mosaic_mom

We got a little white one from room service or the cabin steward (can't remember which) on one of our first cruises and it stays with our cruise things and we bring it each time we cruise.

In the ports I have been to in Florida, handicap parking is only free if you have a vehicle that is handicap modified. I have a handicap license plate and it isn't free for us because my vehicle is not modified.

I had it on the paradise twice this month

 

 

GO MIZZOU!!!!!!!

where do you find this on Paradise? We will be on her on Dec 5.

Have they started decorating the ship with Christmas decorations? We are on the Dec. 5 cruise.

What was your favorite place on the ship?

We always take ours in their original bottles and put the bottles in our carry-on in a gallon size baggie so they can easily see them through the baggie. We also bring a letter from our doctor too. I wear an insulin pump, which requires a lot of supplies, and I had my doctor list those on the letter as well. Those supplies also go into a see-through gallon baggie.

My husband and I are going on our first cruise this coming Jan to Cozumel and Grand Caymans. I am still trying to navigate the in's and out's of cruising. I am in need of any tips and tricks to make the most of our time and save money. Little known facts, what things are must see, specific tid bits about our ship (Carnival Paradise) etc. For example, we don't drink alcohol but I am addicted to fancy, frozen, fun non-alcoholic drinks. Is there a cheaper way of satisfying my guilty pleasure than just paying out the nose at the bar? What is included with your meals drinks wise and what are you charged for? Is a soda card worth it? How do you get one?Can you order anything besides water with room service without being charged? Lots of silly drink questions I know, but it's seriously is an addiction :) Is there anything free in the spa? Like a sauna? Excursion reccommendations? Are the Mayan ruins worth the full 7 hrs of your time in Cozumel? Been trying to research all of these things and am making very little progress. HELP!!

 

Your questions aren't silly. This is a great place to ask them. We were all first-time cruisers at one point.

There really is no cheaper way to get the frozen fancy drinks cheaper that I know of. I think iced tea and water and some juices are included free with meals and you can get them anytime on Lido deck at the buffet area. When you board, you can get a soda card at any bar and at a table near the pool. Some people wait until you are out to sea to get it to not pay taxes on the soda card.

There isn't a charge for room service, but you should give them a tip. You can get juice, coffee, tea, and water for no charge.

Try doing a search of the boards here using Paradise, and you will find a lot of information. We are going on Paradise on Dec 5, and we have found a lot of nice pictures of the ship and lots of information to fuel our excitement for our upcoming cruise.

I hope you enjoy your first cruise !! Soon, you will probably be addicted to cruising like the rest of us. :)

Thanks for the pics. We can't wait to board the Paradise on Dec. 5. Never been on it before, but we live about 30 minutes from the port and wanting to have a short getaway.

What is at the end of the pier at Punta Langosta that is within walking distance?

We will be on the Dec. 5 sailing. Wondering what type of safes are in the OV cabins. Do we need a magnetic strip card or are they the old combination safes?

If you're into taking pictures of the ship, staying on the ship during a port day is a great opportunity to take plenty of pictures. We love staying on the ship during port days, mostly in Cozumel and the Bahamas. We love the peace and quiet.

For our upcoming Southern Caribbean cruise to St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and St. Maarten... we have decided to stay on the ship in St. Kitts. For anyone that has been on this cruise, have we made the right decision? Which was your least favorite port?

St. Kitts is our favorite port. It's so beautiful there. We did the train tour and had a fantastic time. The island is a true paradise.

Tampa NEEDS a 7 day cruise ship.

I agree !!!

 

And where does that leave Tampa???

With only the Paradise and a bridge that most bigger ships can't sail under. Tampa is a great port to cruise from too. Hope they send another ship here.

We bought ours in March for our December cruise.

Here is some information about Faster to the Fun (FTTF) that I found in the room.

