mwood0612

24 more days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D:D:D:D:D:D

There is not much to it. Just a lot of cheap giveouts so stores can buy Carnival off...so you will go to their Recommended Stores. Another angle by Carnival!!

 

Mike

That's kind of what I was thinking it was! We did that on our very first cruise in 2002 in Nassau. I don't think I'll waste my money on that! Thanks for all of your comments!!!!

Anyone every purchase the fun finds coupon book? What's the price and what kind of things are included?

This is us too. Its just to much trouble to go back to the cabin, shower and dress for dinner then go to dinner for 2 hours. That's a lot of vacation time spent on dinner.

I laughed when I read your posts; you are so right about this especially on a 7 day cruise!!!!

Does anyone know if they offer the cheese plate through Room Service? There have been many times that would have been the perfect snack.

RC has it on their room service menu but unfortunately Carnival hasn't added it YET!!! I am holding out hope! LOL:D

We have eaten at the buffet, and on occasion have later gone to the MDR and gotten a dessert to go. No problem. :)

This is great advice!!! I love dining in the MDR but sometimes it takes forever! We have Any Time Dining on this cruise so we may try this option!!! Thanks;)

Can't you find anything on the menu that you like on the nights they have your favorite desserts?

I can definitely find something to eat!:D We ALWAYS ate in the MDR on every night of our previous cruises and I would like to take the casual approach a couple of nights on our upcoming cruise and just go to the buffet. I just don't want to feel like I'm missing out! How many nights do others eat in buffet on a typical cruise? I just really want to relax this cruise and not feel like I'm rushed to dress up and go to dinner every night!!

Thanks for the speedy replies!!! That was EXACTLY the answer I was hoping for!!!!!

Has anyone ordered the cheese plate as an appetizer instead of a dessert in the MDR?

I was looking over the menus in the MDR for our upcoming cruise and there are several nights that the selection is not that great but my FAV desert is served that night. My question is, if we were to choose to go to the buffet for dinner instead of the MDR, do they offer the same desserts as the MDR; mainly the crème brulee and bitter & blanc?

Do they show a movie every night on Lido? I can't remember from my cruise a couple years ago on Conquest!

Wow time flies by... i didnt get to finish review like i thought. after a very busy end of the year things finally slow down a little. its hard to write this much on my phone.

 

After this cruise we became facebook friends with our dinner server. He was so much fun. it is really neat to see him in his travels. after finding out he was still going to be on the Valor in April we booked again. :D. doing the Western on April 16th . i have emailed the matri d and requested he be our server. we got a balcony cabin on deck 10 again few rooms from last time. this will be the last sailing before dry dock.

 

we spent a lot of time by the pool and deck 10 forward just works perfect for us. we didnt get off the ship hardly at all and enjoyed every day nice and quiet. the food was really great. didnt have any bad meals and i love food. we did the main dining room every night. i had my smoked salmond every morning for room service breakfast.

 

i ate alot of things from the deli. loved the corn beef. burgers were good also. i tend to roam around late at night and they cooked burgers and dogs at the aft Lido grille about midnight every night. i liked the pizza also. i have heard bad things about the fish and chips place. i didnt care for the fish and chips that much either ... but i loved the Seafood Ceviche, the Ahi Tuna with water melon. and the bouillbaisse they had there. i would get some every time i walked by while out and about.

 

we did the cheers program and it worked great for us. we found a favorite bar runner named EKA . made another facebook cruise friend. we tipped $1 for each trip and they were more than happy. also we got to talk to them alot on the slow days at port when we stayed on board. Mohamad our dinner server is now able to call and video talk to us on facebook messenger. since i work nights its great to get a call at 3:00 AM from him.

 

hard to believe he has been working 7 days a week since our nov cruise and will still be in April. they deserve all they earn. i enjoyed sitting at the aft Lido bar say after midnight most nights talking to alexender the bartender he has been doing that for over 20 years with Carnival and another great person.

 

i didnt see any problems with the Valor other than normal wear and tear. I found it very interesting to be talking to some people different times on our cruise and some would say that it was a horrible time???? worst cruise ever?

it might be a beautiful night out on deck having a late night drink enjoying the moment. when someone would walk up to Alexander and with a nasty tone of voice just order a drink and not say a word to him. then i would say hows your cruise.. they might say its awful? when i would ask why they woul say something like there was a line at the buffet at lunchtime...duh. or elevator was crowded lol

 

any way i am 59 years old and my wife is well i wont say how old. but we had a blast. i felt like the youngest kid on the water slide. and enjoyed watching the minions on dive in movie. my wife recovering from breast cancer and several of the crew went out of there way to help us. cabin was allways clean and perfect. great cruise.

