k2excursion

Does anyone know the operating hours of the water slides? We will be on the Breeze.

They open at either 9am or 10am, and close at 6pm. That has been my experience with Breeze and her sister ships.

The bed being closer to the balcony is the standard of how they do it with Carnival balcony rooms. Same for the OV rooms as well. Aft wraps or the L-shaped balconies would be something different, although most of those don't even have a sofa.

I really enjoyed the cove balcony on Magic's sister ship. I really enjoyed being so close to the water. Only the coves don't look down and see the lanai (public deck) that's on deck 5, sticking out from the ship. For coves, I always recommend staying forward of the midship elevators, so that you're not below the noisy galley. Below the dining room is best.

I say the Dream. My favorite ship, and all 3 cruises on Dream have been 3 of my best 4 cruises out of 15 in total. Most people will say Breeze, just because it's newer and has the latest "things". But without those latest things, I still enjoy Dream more, even when I returned to the Dream after the Breeze. Breeze was a little disappointing in some areas, while Dream didn't disappoint me in any area. But Breeze is still a great ship, so you can't really go wrong with either. One clear area where Dream wins in a huge way over Breeze is with their nighttime stage shows. I'm not a fan of Playlist Productions on Breeze.

Keep in mind that New Orleans is a great city to visit for before/after a cruise, much more interesting than Galveston.

What is wrong with the uncovered balconies? Wouldn't you have more sun and air movement?

Previous poster mentioned that the uncovered balconies means that the public deck above you can look down on part of your balcony. You can see & hear them, they can see & hear you. There may be a few of those on deck 12 where it's not as big of a deal.

Another issue is that many people don't want to be blasted with sun all the time. The shade can make the balcony much more comfortable; not getting as hot. I do enjoy getting some sun, but I prefer to use the loungers up on deck for that. When on a balcony, I prefer it to be cooler, so I like the shade. Some people want sun hitting them at all times, so they would like the uncovered balconies. Others will prefer the shade. It's just personal preference.

You will get the $320 back, even if it shows up on your credit card after you leave. Don't worry about that. Just go ahead and book something else, either now or on board, with the knowledge that it will be offset by the refund that is coming.

Now, if you are out of credit on your card until the refund shows up, or if your debit card account (if that's what you used) is currently empty and you have no other source to get temporary funds, then I can understand the concern. Maybe somebody that trusts you can spot you the funds, knowing that they'll get it back from you through that $320 refund once you return home. If you do have available funds to cover the cost of the new excursion, then you should have no worries.

On the level below the fitness center, only a few rooms are actually directly below the fitness center. Those would be the 4 OV rooms at the front, and the next couple of balcony & inside rooms on both sides. I would definitely avoid those. But there are plenty of Cloud 9 Spa rooms on deck 11 that are not below the fitness center. I count about 17 balcony/suites & 14 insides on deck 11 that are probably all just fine. Those balcony/suites from 11214/11215 on back all have staterooms above them, so those are definitely fine, and those will be covered balconies, unlike the ones on deck 12.

We had an inside on deck 11, below the reception area, and that was no problem at all. Some of those deck 11 insides are below the locker rooms; not sure if those are okay. And a few insides are below whatever the "fitness studio" is.

Deluxe oceanview cabin 1221. Very very cold! After turning it all the way up & later coming back to Antarctica, we turned the thermostat down to the halfway point between the extremes, and that was perfect.

What you got it for is really the main reason to get a Spa room. Those little extras aren't much of anything. The slippers are okay. Ours would be too large for Andre the Giant, but we didn't bother to ask for smaller ones. The Elemis products are extraordinarily tiny, and they're not that great. Some room stewards replace them as many times as you want, some will only replace them once a cruise, some won't replace them at all. The bottles are so tiny, they're gone in 1 use or less, so definitely bring your own stuff. You will still have the shampoo & body wash dispensers in the shower. Different color towels, different decor. It's usually cheaper to get a spa room rather than getting a cheaper room plus buying the spa pass (but not always).

We basically paid only $100 more in total to move up to a spa interior, and that was definitely worth it. I would pass if it were $200 more, but many people would see that as a bargain. It is cheaper than keeping your current room and getting the couples pass, which is over $250. I posted pics of the spa in my Magic review. The link is in my signature. Maybe those pics will give you an idea of if it would be worth it for you.

Hello neighbor and Happy Thunder!!!

 

Thanks for all the good and timely responses. I wasn't expecting so many so fast. �� We plan on flying. Found out about a smaller discount airline (Allegiant) that flies out of Cincinnati. They only fly to their destination on certain days of the week. Right now service to Jacksonville is only on Mondays and Thursdays, but Ft. Lauderdale all but 2 days of the week. Don't want to book until the airline starts booking flights for next summer, right now they only go up to November. I had looked into the cancelation policy, want to eliminate as many things as possible that could lead to canceling. I forgot to mention that we want 2 Ocean view cabins. Wish we could the interior with picture windows, but it wasn't an option when I did the mock booking. Guess we would have to many people in each room. Are there any sites that will alert you to the price drops?

