Day 1 - We arrived at the Homestead and were able to check into our room. It was a beautiful room that overlooked the back of the hotel onto the greens and pro shop. We had golfed in the afternoon at the old course. The course was practically empty, so we were able to take our time. The golf course was nicely manicured, but there wasn't anything special about it. It was quite hilly, and there was no water to contend with.
For dinner, we ate in the Main Dining room. It was a gorgeous large dining room with live music and a dance floor. The service was good, the dinner entrees were decent and the prices were outrageous. For one appetizer, one soup, and two entrees, the cost was $100. That does not include any alcohol, which would have added another $30 to the bill, and the food wasn't memorable enough to write home about.
Day 2 - We ate a buffet breakfast in the main dining room at $25 a person. Ouch!!! It was a decent buffet, but again, overpriced for what you got. The Homestead does offer a Market cafe where one can buy bagels, danishes, muffins and coffee. It's more a la carte, but still expensive for just a bagel. Today we played golf at the Cascades course. From the resort, they bus you to the course as it is not on property. It's about a 10-15 minute drive from the Homestead. The course was challenging. The front 9 was more mountainous and the back nine was more open and had some water hazards to contend with. As a female, it was quite frustrating to not have access to a restroom until we made the turn on 9. There was not a beverage cart provided and when we arrived in the morning (9am), the cafe was not open to even get a cup of coffee. This course, if not discounted, costs $250 to play. Luckily for us we didn't pay that. Based on our experience, it was definitely not worth $250.
For dinner we ate at Sam's Snead. The restaurant/tavern is off property, but still linked to the Homestead. Again, we had an overpriced, non satisfying meal. It took 10 minutes to receive our drinks. The appetizers were decent. The entrees were NOT worth the price paid. A friend who was traveling with us ordered a steak and it was the smallest piece of meat he's had to pay $35 for. His wife had a steak sandwich and that was over cooked and overpriced as well. We had a party of 10, and each of his did not have a good experience with our meals. I highly do not recommend Sam's Snead.
Day 3 - At the Homestead, depending on the package you purchase, some amenities are included. Horseback riding, paint ball, archery, skeet shooting, to name a few. Those are worth taking advantage of. After feeling like we got ripped off for breakfast, we ate at the Market cafe for breakfast. For lunch, we went into town. Now don't expect much from the town of Hot Springs. There are a few boutique shops, a wine shop, real estate stores, and one diner called Lindsey's Roost. It was fantastic. It's off the main street down a small alley. The staff are friendly and inviting and their food is good an VERY reasonably priced. We were able to order 6 meals for under $40, which included dessert. If we had eaten at the Homestead, it would have cost us $200 for the 6 of us. It's home cookin' food at a great price.
For dinner we ate at the Country Cafe. It's another local restaurant about 5 minutes down the road from the Homestead. Again, we had fantastic service, another home cookin' meal with about 15 different homemade pies for dessert to choose from (yummy chocolate chip cookies at the register too). These two restaurants were definitely worth the trek off property. I would HIGHLY recommend both of the over any dining facility at the homestead.
In conclusion, the Homestead is a beautiful resort with a lot of activities for everyone. The rooms were nice, but the food is overpriced for what you receive. I would recommend dining in town or around town and definitely bring your own alcoholic beverages. Many people we ran into had brought their own drinks due to the cost of everything on the property. The drive there was about 3.5 hours from Northern Virginia.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Carnival Cruise 2010 Day 8
Day 8 – Our last day and debarkation. We were up and having breakfast in the Lido deck by 9 a.m. We were still pulling into the port of Baltimore. After the ship cleared customs, then Carnival started the debarkation process. It was a smooth process. They offer a self-assist option for those that want to get off first. The only catch is that you have to take your own luggage off yourself. The standard debarkation process has the crew take your luggage off. The only drawback is the night before; you have to leave your luggage outside your door before midnight. So make sure you don’t pack all your clothes because you’ll need something to wear the next day. Once you get off the ship and clear customs, you go into the warehouse where your luggage is lined up in rows and then you just have to search to find it. Ellen had the brilliant idea of doing the self assist option. We will NEVER do that again. We had trolleys for our luggage, but with the ramps and trying to get the carts over the ramps made it somewhat problematic. We’ll be doing the standard debarkation next time. The one advantage to the self assist option was we were on the road by 11 a.m. heading home and home by 12:30 p.m. That is also the advantage of taking a cruise from Baltimore. It is so convenient for us and we don’t have to worry about flying and paying for extra luggage aboard the plane and the hassle of airport parking, flying, transfers to/from the port.
