Throughout the week Carnival Brand Ambassador, John Heald and his friend The Cat in the Hat, have been sharing clues to the name of the new ship. Most guesses I had seen online were for Carnivale. The cruise line harkened back to it’s beginnings by naming the first Excel-Class ship Mardi Gras, after the company’s first ship so many assumed they would continue the tradition. Instead, they are repurposing a name, but of a newer ship, with a more deeper meaning.

“The name Carnival Celebration couldn’t be more perfect for a ship that will be a key component of our 50^th Birthday festivities,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.  “Many thanks to our celebrity partners who helped us officially ‘unbox the fun’ and reveal the name of a ship that promises to be a spectacular addition to our fleet. Carnival Celebration is our 50^th Birthday present to our guests!”

Carnival Celebration will debut from PortMiami in November 2022, and will be a sister ship to Mardi Gras, the first in the Excel series scheduled to enter service on Feb. 6, 2021 from Port Canaveral, Fla. The addition of Carnival Celebration to Miami will maintain PortMiami’s position as the top embarkation port for Carnival Cruise Line.

Carnival Celebration will include many of the features that have made Mardi Grasone of the most anticipated ships in cruising, including BOLT, the first roller coaster at sea, along with some unique design features created specifically for this vessel.

Carnival’s 50^th Birthday  celebration kicks off in March 2022 – the company’s birthday month – with a series of commemorative sailings that will feature special entertainment and itineraries then continue all year long, culminating with the arrival of Carnival Celebration to Miami in November 2022.  Additional information on the March 2022 sailings is available at www.carnival.com/sailabration.

Carnival Celebration’s itineraries will be announced over the coming weeks and the ship will be opening up for sale in October.

I love helping you plan your cruises! I am a huge Carnival Cruise Line fan as well. We are going on our 11th Carnival Cruise on the Mardi Gras in May of 2021. Please Email me for more information.

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I am glad that you enjoy my travel posts. As a Florida resident, I am blessed to have Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Universal Studio Orlando, and 5 major cruise ports within a few hours drive. As a travel agent, I want you to have the best information possible before you book your vacation and while you are planning your vacation activities, so that is what I try and provide.

Top 5 Travel Posts of 2019

#5 Christmas at Animal Kingdom– This Christmas at Animal Kingdom will introduce the biggest holiday season in its history, with festive new entertainment and holiday décor in every land.

#4 Epcot Forever A Review– Across the canvas of a darkened sky, the new Epcot Forever nighttime spectacular that debuted 10-1-19 at Walt Disney World Resort celebrates the past, present and future of Epcot. We have seen Epcot Forever twice so far and we love it!

#3 Carnival Mardi Gras Now Accepting Reservations– Mardi Gras guests can choose from more than 20 different stateroom categories and multiple levels of spacious and luxurious suites, more than on any other Carnival ship.  The Mardi Gras sails in October 2020.

#2 Top 10 Disney Fastpass Tips– The current Disney Fastpass system has been in place for a few years now but first time guests and those who don’t travel to the parks regularly continue to have trouble getting the system to work in their favor.

#1 Celebrating Halloween on Carnival Cruise Line– Every Carnival Cruise that departs in October is filled with Halloween activities for the whole family! Why not plan your fall getaway today?

The Mom Maven’s Top Travel Posts of All Time

#5 Top 10 Must-Do’s for Your First Trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom– There is so much to do at this huge park? What are the must-dos? I’ve got them right here!

#4 Top 10 Must-Do’s for Your First Trip to Epcot–  Epcot is the Disney park that has morphed and changed the most over the years and it is undergoing major changes again.

#3 Top 10 Must-Do’s for Your First Trip to the Magic Kingdom– Since I have been visiting Walt Disney World since 1972, one of the things I love to do is take people who have never been and make sure they see the most important things. 

#2 Top 10 Must-Do’s at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party–

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is my favorite special event at the Magic Kingdom all year long. It is truly fun for the whole family.

#1 Top 10 Must Pack Cruise Essentials– Mom Maven recommends these Top 10 Must Pack Cruise Essentials for every cruise vacation.

Just a reminder, I am a Certified Disney Vacation Planner with a Disney Earmarked Travel Agency. I am also certified with Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. I am available to plan your next vacation. Just Email me, I’m ready to help.

The post Top Travel Posts of 2019 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Of course, we assured there were lots of activities they could participate in, if they chose to, or they could just relax. In the two years since she asked that question I have had several other people ask the same thing. People are so afraid they will be bored on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Let me assure you, that is not the case!

