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^ Carnivals both unfortunately. I went on my carnival cruise in third or fourth grade, and I have been on 6 now, so I would say I have a relatively descent idea of what to expect in terms of standards from a cruise line despite not being the standard cruiser. In fact, I would say Carnival is the Cedar Point of Cruise Lines based on what I saw, and as mentioned I was young at the time. There isn't one major issue on Carnival ships IMO, but each and every thing wasn't up to standards in relation to Disney, Royal Caribbean, and Princess, which are the cruise lines we have sailed on. For example, their kids program was god awful when compared to the awesome other cruise line experiences, and that is saying something considering I was a kid. I cant remember what I didn't like, but it wasn't as good. I also remember people getting full on drunk on the Carnival ship, which would not have been the norm on the other cruise lines. The staff was not as good on Carnival, they were all right, but not quite as good as my other experiences.

 

In short Carnival is okay, but they are the lowest ranking of all the cruise lines I've sailed with. For what its worth Disney is the best for young families, Royal Caribbean is the best for families with older kids or teenagers, and Princess is for the older crowd, but we still had a pretty fun time because the teen program was okay, and there was a great group of people who I still talk to today. Carnival did not meet the bar of any of the ships, and there for is very meh. If your looking for cheap fun carnival may be okay, but if you want a true cruise experience Royal Caribbean, Disney, and Princess are the way to go in terms of cruise lines I have been on. According to my grandparents(who have been on like 50 cruises) Celebrity is the best, and I have heard pretty good things about Norwegian.

 

Carnival

The I love cruises Ghost

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Carnival is saying that those who were on the cruise are receiving a full refund, free transportation back home and a free cruise in the future. That is about what I would expect in this situation. Here is a bit more info from today...

On Tuesday, U.S. sailors loaded cargo planes with boxes of crab meat, croissants and other items for the stranded passengers. They were to be ferried to an aircraft carrier at sea, where helicopters will pick them up and drop them on the ship.

 

The tugboats were expected to arrive back at the port with the ship around 8 p.m. PST Wednesday, Coast Guard Petty Officer Kevin Metcalf said. Metcalf said the tugs, which will be escorted by a Coast Guard cutter, must move slowly because the ship is so big.

 

From Ensenada, passengers will be driven 50 miles by bus to the California border, said Oliva, who added that she was unaware of any safety concerns from passengers or their families about traveling by land in Mexico.

 

How would you react if you were in a situation like this.. would you think it was a cool story and go with the flow or would you freak out about being trapped on a ship with no electricity? Could you imagine if this happened mid-way through a trans-atlantic cruise when you are 3 days away from the nearest land?

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Spam being loaded to be delivered to the ship!

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How would you react if you were in a situation like this.. would you think it was a cool story and go with the flow or would you freak out about being trapped on a ship with no electricity? Could you imagine if this happened mid-way through a trans-atlantic cruise when you are 3 days away from the nearest land?

 

 

I would just go with the flow. It's not like you can change the situation anyways, so why bother getting worked up? I'm seriously wondering what they're doing with all the poop, though, if the toilets aren't working!?!?

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I think it would be cool for a few hours...maybe even overnight...but by then, the smell, lack of food, lack of AC, loads of terrible screaming obnoxious people, yeah then I'd be done!

 

They'll have a really cool story to tell and it actually sounds like Carnival is doing a damn good job at taking care of everyone! If you read some stories from past issues like this on Celebrity (just last month) or Princess (giant fire and unloading) you'll see it didn't go NEARLY this well!

 

Although it seems they still have at least 2 days to go...we'll see!

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Well, sorry to change to subject, but the next part of my cruise video is (FINALLY) uploaded. Check it out!

 

 

We opted to just take take a taxi over to Atlantis and walk around to see what we could see, and purely by chance, we ended up sneaking into the waterpark and guests-only area! If you send me a PM here or on youtube, I'll tell you how. It didn't do us a whole lot of good because you need to have an armband to actually have any fun; as in slides or beach, and we didn't feel like pushing our luck and getting escorted off property. I tried to scam a wristband from a towel kiosk, but was un-successful

 

Elissa, if I ever cruise to Nassau again, I will take your original advice and just stay on the boat. I tried my best to make it sound interesting in the video, but the more I watch it, I think... "I should have made a video saying 'Just stay on the boat'!". From the moment we got into the tourist center to the moment we arrived in Atlantis, it was kind of uncomfortable, and same thing for the way back. So many people begging for you to let them braid your hair or sell you a "free necklace" and stuff like that. It was cool to actually see Atlantis and have free access to "The Dig", but after you've done it once, I guess there really is no reason to go back and see it again, unless of course you are going to do the waterpark or a dolphin swim, or what have you.

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So an update on the Carnival front. We were notified that our cruise was cancelled yesterday afternoon... Shocking. None the less we were offered a full refund on our cruise, travel compensation, plus 25% off a future cruise (which I feel is kind of a joke being we were so close to our cruise).

