EU Cruises

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

We are going on our first cruise in Sept. it is Carnival Fascination and goes to Key West and Cozumel.?

Any tips or advice would be great! Am I able to bring water and soda on the ship with me? Good excursions in Cozumel (I used to live in Key west so I pretty much know everything there)
Good places on the ship! Does it feel very crowded? My husband and I are both 24 and newlyweds and so is the other couple that we are going with. Thanks In Advance!






Answer :
Well first of all ,congratulations

Second, Carnival cruise line is the best cruise line for newlyweds...

carnvalcruiseline.com

http://vacationstogo.com/cruise_lines/ca…

http://vacationstogo.com/ship.cfm?shipid…

http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/revi…

http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/crui…

Yes, you can bring water and soda on the ship with you...actually that it a great idea...i have been on 30 cruises in my life, and from experience, soda is not free...it adds up quickly when you buy it...its a great idea to bring ur own, its allowed, and you wont have to buy any on the ship...

Now on the ship- the pools are a great place to be...catch some sun, go swimming, play poolside games, watch the games..and more...

it doesnt feel crowded at all..there is so much to do onbaord the ship...it is very surpising...the ship holds a lot of people, yet there so much to do, it feels so spread out

About the food- food on cruises are amazing...everything is included in ur fee...u get free room service, just pay a few bucks for a tip...the dining room's food is spectuacular, with a lobster night...so much food to choose from...the food in the buffet is great, so much variety

Sorry, this is out of order, but before your cruise, you may want to purchase a sea sick pill, only if you think you may get sick...i dont reccomend the patch because there are horrible sideaffects...but if you want mild comfort i would get the wrist band...it works great for mild comfort

Now the shows at night are spectacular...it is absolutely amazing how they can do this stuff on a ship...the shows are right after dinner, depending on when you have dinner, the early or late setting

I hope that this helped you..and if you have any further questions, dont hesitiate to send me a message, ill be happy to help you! Have fun =








Answer :
I was recently in Cozumel on a cruise and we went with the Playa Mia Beach Break. It's a private beach and it is GORGEOUS! I think it was $29 pp and it included the use of non motorized water sports and all you can drink. We paid for waverunners and food and had a great time. They also have a pool there. I would highly recommend it! You can go at your leisure so you are not stuck with a whole group of people as an excursion!






Answer :
We LOVED Cozumel when we did Carnival a year and a half ago. Just as you get off the boat you can rent scooters. We road them all over! and I think it was about $30 for the whole day. Just be careful in the town, People drive crazy! . The beaches were great and shopping out on the outside of town was cool. We road the scooters back with our hands and cargo space packed with neat stuff we bought. Our only worry is they were pretty beat-up and we luckily pointed the dings out before or they tried to charge us for damage so if you try it just beware.
Don't buy anything right as you get into port. The same stuff can be found in town for a lot less.
I saw lots of people packing water in and didn't see any problems bringing it on.
All the best and have fun







Answer :
i would bring soda if i wanted something they didnt' offer.
i would also research some at cruisecritic.com
for more details.






Answer :
We are going on our first cruise in Dec on the Fascination as well... I am taking my b/f for his birthday along with some other friends.. Please write a review or let me know how your cruise goes on the Fascination I am very excited about our cruise but curious about the actual ship. i have heard heard great reviews however u know someone also has something bad to say.






Answer :
Congratulations!

I just returned yesterday from a 4 nighter on the Fascination (my grandson, 16, was with me). This is my 5th cruise on this ship. My most recent was in August last year right before the ship went into drydock for a complete refit/refurbishment. I am an avid cruiser and have almost 100 to my credit on most of the cruiselines in the world and several no longer in operation. I was in the travel industry for 32 years and was a tour director for many of them so had the opportunity to cruise - a lot. I am an "easy-going" cruiser and not much "gets my goat" or upsets me....I am on vacation, ya know.

The Fascination is a wonderful ship and, since her refit last year, she absolutely sparkles! She is smaller than many of the "new" ships and is easier to navigate. (Capacity is still over 2000 - just doesn't feel that way) She is spotlessly clean from stem to stern with an attentive crew, efficient purser's desk and shore excursion desk. Any problems are addressed immediately.

