mistycruiser

Carnival has apple juice available on Lido during breakfast hours. I believe it's also available from room service which is 24X7 and the MDR during breakfast. If you want it at other times you would need to either buy it from a bar or like you mentioned get the bubbles package and it's included but you would need to order it from one of the bars same as you would a soda.

How I interpret the "calling you by name" scenario would be what I've experienced in both Long Beach, Port Everglades and San Juan. In the priority lounge you turn in your boarding pass and have a seat. Once an agent is available to check you in they call you by name to approach the counter and you do the check-in and get your S&S card etc. This assumes their are people ahead of you at check in and you need to wait your turn. JMHO

When you get to your room you will find a schedule of events and your drinks on us cards. That first evening they will have a cocktail party for you where you will meet the casino hosts and other casino employees. Throughout the week they'll deliver various cards to your cabin with event reminders etc. They will provide a gift sometime during the cruise. We've gotten various items like beach towels and drink cups and sometimes cookies and various food items. I would recommend bringing you're copy of the invite because that will list the amount you'll receive from the cashier. Also they will have a special line for check in. Just look for a sign for casino guests. Have fun but also expect the casino to be crowded because it is a premier cruise.

My husband and myself both received PMI bounce back offers from our latest cruise on the Conquest. It was loaded onto our VIFP accounts so I could check availability on-line by cruise, not a list but at the actual cruise level. We ended up booking the Oct. 30th Dream cruise because hubby won the free entry to the Slot Tournament. We ended up booking the Grand Suite because weird as this may be it was actually cheaper than a balcony. Also our PVP could see what we had available.

Also I would expect that with a prepaid card it will have holds against it same as a CC or debit card. Which normally means the holds plus the actual charges will tie up double the amount. I think they would be better off just bringing cash and set up a cash account or use a credit card with a high enough limit available to cover at least double the amount of charges. JMHO

Most rental car agencies in FL don't charge a drop off fee from my experience. I'd check rental cars from Orlando Airport and check the rates. I've found Alamo is usually reasonable and they don't gouge you for the toll responder. I see you are from the UK so I don't know if this will work for you but I usually rent via either AAA or Costco for good rates.

I always FAX mine in also and I've never had a problem. I have a cover sheet in Word that I save and update the pertinent information for the new cruise and FAX it over with the latest brokerage statement. Included in my cover sheet I provide my e-mail address and ask for confirmation when it's applied. Works like a charm for me. Plus I have a home FAX and it's easier to me than e-mailing with attachments.

Our PVP is great and is more a personal friend than she is a cruise agent. She only calls to let me know if we have a special offer that I may not be aware of and is great to work with when I book a cruise. She also is the PVP for the rest of my family and they are as happy with her as I am.

We normally rent from Alamo and even with tolls like others have mentioned it's not a bad price when compared to some other rental car rates for transponders. Also I usually check rental car prices with Costco because they usually have good rates and an additional driver is free.

One of the best excursions I think is from Puerta Vallarta and it's called Rthyms of the Night. You can book it through the ship if it's available on your cruise. You take about a 45 minute ferry ride to the island and they have a very nice dinner buffet and show on the island and then return you to the ship. They offer it on nights that they stay late in the evening in Puerta Vallarta. If you look at excursions on Carnival's site you can see details and pictures etc.

I received the survey for the casino but I don't remember an e-mail from the Captains Club but I might be included or not. LOL

If you are a Costco member they have a travel site. I've found good rates for rental cars with them and not been charged a drop off fee. Also some of the rental car agencies at MIA where you are planning to return the car have a free shuttle to the POM which would save you a taxi fee to the port.

I'm sorry but if I lived in the area and discovered a car parked on the street for an extended period of time I'd be calling the police and more than likely your car would be towed and stored. I don't think that would end up being the cheap parking option that you'd be looking for. Assuming it wasn't stolen which is also a possibility.

We've done the train twice. First time was just the train with a return by bus. The 2nd time we did the train plus the catamaran sail. We enjoyed both.

Depending on the ship, not all side by side balconies allow the partition to be opened. When you decide to book, call Carnival. They can check which balconies can be opened. They usually go in pairs.

You can price match up until final payment date for any fares you qualify for. As you mentioned military, over 55, and possibly a sale that may come up. Just be sure if it's a sale that it's still fully refundable because sometimes the sale may have certain restrictions. and might be nonrefundable.

Seattle is not a staggered check-in port yet so show up whenever you want.

I have a great PVP. She doesn't call and bug me and I log on all the time. She's also the PVP for my kids and friends and is even a friend on facebook. She's there when I need her and not a hassle to me when I don't need her. For those that aren't happy with your PVP, just get a new one.

Husband and I both take a backpack. In the backpack we'll have our Carnival Beach towels, bottled water, sunscreen, sometimes prepackaged snacks, and maybe some miscellaneous items like Kleenex or handi-wipes ,swim shoes and bug spray if necessary. I also put a plastic bag in the backpack to put the wet towel in for the return trip. Sometimes a change of clothes or just a beach coverup.

In addition I bring a small wristlet with cash, maybe a credit card, S&S card and DL. That way I can take the wristlet out and carry it if I decide to shop on the way back and it's not a hassle digging through the backpack for cash. We leave the passports on the ship in the safe knowing that should something happen that Carnival will have security open the safe and deliver the passports to the port agent. We also bring a copy of the Funtimes because on the front cover Carnival will list the name and phone number of the port agent who is the contact person you need to notify in case you encounter an issue on land that could delay your return to the ship.

MedJet assist is an example of an annual medivac insurance policy. It will return you to a hospital of your choice if you've been admitted to a hospital more than 150 miles from home. They'll arrange to have you medevac'd out once you are medically stable. I have this and additionally buy per trip travel insurance.

Just keep in mind that not all of the excursions listed by port may be available on your particular cruise. Sometimes port times or other issues may limit which excursions are available on a particular sailing.

Also be sure to stay on ship's time which may be different than local time. The only time I ever wear a watch is for a cruise and make sure to keep it set to ship's time. I know a lot of people use a cell phone for time but unless you make sure it doesn't reset to local time it can cause problems.

One thing to keep in mind for Galveston that time of year is that sometimes the port gets fogged in so the ship can't dock on time and can cause a delay so when we sailed last January we built in an extra day on both ends of the trip just in case.

I'm confused. Have you re-printed your luggage tags and boarding passes and you don't see the FTTF or Priority on the documents? If so, since you just ordered it today I'd maybe check again tomorrow. If it still doesn't show up I'd call Carnival to inquire because if your documents don't show FTTF or priority on them I don't think the port personnel will let you thru the priority lines without some kind of proof.

Also just because the rooms are side by side does not mean that the balcony dividers can open to each other. It depends on the ship and Carnival can check which cabins balconies can be connected to each other.