Jason’s biggest fear about crusing was being stuck on a ship with thousands of people and it being overcrowded with not enough to do.  Well, needless to say… he was wrong!  You just cannot appreciate the shear size of a cruise ship until you step onboard.  It is comparable to a floating hotel, or better yet, a floating resort as it includes a casino, multiple pools, slides, kids clubs, night clubs, etc.  And let’s not forget the unlimited food selection.  And bars… did we mention the bars?

Another concern is feeling the ship’s motion.  Ships nowadays have massive stabilizers.  You often do not realize you are moving.  Have we felt the ship moving before?  Yes. But only during storms or really windy conditions and it didn’t bother us in the least.  You can actually get a really good night’s rest as the ship rocks you to sleep.

Gratuity 

On our first cruise, I paid the cruise fare and port taxes & fees for my family of five and got onboarc.  I linked a credit card for incidental spending and brought cash for spending in port.  But little did I know that ‘gratuties’ would be automatically added at the end of the cruise.  I truly had no idea and had not planned for this expense.  Luckily I had the money, but I could see this being a real problem for some on a tight budget.

Not only the overall gratuities that go to your stateroom steward and dining room wait staff, but Jason didn’t realized they were automatically adding a gratuity at the bar every time he ordered a drink!  Those bartenders were well tipped on that cruise as he added extra each time.

You can book excursions outside the cruise line

We had no idea what we wanted to do in port during our first cruise, which was a five-day itinerary to Progresso and Cozumel, Mexico.  So we went to the port excursions talk held in the theater on the first sea day and picked out what we wanted to do in Cozumel.  We didn’t see anything that interested us in Progresso so we were told we could explore on our own so we decided to give it a try.

I am very happy with the excursion we chose which was a sail & snorkel on a Fury catamaran and then a beach visit.  But I didn’t know that you could book excursions outside the cruise line.  Since then, I book some on my own and some through the cruise line depending on what we are wanting to do.

Also you don’t have to do an excursion in each port

Also, we didn’t know before boarding that we could explore on our own.  We really enjoyed just wandering the little town of Progresso, taking in the local culture, getting some yummy food, and taking a walk on the beach.  This is also where we encountered the ‘red tequila’, more on that later…

Order what you want!

Did you know that you could order more than one appetizer or more than one entrée or more than one dessert on a cruise?  We didn’t!  We had heard a rumor that this was true but didn’t really believe it.  I don’t think we ever did this on our first cruise.  But we sure do now!  Especially on elegant/formal night on Carnival, it is a must for Jason to get both the prime rib AND the lobster!  And for me, the crème brulee is only offered on this night… and it is really hard to choose between that and the chocolate melting cake… so sometimes I get both!

Sometime the rate can be adjusted 

With most cruise lines, if you book early then your cruise fare rate is adjustable!  Didn’t know this and paid for our first cruise and then never checked the cost again.  Now I know to check the rates!  If they go down, you can get your rate reduced.  Or you could possibly upgrade to a higher category for little or no additional cost.

And keep checking after you are paid in full.  You might just be able to get the difference in an onboard credit!

There are specials on the first day

Going on a spa tour on embarkation day is fun!  We didn’t discover this until we had many cruises under our belts.  You may be chosen for a free mini-treatment as part of a demonstration or you may be offered discounts.  And be sure to grab a raffle ticket and come back for the drawing.  We have never won ourselves, but we have seen many a very happy person win free spa treatments!!

Also, sometimes you can score a free bottle of wine for dining in a specialty restaurant on the first night.  For instance, on Carnival, dine in the steakhouse and this is a bonus treat!

Don’t miss the shows!

Cruise shows are spectacular!  We just didn’t go on our first cruise as we spend most of the time by the pool.  And on one cruise we missed them because we had late dining and the late show didn’t start until 10:30 and that was just too late for us. 

But once we discovered how much we enjoy this live entertainment, we never miss them!  We now choose early dining or anytime dining so our schedules work for the shows.  And if one is held at an odd time, we will choose to eat at the buffet or deli or pizza that night so we don’t miss it.

Did I happen to mention that we love the shows???  And I am mainly talking about the Broadway style shows in the theater, but don’t forget about the comedy or magic or variety shows… they have all been fantastic!

Don’t overpack!

We brought waaaaaay too many clothes on our first cruise!  Five big suitcases for five people on a five-day cruise… all sharing one cabin.  Yeah, we were so cramped for space!  PS – we never stayed five in one cabin again!  But that is a different story…  We brought multiple outfits for each day because we thought we needed one for during the day and one for at night and then special formal clothes and swimsuits, etc… 

Needless to say, we brought home a LOT of clean clothes.  And shoes!  Way too many shoes were packed.  No, you do not need a matching pair of shoes for every outfit!  No… you…. Don’t!  I have created a few packing videos to help others not make the same mistake that I have made!  Here is one:

You cell phone may night have the correct time!

We were in Cozumel having just gotten back from our oh-so-fun day of snorkeling and playing on the big jumpers at the beach and it was time to do some shopping!  So we wandered around the port going in and out of the shops.  Took our picture by the surfboards at Ron Jon’s Surf Shop.  Got a drink and some tacos at Three Amigos and thought we still had a couple of hours before needing to be back onboard.

