AmativeDame

I had this concern previously when we had our cruise on courtesy hold. They did the form for me and told me it was pending but it wasn't showing online when I went to pay or check. Have you called and asked? They had the correct balance when I called but not on the website.

Thanks to those of you that took the time to provide the great feedback - although I've taken 17 Carnival cruises and I travel extensively for business this has never happened to me before. Lining suitcase with plastic and buying the waterproof types was great feedback which I will definitely do.

 

For those with the other comments......if you look at my original posts and any of my past posts I think I was a bit misunderstood so if I did not communicate this well I apologize.

 

I wasn't "blaming" Carnival or the port or anyone. I did not realize they did not house the baggage in a covered shelter as I know if rains frequently in Miami. This is not my first cruise out of Miami in the rain but this was the first time with this experience and my cabin mates suitcase was fine. I was really just asking for advice on whether I should contact Carnival - not trying to blame anyone. To those that took it otherwise my apologies. It was just a bit of an annoyance to have to deal with the first couple hours of the cruise. I brushed it off and had a great time. Thanks again to those that took the time to give me some constructive ideas for future cruises. Much appreciated!

As someone who has worked in customer service for a long time, I would really give carnival a call or email them. You were told they would comp it, so they should. You were likely not the only one with the issue, so this is something they may know about. How far you go to get the refund is up to you. Unless it's a large number I doubt you will get any push back at all. Small numbers are usually worth refunding to keep a customer happy, and obviously a happy customer will cruise again.

One could also say that Carnival may care about how often this happens to its customers, so calling to complain could just be one more complaint needed for action to be taken. Carnival may not care, but I have worked with a relatively large corporation before.... and sometimes you just need the numbers to validate an issue.

I have ordered shoes from them, but for clothes and shoes I stick with brands I know. Like others have mentioned you usually can't return, zulily is a middleman ... so they don't have a warehouse in the back where they could just send a new size. I waited almost 5 months for the shoes I ordered earlier this year so you need to make sure you look at their shipping estimates.

I have gotten some goods deals but sometimes they are not the cheapest (sometimes the manufacturer is actually cheaper!) You do need to shop wisely there.

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Was looking at the amope, don't know if you are buying online or not but the amope seems to run 30-39.99 online and in stores. Refills are 12-15 for two and they only have one type. (I like the fine ones sometimes because they make them super smooth. That would be a downside for me.)

Emjoi is $19.99-35 online depending on where you look. Just figured I would throw that out there.

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I have the emjoi micro-pedi (battery version.) I love mine, I buy the super course version of the refills for when I have calluses as it will remove them very quickly. I then use the normal grit to smooth it up and keep it smooth a couple times a week. If you do have heavy calluses you are going to need to expect to go through at least one if not normal refills . (on any of these devices, as the more you use it the smoother it gets and the less effective it will be.)

I really suggest you look into refills before you buy, because if they are hard to get or are expensive you may not use it much. I like my emjoi because refills ship free and range about $10 a piece/20 for two.

I bought mine about 3 years ago, before they came out with a rechargeable version. It seems like most of the others work on the same principle .

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I had the same problem with loose rings and solved it by adding a very, very narrow plain gold band in the outside that it the right size. The weddings band and engagement ring still wiggle around, but can't slip off. They are stopped by the small band.

That's a great suggestion! Everyone had suggested one of those plastic ring resizers but my engagement and wedding band are very narrow. Wore my new fashion set for a couple days and it fits fine so I will get mine real resized. My jeweler will size up or down at no cost, but I was worried I would need to do size it up again.

I will say, I am happy I picked up the other set. Its a lot more flashy than I expected but DH loves and I will be glad to have one less thing to worry about.

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I think I can see where you are coming from with those. I think they are kinda of cute but they are way down there on the casual scale. Clarks may be your best bet if you want fashion sandals or orthaheel for flip flops. Sadly I have found that some of the best supportive sandals are sport styles because they are made for that kind of wear. Cute ones are out there but harder to find and not cheap.

You mention that those sandals work and so do some of your other shoes. Could be that they are all supportive and provide cushioning? Are they stable on your foot (ie, do you have to work to keep your foot in them?) It looks like that particular pair could be doing all of those things. Your milage may vary, but I have realized over time that the less I make my feet have to work for the shoes the better I feel. This is why my podiatrist in the past tried to tell me I only took part of it to heart. When I gave up the flip flops like they told me to (unless they fit really really well and then only for small periods) my feet felt a million times better.

If you are looking now, you should be able to get some good deals since it is the end of the season. You might have some great options locally as well, just look for something with good built in arch support. Sometimes it hard to find but I can get lucky sometimes. You might also have some luck adding a 3/4 length insole into an existing pair. I have put in some thin velcro in a lot of my Mom's sandals for her PF. It works for her, and unless the inside of the shoes is very flat its usually not noticeable at all unless you are looking for it.

Meant to add: these are my go to sandals for work and I've worn them all over on vacation. I buy some version of these version of these almost every year. Definitely not "mountian man!"

