Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 1 minute ago, OCSC Mike said: Will be eagerly awaiting CocoCay food porn. Some of the new Hideaway items looked decent to me. I've read mixed reviews but that kinda goes for any venue. There are people who don't like Mason Jar brunch and it was my favorite meal on a ship ever. To each his own. I'm going to Hideaway's food places for sure! Any specific requests, @OCSC Mike? OCSC Mike and PPPJJ-GCVAB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 4 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: I'm going to Hideaway's food places for sure! Any specific requests, @OCSC Mike? Standard answer... one of each! Honestly, that's probably what I would do for my first time there. I've already seen pics of everything I think and I won't be there so dealer's choice! Seafood pizza intrigues me. I'm sure the fried shrimp is good... it's fried and I'm normally eating the basic fried snack shack stuff. I saw one video of someone who asked for a bun and turned the fried shrimp into a po boy of sorts. Dunno if bread adds much though. Whatever you feel like trying, I'm there for it. WAAAYTOOO, PPPJJ-GCVAB and Cactus527 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 15 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: Standard answer... one of each! Honestly, that's probably what I would do for my first time there. I've already seen pics of everything I think and I won't be there so dealer's choice! Seafood pizza intrigues me. I'm sure the fried shrimp is good... it's fried and I'm normally eating the basic fried snack shack stuff. I saw one video of someone who asked for a bun and turned the fried shrimp into a po boy of sorts. Dunno if bread adds much though. Whatever you feel like trying, I'm there for it. Shellfish allergy here. I don't think I'm going to try the seafood pizza because I forgot my epi pen at home, but I can definitely try everything else! MaryS, PPPJJ-GCVAB and Ampurp85 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 Just now, Cactus527 said: Shellfish allergy here. I don't think I'm going to try to see food pizza because I forgot my epi pen at home, but I can definitely try everything else! Oops, yeah, good call, lol, BBQ chicken pizza and empanadas it is then! I'm just mentioning new stuff b/c I already know how much I like the chicken sandwiches and funnel cake... but pics of those will just make me look forward to being there next Monday. Sweety, PPPJJ-GCVAB and Cactus527 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 I’m interested in your overall thoughts on this new section! I purchased a pass for my May cruise to check it out…all by my lonesome! It’s probably going to be my only “me time” for the entire 8 night cruise! I also have passes purchased for myself and my husband for our September cruise but since we are cruising with another couple on that one I’m not sure I’ll keep them. Unless, of course, this area is soooo intriguing I can talk the other couple into getting passes too! Cactus527, Sweety, WAAAYTOOO and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 1 hour ago, Cactus527 said: 6:55am and @Lovetocruise2002 had already beaten us to PDCC. Coming from Nassau, we didn’t have very far to go. And regarding those Uber/Lyft cancellations, that happened to us too one time when we got off the ship too late (around 8:30am). Every ride we got kept cancelling, we ended up just getting in a cab. Cactus527, PPPJJ-GCVAB and Sweety 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 16 minutes ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said: I’m interested in your overall thoughts on this new section! I purchased a pass for my May cruise to check it out…all by my lonesome! It’s probably going to be my only “me time” for the entire 8 night cruise! I also have passes purchased for myself and my husband for our September cruise but since we are cruising with another couple on that one I’m not sure I’ll keep them. Unless, of course, this area is soooo intriguing I can talk the other couple into getting passes too! Well, I can tell you so far at 8:30 in the morning, it's super peaceful except for the damn piped in PDCC tune they keep playing over and over and over and over and over. I know the pool area is pumping out tunes, but I really can't hear anything beyond the base right now. Unless they're the ones pumping in the PDCC song! PPPJJ-GCVAB, Sweety, WAAAYTOOO and 1 other 1 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 10 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Coming from Nassau, we didn’t have very far to go. And regarding those Uber/Lyft cancellations, that happened to us too one time when we got off the ship too late (around 8:30am). Every ride we got kept cancelling, we ended up just getting in a cab. Ugh, that doesn't sound pleasant. I waved hi to you! PPPJJ-GCVAB, MaryS, JohnK6404 and 4 others 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 First observations about Hideaway Beach 1. The shoreline around the horseshoe shaped bay looks like it would be perfect to walk on. Don't be fooled! That is some tough sand to walk through and there are even rocks. 2. There are no physical tickets that you need for this location. They have scanners at the entrance for your Seapass card. 3. I can confirm that the PDCC song is not coming from the Hideaway Beach pool area. I can definitely hear a little bit of music but it's not annoying at all on the far side of the bay. 4. The swings in the water are really fun! 5. 8:30 in the morning, the sun is perfect for sunbathing on that far side of the bay. As a day progresses, the sun will be more direct for the people that are closest to the entrance. 