Christmas Cruise Aboard the Carnival Fantasy

>
This Christmas, just as last year, found us aboard a cruise ship. This year we chose the Carnival Fantasy. Our cruise was a bit special as we brought along Stan's mom and older sister, their Christmas gift from us.

Arriving at the Port of Mobile went without a hitch. The embarkation process was smooth and quick. Aboard ship around noon we went directly to the lunch buffet. Then we proceeded to our cabins. Our cabins were adjoining, first time we ever had adjoining cabins. The cabins were rather roomy as was the head (bathroom). Usually the heads are small closets with very little maneuver room. The rooms were equipped and laid out nicely, no complaints.

Surprisingly our luggage arrived within an hour of getting to the cabin. So we emptied our suitcases and awaited the mandatory life boat drill. We toted our life vests up to the muster station as we were always instructed to do so. We were the only ones there with vests!!! We were told life vests were not required and had we read the in cabin instructions we would have known this!

The weather in Mobile was cold and very overcast with a forecast calling for rain. So after the drill we headed to one of lounges, found a window, and settled down to watch our sail away. We were to sail around four in the afternoon. The time passed and were still alongside the pier. Five o'clock, six, six-thirty passed. Finally an announcement stating Mobile was under a severe weather alert and the Captain decided to wait out the storm. About six-forty the storm hit. Oh my gosh, the rain, wind, lightening, and thunder came with a fury. A tug pulled alongside the ship, bow pressing against the Fantasy at wide open throttle, holding the ship against the pier so the wind would not do damage! What a way to start a cruise. We finally sailed around eight p.m.

Christmas Eve aboard the ship was rather exciting. Lots of children running about; many adults in ridiculous holiday garb! Figured they knew they'd never see any of us again so what the heck.

The ship was decorated very nicely for the holiday, I'll post a link to photos at the end of the review. I did not take a bunch of photos, never even took pics of our cabin. Sorry!

We spent the first night exploring the ship. My sister wanted to particiapte in Karoke so we hung out to endure that!!! Actually she did rather well. We donated a few nickles to the casino and then finally around midnight headed for bed.

The ship was fairly easy to navigate, only a few decks were tricky. The dining rooms were very nice. We chose traditional sitting and did late dinner (8:15) in the Jubilee Dining Room. The menu was okay, nothing to knock your socks, but nothing to complain about either. Our server seemed overwhelmed and a few nights got our orders out of sync and they ended up being less than hot. Still nothing that one doesn't experience in a local retaurant from time to time.

Breakfast in the Celebration Dining Room was superb, as was lunch. The Lido deck buffet was rather difficult. Too many different venues. On the outside they served burgers and hot dogs as well as freshly prepared meats, i.e. ham, roast, chicken etc. By the time you got through the line and made your way inside to sit, the food was less than hot. Inside housed the salad bars, the ethnic buffets, pizzaria, desserts etc. Eggs/omlets/waffles/pancakes to order in the mornings were also offered here. Again, the food was good with a very nice menu to choose from. The wait staff were great. Coffee and juice carts being pushed around refilling your needs.

The cruise staff were terrific. The activities were great. We participated in several activities. We walked away with 100% genuine fake gold plated trophies worth "far less than one thousand dollars," along with several medallions. Mom won a rubber bracelet inscribed with "Carnival Funships." She was so proud. As we were disembarking, Lewis, one of the staff, yelled, "Lee come back and see us." An indication of how many activities we participated in.

Bingo was a bust, I think mom managed to get three numbers on her card.

The weather in Cozumel was great, probably mid to high seventies. We piered at the far away pier so a cab to town was necessary. The line was so long we opted to take a horse and buggy. My bad, I should have negotiated price prior to us getting on. When we got to the city dock and got off, I asked how much, ugh $40. No sense to argue, like I said my bad! Headed to Pancho's Backyard for lunch and then shopping. Mom hung in there very well, but by three she was getting tired so we made our way back to ship.

The ship was very clean and the entire very friendly. Disembarkation was a breeze, we did the self assist, we were in the car on the way out of the parking deck by eight-forty-five.

Worse part of the trip was Lee losing an earring that Santa gave her Christmas morning:(

All things considered it was a good cruise. The weather did not totally cooperate as our first day at sea was windy and cool with eight foot sea. Our sea day from Cozumel greeted us with terrible rain storms and six foot sea. Surprisingly the ship maintained a fairly smooth balance. Did not observe anyone really suffering from sea sickness, however bags were provided at every elevator. Probably a good idea.

Will we do this venue again? You betcha!!

Christmas Aboard the Fantasy Album

Thanksgiving aboard the Norwegian Spirit

We opted to drive to New Orleans from Little Rock, Arkansas. An easy 8 hour drive. We spent the night in New Orleans. Got up Sunday morning and had breakfast at Mother’s Restaurant. Took our time, really, getting to the terminal.

Mr GPS brought us to the Erato Street terminal, however, brought us to the old terminal. No problem we had plenty of time. We followed the signs to the terminal. A few signs were confusing, but nonetheless we made it. It appeared there were two lots you could opt to park, an open lot to the right of the terminal and the parking deck. Not sure how much the open lot was. Prior to entering a security guard checked the vehicle to ensure it was safe, no hidden explosives etc!! The deck cost $112 for the seven day cruise. We had been told on the boards that the parking was a cash only affair. Turned out we could use a credit card.