I don't have pf, but I do have issues with my toes that shortens the tendons in my feet so I have to look for a lot of the things that you do (I cannot wear anything without good arch support for example.) I have to have something that is sturdy (so most flip flops don't work for me) but as someone who is only 28, I find a lot of the orthopedic stuff absolutely ugly. Would you be able to give an example of what you have that you find unattractive? It would give me an idea of what you don't want! lol Is it just that you find them clunky? Is it a sport type sandal? Or do you just want something more dressy or fashion forward?

I do have to be honest - most of the time I do spend $75-150. In my experience, good arch support means a quality shoe and they tend to not come cheap.

Some of my go to brands are clarks, merrell, and orthaheel and occasionally Earth shoes. I used to buy orthaheel a lot but I have found them to be less comfortable for some reason lately. My last pair of flip flops only lasted a season and some of their more study pairs don't have a loop closure for the velcro and I find that annoying. If you want budget orthaheel I recommend, QVC. I believe they have some QVC only styles and they are priced lower. 6pm also has some good deals at times too. In the past I have also worn Earth shoes but they seem to be moving away from stylish orthopedic to just fashion. They used to be my go to brand for flip flops.

Clarks will give you some more attractive styles, sometimes Merrell as well. They tend of have more arch support than some other brands, but it can vary from style to style.

I was actually wondering this too, has anyone ever been?

I actually just purchased an inexpensive bridal set from Amazon the other day to wear on our cruise.

Personally, I am not overly worried about someone stealing my ring but I am worried that I might loose them. My set is pretty loose on my finger, and I really need to get them sized down a half of a size but I have been concerned that I might need to turn around and get it sized up again because sometimes they do swell. They have ended up in the sink in hand washing once or twice and since they are so loose I do end up taking them off for lotion/sleep a lot of the time. I don't want to worry about them coming off in water or loosing them in the bed or who knows where else. I had only planned on picking up a cheap stainless steel wedding band, but Amazon had some cute steel sets w/CZ's and he felt I should get one. For $17, it certainly wasn't a big investment.

Hi fellow Kentuckian! I shop for similar things for my DH. If you are looking for basic reasonable shirts and shorts online I tend to look at old navy and kohl's for basics. These aren't novel suggestions but they tend to offer some great prices when things go on sale and/or on clearance. If you are looking for brands, I recommend Hautelook if you haven't tried them already. Sometimes can find some great deals at sierra trading post (depending on what you want), and 6pm might be worth a shot as well.

In store, I have been having some really great luck shopping kohls clearance in store for the past year. I recently picked up 2 tank tops, 2 swim trunks, and 5 new pairs of shorts and 4 new shirts for under $100. My DH is hard to shop for size wise and I have had a lot of success recently. while I don't know what they would have in stock at this point (I went the last two weeks) they had a TON of everything in pretty much every size.

I'm not familiar with the first 4 on your list - hopefully a local will respond.

 

MIA ES is often suggested and I believe includes a "free" shuttle for two to POM, plus the standard big rooms, breakfast and happy hour :D perks. Hotel is sort of isolated with no shopping/dining options nearby unless you drive.

 

Hampton Inn Blue Lagoon is very popular with cruisers and is across the street from a local strip mall with fast food, dining and shopping (grocery, drug and liquor :D stores). I've seen some reports that their package includes round trip shuttles to/from POM - saving you a $25-30 cab ride back to your car.

 

Of these 2 I would choose ES if travelling as a couple and Hampton if travelling as a family.

Thank you, the input about the ES and the Hampton Blue Lagoon really helps actually! Both of those do offer a one way transfer to port.

The Holiday Inn does offer the round trip shuttle (but since finding the shuttle in port canaveral was a nightmare I don't know that I really want to deal with a shuttle back.)

I was wondering if anyone could help me with deciding on a pre-cruise stay in Miami in January? I was able to find a list of various places in the Miami area that offer some kind of park and stay or park and cruise. They all have 3-4 star rated on some other sites so I am having a hard time choosing.

Location isn't a big deal for me, but budget is. A lot of the well-recommended places I found that were mentioned recently are showing around $300-500 a night, and I don't want to spend quite that much. I don't necessarily need anything within walking distance, and depending on how the weather is in January I am not sure we may be up to much sightseeing once we get in Saturday night. Shuttle to or from isn't a big deal, my experience trying to find our shuttle in port canaveral was a nightmare. Having round trip or one way transfer isn't a big deal or selling point.

Does anyone happen to have any experience with any of these? I am going to list the current rates that I have found for park and stay and/or park and cruise in case it might help anyone else.

