All4fun&fun4all Posted June 23, 2010 Author #176 Share Posted June 23, 2010 Around 10:45 or so, we had our last smooch on lido deck...for now. Yes, its time to leave our lovely ship. We meandered our way down the corridor to the elevator (which we didnt use the entire time I am proud to say) and down to, I forget which level. Its the one we entered on. Short little line out the door where they "boing" your S&S card for the last time. As we were walking off I overheard the security guy say "Ok, only 200 people left on the ship". I wonder where they were hiding. Hmm. Once you walk back into the port you find your zone for your luggage. I found this humorous because there is no turnstyle like you see in airports and other ports. The luggage was on the floor with the debarkation zone number taped to the floor to mark each section. Lucky us! Ours was right there when you walk in the doorway. There was a bit of a line to get through customs. He asked us a series of questions and...hello Charleston. There were several cabbies waiting at the end of the long walk off the pier. (Not really that long). They are to your right. Andrew decided he wanted to go to Wild Wing on Market St. At this point I am sad, frustrated and just want to go home. Post-cruise irritation is a serious disease folks! We had to wait for them to open up 11:00am and sat our luggage in the corner. I had a rum and diet coke. Here I am at Wild Wing putting on my strong face. Andrew stepped outside to smoke a cigarette and took a picture of me through the window that shows my TRUE emotions. After my cocktail and Andrew's beer we called for a cab that showed up in about 10 minutes. He loaded up our luggage and made our way back to the apartment to drop off our stuff, get changed and head to the Unemployment Office for Andrew's appointment. Talk about insult to injury huh? We love you Fantasy! We will see you again soon and have many crazy adventures together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashpalo Posted June 23, 2010 #177 Share Posted June 23, 2010 I just got a little sad!! :( Thanks for sharing your trip with us! It was a FANTASTIC review!!! Ashley :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinnewbie629 Posted June 23, 2010 #178 Share Posted June 23, 2010 Sniff...Sniff....Tissues anyone????:( Hope you cruise again real soon;) Thanks again for the terrific review....I now look forward to the extra info to keep the review alive a little longer:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All4fun&fun4all Posted June 23, 2010 Author #179 Share Posted June 23, 2010 (edited) Ok, folks! That is the end of my review. Here are a few things that I wanted to look out for while I was on the cruise that were subjects that came up very often on the threads. Please, keep in mind that these are MY opinions and/or observations. Someone else on this very same cruise may have had a different experience than I. Just keep an open mind. If I leave anything out let me know. Room Temperature: Our room was comfy. We did make sure upon arrival that the vent was open all the way. I only had one instance of being dreadfully cold and it was after one of my 2 hour power naps. Not sure why. Sewer Smell: I did come across a sewer-ish smell coming out onto the outer decks on lido. I didnt smell anything near the rooms though. It wasnt overpowering. Considering the fact there are 3000 people onboard I would imagine a waft of a little somethin somethin would be present sometimes. Didnt bother me. Smoking: Considering we are both smokers, I have to tell you that we didnt notice anyone outside of their boundary areas. I did ask my DBF to step out of a line or two if he needed to smoke so as to not bother folks around him. He grumbled but did it anyway. :) Lost Luggage: If your luggage gets lost, we noticed what we believed to be the lost luggage area at the mouth of the Art Gallery. There were a lot of bags there! One way to keep your luggage from getting lost is to laminate or clear tape your luggage tag. If it rains on your day of departure that paper tag will be long gone before you know it. Cutbacks: I noticed only one thing cutback-wise which is no big deal but addressable. No past guest pins. I have heard rumors that only Platinum folks get these now. (Confirm?) No worries...that gives me a goal to achieve. 