Once in the parking deck we proceeded, we were stopped by a gentleman who informed us to drop our luggage, park on deck 4 or 5 and then take the elevator down to the second floor. One of the easiest drop offs we have done.

Off on the second floor we went through security, were given a number, one, and were directed to the waiting area. I’m thinking we were in the terminal by eleven a.m. We waited but a few minutes when our check-in number was called. We went up to the Lattitudes check-in desk and within probably three minutes were ready to go. Sign and sail cards in hand.

We waited another thirty minutes before they started boarding. Boarding went in accordance to the number you were holding. So we pretty much were the first ones to board. Lots of staff greeting you, however, no one told us what to do. So that could have been a bit confusing to first time cruisers. We just figured we’d head to lunch. So up to Raffles. Very clean and the food offered was very nice. The roast beef was delicious!!!!

After lunch we walked around and familiarized ourselves with the ship. Right at about two, we headed to our cabin deck. The doors were opened as we arrived so we proceeded to our cabin, 9122. Wow were we surprised. Excellent cabin. Nice balcony, bathroom was spacious and clean. Safe was left open in the locked position so we had to call the reception desk. Within minutes security arrived and reset the safe.

We figured we would put our valuables in the safe and head out to a lounge. A knock at the door? Hmm, guess it’s our cabin steward, nope it was our luggage!!!!! Our luggage arrived to the cabin around two-thirty. That is the quickest we have ever gotten our luggage. So we proceeded to unpack and put stuff away. Empty suitcases fit under the bed with room to spare.

The abandon ship exercise was held at four-thirty. We sailed shortly after.

We ate dinner at Windows, one of the two main dining rooms. The other is the Garden Room. Dinner was good, as were all the meals. Our wait staff was very personable. Food arrived hot and very good. The second night we ate in the Garden Room, sadly the service lacked the charm of sailing. And we felt a bit enclosed in the Garden Room, so that was the only meal, other than the Mystery Dinner, we ate there.

Windows is a much nicer, open area dining room. First day at sea we opted to actually get up early and go to Windows for breakfast. Breakfast was very disappointing. I ordered poached eggs which came out hard boiled. I also ordered corned beef hash, one of my favorite things to order on board. The hash was just that, diced up little pieces of meat, tossed with diced potato and I think celery. Needless to say, we did not do the main dining room for breakfast anymore.

Raffles probably has the best breakfast. Made to order eggs, perfect every time; Belgian waffles and wonderful French toast. Although busy, Raffles was always clean and very organized. One thing I did notice in Raffles and the main dining rooms, there were no bar personal trying to push drinks of the day or to take a dinner meal cocktail order. Our last night, we ate in Windows and ordered dinner cocktails from our waiter. So drinks were available on request.

The food we experienced was very good. The staff very professional and for the most part attentive.

The Blue Lagoon had the best wings and best burgers hands down. The fish and chips were pretty good as well. The Blue Lagoon operated 24/7, and was very conveniently located. Maybe too convenient. Those late night stops!!!!!! Walking back to our cabin we would walk through and yep, the aromas always got us. So at two in the morning, we’re sitting eating wings!!!!! Yum-O!

All the lounges were clean and the entertainment was good. Arwin and Emily, a duo, played at Michael’s Champagne Bar nightly and were fantastic. Fusion Wave, a band, played in the Galaxy most nights and were great. We were a bit disappointed with the Spirit Show Band, they played mostly Latin/Salsa, so dancing was limited.

The Quest and Second City were absolutely outstanding. There was a toga party we missed, a Hot White dance party, a Why Wait til New Year’s party which was fun. All the entertainment we saw was on par, not outstanding, but not bad.

The highlights for us were the Mystery Dinner and the Enchanted Dinner.

The Mystery Dinner: you gather in the Stardust theater for a briefing and an intro of the crime. You are broken into groups of eight and handed an information packet. Each player in the group becomes a character and you play that part. After a brief intro of all the players you are escorted to the dining room (Garden Room) for a special dinner (you can order off the regular menu if you choose, however you still pay your $20 per person). The leader of your group then opens scene one, follow the instructions, dine, have fun, through scene four. A pretty good time was had by all. And no, no one solved the crime!

Enchanted Dinner: $65 per person, wine is unlimited and the dinner absolutely awesome. The setting is in the art gallery. Tables are set in a very intimate layout, providing you a bit of romantic privacy. There were ten couples to participate, I doubt there is room for more then maybe twelve tables. So if you are interested sign up early. Some folks were dressed to the nines, most were in very nice resort casual. The wait staff were fantastic. The Executive Chef prepares this dinner himself. Ship staff, to include the Captain, pop in to greet you etc. Again, this is probably one of the best things we have done on any cruise. Think of an elegant restaurant at home, what you pay for a dinner which includes personal service, appetizers, salads, main course, dessert and after dinner cordials, and did I mention unlimited wine? $65 becomes moot!!!! Go and enjoy.

We were disappointed with the Lattitudes parties. The first party introduced the Captain and his staff. The drinks of course were passed around, the usual mimosa, red birds, champagne and I think wine. This was the first time that when I asked for a beer instead of all the sweet stuff, I was refused. They said I could buy a beer, but did not offer any substitutes to what was being served. At every repeaters party I have ever attended I have always been allowed beer. Oh well, no big deal, just don’t expect a substitute beverage. I think it is very nice that the cruise lines continue to do the repeaters party. The second party, which was for Silver and above, was held in the art gallery and I do not remember seeing any staff except for the Lattitudes liaisons and they were enthralled with two passengers. They spent the party with those two, never did mingle. So that was sorta of a bust. Paul the cruise director answered our questions. BTW for those of you that collect Lattitude pins, NCL has done away with the program. Paul told us to drop by and see one of the Lattitude folks and they probably could get us a pin. We did and we did get pins for the Spirit.

