Sudilly

I'm not seeing this tour....details please!

I'm not a rum drinker; but my cousin asked me to bring back a bottle of rum that's not available in the states.  Any suggestions?  Thanks

A member of our group found a toddler roaming the halls at 4am.  He stayed with her until he could find a crew member.  She had wandered out while her parents were sleeping.  Luckily it worked out okay.

17 minutes ago, masterty said:

Thank you, We will be in E79. Knowing the music in the atrium my plan of skipping ship breakfast time altogether and sleeping in should work. I will do MDR lunch for my breakfast. Our early traditional dining will be our lunch for the day and then our third meal will be the buffet around 9pm for dinner. This should work well. I will start my day at 11am and plan on staying up well past 11pm each evening. 

 

That will be perfect for you!

Fun Day at Sea

We slept in and then went to Sea Day brunch.  We had delicious filet mignon and eggs.  We hung out for the jewelry raffle to find it was only a crappy keychain. We bought a few fashion accessories and ordered our pictures.  We went back to the casino.  I started playing some kind of Asian slot machine.  I wasn’t sure how it worked, but I walked away with $150 because I kept winning free spins.  We then went to the early comedy show.  I think it was the same material from our last cruise on the Dream.  Next was dinner.  I had the tenderloin which was really good and carrot cake.  We then went back to the casino and I won another $40 on the Asian machine.  We cashed out and returned to our nightly “private concert” in our room.  We then made our nightly report to guest services and waited for the DJ to shut it down.

Debarkation

Debarkation was very smooth.  We hung out at Lido buffet until after 9.  Then breezed through customs.  Our shuttle was waiting and we quickly made it to the airport.

We got back to the ship and had a letter from Guest Services.  They reported our complaints to the music director.  They also comped us $80 for our excursion.  We hung out with friends and then went to dinner.  I ordered the veal parmesan and it was nasty.  It was cold and dry and had hardly any sauce.

We went to the love and marriage show.  Our newly-wed friends were one of the three couples chosen.  Orlando, the cruise director was hilarious and this was the highlight of our cruise.  I’ve never laughed so hard in my life.  One thing that was disturbing, one of the other couples when asked if a parrot was in their bedroom would repeat and they both said “Dumb *****”.  I felt so bad for the wife.

We wanted to go to bed but decided to kill some time until the music died so we went to the casino.  I came out about $25 ahead on slots.  We then went to our room and once again had to make the nightly walk to guest services to complain about the noise.  (We were only 2 doors down). The reps there weren’t too happy about the noise level either because they couldn’t hear the passengers.

Wednesday - Ensenada

I started the day with my avocado toast and bacon.  We then walked off the ship.  I got nervous when the drug sniffing dog kept smelling my purse, but it was just my gum.  We booked the La Bufadora Adventure through Carnival.  The bus was very uncomfortable and the seats were smaller than Southwest Airlines.  We first went to a historical building that was once the first casino on Ensenada.  There were about 10 vendors in the patio.  The best thing about the spot was we were off the crowded bus for a few minutes.  We next had about a 45 minute ride to the blow hole.   We had to walk through a flea market where they sold “genuine replicas”.  You could not walk more than 2 feet without being approached by vendors.  I was given about 10 small sips of Pina coladas from different vendors.  We watched the blow hole sprout water.  After paying 75 cents to use the bathroom, you are given a few squares of toilet paper.   Anyway we went back to the flea market and had some delicious grilled shrimp and fish tacos.  I wanted a virgin Pina colada and was told it would be $12.  I said too much and walked away.  A few booths up, I got one for $5.  It was so delicious.  They carved out the pineapple and served it in that with several slices of fresh pineapple.  We walked past the stalls but nothing appealed to me.  The tour guide encouraged everybody to order tacos to eat on the bus. So on the ride back, the cramped bus was filled with people chowing down.

After the reception, we went to dinner.  It was formal night and Carnival does not enforce the dress code at all.  There was a man in a tank top and flip flops and a woman had on fuzzy bathroom slippers that were allowed to dine.  A woman was in line with just a bikini top and sarong cover-up.  I’m not sure whether or not she was allowed in.  I had the end-cut of the prime rib and grilled shrimp for dinner.  The prime rib was the best that I have ever tasted.  I didn’t have room for the creme brûlée so had to pass on dessert.  We went to the casino and I won about $20 on slots.  We were tired and decided to go to bed.  Once again, the music was blasting.  We complained and they offered to let us switch to a lower-rated room.  It was 10:30 at night on the 2nd day of a 4 day cruise and we didn’t really feel like packing up everything to switch rooms.  So we waited the music out.

