CRocks

We cruise in the winter every year, usually Jan. Being from Ohio, it breaks up the long winter, prices are cheaper, and the kids are in school instead of on the boat. That said, there's a few things to keep in mind. First, Bahamas are NOT in the Caribbean. I've been to Bahamas in the winter when it was in the 40s. Caribbean doesn't care what season it is, weather is great year round. If you're sailing from east coast, I wouldn't sail from any ports north of Canaveral and even it can be cool first/last days of the cruise. Same from west coast, if you sail outta Long Bch in Jan, first/last day can be cool.

16 hours ago, wardamnweagle said:

What about the entertainment in the theater was poor?

The group doing the main shows couldn't harmonize to save their souls. It was painful to listen, we walked out twice. Saw the exact same Motown show on the last cruise and they were great. The cast on Legend needs work!

Just got home from this cruise, first time to Alaska. Loved, loved, loved the scenery! Hated, hated, hated the weather! It really wasn't bad for Alaska, but I'm used to sailing in January to the Caribbean. Nice change from our weather in Ohio. This cruise, it was 30 degrees colder than at home and I paid to go there. Worst part was all the cloths yah gotta take and all the changing yah gotta do during the trip. I did remember to bring 2 pairs of swimming trunks, never took either out of the suitcase. But, Alaska is gorgeous and a must do! IMO, best port is Ketchikan. Best excursion hands down, seaplane over 5 glaciers in Juneau. Pleasantly surprised by Victoria BC, beautiful port/city.

About the ship, love the Spirit class, did Miracle to Hawaii. Found the decor a little dark on the Legend but the layout is great. Chandaliers in the MRD hideous. Have no idea why they put waterworks on the back. Entertainment  in theater was poor! Food, about the same as other ships. Steakhouse was OK, not great. Bonzai Sushi was great! Platinum gift was a lanyard.......how sad. Do they REALLY think the platinum cruisers need a lanyard? They used to give them away in the casino. Speaking of, hammered the slots, got back all my wife lost. Seattle very interesting port to sail in/out.

Anyway, epic experience, but I'll stick to the warm ports going forward.

Was just now able to reserve table at Bonzai for the 19th. Better hurry, only a few times left on that date.

First time to Amber Cove last year, absolutely hated it! Even I was amazed because I love Grand Turk + they're very similar. To begin with, if Amber Cove is a port, then I'm a movie star. The entire time we were docked, the ship literally slammed up against the dock shooting water all over the pier. That's because there's no natural protection from rough seas in that area. Tampa, Miami, Canaveral, Charleston, San Juan, those are ports. Secondly, I disliked the locals. If you lay anything of value on your poolside chairs, it'll be stolen. If you pay for a cabana, well, they're gonna charge as much as would have been stolen. To each their own, but for me, never again!

I've been on Fantasy, Sensation + Imagination, loved them all. Been on a gang of newer/bigger ships, loved them all. As far as the ride goes being slightly smaller, on the ocean it's kinda like  bein a flea on the back of a brahma bull. The newer ships are more  like bein a fat flea on a braham bull. IMO, the age has little to do with the condition. They're all a little run down before major drydock + they all come out sparkling. I REALLY like all the open air deckspace on the Fantasy class ships that the newer ones lack. They also lack the huge crowds. Make sure you check out the little balconies out the back doors of the lido buffet on both sides as mentioned previously!

This thread is all over the place! The OP asked about hemp oil + that got turned into CBD oil. Two different animals! CBD is on Carnival's prohibited list, hemp is NOT! Yeah, they're both made from hemp, but different parts of the plant. Like a lot of things, you might get away with it (CBD), but it's still PROHIBITED by Carnival, simple as that.

15 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

As of right now, CBD is on Carnival's prohibited list, so if you decide to take it, you're doing so against their policy. Would they find it? Probably not. So at that point, it becomes a personal choice to abide by their rules or not. 

 

As far as drug-sniffing K-9's, they can detect anything. They only need be trained.

Yup, and I keep reading CBD oil contains no THC. Well, if yours doesn't, you're getting ripped off. Hemp oil contains no THC, CBD oil does, but only .3% or it can't be sold over the counter. Certainly it's the small amount of THC that landed CBD on the prohibited list and the lack of THC in hemp oil explains why it's NOT listed.

18 hours ago, Cruisin Dave said:

Per Carnival FAQ, CBD OIL or Hemp Oil is prohibited. Just because the State you live in approves its use doesn’t mean you will not be searched and allowed to bring it on. Texas currently prohibit the sale of CBD OIL. BTW, CBD Oil is produced from the hemp plant that is in the same family as marijuana. This hemp plant has very little THC that causes the high that marijuana produces.

Well, I just read the FAQ and that's NOT what it said. 

• Any illegal narcotics/drugs including synthetic, designer drugs, Cannabidiol (CBD) and medical marijuana
• https://www.carnival.com/help

Hemp oil is NOT CBD oil, they are 2 different animals. CBD is prohibited, but there is NO MENTION of hemp being prohibited as you stated. They are both made from hemp, but from different parts of the plant. From what I understand, the hemp oil comes from the seeds + does not have the THC found in CBD oil.

On 5/10/2019 at 5:24 PM, teknoge3k said:

 

We like the Springhill Suites in Mt. P. $20 for an UberXL to port.