I hope you enjoyed reading about our travels this past week and you have gained some insight into cruising. Feel free to leave comments as we’d love to hear your feedback. Hopefully these little bits of information will help you on any future travels you decide to make on Carnival Cruise line.
I hope you enjoyed reading about our travels this past week and you have gained some insight into cruising. Feel free to leave comments as we’d love to hear your feedback. Hopefully these little bits of information will help you on any future travels you decide to make on Carnival Cruise line.
Carnival Cruise 2010 - Day 7
Day 7 - Today was our last day at sea. We decided since we hadn’t had breakfast all week in the dining room, that we’d give it a try. Ellen and I both ordered Eggs Benedict, but the eggs were WAY overcooked and it just wasn’t a fantastic meal. At 10 a.m., we had our last red hat event and the ladies played bingo. We first had a representative from Carnival come in to give the ladies a talk about debarkation and the process that occurs when leaving the ship in Baltimore. After the talk was over, we played bingo. I was the bingo caller, and I believe everyone enjoyed themselves. Since it had been over 3 hours since our last meal, we felt like we were going through withdrawal, so what did we do? We went and had lunch?! The Lido deck seemed the place to be. Today they had a special dessert which was a chocolate fountain station. Delicious!!!!! We were free for the rest of the day to do as we pleased. At 2 p.m. there was a Q&A session about life on board the Carnival Pride, so I went to that. I learned a great deal of information that I’d like to share.
1. Why is the ‘local’ news and weather on t.v. always broadcasted from Denver, Colorado? Carnival Cruises is the ONLY cruise line to offer all 4 networks on board, and the only satellite package that includes all 4 networks comes from Denver, CO.
2. What kind of living quarter’s do the crew have what kind of amenities do they have? The crew has dormitory style facilities where there are 2 to a room, with a private bathroom, and t.v. There is a common area where crew can socialize. There is a bar, pool table, and a foosball table. They pay at the bar like we do, but just at a cheaper cost.
3. How does the crew communicate with their families back home? The crew is given an internet package or they can purchase ‘cards’ so that they can use the internet to communicate back and forth to their families. The internet is available to them just like it’s available to passengers, but at a much cheaper rate.
4. What is the average contract for a crew member on board? The average is anywhere from 4-6 months depending on the position. After the contract is expired, the member gets a 2 month vacation and then they are under contract again for either the same ship or another ship in the fleet. The next contract, again, would be anywhere from 4-6 months. The captain for example is on a 4 month contract, 2 month leave. The reason is because being the captain of such a large vessel and in charge of such a large crew is a very stressful job and they want to make sure the captain doesn’t get burned out too quickly.
5. What kinds of jobs do these crew members have back home? Jobs back home range from doctors, lawyers, dentists, contractors, etc. The only difference is that those jobs don’t pay as well as they do in America, so they look elsewhere for other employment opportunities.
6. Do the dancers and singers of the Pride have any other duties on board besides entertaining? They do not. The only time you would see them besides entertaining, would be on the first and last days of the cruise. They wear red ‘ask me’ shirts and are on hand to answer any questions a passenger might have or assist a passenger in need.
7. How are these entertainers assigned to a ship? Carnival has try outs for entertainment positions all across the world, similar to what American Idol offers. It’s just on a much smaller scale. They go through a rigorous process and then it’s narrowed down to a select few.
8. How is the rest of the crew selected for their positions? Carnival has representatives all across the world. When a position becomes available, they post the position to all their contacts and then those contacts post it in their local towns and cities. They go through an interview process to determine if they are eligible for the position. It is a very tough job and it takes a special person to be able to live in such close quarters for an extended amount of time and to be living apart from their families for so long.
9. Does the ship stop if someone goes over board? (Yes, someone actually asked this question) Of course they stop. A ‘man overboard’ alert goes out. The ship immediately stops and they do a four point turn and go back to where the person fell off. Every crew member and every passenger must be accounted for.
10. How many weddings does the captain perform? The perception that the captain performs weddings is a misnomer. The captain isn’t allowed to perform weddings. He can do the renewal of vows, but no weddings. Weddings are only done in ports of call. Most times, the wedding is done on board; the wedding party is only on for the duration of the wedding and a small reception. The wedding party departs off the ship and the newlyweds are now on their honeymoon. In some cases, family and friends end up traveling together for the duration of the cruise.
11. How many crew are on board? There are over 920 crew members. What’s amazing is that they come from all over the world, and in some cases some of these countries are at war with each other. They put their differences aside and work hard and they don’t let the other stuff get in the way.
