A popular attraction of many cruise ships is the pool. Many cruise ships have at least one pool onboard, but many newer cruise ships have more than one pool. When many cruise ships are going to be cruising through warm temperatures and nice weather the pool is used often compared to cruise ships that travel through cold temperatures, like Alaska.  
        There are some tips to remember if you, your family, and/or friends are going to be using a cruise ship pool. Make sure you always use common sense when you or your loved ones are in or around a pool on a cruise ship. 




Cruise Ship Pools Are Usually Use At Your Own Risk -  Be Careful and Parents Need To Watch Their Children 
         This is one of the most important tips, in my opinion.  Cruise ship pools do not usually have a lifeguard or a cruise member watching the pools. "Use At Your Own Risk" means exactly what it says - if you use this pool and assume all risk and not the cruise line.  If you are cruising with children make sure you keep an eye on them at all times when they are around the pools.  If you are not in the pool with your children you should be close to the pool to watch them. 

In Good Weather and Tropical Destinations The Pools Will Often Be Crowded
         On many Caribbean cruises with good weather, I have noticed the pool areas are always busy.  There are many cruisers that want to swim or stand in the pool.  There are also people that try to get a lounge chair by the pool.  Pool space and lounge chairs can fill up quickly.  If you are wanting to get a lounge chair, by the pool, you will need to probably get to the area in the early to mid morning.  Most cruise lines have policies against chair saving, but the specifics of these policies will vary by cruise line.

Pay Attention To Pool Depth
           Before getting into a pool or hot tub you need to know what the water depth is.  This should be posted somewhere near the pool.  You should also pay attention to this information if you are going to let your children get into the pool too.  Never dive or jump into a pool as most cruise ship pools are not deep enough or large enough for you to do this.  You could severely hurt yourself or someone else while doing this.

What happens if someone has a bodily function accident in the pool?
             The answer to this question varies, depending on the location the ship is.  If a ship is at sea, most likely the crew members will clean the solid human waste (if this was the case) and drain the pool.  The pool would be closed during this process and not get reopened until new water has been pumped into the pool. 
               In most ports of call and homeports cruise ships would clean the waste and drain the pool, but there are many places that have restrictions on cruise ships filling their pools.  Most likely the pool would remain closed for the rest of the day or until the cruise ship is back at sea.  When I was on the Carnival Elation once, the pool got closed in a port of call because a child pooped in the pool.  The pool was closed around 1:00PM and did not open on the same day.  


Report Hurt Passengers and Dangerous Behavior 
                If you see a passenger get hurt in or by the pool you should get them help or help them (if you know what you are doing).  If you see dangerous behavior that could put a person or other people at risk you should report this to a crew member.

     Will the cruise ship wait on passengers?  This question has been asked by many people and the exact answer depends on many different circumstances.  Cruise ships are on tight schedules that even the smallest amount of time delay can mean losing time at a later port of call or getting back to the ship's homeport for disembarkation.  
       People that take ship sponsored shore excursions have less to worry about because cruise ships will usually wait on passengers that took a ship sponsored excursion.  Cruise ships will usually wait for these passengers because otherwise the cruise line would have to pay for transportation and compensate the guests for leaving them.
        People that are getting off the ship for non-ship sponsored excursions and for personal plans will get left by the cruise ship much sooner than a ship sponsored excursion guest.  If you are traveling on personal excursions or doing your personal plans the ship will not know where you are or when you are getting back.  
           The cruise ship will probably wait as long as possible before deciding to leave a person, but the decision of how to long to wait, if any, is up to the captain and his officer's in the bridge. If they decide to leave the gangway out for a short or long amount of time, that is their decision.  Typically, once the ship leaves the ship would not turn around for any passengers, unless the navigational bridge staff have a specific reason for turning around. 
            Always have an emergency contact number for your ship with you when you get off in a port of call.  Many cruise lines provide a number to contact if you find yourself running late.  
             The easiest way to ensure that you sail away on the ship is to make sure you are on before the designated time. You are not guaranteed that the ship will wait on you and you should not purposefully be delayed to see if the ship will wait on you.  Make sure you stay on a ship's time, know what time to be back onboard, and keep track of time during your day in your port of call.  You are responsible for your timeliness. Enjoy your cruise and day in port!

Some Photos Of My Cruise Ship Waiting On The Masses of People That Were Late...
       Here are some pictures from Carnival Triumph 2013 cruise of people still waiting to get on the cruise ship at approximately 4:30PM. This was 30 minutes after scheduled sail time and a full hour after the required be back onboard time. There were many people that were waiting in line for a long time, but there were other people that entered the Puerta Maya pier area around 4:30PM to get back onboard. 

       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. 

