maryred

I guess we all will have to wait to start planning for Vista's short visit to the Big Apple.

The OP seems to contrast the reliable rumors I have heard:

Carnival Vista 2016

Oct 21 2016 : 13 Day Transatlantic from Spain to NY

Nov 03 2016 : God-Parent ceremony & invitation only shakedown CTN

Nov 05 2016 : 2 night CTN from NYC

Nov 07 2016 : 7 Nights Out of NYC ports TBA

Nov 14 2016 : 8 night R/T from NYC (possible dependent of port confirmations)

Nov 22 2016 : 7 night Repositioning from NYC to Miami (possible dependent of port confirmations)

OR

Nov 14 2016 : 4 night special R/T from NYC (possible dependent of port confirmations)

Nov 18 2016 : 11 night Repositioning from NYC to Miami (possible dependent of port confirmations)

Nov 29 2016 : Start regular schedule out of Miami

From what I understand about the program since it was re-vamped in end of Nov/beginning of Dec'14 is that regardless if you buy it embarkation day or the next for all departure ports excluding TX you will pay the full amount of number of nights of the cruise. So buying it on day 2 will only cause Carnival to refund any included drink purchased the prior day while charging you the full program amount for that first night. With TX since alcohol sales are restricted on embarkation day they do not sell the program at all to include that first night, so for that port alone the program is pro-rated at # of nights cruising less 1.

Each person would need to know what their possible drinking habits could be to see if they would come out ahead or if they are better at paying by the glass or bottle. At the $49.95 + 15% auto-grat most classic cocktail drinkers & martini (@ $8.75 to $9.95 ea.) lovers need to order at around 5 or 6 of those a day to break even while those that drink beer (taking the bucket discount as an individual price, $4.45 to $5.25) need to have as many as 11 a day to come out ahead. Remember the program caps at 15 alcoholic drinks per 24 hours, so for some there is no way to "make-up" for lost time away from the program while in port. For others that drink plenty of the unlimited soda or the 0 proof frozen concoctions during the day, switching to the adult beverage at night would not require as many alcohol drink purchases to find a break even point.

Most of the GTY rates have a no-change clause or charge a significant penalty to in essence cancel the existing booking(s) and start over. You really need to call to speak directly with your booking agent to find out the terms of your original booking(s) to see where they fall.

Available for those that drink a lot of soda or juices (bottled water is not included) is the Bottomless Bubbles sticker at a charge of $6.90 (adult) or $5.18 (17 & younger) per day + possibly the departure port's local tax for the length of the cruise.

The BB sticker can be purchased on board the day of embarkation and the first full day of the cruise only. The BB sticker may also be ordered pre-cruise by calling the Bon Voyage Department directly at the phone # listed for the on-line FunShops under In Room Gifts at the Carnival website.

Remember you can board the ship with up to 12 bottles or cans per passenger of non-alcoholic beverages not exceeding 20 oz. each.

So needless to say, I have alot of questions. I'm currently in the process of studying for finals, so I don't really have alot of time to go and look through all of the threads for answers unfortunately. Any and all help would be extremely appreciated.

 

Myself and 3 of my friends (who are all 21) are sailing out of Galveston on May 19th on the Carnival Magic on a 7-day trip to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. I have NEVER been on a cruise, and neither have the rest of my group, so we're basically going into this without any idea of how anything works. All of these questions are going to be in random order, just gunna ask them when I think of them, lol. So here we go!

 

1.) For dinner... Are blue jeans and a nice V-neck/T-shirt acceptable? Or does it have to be a polo?

On Carnival most nights for the MDR nice jeans (no holes or rips) and a tee shirt (no profanity or suggestive graphics though) are acceptable. Though on the casual nights many male passengers opt for Bermuda to cargo length shorts and Hawaiian shirts with women wearing sundresses or capris with matching tops. There will be 2 Elegant nights on a 7 day cruise, where people eating in the MDR will be expected to wear at least khakis pants and a polo shirt.

 

2.) On the ship, for tips for room service, is it best to have a bunch of $1 bills, or to use $5 bills?

It depends on how much you order. At minimum you should tip a dollar per tray delivered, but many will tip a $1 per plate or carafe of beverage ordered.

There is no need to have a wad of singles or fives prior to the cruise to tip for room service (or for use in destination ports), you can go to the Guest Service desk, the casino cage or on some ships a kiosk machine to break larger bills down.

 

3.) How big of a bag can we use for carry-on? And what are the best items to bring in it?

Yes there is a size limit. One dimension may not be wider than 16" and another no taller than 24" but the length can be any length. You need to be able to place it on the security scanner yourself. Also there is no limit on the number of carry ons you can bring, other than your personal carrying (or wheeling) capacity.

Bring any documents, IDs, electronics, medications, and valuables either on your person or in the carry on. If you choose to bring any soft drinks or the allowable bottle of wine (per persons over 21) these must be part of your carry ons. Another good thing to pack in your carry-on is a swimsuit and a quick change of clothing. Remember to keep your carry ons as small & light as possible you may encounter long lines at check-in, crowded elevators, or a wait for the cabin to be ready requiring you to keep them with you for longer than expected or necessitate taking them up a few flights of stairs.

