Expert: Linda - 9/14/2007

Question
QUESTION: Thank you so much for answering my previous question.  Just wondered if you could tell me what the most efficient and safe way of handling our luggage when boarding the cruise?  Should we use porters? Are they safe?  How long will we wait for our luggage to be delivered to our room? what are our options if not using a porter?  Thanks again, I am getting excited, it is like all I think about!

ANSWER: Dustan, I KNOW the feeling, we leave next Sat!  OK, now for your questions.  YES, use the porters.  They take your luggage and put them in huge bins, the bins are then taken to the ship, unloaded and put on the cabin deck you're on.  They have lots of help that bring the luggage to your door.  If your cabin steward sees it and is a good cabin steward, he'll bring it inside for you.  It honestly depends on the ship, time you get there, when yur luggage would arrive.  Here's what some do (not us cause we could care less about the pool).  Put bathing suit, coverup, book etc in your carry on.  Board the ship, change clothes, stop by the bar for a drink and head to the pool.  By the time you're nicely fried, it will be time to go back to cabin and change for dinner, or just cause' you're hot.There is a buffet lunch when you board, so some do that first, then hit the pool.
Not into pool?  We go to the cabin so we know where we are.  There's a ton of stuff on your bed.  We read all the stuff and have a drink (from the stuff we smuggled on board).  Then we take the ship map, start at the top of the ship, get a drink, walk the deck, go to the next deck down, find the bar on that deck, get a drink, walk the deck.  We walk all decks except those that are cabins only.  We go to the dining room and check out where we're seated.  If we haven't ordered wine, we'll stop and order wine for dinner (usually right outside dining room).  We then head back to our cabin and watch the sail off fromour balcony.  If there's time we unpack and put the suitcases under the bed...that's it...you're set for the cruise.  Shortly after sail away, you take your life jacket and head for the lifeboat drill.  Return the jacket to your room after the drill, then you're on your own till dinner.  Head to play put put, head for martini bar (my favorite :))
Be SURE to take your daily "carnival capers" with you.  It's everything that goes on for the day.  It'll be on your bed the first day and under your door at night on the rest of the nights.  We take a highlighter with us and we highlight the stuff we want to do on days we're at sea.

Sorry, I could not be more specific, but that's the best I can do.  have a WONDERFUL TIME!

lINDA

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: next Saturday! How fun!  Everyone keeps telling us that after our first we'll want to do them every year, i cant wait!  So is it possible to 'smuggle' anything onto the ship?  I am aware we can bring a bottle of wine but could we bring anything else or was the wine what you referred to as smuggling? I apologize for all the questions but you are so nice about it and I trust what you are telling me, lol.  I wanna bring my laptop but am scared of it being stolen from my room, what do you suggest? I have also read lots of things about getting off the ships at ports.  Should we expect to wait a while?  Is there any way to expedite this process? Have you ever been on the Valor?  If so, what did you think compared to others you have been on? If you dont wanna answer all those questions I completely understand, I sorta went wild with them, my head is filled!! I have been looking online for information for months and you have been the most knowledgeable and you seem to really know what you are talking about.  We are not all about the pool either but I do love your idea of walking the ship and having some cocktails, that is more up our alley :)

Answer
yes, I bring wine...a BOX of it.  Quality much better than several years ago :) Hubby brings seagrams in checked luggage.  Don't be afraid to bring laptop...if your room steward (only one with key) ever stole something, he'd lose his job.  never once in 26 cruises was anything ever missing.  Your cabin is SAFE.  Yes, waiting to get off in ports can be a pain.  If you're booked with the ship for an excursion, you'll wait in a lounge and all go together.  If you're going on your own...we just let the crowd go first, then we just get off. We don't like waiting in line.  We haven't been on the Valor, the last ship we were on with Carnival was the Triumph, sister ship.  Great ship, really pretty, lots of places to hang out.
For LOTS of info logon to cruisecritic.com.  You'll need to join (free), then click on "boards", then you'll see Carnival listed, click on Carnival.  Fix yourself a drink and sit and read.  You can find people on your cruise and talk to them ahead of time; ask and receive answers from lots of people.  GREAT info, I'm there every day.  I don't care about the questions, ask away.  You are correct that after the first one, you just can't stop.  We sat down and put down airfare, car rental, hotel cost, food, tickets to shows or clubs...the cruise was less expensive, we didn't worry about drinking and driving, making reservations or sondering what there was to do.  Since this is our 26th, guess we really DO like cruising.  Have a great time and ask away, until the 22nd....then we're off

Linda