      The photo above is of the Navigator of the Seas on 2/9/14 in Galveston, Texas.  This photo was taken by one of my family members that was waiting in line to park their car at a parking lot. The Navigator of the Seas and Carnival Magic were both delayed on 2/9/14 because of fog that kept the ships from arriving on-time.  Passengers boarded in the evening and at night because once the ship's docked disembarking passengers had to get off first.  I cropped this part out of the original photo to give some privacy to the cars and people also waiting in line to park their car at a parking lot.
      The Navigator of the Seas recently underwent renovation for a few weeks. The ship is now back departing from  Galveston and will sail year round in 2014.  The ship's itineraries for the entire part of 2015 are not known at the time I am writing this.  The ship looks bright for a foggy night!  I wish I could have been with my family member to see this sight too!
       The Navigator of the Seas and Carnival Magic could not depart until 2/10/14 from Galveston because fog. Both ships spent the night and had to wait until the fog cleared on the morning of 2/10 to depart.  Here is a photo that my family member took from the Magic of the Navigator sailing behind:

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Review Introduction:
      It never occurred to me to  review any of the cruises that I went on before I started this website until now. This is not my typical cruise review. If you want to see my typical cruise reviews I recommend that you check out my Carnival Miracle or Carnival Triumph cruise reviews under the My Cruise Reviews tab. Unlike those reviews this review will focus more on the highlights and not the details because a lot of the minor details about this cruise have been lost over time. I also will have fewer photos included in this review because at the time of this cruise I did not take very many photos. 


Cruise Itinerary:
Day 1     July 5, 2007       Galveston, Texas
Day 2     July 6, 2007       Fun Day At Sea
Day 3     July 7, 2007       Cozumel, Mexico
Day 4     July 8, 2007       Fun Day At Sea
Day 5     July 9, 2007       Galveston, Texas

July 5, 2007, Day 1: Galveston, Texas

       Today was the first day of my first cruise.  The morning started with a lot of excitement and last minute packing to get ready to go. When I first woke up I remember turning on the Galveston Webcams to see if the Ecstasy had docked yet. The webcam was offline on this morning and had an outdated picture, so I kept thinking that the ship was not in yet. I turned on the local 8am news and they were live in Galveston showing my ship, the Ecstasy, docking because a passenger committed suicide on the cruise before mine.  I then realized that the webcam was not showing a live picture.  I enjoyed seeing some video of my ship, although it was a little scary and sad that someone jumped off on the cruise before mine.

First Time Seeing The Ship and Embarkation:
       The first time I saw the Ecstasy I was amazed at the large size.  At the time I did not know that cruise ships could get any larger. The area around the Galveston cruise terminal was busy with people, cars, buses, and shuttles. We parked at Lighthouse Parking and took their shuttle to the terminal. We arrived at the terminal in the early 11 o'clock hour because we read that boarding was scheduled to start at noon.  I did not know that boarding really starts as early as 11:00am, but today boarding was delayed because of an investigation by Homeland Security.
For future cruises I knew to arrive at the cruise terminal in the 10 o'clock hour.
       The way the terminal was in 2007 was a little different compared to following years.  We had an option of using a porter or taking our luggage to a little counter.  We brought our luggage to a little counter and it was checked in.  Next, we proceeded into the terminal and immediately got directed upstairs via an escalator. All of the lines for document check and security were short and the only long line was the line to get Sail & Sign Cards and finalize the check in process. 
Boarding The Ship & First Impression:
       This part of the entire day stands out to me the most.  After our zone was called we got in a long line to take a picture with this photo backdrop (it was quite ugly, to be honest).  After that we walked a little bit more and we got our picture taken for the Sail & Sign Card system. We continued to follow people, but instead of using the gangway, passengers were directed to the bottom floor of the terminal and we boarded the ship on Deck 3 (lowest level above the waterline). My first opinion of the ship was this is very bland compared to the pictures. I had no idea that Deck 3 was intended for crew with the exception of the infirmary.  Passengers were told to get in an elevator and go to Deck 10 - Lido.  We got into an elevator and went to Deck 10. After I got out of the elevator I was very impressed with the ship's appearance.  I really liked the atrium and also liked the pool deck on the Lido. 
Lunch:
      I don't remember too much about lunch except I had a headache and was not very hungry.  I could not find the Pizzeria, Grill, Deli, or even the dessert station.  I was very lost and found the Taste of Nations buffet line.  The featured nation for the day was Italian. The food was pretty good. 
Stateroom:
        Our staterooms were closed until about 1:30 or 2:00PM.  When we arrived in our room we had a Carnival Capers (presently Fun-Times) waiting and a bunch of other papers too.  My stateroom was on the Main Deck Starboard side.  I was startled the first time I flushed a toilet on the ship.  It was loud and had very good suction. 

