virginiab

We'll be getting off the Magic on Sunday, December 11. I don't want to use self-debarkation, but we will be in the first group after that, as we are platinum.

I'm looking at the Southwest flight schedule and see a nonstop at 12:20. Would that work? What time should I schedule a shuttle service?

Advice from others who prefer not to schlep all their luggage and have sailed from Port Canaveral would be extremely welcome!

Your photos are spectacular! You have an amazing eye. Thanks for dredging up the patience to find a way to post them so we can see them!

In my experience on multiple ships, diet caffeine free coke is generally available somewhere on the ship, but not necessaarily everywhere. On various ships we have had luck with the bar in the lobby or one of the bars on Lido deck. And sometimes we find it in additional places. So look around, ask various bartenders, and you will probably find some. We have somewhat tired of the treasure hunt aspect of this and now order a couple of 6-packs delivered to the cabin so it is there for us in the evenings.

We use lots of the strategies others have mentioned. An additional one that we also use to to delay certain behaviors until later in the cruise. For the OP, it may be sugary fruity drinks, for me its ice cream cones or WCMC. I just avoid them as long as I can during the cruise. If I wait 3 or 4 days to start doing those things, my consumption will be much less. I just keep telling myself that it's too early in the cruise to have [insert name of your particular thing here].

I'm so glad it worked out for you! Enjoy your cruise.

I used to cover them with tape, but now I just staple them with one of those tiny staplers. I usually put tags on two handles per bag, so even if one gets ruined, there is still another available to use. So far all have gotten through luggage handling better than the suitcase did!

The suggestion to get a tag at the port is also excellent and fuss-free (as long as you remember to actually get a tag before walking away from your luggage.) I forgot once and did not know my cabin number yet, so had to ask for cabin number when I checked in. My bags got there pretty efficiently with just my personal info on personal luggage tags.

We've had cove balconies on the Dream twice and really enjoyed them both times. We enjoy getting more shade than the regular balconies do, and we like to watch things down closer to the water.

They do get more salt spray than higher balconies, but we just wipe down the table and the arms of the chairs, then use our beach towels to cover the rest of the chairs.

This is interesting because I was also on the Dream cruise that returned to New Orleans on December 13, and I heard that the ship was full. And every time I checked for cabin availability in the last few weeks before sailing there were only 2 to 12 cabins to be seen across all categories.

Whether or not this particular ship was full, full ships seem to be the trend lately and the last-minute price drops that many of us enjoyed in the past seem to have gone away. At least for now. I'd love to see those last minute price drops come back.

We were on the Dream last week. While I usually enjoy the water on Carnival ships, I did not care for the taste of the water this time. It was fine when it was cold, but the taste was more pronounced as the water warmed up in a glass without ice. A bit of lemon added to the water was a help. Crystal Lite should work fine also.

I don't think this was a chlorine issue, as I usually recognize the taste and smell of chlorine (and I'm happy to know it is there when I am traveling in unfamiliar places). Whatever it was, it was not to my taste. Your taste buds may have a different opinion.

Once, out of about a dozen cruises, we were seated with a family with two kids. It can happen, although it seems pretty rare, so checking when you board is probably a good idea.

You need a cruise!

It will be great fun surprising him! I can't think of any obvious cues that he would pick up while checking in, so the only remaining factor is whether you can keep from telling him.

I hope you two have a great cruise!

Tips for porters who handle your luggage. Tips for excursion guides and/or drivers.

I hope your group has a great time!

If the customs lines are backed up, pay a porter to handle your luggage for you. They get to take you to an express line. I know you just did self assist, and so can handle your luggage yourself, but if you need to speed up your exit, try to flag down a porter to assist you.

We did check in our bags at the special Platinum Area, but they were not quick to reach us. Probably a fluke and I hope yours arrive very promptly. In Miami once we checked our bags, grabbed lunch at McDonalds, returned our rental car, then went back to the port. Our bags were waiting when we reached our cabin..

I have definitely gotten good price drops both before and after final payment, some in the last week before sailing. At the moment, it seems the cruise market is strong, which is good for the cruise lines but not so good for those of us looking for lower prices. Is this ability to sell out the ship at higher prices a trend that will continue on for a while? No one really knows the answer to that.

