Posted at 2:15 pm by taryngirl, on February 28, 2024
10/22/23
Again today, there was not a whole lot on the agenda besides laying around enjoying the ship. The one thing we did want to do was check out the Chocolate Extravaganza, located in the Lido Marketplace, from 12:00-2:30 p.m. I had heard rumblings about this but wasn’t really sure what to expect! I was pleasantly surprised!
I wanted to get pictures before it was mobbed with people, so I walked back a little bit before the opening time. They were still setting everything up.
There was a chocolate fountain with both white and milk chocolate, and tons of things to dip!
Then came THE CAKES! So many gorgeous, delicious cakes!
If you like cake, this was the place to be. If you like chocolate anything, this was the place to be. This served as my lunch this day! The cakes were different flavors, all with some element of chocolate in them.
They also had hand dipped ice cream.
This was so fun, and so good! I don’t regret any of my life choices during this extravaganza! If you are on the Venezia, do not miss this!
Posted at 10:42 am by taryngirl, on February 18, 2024
10/21/24
Fun Times for today:
Today was a sea day, and there was a whole lot of nothing on the agenda! We started our day at the buffet for breakfast.
I had a made to order omelette, sausage, potatoes, and a bagel.
It was all very good!
I spent the time from breakfast until lunch, just laying out in the sun on a chair!
At lunch time, I went to see what was on the buffet. This was in one line:
And this was in the other line:
It’s nice that they provide a more “ethnic” option, and then comfort foods as well. I loved the variety!
Here’s a quick scan through video of one of the lines:
Buttttt, I had heard through the grapevine, that on sea days, ironically The Seafood Shack served CHINESE! So I was all in for that obviously…
This was delicious!
About an hour later, an announcement came over the PA system that a small boat was spotted and we were turning around to check it out. I decided to go scope things out and walked to the front of the ship.
The bridge with binoculars:
This went on for a little while. We had to keep turning and trying to get closer. And then they inspected from the bridge to see if anyone was onboard. It was determined to be an abandoned boat, and we were back on our way.
After this I did my typical afternoon nap and shower before dinner.
Tonight’s menu:
We had a special guest at our table for dinner tonight, Monica Doria-Trujillo, who is a Strategic Partnership Specialist for Carnival Cruise Line. We had a great time learning more about Carnival, and providing our feedback as well.
She brought us little goodie bags with Carnival branded items. So thoughtful!
Now, onto the food!
Cream of Mushroom Bisque:
As usual, the soup was amazing!
Broiled Lobster Tail:
This was definitely not mine because I do not eat any seafood!
Spaghetti Alla Carbonara (with a side of grilled chicken!):
This was mine and it was delicious! I really wanted some protein, so asked if I could add grilled chicken. They had no problem doing that for me.
We all had a shot, courtesy of Monica. I have no idea what it was, but it was yummy!
(During dinner, someone comes around with a “shot of the day” type thing and you can purchase on the spot.)
Vanilla Creme Brulee:
Carnival Chocolate Melting Cake:
Again, SO GOOD!
There was some entertainment in the dining room tonight. This man was a waiter at a neighboring table. He was fantastic! He was so happy all of the time, very attentive, and funny! He was all in during the entertainment.
After dinner, we headed to Playlist Productions: Epic Rock show in the Teatro Rosso. Monica had secured us front row seats!
Posted at 5:13 pm by taryngirl, on January 31, 2024
10/20/23
When we booked this cruise, we were traveling as Travel Agents, scoping out this new-to-Carnival ship, leaving from a port very close to our homes. I wanted to be able to share as much information as I could about the port, the ship, the destinations, etc. I get inquiries, (almost weekly!), for all-inclusives in the Bahamas. Sadly, my research has not produced great results unless you are going to a Sandals. This led me to research day passes to resorts that were close to Freeport!
We were up early today because we were going to be getting off the ship for an excursion. We went to breakfast at 7:45 a.m., as we were getting off the ship around 8:30-8:45 a.m. We ate in the Grand Canal Restaurant. We did make a reservation on the app and the wait time was under 10 minutes. It was the same menu I posted for a previous morning.
Breakfast beverages of champions…
I had the melon again. Nice and fresh!
I also had the same Vanilla French Toast again! It was so good.
We had an excursion planned here today with a tour operator named Leo Wells Jr. I met him in our cruise Facebook group. We were going to visit Lighthouse Pointe at Grand Lucayan Resort. He was charging $20 roundtrip per person for transportation, and the cost to get into the all-inclusive resort was $75.00. The ship did also offer this excursion, but their pricing included 2 drinks and 1 meal. Ours was unlimited and we had more flexibility with time. You can also buy tickets on resortforaday.com, but we just bought direct once we got there.
We were off the ship at 8:30 a.m. It was overcast…booooooo.
The port area was cute with a bunch of shops and stands. There is plenty here souvenir wise for sure! No need to venture away from this area if you are just looking for souvenirs.
Once off the ship, we easily found him. He had communicated prior to the cruise where exactly to meet him.
There were 8 total people going on the excursion. He did give us flexibility on pick up times to return to ship. 4 people wanted to go back at 1:30 p.m. and the other 4 at 2:00 p.m. The drive was about 20-25 minutes. We were at the resort by 9:15 a.m.
The lobby:
It was early and empty! There was no one to be seen anywhere except the front desk staff.
They do have a Senses Spa here, but I didn’t see it beyond this sign.
Dining here seemed to be very limited. From what I can see on their website these are the dining options:
Here is the menu from Portobello’s located near the lobby of the resort.
