Thebosn1

We want to take a cruise to Hawaii in September. And the most reasonably priced ship is the Caenival Legend from Vancouver. However, after reading the reviews I am a bit hesitant. Generally, we are not demanding cruisers and essentially believe there is not a bad cruise. But after reading these reviews I amy have to revise my view. We are in our 60' and went with celebrity to Hawaii a few years ago and had a marvelous time. We missed Kaui on that ship which the Legend goes to. Are we making a mistake considering this ship and hould we stick with Celebrity?

I sailed on LEGEND from Long Beach to Sydney and I loved the ship. The serenity area was fantastic, and the crew was one of the best I have sailed with. I know crew turns over a lot, but the ship itself was well laid out, spotlessly clean, just wonderful. Not sure what all the "problems" are that are being reported, but I would sail on her again in an instant!

We always carry shorts and stuff in our carry on. We head directly to lido and the pool for cold drinks and snacks. :D

It's my understanding that the ships that have the Red Frog Pub and the Blue Iguana Bar also have Red Frog and Blue Iguana t-shirts for sale. How much are they? If you buy one, does wearing it on a certain day give you a discount on beverages? If you happen to have a picture of either one, could you post it? Thanks.

On Breeze they were sold out almost right away. The ones I saw were white with the sign from the bars as the logo. They were around $25-$28. Never did get one.

Drat! I was awake last night when the $99 deposit sale launched and I considered booking Vista for 2017.....went to bed, went to work, got home and now it's up to $150 pp. Oh well, should've booked it when I first saw it! *puts wallet away*

I was actually surprised Vista was included in the promotion too. This is the first time I have ever had two cruises booked at one time!:)

I saw the opportunity to book a spring 2017 cruise on Vista for just $99 early saver and I could not resist!

I'm VERY excited to be cruising with some cruise friends from the past, and looking forward to meeting new friends on this amazing new ship! From what I see online, she looks amazing!

This will be my first COVE balcony, and the first time on a lower deck. I am VERY excited! has anyone else booked on Vista yet?

Blue Iguana Cantina!!!!! Not only does it have great lunch burritos and tacos, but the breakfast burritos and especially the hueveros rancheros with arepas in the morning are the best!!!!

 

And don't forget the Alchemy Bar. We don't cruise now unless a ship has Guys, Cantina and Alchemy.

Definitely! The Blue Iguana breakfasts are FANTASTIC!!!!

Hello,

Was just wonder is it feasible to walk from the Queen Mary to the Cruise Port with luggage ofcourse. Staying the night there before the cruise. On the map it doesn't look far at all. Thanks.

yes, right across the parking lot.

We are a family of 4 two kids (8and13)We also cruised the Sunshine the 27th, my pet peeve is the lack of hot tubs and pools. 3 hot tubs is simply not enough for a ship this size and only one in the Serenity area is ridiculous at best, only twice was I able to enjoy once at 7 am and 8pm as that was when they were relatively empty. And please heat the Serenity pool no one enjoys a cold dip!

 

Also, the free champagne served on New Year's needs to end. The amount of drunk underage drinkers because of the free champagne caused quite a few altercations two of which I witnessed with teenagers mouthing off to adults and reaching onto tables to grab drinks. It is not worth it, the champagne is not even very good and I am sure the adults can do without it to reduce the kids getting drunk. Of course, this leads into the pet peeve of supremely bad parenting of which you see alot of on this holiday cruises.

 

Other than that this ship has the best food I have had at Sea the choices are endless and tasty. We would go back as we really like this ship and we have cruised the Breeze, which we also loved and would go back.

OK, YOU do not speak for everyone. Maybe for some people, jumping in the cool water after baking in the Caribbean sun is just fantastic. Maybe, if the pool was heated for YOU, it would lessen the enjoyment THEY have on the cruise.

And perhaps instead of cutting out free champagne for everyone, people should watch their own teenage kids and make sure they don't drink? Maybe I LIKE a free glass of champagne and don't want to give it up so that other people can pretend their teens are not little punks.

YOU are just one of thousands of passengers on that ship, and you don't get to have every single aspect of your trip exactly as you want it at the expense of others. THAT is my gripe.

You forgot, people who like to preach to other people on what they think it right and wrong

My pet peeve is people who just stand around chatting and not realizing people are trying to get through. Even after politely saying excuse me they still just stand there.

