Conference abbott::cruise_travel

    Can't help you out - we are going in March - but please give us
    your comments when you get back! 
    
    About the rooms - my travel agent said that no matter how small
    she tells me the room is, I will still walk in there and say I didn't
    think she meant a walk in closet! 
    
    Suzanne

    My husband and I took a December '87 cruise on the Festivale and
    loved every minute of it.  It's an older ship, maybe not as jazzy
    as the Jubilee or Celebration, but still a beautiful and huge ship.
    
    The only comment I had on the room was the location.  We were in
    cabin V70 which was an upgrade to what we originally had booked.
    It was RIGHT under the kitchen and all we heard all night was 
    banging and scraping!  Otherwise, the room was fine....PLENTY of
    closet space, and although the bathroom was minute, it was quite
    functional.  We had an inside queen room.  We hardly were there
    except to shower, change and sleep.  
    
    You'll find there's enough to do without having to be cooped in
    your room.  Also, you'll be spoiled by the crew's pampering....they
    were the utmost in professionalism, and the cruise director was
    just fantastic.
    
    The ONLY thing we didn't like too much was that the activities they
    advertise in those glossy brochures were only offered ONCE the whole
    cruise....(ie  skeet shooting, golf driving, etc.)  Nothing was
    on-going except bingo (which we played a few times).
    
    The food was okay, but nothing spectacular, except in presentation.
    We really looked forward to meals in the dining room though because
    the staff put on some sort of show every night, and they were great
    fun.
    
    There is something to do every minute of the day....you won't be
    bored.  If you want peace and quiet, the bow of the ship is the
    place to be.....huge open decks with an abundance of sunshine!
    
    The ports-of-call were great.....left from San Juan, went to
    St. Thomas first (yes, the shopping is great....we did all our
    Christmas shopping there!), then on to St. Maarten (didn't get
    to see too much of that island), Barbados (went on a GREAT party
    cruise on the BAJAN QUEEN....you can't miss it!  You anchor off
    a beautiful white sandy beach for snorkeling or swinging off the
    rope [it kind of hangs off the side of the boat], and you get
    unlimited drinks....ouch!.....WELL worth the money!), and finally
    stopped at St. Croix.  The original stop was supposed to be
    Martinique, but due to a strike on the island, we went to St. Croix
    instead which was absolutely beautiful.
    
    All in all it was a wonderful trip, and we'd go back on the Festivale
    again and again.   Let me know how your trip goes!  I know you're
    going to have a good time!
    
    jacqui
    

    I agree with .2.  My wife and I just got off the Festivale 2 weeks
    ago. It was our first cruise and the best vacation we ever had.
    We went from San Juan to St Thomas to St Marteen, day at sea,Barbados,
    Martinque, day at sea then back to San Juan Puerto Rico. We had
    in a class of 1-10 rooms, Class #6.  It was an outside room with
    2 twin beds (Oh well) and a port hole for a window. The room was
    actually bigger then we expected however the bathroom was small.
    
    We found the mix of people to be approx:
    
                          30%  Honeymooners
                          50%  Couples ages 25-40
                          10%  Singles (Mostly women)
                          10%  Couples over 40
    
               We can't wait to take our next cruise on the Song of
    America in July.
                                Bill
                   

    Hi Bill,
    
    Did you see very many teenagers?  That is actually my biggest concern
    for this cruise.  I'm afraid that there won't be that many families
    since we are going the week of Thanksgiving.  But then everyone
    has said there is a lot going on, so they won't be bored.

    There were teenagers on the ship but there were so many teenager
    activities that you hardly ever saw them. The ship has continous
    activities for them which are totally seperate from the adult
    activities. They can even eat in a seperate section if they don't
    want to eat in the main dining room. The teenagers also can have
    seperate shore excursions without their parents. Some of the parents
    that my wife and I met hardly ever saw their kids except breakfast,
    dinner and bedtime. The teenagers even have their own times for
    disco dancing and their own lounge for snacks and non-alcoholic
    drinks. We have a 13 and 15 year old and will be taking them on
    our next cruise.
                                   Bill

    Hi, I am a new user to this conference. My name is Roland, and I
    am booked on the Festival for a honeymoon cruise sailing 10/23/88.
    The only thing that I dislike so far is that we fly to San Juan
    at 6:30 am. This will be my first cruise, that is why I wanted to
    look into this conference. I not sure what to expect, but it sounds
    like past travelers have been pleased with carnival. I'll make sure
    to comment on the cruise when I get back.
    
