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NFT: Carnival Cruise Lines

MotownGIANTS : 8/19/2014 12:36 pm
Planning my 1st cruise ... Any tips and\or advice. Going to the Bahamas for a few days.


Has anyone done the commute from Fort Launderdale to the Miami port? If so How is it?

Anyone ever did SNUBA before? If so is it that much better than snorkeling?


Thanks in advance
Just lay back and enjoy  
vibe4giants : 8/19/2014 12:38 pm : link
the diarrhea.

You might want to consider a cruise line that will provide  
jcn56 : 8/19/2014 12:39 pm : link
a round trip.
RE: You might want to consider a cruise line that will provide  
Chris in Philly : 8/19/2014 12:41 pm : link
In comment 11814429 jcn56 said:
Quote:
a round trip.


You can SNUBA back?
Took a Carribean cruise on Carnaval and it was good.  
Gman11 : 8/19/2014 12:47 pm : link
If you have the option of dining in the dining room rather than the buffet take advantage of it. The food is good and the service is great.
We took a car service/cab From  
ZogZerg : 8/19/2014 12:51 pm : link
Lauderdale to Miami. That worked out fine.
Have your family get the bracelet or patch or whatever it's called for motion sickness. It won't be a good trip if they are seasick.

Bring your own Alcohol (hide in suitcase). It's very expensive on the ship.
Cruise advice  
Ron from Ninerland : 8/19/2014 12:56 pm : link
If you're flying into Fort Lauderdale, the cruise lines provide buses ( for a fee ) to the Miami terminal. The food and service on any cruise line are generally good. The entertainment on cruise ships is surprisingly good. The shows are better than Vegas IMHO. Get to the shows early, the showrooms, especially on Carnival fill up.

Despite the naysayers, its unlikely you'll get diarrhea, even less likely that the ship breaks down, catches fire or hits an iceberg. The biggest possible danger is sea sickness. Should that happen, the ship will provide you with meds for free, but you might want to bring something along. Also, bring something nice to wear, at least a sport jacket for the formal nights in the dining room. They will kick you out if you dress like a slob and you'll have to go to the buffet.
I would caution against using the seasick patch  
Mike from Ohio : 8/19/2014 1:03 pm : link
if you don't expect you will be seasick. My wife used one and had horrible side effects (dizziness, blurred vision, upset stomach). The next time we went on a cruise, we took nothing and there was no problem. Even the kids were fine.

If you have sailed before and expect you will be seasick, it might make sense, but it may be better to bring it but not use it unless you need it.

One other recommendation for seasickness - the higher you get your room on the ship, the less the effect will be. Same is true for staying in the middle of the ship as opposed to the front/back.
SNUBA  
Steve L : 8/19/2014 1:12 pm : link
It is way better than snorkeling. You can dive about 20 - 25 ft down and stay there becasue the tank floats on the surface and goes with you as you swim. It's really neat.
We had breakfast delivered every morning  
TJ : 8/19/2014 1:18 pm : link
a nice and not too expensive luxury.

Drinks were a little expensive but they pour generously both on board and ashore. Everybody wants to keep the tourists drunk.

I paid an extra $50 or so to get "first on - first off" or some such name. It got us through customs and on to the boat while most other passengers were waiting in line for over an hour. Same thing getting off when we came back to US. I think it also works getting of at the islands but I don't remember for sure.

Casino has no live poker - maybe there is no demand.

We've only taken one cruise. It was Carnival and we had a great time. Matter of fact another cruise line suffered an outbreak of some kind while we were on our cruise and they had to return to port with half the passengers and crew vomiting their guts out but no problems on ours.
Almost forgot  
TJ : 8/19/2014 1:19 pm : link
If you get a berth on a lower level the ship's motion is alot less apparent. That may help if you're worried about adjusting to the motion.
LOL at some of the responses  
armsteadeatslittlekids : 8/19/2014 1:28 pm : link
We took Carnival a few years ago and it was an awesome price for the itinerary (5 islands in 7 days). Definitely worth it, but be warned the food is pretty bad, even if you eat at the "fine dining" every night. Do the buffet if you enjoy food contamination.

Bottom line the destinations made it one of the best vacations I've ever had. Luckily we did it before their ships started breaking down.
Since it's your first one  
bhill410 : 8/19/2014 1:32 pm : link
- In my experience people either love cruises or hate them. I have only taken one and definitely fall into the hate camp. I say this not to be a dick but because I took the same one you are thinking about because at the time I was a student and it was really cheap. The inexpensive cost not just attracted me but also a very interesting clientele mix that I would prefer to not be stuck with on a subway much less cruise ship for 5 days. Also hurting matters was that it was a dated ship. At the time I was in my early 20s but found the nightlife bizzare (except for casino) which was only made worse when my wife (gf at time) contracted norovirus. Luckily for me the virus waited until the exact moment I got off the airplane in Newark to rear it's head. We actually tried to de-board at one of the stops to just get a flight home but they wouldn't let us.

Any way moral is if you are going to take one may be worth the extra dollars to end up on a ship whose passengers have teeth, weigh less than 300lbs and don't spread norovirus.
Norovirus  
Steve L : 8/19/2014 1:44 pm : link
Can happen on any cruise ship, not just Carnival. I was on a Royal Carribean ship and it hit (luckily my then wife and I were fine).

