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I can understand folks' frustration with the Carnival Elation. She doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the newer ships. She is not going to wow you with her specialty dining. There is only Bonsai Sushi and it's Express at that. Looking for a balcony, they are limited. What could this ship possible offer that would make me want to sail on her...again...and again...and again? This will be my 4th expedition on the Elation. I appreciate the simplicity of the ship and the guests she tends to attract. Being a smaller ship by the time the cruise voyage is over I will probably know 75% of the fellow passengers and 100% of the bartenders. Drink Package here I come. The layout is easy to follow and remember. Serenity being at the back of the ship is amazing. I'll be staying 47 steps away from this peaceful haven and since this is a trip without kids, I will truly enjoy it. The Carnival Elation has everything one could need to step away and relax. Disconnect, unwind, and enjoy 5 days of bliss. I have missed the Elation and am looking forward to sailing her again. 

For those avid cruisers you know the feeling when you see a good deal that is just too good to pass up. Well, it happened to me. I was watching ParoDeeJay and they mentioned NCL. I thought to myself "Wow, why have I never considered them?" My fingers and searching did the rest. By that evening I had found the perfect cruise, visiting both their private island Great Stirrup and Nassau. Yes, we have been to Nassau more times than we can count (11 times, whoops). So yes, even with our first Disney cruise coming up in January 2026 and my solo cruise in August 2025, the end of the year felt empty. The Saleaways will begin our NCL experience with a 4-day cruise out of Port Canaveral on the Norwegian Joy. I really didn't know anything about this ship before booking but wanted to give NCL a try and it's hard to be Kids Sail Free and More at Sea. This new urge to try NCL is not in retaliation to the Carnival Rewards annoucement, I'll hold judgement until more details are shared, but rather a way to ensure we explore all the cruising industry has to offer. Within reason of course. We still have two girls and responsibilities to keep us grounded, but we must enjoy it along the way. 

In exactly 60 days I will be embarking on my next cruise adventures. Travel to Jacksonville, Florida an experience the Carnival Elation. During the next 60 days I will writing about how I am preparing and different thoughts in preparation for this vacation. I booked this vacation earlier this year quick getaway to celebrate surviving my first full summer of NO DAYCARE and the end another deployment. This cruise will be a solo cruise, no kids, no husbands, no friends. Just me and the open see. I also wanted to explore Carnival's new private island Celebration Key to see what all they have to offer. Come along over these next 60 days as we prepare for what's in store. 

Throw everything on the floor and hope for the best. That's generally how my packing starts for the girls when we head out on a cruise. I usually start with the number days and elegant nights and build out from there. See full list below. Each girl gets their own large packing cube, then I use the remaining cubes for various items and toiletries. Check out this video to see packing and laundry it in action.

Clothes

-2 elegant dresses

-4 dresses

- 6 shorts (they still wear under dresses)

- pool towel jackets

- flip flops

- tennis shoes

- ballet shoes (for elegant night)

- pull ups for nighttime

- PJs (2 pairs)

Toiletries

-Puddle Jumpers - life jackets are available for free on the ship, but our girls are used to these and one less stop on the lido.

-sun hats (with chin straps - this is essential because it is windy. We lost two on the first cruise)

-sun screen (coral friendly)

- Febreeze - SUPER important

- dryer sheets/laundry detergent

- toothbrush/toothpaste

- spray hair wash - for the quick times after a long day but before dinner

- shampoo/conditioner/body wash

- children's Tylenol- never leave home without it

-  kids nighttime cough medicine - we forgot this on our first cruise and were grateful it was only 4 nights long.

-  liquid hand soap - the rooms only have bar soap and this helps to encourage no germs.

Random essentials

- night light/sound machine (Rooms are dark and helps cover any hallway noise)

- back packs with keep busy essentials (tablet, crayons, coloring book,

- hand sanitizer

- folding step stool (we no longer bring this as our girls can reach the sink in the bathroom, but was great when they were younger)

- beach bag - for all the towels, sunscreen, water bottles, and everything you will lug down to the exit.

The launderettes on the ship are my best friend. I'm quite nervous actually since our upcoming 7 day cruise is on the Carnival Mardi Gras and there is only an ironing board. But here is a quick guide for using the laundry on-board

1) Set a timer for when your laundry will be done. Machines are limited so folks will remove your load if you aren't there.

2) Don't overload the dryers. You really don't want to pay an extra $3.50

3) Make sure you are only charged once. review your sail n sign account immediately. I have had to swipe my card twice but only for one load. Guest services is really helpful in removing the charge.

4) Iron clothes early for elegant night. A line will sometimes form and you want to make sure those formal pictures come out crisp.