Yep, the time was wrong on my cell phone and that is what we were going by.  Luckily we were close to the ship and when we saw everyone pouring through the gates to get back on we were smart enough to ask the time and find out we were wrong!

Moral of this story… wear a real watch and set it to ship time!!

How incredible a cruise vacation is, so much different than land

Wow, we had no idea how much we would love a cruise!  Before this, we had driven to a destination. Stayed in a hotel.  Maybe went to a theme park.  Ate at restaurants. ETC… Each with their own planning and individual price tag. 

I love that you plan the cruise and, well, that can be it.  Once onboard, you have options but choosing to eat a burger or tacos poolside is not really a hard decision to make.  Am I right?  The itinerary is laid out for you.   You can explore multiple ports in multiple countries all in the same trip.  It is simply amazing.  The one thing we regret is not starting to cruise sooner!!!

Bonus… don’t drink the red tequila in Mexico 

Funny story, well not funny at the time, but we can look back now and laugh.  Remember how we were strolling along the beach in Progresso and taking in the culture.  Well, Jason and his brother thought that a little tequila would be a ‘cultural’ experience! So there was a restaurant on the beach serving food and drinks so we stopped.  We grabbed a table with an umbrella and some nearby loungers. 

The waiter comes over an offers us ‘free tequila shots’…  When we saw the liquid in the bottle was red, that should have been a clue to say no… tequila is NOT red!!!  But not them!  They opened up wide and the ‘red tequila’ was poured straight into their mouths!  Oh yeah, this is fun huh?

Not so fun the next day when Jason is sick!  And I mean SICK!  He got ‘sick’ while snorkeling in Cozumel and then ended up laying on a beach bed the rest of the day and missed our fun adventure.  Nothing in life is free… don’t drink the red tequila! 

Want More?

Want to see the video version? Here you go!

I hope you find these tips helpful!  Be sure to check out our other posts for: what to do before your cruise; extras to pack; what to do after boarding; food & drinks; ports & excursions; shopping onboard & in portand activities not to miss on a Carnival cruise.

If you want all 101 Cruise Tips, click here:

Want more cruising posts?  Here is our full list.

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,

Alisa

EECC Travels

The post 10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known Before Our First Cruise appeared first on EECC Travels.

Sea days seem the perfect time to enjoy the waterslides and water play area… right? Well, that is what everyone thinks! So they are packed and the lines for the slides can be incredibly long. We made an executive decision for our family that we would choose one port day each cruise to not have an excursion planned. We get off the ship at our leisure and enjoy a few hours in the port and then get back on before everyone else does to enjoy lunch on a near empty ship and hit the waterslides!

This has worked out perfectly for our family as we get to go on the slides over and over… and over again. We actually have to catch our breath sometimes in between slides… Have you ever counted how many steps you have to climb to get to the top??? Here’s a hint… it’s A LOT!!! On earlier cruises, we maybe were able to slide once or twice and then gave up because we were tired of waiting in the lines. But now, we slide until our heart’s content or until we are just too tired of climbing the stairs.

Waterworks on the Carnival Dream

The Carnival Dream is part of the Dream class of ships which also includes the Magic and the Breeze. These ships all have a fantastic water park including multiple slides and other fun features. There are two big slides on each of these ships. The Twister is an enclosed tube slide which is very long and has many twists and turns. The Drain Pipe is an enclosed tube slide also but is much shorter and shoots you out at an incredible speed into a huge bowl. Both are super fun!!! On the Dream, they are both yellow and dark blue in color, but these colors vary by ship as well. What is really cool going down the slide is that the yellow areas are dark and the blue areas are light… when you are going through at a fast pace you will be in darkness, then light, then darkness, then light all the way down.

The other slides and water park features will vary by ship. The Dream has two sets of racing slides, one for big kids and one for the wee little ones. It was fun watching my big kids (all teenagers) try to race on the little racer slide. Don’t worry, the area was empty so they were not displacing any little ones. Me and my husband even gave it a try.

The water play area has a bright blue bottom which is cool on the feet and has an inch or two of water all around. There is also water squirting from pipes all over the park and even fountains shooting up from the ground. You WILL get wet just walking through here!

All around the water park is comfortable plastic seating and large umbrellas for shade. So if you just need a break from playing or if you are parents keeping an eye on your kids, there is a perfect spot to rest.

Follow the Rules…

A few of the rules for the big slides are:
1. One person at a time – and this is strictly enforced as one employee is at the top of the slides and waits for a cue from the employee at the bottom to give the all-clear before another rider can go
2. No children under 42”
3. Do not block the end of the slide – so get off and out of the way when you are finished so the next person can slide
4. Must go feet first – though I must say this one is not strictly enforced…
5. Wait for the signal from the attendant before sliding

Super secret benefit of slides on a port day…

Well, it’s really not that secret but is something we really enjoy… The entrance to the slide is the highest point on the ship and OH MY GOSH THE VIEW!!! You can see a great distance from up here and are able to view the island/port in great detail from this vantage point. So be sure to bring your camera (preferably waterproof) when you make your trek up to the top of the slides to capture this view forever!

