HAL cruiser going on Carnival with grandson.

We always cruise HAL or Celebrity but I'm taking my 16 year old grandson on a 4 day cruise out of Long Beach for his birthday. He does have some disabilities so he probably will want to stay with me and not go into the teen club.

He loves lobster and shrimp cocktail will they have that on this short cruise?

Are there things to do in the pool if he does not swim that well?

What about the dining room will long pants and a nice shirt work?

Any other information would be greatly appreciate.

Thanks

Lynn

Things may have changed, but I believe lobster is only on cruises of seven nights or longer. But good news is that shrimp cocktail is on the "always available" menu so he can have them every night if he wishes.

Pools are relatively shallow. Not sure what you mean by "things to do in the pool". They do not provide any pool toys or such.

What you suggest for the dining room is perfectly acceptable.

Short cruises on Carnival are not a good first taste for a HAL cruiser (IMO),

They tend to be more for partyers than the longer ones.No lobster but you may well find shrimp. The pool is just a pool so not sure what "things to do there" means to you?? I would not pick this for a 16th b-day unless he loves cruising.

I saw some pictures and it looks like the pool has slides and other things in them. I was just wondering what the pool area is like?

I know Carnival is not like HAL which is fine for this cruise. The timing works out for both of us and this will be his first cruise. He is a big boy and loves to eat and loves crab, shrimp, and lobster. Is there a upscale dining room that I can pay where he can get lobster?

He will love to watch stupid pool games and mini golf and just walking around the ship. He maybe 16 in age but is really about 10 from all his problems.

He is very excited.

Lynn

But good news is that shrimp cocktail is on the "always available" menu so he can have them every night if he wishes.

At one point in 2011, Carnival suffered extreme backlash by removing it from the menu and was referred to as ShrimpGate on CC. It eventually made its return though after how vocal everyone was about it.

If your ship has a steakhouse you can get lobster there any night, $35.00 per person.

Also lobster and a couple of steakhouse cuts are available in the MDR for a $20.00 per person upcharge, nightly.

Hope you two have a great time. Two of my granddaughters are my very favorite vacation buddies. It's such fun to see things through their eyes.

The two ships that do short cruises from Long Beach do not have a steakhouse. There will be plenty of shrimp on the menus. Shrimp cocktail - order two or more. Order another for dessert. I can't remember if the Fantasy Class have the upcharge items on the menu: steak and lobster. That started on Fantasy class because they did not have a steakhouse. EM

There are lots of things to do at and around the pool that do not involve actual swimming. If you poke around on here, I am sure you can find the Fun Times from a recent cruise on your ship with the same itinerary. Don't be too intimidated by the people warning you about the booze cruise atmosphere. I took my 12 year old on a 4 day over new years and we both commented that we did not notice the party atmosphere at all. Of course, we didn't hang out at the dance club or the Casino. But we did go to karoke 2 nights in the lounges. My kiddo basically hung out with me or by himself the whole time. We picked things from the Fun Times that we wanted to do together. By the way, I think his favorite activity was getting raffle tickets for prize drawings in the Fun Shops and waiting for his number to be called. Weird kid.

I, too, am a HAL cruiser and I’ve done that 4-day cruise from Long Beach with my daughter. It was not a “booze cruise” and we had a blast!

I don’t know if you plan to get off in Ensenada (we did not), but Catalina Island is fun. There’s lots of fun shops, good ice cream stands and a cool mini golf course if you two would like to try it.

If your grandson enjoys sealife, hang around the dock on Catalina where the tenders go and you’ll see a lot of golden fish. These are “garibaldi” and are the state fish of California. Also, if you aren’t in a rush to get off the ship in Long Beach, go up to the outdoor dining area of the Lido. You can stay there and have coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc. until “ last call” and watch all the seals (or sea lions) in the Port area. We had such fun watching them play and when we eventually disembarked, there was NO crowd to exit the parking garage.

PS: Your grandson will love the nightly towel animals that your steward will leave.

Thanks for all he nice comments about how much fun my grandson will have. He will love the towels at night and he has been to a special camp on the other side of Catalina for about 7 years and loves it and I think he would like to see what Avalon looks like.

We will not get off in Ensenada because his parents think it is dangerous even though we live there fulltime. It might be fun to be on the ship when it is empty no lines.

Lynn

I, too, am a HAL cruiser and I’ve done that 4-day cruise from Long Beach with my daughter. It was not a “booze cruise” and we had a blast!

 

I don’t know if you plan to get off in Ensenada (we did not), but Catalina Island is fun. There’s lots of fun shops, good ice cream stands and a cool mini golf course if you two would like to try it.

 

If your grandson enjoys sealife, hang around the dock on Catalina where the tenders go and you’ll see a lot of golden fish. These are “garibaldi” and are the state fish of California. Also, if you aren’t in a rush to get off the ship in Long Beach, go up to the outdoor dining area of the Lido. You can stay there and have coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc. until “ last call” and watch all the seals (or sea lions) in the Port area. We had such fun watching them play and when we eventually disembarked, there was NO crowd to exit the parking garage.

 

PS: Your grandson will love the nightly towel animals that your steward will leave.

I agree. :)

I wouldn't worry.. He will enjoy this cruise. One of the fun things we do, is go for ice cream every couple of hours. I'm not a big ice cream lover, but for a few days, its a hit.

You already know it won't be a HAL type cruise, so you are ahead of the game.

Enjoy. :)

Patti

No lobster, except for the pay option. The scallop appetizer is very good. I order two as an entree.

Cruise Elegant night will be your second night. It’s extremely casual. Many men simply wear Khakis and a Hawaiian shirt. Women wear something pretty. We wear black slacks and a nice top.

Look at the West Coast Departure, Mexican Riviera and California Coastal boards for other info.

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We will not get off in Ensenada because his parents think it is dangerous even though we live there fulltime. It might be fun to be on the ship when it is empty no lines.

 

Lynn

It will definitely be fun to be on the ship when it’s relatively empty. (You won’t be the only ones skipping Ensenada.). My daughter and I really enjoyed staying on board that day.

I’m another HAL cruiser about to leave (tomorrow) with my teen grandson on the Sunshine for a 5 day winter break cruise. He loves HAL too so this will be new for both of us. I love the lava cake and he should enjoy the water park. Change can be good.