3 cruises down, 7 to go. Noise: We were in U15 and on the day we had 3 foot seas we had a bit of a splash very rarely but we dont really spend much time in our room anyway. However, I did notice that the walls were paper thin. I didnt notice this in prior cruises. I heard our neighbor coughing! Fair warning folks...your neighbor may look at you funny the next day if you have been amorous the night before. :o Over the door shoe holder: This is a great idea. It kept our area pretty clean and organized. However, make sure you get one with clear pockets. I just grabbed mine when I was shopping one day and ended up with one that had solid color pockets. Could never tell what was where. Next time CLEAR pockets for us. Room Safe: We kept our wallets and other important information in our safe and felt, well, safe! On Fantasy you do not require a swipe card to get in your safe. At least in our room you didnt. You just punch in a 4 digit code and it locks. Punch it in again and it unlocks. It's just that simple. Announcements: There are a fair amount of announcements throughout the day but we like the reminders. I especially liked hearing the captain speak about our speed and water depth. Ok, I really liked his accent. :p You cannot hear them in your room unless you open the door to the cabin. I swear, I can STILL hear the noise that means "listen up, there is an announcement". LOVED hearing Hennie say "bye bye" and then a few moments later "I said bye bye". Funny Portholes: The only drawback we found to the portholes? Here is a little story. Andrew and I were both sitting in the porthole area and he wanted to see how dark the room would get if we closed them. So we did and it got really dark. So he latched it back...improperly. As I was sitting there it let loose from the latch and hit me in the head. :mad: Oh, dear god, it hurt sooooo much. I immediately rolled out of the porthole (thank god we moved the bed under the window) and onto the bed crying like a baby. It hurt that bad. So, just a warning, if you fiddle with the porthole, make sure you have it latched back when you are done. TV stations: There arent that many but I watch tv at home so we dont really watch too much onboard except maybe to wind down at the end of the day or first thing in the morning to catch the news. There was a movie channel or two, a station that played American Chopper and the Deadliest Catch, and the news stations were based out of Colorado. Oh, and a spanish channel too. Yeah, I said Colorado. :confused: Dishes "left everywhere": This is a complaint I had heard on these threads and I noticed some dishes/trays here and there. I would just move them off to the side and as soon as I sat down someone was there to take the stuff away. I noticed some trays up and down the hallway too but seriously, what are you supposed to do with your tray after you eat? Its like that in hotels too! This didnt bother us. Gross: One really gross thing I saw that I have to bring up. At our favorite bar on lido deck there is sort of a walk through area behind it that leads from the bar to the outside promenade (?). There is a little part of the bar where the waiters who walk around and take drink orders tell the bartenders their orders and pre-scoop ice from a cooler that is there for THEM to scoop for NEW drinks. I saw a lady walk behind these guys and scoop her used cup into that ice cooler. I am not kidding you. That is just gross. Hey people! That cooler is NOT for you! :mad: Noro-virus: WASH YOUR HANDS!!! Seriously, it is just that simple. We dont touch handrails, rarely eat at the buffet, and use the hand sanitizers. If everyone did this (and answered the health questionnaire honestly) there would be no problems with getting sick. WASH YOUR HANDS Next up I will let you know about packing but I need a break after all that. Edited June 23, 2010 by All4fun&fun4all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbhcw Posted June 23, 2010 #180 Share Posted June 23, 2010 A great review and the pictures were great too!! I sent a friend who is cruising with us but doesn't post here a link..they've cruise before but this will give them so much info on the Fantasy...thanks so much:) She was our second cruise..and this September will be number 3 or 4 on her...I love the Fantasy class ships:):) You are so right about hand washing...and if you watch people at the buffet...you will probably pass on eating a lot of it:eek: I wish they would just serve everything to you...I cannot tell you how many times I've seen someone just reach in and grab a roll...after they have handled about half of them in the basket:eek: Anyway....great job:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britnatize Posted June 23, 2010 #181 Share Posted June 23, 2010 We are sailing on her in September and are also on the Upper Deck....did you like being on the deck? Were things close to get to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All4fun&fun4all Posted June 23, 2010 Author #182 Share Posted June 23, 2010 Ok, I lied. I will get to the packing/what I wish I brought/what I shoulda left home after I do this part. Here is just a little FYI for ya! Themed Lunch Buffets by day Italian Mexican Indian Caribbean French American Drinks of the Day Funship Special Yellow Bird Caribbean Breeze Gombay Smash Bahama Mama Riviera Delight Here are a few of the drinks that we ordered and the prices of each Bloody Mary $4.25 + 15% gratutity DOD $7.50 + 15% gratuity= $8.63 Sex on the Beach $8.75 + 15% gratuity= $10.06 Mixology Special $6.25 + 15% gratuity Kiss on the Lips $7.25 + 15% gratuity= $8.34 Bucket of Beer $21.00+ 15% gratuity= $24.15 