6. Regarding the walkover- I think I read something about 3 to 5 minutes to walk it. I'm a pretty average speed walking person, and it took me a solid 5 minutes. Another 5 minutes to the other side of the bay. Definitely take the tram if you have any issues walking, as the sand path has not been compacted enough yet to be easy to walk on. asquared17, OCSC Mike, WAAAYTOOO and 9 others 9 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 See? Swings are fun (but creaky). They really got them going high. MaryS, JohnK6404, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 Love how early you got there and the pics with no one there. We get off first thing to secure a spot in our favorite location by the Oasis pool. It's usually quiet for a little while since we are making a beeline for that spot and many others are wandering, going elsewhere, etc. But it's not THAT empty and it starts to fill up quickly. PPPJJ-GCVAB, Sweety, Lovetocruise2002 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 4 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: Love how early you got there and the pics with no one there. We get off first thing to secure a spot in our favorite location by the Oasis pool. It's usually quiet for a little while since we are making a beeline for that spot and many others are wandering, going elsewhere, etc. But it's not THAT empty and it starts to fill up quickly. I'm a morning person, and I also like to be early for things. It's a benefit on vacation because then it means I get to choose exactly where I want to be before crowds descend. Ampurp85, OCSC Mike, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 17 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: I'm a morning person, and I also like to be early for things. It's a benefit on vacation because then it means I get to choose exactly where I want to be before crowds descend. Agree 100% and we are too. I've mentioned this before but I love the ship pre-7am. Park Cafe at 6:30am is so peaceful and the WJ isn't crazy when it first opens. We usually get off the ship in port first thing (if we're getting off), even if we don't necessarily have a reason to like grabbing our spot on CocoCay. Sweety, PPPJJ-GCVAB, Snotarni and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yesiamthere6 Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 9 hours ago, Ampurp85 said: I tried Carnival 20 years ago and hated it, vowed to never sail it again. But I keep hearing the food is so much better and the casino is very forgiving so a 4n at under a $1k for three people with $50obc seemed okay........especially if all my plans work out on my Freedom sailing in the casino I noticed the to-go shakes are in a smaller cup at JR. But too much milkshake is also not good imho. I am madder that the cost to eat at Jr is almost $20 now. Also, the hair thing, ewwwww . But I tend to notice that the college-aged youths seem to be far more manner-able than the pre/teen youths. Thankfully I avoid sailing during spring break and the summer, I hate to hear them when they play their drinking games. I just booked a carnival offer. I’ve only cruised with them a couple of times, so surprised to get a casino offer from them. It was too good to past up. It’s tied to some famous casino guy. I got a free balcony, free drinks in casino for two people, and a $1,000 free play in casino. We own carnival stock, so $100 to spend onboard. It’s on the Carnival Celebration ship. I’m not a fan of carnival or their food. WAAAYTOOO, Ampurp85, Cactus527 and 3 others 1 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 I know one of the things I was concerned about regarding Hideaway Beach was the sound level from the pool. Here's a 10-second video from the far side of the beach. They've cranked it up since I arrived but it's still not horrible. It also feels like there's suddenly a ton more people here. Full disclosure: I fell asleep for about 20 minutes. PXL_20240312_135407565.TS.mp4 JohnK6404 and Lovetocruise2002 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 1 hour ago, Yesiamthere6 said: I just booked a carnival offer. I’ve only cruised with them a couple of times, so surprised to get a casino offer from them. It was too good to past up. It’s tied to some famous casino guy. I got a free balcony, free drinks in casino for two people, and a $1,000 free play in casino. We own carnival stock, so $100 to spend onboard. It’s on the Carnival Celebration ship. I’m not a fan of carnival or their food. WOW! I'm super impressed!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 Palapa update: 75% of the little tables that are underneath the palapas are now underwater. It's comical to me cuz all the videos I have seen of this location show them stranded out of the water by a lot. Hammock update: I have seen so many people try to climb into the hammocks over the water and then promptly fall into the water. Not surprisingly, this has been one of my favorite things to watch thus far. MaryS, dr martini, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 6 others 2 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr martini Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 great updates so far, tough work but somebody has to do it! Sweety, WAAAYTOOO, Cactus527 and 2 others 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 21 minutes ago, dr martini said: great updates so far, tough work but somebody has to do it! I'm just doing my part. Sweety and OCSC Mike 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 1st lunch. Island guava pizza and beef empanada. The pizza really is the same quality as Sorrento's on board, but it has a really nice flavor with a bit of some spice/kick. The empanada was good, it just wasn't what I really wanted. I actually went back and got more pizza because it was that nice. The last photo is the inside of my beef empanada. Sweety, FionaMG, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 6 others 7 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 I knew it was just Sorrento's pizza. So if Hideaway was like $15 or less I would go. Paying