    Roland 
    

    How was the cruise Roland?  I'm going on the Festivale November
    20, for the week of Thanksgiving, I'm really looking forward to
    it.  I too will post note when I come back.  Gee, won't it be nice
    having a nice turkey dinner on Thanksgiving, without cooking for
    assorted family and friends.  I'm working on losing 5 lbs just so
    I can eat what I want and come back to have only an extra 5 lbs
    to face rather than 10 ;^)  If anyone has a must see from their
    cruise, or if there is something I can find out (without to much
    effort, it is a vacation after all) for you, just send mail.........
    
    Sandy
    
    (about the upgrades, since there are four of us in one cabin, it
    looks like they won't be able to upgrade our cabin by much.  Gee
    the least they could do is give us, oh, maybe a suite.  Yeah, that's
    it........)

    Another question.  We had dinner with my boyfriend's 15 year old
    son last night.  He is looking forward to the fact that there is
    no drinking age restriction once we're in international water. 
    I'm just wondering if it's true, or if he has his "hopes" up for
    nothing.  My only comment to him was that he'd better not be an
    obnoxious drunk.  There is an age limit for the casino, though.
                                                             
    Also, will I need my passport for reentry to the U.S.?  I put it
    up where it would be safe and wouldn't get lost..........

    There is a drinking age limit.  I think it is the same as the
    ship's line of registry, but I'm not sure.  It'll be at least 18
    on any ship, if not 21!!
    
    Ro
    

    Since I started this note, I'll post some comments about the ship.
    
    I was very pleased with the cruise as a whole.  The little excursions
    offered were a bit pricy ($25-$30) but well worth it once I saw some of
    the beaches.  I really liked (and recommend)the St Johns trip offered
    while in St Thomas - you got to stay on the beach (can't remember the
    name) for a little over an hour. 
    
    Our room, we stayed in V89, was in a good location - close to the
    lido deck for breakfast and lunch and sun.  It really wasn't too
    small - but I did live in a college dorm room for four years not
    too long ago too!  I was a bit apprehensive about the boat rocking
    back and forth, but didn't really feel much at all.

    Other things to keep busy - the Bajan queen party boat is a good
    few hours drunk!  Ditto for the Kon-Tiki in both Barbados and St
    Marteen(i think).  
    
    I didn't do much, any, shopping so I can't say much about it. 
    
    I also didn't enjoy getting up at 5:00am on a Sunday morning after i'd
    been busy celebrating getting married a short few hours earlier. 
    
    This is just a quick summary of what I can remember off the top
    of my head, if anyone has any questions - don't hesitate to send
    ask here or send mail.
    
    /kevin
    
    

    We were notified by our travel agent that we have been upgraded
    to a larger cabin, it looks much larger on the diagram that is in
    our brochure.  There is one small problem though, it's right under
    a disco (but then our original cabin was under our upgrade).  Oh,
    well, like they say, if you can't beat 'me, join 'em, I haven't
    danced all night in quite a while!!!

>    Also, will I need my passport for reentry to the U.S.?  I put it
>    up where it would be safe and wouldn't get lost..........

I believe that you will need either:

	a) A passport

	    or

        b) Your birth certificate

            or

        c) A drivers license and a letter from your county
	   registrar of voters indicating that you are currently
	   registered to vote.

This information is checked by the cruise officials and a form
filled out for customs.  You are then given a boarding pass
which identifies you as a U.S. citizen.  From then on that is
all you should need.

Regards,

	Bob

	RE: Drinking age on ships

	Several noters asked about the drinking age on ships. On most ships
	at sea the minimum drinking age is 18. However, they rarely if ever
	"card" people so if you are interested in keeping your teenager
	from drinking, then enforce your own rules.

