I made it thru a page, but in classic DisDad effort, that's all I got.
It was my first time on a cruise and I learned a lot.
(1) The drink package is for real. You break even around 5-9 drinks, depending upon if your ordering a 3 shot rum punch or beer. If you max out at 15, you win and lose at the same time. If you travel with your DW who also was required to have the drink package, couldn't drink all hers, and was willing to bring you some extra, then there is additional joy & pain. I was able to successfully locate and drink at every bar on the boat.
(2) Carnival Cruise was Panama City Beach. And, if you've never been to PCB, then you have missed people toweling up entire rows of beach/ poolside chairs at 6 AM for a day of excessive drinking & cigarette smoking. I tried to avoid the entire "promenade" deck because of the non-stop chain smoking. By the end of the trip, some of my clothes smelled of smoke by the occasional passing thru.
(3) Never go on a cruise when your entire state's school system is on Spring Break. At every show where the audience says where they are from, the answer was KY. Then, when you encounter herds of ill behaved children and parents, you feel the shame. When the cruise employees roll their eyes when someone mentions KY or you overhear them saying "this is a rough group" this week, you know it's bad.
(4) Don't stay in the lower decks with the rats. Balcony only. Open the door for some fresh air.
(5) Make sure you save your bigger pants for the end of your trip. All you can eat means exactly that. I killed buffets, pizza, deli sandwiches, ice cream, desserts, breads, and still made my scheduled dining.
(6) Pay the extra $ for an excursion and wifi. I skipped the wifi, and wish I had done it. We went to Chichen Itza and it was amazing. The 2nd day at Cozumel, we did some quick shopping in Mexico and then went on board the boat to enjoy the pools & water slides with no one else there.
(7) Stop driving on vacation. Made it 130 miles on I-65 in 3 hours with start/stop traffic. Fly.
I see a Captain everytime I look in the mirror. Savvy!
If you are well enough to see us in 5 days you didn't take full advantage of the drink package.
I drove awhile. DW is now. Proof?
BGE are horrendously overpriced. A kamado joe is basically the same kit at half the price. A BGE over here runs at about 1100 quid for the small one.
Agree. I wanted the BGE, but not at that price.
Actual footage of Norm as they sailed away...
You were there? I must have missed you.
Have a great trip Norm and hope they don't raise drink package pricing after you beat them on that one.
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Well, they are a billion $ corporation. While they will undoubtedly raise their prices, I won't be able to accept full responsibility.