After the Q&A session, Carnival offered a gallery tour. We went to take a tour of where all our food’s prepared. It was fascinating to hear how much food an average ship goes through in a week. It’s somewhat disturbing to actually hear the numbers. The kitchen is all stainless steel and everything was so clean. There are specific stations in the gallery where different food items are prepared. They have a station for salads and appetizers, a station for meats, a station for side dishes, a station for seafood and a station for desserts. The most interesting thing I learned from this tour is how they dispose of all the scrap food. Instead of wasting it and throwing it away, they process it and grind all the food. They then release it into the ocean and the fish end up eating it. The rest of the waste, such as cardboard, etc is taken off the ship at the next port of call. They get all their food delivered in Port Canaveral. The waiters are also only allowed to carry 1 tray filled with 12 stacked plates. They do this because any more than that would be too strenuous on their backs.
Again, there was a small amount of down time before dinner. Our last meal on the ship was a sad one. We HAD to get our last taste of the Chocolate Melting Cake. Our waiter was gracious enough to get us a copy of the recipe to take home. The entertainment for the last day was a mixed talent show. There was a contest for passengers to try out to be in the show. It was some interesting talent. It was mostly singing and the Pride dancers would just dance in the background. After the show, we got our last ice cream cone and headed back to the cabin. We had a snake-animal-towel waiting for us upon our return.
1. Why is the ‘local’ news and weather on t.v. always broadcasted from Denver, Colorado? Carnival Cruises is the ONLY cruise line to offer all 4 networks on board, and the only satellite package that includes all 4 networks comes from Denver, CO.
2. What kind of living quarter’s do the crew have what kind of amenities do they have? The crew has dormitory style facilities where there are 2 to a room, with a private bathroom, and t.v. There is a common area where crew can socialize. There is a bar, pool table, and a foosball table. They pay at the bar like we do, but just at a cheaper cost.
3. How does the crew communicate with their families back home? The crew is given an internet package or they can purchase ‘cards’ so that they can use the internet to communicate back and forth to their families. The internet is available to them just like it’s available to passengers, but at a much cheaper rate.
4. What is the average contract for a crew member on board? The average is anywhere from 4-6 months depending on the position. After the contract is expired, the member gets a 2 month vacation and then they are under contract again for either the same ship or another ship in the fleet. The next contract, again, would be anywhere from 4-6 months. The captain for example is on a 4 month contract, 2 month leave. The reason is because being the captain of such a large vessel and in charge of such a large crew is a very stressful job and they want to make sure the captain doesn’t get burned out too quickly.
5. What kinds of jobs do these crew members have back home? Jobs back home range from doctors, lawyers, dentists, contractors, etc. The only difference is that those jobs don’t pay as well as they do in America, so they look elsewhere for other employment opportunities.
6. Do the dancers and singers of the Pride have any other duties on board besides entertaining? They do not. The only time you would see them besides entertaining, would be on the first and last days of the cruise. They wear red ‘ask me’ shirts and are on hand to answer any questions a passenger might have or assist a passenger in need.
7. How are these entertainers assigned to a ship? Carnival has try outs for entertainment positions all across the world, similar to what American Idol offers. It’s just on a much smaller scale. They go through a rigorous process and then it’s narrowed down to a select few.
8. How is the rest of the crew selected for their positions? Carnival has representatives all across the world. When a position becomes available, they post the position to all their contacts and then those contacts post it in their local towns and cities. They go through an interview process to determine if they are eligible for the position. It is a very tough job and it takes a special person to be able to live in such close quarters for an extended amount of time and to be living apart from their families for so long.
9. Does the ship stop if someone goes over board? (Yes, someone actually asked this question) Of course they stop. A ‘man overboard’ alert goes out. The ship immediately stops and they do a four point turn and go back to where the person fell off. Every crew member and every passenger must be accounted for.
10. How many weddings does the captain perform? The perception that the captain performs weddings is a misnomer. The captain isn’t allowed to perform weddings. He can do the renewal of vows, but no weddings. Weddings are only done in ports of call. Most times, the wedding is done on board; the wedding party is only on for the duration of the wedding and a small reception. The wedding party departs off the ship and the newlyweds are now on their honeymoon. In some cases, family and friends end up traveling together for the duration of the cruise.
11. How many crew are on board? There are over 920 crew members. What’s amazing is that they come from all over the world, and in some cases some of these countries are at war with each other. They put their differences aside and work hard and they don’t let the other stuff get in the way.
