Cruise Advisor

We Had A Grape Cruise

After arriving 3 days early in Buffalo and being snowed in for 2 days we managed to get another flight to Fort Lauderdale so we still arrived one day prior to the cruise.

We stayed at the Westin Fort Lauderdale which we got on Priceline. We bid on an airport area hotel. This hotel was a 38 dollar- before- tip cab- ride away from the airport. The room was beautiful and everything went smoothly there. Well except that they would not let us eat in the restaurant but let us eat in the dark at a coffee table in the bar. We did look a little raggedy after 2 nights without sleep arranging flights but felt like we were a nuisance instead of paying guests but we were elated to be in Florida so we let it slide.

We arrived at the port at 11:30 by cab and gave our luggage as usual to a porter. We tried to give him a tip but he turned away saying Merry Christmas. Puzzled we followed him and insisted. After some minor confusion in the terminal which made it seem it was this particular group of staff members first day on the job we boarded the Carnival Miracle.

We headed up to Horatio's for lunch which was excellent. Then after muster and sail away we went to the aft to see if I could identify any cruise critic members. We saw a couple of groups of people there but I was a little shy to go around saying "Are you from cruise critic?"

DS 14 went to the Camp Carnival meet and greet and joined the circle c kids. This was unusual as he hasn't participated in Camp Carnival for the last few cruises. He did go to the Camp activities but also just hung out with the kids.

Sometimes these self designed activities were not so constructive.(example:my kid is an IB honor roll student who never does anything to cause us to even raise our voices to him, his behaviour is always exemplary. One night as we walked past the photo display we glanced at the glass elevators in the atrium and noticed some kids(about 10 in one) in one of the elevators . These kids had taken over an elevator and some of them were sitting on the floor with plates!! They had brought snacks into the hideout. We sat down on the couch that face the elevators to watch the hooligans-tsk tsking all the while. Imagine my surprise and my eyes bulging like a bullfrog when I recognized one of the hooligans as a person I gave birth to!! We burst out laughing at our own self righteousness. Luckily security came along and kicked them out so I did not have to embarrass my son by pulling him our by his ear.

We ate in the dining room only the first two nights. This was our first cruise traveling without extended family so we had planned to eat whenever we felt like it instead of our usual getting dressed up and attending every dinner in the dining room. The service from our waitstaff was terrible. They let us sit for at least 20 minutes before bringing the menus while they doted on a large nearby table. After 2 nights of this we decided to forgo the dining room.

A short comment about those grapes-wow that's alot of grapes. I admit when I read comments about the grape decor I thought they here were somewhat pedantic and just plan silly after all ,I reasoned ,how could a few grapes on the ceiling affect your dinner? Normally I love Farcus' decor as it is fun and not something you see anywhere else. Those grapes though did more to induce a feeling of nausea than the motion on the ocean we experienced.

Speaking of motion there was quite the pitch,yaw and roll going on on this trip. By some miracle I did not feel ill as I usually would so I enjoyed rocked to sleep like baby in a cradle.

St Maarten-we took a shared ride to Orient beach at 7 bucks each person each way. We ate pizza on the beach for $20. We rented two chairs and an umbrella for $25. We swam most of the day even though the sea was a little rough. Orient beach was crowded,very crowded. My teenage son was getting whiplash watching all the topless ladies go by when it was suddenly cured by a fat bottomless man strolling past-after that he faced the ocean when swimming instead of the beach.lol
If I had to do it again I would go to Pinel Island instead like we did earlier this year.

Early on in the cruise-I think day 3 the balcony was washed so the partitions were opened between balconies. The partition between our balcony and our neighbor's was left open. That night the room steward attempted to close the partition and broke it off the hinges and the glass came crashing down on a chair on our balcony where my husband's t shirt was laying. There was glass everywhere. The partition was put back up without a glass piece. My husband's shirt was shredded. Someone from guest relations came to the cabin after we called to ask when a new glass would be put in. She assured us the glass was all cleaned up and we could now go out on the balcony.

I should mention that the Miracle was the least smokey ship I have ever been on except when I was on my own balcony. My neighbors seemed to wait inside the cabin and only come out when they heard the near inaudible squeak of my balcony door then they would pounce like a cougar waiting on prey and come out and let the chain smoking begin. Of course prior to the missing partition I did not complain as they have the right to smoke on their own balcony.

The morning following the clean up I stepped out early onto the balcony trying to get in some time before smokey the passenger and his wife got up. Upon stepping out I promptly got a shard of glass in the sole of my foot. I looked around and gathered up a baggie full of glass and brought it to the pursers desk to ask nicely that my balcony be recleaned. When DH told the person at the desk about my cut foot he slid 6 band aids and a small container of neosporin to me while I explained it was a small cut and I have taken care of it myself as I am allergic to regular band aid adhesive. He then told me I should see the nurse if I want them to do anything. I tried ot explain it is not a big injury and does not warrant a trip to the infirmary as I am an infection control practitioner and have been able to take care of it on my own.

