TwinPrincessMermaids

Grand Cayman has WONDERFUL Sting Ray Snorkeling that almost no where else has. They are wild and friendly, and we enjoyed 7 Mile Beach too. In most places, if you don't have much of a plan, you will only see the immediate pier and tour traps. We know how well that normally works out... Surprised to hear GC sounding like a 'dump'. I think its one of the richest islands, is under British control, and is definitely more expensive than most of the islands...

Sushi.

Oh Sushi.

Where for art thou sushi...

:(

.The price for a disney cruise I just cant, and to top it off, our kids actually prefered the Dream , than to the Wonder!! Go figure!

Once again to each is own...although I do agree again, that the Disney Fantasy......yeah that looks pretty awesome!

I hear ya. Just fyi, the DCL Dream would offer a lot more than the Wonder 8 years ago. The Wonder is the older non-refurbed ship in the fleet. We thought the interactive technology on the DC Dream was amazing and made the beautiful glitzy CCL Dream look like a floating casino. (I like the glitz but can't stand the layout thru the casino, yes yes I know, they all do that...prob another reason I liked the Disney Dream so much better.)

I wonder how your kids might feel now that they are older and that the newer ships have lots more interactive technology and splash zones, Aquaduck, water slides...

Just like the parks have changed a lot in 8 years, I think the newer ships have too. One of these days, I'm gettin' on the Fantasy.... we followed that ship almost every port on our CCL Dream... :mad:

Just one question for you.......

You say that NONE of you have kids.....

And don't take this the wrong way, because I am just asking an honest question here........

It doesn't bother you that the ship is overrun with kids? I mean it's Disney....

I know plenty of adults that enjoy the theme parks in Orlando that don't have kids, but I kind of feel that's different as there is SO much more room to spread out and get away from them........:rolleyes:

Our DD is 15, and I just have read reviews where adults only went and said there were just kids EVERYWHERE...............

I have also heard the quality of the food, entertainment, private island, etc is a notch above the rest, but there is also a HEFTY price tag that comes along with that......

Again, I am NOT flaming you........

Inquiring minds want to know:D:D:D

No problem. There were as many kids on the CCL Dream as the DCL Dream in my opinion. On DC, they are free in the clubs until midnight, they have THE best kids clubs and hours and even if they are out and about, like the parks, we found it really cute. So many princesses and pirates and stuff. Lots of characters to amaze them, I really enjoyed it. We had a private veranda but also hung out some in the adults deck, so we had plenty of adult time. We never even made it to the adult beach because the family area was so fun with waterslides and stuff, but I hope to go next time, I hear.its beautiful and lunch is great. I happen to enjoy Disney music, movies and family activities instead of casinos and dancers in thongs so to each their own. Disney's ships are beautiful! I felt like it was A LOT less crowded than CCL Dream. I recommend going on the 'new' Magic (you can probably pull up the YouTube special about its multimillion dollar refurb) or at least I will be on in and can tell you but its supposed to be less crowded than Fantasy or Dream. We always pick late seating and cruise when school is in. Hope that helps! (Out of 11, we will have 1 kid with us in May and we may not hardly see him! He LOVEs the activities. His mom has tried to pick him up several times and he never wants to leave the clubs so it means everyone wins!)

As to the price, we got our interior for $522 pp for 4 night but our rewards card knocked or cruise down by half. We are paying $300 pp including tax and gratuities and port fees. If you play it right, book early or short notice, you can do OK. I want to cruise a week on Fantasy but other family who felt stuck on a 7 day CCL and said no cruises said fine, no more than 4 day, so we are mixing it with parks. I'd cruise 3 days on DC before I took a week on another cruise line. And of course, avoid those crazy holiday times. It's basically like the parks for that. But if you like the parks, and cruising, than DC is definitely for you (I think.)

