Mebert

Hi dogladyjw, Unfortunately I won't be sailing on the Sovereign of the Seas, however, you reminded me of a very precious time in my life when my niece was approximately four years old. I would promise to take her on special trips and let her know the date of our trip within one week to one month of the event. She would always respond with, "How many sleeps is that." It makes me wonder how many children relate the passing of time with the number of times they go to sleep. Believe or not, My four year old niece was always accurate to the date of the trip and would remind me that, "There are only three more sleeps before..." Thanks for reminding me of that very special time. My niece is now 14 years old. Enjoy your trip in 98 more sleeps!

Hey Lisa63, This is a little off topic but did you know that Empress of Britain became the Carnival Carnivale in 1975? That means that Bette Davis unofficially sailed on a Carnival ship in Now Voyager.

Keith and Rita, I really enjoyed your photos, especially the shots of the ship. Keith must have been pretty high up while parasailing to take such a spectacualar overview shot of the Zaandam. That ship is not that short. Thanks for sharing

vanessa, Welcome to CruiseCrazies!

thomas, Welcome to CruiseCrazies!

Jonny69, Welcome to CruiseCrazies!

rockojo, Welcome to CruiseCrazies!

reeceo, Welcome to CruiseCrazies!

donnasutton, Welcome to CruiseCrazies!

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faithfulFrank, Welcome to CruiseCrazies!

StreRan, Welcome to CruiseCrazies!

ferrit156, Welcome to CruiseCrazies!

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judimarq. Welcome to CruiseCrazies!

I booked a Mediterranean cruise on Carnival approximately two months ago with my TA. The price seems to have increased by $482 since I booked. Boy, am I sure glad I booked early this time. The Mediterranean seems to be very hot in the summer. The summer seems to be high season in Europe. This was a real learning experience for me. Air fares for Europe are really high in the summer so I'm glad I saved something by booking early. Early booking worked for me this time. It's hard to predict if one should book early or wait until the last minute.

Congratulations on your first cruise DILBABES1.

Congratulations on your first cruise JayeeCruise. I booked a guarantteed oceanview stateroom once and was very satisfied with the upgraded oceanview stateroom I was ultimately given. The only caveat that I have is if you are interested in an oceanview stateroom, don't use the guarantee method requesting an interior stateroom. If you do that your upgrade will most likely be to another interior stateroom on a higher floor. Enjoy your cruise.

We sailed the Carnival Conquest in August. When we stopped in Montego Bay, we joined six other passengers at the port and took a cab to downtown. The cab driver offerred to give us a tour of the area for only $6 or $7 more per person. Only take cabs from the pier and ask if the same driver can pick you up from where ever he leaves you. Better yet, try to stay with the driver for the afternoon. Don't go off with anyone else. Use your street sense. Our driver not only took us on the impromptu tour, he also waited for us for 90 minutes to two hours while we shopped. In downtown Montego Bay the vendors are very agressive. This is typical of many Caribbean islands. Sometimes you can bargain for a lower price with some of the vendors. Usually the first price quoted is an inflated price. They expect you to bargain sometimes. If you are in to purchasing liquor, check the prices at the pier first. Make sure you are calculating the equivalent currency before making a decision to make purchases downtown. Prices for liquor seemed to be more expensive in the downtown area than they were at the pier. If someone offers you something that you do not want, politely say no thank you. Avoid getting into arguments with the inhabitants over petty issues. Treat everyone with respect. I enjoyed myself thoroughly. But then, I'm from New York. I definitely know how to avoid trouble.

Hi All, My main goal in choosing a cruise is to have learn about other geographical areas, have fun, eat, and relax. However my secondary goal is to sample every class of ship that Carnival has to offer. So far I've done the Destiny Class, Fantasy Class, and Conquest Class. I'm looking forward to sailing on a Spirit Class ship and the smaller "classic" ships like the Carnival Holiday or Celebration. Do you have any secondary goals when selecting a cruise?

Remember "Ship of Fools."

Hey Jason, Thanks for posting the CruiseCrazies Packing List as a "check list." I'm going to copy it and use it over and over.

Hi cruisin05, Just like iriscruiser, I learned to pack lighter after my first cruise. On Carnival's 7 day cruises there are usually two formal evenings. Don't be intimidated by "formal evening." It means you just have to be prepared to dress up as nice as you would like for dinner. I've found that there are very few tuxedos, but many women opt to wear evening gowns. If you want to use the dining room on formal evenings, I suggest you bring something really nice so that you feel comfortable among the other dressed diners in the dining room. You can opt to dine on the Lido Deck which is far less formal. What ever you decide, don't sweat it. Other than that, the ship will be like your second home. Everyone is about having a great time and being as comfortable as possible. They won't be paying too much attention to what you're wearing. Don't forget the trusty duct tape for little emergencies that might occur. You'd be surprised at the number of uses duct tape has. I've decided to take plenty of underwear, socks, and a few shirts. I try to get by with four pairs of pants, one pair of dress shoes, one pair of deck shoes, a pair of sneakers and several accessories. No one has ever challenged my fashion sense. If you pack light it leaves room for souvenirs you might want to purchase. Now if you're a fashion plate, then go for it. The cruise is for you too. You can show off all of your couture collection and be smashing on formal evenings, but be prepared to look for a lot of help when it comes to lugging your luggage around. I try to make it with one suitcase and one carry-on.

My next cruise will be a four night cruise on the Carnival Fascination sailing out of Miami to Key West, FL; Cozumel, Mexico; and one day at sea. Of course, I can't wait. Mebert

Hi everybody, If the tip deducted automatically is a mandatory one then it should be consolidated in the cruise fare to reflect the true cost of the cruise. In many cases, but not all, service is better when it is the passengers prerogative to leave the tip as is, supplement the charged tip or eliminate it all together contingent upon the type of service received. Fortunately, I have always received excellent service and felt I needed to supplement the automatic deduction. I would adjust the automatic deduction if service was poor.