The Cruise - Things You Want to Know
I don't know about you guys, but I am 90% certain that MK and i will be on the Carnival Dream at the end of October, 2010. I am -really- hoping that this will end up to be a 'group' thing, and that many of you will be on board also. I am excited about the cruise in general, but gods -- the thought of a bunch of us together sounds to me like it'll be a very memorable experience. You think guild chat/FB/LJ is fun? Imagine it in person.
Seriously. I don't care how well you think you don't know me, or how good of a friend you think we actually may or may not be -- this is going to be a blast. Clear your calendar, make your plans, and come to the Caribbean with me.
I thought I'd work out a post about the stuff to plan for and the stuff to expect; knowledge is power and all that jazz.
The Dates
- Saturday, Oct 23 2010 - Saturday Oct 30, 2010. This is a 7 day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean; ports of call include St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Nassau.
- This is still mildly subject to change. As soon as i know for positive that these are 100% accurate, I'll let you know.
Book Early
- MK and I will have our reservations by December. As a firefighter, it is a fact of life that he has to plan vacations a year in advance to get the time off. However, it's also a great idea for you in general, because there is a payment plan. Pay a bit per month prior to the trip, and voila. Affording your cruise is cake.
- We used a travel agent last time, and will likely do so again. Once i have that contact information, i recommend you use the same one we do -- he'll be able to get us near one another on the ship for both cabins and dinner seating. And face it; that's kind of the idea.
The Cost
- Prices range from $479 - $1379 per person, depending on how extravagant you want to go. Our last cruise we had a state room with a balcony which I really enjoyed, but made MK a little nauseated, so we are waffling as to which way we want to go this time. Interior with no balcony/windows is way cheaper of course, but it is also nice to pamper ourselves a little bit. All in all, however, the amount of time spent in your cabin is minimal so it is almost a moot point.
- Think about this a moment. If you take the mid-price interior option at $579 for a 7 day cruise -- it ends up to be roughly $83 a day per person. This is for a luxury hotel-type ship that will be brand new when we board it. AND -- all of your food is included. Seriously. All of it. Buffet breakfast and lunch. Full time eateries. A full three course dinner every night. Really now -- Think about the cost of three full meals out per day here in the real world. Now think about the price of lodging per night. Put those together and it's way more than $83, right? NOW remember that you are in the Caribbean. You will be seeing exotic ports, relaxing in the sun, swimming in the pools and or the crystal clear waters of the ocean... How is a cruise NOT an amazing deal!?
- Don't forget that there will also be the cost of your trip to Port Canaveral, and perhaps a hotel stay in there as well. [More below.]
- If you absolutely must cancel your trip, there is a cancellation policy in place. You can read that here. It involves partial refunds, so make sure you are familiar with it in advance.
Port Canaveral
- The Dream will be leaving from Port Canaveral in Florida. You have several options when it comes to getting there. The first and probably easiest is to fly into Orlando the morning of the cruise as early as possible. Carnival does offer shuttle service to and from the airport; details can be found here. Honestly, it's a really reasonable fee, considering that they do all of the worrying for you.
- Personally, if i were flying, I'd fly in the day before the cruise just so i am not harried beyond tolerance. If you choose to do this, MK and I will be staying in the Radisson Resort in Port Canaveral. We'll be driving there from Crestview and we choose them because they have a 'stay a night and we'll watch your car for a week' deal. We like this. We also like the hotel. It's got a pool with waterfalls and live music.
- Or if you -really- like, you can fly into Pensacola, FL and caravan down with us. This will, of course, add the cost of renting a car to your vacation as ours will already be 3/4 full. If you choose to go this route, talk with me in advance -- we'll also have to plan out lodging, etc.
The Ship <-- this is a link.
- Ok. I know some of you are worried about the possibility of being seasick, and sure, it's a valid concern. But this thing isn't a teeny tiny boat. It is literally a floating hotel with fifteen decks. On the Glory, which is a smaller ship than the Dream, i barely noticed the movement of the ocean except when i was sleeping. And to be perfectly honest -- sleeping on that ship was probably the best sleep I've gotten in years. It was amazing. HOWEVER, yes. Do stock up on your Dramamine, just in case. Don't wait and see if you are affected and then pay the ship-board price for a supply to last you a week. Bring it with you. Better to have it and not need it than the other way around.