	Don

    Well, I'm back from the cruise.  There is to much to write in here    
    so I'm going to put my thoughts in my word processer, if anyone       
    is interested, you can send me mail, and send it to you.              
                                                                          
    About the alcohol, the kids were served without any questions, they   
    could also gamble in the casino (David swore that the only time       
    he wins is when he plays with his fathers money, he only lost when    
    he used his own!).  The kids didn't go hog wild, like a lot of parents
    would be afraid of.  In fact, even thought they could charge their    
    drinks on their dad's credit card, they usually paid cash for them.   
    The best part of the trip for them was that they were treated like    
    adults, and they, in turn, behaved more like an adult than a lot of   
    people that I know, as well as a good many of their fellow passengers.
    
    If you have any questions or just want to know what I considered
    such a good time, just send me a note.  Like I said, if I entered
    it in here, it would take up way to much disk space!
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          

    Hi Sandy,

    No need to worry about disk space.  Please feel free to enter your
    comments for all to enjoy.

    Mr. Moderator Joe

    RE: 14
    
    Sandy,
    
    Could you send me along your comments on the Festival cruise - I
    tried to send you mail but I could not reach you.  My husband and
    I and 3 other couples will be going on the Festival in March so
    we would love to hear about your trip.  Thank you,
    
    Suzanne

    
    Sorry to hear that you're back...Meant in the tone that..I'm sure you
    wish you were still cruising the sun and tropics....Glad to hear you
    had a nice time and I would love to hear all about your experiences.
    
    						steve w.
    

    After all this time, I'm finally taking a minute to enter this.
    It was written the week we got back, but, I was putting off adding
    it to the file.  Anyway,
                            
                            
                            
                            
       Well, here goes nothing.....
       
       I left Logan airport Sunday Nov. 12 at 6:30pm for Puerto Rico.  
       The Festivale departed from port at 8:00pm.  First I'm going to 
       mention what I was not overly impressed by (but don't get the 
       wrong impression, I had a GREAT time!).
       
       This has nothing to do with the cruise, but I didn't much care for 
       TWA, either the trip down or the trip back.  I hope I don't have 
       to take that airline again, they made my last trip on Continental 
       seem enjoyable.  Enough of that, I was worried that with our room 
       being underneath a disco, we would hear a lot of the noise.  I was 
       worried about nothing.  In the hall you could hear it blasting 
       away, but it was not noticeable in the cabin.  But I do have to 
       mention the hot water.  Some people I spoke to had absolutely no 
       trouble with the hot water, these were people who showered around 
       the same time we did, but in our cabin we had a difficult time 
       with it.  And the really frustrating part that, we would finally 
       get hot water, then in the middle of the shower, yup, I about 
       froze my buns off one morning.  Well enough of the negative.
       
       
       The ship is big and slow (especially when your used to speed 
       boats).  It was full of people, some singles, some couples, some 
       families, one newly divorced gentleman (you could tell from across 
       the room, sort of an aura about him), I even met one couple who 
       were on their honeymoon with 6 of their closest friends!  The kids 
       with us (David 15, and Alisa, 17) found others their age, David 
       even had a "shipboard romance" with a girl from Idaho.
       
       We let the kids do what they want, it was up to them to be 
       responsible for themselves.  If they wanted a drink, they could 
       get it, if they wanted to gamble they could, etc.  They were very 
       responsible, they really enjoyed being treated as adults (they 
       acted more mature than more than a few of the 20-45 yr. old's that 
       were on the ship).  While they spent more time with Ed (my S.O.) 
       and myself than we expected, we all had a good time together.
       
       The activities for them on the ship weren't that great.  The disco 
       was only open (officially) to teens a couple of nights, they 
       didn't want to spend all their time in the "playroom" playing 
       videos etc., I'm glad they enjoyed spending time with us doing 
       "adult" things, playing blackjack (David actually came off the 
       cruise ahead, using Dad's money of course),  going to shows, they 
       went to the movies a couple times, Alisa went to the disco with me 
       a few times.  Another comment I have to make is if you're female 
       and single, even if there is no single male passenger on the ship, 
       don't worry, the male employees will make absolutely sure you are 
       not alone and bored!
       
