sailingwithfriends

If things haven't changed, formal nights will be Sunday and Thursday.

Sorry, I don't have answer about the potty training issue. I have sailed on both ships. I loved them both. They both have great dining options. We were very fortunate that on both ships we had fantastic cruise directors. Jaime Dee was on the Sunshine at the time. She can make a party. On the Magic, we had Dr. Everson. I thought Jaime was the best until we sailed on the Magic. He should still be on the Magic, but Jaime is no longer on the Sunshine. I like cabins better on the Sunshine. If felt they were larger. They also have a tub, which would beneficial for bathing a child. I don't think you can go wrong on either ship. If I had to select, I would take the one that is in the closest home port and had the best itinerary.

I sailed to Alaska in 2015. We wanted to experience as much as possible when in ports, so we decided to go with an ocean view room. That was the best decision. When you are in Alaska in the Inside Passage, you will want to be able to experience the 360 degrees of beauty, not just what you can see from your balcony. If you had an aft wrap, that would allow you to see more, but the cost is much higher. We ended up waking up each day and looking out the window. Then we got dressed and rarely returned to our room. We were outside on one of the observation decks. Alaska is very different that a cruise in the middle of the ocean. There is something to see on both sides of the ship. If you are in your stateroom on a balcony, you would not know what you are missing. With the money we saved, we did get to experience more of Alaska. Another thing we felt differently about cruising in Alaska is we wished we didn't bother to eat in the dining room. We would be sitting at the table and could see the beautiful scenery outside. It made us want to hurry up the meal so we could go outside. If we go again, we will probably have dinner in the buffet. That would also save room in our suitcases because we wouldn't need to bring the fancier clothes for the dining room.

We are planning our second trip to Alaska. I am looking for an inside cabin. Last time, we had an ocean view with a large window. What I discovered from the last cruise was we loved being out on the deck. The weather was good. If you are on an upper deck, you can get a 360 degree view. If you are on one of the lower decks, you can see much more than you would on a balcony in your stateroom. Another thing that surprises me is I don't really care for eating in the dining room on my next trip. On our last trip, we would be eating in the dining room and there would be the beautiful scenery outside. I just wanted to hurry up the meal so I could get outside. I am considering eating in the buffet on my next trip so I can sit outside.

This didn't happen to me but I witnessed every night on the Sunshine. There was an elderly woman in a wheel chair that had fine motor skill issues. Every evening, the server brought her her dinner and then cut it into small pieces for her. He carried on a conversation with her while he cut her food. You could tell how much she enjoyed the conversation and how appreciative she was that he took care of her.

Once I left my tablet on a counter while I fixed my coffee in the buffet area. I completely forgot all about it. When I later realized I had misplaced it, I went to guest services hoping an honest person turned it in. An employee did. I left him a nice tip for his honesty.

To get some extra benefits, you must have 8 cabins. However, a group can be less rooms. If you book through a travel agent or directly through the group booking at Carnival (look on their website at the bottom), you will be guaranteed to sit together at dinner. I have booked several group cruises through different travel agents. The travel agent will hold so many rooms at a set price for a specified length of time. Each person will be responsible for contacting the TA and paying their deposit and then final payment. If you are the person booking the cruise, you can get a discounted room for every 8 cabins booked. There are other benefits that Carnival offers. I love traveling in groups. I would make sure everyone knows they don't have to do everything together. They can catch up at dinner that night. We usually have one group excursion. Sometimes, one or two people will decide to skip that excursion. That's okay. I wouldn't make things required for the entire group. Just offer suggestions as to things to do. Let them decide if they are interested.

Does the Fantasy have the new American Table MDR menus or the old ones?

The Fantasy still has the old menus (According to John Heald when I asked him that question.)

If you stay in the port area, it would be easy to reboard the ship for lunch and then go back to port. You can walk or take a pedicab. The cabs are free, you just tip the drivers.

You do realize that it is not illegal to drive without your license physically on your person? As long as you are a legally licensed driver. And debit cards are king. :p

I do normally use a debit card when shopping. However, I found out about the check verification after several months when I wrote a check at the doctor's office. It was embarrassing that my $35.00 check could not be accepted.

My daughter had no problem taking hers. She put it in the shower and filled it with water in order to bath the baby. She didn't try and use it for a pool on a deck.

Unfortunately, I know the answer to this from experience. My husband lost his sign & sail card, driver's license and some cash in Grand Turk. It is probably floating in the ocean somewhere. First, know you can't enter the port area without the sign & sail card in some port. We had to go to the port security office and tell them what happened. That took over an hour. They radioed all the agents to see if it had been found. Finally, the head person walked my husband up to the ship to escort him on board. Because I still had my sign-and-sail card, I was able to enter the ship. My husband had to tell his name and cabin #. They typed it into the computer screen and matched his photo (the one they take when you enter the ship). He was then able to enter the ship and go straight to guest services to get a new card. The problems occurred after you get home. He didn't have a driver's license, so I got to drive the entire way home (10 hours). He then had to report the license lost/stolen and get a new one. If this happens to you in the future, please know that you might have problems writing checks because your driver's license # is linked to your checking account with the company that verifies checks. It is a pain to send them a police report and take care of it. I hope this doesn't happen to you but if it does, know you can get back on the ship if the port authority escorts you on board.