We were told there were over six hundred children aboard. Yikes!!! For the most part children were behaved. Some kids were absolutely rowdy, mis-mannered, and destructive.

We were walking up one stairwell where two little boys were wrestling with the banister fennel. Wrenching it back and forth, mom standing within a few feet of them, never said a word. Late night, maybe one in the morning, young kids, probably ten to twelve years old, jumping up on bar stools demanding a soft drink!!!

I don’t like to deprive anyone of having fun, but these kids were terribly out of control and at one in the morning, where are the parents? I think all cruise lines should institute a policy that after ten p.m. children under thirteen need to be accompanied by an adult. No exceptions.

I also think that when an event is labeled “adults only, eighteen years and older” anyone younger should be required to leave. And the rules should not be relaxed to appease an upset parent. Rules are rules, period.

The Mystery Dinner was labeled adults only, one group came in with three children, young children, the staff person informed them it was an adults only event. Probably after ten minutes of discussion, the staff person gave in and allowed them to stay. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

I had previously read on the boards that the disembarkation process in New Orleans was terrible. To be totally truthful I don’t see anything NCL could do to make the process any simpler. I think the New Orleans terminal personnel have the embarkation/disembarkation process down to a fine science.

I’m sure I missed a few things. I did not address the ports of call on purpose. Most of you have been to them and not much has changed. If you have a specific question feel free to ask.

Bottom line, the cruise was all we expected it to be and maybe a little more thanks to the Enchanted Dinner.

Alaskan Vacation

I will tell you before you even start, this is lengthy!! I have included links (in blue) to points of interest and a link to our very condensed album titled "Alaska Adventure 2009" at the end of the blog.

We departed Little Rock on July 25th en route to Anchorage Alaska. We flew this time and arrived around 11 p.m. Alaska time. Slight baggage screw up, one bag made it, three did not!

Traveling with us are our best friends Ron and Lynn. Lee's brother, Pat and his wife Suzanne's, house is our base camp.

Monday was a lazy day for us. We walked and shopped the downtown area, explored Kincaid Park and Flattop Mountain. On Tuesday we headed for Homer to do some halibut fishing.

We lodged for two nights at The Beary Patch Bed & Breakfast. The first night we dined at The Homestead restaurant. Outstanding food and great atmosphere. The second night we dined at Cafe Cups. The food here was good. We all concurred that The Homestead was a bit better.

We had fishing reservations with Big Bear Charters. Captain Brandon and his deck hand Ty were the crew for the day. Weather wise the day was pretty lousy. We would have fished for Lingcod as well as halibut, but, the weather did not permit us into Lingcod water. So halibut it was. Lynn was the first to have a fish on, however, it ended up being a spiny dog shark!!!! Quite a few of these sharks were caught.

By days end we all caught our limit of two fish per person. The biggest fish being probably 40 - 60 pounders. If ya'll think this type of fishing is easy, it isn't. We fished in 200 feet of water with a 2 - 3 pound weight. Just pulling up line to check bait was tiring. Now add 20 - 30 pounds of combative fish. No easy task for any of us. However, everyone prevailed and by days end we were bushed!

No telling how many fish were actually caught as many were tossed back in because bigger fish could be had. Back at the dock, the fish were unloaded, washed and hung up for photos and then they were filleted. The end result was 114 pounds of fresh halibut. We had them flash frozen and shipped via FedEx back to Ron's and put in his freezer at home. FedEx was on time and fish made it without problem.

Many of the local folks suggested we eat at Crabbies. So we stopped there prior to heading back to Anchorage. Sadly, the food nor the atmosphere equalled the previous dining experiences. Crabbies ended up being a disappointment.

On the way out of Homer we stopped and visited the Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor Center. A very educational experience.

Back in Anchorage for a day before we head to Talkeetna. We dropped the girls downtown to shop and we headed to view spawning salmon. Stopped first at Ship's Creek, saw a few fish and a few fisherman. We then headed to Campbell Park where the Alaska Game and Fish have a few viewing areas set up. We saw a few fish, but nothing to speak of. So Ron and I made our way to West Marine. Yeppers we visited the northern most West Marine Store, didn't buy anything, but hey we were there!!!!

We then headed into town to meet up with the girls. The girls had lunch at Sack's. One of those nice little foo foo kinda places girls like to go. Ron and I had reindeer sausage from a street vendor!!!! After lunch we headed to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson. Here the story of Alaska is told. Many many great exhibits and wonderful art.

Friday we headed to Talkeetna. Took our time getting started and really took our time getting to Talkeetna. Along the way we stopped in Palmer, walked through the local farmers market and had lunch at Vagabond Blue's. Then onward to Talkeetna. Well actually a little place named Sunshine where we stayed at the Fireweed Station Bed & Breakfast. I could ramble on for days about this place, check out the link and spare the rambling. Tom and Hobb's are host and hostess of this wonderful place. We brought fresh caught halibut for dinner and Tom prepared it. He is a fantastic cook. We spent Friday and Saturday evening here. After breakfast on Saturday we took a short hike to pick berries and see the Yak's. The Yak's are used to pack in camping supplies for hikers conquering Mt McKinley. The rest of Saturday was a downtown Talkeetna day. Talkeetna consists basically of one main street. We had lunch at Twister Creek a busy little place. Reindeer soup was a hit with us as were the huge burgers. One thing that can be said about Alaska, the meals are not skimpy!