We have booked the FTTF for our cruise in December. I use a walker and it was easier to be able to drop carry-ons in our cabin before walking around the ship. I used to have to sit with the carry-ons while everyone else explored, so I ordered FTTF this cruise. :D

One question about the letter. It says priority dinner reservations at the Destiny dining room (does not include YTD). I thought that was one of the regular dining rooms. What kind of reservation is needed there that you could get priority for?

Great start to your review. Can't wait to see more. We are doing the 4 day on Paradise later this year.

Oh YAY, another review. Your reviews are awesome. Perfect timing. I'm having cruise withdrawals and this was the last ship we were on. Looking forward to your pictures and the review.

We brought back some Coconut Rum Cream from St. Lucia. Had I known I could not get it in the US, I would have brought back more. Tastes awesome over ice.

Anyway, the question I had was my DD mentioned that the ice cream bar was back at that bar...did they move it so the kids can still use it?

Yes, they moved it. If I remember correctly, one station was up by the hamburger grill.

They renovated the entire area. It has a huge bar area, a pool, and hot tubs plus all the fancy comfortable furniture. It's a very big area. We were on Miracle on the Feb 6 cruise and never saw anyone under 18 in the area.

I ordered my OBC last Friday, and it appeared on my documents this morning. I was also asked for a date of delivery and chose the second day. They automatically apply it. You won't have to do a thing. If you don't spend it all, they refund you the money at the end of the cruise.

Our roll call did the Okey Dokey A1 tour in January of this year. This was a fantastic tour and we had a great time. We had Carlos as our guide and had a large bus with air conditioning to hold all 18 of us very comfortably. He provided free drinks on the bus.

We got to see and hold a sloth, went to a fruit stand with short walk through the forest to see different native plants, got to see monkeys up in the trees, took a short boat ride on the Tortuguero canal and saw lots of wildlife, went to a banana plantation, went to a small restaurant on the beach and got a lunch of chicken and beans and rice, made a couple stops at scenic overlooks for pictures, and then made a short shopping stop in town before going back to the ship.

We did get the CC discount for our tour as well.

For those of you who had a different driver than Charlie and didn't get what you were originally quoted (like no free lunch), you need to email Charlie with the name of the guide and let him know. He told us to do that if we were not happy with our tour and if we didn't get what we were quoted.

Hello there. I can't believe this is the only thread about cruising as a larger person. But, I found it! So here goes. My husband and I are going on our first cruise in less than a month, and I am more than a little nervous. I am a big girl, and we are going on the Oasis. I'm so worried that I will be the biggest girl on the ship, and will be judged! I mean, I'm not super huge, but I am feeling like I'll stick out like a sore thumb. I'm worried about all the walking, on the ship and in the ports. I'd like to be able to relax and enjoy the ship, but I fear I will be too self conscious an end up staying on the balcony of my room. Am I crazy for feeling this way? Will there be other big people there? My husband is a bit husky, but very active. I think I'll be too afraid to do the excursions with him. I guess I'm looking for support, and words of advice. Any responses would be appreciated!

Hi Seadrifters. I know exactly how you feel. But don't worry about what others think. You'll never see those people again. There are people of all sizes there. I am a large lady too with a medical condition that only adds pounds to my already large size. I have trouble walking and use a rollator to walk. But my cruise is in less than a week and I will go and enjoy it and not care what anyone else says. I hope you will do the same on yours.

Make sure you get out all over the ship and enjoy all it has to offer and don't miss a thing. As far as excursions go, if there are no weight limits, just go and enjoy yourself. I for one am too heavy for ziplining, so I would pass on that, but I go on many excursions that I feel I physically can handle.

I hope you have a great time.

Thanks for the awesome review, Mike. I've been reading since the beginning. You have such a beautiful family. Thanks so much for sharing your travels with us. If you ever decided to write a book on cruising, I'll be in line to buy a copy.

I don't know if it is open year round. It's 5 miles from 17th St.

Thanks, so much. I appreciate your help. :)