Carnival Funville

What to bring ....

shelandsam — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:49:11 GMT

What kind of clothes do you recommend we bring? I generally live in Tank tops and shorts and my husband likes his t-shirts and jean shorts. With the exception of formal dining, will this be acceptable attire for the cruise? This will be our first cruise, so any help will be greatly appreciated!

Where to stay in Jacksonville?

Susie Q — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:41:17 GMT

We are cruising out of Jacksonville in January & I have been researching room accomodations there. I have narrowed it down to two of them. Either the Clarion Airport or the Microtel Airport (which is apprx 6 mos old). Has anyone stayed at either of these and if so, have any comments. Any help would be appreciated!

Lockers?

kah24 — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:49:03 GMT

Where do you put your belongings (funpass, lotion, etc.) when you go on excursions that involve being in the water? Are there lockers? Thanks!

Sunday Chat Spot 3/21/2010

Barb — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 08:58:58 GMT

Good morning everyone! Looks like this is our last nice weather day for awhile, supposed to start raining tonight. Guess that means I'll have to start cleaning inside. Hope you all have a great day!

Stressed

Can — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:18:09 GMT

Ok, so the hubby's...can I say pissing me off? For months I have tried to plan the perfect thing for us to rejuvenate. His dad was diagnosed with cancer in August 2009 and passed in Octomber 2009. My mom was diagnosed with cancer in August 2009. So far she's ok, but it's stil terminal and her life expectancy originally was 10 months. So of course we're stressed, sad, worried, financially strapped, everything u can think of. Leading up to the cancer diagnosis, they were sick and there were other deaths (cancer related) in my family. So we are in need of some soul soothing. If's hard without knowing when/if it's ok to go away or even if we'll be able to enjoy ourselves. So after much praying, thinking, and researching, I decided a cruise. I love cruises. My hubby has only been on one but on the way we found out about his dad having cancer and he was sad and a little seasick most of the time. (Someone wouldn't listen to me and take their dramamine!) Plus if was the ship Holiday which is nice but definitely not on a level as everything else. Still, he enjoyed the complete relaxation and how everything except shopping is paid for so there's no constant budgeting.

Therefore I decided ok let's cruise. He didn't want to plan. In fact, got sick of me talking about cruising he said he doesn't care, just no more than 7 days and let him know when it's finalized. SO I debated for months over 7 day Valor in September or 7 day Dream in September. I finally decided on Western Caribbean. Either 7 day Valor. I figure the Dream might be too much all at once for a newbie. I also planned a little suprise for our anniversary. 4 days on the Sensation (suite, all my treat. all he needed was spending $ on board.). Lastly I simply price checked an Alaskan cruise for next year. Of course when I laid out the basics he gave the full go-ahead with a "don't discuss details with me, just tell me the bottom line."

So today I go with the details and his first response is "why is it a 7 day? Can't we just do a 5 day so I can have the weekend to relax before going back to work?" (Ladies, you KNOW how I was feeling right??) Second comment was "I'm not sure I want to go back to back on a cruise. I don't want to use my vacation days for VACATION." (WTH?!?!?!) He said the Alaskan sounds great but I'm sure you understand why I won't be making any plans for an Alaskan any time soon.

Silently fuming I look through Carnival's 5 day sailings. The one that stands out is Carnival Destiny EASTERN Caribbean. So I said all that to say this; can anyone give me feedback on the Destiny ship? It looks lovely. I want to make a decision on whether I will compromise and shorten my trip, stick to the original plans, or cancel it all together.

When will you be taking your next cruise ??

Robin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:38:44 GMT

If you're like me and feel like you addicted to cruising , then I know you must have one booked soon ...Okay everyone comment back to me ...HOW MANY DAYS TO YOUR NEXT CARNIVAL CRUISE doesn't matter the length , let me know and on what ship ! Our next cruise is September 6, 2010 Labor Day .....

Ocho Rios & Grand Cayman or Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, & Nassau?

