What Is Your Fav Carnival Memory???

[jimmysmom]

The lifelong friends we have made on almost every cruise.  We have laughed more than is legal.

[TravelGirlinDallas]

On 6/4/2023 at 2:32 PM, Butterbean1000 said:

My first cruise.  It was the OG Celebration.

Same here! I remember being AMAZED by everything. Even though later I realized that ship was small and worn-out by the time I sailed her in 2001, on my first cruise I was so impressed - and totally hooked on cruising. Back then, the waiters danced with flaming baked Alaskas on their heads. I tried escargot for the first (and last) time. The behind-the-scenes ship tour was free, and we loved it. Great memories.

[nancy1031]

has to be my 1st cruise on the Festival back in1982- we had an absolute blast!!!! My best friend and me still talk and laugh about it- think we got 10 hrs of sleep the whole cruise!!!!!

[red lobster]

I won a sales contest at work in 1991, and the prize was a 3 day cruise to the Bahamas on the Fantasy. It was a brand new ship at the time and I took my mother. We had the best time, the food was wonderful, and the buffets had ice sculpture's, and the fruits were carved into all kinds of things. We went back out after dinner to Nassau and took a taxi to a casino, and it was my 1st time ever to gamble. We still talk about that cruise, even though we have been on many since. 

[kona_wahine]

Our first cruise, first night at dinner I asked if I could order 2 things. The waiter said “whatever you want”. I was hooked!!! 

Edited June 7, 2023 by kona_wahine

[MtnSeaGirl]

On 6/6/2023 at 8:46 PM, silvercrikhix said:

On our 1st cruise, it was out of Tampa in 2010 on the Carnival Legend,

Our first Carnival cruise was our also out of Tampa on the Legend. ( 2008)  Us and another family went. It was a cancer celebration cruise ( both cancer free and have remained cancer free ).  The Legend will always be very special.  The shuttle driver from our hotel had asked if either of us had cruised before.  We had been on a very small ship in 1993.  Nothing like Carnival ships.  He grinned when he pulled up and  pointed out the ship to us. Only a part of the ship was showing at that point; maybe the back quarter of it, and that part looked huge to us.  He loved our reaction.  He seemed excited for us.  That made it so special.  

[BTromboneFrack]

Ahhh.... tough to say.   Maybe it was our first cruise, New Year's Eve just after 1989 rang in.  The live band on the Festivale was playing and the cruise director was radioing to the bridge - who was connected to Greenwich Time in England as we did the countdown.      

Or maybe it was having our boys with us on the Paradise years ago, and our waiter having the time of his life teasing them at dinner.    

How about the thunderstorm I watched race across the Cozumel Channel as we were docked one afternoon?

Then there was the time in Nassau watching the ships come in from the serenity deck of the Ecstasy.   

Last Christmas, on the Celebration - the Christmas show that the center stage band and singers did was simply SPECTACULAR.    The Center stage band and singers were the best we've ever heard on ANY Carnival ship.   

Or just simply any night on our balcony, as we listen to the hiss of the ocean beneath us while we watch the moonlight dance on the waves.   Far off ships lit up like Christmas trees, and a warm breeze kissing our face as we remember another wonderful day.   Simply heaven.

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by BTromboneFrack

[momof3cruisers]

Well, my very first cruise was on a line that no longer exists. For our senior spring break, my roommate and I decided to go on a cruise. Neither of us had ever done anything for spring break. That got me hooked. 
 

For Carnival, one of my favorite memories it was the first cruise we took our kids on and was an experiment to see how the middle one handled it. He was what we called a “quirky” kid and had some sensory struggles amongst other things. He was also highly anxious. I had contacted the special needs department but we got side tracked on my health needs as I needed a sharps container at the time etc.  And I felt unsettled about if I was clear in what he needed. At the time, John Heald still had a blog and you were able to email him, so I did that. I asked about check in and if there was a quieter place we could wait as crowds made DS anxious as well as if we had any options for muster that would be less stressful for him. He told me to go to the priority line when we checked in and tell them my name and that he said to go in that line. They were SO unbelievably kind! Whisked us right through everything and directly on to the ship to guest services. They had a letter from John with instructions. They helped us with perfect accommodations for DS. It was incredible. And part way through the cruise, we received a ship on a stick for each kid, two plates of chocolate covered strawberries and a commemorative picture of the ship with a note from the cruise director thanking us for sailing Carnival. They won my loyalty that cruise! 
 

A few cruises later, we had my time dining but had found a team we loved so we requested them every night. They were great and always flagged us down on lido etc. That was an 8 night cruise and the second formal night, only our daughter and I wanted to get dressed up and go to the dining room.  When we got there, the wait team was dismayed that we were the only ones and asked about that “not even the little guy” wanted to join us. It was not until the next day when the three kids and I were getting Guy’s burgers and the assistant asked “where’s the little guy?” That we realized he was referring to my husband. 😂😂😂 At the time, our boys while only 13 and 14, were both just over six feet tall and my husband is maybe 5’10” on a good day. We still laugh about that to this day. The boys are now 21 and 23 and are both around 6’5”. 

[missholly24]

So many. Our team lead waiter making jumping origami frogs from the children's menus for my 7 and 9 yr old boys was one. It took him a while and he made two. The boys saved those forever. 

 

My 5 year old son winning a dance competition was another. He LOVED his medal the whole trip. 

 

Winning the ship on a stick for best dancing family. 

 

Any sea day by the pool with steel drum music playing.

 

Great question.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DPTexas]

Like many others, my favorite memory was my first cruise which was on the Elation.  It was a birthday present from my youngest (adult) daughter.  I still remember driving up and seeing her - and getting very emotional.  My family knows me too well and simply smile because "it's what mom does".  I still get a bit emotional with each cruise when we get to the ship . . . and I hope that never ends.    

Happy cruising everyone!