Muster Station Drill and Sail-A-Way
        I don't really remember much about the Muster Station drill except I was stationed at Muster Station F. Muster Station F was outside on the Lido Deck near the outside buffet lines. We had to bring our lifejackets to the muster station drill and this was my least favorite part of the entire cruise. 
         The ship departed Galveston on-time and it was enjoyable to watch Galveston go by from the ship's front.

Dinner in the Main Dining Room
       The food was great and the service was great in the main dining room.  I had early seating at 5:45PM in the Wind Song Dining Room.  In 2007, there was no YourTime Dining.   Either you had early or late seating.  I was impressed with the large amount of silverware that was on the tables because I didn't even need half of it.  I enjoyed the food and was excited to come back the next day for breakfast and lunch the next day (which were not as good as dinner).

The First Night's Entertainment - Or Lack of For Me
        After dinner we went to bed.  We didn't go to the Welcome Aboard Show or go eat any food at the midnight buffet like I had planned.  The bed was very comfortable and mixed with the swaying of the ship it was easy to fall asleep.

Are you enjoying this review?  Part 2: Sea Day #1  is Coming Soon!

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     February 10, 2014, will mark the one year anniversary since the Carnival Triumph engine room fire that happened in February 2013. In the year 2013 various cruise lines and ships were featured in national headlines for different reasons and the question of "Is Cruising Safe?" was constantly asked by the media and many people who became weary of cruising. The Carnival Triumph engine room fire was a cruise ship disaster that stood out to me this year. I followed the news of the Carnival Triumph every day after the initial engine room fire because I was curious about the ship because I sailed on the Triumph in 2010 and I had a cruise booked that was scheduled to sail June 27, 2013. 
     The Carnival Triumph engine room fire occurred early February 10, 2013, when the ship was sailing in the Gulf of Mexico on its way back to Galveston, Texas.  The ship's scheduled itinerary was a 4 day that departed on February 7, 2013, and the cruise's only port of call was Cozumel, Mexico. The passengers onboard were supposed to dock in Galveston, Texas on February 11, 2013 to end their cruise.  However, after the engine room fire occurred this cruise was no longer a normal cruise.  In a February 15 press release, one day after the Triumph docked in Mobile, Carnival states that the ship docked at the Alabama Cruise Terminal at approximately 9:30PM CST and the guests onboard were disembarked by 12:50AM on the morning of February 15, 2013.  In the same press release Carnival also discusses the various transportation arrangements that were secured for the guests, compensation information, and some of the future cancelled cruises.  At the time of the press release cruises for the Triumph were cancelled thru April 13, 2013. To view the same press release that I got some of this information from please click here.  This press release will open in a separate window, take you away from my website to  Carnival's News website.

     On March 29, 2013, Carnival announced as a part of the company's fleet wide review more Triumph cruises would be cancelled and the Sunshine's debut would be delayed because it would also have some cruises cancelled. These new cancellations were cited to be because Carnival was going to increase operating redundancies and back up systems onboard their ships. The Triumph's date to re-enter service was now June 3, 2013, only a few weeks prior to my cruise on the ship. Carnival stated in this press release that they were making investments to improve each ship's fire prevention, detection, and suppression systems, and the hotel services that can run on emergency power. To view this press release please click here.  This press release will open in a new window, take you away from my website to Carnival's news website. This link also contains some information about the Sunshine cancellations too. 
     I thought at this point things couldn't get any worse for Carnival. They had already had to cancel more Triumph & Sunshine cruises, and had different mechanical issues with the Dream, Legend, and Elation. However, on April 3, 2013 the Triumph broke free from its dock in Mobile, Alabama because of high winds above 70 miles per hour.  At the time the Triumph was at a wet dock in Mobile, Alabama. This information is from an April 4, 2013 press release. You can view the press release by clicking here.  The press release will open in a new window, take you away from my website to Carnival's News website.

On April 18, 2013, Carnival cancelled two additional 5 day cruises making the Triumph's estimated re-launch date June 13, 2013. In the press release Carnival states that the cause of the two additional cancellations was because of damage from the ship breaking free from a Mobile, Alabama wet dock due to high winds. Also some onboard work time was lost because of this interruption. Carnival also announced that the ship would be going to Freeport, Bahamas, to complete repairs. To view the press release that I got this information from click here.  This press release will open in a separate window and take you away from my website to Carnival's News website.

     On May 8, 2013, Carnival announced the Triumph would depart May 8, 2013, from Mobile, Alabama to sail to Freeport, Bahamas. The ship would sail under its own power to Freeport!  Also Carnival announced that while in Freeport the ship would receive some 2.0 upgrades such as Guy's Burger Joint, Blue Iguana Cantina, Alchemy Bar, EA Sports Bar, Red Frog Rum Bar, and Blue Iguana Tequila Bar. In addition to these upgrades the ship would receive some of the improved safety systems and some general cosmetic work. To view this press release click here.  This press release will open a separate window and will take you away from my website to Carnival's news website. 
     Thankfully there were no more delays to the Triumph's return to service! The Triumph was able to resume sailing June 13, 2013, from Galveston, Texas.  I sailed on the renovated and refreshed Carnival Triumph on June 27, 2013, on a 4 day from Galveston, Texas.  I was on the ship's fourth sailing back in service!