That evening before going to bed we went out to check that the balcony was clean before we go barefoot again and there were still pieces of glass so back to the pursers desk we went where they told us the head of housekeeping already inspected it and it is fine. DH advised this person we do not want anything free we just want to be able to use the balcony and that means not having to get dressed including shoes to use it. So 5 trips later and after declaring a fatwa on the bureaucracy of Satan that is the pursers desk they send 2 room stewards and the head of housekeeping to our cabin while were there. The head of housekeeping offers to vacuum the balcony again. So DH explains to her that when glass breaks you must wash the floor not vacuum it. So the two room stewards go and get a hose and wash down the balcony. It takes all of 8 minutes and was done perfectly.

The following morning I awoke to find DH already on the balcony sitting on a chair with a towel across his lap. I sat down in the other chair wearing my flannel pj's because our neighbors were out getting some not so fresh air. It was disconcerting too that the neighbors could hear every word of our conversation. It was hot in those pj's and I said so to DH. His reply was (in a heavy spanish accent) "That is because you are wearing those pants!" I exclaim "Aren't you wearing pants?" Remember the neighbors are so close I can hear them breathing. So he say "Yes..........but they are skin colored!"
This made me laugh so hard I leaned forward and with the unruly motion of the ship I hit my head on the balcony railing. The glass was replaced with some painted Plexiglas after that morning so I was happy again in spite of my foot and head injury.lol

St Kitts-we took the fortress and brimstone hill tour with the ship because the weather wasn't great for going to the beach. We had a very informative guide. We went shopping after the tour-nothing is cheap in St Kitts.
We took the galley tour for the first time. DH works in the restaurant food equipment business. I was wishing he could guide everyone around the kitchen. He told me so many things about the equipment that the people in front and behind us were listening intently. We loved seeing all the equipment but felt the other tour takers missed out on alot. After all it just looks like a big stainless steel room if you don't know what you are looking at.

We got 6 free drink tickets with a letter of apology for the trouble with the balcony. We don't drink very much and so still had 2 tickets left on the last night. DH tried to buy someone a drink with them (we had to show a sail and sign cards at the time of purchase so could not just give the ticket) but he was turned down.I suppose it seemed too good to be true. Or they were afraid of the big bald guy offering to ply them with free alcohol.lol I was really wishing I knew who my roll call buddies were at that moment.

My husband's shirt that was shredded was one he bought in Grand Turk last year so the pursers went out and bought him a new one. Also our room steward went with her assistant and bought him a new one as well-both from Margaritaville with her own money where he got the original. We were very touched by the room steward's gesture.
The gym-DH used the gym ever day but did not like multilevel design as much as one on on level. Having said that he went ever day even on Poseidon day when the ship was rocking so much he sounded like a grizzly bear running on a drum on the treadmill.

We attended On Deck for the Cure. I am vowing right now that next trip I will run around the deck instead of crawling around pathetically gasping for air. This may be possible as I lost weight this cruise which is either a testament to how much food I stuff in my gullet everyday normally which makes cruise food seem light or the increase in fruit intake. At home I am a bread person, after all you don't have to wash bread or prepare it. It just sits there waiting for you to eat it. On this cruise seeing as someone went to the trouble of peeling all that fruit I ate it..alot of it. We all know the result of tripling your fruit servings...lets say that the miracle has alot of washrooms..and they are clean, I believe I tested out all of them.

Seeing as I cannot afford to shrink out of my clothes I tried to keep up my weight by having a milkshake a couple of times at Fountainheads. Very yummy and so worth the $3.95 they charge.

DH and DS had sushi most nights. Only the first night there was a line so long it felt like it stretched all the way to Japan. After that you could walk up and order the kind you want with no wait at all.

Sadly I was too busy doing absolutely nothing to order room service more than once. On the one occasion we did my BLT and my husband's PBJ sandwiches arrived quickly. His arrived with chips instead of pretzels which was serendipitous for myself as I love chips (hence the gasping while trying to walk fast). The delivery person actually pointed this out and offered to run back for the pretzels but I happily declined-more chips for me.

Lunch at Horatios was always really good with too many selections to choose from. Dinner was not as varied as only one side was open along with the deli. I ordered a tuna sandwich at the deli but was not thrilled with the brown tuna I got after last year on the Liberty getting white albacore tuna. Dh was happy to see me scrunch my face when I got back to the table and saw the tuna. He gobbled it up singing between bites something about not having to line up himself.