After the Q&A session, Carnival offered a gallery tour. We went to take a tour of where all our food’s prepared. It was fascinating to hear how much food an average ship goes through in a week. It’s somewhat disturbing to actually hear the numbers. The kitchen is all stainless steel and everything was so clean. There are specific stations in the gallery where different food items are prepared. They have a station for salads and appetizers, a station for meats, a station for side dishes, a station for seafood and a station for desserts. The most interesting thing I learned from this tour is how they dispose of all the scrap food. Instead of wasting it and throwing it away, they process it and grind all the food. They then release it into the ocean and the fish end up eating it. The rest of the waste, such as cardboard, etc is taken off the ship at the next port of call. They get all their food delivered in Port Canaveral. The waiters are also only allowed to carry 1 tray filled with 12 stacked plates. They do this because any more than that would be too strenuous on their backs.
Again, there was a small amount of down time before dinner. Our last meal on the ship was a sad one. We HAD to get our last taste of the Chocolate Melting Cake. Our waiter was gracious enough to get us a copy of the recipe to take home. The entertainment for the last day was a mixed talent show. There was a contest for passengers to try out to be in the show. It was some interesting talent. It was mostly singing and the Pride dancers would just dance in the background. After the show, we got our last ice cream cone and headed back to the cabin. We had a snake-animal-towel waiting for us upon our return.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Carnival Cruise 2010 Day 6
Day 6 – Today we were in Freeport, Bahamas. We docked at 7 a.m. We were literally in a shipping port. It wasn’t the most attractive port by far. We could see all the crates being lifted onto a barge right outside our window. Because we were in this industrial port, we had to take a taxi to wherever we wanted to go. It was about a 20 minute drive into Port Lucaya. The taxi driver dropped us off right by the shopping area and across from the Radisson and Lucaya Reef village resorts. There is a public beach where the two hotels reside, so we walked down to check out the beach. It was a very nice beach and there were opportunities to participate in some water sports or just relax in a lounge chair (which was an additional cost, of course). There also is a casino in between the Radisson and Lucaya Reef Village and it’s currently the only casino on the island. It was a small casino, but very clean. The other casinos on the island haven’t re-opened since the hurricane 5 years ago. The marketplace was just okay. Again, it was like in Nassau, where all the vendors were selling the EXACT same thing. We only spent 2 hours in this area and grabbed our taxi back to the ship. It’s good to note that when traveling by taxi, it’s significantly cheaper to take a taxi with a group as opposed to taking one by yourself. It cost us $5 one way with a group, vs. $27 one way by ourselves. We did run into a couple that was on the city tour in Freeport (through Carnival), and they were really disappointed with this tour too. The driver kept taking them to different areas where people could get out and “shop”. They had a full hour in this one shopping area and in my opinion; an hour was still too much time there. It’s really a racket the negotiations between these “tours” and the cruise line. It’s too much money to just be driven around to shop. When I had asked them what they learned, they couldn’t really tell me much about the island itself. The island is still trying to recover from the hurricane that hit 5 years ago, so there are a lot of hotels closed and a lot of retail stores closed as well.
When we arrived back to the port, there were a few more shops to go through. In my opinion, these were better than the ones down in Lucaya and you didn’t have to pay for a taxi to drive you there. You could see and purchase the exact same things here as you would downtown. The jewelry was actually better here and you could watch the vendors actually making their own jewelry on the spot, which was a change to see. We were back on the ship in time for lunch and watched the ship pull out of the port. At dinner, it was another formal night. Most people now on ships, don’t get that dressed up. It used to be where men would wear tuxedos and women would wear formal gowns. You would look very out of place in that attire now. Most women wore dresses and men wore a jacket and tie. After dinner there was another show by the Pride Dancers and singers. It was a very good production. We then stayed awake to see the midnight adult comedy show and then when we got back to the cabin, there was a lobster-animal-towel on the bed.
When we arrived back to the port, there were a few more shops to go through. In my opinion, these were better than the ones down in Lucaya and you didn’t have to pay for a taxi to drive you there. You could see and purchase the exact same things here as you would downtown. The jewelry was actually better here and you could watch the vendors actually making their own jewelry on the spot, which was a change to see. We were back on the ship in time for lunch and watched the ship pull out of the port. At dinner, it was another formal night. Most people now on ships, don’t get that dressed up. It used to be where men would wear tuxedos and women would wear formal gowns. You would look very out of place in that attire now. Most women wore dresses and men wore a jacket and tie. After dinner there was another show by the Pride Dancers and singers. It was a very good production. We then stayed awake to see the midnight adult comedy show and then when we got back to the cabin, there was a lobster-animal-towel on the bed.
