first timers

[greenstreet]

we are first time cruisers from England we are a family of 4 going on glory in october any information on cruise would be helpfull :)

[Cotton]

Would love to help. What specifically would you like to know? Food, cabins, entertainment, activities, ports? All the Carnival ships I have cruised on have had very friendly and helpful crew and staff, great food in the dining room, casual food on Lido, and Carnival has the largest cabins. Lots of activities to keep everybody busy, or nice quiet decks to sit, sun, and read. You can be as busy as you want to be, as there's always something going on. October is a good month to cruise. I was on Sensation last November first. It's cooled off just a bit, but still HOT on the islands.

[Maverick Cruiser]

There are hundreds of things to know about a cruise. Be a little more specific and we will be happy to help you. But, don't expect many kids on board for your kids to hang around with---it's school time in the US. It's also hurricane season in the Caribbean, so you have to be prepared.

[greenstreet]

We are on the Western Carribean cruise and are slightly worried about the stop at Belize as we have read some poor feedback on the various websites, is it as bad as they make out? Is it a case of organised visits only?

Silly question but how formal are the formal evenings are they to stuffy and is it better on a large table of guests ?

Will there be enough to occupy a 14 and 17 year old girls?

Is there enough room to store 4 suitcases in the cabin?

What sort of bar bill can we expect?

Older Daughters question -

Will Green day b there?

A Rock band Im led to believe.:cool:

What currency if any do we need for Belize/Mexico?

Younger Daughters question-

Will there be any hot US lads?:cool:

As you can probably tell loads of questions so any help appreciated!

[Ehpride]

Yes, Green Day is a band. If they were on my cruise, I don't know what I'd do! Definitely get an autograph and then brag to my roommate :)

[serene56]

Green Day taking a carnival cruise??? LOL

 

Camp papers - http://community.webshots.com/album/299741566PLYKOu

 

your 14 and 17 will be in seperate programs. Buts kids this age tend jsut to hang out and not do group activities. On the Glory there should be a seperate teen area. There should be a teen get together the first night-- have your kids get to that meeting --Its very important.

 

We went to belize and had a great time. Not much to do there on your own. An excursion is a must do= No private taxi to take you anywhere.

cave tubing is a big thing here.

http://www.coralbreezelimited.com

or

http://belizecruiseexcursions.com/

bith companies come highly recommended on the boards. Both tour companies are great and wont have the mass of people that carnival puts on their tours.

[Cotton]

I have to reply to these in parts, because my computer keeps cutting out on me.

 

QUOTE=greenstreet]

Silly question but how formal are the formal evenings are they to stuffy and is it better on a large table of guests ?

No, not stuffy at all! People will be dressed in their nicest clothing, and it's a lovely evening. The Captain's Welcome Aboard cocktail party will be very nice, and then you'll go to dinner. Formal night is when they feature lobster and prime rib on the dinner menu....along with many other entrees.

Personally, I prefer large tables. The more people at a table, the better the conversation.

[Cotton]

QUOTE=greenstreet]

Will there be enough to occupy a 14 and 17 year old girls?

There will be a teen mixer early in the cruise and they'll be able to meet others. I'm sure the U.S. kids will be delighted with your girls' British accents! There are also arcades. And - what teenage girl doesn't enjoy sunning by a pool - and having all the pizza and ice cream available to them 24 hrs. a day?:D

[Cotton]

QUOTE=greenstreet]

Is there enough room to store 4 suitcases in the cabin?

Yes. The closets have plenty of storage room at the bottom, and a shelf at the top. Also, should be plenty of space under the beds.

 

What sort of bar bill can we expect?

THAT will be entirely up to YOU!:D

[alb38]

Greenstreet,

 

WE just did Western Caribbean with our kids ages 12 and 14. I would definitely recommend an excursion in Belize - when you dock in Belize there is a gated shopping area and once you go outside those gates there isn't any private taxi's. We went cave tubing in Belize - walk through the rainforest and then you hope in your tube and float through the caves. My kids loved it ~ this was probably their favorite excursion. When we were shopping in Belize and Mexico we used credit cards except for taxi in Mexico then we used US Dollars....Any more questions let me know!

