Carnival Venezia Cruise - Port Excursions and the Magnificant Ocean

The cruise line offers many different activities for an additional fee while at port. Popular excursions include zip lines, swimming with dolphins, sailing, and other water sports. We chose low-impact activities like beach time which included transportation to and from the port. The time at port is generally about 8 hours but you must be on board at least 30 minutes before the ship departs or you will be left behind. 

It is important to bring your key card and carry a government-issued ID for non-US ports when reboarding the ship. Your belongings will also go through a security scanner upon re-entering. Not everyone participates with ship-sponsored excursions but be careful with whom you arrange excursions as you are responsible for getting back to the ship on time. It is also perfectly cool to stay on board and enjoy the facilities while everyone else has vacated the ship.

One drawback of excursions is, that while a nice break from days at sea, they usually are not long enough to soak up the local atmosphere, but they offer an opportunity of seeing interesting, new places at a reasonable cost. For most people, this is enough.

AMBER COVE, DR

Our first excursion was to the Dominican Republic to a beach in Amber Cove, about 45 minutes from the pier. The transportation entailed a somewhat fun ride on a rickety, open air golf-cart like vehicle, on mostly dirt roads. It was an authentic day with a Dominican meal (chicken, fish, rice, beans, tropical fruit) and an open bar, although the rum drinks seemed on the skimpy side. I did make a note of that with the bartender. A bonus was a random comedy act from the guide, free of charge, on the way to the beach. There were lounge chairs and umbrellas available at our arrival but the day was windy, so we were happy to return to the ship after some beach time.

OUR TRANSPORTATION TO THE BEACH IN AMBER COVE, DR

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

Our second excursion was to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, a prime destination for shopping and visiting historic sites like the El Morro fort. This is an easy port to self-navigate as the town is a pleasant walking distance from the pier. There are many entrepreneurs by the pier offering their services as a tour guide for as little as $20 per person. A fellow passenger told us her guide was excellent and she had a great time. We were mostly interested in finding local goods so we passed on this. 

With many artists in the family, we focused on purchasing local crafts on Fortaleza Street: a print by artist Daphne Elvira at Puerto Rican Arts and Crafts and assorted prints and ceramics at Memories from Old San Juan (320 de la Fortaleza). These would make very nice holiday gifts. We couldn't help ourselves and also purchased a very nice top and glass necklace at a lovely boutique,  Pure Soul. All the shops were a short distance from the pier. 

 

We had a nice cool, ices break from a street vendor on the way back to the ship.

ST. THOMAS, USVI

The following day, we went to Magens Bay in St. Thomas, USVI by way of arranged transport with the cruise line. The beach was lovely and we spent a quiet morning there before returning to the ship three hours later. As a cruiser, it is unavoidable that you will be shuffled into a nearby mall conveniently located on the pier on the return trip. I spent the extra time finding a t-shirt, but there seemed to be plenty of jewelry to choose from if you are in the market for buying that stuff.

Part of the appeal of cruising is time spent on the open sea. It is exhilarating seeing how expansive the ocean is. Combine that with sunrises and sunsets, it is a bold reminder that the planet is a beautiful place not to be overshadowed by darkness in the world.

My sister remarked that she can't help but think of the detrimental effect of the carbon footprint left by hundreds of cruise ships. This is true and difficult to reconcile if you care about the health of the oceans.

Even if you frame cruising as public transit for vacationers, an employer of thousands of people, and catalyst for local economic development, potential harm to the oceans and sea life cannot be dismissed. From my scant reading, some cruise lines are moving towards protecting the environment and improving sustainability. Environmental impacts are a big concern worth learning more about.

Have you cruised recently? Tell me your best ship survival tips in the comments. 

Adios… until next time

Carnival Venezia Cruise New York to Caribbean - What to Expect, What to Love, What to Avoid

This year, it is time for a sister trip. 

We've done long weekends previously in the Southern U.S. to Charleston, Savannah, and Hilton Head, but this trip would be a longer stay and the first time cruising together. This is Donna's first time on a cruise ship so I'm hoping all goes smoothly.

Because we both have a special affinity for things Italian, a cruise on the Carnival Venezia, designed with a Venetian-inspired theme, seemed like a good choice for a faux Italy experience. At least I know we will be happy with the food as I expect that there will be a lot of pasta (followed by a lot of gym time).

The cruise is 9 days, leaving from NYC with stops in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas, USVI. The ship also goes to Bermuda and Canada/New England from NYC. Its other port is near Orlando. 

So far, it looks as though the weather is cooperating with no predictable storms. I've packed motion sickness tablets just in case. 

We are getting mentally prepared for the rowdy drinkers, games in the atrium, and the party-like atmosphere. Released from the daily grind, people lose their inhibitions rather quickly on cruise ships. Acknowledging our limitations with “fun time", there will be a quiet space to escape to with a balcony, thankfully.

THE EMBARKATION /DISEMBARKATION EXPERIENCE

Embarking on Carnival Venezia from NYC had a rocky start with massive lines.

We arrived at the Manhattan Cruise pier, Pier 88 on West 48th Street at noon, to be exact, per our instructions.

It appeared that many passengers arrived much earlier than their scheduled appointments and the registration staff was overwhelmed managing the lines. We started getting nervous and were thinking the trip was going to be a disaster. I broke the news to Donna that the capacity was 4,000 passengers and she looked at me with disbelief. I assumed this was a known fact, but not for a first-time cruiser who never stepped foot on a ship. 

All in all, the process, about 60 minutes, seemed much longer with all the people vying to get on board for lunch and being somewhat aggressive. Did I mention the dogs sniffing carry-ons for drugs? I would advise the cruise line to seek a way of making this procedure a more pleasant experience.

