virginiab

My wife and I are both pretty sensitive to detergents and only use the fragrance-free stuff at home. Neither of us have noticed any problem with the detergent used in the begged laundry service. Obviously, your mileage (and your skin) may vary.

I noticed on our last cruise that there was a laundry tag on a hot pink pajama top each of the two times I had it washed, so apparently they had put it in a separate load. I knew it was old and washed many times and wouldn't turn other folks' laundry pink, but they had no way of knowing that and took prudent care with it.

We did get two white knit shirts back looking kind of gray, but I washed them again with chlorine bleach when we got home and they were white again.

We were able to send out two loads on the same day and sent a light load and a dark load, but i think that is the same day we got back the shirts turned gray.

The laundry service is a great convenience and -- combined with a single load we do ourselves mid-cruise -- it has enabled us to pack fewer clothes. We send out a bag every few days, especially with the stuff we have worn ashore plus pajamas, socks, undies, and other t-shirts or knit pants. the stuff we wash ourselves includes bras, things we want to hang immediately to avoid wrinkles, and whatever else happens to be hanging around as we are heading to the laundry room.

I pack a quart ziploc with 2 laundry detergent pods (just in case I want to do 2 loads), 2 dryer sheets, a mesh bag for lingerie, and a roll of quarters.

You might also try asking this on the handicap board.

Unless you have booked this cabin without a medical need for it. In that case, they will eat you alive and spit out your bones.

Several times in the past we booked Inside Guarantee cabins, while our friends booked a specific aft balcony. We usually ended up in an aft inside cabin on the same deck as our pals.

Good luck!

All upper/lower cabins that only hold 2 passengers are 1A. Some 1A cabins don't actually have upper and lower beds, oddly enough, but get that lowest of categories because they are smaller than a regular interior or are otherwise not a standard interior cabin.

But, yeah, if the guarantee includes 1A, you could get assigned a 1A. There aren't a heck of a lot of 1A cabins, so you probably won't get one.

We booked a lot of interior guarantees in past years and we had the family understanding that if our 1A had one bed and a sofa for sleeping, I had to take the sofa. If it had upper and lower beds, my spouse had to take the upper. We never got a 1A by booking a guarantee. And if I remember correctly, it was a 1A guarantee (not an "Interior" guarantee that we used to book, but we always got bounced up to regular interior 4A or better cabins.

I believe it was on the CDC site where I read that the particular mosquitoes that carry this virus are active during the day (even though most mosquitoes prefer the dawn/dusk routine) so it's a good idea to DEET up!

My sister and her husband had one of these cabins on a family cruise a while back. The room is pretty cramped, but it has lots of light during the day. At night, folks on the walkway can see into your room if your drapes are not closed.

The "walkway" is windy while the ship is moving, but pleasant while you're in port.

And, of course, your plan gets you two cabins, which means two bathrooms, which is a very nice thing for a multigenerational group.

ALthough the cabins are small, it will feel roomier than stuffing all four of you into an outside or balcony cabin.

Generally, if you have booked at a rate that can be cancelled before final payment (as most can), then you can change to a different rate if you are still before the final payment date. After all, you could just cancel your previous booking and rebook at a new rate, so they just handle it as a rate change.

Thank you so much for the information. I know that when we were on the Dream 2 years ago, they had machines that were paid via sail and sign card rather than cash, but I didn't know how far back they had started installing those.

I'll bring my quarters, my detergent pods, my dryer sheets, and a lingerie bag for the dainty bits. I'm happy to use the Platinum laundry perks for tees, socks, and shorts, but I'll want to do my own laundry at least once.

Thanks for the information!

If someone can tell me whether to bring quarters for the laundry on Splendor or whether I can skip the quarters because the machines take the sail & sign card, I will be grateful. After one cruise when the front desk had no quarters and the casino was closed, I like to be prepared to do some laundry. But if I can use my card instead of coins, I will be delighted!

Can any recent Splendor cruisers come clean about this topic?

Thanks in advance!

I suspect that generally your cheapest option for four beds on the floor will be to get two interior cabins, which will also give you two bathrooms.

To the original poster:

As someone new to cruising, you may not know this, but what lots of us do is keep an eye on the prices for the cruise on which we are booked, and if we see the price for a better category of cabin come down to a price near or below what we were already paying, we call Carnival and change to the higher category of cabin. It may cost us a few bucks, or not, but the price is generally the same as you can see when you go to book at the Carnival website. And it is true that often there are last-minute bargains to be gotten that way.

As far as I knoow, only the Spirit class ships have obstructed view balcony cabins and I think the Freedom is Conquest class, so no worries.

Have a great cruise!

Yes, it is a handicap room, but if you are only 10 days from sailing, then I think you should feel free to accept it. Carnival wants to fill it with someone, and with such a short time before sailing, it is apparently going to be you. Enjoy your cruise!

The lobby bar is open when you embark. Some lounges may have weddings going on so are closed to other cruisers.

I would guess it would be at least noon, as you have to extricate yourself from the airport, connect with your transportation, drive to port, get checked in. Each step takes time. If you are renting a car, that takes additional time at each end of the drive. If you are on a Carnival transfer, you may have to wait a while until the bus fills up so it can leave.