The food in the main dining rooms was flawless. The servings are reasonable and, if your appetite is good, you can order as much of anything as you like. (To the person who complained about the small lobster tails, may I say that the dish also included 4 large shrimp - and everything was cooked to perfection. It was enough for me but a gentleman at my table ordered 3 plates!) The soups are delish! I always order a double Caesar Salad, it is so good. If you don't like anything on the menu that evening, they have several entre's that you can order anytime...a wonderful NY strip steak (my grandson had it 3 nights!), a chicken dish and others. If you leave the dining room hungry, it is your own fault. Try the hedonistic "Melting Chocolate" for dessert......

The buffets on Lido deck are very good. One-half of the buffet is "themed", offering French food one night - Chinese another, etc. There is always a pasta station (great pasta dishes), a carving station with beef, pork or turkey and many, many side dishes and vegetables. A complete and separate salad bar and dessert bar would satisfy anyone. Then, there is always the deli which serves up wonderful sandwiches made fresh to order (try the Reuben). 24-hour pizza (very, very good), 24 hour ice cream (help yourself). Then there is the room service menu (free - but tip the person a buck who delivers it)... I LOVE the roast beef and brie on a baguette....or a dish of assorted cookies and brownies!

While I don't "boogie all night" anymore, I do wander around and watch others. the "Diamonds are Forever" club was hopping every night as was the "Club 88" piano bar. Passage to India was rocking and so was the teen club "Club O2". There are enough planned activities everyday to absolutely wear you out. The shows are lively and enthusiastic while maybe not "Las Vegas" quality - they are fun nontheless.

Our cruise last week missed Cozumel due to Hurricane Dean (they went to Nassau instead - which, to me, is a big YAWN. I spent the day reading!!! However, in the past, I have found Cozumel to be a great stop. There are wonderful beaches and some of the best shopping. You can sign up for a shore excusion offered by the ship or - if you are adventurous, negotiate your own ride dockside. Just make sure you are back on board by the time shown on your daily newspaper----the ship won't wait for you if you are late. Paradise Beach is a favorite...beautiful beach with beach chairs and umbrellas, nearby restroom facilities, nice little beach restaurants and reasonable prices. Chakanaab Park is another. It is beautiful and offers a great day out...... If you go to the Carnival website, they will list the suggested tours or, better yet, go to cruisecritic.com....that is the BEST website for finding out about almost anything "cruise".

Best places on the ship? Well, there was always a pretty good crowd at the Atrium bar but I found that a little to noisy as it is near the purser and shore excursion area and you get the noise from the photo shop, etc. But there was always a lively bunch enjoying themselves. The Stars Bar near the casino is another hot spot. Live music there every evening and the entertainer was terrific. Club 88 gets going about 10 - 11PM. For quiet places, go out on the open deck from Promenade deck. It is usually quiet there and a great place to watch the sunset. There is also an observation deck far forward of the ship on Verandah deck.....just keep walking forward and you will find the door. It is located right under the bridge and offers a great view.

My favorite, day or night, is at the very last door on Lido Deck out the back of the Coconut Bar and Grill. There are doors on each side that lead out to a small "balcony" area, shaded, with about 8 - 10 tables and chairs with GREAT views. These places are pretty quiet - I don't think many people know about them. I can sit up there, watch the sea and read. I also usually eat breakfast out there - after hitting the breakfast buffet.

No matter what you chose to do, you will have a wonderful time on Fascination. Remember, a cruise is mostly what you make of it. Nothing is perfect. You will probably find something you don't like - but - overlook it and do something else. (I don't like cruising with children whose parents turn them lose to run around, scream, play "pirate" on the the glass elevators, invade the adult spaces on the ship and generally behave badly....but they have never ruined my cruise....neither have the roaring drunks, the complainers or the misbehaving adults.) Reroute your thinking a bit and enjoy yourself!

