Carnival_Brides

Yes, but I read on another thread that you still have to request a Check In time. :(

This is correct. You can choose 2:00pm and still arrive early as long as you are Platinum or Diamond.

Here's a direct link to the video.

Have you checked with Carnival to see if they will be able to book on their own? They are under 21 and they may have to have someone 25 or older sail with them. There is an exception for military personnel, but I'm not sure if they count ROTC.

Official policy wording: Qualified Military Personnel

Applies to US Military Personnel and Canadian National Defense personnel (and their traveling companions in the same stateroom) of 18 – 20 years of age. Copy of proof of service must be submitted.

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2544/~/minor-guest-policy

As for all your other questions, this age group is really difficult and CCL did try creating some kind of programming for them. However, no one attended and they no longer offer the mix and mingles. They also won't be allowed in the club at night and Serenity Deck may be off limits to them as they are not 21. If their Spring Break falls during either side of Easter Break there will be a lot of families.

There's also a wine shop called The Cellars at the shopping center across from the port near the Harris Teeter. It's a bit on the pricy side though.

According to Carnival the only cabins on Sunshine that have mini fridges are:

"...all suites and in staterooms on decks 3, 5, 10, 11 and 12."

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2349/~/stateroom-mini-fridge

Would cling decorations be okay? It doesn't need any adhesives so I think yes, but it's unclear.

I checked my door decorating group for info on the clings. Apparently, gel clings will bleed through, but they can be mounted to posterboard and then the posterboard mounted using command strips.

If you are looking at window clings (the sticker like ones with no adhesive) they don't stick to the doors. Someone had some luck applying some water to the backside, but most members said they fall off.

I just got off the Carnival Pride in Baltimore on 14 August. I have been in some third world airport terminals that looked similar. It is a large warehouse divided into three main areas: EMBARCATION AREA: ticket counters with seating area after getting checked in (long rows of basic type chairs), CUSTOMS/ DEBARCATION AREA: luggage claim area; and PRIORITY LOUNGE AREA: four long rows of basic type chairs, three facing one direction for priority loading and a row facing the opposite direction for wedding parties. The only advantage to being in the lounge is the entertainment- you get to watch the people (getting off the Pride) leaving the terminal after claiming their luggage.

Did they get rid of the separate check-in area for Priority boarding? We just cruised in October and it was still there. There were a couple plush couches and chairs and beverages (water, lemonade, juices) and we hung out there while they checked us in. We got there later in the day and didn't have to wait to board.

We only use Command Strips per CCL guidelines. There are entire groups dedicated to decorating on social media sites if you need some inspiration.

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3256/~/decorating-your-stateroom-door-and-stateroom

Bonus information I have found along the way...

If the taxes for your cruise go up $80 and your rate goes down $60 and you "claim the drop" you'll pay CCL an additional $20 because of the new tax rate when they repackage your trip.

Also, with the last gratuity bump CCL PVP's and TA's made it known that you could pre-pay your tips at the old rate. However, if you claim a price drop using ES your gratuities will be priced at the new rate.

We did this on the Glory a few years ago--it was the same food on both legs. We did the Steakhouse one night to add some variety and tried new things on both legs.

I don't believe that Camp Carnival/Ocean does anything for birthdays. You can have it notated on your booking and the MDR team will sing to your child or you can purchase decorations through the Bon Voyage shop (or DIY it).

Thanks everyone for the help and guidance!

 

And yes, I agree, our kids our very much too young to be across the hall. I figure, if they are not old enough to be home alone, then they cannot cabin alone.

 

I think we are going to do the connecting rooms. There is not a ton of them on each ship, but we are booking early enough that we still have options. The suites are either too small for us or too expensive.

 

It will be interesting to be back on Carnival after such a long break.

On the Spirit class ships (Spirit, Pride, Miracle, and Legend) they have extended balcony cabins in the forward part of the ship that connect to interiors. I believe they are on decks five, six and seven--there are six connecting cabins like this on each ship. This would give you two separate bedrooms and bathrooms without having to pay for two balconies or suites and bonus there's a door that shuts if you need some adult time.

I can't help you with the ceremony on the beach, but I do know that Carnival provides ceremonies like these. We had a complicated legal situation when we got married, so we were legally married two weeks before (to make sure we had the official certificate) and then had our wedding with friends and family at-sea. Some things have changed in three years, but there is a review in my signature.

