Internet Service Onboard

All information via www.carnival.com

Internet Café / Wireless Internet Services
To keep you connected while at sea, satellite Internet access is available via WiFi throughout the vessel (including your cabin) and in the Internet Café.

Internet Café
The Internet Café is open 24-hours and features individual terminals where you can surf the Web, chat online, and access your private e-mail account (Gmail, AOL, Hotmail, Juno, Yahoo, etc.) Alternatively, personalized CruisE-mail™ is available on most vessels. Please see additional information below.
For your convenience, the Internet Café Manager is available for assistance during posted hours.
Internet Café terminals run on Windows XP and are limited to Internet communication. Terminals are equipped with Microsoft Office readers only, not full versions of these programs (WORD, EXCEL, etc); most files can be accessed as “read only” for viewing purposes but cannot be edited or saved. Please note, on your personal laptop you can read, edit and save files without restrictions according to the programs installed.

Wireless Users – Laptops and other WiFi equipped devices
Got a laptop, an iPad, or a netbook? Got 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless capability (that's just geek speak for WiFi)?
The Wireless Internet Service is compatible with a Wireless 802.11b card, which is the industry standard. You may use your personal laptop while onboard, your iPhone and all other WiFi equipped devices and most software installed on them without restrictions. VPN access on the other hand is restricted to connections of the type, which are not IPSec or PPTP connections. Kindly discuss your VPN limitations with your company’s IT department if you are planning to work while sailing. We are not able to change your settings onboard.

Pricing
Instructions on how to create an account and pricing details are present on-screen in the Internet Café or on your laptop once you connect to Carnival WiFi. Internet pricing is identical, whether you are using the Internet Café terminals, your own laptop or other wireless devices. All Internet charges will be billed directly to your onboard “Sail & Sign” account.
Time Plans offer guests the opportunity to enjoy a lower per-minute rate. These Time Plans are transferable between Internet Café terminals and personal laptops/wireless devices, can be used anytime throughout the cruise until disembarkation and don’t have to be used in a single session. No refund will be provided for unused minutes. Upgrading a pre-selected pricing option is not available and plans are subject to change.
• 480 minutes for $159
• 240 minutes for $89
• 120 minutes for $59
• 45 minutes for $29
• Pay As You Go: $0.75/min

Printing – available in the Internet Café at $0.50/job
Activation fee – a one-time $3.95 charge applies to each user on their first login only.
Boarding Passes – you can check in online and print your boarding passes in the Internet Café; please note, regular printing and online time charges apply.

Laptop rental
A limited number of laptops are available for rent; pricing and additional information available onboard.

Before You Go
Get the most from your cruise Internet time and your trip — make sure you're powered up and prepared before you board the ship with this handy pre-cruise checklist. Here are a few things you want to remember to pack for your cruise:
• WiFi enabled laptop and mobile devices
• Power supply for each of the devices you are bringing with you
• A charged battery for your trip to the ship
• Data cables to transfer pictures
• Headphones
• Laptop privacy screens
Best Practices
• Email – Convert your email settings to basic; you will have a better experience with less graphic intense content. Most email providers have a lite version of their service optimized for low-bandwidth users.
• Mobile websites – most websites nowadays offer a mobile interface; they are leaner, less graphic intense alternatives to their main page. Mobile pages load quicker via the leaner bandwidth available onboard and can be accessed regardless of your device: laptop, smart phone, tablet etc. A few examples:

- http://www.m.facebook.com/
- http://www.touch.facebook.com/
- http://www.m.yahoo.com/

• Apps – consider using apps; they are tailored for your device and will improve your online experience
• Browsers – Experiment with alternate browsers for a faster experience: Chrome, Opera, Safari, Mozilla, Firefox
• Remember to log out
• Disconnect from WiFi - develop the habit of disconnecting from WiFi when ending your Internet session; leaving your device connected may slow other users’ Internet speed
• Words associated with leaner content = faster loading time: mobile, text only, lite, no media, low resolution
• Discuss VPN limitations with your company’s IT department prior to cruising; onboard personnel are not able to change your settings onboard.

NOTE: Internet access via satellite is a significantly different experience than high-speed connections on shore. Onboard Internet access is not guaranteed at all times due to the nature of satellite communications, which are subject to occasional disruptions due to weather patterns and location.


