LaShea

sunrises and sunsets are free too, and some of the most beautiful you will ever see

 

miniature golf, ping pong, karaoke, shuffleboard (yes it does exist, but is very hidden) the gym, the pools, and the water slides.:)

This is so true. We had an amazing sun rise a few days ago. I was taking my daughter to school and we were both commenting on the sun rise. She said...Mom, you know what would make this sun rise even better? If we were on a cruise ship in the open sea.

Of course I said...yes dear it would and I will be in the open sea in just one months time. That's when she told me I was mean and to quit rubbing it in since the kids aren't going on this one.

I am just glad that we have been able to give the kids an opportunity to see those at sea. They are amazing!;):D

The beach towels are included also! Just make sure you bring them back to your cabin after use so they can replace them with clean ones and also so you won't get charged for them.

On our last cruise I was laying out and this young couple were sitting next to me and on their first cruise. They had brought their bath towels out to the pool area. She made a comment to her husband that she hated the small white towels as they didn't fit around her completely. She then said look at all these people paid extra for the blue towels. I quickly told her that the blue towels in her cabin were there for them to use and they would only charge you for them if you didn't bring them back to cabin. I also told her that they will replace the towels everyday after use and you can take them off the ship on your excursions also. Thank goodness it was our first sea day. She was so very relieved after we spoke.

We actually loved Freeport also when we went in 2010. The island is amazing and beautiful. I think we liked it better than Nassau also.:D

I am in the single week category and am starting to get warmed up! 37 days until we sail and I can't wait. :D:D

Happy Sailing!

Ironing on my cruise? Ain't happenin'.

I am with you there! I bring the Downy Wrinkle Release spray with us. A couple of squirts and we are good!! Too each their own though...:p:D:eek:

If I am on a ship with the Mongolian grill, I head there as soon as I drop off my bags and eat as much as I can hold. Then I can ignore the long line that eventually forms for the rest of the cruise.

Too funny...this is exactly what we do!! The lines are insane after the first day.

Looks like we will have Jen Baxter. I've never heard of her. Anyone had her in the past?

She is one of the best Cruise Directors we have ever had! WE will miss her greatly on the Triumph but, we will be sailing again with her on the Freedom out of Galveston. She is so funny and kind...you will really like her.:)

I had the same issue with the 2 night min for this hotel when I was originally booking my trip months ago. Since we are only staying 1 night pre-cruise I originally booked with Caribe Hilton through Expedia. I just happened to be looking yesterday at hotels on Expedia and it popped up as being able to book it. I called Expedia as that is who my reservations for hotel and flights are through and they told me that the hotel is full and I can't change. I then got online for the hotel and saw that I could book it direct through Sheraton. I called the toll free number and booked our room for Saturday, Nov 1, 2014. I called Expedia back and cancelled the Hilton hotel as I have a no fee to cancel with them. I am soooo happy we snagged this hotel. I just think you have to keep looking and when you see it, call them direct and get the room. I looked up prices and everything before I called. They tried to give me a higher price and I told them what I saw on their website and he surprisingly found that rate and I got it for that price.:D

What Carnival does most often is this. After final payment.

 

Choose your cabin=high price

Let us choose (guarantee)=low price

Pack and Go=same as above

Early Saver=left out because you can't price match to guarantee.

Some other kind of promo=usually for new bookings.

 

That's just my experience. Your mileage may vary.

This is exactly what happened on our May cruise after final payment. Luckily, I had already gotten $280 in OBC for our 2 cabins months before final payment came. It was frustrating though because those cabins went for way less and I couldn't price match.

I'm glad to hear about Calabaza Catamaran as we booked them for our cruise in November. They had really good reviews.:D

Oh boy...you are all getting me soooo excited!! We go on the Valor on Nov 2nd and I can hardly wait to go. I can't wait to see these islands. We got an aft ext balcony for this cruise. I don't want to miss a thing!:D

I live in Corpus and believe me I am sure it will happen but, it will most likely be about 5 years or so. They are in the process of constructing a new harbor bridge to allow for bigger ships in the port and that would include cruise ships. It will happen it just takes time.

We do have an international airport in Corpus. It is small but the major airlines and Southwest come here. Southwest is also starting to offer non-stop flights here from Vegas. So, not everyone will have to come through Houston to get here. I actually think United is the only one that comes through Houston. American comes through DFW.

I am positive it will work here but, we need to do some things as a city to be able to have a cruise ship here.

I am so glad you posted pictures of the Caribe Hilton! We are going on this cruise on Nov 2nd and we are staying one night there. I just told my DH he might be in trouble with this hotel as they 2 of all time favorite things in one location...the beach and Starbucks!!! :D:p How awesome is that!

We are leaving on Sunday!! I fully understand your excitement of the single digit dance!:D:p

I think I am going to have to start reading this review at home. This is 3rd time at work someone down the hall has come in asked me what is so funny. :p I can't very well say...this trip review I am reading on Cruise Critic!!:eek::D

I absolutely love this review and I love every word of this review. Do not change a thing in it. I read it exactly as the other 99% of the people read it. You will always have the few people that are offended in anything you do. That is life!:(

I leave next Sunday on the Magic and we are going to these ports so hurry and finish!

