Porterville High Class
of 1976
Mexico 6-0 Reunion Cruise
Carnival Inspiration: Friday
to Monday, Oct. 5-8, 2018
Hi everyone – I just
thought I’d put this together for you. I’ve cruised a lot in the past so these
are just a few things. It may seem overwhelming but it’s really not. Once you
are there, it is so much fun, you’ll be ready to do it again soon. Ok – here we
go…… And remember, everything is included. Well, almost everything. You have to
buy your own alcohol.
IMPORTANT Pre-cruising
Documents: Do not forget these – you can’t board the ship without them.
·
Valid passport or U.S.
Birth Certificate - needed to clear customs.
·
Government issued driver’s
license or photo I.D.
·
Boarding Pass - print
it up at home or work before you leave.
·
Luggage tags – print one
per luggage or make copies of it for each piece of luggage.
Pre-Register:
This is very
important. You MUST pre-register. It is how you get your boarding pass and
luggage tags. And, it is how you sign up for, and receive, your “check-in time”
– the sooner you do it, the earlier you can come onboard. I am scheduled to
board at 12:30. The latest you can board is around 4 p.m. But you don’t want to
do that unless you have to because the ship party starts at noon. In other
words, the moment you walk on the ship, music will be playing, drinks will be
flowing and people will be in the pool spa or waterslides, learning a new dance
on deck – or eating.
Packing:
This is just a long weekend, so a carry-on or small suitcase, should be plenty. (Unless you are Armando – then just throw your speedo in your pocket and you’re ready to go.) For the rest of us – pack light. We are only there for the weekend. I will post a list at the end as an example, as well as some things you should consider bringing. Pack a small carryon or purse with any medicines, a swim suit, your cell phone and charger, limited liquor or soda (see below) and anything else you might want to carry on. Do not put those things in your suitcase. Do not pack a swim towel – you can check them out pool-side.
Carry on Liquids:
This is just a long weekend, so a carry-on or small suitcase, should be plenty. (Unless you are Armando – then just throw your speedo in your pocket and you’re ready to go.) For the rest of us – pack light. We are only there for the weekend. I will post a list at the end as an example, as well as some things you should consider bringing. Pack a small carryon or purse with any medicines, a swim suit, your cell phone and charger, limited liquor or soda (see below) and anything else you might want to carry on. Do not put those things in your suitcase. Do not pack a swim towel – you can check them out pool-side.
Carry on Liquids:
You may bring one
bottle of wine or champagne per adult onto the ship. (Don’t forget the
corkscrew to open it. And you must open it yourself – though we’ve asked our
cabin steward and he’s done it for us for free a couple of times.) You can also
bring a six-pack of sodas per person with you. (A six pack of sodas onboard is
$10.) However these things must be carried on – so either in a bag or a
backpack. Bottled Water is NOT allowed (people were sneaking on vodka and other
liquor inside the water bottles so they stopped it.) If you have cruised on
Carnival before, you will have a courtesy 1 liter bottle of water in your room
upon arrival. Or take an empty bottle and fill it up yourself in the buffet
restaurant. OR – you can pre-purchase (must be done before you get on the ship)
a six pack of bottled water from the Carnival website for $4.50 – they will
place it in your room.
Driving:
If anyone is driving from the Porterville area and you have room for one more – please let me know.
You want to leave with ample time to get to the port. According to Google Maps, the port is 3 hrs. and 8 minutes away. But take traffic into account and give yourself more time. Even 4-5 hours is good. Our ship will be docked next to the Queen Mary. (If you get there early, you could always walk around there and check it out until it is time to board) It is also safe to say that you can follow the signs for the Queen Mary – then once there, stay to the right to “Cruise ships” – where you can either be dropped off or park. There is plenty of parking there to leave your vehicle. Do not park in the Queen Mary parking, as that is not long term. Park in the Cruise Ship parking garage.
If anyone is driving from the Porterville area and you have room for one more – please let me know.
You want to leave with ample time to get to the port. According to Google Maps, the port is 3 hrs. and 8 minutes away. But take traffic into account and give yourself more time. Even 4-5 hours is good. Our ship will be docked next to the Queen Mary. (If you get there early, you could always walk around there and check it out until it is time to board) It is also safe to say that you can follow the signs for the Queen Mary – then once there, stay to the right to “Cruise ships” – where you can either be dropped off or park. There is plenty of parking there to leave your vehicle. Do not park in the Queen Mary parking, as that is not long term. Park in the Cruise Ship parking garage.
Upon Arrival:
Once you park, walk to
the front of the garage entry and you will see many porters there taking
suitcases. Make sure your suitcase has a Carnival tag (the ones you printed at
home) and get rid of your bag. They will take it to your room. Keep any meds,
wallet, phone, charger and valuables, with you. Once you do that, follow the
signs (people) to the check-in line. There is a shorter assistance/disability
line for anyone who needs it. The regular
line may be long by the time you get there, but it will be worth it. You will
check in (if you’ve already done everything online, it is so much faster) – and
they will take your photo and give you a little plastic “Ship and Sail” Card. You
can carry it in a pocket or on a lanyard around your neck. (Bring your own
lanyard or buy one there.)
