JANUARY 14-23, 2024

[Gotti1985]

Hello all. This is the cruise critic group for our sailing!!

[Optifire]

Hello!  We booked today.  .  My husband, Steven and I (Sally) will be joining you as well as our dear friends, Pam, Marshall and Maria.  We were last on Carnival a few years ago with the Sunshine to Canada and we had a great time.  We have been watching videos on You Tube on the Venezia and it looks so beautiful with the Italian designs.  We are looking forward to going to a warmer climate in January.  Looking forward to meeting everyone and sharing information until then.  We live in South Jersey and trying to figure out our transportation in to NY.  We are thinking of renting a vehicle for all of us and sharing the cost, or going in and staying overnight the day before to NY at a hotel that will allow us to let the car there and shuttle us over.  Let the homework begin.  

[PattyADifer]

Hello we are Patty and Tom from SE Pennsylvania. We just booked this cruise, along with the previous cruise (Jan 6 - 14) even managed to get same cabin!  Love the cruise life and certainly want to be in warmer climes in January.

[Pami1968]

Hi!  I’m Pam, just booked this as a solo cruiser. Since solo cruising is crazy expensive on Carnival, I have to be vigilant to get a reasonable fare. Luckily they hit my sweet spot!  I’m really excited to check out this new ship. 👍

[PattyADifer]

Perkasie! We are from New Hanover Township. Near Gilbertsville.

[PattyADifer]

If traveling to Manhattan cruise terminal from SE PA, we have found the easiest, least stress for us is Transbridge Bus Line. That go from Lehigh Valley Airport (ABE -- Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton). They do a round trip for Seniors to the cruise terminal on Embarkation day , then back to ABE on disembark day. You can include parking at airport for $5 per day; 1st 3 days are free. You give them you luggage when you get on bus and you see it again when delivered to your cabin. ( I still take a picture of luggage before we hand it over, just in case!)

[Pami1968]

On 5/23/2023 at 7:46 PM, PattyADifer said:

Perkasie! We are from New Hanover Township. Near Gilbertsville.

Howdy neighbor!!

[Pami1968]

On 5/23/2023 at 8:29 PM, PattyADifer said:

If traveling to Manhattan cruise terminal from SE PA, we have found the easiest, least stress for us is Transbridge Bus Line. That go from Lehigh Valley Airport (ABE -- Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton). They do a round trip for Seniors to the cruise terminal on Embarkation day , then back to ABE on disembark day. You can include parking at airport for $5 per day; 1st 3 days are free. You give them you luggage when you get on bus and you see it again when delivered to your cabin. ( I still take a picture of luggage before we hand it over, just in case!)

This is a great tip that I will take advantage of!! Thank you. 

[Pami1968]

John Heald has been posting videos of the ship, and it is beautiful!  If interested, you should check them out. 

[Optifire]

We absolutely LOVE John Heald.  He was our cruise director many years ago on a carnival ship.  He has us laughing till the tears came down.  So much fun.  '

 

I check our cruise prices regularly and saw that there was a price reduction on our Balcony 8C cabin.  So I called our booking agent and sure enough, we were able to save $300.00 plus got $250.00 OBC.  She said it was under a Casino Rate.  I told her we don't really gamble that much, but she said it does not matter as all the time that we gambled, and we use the card, it all adds up, not for a free cruise but  enough to get us a discount when one is being offered through the casino rate.  If you check this out, hope it helps you get a better price and some OBC for the ship.  

[Optifire]

We are still contemplating on how we are going into the Cruise Terminal.  Driving ourselves and parking or getting dropped off.  On driving in ourselves, I contacted Jason Rubino with the NYC Manhattan Cruise Terminal contact info.  I had asked him as to when the parking reservations would be opening for the January cruises as you can make the reservations on line to secure you have a spot when you get there.  He replied back and said we should start looking for the reservations to be up and ready to book in October.  Right now it only goes to December of this year.  They do have handicap parking, however, you cannot reserve handicap parking online.  To reserve on line is also a $9.95 service fee.  But worth it to have peace of mind that you have a reserved spot waiting for you.

Here is the link to the page for the parking information:

Parking | NYCruise

We also have a price of someone retired that lives near us that drives people with dropping us off and picking us up for $500.00 round trip.  We are leaning that way more and more.   