 

4.) Is there a limit on bag size for non carry on?

Not really but they do ask that you keep each bag to 50 lbs or under.

 

5.) Do pools and hot tubs stay open all night?

No, most close by 10 pm with 1 maybe 2 open till midnight.

 

6.) Best beach/food places in Jamaica? This is the only place where I really don't have an idea/agenda of what I want to do. We just want to go to a nice beach where there will be people around our age or older, that has all kinds of stuff to do and a bar/restaurant. Also is it worth it to check out Margaritaville? Also is there a "MUST TRY" Jamaican food/dessert/drink?

 

7.) Is it better to get all of our money into smaller bills like $5, $10, $20 since the change we will get back will be the currency of the island?

Yes it's better to carry small denominations while in port, but there is no need to get smaller bills prior to boarding (see room service answer above). Do not carry you funds all in 1 place upon you, spread it around some in your pockets (a little in each) some to your camera or phone case, a bit in your beach bag or back pack, and some to a traveler's wallet (w/ your S&S card, picture ID, and emergency credit/debit card) around your neck or clipped inside the waist band of your shorts/pants. Also only take into port the amount you budget for that day, leave the rest in your cabin safe.

Not every port stiffs you with local money. But do be aware, especially with coins that you may get back a mixed bag of currency. Some advice place any local currency in a pocket that you will grab from first, that you can use it immediately at your next place of purchase.

 

8.) Best place to eat/drink in Grand Cayman? Also is there a "MUST TRY" Cayman food/dessert/drink?

 

9.) I'm kind of weary of Cozumel, due to the drug cartel violence and the fact that so many Americans are getting kidnapped and stuff like that, so I don't want to stray too far away from the port. Is there a good beach that is close to the port? Other than Senor Frogs, what is another good place to get "hammered" :p? We've been to Cozumel before, so we don't mind using it to be our "drunk" island.

 

10.) I've heard to bring an electrical strip, extra sunscreen, tylenol, etc... What are some other must have items that we need to make sure we bring?

Bug spray, aloe, tums, and Imodium in sample or travel sizes. Also if the 4 of you are sharing a cabin bring some sort of spray room deodorizer or odor nuetralizer

 

11.) Out of all 3 islands, which is the most expensive overall? Which is the most fun?

 

12.) Are there any more things y'all would like to recommend to help us out?

Bring a sense of adventure, cruising is not like any other type of vacation you previously experienced.

 

I appreciate each and everyone of you that takes the time to answer some of these questions. Having to plan all of this is pretty extensive, so I need all the help I can get. The main things I'm worried about are the whole embarkation process, and getting settled on the ship.

 

Thank you!

Austin

Sorry no answers about the ports.

The written facts

"

Ships

Carnival Splendor

Carnival Dream

Carnival Magic

Carnival Breeze

Carnival Sunshine

The Cloud 9 Spa and Spa Accommodations boast an impressive 40,000 square foot area, creating a spa resort atop these magnificent floating resorts. The spa and fitness centers are 23,750 square feet (21,000 sq ft on the Splendor) and encompass two forward decks. In addition to the fitness area, the spa has a number of features such as a Thalassotherapy Pool*, Thermal Suites and VIP Couples treatment rooms*

*Not available on the Carnival Sunshine.

Note: Some of the facilities are capacity controlled and extra charges may apply.

For guests who do not purchase a Spa Stateroom but would like to use the Thalassotherapy Pool and Thermal Suite, we offer day and week long passes that can be purchased on board at the Cloud 9 Spa.

· Daily Pass: $40 per guest

· Passes for Cruise Duration:

Ø 6-day cruise: $139 per guest / $239 per couple

Ø 7-day cruise: $149 per guest / $249 per couple

Ø 8-day cruise: $159 per guest / $268 per couple

Ø Europe Cruises: Prices will vary depending on duration of the cruise

Age Policy

Guests must be at least 18 years of age to receive body treatments or utilize spa facilities, as well as use of the Thermal Suite and Thalassotherapy Pool at the Cloud 9 Spas. " From https://www.goccl.com/~/media/Files/Irman/bookccl/shipboard_knowledge/DR_Cloud9Spa.htm

My impression & experience ...

Well worth the extra money as long as you have no health problems that dis-allow you the use of the complete heat and steam treatments areas over the course of the whole voyage. If you have high blood pressure there are certain rooms they request you not to use. Also we witness one younger women that did not realize she had mild sunburn further damage her skin by entering the Thalassotherapy Pool, after a few minutes in the heated water her legs became bright red.

The seating for the Thalassotherapy Pool is different than what I'm used to in my own hot tub at home. Metal bars make up the lounge style group seat instead of individually molded fiberglass ones (comfortable but different) with the water temp and the jets being greater than the other (not so) hots tubs found around the ship. The 4 rooms to the Thermal Suite felt different (hotter, more relaxing in a shorter time) from the standard saunas and steam rooms found inside the gyms and spas near my home, mostly IMO because of the heated tile seats.