Later on that evening we chartered Talkeetna Air Taxi for an aerial tour of Mt McKinley. What an absolutely awesome experience. The planes had not been able to land on the glaciers due to weather for several days or so. We were informed that the flight before us was successful at landing, as were we! Yep, the plane landed on the glacier. I guess I already used the word awesome, but I have to use it again. The glacier experience was beyond awesome!!!!! It was so cool walking out on the glacier and experiencing first hand what a crevasse looks like.

Upon returning to Talkeetna we met Pat, Suzanne, Tom and Hobb's at Mountain High Pizza for dinner. I guess we ordered dinner a few minutes after nine. Being that the sun stays up so long in Alaska it's hard to gauge the time. We had an early Sunday morning meeting time with the iFishAlaska folks some forty-five minutes from Talkeetna. We originally were to meet at five-thirty which was plenty early for us; the meeting time ended up being four-forty-five, yes a.m.! Here we are choking down pizza trying to finish up dinner so that we could get back to Fireweed and catch a few hours of sleep.

Second Week: Sunday morning alarms went off at three-thirty and we were on the road at four. We arrived at the Deshka River Landing in Willow on time and met with our fishing guide, Pat. We loaded our gear onto the boat and headed out. A very cool morning to say the least. We made our way up river to a hot spot, that turned out to be warm rather than hot. The limit for Silver Salmon is three per person. Ron and I caught our limit with Pat, Lee, and Lynn catching one each. Made our daily catch at nine, six fish short of a full limit. At any rate we all had a great time, saw a few eagles and lots of jumping fish. Filleted out, I venture to say our catch rendered probably 40 pounds or so of fresh Alaskan Silver Salmon! These were packed up in a fish box and carried home.

Very tiring drive home, but it was well worth it. Monday was a lazy day, well laid back day. We all decided we could do "nothing" at home. We ended up going to the Anchorage Zoo. Have to laugh, because we have been moose-less so far. When we got to the moose enclosure, we had to ask one of the workers to point out the moose!!!! We should have visited the zoo the first day here. The "bad moose karma" was finally broken. Pics of this trip are included in the Anchorage album.

Tuesday morning was a rise and shine early day as we were taking the train to Whittier and then taking a glacier sight seeing cruise. Both the train and the cruise turned out to be fantastic. Can't tell you how many glaciers we got to see, I think they said twenty-six. Along with the glaciers we saw eagles, otters and harbor seals. And we were fortunate to witness a glacier calving. Calving is when a piece of the glacier breaks away and falls into the ocean!

On our return train ride, we saw moose in the wild. First a cow and her calf, then a young moose that was on the track. The train probably followed this moose for a half mile or so before it jumped to safety. We also saw a big bull with a large rack of antlers. Also spotted a small group of Dall Sheep frolicking on the rocks.

Wednesday found us at the Aviation Museum where the history of Alaska aviation and bush pilots is displayed. Then we had a moment of sheer impulse. The museum is located on the shore of Lake Hood, the worlds largest float plane base. So yep you guessed it, we decided to take a float plane tour with Ellison Air. From the plane we saw moose, elk, bison, eagles, seals and Beluga whales(the little white amoeba looking things). How fun to take off from and land on water. Pics of this trip are included in the Anchorage album.

Thursday brought us to Alyeska Resort in Girdwood. There is a wonderful tram that takes you to the top of Alyeska Mountain. Sadly the clouds were so heavy that once on top we couldn't see anything. We had lunch with hopes the clouds would clear. No such luck, so that plan basically bombed.

From the resort we decided to head to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Here they have rescued animals living in a protected environment. More moose, elk, bison, black bear, caribou, and a few other species. Good weather and good experience.
Finally heading back to Anchorage. Already planning Friday's activities of last minute shopping, packing, returning the rental car and getting to the airport to catch a one-thirty a.m. Saturday morning flight. While at the conservation center Lee overheard someone saying there had been a fatal accident on Seward Highway and that the highway was closed. Not sure exactly where the accident was, we drove towards Anchorage. Needless to say we only got about fifteen miles when we came to stopped traffic. Lee's brother sent a text informing us the highway would be closed until five-thirty. Ron had already decided to turn around and go back to one of the creeks where we could park and view salmon and watch folks fish.

The real Alaskan adventure begins. As we watch the salmon and fishermen in Bird Creek, someone yells "bear!" Holy cow, yes a bear, doing some fishing of it's own. From the bridge we frantically snap pictures. The Ron decides to make a move off the bridge to get closer. I follow.
I guess I could go on and on about this encounter, but pictures are worth thousands of more words then I could possibly write. After returning to the bridge, a second bear appeared. As I watched the second bear, it all of a sudden jolted back into the foliage. Come to find out, Ron and Lynn had gone hiking and found themselves directly above the bear on a ridge. As Ron states, it was one of those "holy crap" moments!!!

Headed back to the bridge we encounter a wild squirrel!

I can tell you honestly that this days experience is probably the best wildlife adventure we have ever had!!!!

Friday we prepare to leave. The girls went off to do last minute shopping and to turn the car in. Ron and I stay home and relax.

