Like many other cruisers, I have been waiting a long time to find out about the changes and upgrades that will be done to the Carnival Freedom during the April 2014 dry-dock. There have been times of being patient and waiting and other times of being impatient and frustrated because no information other than dates were online. 
     Today, March 26, 2014, the official press release from Carnival has emerged about the Freedom's dry-dock.  I am very excited that I can finally update my un-official dry-dock schedule with some official information from Carnival, but also because many people have been patiently and impatiently waiting for the Carnival Freedom information. I am very excited for the people that have been watching for information closely and hope all who sail on the Freedom, with the changes, are happy.
      I am not going to discuss all of the features that the ship is going to receive here, but I do want to share some of the features that are exciting to me.
Guy's Burger Joint -   I love Guy's Burger Joint.  I got to try a Guy's Burger on the Carnival Triumph and it was good.
Blue Iguana Cantina -  I never tried a burrito or taco, but the salsas from the Blue Iguana Cantina are good.
Hasbro the Game Show -   I have never personally experienced this, but watched plenty of Youtube videos to know a few things about the show. This is an exciting addition to me.
Playlist Productions -    I just wish the regular shows could stay too along with Playlist Productions.  That would make a great entertainment line up!  I have nothing against Playlist Productions, but prefer the old style of shows.
         I have no personal thoughts on the bars, or other additions because I would never use them anyways.

       I was a little disappointed with the fact that not all of the features were scheduled to be ready by the end of the dry-dock.  Although this does not personally affect me, I feel for the people who are booked on those cruises.  The official press release gives some approximate dates.  Click here for the official Carnival press release.  For those that are booked on these cruises I hope you still have a great time and maybe you will get lucky and the onboard features will be ready!   
        Now that we have information about the Freedom, I wonder what dry-dock news will come next?  Carnival Elation information for this fall?  Carnival Ecstasy?  Carnival Magic next year?   I hope there is more exciting news to come and I will always be watching for dry-dock information like always!

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     This may seem like an unusual blog post, but I came across some pictures from my Carnival Elation cruise many years ago that I forgot about.  Take a look at monkeys in the window of the ship. Here are the pictures (click them to make them larger).

       If you are flying into Seattle you might want to look outside as you get close because you have a chance of seeing some mountains and other landscape.  What you see outside your window will depend on the route your plane takes and where your seat is on the plane. Take a look at a few pictures I took my from airplane window seat:

       I just wanted to share a picture of my cruise ship Caesar Salad from my Carnival Miracle Alaska cruise.  The waitress put too much cheese because she said, " I made you a glacier".  I always enjoy cheese in my salad, but this time I did not eat all the cheese!  I am not complaining at all because the food was good and service was good.  I just wanted to share this interesting food picture that I took. 

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     The day that a cruise ship is docked in its homeport is commonly referred to by many crew members onboard cruise ships as "turn-around day".  This refers to the day that the old passengers get off and brand new passengers get on. The way a turnaround day works will vary by port, ship, and cruise line, but for the most part there are some common patterns for turnaround days.
Crew Members Get On And Off 
      On turnaround days some crew members will be getting off because is the end of their contract of work and other crew members will be getting on to start a new job/contract.
      However, some crew members will be getting off and will be getting back on.  These crew members will typically have a short amount of personal time allotted before they have to get back onboard.  Typically, crew members do not get to get off the ship each time it is docked in a port.  Most cruise lines have some type of rotation schedule in place to allow crew members to have some time off on turnaround days.  It is then up to the crew member whether to use their allotted time or stay onboard instead.  The way this works is different for each cruise line and homeport, but there will almost always be crew members getting on or off.

Loading and Unloading of Luggage 
      When a ship  arrives at the homeport to end the current cruise voyage the luggage has to be unloaded from the ship and taken into the cruise terminal to be picked up by disembarking guests. The disembarking guests luggage is typically stored and sometimes sorted onboard the ship before getting unloaded.  Suitcases are often packed in crates and moved by machines to help get them on and off the ship.  When a crate of luggage is taken off the ship it will most likely be brought into the terminal building and placed in an area that the owner can pick it up.  
       For embarking guests their checked in luggage should be screened and checked in the cruise terminal for prohibited items.  Each cruise line has its own way of sorting luggage, but many cruise lines will sort luggage into crates by deck or color coding.  The crates of luggage are placed on the pier and one by one loaded onto the ship using machines. The way luggage distribution works onboard will vary by cruise line.

Between Cruises:  How much, if any, time is there?
      Most turnaround days consist of very little time without passengers onboard the ship.  Staterooms stewards will be working to get staterooms ready and crew members will be around the ship cleaning various public areas.  The chef's and buffet staff will most likely be preparing the meals for the next guests. Although, the time in between cruises is very short, the crew members of the ship must have the ship looking clean and fresh to make a good first impression with the next guests.

Fuel Restocking and the Loading of Supplies
     On turnaround days cruise ships are typically refueled and receive supplies such as food and beverages.  Cruise ships can only hold a certain amount of provisions so they must be restocked nearly every time the ship comes into port. The amount of provisions that a ship can hold is usually related to the size of the ship. 
     You may also see a fuel truck pumping fuel into your ship.  The ship must be refueled every so often also because the ship cannot hold more than a certain amount of fuel. 

       I have some pictures from my first cruise ever on the Carnival Ecstasy of the galley.  The galley tour was offered for free on the last sea day.  This tour was open to all cruisers on the ship and was hosted by the galley staff. 
If you are interested in Carnival Cruise food & dining please check out my unofficial Carnival Cruise Food Guide:
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      There are many people that have an organized, meticulous, and orderly way of packing for their cruise vacation.  However, there are many people that do not put much effort into packing and carelessly throw their belongings into a suitcase or bag.  If a person packs last minute or quickly without any type of organization they may forget something or leave something behind.  This blog post is dedicated to sharing some ways of organizing and making packing for your cruise easier. It is up to you to try these methods and hopefully you will find something that works for you!



1.  Make A List
Making a packing list is something that takes a little time and effort, but can help keep your cruise packing organized. To make a packing list you will need to write down all of the things that you are going to need to pack and bring for your cruise.  As you think of clothes and things you will need to pack you need to write them down on your list. When it comes time to pack for your cruise you should use your list to mark off the items as they get packed so you know that you have them.  Just don't take anything out of your suitcase after it is marked off!

2.  Don't Pack More Than You Need
Make sure you only pack what you will need and very little extra.  Space is going to be limited in your cruise ship cabin and you will probably not want to store additional belongings in your suitcase.  Make sure you only pack clothing you know you will wear, but it never hurts to pack an extra pair or too.  I recommend leaving some extra space, so you can bring home things that you buy on your cruise.

3. Starting Packing In Advance
I recommend that you start gathering your belongings days in advance.  If you have items that you know you will not be needing before your cruise you should consider packing them in advance so they are out the way and ready to go on the cruise with you.  If you pack in advance you will be less likely to forget something that you might would if you were packing under a rapid time constraint.  Give yourself plenty of time to think about your packing and to pack.

4.  Know What You Need and When
The biggest thing to remember when you start packing is thinking about what you will need for checking into your cruise.  Do NOT put your documentation, identification, or boarding documents in your suitcase.  You will need these items as you check in for your cruise.