Splendid Things in Life : photo

Paradise & Girlfriends Getaway- by Colleen

Stephanie — Fri, 23 May 2008 18:25:00 GMT

My first cruise was on the Elation in October and I came back hooked! Though I had booked a 7 day shortly after my return, I was looking to squeeze in another cruise before that. I mentioned the Paradise 3 Day sailing to one of my friends and she could not say “YES” fast enough!

The Paradise was wonderful for our Girlfriends Getaway! We arrived early, into Long Beach, to take advantage of early check in on the Queen Mary. We were on Paradise by noon and took full advantage of everything she has to offer. I cannot say enough positive things about our trip. The crew were very friendly and our room steward and wait staff were excellent! For dinner, we were seated at a table of 10 and we could not have asked for a better group. Our Assistant Waiter even commented on how pleased he was to see everyone enjoying each other’s company and on the amount of fun we were having! On the last night, we ended up staying up quite late with two of our fellow diners. They were great company and VERY entertaining!

The ship visits Ensenada. At the Orientation Talk, I won an excursion discount. Though we had booked this in advance, I was able to apply the discount. We chose the Papas and Beer Beach Getaway at Rosarito because we wanted to enjoy the beach. The bus ride to Rosarito took less than an hour and we were given a guided tour along the way. Our guide and driver were very professional and since our guide stayed with us, we were able to spend a little more time with her at our destination. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and I definitely recommend this excursion.

We attended the show in the Theater each night and also made it to the Adult Comedy Show on the last night. On our Sea Day, we spent time by the pool and also attended Afternoon Tea. With the variety of activities available, you can do as little or as much as you want. We often came across our cruise director, Karl with a K, singing in the Atrium. We enjoyed his concerts!

Both of my cruises have been on Fantasy Class ships and I really enjoy them. The Paradise crowd was a nice mix of all ages and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Though it is only a 3 day trip, it is perfect for a long weekend. I am hoping to squeeze in one more sailing, on the Paradise, before the year is over!

Thanks!
Colleen

A Sailaway for Mother’s Day- by Eva

Stephanie — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:00:00 GMT

My Mom is one special lady. You won’t find a (seventy-something) with more strength, spirit, and love of life. Cruising has long been Mom’s vacation of choice, and we are exclusively Carnival cruisers!! So when choosing something special for Mother’s Day, it was just a question of which Carnival cruise it would be.

We chose Ecstasy out of Galveston….first time on Ecstasy and first time out of Galveston. A winner in all ways!! Fantasy class is our favorite, and Galveston is within driving distance of our new home in OKC. Coming to OKC from FL was difficult for our cruising lives!!

We did the five day that leaves on Mondays, visiting Progreso and Cozumel. While Cozumel is a long time favorite port, it was our first visit to Progreso. Loved it too, and it goes on the favorite port list! Progreso is a small beach town….waking up to its new stature in Carnival’s itinerary. I hope it stays there. The people are warm and welcoming; you can feel the excitement the visitors to this sweet town are generating! We had a blast!

Ultimately, as always, the ports were icing on the Carnival cake, as it was our onboard experience that made this trip one my Mom will always cherish. The crew on Ecstasy goes the extra mile…no TEN miles!!!....and my Mom was royally pampered all week by every crew member we encountered, especially our waiters Freddy and Rommy, the Society Bar staff Jelko and Dragan, Lido staff Izabella, Assistant Maitre’d Eva,….and literally dozens more. You can feel the dedication of this crew to giving its guests the ultimate experience.

As if this wasn’t enough, my Mom had a special treat thanks to the extra effort of John Heald. This special man took the time to have Ecstasy Cruise Director (Extraordinaire!!!) Tina Noble seek us out at the Captain’s Party for introductions to the Captain and Senior Officers. Tina’s attention to my Mom will never be forgotten, there are no words that could do justice to the emotions of my heart.

We had a Mother’s Day to remember, and Ecstasy is a gem in Carnival’s crown thanks to its people…it’s always the people that make the most difference. Bravo Carnival!!

Floatie (AKA Eva)

Proud member of CruiseCritics.com, and JohnHealdsBlog.com!

Some pics of our experience:

Mom with Cruise Director Tina

Mom and I in the beautiful WindStar Dining Room…

Mom wanted to take Fabulous Freddy home….look at that smile!!

Honeymoon Cruise Review- by Cindy Billet

Stephanie — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:59:00 GMT

My husband Kevin and I took our FIRST cruise on May 9th of 2004. We sailed out of Baltimore MD on the Carnival Miracle (we were the 2nd sailing I believe). What could be better than being on a brand new ship? Well..... our first port was Key West, FL (5/12/04) where Kevin and I got off the ship and went to the courthouse. From there we headed to Fort Zachary Taylor Beach where we were married at 10:00 AM. The whole setting was beautiful, we were married in beachy clothing and my gown was coral. We got back on the ship and had a wonderful rest of the cruse, as we were pampered from morning until night. The dining team (Olimpu & Anka) were great and treated us to a special honeymoon cake. The couple traveling with us had our room decorated the day we got married. Our room steward even treated us extra special by hanging a monkey in the corner of our room for the entire cruise. We got to take a Dolphin Excursion which is something I dreamed of all my life, it was fabulous.

