Blog status 2025

Update

It is nearing the end of 2025, and I have not published a post since January of this year. Unfortunately, it looks like my blog will be retiring, as I have just not had the time to keep it up. If I decide to start sharing videos instead, as they are less time consuming than writing, I will let everyone know. For now, I am sharing a few photos and bits of information that I had planned to write about since January. As always, if anyone has any questions, just let me know! I am happy to share my experiences and knowledge.

Above: MSC Seaside in Ocean Cay
Below: atrium/lobby on MSC Seaside

7-day Caribbean cruise from Miami on MSC Seaside

This was our first time sailing with MSC, and we were impressed! In fact, we are cruising with them again in a few months. MSC gave my husband and I both a status match; diamond for me, and gold for him. We both have earned diamond status with Carnival, and MSC took better care of us than any experience we have had with Carnival. 

Above: espresso martini on MSC Seaside
Below: diamond champagne and chocolate delivered to our cabin

We booked balcony cabin 10083 with the drink package, which was an incredible value. The cabin was perfect for us: quiet, nice private balcony, comfy, and clean. The spacious shower in the bathroom had a glass door. The food, beverages, and service on board were all top-notch. The only thing we did not like on this cruise was the noise volume in the showroom. It was incredibly loud! I have not read many complaints about this since our cruise, so maybe the noise we endured was not typical. My husband says he is bringing ear plugs on our next cruise, just in case. 😉

MSC's private island, Ocean Cay

MSC's private island, Ocean Cay, is absolutely amazing. You can walk the entire island, and there are several beaches, bars, and food trucks. Ocean Cay is one of the main reasons we chose the itinerary of our next MSC cruise. Our ship will be there from 8AM until 11PM on our 4-day cruise. 

Above: sunset from guestroom in Embassy Suites Miami airport
Below: pool view from guestroom in Embassy Suites Miami airport

Ports of Call from Carnival Horizon: Western and Southern Caribbean

 January 2025

We have been to all of these ports before except Bonaire. You can find more information than what is provided in this post by clicking on the labels at the bottom of this post.

Ocho Rios cruise pier from Carnival Horizon

Ocho Rios, Jamaica: 9:00 - 5:00 PM

There is nothing to do at this pier, and it is not recommended to explore Jamaica on your own. We have previously gone on excursions to Dunns River Falls, an island tour with butterfly garden, and more. This time, we stayed on board, and enjoyed the peace and space on serenity deck. 

7-mile beach in Grand Cayman
Views from Governor's Beach

Grand Cayman, CI: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Grand Cayman is a tender port, and there were several cruise lines in port the day of our visit. This made the process to get to and from the ship take a bit longer than usual. After we got to shore, we walked a couple of blocks inland to the public bus depot next to Starbucks. The cost to take the bus to Governor's Beach was $2.50 per person, one-way. This beach has a couple of picnic tables, and a bit of shade. There is a building on the south end near the parking lot that looked like it may have been restrooms, although we did not check this out. We enjoyed the beautiful beach for awhile, and then we walked back to the cruise port along the beach. This is about a 3 mile walk, and you can walk along the beach most of the way. We walked out to the sidewalk when obstructions in the water made our walk in the water more than waist deep. We had walked through the water a little before this; however, we did not want to go that deep because of belongings we were carrying.

Cozumel cruise port from Carnival Horizon
Below: leaving Cozumel

Cozumel, Mexico: 10:30 AM - 6:30 PM

We did not do anything new at this port. There are many tours available through Carnival and independent companies. We disembarked the ship just so we could walk around and get some exercise, different than on deck 12! Again, there were many ships in port, so the area was very busy. 

Above: cruise ships from Renaissance rooftop pool downtown Aruba
Below: free bus ride downtown Oranjestad, Aruba

Aruba, BVI: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Aruba is a beautiful island with many things to do on your own, or with an excursion. Be prepared for a breeze, as it is always windy in Aruba. We rode the complimentary double decker bus through town. This stops at the cruise port, and there are different stops in town. This entire area is walkable; we only rode the bus to get a different view point.

Above: swimming and snorkeling pier in Bonaire from Carnival Horizon
Below: sea turtle in Bonaire from cabin 9206 on Carnival Horizon

Carnival Horizon Cruise B2B: 6-day Western Caribbean and 8-day Southern Caribbean from Port of Miami

 January 2025

We were on the Horizon from Port of Miami in 2020, and you can find additional ship information in my previous post.

View of Carnival ships at Port of Miami from bridge sidewalk 

Arrival and diamond check-in ~ Miami

We walked to the cruise port from the InterContinental, which was farther than we usually walk to a cruise port (just under 2 miles). The walk was pretty easy, although there is a small section when you first get to the port area after crossing the bridge where there is no sidewalk. Traffic is slow, so this did not present too much of a problem. We had planned to take the Coral Way trolley to the port, and then decided it would be easier to walk with our luggage, than it would be to load it on and off the trolley while hoping to have enough room for it.