The inside of Portobello’s:
The pizza place:
This was outdoor seating for one of the restaurants, but I’m not sure which one!
The view stepping out of the lobby building towards the beach:
It was cloudy, but not raining, and not humid.
The view walking from the lobby to the pool and beach area:
They did have a small lap pool. It didn’t look the best.
View of some of the rooms:
The pool! It’s located right at the edge of the beach. It wasn’t the cleanest…
There is a small hot tub here in the corner and there was a huge sign that said NO KIDS ALLOWED IN THE HOT TUB. There also was a towel hut if you needed a towel.
View of some of the other accommodations. This section was not open. This resort suffered hurricane damage years ago, and still has not recovered! That was not disclosed anywhere prior to arrival.
We made it to the beach and had our choice of seats!
The beach was beautiful! The sand was super soft.
Looking back towards the resort:
This was literally my day! I loved every minute!
There was a lifeguard on the beach. They had kayaks and paddle boards you could take out. You just had to sign a waiver.
The bar was opening, and that was included with our all-inclusive package for the day, so I went to check it out.
Here’s a look at the menu:
The drinks actually all sounded amazing! I love fruity sooooo….
I don’t even remember what this was, but it was good!
One thing to note…the vendors on the beach. From the second we sat down, there were vendors coming up to us to buy whatever they were selling. Keep in mind, there were not many people there at all, and some of the vendors were selling the same items. They did not stop when we said no. They just told us, “It doesn’t cost anything to look.” I was firm in my nos but my friend was not! This went on until about lunch time. They approached every new person that came onto the beach. This stretch of beach is so small, so that was overwhelming to me.
You can see here, they did have a security guard. The others are vendors.
I decided to take a walk down the beach. This is part of the resort that is not open.
It was a nice walk and beautiful scenery!
Also not open and looking extremely run down:
Looking back towards the part of the beach where we were sitting:
We were hungry for lunch, so we ordered! These were the boneless wings…
They actually tasted like McDonald’s chicken nuggets.
Fries:
These were okay.
Another drink:
We were being picked up at 2:00 p.m. to head back to the ship.
We met our driver out front at 2:00 p.m. and were back in the port by 2:20 p.m. I wanted to get back onto the ship to chill by the pool for a little bit.
We buzzed through the port area looking in the shops.
I went directly to the pool at the aft after browsing the buffet first. My previous lunch was eh.
Nothing here looked good to me either!
DJ Cue was playing and people had clearly been taking advantage of their drink packages! I went back to the room around 5:00 p.m.
I brought some pizza back with me because I was starving at this point.
I took a nap and then showered for dinner.
Tonight’s menu:
Fried Mozzarella:
This was really good!
Baked Meatballs:
These were Chrissy’s, but I tasted them and they were delicious! I wanted more!
Our other tablemate Dana ordered the BBQ Pulled Wild Boar:
I also got the Roasted Broccoli & Three Cheese Soup:
This was also so good! (Carnival wins the soup award of all cruise ships I’ve been on!)
Linguine, Salsiccia Italiana:
I think this was Chrissy’s! She ate it all, so it must have been good!
Southern Fried Chicken:
I really wasn’t very hungry, so I ordered the Grilled Chicken Breast:
Was perfect!
These might have been Salmon Cakes that Dana ordered?!
Bitter N Blanc:
I got some fruit!
They did some dancing for us tonight!
After dinner, we went to see the Love & Marriage show. IT WAS SO FUNNY! They picked the perfect couples! I laughed so hard! I highly recommend it.
Thoughts on Lighthouse Pointe Grand Lucayan Resort:
This resort is not super crowded. It is not a 5 or even 4 star resort in my opinion, but a 3 star.
I think this is perfect for a quick 3-4 day getaway with friends who have low expectations regarding food.
The drinks were GREAT! Food options were varied.
There is no real entertainment aside from some music beach/poolside, so it’s a good location if you want to relax by the beach/pool.
They was 1 kayak and 2 paddleboards, all complimentary. You did have to wear a life vest and sign a waiver.
They did have life sized chess, connect 4, and cornhole.
There is some shopping across the street.
The beach and water were both great.
Review of Leo Wells Jr. and his tour service:
5 stars! He was super nice when we initially met him. He was very easy to work with and communicated before and after the excursion. We paid him directly the day of for his transportation services, and paid the resort directly. I would highly recommend!
Posted at 10:13 am by taryngirl, on January 11, 2024
10/19/23
Half Moon Cay is a private island exclusively for Carnival and Princess Cruise Line guests. I was excited for a true beach day!
There is no dock at Halfmoon Cay, so we had to take a tender boat in order to get to the island. To get a boarding time for the tender (so there isn’t a stampede of people), they distributed the tickets for the tender beginning at 7:30 a.m. on deck 5 in the Gondola Lounge. It was first come first served. We got there at 7:30 a.m. and were group #16 to board. So YES! People do go early and line up! She estimated our call time to board the tender to be 9:30 a.m. You have to listen for them to call your group number on the PA system. This does not broadcast into staterooms though, so you need to be in a common area outside of your room to hear it. We figured we had two hours, so we went to breakfast at the Grand Canal Restaurant.
I ordered the Seasonal Melon, which was just your basic melon but still good! I consider any fruit good when I don’t have to cut it!
And the Vanilla French Toast with Bacon.
This was delicious!!
We finished breakfast and decided to go back to our stateroom and fully charge our phones, and get cold water to bring ashore with us. To our surprise, they called our boarding number just before 8:45 a.m. and not 9:30 a.m. We made our way to Deck 0. There were several crew members directing us where to go along the way. They were loading 2 tenders, one midship and one forward. Each tender seemed to hold a few hundred people. We were packed in!