Miami Vice $7.25 + 15% gratuity= $8.34 Classic Margarita $8.75 + 15% gratuity DOD Refill $6.75 + 15% gratuity= $7.76 1 Budweiser $5.75 + 15% gratuity Cappucino w/syrup$4.00 + 15% gratuity= $4.61 Long Island Iced T $8.75 + 15% gratuity= 10.06 Carafe of Saki $5.50 + 15% gratuity Bottle of Saki $12.00+ 15% gratuity Whew...that was a lot of drinky drinks! :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All4fun&fun4all Posted June 23, 2010 Author #183 Share Posted June 23, 2010 A great review and the pictures were great too!! I sent a friend who is cruising with us but doesn't post here a link..they've cruise before but this will give them so much info on the Fantasy...thanks so much:) She was our second cruise..and this September will be number 3 or 4 on her...I love the Fantasy class ships:):) You are so right about hand washing...and if you watch people at the buffet...you will probably pass on eating a lot of it:eek: I wish they would just serve everything to you...I cannot tell you how many times I've seen someone just reach in and grab a roll...after they have handled about half of them in the basket:eek: Anyway....great job:) Thank you! I hope your friends enjoy as well! I wish I could just fall into a pile of moeny and book right now for the fall. EWWWW! Roll touchers!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All4fun&fun4all Posted June 23, 2010 Author #184 Share Posted June 23, 2010 We are sailing on her in September and are also on the Upper Deck....did you like being on the deck? Were things close to get to? We loved our location on the Upper Deck because it was right by the stairwell. It was only 4 flights up to lido. We liked this deck because it is sandwiched between two other decks that have cabins. If you are on other decks with the galley, the lounge or lido deck above you or below you I have heard people complain about noise. Upper is a great section. Are you Forward, Mid or Aft on this level? We were Upper Forward and would definitely sail there again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britnatize Posted June 23, 2010 #185 Share Posted June 23, 2010 We loved our location on the Upper Deck because it was right by the stairwell. It was only 4 flights up to lido. We liked this deck because it is sandwiched between two other decks that have cabins. If you are on other decks with the galley, the lounge or lido deck above you or below you I have heard people complain about noise. Upper is a great section. Are you Forward, Mid or Aft on this level? We were Upper Forward and would definitely sail there again. We are Mid....booked a Grand Suite for me, my husband and two of his single guy friends....should be interesting to say the least :eek:....have really enjoyed your review....I like your cruisin' style! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket63 Posted June 23, 2010 #186 Share Posted June 23, 2010 What a great review...thank you for taking time and posting it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All4fun&fun4all Posted June 23, 2010 Author #187 Share Posted June 23, 2010 And Finally...PACKING! I am, and always have been, a list maker. I make lists for everything. Looking at my desk now I can see probably about 10 lists. (I need to get to work!) This cruise was no exception to my list affliction. I had a packing list for clothing, toiletries, money and miscellaneous. I then had another list of randoms. Whenever we travel I am the girl that will listen to you complain that we shouldve brought so and so and I will pull it out of the suitcase. I have it down to a science now that it has been our 3rd cruise. Here are a few tips/hints that I found useful (this is mainly for the ladies. Since I aspire to one day be a lady, I am lumping myself in that catagory) Clothing Bring two bathing suits. It is always crappy to have to put on a wet bathing suit. Wear cover-ups while roaming the ship and hanging out at lido. I brought 4 and only wore 3. Only bring a few dresses for dinner. Who cares if they saw it on you the first night? I brought way too many shoes. Only needed 1 pr of heels, one pair of flip flops. That was all! Bring some comfy clothes (I brought yoga pants) for roaming the ship at night. Toiletries Dont forget your conditioner. You will need it! Bring enough sunscreen...we brought SPF 50 because the sun is so intense in the Caribbean. We never burned. Hardly even tanned. Chapstick. The Andrew actually needed chapstick several times a day so I was glad I brought mine Feminine hygiene products. No need on my end (luckily) but I have heard that if you buy onboard they are expensive. Better safe than sorry I say. Misc Bring a watch. It was awful having to bring our cell phones with us and shut them on for a second and then off again. I actually had "watch" on my list but totally flaked I did not bring a purse. I just didnt see how I would enjoy myself tethered to a thing and having someone watch it while I ran to the ladies room. Invest