Can — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:08:10 GMT

I am thinking the latter. I like Western Caribbean but it seems to me that Jamaica is a place better to visit on a vacation itself, rather than a cruise for one day. Has anyone been to both? Any comparisons?

Kids Safety on Ship!!

ivyrose — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:11:17 GMT

Hello all, Im worried about the safety onboard the ship for my children. We wiil be traveling in July(very busy month for cruises). My son is 13 and daughter 9, They say they dont want to do the camps, but rather explore the ship and do the water slides, climbing wall, putt putt, and of course have full access to the food 24/7. I dont want to have to follow them to every station they go and re-position my sunning self, but Im rather concerned about there safety with another 2000 people that I have never met. Any suggestions or rumors of anything happening to children? Any advice on how to enjoy my trip without worrying about there safety all the time. They would go to the camps if they could go together, but the large lapse in there ages prevents this.

Parasailing in Half Moon Cay

Okie — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:54:15 GMT

Does anybody know if you can do a tandum parasail in Half Moon Cay. I know they have parasailing, but can we do a tandum? I have a daughter that does not weigh enough to do alone. We have parasailed before & have done tandum with her in other locations.

Refreshing 6/26 roll call :)

fittblondi — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:10:05 GMT

Just keeping this roll call fresh!

Roll Call Apr 24 2010

DougAndDeb — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 23:14:15 GMT

If there was a roll call already, I couldnt find it. This is my wife's and my second cruise, we are already hooked! This time we are takeing our 20 year old daughter.

Come on guys/gals...Lets make some NOISE!!!!

Bahamas May 30th 2010

Jessie3165 — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:50:16 GMT

First time cruise for me and my husband in May...Is anyone else attending that is on here? any helpful tips?

Carnival Glory Cruise To Nowhere, Oct 23, 2010

Debra — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:11:45 GMT

This will be my husband, mom and I first cruise on the Carnival Glory out of Norfolk, Va. Any advice or info would be helpful!

Thank you

Infants on Pride

WinInVa — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:28:08 GMT

Hi,

I will be cruising with my husband and 8-month-old on the Pride in a few weeks and was wondering if there were any tips specifically for this boat. I've read lots of threads about cruising with babies in general. I am keeping my expectations down for the cruise but am happy to be taking my first vacation since the birth. I'm hoping to have a good time, but will be thrilled as long as it's not a disaster. I'm taking various pieces of advice already offered, such as bringing an inflatable bathtub, reserving a balcony cabin, requesting a crib and high chair ahead of time, requesting they empty our minibar. Any other suggestions for this boat in particular? Good places to hang out at sea? Does anyone know if the Pride offers lunchtime babysitting? Family playtime? Any suggestions for good shore excursions? I heard that the shallow dolphin encounter is good for kids... will that work for me carrying a baby? I am also used to living in a developing country [not to suggest that the Bahamas are or are not] so not having seat belts does not scare me. Does the Pride offer pureed food? Cheerios in a box? She is still nursing, so food and formula are not a big issue.

Thanks in advance!

Winnie

Max and Jen Cruising The Paradise On Their 17th Anniversary!

MJMiller — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:38:35 GMT

Pre-cruise - Saturday & Sunday, February 27th & 28th: We headed out from home in Ol' Blue bright and early Saturday, February 27th, at 6:00am, and discovered quite a bit of snow in Flagstaff, AZ, on the way.

We encountered heavy rain and heavy Northbound traffic coming into the LA Basin by late afternoon on Saturday, February 27th, but we made it to our hotel by 6:30pm.

We met up with Dave and Barbee from Cruise Critic (they reside in Nevada), on Sunday night, February 28th, at the hotel. They had the room next to ours.

Well, guess it's finally Monday morning, March 1st, and we're leaving the hotel headed for the pier.

Here we enter the Long Beach Cruise Terminal facility next to the Queen Mary Hotel. What a wonderful facility and a beautiful location.

Wow, we made it and found a great parking space in the Long Beach Cruise Terminal parking structure!