You can see on this map where the tender pier is located at the bottom.
We were on the island at 9:00 a.m. We did load towards the end of filling this particular tender though so didn’t have to wait very long until we left. Once we were off the tender, we decided to walk towards the middle of the beach, closer to where lunch would be served. We found a spot right in front of the pirate ship bar.
The water was the clearest I have ever seen! Look at the fish!
To our right:
To our left:
There were 3 rows of chairs, and they were tightly packed in together. Most of the chairs were already taken up to this point on the beach. We decided to go in the third row, and we were thankful for this later! The beach area from the chairs to the water was actually very small! When the tide started coming in, the first row of chairs were kind of wiped out and stuck. They couldn’t pull their chairs back at all because there was another row directly behind them! After awhile, they started bringing out more chairs and just jamming them into any open space they could find. This is possibly my only complaint about the entire cruise! It was CROWDED on the beach. The beach was very small from the sand to the water line. And people gave no cares at all if they were crowding others as long as they had their own spot.
This view though!
I went to check out the water, and IT WAS THE CLEAREST WATER I HAD EVER SEEN AT A BEACH! I could see my feet no matter how far out I went. The water was very calm and there weren’t really any waves at all. It was slightly overcast when we arrived, and it did sprinkle the slightest bit. This in turn produced a rainbow!
You could rent these houses.
I also want to point out that there really isn’t any natural shade. While the chairs were free, if you wanted an umbrella, you had to rent it. There were several options for renting clam shells and cabanas as well.
More crowd pics! This was at 10:30 a.m.
The water was amazing, and we spent a lot of time in versus sitting out on the crowded beach. They served lunch from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. There was a larger pavilion with several lines serving food. There were also several pavilions with picnic tables to sit and eat.
(One note here, everyone was lining up in one line. However, there are several lines right in the middle as well.)
I could not get pictures of the actual hot food as it was a mad house! The lines were crazy and I felt pressured to keep moving!
This was by far my least favorite meal the entire trip. It just wasn’t good at all. The first plate was my friend’s.
My plate:
The chips and salsa were the best part…
Here you can see some of the seating areas:
Drink stations:
All aboard time was 3:30 p.m. with the last tender going back at 3:15 p.m. We headed back around 2:00 p.m.
My favorite photo taken while walking back to the tender!
There are some little shops right at the tender area.
Once back onboard, I went up to the buffet to grab a snack since I didn’t really eat much for lunch on the island.
(Random I know. Ha!)
Don’t even ask what cake this is, I have no clue. But it was so moist and delicious!
We just chilled for awhile, napped and then showered for dinner. This was our towel animal for the day:
Tonight’s menu:
For my appetizer I had Wild Rice, Gruyere and Country Chicken Soup.
This was AMAZING!
Chrissy had the Baked Onion Soup.
Insalata Caprese:
For my main, I had the Lasagne Alla Bolognese.
This was good! Very rich.
Involtini Di Melanzane (eggplant rolled up and baked with ricotta and spinach, marinara sauce):
Torta Sbriciolata Alle Mele E Mandorle (apple crumble pie, orange peel confit, brown butter, almonds):
This was very good!
Tonight’s theme was Halloween. Some people wore costumes, some did not. After dinner, we checked out the Piazza San Marco. There was live music going on. They were really good!
At 9:30 p.m., we went to the Teatro Rosso to watch Guess that Groove. This was fun! After that it was time for Patch’s Halloween Deck Party at 10:30 p.m.
The Halloween party was fun! There was a costume contest for different age groups from baby all the way up to adults. They taught the Thriller dance, and the DJ played some tunes.
All in all it was a fun day!
SUGGESTIONS FOR HALF MOON CAY:
Get the earliest tender transfer time that you can.
Once on the island, keep walking until at least the big pirate ship for chairs.
Do not get a chair in the front row. The tide came in and was wiping those people out and they had nowhere to go! They couldn’t pull their chairs back because there was a row directly behind them.
Don’t count on the food being very good.Eat a good breakfast onboard before getting on the tender.
Posted at 11:05 am by taryngirl, on November 29, 2023
10/18/23
Nassau
We had no real plan today, except to get off of the ship and check out the new port area. We grabbed breakfast at 9:30 a.m. at the buffet, and were off the ship by 9:50 a.m.
There were four ships in port total…that’s a lot of passengers in one port! We were parked next to the Disney Wish and the Carnival Elation. The was also a Royal Caribbean ship in port.
Nassau is one of the most popular cruise destinations in the world, attracting more than 3.7 million passengers each year. Nassau Cruise Port has recently undergone over $300 million in upgrades and renovations. This includes repair and expansion of Prince George Wharf and the addition of a sixth berth that gives the port the capacity to accommodate three Oasis Class vessels simultaneously. There is also a new terminal building, a Junkanoo museum, an amphitheatre, taxi dispatch center, new food and beverage options, and unique local stores. The straw market as you once knew it is no longer!
THE NEW PORT IS AMAZING! Everything is spacious, clean, and welcoming without the craziness. There is a separate taxi and tour area, so you don’t feel like you are being hounded by multiple people. It’s organized. The straw market is now individual tiny houses in an open area. There is a huge hair braiding section right in the middle. There are also bathrooms. Besides the smaller straw market stores, there are bigger, more upscale stores as well.
After walking through the port area, we decided to venture out of the gates to a store on the corner. It was complete chaos with taxi drivers and tour operators trying to gain our business. They actually had two cops??? out directing traffic so we could cross the street.