What about the pools???

Well, they are pretty empty too! When we get our fill of the water slides, we grab a bite to eat – because we have worked up quite an appetite climbing all of those stairs – and hit the pool on Lido. Luckily you have two fantastic options for Guy’s Burgers or Blue Iguana Cantina. And guess what? The lines are non-existent for these too!

So you want to take those fun underwater shots of your kids without a thousand people in the pool? Or do you want a soak with your hubby without a bunch of kids doing cannonballs? Now is the time to do it! We did both!!! There were literally a handful of people in there with us. I have NEVER seen the Lido pool so empty before!

Don’t forget your sunscreen!!!

If a picture says a thousand words, then a video says a million!  Here is the video from our experience:

Want to see more from this cruise?  Here is the full Carnival Dream Playlist.

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,

Alisa 

EECC Travels

The post Cruise Tip: How To Enjoy an Empty Carnival WaterWorks!!! appeared first on EECC Travels.

We love dinner time!

After spending the day in Belize we were starving and ready for dinner time!  One thing I like that Carnival does with their dinner menu is that there is a section labeled ‘Port of Call’ which will feature specialties from the port you visited for the day. For Belize, this was Belizian Fry Jacks for an appetizer and Chili Rellenos as a main with a Grand Sunset cocktail.  I decided to branch out of my comfort zone and try the fry jacks… unfortunately, they were not my favorite… Basically just fried dough with a spicy dipping sauce.  But I give Carnival an A for effort in bringing the local culture onto the cruise ship. 

Another interesting menu area is the ‘Rare Finds’ which used to be called the Didja as in ‘didja ever try this before?’  These are menu oddities that the teenage boys in our group always enjoy trying.  Tonight was the Ox Tongue which was determined to taste like roast beef so I would be ok eating that. 

We love dinner time as we all get to sit down and relax with dinner served at a slow pace.  We may have split up during the day but all come together to talk about our experiences.  The full meal can take up to two hours, but that is all part of it.  In your normal life, you go into a restaurant, maybe order an appetizer and then your meal.  And the servers get you in and out.   On a cruise, you sit back and enjoy the meal being brought to you in courses… Bread service, appetizers, main dishes, and desserts.  I promise you will never leave hungry!

Tonight the table is covered with fried chicken, beef tenderloin, linguine with Italian sausage, swordfish, ribs… basically, if it was on the menu then someone in our large group ordered it.  All of it was so good! 

It’s shhhhoowwwwwwtime!

And for some light entertainment… it’s shhhhoowwwwwtime!  We had the BEST wait staff and they pulled us up into the show when it was time to dance.  Tonight the featured song was ‘Happy’ and Jason and the kids all learned the special dance while I made sure to record all of the memories. 

Where is the best bar on a Carnival ship???  Hands down it is the Alchemy Bar!  After dinner, we made a stop to visit our favorite bartenders and Ufuk decided I needed a special drink.  After determining that I am a chocolate lover, he whips up the ‘Deal Closer’ which is a chocolate martini.  But this is not just a drink… he wrote my name on the inside of the glass in chocolate syrup and shaved dark chocolate on top.  One word… YUM!

The most fantastic 80’s show ever!

Last year on the Carnival Freedom was the first time we had ever been blown away by a show on a cruise ship.  So we were pleasantly surprised to learn the same show was on the Dream.  We made sure to get to the theater very early so when the door opened we made a beeline to the front row center.  We were both born at the end of the 70’s so our childhoods were made from this music.  Needless to say, we know most of the words and are ready to sing along!   Jason gives this show on a scale from 1-10… a 12!

They start out with a pre-show where the performers come out with hair teased as big as it will go.  The crew ‘plugin’ their camera to the big screen and point out members of the audience to interact with and make them larger than life for everyone to see.  This is always fun and gets the crowd excited for what is to come. 

I mentioned the big screen before, but once the show starts it is an integral part.  For those of us who remember the birth of MTV (yes back when they actually played music videos), Max Headroom was the face of this movement and is how this show is started.  The first official song of the show is ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ where we meet the performers as they rise in front of us from under the stage.  Another really cool effect they use is treadmills to allow them to run in place.  I guess it is something you have to see but is very visually appealing.

Girls just wanna have fun! 

Well of course they do!  Big hair, big poufy skirts, and leg warmers… Yep, it’s definitely the 80’s!  Wow, so many songs from our childhoods!  Wake me up before you go, go!  And be sure to hit that high note!  Here the stage goes dark but is lit with almost a black light.  All of the performer’s costumes glow under the light and the background screens dance wildly and then the bright colors return in a flash.

‘Take on Me’…  This is the one that blew us away last year.  You have to remember the music video that moves between real life and comic with the characters reaching back and forth…. Yes, they were able to duplicate this to perfection!  The screens rotate back and forth as the scene changes and they open to reveal the performers behind.

And now for the silly stuff

You have to have a part of the show that just makes you laugh and they achieved this with Van Halen’s ‘Jump’.  This was hilarious between the singing back to back and the over exaggerated use of the microphone stand to literally jumping when they said ‘Jump’.  I had a huge smile on my face the whole time. 

