MrsZee

if any of you cruised during Christmas before, can you remember what Christmas movies were shown?

I'd like to find a Grand Cayman excursion that includes stingray city, the turtle farm, and time at the beach. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Does anyone remember their port hours for babysitting? We will likely be sailing with a one year old on the Magic as well and realize that there will not be any shows/dinners alone... but I would like to use the port babysitting just to go use the pool for a couple hours.

Sorry, I was going by a schedule posted on the Cruise Diva website, no idea when it was last updated. Glad to hear they are adding some to the Fascination then.

To add: Disembarkation at Jacksonville was the best I have ever dealt with. The people on board the ship called too many zones at once, so we were all crowded in waiting to get off. But, once we got off the ship, we were out in ten minutes. So easy to find your luggage in the huge area they provide.

A hint for disembarkation, once they call your zone, if they call 4-5 zones at once, just hang back for about 30 minutes. Everyone in those zones heads downstairs into this small area and it is crowded, hot and miserable. I imagine if you can wait until just before they call the other zones, you would be in a much situation.

So glad to finally have found this thread -- I'll be making my first trip on the Fascination next year, after 3 sailings on the Fantasy, so I am quite interested in what's unique about her from the others in the class.

 

I see that the safes use the credit card and not a code.

 

Here are some other questions I have:

 

1. Is Faster to the Fun (FTTF) available?
   
2. What Fun 2.0 upgrades are on board, and where are they? I keep seeing deck plans that don't show any.
   
3. Which dining room has the Anytime Dining (my DH has difficulty walking so this affects cabin selection for us)
   
4. What are the main two shows? Hopefully not Ticket to Ride & Nightclub Express.
   
5. Any particular tips or threads about the Jacksonville port?
   

I'm sure I'll have more questions as we get closer. Thanks in advance!

Just got off the Fascination last week so I can answer your questions.

The safe does use cards, but I could not get any gift card to work. The safe specifically said to use a credit card or drivers license but I had read on here that any gift card would do. But, it would not work. So, I ended up using my drivers license and keeping the license under stuff in a drawer.

I do not believe that Faster to the Fun was available, but I may have bought it if it was. Embarking, Disembarking, tendering, etc were the worst parts of the trip. That's expected though, with everyone trying to get on or off at once.

There are no Fun 2.0 upgrades on the Fascination and it isn't scheduled to get them any time soon.

I was in the Imagination Dining room right by the entrance. As I didn't see people coming in and out as they please, I am going to guess the Your Time Dining was in the other one.

The shows were "Hey Mambo", a latin music show that was painfully boring, and "Not Yet Over", an 80's show that was a lot of fun. People were excited about that one and got to their seats 30-45 minutes early. It is hard to see in a lot of places in the theater, so get there early.

Jacksonville port- park in the 8$ lot and use their shuttle. They are fast and a lot cheaper. I will say, though, they will tell you not to get a porter and just tip your driver because everything was included. But, then we get to the port and the guys unload our luggage from the van and expect us to haul it all from the van to the luggage area. So, I hired the porter that the driver said was "bothering us". He wasn't bothering me, he saved me a lot of hassle. We drove and had a kid, it felt like we packed half our house with us. The porter was great! And he got the tip.

As for embarkation, get there early or prepare to wait. But really, there is not much else you can do. 2000 something people are waiting to get on all at once. It's gonna take some time. Security was a breeze though.

APDMOM, I hope the weather and time works out for you to take pics of our sailing. :) We will be on the Fascination this coming Saturday (the 13th) and our Meet and Greet are gonna stand back on the starboard side of the Verandah deck and look for you.

Denvan, you should join our roll call! http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1595319

Will you take requests? We are sailing out Oct 13th, I would love pics of the ship leaving. :)

Loved your review, btw!

Sylphy, I noticed those pics are from Flickr. Do you mind if I see the rest of your album from your trip? Thanks :)

Fantastic!

Thank you so much for those pictures! I was wondering if I would be able to get a lounger out there. Did you have the lounger AND the two regular chairs?

I will keep it in mind, I've been looking for a group cruise. But, there are life events that might get in the way... I'll bookmark it and see what kind of group rates you can get. :)

I'd like to know about the sun/shade on the fantasy class aft balconies if someone would chime in, please. :)

Can we bring this thread back? Anyone have any new pictures? :)

I have to ask what you did to get so much love from John Heald and Rissa! :) I

May I have it as well? I have a friend that does all my embroidery. Thanks so much! aprilzark at gmail dot com.

Ouch! Ladies, can't we be nice to each other?

No kidding, that was uncalled for.

I bet Steve and Kim are thrilled that you took those pictures of them. Probably much better than the ship's photographer!

If I had know this was going on, I would have made sure to be the knucklehead in the window... but then you might have had to blurr me out of the shot or something :cool:

HAHAHA, before you said that I didn't see the guy photo bombing her in the background. LOL

You're at least the 5th person that has said you'd love to cruise with me on this thread alone.

 

Makes me really stop to consider the idea of putting together a group cruise and doing a couple of free photography workshops as a perk for being part of the group. Curious to see if other people think this would be a good idea. :-)

lol, YES! Wanna cruise the Magic this October? :-p

I'm still on page 7, but had to cooment that you are using the camera of my DREAMS and the fact you have even better at home leaves me drooling. I'd kill to cruise with you and pick your ear!

You are an absolutely fantastic photographer. And your pictures were so much higher quality than the ship's photo of the group together. I bet the chef would love some copies of those if you can somehow get in touch with him.

There have been no recent upgrades, her refit was in 2008. They changed quite a bit, but most notably the waterpark, flat screen tvs, the serenity deck, etc.

Yes they charge. I think I paid 24 dollars plus a connect fee for an hour.