       As far as shopping, I bought about $200 worth of perfumes (gifts, 
       mostly), Alisa bought a gold chain for herself, a ruby and diamond 
       ring for her mother (it will be a Christmas gift from the three 
       kids in the family), David bought a gold chain for himself, Ed 
       (sweetheart that he is) bought me some ruby earrings etc.  What 
       I'm trying to say is determine what you want to spend for 
       shopping, it's easy to overboard! (no pun intended).  Because of 
       this, the cruise was more expensive than we anticipated.
       
       St. Thomas was great, the port is beautiful, it's the thing 
       postcards a made of.  Alisa and I drug David and Ed from shop to 
       shop in search of the perfect Christmas gifts (with a few subtle 
       hints thrown in here and there, on my part!).  We shopped until 
       noon or so and went back to the ship (all but Alisa, it's the 
       first time she's actually gone shopping in an unfamiliar area by 
       herself), and got some sun.  That night  they had different 
       activities in which we could participate.
       
       St. Martin was fun.  While they went snorkeling I went exploring 
       St. Martin in a taxi with 4 couples (the honeymooners and their 6 
       closest friends), we went to the French side and shopped, drove 
       around the island and back to the Dutch side to shop.  I went back 
       to the ship around 1:00 and got some sun (of course).  The others 
       went shopping after snorkeling.  It was a tour set up by the ship, 
       but they weren't very impressed with the area they were taken to.  
       They had to swim quite a ways out to whatever they went to see (I 
       don't swim well which is why I didn't go), and they didn't think 
       it was really worth the effort.
       
       Wednesday we were at sea all day, they had different contests to 
       take advantage of.  I would suggest if you want a lounge on the 
       lido desk, go early (before 9:00 at the latest), because all of 
       the areas fill up fast.  And if you go in for a few minutes, 
       be sure to leave something other than the towel on the lounge, 
       because they will take the towel off so someone else can have the 
       lounger.  To avoid the possible shock, the pools are filled with 
       salt water.  They're pretty small, the largest is on the Lido 
       deck, and it's about 4' deep, with a waterslide.
       
       Thurs. we were in Barbados, the shopping there isn't so great.  Ed 
       and David took a tour of the island with a cab driver and found 
       that the people of the island were really friendly people (in town 
       I wasn't very impressed with them).  We took the Bajan Queen that 
       afternoon, it's a tour you can purchase tickets to on the ship.  
       We had a good time, except it was overcrowded, and even though 
       they offer snorkeling, they don't have enough equipment to go 
       around (they don't have *any* flippers).  Watch out for the rum 
       punch, it's made with 151% and packs a wallop!!  Some islanders 
       brought out catamarans to sell rides on.  They brought them right 
       to the side of the boat, charged $10 per person for a ride that 
       lasted approximately 15 mins.  Alisa and I took it and it really 
       was fun.
       
       Friday we were at Martinique, took a taxi into town, from there 
       took a ferry to one of the hotel beaches.  It was a nice relaxing 
       day.  We wandered around the town some, it seems pretty 
       interesting, it was also kind of expensive, at the beach it was 
       $2. for a Coke.
       
       Saturday we spent at sea, we took on fuel while sitting in front 
       of an island (I think St. Crouix) for 6 hours.  They only do that 
       once or twice a month according to the people on the ship.  We 
       spent the day in the sun, well, up until 2:00 or so when the skies 
       opened up on us.  They had spouse abuse (I mean pillow fighting) 
       contest, plus various others that day.
       
       The nightlife was filled with all sorts of possibilities.  A good 
       many of the people that we met would be up until sunrise and sleep 
       a good part of the day (at least until their cabin steward would 
       knock and the door and tell them that they are the last cabin!), 
       there was always something going on, whether you wanted a quiet 
       drink in the copacabana lounge, or played bingo in the carnivale 
       lounge (I won $80 and only spent $70 the in process of doing it!), 
       well, what I'm trying to say is they try to cater to everyone.
       