[clackey]

the stop at Belize, is it as bad as they make out? Is it a case of organised visits only? formal evenings are they to stuffy and is it better on a large table of guests ?

Will there be enough to occupy a 14 and 17 year old girls?

Is there enough room to store 4 suitcases in the cabin?

What sort of bar bill can we expect?

Older Daughters question -

Will Green day b there?

A Rock band Im led to believe.:cool:

What currency if any do we need for Belize/Mexico?

Younger Daughters question-

Will there be any hot US lads?:cool:

As you can probably tell loads of questions so any help appreciated!

Hola Greenstreet,

 

Wasn't greenstreet the name of a singer? Any relation? Oh well, back to the questions at hand.

Belize was a good stop for us. we cave tubed with Wet & Wild and had a ball, but there is some civil unrest in the country. This port is a definite "BOOK A TOUR PORT."

Formal nite is fun, dress-up fancy and put-on-the-dog. (You have to be an ARKY to understand that phrase.)

If your girls don't have a good time on a cruise you need to dis-own them. With an arcade and a teen disco as well as shows and live bands to go to, they should sleep like babies. I don't know about Green Day but there will be plenty of young men to flirt with.

The only port that we have hit that didn't take U.S. currency was Progreso and that was only one store. Some places do not take credit cards though, so ask before you purchase anything. And ask about prices of taxi before you get in. I have seen some mad people concerning taxi fares.

The Bar tab can be astronomical with mixed drinks on the ship going for $4 to $8 a drink and beer running $3 to $4 @ plus a 15% tip.

Smuggle it out of your room or hit the open bar tours in port. We spent $25pp for a 4 hour beach break with an open bar. I saw people crawling onto the ship. Honest!

 

If you have any more questions just ask. If we don't know the answer we will make something up.:D

[greenstreet]

greenstreet was a actor sidney was his name no relation im afraid thanks for information is was very interesting.

We have a week in florida first which is brill we have been there 7 times then we have to drive to canaveral for our boat (OPPS SHIP JUST GOT TOLD OFF BY

HUBBY) .

Might have to give up drinking for the week or do exra overtime to pay for drinks good job two children not old enough to drink might have had to take out second morgage to pay for bar bill,open bar trips sound the best way to go will leave girls on the boat,opps i mean ship.:cool:

My oldest girl will not wear a dress our skirt at any cost will she still be able to

get in to the formal nights ?

Will i feel ship moving as im not very good on boats i get sick going over to to france on a calm day,not comming back home though wine helps to make me feel better my excuse anyway.

Look forward to reply

[lhall85917]

My oldest girl will not wear a dress our skirt at any cost will she still be able to

get in to the formal nights ?

 

She won't have any trouble getting in - nice pants outfits work just as well.

 

Will i feel ship moving as im not very good on boats i get sick going over to to france on a calm day,not comming back home though wine helps to make me feel better my excuse anyway.

 

It would probably be best to take Bonine or use a patch before getting onboard and for the first couple of days - then you can see how you are doing. My DH always does this then doesn't need it for the rest of the trip. Most of the time you really can't tell the ship is moving, but you will feel it more in certain areas such as either end of the ship. Most people will tell you that you feel motion least in the middle, lower sections of the ship. We took my daughter's fiance on his first cruise in June and he was surprised how little motion he felt.

[clackey]

I see a lot of young ladies in pants on formal night and if I was 10, 20, OK, 30 years older. Who am I kidding? I'm wearing socks older than her.:D

 

We raised 2 daughters and never got to take them on a cruise, so next year we plan to rectify that.