Simple way to get around it...never touch a doorknob, railing, elevator button or anything the public touches with your hand.
I just booked a Disney cruise for the family in February  
Hades07 : 8/19/2014 2:09 pm : link
Has anyone gone? How are they and what is different from other cruises?

Doing Disney Parks for a week and then the cruise, I know the kids will enjoy the parks, not sure about the cruise.
My advice: Don't do it  
NYGmen58 : 8/19/2014 2:12 pm : link
Take a vacation you will actually remember and enjoy.

Carnival is absolutely terrible, unless your into buffets and loafing around a hot tub all day with obese people.

If you MUST do a cruise, do not go with Carnival, you will regret it.
BULLSHIT,  
OldPolack : 8/19/2014 2:54 pm : link
live near BOCA, go one one every year.
Sept 7th going on one.
Food at the dining room is very good, service excellent.
Get off the ship at and eat in a Bahamian restaurant.
The local beer Kalic is one of the best, fish and Conch are fresh but the best is desert - try Gauva Duff the BEST DESERT.
The shows on board are excellent.
RE: I just booked a Disney cruise for the family in February  
jcn56 : 8/19/2014 2:55 pm : link
In comment 11814656 Hades07 said:
Quote:
Has anyone gone? How are they and what is different from other cruises?

Doing Disney Parks for a week and then the cruise, I know the kids will enjoy the parks, not sure about the cruise.


Just did the same last summer. Kids will like the cruise. You, not so much. But that's to be expected.
RE: RE: I just booked a Disney cruise for the family in February  
Hades07 : 8/19/2014 3:44 pm : link
In comment 11814779 jcn56 said:
Quote:
In comment 11814656 Hades07 said:


Quote:


Has anyone gone? How are they and what is different from other cruises?

Doing Disney Parks for a week and then the cruise, I know the kids will enjoy the parks, not sure about the cruise.



Just did the same last summer. Kids will like the cruise. You, not so much. But that's to be expected.
Why won't I enjoy it? I have been on a few cruises and always enjoyed it, some more than others.
Thanks everybody  
MotownGIANTS : 8/19/2014 4:20 pm : link
I think it'll be fun. I appreciate all the heads up and tips.
RE: I just booked a Disney cruise for the family in February  
Ron from Ninerland : 8/19/2014 4:54 pm : link
In comment 11814656 Hades07 said:
Quote:
Has anyone gone? How are they and what is different from other cruises?

Doing Disney Parks for a week and then the cruise, I know the kids will enjoy the parks, not sure about the cruise.


A few differences:

1. Lots of things for kids of all ages to do, much more than any other cruise line, but they still manage to have more activities than adults than most other lines.

2. Lots of Disney entertainment. The production shows are Disney based. Disney characters are on deck at all hours. Disney movies are shown all day in the theatre including 3D movies.

3. You eat in a different dining room every day. This is part of the experience.

4. They have a Formal night like other cruise lines, but they also have a Pirate night. Everyone dresses like a pirate, they have a big deck party, they have fireworks, and they show Pirates of the Caribbean on the Jumbotron

5. No casino.

6. As you've already discovered they're more expensive than another mainstream cruise line by quite a lot. If memory serves me correctly at least soft drinks are free. They go for $3 a pop on other lines.
Love Disney Cruise, hate Carnival  
PatersonPlank : 8/19/2014 5:42 pm : link
I'd suggest Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, or Princess. You pay more but its a lot better. Just came back from a Norwegian cruise and the food was very good, the ship brand new, and the entertainment was like a Broadway show.
Paterson...  
JB in NJ : 8/19/2014 7:24 pm : link
The Breakaway? We just did that one in June. Thought the food was just OK, but the on board activities and shows were great.

As far as the topic of sea sickness goes, you can also get a shot from the ship's doctor's office that should tie you over for the time that you are at sea. I've also used the patch a bunch of times and never suffered any ill effects.
Disney Cruises  
Maximus, Esq. : 8/19/2014 7:30 pm : link
Also don't charge a fee to bring alcohol on board - unlike other lines. They do charge a corkage fee if you bring your wine to dinner.

There is stuff for adults to do on Disney lines - e.g. Mixology classes, adult only pools, wine tastings, bars at night. Yes though - no casino.
Which is the BEST one leaving NYC/NJ port?  
spike : 8/19/2014 7:42 pm : link
.. thinking of bringing the family to a cruise fo the first time, including my 1.5 year old.
spike...  
JB in NJ : 8/19/2014 10:02 pm : link
As mentioned above, we did the Norwegian Breakaway with the family and enjoyed it. Lots of on board activities (water slides, mini golf, rock climbing wall, etc.) and they have kids clubs where they run organized activities for the kids (think on board day camp).
Yep the Breakaway  
PatersonPlank : 8/19/2014 11:40 pm : link
We had a blast. I thought the food was good, especially in the fancier restaurants. The buffets were fine for buffets, you know you are getting quantity not quality.
Thanks for the tips on Disney cruise....  
Hades07 : 8/20/2014 9:23 am : link
...I don't gamble or drink so the lack of casino and minimal bars do not concern me. Mostly on cruises I find a quiet spot to read and go to some shows at night if there is anything good.
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