CrimsonTideGal

I have had interior and Ocean views high and low. I personally book low because it is quiet. Love ocean view on Riviera decks when the waves hit the window. The water hitting the window is baby blue and fun to watch. Also fun to watch the flying fish so close to the water.

I have been off these forums all summer. I see on here that no more water bottles or bottled sodas. Can you still carry on a bottle of wine? Anything else change that I have missed?

I have been on The Fascination 4 times. Love this ship. Also agree with going to Half Moon Cay if you can. Been there in Late October and had a great warm day. You never know though. Never been on the other ship you mentioned so cant comment. The Fascination is small and older but it has been upgraded and is well kept. Great first time cruise ship.

If you think you might have any problems with sea sickness try to stay low and the middle of the ship. The higher you go the more movement you feel. Also the more forward you go the more you feel. I personally love feeling the movement. I recommend taking over the counter Bonine starting the day before you board then daily until a few days after your cruise. Your world might still be rocking when you get off for a few days. Mine does. I also take prescription motion sickness patches I get from my doctor just in case of any bad storms. In cruises this has never happened. My friend has to use the patches all week because she gets sea sick easily and they work.

Unless something has changed in the last months since I was on Carnival Guys Burgers and pizza is free. I dont think either ship you mentioned has Guys though or a steak house. They all have pizza 24/7 The only thing i remember being extra is the specialty coffee bar on the Fascination. Everything else, buffet, dining room, pizza, deli, Mongolian, soft serve ice cream, room service (tip only). The larger ships have a lot more to offer. You either choose early, late or anytime dining. You will have the same wait staff the whole week if you take early or late. Regular coffee, tea hot and cold and lemonade, milk and juices are free. Juices in the morning.

They will charge you the set amount of gratuities the last sailing day per person on your sail and sign bill unless you pre pay them before you go or ask them to remove them at Guest Services. I believe this gets split between your dining room waiters and room steward and assistants. You can also tip them extra in cash if you like. If you get the service you are supposed to you will want to do this if you can. I put extra cash in envelopes and give one to head waiter and one to room steward and let them split it up. It is totally up to you.

Hope this helps, please correct me if I am wrong on anything. Have fun!

I loved the Dream, had a Cove Balcony and it was awesome. Very shaded and close to the water. Have always enjoyed Carnivals food. The tile work on this ship is gorgeous!

Just wondering how long it will be before someone does something stupid and falls off of it.

What about the Breeze?

We are cruising with friends and we booked a guarantee balcony and a guaranteed interior. We linked the 2 rooms together when we booked. When we got our assignments we were very close to each other on the same floor. We are very happy. Our PVP that booked it also requested we be put close together.

We have always asked our room steward for it. It isnt expensive. She might want to bring her own extension cord for it along with a power strip. THey will provide a cord on ship if they have any left.

A blow up baby pool is a good idea for little ones. That way the child can splash and cool off a bit without needing to be in the pools.

How and where would you empty it? Just curious.

We love love love it when our muster station is indoors and we can sit! However, it does leave it to the imagination how we'd all muster in the lounge then get all the way to the boats in time not to drown and if we did get there, how we'd all fit (staff assured us that we would).

 

 

Me thinks some people showed up late!

 

After mustarding, hehe, we went back up to the rooms to find our luggage! My MIL, having an interior room and only one person (with the bunk in the ceiling - we joked that her ex was up there since we ran into a guy throughout the cruise that looked like him) was done first. So she came to hang out on our balcony as we unpacked and my wife distracted her so I could decorate her cabin door.

 

 

Then I came back and did our door:

 

I was out of tape and so we lost half of these and the penguin before the cruise was over! But my MIL was surprised and loved it!

 

If I remember correctly, we left a half an hour late (4:30) but we did sail away from our room:

 

Love the door decorations. Where did you find these?

JiJis is wonderful. I ate there twice. Cucina was ok, I had eaten a lot of pasta that week so I really wasnt in the mood for it that night but it was good. Sushi bar was good. Steakhouse was just ok. Didnt get great service the night I was there but steak was good but not as good as I had on the Dream. Buffet was awful. Main Dining room was good. My biggest complaint about this ship was lack of air conditioning, and lack of furniture in the rooms. I had no bed side tables, chair, hangers, shelves in closet, fridge or hair dryer. Had plenty of room for a chair. Interior was VERY large, just had nothing in it. I had a bed and a footstool. Took 3 days of a 11 night cruise to get a chair. I heard this was hit and miss on items in your room. Going to give this ship one more try next month.