Yup, stay in Mt pleasant would be much cheaper. And plan a day before/after at Patriots Point. https://www.patriotspoint.org/

2 hours ago, judycruiser said:

Ship is the Freewinds owned by Church of Scientology.  She is the former Boheme.  Normally, she is docked in Aruba.  She's  the tiny old ship next to the newer ships.

Yup, she was in Aruba when we were there last Jan. 

On 3/26/2019 at 2:12 PM, marmac761 said:

I notice the Hawaii cruises I’ve been looking at say journey cruise. What does it mean when it says Journey cruise?

We've done several Journey cruises and we love them. Few things to be aware of, guests considerably older, tons of platinum/diamond so those perks aren't really much good.

Also, FYI, one of those was the Hawaiin cruise you're considering. We didn't think much of 10 days at sea cuz we love to lay out. Well, we had a 30 kts headwind all the way to Hawaii and all the way back ( I know, sounds impossible). Outside decks were closed, lounge chairs strapped down, and we missed 2 ports due to high seas. 10 days inside the ship were too long. Now, we did this in January, so probably not the best time of year. I'm sure this isn't the norm, but it sure ruined our vacation. Think I'd fly if I do it again. The Atlantic + Pacific are whole different birds than the Caribbean.

BTW, try JiJi's for dinner, it's FABULOUS! Especially the pork belly + duck appetizers.

You stand in line at Mongolian Wok (usually long line) and fill out the sheet at Cucinas. Also, be sure and try Havana Bites located slightly aft between the two. All very good lunch choices!

Rots of ruck changing from late to early. Other way around....duck soup!

Bathroom gonna be crowded at dinner time. As a suggestion, some of you can take your cloths + shower/dress in the spa locker room.

9 hours ago, Llamabear said:

First time cruising on a ship with the specialty restaurants, is Cucina's worth the $$$? Like, is it comparable to Olive Garden on taste, or is it kinda run of the mill Italian dining?

Cucina's is free at lunch, and IMO, not very good. But, everyone that goes for dinner loves it. We REALLY like JiJi's, which again is free for lunch (Mongolian Wok), but extra for dinner and well worth the $$$. It's not fair to compare the lunch with dinner at these specialty restaurants.

I can tell you about our experience and you can weigh that in your decision. We sailed Miracle out of Long Bch in Jan 2017. We had no qualms about 10 sea days cuz we love the time laying out. Well, we had 30 kts headwinds all the way to Hawaii and could only lay out one day. We missed 2 ports due to high seas. Then we had 30 kts headwinds all the way back to Long Bch. The outside decks were closed most of the time cuz the lounge chairs would have blown off the deck. I'm sure this isn't the norm, but it was certainly OUR experience. Hawaii is beautiful + a must see. But, I'm sorry to say, our Hawaiian cruise was a huge disappointment.

19 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

AND STILL.....a pictures worth a thousands words!!!

I'd check my bags since they rx priority handling with FTTF anyway. Then drop your carryons in the cabin and head for the lido deck. The party will already be started by the time you get there.

9 hours ago, BENHANDEL said:

Jiji was amazing. That restaurant alone will make us look at the newer ships. We were disappointed that the next horizon Christmas cruise had the identical itenerary as last year. Thus we are sailing a ship without Jiji. 

YUP, I'm a certified card-carrying cheapskate, but I brokedown and spent the money for JiJi's. Actually, that's not true, the first time it was on Carnival as a anniversary present. Since then, on me and worth EVERY penny. The duck and the pork belly are out of this world. we're tryin the hibachi restaurant on Panorama this Jan.

12 hours ago, SSBrickNJ said:

The Bahamas are south of Miami. So when you mentioned above about a high temperature that fell short of 50F , it struck me as being kind of weird.

I put into Google the following question:

"What is the average high temperature in Nassau Bahamas in January?"

The answer that search yielded was 79F

SMH, I say AGAIN, I've been to the Bahamas, more specifically Nassau (Fantasy out of Port Canaveral 3/30/20003), when it was in the 40s. AND I've been to Miami when it was in the 40's (Destiny Jan 2009). So you + Google are wrong!

2 hours ago, riffatsea said:

Breeze has the Alchemy Bar. Do a martini tasting there. It is fun!!

Yup, anywhere else is just a waste of my time!

2 hours ago, Greensuz said:

I’m following this thread, as we are also considering a future Sunshine cruise.  A lot of the reviews I’ve read mention a foul sewer smell in the aft of the ship.  Can anyone speak to that?

We were on the Jan 12th Journey cruise (13 day) in cabin #1594 (deck 1 aft), not a whiff of any foul smell anywhere the entire cruise.

10 hours ago, SSBrickNJ said:

Thanks for your post. Would you be willing to say a bit more re. the Bahamas itself?

I really DON'T want to spoil anything for folks already booked, but this is a message board + you ARE entitled to your opinion, so that's what I'll give, "my OPINION". 

I've been to Freeport + Nassau many times. EVERY time I've had encounters with the locals hitting on women right in front of me. IMO, this is both rude + ignorant! Never had a problem anywhere else, just there, both places. Recently watched a youtube vid and Bahamas was ranked the #1 most dangerous cruise destination. Course, St Thomas made the top 10 also which surprised me. Finally, we cruise in the winter. Bahamas are in the N Atlantic NOT the Caribbean. I've been in the Bahamas when the high was in the 40s. Never below 70 in the Caribbean. I'm sure this soured my opinion also.