After dinner at Carlo's Mexican restaurant, we head back to the house and pack our salmon. Then it's off to the airport to catch a 1:30 a.m. flight home. The flight long and uneventful. We arrive home in Little Rock around 4 p.m. Oh the comfort of sleeping in your own bed!!!!!!

Our album: Alaska Adventure 2009

Summer in Arkansas full bloom!!!

Well here we are mid July with temperatures hitting the 100 mark. Even though we spend a lot of time at the lake, that does not offer any relief from the heat. This past weekend is evidence of that. The water temps are those that we normally experience in August. Jump off the boat into the water and it feels like you're taking a header into your bath water!!!!

At least we are getting a few showers now and then. Stormed last night with all the effects. Thunder, lightening and torrential rain!!!! The grass, flowers and weeds really loved it. The birds and squirrels must have enjoyed it as well, as they were raiding the bird feeders this morning. Opened the door to let the dog out and squirrels and birds scattered everywhere.

Am I complaining? Nope! Cuz in just a short few months Fall will be upon us followed by Old Man Winter! And we'll be wishing for summer once again!!!!

Are we never satisfied!

Summer Has Arrived

And sadly in more than one way you can tell. Gas prices have shot up from just over $2.00 a gallon to $2.70. And of course it depends upon where you buy. Here in Little Rock regular ranges from $2.60 to $2.81. Plus is like $2.88 or so, which I have to use in accordance to my vehicle specs. No I don't own a go-fast performance car. I have a VW Passat Wagon and for some reason it requires the higher octane. The upside is great gas mileage, I average about 25mpg in the city and 31mpg+ on the open road!

Funny though. Went to Hot Springs yesterday and I got gas for $2.59 a gallon. That was at only one station. All the other stations were posting a $2.44 - $2.45 per gallon price. Plus at one station was $2.83.

I just don't understand why the prices go up, I guess it's because they can. The oil guru's know we are going to pay for it regardless. That fact was proven when gas hit the $4.00+ mark.

Go anywhere and you can smell the barbecue in the air. Backyard grills are running full speed ahead.

Pools are filled with happy screams of children and the commanding screams of parents, "don't do that," "no running in the pool area," "don't go in the deep end," and of course the panic scream of "wheres your sister?"

Traffic and shopping malls are horrid. It seems like every kid out of school has a car. Not sure whats worse, the kids behind wheels or school buses!

Temperatures climbing, morning lows are mid 70's. Highs getting to hit high 90's with heat indices over 100. Electric bills climbing due to the cooling of living and working spaces.

Another wonderful sign is the not so green grass. Why is it that weeds continue to grow no matter how dry it gets! Yeppers, all the rain we complained about in April and May have become a memory. With the hopes that we could get some of that rain back!

I remember a marquee at one of the local churches when I first came to Arkansas some fifteen years ago. The month was August, temps of high 90's, low 100's had been beating the state up for about two weeks. The marquee read, "don't pray for rain if you're going to complain about the mud!"

Funny!

Boating weather is upon us, the lake is getting warm, and soon taking a dip will have no more cooling effect then jumping in your bath water!!!!

Life is good. Staying cool is a must. Don't forget your outside friends. Birds could really use a bubbling bird bath. And don't forget your furry friends. Be sure to have cool water for your cats and dogs and to provide a shelter for them to get out of the direct sunlight.

Stay safe, stay cool and enjoy summer, before you know it, it'll be gone!!!!

Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas

Our trip began on April 3, 2009. We departed Little Rock, Arkansas en route to Galveston, Texas. Although the ship did not sail until the 5th, we decided to go in a few days early and enjoy the sites of Galveston.

Needless to say Ike did a pretty good number on Galveston Island. Destruction everywhere. The Strand, was almost a ghost town. However, Galveston has done a pretty good job at rebuilding in such a short time. The Seawall side, Gulf side, was a bit more active the channel side. All the little souvenir shops that once were filled with tourists, are no longer. Some of the stilts they were built on were there, but that's pretty much it. The Flagship Hotel, one of Galveston's landmarks stood skeleton-like on her now destroyed pier. Holes in the structure allowed a clear view through the hotel. The bridge access is no longer. She sits cold, abandoned and lifeless upon her pier that not too long ago was bustling with customers.

However bad, it was no where near the destruction of the Great Hurricane of September 1900.

We enjoyed our stay. I would be remiss if I did not give credit to the Comfort Suites located on 89th Street. Friendly, clean and very accessible. Highly recommend this hotel.

Sunday morning found us at Lighthouse parking on 29th Street. We reserved and paid via the Internet, for the week it cost $50 for secure parking. We parked, they put our luggage on a bus and drove us to the terminal. Our bags were picked up by porters and we were directed inside. Being Platinum members of the Crown and Anchor Club, we spent absolutely 5 minutes at check-in. Then directed to an elite, maybe not the right word, but heck it fits, waiting area. My DW (darling wife) ran off to the restroom. By the time she got back we were allowed to board. Wow, on the ship at 11:30'ish.

We made our way to the Windjammer dining room, as our cabin would not be ready until 1p.m. We had lunch, and a very nice lunch to say the least. After lunch we took a stroll around the ship. Found a nice little lounge, The Aquarium Bar, where we met Oana, pronounced "wanna." She was very pleasant and took very good care of us each time we visited the lounge.