There were several small montages of songs grouped together.  But my favorite was the ‘One Hit Wonders’ with songs like ‘Relax’, ‘Supersonic’, ‘Tainted Love’ and of course Devo with the traffic cone looking things on their heads singing ‘Whip It’! 

The only part of the show that verged away from family-friendly was, well, Madonna.  But let’s be honest, Madonna was not family friendly.  They did a good job of making it sexy without being too risqué. 

The Jacksons

What would any 80’s show be without the Jacksons??? Each cast takes this show and makes it their own so the Janet Jackson part was completely new to us.  They did a fabulous job with the costuming and songs of ‘Rhythm Nation’, it felt very authentic to the original music video.  This song ends with the performers being lowered into the stage, very dramatic.

But the show stealer would have to be Michael Jackson!  As the cast is brought down into the depths after ‘Rhythm Nation’, the screens light up with the shiny black shoes and high-water pants that we know and love.  One of Michael’s songs would not be enough so we start with ‘PYT’ (Pretty Young Thing) as he rises from the stage donning a black suit, fedora, and sparkly white glove.  And yes, he goes straight into a perfect moonwalk!  He does a great job of pulling off the iconic MJ.

Next up is a duet singing of ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ but the show stopper is ‘Smooth Criminal’!!!  The entire cast is dressed in old gangster style and they nail the leaning in and out that is so iconic with this song.  We are not sure if Annie is ok?  But we know we have been hit by a smooth criminal! Then boom, the finale, the lights go dark and the gangsters sink away into the stage.  GREAT SHOW!!! 

The party continues in the lobby…

Chris ‘the Flying Scotsman’ directs to head out to the lobby for the Michael Jackson Showdown.  We had attended the Motown Showdown earlier in the cruise so knew it would be a lot of fun… out we went!  

We grabbed a prime spot and Chris comes out wearing a sparkly black jacket…  you’ve gotta love a man who is confident enough to wear this!  The crowd is split into two sides for the competition… Team Michael and Team Janet.  It was a battle of the sexes, men vs women.

The first song plays and we are trying to determine which side can dance the best.  These things really bring out the fun and it was a blast watching people let loose! This one went to Team Janet…  Of course, there has to be some Jackson Five included and everyone knows the words to ‘I Want You Back’ and sings along as loud as they can!  This one goes to Team Michael!

My childhood comes flooding back!

The songs keep rocking on covering the entire span of MJ’s career and it was so much fun watching our fantastic cruise director as we were singing and dancing along.  Let’s see how many of the song lyrics are still stuck in my head and how many I have no clue what they are??  When everyone knows a song and hundreds of people are singing along together… it’s pretty amazing!

On Chris’ favorite song, he makes us repeat a vow that “I will sing my face off as loud as I can, hallelujah!” So, of course, we follow suit and sing loud and proud to ‘Who’s Lovin’ You’.  Chris surprises us as he goes down on his knees to belt out this song to a lovely lady in the audience. 

The highlights of the night were seeing everyone moonwalk in unison to ‘PYT’ and the famous ‘lean’ during ‘Smooth Criminal’!  I cannot express enough how much fun this was.  These showdowns are hands down the most fun we have ever had on a cruise ship and is something we will never forget!

Some things you just need to see… so here are the videos!  Happy Dinner & Special Drinks (part 1); The Most Awesome 80’s Show Ever (part 2) and Michael Jackson Showdown (part 3)

Want to see more from this trip?  Here is the full playlist.

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,
Alisa
EECC Travels

The post CRUISE LIFE: Dinner & an 80’s Show… Yes Please! – Carnival Dream appeared first on EECC Travels.

Getting to know the suspects

Prior to the show presentation, the six suspects wander the theater interacting with guests. Mrs. White dressed in full maid costume was going around dusting everyone… by the way, Mrs. White was played by a man which ended up being hilarious. Colonel Mustard kept playing with his mustache and pulling up his pants, which were forever falling down. Mr. Green was very friendly and sat down and carried on a long conversation with several kids near us with his feet propped up on the stage. Professor Plum walked around with his hands in his pockets, eyes wandering the room, looking very mysterious. Ms. Scarlett flounced around flirting with everyone. And Mrs. Peacock was bossing everyone around. We had a fun interaction with Mrs. White, who was Mr. Boddy’s cabin steward who came with his, I mean her, feather duster to clean my camera.

Mr. Boddy is murdered

The lights go dark and a screen lights up where we see Mr. Boddy stumbling around the cruise ship and he appears to be injured… He slumps on a railing and the screen goes to black. The next thing we see is him dead on the floor being dragged off camera! Then all that remains is a chalk outline… The captain comes on the screen and asks us all for his help solving this heinous crime. The six suspects are standing on stage, each with a weapon in their hand, looking very guilty. Once the rules are explained by the captain, Mr. Boddy walks out onstage, takes a pose and promptly falls over dead. We had a great view of his death as we were in the front row!

This show was delivered in a very humorous way by Officer Billy Ocean aka the cruise director, Chris the Flying Scotsman. He is all decked out in sailing whites, hat and all and speaking in a strong accent reminiscent of Sean Connery. He tells us that Mr. Boddy was on the cruise ship because he always wanted to be a cruise ship’s captain and was a world class sailor. He was learning the ropes from the team who were all now suspects. “He was loved by many but hated by a few.”