Hope this answered your questions!
Carson and Kristi

Gratuities

Hello, friends!

I posted information about gratuities before but thought it was worth mentioning again. We don't want anyone to feel like they were caught off guard.

Gratuities:
Each passenger is responsible to pay $11.50 per day (at the end of the cruise) for gratuities. It will be broken out as follows:

$ 3.70  - Per Day Stateroom Services             
$ 5.80  - Per Day Dining Room Services        
$ 2.00  - Per Day Alternative Services: distributed to kitchen, entertainment, guest services and other hotel staff members.

*Gratuities do not apply to guests less than 2 years of age.

Please let us know if you have any questions. Also, January 31st is when your last payment is due. If you feel like this is adding up to be too much, please know that we understand if you have to back out. We love you all and feel so loved that you tried to make this work. We understand that things come up and sometimes extra expenses such as these do not work out.

As to everyone else, April is getting sooo close and can't wait to share our day (week) with you!


Much love!
Carson and Kristi

November 17th - Payment Due

Hi, everyone!

It has been a while since we have shared any information; that's because there is not much new to share at this time. However, we did want to remind you that it you have not already paid your $250 per person that it is due by THIS THURSDAY November 17th to make sure and do so.

We hope everyone is well! 

THANKS!!

Travel Recommendation & Hotel

First off, THANK YOU to everyone who decided to go through the travel agent and contacted her on time. It feels great to cross one thing off of the list!

For those of you who still want to book through the travel agent, you still can. However, you will no longer receive the locked in rate and a nonrefundable amount of $250 per person will be due at the time of booking. Please keep in mind that you still have other booking options (Expedia, Carnival, etc.).

Now that most of you have booked, we thought it would be a good time to recommend to everyone to fly into Miami the day before the cruise leaves. This way, you do not have to stress about delayed flights and missing the cruise/wedding. This is just a recommendation, please feel free to do what is best for you.

Vicky (travel agent) has blocked off some rooms for us in Miami, if you are interested in booking. She has reserved the following:


DAYS INN MIAMI AIRPORT NORTH
http://www.daysinnmiamiairport.com/

TRANSPORTATION:

Then hotel offers a free shuttle service from the airport to the hotel, and from the hotel to the pier. With our large group, there may be a short wait as they transport back and forth. The hotel is only a few miles from each location so the wait time should not be horrible. This will save everyone a tremendous amount on transportation.

ROOMS:

There are currently 15 rooms held with 1 queen sized bed @75.65 plus tax
There are currently 15 rooms held with 2 double beds @92.65 plus tax

BOOKING:

If you would like to make a reservation, please call 877.361.2506. The confirmation number you will want to provide is 60889082. When you call you will need to be specific to which room you would like. You will also need to provide a credit card number to guarantee your room. It is not until the time of check in that you will be charged, at that time you can use any desired form of payment. If you have any issues, Vicky has asked that you contact her.

DEADLINE:

If you would like to hold a room, you must do so by March 30th, 2012. At that time, any remaining rooms will be cancelled. If you hold a room and later decide to cancel, you must do so within 48 hours prior to check in.


THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE!!
Carson and Kristi

BOOKING REMINDER

Tomorrow (5/12/11) is the last day to book with the travel agent and lock in the rates we had shared previously. If you are hoping to go this route be sure to contact Vicky!

Vicky Cobb

Special Memories Travel LLC.

503.367.4132

THANKS!!

Uhhh....Motion Sickness....

We have heard from a few of you first time cruisers that you are a little nervous about getting sea sick, we understand! Nobody wants to go on a seven day vacation and spend the entire time sick in bed.

I (Kristi) happen to get sea sick easily, I even get sick on long car rides so I was nervous about this as well, the first time I went on a cruise. Here is what my doctor recommended to me, before my first trip.


MOTION SICKNESS PATCH:

Mine was called TRANSDERM-SCOPOLAMINE 1.5 MG PATCH 72HR

Instructions: To prevent motion sickness, apply to hairless area behind one ear at least 4 hours (4-8 hours) before travel. Remove or replace with new patch every 3 days (72 hours) as needed.

Prescription is needed.


MECLIZINE:

This comes in pill form and can be purchased over the counter (at least at Kaiser). You do not want to take this at the same time that you wear the patch, it is one or the other.