One o'clock the cabin is ready! We scurried up to Deck 6 and found our cabin, 6634. It was a very nice cabin with a balcony. We have found that on our longer cruises, 7 days plus, the balcony really adds space and doesn't give you that closed in feeling.

We met Dale our cabin steward. Very nice gentleman and throughout the cruise he kept us very neat and provided all we asked.

The dining room the first evening did go quite as planned. Arriving for dinner at 8 p.m. we found that our table for eight, already had seven seated. The folks seemed friendly, and our then to be waiter did offer to "add" another chair. Not! A bit upset, I requested the head waiter. Hey, I was not going to add another chair to an already crowded table. The head waiter, Erwin, took immediate care of us and seated us a new table. For sake of privacy and all the laws and acts that could apply, I will not mention names or make up fake ones. Seated was a young couple, husband, expectant wife and, husbands mom. Very delightful folks. Our wait staff included Vincent, our waiter, and Dimitri, the assistant waiter. I must mention Roderick. He was the dining room bar staff. This guy was good. Each night he brought a cold beer for me within minutes of us being seated.

The couple and mom informed us they would not be at formal night because they failed to bring proper attire. I really have to give them credit for upholding the dining room dress code, as many others were flagrantly dressed. But then I guess it really is all about them.

So formal comes. We report to our table knowing we would be lone diners. Our wait staff did their thing and as we were enjoying appetizers, Erwin, the head waiter, appears with a couple in tow and seats them!!!!!! That's cool, we always enjoy company. But what will happen the following night. Remember we were seated at that table to an already full table. Erwin assured us the would add leaf to the table and there would be plenty of room. There was.

The added couple, both Texans, dating, were absolutely charming. It was her first cruise, his fourth or fifth. They got stuck in a little intimate alcove in the dining room. She expressed her desire to be seated in the main room and she was accommodated.

Dinners were great, maybe a few were only good, but for the most part great. This trip we did not eat breakfast in the main dining room at all. And only ate one or two lunches which were by my standard, okay. The best lunch we experienced was the special lunch for Platinum, Diamond and Diamond Plus members. As we understand it, the Voyager is the only ship that does this lunch. It was great. We were seated with Simon, the ships inventory officer. He was very polite and very interactive. Wine was served, your choice, red or white. Followed by appetizers, salads, soups and main course. We both enjoyed the grilled halibut.

I have probably gotten ahead of myself a bit so I will attempt to catch up. The casino was not kind to us. Although my DW experienced a few nice pay-offs, I can say that maybe next time we should just write RCL a check for the casino and cut our losses early. But then what would be the fun of that. My best experience was the roulette table. Started with $20 and walked off with like $110. That went back to the three card poker table, ugh!!!!

Casino bar staff was horrible, except for Gary. He befriended us the very first day in the Aquarium Lounge and I can honestly say he took great care of us. Whether he saw my wife or me, he always asked where the other was, so he could bring us what we wanted.

Entertainment was good. The ice show, not as good as we experienced on the Mariner of the Seas, none-the-less, pretty spectacular when you consider the jumps and lifts they do on a moving ship!

BMW, a three piece band that was touted as Ballroom Dance music. Well, yes, I guess ballroom music, as they did Cha Cha's and Tango's and Rumba's, as well as Swing, Waltz and a few others we had no idea about. The songs they sang, well lets just say they did not have a great command of the English language, so those songs were lacking. For the most what they played was good, not great, but good. However, every song was too long. I think they did the looooong version, which made dancing a challenge. No dancer wants to leave the floor because they are tired!!!!! We'd dance one song and have to sit out the next three just to catch our breathe! The bar staff during BMW's sets were actually non existent. We just never got to any of the other venues so I cannot comment.

Derek Lewis in the Pig and Whistle, oh my gosh. This guy was great. He touted a "5 minute party" and boy did he bring it. He got folks up to sing karaoke and just never belittled them. Heck they got me up to sing and no I was not drunk!!!! Derek just had a way about him. His tee shirts read, "Adult Day Care (at night)." One of his CD's was titled "Live at the Seven Eleven." He had the place laughing so hard. He is a must on your agenda.

We are not big tour people, but this trip the DW wanted to do some things we hadn't done before. So she booked the Mexican Cuisine Tour in Cozumel. Chef Luis was outstanding. Best part, you get to eat what you cook. We did an appetizer, an entree and a dessert. And being it a Mexican affair you know the margaritas were flowing freely, as was the cervesa!!!!!!!! Great tour if you like to cook (or drink.)

In Roatan we did the Dolphin Encounter at Anthony Key. A bit different from the usual "swimming with the dolphins" kinda thing. Here, it was a very structured encounter. Told how to stand in the water, when to pet, etc. But it was so very educational. They told us about "dolphins." Their structure, capabilities, diet, habits etc. We really enjoyed this tour, well worth the dollars. Not many folks can say they've been kissed by a dolphin!!!

Oh gosh, I forgot to mention Johnny Rockets!!!! A++++++, is all I can say. The staff fantastic, the service outstanding and their little entertainment was marvelous.

And here is a late thought, how in the world could have forgotten this. The Mystery Dinner in Portofino's. The night began with champagne in the High Notes lounge. The actors/actresses were introduced. The show began. Omigosh, never laughed so hard. The players were fantastic and the meal 6 stars. Don't want to say too much, so as not to spoil your adventure!!!! Yes there was an additional charge of $49.95 per person, but it was absolutely worth every dime!!!!!!!