The Celebrity Summit's casino is open also.

 

Yes, there is a large license fee for ships that make more than 15 calls per year. It runs from $75k to $180k depending on the number of passengers the ship carries. Ships calling fewer than 15 times also must pay a fee, but it runs from $5k to $12k.

 

Here is the actual law.

 

CRUISE SHIPS (CASINOS) ACT 2013

 

Bermuda is also beginning the process of licensing resort casinos on the island. It is still years away.

 

http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20151130/NEWS/151139983

Thanks for posting the correct info! We were on Pride last October and we were docked with the Splendor. Both ships had the casino open for the duration of our stays in Bermuda. We were there for 24 hours, but Splendor was there a bit longer.

Pride docks in Hamilton.... and Martinique and Bonaire are part of th ed Journey Intnaries. Just went to Martinique in March

That would've been excellent. We were just there on the Pride in October and had to dock at King's Wharf.

If you aren't planning to renew your license, you may want to look into getting a NY State ID. My Special Ed. students (non-drivers) have these as their official state IDs and they are just as legal as a license for the purpose of proving identity. My cousin just used one to fly to Texas a few months ago.

https://dmv.ny.gov/id-card/bget-non-driver-id-card-ndid

We did the Carnival Glory 3 years ago I think...it was actually one of our cheapest cruises ever....booked early saver..and ended up with several hundred in OBC...we had an Outside...cruised in June...I don't think they could fill up the ship..... I can see my family...and possibly cruise with a few of them out of Boston..and I would love to see more of Canada...I would love to see a Carnival ship out of Boston again!!

We did b2b 2 years in a row out of Boston because the pricing was ridiculously low--I believe a bunch of things played into it as Concordia and Triumph happened in the same time period and bookings dropped. We had OVs and paid $1100 for three people to sail for nine days including taxes.

I can only tell you about Carnival because that's the one we highly researched.

If you do an embarkation wedding, you are generally allowed to bring your own celebrant, but there are some restrictions in terms of timing. Only four ships in the CCL fleet have a chapel (Pride, Miracle, Legend, and Spirit) and they are small (less than 30 guests fit comfortably). They will be more than happy to let you use them because it frees up the larger venues for other ceremonies.

There are a few different dining options on CCL ships. You can have set times (Early and Late) where you show up at a specified time depending on what you select when you book. Your table will always be the same and your waitstaff won't change, you may be sat with other people. The early dining seating tends to be more popular. There's also Anytime Dining (ATD) where you can show up anytime in a block of time and they will seat you similarly to a land restaurant, but your table and staff change every night. You have the option of sitting in a group or requesting a table for 2. If you aren't a restaurant person, you also have the option to his the Lido deck or any of the other food venues for a bite.

If you want a Table for 2 and you have a set dining time you'll want to check your location on embarkation day and speak to the maitre d to see if it can be changed--sometimes they can and sometimes they can't.

It sounds like your TA booked you under Early Saver, in which case there is a $50pp cancellation fee and the rest of the deposit is held by Carnival for a future cruise. As mentioned above it cannot be used toward the deposit, only the balance.

This is a restrictive fare that Carnival offers as an incentive to get passengers to book early and allows you to price match up until two days before your sailing. Your TA should have mentioned the restrictions when you were in the process of booking, but these fees are charged by CCL, not the TA. There is not much you can do at this point, but perhaps these are questions you may want to ask when booking in the future.

My mother and I both purchased over $500 in gift cards and both had to call to confirm the orders.

I think some of you are confusing the ATM for the CCL kiosks. The ATM uses your bank card and there are obviously huge fees. You can take cash out of the kiosk using your S&S as long as you have cash/OBC available to do this. We've done it a few times and we've used it to change out larger bills for smaller ones.

While I didn't check every ship, it was mentioned for the Breeze, Magic and Pride. Seems fleet wide.

It is on Sunshine as well--I noticed it when I made our Steakhouse reservations.

We decorate for all of our cruises including our wedding, at least until CCL introduced their new rules. You might check with your cruiseline to see what their rules and stipulations are. Most won't allow you to use tape or sticky items (poster putty and Command strips are usually fine) and CCL won't allow anything that is not flame-retardant. They've been removing decorations and asking people to take items down on some ships.

It was offered on my last two cruises after final payment. I'm not sure in what scenario it's offered (time until sailing, space available, etc).