       I was kind of disappointed in the food.  It was more than 
       plentiful, but I expected the buffets to be something spectacular.  
       The beef dishes they prepared for dinner were always excellent, 
       the rest of the choices were good, but...  Our waiter and busboy 
       were terrific, especially our busboy, who we found out our last 
       night was brand new, it was his first cruise.  Our cabin steward 
       was terrific, too.  How on earth he managed to keep our cabin 
       (which looked like it had been through a hurricane everytime we 
       left it) as neat as he did, well, I was impressed! 
       
       All in all we had a really great trip.  If you were to ask for 
       recommendations, I would say make sure you have the second seating 
       (I didn't make it for breakfast at 7:00 am once), get the taxi 
       drivers to take you on tours around the islands instead of booking 
       a tour through the ship, and tip your cabin steward, waitperson, 
       and busperson.  We were told that Carnival pays them a whopping 
       $45.00 a month, the cruiseline must be making a pretty good 
       profit, I wondered how they could afford all the people they had 
       taking care of us.
       
       If you're the type that likes to leisurely explore a place, a 
       cruise isn't for you, but if you like to take in several different 
       atmospheres in a week, you should enjoy this, I know I did!!
    

                   
                         -< I am a first time Cruiser ->
     All so this is my first time using notes reply.Kevin,or anyone
    who can answer. You mention celebrating getting married did you
    get married before, coming on board, or did you get married on
    Festival. 
    I am about a lot of firsts this year,but it all feel real good I
    am having a lot of fun, I can't want until April 16, to start my
    seven day cruis.

    The honeymooners that I mentioned (with their six closest friends),
    had actually been married for a few weeks, but that was the only
    time *everyone* could get off to take the cruise.

    Well I'm pretty much back to reality now so I thought I'd enter
    a note on our trip on the Festivale.
    
    We went down a day early, which I highly recommend, so we got to do a
    lot more sight seeing of old San Juan.  Friends of ours didn't even get
    to see San Juan since they went straight from the air port to the ship.
    The ship was beautiful.  The room size was reasonable, we were on the
    Empress deck - but after living in a dorm room for 4 years anything
    would be reasonable.  We did get upgraded one category. The service was
    excellent, waiter, cabin steward and bus boy.  The food was good, the
    buffets were unbelievable. The shows were great, especially the
    magic show by Milan.
                                                                  
    The islands we saw were beautiful.  I loved Barbados and St Maarten.
    Of the shore excursions they offered, if you like snorkeling, the
    only one we thought was worth while was the Pinel Island Snorkel
    Tour on St Maarten.  The others really weren't worth it, unless
    you don't have your own snorkel gear.  For $18 to $30 a person,
    you should bring your own gear and take public transportation or
    one of the many available cabs.  Another pointer is to bargain with
    the drivers - we saved ourselves quite a bit of money this way.
                                                                       
    My recommendations are, late seating, I couldn't picture us getting
    up a 6:45 for breakfast when we were in port.  We also didn't have
    to rush back from the island to get ready for dinner since it was
    at 8:15.  See the islands yourself instead of taking the tours -
    the tours are over crowded. Days at sea, if you are in a group,
    get your lounge chairs together early.  
    
    There were some negatives:  We had was the way our baggage was handled
    from the port to our room.  We had a soft sided piece of luggage, and
    several items in there were damaged.  Carnival is replacing them
    though.
    
    The eight of us that went were all non-smokers.  The theatres and
    lounges have extremely small no smoking sections that always filled
    up too quickly.  One show was so smokey that some of us had to leave.
    Other shows were less enjoyable since we sat through it smelling
    of cigars or pipes.  This was my only major problem with the cruise
    was the smoke - I never got sea sick, but the smoke got to me.

Moved by Mr. Mod!
    
              <<< CAMLOT::DISK$CAMLOTWRK:[NOTES$LIBRARY]CRUISING.NOTE;1 >>>
                                 -< CRUISING >-
================================================================================
Note XXX.X          SO EXCITED!! NEW YEARS CARNIVAL CRUISE!!          No replies
DZIGN::KELLY                                         24 lines  19-JUL-1989 14:38
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hi!!!
    
    I am so excited!! My friends and I have booked our Cruise!!  We'll
    be going on a New Years CARNIVAL CRUISE!!!  We'll be cruising out
    of San Juan, then on to St. Thomas, St. Maartin, Barbados, and
    Martinique.  None of us have ever been on a cruise before so we
    are so psyched!  
    