Once you are called to
enter Customs, it goes fast. You’ll go through a metal detector, and next thing
you know, they are taking your photo and letting you board. Once on the ship –
the party starts. Head to Lido Deck (10th floor) for food and to
meet up with our group. I’m sure everyone will be up there getting a bite.
Eateries:
Do not have lunch before you board – have lunch once you get on the ship. You have a choice of Guy’s Burger Joint (it has a sidebar of sides – the sautéed mushrooms are so good) and the Blue Iguana Cantina (delicious shrimp tacos, tostada bowls and burritos – and a sidebar with many salsas, including the mango salsa…yumm.) – all poolside. Inside is the buffet lido restaurant, a sandwich bar (they make your sandwich to order), complimentary sushi bar, 24-hr pizza and Caesar salad, dessert bars, salad bar, 24 hour soft-serve ice cream – and the free drinks - water, coffee, hot chocolate, tea, lemonade all day long; and passionfruit and orange and apple juices in the mornings. Alcohol and sodas are sold at the bars – which you will find in several areas, including poolside and at the back of the lido restaurant next to pizza place. Remember, there is no additional cost for any of this (other than alcohol/soda) – it is all included. In the mornings, Guys and Blue Iguana turn into a breakfast buffet places with made-to-order omelets and other breakfast foods.
Eateries:
Do not have lunch before you board – have lunch once you get on the ship. You have a choice of Guy’s Burger Joint (it has a sidebar of sides – the sautéed mushrooms are so good) and the Blue Iguana Cantina (delicious shrimp tacos, tostada bowls and burritos – and a sidebar with many salsas, including the mango salsa…yumm.) – all poolside. Inside is the buffet lido restaurant, a sandwich bar (they make your sandwich to order), complimentary sushi bar, 24-hr pizza and Caesar salad, dessert bars, salad bar, 24 hour soft-serve ice cream – and the free drinks - water, coffee, hot chocolate, tea, lemonade all day long; and passionfruit and orange and apple juices in the mornings. Alcohol and sodas are sold at the bars – which you will find in several areas, including poolside and at the back of the lido restaurant next to pizza place. Remember, there is no additional cost for any of this (other than alcohol/soda) – it is all included. In the mornings, Guys and Blue Iguana turn into a breakfast buffet places with made-to-order omelets and other breakfast foods.
Cabins:
Usually your room (cabin) is available by 3 p.m. But I have found them open many times by 1:30 p.m. Feel free to run by and drop off any carry on stuff (wine, sodas, bags) once the rooms are open. The hallways leading to the rooms have doors which will typically have a sign stating what time the rooms should be open. But even if it says a later time, you can check earlier. I usually find them open earlier than stated. Most of us are on Empress Deck - the 7th deck (which is the deck we enter on) – so after entering, check the room hallways first and see what time is posted on the doors. We enter at the center of the ship – which is where most of our rooms are. Then take an elevator up to the 10th floor. (Lido Deck)
Usually your room (cabin) is available by 3 p.m. But I have found them open many times by 1:30 p.m. Feel free to run by and drop off any carry on stuff (wine, sodas, bags) once the rooms are open. The hallways leading to the rooms have doors which will typically have a sign stating what time the rooms should be open. But even if it says a later time, you can check earlier. I usually find them open earlier than stated. Most of us are on Empress Deck - the 7th deck (which is the deck we enter on) – so after entering, check the room hallways first and see what time is posted on the doors. We enter at the center of the ship – which is where most of our rooms are. Then take an elevator up to the 10th floor. (Lido Deck)
Once you eat, stay and
visit a bit – but do go back to your room to deposit things you don’t want to
carry around…..because….. See below:
Mandatory Safety Briefing
This part can be a pain but it is very important – and mandatory. Once everyone is onboard – and before the ship can leave – everyone must participate in a mandatory Safety Briefing. Your ship and sail card tells you where to go for this. There are several stations and you must be at the correct one. I was once on the other side of the ship and tried to attend one in a different room but they said no, you can only go to the one on your card. They will start making announcements – so don’t go there until you absolutely have to or it will be a super long wait for you. They count everyone and scan your card and will tell us what to do in an emergency. Don’t think you can hide in your room – they will find you and all you are doing is making everyone else wait. They cannot start the briefing until everyone has been found. (Honest, I am not making this up.) Once they go through the entire safety thing (they try to make it understanding but I have fallen asleep a time or two through it) then the whole group is walked up to the deck and we line up again near the emergency lifeboats – and only then…..after they count everyone again…..do they let us go. By that time, it’s either time for the Sail Away Party (we all go up to the Lido Deck and wave goodbye to people on the shore) or, if the briefing went late – get ready for show time or dinner time. In our case, show time! (We have “late dining” seating.)