On the first night on the way to the Bacchus dining room I proclaimed myself to have to best sense of direction of anyone I know-just before I got us lost. My dear husband proceeded to tell our fellow elevator riders that his wife has the best sense of something that rhymes with direction but has no d in the word. Usually because of his heavy accent it takes people a minute to register what he has said-like after he is off the elevator which he finds hilarious. In this case they understood him right away and quickly exited the elevator lest they be trapped with us.
Grand Turk-we had been here before so were looking forward to it. Something has changed at the beach though. When we went last time the dry sand was wonderful but once you got in the water there were rocks that were so sharp you could do a quick toe amputation if you weren't wearing shoes. I am not sure if this change was induced on purpose or a result of the hurricane but I like it. Now when you enter the water there were only pebbles on the bottom. And no silt so the water was clear.

When we first got off in grand Turk it was raining lightly so we went shopping first. I hate shopping but DH loves it so we went into every store. He even bought a couple shirts form Margaritaville. Here's the funny thing-DH is always happy no matter what so when he was paying he told the sales clerk if someone from the ship comes looking for an XXL he wants a red one. Of course he was only joking not expecting them to buy him one. So he regaled them with the story of his ruined shirt. He had them all laughing. He bought several colors but no red.

When we returned to the ship we stopped at the pursers desk to get change for the laundry and the purser lady handed him a red shirt. She said it was easy because the sales clerk had a shirt all ready for them.LOL
The room steward as well got a red one for him at the instruction of the sales people. The steward left that one on our bed at turned down.

After shopping we went ot the beach and rented a clam shell because it was still raining. I sat in the clam shell reading and DH and DS went swimming in the rain. Later I swam when the clamshell got as hot as Hades inside. I do not think I would rent one again if it is sunny which is good to know because I have debated that for future cruises to half moon cay clamshell vs cabana so now I know.

My husband was snorkeling out by the ship past where you are supposed to go. he saw a large blue fish that he thought was a blue marlin. We saw some really beautiful fish near the pier.

We ate lunch at Margaritaville which was good but as soon as we left I felt sick. Not sure if it was the food or sun or what. We went back to our clamshell. There was a Holland America ship in port at the same time that left earlier than we did. Back on our ship we had walked around on deck then headed for dinner at Horatio's . While in line the person ahead of me used the spoon to scoop their food from the buffet then licked their fingers. Gross. You don't want to do that in front of an infection control person. I handed my plate to the person and said "Just lick my plate" To which he replied "HUH?" So I told him he may as well bypass the middle stage of me picking up the spoon and getting his saliva on my hand he could just go ahead and lick my plate and be done with it. There was no more finger licking episodes by anyone in the line.
I used the internet cafe (Raven's library) every day to send email home and once to get my cruise critic fix. It is in a nice location near the chapel and has a nice decor-carved ravens in dark wood and there are windows.

The fee for the net onboard is $55 for a hundred minutes although they have packages with more minutes or you can pay just per minute. So here I am taking out a mortgage to use the internet and there are two morons I mean passengers sitting side by side discussing their stocks loudly. All the while the clock is ticking with a loud ca-ching ca-ching inside my head because I cannot concentrate. I briefly paused and fantasized about running just down the stairs and asking the sushi chef for a Ginsu knife to plunge into their eye sockets. Lucky for them I came to the conclusion that the satisfaction of seeing them writhing on the floor was not worth being banned form Carnival or being thrown in the brig.

The chapel is beautiful. Last year my sister got married on the liberty where they use a conference room for weddings. That room was nice but this one was more suited to a wedding-obviously because it is a dedicated room for these occasions. There are stained glass windows and the front is raised like a stage. DH and I stood at the front and re-enacted our wedding changing the traditional vows to more x rated ones. It was sweet in the end though as DH told me he would marry me again a hundred times. I told him I would marry him again if he took me on a cruise and with that he said ok and we left arm in arm like two eighth grade kids.

The shops were not enough for my darling man who can shop til he drops. I bought a pair of blue diamond earrings for my mother and that was my only purchase. He bought something everyday. There really was not anything new or interesting to me to buy. Earlier this year I bought a crystal ship that was a replica of the RCCL ship we were on and I was hoping Carnival would start selling something similar since I have been on too many land vacations and a few cruises now so am not interested in t-shirts with witty sayings on them although DH is not above such purchases. When I finally said enough is enough he went back to the shop and tried to get the sales person to sell him one of the bathing suits for cash so I wouldn't know.LOL He came back to the cabin with it behind his back. Being a Christmas cruise I foolishly thought he must have bought me something. His defense was that he can't find a red white and blue bathing suit in Canada.

The Entertainment-we went to the first show on the first night. I cannot recall what it was called because it was not very good. Possibly because of the motion we noticed the dancers were not in sync with each other at all. It seemed very high school to me. However be warned I cannot dance a step so am in no position to judge ,just passing on what my thoughts were Luckily we sat at the back on the bar stools so it was easy to leave before the end.