Now for the details…

• Mr. Boddy was last seen leaving the nightclub at 11:00 pm and his body was found at midnight giving us our murder time frame.
• Ms. Scarlett swears she didn’t do it! She worked with Mr. Boddy as a member of his crew for the last three years. She was promised that when he became a captain, she would be his first mate. But instead, he fired her… She followed him on this cruise so she could let him have it. She is an expert in knot tying and has a rope in her hand. She was alone on the Lido deck at the time of the murder.
• Mr. Green is the financial officer on board and he is passionate about the color green…. Especially money. He even organizes crew only ‘special’ bingo games. Mr. Boddy came to one of these games and lost a lot of money… so he sold Mr. Green out to the captain and these games were no more. He was ruined! He is also passionate about conservation and held all of his bingo sessions by candlelight. He was on stage with the candlestick. Mr. Green was in the library at the time of the murder.
• Professor Plum is an educated scholar and gentleman so could not have committed this simple crime. Mr. Boddy borrowed his laptop and deleted a training video he had created to be used by the entire Carnival fleet… but he does not hold grudges. He insists that he can fix things and a wrench was found on his desk the night of the murder. He was in the training center at the time of the murder.
• Colonel Mustard is the security officer on board and it was his first time ever on a ship. He takes his job very seriously… he takes everything very seriously. Mr. Boddy wanted to change all of the protocols he had put in place when he became captain! Being the head of security he had access to a revolver which was found to be missing the night of the murder. He was in the security office at the time of the murder.
• Mrs. White is Mr. Boddy’s cabin steward. She said he was very dirty and one night she found documents and plans to get rid of the warm chocolate melting cake removed from the dining room. When he found her, he threatened to fire her… which was not a very good idea as ‘no one threatens me’ and she loves the chocolate melting cake. She is the only one with access to his room and when it was searched a pipe was found missing from the sink. She/he was on Promenade deck at the time of the murder.
• Mrs. Peacock is very English and she lives a fabulous life because she lives in a suite on cruise ships! Her husband was the original designer of Carnival cruise ships so he made sure she always had the best cabin no matter which ship she decided to sail on. Well, that is until Mr. Boddy came along… he said she did not deserve it and convicted Carnival to remove her privileges. She collects expensive knives and had just bought one that day in Cozumel which was found missing the night of the murder. She was alone in her cabin at the time of the murder.

Murder plus comedy???

This was delivered making everyone laugh. No one could understand Officer Ocean when he said ‘murdered’ because his accent was so thick. Each of the suspects interacts with the body and moves and poses him… and even takes selfies with him! Mrs. White was hilarious as she told Jason he was very dirty indeed and proceeded to dust the body is a position where his/her open skirt was directly above Mr. Boddy’s head… It was great fun and I was looking forward to getting the clues and solving the murder of Mr. Boddy!

Official info from Carnival:

“You know the story — Mr. Boddy has been murdered and it’s up to you to figure out whodunit. Classic CLUE… except this time there’s a seafaring twist: the gameboard is your ship and the suspects have come to life. Yikes! Fortunately, you and your fellow cruisers — along with the good Officer Ocean — are all on the case. Grab your free CLUE Case File to get started. That’s how it starts, but the story unfolds as you cruise — visit scheduled events around the ship to collect clues. So… who (do you think) dunit? Was it Professor Plum in the Library with the wrench? Colonel Mustard on Lido Deck with the candlestick? Miss Scarlet on the Promenade with the wrench? Your ship’s captain is offering a unique reward for the answer, so crack the case (you know… who, what and where) and you’re in the running for the big prize. Game on, sleuths!”

Want to see this story come to life?  Here is the video: Carnival Dream Day 3: Part 5

Want to see more from this trip?  Here is the full Carnival Dream Playlist. 

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,
Alisa
EECC Travels

The post CRUISE LIFE: CLUE: Murder Mystery on Carnival Dream appeared first on EECC Travels.

The BEST burger in the world!

My snack of choice was a juicy burger from Guy’s Burger Joint. I am not kidding when I say that this is one of the BEST burgers anywhere. They are smashed on the flat top grill and a blob of cheddar cheese is added which somehow melts perfectly over the patty. The cooks also add butter to the buns and place them on the same grill which makes the bun soft and locks in the flavor from the juices in the meat. Are you getting hungry??? I am not finished yet… The fries. These are double fried French fries. They fry them and pull them out to partially cool and then fry them a second time before adding the seasoning. These are so good that sometimes we will just go get a plate of fries to snack on! Once you have burger and fries in hand, you head over to the toppings bar. What is special about this is how thin everything is sliced. Shaved lettuce, thinly sliced tomatoes, and paper them pickles plus onions (grilled or raw), mushrooms, etc. To top it off you can go with the basic mayo, mustard or ketchup of you could try one of Guy’s signature sauces. Our favorite is the donkey sauce.