This is on the way out of the gates of the port area:
We just went into one store across the street and then headed back to the ship. On the way back, Chrissy decided to get her hair braided.
There were so many hair braiding stations!
We were back on the ship before 11:00 a.m. This was our towel animal today!
After going back to the room and changing, I went up to deck 10 to find a chair by the pool. I wanted to get some sun, relax, and then enjoy sail away. I ate lunch at the buffet with these beautiful sights!
I literally sat right here on this chair and ate my lunch…
These were the two different menus offered at the buffet during lunch:
Here are some videos of one of the buffet lines:
And then here is a video of the other buffet line offerings:
These were the many fabulous desserts they had today at lunch:
It was hard to pick just one! This is for sure one area where Carnival excels!
We started sailing away close to 4:30 p.m. We were the first of the four ships to leave.
Here you can see Atlantis in the distance.
I went back to the room to nap and shower before dinner.
Tonight’s menu:
I had the Buffalo Cauliflower (creamy truffle sauce). It was DELICIOUS!
Polpette (meatballs, ricotta, tomato basil):
This meatball was AMAZING and I wish I had more!
I opted again for the Broiled Striploin Steak.
But I was realllllly hungry for a baked potato as well, and asked for one of those too!
For dessert I had the reliable old Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake.
After dinner, we went to the show in the theater. It was called Broadway. It was a very good, entertaining show!
After the broadway show, we went up to the Lido deck for the 80s Rock N Glow Party. It was SO MUCH FUN! The crowd on this ship was the best!
Overall, today was amazing! The port area was neat, the time on the ship was relaxing, and the show and party were SO GOOD!
Posted at 3:29 pm by taryngirl, on November 14, 2023
10/17/23
Day 4
Miami
Fun Times for Today:
Today was our Miami day! We woke up on the early side so we could grab breakfast before getting off of the ship. We really wanted to try the burrito place on the Lido Deck!
I didn’t get a photo of the menu, but you could pick from different meats, potatoes, eggs, etc.
Mine had ham, eggs, cheese, and hash browns.
It was good but not outstanding. I like that this option was available in addition to the crazy busy buffet.
Our approximate ashore time was 8:15 a.m. We had scheduled the Hop On/Hop Off Big Bus excursion through Carnival, and that meet time was 9:00 a.m. just outside the terminal. I had looked into booking this excursion through Viator, but the convenience of having the bus picking us up directly at the terminal and dropping us there after was a much better value! I didn’t want to have to mess with Ubers. This is how close the buses were to the terminal.
We debarked and headed to the bus right after breakfast. (Our bus was full before 9:00 a.m. so we left right when it was full!). There were buses lined up, so there must have been many people who booked this tour. They took our tickets and we boarded. Inside the bus there were headphones we could take. You can plug them into your seat and hear some commentary while driving the route.
We got seats on the first bus, up top. It was a gorgeous day. Chilly for Floridians, but perfect for me! 60 some degrees. It was perfect until we started driving. Then it was FREEZING and windy! I brought my light jacket and was able to put that on but I was still chilly.
Before we pulled away, the tour operator came up top and gave us instructions. He explained the route, the app, the times to be back at the bus stop to return to the ship, etc. We decided there were three stops where we wanted to get off.
This is what the app looks like. You can see live where buses are and where the stops are. It also gives you a wait time.
Our first stop was going to be South Beach, and that was for sure one stop that we wanted to explore. The sights along the way were very cool!
The architecture was amazing!
Where Miami Heat plays:
SO MANY YACHTS!
IT WAS WINDY!
We drove past our ship!
This is Star Island. Star Island is a neighborhood in Miami, located on Biscayne Bay. It has been touted as the most expensive neighborhood in the US. Many of the homes on this island are/were owned by high profile celebrities including Sean Combs, Gloria Estefan, Shaq, and Rosie O’Donnell.
This is the entrance.
I couldn’t help but notice this unique house. I had to google when I got home to see what it was all about! It actually is a green-energy, luxury houseboat!
We made it to the first stop at 9:20ish. You did not have to get off if you didn’t want to. Most people did not. I’m assuming because they had no idea what was going on, and were confused by what the guide instructed us earlier. He made it sound like we should stay on for the entire loop and then go back around and get off. We didn’t have time for that!
Art Deco district in Miami Beach:
There was absolutely no one on Ocean Drive, unless they were sitting and eating breakfast. No cars! And no mobs of people either on the beach or walking.
There were so many cute, boutique hotels on Ocean Drive!
I would really love to see this at night sometime!
Between Ocean Drive and the actual beach, there were a bunch of volleyball courts, an actual fitness area with machines and weights, and a large walking path.
I really wanted to just set foot on the actual beach. It was empty! It was only about 9:45 a.m. at this point, and still slightly chilly according to Florida standards. We didn’t walk to the water.
We went back out to Ocean Drive, because the only other thing I wanted to see here was the Gianni Versace house, which is now a hotel. It actually seemed like they were renovating it. There were workers all over the place! I am a true crime addict, and had seen the documentary about his murder. It happened right on the steps at his front door. Such a senseless tragedy.
We walked back to the bus stop to reboard the hop on/hop off bus, and get to our next stop. Some more views along the way:
The architecture is just AMAZING!
We drove through the Fashion District.
Our next stop was Wynwood! The art throughout this city is just unbelievable. Wynwood is known for its murals and art, restaurants, nightclubs, breweries and more! We spent some time walking up and down the streets here.