Carnival Cruise 2010 Day 5
Day 5 - We were in Nassau, Bahamas today until 10 p.m. I was feeling so full from the night before, that I just couldn’t bring myself to eat another buffet breakfast, so we ordered room service. We went to the gym in the morning and walked on the treadmill as we were pulling into the port. It was neat to watch the ship come in to Nassau. We didn’t get off the ship immediately because we knew that there would be a lot of people getting off all at once. We didn’t do much else in the morning. We decided to grab lunch first before we ventured out, so by the time we got off the ship it was around 1 p.m. We wanted to go over to Paradise Island and found the best mode of transportation was to take the ferry. It cost $3 one way and it was very educational. Our “guide” gave us some history and information about some sights as we went along. From the dock we then walked over to the Paradise Island Harbor Resort. We wanted to do a site inspection of the place. We were taken on a tour and then were allowed to lounge on the beach or by the pool. We chose the beach. This property is an all inclusive property across the street from the Atlantis hotel. It is on the harbor side, so there is a small man-made beach. Even though the beach is small, it serves its purpose for those that want the beachy feel. The resort is slightly run down, but they are in the process of doing some major renovations. The pool is a decent size, but too cold to go in while we were there. There was also an outside bar where you could order drinks and get some ‘bar’ type foods if you needed a snack. The good thing about this facility is that for $50 for the day, passengers from the cruise ships can come to their hotel, use their facilities, eat, and drink and relax. Most want to just go to a beach and this gives them the opportunity to do that in a much smaller setting then battling the crowds at the Atlantis. Although the Atlantis is a very popular resort, it is a rip off to just go there for the day as they charge you $105 to just step foot on the property to walk around and use their facilities. That doesn’t even include any food. We heard mixed information from many Carnival cruise passengers about their thoughts of the Atlantis resort. Some said they paid $50 to go there and it was a rip off, and others said they walked right in, walked through the aquarium and didn’t pay a dime. So for those going to Nassau and want to go see the Atlantis, take the ferry for $3, walk in through the casino and take a tour of the aquarium yourself. Then walk around the property on your own. It will save you a lot of money in the end. We also heard some complaints about other over priced shore excursions booked through Carnival. The cost was too much for what you got in content of the ‘excursion.’ A couple went on the city tour and although they learned some history about the island, the guide was extremely unknowledgeable about many things when asked questions about his own island.
After Ellen and I relaxed on the beach, it was nearing 5 p.m., so we made our way back to the ship. When we got back to the pier, after our 10 min. walk from the resort, we had just missed the ferry and had to wait another 30 minutes for the next one. It was somewhat chaotic at the pier trying to board the next ferry. There were ferries coming in and rearranging themselves and no one would tell us where to go. It was very Bahamian in regards to the laid back atmosphere. By the time we got back to the pier, we had to bolt off the ferry and rush back so that we didn’t miss dinner. Our seating time was scheduled for 6 p.m. and it was already 6:15 p.m. We made it to dinner finally at 6:30 p.m.
After dinner we went back out to the straw market since we didn’t have time earlier in the day. They were closing up, but there were a few pushy vendors trying to get us to check out their booths. The straw market is a bunch of vendors that sell EXACTLY the same things in each booth. They sell knock off handbags, jewelry, trinkets, t-shirts, beach cover-ups, etc. It’s just a matter of seeing who you can get to knock down the price to the cheapest amount. It can be quite overwhelming and intimidating. Don’t go there alone. Once back on board we went to see the entertainment for the night which was a comedian. She had some funny moments, but she wasn’t all that terrific. After the entertainment, when I got back to the cabin, there was a snake-towel-animal on the bed.
After Ellen and I relaxed on the beach, it was nearing 5 p.m., so we made our way back to the ship. When we got back to the pier, after our 10 min. walk from the resort, we had just missed the ferry and had to wait another 30 minutes for the next one. It was somewhat chaotic at the pier trying to board the next ferry. There were ferries coming in and rearranging themselves and no one would tell us where to go. It was very Bahamian in regards to the laid back atmosphere. By the time we got back to the pier, we had to bolt off the ferry and rush back so that we didn’t miss dinner. Our seating time was scheduled for 6 p.m. and it was already 6:15 p.m. We made it to dinner finally at 6:30 p.m.
