Drazil65

Last December we had a bump out suite on MG, we were on ship before 11:00 am and went straight to cabin to drop off. Our key cards were in mailbox and door locked so it was available (our suitcases were delivered within the hour as well) for use. We are platinum but usually we drop off carry on items early (we are early boarders) and key cards take a little longer to show up.

Thank you, was it hard with everyone getting ready at the same time? Suite with nice balcony every time. Our family (3 of us and DS is college age) have spent many cruises over the years in a suite, the extra space and large balcony works well for our cruising experience (we use our balcony at least 2x a day easily). That being said, we have always taken advantage of the spa/ gym showers (especially on formal night where I may need extra time to dress etc). DH and DS actually prefer to go and use the (more times than not they are all empty) showers and get dressed with lots of room and hot water. Mean while I have the whole bathroom and dressing area in the cabin to shower, dress, makeup or whatever (a glass of wine goes perfect with this) and we all get ready at the same time. Whatever you decide to do, have a blast!

And a quick look at the FAQ about documentation shows this: For cruises that begin and end in the same U.S port, the following WHTI-compliant documents are acceptable for cruise travel. Please note that if the cruise visits Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama or Greenland, a passport (valid for six months after the cruise ends) is required. (Emphasis in the original.) THIS^^^ Always amazes me (and is evidenced every hour on this forum ) that with people so involved in their phones, computer screens and any other device, will watch insignificant videos all day or go down a million rabbit holes about nonsense, but will not research anything that actually would be a benefit to them. They would rather go forward with little or no knowledge then blame someone else for them not knowing. Almost every question asked here can be answered on the CCL website, somewhere (and in this case a couple different places). Hopefully OP can get to a passport office in person asap and get something expedited within the time frame needed ($$$) or has travel insurance to possibly help with regaining some of the cost. Otherwise it will be a costly lesson in natural consequences.

We are on MG in December and the sign up for the cooking classes (under specialty dinning) has been available for at least 6 months prior to sailing date (and possibly more as I just happen to notice them listed at 6 months out).

Makes sense really, example, we have a cruise in December and we have new offers now that cannot be used for that sailing because there are no current cabins available for our same cabin type, for the number of guests, so we cannot change it to new offer. Unless it is a brand new booking, there has to be an equal cabin type/category available for same number of guests you have to change the original offer.

We always get onboard early, have to make the most of embark day. We drop off our carryon stuff and then do muster and grab the DOD (whatever that may be does not matter, its the first DOD). Walk around exploring until we find what we want for lunch. We also like to unpack early and get settled then pop open one of our bottles of wine and sit on our balcony for sail away, best feeling in the world even after all these years. The ship leaving the dock is our official signal that another adventure has begun as we clink our wine glasses! Its crazy that we still get excited leaving the dock.

Balcony or suite midship, deck 7 and above. Also, we favor the newer ships (and bigger) in the last decade or so and are no longer as familiar with any of the cabins on older ships (except for Sunshine which is a more medium ship I guess as Charleston is close to home for us). We do use our balcony (at least 2x a day) and enjoy our time out there. Same on RCCL when we sail with them.

Insure My Trip is our go to and has been for many years (cruise, land and flights).

We were on the Sunshine in August and there were plenty of shows going on each night including playlist, comedy and several bands around the ship (early and later showings).

We are not fans of the coves (had one and done pre covid) , we prefer to be deck 7 or above. Our balcony or suites have always had covers over them so not full sun. The coves were too close to the water for us and the dampness plus build up of salt was not something we wanted to deal with daily as we do use our balcony a couple times a day (coffee in the morning and wine pre dinner). You can only decide what is best for you by actually getting one and then decide if it suits your crusing style. Have fun anyway no matter what you choose.

We always bring a fan for cross air movement in the cabin, DH and DS run hot and it helps alot. Also, put your dirty glasses in the hallway, it will be picked up. I know in the past we have been told to do this many times as it is easier for them to pick them up and not worry about taking something that perhaps someone was still using or eating.

Mardi Gras has sliders on the balcony (and suites) so you could go with that class of ships in the future. Does not help much with the cabin entrance door slamming but it always seems like the balcony door slamming is so much louder and annoying.