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Basically I think this was our last Carnival cruise. The cruise industry has changed since we started going in 1996ish so much that I think we need to rethink our annual vacation. I'm not sure changing cruise lines is enough.

 

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the cruise. But with American Table coming and it seems that Carnival wants to fill the ships with party animals and children, it seems that it is no longer the right fit for us. As for the ship, just not my cup of tea. My favorite ships in order: Miracle, Valor, Glory. Least favorite: Dream, Breeze, Victory, Triumph (pre 2008, might be better now).

 

After cruising the Carnival Dream about a year ago, I was the same. I didn't care if I NEVER cruised again. In order to help Mom have confidence to cruise for their anniversary, Dad booked a last minute DCL. I didn't want my parents to have to cruise alone for their anniversary on a family line, so we surprised them and all came. It was a 3 day, but I have literally been obsessed ever since. 10 weeks to our 4 day Magic, and who would have thought that a 3 or 4 day could blow away 7 or more on a Carnival, but it DEFINITELY can. We had VERY high expectations and it blew our minds. If you have decided that CCL isn't for you, I wouldn't give up entirely yet. (I told my friend when I got back "I think I'm CRUISED OUT!" and she said "You are probably CARNIVALED out." And she was right, cuz a month later, there I was on the DCL Dream, and what an unbelieveable difference with incredible service, technology, much better crowd management, impeccably talented entertainment, always something to amaze you and the private island, wow!)

There are VERY, VERY MAJOR differences in cruise lines, and basically CCL is at the bottom as a budget line. It is not worth my vacation time or money anymore. (I enjoyed my first CCL in 2007, but it is definitely different.) You might like X, DCL, RCI better. (I won't cruise any Carnival corp lines, that's how much I'm done with CCL, at least as far as it is my choice.)

You may decide to give up on cruising, and that's totally your choice. Or try a 3/4 day, especially if you can snatch up a GT sale? And you might be surprised. That's exactly what we did, and wow!

You might be able to take advantage of FL Resident rates, if they have them. They will probably be closer to sailing, and June is iffy but not impossible? We like to cruise in May before school lets out...:)

I wished I lived in FL!

Disney is not like any other cruise line I have been on! What a refreshing change! :) We wore tiaras and cute dresses every night and our table looked great. I thought our cruise ship dressed well in general, but not necessarily long formal wear. My honey was glad he didn't have to bring a suit, and now, if someone wants, they can wear shorts in the dining room. The dining room IS NICE, but its more excitement and entertainment than fancy dining. (Minus upscale pay restaurants.) So even if one wants to be casual/cruise comfortable, it really doesn't take much from the atmosphere, which tends to be pretty festive.

We have top notch customer service with the Disney CVPs. I have my own personal one which of course I can't recommend, but sure wish you would have gotten one like that. All but maybe 1 that I have spoken to have been wonderful. 1 bad rep does not make a cruise line. You are missing out, OP. I'd be calling back and getting some one that CAN help (and letting them know your experience). Our cruise was made possibly only because of our wonderful CVP (cruise vacation planner.)

LOVE Nassau (always book a great excursion, catamaran snorkel or Blue Lagoon, we will be back in Blue Lagoon in 10 weeks!) and very jealous of your conch fritters! I'm gettin' me some in May! Woohoo!!!!

:D

And your drink server will remember your soda preference and have it waiting for you at dinner every night if you ask.

This is VERY hopeful...as in, I hope you have this experience. Because we couldn't even get WATER filled in the MDR for our assigned seating dinner every night, and I poured my own coffee for breakfast off the waiter's stand in the MDR. Service is awful, at least the last 2 cruises I have had...

(Half of me wants to say, Don't do it Shmoo! I wouldn't take a CCL for free after the last one... but maybe you will have a better recent experience than I did... it used to be a lot better before 2012... now that I've done DCL, my husband will literally have to drag me back on CCL if that's what our friends insist on again... Be sure and let us know what you think...)