This is just SOME of what we saw!
Each mural was totally different. Most of them had information about the artist somewhere on the wall.
We went back to the bus stop, and waited about 15 minutes for the bus to come. It was getting noticeably more crowded at this point. There was a line for the bus and the bus had many people on it already when it pulled up.
Our next stop was Little Havana. I had stopped here before and loved this little section of the town. The bus stop here was right in front of a bakery. I hopped in immediately to check it out. LOVEEEEEE! I knew this is where I wanted to eat!
This reminded me so much of France in Epcot!
I did a quick browse, and we headed on down the street to check out everything else.
There were several tour groups from other cruise ships with an actual tour guide. The area around the bus was consistently crowded with those arriving and those trying to get back on. There were several shops and restaurants on this little strip.
I love this little park where they still come to play dominos!
This sign is not wrong…
My friend Chrissy reallllly wanted a Cuban and a mojito! So this was her lunch:
I walked back to the bakery, and this was my AMAZING lunch:
Crossaint with ham and cheese, and whatever that fabulous dessert was! I actually couldn’t decided on a dessert. There were too many that looked good!
Chrissy also got this dessert:
It was all so delicious!
After eating, we got in line to get on the next bus. We were done with our stops and heading back to the ship. To do so though, we had to take a bus to Bayside Marketplace and then get on another bus there to bring us back to the ship.
Bayside Marketplace has several restaurants and many shops! It’s not a bad place to explore if you just want to hop off the ship and have nothing planned. You would just have to take an Uber there.
We made it back to the ship around 2:30 p.m. This was waiting for us in our room!
I took a nap and showered for dinner.
Tonight’s menu:
We started with this warm and perfect bread.
Italian Wedding Soup (herbed beef and pork meatballs, vegetables, parmesan, orzo).
I LOVED THIS! It had such great flavor. I was actually so impressed with their soups this whole week!
Caesar Salad:
I was not feeling any of the menu items how they were pictured on the menu. But the Bucatini Alla Crema Di Aglio (pasta, garlic cream, zucchini, asparagus, zesty Provencal crumbs) sounded amazing. It was just missing chicken! So I asked if that could be added and our waiter said yes, no problem.
This was SO GOOD! It may have been my favorite thing from the entire week!
Posted at 2:03 pm by taryngirl, on October 30, 2023
10/16/23
Day 3
After doing our own little self-led ship tour on Deck 5, we went back to the room to rest for a little bit before it was time to go to Tea Time in the Canal Grande Restaurant. The Tea goes from 3:00-4:00 p.m. I’m not sure if it was on every sea day or not. You have to check the Fun Times to see! It is complimentary and included with your cruise.
We went right at 3:00 p.m. and there was a long line of people already. They led us all to one area in the back of the restaurant and we could sit wherever we wanted. These were the place settings:
They immediately started coming around with tea sized treats! I don’t eat any seafood, but this was the first plate to come by our table:
Macarons:
These were coffee flavored I think?? It was good, but I’m not a coffee fan.
Cucumber sandwiches:
These were my favorite! I did have to wave someone over so I could get one more.
Scones:
Cream for the scones!
These were delicious and the cream was heavenly!
This was some kind of vanilla cake with lemon frosting.
It was actually delicious and my second favorite thing that I had. It was super moist and I loved the filling.
At this point, we were still waiting for our tea! We flagged someone down, and after 15 minutes we were served.
This was some kind of peach crisp:
I didn’t taste it, but Chrissy didn’t love it. It was very dry.
They also served fresh strawberries.
There really was no rhyme or reason to the order that they brought things out. Each waiter was just given a plate to walk around to the tables. A few waiters were in charge of the tea to distribute. In my opinion, they should have done this first to make sure everyone got some! We waited forever and actually had to flag someone down to get the tea. It was a little disorganized, but the crew was very polite and accommodating. There was more served than what is pictured here, but not everything made it over to our table. I think if they would have had certain waiters assigned to certain areas, it would have been better, and everyone would have been taken care of. It was a nice treat for the day though and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
We were still hungry though so we went to get some pizza on Deck 10! These are the choices, and you can get as many slices as you would like. This is complimentary and included in your cruise.
My favorite ended up being the Quattro Formaggi. It was delicious! This pizza location is open from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 a.m., so if you need a super late night snack, this is the place to go!
After our snack, we went back to the room to nap and shower before dinner. It was about the time I was getting into the shower, when I was feeling SO FULL. We had eaten so much between tea and the pizza. I was dreading having to go to dinner!
Tonight’s main dining room dinner menu:
Lentil, Pumpkin and Chorizo Soup:
Chrissy ordered that. I didn’t order any appetizer tonight. I still was not super hungry at all.
Casarecce (short twisted pasta tossed in beef Bolognese, white wine, olive oil and parmesan bread crumbs)
Roasted Leg of Lamb (Dijon potatoes, skillet brussel sprouts, au jus)
Our table partner, Dana, ordered this. She liked it! We ended up loving our tablemate who was randomly assigned with us! We hung out after dinner sometimes and had a blast.
Grilled Chicken Breast (garlic & herbs, sauteed vegetables, buttered potatoes)
This was mine and I loved it! It might not look like much, but the flavor was wonderful and it was the perfect serving size.
Zuppa Inglese (cocoa trifle, orange custard). Funny story about this! None of us thought this sounded particularly good at all. The orange custard sounded gross, etc. etc. We told our waiter this and he said he would bring one to us anyway.
We ended up liking it!
Cheesecake (strawberry sauce)
Chrissy ordered this and liked it.