[Pami1968]

They still haven't posted any excursions for Miami.  Not a huge deal, but I was maybe hoping for something appealing.  I did notice they added some more for Nassau, and I signed up for the sea lion encounter at the Blue Lagoon.  I did the dolphin encounter there about 10 years ago, and it was fun.  I like to get up close and personal with various marine animals  when I can.  The best one I had was in Roatan when I got to do snorkeling with dolphins.  BY FAR the best interaction I ever had with marine life - there were a couple of dolphins who were pretty much playing fetch with me like a dog would do.  I'll never forget that!  I know the sea lion thing won't be that exciting, but it still should be fun.

[Optifire]

I was on my Carnival Account and was amazed to see that I could print out our luggage tags already.  Usually on the other cruise lines we have been on, the luggage tags are the last things that we can print up.  We changed our cabin about a week ago, and we were shocked that the luggage tags reflected the new cabin number as well.  I was using the computer instead of the app, and it said that we could not sign in our information until Dec 13th.  I thought that was kind of late to be putting in our information, such as the passport and photo info and such.  I will have to check out the app, perhaps they have you signing in on there instead with that information.  

[Pami1968]

If anyone is wondering, I asked about why there are no shore excursions listed for Miami. I was told they should be posted in the next couple of weeks. They are delayed because Miami is a new stop for Carnival - usually it is just an embarkation/debarkation port. 

[Optifire]

Thanks, Pami, for that information.  We are hoping to meet up with some friends that live near Miami and have lunch and catch up.  I am not sure, but I think we have cruised before together.  You will have to check out my signature with my crusies to see if our paths have crossed.  Thanks again.

[Pami1968]

On 7/24/2023 at 4:08 PM, Optifire said:

I am not sure, but I think we have cruised before together. 

 I can’t see your signature with all your cruises, but I feel like we have definitely crossed paths before!  It is so fun when you run across people who you have met while cruising previously. That’s when you realize it is a pretty small cross-section of people. 😎

[Pami1968]

In other news, there are some Miami shore excursions posted to Carnival’s site. Three. I hope there are more, because I have already done them all. They are all decent, but I am picking to go to the Everglades again. Last time I got to hold a baby alligator - hoping I get to do that again. 

[Cruiser JO]

Looking forward to sailing on this new ship. Berks Co. PA

[Pami1968]

150 days to go!

[Optifire]

We finally have confirmed transportation to and from the port at our home in Southern NJ.  There are 6 of us going.  We are going to drive two cars to central NJ, about an hour and half, and leave them at a parking lot with friends at no cost.  Then a car service will pick   the 6 of us up at that parking lot and take us to the pier in a Mercedes Sprinter and drop us right at the door of the cruise terminal.  The price was so reasonable working out to $140.00 pp for roundtrip.  I am so glad that part of the planning is over.  We were toying with driving in ourselves, but then after watching some videos of parking on the roof top and then walking over to the ship, it was just too much for us.  Best part of going on a vacation, is making it is as easy as possible.  

[Chriss5601]

Hi all, I am Christa and just booked this cruise and it will be my first solo. I am excited and nervous all at the same time!!!

[Optifire]

Hi Christa:

Not to worry, you will not be solo, you will be with so many other people having a great time, you make friends in no time at all, friendships that will last a lifetime.  Even though we are not solo cruisers, We have met so many solo travelers over our past cruises.  We would run into them a few times a day and we would hang out and even agree to meet up at different events going on.  When they left the cruise, they said they never felt like a solo cruiser.  They loved it.   You will have a GREAT time.   They even have so many "solo cruiser functions" that go on throughout the cruise so that makes it even easier to break the ice to meet and make friends.  Pack the excitement and leave the nerves behind.  I know, easier said, then done.  😎

[jdog99]

Hi,

Wife and I are booked on this cruise and I am booked solo on the Venezia again in February and May (hoping my brothers can join me on this one)

Jim

[Chriss5601]

On 8/24/2023 at 4:41 PM, Optifire said:

Hi Christa:

Not to worry, you will not be solo, you will be with so many other people having a great time, you make friends in no time at all, friendships that will last a lifetime.  Even though we are not solo cruisers, We have met so many solo travelers over our past cruises.  We would run into them a few times a day and we would hang out and even agree to meet up at different events going on.  When they left the cruise, they said they never felt like a solo cruiser.  They loved it.   You will have a GREAT time.   They even have so many "solo cruiser functions" that go on throughout the cruise so that makes it even easier to break the ice to meet and make friends.  Pack the excitement and leave the nerves behind.  I know, easier said, then done.  😎

Thank you so much!!  I am excited and counting down the days!!

[Jerseymom3]

Our first time on Venezia