anything over that is a waste of money......I mean I don't get off at PDCC often either so paying anything is a waste of my money. @Yesiamthere6 Wow that is a great deal. I got offered something similar on Mardi gras but I didn't have the time. I was told they give back what you pay in Casino credits when you book a comped offer, so I will see how the sailing goes in Jan and make a decision. Cactus527, Yesiamthere6, WAAAYTOOO and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 14 hours ago, Cactus527 said: The Lyft driver I had noted that many drivers will cancel pickups at the cruise terminals because of how long it is taking them to get there versus how much they are going to make. This cinched it for me - I just booked Blacklane for our post cruise trip to the airport. My last two trips with Uber have been bad and I was worried since we're flying earlier post-cruise than we ever have before. I had tickets somewhere - we should have had plenty of time - but the person who picked it up took 20 minutes to get to us when the ETA was 3 minutes. I don't know how/why that can happen (the little car going further away from us ), but I'm also seeing a decline in the vehicle quality as well and don't want to even chance it. 14 hours ago, Cactus527 said: Finding weird hairs in your bathroom is unpleasant. Trying not to think too hard about what they are or where they're from. 14 hours ago, Cactus527 said: Johnny Rockets shakes feel smaller than they were on Allure. Maybe I'm just crazy. Maybe that is why they are less expensive? 13 hours ago, Ampurp85 said: I tried Carnival 20 years ago and hated it, vowed to never sail it again. Me too - super thin walls, gross dirty carpet, no sophistication at all... But like you, I hear much better things now but it is a hard hurdle for me to overcome. Cactus527, Ampurp85 and PPPJJ-GCVAB 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 1 hour ago, Ampurp85 said: I knew it was just Sorrento's pizza. So if Hideaway was like $15 or less I would go. Paying anything over that is a waste of money......I mean I don't get off at PDCC often either so paying anything is a waste of my money. @Yesiamthere6 Wow that is a great deal. I got offered something similar on Mardi gras but I didn't have the time. I was told they give back what you pay in Casino credits when you book a comped offer, so I will see how the sailing goes in Jan and make a decision. I paid $20. To me, worth it. Anything more and I probably wouldn't. 2 minutes ago, jbrinkm said: This cinched it for me - I just booked Blacklane for our post cruise trip to the airport. My last two trips with Uber have been bad and I was worried since we're flying earlier post-cruise than we ever have before. I had tickets somewhere - we should have had plenty of time - but the person who picked it up took 20 minutes to get to us when the ETA was 3 minutes. I don't know how/why that can happen (the little car going further away from us ), but I'm also seeing a decline in the vehicle quality as well and don't want to even chance it. He said the problem comes from all of the construction as well as traffic in the port area, so many of the drivers don't find it worth their time. dr martini and PPPJJ-GCVAB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 2nd lunch: crispy island fish sandwich, fries, and caramel brownie. The fish was good, the fries were fries, but the brownie was amazing. JohnK6404, PPPJJ-GCVAB, She Sails Away and 4 others 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 2 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: He said the problem comes from all of the construction as well as traffic in the port area, so many of the drivers don't find it worth their time. I'm cruising out of Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale so it may not be the same situation but we're flying from PBI so I just thought about any potential issues with rideshare and decided not to risk anything within my control. Cactus527, Sweety and WAAAYTOOO 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 Hey, look, in the sky! WAAAYTOOO, Sweety, jbrinkm and 3 others 3 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 1 minute ago, jbrinkm said: I'm cruising out of Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale so it may not be the same situation but we're flying from PBI so I just thought about any potential issues with rideshare and decided not to risk anything within my control. I think that's an awesome plan. jbrinkm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 Hideaway Beach at 12pm. It was getting louder... JohnK6404, She Sails Away, MaryS and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VACruiser Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 3 hours ago, Yesiamthere6 said: I just booked a carnival offer. I’ve only cruised with them a couple of times, so surprised to get a casino offer from them. It was too good to past up. It’s tied to some famous casino guy. I got a free balcony, free drinks in casino for two people, and a $1,000 free play in casino. We own carnival stock, so $100 to spend onboard. It’s on the Carnival Celebration ship. I’m not a fan of carnival or their food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 I wandered over to Chill Island to shop and then South Beach. Successfully procured a Coco Cay shirt, something I forgot to do when I was here in September. Best conversation overheard: Drunk College Girl: *stands up* College Girl 1: You're out! You're out! What are you doing???? Drunk College Girl: What? College Girl 2: Oh my gosh, [name], your nipple is totally hanging out! Drunk College Girl: Where? College Girl 1: Do something about it! You're totally out! College Girl 2: Fix it! Drunk College Girl: *laughing* what? She's lucky her friends were able to help her out. Or in, whatever. She's covered now, folks, we're all good. OCSC Mike, Sweety, Ampurp85 and 