- There are plenty of planned activities aboard. Live shows, comedians, games with prizes, a casino -- or just plain lounging on the deck and soaking up the sun. You will -always- have something to do. The cruise directors of Carnival have been voted among the best for a very good reason; they love what they do and they make you love your vacation whether you leave the ship or not. And if you have the urge to explore, you've got plenty of ship to keep you occupied. Seriously. Check out the link at the head of this section for stuff available on the ship. The Glory had a mini putt putt golf course and a running track!
- Carnival is a family oriented cruise line. There is a complimentary program that runs every day for children from ages 2 - 11 called Camp Carnival which includes all sorts of activities. There are other programs for older kids, as well. You can read more details here. Furthermore, if you want your evenings free to socialize/party/have dinner with the adults, there is a babysitting service on board, but yes - there is a fee for it. [Cheap as hell, if you ask me.] Also check the FAQ about youth activities and you'll find that they have a great deal going on for the kids. Be aware of age limits for participation.
- Food. OMFG Food. Every morning there is an all you can eat breakfast buffet. Hot stuff. Cold stuff. Fruits. Bagels. Pastries. Juice. Coffee. Every afternoon there is an all you can eat lunch buffet. Hot, cold, ethnic, heavy, light - they've got it. All day long there are several little places open for when you have the random pizza attack. Every evening there is a sit-down three-course meal complete with several waiters who always make sure your glass is full. When i think about the price of a cruise, the food alone makes it completely worth it. You will -not- go hungry on this ship.
- The three course dinner is pretty fancy schmancy. They do have a dress code for it, but so long as you think "sunday best' or "work attire" you should be ok. Don't plan on wearing your swimsuit to dinner or you will feel very out of place. [And probably get sent to your room to change.] Also note that there is a dinner every night, so you'll need more than one nice outfit to last you for the duration of the week. Each dinner lasts about 2-2.5 hours, is 100% waiter served, and an amazing time for conversation and friendship. Bring your cameras! However, you do NOT have to attend the sit down dinner if you do not want to. The cafes are still open and you are free to use them if you don't feel like being all fancy.
- Alcohol. Ok. The alcohol is not included. It's available, but if you want it, you will have to pay extra for it. MK and I don't drink as a general rule, so it doesn't really bother us either way. They do have a drink card you can buy at the beginning of the cruise that will allow you all you can drink sodas as well - but the juice/tea/coffee and water is all that is free to drink on the boat. Plan accordingly if you aren't ok with all you can drink mango juice. [There are some people who will smuggle their own alcohol on board. There are tricks to it though - something about porcelain canteens or plastic camel packs. Do your own research if this is the way you want to go.] You -will- be able to purchase bottles of alcohol in the ports of call, although i believe there is a limit per person.
Ports of Call
- Each port of call has a plethora of 'excursions' which you can choose to sign up for. Horseback riding, guided shopping tours, beach and booze lounge days, self guided scooter exploration, parasailing, dolphin swimming adventures -- just to name a few. If you check the itinerary for the cruise linked above, there are links to the individual ports of call and their excursion lists. Make note that some of them require booking way in advance due to popularity, so look them over thoroughly.
- OMFG ATLANTIS.
- You can choose your excursions after you board the ship, too. There is still the case of popularity versus space, though -- so it's best to look them over on the first day and choose what you'd like to do.
- Excursions are not free. Plan ahead if you want to participate -- or simply get off the ship and wander around on your own. There's nothing saying you can't take a taxi to the closest tourist-friendly beach and call it good!
- You do NOT have to participate in excursions at all. Stay on the ship the entire week if you like. It's your vacation!
- Check the options for the Western Caribbean as well. Should there be a hurricane in the waters in front of us, we WILL be re-routed out of our original itinerary. This happened to MK and i on our last cruise; the Carnival team took very good care of us -- except for being rerouted, we weren't even aware there was a hurricane in the Caribbean. [Well, ok. It was on the weather info but we weren't affected by it in any way.]