Priority boarding might have sped things along. The charge is at various price points from $80 to $210 per cabin, depending on the length of the cruise. It is something to consider if you can spend the extra dough.

Fortunately, the disembarkation went more smoothly and we were on the street 20 minutes later. This was due to sheer luck. We were able to intercept a spot on the line to the gangway forming outside our room a few feet away. My advice is to take your bags with you when leaving the ship. It will save you a lot of time instead of searching for them in the terminal where they were collected the prior night. I can't vouch for how the bags get organized but I'd guess it is not simple to find them. 

Our ride with Revel arrived 15 minutes later and deposited us back in Brooklyn within the hour. Considering it was the morning rush, I was pleased with the timing. 

Anyway back to Day 1 … once settled in, things gradually improved. Nothing like a sour apple martini and soothing music for calming frayed nerves. 

But we had to briefly report to our Muster Station on Deck 5 before the celebratory drinks. In the event of an emergency, passengers must report to their assigned Muster Station for a head count and evacuation instructions. The Captain takes this very seriously and this procedure takes place before the ship sets out to sea. Passengers who do not participate are reported and reprimanded. So stay out of trouble and go to your Muster station after you get on board. Your boarding pass will tell you where to go.

The trip to reach Amber Cove, Dominican Republic takes 3 days from New York. During that time, there are a multitude of activities to subdue and entertain cruisers. Not being party people, here are a few tips to make the trip more enjoyable.

OTHER OPTIONS TO "FUN TIME"

1) visit the gym - it is well equipped and very accessible in off-peak hours

2) find a quiet place to read mystery novels - maybe the Carnavale Lounge

3) don't be afraid to try new foods - the choices are limitless 

4) watch the ocean and changes to the sky from the outside decks or your balcony

5) find a musical venue where you like the atmosphere and hang out there for entertainment

6) seek out the Serenity deck for relaxation. There are hot tubs and no one under 21 can enter.

It took one day upon leaving New York City for the weather to improve from overcast to sunny. We were happy when the retractable roof over the Lido pool area on deck 10 opened up to the blue sky.

OUR CABIN

Located on deck 2, our cabin had a balcony, which was very convenient for taking in the fresh ocean air. It contained 2 comfortable twin beds. The stateroom attendant, Ainjul, was very responsive to our needs. The rooms were made up daily between 8 am to 1 pm and fresh towels were available upon request. Being located on a lower deck, the best feature was the mesmerizing ocean current. The room decor was consistent with the Venetian style throughout the ship and storage was adequate. One thing that irritated me was the old plastic and wire hangers left behind by previous passengers. They could have been replaced with newer ones.

THE PERFECT ESCAPE

We found that the Serenity area, deck 15, was a nice spot to commandeer some lounge chairs. It is a child-free space with several hot tubs. As is the norm, you need to get there early to claim a chair but do NOT reserve other chairs for more than a few minutes in all fairness to other passengers looking to secure a spot.  

 FEASTLIKE DINING

A great feature of the cruise line is that they hire high-end chefs. 185 chefs on this particular ship prepared 25,000 meals daily!

The Canal Grande restaurant is five-star quality, in our opinion. There was a diverse menu with outstanding selections, particularly the Italian dishes. To our delight, we were served lobster tails one evening! The pastries and desserts were delicious. The food was above our expectations and we had no desire to go to specialty restaurants. The servers are happy to provide recommendations too.

Every morning, we looked forward to seeing the day's menu and then pondering what to eat that evening. This was part of our daily routine. We decided not to worry too much about the extra pounds and just enjoy.

We chose “Your Time Dining” as a dining arrangement. You go on the Carnival app, check in to the restaurant, and then wait for a response, normally 20-40 minutes later to get notified when a table is available. It took some getting used to this system before I understood what was going on. The other options for dining are fixed times at 5:30 or 7:45 for the entire cruise.

Compliments to the hardworking, friendly crew who try hard to please passengers. A special touch is that they address you by your name when ordering. Sweet!

THE CANAL GRANDE RESTAURANT

KEEPING BUSY

To our credit, we tried an arts and crafts class on a “sea day”. Unfortunately, the bracelets didn’t work out due to shoddy instructions, but at least we tried to be earnest cruisers.

We found good music in the Gondola lounge featuring a eight-member ensemble including Erin, a talented female lead, singing rock, jazz ... all types of songs. The daily cruise "newsletter" lists other musical performances to choose from to align with your musical tastes.

There is also a comedy club, the Limelight Lounge, where we saw several talented comedians. Some of the shows are R rated so don’t drag the kids in. There is usually a long line so you probably need to get there 20 mins before the door opens.

And then there is the casino. If you are a non-smoker, avoid walking through the casino at all costs, wear a mask or hold your breath.

We passed on doing line dancing with the DJ although people were having a good time.

THE AMAZING CREW

Meeting the crew is one of the aspects I enjoy most about cruising. On this ship, they represented 60 different countries. If you take a few minutes to chat with them about their lives, it may widen your cultural perspective. One of our servers from India mentioned that his brother was getting married and he would have to miss the wedding. The tribulations of crew life! 

Additionally, I observed that the passengers were mutually respectful of the crew, which was nice to see in these times. 

Staff work continuously for seven months before receiving a break to go home and visit their families. The day we departed the ship, they were getting ready for the next trip which started only 3 hours later. Amazing!

ARTISTRY - WATERMELON CARVINGS AND TOWEL ANIMALS

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1 - Arrive closer to your appointment window and consider priority boarding

2 - Bring a mask near the casino - ventilation can be poor

3 - Secure lounge chairs at the Serenity deck early to claim a space

4 - Ask for chef recommendations at the Canal Grande restaurant

5 - Keep your phone in airplane mode to avoid being hit with roaming charges while out at sea.

6 - Report to your Muster station after you board the ship.