Tuesday - Catalina

We met up with some of our group in the main dining room for breakfast.  I had my favorite avocado toast and a side of bacon.  It was excellent.  We then took the tender to Catalina for the wedding.  We walked to Step Beach.  It was not marked so we all walked past it and had to ask around before we found it.  They hired a local minister and had a beautiful ceremony.  Next we met up at Steve’s Steakhouse for lunch.  We had to order from a limited menu because of the size of the group.  We had 4 options from which to choose.  Most of us ordered the fish and chips.  Mine was stone cold.  Also the restaurant was on the second floor and they did not have an elevator.  We then hung out for an hour or so and did a little shopping.  One member of the group, got a call from the upgrade fairy and were given the Owner’s Suite, so they arranged a surprise wedding reception.  The suite is beautiful and had a bathroom with a whirlpool tub bigger than our room!

EMBARKATION:

We ordered Faster to the Fun and had a 12:00 check-in.  We got to the terminal and dropped our bags off with the porter and quickly made it through the check-in.  We were stopped just prior to boarding and told that we needed to check-in with Guest Services.  That made me somewhat paranoid.  So we went there and were told that there had been a problem with our room (E71) and that they had to paint a spot on the ceiling.  We were given 2 free drink passes and went over to the bar across from Guest Services.  Before we received our drink orders, the rep said that our room was ready.  She directed us to our room where the sign and sail cards were waiting in the mail box.  By this time it was 11:55, so we actually got to our room before our scheduled check-in time!

We had an ocean-view room, before we had booked balconies so it seemed really small.  The mattress was really comfortable.  I needed a firm pillow.  The steward brought the firmest pillow that I have ever seen and it was so thick we thought it was 2 pillows in the same case.  I ended up stuffing a beach towel in the regular pillow and it worked really well.

We went up to Lido and met up with some of our group.  We hit up the buffet.  It was Italian themed and typical buffet.  We sat by the pool and visited our friends.  Some of the guys got burgers from Guys.  I stole some of the fries and they were the best fries ever.

We wanted to go in the hot tubs but they were all over-flowing with people.  The ones on the Serenity deck were also over-filled.  Some schools were on spring-break so that was part of the problem, but there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of partying.

After muster, we ended up on a balcony on the aft side of Lido to watch the sail away.  It overlooked Serenity deck but was very quiet.   We went to the late dinner.  I don’t remember what I ordered but it was some kind of Asian noodle dish.  I did try the alligator fritters.  There was so much dough that I really couldn't taste the alligator. And of course warm chocolate melting cake for dessert!

After dinner, we went to the casino for awhile and quickly lost.  We headed back to our room at about 10:15.   Big mistake.  We were just 2 doors down from the Atrium lobby and the music was so loud that our room was vibrating.  We went to Guest Services which was in the lobby and complained.  All they could do was close the firedoor.  It did not help.  Finally around 11, they shut it down.

This was the third Carnival for my husband and I.  We have previously sailed on the Splendor and Dream.  We were part of a group of 56 in a wedding group.

We were flying in on JetBlue to the  Long Beach Airport and had ordered the Carnival shuttle. We were told to go to the left when exiting baggage and that the shuttle would be waiting there.  We did not see the shuttle anywhere.  Another passenger was also looking for it.  We each called Carnival and it turned out that the shuttle had been there the entire time on the right not on the left.  The shuttle driver had a tiny paddle that none of us had seen.

1 hour ago, mina said:

The code I used for my January 2019 cruise was P41.  It worked thru Hilton online.

How much did they charge you.  I went online and it was like $189 plus another $95 for tax, etc. TIA

Does anyone know the current park & cruise code for the Hotel Maya in Long Beach?  Thanks!

We were on the same cruise as your family. Sorry your MDR experience was so bad. Ours was just the opposite. We had awesome servers at the Crimson late dining.

I am trying to add photos without much luck.

I can't edit my post. So here is a picture of cabin 6286.

Thank you for taking the time to write this review. I enjoyed reading it.

