Markanddonna

We are Buckeyes and the game on Nov 29 was shown in the Sports Bar and was also on a national channel in the stateroom.

We also got a last minute GTY interior and were very pleased. We were put on midship deck seven. The cabin was nice and service was great. We also brought a night light and kept the TV on for the Forward view on the last night. There were lots of chairs on deck and many places to choose a quiet space on the inside.

Downside was that we were assigned late dining and SO many people didn't show up so many tables had just one couple like our table. I guess many people don't like late dining so they choose Guys Burgers before 6:00 or the buffet.

I really didn't miss the balcony at all since we had sunny port days and very nice sea days. They cancelled the Grand Turks and that day was pretty boring.

Enjoy!

Experienced cruisers bring a little pharmacy with them and it varies according to your issues and experience. For example, you may find one brand of anti-diarrheal medication in the shop, but it may not be the most effective and even those stores have hours.

Many of us are sitting in a mid November deep freeze so any cruise to the Caribbean beats this!

Personally, I don't find the history in the Caribbean all that interesting, once you've had the basic introduction. The triangle of trade that took place there is not part of the grand history of the world, with the slave and rum trade being part of the colonial experience.

Alaska is God's country and traveling around Europe on a Baltic or Mediterranean cruise are SO much more interesting.

The Caribbean gets the nod for a cheaper vacation in the winter, though.

Do these ports accept US Dollars (pretty sure the answer is yes to St. Thomas and Puerto Rico). We expect to not have large purchases, just taxis, lunch, etc.

Grand Turks

St. Maarten

Thank you.

I read about this happening on some mainstream cruises but can't recall which ones. The Americans found it irritating but the cruiselines seemed to offer it for their European guests. The consensus on cruise critic seemed to be to avoid this as it disrupted the flow of the trip (getting to know fellow passengers, the hassle of other guests embarking/disembarking, etc.) but that some Europeans used the cruise ships to be more of a one way destination rather than multiport cruise. This seemed to be available on only some voyages as a way of filling up cabins and didn't appear to be marketed very openly or frequently.

We booked about one month out at the lowest inside guarantee price. I was told our room would be assigned when we boarded. I went to the Carnival site and did my check-in and viola! My cabin was assigned within minutes. We are on deck seven, midship, inside of course...

This is a serious question. Maybe their guide dog wants to know before he goes on the cruise. Salty water can do nasty things for a poor dog who drinks from a salt water toilet. Wise animal...

We booked the last day of the Halloween sale and paid for an Inside Guarantee for 8 nights in the Eastern Caribbean for $248pp. We were assigned our cabin 4F (empress deck- midship) as soon as I did my online checkin. The price has gone up about $70 and stayed there.

We just booked the Liberty and I spend a lot of time hoofing the Promenade deck on cruises. Can anyone tell me if the Liberty deck goes all the way around the ship? Also, can someone describe the gym facilities and if there is a place to privately exercise and do yoga?

Thanks!

This is my first time trying Carnival and I was wondering about the lunch menu in the MDR. Does it change every day or is it the same menu for 7 days?

I booked a "last minute guarantee" about 4 weeks out from the cruise date. I asked my Carnival rep if there was a chance I would be assigned my cabin before we embarked and he said no.

So, I immediately checked my reservation and then did my online checkin, hit the enter and my cabin was assigned immediately! I believe it is 4F- across from the Grand Suites on deck 7. We paid for the lowest level guarantee.

We booked on Thursday and the price went up $140 today for an inside guarantee. We already have our room assignment and I'm happy!

A 16 night TA in Nov.- maybe less than 12. A teen who attended an online school was on there and needed to access the internet for testing. He was disappointed by slow and dropped connections at times.

A 14 night in May- maybe 30 kids but most were preschoolers.

It's been reported by Carnival sources that she was voluntarily quarantined in the ships infirmary.

I sort of doubt that reporting. It is my guess that hopefully she called the ship's medical center and they came to HER cabin and she is in quarantine there. Keeping her in the infirmary is like closing down the only hospital on the ship. People are almost always quarantined in their own cabin OR in the brink.

We'll get the details tomorrow. I still want to know why they didn't make a big fuss over Amber Vinson's mother's flight to Dallas?

"Travel bans don't work.

1. What do you think would happen to the world market and stocks if a travel ban was implemented to countries that are in the top 5 for producing oil, gold and diamonds?"

Which countries are these? Are they in the hot zone? I can't believe that a travel ban that is temporary would hurt these countries. Perhaps just a temporary stop to issuing their people Visas?

My request is sincere. I didn't realize these countries were so wealthy.

I agree with Shepard Smith. I saw him last night and he is a person who comes across with authority and assurance. We need that kind of person in charge. Obama could stop most of the hysteria by doing the right thing and implementing a travel ban. When we hear that 100 VISAs are being issued every day in those hot zone areas, it triggers fear because that is the WRONG thing to do during this time.

I have a feeling Obama will announce an Ebola Czar soon and then a travel ban. The stock market will react positively and people will start feeling like finally, some sensible decisions are being made. The reasons for no travel ban make no sense to most people and just reinforce the feeling that the Obama administration is indeed working against the best interests of Americans.

