KimmyinLA

11 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

See post #45 on the link below

 

Thank you! That schedule is very helpful. I just found your trip thread and was reading it last night but I stopped right at the La Cucina menus... So I had just missed it. Very much appreciated that you'd post such detailed info!

Thank you for the suggestions everyone! 

What's the gym like besides treadmills, elliptical, & bikes? Are there any classes? (I tried to search the board but I can't seem to do it on mobile.)

Anyone know if Joy offers Truly or White Claw type of lower calorie alcohol options? 

Also, can someone explain how the basic drink package works? I'm confused by 'unlimited' but the $15 cap?

We're not big drinkers so it doesn't matter much but wondering how it works.

4 hours ago, wheezedr said:

We spend lots of time there as I love all the hands on stuff.  4 hours would be a reasonable length of time.  It would give you a chance to do lots of activities but not overwhelm anyone.  Enjoy, we love it as adults.

Thanks so much. This gives us a good idea of how to loosely plan our day.

Came across this next door to a new restaurant I was trying. Wonder what they actually do here? They get an A rating!

Thank you everyone. These are all great suggestions. I did not know about the Musee Mechanique so we will add it to our stop! Should we expect to spend about 3-4 hrs at the Exploratorium? Longer? Shorter? 

Considering you only need a one way tix, it's not that much of a diff to save yourself the time and hassle of going directly to YVR. 

For ours, it was maybe less than a $10 difference for our dates. Just watch the flights and book as soon as you see a good price (anything under $80 for a ns is great, imo).

It's also a bit cheaper if you book your hotel at the same time if you're using one of the big booking sites like expedia or orbitz. 

We have the full day in port. Kiddo is pretty easy going and enjoys most things. Any suggestions for a fun way to spend the day as a family? Does not necessarily have to be "kid-centric."

Thank you. Very helpful!

Hi, I found your thread via search and am wondering if you still happen to have photos available? The photo links seem to be broken.

Cheers!

We have cruised twice in the larger Yacht Club cabins on MSC Divina. First time in 16034 and the second time in 15030. In the 15030 cabin we could from time to time hear doorslamming from a crewentrance door on the deck below. The door connected the bar in the Solarium with the SPA section. No slamming in the night though. No noise from above in cabin 16034. These cabins are very large and comfy, highly recommended:) We have booked one on our next cruise, on MSC Preziosa:) Go for it.

 

Some photos from 16034 on MSC Divina.

 

 

 

 

Vwrestler, thank you for your post. That is pretty reassuring. As I'm sure you're aware already, there's still a big population out there who don't really understand the difference between an allergy and an intolerance or preference.

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I didn't know there was a special needs forum. That sounds like a great idea.

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KjMommy-- we're on the Sept 14 departure and Sept 22. Absolutely! What I've learned through this experience with my son is that it's tough to really understand the nuances unless you're directly dealing with a food allergy. So I'm more than happy to share what we experience. Fwiw, we will be packing as much as possible. I should just buy stock in Enjoy Life.

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Thanks all. We have good insurance & trip insurance. Let's hope we don't have to use either!

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Thank for the helpful input. Sounds like we'll be able to get by. I will be sure to arrange notes before hand as well as meet the maître d at beginning of the cruise.

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Ranyw, How did they make the fries? My son can't have most ff because most restaurants fry other battered items in the oil. And yes, the coating is a big issue for us too. And those sneaky "spices" add another level of confusion. Mine is ana to wheat, eggs, sesame, pn & tn too. Then he has a list of oddball foods that we're unclear whether it's allergy vs intolerance (stone fruits, strawberries, melon, certain beans).

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Thank you. I did not know they had a department I could contact.

We *always* carry multi epi-pens & plenty of Benedryl.

My concern was whether they understood food allergies enough that a new pan is used vs just wiping down a used one. Some (many) restaurant workers haven't been trained in allergy vs intolerance and so we always error on the side on caution on land. Then, the whole gf fad adds another level of confusion for workers.

We will be packing most of his snacks & foods such as cereal, sunbutter & jelly & special bread so we can always have a back-up sandwich. But I wasn't sure whether they could prepare a piece of protein & a veggie with regards to x-contamination.

I'm not too concerned about kids club bc we prob won't leave him unattended. He knows that he can only eat safe foods we give him. He goes to preschool and obviously there's plenty of potential exposure but we work with the caregivers so they know to be aware.

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Joey, as much as I'd like to place him In a bubble, well...that's just not likely. Just curious, are you speaking from experience or having traveled with someone who needed some accommodating?

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We will be doing b2b on the Freedom. Our 3 yo son has life threatening food allergies (multiple and not simple).

While we will try to pack most of his food, we obviously don't want him eating only processed items.

Does anyone know if there is someone we can work with to request and get a few simple foods. Ex chicken breast without any seasoning and no cross-contamination (meaning it can't be cooked in a pan or grill used for other foods). Also, we would just need some fruit but again, cross contamination would be a huge worry unless he only ate bananas.

And lastly, his options are very limited but he can have oatmeal (certified gf). Would they microwave it for us or is it poss to ask for a small microwave in our room?

His allergies are life-threatening. He's gone into anaphylactic shock several times. One of those times was cross-contamination (it really is just a tiny bit of protein from an allergen food).

This will be our first cruise with him and I am a bit nervous. Does anyone have any helpful advice on how to approach Carnival about this?

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Thanks for a great review. We just booked this itin for next month. We have very little time to research and plan so this was helpful. Just a few questions:

1. How much is the fast pass to get on? You said it was worth it?

2. What's the 10deck secret door? (I sincerely apologize if this was already explained as I have been speed reading your review. Love the pics!)

3. The Hyatt pool-- is that something you pay for to use? We are traveling with our 3 yo. He's a good traveler but he's still 3. Which means we will likely not plan too much and go with however the day goes.

4. Any other Freedom/Carnival secrets we should def know about? We have never done Carnival so we're looking forward to it.

Again, thanks!

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Navgal,

Hi, I'm interested in hearing about your tour. We booked with the "pirate" and didn't realize it until now.

My emails with him have left me with more questions than answers.

What was it about him/his tour that made you enjoy it?

Thanks!