There was a young man who played guitar and sang in Jeeves lounge. He was really good I never did find out his name. The place was crowded and every seat taken. People were even sitting in the chairs down the hall listening. We enjoyed sitting at the bar in this area. He sang Harry Chapin and Simon and Garfunkel and the like.

The classical trio that played in the atrium were also wonderful to hear. We also spent some time sitting there on a couple nights just to listen to them. Our Son however said this area gave him the creeps and reminded him of the last scene before the Titanic sinks in the movie but keep in mind he is 14.
I really wanted to see the hypnotist but somehow missed that.
We skipped Jerome Dabney as last cruise that we saw him I fell down the entire staircase and lived to tell the tale-didn't want a repeat.

Pizza-DS had pizza every day. I had pizza 2x ,once for breakfast-it was ok. I had three caesar salads before I noticed something brown in mine. I found that odd and pushed the brown aside and continued to eat. I came upon another piece that I determined to be a stray mushroom as I got it from the pizza station. About 6 hours later I sat bolt upright in bed which made DH think we were sinking. I realized of course it was an anchovy. It was to be my last caesar for this trip. I much prefer the fake anchovy flavoring. Not much of a connoisseur I am.

Most of the sea days I spent on our balcony reading and using my binoculars to check out passing ships-mostly cargo. One day there was a rainbow so vivid I felt I could reach out and touch it. My better half spent most of his other time in the gym or running around wherever he could. He usually plays basketball as much as possible but never happened to be there when that area was open-some spots were off limits due to high winds.

DS spent most of his time with the cricle c kids sometimes mixing with club O2 age kids-alot of their time was in Frankenstein's lounge. DH and I tried to inconspicuously crash one of their parties(overprotective parents) and sat quietly on the upper level to observe. Unfortunately both of us sat on these chairs they have that look like red bananas. We assumed you sit on them like a horse with the longer banana side in front of you. This was an error. In unison we both leaned very slightly back so as to avoid detection by the children below looking up which caused our bananas to tip backwards and we both went head over heels onto the floor. My hubby was able to keep quiet however I was shrieking with laughter. After that whenever we passed our son in the halls of the ship he would give us only an imperceptible nod in recognition lest his friends know we were with him.


One night as my husband and I sat at a bar a couple of two young girls came up and ordered a drink (alcohol). I remembered these kids form the meet and greet for 12-14 years olds in Circle C so shot my spouse a sideways glance. The bartender busied herself for a moment then asked the girl who had ordered to show her some ID. So the kid passes over some sort of ID across the counter and the bartender says to her that she needs to see her sail and sign card. Reluctantly the would be illegal drinker passes over her sail and sign card that has the Circle C sticker on it. The bartender just handed it back with a roll of the eyes saying have a good night ladies. No drink changed hands.

A note about our cabin 8233. If I ever go on another Spirit class ship I will book the same cabin. The location being close to the elevators was great for me to be able to scoot up to lido in 10 seconds for my lemonade/iced tea mix and back down. Smelling the scent of fresh pizza cooking, our cabin was directly under the pizzeria, in the wee hours instead of the stench of someone else's toilet was heavenly. We heard no noise from the elevator or our neighbors. We had plenty of space inside for three people as we have finally learned to empty all of the luggage and put the clothes in the closet/drawers and stow the suitcases it under the bed.

One strange thing we noticed was many many people carried their own luggage onto the ship. In 10 cruises I have never seen this and did not think it was allowed. I mean big suitcases not the size that are deemed carry on size. This made for a crowded lido buffet as folks were tripping over luggage left beside the tables in a new version of chair hoggery.

The casino is cashless so we had to register and make up a password to use the sail and sign card. For my 3 dollar a day gambling habit it was more trouble than it was worth.LOL

Post cruise-We stayed at the Il Lugano hotel in Fort Lauderdale. We had a breathtaking view of the intracoastal waterway for New Years Eve. It was a real change for us Canadians to watch fireworks for New Years. We like it so much we want to be there to ring in 2010 also.

Carnival Liberty wedding cruise

If you are looking for a ship that will please everyone the Carnival Liberty is a perfect choice. This ship is great for celebrations of all kinds.

The occasion of this cruise for us was a wedding. We had folks of all ages and backgrounds sailing and a fantastic time was had by all. Well, except for that moment where one of the wedding guests in a drunken stupor decided he would catechize all the other guests and the wedding coordinator too. The bride was beautiful, the groom looked dashing and Carnival's in house wedding people The Wedding Experience took care of all the details. The ceremony was short and sweet with participation of several family members. The reception with open bar was a classy affair. If you are wondering if a cruise wedding is right for you I am hear to tell you it is!