Carnival Triumph Resources For Those Interested:

My June 2013 Carnival Triumph 4-day Review    Click Here to View
Carnival Triumph Ship Tour (2013)                    Click Here To View

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     Right now a few cruise ships from multiple cruise lines are making media headlines because of norovirus and illness outbreaks. Although there are multiple causes of illness, I would like to take this time to remind all viewers of some tips that can be used to try to prevent getting sick or getting hurt onboard.
     No matter what vacation destination you choose you run a high risk of being exposed to germs and bacteria. Just because you are on a cruise ship does not mean you are safe from the epidemics and diseases of the real world. Even though there is no way to completely protect yourself from getting sick there are some precautions that you can take to try to avoid sickness.

1.  Wash Your Hands -  Washing your hands with warm water and soap prior to eating, drinking,  and after touching any surface will help prevent the spread of germs.  If you are not able to wash your hands using hand sanitizer is a good alternative, but sanitizer does not kill all germs and should not replace constant hand washing.  Before I eat on the cruise ship I wash my hands and also use hand sanitizer as an extra precaution. If you have small children make sure you are washing their hands often, as they may stick their hands in their mouth, nose, or ears at any time and the germs will enter their body. 

2.   Avoid Touching Surfaces  -   When possible try to avoid touching commonly touched surfaces.  This may help reduce your chances of getting bacteria/germs on your hands or body.  Even if you don't touch anything you might want to consider washing your hands. 

3.   Avoid Sick People  -  If you see a guest on the ship that is showing symptoms of being sick stay away from them.  Don't touch any of the things that they have touched.  If there is vomit on the floor avoid it and try not to inhale it.   If someone in your cabin is sick make them stay in the cabin and then you can try to stay out of the cabin during the day.  Use a public bathroom if possible.  There will be times that you will have to go to your room, but the shorter amount of time you are in the room the less likely you are to catch the illness.   I understand there are some forms of sickness that are not contagious (food poisoning  sinus issues, etc.) but unless you know what that person has you might want to stay away from them as an extra precaution.

4.   Stay Physically Active  -   Try to work off some of your food or calories in the gym or on the jogging track.  Depending on the weather, I like to walk on the jogging track in the evening after dinner and watch the sun-set.  I carry a camera and snap pictures as I go around in a circle.   However, be careful onboard not to overwork yourself, pull a muscle, or get sick from trying to burn off your food/calories.

5.    Don't Overeat  -  At meal times don't eat an outrageous amount of food or drink. If you are over-stuffed you could get sick and vomit.  Be careful not to eat more greasy foods than you can handle or "rich" foods.  Overall, watch what you eat and how much you eat. 

These are just a few ways that you can stay healthy while on your cruise.  There are many other ways to prevent illness.  You have the power to try to prevent getting sick, but even if you try with maximum effort you could still get sick or hurt.   Always be careful! 

     There are a variety of different departure ports across the United States and around the world that service various cruise lines. The departure port that you choose could be influenced by two main factors, the location of the departure port and what cruise lines/ships sail from the particular departure port.
      If you are trying to decide between a departure port because of location you need to keep a few things in mind. How will you get to the homeport? Will you fly on an airplane, take a train, get dropped off by family or friends, or drive yourself and park? If you are arriving by plane or train you will need to make sure you have transportation arranged that will get you to and from the cruise terminal. If you are planning on driving yourself you need to keep in mind that you will probably have to pay to park. Or if you are getting dropped off by family or friends you need to make sure you set up clear arrangements with them. The biggest part of deciding on a homeport based on location is deciding on how you will get to the particular homeport and how far you will have to travel in order to get to your cruise ship's port of embarkation.
      If you are trying to decide between a particular departure port because of cruise lines or ships you need to spend time researching what cruise ships sail from a particular departure port, where they sail, and what itinerary they travel. Some cruise lines and ships will sail seasonally from departure ports and other cruise lines and ships will sail year round from a departure port.
      I suggest narrowing down your departure port choices based off of the price of the cruise, cost to get to the port, and value of the ship & itinerary. Make sure decision carefully and after doing plenty of research.

    The main dining room is often filled with a variety of different people who have different table customs and ideas of how to conduct themselves in a formal dining setting.  All people will not completely agree on how to behave in a main dining room, but please keep an open mind towards the ideas that I present in this article. However, there are some common guidelines that all should follow in the main dining in order not to disrupt service or make the dining experience unpleasant for tablemates and others in the main dining room.