We went to the Queen Mary Hotel for early check in for the cruise, which was nice.

Cruise Day 1 - Monday, March 1st: There is our Fun Ship Paradise just waiting for us on Monday morning, March 1st!

There we are, just waiting to board our Paradise. Time schedules and patience, dontcha' know! I guess folks have to get off first...

We were in Group 1 for boarding, the first to board the ship following VIP passengers. The embarkation process and the terminal itself was excellent and well organized, and it took less than 45 minutes from start to finish in clearing security and boarding the ship. We were on board by about 12:00pm.

Ahh, finally on Midship Lido Deck 10, and look, there's Chris and Marlene!

And then we were joined by Julie and Sage!

Afterwards, I accompanied my lovely ladies, Jen and Marlene, to the Paris Restaurant Buffet on Aft Lido Deck 10, where Marlene ordered a Reuben sandwich with double meat and cheese, but, she got single meat and cheese with no sauerkraut, while I ordered the same sandwich based on her recommendation, I got triple meat, cheese and sauerkraut. Uh, Marlene looked for a way to trip me on the way to our table so she could take my sandwich. We met up with Linda and Chuck at their table, and no, Marlene never got her hands on my sandwich (nanner-nanner)!

Well, let's head back to the Starboard Exterior Patio on Aft Lido Deck 10 for our 2:30pm meet & greet. There's Charlie, Julie, Pua, Sage, Chuck, Linda, Jen and Dave P.

Here is Sage, Chuck, Linda, Jen, Dave P., Lisa, Chris, Tom and Wolfie. Wow, such a great gathering of Funville and Cruise Critic friends! We had so much fun visiting, laughing and enjoying life!

For the meet & greet, Pua and Charlie made everyone in the entire Funville and Cruise Critic group Hawaiian Leis, made of assorted candies and a little bottle of soap bubbles to use for our sail away, so we all wore those with the wonderful Mardi Gras bead necklaces that Linda and Chuck brought for everyone. We all looked so colorful and happy with the nice Leis and Mardi Gras beads, and as we all walked around the ship later that evening, many other passengers would comment about them, from 'Wow, those are so cool! Where did you get those?' to 'You folks are with that fun group from Lido deck meet & greet aren't you?' Thank you so much, Pua & Charlie and Linda & Chuck, Jen and I love our Leis and Mardi Gras bead necklaces!!

Here's Marlene toasting to such wonderful friends!

After our 2:30pm meet & greet had concluded, and following the simple and easy muster drill shortly after 4:30pm, several of us cruisers met up on Aft Verandah Deck 11 for the ship's sail away from the pier. As it was cold, dark and windy for the sail away gathering, we took no photos and headed below deck, with our adult beverages in hand, to do our own thing in various locations of the ship, before heading to our stateroom to prepare for dinner with our Funville family.

Aww, Pua and Charlie sent chocolate covered strawberries and fudge nuggets to our stateroom! Thanks you guys!!

Here's our stateroom (E67) right off the Paradise Atrium! Pua and Charlie decorated our door with wonderful hand-made magnets to accompany our Monkeyhead Wasters Club Door Magnet. Again, thanks you guys!!

We all joined together in the Elation Dining Room for our first 'five star' dinner. Unfortunately, I was too busy yacking and stuffing food down my gullet to take pictures. I had the Shrimp Cocktail and Caesar Salad as an appetizer, and the Flat Iron Steak and Loaded Baked Potato as the main entree. Jen had exactly the same meal as I did. We were just too full and engulfed in fine conversation to order dessert, so, better luck next time!

Ya' know, we're tired now, so I think we'll put our towel animal and ourselves to bed and see everyone tomorrow!

Next stop: Catalina Island...

STAY TUNED!!

ROLL CALL ~ FANTASY 4/15/10 Out of MOBILE

Sail-N-4-Fun — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:44:45 GMT

Hey!! I will be on the Fanstasy, out of Mobile, on April 15th. Anyone else out there going to be on this cruise? I've not seen anything posted for this cruise.....beginning to think it's just me and a few of my friends that'll be on it...