After dinner we went back out to the straw market since we didn’t have time earlier in the day. They were closing up, but there were a few pushy vendors trying to get us to check out their booths. The straw market is a bunch of vendors that sell EXACTLY the same things in each booth. They sell knock off handbags, jewelry, trinkets, t-shirts, beach cover-ups, etc. It’s just a matter of seeing who you can get to knock down the price to the cheapest amount. It can be quite overwhelming and intimidating. Don’t go there alone. Once back on board we went to see the entertainment for the night which was a comedian. She had some funny moments, but she wasn’t all that terrific. After the entertainment, when I got back to the cabin, there was a snake-towel-animal on the bed.
Carnival Cruise 2010 Day 4
Day 4 - We had a lazy morning as we didn’t have to really be anywhere today. We rented a car in Cape Canaveral and went to Merritt Island National Seashore and National Wildlife Refuge and to Canaveral National Seashore. We drove the Black Point Wildlife loop and saw all species of birds, and we saw a few alligators as well. We also saw a few manatees at Haulover Canal. We then drove to Playalinda Beach, but we didn’t stay very long as it wasn’t warm enough. We spent a good part of our day in the park and it was great weather. It was a nice break from being on the cruise. The town of Titusville was very small, but there was a delicious bakery called Sunrise Bread Co. that we stopped at to get some cookies for the duration of our trip. As a side note; that’s one thing that is lacking on the Carnival Pride; a bakery. The desserts at dinner have all been wonderful, but for the buffets and for anytime snacks, they lack yummy pastries. Of course, if you really want the large, yummier cookies, you have to pay $2.50 for one of those. Before we returned our car, we stopped off at Ron Jon Surf shop to browse around. It’s a ‘must go to’ store in Cocoa Beach, FL. We got back on the ship in time to rest and get ready for dinner. After dinner we went and see Family Face Off. It was like a family feud. After the feud was bingo, and then another late night show from the Pride Dancers. It wasn’t the best show of the week thus far, so we left. Tonight at 11:30 p.m. there was a Mexican buffet, so Ellen and I did the only natural thing to do; eat. We weren’t even hungry. We then did the worst thing you could do after eating a meal; go to bed. When we arrived back in the cabin, we had a towel-monkey-animal hanging from our light.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Carnival Cruise April 2010 Day 1-3
Day 1 – Our embarkation time was scheduled for 12 p.m., and we were going to be too early to the pier so we stopped at Arundel Mills Outlet Mall and did a little shopping beforehand. It was a perfect time killer. When we got to the pier, which was easy to get to, we were directed to drop off our luggage and then directed to park our car. It was a very organized process. Parking at the Baltimore pier was $15.00 a day for 7 days. When we got inside, we went through security. We had an extra bag of candy w/ us to hand out to our group during check in, so I offered some to the security ladies and they were so thankful. They said “No one is ever nice to us.” Maybe that’s why they didn’t go through our stuff. We also brought on a 24 pack of bottled water. It is much more cost effective to do so as a large bottle of water costs $3.95. Carnival allows you to bring on a 12 pack of water per person and 1 750ml bottle of wine. That’s pretty generous to allow them for us to do that, but it’s worth it. There is a refrigerator in the room, so we were able to put the bottled water in there. When we got to our cabin, we had a bottle of champagne and chocolates as a thank you for sailing with the group.
Dinner was in the Normandie room. The service was fantastic. We had a great dinner and a delicious dessert (warm molten chocolate cake w/ ice cream). Immediately after dinner, we headed to the Starry Night Lounge for a Red Hat Birthday celebration. There were two cakes there and we sang Happy Birthday to the Red Hat Society and had cake. Afterwards, there were many activities going on throughout the ship; karaoke, a show, the casino, piano lounge. There is so much to do; it’s hard to go to sleep early.
Day 2 – Today the seas were really rough. We woke up to a sea of fog. We couldn’t see very much from our balcony room. We had a group function at 10 a.m. and after 12 p.m., we were free until the group photo at 4:45 p.m. We had lunch in the Normandie room and it was very good. There were several people who were having a rough time due to the rocking of the ship. I do have a side note comment to make about our cabins. Although they are very nice balcony cabins there are few housekeeping items that need to be addressed. There is only one U.S. plug in the room and it’s not in the bathroom. So for gentlemen that have electric razors, you have to come out of the bathroom and shave in the room. This is also for the ladies who have curling irons and hair dryers. Now the hair dryer is another issue. Carnival does provide hair dryers, but they are out in the room and not in the bathroom. You have to hold down the button continuously to get the dryer to work. That’s slightly annoying if you have long thick hair, as I do, to blow dry your hair. My hand hurt after 5 minutes of having to hold this button ALL the time to get the dryer to work. Just for convenience sake, bring your own dryer. The other issue was that another passenger requires sleeping with a CPAP machine. The problem there is that the only plug is on the other side of the room by the mirror. There is no U.S. outlet by the bed making it somewhat inconvenient. So if you have a sleeping apparatus that requires a cord, make sure to bring your own extension cord.