I have sailed with both cruise lines. I feel they are more alike than different. The differences will be in the food and entertainment. I think Royal Caribbean has better professional entertainment. Carnival has better passenger participation events. I really like Carnival's food better. The taste and the choices. I also enjoy almost nightly entertainment of the waiters on Carnival. RCCL does have a farewell show put on by the waiters. I believe both ships are very clean. Carnival is usually a cheaper price. I hope you enjoy both cruise lines.

I was on the Magic two weeks ago. Two days before we left, I fell down my stairs. At first, I didn't think I would be able to go on the cruise or if I did, I wouldn't have any fun because I would be stuck in my room. However, I was able to participate in a lot. I have several pieces of advise. 1st, make sure they put your son in a wheelchair and push him on board the ship. If you are able to use a wheelchair the entire time, that would be great. You might also want to check into renting a scooter. 2nd-plan on using the elevators and having to wait for one. That was probably the most stressful part for me. I usually take the stairs everywhere. That helps control my weight. 3rd-Ask your room steward for extra pillows to prop up his leg. 4th-One advantage was I didn't have to leave the comedy club between shows. They said I could stay and wait for the next one to start. 5th-My advise is to not do the things your son will miss. Instead, watch the movies on the Lido deck or in the room. Take some cards or board games. Try something new that doesn't require him to walk. 5th-Make sure you have his pain meds if needed. Luckily, I only needed mine a couple of days. 6th-If he is able to attend the kid's or teen's club, let him. He should know things he can't participate in but he might meet some new people. 7th-I would avoid the beach. I wore myself out trying to walk the beach. I ended up hurting my other foot and hip because the boot caused my body to be not even. I'm sure he will still have a good time. It wasn't my favorite cruise, but I decided at least I was on a cruise, enjoying other people's company and the food and entertainment. We plan to repeat the same cruise in the future so I can do the things I didn't get to do.

No. It is only open on Day 2 and Day 7, which are sea days. The food is pretty good. The line is long at noon, but not as long after 1:00. The restaurant is only open for a few hours. There are no drinks served nearby, so either stop by buffet to get a drink or purchase one from the bar nearby.

I am trying to plan a group cruise for June 2017. Does anyone know any new ships will be added to Port Canaveral, Tampa or Charleston?

You will be so happy with your stateroom selection. This is the best cabin and balcony on the ship. I loved that it had an overhead on the balcony. Not all aft-wraps do.

We use one made by California Innovations. It has a hard liner that can be removed. The room steward kept our filled with ice. My daughter uses insulin, so we took two extra of her different insulins. The room steward will put the cooler in the shower. You can just remove it when showering and then put it back in. My suggestion is to put the medication in a zip lock bag inside the cooler. We never tried to take ours off the ship, but I think you can. Maybe others can answer that question.

Yes, there are cabins in the aft section of Deck 5. They were built when the ship was turned into the Sunshine. I had a friend stay in an aft extended the same time we stayed in the aft-wrap (6346) on the Sunshine. If you look at my signature, there is a review attached of our cruise. It shows you photos of the balcony and the room.

If possible, I would book deck 6 on the Sunshine. They built cabins on deck 5 when it was refurbished from the Destiny into the Sunshine. We had the aft wrap on Deck 6 in 2014. That was the best cabin and balcony we have ever had. It had a covering outside. Lots of chairs. Inside the cabin was great. I don't know if deck 6 aft wrap is still available, but if it is I would go for it. It is larger than deck 7 or 8.

Thank you for the quick response.

By any chance, do you remember which port you were in on the 2nd elegant evening? I am trying to plan information for my group.

It could be sand fleas. They are very common. Bed Bugs are not. I know the cabins are checked regularly.

You are so lucky to get such a deal. I think you will love the Aft-wrap on the Sunshine. We had the deck 6 aft-wrap to Aruba two years ago. It was my favorite cabin and balcony. There was an overhang, so the sun wasn't as bad as it had been on my aft-wrap on the Dream. I don't mind the extra walking people say you have to do to get to your cabin. It helps me control my weight with all those extra calories. The aft is quiet. I love looking at the wake. Order breakfast (or at least coffee) for the morning. I hope you have a great cruise.

Thank you for taking the time for writing the review, it was very enjoyable. I will be going there in May for a 7-day cruise but no land tour but we are spending 4 days after the cruise in Vancouver. This gives me some idea of what to possibly anticipate.

You are very lucky. On our precruise to Alaska, we stayed a few days in Vancouver. I enjoyed the city very much. There is so much to do. I hope to return one day for a land vacation so we can see and enjoy more of its beauty.