Uh oh, a storm is coming…

As the sky became darker, we decided to move under shelter. You know a storm is coming when they pull up all of the shade umbrellas around the pool. One deck up are some nice and comfy outdoor sofas and there was actually one available… We are not usually lucky enough to snag one of these since they are so comfortable that people do not usually leave them! This is the perfect spot to people watch or see a Dive-In Movie. I laid back and rested my head on the armrest and placed my feet in Jason’s lap… Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. Now Jason decides to do something he had not done in years… he smoked a cigar. This super comfy seating just happened to be in one of the smoking areas on board and he had procured himself a ‘Cuban’ cigar in Cozumel so he figured why not. He thoroughly enjoyed it but promised not to make it a habit.

We were too relaxed to move for a while and decided to forgo the dining room. Since we had just had a burger, we weren’t hungry enough to eat again anyway. We determined that we could eat at the deli after the two shows we planned on seeing that evening.

Still in a relaxed mode, we moved indoors to the lobby as we awaited the theater to open. Here they had a very talented guy playing the steel pans and we stayed and listened to him for quite a while… cold drink in hand.

The funniest show I have EVER seen!

As the time for the first show to begin, we worked our way to the front among everyone playing bingo. Once the bingo game was over we were able to snag the front row, which we absolutely love! This guy was amazing!!! His name was Rich Pupera and he had us laughing the entire time! This was billed as a comedy/magic show so we were not sure what to expect. He played this perfect… until the kids who were his assistants messed up his ‘trick’ cards which got a huge laugh from the audience. There was a lot of audience interaction and being in the front our family was included. We had three teenage boys with us and he singled them out and began to pick on them for being from Louisiana, but they loved it! My nephew, Hayden, was chosen in a trick as well and he absolutely loved the attention. I really can’t even begin to describe how amazing this show was… but luckily my camera was running and I have all of the jokes and tricks and laughs saved forever!

Want to see this story come to life and the amazing comedy/magic show?  Here is the video: Carnival Dream Day 3: Part 4

Want to see more from this trip?  Here is the full Carnival Dream Playlist. 

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Thanks,
Alisa
EECC Travels

The post CRUISE LIFE: Relaxing Poolside & Fantastic Comedy/Magic Show on Carnival Dream appeared first on EECC Travels.

A bonus benefit to getting up this early…

Another first for me was to be the first one at the breakfast buffet. By mid-morning, the buffet can look trashed as hundreds of people get their breakfast, but it was fresh and pretty at 6:00 am when it first opens. So I proceed to fill my plate with carbs consisting of French toast, hash browns, and croissants.  PS – Carnival has the BEST French toast! However, I did manage to put one piece of fruit on my plate as well! I grabbed a cup of juice while Jason and Ethan had coffee and we easily found a seat by the window in the near-empty Lido dining room.

Watching the ship pull into Cozumel…

My guys watching the ship pull into port

A little over an hour from our last progress check, the ship had sailed much closer to land. We are excited to see that we are the first ship into port for the day as we are used to arriving when the port is full of ships and also full of people. Because we had such an early, laid-back morning, we were able to stand by the railing and enjoy ourselves seeing first hand how such a gigantic ship can maneuver close to the pier. The Dream has huge engines with thrusters that can turn 360 degrees so can move the ship in all directions to get in and out of small spaces. Did I mention the sunrise? Well, let me tell you, this must be one of the most beautiful sunrises we have ever seen. The sun shining brightly on the horizon in a picturesque blue sky which is shimmering on the perfect turquoise water with an island paradise…. Yeah, it was pretty amazing!

Interesting about Cozumel…

From high on the top of a cruise ship, you can really see the landscape of this island. Cozumel relies heavily on the tourism industry and you can see the areas where the tourists go and that a portion of the island is uninhabited. From this distance, you can see vast expanses of untouched jungle and shoreline. The west side facing the Yucatan Channel and Mexican mainland coast are where the locals live.  The east side is where the ports and resorts are. It is the center of the island which is filled with undeveloped jungle and has no electricity. On one trip we rented a Jeep and explored the island, it truly is beautiful.

We make our way down to deck 0, off of the Carnival Dream and walk down the long pier into the port. We were still the only ship here… This has never happened before as it is usually brimming with people. I must say that it was very nice to be able to walk and enjoy the sights with much, much lower crowds. We quickly find the meeting spot for our excursion and see the first glimpse of the speedboats that will take us on a wild adventure for the day…

Want to see the story come to life?  Here is the video: Carnival Dream Day 3: Part 1

Want to see more from this trip?  Here is the full Carnival Dream Playlist. 

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,
Alisa
EECC Travels

The post CRUISE LIFE: Arriving in Cozumel – Carnival Dream appeared first on EECC Travels.

One of my favorite things to do on a cruise, other than eating, is to watch the great shows in the theater!  Tonight is the Motor City show which features music from Motown!  The pre-show can be a ton of fun too!  The four male performers were dressed like bellhops and were walking around the theater interacting with the passengers and making everyone laugh.  Then they picked a few guys from the audience and taught them to dance… well, Motown style sort of… They were given a Diana Ross & the Supremes makeover with wigs and had us all cracking up and they learned how to stop-in-the-name-of-love and shoop-shoop up on stage!