Be aware that Allegiant has charges for luggage. Southwest does not for your first 2 bags, and they have reusable funds within a year, in case you need to cancel. That's why I always use them.

I agree with a previous poster that the Magic would be the best ship for kids, of the ones out of Florida. I loved that ship, as did a family of 7 that I know of who took the Magic for their first cruise.

Early Saver will be cheaper, but others have warned you of their restrictions. Lately, prices have only been going up and up as it gets closer to sailing, so I wouldn't count on getting any price drops at this point. If you're thinking you may need to cancel, you might want to use one of the rates that let's you cancel before final payment & get all your money back.

The cruise is payed for. The last day to have paid for cruise is June 20th. The cruise is Sept 4th. The reason it's 600 is because I had to reschedule the cruise once n a fee of 100 was charged.

Can I sell the cruuse before payoff date n change both cruisers including me n wife, soon to be ex?

It definitely sounds like you are booked with the Early Saver rate. No name changes are allowed, so you cannot "sell" your cruise to 2 other people. You cannot change 1 name either. The $100 fee for rescheduling your cruise is totally lost money, so it's actually a $500 deposit. To cancel now will incur another fee of $100 ($50 per person). The remaining $400 will be held for a future cruise, which needs to be taken within a certain amount of time. It will be applied to the final payment of that future cruise; cannot be used for the deposit.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Carnival will sometimes break their own rules. This time, it worked out quite well for you. It doesn't hurt to ask.

Thanks for sharing. Same thing happened to us before. Got a call for an upgrade, offering a price that was higher than what the actual price difference was. Always check before you accept the offer.

Might be a noise problem, maybe not. If you were to share your room number, there's a slight possibility that someone who has stayed in that EXACT room might come on here and let you know how that room is for noise. Nearby rooms will not be a good indicator, as it can go from silent to very noisy with just a couple rooms distance.

If you can change to a cove not under the galley, go ahead and do that. If not, bring earplugs, just in case. I had 2294, below the dining room, and it was as perfect as can be. I've been under the dining room 3 times, and it's always perfect. No noise at all the whole night and most of the day. Only a very slight bit of noise, if you listen very closely, during the times when it's being used.

I totally love cove balconies, so much more than standard balconies! It's the only balcony that I feel is worth extra money. However, those family harbor coves are right below the galley/kitchen. Many people have reported noise at all hours from above when staying below the galley. Not for every room below the galley, but for many of them. It's a gamble. To avoid the galley, you would need a cove forward of the midship elevators, but none of those are family harbor rooms.

For me, I would probably go with the family harbor deluxe oceanview, with the 1.5 bathrooms, if I wanted the family harbor part of it. If the balcony were more important, then I would go with the cove below the midship dining room (totally silent almost all the time), or for you, the lido balcony.

I was really hoping that this meant they were bringing back the 8am-10pm port times in Cozumel like they used to have. I had one of those booked back in 2004, on my 2nd cruise. Calica was the 2nd port, and since that was barely an hour or 2 away from Cozumel, we stayed in Cozumel all the way to 10pm. Tons of time to do so much! I had 2 excursions booked (through the ship--I didn't know any better then). Calica is a great port, not because of the port, but because you can easily go to Playa del Carmen, or go to Xel-ha, Xcaret, Tulum, etc, etc, etc. They need to bring back that 5-day itinerary: Cozumel 8am-10pm, & Calica 8am-5pm. I know that they can do better than just giving 1 extra hour in Cozumel.

Unfortunately, on that sailing in 2004, Hurricane Ivan was busy obliterating Cozumel & Playa del Carmen on the days we were supposed to be there, so we were diverted.

Islands of Adventure is a long bus ride from the cruise port to Orlando. It's a 1-hour drive one-way, without traffic. 2 hours or more of the excursion is the driving. Atlantis, on the other hand, is much closer to the Nassau port. Islands of Adventure/Universal Studios is also a very busy place, almost every day of the year. I feel that the only way to visit the Orlando parks is to stay in Orlando for several days, so that you can spend multiple days at each park, and be there the whole day every day. Lines for some rides can be over an hour, especially at Harry Potter. We were there on a cold January weekday, and we got quite a bit done before it got real crowded. It paid off to be there right when it opened.

I have been to Nassau 3 times, but the timing of our stops have never really worked to be able to truly enjoy Atlantis, so I haven't gone. If your timing is better than what I've had, then I would recommend that one, then take a week long trip to Orlando in the future.

check category 1A, interior upper lower. they may have couches.

Some of the 1As (upper/lower) do have sofas, but that sofa is usually the bed for the 2nd guest, and the 2 beds cannot be put together. Not ideal for couples, but great for friends or parent & child. Many of those rooms even have portholes, and are much larger than standard interiors.

Also, check the porthole rooms (category PT). Please note that I'm referring to "Porthole" and not "Upper/lower with portholes". The "Porthole" rooms have 2 standard beds that can be pushed together, plus they have a sofa. Again, these are much larger rooms than standard interiors, and are priced about halfway up the scale of all the interior categories. So still well under the price of an "oceanview" room, even though you have a view of the ocean through the portholes.

I make up a list of things I want to take well in advance. Keep that list saved somewhere, so that with your next cruise, you already have one. Then, just add & subtract items as you see fit.