    Any pointers that anyone would like to give would be very welcome....so
    far I know we should request the last seating for meals, to get
    on the deck to grab a lounge chair before 9:00, and to make sure
    to put some money aside for tips for the steward, bus boys, and
    whoever else....I can't remember........
    
    So anyone who has any input for me, fire away!!!!  I want to know
    all I can before we go.......
    
    Has anyone ever been on The FESTIVALE????? How about on a CARNIVAL
    cruise on New Years??? I'm dying to find out what it will be like!
    
    
    Well, thanks in advance for any help/pointers/advice!!!!
    
    Gen Kelly 

    See topic 133.
    

    HI,  I'M GOING ON A CRUISE OCT '89 WITH CARNIVAL FOR MY HONEYMOON.
    I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT PROPER DRESS.  I'VE HEARD THERE A TWO NIGHTS
    THAT YOU NEED TO DRESS FORMAL.  ARE WE TALKING GOWNS AND TUXEDOS
    OR IS A COCKTAIL DRESS AND A SUIT GOOD ENOUGH?  AND HOW ABOUT REGULAR
    DINING, IS A REQULAR DRESS APPROPRIATE?  I'M JUST TRYING TO GET
    INFORMATION SO I HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT I SHOULD PACK.
         THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ALL THE HELP.
    
    
                      SANDRA

    RE < Note 20.24 by DASXPS::SROBERTS >

>    ARE WE TALKING GOWNS AND TUXEDOS
>    OR IS A COCKTAIL DRESS AND A SUIT GOOD ENOUGH?  AND HOW ABOUT REGULAR
>    DINING, IS A REQULAR DRESS APPROPRIATE?  

    I haven't been on a Carnival cruise, so I don't know how much this'll
    help.  But I went on a Holland America cruise this summer, and for the
    formal nights, dark suits were fine for the men (though some did wear
    tuxes, including my Significant Other), and most women wore cocktail
    type dresses, though there were a few evening gowns.  Gowns were by far
    in the minority, however.

    As for dressing for "regular" dining, on the ss Rotterdam, they called
    it "informal," which meant jackets for the men but not necessarily ties
    (sports jackets were okay) and regular dresses or pants outfits for the
    women.

    As I said, I don't know whether this information applies to Carnival
    cruises, but I imagine there's probably not much difference.

							-- Nina

    I just back to work today from my honeymoon. We took a cruise on
    the Festivale. The dress for the formal nights was mostly cocktail
    style dresses for the women and suits for the men. Dress the other
    nights was very informal with some people wearing blue jeans and
    short sleeve shirts.

    I will post a note about my stay on the Festivale as soon as I get
    a chance.
    
    Mark

    Hurry, Mark!!! I can't wait to hear all about your Cruise!!
    I'm going on the Festivale for New Year's......and need all the
    advice/info you can give!! This is my first cruise!!!
    
    I hope you had a great time!!! But with it being your honeymoon,
    I'm sure nothing could have ruined it!! Post your note soon!!!!
    
    Gen
    
    

    I went on the Festival last March and it was great!!!  As a matter
    of fact, we are planning on going again this March!  The ports were
    all beautiful, with the exception of Barbados, but the cruise on
    the Bajan Queen certainly was the highlight of the trip!  Be careful
    of that rum punch!!!
    
    It was by far the best vacation I've ever had.  You can participate
    in as much or as little activities as you choose.  You can relax,
    or go wild!
    
    For the most part dress is very casual.  There are two formal nights,
    but you don't have to go all out.  Most of the women wore nice dresses
    and the men suits.  
    
    The crew was absolutely fantastic!  There wasn't one crew member
    who did not go out of his way to please us.  
    
    I can't say enough about the cruise!!!  We made a new group of friends
    and they also plan to go again.
    
    Can't wait until March 1990!!!
    
    
    
     
    

    Just curious........where is the Carnivale registered?????  Is the
    crew Italian?? Spanish????
    
