The train tracks are definitely a problem. But I'm willing to put up with it for the ease of a port 5 hours away. It's a shame they couldn't work out something with the railroad schedule to give the port a window of time to move people aboard. I think most of the train traffic is local freight being moved around and it isn't a main line.
We stayed at the Reinassance Riverwalk and our hotel room overlooked where the train goes under the Convention Center.
I saw a lot of coal....and a lot of long trains packed with containers.
This did not look like local traffic to me.
We left the Renaissance at 11AM and the traffic was already backed up to the Interstate. By the time we got in line, it was several blocks north of the Interstate.
The police were not even getting out of their car. They would roll down the window and wave their arms.
Apparently, they do not open the garage until it is 95% empty from the previous cruise.....
We were finally re-routed to the overflow lot at the Altel Center (without any information about where we were going)....again some cop in a car waving his arm out the window.
We finally got parked and on the shuttle around 12:45pm ish. Almost two hours of battling that mess....no thank you....
once we got inside...it went pretty smoothly except for one Carnival Rep who made a snotty remark about us.
She could not find our name on the VIP Check In list ....so she asked to see the Fun Pass (which clearly had VIP on it). She said "go ahead".
She then turned to another Rep and said " I don't think they are suppose to be VIP...I don't know how they got that on their Fun Pass."
Hubby heard it...I did not. He did not tell me until later because IF I had heard it...I would have educated her quickly on what a WHITE CARD was.
There were 7 Milestone and hubby had the most cruises on this cruise.
I think you have to book the stay and cruise package to get that Dave. Seems to me when we went on the Holiday I was going to book that but since we had to drive from further away we didn't stay the night in Mobile.
I agree the parking arrangements and the train are an issue. We we arrived they were not letting people into the garage yet and we ended up waiting under the overpass until the garage opened. Us along with a bunch of other people. It was like tail-gating before a football game. Has I know I would have brought my tail-gating equipment and some food!
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================================================== ========== Carnival Cruise Lines:
Fantasy 90, Celebration 95, Victory 05, Conquest 05, Spirit 6/06, Freedom 6/08, Holiday 7/08, Victory 6/09, Valor 9/09, Dream 6/10, Splendor 8/10,Conquest 8/11,Magic 11/11,Triumph 4/12,Spirit 7/12,Freedom 11/12, Triumph 2/13 - The fire cruise
NCL Dream October 2006, RCCL Mariner OTS June 2007
Yes, it is the park and cruise package. We are using it for the July cruise. $170 for the hotel including taxes, but we'd pay $105 to park at the port. Pretty good deal.
Yes, it is a good deal.. we had it booked, but decided that getting from Fort Worth to Mobile in one day was a bit too much. We ended up having to do a 2 hour drive on cruise morning...
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================================================== ========== Carnival Cruise Lines:
Fantasy 90, Celebration 95, Victory 05, Conquest 05, Spirit 6/06, Freedom 6/08, Holiday 7/08, Victory 6/09, Valor 9/09, Dream 6/10, Splendor 8/10,Conquest 8/11,Magic 11/11,Triumph 4/12,Spirit 7/12,Freedom 11/12, Triumph 2/13 - The fire cruise
NCL Dream October 2006, RCCL Mariner OTS June 2007
Originally posted by Dave:
I guess the hotel didn't have their cruse special then? You can park at the hotel and they will shuttle you to and from the ship.
They did...but we were staying at the hotel for free.....so it did not come with a free stay...
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