Super Weird Fascination Schedule.... Thoughts??

[cocoaloco]

will be easy and fun. Very few places in the world have liquor stores to go through as you board - San Juan does.... :) You can drop luggage any time after 9 a.m. - if you are platinum or diamond there is a separate area for your bags about 50 feet closer to the terminal than the curb. My experience boarding has been so easy.... usually start around noon, a couple of times around 11:30.

[bar10der421]

I haven't done this itinerary, but a long time ago Carnival used to do an itinerary that picked people up in both Tampa and New Orleans. It was a little different, having two different embarkation days. I guess it was more like a land vacation where people are coming and going all the time.

 

We did this itinerary on the Celebration, our very first cruise. The only notable difference was that when we docked in New Orleans (we boarded in Tampa), we had a one hour window for getting off of the ship and then for a couple of hours they would only allow passengers actually leaving the ship in New Orleans to disembark. It was pouring rain but one of our friends said "I am getting off" so we all did and it turned out to be a beautiful day!

[MistyRo76]

I was just reading a review or post on here about someone from Canada booking the Fascination round trip from Barbados. She said for her it was easier to fly from Canada to Barbados than from Canada to San Juan. She could get a direct flight from Barbados and to get to San Juan, it required a stop in the US. So I imagine there are primarily Canadians and other European guests boarding in Barbados and Americans mostly boarding in San Juan.

 

Misty

[idil]

I will apologize in advance if this is hard to follow... but ive been told by Carnival this is a rarity... So i would like opinions.

 

The Carnival Fascination leaves on a 7 day cruise out of Barbados on Dec 21... It stops in San Juan on Dec 26..and picks up a new cruise of people beginning a 6 day (while cruisers from the 21st are still aboard). It then returns to Barbados on Dec 28 to drop off the cruisers on the 21st, and pick up yet another group of cruisers beginning a cruise on 28th. The cruisers that left from San Juan would then be dropped off again in San Juan.

 

Has anyone ever done a cruise like this? Is it weird to join a cruise, as its ending for other cruisers? I just wonder about the logisitics of it. When they drop people back off in Barbados, will everything (Pool, Bars, Lido etc) be shut down while they clean for the cruisers on the 28th?

 

 

It has a great itinerary... I just want to hear from people who have done this.. Thanks!

 

 

I just did that kind of a cruise joining in Barbados ... I guess they don't want their cruise running empty (perhaps if they don't fill up in Barbados, it would be 7-12% empty), and Barbados is an easier destination than getting to St. Lucia or St. Kitts as there are daily flights even from Canada.

 

It's a smart marketing/financial idea.

 

Also, I have to mention it was a great cruise ... my report is somewhere here on this board or you can read it at:

 

https://imaginairie.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/on-board-the-carnival-funship-fascination-is-like-living-with-aladdins-lamp/

[hollyisu]

We are boarding this one in San Juan next year. the ship doesn't depart until 10PM. What time can we start boarding, or at least drop our bags off at the ship?

 

 

 

We sailed this itinerary in February. Because we booked so last-minute we ended up with odd flight times.We flew to Miami and had an overnight layover there. We arrived in San Juan shortly after 10 and had dropped our bags off and were exploring old San Juan by 11. We did keep a small backpack with us to carry our documents and other valuable items (iPad and camera). We didn't actually get on the ship until close to 7 that evening. It was one of our favorite days of the cruise.

 

 

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[ober134]

I'm looking at this ship/itinerary for early next year. I noticed the overlapping sail dates/embarkation and was equally confused. Thanks for clearing this up. On a slightly different note - will this ship be overrun with college spring breakers in March? I'm not a fuddy duddy, just wondering.

[Crusin5252]

We had 155 get off of the ship in Barbados and about the same number boarded. The CD announced it, saying goodbye to the guests who were getting off of the ship.

[evandbob]

Seems more expensive to board in Barbados vs San Juan. I'm boarding the Fascination on 11/6 in San Juan. If I were to board in Barbados on 11/9 instead, I would have to pay $700 more for the exact same type of room. Not worth it for the same exact itinerary, in my opinion. Unless you are looking to spend some additional days in Barbados before or after the cruise.

 

 

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Airfare from London to Barbados is faster and cheaper less than airfare from London to San Juan.

As a previous poster said, most pax boarding in Barbados are British. Many do two or 3 weeks of vacation at a time, unlike here in the USA.

[idil]

Airfare from London to Barbados is faster and cheaper less than airfare from London to San Juan.

As a previous poster said, most pax boarding in Barbados are British. Many do two or 3 weeks of vacation at a time, unlike here in the USA.

 

For some reason the cruise was at least $300-$400 cheaper if boarded in San Juan.

 

But, before we purchased it (as I mentioned in my cruise report we had to do it somewhat last minute), getting to San Juan was a hassle, and it would have been more expensive. And, it was sold out, out of San Juan, and available out of Barbados.

 

Barbados is easy/easier to get to for Canadians (or at least from Vancouver). In every situation we have to go to Toronto (4,5 hours flying) then connect.

 

At the end, it was the same cruise, and we're so looking forward to our next cruise :) And, we may even end up doing the same itinerary :)

[JohnSpo]

Those who board in Barbados have their own mini-drill. There are only a handful, so it's not hard for the crew to track them down.

 

For the 10:00pm San Juan departure, what time is the Muster Drill?

[idil]

For the 10:00pm San Juan departure, what time is the Muster Drill?

 

They asked us to be on board by 830pm... everywhere else it was 30 minutes prior to departure (i.e. 430pm). 9pm was San Juan board passengers' drill which we didn't have to attend.