Carnival is for the everyday working class person who wants to go on vacation and have fun. (Line dancing, love The Wobble.; late night deck pool parties, booty bouncing, DJs playing rap music).

Our DISNEY cruise had all that too!

I agree that cruises should be FUN. I disagree that poorer cheaper service is the price we have to pay for a FUN cruise. This is where CCL can seriously improve.

I think the Past Guest Sale is a joke too. I would get a sale email, click the link and then see the price, which I thought wasn't that good. My honey would log in from his computer straight on, no past guest link, and the rate was always cheaper.

Our friends went to Atlantis, thought it was overrated. We went to Blue Lagoon, played with the Sea Lions, and loved it so much, we specifically picked our itinerary to go back to BL in May! So they went to Atlantis, don't really care to go back. We went to BL, we can't wait to go back. Half our group is signed up again for the sea lions, a few of us observers so we can go to the island with em, we look forward to the fresh made conch fritters, the water slides etc.

If you want to skip BL, I would recommend the Seahorse catamaran and snorkel half day tour. It was WONDERFUL, and we saw lots of fish.

If you don't book something on Nassau, you might stay on the ship, because right near the port, it doesn't really pan out unless you know where you are going. Junkanoo beach is near by and our other friends went there and played volleyball, but you won't see a lot of marine life at a public beach.

I pretty much only cruise last week of Feb - May. Glad it's May this year, because this has been a horrible year. No idea how May will be either though.

I got one of the 'two for one' drinks that came in a DCL cup. I LOVE that cup, I still cherish it. I carried it around the whole trip with whatever I wanted in it. No one ever said a peep.

I think the biggest perk is applying the rewards. We got $250 this year in gift cards for opening the accounts and all in all, our cruise was at least 50% covered by rewards and incentives. That means we are cruising for $300 pp INCLUDING tips and tax! That's a pretty good deal, I think. Additionally, we still have time to apply rewards to our park tickets, and if we buy all of it ahead of time, all of it (the cruise and the tickets) can go on six months no interest financing. When I get to EPCOT, I'm looking forward to our photo session. Other than that, the other perks haven't really helped (we weren't in a position to go to Aulani or see Aladdin on broadway yet, and we chose to stay off site because we got some great hotel deals) but I still LOVE LOVE LOVE my cards because they REALLY have paid off this year!

I agree with Daiz, you are going to LOVE getting to the sunshine and getting away from it all, and make it the best! I stayed mentally in EVERY moment on our 3 day and have a wonderful 20 page trip journal to show for it! I hope you have the same pixie dust. Travel is always a pain, and moreso this year.

A lot of people are scrambling due to the weather. I like that you guys have a back up plan and are prepared and I hope for the best!

(Another reason I'm glad I'm not cruising until May. This year is the worst!)

We loved the scenic coastal hike in St Maartan. Great views all around and away from all the tourists (well, except us!)

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My first Carnival Love: MS Holiday!

My last Carnival Disappointment: CCL "Dream"

Makes me wonder if its more date related than ship related. 2007 Holiday had huge rooms and impeccable service. 2011 Triumph was disorienting but great ports and wonderful service. 2012 Conquest was ok, good sushi, slow service but mostly friendly and OK ports. 2013 Dream had lines everywhere, even self serve ice cream, poured my own drinks in dining rooms, had rude staff and unhappy guests but really fun entertainment staff. I enjoyed the glitz of the Dream but hate the you can't get there from here layout and the horrible narrow promenade and congested decks 4/5 thru casino and shopping just to get anywhere. I know they are all like that but this one is bigger and more crowded.

It's probably less the ship itself and more the way we were treated on board...

I lived on the Gulf for 5 yrs and am dying to get back. I know how great it is to LIVE at the beach!

However, very few mainland beaches can compare to the amazingly clear Caribbean and tropical water and fish to see. Anywhere from Belize to Mexico and most reefs around Bahamas and VIs are going to offer great marine life, more than just nice beaches. In particular, we really enjoyed our snorkel tour in Roatan.