Embarkation
Getting onto the Carnival Liberty is a pleasure. Anyone who says differently has not followed Ann's rules and in that case it serves them right. If you are like me and possess a superior intellect you will arrive at the port early, around eleven am. Do not pay attention to the nonsense spewed in your cruise documents about not trying to board prior to one o'clock. These instructions are designed to distribute the flow of the crowds. Arriving early with your cruise documents previously filled out online and your funpass printed and in hand will get you on the ship lickety split. After check in you will be asked to take a seat and allowed to board in small groups.

You cannot go to your cabin until after one pm but you can tour the ship and eat at the buffet up on Lido deck. Please do not become one of those annoying cruisers trying to sneak down to their cabin. This only delays the room steward's cleaning.

In our case the wedding was held soon after boarding in the Tapestry room all decked out in white flowers with pillars and other churchy decor. The wedding coordinator had every detail planned out down to who would sit where. The ceremony was videotaped and mercifully they edited out the shot of my behind looking the size of Chicago when as matron of honor I had to sprint up the aisle and retrieve the bride's flowers as the ceremony started. The ring bearer performed his duty with a seriousness far beyond his five years. The men were suited up handsomely in tuxedos and the women all wore shades of the ocean to eye catching effect.

About an hour before sailing the muster drill will be called. You must go with your life jacket to your muster station. The crew inform you about where to go and what to do in the unlikely event of an emergency. This whole thing takes about 15 minutes if everyone cooperates but can be drawn out as long as an hour if the staff have to track down missing passengers. Do everyone a favor and get to your station on time.

The Carnival Liberty is a lovely ship. On our trip we had the 6:15 dinner seating in the Golden Olympian dining room which was perfect for us. I highly recommend the mushroom soup and would discourage anyone from ordering the red snapper from the spa menu. Our waiter, to his credit, did try to deter me from ordering this dried out excuse for a fish dish even going so far as to whisper in my ear that no one ever finishes it but I would hear none of it. I normally pride myself on being an independent thinker and never taking advice form anyone to great success. In this instance I humbly admit that I was wrong and that no sane person, not even one on the last days of Survivor would be able to eat this particular plate of so called food. I would comment on room service but I am still waiting for them to answer the phone.

This megaliner has many other venues at which you may sample a myriad of foods. There is the Lido grill restaurant that has hot dogs and hamburgers, french fries and onion rings and the unexpected treat of nachos that you build yourself with the usual fixings. There is a buffet on Lido deck inside that serves a different ethnic food every day albeit somewhat americanized version. Of course pizza is available 24/7 for those who do not take pleasure in tasting new things. The deli also seemed to be open until the wee hours serving up tasty Reuben sandwiches and the like. The Asian food station was by far my favorite as we selected our own ingredients including noodles and lined up to have them stir fried with a choice of 3 sauces. As I stood in this line for 25 minutes to have my veggies cooked I pondered whether I could swim to China eat with chopsticks and be back on time for dessert.

The entertainment on this voyage was better than average. While the newlyweds slept in their theater seats the rest of us laughed ourselves silly at the comedian Percy Cruise's show . Even though he used jokes I have heard before his delivery was fresh and not offensive.

I know Carnival has reputation for being a party person's cruise line and I did see plenty of that going on. To each his own I say. Your cruise is what you make it. I don't party at all and enjoyed myself immensely. This ship has something for everyone from deck parties to the disco a good time is had by all.

Ports

Our first stop was Nassau where we took a taxi van for $4 per person to Cabbage beach near the Atlantis Hotel. The sea was a little choppy that day but we loved it. We tried to sneak into the Atlantis for a look see as others in our group had done (see the muster drill photo for the culprits) but we were asked for hotel ID and turfed quickly.

Grand Cayman Island was our second stop. We have been there previously so did not do an excursion but took a take for $4 per person to 7 mile beach. We all rented lounge chairs and set about the hard work of ...well lounging. One thing you should know about 7 mile beach. It looks so beautiful and calm and inviting but as you enter the water there is an area of loose sand. While wading in thinking you are entering paradise you will sink about 3 feet which causes a touch of panic like the feeling of stepping into quick sand for a second until you keep walking. We spent the better part of our time here floating on our air mattresses giggling at the looks of terror that spread across the faces of our fellow swimmers.

Our last port on this trip was Jamaica, Ocho Rios to be exact. We have been to Jamaica more times than I can count so again avoided a ship sponsored excursion. We took a taxi for $10 total to Mahogany beach. There was no charge to enter the beach area which is small but tranquil and inviting. There is a restaurant and gift shop on site as well as watersports and massages for those so inclined. As a connoisseur of jerk food I felt obligated to sample the jerk chicken delivered to my beach lounge chair. I pronounced it yummy and was tempted to order more as my travel companion gobbled most of mine up at breakneck speed.