Around 10:30 sounds about right for us too.

We saw plenty of football on board MG last December in hero's lounge, it was always packed and we had a great time. Was like a big tailgate party each time.

We were on last month and DS found 1 and DH found 1. We dont look for them so the 2 found were both very visible. They went ahead and hid them again immediately.

Insure My Trip is our go to for all travel, plug in your criteria and it will give you the best options. Been using it for years,

We were on the Sunshine last month and we enjoy this ship. Truthfully its pretty much the only older/smaller ship we will sail on with CCL as we do prefer the larger, newer ones. The Sunshine is in decent shape we are typically in a balcony or suite so deck 7 or above, midship. This ship has plenty of entertainment and dinning options and we have never had an issue with YTD. Last month the comedy and the production shows were very good. The serenity area on this ship is above average as are the spa/gym options if you use them. The casino is typical for this medium size ship but will get crowded in the evening. We love visiting Charleston and have no issues with the port parking, its a little different than most ports but is efficient for the most part. We are also platinum and we have not had any issues with boarding (we do board early). We will definitely miss this port and the Sunshine being so close to home after next year but will always go back to visit Charleston.

Good memories on Navigator, was our very first cruise (our honeymoon) for her inaugural cruise. Started our love of cruising, tried a couple others besides Carnival and RCCL but they were one offs, stuck with CCL and RCCL overall. We were on Mardi Gras last December and on again this coming December as we found that ship most like the setup on RCCL with the sections and neighborhoods and we like that. Its good to experience other cruise lines as it will show you not only the differences (good and bad), but also, you will be more aware of what you really like.

If you eliminate hurricane season then you are eliminating months of cruising (June 1st to November 30th). We have sailed many times during this season (just got off a cruise in mid August) and the cruise lines are very good at staying out of harms way. Now you may get some rain or the ocean may rock and roll some, but this is not their first rodeo and you will be fine. Make sure you have some ginger ale (or hard candy) and maybe some Bonine just in case. Other than that, enjoy your cruise and have a blast!

San Juan is an amazing city (one of our favs) and it is very easy to do your own thing there. If you like history you can start with the forts (self guided) and then just head into old town and take it all in. If not into the history of the forts etc., then just head straight into old town. There are so many good restaurants to stop at so the choice is yours (we typically stop for lunch at one that has outdoor seating so we can people watch). If you like different foods you should have no problem finding a couple good ones online, we have tried many over the years and never had a bad one. Look up several that all serve maybe a specialty and do your own foodie tour. We also go and wonder through the Santurce neighborhood and enjoy the art and culture (get great pix of the murals). It's nice being on your own time schedule in a place like San Juan and truthfully so much easier to do it on your own. Just make sure you are back to the ship on time. St. Maarten has always been a beach place for us and really do our own thing there as well. Pick a beach and grab a taxi, maybe shop a little on way back. Have fun!

After 20 plus yrs cruising on a few different lines (consistently on CCL & RCCL), we are more in the larger/newer ship camp for most part. We sail differently now compared to the earlier years of cruising (when DS was young and our needs were different). The larger ships do have more people but with more venues the crowds are spread out. We love the options and since we have been to many/most of the current ports CCL visits from east coast ports, its now about the ship experience more than the ports at this point. Unless we are going to Europe and experiencing something a little different than what we can get here, the ship experience can be the main focal point now. We do not sail on smaller/older ships (we will do Sunshine as that is a quick hitter for us to drive to port) as they are just that for us, smaller/older (been there done that) and it shows.

Got it for upcoming cruise in December on MG BUT went to try it on one of our 2024 cruises and it came back as "Max number of orders reached for the day" message for cheers? Maybe they are catching on to glitch?

We bring a little box fan (and ext cord so we have options on where to place it) as shown above just to get the air moving throughout the cabin, works great. Packs flat enough in our checked luggage so space not an issue.

Its 14 days and should have the date listed under your online check-in area.

Just got off the sunshine a couple weeks ago and there was a little corner shelve DH used for his shaving things in the shower. it was small though, we used the body gel and shampoo supplied in the shower so didnt need to bring any. This was in a balcony cabin and SIL and kids had OV on deck 2 with same.