 

Keith

Thanks Keith :)

Do you recall if the casino was open while you were going down the Mississippi River. We are sailing on the Dream at the end of February and my other half just asked if the casino was open right away or not until the second day.

I don't remember exactly when it opened. It took hours before we got down the Mississippi. I did get lucky with one of the machines. It's the second slot from the right on the second row from the cashier. It's called Money Bags or something like that. The reels are different variations of US currency. It's a "penny" machine that actually costs either .75 or .80 to play. It had a win 6 free spins feature. After I played it a few minutes the first time, I kept getting the 6 free spins and got 48 free spins in a row! I cashed in and went back to that machine several times. I would always get the 6 free spins and another time I got 18 free spins in a row. I'm not much of a gambler but I did come out a head by about 50 bucks and did get enough casino points for the free cruise, which I did not win.

Tasting Menu -

My son went to the Steakhouse Tasting Menu and really enjoyed it. They gave him recipes too.

MDR:

We ate every night at the MDR. Most choices were excellent. The exceptions were the Port of Call menus. They were gross. The Jamaican menu featured jerk pork loin. It was tasteless pork with a little spice. Nothing like I had in Jamaica. The Cozumel was even worse. They had tortilla soup. It tasted like Campbell's tomato soup with some chili seasoning and shredded tortilla. The steak tacos were awful. They marinated beef in some type of peppery juice. If you want Mexican, stick to the Blue Iguana! All of the other food was great. On the last night, they served Baked Alaska. In the Hub menu, it said that they had a sugar-free version. However it wasn't on the menu so I asked my server and he said that you had to request it 24 hours in advance, I showed him the Hub and asked where does it show that. Anyway, after saying it wasn't available, they managed to find 2 slices for my diabetic husband.

Behind the Fun

My husband and son took the Behind the Fun tour. Both agreed it was the highlight of the cruise. They were given lots of swag -- hats, photos, lanyard, backpack, soap carved into a swan. And later chocolate covered strawberries and muffins were delivered to our cabin.

Carnival Photographers

We had a couple of really bad photographers. We tried to get group shots but the people on the end were cut off. Also, their lighting was off and people were in the shadows. We weren't able to get a good group shot.

Disembarkation

Disembarkation was very easy. We had FTTF. We ordered room service for breakfast. Then packed our last little bit. We just headed out the door, caught an elevator, walked the gangplank, got waved through customs and immediately caught our airport shuttle. We hung out at the NOLA airport for a couple of hours and then flew home to California.

Most of us got sick after we left the ship. My family has all had colds and I had diarrhea for 5 days. Other group members are reporting the same. The relatives that I visited in LA before the cruise all had some kind of viral flu. Luckily we didn't get that but we all had flu shots. I think Carnival does a good job on sanitation, but when you have 5000 people constantly touching elevator buttons etc, you do catch their germs. I was constantly washing my hands.

Overall

We all had a great cruise and would definitely do it again. We were very happy with Carnival and will cruise again. The best thing was seeing how much the first time cruisers loved sailing. The only really negative part was the Port of Call menu but there is plenty of other good food.

Good review so far :)

Thanks, sorry about no photos yet. I will add eventually.

Grand Cayman

Most of my group went on the Pirate Ship with Open Bar Carnival excursion. They snorkeled and hoisted the masts. The open bar did not open until after the snorkeling. My sister-in-law had a difficult time getting back on the pirate ship. I can't review it as I wasn't there. I took a later tender over and met my husband at the terminal. We walked over to Margaritaville and later hit up a couple of shops. Then we went back to the ship and hit up the hot tub.

Cozumel

We took a taxi to the San Gervase ruins. I think we got ripped off, it cost us $25 each for the driver to wait for us and then take us to Money Bar, I was disappointed by the ruins. First, they charge $5 to enter a shopping area. It's another $4.50 to actually enter the ruins. Then they wanted $20 for the tour guide. We just paid the $4.50 since we were already there. To me, it was hot and boring. We walked through them in about 45 minutes. Then got in our cab and went to Money Bar. They give free access to their beach if you order anything to eat or drink. They have clean bathrooms and showers. The food was reasonably priced. I ordered nachos and they were the best that I have ever had. They were piled high with beef, chicken, shrimp etc. There was enough for 4 or 5 people. My friend ordered the steak tacos and they were also good. My son rented a moped while the rest of us hung out at the beach. I was nervous about him going off on his own, but he stayed in the area and had a great time. We then took a cab back to the terminal. We hit up a couple of shops and got back on board.