The last was a day spent at sea which found me sitting on our balcony reading a murder mystery novel while my travel companion went for a massage and shopping in the ships stores.

All in all I would sail on this ship again even the identical itinerary as it encompassed some of my favorite places.

Elation Review

The Elation is a ship built in 1998 for Carnival Cruise Lines. It was the first ship to have the azipod propulsion system. Everything you read about the Elation will include a small blurb about the azipod system. You may wonder what the heck that is so I'll tell you. It's much like having front wheel drive on your car. Instead of the energy source pushing the ship it pulls it instead. This makes maneuvering the ship much easier so you can be confident there won't be any listing or tipping over of the ship on your cruise. Also it reduces those vibrations that cause motion sickness in people like myself.

Enough about mechanics though because Carnival's got the fun don't they? Yessirree they do. The Carnival Elation has three swimming pools. One with a 214 ft water slide! ImageThis is where the music is and the pool games. Expect it to be busy the first few days. My favourite pool is the one at the back of the ship on verandah deck because it takes new passengers about 3 days to find it so for the first couple days of your cruise it is uncrowded. The last pool is the kiddie pool on promenade deck at the ships aft (back). This pool is a bit like swimming in a toilet with all the babies in their swim diapers-which are not allowed.

Continue reading "Carnival Elation Review" »

First let me congratulate you for being so smart as to leave your wedding planning to someone else and the fun to yourselves.

Now, let's get some misconceptions out of the way first. You won't be married by the captain at the bow of the boat while the ship sails along. These things aren't allowed in real life. The Captain is busy driving the ship so don't bother him about your wedding. The only exception to that is on the Grand Princess and Star Princess where the Captain can marry you but not at the front of the ship.

Continue reading "Getting Hitched At Sea" »

Cruises are replete with opportunities to bring out the glutton in all of us. There is tasty food available at every hour and at multiple venues. And who can resist the chance to gorge themselves? I have learned from experience that it is entirely possible to go up a dress size in only a week. There is much more to a cruise than the food so what I propose is to let you in on all the activities available on the Carnival Sensation that will help you to avoid that particular humiliation and help you to maximize your enjoyment of your cruise.

The Carnival Sensation has an outdoor 9 hole mini golf course located on the sports deck. There is no extra charge for the use of the clubs and golf balls. There is also a gold pro onboard who can assist you with golf lessons and arranging tee times in various ports.

The gym and spa together are over 12,000 square feet. The gym is equipped with free weights and treadmills. There are also stationary bikes and elliptical machines. Classes are offered in aerobics, yoga, kickboxing cycling and Pilates for a small fee. The spa is an oasis of relaxation offering the usual manicure or pedicure and hair salon. They also offer a dreamy hot stone massage. The lime and ginger massage is an exfoliation treatment with massage. The ultimate is the Swedish massage for two. Those under 16 aren't allowed in the gym or spa. Passengers between 16 and 18 years old can go in but only with an adult accompanying them.

Continue reading "Activities Offered On ... »

Glorious Dining on the Carnival Glory


The Carnival Glory is 110,000 tons of glorious fun. The ship was built in 2002 and is the second in a series of Conquest class ships produced by Carnival Cruise Lines. This vessel has something for everyone whether young or old. For those seeking excitement and action or relaxation and peace this is the ship for you. Carnival Cruise Lines has mastered the art of entertaining and serving thousands at once.

Let's start with the most talked about cruise experience of all, dining at sea. On the carnival Glory there are two formal dining rooms called the Platinum and the Golden. Upon boarding you will be assigned one of these with a specific dining time and table number. You are not obligated to eat here at any time however if you choose to dine in these dining rooms you must sit at your assigned and and be on time. You may be seated with others or only with your traveling companion. Some love this aspect of cruising , getting to know new people, I do not and always request a table for only those that I travel with. These two dining rooms serve a different menu each night with lobster being served on formal night which usually is takes place on the first day at sea with no port stop. There are usually 7 entrees to choose from, a chicken, a beef, a fish and a vegetarian selection. Anything you see as an entree can be prepared as an appetizer instead if you would like to just sample it. There are also at least 6 appetizers to choose from like chicken satay skewers or mississipi delta prawns. Caesar salad and garden salad are always on the menu. The dessert menu is scrumptious with treats such as tiramisu or key lime pie you are sure to find one to your liking. Dessert usually has 4 or 5 choices, one of them being low fat or sugar free.

Continue reading "Dining On The Carnival Glory" »

For those of you who are uninitiated out there let me inform you that Disney is not just a theme park and the Disney Wonder is not just a cruise ship. The Disney Wonder was built in 1999 and holds about 1700 passengers. It is 83,000 tons of family oriented fun. There is also a dining venue, swimming pool and nightclub for adults only. The only down side to a Disney cruise is that there is no casino on board as gambling does not fit into the Disney image . Other than that as usual Disney does it best.

