evandbob

I found the best snorkeling in MoBay was on Doctor Caves' Beach, down the street (or sand) from M'ville. If you swim out past the raft, you'll find a U shaped reef with live corals and lots of small and colorful fish. Very easy to access from the beach front.

The airports in Galveston (just like Orlando to Canaveral) are a long way from the port, so cab or Uber may not be doable cost wise. Many take the shuttle the cruiseline offers. If hiring a van, ask the driver to stop along the way and up the tip to compensate for the extra time. Otherwise meet at the port and divvy up the soda there. Make sure they have left space for it!

If fares are similiar, Azamara wins, no problem. We'll be on the Legend in an extended balcony when it sails to the Norway fjords this June, so we're not biased against it, but Azamara is so much classier than Carnival and their food I hear is superb..

This excursion was in the Dolphinarium, a short van ride arranged by the activity from the ship's port. It's about 2 hours long, so if you do it in the AM, you can stay at the beach of the hotel or go elsewhere. We did it on our 20th or 25th visit to Coz. The Chef was quite funny, the food good, and you can get the recipes sent to your home email. Some do it just for the drinking part. Whether it's this activity or a short catamaran sailing, if it's a ship excursion you won't have to worry about missing the ship, but if you do, it's their responsibility to get you to the next port. If you go off on your own and not use the van to return to the port, then you are on your own.

I recall that the libraries on Conquest class ships were usually somewhat busy with kids and adult pax playing board games and cards. They also schedule Friends of Bill (and sometimes Friends of Jimmy) for private functions in the libraries. As mentioned, the piano bar and disco are empty during the day, as are the small rooms outside of the 4th deck entrance to the mid ship MDR, right around the corner from the library.

No, the noisy doors are at the other end of the corridor, balcony cabins 11284 on port side and 11285 on starboard are the closest. https://www.carnival.com/cruise-ships/carnival-horizon.aspx?gclsrc=aw.ds&&CID=PSearch_A_G_&SE=Google&KW=DSA&CM=CCL_IMCS_EN_US_Search_Participate_DKWS_DSA_BMM&AG=DSA_General&gclid=CjwKCAiA5o3vBRBUEiwA9PVzamht0_aS1RrBZY-Vh774bokP0rqjtzqsPJkddQvp_EL6sO-h-ZXAMhoCTNUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

We had a balcony on the 11th deck, away from the doors that open to the main pool area. They get slammed shut all day and night long. We were just opposite the elevators and stairs, easy access. Partial covered balcony gave us shade if we wanted it. Don't forget to pick up the exfoliant kit from the spa desk, it won't be in the room and you do have to request it in person.

Always nice to hear that good deals can be had. Good for the OP. On Wednesday, I called my TA about an 11 night partial Canal transit with 2 ports in Columbia since final payment was coming due. I got a deal that saved me 30% on a minisuite and was quite happy with that.

These "standard safety features" we come to expect in the US were mostly brought about through legislation and government regulations, not as a by product of capitalism. Car makers used to moan and groan about the nanny state and added cost of adhering to the regs for safety belts, air bags, collision impact absorbing zones, etc. Even the little triangle on the fuel gauge that shows which side of the car the gas tank cover is on was the result of government regs. Sure, we all like to criticize big govt as interfering in our lives with unnecessary rules, but when those safety items we take for granted aren't there, we're ready to raise heck about their lack. Go figure.......

Per Carnival's FAQ's: Items for Port Use Only The following items may be brought on board, but can be used off the ship, while in port only. All items must be stored in the guest’s stateroom. Drone Snorkel gear Segways Skateboards Golf clubs Fishing rods Tennis rackets Kites Roller blades or skates Metal detectors Beach chair Umbrella

If the OP is booking a balcony, it may be best to check the deck plans and not reserve a cabin directly over the hot tubs on deck 5. There's usually a bit of noise coming from them and it might be a detraction from enjoying the balcony's benefits. Probably better to book deck 8 or higher while in between the hot tub locations.

I booked our one and only 4 day cruise just as an experiment for Evelyn to try sailing and see how she re-acted. Her fear of being seasick had kept her from ever cruising, so I sailed solo for a few years until she came around to trying it. Now we book 10 day or longer sailings as we look at a week long cruise as too short. We did a 15 day TA back in May, will be doing a Norway fjord 9 day this June, and a 2 week round Cape Horn and the Straits of Magellan in 2021.

There is an outline of a "body" on the outside exit of the body scanner that will indicate by a red "X" or similiar the approximate location of internal or external metal that the machine can detect. In my case, I've seen the red "X" on my right hip, where my cobalt and chromium hip implant is located. That's where I usually get a pat down from the officer on duty. I haven't seen an "X" or other indicator in the middle of my back or torso where I have 3"titanium screws and even longer rods scaffolding my spinal column, and I don't get that area wanded or patted down. Just my experience (and I fly often). YMMV.

Good luck with your self up sell!

The report said a collision. So sad. I was on the Celebrity Summit when an independent tour bus slid off the road in the rain in Tortola. There were 2 fatalities and Capt Kate kept us all informed about the condition of the injured. That was one way to keep rumors and misinformation to a minimum.