Sail Away:
More music and waving goodbye to everyone on shore. This is a good time to take a Dramamine if you haven’t taken one. (Generic works fine – I get a box for 99 cents at Food for Less) I’ve never been sea sick but I still take one an hour before sailing. And then one every 24 hours.
This part can be a pain but it is very important – and mandatory. Once everyone is onboard – and before the ship can leave – everyone must participate in a mandatory Safety Briefing. Your ship and sail card tells you where to go for this. There are several stations and you must be at the correct one. I was once on the other side of the ship and tried to attend one in a different room but they said no, you can only go to the one on your card. They will start making announcements – so don’t go there until you absolutely have to or it will be a super long wait for you. They count everyone and scan your card and will tell us what to do in an emergency. Don’t think you can hide in your room – they will find you and all you are doing is making everyone else wait. They cannot start the briefing until everyone has been found. (Honest, I am not making this up.) Once they go through the entire safety thing (they try to make it understanding but I have fallen asleep a time or two through it) then the whole group is walked up to the deck and we line up again near the emergency lifeboats – and only then…..after they count everyone again…..do they let us go. By that time, it’s either time for the Sail Away Party (we all go up to the Lido Deck and wave goodbye to people on the shore) or, if the briefing went late – get ready for show time or dinner time. In our case, show time! (We have “late dining” seating.)
Sail Away:
More music and waving goodbye to everyone on shore. This is a good time to take a Dramamine if you haven’t taken one. (Generic works fine – I get a box for 99 cents at Food for Less) I’ve never been sea sick but I still take one an hour before sailing. And then one every 24 hours.
SHOWS:
You don’t want to miss the Welcome Aboard Show. (By the way, the Inspiration has a lot of 70s music. The other ship we were looking at, the Imagination, has 70s and 80s epic rock music. Both are great shows. Please don’t skip them. There is a different show every night and they are all awesome. If you get cold easily, take a light sweater to the show….it tends to be cold in there. I am not sure of the schedule for this cruise. The show may be before our dinner – or after. I’m thinking before.
This is what Carnival has to say about one of our shows:
You don’t want to miss the Welcome Aboard Show. (By the way, the Inspiration has a lot of 70s music. The other ship we were looking at, the Imagination, has 70s and 80s epic rock music. Both are great shows. Please don’t skip them. There is a different show every night and they are all awesome. If you get cold easily, take a light sweater to the show….it tends to be cold in there. I am not sure of the schedule for this cruise. The show may be before our dinner – or after. I’m thinking before.
This is what Carnival has to say about one of our shows:
“Inspired by the
sophistication of Studio 54 and the funk and fashion of Soul Train, Studio VIP
is a dance party that celebrates the musical revolution that was New York City
nightlife in the 1970’s and the glittering excesses of that decade. An all-out
audience participation show, Studio VIP evokes the days of bell bottoms and
wide lapels while showcasing some of the most memorable songs from a bygone era
– from KC and the Sunshine Band and Donna Summer to Chic, Parliament and Barry
White.”
They’ll have us
dancing in our seats – and following them out to the atrium for more music and
dancing. It’s really pretty amazing. Lots of great songs. And, of course, if
they “Play that Funky Music White Boy,” I can’t help but jump up and
dance.
Click below and scroll to "Motor City" and "Studio VIP" for a snapshot of the shows we will see. Amazing.
https://carnivalentertainment.com/playlist/shows
Click below and scroll to "Motor City" and "Studio VIP" for a snapshot of the shows we will see. Amazing.
https://carnivalentertainment.com/playlist/shows
DINNERS: our ship and sail card will tell us what dining room we are in. There are two onboard. Come as you are (casual) for the first night. (No swimsuits or cutoffs allowed). More than likely the second night will be Elegant Night – bring one dressy outfit for this night. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to wear a tie. A nice top and slacks for men, and a dress or nice slacks and dressy top for women, is fine.
You can order more
than one appetizer (great time to try frog legs, alligator fritters, escargot,
or caviar.) Different item every night. But don’t worry – they also have “normal”
things – like soups and salads to order. Desserts are great too. If you’ve
never tried the Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake – it’s sooo amazingly good.
Ok - This is all for
now. Later I will make a list of misc. things you might want to take to make
your trip more enjoyable. I’ll also post some tips on shopping, info about
excursions, and I’ll give you an example of what to take in your suitcase.
Less than three weeks to go – I’m very excited about this trip. There are still cabins available (I just checked) if anyone wants to join us.
Less than three weeks to go – I’m very excited about this trip. There are still cabins available (I just checked) if anyone wants to join us.
Talk to you all soon.
Once a Panther, Always a Panther
Esther Avila
Good info, thanks for sharing.
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