So, people are not allowed to stand or chat while on vacation? 4000 people on the ship and they are all suposed to know to stay out of your way?

Sometimes it's the little intangible signature things that seemingly no one else cares about that whisk me away to euphoria. They invite me to let go of my stress. The sound of the card key sliding into the door slot and the little flashing green light is but one of many for me.

 

1. The aforementioned card key and flashing green light.

2. The Bing of the elevators and the voice that says "Lido Deck"

3. The salt on the balcony glass

4. The winds buffeting sound

5. The faint unique way that voices echo off the balcony dividers

6. The boing sound when inserting the cards getting on and off the ship

7. The looping television programs

8. The book with all the pictures inside the staterooms

9. The flying fish

10. The hot wooden deck. Ouch!

11. The accents of the crew

12. Watching other people pose for pictures as I pass by

13. The first night at dinner, wondering where and who you'll be seated with

14. Hoping that your team of waiters will be as awesome as the last time.

 

I absolutely cannot stand the sight of that luggage mat draped over the bed on the last day.

Those are ALL wonderful and we all have others we could add, like the servers on the pool deck trying to get your business for the whole cruise, or meeting the cabin steward. This a great post, and it is wonderfully refreshing because each of the things we list as a "little thing" that reminds us where we are and how much fun we can have, I have seen nearly everyone as a complaint in other posts. How sad is that?

Thanks for your post, and I agree with every on of the little things you and the others have listed!

Fantastic photos ont he ship! I sail Sunshine for the first time this spring, thank you for the great views!

^^ This ^^

 

Most people here make way too long big a deal over that deck. It's certainly not secret and is unimpressive in most all aspects.

I always see threads about "secret doors" and "hidden decks" and I just don't get it. Why do even seasoned cruisers keep using these terms, where is nothing at all secret or hidden about these areas? And certainly nothing special. I'm sorry I just don't get it.

Taking my very first cruise on January 7th. Like many first timers, I've chosen Carnival Imagination out of Long Beach for my intro cruise.

 

In general, but specific to Carnival Imagination, I know the place to be for a newb like me upon embarkation out of port is topside, along the railing, waving goodbye to the thousands of jealous folks from the dock like in Titanic such as Long Beach City Mayor, Local Fisherman One Eyed Mackerel and the Queen (Mary) herself.

 

Romancing aside, I'm curious where some of you choose to be when those props start spinning you off into the Pacific. [ATTACH]371054[/ATTACH]

 

I'm sure it will be crowded no matter where I choose to go. But do you prefer the bow, stern area or perhaps the side?

 

I also know some of you Vets will be in the bar or snoozing in the cabin, lol.

 

Thanks for the input. This is obviously an important part of my first time experience!

Interesting question. I usually try to find a less crowded area on deck and pick a spot by the rail. I have never had a problem finding a spot that was not crowded, usually on one of the upper decks.

I have sailed out of Long Beach, on the Legend. I found a practically deserted spot ont he Starboard side, one deck above lido, and stayed there quietly sipping my drink as we left the port. I'm sort of a "ship nerd" so the coolest thing I found about leaving Long Beach was the massive container terminal. We left at night, and you could still see the lights from all those gantry cranes many miles out at sea. I thought that was pretty cool.

I hope you find a great spot to enjoy your first sail away, and enjoy your cruise!

20 years ago today I was just completing my first day at sea.

My wife, 7 year old daughter and myself were on our first cruise aboard the good ship Jubilee. A 7 day cruise.

We had over with a bed that came out of the wall.

Also the window was recessed and my daughter spent time in that nook.

Mex Riv was the sailing and the first 2 nights we had to turn our clocks ahead!

A very nice memory.

John

Nice, thanks for sharing that fond memory. mad eme think back to my own first cruise. It was a great adventure, and made me just want to go again and again.

The serenity area on the Legend is fantastic! Yes, it has its own small pool and hot tubs. It has plenty of space for sunning and a full, big bar with tables and benches in the shade as well. Best serenity area on any ship I have been on!

Absolutely incredible that instead of just answering your question everyone jumps on you about your kids. So here are my thoughts on cheers, and I'll just leave it up to you to watch your kids, how would that be?