Fresh Tropical Fruit
I ordered the good old fruit! Fresh and good as always.
On this particular night, the Phillies were playing. Chrissy lives in Philly and wanted to catch some of the game. So she headed to the Heroes bar where it was playing. There were a lot of Philly fans on board! This is the hallway just outside of the bar.
The one activity we were looking forward to was Silent Nights, a silent disco! We have so much fun with these!
At a silent disco, everyone is given a pair of headphones. There are 3 music channels you can switch between. So what you are listening to, your friends may not be hearing. Everyone just sings and dances to their own song!
The party went from 9:30 p.m. until midnight! In the past, other silent discos I have gone to have been about an hour. This was nonstop for 2 and a half hours and it was a blast!
Carnival also offers Late Night Snacks on the buffet every night. I haven’t really seen this on any other ship either! Here’s the menu:
After our snack, we went to the Casino for a little it.
Posted at 10:35 am by taryngirl, on October 27, 2023
10/16/23
Day 3
Fun Times for the day:
We had a super late start this day! We decided to go to Sea Day Brunch again since it was an in between time. As a reminder, this was in the Canal Grande Restaurant. I also realllly wanted to try Tea Time at 3:00 p.m.
This time we tried the Skillet-Cake (whipped ricotta, guava preserve, marshmallow, maple butter). This was like a giant, thick pancake! It was good, but I really only ate a few bites because I was so full after eating my omelet.
My veggie omelet, with bacon and brunch potatoes. So good!
When we came out of brunch, we decided to check out Deck 5. I had heard great things about this deck and we hadn’t really had a chance to see it yet.
The first thing we saw was this beautiful bar! This is where they had karaoke every night. It’s also located near the Terraza Suites.
From there we just strolled down Deck 5 on the inside.
On the left here is Pixels Gallery, where you could access all of the photos you had taken around the ship.
This is the Gondola Lounge. Lotsssss of activities happened here throughout the week. Live music, games, trivia, etc.
From there, we went outside because I had heard about some great seating areas on the deck.
There’s also a quick service grill outside on this deck. Sadly I didn’t even get a chance to try it! It’s open on sea days.
We ended up stopping here and I did some work.
Back inside to another bar, Frizzante!
There are also some more upscale shops inside on Deck 5.
Another bar! Amari!
You can also peek down into the Casino from here.
There are a few premium, upcharge restaurants onboard. They are all located right here on Deck 5.
The Piano Bar is also on this deck.
This shopping area reminded me of a shopping mall!
In summary from this part of my day…there is no shortage of seating areas, bars, shopping, or places to eat! This ship is amazing, with so much to do, and the crew is one of the friendliest I have encountered.
I had to break this up into two parts because I have so many pictures and videos!
Posted at 7:32 pm by taryngirl, on October 25, 2023
10/15/23
Day 2
Fun Times for the day:
Today was a day at sea. We slept in and decided to try the Sea Day Brunch in the Canal Grande Restaurant. You can use the app to make a reservation, and then it will alert you when your table is ready. It does tell you how about how long until your table will be ready (10-20 minutes, 20-30 minutes, etc.) and then once it alerts you, you have 10 minutes to get to the restaurant. We made the reservation and then headed that direction. On the way, I took some pics of some shops.
In the Fun Times and on the app, you will see daily specials noted…2 for $30, up to 75% off, watch specials, etc. etc. There are two little stands on Deck 4 forward, one on each side of the ship, where they offer these deals. Each day is something different.
Also on Deck 4 forward, The Carnival Store with branded merchandise:
Deck 4 forward, Cherry on Top (a candy store):
From there we went through the Casino. You cannot walk from 3 forward, to 3 aft. It does not connect. So we went up one level to Deck 4 forward above our stateroom, and walked the length of Deck 4 to the aft. In order to do this, you have to go through the Casino.
The Casino was ALWAYS a happening place when it was open. It was almost impossible to get a machine sometimes! I also want to note that this is a smoking casino. And there was tons of smoke all the time. There is a small nonsmoking casino adjacent to this one if you are sensitive to smoke.
Also along the way, we passed by the Heroes Tribute Bar. This is the place where they showed the Phillies games. There was always a sporting event on the screen!
This hallway is also where the Art Gallery is located. Pieces of art line the walls in this corridor.
At 9:54 a.m., we still had a 10-20 minute wait.
Here you can see the crowd hovering, waiting for their tables.
At 10:15 a.m., our table was ready! Sea Day Brunch in included with the price of your cruise. There are a few upcharge items, including Fresh Pressed Specialty Juices, and a few Emeril’s Bistro Specialties. You can see prices next to those items in the menu.
We were seated at quite possibly the best table in the restaurant! It was right next to the window in the back of the ship. We had a GREAT view! For my beverages, I ordered the orange juice, and hot tea. You can order anything you want off of the menu, and as much as you want.
I also ordered white toast, the vegetable omelet, bacon and brunch potatoes.
This was all SO GOOD!
Chrissy got the eggs benedict, sausage, and hash browns.
She really liked the eggs benedict!
We both also ordered the banana cream pie, and this was AMAZING! It was SO GOOD! I loved the little extras they put on the plate.
This dining room also serves as one of the Main Dining Rooms. If you are assigned Your Time Dining, this is the restaurant where you will be eating. It’s gorgeous on the inside! Here are a few pics:
After brunch, we really wanted to check out some other decks. I really wanted to see the adult only area, Serenity! Serenity is located on Deck 15 aft.
There is tons of seating here, all different types…lounge chairs, couches, tables and chairs, umbrellas, etc.