I had problems on my last 2 cruises with the beds being extremely firm. I have read on here that a lot of people have noticed the change in the beds. I think right now it is hit or miss on them. My last 2 room stewards both admitted that they have changed the mattresses. As the old ones wear out they get replaced with the more firm, non-pillow top new ones. They are awful and Carnival wont admit they have changed.:mad:

Travelynx Transport can shuttle you from MCO (Orlando) to hotels in Pt. Canaveral or to the port day OF. $50 for 2 people EACH way. 1-800-226-5969 OR www.travelynxusa.com

Radisson at the Port (321)868-6573 (exit 205A off I-95). Shuttle available for pick up at MCO for a fee. Closest hotel to the port. Shuttle svc to/from cruise port included in rate and parking for duration of cruise.

**Comfort Inn & Suites- Cocoa Beach (321) 783-2221

Cocoa Bch Suites (321) 783-6868 OR www.cocoabeachsuites.com . Parking arrangement through Sheraton, shuttle svc to/from port included. (can get day pass to Radisson to enjoy the pool)

Country Inn & Suites (321)784-8500. Right next to Radissson. Parking for duration and shuttle to/from port included.

La Quinta Inn Cocoa Beach-Port Canaveral

1275 North Atlantic Ave,

Cocoa Beach, FL 32931

Phone: 1-321-783-2252

Parking for duration and shuttle to/from port included

Fairfield Inn & Suites- Titusville (20 miles from Pt. Canaveral--Exit 215 off I-95) (321)385-1818

For those who stay in a hotel but prefer to park at the port in Pt. Canaveral, Fairfield Inn at Titusville (Exit 215 off I-95) now offers vouchers for parking directly at the port. The voucher for parking is for $9/day (instead of the $20/day) . This may be exciting news for some....yes?? And this hotel is just 23 miles from the port (port is off of exit 205A)

**Quality Inn Kennedy Space Ctr-Titusville (321)269-7110 (across from Fairfield, exit 215)

You can choose to stay in Titusville and then park at Radisson parking lot as they have parking package w/out requiring a night's stay. www.parkportcanaveral.com

**Quality Inn Orlando Airport (MCO) (407) 856-4663. Shuttle svc available to Pt. Canaveral for $40/pp RT.

Residence Inn Cape Canaveral Cocoa Beach - 8959 Astronaut Blvd. Cape Canaveral Florida 32920 USA .

1-800-331-3131. Park and Cruise: Save $15/day parking, includes buffet breakfast daily, wired high-speed Internet, wireless Internet, 2 Roundtrip Shuttle to Port passes, self parking.

Courtyard Cocoa Beach Cape Canaveral - 3435 N. Atlantic Ave Cocoa Beach, FL 32931 - Cocoa Beach, Florida is 45 minutes east of Orlando International Airport on Florida’s East Coast. Courtyard by Marriott Cocoa Beach is minutes away from Port Canaveral Cruises and within an hour’s drive from all of Orlando’s amazing attractions.

Carnivals buses are easy and comfy. A little more expensive but worry free. You can delay debarkation and get on one of the later buses if you have a later flight. They run all morning.

I spent 11 nights on this ship. My main complaint was my cabin. The room was hot and had a constant ciggarette smell. Also had a paint fume smell come in twice and was so bad I had to leave for awhile. I was on Riviera in a inside. The room was very large compared to all other insides I have had which is a plus BUT... It did not have any night stands, no chair, no shelves in closet, no blow dryer, no hangers, no fridge. I had plenty of room to add another twin bed if they wanted. All it had to sit on was a foot stool. The bed was VERY firm. From what people were saying it was hit or miss on what ou had in a room. It took me 3 days to get a chair brought in. I have to have back support because of a bad back. First time I have never had anything other than a bed and stool to sit on. I am going to give this trip one more try in February. It does have a lot of good things also. LOVED ji ji's Asian restaurant. Worth the up charge.

Just upgraded 2 days ago from an interior to a guarantee balcony for $12 total. Couldn't pass it up. Got our room assignment today:

 

Date: January 4, 2015

Ship: Dream

Class of Guarantee: Balcony

Cabin Assigned: 8D Verandah mid ship-room 8349

Date Assigned: 12/2/2014 (33 days out)

 

Very excited with the result. Cant wait to tell the kids now! Hoping I can wait until we board!!

WOW how does that happen? Nine cruises and never been offered a upgrade.:(

Cruising from Port Canaveral on the Sunshine, Is there a time difference between ship time and St Maartan? I would like to book a private excursion that is from 10 to 4 island time and we are there from 8 to 4 ship time.:confused:

I bring a collapsible beach bag and put my drinks in it. I like the small 8 packs of soda. The bag then is flat and takes up no room in my suitcase for debarkation or I use it to carry souvenirs off.