There are two ways to find out about what is going on around the ship, your Carnival Hub app and the FUNTIMES which is left in your stateroom each evening. I use both of these on every cruise. I find it easier to look at the day as a whole in the FUNTIMES but then I go to the app and favorite everything I think I might want to do. By doing this, the app alerts me 15 minutes before an activity and then I can decide if I want to go or not.

Just Some of the Carnival Cruise Activities You Can Choose From

• Trivia-mornings and afternoons are often filled with bingo games and different topical trivia games
• Crafts-Carnival has teamed up with Michael’s Crafts for crafts classes onboard the ships
• Spa time-indulge with a massage, mani-pedi, or other spa treatment
• Exercise classes are often offered in the Fitness Center, or you can workout on your own
• Play Games-Life size games of Trivial Pursuit, Sorry, Yahtzee, and Connect Four take place on the ship!
• Deck Parties!
• Mixology Contest-compete against fellow cruisers and see if you have what it takes to create the winning cocktail
• Play Bingo
• Water slides
• Shopping-the shops on the ship offer some amazing sales on Sea Days especially
• Dance Classes-tango classes, line dance classes and more are offered
• Watch movies-first run movies are shown each evening on the ships.
• Go mini-golfing
• Sing Karaoke-or laugh at those who try
• Visit the Casino to play your favorite game or enter a tournament.
• Ropes courses (on larger ships)
• Visit the Comedy Club-both PG and R shows are available
• Go to a Show in the main lounge
• Learn the art of creating towel animals

Organized Activities Not your Thing? You Can Always…

• Sunbathe
• Swim
• Read
• Sleep
• Talk
• Watch TV
• People watch
• Listen to live music
• Dance

So, I hope you can see that there is no need to fear boredom on a Carnival cruise. You can do as much, or as little as you want. On our most recent cruise we napped every afternoon and it was glorious! It’s your cruise, have fun. Before you cruise make sure you take my Top 10 Must Pack Cruise Essentials with you!

If you are ready to plan your cruise vacation please Email me and we will get your cruise vacation planned.

The post What’s There to Do on a Carnival Cruise? appeared first on The Mom Maven.

The dates that worked in our busy fall schedule meant that we would be cruising over Halloween. We aren’t big Halloween people and we were a bit hesitant about booking Halloween on the Fun Ships but in the end we decided to give it a try. We re so glad we did, we had a great time!

Carnival Cruise Line celebrates Halloween all October long, so your cruise dates don’t have to fall over the 31st like ours did. All cruises departing in the month of October include the Halloween festivities.

Halloween Activities on Carnival

• Halloween Decor featuring Patch the Pumpkin-headed Pirate
• Trick or Treating for the kids
• Pumpkin Carving contest
• Costume Crawl
• Patch’s Pumpin’ Deck Party
• Costume Contest
• Halloween themed Dive-In Movies (on select ships)
• Frightfully fun dance classes
• Guess that Frightful song trivia
• Patch’s Spook-tackular Bingo
• Storytime with your Cruise Director and Patch
• The Scary Chest Competition
• Scary story time for kids
• …and more!

One day of your cruise will be designated as “Halloween” and that is when the costumes come out. Most people don’t dress in their costumes til evening. Many, like us, wore their costumes to dinner in the Main Dining Room, and then to all of the evening’s events.

Carnival Cruise Line Halloween Costume Guidelines

Both adults and children are encouraged to bring costumes and join in the fun. Guests may wear masks only in special function areas and guests must be identifiable. Masks must be removed when in common areas. Clothing with objectionable material, including obscene language or graphics is not permitted. Clothing which, by nature, exposes excessive portions of the skin that may be viewed as inappropriate for a family environment is not permitted. Costumes may not contain any weapons that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon. Costumes may not contain sharp objects, pointed objects or materials that may accidentally strike another Guest. Guests who do not adhere to the costume guidelines may be refused entry into, and/or removed from, the event, unless his or her costume can be modified to meet the above standards. All costume guidelines apply throughout the duration of any and all costumed events. We do not allow real pumpkins on board. All rules, regulations and guidelines are subject to change without notice.

from Carnival’s website

We had a blast! We went as pirates, I even wore a red and black wig! We wore our costumes to Patch’s Spook-tacular Bingo, dinner, and all of the other events leading up to Patch’s Pumpin’ Deck Party, Costume Crawl, and Costume Contest. It was all so much fun, we are booked on the Carnival Elation October 19th so we can do it again!

