terri-eddie

do they have hair dryers in each cabin

We sailed on the Breeze a couple of years ago, and there was a hair dryer wired into the top desk drawer. Be prepared, though....it was very, very weak. I have short, thin hair and it still took forever to dry! You might want to consider bringing your own, if you have long or thick hair.

Thanks for all of the great information!!!

In addition to the coffee, tea, and water - do they also serve juice at breakfast and lemonade at lunch? Or is that only if you have Bubbles.

At breakfast, you can get juices from the self-serve dispensers in the Lido buffet, or in the MDR. There's apple, orange, and my personal favorite....orange-guava-passion fruit!

Iced tea and lemonade are also available from the self-serve dispensers at lunch....the morning juice selections "disappear" until the next morning!

Also not to be missed.....Carnival's hot chocolate! It is so, so good!

It never hurts to ask! If you do try....please come back and let us know what the response was. Knowledge is power!

It does seem to vary. When I booked our Dec 2017 cruise on the Sunshine, it was Nov 2016 and FTTF was available then, so I grabbed it. Other times, I have had to wait and keep checking for a few months.

Also....do keep checking. The first posting of FTTF is not the only one! Often, additional slots will become available.

Last October I was on the Carnival Sunshine we left the Manhattan Cruise Terminal and did Nova Scotia and then Halifax the next day. I am not a swimmer but there were plenty of people in the pool and hot tub. I didn't need a jacket at all in Nova Scotia. I did have a sweater in Halifax as it was chillier. Everything outdoors seemed to be shipwise the same as the other cruise I've taken to Bahamas. I had the best time walking around Nova Scotia. We just relaxed and shopped and did our own thing and it was fun for me. I'm not a big partier. My friend did a pub crawl excursion and made it back to the shop almost too drunk to get back on board. Lol.

 

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Hello from Nova Scotia! I just wanted to correct a slight error....Halifax is the capital city of Nova Scotia, much like Austin is the capital of Texas. Perhaps you are thinking of St John, New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia? That's two different provinces [which are comparable to American states]. Thank you for visiting our country....I am glad you enjoyed your time with us! Please come again!

The weather in October is usually still very mild. Evenings can be cool....bring a sweater or light jacket. Days, you can usually still wear tshirts and shorts.

You can expect warm, sunny days and slightly cool nights. I always pack a light sweater for evenings. Otherwise, shorts and tshirts and swimsuits are perfect for the days. Of course, there's always a chance of rain or cooler temps, so perhaps bring a light jacket too, and pants.

I'm going on my 1st cruise in December!! I'm so excited and eager to get vacay started so I'm thinking about boarding as early as possible. Ncl's website lets you select your boarding time when you check-in online. Is there any downside to getting on the ship asap? I realize my room won't be ready but I'll bring a carry on with essentials.

 

 

 

Yes. You will have too much time to drink many drinks and eat much more food. Sad but true!

 

 

Seriously.....we board just as early as we possibly can. I love to explore the ship and take photos without crowds of people in all the public spaces. No downside, as far as I can see! Enjoy your cruise!

I'm interested too! We're booked for a night in December this year.

Well, thank you all for weighing in on this! We are Canadians, traveling from Florida [this time it will be Orlando after our Sunshine cruise out of Port Canaveral] and connecting through Newark to Halifax, Nova Scotia. I don't mind paying a fee to print our passes onboard, if it saves us time at MCO....from past experience, that can be a very busy airport!

In my opinion....yes. Here's why. We fly in to our embarkation port a day in advance and spend one night in a hotel. The next day, we usually have to check out before noon. We don't rent a vehicle. Where would we go from noon until 130 or 2pm? We get FTTF so we can take a cab or shuttle to the port around 1030am, check in, wait inside with a/c instead of in a line wrapped around the building outside in the hot sun [yes, we have done that before FTTF was a thing]. Then we can get on the ship while it's still relatively uncrowded, drop off our luggage, have some lunch, and explore the ship and take pictures with fewer people in them!

You have to decide for yourself if it is worth the price. I never try to convince people to do it....because the more people who buy FTTF, the harder it is for me to get it!

They're not going to reduce the rate on a category in which they have no available cabins. That's logical.

However, do keep an eye on higher categories. We once upgraded from a Deluxe Ocean View to a cove balcony....for $200 less than our original price! When I saw it online, I couldn't believe it. I called Carnival and the agent couldn't believe it either, but it was true!

We are not very experienced travelers, so keep that in mind please!

In the past, we've always done our check-in at the counter in the airport, whether we have luggage to check or not. But, I'm seeing a lot of people post about printing their boarding passes on the ship on the last day, before heading to the airport.

If I do that....where do I go in the airport? Can I proceed directly to Customs/Security [provided I have no luggage to check]. Sounds like a good idea to eliminate one line-up at least!