 

We scattered around yesterday and put together plan B. We are now cruising out of Ft. Lauderdale on the Celebrity Solstice this weekend. The ship looks amazing and I'm really excited to be headed out to Florida for this adventure.

 

WHat really sucks is Carnival is saying we won't get our money back for 3 weeks. I'm getting a little pushy with them since we had to book an emergency alternate vacation, and we are spending almost $400 more per person with flights and the more expensive cruise. This was the only time of year we are all able to get the time off and facilitate this kind of thing. Don't wish this kind of emergency planning on anyone, it was amazingly stressful.

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^Look at it this way...for all that extra work and headaches you're going to have SUCH a better time on the Solstice...an AMAZING ship! About 17 levels above Carnival!

 

Please make sure to visit this thread when you're done and do a report!

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I can never decide...is Carnival the Six Flags or Cedar Fair of the cruise industry?

Ha! Just based on general perception, I think it's Six Flags, hands down. I still, to this day, would rather swim than take a Carnival Cruise.

 

Also, Micky Arison, in my opinion, is one of the worst, most socially irresponsible CEOs on the planet. I guarantee you, at this very moment, he's probably more concerned about how Lebron James and Dwayne Wade played last night than the thousands of passengers stranded on one of his ships.

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^Look at it this way...for all that extra work and headaches you're going to have SUCH a better time on the Solstice...an AMAZING ship! About 17 levels above Carnival!

 

Please make sure to visit this thread when you're done and do a report!

 

Thanks Elissa, I'm really excited to be headed somewhere much nice as well. Hopefully the weather holds up.

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^Look at it this way...for all that extra work and headaches you're going to have SUCH a better time on the Solstice...an AMAZING ship! About 17 levels above Carnival!

 

Please make sure to visit this thread when you're done and do a report!

 

Thanks Elissa, I'm really excited to be headed somewhere much nice as well. Hopefully the weather holds up.

 

That is a really good way to put it, Elissa. Just try to relax and enjoy it now. The money will be there shortly after you get back and you can take care of all of that then. For now, just get your vacation on and be excited about going totally unexpectadly on the Solstice!

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I've just come back off of Celebrity Constellation around the Mediterranean. The ship was "solsticized" in early 2010, so it has things like a frozen martini bar and a complete overhaul. It was awesome!

 

We scattered around yesterday and put together plan B. We are now cruising out of Ft. Lauderdale on the Celebrity Solstice this weekend. The ship looks amazing and I'm really excited to be headed out to Florida for this adventure.

 

Have a really good time! I'm going on Celebrity Eclipse next year and I'm really looking forward to it!

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I actually had my first cruise aboard the Carnival Fantasy over the summer and had an excellent time! The only major gripes I had were that 1) I had a hard time navigating the ship... I got lost on a number of occasions, 2) The stuff onboard is way overpriced compared to the stuff on shore, and 3) The ship felt kinda dated.. sorta like a throwback to the 90s with all the decor.

 

The ports of call were really fun (although my parents opted to stay in the jewelery stores over other stuff) and I had a wonderful time. Because the trip was a little bit last minute and my parents had a bit of trouble booking the cruise, we didn't get to do any of the really cool stuff like snorkeling or checking out some of the tours.

 

The service onboard went above my expectations and the ship was pretty clean... All the drunk people seemed to hang by the pool a bit much though.

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Those of you who have been reading this thread (or know me) for a while, know how I feel about Carnival. I had been on one previous Carnival cruise before and just hated it. Bad food, bad service, crappy atmosphere - really not the line or brand for us. We have a pretty good idea after sailing on all the major brands what we like...and are pretty flexible as well. Needless to say, when my brother-in-law announced he was getting married on carnival we tried everything we could to get them to change their mind.. No luck. Luckily it was on one of their newer ships - the Carnival Freedom - and it's itinerary was pretty good. It was 6 days and went to Key West (love it!), Grand Cayman (meh..) and Ocho Rios (new for Stacey and I haven't been there in years).

 

Overall feeling on Carnival... hasn't really changed. Boat is ugly... REALLY UGLY. Like someone barfed up technicolor randomly in every hallway of the ship. Food was BAD (unless you think Denny's and Golden Coral are the the height of gourmet) with the exception of the daily Indian Buffet. Entertainment was shockingly lacking...not much on the ship outside of live music. Main stage shows were actually pretty good. Service was bad... REALLY REALLY bad. I've received better service from a Pizza Hut than we got in the main dining room.

 

I realize there are folks who like Carnival... I respect that - I just don't understand it. It's not my cup of tea - I prefer less Bud Light and more sauvignon blanc, if you get my drift.

 

Anyways... on to the pics!

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The only non-gaudy part of the ship! This is another ship that doesn't use its poolside screen well.. only one movie a day!