The major difference in Disney Cruise dining compared to all the other lines is rotational dining. This means that each evening you will eat in a different restaurant but your table mates rotate with you and the same staff will serve you for the length of your cruise. Just to clarify because I found the idea a little confusing at first, here is how it works. The first night you may eat at Triton a restaurant decorated in the theme of the little mermaid. Say you table mates are Bob and Carol and your servers are Ted and Alice. On evening number two you will eat at Animator's Palate along with Bob and Carol and your servers will once again be Ted and Alice. On the third night you will dine at Parrot Cay and your dining companions will once again accompany you along with your servers.

Animator's Palate will leave you wondering what happened here. Upon entering the restaurant the walls are filled with black and white sketches and the wait staff are wearing black and white uniforms. At some point when you are engrossed in the Disney magic of it all the sketches fill in with color and the waiters change into colored vests. Triton is the most formal of the dining venues and Parrot Cay serves up Caribbean fare with a Disney flare. For those who prefer to dine in their shorts and T-shirts there is the Beach Blanket Buffet. For grill food like hamburgers and French fries you may visit Pluto's Dog House. Pizza is served up at Pinocchio's Pizzeria. The adults only restaurant is an Italian eatery named Palo's and the atmosphere is elegant.

Disney folk have a way of thinking of things you need before you do. The bathrooms on the Disney Wonder are an example of this. The bathroom is split with the tub/shower and a sink in one room and another sink with vanity and the toilet in another. The only cabins that do not sport this neat design are the standard inside cabins. There is a cabin size and configuration to fit your situation. Even the smallest cabins accommodate three people easily with a queen size bed and sofa bed. If you have struck it rich or are traveling with a group the Royal Suite will sleep up to 8 people and are over 1000 square feet.

All Disney cruises call at Disney's private island of Castaway Cay. Disney constructed their own pier so there is no tendering in therefore it is unlikely to be a missed port of your itinerary. On the island there is a family beach area called Scuttle's Cove that is reached by a shuttle that runs every five minutes. There are snorkeling areas in the sea with planted shipwrecks for you to explore. serenity Bay is the adults only beach area where alcohol and massages are available.

It just would not be Disney without a musical show. Disney Dreams is a sweet concoction showcasing most of the famous Disney characters. Children and adults alike love this production. Other pursuits are available to keep the younger set busy. There is a nursery where you can leave the babe for an extra charge if you need some adult time. There is also a teen only club called Aloft where teens are served from the soda bar and arcade games can be played.

In short a Disney cruise will please all but the most dedicated gamblers in the family. There is something for everyone. The decor of the ship is more like an early twentieth century ocean liner than Disney World. While sailing the Disney Wonder there is no question in your mind that you are experiencing a Disney production but you will never wish you were somewhere else. In fact you may wish you could back again soon. Especially when the fog horn blows to the tune of When you wish upon a star.

The most common questions that are posed to me are in reference to selecting a cabin. Everyone wants something for nothing. For newbies they just want to know what is the difference between the different types of cabins.Most cruise lines seem to offer a bevy of cabin categories to choose from but really there are only four main ones. Inside, outside balcony and suite.

Inside cabins are those that do not have a window. There is one caveat to that on some Royal Caribbean ships there are inside cabins that have a window that faces the promenade deck or shopping concourse. They can relieve ,a little, the feelings of claustrophobia but you better keep your drapes drawn if you don't want your cruise mates to see you in your knickers.
Outside cabins are also known as ocean view. True to their name these have porthole windows or big picture windows and have a glorious view of the ocean. Balcony cabins are usually similar in size to the inside or outside cabins but have the added benefit of a balcony.Suites are sweet. What you get is a large, by cruise standards ,room and balcony . Sometimes you get a jacuzzi tub or other luxuries.

There may be 4 different categories of cabin within one main category. This refers to the deck or floor where they are located. Back in the early days of cruising the passengers in cabins on higher decks were allowed to eat at certain restaurants where cabins on lower decks were restricted in their dining choices to the lower class venues. This is no longer the case.

Most cruise lines offer what they call guarantee cabins. If you book a guarantee cabin it means you are guaranteed what you paid for or a higher category . With these types of bookings you do not get to select your specific cabin but you can save big bucks. Of course where they put you is at the discretion of the cruise line so be prepared to accept that.

The best way to get something for nothing in cabin selection is to pick a ship that has lots of balcony and outside cabins relative to inside cabins. You can then book an inside and have a better chance of being upgraded for free. If you're really picky then book
an outside on one of those ships to make sure you have a view and you are likely to be upgraded.

Now you may ask how in the heck will I know which ships those are? Travelin' Ann will reveal all her secrets to you.