One thing I noticed on this cruise, and I will do it next time we go on a Halloween cruise, was giving candy to the crew. Many guests brought little gift bags of Halloween candy for the Fun Squad, wait staff, stateroom stewards and others. It was nice seeing these hardworking individuals, who make your cruise so fun, be blessed in this way.

Those who would like to stay in one destination and explore that place, a Caribbean vacation would be a great idea. You may visit sites like https://www.visitcaymanislands.com/en-us/experiences/tours-adventures to book a travel package for Cayman Islands.

Email Me NOW and we will start planning your Spook-tacular cruise! Remember to pack my Top 10 Cruise Essentials for your Halloween Cruise.

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 Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras  is now open for sale of its inaugural schedule for 2020. The Carnival Mardi Gras will begin sailing from Port Canaveral November 14, 2020.

Guests can choose from more than 20 different stateroom categories and multiple levels of spacious and luxurious suites, more than on any other Carnival ship.  A large range of stateroom options provides guests the opportunity to further personalize their vacation experiences and includes special staterooms and suites such as Family Harbor, Havana Cabana and Cloud 9 Spa accommodations, as well as a wide selection of suites, balcony, ocean view and interior staterooms.  Don’t forget to bring the items on my Top 10 Must Pack Cruise Essentials List.

Carnival Mardi Gras Inaugural Schedule

Mardi Gras will kick off its seven-day program from the Space Coast November 14, 2020, offering two different three-port, seven-day itineraries, alternating weekly to the eastern and western Caribbean featuring some of the region’s most beautiful and popular ports. This is almost a month later than originally planned.

On December 20, 2020 Carnival announced that the ship will be delayed and it canceled several European and repositioning cruises as well as 4 sailings that were planned from port Canaveral.

“We have been working closely with Meyer Turku executives to keep the Mardi Gras delivery on schedule, and while we deeply regret disappointing our guests, this change in the delivery date is required to make sure all of the ship’s systems, features and technology will be fully operational, so that we can give our guests the vacation they expect,” said Ben Clement, Carnival Cruise Line’s senior vice president of newbuild. “Our commitment is to deliver a great and innovative ship, and Mardi Gras will definitely be that when it arrives in North America.”

Book Now

I am dreaming of cruising on the Mardi Gras, aren’t you? I may need to get together a quote and show it to Ron tonight! Would you like to cruise on the Carnival Mardi Gras? Just Email Me and we will start planning!

I am so excited to check out this huge ship! It has so many new amenities. Carnival is going to be sharing more of that info over the next few weeks so make sure you have liked my travel agent Facebook page so you won’t miss any of the information!

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This was our eighth Carnival Cruise, our first aboard the Magic. We have never eaten in the Carnival Steakhouse before for one reason…it costs extra. Ron is frugal when it comes to dining out. If we can’t eat for under $40 at a restaurant, we don’t go to that restaurant, period. So paying $35 per person to eat on a cruise, when amazing food is available in the Main Dining Room or on the Lido Deck, just doesn’t make sense to him. Thankfully, we were blessed to be able to give it a try.

We booked our dinner in the Carnival Steakhouse from the phone in our stateroom. You can also book online before your cruise, or at the Carnival Steakhouse kiosk on the ship. We chose to dine at 6:00pm, the same time we would normally eat in the Main Dining Room so that we would remain on schedule with the rest of the family for the evening.

We checked in at the steakhouse just before 6:00pm. We were seated right away. We had two very attentive waitresses. The steakhouse seats approximately 50 people so it is a more intimate and quiet dining experience. You are still very close to the other tables so it is nice but not super romantic.

My 18oz Spice-rubbed Prime Ribeye Steak

The Carnival Steakhouse Food

The menu for the Carnival Steakhouse is full of delicious sounding choices. First we were brought a small tomato soup and some different breads to choose from. Next they brought by a tray with the different cuts of meat on it so that you could see the size and cut you would be choosing. We placed our orders for our appetizer, salad, and entree with side dish. I chose the Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Sliced, Sun-Ripened Beefsteak Tomato, the 18oz Spice-rubbed Prime Ribeye Steak, and Baked Potato with all the trimmings. Ron ordered the Grilled Portobello Mushroom, Classic Caesar Salad, the 18oz Spice-rubbed Prime Ribeye Steak, and the Steamed Broccoli.