I am sure there are many other options that I don't know about. I wanted to share what was recommended to me and assisted in making sure I felt great the entire time. I chose to wear the patch and I never even noticed it. Please choose whatever works best for you, you know your body best.

Dinner Schedule

Hi, to all our peeps! = )

We know we still have a bit of time until we need to start thinking about dinner on the cruise, but some people aren't booking through the travel agent and we wanted to help those people plan accordingly.

The cruise line offers three different options for dinner times. There is early seating, late seating, or anytime between 5-9. We have chosen to go with the anytime between 5-9 option. This way, no matter what you have planned, you will get a chance to eat. We are hoping most days we can all eat together but we understand this wont always work out. The night of the wedding, however, it is important to us that we all eat together and celebrate!

During the cruise there will be two formal nights. Typically, it will be the 2nd and 5th or 6th night on board. We will confirm the dates once we receive more information.


ELEGANT DINING DRESS CODE (the following information was provided by Carnival):

Gentlemen - Dress slacks, dress shirts. We also suggest a sports coat. If you wish to wear suits and ties or tuxedos, by all means we invite you to do so.

Ladies - Cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts and blouses; if you'd like to show off your evening gowns, that's great too!


When we get a little closer to the wedding date we will be sure to post a list of recommended items to pack.


As always, if you have any questions, let us know!

-Carson and Kristi

Do you need a PASSPORT?

As we mentioned before, we created this blog to ensure that everyone is well informed. Our hope is to do all the research for our guests so that this can be a fun and relaxed experience for you! We will continue to add new posts, all the way up to the wedding date.

In answer to a very popular question, do you need a passport?? NO.

For many of you this is excellent news, you do not have to spend anytime filling out paperwork! If you already have a passport and would like to bring it, please feel free to do so.

If you are not going to bring a passport you need to make sure to BRING YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE.

If you have talked to Vicky (travel agent) she may have also recommended that you make photo copies of all of your travel documents (Birth Certificate or Passport) and leave them with someone you can easily contact at home. That way, if you loose your documentation they can quickly send it over to you.

Let us know if you have any other questions you would like us to answer. We will make sure to post it right away. Keep in mind, if you have questions about something, someone else probably does as well. Doesn't hurt to ask! = )


11 MORE MONTHS!!!

BOOKING UPDATE

Good news! You do not need to have your 25.00 per person paid until May 12th, we were given a little bit more time! YAY!

Also, we are now using a different Agent, her name is Vicky Cobb and she is AMAZING! We are so grateful for all of her hard work, she is making everything very easy for us. If you already booked with Jenifer you are still good to go! Vicky works in the same office and was able to take care of everything.

So far it looks like we are going to have an amazing turn out! We feel very honored and loved that so many of you will be there for our special day, thank you!

If you are having any issues, please let us know.

Vicky Cobb

Special Memories Travel LLC.

503.367.4132

How to Book

NOTE: For some reason this post looks VERY messy! This is a system issue that we can't seem to fix. SORRY!

We know everyone is anxious to book so we thought it was about time we posted booking information. There are a few different routes you can go to book, we will share a few of them. Please do what you feel is best for you and your family.

CRUISE INFORMATION:

Option One:

The first option is to book through a travel agent. We have contacted one that we feel is great and are confident she can assist in making the booking process simple and hassle free.

Here are the rates she has been able to hold for us:

Balcony Rooms:

560.00 per person (she was able to hold nine of these for us at this time, if you are interested please book ASAP)

570.00 per person - Next floor up on the ship (she was able to hold nine of these at this time, if you are interested please book ASAP)


Window View Rooms:

410.00 per person (she was able to hold twelve of these at this time, if you are interested please book ASAP)


The following pertains to all rooms:

- Taxes for all rooms are 250.00 per person. If you book through Expedia or Carnival you will notice that taxes are less. This is because they add some of the taxes in the price of the room. Either way, they end up being about the same price at the end.
- The 3rd and 4th person in a room are charged at the rate of 100.00 per person plus tax.
- IMPORTANT! The 3rd and 4th person in a room have to pay 250.00 down, not 25.00
- You can also book a porthole room, if interested please call Vicky for rates.

Note:

Gratuities - Each passenger is responsible to pay $11.50 per day (at the end of the cruise) for gratuities. It will be broken out as follows:

$ 3.70  - Per Day Stateroom Services             
$ 5.80  - Per Day Dining Room Services        
$ 2.00  - Per Day Alternative Services: distributed to kitchen, entertainment, guest services and other hotel staff members.

