Grandmaanne7

As with many islands snorkeling and day sails are the main activities. Any other interests? Off the beaten path beach (with no amenities) like Hull Bay, or a busy vibe like Coki Beach? Other ideas include taking the red hook ferry to St. John and taking an island tour with a beach stop, and there's a zip line on st Thomas. Much depends on your time in port and how many others are in port with you.

We will be there 8:00 to 5:00 with 3 other ships in port (over 16,000 passengers!!!). Do you have any specific recommendations due to that fact?

I think that's an old generic marketing blurb descriptive that hasn't been updated to reflect some recent (and not so recent) changes.

 

 

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That is my thought. I was just hoping that maybe things have been added with the new pricing structure since we will be in our first Concierge cabin on our next cruise.

In checking out the new promotion today, I found this on the Celebrity website when looking at Concierge cabins:

"Concierge Class

Designed for the traveler who settles in nicely to veranda staterooms where little details make a big difference. Savor unexpected delights such as evening hors d'oeuvres, luxury bedding, fresh fruit and flowers and priority restaurant seating."

Perhaps the "priority restaurant seating" means window seats or not having to wait with a pager? But I definitely remember reading that the flowers were gone. Any ideas?

Try the Feb. 6th cruise. It is still at the same price that we booked many months ago, however, the Feb. 13th has risen by over $400. I'm assuming that Feb. 20th did as well. Sure glad we locked in when we did.

Yes. All OBC will be used before anything is debited from any other form of payment.

Yes. You'll see plenty of waiters walking about. Loved the one on the Eclipse who used to balance the tray on her head.

Yes! She was amazing! Lots of waiters to bring you a drink but you can also carry your own in.

I just checked my invoice for my upcoming cruise. It is the "Guest Copy" of a Celebrity invoice sent to my TA. On the line for Gratuities there is a "0" and it is marked as "Included". This was purchased with the 123Go promotion. I hope that helps.

Just thought I would come back and post our experience. DH dropped us off at the port with all the luggage and headed to the airport to drop off the rental car. Because we were a little later leaving than anticipated that morning and there was a tragic accident along the way that held us up over an additional hour, we arrived almost 2 hours later than we had planned. Still he was at the baggage claim by 1:55 p.m. He waited until 2:45 and still no Carnival rep. He began asking around and was told that the last Carnival shuttle had already left. He scrambled and found a Supershuttle rep who drove him quickly to the port. He was one of the last passengers to board! The next day, we took all our documentation, including the supershuttle receipt to Guest Services. They apologized and credited our account the amount of the shuttle. They also guaranteed us there would be no issue on the way to the airport at disembarkation to pick up another rental car, which there wasn't.

Although all worked out in the end, I'm not sure we would do it this way again unless there was absolutely no other option. The stress was immense for us waiting to see if he would make it onboard and for him while waiting for the shuttle that never arrived.

Was there a fridge in the rooms? We have OV's. Thanks!

We had 2 OVs. No fridge in either cabin. We brought in a bucket from the bucket of beer and the steward kept it full the rest of the cruise! Worked just fine for us. Enjoy!!

Thanks OP. Just ordered for my cruise leaving in 2 days. Wasn't sure if they would honour it so close to departure but got the confirmation email so looks like they will. :)

How do you know what time to meet them? We are flying into Galveston the night before our cruise and then were planning on taking transfers from the airport to the cruise terminal the next morning. Just wondering how we know what time.

:confused:

I was told that the shuttles start (at Jacksonville airport) at 10:00 a.m. and run every 20 - 30 minutes so just meet the rep at baggage claim anytime after 10:00. Should be similar for most ports. You could call to get more specific info if you wish.

Thanks everyone. I have been assured by a Carnival rep that all is well. DH has to meet the shuttle driver by the baggage claim to get on the shuttle. Fingers crossed :o

We have booked an airport transfer for DH as he will be dropping off the rental car at the airport and then picking one up after the cruise. We have now received 2 emails from Carnival asking us to purchase airport transfers but highlighting the words that there is no guarantee that we will be picked up if we do not provide our airline information. When I first called Carnival, they said that it was due to our having put incorrect airline info in (we are flying into one airport, driving to pick up a family member and then driving on to the airport closest to the cruise departure). I will be calling Carnival again today as we received another of their emails last night. It seemed the best choice as taxi rates were much higher than the transfers and even our TA thought it was a good idea. Has anyone ever had to do this? Were there any problems?

I agree that Celebrity offers a more refined cruise. Food is a bit better and, although Carnival's service is usually quite good, Celebrity's is excellent. We have a cruise coming up on Carnival next week. I am anticipating a good cruise however, my expectations are lowered somewhat.

The beach is not spectacular by any means. But it is a beach. It is close to the port and an excellent way to cool off on a hot day.

My best deal was a 4-day Ladies' Cruise on the Sensation with my 4 DDs and my sister. We had 3 OV cabins side by side for $42 per night per person. We had a blast!

They had the usual small wrapped hand soap as well as a dispenser in the shower with shampoo and body soap. There was a hairdryer in the bathroom, but it has practically zero power. I would definitely pack your own bath products and a dryer. Also, bring a power strip. I forgot this time and what a pain. There is only one outlet in the room. So only one phone could charge at a time and one blow dryer at a time made everything so much longer! Bringing a clock is great too for those times you wake up and just want to glance at the time. Just some little tips that make a big difference!

Thanks for the prompt reply! DH sleeps with a CPAP machine so we have to have an extension cord. We make it a power strip to add the extra outlets. I'll bring our bath products. Thanks again for all your work and time put into this review. It has provided lots of information and excitement for many of us boarding the Fascination soon (like 18 days soon:eek::D:eek::D)

I haven't been on Carnival in over a year so just wondering what the bathroom products are like now. Is there still shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and body lotion provided? Of course, you were in a suite so things might be different in our OV cabin. I know I have to bring my hair dryer. Any info would appreciated.

We did Sensation in early November and it was lovely! My sister and I found places and time to just sit and catch up. My daughters (in their 20's and 30's) found lots to do. We all had lots of fun and good food to eat. We snorkeled in Freeport and wandered the port and had some beach time in Nassau. Any cruise is a good cruise IMHO. Go for it!

Thank you so much for doing this. Your pictures were great and I'm doubly excited now for our upcoming jaunt on Fascination. Lovely shot of you and DD! :)

Only been there once for a few hours and planning to go back next month. We just sat on our towels and enjoyed the water and scenery. You're probably better off asking on the Bahamas board. I'm sure there is lots of current info there.

I was looking at an aerial view of the Hilton on google maps. It looks there's a really large beach just west of the Hilton, right next to Fat Tuesday's. Does anyone know if that's a free beach area?

Yes. That's Junkanoo beach. Totally free and not bad for a few hours.

I agree that slot pulls can be a lot of fun. It's also great for getting to know your fellow CC members. I've only been in one (on a Celebrity ship) and the casino gave us lots of prizes to distribute so even though we didn't make any money on the slots, many of us came out ahead.

FWIW - I don't have problem with this being on the Carnival board. It's cruise related, no matter what line. Have fun before, during and after your cruise!

Thanks Kimnicki! How kind of you to let us tag along on your cruise. It helps build the excitement for our own next month. Glad you're enjoying so far. I hope the good weather keeps up for you. Have a great cruise!!

I agree with Donny-Joe. Pretty easy to find. Safe walk other than broken sidewalks. (Don't trip! :eek:)