- Excursions are probably where most of us go our own way. Different interests, different price ranges, etc -- don't feel bad about this. We still have dinner, on-board events and at least two days at sea during which to spend time together. Remember that this is your vacation too - you are free to come and go as you please; group or not.
Seriously. I don't care how well you think you don't know me, or how good of a friend you think we actually may or may not be -- this is going to be a blast. Clear your calendar, make your plans, and come to the Caribbean with me.
I thought I'd work out a post about the stuff to plan for and the stuff to expect; knowledge is power and all that jazz.
The Dates
- Saturday, Oct 23 2010 - Saturday Oct 30, 2010. This is a 7 day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean; ports of call include St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Nassau.
- This is still mildly subject to change. As soon as i know for positive that these are 100% accurate, I'll let you know.
Book Early
- MK and I will have our reservations by December. As a firefighter, it is a fact of life that he has to plan vacations a year in advance to get the time off. However, it's also a great idea for you in general, because there is a payment plan. Pay a bit per month prior to the trip, and voila. Affording your cruise is cake.
- We used a travel agent last time, and will likely do so again. Once i have that contact information, i recommend you use the same one we do -- he'll be able to get us near one another on the ship for both cabins and dinner seating. And face it; that's kind of the idea.
The Cost
- Prices range from $479 - $1379 per person, depending on how extravagant you want to go. Our last cruise we had a state room with a balcony which I really enjoyed, but made MK a little nauseated, so we are waffling as to which way we want to go this time. Interior with no balcony/windows is way cheaper of course, but it is also nice to pamper ourselves a little bit. All in all, however, the amount of time spent in your cabin is minimal so it is almost a moot point.
- Think about this a moment. If you take the mid-price interior option at $579 for a 7 day cruise -- it ends up to be roughly $83 a day per person. This is for a luxury hotel-type ship that will be brand new when we board it. AND -- all of your food is included. Seriously. All of it. Buffet breakfast and lunch. Full time eateries. A full three course dinner every night. Really now -- Think about the cost of three full meals out per day here in the real world. Now think about the price of lodging per night. Put those together and it's way more than $83, right? NOW remember that you are in the Caribbean. You will be seeing exotic ports, relaxing in the sun, swimming in the pools and or the crystal clear waters of the ocean... How is a cruise NOT an amazing deal!?
- Don't forget that there will also be the cost of your trip to Port Canaveral, and perhaps a hotel stay in there as well. [More below.]
- If you absolutely must cancel your trip, there is a cancellation policy in place. You can read that here. It involves partial refunds, so make sure you are familiar with it in advance.
Port Canaveral
- The Dream will be leaving from Port Canaveral in Florida. You have several options when it comes to getting there. The first and probably easiest is to fly into Orlando the morning of the cruise as early as possible. Carnival does offer shuttle service to and from the airport; details can be found here. Honestly, it's a really reasonable fee, considering that they do all of the worrying for you.
- Personally, if i were flying, I'd fly in the day before the cruise just so i am not harried beyond tolerance. If you choose to do this, MK and I will be staying in the Radisson Resort in Port Canaveral. We'll be driving there from Crestview and we choose them because they have a 'stay a night and we'll watch your car for a week' deal. We like this. We also like the hotel. It's got a pool with waterfalls and live music.
- Or if you -really- like, you can fly into Pensacola, FL and caravan down with us. This will, of course, add the cost of renting a car to your vacation as ours will already be 3/4 full. If you choose to go this route, talk with me in advance -- we'll also have to plan out lodging, etc.
The Ship <-- this is a link.
- Ok. I know some of you are worried about the possibility of being seasick, and sure, it's a valid concern. But this thing isn't a teeny tiny boat. It is literally a floating hotel with fifteen decks. On the Glory, which is a smaller ship than the Dream, i barely noticed the movement of the ocean except when i was sleeping. And to be perfectly honest -- sleeping on that ship was probably the best sleep I've gotten in years. It was amazing. HOWEVER, yes. Do stock up on your Dramamine, just in case. Don't wait and see if you are affected and then pay the ship-board price for a supply to last you a week. Bring it with you. Better to have it and not need it than the other way around.