At 4:45 p.m., the red hat ladies gathered in the atrium for their group photo. It was so amazing to see all those ladies dressed in purple with their red hats, and some of those red hats were gorgeous. They had feathers, flowers, beads and sequence. Our one an only group coordinator, Rhoda, was getting cozy with the captain. Dinner was fabulous as both Ellen and I had the lobster meal. The lobster meal consisted of a lobster tail, 3 large tiger shrimp, mashed potatoes and broccoli. It was so good we asked for seconds on the lobster. Of course, they couldn’t just bring us the lobster; they brought us two whole other meals. And sadly, we both ate them. I know, feel sorry for us!!!!! The crew sang “That’s Amore” to us while we had our dessert. After dinner the Carnival Pride dancers put on a fantastic show with an Around the World theme. The costumes were fabulous and very Las Vegas style. After the show we decided we hadn’t eaten enough, so we went to the Lido deck for an ice cream cone and some coffee and tea. We stayed awake for the adult comedy show at midnight and it was a decent show. It definitely wasn’t for the young ears. When we got back to our cabin, our beds were turned down and we had a dog-towel-animal lying on our bed. It was too cute. The stewards are very nice and they are so covert about coming and going in our cabins. We leave for breakfast, come back and our room is clean, beds made, and bathroom clean. If life could only be like this at home….Ahhhh!!!!!
Day 3 – Today the seas were much calmer. We were free in the morning as our session wasn’t until 1 p.m. We ordered room service, which was just coffee and bagels. We had requested for our room service to be delivered between 7:00 – 7:15 a.m., and they promptly knocked on the door at 7:00 a.m. How do they do that? We made it to an 8 a.m. yoga class that was invigorating. We did eat breakfast afterwards at the buffet on the Lido deck, but we contained ourselves. After breakfast, I attended a seminar on golf. I learned a few things about the rules of golf that I never knew before. Lunch came quickly, so we grabbed a slice of pizza before our 1 p.m. session. The session was in the Butterfly lounge. The walls, as you enter into the lounge, are individual glass encased butterflies that are all different species of butterflies. After our session we had some down time until the cocktail hour provided by Carnival for repeat passengers. At 4:30 p.m., in the Taj Mahal, there was a cocktail reception in honor of all those passengers that have traveled with Carnival before. They provided a set arrangement of free drinks and hot and cold canapés. They had a live band for our entertainment. They gave a small presentation about Carnival and how the company began and went through the fleet of ships that have been around since the beginning. It was interesting to see how many ships have come and gone throughout the years. Immediately after that cocktail party, we headed to second cocktail party for the red hatters. When booking a group as large as we did on Carnival, they allow you for certain amenities, and the 1 hour open bar cocktail party was one of them. Carnival provided hot and cold canapés for our red hatters as well as complementary drinks. Those drinks were also pre determined by the cruise ship, but no one seemed to mind. The drinks were free and everyone was having a good time socializing. Immediately after the two cocktail receptions, was dinner. Ellen and I had eaten our way through the receptions, so we decided to skip dinner, until our steward needed to come in and clean our cabin. We excused ourselves and went to the Normandie room and joined our party for dessert. We both couldn’t pass up the opportunity for the warm chocolate melted cake with ice cream. So that was our dinner. The ships entertainment for the evening was an R&B musical performance. When we arrived back in our cabin we had an elephant-towel-animal lying on our bed.
Dinner was in the Normandie room. The service was fantastic. We had a great dinner and a delicious dessert (warm molten chocolate cake w/ ice cream). Immediately after dinner, we headed to the Starry Night Lounge for a Red Hat Birthday celebration. There were two cakes there and we sang Happy Birthday to the Red Hat Society and had cake. Afterwards, there were many activities going on throughout the ship; karaoke, a show, the casino, piano lounge. There is so much to do; it’s hard to go to sleep early.