I start gathering some things together about 2 weeks before the cruise, and piling them on the floor. Yeah, the front room looks messy leading up to a trip. But I wait on gathering clothes until a few days before leaving. Then, about 1-2 days before leaving, I start putting it all in the suitcases, which doesn't take long. I may do a trial packing about a week ahead of time, to make sure it will all fit.

Some people say that they wind up only wearing about half the clothes they bring. I'm lucky to have one unworn t-shirt at the end, so I'm very glad that I didn't take their advice about only bringing half of what you originally planned. I wear it all, especially the shirts, and I do feel like I'm overpacked compared to others.

I don't know much about the shuttles to Galveston, but you could book an airport hotel that has a shuttle included, then use their shuttle to get back to the airport after you checkout. That way, they will still be picking you up at the airport.

If you're flying into Hobby, I really like the Drury Inn. They serve you dinner & drinks in the evening, plus free soda from 3-10, and a great breakfast, and a very nice indoor/outdoor pool. That's been our favorite pre-cruise hotel for Galveston cruises.

Thinking that port might have been Roatan not Mahogany bay. After a few cruises they all run together.

Mahogany Bay is in Roatan. It's the same place. Roatan has a couple of ports where cruise ships can stop, Mahogany Bay being one of them. That bay has a manmade beach, specially made for cruise guests. I can't blame the people who only stay at that beach to not feel that there's anything special about that port. However, the people who get away from that manmade beach and truly explore Roatan will totally love this amazing island! It is by far the best cruise port (either port in Roatan) of the entire Western Caribbean, and it rivals the best ports of the Eastern/Southern Caribbean.

I'm interested in learning more about traveling to St. John. We will be in port from 7:30-3:30.

Oh, those hours are tricky. They do have an 8:00 ferry, but it would be very tight for you to make it onto that one. That probably puts you on the 9:00 ferry to St John, and arriving at your beach of choice around 9:30-9:45. I would want to catch the 1:00 ferry back to St Thomas, getting you back to the ship around 1:45 or so, with over an hour to spare. The 2:00 ferry might work out, but no time for any shopping, and you may just barely make the 3:00-all-aboard time. So for me, definitely the 1:00 ferry back, and to make sure you get on it, leave the beach shortly after 12:00. That means you get between 2 & 2.5 hours at the beach.

Because of that, I would probably stay on St Thomas with those hours, to allow myself much more beach time. Coki Beach is a nice beach with great snorkeling, and Coral World is right next door.

Between the 2, I would skip Costa Maya, although I did really enjoy that port.

In Roatan, it will be very tempting to just stay at that manmade beach right next to the ship, but I beg you not to do that. This island is absolutely stunning! And the people who just stay at that beach next to the ship are missing out on an amazing blessing. I recommend an island tour with Victor Bodden or one of the other independent operators. For very reasonable prices (like $50pp or less), you can get your own driver for the day, and you pick what you want to do. The beaches out on the west end are beautiful, and have amazing snorkeling. The beach right next to the ship may be nice, but it's a plain old ordinary lazy beach day, which you can have at any other port. Use a different port, like Costa Maya or Cozumel, for a lazy beach day. But for Roatan, get out and explore this incredible island.

For the ship, definitely go with the Dream! That has by far been my favorite ship, and it has the most to offer (especially in regards to entertainment) of any Carnival ship, and she has great waterslides. For the ports, the Glory's are definitely better (one of the best 7-day itineraries out there), but the Dream's aren't bad.

If you choose Dream, look into the deluxe oceanview rooms. Those have an extra half-bathroom, which has a sink & junior tub/shower. For a family of 4 in the same room, you may find that the extra bathroom is better than having a balcony, and it would be cheaper. A Glory interior for 4 is a very undesirable setup (for me). I would never do it. I would insist that we either get 2 insides or 1 oceanview, since the oceanview rooms are extremely larger & have a better setup.

I haven't done any of the ship's excursions in St Thomas. With this island, you don't need them for most things. I have gone to 2 different beaches on St Thomas on one trip. 3 hours at Magens Bay, followed by 3 hours at Sapphire Beach. We had 11 hours in port, so we still got back to the ship in plenty of time.

I also agree that St John is an amazing island, and Trunk Bay is spectacular. St Thomas & it's beaches are also quite amazing, but St John is actually even better. If you do opt for St John, then I highly recommend going over there on your own. It's very easy to do, with a small amount of easy research. We were over there at Trunk Bay, seeing the ship's excursions arrive & then have to leave 30-45 minutes later. Meanwhile, we got to stay for several hours & fully enjoy the beach instead of being rushed.

OP, let us know the hours that you will be in St Thomas. It's hard to say if you'll have enough time for 2 excursions without knowing how long you'll be there. At most ports, they don't schedule excursions to start later in the day, after other tours have already returned. Exceptions would certainly be where you have a very long time in port, or perhaps a time in port such as 1pm-10pm, where a sunset sail might begin around 6pm. I had one of those scheduled for Cozumel, before the port got cancelled on that sailing, and then they stopped having those 8am-10pm port times in Cozumel.