- There are plenty of planned activities aboard. Live shows, comedians, games with prizes, a casino -- or just plain lounging on the deck and soaking up the sun. You will -always- have something to do. The cruise directors of Carnival have been voted among the best for a very good reason; they love what they do and they make you love your vacation whether you leave the ship or not. And if you have the urge to explore, you've got plenty of ship to keep you occupied. Seriously. Check out the link at the head of this section for stuff available on the ship. The Glory had a mini putt putt golf course and a running track!
- Carnival is a family oriented cruise line. There is a complimentary program that runs every day for children from ages 2 - 11 called Camp Carnival which includes all sorts of activities. There are other programs for older kids, as well. You can read more details here. Furthermore, if you want your evenings free to socialize/party/have dinner with the adults, there is a babysitting service on board, but yes - there is a fee for it. [Cheap as hell, if you ask me.] Also check the FAQ about youth activities and you'll find that they have a great deal going on for the kids. Be aware of age limits for participation.
- Food. OMFG Food. Every morning there is an all you can eat breakfast buffet. Hot stuff. Cold stuff. Fruits. Bagels. Pastries. Juice. Coffee. Every afternoon there is an all you can eat lunch buffet. Hot, cold, ethnic, heavy, light - they've got it. All day long there are several little places open for when you have the random pizza attack. Every evening there is a sit-down three-course meal complete with several waiters who always make sure your glass is full. When i think about the price of a cruise, the food alone makes it completely worth it. You will -not- go hungry on this ship.
- The three course dinner is pretty fancy schmancy. They do have a dress code for it, but so long as you think "sunday best' or "work attire" you should be ok. Don't plan on wearing your swimsuit to dinner or you will feel very out of place. [And probably get sent to your room to change.] Also note that there is a dinner every night, so you'll need more than one nice outfit to last you for the duration of the week. Each dinner lasts about 2-2.5 hours, is 100% waiter served, and an amazing time for conversation and friendship. Bring your cameras! However, you do NOT have to attend the sit down dinner if you do not want to. The cafes are still open and you are free to use them if you don't feel like being all fancy.
- Alcohol. Ok. The alcohol is not included. It's available, but if you want it, you will have to pay extra for it. MK and I don't drink as a general rule, so it doesn't really bother us either way. They do have a drink card you can buy at the beginning of the cruise that will allow you all you can drink sodas as well - but the juice/tea/coffee and water is all that is free to drink on the boat. Plan accordingly if you aren't ok with all you can drink mango juice. [There are some people who will smuggle their own alcohol on board. There are tricks to it though - something about porcelain canteens or plastic camel packs. Do your own research if this is the way you want to go.] You -will- be able to purchase bottles of alcohol in the ports of call, although i believe there is a limit per person.
Ports of Call
- Each port of call has a plethora of 'excursions' which you can choose to sign up for. Horseback riding, guided shopping tours, beach and booze lounge days, self guided scooter exploration, parasailing, dolphin swimming adventures -- just to name a few. If you check the itinerary for the cruise linked above, there are links to the individual ports of call and their excursion lists. Make note that some of them require booking way in advance due to popularity, so look them over thoroughly.
- OMFG ATLANTIS.
- You can choose your excursions after you board the ship, too. There is still the case of popularity versus space, though -- so it's best to look them over on the first day and choose what you'd like to do.
- Excursions are not free. Plan ahead if you want to participate -- or simply get off the ship and wander around on your own. There's nothing saying you can't take a taxi to the closest tourist-friendly beach and call it good!
- You do NOT have to participate in excursions at all. Stay on the ship the entire week if you like. It's your vacation!
- Check the options for the Western Caribbean as well. Should there be a hurricane in the waters in front of us, we WILL be re-routed out of our original itinerary. This happened to MK and i on our last cruise; the Carnival team took very good care of us -- except for being rerouted, we weren't even aware there was a hurricane in the Caribbean. [Well, ok. It was on the weather info but we weren't affected by it in any way.]
- Excursions are probably where most of us go our own way. Different interests, different price ranges, etc -- don't feel bad about this. We still have dinner, on-board events and at least two days at sea during which to spend time together. Remember that this is your vacation too - you are free to come and go as you please; group or not.