iheartmarshall

Based on excursion offerings alone, for me it would be Freeport.  I hate saying that because I had a wonderful time there on my last cruise but the excursion we did is one of two I would actually want to do should we go back.  A third trip there and it'd be hard to find additional excursions of interest. 

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed Nassau!  Granted I've only been once but we did a DIY tour of the city, chilled at Junkanoo Beach, then visited Pirate Republic Brewing before heading back to the ship.  We'll be there again in May and I'm looking forward to it. 

On 8/3/2019 at 11:50 AM, jdemps said:

I often wonder why use a TA if it's so easy to book online.  Am I losing money on vacations?  We use the 10% off gift cards to pay for everything we can when we book online so if we use a TA, does it work out to be cheaper than booking online and paying with the cheaper gift cards?  anyone have any real world experiences?  We typically book a suite about 18 months in advance for 2 people during January, February or early March sailings lately out of Long Beach but next one is out of Fort Lauderdale.  Thanks!

I used to be a TA part-time and have actually booked clients on Carnival cruises before.  The gift cards, OBC, etc., TAs can also use and have access to. The difference is largely in the level of service you receive from a TA -- they can set up alerts for price drops, will stay on hold for an hour or more should something need changed in the booking, and they're there to help with any emergencies or last-minute issues that arise.  Essentially, TAs offer "peace of mind."

That said... I am no longer a TA and I would much rather book directly with Carnival.  Nearly every time I checked rates, what I could get as a TA was the same I could get on the public website (very few times did I ever see a cheaper deal as a TA for clients).  Also, as others have mentioned, if you book through a TA, they "own" the booking and you cannot call Carnival directly for assistance.  For some, that peace of mind of having others take care of your plans is worth it.  But for me?  I'm a control freak and would rather book directly.  🤷‍♀️

On 4/22/2019 at 10:58 AM, Wyoming2010 said:

Thanks for all the tips and information.  I finally booked our excursion for October -- and the site was showing 5 spots left!  They do book up fast I guess.  Hope we have nice weather. 

EDIT:  I think I misread your posts, oops.  If you're doing the seaplane then completely ignore everything below 🙂 

I know I'm a little late to the party on this, but we just did a land vacation in June and took the ferry to the Dry Tortugas.  It was amazing and I highly recommend it!  We absolutely loved it.  Breakfast and lunch were included and we got about 4.5 hours to spend at the Fort to do whatever we wanted.  It was plenty of time to take a tour, walk around, snorkel, and swim.  We were back in Key West by 5:30pm. 

I know you said you booked it already, but if it's not offered through the cruise line, I'd be careful on times.  Are you still scheduled to be in port at 8:00am?  If so, I'm not sure you'll make it.  Check-in begins at 7:00am, you begin boarding at 7:30am, and we were actually on our way by 8:00am.  If you've talked to the people at Yankee Freedom and they seem to think it's fine then go for it!  If you can make it work,  it's well worth it.  I just wanted to caution you as the ferry does leave early.  

Enjoy your trip! 

Another for the Conch Shack!  SO GOOD. The Half Shell Raw Bar also had some good conch fritters and it's a short walk down the Waterfront. 

On 7/15/2019 at 4:20 PM, ricew001 said:

The very best thing I've found out here is this spreadsheet that calculates Cheers cost for you.

 

there is is also the non-financial component - pre-paying and not being surprised by a bar bill. Plus the ability to order a fresh drink after yours has melted or if you tried something you didn't like.

Carnival Vista Cheers Evaluator 2018-08-02.xls 91.5 kB · 38 downloads

YOU ARE AMAZING.  Thank you so much for sharing this! 

I second the Bahamian Brewery!  We did an excursion that had it and a couple other places and it was definitely a highlight of our cruise (we love beer though).  I was a bit skeptical of their infamous Pink Sands beer since I'm usually a fan of brown ales and porters but it was SO good!  Truly the perfect beer for lounging on the beach all day.  I highly recommend checking it out, either on a tour of by taxi! 