The show begins with a Heat Wave… literally the song, which was a great way to start.  Followed by a ‘Do You Love Me’ and ‘Come See About Me’ medley with a wardrobe change mid-song and then into ‘Night Shift’ which surprised us all with the props used on stage… all of the performers move to the rear of the stage with hugely lit panels behind them and the stage begins to raise and a curtain comes down in front of them.  It was a really cool effect and I good hear a lot of ‘wows’ around me, including from yours truly!

What. A. Show!

These huge screens are really cool and change with each new song. Next up is ‘I’m Coming Out’ and it was an elegant black and white scene with camera lights flashing and some of the performers walked the red carpet decked out in elegant dresses and the guys in suits and all in fur coats… yes, he rocked that fur coat!  While other of the performers were the paparazzi with huge old school cameras. The rest of the show was equally as good!  Memorable songs that everyone knows and can sing along to fill the show along with outlandish costumes and great singing and dancing!

But after the show is when the fun really started!!!

The Cruise director – Chris ‘The Flying Scotsman’ – told everyone to go to the lobby for the Motown Showdown.  It sounded fun and out we went.  The Playlist Performers were there getting everything started with the DJ playing classic Motown tunes.  The crowd began dancing… but no Chris…

Then we notice one of the glass elevators start to descend and the window is blacked out???  Curious???   We can hear Chris starting to slowly sing the beginning of ‘Rolling on the River’ and we figure out he is in the elevator.  As the elevator stops and the song reaches the opening, the black screen is ripped away from the window and he is there all decked out as Tina Turner!  Dress… wig… boots and all!  

He comes out on deck 5 and makes his way around to the spiral staircase and shimmies his way down.  This is one of those things you just have to see to believe, but it is also something we will never forget!  He sings and dances his way over near us and sits on Santa’s lap before shimmying some more.  This was hands down one of the best and funniest things I have ever seen in my life!!!

Let the showdown begin!

Chris starts the showdown with the ship split into two teams – The Temptations and The Supremes – where we have to compete against each other by either singing along to a great Motown song (which side can sing the loudest) or a dance off or whatever craziness he comes up with.  This was a ton of fun and has cemented Chris as our favorite cruise director ever!!!

Want to see the story come to life?  Here is the video: CRUISE LIFE DAY 2: PART 4

Want to see more from this trip?  Here is the full Carnival Dream Playlist. 

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,
Alisa
EECC Travels

The post CRUISE LIFE: Motor City Show & Motown Showdown – Carnival Dream appeared first on EECC Travels.

What a beautiful family!

It’s time for a formal night!   Or as it is now called… Cruise Elegant Night.  Believe it or night, our kids love to get dressed up on the ship… not at home but on the ship, it is something special!  Once we are all dressed up we head down to Promenade to see what all is going on…  This is the area of the ship that comes alive at night.  During the day most people are on Lido deck around the pool and the buffet but in the evenings it is Promenade.  Our first stop is the Taste Bar where tonight they are severing Nona’s Italian Meatballs with bruschetta and ricotta cheese, these meatballs are amazing!  I remembered them from last year… so good!  There was some live music playing and we sat and enjoyed the atmosphere until it was closer to time for dinner.  When you have your entire family dressed to the nines, you should always record the moment with a photo.  And that is not a problem on a cruise as there are photos op stations all over.  We picked a background we like that had a not-so-long line and took some beautiful family photos.

On to dinner!  

What everyone loves about formal night is that this is lobster and prime rib night  And yes, you can get two entrees so you don’t have to choose between them.  We started out with cheese plates for the table and it was so funny to watch the kids descend on the cheese like they hadn’t eaten all day!  Luckily our amazing wait staff saw this and brought us an extra.  Here is a tip, the cheese plate is technically on the dessert menu, but you can ask for it with your bread service and it is so perfect with the warm bread!

For appetizers w, like to be brave and try things we have never had before.  There is always a ‘rare find’ that is something unusual that several of the kids like to try.  I had the Italian Wedding Soup which was fantastic and the small meatballs were very similar to Nona’s meatballs at the Taste Bar… one of the best appetizers I had on the cruise!  As we have a spoon-on-the-nose tradition, our family also has a lemon challenge tradition.  The kids, and sometimes the adults too, place a lemon wedge in their mouth and bite down to release all the juice, this also makes a ‘lemon smile’ over your mouth… it’s so funny to see everyone’s expressions!  Almost everyone at the table ordered the lobster and Cameron started something last year that has spread to the rest of the kids… the lobstercicle!  These are small lobsters so he determined the best way to eat it is to pull the entire tail out stick it on a fork and dip it in the butter…  and the lobstercicle was born!

It’s ShoooowwwwTime!

The formal night would not be complete without SHOW TIME!  We were talking and we hear over the speaker a shushed whisper that goes into shhhhhhowww time and we know what is about to happen!  Grab your napkin and twirl it high above your head and sing along… and dance along if you wish… with the wait staff as they done wild wigs and bright red, white and blue shirts and sometimes even light up glasses and jump up on the podiums and stairs to perform fun songs… but ALWAYS Celebrate good times, come on!

Want to see the story come to life?  Here is the video: CRUISE LIFE DAY 2: PART 3

Want to see more from this trip?  Here is the full Carnival Dream Playlist.  

