snorkelman

My wife and I will be cruising on Carnival’s Fantasy (4 day Bahamas) in about 1 week. We have cruised about 10 times before, but never on this ship. Do you have any tips/advice? <BR><BR>For instance, are there any shows that are particularly good and should not be missed? Likewise, what should we skip if time runs out?<BR><BR>I am aware that the shows change every so often, so if you haven’t been on the ship for 5 years, your experience about a specific show would probably not be too helpful.<BR><BR>I have heard that soft drinks (such as Coke) are free now at the dinner (in the dining room). This surprised me when I heard it, as I have never been on a cruise when the soft drinks were free. Does anyone know whether it is true?<BR><BR>Thanks in advance.<BR><BR>Dave<BR><BR>[email protected]<BR >

Paul Therault

Hi Snorkelman,<BR><BR>What kind of shows do you like?<BR><BR>No one can advise you whether a show is good or not. Some passengers love them, some hate them, some tolerate them and some say they are OK.<BR><BR>All I can say is that the Carnival shows are electrifying and the orchestras are great.<BR><BR>Unless Carnival has changed their policy in the past month the soft drinks are not complimentary at any time. During the day there is complimentary lemonade, punch and juice, available on Lido deck.<BR><BR>Paul<BR>

Angie

My mom and I have booked a cruise on the Fantasy and wonder what the price of the coffee is? My mom is a coffeeaholic and I have been reading about the charges for the soft drinks and others, but hadn't seen coffee mentioned yet.

Jack Sigano

While I have not been on the Fantasy, most ships including Carnival's, usually have a coffee urn available most of the daylight and evening hours at no extra cost. Some ships have a coffee bar with fancier blends and they do charge for those.

K

...trying to understand the budget of someone who books a cruise and frets over the price of coffee....

Jimbo

Hey there K, just FYI, some of us live in Florida and get dropped off at the port, so we can get a 3-4 day cruise for under $200. So, if coffee costs $4 (such as Starbucks), then 2 coffees per day for 4 days is an extra $32. This can add up if you factor in all the booze, soda and photo costs for the same 4 days. This "extra" stuff can cost more than the cruise itself.<BR><BR>Don't assume that everyone spends thousands to cruise. Most of us only pay for the cruise itself - no air or hotels.

K

Jimbo - I soooooorrrrt of see your point. But a) if you're paying $4 for a drink at Starbucks, it's something more than "coffee," which costs $2; b) little trouble believing that "most" cruisers live in the immediate port city.<BR><BR>Believe me - I vacation plenty, and not usually on cruises, so I know how "incidentals" can add up. But I stand by my initial bemusement.

K

heehee... On the other hand, I find it surprising that they charge for soft drinks with meals - just because the idea of it strikes me as so chintzy.... Well, since I am paying $300 pp / RT to get to Miami, I'm smuggling in my own soda!

Paul Therault

You all have to understand that the cruise prices have not gone up and in quite a few instances they are less than last year. The cruise line is not being cheap, just practical. <BR><BR>As more and more new ships come on line, the prices will not go up but you will see more and more extra charges for this and that. Cruise lines are not going to sail at a loss.<BR><BR>If you drink a lot of soda it is best to buy the adult soft-drink card when you get on the ship. The price ranges from $14.95 for a 3-day cruise up to $29.95 for a 7-day voyage. So calculate before you leave home .... $1.00 for a glass of soda and $1.50 for a can, plus tip (I do not know if you can buy a glass in the dining room). Will the card be a savings for you? More than one person can use the card (not at the same time).<BR><BR>Paul

travelgurl

I agree with Paul...definitely think about purchasing the adult soda card...I was on the Fantasy in Nov. '01 and soda was NOT included. I practically need to have an I.V. drip of diet coke, so the soda card was well worth it! Theoretically, you should be able to use it in the dining room, but we had a terrible beverage waiter and one evening it took practically the whole meal for her to bring me the damn soda...So now my advice for the dining room is to purchase a bottle from the gift shop and bring it with you for dinner ...

Angie

Thank you for the information. My mom is a Florida resident (I will be paying additional to fly in from Michigan) and is taking advantage of the Florida rates. <BR><BR>She is very much like my grandmother was in regards to spending money, so I like to know up front any charges that may be incurred, especially the amount of coffee she drinks in a day. I enjoy trying different drinks and things when on vacation, so have been interested the the various options for purchasing drinks I have seen on this site. <BR><BR>Angie