Element Miami ($180 - AAA Cruise)

Hilton Garden Inn Miami Airport West ($204)

Holiday Inn Miami-International Airport (P&G $251, Sail Away $269)

Hampton Inn Miami-Coconut Grove/Coral Gables ($265)

Embassy Suites Miami - International Airport ($279)

Hampton Inn & Suites Miami-Airport South-Blue Lagoon ($289)

The price at the Element is really tempting, same with the Hilton Garden Inn. We live somewhat close to the airport here in Louisville so I am not super concerned about noise. I am pretty sure I have seen the two Hampton Inns mentioned a bit frequently here. Would the locations be worth the cost?

Going to avoid the whole sizing debate here, but I wanted to chime in that there is a similar site called Gwynnie Bee that does sizes 10-32. They sadly do not have evening dresses but I find the concept really interesting. They do have some really neat dresses and pieces from designers that I never knew existed. Might have to give it a shot for our next cruise.

Do you stain your shower at home? That's the first I've heard of such a thing, unless you're using Kool-aid or something like that! What are you using???

 

Don't worry about it....they can clean the shower!

 

I've never had color "bleed"....it fades...and washes out after several weeks (semi-permanent), but I've never even had color on my towel after washing my hair!

It can be a problem with some colors - largely the reds. When I dye red I make sure to do it a couple weeks before a cruise (since it bleeds worse the first few days to a week after.) I wouldn't worry about the shower. If you notice any when you are done simply splash it away.

If I dye real close to a trip I will throw an old towel in my bag for after shower and sometimes an old beach towel for beach days because it makes me feel a bit better. You could do that if you are more comfortable?

You cannot go wrong with LL Bean:)

This, they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you aren't happy they will make it right. They've taken back and replaced two yr old hiking shoes that I purchased for my Dad one year.

Perhaps he would like one of their duffels? They have more traditional luggage as well but its less popular.

It's kind if funny, everything comes back around and is in fashion again. My mother has been using one if these for years. It's a roller brush. You can probably get this at Walmart for 20 bucks. I don't know, it could be out if style and they may not have jumped back on the band wagon yet. It's worth a look.

I have one of those roller brushes too, and they cost a lot less. I have one with more traditional brushes that use air but some do just have a headed barrel(this seems to the kind this particular model has.)

Many come with different size heads which make them great for shorter hair or different styles.

To me this product is basicly a restyled version of this with more brush tips and ion technology. This particular one doesn't have that but there are those that do for a lot less.

I have an older version of this which I love - its the hot air type.

You could really love this type of product.. but $60 to me is way more expensive than you need to spend even more so if you are unsure you will like it.

What is the best, and safest, way to clean jewelry with rhinestones set in non-precious metal? I want to sparkle!

I have always soaked a soft bristle toothbrush in some jewerly cleaner and gently scrub. You don't want to soak the piece just get it a damp, I finish with a dry washcloth and buff gently.

This has always worked for me... but it may not get it clean enough if its really grimy.

Our last cruise we received a $50 OBC through Master Card. Does any one know if this is currently being offered and how to apply for it?

Thank you for your help.

They were offering a promotion in Oct/November. We received a $200 digital gift card for our booking. (I had gotten a flyer in the mail from Carnival.)

I don't know if this means they won't be offering another this year but I wanted to let you know they are out there.

I think the water in the ship tastes fine. I bring in our reusable water bottles to fill for on the ship and for port days. All my bottles are wide enough for an ice cube and often you will find glasses of ice or can request one on the lido. Makes cold water easy. Dump your ice in the bottle, fill the cup under the dispenser and fill your bottle with the cup for sanitation purposes.

I have filled mine from the room but the water from the dispenser always seems colder to me.

If you are worried about taste there are now numerous companies that sell bottles with filters. Could always bring one along (even leave it in the package, you might not need it and could return it.) I am particular about my water, the ships water is pretty much the most palatable I have had - it has no taste.

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It is true, you can to the manufactures website and read all about the pay out rate and other things about the machine. If you did not think it was a fixed payout machine you don't need to be in a Casino. Casinos don't put games in that are not a guarantied pay outs. By the way the cash cube is the same way if you did not know it!

This! I mean come on, you aren't possibly winning a $1 stuffed animal. Its going to be more than skill or people would walk away with everything! Nothing like that is an easy game of skill or it would not be in the casino.

I am not really sure why this shocks so many.

I am a budget minded person. We spend as little as possible, I cut coupons and find small ways to earn on the web.

We will likely go to the steakhouse on our trip this year. For us, its a way to get an experience that we don't get at home. Could we do fine dining here? Sure we could... but I would have a harder time justifying it, We would also be looking at 2-3 times the cost.

Could we make due with the mdr? Sure, but this would also be something extra special for us. In my eyes that makes it worth it.

Personally, if my bag is big enough I will fill the center of the hat (undies/socks usually) and then pack it brim down. I find it easier to pack around the hat that way.

If it doesn't fit I will wear/carry it on. My only non-crushable sun hat happens to also have a chin strap so its easy to just hook over the carry on handle as an option that way too.

I always bring a lanyard with me. I do not use it all the time but it comes in handy when I have no pockets. Its much better than using it in some other awkward place.

Rather look silly than some then loose it!