I am going to be honest with you...I don't know how you are going to do it with 5 people in an inside cabin. We had the five of us in a Balcony cabin last year on the Triumph and it was doable BUT, we had the balcony that people could escape to. Also, my 3 kids were 8,7 and 3 at the time so the were way smaller than your children. We are going on the Magic in 2 weeks and we ended up splurging for connecting balcony rooms. I would do all 5 of us in a balcony again if we had to...it really wasn't that bad but, if we didn't have the outside space to go to I just don't think that would have worked at all. Your only hope is that the kids are old enough and hopefully they will meet people and not be in the cabin much when you are but to sleep.:eek:

Just googled flights to San Juan Actually. they aren't that bad from Florida where I live! might have to think about this too. Good idea!

We are doing the San Juan cruise in November. I don't think you can get anymore "tropical" than these ports on this cruise. The airfare was actually cheaper for us to fly to San Juan from South Texas than it was to fly to Miami and take the Breeze. That is what actually sold us on this cruise...air fare is cheaper and so was the cruise by hundreds of dollars for the same category as we were looking at on the Breeze.:D

WOW!!! That is a great price to SJU!:D

Yes, the Valor is NOT a Southern itinerary. Southern is Aruba, Curacao, Dominican.

Really wanted to do the Valor, but DH didn't like the fact that there was only one sea day:rolleyes::rolleyes:

We have sucked it up and paid the price!!! :D We were actually going to go on the Breeze out of Miami but, the airfare for us to Miami was hundreds more than to San Juan and the Valor cruise was hundreds less than a cruise on the Breeze for the same category cabin so it was a no brainer for us. We absolutely can't wait. :D:p

To those about to sail the triump:. We sailed her in December and had a wonderful time. Food and service were terrific with few disappointments. Our balcony room was clean, quiet and well maintained. The ship does show a little age but that is to be expected. At the sail away party there were a few people who were having a little too much fun and since our son was with us we played putt putt instead. I've sailed carnival and Disney previously. I would choose disney every time if I could. But financially I can't. I completely respect the OP's review and opinions. I would even agree with some of her observations. I went with fairly low expectations and had a wonderful cruise. Just wanted to give another perspective so no one worries about their future triumph cruise. It certainly isn't Disney, but we didn't spend $4K to step in the ship either! Hope I didn't step in anyone's toes with my comments, definitely not my intentions. I would sail the Triumph again in a hurry if I could:)

I totally agree with this statement. We went on the Triumph in Sept 2013 (3rd time on the ship). We had an amazing time and it was the 4 day cruise we went on...which seems to be more of the party crowd. We never stay around the Lido pool as we know from other cruises that the crazy stuff happens around that pool. We always go to the pool in the back and usually get a chair on the level above the pool to lay out and relax. It is so quiet back there and in 3 cruises on the Triumph I have yet to see any craziness happen by that pool. People having fun sure but, no out right craziness (twerking)! I would love to go on Disney but, since I have 5 people in our family we can't afford it as they do not have balcony cabins to fit 5 so we would either have to get a suite or 2 balconies which was going to cost us $7000 from Galveston. It only cost $3200 on the Magic for 2 balconies. I could go on 2 cruises for the price of one DCL cruise. I would like to go on Princess and RCCL though.

Thank you for the info from Turquoise Bay. I want to go back...possibly in Dec 2015 as I will be turning 40! That would be an amazing day there.:D I absolutely fell in love with Roatan. It is my favorite island to date. We will be going to the Southern Carribean in November so that might change but, it was so very pretty there.

We had to dock at Coxen as it was the first time the Magic had ever gone to Roatan when we were on board and they couldn't get the ship into Mahogany that day.:(

I wouldn't upgrade either even if it was free to do so! The only thing I would upgrade to is an aft wrap balcony. To me and my DH there is no better view on the ship than the back of the ship. You can see everything from there and watching the wake with that turquoise water on sea days is simply amazing.

Have fun on your first cruise!!! They are totally addicting!:p

I don't usually read the personal blogs either but, I am so glad that I read yours! Merry Christmas to you and your family!! I am sure the look on your grandkids faces when they saw Daddy today was priceless.:)

I would love this if I had small children! Dr. Suess was very popular with my kids and me when they were little.

 

Too bad now we have to hear from all the fuddy duddy's on here that will complain that they are getting nothing from this latest announcement and how it will just completely ruin their next cruise :rolleyes:

LOL! I was thinking the same thing.:rolleyes:

I think it is great as I love Dr. Suess and so do my 3 girls. We went on NCL this summer and just for the 5 of us to do the "Pajama Jam" with the characters on board it was $125.00. $5.00 per person is way more reasonable in my books. We are already having to fork over thousands to go on the cruise for 5 of us so to have to pay an extra $125.00 for breakfast was pretty expensive. My kids had a blast but, I will never do it again for that price. When we got off that cruise they all 3 asked when we were going again on Carnival. They really didn't like that cruise and we didn't either to be honest. So, we have 2 more Carnival cruises booked. Some people will never be happy!:(

I hope it is good as I am ready to save some money since I just booked the Magic for all 5 of us. If I could save on the kiddos that would be great.:D:p

I know it doesn't make you happy as you wanted to book her but, it makes me happy as we want to go in June 2015 with the kids. I wonder what upgrades (other than the back up systems that they did on the Triumph) they are going to do to the Magic.