    I cannot wait!!  I'm going on the Festivale New Year's Eve!!!!!!!!
    What a way to ring in the New Year, huh????  
    
    I'm so psyched!!!!!
    
    Bye!!!!

    I'm not sure, but I think it is registered in Panama.  A lot of
    the crew members were from Hinduras.
    
    Gen, if you have any specific questions about the trip, you can
    send me a mail - NEMAIL::HAYES.  For some reason, I can't get into
    NOTES from my account and am borrowing someone else's account.
    
    Bye,
    
    Patty
    

re: .29

	The latest Carnival brochure indicates the Carnivale is
	registered in Pananma, has Italian officers, and an
	"international service staff".

    I spent a week on the Jubilee last April.  I'm considering the Festival
    for this coming April, but have a couple of questions.
    
    Is there anyone that has been on both ships, and if so how do they
    compare?  The Jubilee is obviously the newer one, though I do know
    from reading my 1989 Carnival book that the entire Festival was 
    rebuilt in '78 and totally renovated some time after that.  Is it 
    as classy as the Jubilee?  Also, from the previous notes I've noticed
    comments on age groups aboard the Festival.  I enjoyed the Jubilee 
    because it was a younger crowd.  Are there a lot of people between
    20-30 on this ship (Festival)?  
    
    Thanks in advance,
    Stephanie                                        
    
    

    Carnival stock was down a point and change yesterday or was it Monday.
    Seems that the shipyard in Finland? which was/is building three of its
    new ships either did or is considering declaring bankruptcy. Anyone
    read anything about this?

    NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO....
    
    
    Does that include the Fantasy !!!!
    
    Sh*t, I gotta call my travel agent !!
    
    
    Jim
    

From the WSJ without permission

	Carnival Cruise Lines Inc.'s common stock was dragged down yesterday
amid concerns that a bankruptcy filing by a Finnish shipbuilder would delay
delivery of three big cruise ships.
	The Miami company's stock fell $1.75 yesterday to $20.75 a share in
composite trading on the American Stock Exchange. Carnival said in a
statement that it had been "notified unofficially" that Waertsilae Marine
Industries, the Finnish shipyard that is building its three new cruise ships,
planned to file for bankruptcy. Officials at Carnival declined to comment.
	Carnival said the "Fantasy," the first of the three $200 million
ships that Carnival has on order.[sic] That ship, which would carry about
2050 passengers, would expand the capacity of Carnival's existing 14-ship
fleet by 24%. The second, which is half-completed, is to be delivered in
fall 1990, and the third in fall 1991.

    Thanks....
    
    I think I'll call the line today...
    
    Jim
    

    According to the Carnival Line person my agent just spoke with,
    the ship is just about complete. There are just some finishing
    touches being made, all cosmetic. It is schedule to travel across
    the Atlantic and will be in Miami on or about November 30.
    
    The ship builder has gauranteed the Fantasy would not be effected
    by the problems at the shipyard. 
    
    Jim
    

    We will be going on the Festivale cruise 3/24.  I have gained a lot of
    information about this and other cruises throughout this conference,
    and it is appreciated. As this will be our first cruise, we are curious
    about many things.
    
    First, has anyone been on this cruise recently?  If so, is everything
    still as good as previously described?
    
    Secondly, I have been questioned about the shopping, of which I can not
    answer.  I would appreciate any tips that anyone could give me about
    shopping the islands of St. Thomas, Barbados, Antigua, St. Martin, and
    Martinque.  I did a dir/title=shopping and found nothing.  ANY info is
    appreciated.
    
    As I said, we depart 3/24 and are going with another couple (seperate
    rooms).  One person of the other couple works here with me, so we
    should have some good times and stories to share.  
    
    Anyways, thanks in advance for the help!!!
    
    					John

    re. 38
    
    My wife and I were in St. Thomas last year and found the prices were
    good.  It is called the shopping mecca of the carribean(sp.)  Don't
    forget that the duty free taxes are higher when you go to the US Virgin
    Islands.
    
    Have fun...
    
    ken c.

    Re:-1
    Maybe a not was missing. You are allowed twice the import value from US
    Virgin islands as from anywhere else. BTW, buy! buy! buy!. Its great.