When I book ES I am taking a chance that the possible penalties involved will (over the course of time and some number of cruises) not be too inconvenient and that I will get lower fares more often than not.

In the past 5 years I have cancelled two cruises and paid the $50 per person penalty. One was for medical reasons. For the other, I saw a cruise I liked better and that had better pricing that more than made up for the $50 that Carnival kept.

ES is not for everyone. The people who do best with it seem to be those who diligently check prices and are comfortable with what they paid in the first place. Taking an ES fare is not a substitute for finding a good price when you book and does not guarantee you a better price. It only promises that if you can catch them offering a better price, you can get it. Some of us enjoy this game. If you think you might enjoy it, book ES next time. If it will make you crazy (especially when you hear about others getting great price drops while you are not finding any), then consider another fare category.

Last year I heard about lots of folks on our roll call getting great price drops for months before I saw a drop. This is because I had gotten a better price when I booked. If you hear about others on your sailing getting drops, celebrate with them and keep checking prices as this means prices are dropping for at least some cabins, and maybe they will keep dropping until they are so low that you will get a drop, too.

There are some categories of cabin that have so few that the chances of a drop are small. Porthole PT cabins are a good example. If you would be happy with an upgrade, ES might still be good for you as it is more likely that you can get a 6A for a good price (less than you paid for the PT) than it is to get a drop on the PT.

On last year's cruise, we got several price drops fairly early on and then a couple more at the very end. At the end, it may have been senior rates, as they often offer those to fill some last cabins. While this is good for me, it may be less useful to younger folks.

Even if my category has sold out and I really want to keep my cabin, I keep checking, because all it takes is a single cabin to become available in your category and they have to attach a price to it.

The cabins they seem to be pushing at the end most of the time are Interior and Suites. I've had my best price drops on 1A cabins.

Just my experience. Your mileage will certainly vary!

My advice is to go out on the balcony often, even if only for a few minutes at a time. Go out there when you wake up, and just before you go to bed, and even after a middle of the night bathroom trip. Enjoy the feel of the air, and look at both sea and sky. Don't limit yourself to longer spells when you will (of course) want to sit out there and read, or enjoy a beverage, or stare at the water, or just BE. Enjoy the smaller moments as well.

I really needed a laugh this afternoon. Thanks for passing this along!

If we could only get more businesses to provide this service!!

Congratulations on your upgrade. What fun it will be to surprise your mother!

On our very first cruise, on a cruise line (Sun) which no longer exists, we had an inside guarantee. As it turned out, the cabin had a LOT of vibration when we were underway, especially when the captain was putting on the speed overnight. After the first night, we had figured out how to stuff things into the cracks between wall panels to keep them from rattling. You could feel the vibrations, so I just considered the bed as one of those "magic fingers" hotel beds and adjusted my position so I could take advantage of the vibration on my back as I went to sleep.

Enjoy your travels!

I would snap up the family harbor room myself. Sure, some areas under the galley will be noisy at odd hours; many others will not be noisy. Unless you have someone extremely sensitive to noise, I'd just stock up on earplugs, just in case of noise, and book the cabin. The cabin looks really neat!

I never travel without earplugs. You never know who will be in the next cabin or the hotel room next to yours and how loud they will be.

One bottle for the table.

Rent a car so you and your luggage can wander around town for the day. We have done this a couple times.

pauleydm, congrats on the interview!

I've been thinking about the many seemingly conflicting stories we heard over these past few days about how Carnival would handle this and what would happen tot he guests. As I think about it now, it sounds like Carnival was probably working on multiple plans at the same time, since no one really knew what it would take to get the ship moving again. So it sounds to me like they were working on getting the engine room up and running right there in St Thomas. At the same time, they were probably making plans to tow the ship to a different facility for a longer fix, in case that was needed.

Similarly, they worked on moving the ship to San Juan (an on-again off-again proposition until now when it has finally sailed). But they also worked on getting folks home directly from St Thomas by chartered planes and some other cruise ship or ships for those who will not fly.

These multiple efforts seem to have given them flexibility to respond to the situation as it developed. It's been interesting to watch.

Thanks again to pauleydm who has remained the main source of reliable information! Have fun in San Juan!