They will make you a whole pizza. I don't think they have boxes. In the past, they've just put the whole thing onto one plate/platter for us.

As for scones....I've never seen them offered anywhere on a ship.

Seven cruises, seven ships. We've won more, but after getting the first one on each cruise, we just don't claim the prize if we win at trivia. In my opinion, if we won and just gave the trophy to the runner-up, it wouldn't mean as much to them. If we just don't mention having the winning score, then the second place winner can feel like the winner!

Where can I find the two bathroom cabins on the Freedom. We accidentally booked one last cruise and it made my cruise! We always get an ocean view and being able to soak for a bit was awesome!!!

They're called Deluxe Ocean View, but they aren't listed separately from the regular Ocean View cabins on deck plans. Not all ships have them. Best advice would be...call Carnival and ask. That's how we got one!

We started taking our daughter on cruises when she was 14. We got her to join the kids group for her age, then she was free to go to activities there, or to meet her new friends in other places [always after asking us first, receiving permission, and finding out where we would be]. We had a firm rule of only gathering in public places, no cabins, and I know she followed that rule because a couple of times when we returned to our cabin for some reason, we found a couple of girls standing in the corridor waiting for our daughter to get something from our cabin....she wouldn't let them come in with her!

We also made sure to have dinner together every evening in the MDR, and she was always with us on shore days.

Oddly, even though she was allowed to spend time with her friends, a lot of the time she "found" us around the ship and spent time with us! It was great!

You have to know your own children, and if they're capable of following your "cruise rules".

We book Interiors when it's just my husband and myself cruising. When we bring our teenage daughter, we book Ocean View....not because of the window, but because we can get a sofa-bed for her instead of a ceiling bunk. The size of the cabin is almost the same in both types, so the only benefit is the window....how much is it worth to you? We find Interiors to be just fine for the two of us, in regard to size and amenities. We don't miss the window when we don't have it.

https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/events

Thanks for the link. Sadly, no launch for us on Nov 30.

Is there a website where you can find out the dates of future launches? Our cruise out of Port Canaveral is in December this year. We're from Canada, and would love to see a launch.

I guess I should clarify.

 

I'm wondering if booking excursions on all three days is okay or if I should spend some time at the ports. Do people prefer excursions over the ports or vice versa. I want to get the most out of our trip but don't want to feel rushed during excursions.

Some ports have lots to see and do right there, with no need to book excursions. Other ports, there's really not much to do unless you go out somewhere. For example, in Grand Turk there's a lovely beach, shopping, Margaritaville with its pool, etc. Freeport, there's really not much.

You should visit the Ports of Call board here on CC and read what others have to say about the various ports. You can also find out about independent tours that are less expensive than the cruise line's, and that often can be tailored to your interests.

Maybe you need to consider a river cruise, with more historical interest than beach.

I used to think I needed a clean shirt for every day, and a different outfit for every evening. Now, I divide the number of days we'll be away from home by 2, and take that many tops and shorts. I also take one black skirt or dress pants for evening, and I divide the number of cruise nights by three to determine how many "fancy" tops to take. For footwear, I bring one pair of "beach" sandals for day wear, and one pair of "fancy" sandals for evenings. I wear sneakers for traveling, so I have them available for walking tours in ports.

I remove medications from bottles and boxes, and put them in baggies which are easier to squeeze into small spaces in your luggage. I stuff small items like socks and underwear into crevices in and around shoes and other bulkier items. Instead of putting all my toiletries in a kit bag, I pack them loose so they can be squeezed into small nooks and crannies.

I carry a cross-body purse that holds all travel documents, plus my wallet, my camera, and my e-reader. I also have a shoulder bag, like a beach bag, to hold my jacket and a few snacks, and my rolling carry-on. My husband carries a laptop bag that can also fit his jacket, and a rolling carry-on. We are both plus-size people, so our clothing items are all larger than regular-sized people, so if we can do it...anyone can!

I can't answer for those specific cabins, but I do know this....not all available cabins show up on the Carnival website when you're trying to book. We found a cabin we thought would suit, then called a Carnival rep. She offered us a different cabin that was closer to our desired area, that wasn't showing as available when we looked. So, it would be in your best interest to call and speak to a live person!

Like many have stated, I don't want to make more work for the very busy crew. But....I like my bed made in the morning, and clean towels ready. And I also look forward to getting a towel animal at the end of each day. So, I'm going to repress my guilt, and ask for twice-daily service. I wish there was a way to request limited evening service, like just the towel animal. I don't need them to turn down my bed or refresh my towels or empty my trash. Just the towel animal, and the funtimes.

My thanks to every one who posted responses to my question....I love this site for the helpfulness of its members.