The single day pass was not available on the Splendor for the 7 day Bermuda cruise (Apr 16-23) only the full week pass & sold only on embarkation day & the first day at sea. Though later in the week (on port days) they did offer a few packages deals that included a one time access to the Thalassotherapy pool or Thermal rooms immediately after the treatment. They did offer, from the start as an upgrade to the couples week long pass, an add-on for a 1 hour visit to the Rasul Body treatment room to apply the mud to each other & share the rainforest shower for an extra $51 making the week long pass $300. (I will be sailing the Splendor again on May 9th for an 8 day cruise and will see if things have changed in the 2+ weeks.)

The pool and thermal rooms are open as long as the Cloud 9 Spa front desk is manned, you need to check in and trade your S&S card for the spa pass key. So for most of the voyage that meant you could use the water therapies anywhere from 8 am to 10 pm. KIM though if you go first thing in the morning (like between 8 am-9 am) the pool water and the heated seats in the thermal rooms are not as hot as they can get yet. You can go as many times a day as you wish so bring extra bathing suits (to have dry ones), since they request you wear these as the pool and rooms are co-ed. On the last day we had very rough seas so they emptied the Thalassotherapy pool, the thermal rooms were still open for use.

As of right now you will stay a Platinum till you become a Diamond, no matter how long between cruises.

Be forewarned though Carnival does reserve the right to change the program as they see fit.

I'm going to answer your question with another question.

How serene would you feel allowing your child to roam independently & freely (even w/ periodic check-ins) around a hotel resort complex, an amusement park, a midsized airport, or a small sports stadium unaccompanied for the duration of a vacation?

Like a cruise ship these places are generally a set of self contain temporary small "communities", with all the complications that involve a bunch of relative strangers together for the first time. As the child's parent it will be up to you to make the initial assessment of how secure the cruise enviroment is, and I do suggest waiting till on board to make this judgement. In other threads it has been posted a ship needs to be big enough to house, feed, and entertain all of it's passengers and support the crew (potentially a few hundred to a few thousand people). So even when a ship is referred to as small you're still looking at a venue that is at least the size of a football field per however many decks the ship has.

So do take any precautions that you see fit with your child, including writing down and drilling to memory with the child the rules for the vacation. Remember that it easier to loosen an established restriction as a reward than to place a new one based on newly discovered facts. Especially once one is able to reason out for themselves that something was allowed before but unable to see current consequence as to why the new restriction applies to them.

Also the parent(s)/guardian(s) will need to be flexible. That may mean that the parent/guardian needs to trade off or delay an adult activity that they wanted to do, to accompany the young cruiser to an activity area. Another option is to budget and pay extra for private babysitting, if available.

Many (not all) children do tend to make "friends" fast where ever they go, but what they consider a friend an adult would see as an acquaintance based on a singular shared interest. Personally on the the 8 cruises I've been on I've seen relatively shy children (as young as 9) that just want to belong with a group get talked into things that they would not do on thir own by others their age (minor things like canon balls into the pool or entering the gym unaccompanied). I'm not saying don't let your child go off w/ a similar aged acquaintances made on the ship, I'm saying just make sure there is a chaperone that agrees with the rules you establish. Someone that is able to make a good judgement call and reason w/ those that can't make a quick decision to keep themselves out of trouble/danger in a new enviroment.

In the case of my own son he did not cruise until he was 11, at which time he was allowed to sign himself out of the children's camp to eat at the buffet (& main dining room) or return to the cabin provided he notified us first by hand held radio. If he was found by us any where else not previously approved by us, he knew he would be confined to the cabin or kid's camp w/out sign out privileges. As he aged we allowed more public areas of the ship to be visited, ie. the arcade and pools. But until he was 18 and held responsible by the cruiseline for his own actions he still needed to inform us before leaving a planned activity's venue for a new part of the ship.

A couple of other options:

There are little "purses" made to store jewelry w/out tangling or scuffing. They either look like little kids' "easter" purses or like small hard sided cosmetic holders. The big difference is when you open them there are pouches, loops, earring slots, hooks, &/or ring rolls instead of the usually empty space or compartments. Several shops that have bed, bath, or closet organiser department tend to carry these as well as some craft stores and they run like $7 to $20 depending on how big or decorated they are.

A second choice is to go to a craft or fabric store to buy a decently opaque as well as thick piece of fabric like felt to roll your different pieces into. This works very well for chunky styles. First lay down fabric flat pierce or hook in any earrings a little bit in from 1 edge, then fold or roll over the edge till they are covered. Next add 1 bracelet at a time and cover. If a necklace can slide around the width of the fabric do so to help keep it from tangling on itself, again roll or fold over between each piece. Finish rolling or folding the rest of the fabric then use a couple of hair scrunchies or fabric ribbons at both ends to hold the "roll" together, rubber bands may exert too much pressure at those points causing stones or beads to dent any metal parts. No the prettiest but very cost effective.