I couldn't think of a better way to get married and celebrate that very special day. After that cruise we decided that each year we would take a cruise on our anniversary. We have done that each year until this year when we decided to take the Bloggers Cruise in January instead. We still treated it as our "Anniversary" cruise. We are now booked on the 2nd Bloggers Cruise in 2009 and again, it will be a very special time for us.

Crusing with Carnival was a whole new beginning to both of our lives. New experience on a new ship as newlyweeds. How much better can it be?

Sincerely
Cindy Billet
York, PA

Anniversary Celebration Onboard - Welcome Guest Blogger Heidi Beth

Stephanie — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:02:00 GMT

Our first cruise was for our 15th anniversary, on the Fantasy going out of Port Canaveral (at the time). My husband was just looking for something special to do and was just looking. and before I knew it we were getting ready for a cruise. I could not believe it, a real cruise. Growing up in New England I did not even consider such a thing possible, and did not really give it any thought after we moved to Florida I did not consider it as it seemed out of reach, but my husband is good at reaching and finding a way, especially if it is for me and his family.

Once on the ship it was unreal and from the first day we were hooked, everything was perfect, the friendly faces ready to help in any way to the awesome food, with the most wonderful servers on all ships had to be ours! I could not pick just one thing anywhere I am with my husband was perfect, from looking out to sea on deck at the beauty of the open ocean to promenading in our finest at dinner, it was as as a dream come true.

Since then we have been on a cruise every year, and if we can we will continue this with Carnival. Oh and since then we have also fond John's blog and that has only added to our cruising fun.

Heidi-Beth

Catch the Spirit- by Lauren Serrano

Stephanie — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:28:00 GMT

Before we left, I had everyone in the family send me a little about them and what they like to do. As with any assignment, “class” participation was not high…But, am going to share with you the bits and pieces along the way.

My Mom: 48 years old...never cruised on a big ship before...get very sea sick...love good wine, outdoor activity especially riding horses...tennis....and love good food!

Today as we sat at the supper club (day one At Sea) partaking in an absolutely fabulous wine tasting and food pairing by the Supper Club sommelier – my mom looked vibrant as a bee. (Yes, wine at 3pm – you are on VACATION!!)

After looking at the Supper Club menu, she is all about eating at the supper club every night (now granted that might entail a weight gain, so we will keep it to a minimum) and she is totally into cruising. She wants to come back! And this is just day two.

This morning my dad and her worked out; wandered the ship; had a light breakfast; took a siesta and then met up with my sister and me for lunch. It just so happens we ran into the rest of the family on Lido deck. We have past Princess, Holland, Costa, & Celebrity in our group. Everyone could not say enough about the service and hospitality received aboard the ship. The cabin crew already remembers our names! Wow!

Tonight was our first formal night and it was truly unbelievable. This is my fourth Carnival Cruise, and never have I attended the Captain’s Party – It was such a beautiful affair. Everyone looked so elegant, and I loved watching the couples dance. I need to learn some new moves – I’m actually kind of jealous as I grew up in the TLC and Ace of Base era, where it was not cool to take traditional dance lessons – so I’ve got none ;)

The food was delish and the service out of control perfect. I was so full after a day of decadent indulgence that it was off to bed early for me. But, rumor was, my Aunts closed down the disco. Crazy ladies!!

Good Bye San Diego, Hello Closet Space- by Lauren Serrano

Stephanie — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:07:00 GMT

Whoever said cabins are small got it all wrong. This is fantastic! An armoire of three: one for long dresses, one for skirts and tops, one full of shelves and a set of drawers! All my clothes have a home, yay! Ok, you may think this is over enthusiastic, but that is more closet space than my apartment! Times two! And, there is a great vanity for getting ready. I am in heaven…Did I mention the bath robes, absolutely delish. They should patent this design, I so need this for my tiny, cluttered apartment!! Extraordinary!

Ok, sorry for the digression, I get a little overenthusiastic when it comes to clothes and organization…

After a mini family reunion in the parking lot – all coming from different airports, cars, trains, and the like. We dropped our luggage with a porter and headed to the somewhat daunting line of passengers. How 2,300 something people were getting through that door is a miracle to me. But, we took a deep breath and forged forward. It was a surprisingly quick process given all the people – the FUN began as we took a family picture and boarded the beautifully warm and so elegantly decorated Carnival Spirit. It was Christmas time and I was going to be spending it with my family! I could not imagine a better gift.

Forget the mad holiday rush at the stores, forget cooking and cleaning, forget hastening stops from one party to the next – From here on out, not a worry in the world. It was time to relax, and enjoy each other’s company.