Day 2 – Today the seas were really rough. We woke up to a sea of fog. We couldn’t see very much from our balcony room. We had a group function at 10 a.m. and after 12 p.m., we were free until the group photo at 4:45 p.m. We had lunch in the Normandie room and it was very good. There were several people who were having a rough time due to the rocking of the ship. I do have a side note comment to make about our cabins. Although they are very nice balcony cabins there are few housekeeping items that need to be addressed. There is only one U.S. plug in the room and it’s not in the bathroom. So for gentlemen that have electric razors, you have to come out of the bathroom and shave in the room. This is also for the ladies who have curling irons and hair dryers. Now the hair dryer is another issue. Carnival does provide hair dryers, but they are out in the room and not in the bathroom. You have to hold down the button continuously to get the dryer to work. That’s slightly annoying if you have long thick hair, as I do, to blow dry your hair. My hand hurt after 5 minutes of having to hold this button ALL the time to get the dryer to work. Just for convenience sake, bring your own dryer. The other issue was that another passenger requires sleeping with a CPAP machine. The problem there is that the only plug is on the other side of the room by the mirror. There is no U.S. outlet by the bed making it somewhat inconvenient. So if you have a sleeping apparatus that requires a cord, make sure to bring your own extension cord.
At 4:45 p.m., the red hat ladies gathered in the atrium for their group photo. It was so amazing to see all those ladies dressed in purple with their red hats, and some of those red hats were gorgeous. They had feathers, flowers, beads and sequence. Our one an only group coordinator, Rhoda, was getting cozy with the captain. Dinner was fabulous as both Ellen and I had the lobster meal. The lobster meal consisted of a lobster tail, 3 large tiger shrimp, mashed potatoes and broccoli. It was so good we asked for seconds on the lobster. Of course, they couldn’t just bring us the lobster; they brought us two whole other meals. And sadly, we both ate them. I know, feel sorry for us!!!!! The crew sang “That’s Amore” to us while we had our dessert. After dinner the Carnival Pride dancers put on a fantastic show with an Around the World theme. The costumes were fabulous and very Las Vegas style. After the show we decided we hadn’t eaten enough, so we went to the Lido deck for an ice cream cone and some coffee and tea. We stayed awake for the adult comedy show at midnight and it was a decent show. It definitely wasn’t for the young ears. When we got back to our cabin, our beds were turned down and we had a dog-towel-animal lying on our bed. It was too cute. The stewards are very nice and they are so covert about coming and going in our cabins. We leave for breakfast, come back and our room is clean, beds made, and bathroom clean. If life could only be like this at home….Ahhhh!!!!!
Day 3 – Today the seas were much calmer. We were free in the morning as our session wasn’t until 1 p.m. We ordered room service, which was just coffee and bagels. We had requested for our room service to be delivered between 7:00 – 7:15 a.m., and they promptly knocked on the door at 7:00 a.m. How do they do that? We made it to an 8 a.m. yoga class that was invigorating. We did eat breakfast afterwards at the buffet on the Lido deck, but we contained ourselves. After breakfast, I attended a seminar on golf. I learned a few things about the rules of golf that I never knew before. Lunch came quickly, so we grabbed a slice of pizza before our 1 p.m. session. The session was in the Butterfly lounge. The walls, as you enter into the lounge, are individual glass encased butterflies that are all different species of butterflies. After our session we had some down time until the cocktail hour provided by Carnival for repeat passengers. At 4:30 p.m., in the Taj Mahal, there was a cocktail reception in honor of all those passengers that have traveled with Carnival before. They provided a set arrangement of free drinks and hot and cold canapés. They had a live band for our entertainment. They gave a small presentation about Carnival and how the company began and went through the fleet of ships that have been around since the beginning. It was interesting to see how many ships have come and gone throughout the years. Immediately after that cocktail party, we headed to second cocktail party for the red hatters. When booking a group as large as we did on Carnival, they allow you for certain amenities, and the 1 hour open bar cocktail party was one of them. Carnival provided hot and cold canapés for our red hatters as well as complementary drinks. Those drinks were also pre determined by the cruise ship, but no one seemed to mind. The drinks were free and everyone was having a good time socializing. Immediately after the two cocktail receptions, was dinner. Ellen and I had eaten our way through the receptions, so we decided to skip dinner, until our steward needed to come in and clean our cabin. We excused ourselves and went to the Normandie room and joined our party for dessert. We both couldn’t pass up the opportunity for the warm chocolate melted cake with ice cream. So that was our dinner. The ships entertainment for the evening was an R&B musical performance. When we arrived back in our cabin we had an elephant-towel-animal lying on our bed.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Welcome to our blog. We hope you find interesting and helpful tips from our agent to you. I just returned from a wonderful cruise on the new Carnival Dream and had a great time. We biked in the rain forest of Belize and swam with the dolphins. Read the next 2 articles about my trip. Please contact me if you want to experience this adventure yourself.
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