We just booked her for a cruise in September 2020!  I've seen interior photos and while I know art deco isn't everyone's taste, it looks beautiful to me and I can't wait to see it in person!  I've never cruised for a ship but rather for the ports, but this one is  50/50 for me.  

I've been on 4 Carnival cruises with my 5th booked for December 2019 (Western out of NOLA). I originally chose Carnival for my first cruise because it won out on the price/itinerary/time versus NCL and RC, which I was also considering. I didn't necessarily plan on being loyal to Carnival but I've had mostly positive experiences and even now when I compare prices, they continue to win out.

That said, I almost always book cruises at least one year in advance and make payments. The only one I didn't do that with was my most recent one during President's Day weekend, which was booked 2 months out. Luckily we got a great price and were able to afford it but typically once I consider the cruise fare, flights, hotels, excursions, spending money, etc. -- I'd need at least a year to comfortably afford everything.

This almost made my heart drop as I'm cruising on her in 22 days, but I'm glad you had a good time! I can't wait!

Lol. There’s no dress code. People wear anything, literally.

 

Wear whatever you like. That goes for theme nights as well.

I am WAAAYYYY overthinking this, aren't I? haha, thank you!

Hi everyone!

I know this may get moved to the fashion board but I figured I'd try here first since it's Carnival-specific. :)

I'm going on a short 4-day cruise on the Elation during President's Day weekend. This is my 4th Carnival cruise but will be my first time in the night club (different cruising companion for this trip). Can someone tell me if there is a dress code for the night clubs? I'm assuming cute dresses are the norm for ladies? And for men -- are jeans acceptable? Also, what are the usual theme nights on shorter cruises? I searched on here and Carnival's website but didn't find what I was looking for.

Thanks in advance!

I stayed in 7203 on the Vista in May and loved it! It is smaller than an OV so there's no couch, but I loved having the window and the ease of access to the public decks. There was only one night that I noticed any excess movement being up that high/forward but it wasn't horrible and didn't bother me -- just noting it. Although I did miss having a couch for extra seating, for the value, I wouldn't hesitate booking a 4J again in the future. Excellent room in my opinion!

Here's some photos of 7203 on the Vista (hopefully they show up):

I get this quite a bit, too. We're coming up on our third cruise and already have one booked for September 2018. DH and I are right at 30 and we don't make a huge amount of money. We're comfortable for just us, but we're not on the same level as our parents or even some of our friends. And yet... we cruise! So it doesn't make sense to some people when I have to turn down conferences for an organization I'm in because I can't always afford to go -- it doesn't make sense and they think I'm lying because we cruise almost every year.

But here's the thing -- we book at least a year out and make monthly payments so that we CAN afford to cruise. If we didn't do this, then we couldn't go! But the cruise cost becomes part of our monthly budget and we only book what we can afford to pay in the months leading up to it. It's not hard to comprehend but so many people don't get it.

You are not going to be able to discern if a cabin is "calmer" than the one two or three doors down.

True, but I am just curious if there really is a difference before we book. So far we've stayed in a bottom midship OV and an aft balcony and did notice a difference. I know what to expect with a forward cabin; I just didn't know if it really made a difference if you're the lowest/furthest back PT versus the highest/most forward one.

Thinking of booking a cruise on the Ecstasy and would like to try a porthole cabin. I know there's obvious issues with PTs (more motion, sounds, etc. -- I'm aware of all of this) but I'm wondering if some PT cabin locations are better than others? For example, I want to think that R28/R31 would be more "calm" of a room since it's the lowest and furthest back of the PTs, versus E2/E1 being all the way forward and near the anchor. So any thoughts/comments? Or are they all basically the same? Thanks for input!

Signing on. Love reviews with lots of good pics. Thanks

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Ready to enjoy this review when I saw your SN and had to say hello to a fellow Herd fan! :)

And OP - loving your review! Thank you for sharing.

I can't wait for the rest of your review! We're visiting these ports on the Vista in May and I need some reviews to tie me over :)

I'm not sure about an actual policy, but we've cancelled excursions a few times to book new ones we liked better. You just go into your account and cancel it and it can take anywhere from 3 - 7 days for the money to be refunded to your credit or debit card. Once it was cancelled, we were able to book another without any problem.

