Sounds like a number of you would like to come here. I moved from USA to England in 2002 when I married my British husband. I like it here but trust me the language is still different. My husband tells me I speak American not English. I do love the country side, we live in a very rural area near Liverpool, I would hate living in London. I still miss home (US) and my part time job at a large garden center allows me to have summers off so I can still go back to spend time with family and friends, of course if they could be here with me that would make life easier. I still miss the groceries, craft stores and other items easily found in US, which would explain why my luggage is just under the weight limit when I come back here in Sept. I always said I wanted to live on an island.........in my head I was thinking more tropical...I guess I was specific enough!! LOL Diane

I love cornread, but don't eat it often. But some days you just have to have it. You know what I mean? Especially if you eat white beans or black eye peas with ham. YUM. I can't eat Miracle Whip at all on anything. I just can't seem to get the hang of eating mayo full of sugar. That's what it tastes like to my tongue. Strange aren't I? LOL I have a tomato I have been watching. It is about 3" across and green as a Granny Smith Apple, but soon, soon, it will be red and in between two slices of white bread, salt and peppered with lots of mayo. I am counting the days !! Helen

Jamie: I cruised in January and will try to answer some of your questions. He can pay with cash. When he first gets on board, he'll need to go to the information desk and fund his Sail and Sign (S&S) card. This is basically a deposit against photos, drinks, gifts, or anything he charges on board to his S&S card. We plunked down cash our first day for what we thought we'd spend. On the last night of the cruise, any balance left on the S&S card is refunded to you by leaving a refund check in your room with a copy of your statement. He can take that check to the desk and cash it or bring it home. Either is fine. During his cruise, if the cash deposit he put up begins to dwindle close to zero, they will let him know. On some ships, he can check his available balance on the TV in his room. On all ships, he can simply ask at the information desk. I would caution you against pre-paid credit cards. Have heard/read of those not being accepted on board. Also, do not send a debit card to "fund" his S&S card. Just like with credit cards, they will have the bank authorize a pre-set amount of money. It may me for more than he actually spends, and Carnival will make it right at the end of the cruise by cancelling the pre-authorized charge to the debit card and issuing another charge for the actual amount. It's just that those things take a few days sometimes... It sounds like all of his food, soda, gratuities, and excursions are included in the $1k you've already paid. So yes, all he'll need is money for gifts, food, drink that he buys off the ship. The steakhouse is an additional charge of $30 pp. I've heard it is nice, but there will be TONS of food on board 24/7 that he has already "paid for" in the $1k, so I doubt it's anything he'll want to do. He can have free room service (free food!) 24/7, but it's always nice to tip the steward who brings it a couple of bucks. There may be something like a coffee house on board with fancy cakes, etc. Those are extra, but again---he'll have PLENTY to eat that's included in the price. Pack less clothes than you think he'll need. Unless there are extenuating circumstances (a CPAP machine or something), he should be able to fit all his clothes in a carry-on. He doesn't have to carry it on...just sayin' that is plenty of clothes if you're a good packer. One final thing. Carnival can give you an emergency number where he can be reached. However, you need to check with your cell phone company if he'll be using a cell phone to call or text. Most people don't purchase an international plan, and some fail to realize that your phone is often charged when it *dings* those foreign towers. If he takes it, he should probably turn it OFF as soon as he steps foot on board and not turn it back on again until he returns to the port to get off the ship.

The Southwest website has a very cute "chalkboard" tutorial that explains how the seating and cattle call works. We checked in online about 16-20 hours in advance, and got number 50 in the A group. When we flew in May, they boarded group A, then families with children, then B and C. We were at the very end of group A (60 per group), and there were plenty of seats left when we got on. We found it easier than other airlines where we ended up standing in line to board even longer than we stood in our group. Plus, the price makes it so worth it.