 

Treat the Cruise staff with kindness and respect and take time to talk to them. ... it will make yours and there time on board so much better. cant wait for April. got the FTTF again and will do the cheers program. sorry for the delay any questions i will answer them.

You guys are going to be right down the hall from us in April!!! Can't wait!!!!!!

Loving the new changes coming next month!!! We weren't going to get cheers but now with the changes I think we will!!

I would not advocate charging prepaid tips on a credit card that already carries a balance, but what I would advocate is pre-paying onboard expenses little by little in advance and paying in full rather than charging it all at the end of the cruise.

 

To give you an example, for our upcoming cruise I priced out how much tips, 2 alternative dinners, a massage at the spa, and a shore excursion for a family of 4 is going to cost and the total is close to $800. I can either pre pay tips in full this month, the shore excursion in full next month, and the spa and alternative dining in full the following month, OR I can choose to wait until the last day of the cruise and take a hit for the entire $800 plus whatever other expenses I incur during the cruise. Chances are that by the time it's all said and done my credit card will be charged over $1,000 all at once.

 

I know that many will say that I can just set aside that money in my bank account every month so that it's available to me at the end of the cruise to pay the entire balance, but to me it makes more sense to just pay as I go. I'm grateful to have enough discipline to keep my credit card balance at zero every month, and I owe that discipline to the way that I charge things (little by little instead of all at once).

 

Is my system the best way to run finances? No, but it's the way that works for me. And about "losing control of money that may be needed for an emergency" by prepaying tips, that's an unfounded fear. That money is fully refundable, even if you cancel the cruise. If for some reason I need to cancel my cruise (even after final payment) and I've already prepaid tips, that amount will be refunded to me 100% , so I have nothing to worry about.

This is totally my thought pattern as well!!!

Dang...we are cruising RIGHT BEFORE her drydock!!! :( I loved the red frog rum bar and blue iguana tequila bar and of course Guy's Burgers when we were on the Conquest!!!!!!!

I plan to use my credit card for the sign and sail, but am I correct that I can go to a kiosk and put cash on the card to keep the charge low on the card? I know there will be a hold on the card even if I pay cash.

Yes, this is a very easy process too!!!

If all three of us buy the pkg, we should be able to msg each other as well, right?

I am only interested in purchasing the social pkg on our next cruise if you can use it to iMessage other iPhone users. My DD and Hubby both have iPhones as well and it would be nice to be able to find them on the ship when we are in different loacations and keep in contact with my mom who will be at home!

This past spring break we were on the Liberty. My kids that were on the bubble for age groups were given the option to move up if they chose to. My 11 yo moved up while the 14 year old did not. Definitely talk to the counsellors the first night.

Thanks Kathy!!! I am feeling much better now!!! My younger DD is 10 and has NO PROBLEMS making friends with everyone, but you know how teens are!!! :D

Thanks denrusk for your response!! It made my DD feel better that there's a chance she could be allowed to hang out with the older group!! Also, if they were to allow her to go to club o2 and she didn't like it, I'm assuming they would allow her to join the circle C group?? I'm sure we won't have anything to worry about since we are cruising spring break and hopefully there will be a lot of teens her age!!

Thanks for the response!!! We will definitely talk to them and see what they say!!! Can't hurt, right!!

My daughter will be 14 while we are on the cruise. She turns 15 2 days after the cruise. I have read all the info on Carnival's website about them sticking to the age restrictions BUT I'm just wondering if anyone has had a child that was allowed in the older group? My daughter is in high school and she is afraid that the kids that will be in the Circle C group will all be in middle school and that she will have a hard time finding someone to hang out with! I am hoping since it will be spring break that there will be LOTS of girls her age in Circle C and we won't have anything to worry about!!!

 

Over preparing? Perhaps but this coming from the same person that bought The Unofficial Guide to Disney World with over 800 pages for a 1 week trip. If I learned something from over preparing is that while people like my husband are waiting in long lines and having the "we'll see when we get there" attitude, I am the one knowing exactly what to do/not do. It's hard totally abandoning the same skills you use at work every day.

Love it!!!! I did exactly the same thing!!!! I would much rather be over prepared!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

177 days!!!!!!!! Valor

In search of a recent 7day circle C and camp carnival (8-12yr old) funtimes. The only ones I have been able to find are more than 3 years old. Also, my oldest daughter is 14 and will turn 15 the week after our cruise. She is very mature for a high school freshman. Would she have fun in the Circle C or do you think the kids would be too young for her?