My past two flights, within the last two months bring back memories that relate to this:

Air Berlin flying within Europe: an man was sitting in the front of the plane with a hacking cough that would NOT stop. It went on about 30 minutes before and during takeoff and the attendant avoided him like the plague. I was wondering if they were discussing if he should be removed from the flight. No mask... His coughing subsided somewhat but it showed me that removing him wasn't happening and everyone on the plane was not happy with the lack of action.

A woman sat next to me in the terminal and proceeded to bring out her mountain of Kleenex and placed it on her luggage, blowing her nose and hacking. It was boarding time so I quickly got up and just stood waiting for my turn to board and was determined to ask to be moved if she sat near me. Fortunately for me, she was there for another flight.

I would fly, but would now bring a few masks and a container of disinfecting wipes.

Does anyone have up to date info on flight cancellations for Hawaii? I see that Ana has been upgraded to a hurricane watch. Thanks.

I have done both lines to Glacier Bay in Alaska and enjoyed the Pearl more than the Westerdam experience. Don't let people convince you that just because HAL and Princess have "more experience" in Alaska that it translates into a better experience for the cruiser.

The Glacier Bay day was pretty much identical for both cruiselines. The rangers board early in the morning, present the same info and services, etc. The routes were identical also in Glacier Bay. The only minor difference was that HAL served pea soup on deck...

The HAL usually goes to Sitka which is a sweet town and you tender there. NCL goes to Skagway which is a longer day and the possibility of going to the Yukon was wonderful. We did that trip by train/shuttle van and then rented a car on our second visit and did it ourselves. The views are breathtaking and you feel like you are in God's country. We did the Raptor Center in Sitka which was nice but Skagway is a better choice for your first visit.

I'm not an NCL cheerleader, but found HAL to be my least favorite ship experience. RCL is my top choice.

BTW- HAL and Princess have the majority of the permits to go into Glacier Bay only because of an antiquated policy based on seniority in the region. You need to do some research on the internet to find out the truth.

Well, this is very interesting. We're going on our first cruise in2/15 and I signed up with the roll call right away. DH is self - employed, I'm retired, and we don't get to meet new people very often. I can't see what we have to lose by hanging around with some experienced cruisers who know all the ropes.

This said, I have to say I was a little unnerved when I found out 1) there is a spreadsheet 2) there is a cabin crawl, and c) we are all going to be given Mardi Gras beads to wear. There was also some vague mention of aT-shirt. Someone on this forum said "high school." That's exactly what I thought. However, I'm going to reserve judgment because doing different things on a vacation is what it's all about, and furthermore no one can force us to spend time with them if we choose otherwise. I understand the people who just want peace and quiet: when I was working, I'd have said the same. Times and people change, however.

Also, I'm not sure I understand all this fearfulness out there. If someone wants to look at my cabin,why should I care. It's not my home, it's a floating hotel room. As for not divulging information about oneself, what's the big worry? Identity theft? I don't see my fellow cruisers as a bunch of opportunistic criminals. Or am I missing something?

I want to encourage you to get involved with your roll call group. We do roll calls for any trip that is more than 7 days. I have learned quite a bit about smart cruising from folks on the roll calls and have learned a lot about new ports. It is nice to run into people and do small things like lunches or a program together. My DH and I are pretty independent of one another during the late morning to mid afternoon so I enjoy joining others for things like a cooking demo or lecture.

I personally wouldn't order t-shirts, mugs or jewelry that defines me as a CC for a particular sailing but the beads are a great way to find one another at the sail away. My DH told me to bring them next time! We also did the cabin crawl and offered our cabin. Our room attendant was notified and did extra cute towel animals. I loved seeing the other cabins for future reference. I don't see any problem with giving my cabin number on a roll call.

The best roll calls keep the personal chatter to a minimum and get involved in planning some private excursions. I have arranged shuttles and did all the research for a town in England for a train excursion and it worked out great. The only things I don't participate in are gift exchanges and pub crawls. Our last Roll Call group doubled our money during the slot pull!

Would a pet friendly cruise include doggy camp and an entire deck dedicated to a do "rest area"?

Still wouldn't even consider it.

The weather will change as you start to approach the Azores and of course will be colder. I went on a northerly TA to the Baltic regions this past April and the weather was quite delightful. Layering is the key. I also brought my smart wool socks, a knit cap, gloves and some cuddleduds just in case. I am a major deck walker. The weather actually turned out to be outside weather most sea days and it was sunny and relatively warm. Sunbathing for the hearty.

Another TA from the Med region was so much colder in early Nov. We did not use our balcony very often when on the Atlantic.

Layer, but don't bring your Eskimo gear. You just never know about weather on a TA.

I am one of you and find that each cruise presents enough new places and experiences that having a good structure already there helps me deal with all this. Maybe I am a control freak but I've learned others count on me to be the one with documents, hotel recommendations, itinerary, best cruise price, etc.

One person on my last roll call thought I was a travel agent who just didn't reveal that on the CC boards. I took that as a great compliment!

One taxi driver in Copenhagen accepted our Capital One card with no chip and another absolutely refused and called the driver who did a fool and obviously new. Be sure to always ask ahead and let them know your card does not have a chip and needs a signature. That solved most problems but don't assume anything. I used our credit card for the hotels and cash for almost everything else. We had five currencies to deal with and it was a hassle.

I'd like someone to address the recommendation on getting foreign cash on the ship. I always thought that was among the most expensive ways to get cash.