You can easily go to the Lido deck with your carry-ons and take turns sitting with the luggage and going for food, should you get aboard before the cabins are ready. Enjoy a leisurely lunch, then take your luggage to the cabin.

Have a great cruise!

I'm delighted to hear that this option will be available on all the ships. I hope to take advantage of it on the Splendor in November. We usually go to the steakhouse once per cruise, and I would love to augment that with another night with a steakhouse main course plopped in the middle of a nice Main Dining Room meal. I find this very appealing, especially because we already know and like a bunch of the steakhouse menu items.

Yum! Bring it on! And if there is indeed rack of lamb available for an upcharge on the first night, I'll be there waving my Sail and Sign card to get my rack of lamb!

We were once getting off the Conquest the day before Thanksgiving and there was a huge crew on board putting up Christmas decorations. There will certainly be a tree in the atrium (I even saw that on a Dec 6 cruise last year). They may have a special Christmas show one afternoon, with the kids from Camp Carnival singing a holiday song, Santa with presents for the kids, and members of the crew lining the aisles with candles to sing Silent Night.

One experience of Odd Fun on the Glory last December was the Towel Animal Theater presentation. Again, this was an afternoon show in the main theatre lounge, in which the towel animal talk about the cruisers and staff. Just good fun. Lots of families but also some folks (like us) without kids. We enjoyed it.

We like the steakhouse a lot and always go once per cruise. But if you are a serious foodie, then I have to agree with the suggestion about the chef's table. You can do a search here on Cruise Critic about it and you will find some extensive reviews with menus and photos of both the present menu and the previous one. $75 is a lot for dinner, but it's worth reading about it and deciding for yourself.

I think Carnival excursions make perfect sense in your case.

Enjoy learning more about your cruise in the upcoming months, then enjoy the cruise itself.

I have no suite experience to share with you, but I wish you a wonderful cruise!

If you were unhappy with your room assignment you could certainly pay to upgrade to a higher category of cabin.

If the reason she doesn't want to cruise is because she likes things the same, and doesn't care for things that are different, you might consider only talking about the aspects of the cruise that are just like similar experiences she has enjoyed. So the dining room is just like (name of her favorite fancy restaurant). The slots area in the casino is just like (one of her favorites at home). The cabin is just like that cute place you all vacationed in (some year, some place). The beaches will totally remind her of that time you went to (name of beach). Etc.

Then stick to your story and stop emphasizing the different parts of the experience, because that may be all she is focused on. Good luck!

A light jacket or a sweatshirt should take care of you after dark. I have not watched a movie on deck but I suspect you'd want s long-sleeved shirt under that jacket when you are being very still like that. That is our usual time of year to cruise out of Miami and I love that kind of weather: Days comfortably hot; nights a bit cooler.

I booked a cruise about 10 months in advance. Because we did not yet have a commitment that the vacation time would be available at work, we booked a sale rate of some kind (which also included a reduced deposit) rather than our preferred ES rate. When the vacation time was firmed up at work, I kept an eye on fares and when I saw a senior rate that was lower than our previous rate and lower than ES was running at the time, I called in and changed to ES. This pretty much confused the rep I was talking to, but I talked her through it and I paid the remainder of a regular deposit. Then I immediately went online and put in for the senior rate which I got within hours.

So, yes, ES rates can fluctuate, but if you keep an eye on things, you can do okay. I know it can be frustrating to wait for vacation approvals at work! Hang in there.

It's good to pace yourself in the steakhouse and not eat too much food in the early courses (including the yummy bread and flavored butters) because the entrees range from pretty big to outlandishly huge, and then there are stellar desserts available after that. The whole pacing oneself is, of course, easier said than done for many of us.

As far as I have seen, "Choose your room" describes certain rates Carnival offers. When you book at one of these rates you get to choose your own specific cabin. Guarantee rates are the other big category of rates; in these you only choose the general category of cabin you want and Carnival assigns the specific cabin.

Sometimes for certain sailings you may only find guarantee rates available.

First of all, congratulations on taking a vacation of more than a few days. I'm sure it is going to be delightful. I love winter cruising (November, December, January) in the Caribbean.

Grand Cayman is a fun place to snorkel. You may want to consider a snorkeling tour that also includes a stop to swim with the stingrays. I loved that experience.

I haven't been to Progresso yet, but I know you can take the tour to Tulum from Cozumel and it is a great experience as well.

As to cabins, there are no bad cabins and I have enjoyed cruises in interior cabins, oceanview cabins (where I appreciate the sofa that is not available in interior cabins), as well as balconies. There is something romantic about a balcony. Depending on your sleeping habits, you can slip onto your balcony to see the sun rise or to watch the sun set. You may also be able to watch the moon's reflection on the water. Plus the practical benefits of checking the weather before you head out for the day.

We had a cove balcony (down closer to the water than most balconies) on the Dream in January 2 years ago and we really enjoyed it. We're not big on toasting in the sun, and the cove balcony provided shade for most of the day. You might prefer a sunnier balcony but I love a shady one!

Whatever you decide, have a great time. You'll find that the boards here are full of ideas about making the most of your cruise, so welcome to cruise critic and welcome to cruising!