Carnival Fascination

copperfiend · March 17, 2011, 03:15:04 PM

Quote from: coredumped on March 17, 2011, 01:54:36 PM
Sadly, when I looked it was cheaper to pay for extended parking AND drive to port Canaveral because the price was so high to cruise out of jax.

I think we managed to book at the right time. We got the 5 day with an Oceanview room for $429. When factoring in gas and parking, it was cheapest for us to go out of Jacksonville.

Shwaz · March 17, 2011, 03:18:18 PM

Quote from: coredumped on March 17, 2011, 01:54:36 PM
Sadly, when I looked it was cheaper to pay for extended parking AND drive to port Canaveral because the price was so high to cruise out of jax.

Couldn't you just get dropped off / picked up by a friend?

RiversideLoki · March 17, 2011, 03:24:05 PM

We booked 6 months in advance for our trip through a really great travel agency who grouped us with a bunch of other people traveling. So we got a great group discount, and 75 dollars applied to our room accounts each. I think we paid 350 a head for ours because of the way we booked. PM me if you want my travel agent's info. She's awesome.

As for the cruise, it was good. We went in October, and it was a bit choppy the first day getting out of jax. But after that it was smooth sailing down to half moon and Nassau. The drinks were not "cheap" by any stretch of the imagination. But (I heard >.>)the blackjack tables are "loose".

It definitely pays to plan ahead and have a creative travel agent.

Would I go again? Probably.. but I want to give Royal Caribbean a try.

[EDIT] The mongolian bbq is the best thing on the ship... screw everything else including the set dinner.

Shwaz · March 17, 2011, 03:34:34 PM

I wasn't a fan of the dinners either. We got paired up with crazy cruise people and it was awkward. The first night one of the couples wanted to exchange contact info and set up a trip for us to come visit them in Kentucky... before we were even properly introduced. The other couple argued the entire time because the husband apparently had a gambling problem and spent the first 24 hours of the cruise in the casino.

We ended up power napping though our assigned dinner times, ordered almost everything off the room service menu and power bender'd through the night.

buckethead · March 17, 2011, 04:18:33 PM

Cruise Liner = Prison Ship

Lunican · March 17, 2011, 04:40:19 PM

Although it did have a recent refurbishment, it is still not anywhere near the league of the newer ships out there now. Not even close.

coredumped · March 17, 2011, 05:11:07 PM

Quote from: Shwaz on March 17, 2011, 03:18:18 PM
Couldn't you just get dropped off / picked up by a friend?

You mean in jax? Yes, but the drive to the cape and parking was STILL cheaper than going out of jax getting dropped off. I would've like to go out of town here, I'll consider it next time, but it was more when I looked (august 2010)

Dapperdan · March 17, 2011, 05:20:27 PM

Quote from: coredumped on March 17, 2011, 05:11:07 PM
Quote from: Shwaz on March 17, 2011, 03:18:18 PM
Couldn't you just get dropped off / picked up by a friend?

You mean in jax? Yes, but the drive to the cape and parking was STILL cheaper than going out of jax getting dropped off. I would've like to go out of town here, I'll consider it next time, but it was more when I looked (august 2010)

You probably looked during peak season (summer). if you take a crusise in Spring or Fall, you will pay much less, but be careful about the fall as winter storms sometimes wreak havoc on the seas. My wife and I paid I lthink $729 for a balcony cabin. I do not think that is expensive.

coredumped · March 17, 2011, 06:36:39 PM

Shouldn't the price be cheaper then in cape canaveral too? That is, if it's say 30% cheaper in the off season here, it would stand to reason that it's also 30% cheaper in cape canaveral.
I know a lot of factors are in play here (amount booked, ship deals, etc), and for me when I booked it was cheaper.
I would certainly prefer to go out of jax. It was my understanding jax is so expensive because there's no competition here.

Dog Walker · March 18, 2011, 10:24:46 AM

Quote from: buckethead on March 17, 2011, 04:18:33 PM
Cruise Liner = Prison Ship

+1000! Tried it one time for ten days on a smaller, luxury ship out of Lauderdale to PR and St. Thomas, etc.. Never Again! Boring, boring, boring.

Tried to fly back from PR but wife stopped me as being insulting to friends we were with.

The Compound · March 18, 2011, 10:49:32 AM

You cant compare a small boat to one of Royal Caribbeans huge ships. They are like floating cities.

Lunican · March 18, 2011, 12:08:01 PM

Apparently the old ships really traumatized the previous generation...

The Carnival Fascination probably isn't helping either.

Dog Walker · March 18, 2011, 03:11:08 PM

Yeah! Really BORING cities with not a Springfield, 5 Points or Park & King on them. The islands are interesting and fun, but next time I'll fly.

mtraininjax · March 18, 2011, 03:22:15 PM

QuoteTried it one time for ten days on a smaller, luxury ship out of Lauderdale to PR and St. Thomas, etc.. Never Again! Boring, boring, boring.

Tried to fly back from PR but wife stopped me as being insulting to friends we were with.

Cruise ships are not for everyone. Just means more for me and my friends!

Non-RedNeck Westsider · March 18, 2011, 04:09:10 PM

QuoteThe islands are interesting and fun, but next time I'll fly.

It's the only way to go. The plane tickets were $200 bucks from MCO, stayed at some resort near a golf course & cricket field on Nassau and had an absolute blast. My wife and I went for a friend's wedding. I've cruised there several times from both Canaveral and Miami and I don't see myself ever cruising to the bahamas again. Alaska maybe, but not the Bahamas.