 

As for the motion sickness, my sister-in-law tried the patch and was so messed up that she couldn't get out of her room for 2 days. She had no trouble after it was out of her system, so be careful if you try it. Sometimes the cure is worst that the problem.

 

Kepp them coming. I feel like a walking encyclopedia. ( Did I spill that rite?):D

[greenstreet]

we do not have a patch over here very behind us English ,i will have a look for them when we come over,i like to have an excuse to go to walmart i love it ,its so big we dont have stores that large over here. What is with the eat shrimp is there loads of shrimp everywere,do you get one

on your pillow every night:D yum yum.

we cant get shrimp over here very often if we do its potted in butter, and quite expensive and it is a starter to a main meal ,

i love all shell fish and i am yet to try lobster which i am looking forward to.

 

Glad to hear you are taken a trip with your family quite soon, we love family holidays we go camping which is great fun ,and it allways rains or snows ,but we are used to that we are British after all we dont have a summer we tend to have a sunny weekend in june.

thanks again i love to chat with you :)

[Cotton]

Everyone has different reactions to meds. When I used the patch (and only used 1/2, as the doc said that was enough for my small size), the second day I began having hallucinations, dry mouth....it was awful. SO, I took the patch off and got meds from the purser.

 

I now take non-drowsy Bonine a couple of hours before boarding the ship, and then one each night during the cruise. I have had NO queasiness or any side effects. Works beautifully for me, and I've had problems with motion sickness all my life.

[grvdggr71]

LOL - I doubt that you will be getting shrimp on your pillow at night. However, you will be getting a chocolate on your pillow, and you might be getting shrimp on the cruise (the menu varies). There are probably some good places for shrimp at the port you are leaving from.

 

Also, yes Green Day is a rock band, though I would not count on them playing onboard the ship. They are "too big" to play cruises.

[lhall85917]

I've also read a bit on these boards about ginger for seasickness, but I don't know much about it. A quick search should find lots of info, might be worth looking into if you don't like taking medications and prefer natural.

[NM_Eman]

Don't let the comments on Belize city scare you. We used to live in Belize. BC looks pretty rough around the edges and I would be cautious at night. All in all its a lot safer than Miami! That said given the time constrains you'll have with a cruise an excursion would probably be the safest. There is an old joke in Belize that there are 3 time zones - Belmopon, Belize City and village time. For Belmopon (the capital city) time if you arrive within 2 hours of an appointment you're on time, Belize City if you arrive on the same day your still on time, village - well let's just say if its the same week no one will raise an eyebrow.:D

Have fun - Kent

[rodrigs4]

we do not have a patch over here very behind us English ,i will have a look for them when we come over,i like to have an excuse to go to walmart i love it ,its so big we dont have stores that large over here.

 

FYI, the patch is a prescription only item. My doctor suggested that I put on my torso rather than behind my ear. When she used it she didn't like the way her eyes felt so she put on her torso and presto. she felt better. Just a suggestion for anyone using the patch.

[clackey]

Hola Greenstreet,

 

Yes, it is your captain again. When we were in Belize the last time, there had been some demonstrations. Someone trashed one of the bridges going out of town. Military was everywhere and stopped our tour van twice. This is a third world country, complete with corrupt politicians, corrupt police and is poverty stricken. There is always a chance of something going wrong. With that said, I would also like to point out that tourism is a major contributor to their economy. If the country reached such a civil unrest as to become dangerous, I am sure that the cruiselines would pull up stakes and our consulates would warn us not to go there. That could be catastrophic to this countries economy.

 

Personally, I would not worry. If my ship was stopping in Belize I would have to explore. It is really a neat place. Besides, if I am abducted by radicals, I will have another adventure to report about.

 

I almost forgot. There ARE shrimp everywhere. Tiger shrimp, boiled shrimp, broiled shrimp, shrimp gumbo, shrimp scampi. Oh my gosh!! Don't get me started. And besides shrimp there is mahi mahi, prime rib, lobster and if you are cruising Carnival there is "Decadence of Chocolate". If you love chocolate you have got to try this.