I have ordered tshirts twice and both times they were there when I got there. I ordered a soda and water package once. SHould have been 2, 12 packs diet coke and 2 large waters. When I got there I had 9, 12 packs diet coke and no water. I called and told them and when I got back in my room that night I had my water, 9, 12 packs and 2, 12 packs coke zero. I gave up and gave away a bunch to the neighbors when I saw them. I was traveling solo and I can only imagine what my room steward thought.

I wish CCL offered a cruise where they anchor off HMC for five days and just tender us back and forth.

 

How about it HMC all day with crystal clear water, music, booze and BBQ. Then tender back to the ship for supper, the casino and sleep, then start the whole process over the next day.

 

Yep HMC is numero uno in my book.

HMC for 3 days then Grand Turk for a few more. Perfection.

I've seen posts about asking for the WMC "well done", which would take care that half-baked issue.

 

Thanks for the dining tips. I love figs, mushrooms and spinach so it sounds like I'll be well fed.

 

I used to occasionally travel with a colleague who, when in new surroundings, would say to the waiter, "bring me your favourite dish". He never even looked at the menu.

 

Anyway, sorry about hijacking your thread, Crimson. :)

No problem. I got my answer. I was hoping it had the new menu because it has some interesting dishes on it. This will be my 9th Carnival cruise and I was hoping for something different. Really wanted to try the Beef Wellington and all the different pies through out the week.:)

This is the first review of yours that I have read and have really enjoyed it. I will be going to search for your past ones and I am sure enjoying them also. I let my husband pick our next cruise and he chose The Sunshine which I have been on but not him. He chose this for the ports. All new to him, my first Sunshine was my first solo. 11 nights and I did visit St Thomas. We will be visiting San Juan for the first time and I thought maybe you could suggest something to so there. I saw pictures on Trip Advisor of private tours that took people to waterfalls and were able to swim in them in the rain forest. This looks awesome. Also want to see the beautiful rock formations on the seaside cliffs. We will be there from 8 to 6. Not really a museum or fort type person. Any advise you have would be appreciated. Other ports are St Thomas, St Martaan, Grand Turk.:)

What menu does The Sunshine have? Any links to its 8 day menu.

Thursday, November 6

Cruise Day 6- Fun Day At Sea

 

As much as I wanted to get up and go work out today, I decided to let my body rest and slept in a little. I had done something active every day for the last 5 days, especially the day before in Dominica, and figured I had earned this break. I was up at 8:30 am to take a shower and head up to the lido deck for the morning. I made it poolside an hour later and there were still plenty of chairs free, but by 10 am they were all taken by the chair hogs. I saw chairs with towels and no bodies stay empty for much longer than the allowed 40 minutes. None of the pool activities had started yet so I ordered a mocha chocolate getaway and drifted off into La La Land.

 

 

 

 

 

At noon I was up again, hungry and ready to eat. I went to the rotisserie grill, which is upstairs in the aft of the lido buffet. Well well well, what do we have here?

 

 

For those of you reading one of my reviews for the first time, you really have to read the others to appreciate the significance of this. I'm a southern girl that has become quite appalled and slightly offended at what Carnival tries to pass off as cornbread.

 

This. Is. Still. Not. Cornbread.

 

 

My 10 year plan is officially changing because I've decided to go to culinary school. Forget the fact that my student loans will be paid off in the next 9 months. Sallie Mae and I are about to start all over in a new relationship. When I graduate from culinary school, I'll be applying for a job with Carnival Cruise Lines as a cook. I'll be trading my spacious three bedroom 1,700 square foot house that I have all to myself for a tiny shoe box cabin on a ship with a roommate. I'll start in the kitchen peeling the potatoes if I have to and work my way up to head chef from there. When I become head chef, not only will I be changing that dreadful curry chicken recipe from what I had yesterday, but I will be changing the cornbread recipe as well. If this is what I have to do to get Carnival to stop serving fake cornbread then so be it. If you can just be a little patient with me while I set out to accomplish this, you should be able to have some real cornbread on your cruise around 2024. It'll be worth the wait though, I promise.

Loving your review. I feel the same way about their Ice Tea and Scrambled eggs. Never tried the cornbread but will have to try it in February on my next cruise.

Love the Sunshines Serenity but you had to go to the front of the ship to find a quiet spot. The pool is awesome but very loud because it overlooks Lido. Very loud music. It was fun watching people in the pool dance to the music though.