Our meals were amazing. Everything was cooked to perfection. The ribeyes were done just as we asked and were very flavorful. I thoroughly enjoyed my beefsteak tomato. The meal is well paced, you don’t feel rushed, but you also don’t notice too much lag time either. We were amazed that we each polished off an 18oz ribeye! It was just so good, you HAD to keep eating. As we were sitting there stuffed to the gills, the waitress came and asked what we would like for dessert. Did we have room for dessert? Well, I ordered the Cheesecake with Hazelnut Biscuit and Ron ordered the Sherbet. Honestly, the cheesecake was a let down. It was rather dry. Since I wasn’t very hungry I didn’t mind leaving most of the cheesecake behind. Next time I’ll order the Chocolate Sampler.

Is the Carnival Steakhouse Worth the Extra Money?

In one word, yes. I would love to return to the Carnival Steakhouse on a future cruise. While Ron would never be persuaded to pay for it, I would, just like I do all our “fancy” meals when we travel. I usually set aside money when we travel for 1 or 2 dining experiences that don’t fall in Ron’s budget. On future cruises, I will take us to the Carnival Steakhouse. The quality of the food, the ambiance, and the entire dining experience are worth the extra cost.

Carnival Steakhouse Details

• The Carnival Steakhouse experience is available on the following ships:Spirit,Legend, Miracle, Pride, Conquest, Glory, Valor, Liberty, Freedom, Splendor, Breeze, Dream, Sunshine, Vista, and Magic.
• There is a kid’s menu available for children ages 11 and under for $10. I don’t recommend taking your young children.
• You need reservations.
• The attire is cruise casual/cruise elegant based on the night so make sure you dress appropriately.

Are you ready to book your Carnival Cruise vacation? Email Me and let’s get started.

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About the Carnival Hub App

The Carnival Hub app is available for free from both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. I highly suggest you download the app before you leave for your cruise, the free wifi on board is often very slow, especially in the first few hours before the ship leaves port. The app also works as a countdown calendar before your vacation so that is a little added fun! At the time of this writing my app says my next cruise is 57 days away!

Once you board the ship, open the Carnival Hub app and click “I’m Onboard, Log Me In” at the bottom of the screen. This is when the app comes to life. You can view and interact with the digital Fun Times deciding what activities you want to attend. Click the star icon next to an activity and your app will alert your 15 minutes before that activity is about to begin. You can also view all of your dining and beverage options on the app. The most recent upgrade even added the menu for the Main Dining Room. The app has searchable deck plans so you can find your way around your floating home away from home. You can even purchase the CHEERS and Bottomless Bubbles drink programs from your app once you are onboard the ship. The latest upgrade also added a weather feature! All of the above features are free and run on the free Carnival wifi, just put your phone in airplane mode so that you don’t accidentally receive large charges if you lose wifi signal.

For the low price of $5.00 per device you can use the messaging feature of the Carnival Hub app. Find your friends and family who are onboard and add them to your messaging page. Ron and I did this on our last cruise and we found out that to use this properly you need to keep the app running all the time which, on some phones, could eat into battery life.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

I loved having the free info on the Carnival Hub app in my pocket at all times. The additions of menus and weather will be great on my next cruise. The messaging worked ok but sometimes I closed my app, because I always close all my apps, and missed messages from my husband. I think this will just get better as we move forward and the technology evolves but what we have is a great start.

If you are thinking about booking a Carnival cruise, please Email Me my vacation planning services are FREE.

The post Download the Carnival Hub App Before Your Next Cruise appeared first on The Mom Maven.

This amazing itinerary departs from Barcelona, Spain and makes stops in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Provence (Marseilles), France, Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), Italy, Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, Naples (Capri), Italy! Wouldn’t that be an amazing cruise? I’d love to celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary on the September 25th sailing but…I know that isn’t in the budget for this year Maybe this fall we can cruise on the Harmony of the Seas when it cruises out of Ft Lauderdale on it’s Eastern Caribbean Itinerary.

About the Harmony of the Seas

Harmony of the Seas will be the biggest cruise ship on the waters at 227,000 tons and it will carry 5,497 guests each cruise. This ship adds some first for Royal Caribbean with the addition of multi-deck water slides. The water slides are just some of the fun you’ll find on this ship, don’t forget the rock wall, flowrider, and Splashaway Bay! The Harmony of the Seas also includes the Bionic Bar where your drinks will be served by robots!

I hear you asking me, what about the kids? There is plenty for the kids to do on your cruise! In addition to all the water fun I’ve already listed there is also ziplining, a carousel, nursery, kids club, teen hangouts, 3D movies and The Dreamworks Experience! Aboard the Harmony of the Seas your favorite characters from Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda come to life. Share memorable moments at breakfast with Po or pose for a selfie with Shrek*.