We did not receive diamond status before boarding this ship, because our Carnival Glory cruise credit from two days before this cruise, had not posted to our accounts yet. I left a voice message and an email with our PVP to inquire about this, and she never responded. Needless to say, we are longer working with her. We worked directly with the diamond desk after this cruise (more information about that experience at the end of this post). The cruise port was packed before we boarded, and we again had difficulty maneuvering through the crowds of people to board when it was our time, just like previous Miami port experiences. 

Cabin 9201, category 4J, on Carnival Horizon

Interior picture window cabin 9201 category 4J 

We think the front walkway cabins on Carnival cruise ships are a great value. Every cabin we have been in is spacious, and they have a large window. The only thing we missed was a second chair, or loveseat type seating for two. Not many people walked by on the front walkway in front of our window. You can only see through the widow to the inside when it is dark out, and the cabin lights are on. Additional photos for this cabin category (#9203) can be found in my previous Horizon post (link above).

Cabin 9206, category JS (junior suite), on Carnival Horizon

Junior suite obstructed view 9206 

We booked a suite for the second leg of our back-to-back cruise, so we we had to change rooms. We packed everything up, and our room stewed pushed our bags down the hall to our new cabin, after it was ready. This was our first time booking a suite, and we loved it! It was a bit pricey, but we had a 25% on board credit, after our 25th cruise, that we used. This was enough to cover our gratuities, drinks, speciality dining, and a few purchases.  

I neglected to get photos of the bathroom and closet area in our suite. This cabin has a large walk in closet by the entrance with a full length mirror. The bathroom has a whirlpool tub/shower combination, and a large vanity with a double sink. The suite also comes with two bottles of water. 

Above: view from balcony of cabin 9206 on Carnival Horizon
Below: 9206 balcony and wetness after bridge window cleaning

Miami, Florida: InterContinental

January 2025, two nights, weekend

Beautiful sculpture in the lobby at InterContinental Miami.

Reservations, arrival, platinum perks

InterContinantal has an ambassador program, and elite level IHG members do not usually receive perks if not also an ambassador member. I am not a member of the ambassador program, because there is a cost to join, and the program is only good at IC hotels. I received the platinum on-site 600 bonus points at check-in, and I opted to pay for club access. I had booked this stay with points, and the only points room available when booking was a basic guestroom. The club upgrade was a bit pricey, so we only added this for one night of our stay.

Floor 28 in InterContinental Miami hotel

Guestroom on floor 28

This guestroom is one of the corner rooms with a partial view, so I suppose we also received a slight room upgrade. The guestroom did not seem particularly large, although the corner rooms do look larger in the guestroom diagram (see photo above).

Guestroom on floor 28 in InterContinental Miami hotel

Carnival Glory Cruise: 4-day Bahamas cruise from Port Canaveral

 January 2025

We were on the Glory from Port of Miami in 2011. You can find more information about the ship in my previous Glory blog post.

View from Carnival Glory in Port Canaveral

Arrival and platinum check-in ~ Port Canaveral

The last time we cruised from Port Canaveral, our ship was docked at terminal 5, so we had to get a ride out to the pier, as there is no way to walk to that location. This time, Glory was docked at terminal 3, which is located across the street from two Holiday Inn hotels, so we were able to walk to the port. Arrival and check-in was the smoothest we have ever experienced with Carnival. This port has a waiting room for diamond and suite guests. We were platinum, and our waiting area was outside this room. After guests in the private room boarded, we were next. We are on board at 10:40 AM. 

Cabin 6233 on Carnival Glory

Interior cabin 6233 category 4D

I had not noticed that this cabin is above the showroom until shortly before departure. We have stayed on deck 6 before; just not in a forward inside room. After I saw this, I tried to contact our PVP to see about changing rooms or upgrading. The first time I contacted her, she told me there was nothing available. She told me to check with her again after we had completed check-in. I called her and sent her an email after we had checked in, and she never got back with me. After we boarded, I stopped at guest services to ask about a different room. The person I spoke with said there was nothing available; however, she did not look at our cabin number or check anything on the computer. In hindsight, I should have approached guest services again after the first night, and given them our room number. During our 4-day cruise, the late night comedy shows were in the front showroom, rather than the comedy lounge, so the music and noise vibrated inside our cabin until midnight. There was only one night this cruise when there was not a late night show in the front showroom. I do not suggest this cabin, unless you do not plan to sleep until after midnight.