Alright let's concentrate on my favorite cruise line which is Carnival. I'll list the least likely to be upgraded on to the most likely.

The Holiday and the Celebration-the two oldest Carnival ships have only 10 balcony cabins therefore no chance to snag a free one there.

Fantasy class includes Fantasy, Ecstasy, Sensation, Fascination, Imagination, Inspiration, Elation and the Paradise .

These ships have only 54 balcony cabins so you are unlikely to get one unless you pay for it. You probably can get upgraded by deck though if you book the lowest category inside or outside Though you won't be upgraded from inside to outside you will be upgrade a few decks.

On the Carnival Destiny you have about a fifty fifty chance to get an outside cabin by booking an inside guarantee. Most of the outside cabins have balconies so there is a good chance to get a balcony by booking an ocean view as a guarantee cabin.

Carnival Triumph and Carnival Victory have mainly outside and balcony cabins. Sixty percent percent are outside cabins and sixty percent of those have balconies. I would book an inside guarantee and roll the dice.

Carnival Conquest, Carnival Glory, Carnival Valor, and Carnival Liberty. Your chances are great to get a free upgrade on these ships. Book an inside and you'll probably be upgraded. Most likely you will end up with an ocean view but there is a good chance to be upgraded to a balcony especially if there are most than two passengers traveling together.

On the Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Legend and Carnival Miracle you are most likely to hit pay dirt on these ships. There are only about twenty percent inside cabins on this ship so an upgrade is all but a sure thing.

Remember though the upgrade fairy doesn't give a fig if you are a past guest, getting married, or booked way ahead. It's all about the odds on this one kiddies. My advice is based on the most likely scenario. This logic can be skewed by large groups booking up all the good cabins so nothing is for sure. I have been studying these things for a decade though and I am rarely wrong. Try it, you'll like it!

The pleasure of cruising along on open water with the sea breeze blowing at tropical temperatures is one that every person should be able to experience without the unpleasant side effect of nausea. I suffer from motion sickness from a variety of different sources. Even movement on a television screen makes me sick. Or when someone who is sitting nearby nervously shakes their leg. Elevator rides make me nauseous and horse back riding too.

I have been sick to my stomach on a small fishing vessel that I paid a fortune to charter so when my brother suggested a cruise years ago I thought to myself that I may have more fun jumping off the Eiffel tower. At least it would end. I have since traveled on many cruises without the troublesome problem of sea sickness. I want to share what I have learned so that you too can enjoying cruising as much I do.

The easiest and most economical way to stop sea sickness is to walk. This is what is meant by getting your sea legs. When you walk around a moving ship the fluid in your inner ear learns the motion of the ship in a controlled way. When you feel sea sickness coming on walk,walk,walk. The worst thing you can do is take to your bed. Lying down will make your nausea worse. Once your body becomes accustomed to the motion you will no longer feel ill and will be able to sit and lie down when you want to.

Another drug free way to curb your motion sickness is by wearing a Sea Bands bracelet. The bracelet has a small bead on the inside that puts pressure on the inside of your wrist. This is a pressure point that will reduce nausea. Children and pregnant women can use Sea Bands as there are no side effects to this method. They are available at most drug stores. Buy these before you leave home and put it on before boarding the ship to be safe.

The use of ginger can help to reduce the nausea part of sea sickness but not the dizziness. Other herbal remedies have been tried but not scientifically proven to work. Staying above deck and getting fresh air will go a long way to normalizing your inner ear.

Cabin location can also be a factor in how much motion you feel while trying to sleep. Select a cabin that is in the middle of the ship both horizontally and vertically. If you pick a middle deck you will feel less motion from the sea and if you are close to the center of that deck you will feel less vibration from the engines and under workings of the ship.

Sail on a ship that has stabilizers. All of the newest mega liners have stabilizers that help minimize the rolling of the ship back and forth. Consider sailing on a ship that uses the Azipod propulsion system. All of the Carnival Cruise Lines ships have them. This system pushes rather than pulls the ship through the water which reduces motion and creates much less vibration. It also has the added benefit of allowing sharper turns for the ship without causing a lean.

Medications such as Dramamine or Gravol decrease nausea. You don't have to buy these at home as they are available on the ship at the pursers desk where they are usually given out free of charge. Unfortunately these drugs can make some people drowsy which does not make for an exciting cruise experience.

Ear patches work wonders to get rid of sea sickness. The trans dermal scopolamine patch is about the size of a dime and is worn behind the ear. It's effects last about 72 hours. This patch must be applied 8 hours before boarding the ship or you'll be playing catch up later. The trans dermal patch does have side effects ranging from drowsiness to dry mouth.

Even the astronauts from NASA have problems with motion sickness so you are not alone now are you weak and frail. Go on and book your cruise with peace of mind because now you'll be like me and everyone else who is openly addicted to cruising.

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