KatPem

We got off the glory on Saturday. Dustin Gabriel was the cruise director. I thought he did a great job, although I admit we didn't go to a lot of things but when we did, he was enjoyable!

Per Carnival's site:

Electrical devices such as fans, power strips, multi plug box outlets/adaptors, and extension cords (without surge protectors) are allowed on board when used with proper caution.

Honestly, I read that as I can't have an Extension Cord that has surge protection....if it applied to all items I would have thought they would have worded it as electircal devices without surge protectors.......

We received a similar offer on our spring break cruise last year...just know that you can call and upgrade if you would rather have a different class of room. We booked an aft cabin for an extra $550 including the taxes that we would have had to pay anyway (you must pay port fees and taxes on the 'free' room). Hands down I would recommend cruising out of Puerto Rico. Not sure which ship is on this itinerary but the best itinerary in my opinion starts in Puerto Rico, has stops at St Thomas, St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados and St Maarten. We had done this itinerary for spring break and chose to do it again for our free one! I would go again in a heartbeat but we are trying new ports this next time. If you do choose this, I HIGHLY recommend Calabazas in Barbados. It is a Catamaran trip, limited to 12 people, you get to swim with sea turtles and snorkel another stop. It is one of the best excursions we have ever been on. St Lucia's Land, Sea and Beach tour through Spencer Ambrose is a close second!

I think this will be a great thing. The only downside is for those that do not follow the rules and end up waiting...which will their own fault. I think this will ease the lines tremendously.

I would bring earplugs just in case.

Yep. We cruise spring break and they show the games

Love the liberty! Congrats!

We have always just rented a car for a few hours, it was really inexpensive, especially since you won't have to pay for a taxi then. You might look into it, Im not sure about Port Canaveral but POM has a few companies that offer free shuttles to pick up a car if booked in advance.

How old are your children? I would suggest trying to use the phones....use your first day to see how it will work for you and have post it notes as a back up. When we take the kids, we leave post it notes on each other's doors with what time we are leaving the note, where we are going, who we are with and when we anticipate being back. We left them on the doors or inside (we had keys to each other's rooms) but you could also stick them in the mail boxes if you were concerned about someone messing with them. Or, on the first day you could go to guest service and get you and your husband each a key to their room and leave all notes in there. This worked out well for us so we could find each other. They were 9-11-12-15 first cruise and 11-13-14-17 the second time. We also gave them a time they had to be in the cabin to get ready for dinner as well as a set of rules (such as no going to cabin areas with anyone, including new friends....etc)

The first day they have drawings for 'deals' at the spa. My husband won a $75 credit once. I chose the hot stone massage...it was still expensive, can't remember how much, I think about $75 still but well worth it, it felt amazing! Port days you can get great deals. My sister in law was able to book one right before sailaway so it didn't cut into her time on the island.

I always bring extra dryer sheets with me...They are great in case you get smelly shoes or clothes, you can put them around the room or just with your dirty clothes. I am sure you will have a blast!

There are two aft cabins available on the empress 7449 and 7451. Any of you know if these are smaller rooms? There will be 3 of us in the cabin.

We had 7449 on the Liberty in August. It wasn't a smaller room. I loved parts of the aft...the main one being the lounger!!! I have four kids in year round sports. I am not all about being in the center of the action on a cruise but like to lounge. We are trying the bowling alley balcony on our next cruise but I really enjoyed having the aft. In the middle of the day it can get warm with the sun beating down on you but I enjoyed it way more than I didn't. Definately prefer it over a regular balcony, just for the lounger.

Thanks for the info! I appreciate it!

Im not the OP but I have read about taking a water taxi to get back to Belize City. Are you guaranteed on the water taxi? I have read about people (on Caye Caulker in general, not on this trip) had trouble getting a water taxi back due to them being full or off schedule, been a while since I read it and I can't remember the details. I am looking at trying to book a trip but this was one of my concerns. Thanks in advance!

My family and I are getting ready for the Feb 28,2016 Libery Cruise out of San Juan. We have been on a few cruises before but never one that leaves at night (10 pm). So what time can you board? Do they still serve dinner? Also I have heard that if you want to purchase a soda card its cheaper to purchase before you cruise. Is this true? If anyone has any other useful information about this cruise or this ship please inform us.

We have done this itinerary twice, both times boarding started approx noon. You are able to get back off the ship if you chose. Dinner is open seating the first night, you can go whenever you like. A soda card is the same price no matter when it is purchased. This is my favorite itinerary, which is why we did it twice last year, once with the kids and once without. i would go on it again, there are so many things to do on each island! Enjoy! I have links to my review from our trips in my signature.

We got a bounce back offer and paid to upgrade to a balcony and were able to get the shareholder credit.

Keep checking! My husband has had a few casino offers and I would check every day and there would be different dates and ships available...but if you see one you like, book it cause it probably won't be there the next time you look! We learned that mistake, ended up ok in the long run but missed a couple cause we thought about it too long.

yes, you can set a limit at guest services for them. If you choose to, you can extend that amount later on in the cruise. We usually start with $50 for my kids and see where they are halfway through the cruise. That way they can be responsible without me having to worry about a huge bill

I am prone to motion sickness outside of cruising so I always take a little of everything cause I am scared of getting sick!

I really like the cushioned chairs on serenity!

It depends how open minded you are. Just tell your mom she can be glad she isn't going with you and leave it at that. Personally, we have only cruised Carnival cause when we have been able or wanted to go, we couldn't get a better deal elsewhere. We are not partiers, we have gone twice on spring breaks. We haven't seen the drunks, but I also stay out of the bars and casino, where many will be if there are any. Go and have a blast.

We are stopping in Belize on the Carnival Glory next March. My husband really wants to snorkel while there. Having never been there, I want to just book something through Carnival. Has anyone done a snorkeling excursion thru Carnival? Which one and would you recommend it? Do any of them offer a catamaran? One states catamaran but has a regular boat in the pictures. What area do they take you to? The descriptions seem fairly vague on most of thhem. Any assistance is appreciated.

Not only ship to ship but also room to room on any given ship I've found. Fortunately I'm not too concerned about having a couch in the room. I am excited about the chaise lounge on the balcony.

 

And yes I got it with a casino offer. I couldn't believe the price for this sailing over Christmas so it had to be booked.

Sitting in the lounge, facing the front of the ship is what I am most looking forward to with our bowling alley cabin in March! That and the double windows! That is an awesome deal, I hope to one day sail over Christmas!

This past spring break we were on the Liberty. My kids that were on the bubble for age groups were given the option to move up if they chose to. My 11 yo moved up while the 14 year old did not. Definitely talk to the counsellors the first night.

I only have experience in an aft but have a bowling lane balcony booked on our next cruise. Depends on what you enjoy. Afts can be sunny and less private. They aren't covered much so not great in the rain. The room will have a couch. The bowling alley room only had a chair and the room isn't as big as an act but it is fully covered. I really enjoyed the aft, the view is amazing as is the balcony. I wouldn't hesitate to book one again. We are going with the bowling alley as it was the same price as a regular balcony for us. For $70, I would take the aft...it is typically a more expensive cabin and that way you can see how you like it without spending as much.