*Gratuities do not apply to guests less than 2 years of age.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE:

MAY 12th - Deadline to pay 25.00 per person in order to hold room
NOV 17th - Payment of 250.00 per person is due and names of each passenger needs to be confirmed.
JAN 31st - Final payment due

*You can call and make payments as often as you would like

If you would like to go this route to book, please contact:

Vicky Cobbs
Special Memories Travel LLC.
503.367.4132

When booking, reference: Booking# 408DN2 (Bizon Wedding)


Option Two:

Book through Expedia.com (see below for cruise details)


Option Three:

Book directly through Carnival (see below for cruise details)

Carnival.com
1.800.764.7419

Dates: Cruise leaves on 4/15/12 and returns on 4/22/12
Cruise Line: Carnival
Ship Name: Carnival Glory


If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us at:

Carson - 503.679.7186
Kristi - 503.313.6088
Shared Email - CNK418@gmail.com

SYSTEM ISSUES

We apologize for the inconvenience, we are having system issues. Everything looks a little messy but we didn't want to take it down so that you still had access to all information needed. We are working on fixing.

THANKS!

Destination Wedding - April 15th 2012

Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination. ~Roy Goodman

We have always appreciated a good adventure. In the last two years we have travelled to, Miami, the Caribbean, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., New York, and many short trips to explore Oregon. We have both also travelled to many other places separately, before meeting each other. With this in mind, we decided that a destination wedding would fit our personalities best and would really make this wedding unforgettable.



Carnival Glory



We discussed different options before deciding on a cruise to Cozumel, Belize, Honduras and the Cayman Islands. We felt that this trip would give everyone the opportunity to see many places, relax, celebrate and enjoy the company of many great people! We understand that not everyone will be able to make this trip with us, please know that you will be there at heart. We are truly thankful to everyone else that has decided to be there for our big day and we hope this with be an unforgettable experience for you as well!

ITINERARY
Ports of Call                                                                      

Day 1   Miami, Florida                                                                                                                        
Day 2   At Sea                                                                                                      
Day 3   Cozumel, Mexico                                                                                         
Day 4   Belize City, Belize                                                                                          
Day 5   Mahogany Bay, Honduras                                                                      
Day 6   Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands                                 
Day 7   At Sea
Day 8   Miami, Florida 

More information (including room choices and pricing) to follow!

....and then she said, "YES!"

 This is where the proposal happened

We had been in Washington D.C. for a few days and we were on our last day before heading to New York. We spent the first half of the day in Alexandria and then headed to the Washington National Cathedral. I had been to D.C. before and remembered the Cathedral being breathtaking, one of my favorite spots. Carson knew that and had agreed that we make a trip to see it. We spent about an hour inside before decided to tour the outside. We walked around and took lots of pictures. I thought we had seen everything so I started to walk off. Carson quickly stopped me and said we should see if we could find any paths. So we walked around some more until we found a really pretty secluded area. There was a little bench that we sat down on and talked for a while. I must have looked away because next thing I know, I turn my head to say something to him and he is on one knee. 

SIDE NOTE:  Before I go on I have to mention that everyone kept asking me if he was going to propose on our trip. I kept telling everyone NO WAY. I thought I would know or at least have a feeling. Carson also had people ask him the same question so during the trip we would joke about it. 

So now, here we are, and Carson is on his knee. I look at him and laugh and ask if he is joking. He says no but I don't believe him. Next thing I know he is saying a bunch of sweet things and he has a ring in his hand. I was in SHOCK! Best feeling EVER!

Inter-office Romance (How We Met)

Carson and I met at work. I was working in the same department as him but on another floor. We had spoken over the phone in the past and knew who the other one was but had never met in person.

One day I was walking back to work from lunch and fell out of my high heeled shoe right in front of the building. I could tell the person behind me was not paying much attention at the fact that I was no longer moving and was about to trip right over me. I quickly turned around, smiled and said..."oops, sorry!" He laughed, offered to help me up and then was off again. That guy behind me was Carson. If you know me, I can be VERY clumsy so I guess this was a good way to officially "meet". = )

A while after this I moved floors and sat on the other side of the wall from him. We quickly became friends and eventually things progressed!