As for bringing on your own soda and water; I will attach Carnival's policy below. They are getting tighter and tighter with this. Even bringing cases of soda on board is becoming an issue. I did see people bringing both on board with no problem. They are getting meaner about bringing on booze, though. I did see alcohol being "confiscated"...but some people smuggle it somehow... I never saw the sense to it myself. Anyway, the water on board is perfectly safe to drink and is probably better than that at your home. Why not save the luggage space, bring a couple of bottles of water and just refill on board. The water is absolutely purified as they desalinate their water onboard and is probably more pure than your bottled water. As for soda? Well, a soda card on Fascination is $16.00 which gives you as much soda as you want to drink..... So, guess you will make that decision for yourself.

Anyway, go - and have a GREAT time.

Source(s):

Guests are prohibited from bringing alcoholic beverages onboard. However, guests (21 years and older only) may bring one bottle of wine or champagne per person on board only during embarkation at the beginning of the cruise. A $10 corkage fee per bottle will be charged should you wish to consume this wine in the dining room or a $14 corkage fee per bottle in the Supper Club. Guests may bring a small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages.

All alcohol, additional quantities of wine/champagne or excessive quantities of non-alcoholic beverages will be confiscated and discarded without compensation. Guests may purchase a variety of beverages on board the ship. Alcoholic beverages will not be sold or served to anyone under the age of 21. We reserve the right to refuse the sale of alcoholic beverages to anyone. Alcoholic beverages purchased in the ship’s gift shops or in ports of call will be retained by Carnival until the end of the voyage.







Answer :
I would definitely check out www.cruisecritic.com!!! I am so addicted to that site!! The have a great message board that has helped me get ready for my cruise on the Fascination! It will be on my first cruise too!! 9/28-10/1. I am so excited!!






Answer :
we went on this ship last year (and we were that age too and newlyweds)and i think its the worst ship carnival has. there is a club called passage to india that is fun and the prime rib is amazing. the ship looked like a shopping mall from the 80s but u do not feel crowded. we played the newlywed game and had a blast. i would also try to do differnt things like the dance classes as a couple. it is a good ship for young people and partiers, but dont use this ship as a guideline to what all carnival ships look like.

also the lobster is small so order two and get a just married cake ordred from the coffee and pastry shop. they are only 8.00 and will feed the 4 of u and they are good.

do not do the unlimited snorkling excusion in cozumel. i would go to the ruins or get a cab to a taxi. downtown is kinda scary too but the shopping is great.

congrats and have fun

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

How much are soft drinks on Carnival Fascination?

How much are soft drinks on Carnival Fascination?






Answer :
Soft drinks are $1.50 each. You can buy a fountain card, which is priced per-day of your cruise, and it works out to about $5 per day. The price is lower for children.

The fountain card entitles you to unlimited soft drinks. You present the card at the bar, and they will give you one drink. You can only have one at a time, and the cards are not supposed to be shared with other people.






Answer :
soft drinks are included i believe. i was wondering how much alcoholic drinks were...

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Carnival fascination first cruise and questions about excursions and stuff.?

we are going to half moon cay and naussa island. this is our first cruise and we just know we want to do snorkling. which island should we do it in. wich excursions are the best and worst. what are some fun things to do on the Fascination for a 15 year old?






Answer :
half moon cay is a beach port. There water is shallow and there isn't much to see in it. It is a great port for just relaxing an floating around in the water. If you want to see alot of fish and corel etc, you should snorkle in nassau. If you can arrange it, try to go on a stuart coves which is not affiliated with the cruise line. Their trips are a blast, esp if you like sharks. If not, there will be a bunch of snorkle trips you can take. They usually take you to a shallow area that isn't very far from the port and most of them go the same place. Your only real decision is whether you want to go with a bunch of people or go on a smaller boat.






Answer :
I've been to Nassau and I know that a possibility is to go to the Atlantis Resort.. (Check into that excursion)..
They've got all kinds of activities available to you..

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Carnival Fascination to Key West & Calica--Q on tipping & transfers?

We leave on the Carnival Fascination on September 24, and I have a few questions.

My husband and I are first time cruisers, and this is a late honeymoon for us.

Has anyone ever been on this cruise before? Any advice would be great!

First is tipping. I was told by a fellow cruiser that we should NOT let them automatically take it out of our "account" on the ship, and leave cash in the room. What should we do?