My wife and I also like to have a good number of drinks some days while cruising. The thing is, we don't drink the same amount each day, and the AVERAGE of what we spend on drinks always comes out to less than cheers would cost us. If you get cheers you are paying if you drink or not. It's expensive. If you have a long port day, you may have some drinks ashore instead of on the ship, but you still pay for drinks on the ship. So, we always pass on cheers and I think we have saved money in the long run. The soda plan you would have to pay for seperate, and they have milk available on the ship for free.

Sorry for the overly judgemental people who are too worried about your ability to take care of your kids to just answer your question.

Hi everybody,

My family of 4 will be cruising for the first time ever and we are doing the 7 nights over New Years to DR, PR, Virgin Islands and Turks.

Our 5 year old and 14 month old will be with us.

 

Questions

Is the Cheers Program worth it? My husband and I can put away some drinks on our days off. We very easily can have 4 shots and 5 beers each on a Saturday.

Our son does drink soda some and I know unlimited sodas are included in the cheers package. If we were at sea the whole time, I would not question this but wondering with port days if it is.

 

Our baby drinks cow milk. Can we get that on the ship included on our price or do we need to bring our own? Can we bring our baby's snacks/food?

 

What things should we do visiting these places?

Any cost saving tips?

 

My husband was laid off so we need to be able to save where we can but still want to enjoy our selves on our first cruise.

Have you ever found it a hassel to drop off the rental?

 

A big factor is how many ships are turning over on that day.

 

The rental offices here are not huge. If it is a one or two ship day there is seldom a problem. But there can be FIVE ships & then there is a good chance it will be a zoo.

Good info, thanks.

We prefer to stay in Orlando instead of Cocoa Beach - 1000's of hotels in every price range and lots of dining options. Rent a car and drive to the port the morning of your cruise.

I think I would prefer to stay by the water. Have you ever found it a hassel to drop off the rental?

You mean like your thread being moved?

Not sure what that means.

Was this by any chance on the Breeze 7/5/14 sailing?

lol

We saw the SAME thing.:D:D

Security was called. It was HYSTERICAL. And the woman that came to claim the "saved" seat REFUSED to budge.

The seat SAVER, her husband showed up and was humiliated. His wife was acting like a 2 year old.

Ahhhhh....almost better than the comedian.:D:D

That's sort of what I am saying. If we, as the majority of cruisers who are playing by the rules, just refuse to put up with people who don't follow the rules, it won't be as much of a problem.

How hard is it to ask others sitting nearby, "Excuse me, is anyone using this chair?"....if they say no...sit in it...if they say yes, then move along!

Did I describe a situation that is anything at all like that? Don't make my comment to be something it is not. I don't go hunting for chairs with stuff on them so that i can move it. I'm not looking for a problem at all, I'm on vacation.

I'm just saying if you are being blatantly ignorant, I will move your stuff if I have to. i would have to be positive the stuff was not in use, like if I saw it after breakfast and noticed it didn't move and it was after lunch. And if it was going to be a problem I'll go sit some place else.

People are constantly complaining about ignorant things that rule breakers do. Kids in serenity, unsupervised kids, chair hogs, I'm just saying I will take care of things myself if I need to.

Maybe Carnival should implement lounge rental? Not something I would like to see happen, but since this seems to be a huge deal of discontent amongst many passengers, it may go in that direction.

Haha right? Or have assigned times for different passengers. I can hear it now. "I'm PLATINUM and I was not able to get the exact lounge chair I wanted for my grandson."

We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott this past August. Nice hotel, path to the beach, walking distance to restaurants.

Thank You!

We have always stayed at the Raddison, loved the pool.

The hotel is starting to show its age, but is very clean, and they did update all the rooms.

 

Not ocean front.

Does not provide free shuttle you have to pay.

 

Cheaper to take a cab, and you can go when you want and not be hearded like cattle on the shuttle.

 

Loved the pool:D

 

Enjoy

Thank you.

In all honesty it is worth all the stress for a chair?:confused:

 

And no I do not use the pool chairs either.........

No, I don't think it is worth the stress or the confrontation. I would just as soon lay in the shade up on serenity (if I can find a chair haha). My wife, however, likes to get blasted by the sun for a couple hours.

I would never move anything unless I was positive it was just there for hours to save a seat, and I would never allow anything to escalate. I just think instead of being pissed off and miserable about it, we can just handle it ourselves.

One exception to that would be GROUPS. Groups traveling together can be obnoxious enough, if they start blocking off entire sections of chairs, we may have a problem...:D