We chose to use the Express Disembarkation. Only glitch here was too many people in one place trying to get out. Lighthouse Parking picked us up at the terminal and returned us to the car. All in all, we were off the ship and in our car heading for home by 8:30 Sunday morning.

The only two complaints I have, one of which RCCL really had no control over and one they did. First, too many rowdy children. Let me quickly define rowdy. Running and rough housing in the dining room; actually wrestling in the stairwells; and then the ones that were waiting for elevators either on the top or bottom decks. They'd run in and push all the buttons before the doors closed and ran out ad had a laughing fit, thinking this was funny. My question, where the hell were the parents?????

Second complaint, and this seems to be one of my ongoing complaints with all cruise lines. Why post a dress code if it is not going to be enforced? Appalling dress in the dining room, adults and children included. Formal night, saw one gent walk in with a cotton shirt unbuttoned to mid-chest, with jeans, but he did have a coat on! Too many folks, young, old, male, or female, with tee shirts, shorts, flip flops etc. I fault the ship personnel. If you're gonna put a sign, with a dress code listed, at the front of your door, by gosh you better have someone there enforcing the code. On the same line. Dining starts at a designated time, and I believe the doors close for that seating 30 minutes after if begins. I did see dining room staff close the doors. However, again no one was there to enforce it. So you had folks walking in 45 minutes to an hour late and they got seated and served. Not right, period.

If they are not going to enforce the policies set forth, then remove the policies and let everyone wear what they will and show up when they want.

All in all it was a great voyage and a good time was had by the two of us.

If you have any specific questions please drop me an email or post a comment.

Thanks for taking the time to read this lengthy review.

Link to pics: this should lead you to all 10 albums for the Voyager 4/5/09 Click Here

Cruising the Carnival Holiday for the Christmas holiday

This year for Christmas we did something a bit different than normal. My wife booked a four day cruise on the Carnival Holiday. A short jaunt to Cozumel Mexico and back. Sailing out of the Port of Mobile Alabama it was within driving distance which for us was a plus.

Christmas Eve day we headed out for Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Figured we'd spend the night there and drive in to Mobile on Christmas morning. A short hour and a half drive to Mobile we took our time waking and readying to head out. Leaving the hotel around 9:30 a.m. we figured we'd take our time driving and would still get to the port quite early. Early is always good! As we leave Hattiesburg I program the GPS for 201 S Water Street, Mobile, Alabama and push "Go." Hmmm, GPS shows an ETA of 11:10 a.m. Easy drive to the port, and the GPS came through, led us right to the port. Yippiee!!!!!

So we pull up behind the other cars in line to the parking deck. Hmmm, there is a police car, lights flashing, blocking the entrance to the deck. One by one the cars advance, one by one the cars are sent away. Behind me several other cars pull up. By the time we got to the police car, the policeman waves his hand and makes an announcement on his cars PA speaker. "If you are here for the cruise, follow me." So we proceed to follow him. He leads us to the civic center and waves us to proceed into the parking lot. Once in the lot, several police personnel are directing traffic to park. They announce that terminal personnel will be on the way to open the center. By now, there are probably a hundred cars in the lot and more coming. People milling about, some playing catch football, some just standing around chatting. So what the heck is going on?

Ahhh, the ship is late returning to port. Seems the Port Authority has closed the port to all traffic due to dense fog. Not that evident from our view point.

Finally after about 30 minutes the cruise personnel arrive with civic center personnel in tow. The doors are opened and we are directed to the restrooms and then asked to have a seat in the auditorium for an important announcement. People still milling around, some very upset, some absolutely uncalled for arrogant, but for the most part folks were calm. A female wearing a red terminal jacket came in and started to tell us the deal. While she was talking with us, she received a phone call. A lot of, "uh huh; oh; okay; I understand; alright; and finally keep me posted, talk with you in a bit." She announces to the crowd that the ship has been given the okay to proceed to port, however ETA was 4:30 p.m. The crowd groans!!!

She proceeds to tell us what was going to happen. A bit confusing as she told everyone they would have to proceed to the terminal to drop off baggage and pay for parking. Box lunches would be ordered and everyone would be processed in at the civic center. She spoke of 80 parking spots left on the parking deck and another 100or so spots outside the terminal being available. We could go over there and park and buses would be there to bring everyone back to the center. Other option was to proceed to the terminal drop off bags, pay for parking, and return with your car and leave your car in the civic center lot. If you'd like to go get something to eat and come back thats fine as well. You did read the part where this is Christmas Day! Nothing is open. One restaurant in the, I think Regency Hotel, is open. Thats it!

My wife and I decide to go ahead and proceed to the terminal and get all that stuff done and then walk back to the civic center, probably only a walk of a few blocks. We get back to the terminal area, take our place in line and slowly creep forward. Pretty smooth operation. As we get up to the terminal we are stopped to wait until all the cars in front are cleared from the terminal baggage area. Our turn comes, we are directed forward. Porters are there, I stop, hand the guy our bag (we only had one bag) and a tip and we are waved forward. Then we are stopped, told to back up and that we would be parking outside. So we wait, not long. Then we are directed to proceed to the parking deck. We pay our $60 parking fee and proceed to the 4th level. Figure we can leave our carry-on stuff in the car and when we return to the terminal I can go up and get it. We proceed to the elevators, go to level one. Here we are greeted by a very nice uniformed lady. She asks if we are ready to go into the terminal. We explain what we were told about returning to the civic center. She tells us no. If we are ready to proceed we can go into the terminal and process in. So back up to the car, get all the carry-on stuff and proceed back to level one. She directs us in, and the processing went very smooth. We are directed to a seating area and told that our sign and sail cards would be available as soon as the ship arrived. We were also told that box lunches would be arriving for each passenger, that never happened.