Second is the transfers. We are flying into Fort Lauderdale. From there we are renting a car and driving to Miami the next day. Thrifty told us that we could drop the car off at Miami Airport, and they will shuttle us for free to the port. I thought this was a great way for us to do some sight seeing and save us a buck or two.

But for coming home...Should we take the transfer from Carnival? It's $30 a person. I read on Yahoo Answers that we should just take a taxi???






Answer :
we went on the same exact cruise
ok first off the fort lauderdale airport offers a share a ride for 20 dollars a person and it may be cheaper then renting a car. the share a ride will also be at the port and will pick people up as well i think we paid 15 to go back at the fort lauderdale airport it is right outside the baggage claim. so i would consider that because for 80 dollars u got ur transfers to miami and from the port to the airport. our hotel in miami gave us a shuttle to the port for 5 dollars a person.if ur staying in fort lauderdale the day before i would actually reconsider because it is twenty min away but that twenty minutes is freeway and that can be trouble. or ask ur hotel in fort lauderdale if they offer shuttle to miami
i would not leave the cash in the room for tipping. do it automatic and they will allow u to change it accordingly.
key west is a blast you will have fun. go to eat at sloppy joes and the blonde giraffe for key lime pie and there is some nice shopping on duval street
now the ship im sorry to say is very old and is carnivals worst ship in my opinion. my hubby and i did this for our honeymoon too.it was his first cruise and he said it looked like a shopping mall but it did get him hooked on crusing. they did give a us a cake and sing to us at dinner lol. also do the newlywed game. also at dinner request two lobster dinners and make sure to try the midnight buffets.
the passage to india club is fun live bands every night and there are alot of people that go on this ship in thier twentys and thirtys.the karake club is good too. also the rooms are a good size and the beds are comfy which is good for honeymooners :) have fun






Answer :
i would take off the automatic tipping and tip what you see fit for your waitor, room steward, and room service.
i would weigh the costs of taxi vs. the transfers on returning. $30.00 a person seems relatively inexpensive to me






Answer :
As far as tipping goes, my husband and I have been on quite a few cruises, and we always have them take it out of our account. If at the end of the week, you feel your services didn't meet your expectations, you can have certain ones (such as the waiter or the room steward only) adjusted. We personally have never had to have one of them adjusted down, but a couple times, we have given a litlle extra (handed to the person) in cash if they were exceptional. For example, on our last cruise, our room steward seemed to be always by our room when we were coming back from our excursions or meals, and he would great us by name and open our door for us. He was great with my boys, always joking around with them, and opening the door when they would lock their key in the room. To me, I thought that extra special attention was worth a little extra tip.

As far as the transfer on the way back, it all depends on your preference and time frame. It is about an hour drive from Miami to Ft. Lauderdale. I don't know which is cheaper. I can tell you that both are easy to do. There are always plenty of taxis to take, but make sure you get your price before you get in the cab, or you are stuck with whatever price they give you once you are there. As far as the shuttle, you get a ticket and everyone boards a bus and they shuttle everyone as a group. You need to make sure you have enough time to to use this option (depending on your flight time). Good luck and have a great time.






Answer :
As far as tipping is concerned, it is often better to tip from your room, so you can decide how much to leave. They generally leave you a suggested tipping rate for each employee so you'll know how much to leave. As far as transfers go, a taxi is the quickest way to get to Ft. lauderdale airport but will run you about $60-$70 depending on traffic conditions. So you may save a couple dollars if you decide to take the Carnival transfer






Answer :
Same ship in October 2004, slightly different itinerary.

We find it's easier to let them take tips out. You don't have to worry about having the right amount of change on the last night. Saves a trip to pursers desk to get them removed. We have sometimes tipped cash in addition to the shipboard account and have had issues catching staff because the last night is usually hectic. We never leave cash; rather, we've always handed it to the individual and thanked them.

Couple of transportation options. The rental car agencies will also pick you up at the port. If you have time before your flight, you could sightsee some more and drop the car at the airport.

If you are flying out of MIA, you can get a taxi for $24 (flat rate+tip) from the port. But if it's FLL you're leaving from, a taxi could be more expensive than the shuttle unless there are more than two of you. FWIW, Tri-rail is an inexpensive alternative between MIA and FLL.

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