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Leaving Port Everglades is my favorite... this dude has a Flow Rider in his backyard!

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Those of you who went on the TPR Cruise in January know I take pics of my food.. :)

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It isn't an ugly ship from the outside.... Taken from Key West.

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This is one of our favorite places to eat in Key West.. Blue Heaven. Lots of Roosters and cats running around while you eat.

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That day was the wedding.. here is Stacey as the Maid of Honor. Their "chapel" is asian themed!

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While the wedding felt very rushed - the reception food was some of the best on the whole cruise.

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Next day was a day at sea.. time for mini-golf with this weird pic of Stacey!

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We did a cooking demonstration that was horribly planned.. Long thin room that you couldn't see anything!

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However you did get full samples of food which were big!

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It was held in the gaudy upcharge "Sun King" restaurant.

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It was *really* gaudy.

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Best part of the cruise each day? Indian Lunch Buffet! SO Flavorful and unique options each day!

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They actually have tandoori clay ovens on board and make their own real naan!!!!

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Time to visit the show lounge - gives you some idea of the detail and theming.

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Its LASER TAG TIME!! Carnival does Laser Tag on sea days for $5 up charge

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They set up an inflatable arena on the main stage and put on loud rock music. Its surprisingly fun!

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Bad shot from inside! It is exhausting running around a "bounce house" for 5 min though.

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Here is a shot of the main atrium area. Those lights on the right are LEDs that do trippy patterns.

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When I think of Grand Cayman - I think of Dunkin Donuts!

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...and Hell!

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Hell is these cool limestone formations that are a tourist attraction.

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They also have Dolphins!

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Grand Cayman is a "tender" port where your ship doesn't dock. Carnival had one metal detector for the whole ship so we waited almost an hour on the tender.. :(

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How about some more GAUDY!!!

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Please stare into the elevator as I hypnotize you with its hideousness.

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The carpet with their version of what an 8 would look like. WTF?

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The hallway art by our stateroom.

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The one non-gaudy part of the ship was our stateroom. Actually not too bad!

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Very well laid-out bathroom.

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We really liked the individual door and window to our balcony instead of all floor to celling glass.

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Next stop Jamaica.. land of people offering to sell you drugs... and creepy tree carvings.

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Best part of Jamaica - Ting grapefruit soda!

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This has more subtle theming than our ship...

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I love this movie theaters rules!

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NOTED!

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Back safe on the ship - we watched this CRAZY rain storm roll in.

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I bet all those people waiting in line in the rain are happy carnival has ONE metal detector on this huge ship!

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During a show about the Beatles, they gave out glow for no reason. I decided to wear it.

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Just in case you thought there wasn't enough colors on the ship so far...

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The celling tiles throughout the ship are especially low-key.. ;)

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Don't forget the random statue of liberty theming in the buffet...

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with a 2 story tall GLOWING statue of liberty!

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Main drag of clubs.. lots o' neon.

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The "classy" wine bar.

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They charge for "better" pastries in their coffee shop. They sucked as much as the free ones. Strawberries were good though.

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They also charge for popcorn. They managed to F up popcorn. WTF?!?!?!!?!!??!

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I leave you with a picture of a chair that looks like that thing from the winter olympic sport of curling. Thanks Carnival for reminding me why I don't like you!

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Hi cruisers. Here is my latest vid from our Bahamas cruise on the Monarch of the Seas:

 

 

The best advice I can give you is take the long walk back to Barefoot Beach! It is totally worth it! I wish we had found it sooner in the day, (check out the end of the video).

 

Anyone who has been to any of the other "private islands" owned by cruise companies, how does Coco Cay compare?

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I am back from my cruise on the Carnival Valor

I filled up my 4gb SD card so lots of pictures were taken. My mom, brother and I had a great time, lots of fun!

I'll post pictures later, for now here is the itinerary for the cruise:

Day 1: Miami

Day 2: Fun day at sea

3: Grand Caymen

4: Isla Roatan

5: Belize

6: Cozumel

7: Fun day at sea

I had never been to Isla Roatan or Belize before, so new destinations were fun

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Part 1:

Ugh. Waking up early is my least favorite thing to do. Except when going on vacation!

These 2, along with my laptop, were my traveling electronic buddies. The Apple - HTC rivalry was very strong

So we drove to Denver, got the airport, and I found this...

Roller coaster for the luggage

So we headed to the gate,(last one down, of course) and we found our plane.

We flew to Houston, and we found an amazing roller coaster! POV shot?

So we found out gate, guess what gate it was?

Yeah, E24. Nastay.

So we flew to Miami, and we went to the baggage claim. Number 6 out of 6. End of the row. Great, huh?

We took a cab to our hotel, the Eden Roc, in Miami Beach.

The next few days we hung out at the beach.

Water was beautiful all 3 days!

 

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

Part 2 coming in a few minutes!!!

Edited by davisal771
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