I LOVE to snorkel Chankanaab park at Cozumel, lots and lots of friendly fish! Personally not a San Juan fan but didn't personally snorkel there.

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Your experiences on the Independence are unfortunate, and I would certainly complain too if we ever experienced those same things, on any ship. However, I don't think you can judge an entire cruise line based on what happened on one ship. Another poster on here said "If you were not happy with RCCL, you're not going to be happy with Carnival." That may be his opinion, but I disagree. That's a bit like saying "If you're not happy with a Chevy, then you're not going to be happy with a Dodge."

Not really. I am not a car person, so forgive me for the attempt, but its more like saying "I didn't care for my Dodge Truck, do you think I would like a Neon?"

Or substitute other brands or car specifics. Its a valid question to want to compare brands. However, at least myself personally, at least for me, I used to, but no longer, consider RCI and CCL equal brands.

but if it were a food analogy, I would say its a bit like someone having a bad experience at an Olive Garden and wondering if they would be happier with Fazolis... To me Olive garden is usually better but you could have a bad meal or two, and you might have a cheap quick lunch at Fazolis, but let's face it, it's not like going out to dinner...

Unless CCL has picked up their vacation experience to what it was 5-10 hrs ago...

If I can't cruise DCL, it'll be RCI next. Probably Oasis/Allure. If it were up to ME, I would NOT set foot on a Carnival again. My honey may have to drag me on the next one if he wants to join our friends. I won't complain because he will have taken me on 2 DCLs and to WDW three times in about 14 months. But it wouldn't be my choice. Hopes he loves the next DC so much, he forgets about CCL altogether and rebooks on board. But anyway, I would do RCI before I would chose another CCL. Although the last one I was on was in 2002 in Hawaii (hard to beat that, although the ports were great and the cruise was good but not super memorable.) I just REALLY like to have nice serve MDR and service on the last CCL was abysmal. I have never been on any cruise or cruise line where I got up and poured my own beverages in the 'fancy' (didn't they used to be?) dining room. I also had never seen staff yelling at each other, only been asked for tips the one time we talked to our room steward (we always do the prepaid tips?) and have never waited in soooo many lines as that cruise. I am REALLY turned off of CCL at the moment and finding it hard to think that it would be a refreshing change from RCI...maybe they all need some improvement...

That's a long time! How much do you remember after 3 weeks? I'd like to recognize my favorite bar tender along with a few other things, so better make notes!

I decided to go back and check my husband's email account, and it wasn't quite that long, so I'm corrected. Looks like it came within the week we Disembarked. For all the good it did, as our servers all had AKA names like Bruce Wayne and were NOT good. Unfortunately, I don't blame them for being rude and overworked. Our cruise was about 2 weeks after the Triumph incident and CCL was REALLY feeling the squeeze..or at least we were, squeeze here, buy this, not enough staff there...

We got our Feb '13 Dream Cruise survey emailed about 3 weeks or so later.

I had to love that new commercial Carnival is running. It has four lovely young children, having just met at the beginning of the cruise, bonding with a slide down the sliding board linked together. It looked so fun, that my son if we could do that next time we travel with his cousins.

 

"No," I had to confess. "They only allow one person down at a time. Liability issues."

 

It is a great commercial, but just wrong. I have to wonder if any folks from the c-wing in Carnival's Miami office have ever traveled with them.

I laughed my head off at the commercial. It was really cute for the Olympics. "It's hard to believe they all just met yesterday, look at the team work." Etc commentary. Not being a CCL fan, I give them credit for the olympic drama etc. It was very cute.

But not if it is not allowed... they shouldn't advertise something you can't do while on board. That's different than watching an Olympian do a stunt (and typically aren't a bunch of 7 year olds either...)

Still, I thought it was a MUCH better commercial than the recent ones.