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,
Alisa
EECC Travels

The post CRUISE LIFE: Formal Night on the Carnival Dream appeared first on EECC Travels.

We made our way down to deck 5 for lunch at Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse.  You can smell this place before you can see it!  It has a wonderful smoky BBQ smell that the sea breeze picks up and carries around this area of the ship.  It was early so the line wasn’t very long and we had our food in no time.  They have the service set up where you choose your meats and sides and it is all arranged on a metal plate and handed to you.  You can try as many things as will fit on your plate.  

Jason & I decided to split things up and each get half of the offerings and we would share who we can try everything!  Jason’s plate consisted of chicken, sausage, brisket, mac & cheese and baked beans and mine was pulled pork (with a bun), sausage, potato salad, coleslaw and baked beans.  There are also four different kinds of BBQ sauces: Bourbon Brown Sugar, Carolina #6, Kansas City & Spicy Sriracha.    

Some we liked better than others but overall it was all very good!  Our favorites were the chicken, andouille sausage, and the mac & cheese…  that mac & cheese was incredible!  The best thing by far from this Oceanside bbq joint!

Promenade Deck Goes All The Way Around The Ship!

While on deck 5 we decided it was a good time to take a walk around the ship… and I mean all the way around the ship!  Deck 5 has an outside deck that goes all the way around!  So from Guy’s Pig & Anchor, we walked towards the front where it is very windy but you can get the most amazing views from the bow of the ship… I still want to sneak past the ropes and go to the front point to get that Titanic-I’m-the-king-of-the-world shot, but alas it’s not allowed.  Good to note that this deck is very quiet away from the Promenade area and a great place to relax and read… or nap!  

But on around and to the back of the ship.  THIS is my favorite view on a cruise… standing at the back of the ship looking off into the horizon of never ending water and seeing the ‘tails’ made by the propellers is breathtaking!  Some ships have nice shaded areas in the back where I can sit for hours watching this view.

We make the full trip around deck 5 and head into Promenade for a coffee and then to explore the ship for a while. We end up back up top on deck 11 for more views of the water until it is time to eat again…. HaHa, I know it seems like all we do is eat on board… but well I guess that is true on sea days.

Sea Day Tea Time

Off to Tea Time….  If you have never done Tea Time on a cruise then you are missing out!  Carnival offers this every sea day in the afternoon about 3:00.  It is like an English high tea with small sandwiches of cucumber and salmon and some of the best desserts on board! These are far superior to anything at the buffet and are equal or better than what is available in the main dining room.  

Today they had a fruit tart with Nutella on a flaky pastry crust that was to die for!!!  And of course, there is tea or hot chocolate for the kids who do not like tea.  For a special treat this time, there was a three piece strings group who entertained us with nice easy listening classical music… and of course, Jason makes the comment once they start playing that he feels like he is on the Titanic   (Yes I realize that is the second Titanic reference which is a complete no-no on a cruise!!!) We have a toast to our family and sit and eat and drink and enjoy our tea time.  PS – Cameron stole the chocolate cake off my plate when I had my head turned to listen to the music.

Want to see the story come to life?  Here is the video: CRUISE LIFE DAY 2: PART 2

Want to see more from this trip?  Here is the full Carnival Dream Playlist. 

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,
Alisa
EECC Travels

The post CRUISE LIFE: Guy’s Pig & Anchor and Tea Time – Carnival Dream appeared first on EECC Travels.

We start our first full day at sea with none other than Sea Day Brunch.  We really enjoy going into the main dining room for a laid-back breakfast where you order from the menu instead of grabbing something off the buffet… and not to mention it’s so good!  What’s so funny is that we were sitting getting ready to order breakfast and were talking about what to have for lunch, you can see where our priorities are… FOOD!  We also plan out the rest of our day as to what everyone wants to do.  Somewhat to just relax in the pool or play on the slides but I want to walk and explore this beautiful ship.  Meanwhile, everyone decides to pick up one of our goofy family traditions to see how long you can hold a spoon stuck to your nose.  It’s always so fun looking around the table to see all of the kids with spoons on their noses.  And the winner this time around was our newest and youngest cruiser, our nephew Jax.  So the food arrives and everyone digs into their pancakes or eggs and bacon or steak & eggs… you get the idea 

Ahhh… Pool time is so relaxing!

After breakfast, we decided to go sit poolside and watch the kids swim and people watch and just relax for a bit.  We grabbed a spot by the main pool and the kids jumped in.  I had fun with the camera taking bursts of photos as the kids jump in and make a big splash, they came out great when put together.  As long as I have shade I can sit out for longer periods and Jason was able to get me a chair with a huge umbrella over it so I was perfect!  We enjoyed it so much that we stayed put for about two hours!!!  We stayed until almost lunchtime when we dragged ourselves out of the chairs and went for a walk to explore the Sports Deck.  This deck has a nice mini-golf course right around the Carnival funnel smokestack as well as a court for half basketball and half volleyball.

Want to see the story come to life?  Here is the video: CRUISE LIFE DAY 2: PART 1 

Want to see more from this trip?  Here is the full Carnival Dream Playlist. 

The post CRUISE LIFE: Sea Day Brunch & Pool Time – Carnival Dream appeared first on EECC Travels.