasn’t crowded, no vendors or anything, and pretty good Snorkeling. We thought we would’ve wanted more water time, but I spent all but about 20 minutes in the water and the current was enough to make me tired. Some people say take water shoes, I had no issue barefoot but something to keep in mind. 

20 minutes ago, ishap said:

 

 

Maybe they could post someone there, however there are two LCD televisions mounted at the elevators with the instructions on how to use the elevator.  I did my research ahead of time on how to use the elevators, but I know everyone won't do that.  I stand by my statement that I think the better way would be selecting the floor, then the number of people.

 

 

 

I agree with you that entering the number of people makes sense- I just think until Carnival gets the approval/updated software to do that, there has to be a better solution for the interim than letting people get massively frustrated about the weird elevators that don't even have floor buttons :-) 

Carnival gift card will be easier.  But, if there's a reason you want to do cruise cash, I dont think you need the booking/cabin number.  I think the sail date and full names is enough. 

On 11/2/2019 at 4:24 PM, TonyinMD said:

  Great review. 

 

I just got off the Horizon today and I agree with everything you said about the elevators.  I hate using the word stupid for people who use them wrong,  I think Carnival should make a software change that requires people to confirm the number of people in their party before giving them a car letter, but yes,  that was incredibly frustrating for me.  During sea days lunchtime I 100% avoided the mid and aft elevators at the Lido...way too often when riding up,  the car you called is completely packed.  When riding down,  you see people with a big group obviously only press their floor button once.

 

Can't lie,  the first day or 2 I absolutely gave up a couple times, or just didn't bother getting in the elevator I called because it was completely packed...and I started using the elevators quite a bit.

 

I think at this point,  Carnival sees the complaints.   I think the system is actually a really good idea and if people are using it right,  it's much faster.   To me,  this should be an easy fix...enter your floor,  and then confirm the number in your party,  then you get the car letter.

In the meantime, at least for the first day or 2, I wish Carnival had the manpower to have someone by the elevators at peak times to make sure things go smoothly.  People aren't stupid for not knowing how to use the elevators, but maybe they're not thinking you need to press the button for each person- you don't do that on regular elevators.  Or maybe any unfamiliar technology makes some people nervous and they don't really think about what they're doing. 

I understand it's not really Carnival's "job" to teach people how to use elevators, but it would make for less frustrating experience for a lot of people.  Not everyone reads here and knows what to do. 

If you're just doing Yahoo or ESPN, the middle package should be fine.  Id suggest using the app- faster to make changes than the website.

Imax and the Thrill theater don't excite me- I don't love movies so I really wouldn't pay for them on a cruise.  

The trampoline park sounds fun to me, especially the blacklight party.  I've always sort of wanted to go to one on land, but I don't have children, and it's an obvious kids thing here, and I don't want to be a solo adult strolling in.  Having adult sessions on the ship means I could do it once without making it uncomfortable for me, or other families.  

Laser tag sounds fun too though.  I guess if ships are adding things to do, I prefer more active options versus movies.  But, I'm cheap enough that it would probably all be one and done for me- I like to keep my onboard spending low.  

Do you know anymore about the Curacao Cocktail Tour?  I have it booked, but Curacao might be my favorite place ever, so I go back and forth between keeping it and canceling it and having more time to explore on my own.  

4 hours ago, MamaBraz said:

I am enjoying reading your review; however, there are parts of it that give me added stress.  My husband and I are both school teachers.  It is impossible for us to fly out the day before.  We have a very early flight on the day of the cruise.  We have done it before without any incident, but when I read some of your warnings...I do have a bit of anxiety.  I am trying to be calm about it.  We fly out and sail on March 21st.  We have a direct flight from Indianapolis to FLL.

Just keep this in mind- there are a lot of people who fly out the day of the cruise, and make it just fine.  The Carnival shuttles make several trips on the day of the cruise from the airport, and if you talk people waiting to board you'll find many just flew in.

Also, when the hurricane hit Puerto Rico a few years ago, some of the people who flew in early were out of luck with no where to go, while the people who had planned to fly in the day of were in much better shape.  So you never know.

The good part for you is you're flying at the end of March- the worst of the winter is usually over and it's not summer thunderstorm season yet.  And you're flying direct.  So it seems you're flying in at an ideal time of year, and the direct flight helps minimize issues 

Things happen and you need to do what works for you.  Most of the time it's just fine, fingers crossed your trip will be just fine.

I'm a little disappointed to see the scooters in Miami.  I spend a lot of time in Washington DC and Baltimore, and both have the scooters.  It's bad enough when locals who know where they're going are using them, and you have to dodge people in a huge rush to get where they're going.  But add in tourists who don't know where they're going, and just rent the things to play on, or people that are looking at the sites instead of where their scooter is going, and it gets messy.

The Havana area looks great- I can't wait to spend some time back there when we do this ship in February.  We normally book a deck 1 inside, and we've gone with a Havana interior for our next 2 cruises, so I'm really hoping the area makes us happy since its a lot more money than we usually spend.  The idea of getting to know everyone back there is nice too- I like the idea of making cruise friends, but I rarely will be the one to walk up to someone and start a conversation, so a small group might make it easier to find some buddies. 

Looking forward to more and thanks for taking the time to do this!

Carnival confirmed this on their fb page as well in response to a visitor post.  

I womder if this means Havana will be opened to all suite guests or if a certain number of guests will be able to pay for access onboard. 