If you booked with gift card or an expired credit/debit, then you will need to call Carnival to cancel. I had this happen on our last cruise with an expired credit card and all they had to do was update the card information over the phone.

May 28, 2017

6-Day Western Caribbean

Cabin: 4J (Interior with walkway)

People: 2

Total Cost: $1,771.06

COST BREAKDOWN:

Cruise Fare: $1,388.00 ($694.00 each)

Fees, Taxes, Gratuities: $383.06 ($191.53 each)

Plus OBC: $50.00

This is the most expensive cruise we've taken but we're looking forward to it! I liked the itinerary and DH really wanted to check out the Vista's features. Even though it was pricey, I'm glad we booked at this rate because ever since, the price has continued to rise.

I wouldn't do it for $50. I haven't been on the Dream, but DH and I did this on our first cruise on the Conquest -- went from an OV to a Balcony Guarantee and saved about $200. Overall it was worth it and we spent quite a bit of time on our balcony and it was a nice upgrade from an OV for our first cruise. However, we were one of the unlucky ones who got a room over the nightclub. And since we're not party animals and are asleep by midnight, we definitely noticed.

That said, I knew what to expect and brought earplugs and my travel fan and we slept good most nights. The muffled music took some getting used to but after the second night it wasn't a big deal. Just a word of caution though so that you know you may get an undesirable room... and for $50, personally I wouldn't risk that.

I always bring my Belkin 3-Outlet SurgePlus and have never had any problems with it, nor has it been confiscated. It's perfect for extra outlets in the room!

https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-3-Outlet-SurgePlus-Protector-BST300/dp/B00ATZJ5YS

I also bring a 10" fan from O2 Cool for noise when I sleep (a fan is the only thing that will put me to sleep). Mine is an older model than this, but you get the idea. It takes batteries but we plug it up and again, have never had problems.

https://www.amazon.com/O2COOL%C2%AE-10-inch-Portable-Fan-Adapter/dp/B00ATSHMIQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1476143389&sr=8-2&keywords=02+cool+fan

Following because we are booked in 7203 in May and would love to see what they look like. I've always wanted to stay in a 4J and it's what we could afford when we booked. I'm excited but plan to take extra Bonine in case it's a bit rocky that far forward (that's on my only minor concern).

My BFF and I are planning a 4-day weekend cruise on the Elation out of Jacksonville in early January with two ports: Nassau and Freeport. This would be to celebrate her 30th birthday (which would occur on the cruise) and me finally finishing grad school in December. We know January is not the best time to cruise the Bahamas and honestly, we're thinking of not even getting off the ship -- if we do, maybe to walk around port but not book any excursions in advance. Essentially we'd have three sea days to relax and have zero obligations -- a rarity for us!

So my question -- for those of who you have cruised in the winter (or whenever) to the Bahamas and stayed on the ship at the ports, what all did you do? Did you lay out by the pool all day? Take advantage of spa specials? Sit around and read? Utilize the bars? Let me know -- I'm curious!

Yay!! Should be fun times!! Lol NOT!! Oh well live and learn!!! Guess I won't make that same mistake next time I book a cruise and hopefully it won't be too terrible. We are somewhat of a night owl type family except for maybe the night before going into port we might go to bed earlier those nights, but hopefully we won't have to endure too many hours of thumping. Will definitely bring fan AND noise machine.

We were over the nightclub on the Conquest (same layout) and it honestly wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be. I ended up getting a balcony guarantee that scored me a lot of OBC and luckily we were assigned a room about 3 weeks out so I had time to research and prepare. I brought a travel fan (one of the 10" O2 ones from Walmart, about $20) and earplugs and they did the trick. We could still feel the bass vibrations and hear muffled music until about 1:00am, but the fan and ear plugs did good at tuning it out enough for me to fall asleep (I'm a light sleeper). They didn't mask everything but it was good enough. I usually can't sleep with anything but a fan and pure darkness, and I managed haha.

Thank you for your review! Looking forward to reading more.