It was cloudy and slightly cool with a few sprinkles. So not a great day to be sitting out! I completely forgot to come back here once the weather got better later on in the trip.
Next we went down to Deck 12. (Note…there is no Deck 13!)
On this deck you can find outdoor fitness machines, the jogging track, mini golf, The Warehouse (arcade), and the Waterworks (waterslide and water play area).
There are also several loungers on this deck. In the picture below you can see the retractable roof that is over top of the Lido Deck, Deck 10.
The Waterworks is a great area for smaller children. Children who are not potty trained may not go into the regular pools, so this is a good option for them.
The ropes course is just above us here.
Some of the outdoor fitness equipment:
After our little ship tour, I went back to change and head to the fitness center and Chrissy went to a comedy show and then the Casino. A short nap and shower, and then it was time to get ready for dinner. It was Elegant Night and also Masquerade Night!
Tonight’s menu in the main dining room:
I chose the Caesar Salad. It was your basic Caesar.
For my entree I ordered the Filleto Di Manzo (beef tenderloin, string beans, red wine sauce). This was absolutely delicious! Super tender and the taste was amazing.
It was also cooked perfectly medium for me.
For dessert, I had the Fresh Tropical Fruit. Nice and fresh!
During dinner, the wait staff sang a song for us and did some dancing. Chrissy got roped into dancing for THE ENTIRE SONG! Hahahaha! She kept trying to escape but he kept bringing her back. This waiter was not ours, but he was amazing! He was so positive and upbeat the entire time with his tables.
After dinner, we went to The Punchliner Comedy Club in the Limelight Lounge to see Will Marfori. This was R rated for 18+. He was HILARIOUS! He has Cerebral Palsy and was on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
After the comedy show, we just stayed for the club.
Posted at 6:45 pm by taryngirl, on October 24, 2023
10/14/23
Day 1
I was so excited to be asked to attend this FAM cruise on the Carnival Venezia for my travel agency! The Carnival Venezia is new to the Carnival family. It was previously owned by Costa, Carnival’s sister line. The ship is currently sailing from its homeport in NYC. I have so many clients that look for a cruise that sails from NYC so they don’t have to fly to a port prior to the cruise. I’ll be detailing my embarkation day, starting with my transportation to the port.
In researching my transportation options, and thanks to a Facebook group, I was able to find Trans-Bridge Lines. This bus travels roundtrip from the Lehigh Valley International Airport to the Manhattan Pier (which is Pier 88, and exactly where the Venezia is docked).
We arrived at the Lehigh Valley Airport at 8:50 a.m. They ask you to arrive 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. Our scheduled departure time was 9:25 a.m. The bus arrived at 9:10 a.m.
This was sent to me in the mail for parking purposes:
Roundtrip for an adult was $118.40, and for a senior it’s $64.20! Parking at the airport is free for the first 3 days, then $5 per day thereafter. To me, this was TOTALLY worth it. I did not want to drive into the city, and I did not want to pay to park in the city for 9 days. You can see the time schedule attached as well.
It’s important to note that the cruise line will provide luggage tags during online check in that must be printed out at home and attached to whatever baggage you want the porters to take at the port and get onto the ship for you. These are your checked bags.
When the bus arrived to pick us up, he loaded our luggage, and checked our names off of his list. NOTE! There are other buses that go from this location to other places. So make sure you look at the website closely when you are booking so you are booking the correct bus.
I usually only ever take a checked suitcase along with me on a cruise, besides my backpack. However, for this cruise, I decided to take a 12 pack of soda, a bottle of wine, and my fan, so that all went in a rolling carry-on suitcase! Whatever cruise line you are going on, be sure you check the policies for what beverages you can carry on, etc.
We left the airport at 9:25 a.m., right on time. We were due to arrive at the Manhattan Pier at 12:10 p.m. We did not stop at the Clinton stop for some reason, there was no traffic prior to entering the city at all, and we were in Manhattan by 11:05 a.m.! It rained the entire drive, and it was still raining when we arrived. During my online check in, I selected 12:00-12:30 p.m. time slot for getting onto the ship. I didn’t know what this meant for us when we got to the terminal.
There was a lottttttt of traffic IN the actual city. There was some kind of marathon going on near the piers, and Comic Con was going on at Javits. We arrived at Pier 88 at 11:40 a.m. After our bus pulled into a spot, one of the porters (maybe a head porter if there is such a thing???) got onboard before we got off and proceeded to shout instructions to us. They were already getting the luggage out of the bottom of the bus while he was talking. Basically, any of the pieces of luggage that had the luggage tag attached to them, were automatically put on a cart to go directly to the ship. Anything that didn’t have a tag on it was put in a separate area. He reminded us to make sure we had our boarding pass and identification (passport, driver’s license), and that they were not in any checked luggage. He also mentioned tips, saying that they are separate from the bus driver, and they appreciate tips as well.
Once inside the terminal, it took us about 30 minutes until we were entering the ship. There were so many staff members working, and they were all friendly and helpful. There were different lines for everything…security, check-in desk, boarding, and everyone was great at directing.
The chaos just entering the ship on Deck 3, Piazza San Marco:
Once on the ship, we went directly to the elevators. I was happy to see a “Lunch Express” elevator that went directly to Deck 5 or 10 only. Embarkation day is always crazy. Many people have luggage with them, and cabins are not ready until later in the afternoon, so it feels extra busy and crowded. In this express elevator, they had a staff member controlling it. I don’t recall ever seeing this on any other cruise I have been on, but it was nice!