This video was from one of the quietest evenings in our cabin. Noise was not the only thing we disliked about the cabin. The bed was hard, and the two twin beds they make into a king bed would not stay together. The lumpy pillows had a stale odor, as if they needed to be cleaned, and I had to request laundry bags from our room steward. After the poor sleep quality on this ship, I was not interested in another Carnival cruise when we disembarked.

Platinum Aft dining room on Carnival Glory

Food and beverages

Food was pretty much the same as I wrote in my previous Glory blog post. The only food item I recall being disappointed with was the turkey wrap from the deli. It was dry and did not taste fresh. Lobster is not served on elegant night on 4-day cruises. The Carnival drink package has gotten outrageously expensive. We have purchased this in the past, when it was around $50 a day; however, for $80+ a day, we did not even consider it for this cruise. We each brought a bottle of wine on board at the beginning of the cruise instead. We also purchased a bucket of six beers for the week, as they are each $1 off when purchasing the bucket. You can get this at any bar.

VIFP gifts on Carnival Glory

Cape Canaveral, Florida: Holiday Inn Club Vacations Beach Resort

January 2025, Sunday night

Above: sunset from Holiday Inn Beach Resort Cape Canaveral building 2
Below: property map for Holiday Inn Club Vacations Resort Cape Canaveral

Arrival and platinum perks

I reserved a standard king guestroom with points, and received an upgrade to a two bedroom villa. We arrived early, and the front desk agent said she would put in an early check-in request for us. We checked our luggage, then returned our rental car, and walked back to the property. I am not sure the early check-in request really did much good, because we did not receive a call saying our room was ready until over three hours later, shortly after 3:30 PM. After we received the call, we returned to the front desk to get our checked luggage, and then waited a few minutes for the property tram, as our villa was in building 2 at the far end of the property. We arrived at our villa around 3:45 PM. It did not appear that anyone had recently stayed in this villa. Since check-in time is 4:00 PM, I guess the early arrival request got us into our room a few minutes early! 😆 😳

We absolutely loved our villa upgrade, even though we did not have much of a view. It was much more fabulous than a regular hotel room.

Villa 2312 in Holiday Inn Club Vacations Beach Resort Cape Canaveral

Guestroom villa #2312

The villa number matches the building number, floor, and then unit number. We were in building 2 on the 3rd floor, in unit 12.

Villa 2312 in Holiday Inn Club Vacations Beach Resort Cape Canaveral
Below: view of cruise ships leaving port from our balcony in villa 2312

This villa is a complete living unit. The living and kitchen areas were spacious, and the balcony contained a table and chairs. The view overlooked the pedestrian walkway. The channel was beyond the walkway, although you could not see the water due to the shrubbery. 

Villa 2312 in Holiday Inn Club Vacations Beach Resort Cape Canaveral

Tifton, Georgia: Hilton Garden Inn

January 2025, weekend, one night

Guestroom 333 in Hilton Garden Inn Tifton, Georgia

Arrival and diamond perks

I redeemed points for this stay, and received my 750 bonus points after the stay. I checked in on the app before we arrived, and chose a room on the top floor (4) near the end of the hall. When we arrived over an hour after check-in time, the front desk agent said this room was not ready yet, so she reassigned us to guestroom 333. I inquired about a room upgrade, and she said there was not anything available. She assured me this was a great room in a quiet location.

Guestroom 333 in Hilton Garden Inn Tifton, Georgia

Guestroom 333

This guestroom is a basic king bed guestroom with a suitcase bench, large flatscreen TV, one soft chair, and a desk and chair. It is located at the end of the hall, and it was quiet in the guestroom. The bed mattress was acceptable comfort; however, I thought the bed linens at the Holiday Inn where we had stayed the night before were much better quality.

Guestroom 333 in Hilton Garden Inn Tifton, Georgia

I assume that all guests in this hotel receive complimentary water, as there were two bottles in our room, and this room had not been pre-assigned before our arrival. The room also contained a Keurig coffeemaker with supplies, ice bucket, a small fridge, and a microwave.

Columbus, Indiana: Holiday Inn

January 2025, weekend, one night

Arrival and status perks

I reserved a standard king guestroom online for this stay, and received an upgrade to a king suite before we arrived. I checked in online, and stopped at the front desk to get our keys when we arrived around 7PM. My bonus points posted to my account the next day.

Suite 334 in Holiday Inn Columbus, Indiana 

Guestroom

I loved the location of this guestroom. It is in the corner on the top floor. It was spacious, quiet, and comfortable. The living area contained a sofa, soft chair, desk and chair, suitcase bench, small tables, large flatscreen TV, microwave, mini-fridge, and Keurig coffeemaker.

Suite 334 in Holiday Inn Columbus, Indiana 

The bathroom shower had a nice glass door. Bath amenities and good quality soft towels were provided.