You have a group of 3 18 year old boys- they'll find enough to keep themselves occupied.  Being that there's 3 of them, maybe they'll even make a friend or 2 if they need an even number for ping pong or basketball or whatever it is they decide to do.

Cruising at that 18-20 age can be a little weird if you're alone, or used to the teen clubs, or an introvert.  But if your group isn't used to the teen clubs, they won't have that to compare to, and they can just start finding their own fun.

Figure out what you're doing as far as spending money/souvenirs both on board and in ports.  Different families may have different plans and some ports can have vendors who show the kids stuff.

You're trying to buy Cheers for 3 people with 4 credit cards, is that right?  Call Carnival and see if you can divide up the payments.  If you can't, something you could try, is everyone buy a Carnival gift card for whatever amounts need to go on each card, and use the gift cards to pay for Cheers. 

11 hours ago, Bookster99 said:

I loed the Fascination, but hated flying in to San Juan. If they are doing the same itinerary they did this summer, you could do the same cruise but fly in and board in Barbados.

If you are considering flying into Barbados, be aware that booking Carnival excursions becomes difficult- you can't do it on the website.  I don't know if you have to call to book, or book when you get on board.  Also not sure if this applies to Cheers/Bubbles or anything besides excursions.  

6 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

Breeze is going to be doing the 4 and 5 day mexico cruises? What a waste of their best ship.

Yes that's what I don't understand- it seems like the Breeze gets some of the best reviews on here, and it's doing the shorter cruises.

Your sister can drink in most ports, legally.

As for cheers, one fun night won't make it worth it, if it's not worth it on all of the other days.  What do you consider not a big drinker?  What are you drinking? Beer is obviously cheaper than fruity drinks.  But, non alcoholic drinks- coffee, shakes, water bottles- are all included.

There are drink menus floating around here if you do a search, as well as price sheets for drinks.  If I were you, I'd figure out what you think you'll drink, add about 20% since it's vacation, and see if Cheers makes sense for you. 

If you think it makes sense, go ahead and purchase it.  If you don't think it financially makes sense for you, and you are worried about the bill at the end, there are a couple options.  You could buy some cruise cash ahead of time (I like to pay for it with discounted Carnival gift cards) and that money will be sitting on your account waiting for you to start spending it when you board.  Or, you could buy some Carnival gift cards and add them to your account on board. That way, you have an amount you know you can spend and you dont worry about the bill at the end. 

Ultimately, Cheers should be a calculated purchase- no one can tell you if it makes sense for you or not.  Just run the numbers and see what makes sense for you. 

I was really concerned about the small ship before I did this route.  But, we wore ourselves out in port every day, and it was awesome to be able to get back on board and find a chair by the pool deck without any trouble at all.  I did feel there were fewer activities on this ship, but that may have been because of the itinerary, rather than the size of the ship.  The benefit of a fantasy class ship, is that there are barely any lines for anything.  

I'll second what was said above- look at Freedom of the Seas.  As far as ports go, I think it has a couple different itineraries it switches between, with at least 1 or 2 ports that the Fascination doesn't go to.  And as far as the ship goes, it has more things to do. 

I'm a little surprised the combinations don't cost more anymore.  Good reason to try something new. 

1 hour ago, BNBR said:

 

Just to clarify. Adventure isn't even close to being an Oasis class ship.  It's roughly the same size as Horizon, just a bit bigger... And carries 900 less guests... 

Sorry- multitasking got to me. 

Based on itinerary, I’d choose the horizon because there is a lot I want to do in those ports. 

Based on ships, I guess it’s what you like to do. Oasis class ships have more “stuff”- escape rooms, rock walls, ice skating, etc. But, if you are doing things as a family- is that important to you? Do you all like that stuff? If yes, go for the oasis. If some of you are more laid back and not the adventurous type, maybe you prefer some of what Carnival offers- dance classes, piano bar, different games. And there is some more adventurous stuff for those that prefer it. 

If youre not into the more adventurous stuff, maybe check out the daily schedules for both lines and see what appeals to most of the family, since you are trying to spend more time together. 

In St Maarten, take a look at Bernard's tours.  He offers them with or without beach time, and it's a full island tour where you see both sides of the island.  It's fairly easy to get in and out of the van, and drinks are provided, with lots of stops to look around, take pictures, and stretch your legs.

I've never heard of anyone getting exceptions until this post.  What I would do is put the money for cheers on a Carnival gift card.  If you get the exception once you're on the ship, great, use the gift card to pay for it.  If not, just load the gift card to your account, and the person that can drink won't have to deal with a large bill at the end.  If there's money left over, just cash out and be done.  

2 hours ago, stellarose said:

should I bring my own hairdryer????

If you have a nice one, probably.  If you have long or thick hair, probably.  

I don't dry my hair much at home, so the ones on the ship are ok, because I'm not used to anything better.  But if you are used to more powerful/nicer ones, the ones on the ship may disappoint. 

14 hours ago, Purvis1231 said:

Diamond guest that I know have told me this.

They get extra time in their cabins at the beginning of the cruise- they can go straight to their cabin rather than waiting til about 1:30.  But not at the end.  At the end, the rooms are cleaned pretty quickly and methodically, having random cabins staying later would mess with that.  

I'm not 100% sure, but if it's just the charms you're after, I dont think you have to go to the talk.  Most ports, they'll hand you a shopping guide as you're getting off, and it'll include the free charm ad.  And also, some diamonds internationals don't even check- you just ask for your free charm and they hand it to you.  At least, that has been my experience in picking up the charms for others I've sailed with.  I'm not that invested in it, so I'd never go to the shopping talk