The terminal filled rapidily. The few vending machines were emptied quickly. No drinks, no food, no nothing! So we wait. Lots of folks complaining and stating that Carnival better do something, or offer reimbursement because of the delay. I turned to a couple of guys that were behind me and told them it wasn't Carnival's fault. The port was closed, nothing the cruise line could do about that. Still Carnival was being blamed for the weather. Finally the ship goes by. Seems like it took an hour to turn around and get back to the terminal.

Here is where things got pretty whacky!!!!

As soon as the ship was secured to the pier, sandwiches arrived. They were placed at the far end of the terminal. Yup, you guessed it, we were at the opposite end. By the time I got in line, no sandwiches were left. Many folks were grabbing handfulls of sammies to bring back to family and friends. I waited and waited, but never got lucky enough to get a sammie. Sign and sail cards were handed out. People started to disembark. Time passes. People starting to get restless. Afterall most of us have been in the terminal for 5 hours or more. Finally comes the announcement that we were ready to board. All of us in the seated area were told we'd be first to board. That never happened! The terminal personnel lost control at this point. Basically people in the terminal shifted to the lines that were being let on. So it was quite, no, very disorganized.

Finally aboard at 7 p.m.'ish, everyone was directed straight to one of the dining rooms. Open seating and not neccesarily your assigned dining room. Cabins would not be ready until 8 p.m. Dinner went okay and was quite good. During dinner they announced the cabins were ready. Luggage was delivered very quickly and a letter from the captain delivered to each cabin. Due to the delay and the still dense fog the ship stores and casino would not open until 8 a.m. the following morning. Oh well, time to explore the ship and early to bed. Also received a letter explaining that $36 per person had been applied to our sign and sail onboard credit for the fuel surcharge refund and an additional $15 per person applied for lunch meal reimbursement. We felt that to be a very nice gesture.

Our cabin, U155, was very nice. Even being an older ship, the cabin was much larger then some of the newer ships we've been on. Plenty of closet/drawer space etc. Luggage fit in the closet with no problem. The beds, probably the most comfortable bed we've had on a cruise ship. Carnival is rather proud of their bedding as they offer it for sale online! Bathrobes were provided for our use. And rather nice bathrobes at that. Life boat drill postponed until 11 a.m. Friday morning.

A little rough making our way to Cozumel. I warrant that in part to the speed trying to make up time and rough water. Not really bad, however, the little white bags were placed at elevators and other spots throughout the ship.

The ship overall is in great shape for being as old and worn as she is. Personnel were constantly cleaning, touching up paint etc. Cannot complain at all about the ships condition. All of the staff we encountered were friendly. Always smiling, always offering help.

Dining was great. Anyone that complains about the dining options and/or food are those that are not satisfied at home either. Our only complaint was the breakfast in the main dining room. It was in a word "bad." Waffles, toast, eggs were cold and the hash browns were, well I'm not sure they were even cooked, at any rate they too were cold and lousy. The Wharf and Grill on Deck 10 was great. Pizza 24/7 along with made to order calzones and caesar salads. There was such a diverse selection of foods available. Thumbs up! Late night buffets were so-so. Nothing great, but nothing bad.

Entertainment was not top of the line, but it was good and well performed. The comedian, well, in my opinion wasn't that great, but you know humor is funny that way!

XOP playing in the Tahiti lounge was good, but too loud for such a small lounge. They billed themselves as "music you grew up with."

Timmy the guitar player was good. And the piano player in Rick's lounge was absolutely great! Two nights they had Big Band dance music played by the ships band in the Americana Lounge. My only criticism here is that this is an adult function. A few kids were acting fools on the dance stage while we were trying to dance. I think someone from the activity staff should have escorted the kids off the stage. I personally asked two girls to leave the stage as they were a hazard to those trying to dance. They left, but not before they shot me a few dirty looks.

Not sure how many children there were aboard, but for the most part all were well behaved. A few runners through crowded decks, a few that did not understand "inside" voice, but other than that well behaved. Teens, hmmmm, I have to fault the ships staff. Several teens gambling, more drinking, however, still well behaved. My take, teen drinking and gambling is wrong, but not my kids and if the parents are okay with it thats fine.

Okay I think I have covered all bases. Now for disembarkation. We opted to participate in the self assist program. You carry all your luggage etc off the ship with you. We were told that we would begin to disembark around 8:30 a.m. So we set our alarm for 7, figured we'd have time for a leisurely cup of coffee and maybe a small bite of breakfast. Not so. By 7:15 they were announcing by deck for self assist participants to begin to make their way to deck 5. We were off the ship, in our car, driving out of the terminal at 7:53 a.m. The easiest, most organized disembark we've ever done.

Overall impression of the Holiday, outstanding. This being only my second Carnival cruise out of seventeen, with terrible impressions of Carnival after my first sailing on the Celebration. This ship and crew has changed my impression of Carnival and I am sure we will sail with Carnival in the future. We are looking forward to the Fantasy moving to Mobile.

I still maintain the worst day at sea is still better then the best day on land!!!!! Happy sailing!