Mom and Dad this ship has you covered too. Harmony of the Seas sets the stage for an entertainment lineup like you’ve never seen. Drift away to the hot summer nights of Broadway hit Grease, The Musical. Watch technology take over the ice with a high-definition multimedia experience that transforms the rink. And jaws drop when high-flying daredevils bring the adrenaline to the AquaTheater with all new shows. Add to that 15 different dining options, some included in the price of your cruise and some are available for an additional fee-there is something for everyone on the Harmony of the Sea.

If you would like more information on booking a summer European Cruise or a fall/winter Caribbean cruise aboard the Harmony of the Seas, or any other Royal Caribbean ship just drop me an email at cindys@d2travel.com and we will get your vacation planning started.

The post Let’s Take a European Cruise on Harmony of the Seas appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Top 5 Travel Posts of 2015

#5 How to Choose the Best Cruise Line for You

While cruising is a wonderful way to vacation, there are some important decisions that go into planning your cruise. A very important decision is which cruise line is best for you. So far, I have 6 Carnival Cruises under my belt. I am hoping to try a cruise an a different cruise line in 2016, we will see if our finances include a cruise for my husband’s 50th birthday! Different types of people fit better with different cruise lines because each line has a different focus. I hope you will think about booking a cruise with me in 2016 and you can start you planning by reading How to Choose the Best Cruise Line for You.

#4 Rumors are Swirling about Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Back in July, before the D23 Convention, I wrote Rumors are Swirling about Disney’s Hollywood Studios. At the time, all we had to go on were the rumors found in the Disney online community. In August, at D23 some of the rumors were confirmed and others were not mentioned. I wrote about that in Disney Parks News from D23. If you are planning a trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2016 you will find important information in these two posts.

#3 Strollers at Disney World Yay or Nay?

In February I finally wrote an opinion piece on strollers at Walt Disney World. I knew it would be a controversial post but it was something I had to get off my chest. I recently mentioned it in a Disney Fan Facebook group and I was virtually tarred and feathered for my opinion. If you haven’t read the post, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter. You don’t have to agree with me but I will delete unkind comments.

#2Top 10 Must-Dos for your First Trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Earlier this year I wrote a series of 4 Top 10 Must-Dos, one for each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks. Since Animal Kingdom is undergoing some changes, this post did well in the search engines from people planning vacations to the park.

#1 Top 10 Must-Dos for your First Trip to Epcot

Thirty plus years after its opening, a lot of families still shy away from visiting Epcot with kids. For years Epcot was my boys’ favorite park to visit because there is so much to see and do. We would spend hours just in Innoventions. That is one reason I wrote about the Top 10 Must-Dos because first time visitors aren’t aware of all there is to see and do at Epcot.

Don’t forget, I am a travel agent and I am here to help you for FREE! I work with Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani, Adventures by Disney, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line as well as other destinations around the world. If you would like vacation information email me at CindyS@d2travel.com.

The post Top 5 Travel Posts of 2015 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

***UPDATED 8-5-17***

I had no plans to check email or update my blog on this vacation but I did want to keep in touch with the outside world via social media and to be able to keep in touch with my friends and family on the ship. The new Carnival wifi plans were perfect for our needs.

Carnival Cruise Line Wifi Everywhere

Carnival now offers these 3 plans on all ships except for the Legend and the Spirit and there are even more exciting things coming on the new Vista!

Social Plan

Access to popular social sites and Apps such as Facebook, What’s App and Instagram. Does not include access to the entire internet. $5 a day or $25 for a 7 day cruise.

Value Plan

Access to the web. Perfect for emailing, browsing the news and keeping up to date with sports scores. Does not support access to bandwidth intensive services like Skype and music streaming. $16 a day.

Premium Plan

Access to the web at up to three times faster than the other plans. Supports Skype where coverage allows. $25 a day..

Users may easily upgrade from one plan to another. Users may use one device at a time on each plan, including either their personal devices or one of our on-board computers. Printing is offered at no charge.

Conditions and Exclusions

• Satellite internet speed may vary depending on location and time of day
• Video streaming sites such as Hulu and Netflix are blocked
• Access to certain sites such as mature or violent content is blocked
• VPN connections are not supported – discuss your VPN limitations with your company’s IT department if you are planning to work while sailing.

Which plan will you get on your next Carnival cruise? Leave me a comment and let me know. Ready to plan your next cruise? I’m here to help! Just fill out this form and we’ll get started.

Other posts in this Series

Top 3 Reasons to Try a Cruise

Deciding Where to Go on Your Cruise

How to Choose the Best Cruise Line for You

Cruising In Hurricane Joaquin

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