A Family Affair- by Lauren Serrano

Stephanie — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:33:00 GMT

And now, a tale of a fun family vacation courtesy of Carnival’s very own Lauren Serrano. Feel free to leave Lauren or any of her family members a question or comment!

It seems like in today’s hustle and bustle, we sometimes lose focus on the ever so important things in life. A statement that seems totally cliché, but over and over again we hear it, and since we are so busy we ignore it.

Well, cliché or not – making the time to get together with the family and actually spend QUALITY time is near impossible – Especially in my family – where we are all over the map- both geographically and age wise…And for that exact reason, we decided the only way to get us all in one place was to plan a family vacation. Well, as I was put in charge of this planning, it became really apparent just how hard it is to find a destination where everyone is happy. REALLY HARD!! But, a cruise seemed like such a natural choice. What better than to be off on your own all day and still get together around the dinner table in the evening to recount the days adventures.

Now, I want to tell you a little about how our trip came to be. I am fortunate to have some of the BEST grandparents out there. They are celebrating their 59th wedding anniversary! And they still love each other, love dancing, and just love life. All I can say, is I cannot believe my grandma is not in the loony bin – SEVEN KIDS! Seems a little scary to me…In fact, am still surprised she did not jump “ship” long ago…

They love cruising – Have been on over 10, but never Carnival. They were a little worried about the “energetic crowd” though – Luckily, Grandma is happy with a drink and chatting up strangers, and my Grandpa is just so easy going I know they will have a blast.

As we all get older, and all seven of my grandparent’s kids get busier and busier, it is so hard to get together as a family. Not to mention we all have such different definitions of a “FUN” Vacation. So, after the easiest “convincing” I’ve ever done, we were off on the Carnival Spirit for 8 days of adventure. Let’s hope all the “family time” doesn’t make me jump ship or better yet, stay in Acapulco and never come home!

A Splendid Guest Review

Stephanie — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:18:00 GMT

Welcome to the first ever guest blogger post on the Splendid Things in Life! Christopher Watson from San Diego, CA was kind enough to share his cruise tale with us. This was his first cruise ever, so he had tons of splendid moments to share. His first post explains how he arrived to the Port of Miami for the Carnival Freedom's US inaugural sailing. A few other posts with his reviews of destinations, onboard activities and more will follow in the next few days. If you have any questions for Christopher or me, please post away!

And stay tuned for next week's guest blogger, Lauren Serrano. Lauren, a Carnival Cruise Lines employee, and her family (grandparents, parents, aunt, uncle and sister) will be celebrating her grandparent’s anniversary onboard the Carnival Spirit. I can't wait to find out how much grandma enjoys the waterslide!

And now: Christopher Watson's First Cruise Review

Part 1- Oh, the Anticipation

Life is replete with firsts, and I’ve always been one to relish The First of anything. If I haven’t done it before, and I’m doing it for the first time—whatever that may be—it’s very special to me. I remember it, and can recall any detail of it to anyone who wants to hear about it. So it is with my very first ocean cruise. What a fantastic, memorable experience it was!

My employment anniversary with America’s Vacation Center was approaching and it was right around then that my boss and the Marketing VP pulled me aside and presented me with an offer to cruise on the Carnival Freedom when it sailed from Miami to Key West and Cozumel on its US debut in November. Of course I jumped at the opportunity. I had been waiting for a good excuse to get out on my first cruise, and this was the perfect one. I felt extremely fortunate to have been invited to join our group on this very special first.

Jeff Anderson and I hopped on a train from San Diego to Los Angeles, where I had arranged for my brother to pick us up and take us to the airport. Once there, we met up with Jeff’s brother-in-law Mac (his guest for the cruise), and flew to Miami the day prior to the sailing date. I had just completed the Marriott Hotel Excellence program and arranged for my Fam-Tastic certificates to be faxed to the hotel so that I could get the low special rate for that night. After breakfast, we shuttled over to what I was to learn is the NEW Carnival cruise terminal. Docked alongside, was the Carnival Freedom. Most definitely the largest floating vessel I have ever laid eyes on; the trademark red-white-and-blue funnel towering above the terminal’s modern roofline. We dropped our bags off right where the shuttle van parked, and went through security (which was really quite a walk in the park compared to what we had gone through back at the airport in L.A.).

The terminal was bright and shiny, as were all of the Carnival personnel. With Fun Passes in hand, we were whisked right through the boarding process with absolutely no hassle. While waiting for my travel companions, I started snapping some pictures of the interior of the terminal. Almost immediately, I had a very congenial woman from Carnival security sidle up next to me, softly whispering, “You’re not supposed to be doing that, sir.” I thanked her for reminding me, and put the camera right back into my carry-on. On the way out to the boarding ramp, we stopped to have our photo taken against a Caribbean backdrop. With a quick flash of my passport, and a swipe of my Sail & Sign card, we stepped onto the ship and into the ornate atrium lobby. With a big fat grin plastered across my face, I started soaking it all up. I was really here!

Next: Part 2- Finally Onboard