Counting down the days! Getting ready to pack!!

Also, which shore excursions would be good? There's SOOOO many to choose from and they all sound so good!!

Snack foods?

JP — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:45:31 GMT

Are there snack foods available? Sometimes we just want a little something to nosh on. No pizza or burgers - just some chips, granola bar, or even an apple. I've never seen any mention of this or photos either. Can anyone help?

We leave tomorrow and hubby is threatening to pack bags of potato chips. Help me, please?

June 12 Dreamin

Chadman — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:19:35 GMT

Who's with me

Roll Call for Norfolk on May 30th, 2010

Michael — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:27:13 GMT

Can't wait to set sail from Norfolk... Who's in? We are bringing 5 other couples - late 30's. We actually live near the port so let me know if you have any questions.

Proposing on Destiny (3/22/10) Looking for some insight, ideas, etc...

bassrebel — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:51:18 GMT

Hey Pplz! I'm gonna propose to my 2 year girlfriend (actually the cruise is our 2 yr anniversary). Would like something to be remembered. I've been reading a lot and have a lot of ideas, but looking for "the one".

I would like to know who would I have to contact to have something arranged

EARLY ROLL CALL-Conquest-Western Caribbean-May 30 to June 6

Rockin' Robin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 03:29:52 GMT

This will be my second cruise on Carnival. The last one was about 11 years ago-just a little 4 day cruise to the bahamas from Miami. My daughter, sister and I went for some fun and sun. Had a great time. We got to swim with dolphins and flirt with the pool boys. What a great get-away!!

Now, 11 years later, we are taking our husbands. None of the guys have been on a cruise, and frankly, it's been so long for the girls that we might as well be newbies too. Last time we cruised on the Ecstacy (sp?) and were on the Riviera deck (also known as steerage!) . Heck, we were never IN the cabin anyway. LOL. Now we are staying in adjoining balcony rooms a few floors above the Lido. (I can't remember right now exactly where.....)

Looking forward to the whole experience from a slightly more grown-up (not too) angle.

Some specific questions for the experienced cruisers who might be going:

When are the formal nights usually?

Which excursions would you recommend? Anything to avoid?

What's your favorite boat drink?

Thanks and hope to talk to many of the cruisers BEFORE the cruise------

Robin

COUNTDOWN TIMER

SCIROCCO — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:43:47 GMT

Can trish put me a countdown timer in my signature with the Carnival ship, For 9/5/2010, Ive tried everything but the code wont work, this is the only problem I have with doing this on this site Ive been able to do it on the Cruise Crazies Site, Much Appreciated!

Roll Call for Conquest on April 25th

discodiva — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:32:59 GMT

[<:o) Just wondering if there is anyone out there that will be on the Conquest for the April 25th sailing? We are booking our excursions (Stingray Sailings in the Cayman Islands and the Ocho Rios / Margaritaville in Jamaica) and wondered if anyone has booked the same. Looking forward to a GREAT vacation.

Playstations Work on Miracle? Cost of Arcade Games?

TravelnMom — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:24:29 GMT

This is our first cruise for our son (15 yrs) and we just want to make sure its a great experience for him!

Have not seen a whole lot about what systems they have on Miracle for teens to use for free other than the WII! Does anyone know if you can use their playstations in room?

Not sure how much $ I want to waste allowing our son to play video games? Also haven't seen it posted anywhere what most of arcade games cost?

Thanks for any input you all can offer to us.

Only 7 days to go now! The 3 Saints...Southern Caribbena...here we come!

First time out of NOLA

Robert 3rd — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:04:13 GMT

I'm not new to cruising, just new to Carnival and leaving from NOLA. We'll be driving in June 6th to take the Triumph which leaves at 4pm. Roughly what time should we get there to leave enough time to park at the port and get checked in through to the ship?