5) Bring your own detergent and dryer sheets. The ships has a "soap center" with options but who really wants to pay an extra $2 for a detergent they aren't a fan of.

6) Not all Carnival Ships have launderettes and some only take coins.

More information on launderettes can be found at the following link. Laundry Service | Carnival Cruise Line 

Wow...it's been almost a year since I wrote a post and that is just sad. This will be a ketchup note.

So much as happened in the past year. In personal life, I got a new job, we've started a "farm" 6 chickens, that are now down to 2, and our oldest has started Kindergarten. I can't decide if I want time to slow down or speed up. It really depends on the day.

In the world of cruising I (we) have been on 3 cruises...more videos to come.

1.  Our final cruise out of Charleston on the Sunshine before Carnival closes up shop.

2.  A quick much needed mom vacation on the Carnival Liberty before the holidays

3.  And an 8 day (Mr Saleaway was confused when we didn't pack on day 5) cruise out of Mobile on the small but perfect Spirit. Check out the awesome view from our "interior" in this video. Interior with View! 

On the horizon we have our first "mega ship" the Mardi Gras this November. Why I would book a cruise the entire week before Thanksgiving is beyond me. Oh well, we'll have to "wing" it this year upon the return. And...duh duh duh. We have booked our first Royal Caribbean cruise for February 2025. Nervous and excited is an understatement. Not for the fact of cruising, but for a new experience. I'm really looking forward to comparing the Whale Tails to the Anchors.

Well that's all for now. More details to come. More videos. More posts. Folks set new year resolutions, I'm setting an end of summer, late August resolve. Looking forward to the future and all the saleaways. Until the next time...This is Mrs. Saleaway signing off.

Move over Conquest class, we may have found our new favorite Carnival class of ship. The Carnival Magic, part of the Dream class, was perfectly sized and just right. First day we spent most of the time exploring and getting our bearings straight. Day 2 was my birthday, we came in second at Harry Potter trivia and enjoyed an amazing dinner at the Steakhouse. We arrived in our first port, the beautiful island of Half Moon Cay. The day was spent floating in the ocean and laying on the beach listening to music. That night we were able to experience our favorite culinary excursion,  Chef's Table. If you haven't tried it, you must on your next cruise. On day 4 we visited the new and improved Nassau cruise terminal. It is absolutely beautiful and ventured out to our favorite local eatery, Captain Vinny's Hideaway. The conch fritters and fries never disappoint. We also took advantage of our spa room on this day and explored the thermal suites and thalassotherapy pool. One word…relaxation! Day 5 brings us to the industrial stop of Freeport. I decided to do a bar crawl challenge and have 15 different drinks at 15 different bars. This was a long day, but absolutely worth it. Our final day was rocky sea day, but we made the best of it with more trivia and dance parties. This 6-day cruise on Carnival Magic was exactly what we needed to reconnect and rejuvenate. Now back to Virginia to pick up B&V. 

Last night we received the email everyone dreads but knows is possible when cruising, especially during hurricane season, "Itinerary Change Notice". Due to the conditions from Hurricane Lee, our 6 day Bermuda cruise has changed to 3 stops in the Bahamas. We will be going to Half Moon Cay Private Island, Nassau, and Freeport. 

While this is obviously disappointing we are just grateful it was not canceled and it seems like the weather in The Bahamas will be beautiful. 89°F and partly cloudy. Also as compensation Carnival is assigning a $200 onboard credit to our stateroom. Bonsai Sushi here we come! 

We appreciate the operations team making the decision early enough for us to be mentally prepared. And to make a few last minute adjustments to packing. Now that we are going to Half Moon Cay we will bring our trusty Winesulators to keep a few beverages ice cold while we relax on the soft sands. We also packed a small portable fan that we can attach to our chairs since we'll be spending more time on the boat than previously planned. 

The change was too last minute though for Cruise Manager to be updated. The email informed us that once on board we could view different shore excursions for the new ports of call in the Carnival Hub app or the Shore Excursions Desk. 

I will be interested to see how full the ship is with this change of itinerary. Well now it's time for 6 hour drive up to Virginia to drop off B&V with our families for the week. We will see you at the Saleaway Party. 

Hi all! My name is Mary Sale and have been planning cruises for friends and family for years. My husband, Tony and I live in SC with our two girls, B&V. They love to cruise as much as we do. So we have dubbed ourselves The Saleaways. I have been on several cruises, 6 in 2022 alone. I have experience in solo, couple, and family Carnival cruises.

I remember spending countless hours researching my first cruise and learning there was more than just picking my room and showing up to the cruise port. After 10 years of cruising I am confident in being the resource all cruisers need to make their next Saleaway amazing. Let me take the guesswork out your next Carnival cruise vacation.