in a cool little wallet that will hold your s&s card Id and some cash. That worked well. If you have a camera that has a rechargeable battery...dont forget your charger! I would have been devastated if my battery had died. A flashlight for running to the bathroom at night so as not to disturb the bear sleeping beside you. Get a little file folder thingy to hold your important docs (E-docs, Birth Certificate etc) so that you can have them ready when they are asked for. Remember to put this in your CARRY ON!!! Ginger root tablets are awesome. We took ours everyday and probably didnt need to but didnt want to chance it. I brought earplugs since I heard so much about noise in forward cabins. I used them only one night. Usually Andrew's snoring doesnt bother me but this one night... If youre bringing wine...dont forget the wine tool Post its for your steward or to leave notes for other people in your party. A journal for notes so you can write a review later! Downy Wrinkle release. It came in handy for so many different reasons. Battery operated candle. Kept room fresh and romantical! Things I didnt need that I brought Highlighter Clothes pins for shower curtain (it didnt attack me) Hand sanitizer (there was plenty all over the place) Book (never got time to read but thats just me) Light jacket (never got cold) Nail polish Bubba Kegs (not this time, but now that I know about that Guava juice...) Best advice I have heard regarding packing on these boards is simply this. Pack your suitcase and then take out half. I attempted this and took out a fair amount and then threw in something else, then took it out. I am a pretty light packer though. All our clothes together fit in the one big suitcase. Ok, my friends, that is all I have today. I am going to get someone to help me with the Fun Times tomorrow. Hope this helps some of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUS-SEA Posted June 23, 2010 #188 Share Posted June 23, 2010 Thanks, again, for the V9 tour! I'm sure others are interested to see that category of cabin on the Fantasy, and it's hard to find pics of it. Fortunately, we got this cabin at a great price, so I'm not going to allow myself to sulk about the size of the balcony. :) Uh... and have I told you today where we are on our countdown?? 79! I can hardly stand myself. I swear, when we get down to less than 10 days, I'll have to medicate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Cruiser Posted June 23, 2010 #189 Share Posted June 23, 2010 The end of this review is going to cost me a fortune. Now I gotta go out and buy several cases of beer to cry in because it's over. Yeah, I'll cry that much. Tough to admit that since I aspire to be a man one day. I guess my man tags will just have to be put on hold a little longer. Following this review has been a blast and I really appreciate you taking the time to do it. It made my day everyday! Can't wait for you to cruise again! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCruisers Posted June 23, 2010 #190 Share Posted June 23, 2010 :cool: Thanks so much for the V-9 pictures! It's always best to know what to expect! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rl2thnurse Posted June 24, 2010 #191 Share Posted June 24, 2010 Great review & picx. Can't wait to get home from work & see more! We are going on FANTASY the week of THanksgiving. This is adding to the excitement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtagphillycruiser Posted June 24, 2010 #192 Share Posted June 24, 2010 I must say, this is the best review I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of. You touch on so many areas...drink prices; packing, etc....I can't think of anything you missed. Thank you again....Joanne (a/k/a highly allergic cat person...lol...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camdenscott4 Posted June 24, 2010 #193 Share Posted June 24, 2010 Embarkation: Since we live in Charleston the decision was made to take a cab from my apartment in the West Ashley area. We made it there in about 10 minutes and it cost around $15. I am pretty glad that I was not responsible for dropping anyone off for a cruise at this point because it looked pretty confusing but our cabbie got us to the luggage tent with no problem. The porters there were very friendly and since our luggage was a bit heavy we tipped accordingly. At this point there is a shuttle bus waiting for us that will drop us and our carry-on luggage at the terminal. What happened next was a whirlwind of activity. I have never boarded a ship so fast in my life! All4Fun - I wanted to ask you about Embarkation because we are sailing from Charleston next Friday July 2nd. We have a group of 25 going and a person in our group has a family member living in Charleston. The plan was for us to park our cars in their yard during the cruise. However, I have found out the entire plan involves us driving to the port, dropping luggage and passengers, driving to their house, then all the car