Dinner time???

[piratefan]

My hubbie and myself are first time cruisers and without this site I would really be in the dark, but I'm still not sure about alot of stuff. We are doing the Carnival Destiny Oct 28 to S. Caribbean. When do you find out what time you are scheduled for dinner? I don't remember being asked when I booked (AAA) the cruise. How many people do we sit with? When do you find out which night is formal night? I have read about the soda card that you can purchase but what about bottled water, do you have to buy that too? If you want to get a massage at the spa on board how far in advance do you have to book? I also asked before (don't think I ever got a response) if any one had rented a car in St Thomas? I' m wondering if its worth the hassel. I think thats the only way I can get to St John. I just booked with Godfrey yesterday so we will have to cancel one or the other. Opps almost forgot, my honey is a VERY early riser, and he has to eat breakfast when he gets up. Do you go to a breakfast buffet or a dining room? Sorry I went on and on. This is the first vacation that we have ever taken alone, without the kiddies, in 23 years.SAD,huh?

 

Oh yeah, one more, I'd read that you can rent walkie/talkies at the ship. DH gets lost alot. Anyone know what the cost is?:confused:

[blindrid]

When do you find out what time you are scheduled for dinner? I don't remember being asked when I booked (AAA) the cruise. You request when you book. How many people do we sit with? It could be four six or eight. When do you find out which night is formal night? It's listed in the daily newspaper delivered to your room. I have read about the soda card that you can purchase but what about bottled water, do you have to buy that too? Bottle water, yes. I take a drink bottle and drink the ships water. If you want to get a massage at the spa on board how far in advance do you have to book? My wife books hers right away when we board. I also asked before (don't think I ever got a response) if any one had rented a car in St Thomas? Sorry, not I. I' m wondering if its worth the hassel. I think thats the only way I can get to St John. I just booked with Godfrey yesterday so we will have to cancel one or the other. Opps almost forgot, my honey is a VERY early riser, and he has to eat breakfast when he gets up. Do you go to a breakfast buffet or a dining room? We always do buffet - your call. Sorry I went on and on. This is the first vacation that we have ever taken alone, without the kiddies, in 23 years.SAD,huh?

 

Oh yeah, one more, I'd read that you can rent walkie/talkies at the ship. Not that I know of. Most people bring their own. I have found we don't need them though. DH gets lost alot. Anyone know what the cost is?:confused:

 

Enjoy and have fun!

[kitty9]

1. You'll have a card in your cabin when you arrive. It will have your seating time and table number. If you don't care for your table you can see the maitre'd and ask for a change.

 

2. The number of people you sit with depends on what table you're assigned. There are tables for 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10.

 

3. There will be a schedule of what nights are what in your cabin when you arrive. When you get your documents it will tell you how many nights are formal and how many are resort casual.

 

4. Soda cards are for fountain soda only---no bottles or cans. They give you a sip cup that you refill as often as you want. Bottled water is separate and there's no card for that.

 

5. Isn't St John a separate island? Your cruise ship might make a stop there to let passengers off for ship sponsored tours there. If you rent a car, you'll have to see if there's a car ferry to get you back---and don't miss the ship if you decide to do that on your own. I would NEVER rent a car on St Thomas. The locals drive insane, the traffic is a nightmare and they don't drive on the same side of the road as we do here. Unless you have experience driving on the opposite side of the road, I would not recommend it.

 

6. It depends on what you mean by early riser. On some ships, the regular dining room doesn't open until 7:30 or 8. The buffet opens at 6.

 

7. My opinion is that walkie talkies are a pain. It's hard to get a signal, and people tend to use them at inappropriate times like in the dining room or lounges. Use post it notes, or use any of the public phones on board---they are everywhere.

[Happy ks]

Just to add a few of my own thoughts:

 

1.We take a few bottles of water onboard with us when we board. The water in the dining room is fine to drink. We replenish in port, but we've also purchased a bottle onboard here and there.

 

2. Don't bother purchasing a soda package unless you drink a lot of soda. The cost is around $6 per day plus gratuity, it is fountain soda. You would be about equal if you drink 3 cans of soda a day. It's hard for me to get my mind around that much soda being consumed, I might drink one per week :p

 

3. Call your travel agent, see if they have a record of when your dinner seating is and how large a table you might expect. We like a larger table, if it is just the 2 of us cruising, there's more of a chance we'll meet people we like. You don't have to be best friends with your dinner mates, but we have met some lovely people before.

 

4. I'm an early riser most of the time. If your husband is up early, he may request room service to be delivered to the cabin. The buffet and dining room are usually open by 7am (buffet may be earlier, I avoid the buffet whenever I can).

 

5. You can't book spa services until you board. If it is important to you, go as soon as you board the ship.

 

Enjoy your vacation without the kids, you will love it. We were only 13 years into parenting before we got any sort of break from our kids. Not that we need to be away much, but once in a while sure is great. We never had grandparents for them and all our sibs work, no one to easily step in for us.

[cb at sea]

You can't DRIVE to St. John--you have to take a ferry! And once you are there, other transportation must be used to get to a beach! Don't bother renting a car--taxis are plentiful. Or, just book a tour to St. John through the ship--that's the easiest, most hassle-free way to do it!

[piratefan]

Thanks SO much for all the information. I'll forget the soda card, call the travel agent, pack the post-it notes and cancel the car rental. Thanks again.

[Cotton]

Since you'll be on a Carnival ship, you'll see your dining assignment embossed on your Sail & Sign card they give you at checkin.

 

Your booking agent should have asked you what dining time you prefer. However, it's only a request, and you won't know until you get the S&S card.

 

The Captain's Gala evening (formal night) will be your second night on board the ship.

 

Carnival allows a reasonable amount of soft drinks to be brought on board at embarkation, as well as water and 1 bottle of wine each.

 

About your early riser hubby....you can call room service when you wake up and your order will be there within 10 minutes. No charge for the food/coffee/juice/etc., but you should tip the delivery person $1-2 each time.

 

What I do is call for my coffee and croissants when I wake up, then after I'm dressed, I go to the dining room for a full b'fast. The buffet is probably ok, but I like my food fresh from the kitchen to my table. Also - in the dining room, you can have complimentary espresso and cappuccino with all three meals each day...not at the buffet.

 

Sounds like you're really excited, so I hope y'all have a fantastic first voyage!:)

[adamsmom]

Carnival ships always have a serve-yourself drink bar with water, lemonade, tea, coffee, hot chocolate and sometimes milk and juice. You can also get all the ice you need there for your own drinks if you bring some along. I usually bring a couple of insulated cooler mugs and we just drink from those. We also fill them up and take them ashore with us. But we have friends that are diehard Diet Coke fans, so they always get a soda card.

 

For breakfast, I would tell hubby to head up to the early buffet. You can also fill out the little card they leave you with what you want and what time you want it, and they will deliver it to you the next morning. I don't know how early they can get, though. It's continental stuff only too. We usually do that the last day before disembarking, because the buffet is PACKED that last morning. I guess everyone wants to fill up on the last meal before leaving.

 

As soon as you get on board, find out when the spa tour is. It's a good way to get oriented and find out what's available. Then you can book whatever you decide to do. Hint: they usually have 1/2-price rates while the ship is in port.

 

And I think you'll get kind of wet trying to drive to St. John. ;) But there should be a ferry, or book a tour through the ship, even though that might be more spendy. If you're unfamiliar with the area, that's probably the best way to go.

 

Have fun! And I'll bet you'll be taking the kiddos on the next cruise--you'll find yourself thinking about how much fun they would have had! It's really nice to spend a week in non-parenting mode, though. It's almost like being a kid again.