8 others 2 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VACruiser Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 I have been on both lines equally and I can say that I really enjoyed my January 2024 cruise on the Carnival Celebration. It is a huge step up from the normal Carnival ships and I can say that I will cruise it again and in fact I will next year and then Symphony of the Seas the next year. The food was not bad at all in the MDR - hit or miss on some items but I could always go away filled on something. There are plenty of specialty restaurants on the new ships too if that's your thing. I think that the new ships, Celebration, Mardi Gras and Jubilee are all competitive with Royal, Norwegian and others. If Carnival took their ships to more islands instead of the same ones over and over, I'd go more often. I also will be interested when they open Celebration Key in 2025. I wonder if it will be like PDCC? Cactus527, PPPJJ-GCVAB and Sweety 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 1 minute ago, VACruiser said: I have been on both lines equally and I can say that I really enjoyed my January 2024 cruise on the Carnival Celebration. It is a huge step up from the normal Carnival ships and I can say that I will cruise it again and in fact I will next year and then Symphony of the Seas the next year. The food was not bad at all in the MDR - hit or miss on some items but I could always go away filled on something. There are plenty of specialty restaurants on the new ships too if that's your thing. I think that the new ships, Celebration, Mardi Gras and Jubilee are all competitive with Royal, Norwegian and others. If Carnival took their ships to more islands instead of the same ones over and over, I'd go more often. I also will be interested when they open Celebration Key in 2025. I wonder if it will be like PDCC? I've been thinking the same thing.- maybe trying one of Carnival's newer ships would be the way to go. I definitely think of them as competitive with RC. VACruiser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryS Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 16 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: 2nd lunch: crispy island fish sandwich, fries, and caramel brownie. The fish was good, the fries were fries, but the brownie was amazing. You need some ice cream with the brownie. Yum! Sweety, Cactus527 and OCSC Mike 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 7 minutes ago, MaryS said: You need some ice cream with the brownie. Yum! YES! Sweety and MaryS 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 My wife's dessert hack there (from Chill Grill) is to get soft serve in a plastic drink cup and then mix in chopped up chocolate chip cookies but she's also done it with a brownie. You can do this onboard with cookies and soft serve too of course; it just became a thing at CocoCay for whatever reason. MaryS, Cactus527, WAAAYTOOO and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 44 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: I wandered over to Chill Island to shop and then South Beach. Successfully procured a Coco Cay shirt, something I forgot to do when I was here in September. Best conversation overheard: Drunk College Girl: *stands up* College Girl 1: You're out! You're out! What are you doing???? Drunk College Girl: What? College Girl 2: Oh my gosh, [name], your nipple is totally hanging out! Drunk College Girl: Where? College Girl 1: Do something about it! You're totally out! College Girl 2: Fix it! Drunk College Girl: *laughing* what? She's lucky her friends were able to help her out. Or in, whatever. She's covered now, folks, we're all good. OMG I laughed so hard at this ! This is DEFINITELY a @Ampurp85-level shenanigans story ! OCSC Mike, asquared17, Snotarni and 5 others 1 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 54 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: Hideaway Beach at 12pm. It was getting louder... This photo makes Hideway look much bigger than I thought it was... Cactus527 and PPPJJ-GCVAB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 2 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: OMG I laughed so hard at this ! This is DEFINITELY a @Ampurp85-level shenanigans story ! DEF an @Ampurp85 story MaryS, Cactus527, OCSC Mike and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 11 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: My wife's dessert hack there (from Chill Grill) is to get soft serve in a plastic drink cup and then mix in chopped up chocolate chip cookies but she's also done it with a brownie. You can do this onboard with cookies and soft serve too of course; it just became a thing at CocoCay for whatever reason. I think I'm going to have to do that on board! 2 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: OMG I laughed so hard at this ! This is DEFINITELY a @Ampurp85-level shenanigans story ! It made me laugh a lot because it reminded me so much of college. All the weird things that happened, all the great stories you can tell later on, these girls were definitely getting that. MaryS, PPPJJ-GCVAB, WAAAYTOOO and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 2 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: This photo makes Hideway look much bigger than I thought it was... It actually is bigger than I expected. The restaurants/bars and restroom areas were on par with what I thought the size would be; however, the beach area was much much larger than I thought it was going to be. Rows upon rows of chairs, plenty of aisle space, and I was pleasantly surprised by the feeling of having space. Since I went to South Beach after, Hideaway felt so much bigger because everything is so jam-packed over there. PPPJJ-GCVAB, WAAAYTOOO and MaryS 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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