drivers being taken back to the port by the family member. Do you have any idea whether this procedure will work? My thoughts are that port authority (or whoever is running the show) will not go for all that coming-and-going, leaving people and luggage there, etc. Thanks for any info you can share on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All4fun&fun4all Posted June 24, 2010 Author #194 Share Posted June 24, 2010 All4Fun - I wanted to ask you about Embarkation because we are sailing from Charleston next Friday July 2nd. We have a group of 25 going and a person in our group has a family member living in Charleston. The plan was for us to park our cars in their yard during the cruise. However, I have found out the entire plan involves us driving to the port, dropping luggage and passengers, driving to their house, then all the car drivers being taken back to the port by the family member. Do you have any idea whether this procedure will work? My thoughts are that port authority (or whoever is running the show) will not go for all that coming-and-going, leaving people and luggage there, etc. Thanks for any info you can share on it! I am not quite sure about this since we just hopped right on. It seemed like we turned in our luggage and were shuffled over the the shuttles right away. Maybe you guys should book a van or something from your family members house. You could probably get a flat rate that all of you could pitch in for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camdenscott4 Posted June 24, 2010 #195 Share Posted June 24, 2010 Maybe you guys should book a van or something from your family members house. You could probably get a flat rate that all of you could pitch in for. We talked about that but figured with 25 people plus luggage we would need a HUGE bus for all that. I think everyone just needs to bite the bullet and park at the terminal. Otherwise, we will all get separated. From the way it sounds once you drop your luggage off, you go through the process quickly and are whisked away to the ship (which to me, couldnt be soon enough :D). Thanks for the info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannymissy Posted June 24, 2010 #196 Share Posted June 24, 2010 Thank you so much for this fun review, the pictures, the packing list, and the information you provided! I saved your packing reminders into my "Cruise File" on my computer, and bookmarked your review for light reading. Love your writing style! Best of luck to you and Andrew, and I can't wait to read about your next adventure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All4fun&fun4all Posted June 24, 2010 Author #197 Share Posted June 24, 2010 We talked about that but figured with 25 people plus luggage we would need a HUGE bus for all that. I think everyone just needs to bite the bullet and park at the terminal. Otherwise, we will all get separated. From the way it sounds once you drop your luggage off, you go through the process quickly and are whisked away to the ship (which to me, couldnt be soon enough :D). Thanks for the info! You could always designate a meeting spot once you get onboard. The parking fees are pretty hefty. Just have everyone meet say, at the back of the ship, or at a specific bar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All4fun&fun4all Posted June 24, 2010 Author #198 Share Posted June 24, 2010 Thank you so much for this fun review, the pictures, the packing list, and the information you provided! I saved your packing reminders into my "Cruise File" on my computer, and bookmarked your review for light reading. Love your writing style! Best of luck to you and Andrew, and I can't wait to read about your next adventure! Thank you! I am glad it has been helpful for you. I keep looking around for my waiter holding my fruity drink. He hasnt materialized yet. :( Soooo ready for our next cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camdenscott4 Posted June 24, 2010 #199 Share Posted June 24, 2010 We were putting down a cash deposit which is to be paid to guest services upon boarding so it went pretty quickly at check in. This cash deposit - is that your tips for wait staff and room steward, etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All4fun&fun4all Posted June 24, 2010 Author #200 Share Posted June 24, 2010 I must say, this is the best review I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of. You touch on so many areas...drink prices; packing, etc....I can't think of anything you missed. Thank you again....Joanne (a/k/a highly allergic cat person...lol...) Thank you Joanne. I cant wait to cruise again so I can do another one. You should have seen us wracking our brains, comparing notes and cross-referencing the FunTimes and our drink receipts. Next time I take better notes. I actually stopped writing in my journal on the morning of Freeport. WHOOOPS! :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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