It took foreverrrrrr for us to find a seat. We walked all over the buffet area. Most people find a table and camp out there until the rooms are ready at 1:30 p.m., even though these signs are on the tables:
There were many good choices on the Italian themed buffet. (Each day would be a different theme.) We didn’t know at this point that there were actually 4 different buffet lines. And we also didn’t know that the lines served different food (2 served one menu, and the other 2 served a different menu). One thing I can tell you with absolute certainty is that the desserts at the buffet were AMAZING! SO GOOD. And several different choices. It was so crowded, I was not able to get any videos on this day of the buffet! I was lucky to get a pic of this menu!
All of this was very good!
The staterooms were ready at this point, so we went to our muster station first on the way. The muster drill is very different now from pre-Covid times. You just have to go before sailaway and check in, and then watch a short demonstration. He basically taught us how to put on the life jackets, and what sounds to listen for.
We were in stateroom 3207, an Ocean View. We didn’t get to choose our stateroom, it was assigned to us, as we were part of a travel agent group.
This is what the hallway looks like. Luggage that was checked with the porters prior to entering the ship was being delivered. It’s put in the hallway just outside of your stateroom.
Our Sail & Sign cards were in an envelope in the mailbox on our door. These function as the stateroom key, and is the cashless on board program for all money transactions. Anything extra that you purchase on the ship can be charged with this card and go on your shipboard account. This is paid then with the credit card that you put on file during online check in.
Here is a video tour of our stateroom:
Things I LOVED about this cabin!
Location—It was on the same deck as the main dining room and the atrium bar. It was just one deck down from the theater and the casino. It was close to the elevators.On port days and debarkation, we were very close to the exit deck, which ranged from deck 0-3.
Split bathroom—One bathroom had a large sink, a stand up shower and a toilet, while the other had a shower/tub combo and a small sink.
It was spacious! I never felt cramped. The sofa was a good size.
Storage—There were two closets, as well as drawers and lots of shelves within the bathrooms.
We had preordered bottled water and beer. We did this on the app, and it was in our room upon arrival. I ordered two 12 packs of water ($19.90), and a 4 pack of Miller Lite ($24.00). I had looked at pricing ahead of time and this was cheaper than ordering it once onboard from the bar. Since we had a beverage cooler, I liked this option. I like to have bottled water on port days and in the stateroom. Water is available at the buffet and on deck 10 but it’s not bottled.
Each day, you are given a copy of Fun Times, which lists all of the activities going on on the ship for the day. There’s information about dining, shows, music, etc. This is all available on the app as well.
We took a little nap before heading out. We wanted to go up to deck 10, the Lido deck, for the Sail Away Party. On the way, I had to take this pic of the lobby! SO festive for Halloween.
The Sail Away Party was next to the pool area on the deck, however the roof was not open because of the weather. It was raining and cool. We had the privilege of having DJ Cue! He is actually my favorite DJ I’ve ever had on a cruise! He played such a variety and some 90s oldies that I love. We also got to meet the cruise director at this time.
We had late dinner (7:45 p.m.), so we were able to go outside and wait to pass the Statue of Liberty. It was raining, and gloomy and gray. We started moving at 5:20 p.m. and were passing the Statue of Liberty at 5:55 p.m.
We were actually starving around 6:00 p.m. We had such an early start in the morning. We stopped at the deli for a bite to eat. The deli is located by the buffet on deck 10.
My friend Chrissy got the BLT and fries. (She got this almost every day after as well!). They put SO MUCH BACON on these sandwiches! She thoroughly enjoyed this.
I got a hot dog and fries. The hot dog was eh, and I only ate a few bites. But the fries were good!
After our snack, we went back to the room to unpack some more and get ready for dinner. While we were in the cabin, our stateroom attendant, Suazo stopped by to introduce himself and drop off our excursion tickets for later in the week. I asked him for some more hangers and he gladly brought me some.
We went to dinner right on time and were led to our table. There is always a long line on the first night until you know where your table will be located.
Tonight’s menu:
The menu can be accessed with a QR code, or within the app, or you can ask for a paper menu.
Dinner started with some bread. This had cranberrries in it and I didn’t love it.
We met our wait staff…I Made, Edi, and I don’t even know the other one’s name! He was the bread/beverage guy, and he didn’t really have a personality or talk to us. When I Made came to take our order, he told us to give our entire order at once. They take the orders on a phone type device now and it has our picture there. It also shows up in the app under our account as to what we ordered every night for dinner!
I started off with the Mixed Greens (tomato, cucumber, red onions, carrots, balsamic dressing), and it was really good. I figured I better fit in as many vegetables as I could this week!
I also got the Pappa Al Pomodoro (tomato soup with Tuscan bread). This was good! But there was no bread with it??
For my main course, I ordered Pollo Arrosto Con Salsiccia (half-roasted chicken with sausage, herb-sauteed potatoes, broccoli). This was DELICIOUS! It had such good flavor.
For dessert, I ordered the Carnival Chocolate Melting Cake. It was yummy! It’s served HOT!
Chrissy got the Tiramisu (mascarpone, espresso, savoiardi biscuit). She liked this!
I also wanted to note that this ship’s motto is “Fun Italian Style.” And on each menu for dinner, the Italian dishes were noted with an Italian flag next to the dish.
After dinner, we went to the Welcome Aboard show in the theater. The cruise director was hosting. He told us there were 4,123 passengers on board, and 380 of those were children under the age of 18. We also got a small glimpse of the performers for the week while they put on a little show for us.
That’s a wrap for Day 1! It was a long day, and we were tired.