Oh no! We have nearly 100 people signed up. How many people actually signed up for yours? How were you notified? Did they really send a note to your cabin, or did you have to find it in the Fun Times. I've encouraged a lot of people too. I hope I don't end up embarrassed too.

I don't remember, but I think it was around 30. We got invitations sent to our cabin and it was in the paper Fun Times but not in the Hub Fun Times. The room was really hard to find. It was hidden on the 5th deck. Maybe others couldn't find it. If Carnival reps had shown up it probably would have been worthwhile. Other wise it was like being in a hotel conference room sitting around eating cookies waiting for someone to show up.

On our Dream cruise on January 7, we signed up for the Meet & Mingle. We got invitations sent to our cabin. It was also listed on the paper copy of the Fun Times but not on the Hub Fun Times. I coerced about 11 or 12 members of my group into attending. There was one other couple there. The meeting was in a hard-to-find reception room. There were pastries, cookies, tea and punch on a side table. We were in a big empty room, so we pulled up chairs into a circle. A waiter said that the cruise director and a ship's officer would be attending. Neither showed up. We waited around for about 30 or 40 minutes. I was embarrassed that I got people to attend.

Ocho Rios

Jamaica was our first port. We did not book any of the Carnival excursions. As we left the ship, we were bombarded with drivers trying to transport us. You could not walk 2 feet without somebody offering their services. We made arrangements to book a private van for 8 of us for $20 each. He drove us around the island and gave us interesting commentary. At one point, a Jamaican woman with the largest butt I had ever seen, she made Kim Kardashian look tiny, jumped in front of the bus and started shaking that booty. She wouldn't move until she got a tip. She was so hilarious, that we didn't even mind paying her off. A mile or so later a man dressed like a tree jumped in front of the bus. He didn't get a tip from us though. We got to see a lot of the area but the driver did seem to stop at "conveniently located" tourist stands. I bought a beaded necklace at one stand and hours later when I looked in the mirror I found that the dye on the beads had worn off and I had a purple ring on my chest. It looked like I had been beaten. We stopped at a good place for jerk chicken. It was really tasty, but the server was very surly. When we got back to port, my husband and I were the last 2 off the van. Everyone else had paid and tipped as they left. The driver claimed that someone shorted him $20. We didn't believe that but paid up to avoid any hassle. We think that he wasn't happy with his tip. We then hit up a couple of shops and headed back to the ship.

Fun Days at Sea:

Days 2 and 3 were Sea Days. We started our sea days in the dining room with sea day brunch. The filet mignon and eggs was really good, I think I ate it 3 times. We had a large group so we tended to meet up during the day at the various activities. Once we made it to the Caribbean the weather was nice and warm. The first formal night was Monday and featured lobster tails and creme brulee.

Guys Barbecue was only open for a few hours on sea days, I believe from 11 - 2:30. It wasn't the best barbecue that I have had, but considering they had to use electric smokers it was pretty good. I also enjoyed the side dishes. During the days, I tended to hang out in Ocean Plaza on deck 5. There was usually either live musicians or games. We had a great game of Trivial Pursuit going but had to end early because it ran over. I think our group got cheated -- we could have won!

We avoided the shopping seminars and all of the stuff Carnival was trying to sale. My son got chosen for the Hasbro game show. He won a pocket-size game. It was a fun activity. We also really enjoyed the Love and Marriage show. The couples were hilarious. Brandon, our cruise director was very entertaining. We saw the Punchliner comedian again at the family show and found him funnier with that group.

A couple of our group attended the Thriller dance class and were disappointed that the Thriller was not played as advertised during the 80s dance night. At the 80s dance, they threw out glow in the dark necklaces and bracelets. It was fun and energetic but very cold on the Lido deck.

On Tuesday, we attended the Cruise Critics meet and greet. It was very disappointing. About 11 people of our group and one other couple attended. It was in a hard-to-find reception room. They had cookies, pastries, tea and juice laid out on a side table. We pulled up chairs and sat in a circle for a bit. A waiter said that the cruise director and one of the ship's officers would drop in. Neither ever showed up. We just sat around for about half an hour eating cookies in a big empty room. I can see why there is such low turn out on these. I was kind of embarrassed that I encouraged people to attend.