 

God I wish that I was leaving today.

[okiemom]

ClackeyWhen you were talking about shrimp the vision of Bubba on Forest Gump came to mind. lol You alway have great information and I enjoy reading your post! Take care.

 

Elation 12/04/05

[clackey]

ClackeyWhen you were talking about shrimp the vision of Bubba on Forest Gump came to mind. lol You alway have great information and I enjoy reading your post! Take care.

 

Elation 12/04/05

Hola Okiemom,

 

Muchos gracias, amiga. Unlike Bubba, I don't know everything that there is to know about shrimp, but I do love the little critters. Right now my favorite is Cajun Bar-B-Q. It is a scampi-like concoction with garlic, cayenne, rosemary and real cow-salve butter.:D

 

I noticed that you are on the ELATION in Dec. Good choice! We cruised on her the last 2 years. (Why are ships named after women or refered to as women?) The first year our stop in Belize was canceled because of bad weather, so they took us to Calica. Last year I booked the same trip so that we could go cave tubing. It was well worth the wait. Now I may have to book it again because of the great snorkeling. Another stop in Progreso would be fun too and Cozumel is always great. Your choice of date is good also. That is the cheapest date that I have found and I am, uh, frugal.

[okiemom]

Clackey

 

We are very frugal!! We took the Celebration out of Galveston in December 2003. We love to go when school is in session and the prices are cheaper. This time we are taking our boys, first time with kids. We are looking forward to Belize and are probably going to do the ruins and river wallace tour. In Progresso we are probably going to do the ruins too. Cozumel we will just go to the beach.

 

Calica was a stop that we made on the Celebration and if you don't book a tour you aren't going anywhere. We got off thinking we would just walk around, go to the beach. WRONG...so we just spent about an hour trying to teach one of the harbor guys how to speak a few words of english, then went back on the ship for some sunning.

 

I don't know why the ships are named or called after women.

 

What do you suggest for the Elation? Tours, foods, games, clubs, shrimp, etc...

 

Thanks

Cheryl:)

[clackey]

Clackey

We are looking forward to Belize and are probably going to do the ruins and river wallace tour. In Progresso we are probably going to do the ruins too. Cozumel we will just go to the beach.

 

 

What do you suggest for the Elation? Tours, foods, games, clubs, shrimp, etc...

 

Thanks

Cheryl:)

Hola okie,

 

I have heard nothing but good things about the River Wallace tour. We went to the Dzibilchaltun Ruins in Progreso. Part of the musuem was closed due to hurracain damage, but the tour was pretty neat. I would like to do the Chichen-Itza tour, but it is so far to travel. I've seen pictures and it looks to be quite interesting. Merida is nice for a sight-seeing tour and just lounging on Corona Beach is fun. We like to snorkel, so in Cozumel, Chankanaab or Dzul Ha are two of our favorites and Paradise Beach is great for kids and beachers.(Thats anyone that likes to hang out on the beach not the fussing kind.):D

 

Now for the food. I like food. In fact that is one of the main reasons that I like to cruise. Anytime that I can eat 24 hours a day, I am in heaven. Prime Rib, Lobster, Shrimp, Mahi Mahi, (whoever came up with a fish that tastes like steak should win the Pulitzer Prize in my book,) and of course there is always the desserts. Oh my gosh, I love their desserts. You have to treat yourself to Carnivals "Decadence of Chocolate." My mouth is watering, just thinking about it.:p

 

I am sorry if I got off on a tangent, but food does that to me sometimes.

 

The Elation had a good band on both of our trips. The comedians and shows were pretty good, but the highlight of our sea days was the night that the Elation Dancers hit the Disco Lounge. It was their night off and they put on one heck of a show.

 

I hope that this helps a little. Sometimes I tend to be a little gabby.:o If you have a need to talk, I am here everyday.