MagnoliaBlossom

I’ve been to a clothing optional beach in St Maarten and no one, I mean NO ONE, who was nude needed to be seen without clothing 🤮 But the best part of the day was watching two boys, maybe 11 or 12. They were bouncing on a big floaty th No in the water when a couple came down the beach and they both fell off because they were so distracted. And they couldn’t get back until there fast enough for more of the show. It was years ago and we still talk about it.

There is a cruise/travel insurance thread, that may provide you with more information.

We are frugal, but by that I mean we weigh the cost/benefit. We had been away from PCL for several years, before they had the plus program. We looked at gratuities and our alcohol expenditures and decided it was a good deal for us and the sushi and pizza place was langniappe. It’s nice to not worry about individual costs. ie, if I’ve never tried a whatever drink I could order it, and if it was not to my liking, I could get something else. That is a nice option, whereas otherwise you’ve paid the $10 plus cost of a drink you didn’t care for, If yu are not a drinker, I’d say less than three drinks a day, this may not be to you ur advantage. Only yu can judge its value.

Well, thus far we have come out ahead on every cruise. I know people won’t believe it, but DH sets a Dalit limit for his ante and it’s very low, but he is very good at what he does and he always knows when to walk away. He doesn’t chase the cards but plays the odds and more often than not walk away with chips in his pocket. We’ve received the carnival casino offers for some time, but the bigger offers happened after Ballys bought out a casino in Shreveport where we gamble once a week. I’m positive they know which way the scales tilt on his account and yet they offer us more “free” stuff. 😉 I know we are probably ananomoly, but it works for us.

I have gotten that offer by email every day for the past years, and once a month but surface mail. We have booked five or six cruises using it, but lately the offers are only short cruises from MIA or LA, which doesn’t interest us at all. we got an offer for a TA from NOLA to Barcelona for $100,and an insane 30 day Australia to Alaska for $300. 😲. And we leave Saturday for a spa balcony on the Jubilee. I truly don’t understand it because DH gambles but. It big money at all and only a few hours a day. same goes for offers from Bally’s. About every other month we get an offer for a “free” cruise. Sometimes it’s just Carnival, last two were Carnival, Princess or Holland. Some of them up to 12 days. He plays about two hours a week at Ballys at $5 tables.

I didn’t know that. Thanks.

Good idea, as funnels could be used to fill tea kettles. 😉

When we began sailing Carnival I took my four cup travel coffee pot and it was confiscated. One day at a meet n greet I asked the captain about the coffee pot rule and he said he didn’t even have a coffee pot in his cabin. Carnival went through a period some years ago where they had several fires onboard. I suspect that added to their ban of coffee pots, etc.

Nothing with a heating element is allowed in the cabins, with the exception of curling irons. Etc. It’s a fire hazard and they will confiscate the item if you bring your own onboard. It’s a huge complaint of mine against CCL because I love to have a cup of coffee on the balcony each morning.

Only way to find out is do it today.

I’ve been getting that Play n Chill offer for months, every day by email, today I got it as a post card. Problem is recently it is only for four or five day cruises from LA or Miami. We have four booked this year through that offer code out of our home port of Galveston and a TA from New Orleans. lately though Galvestons traffic has really picked up and they are just not there. 😩

Great news. We will board her on 6/24 for a family cruise, first time on NCL for others so hoping for a good impression.

Interesting article.

We cruise often and bought out shares at rock bottom price during the COVID shut down. We’ve more than made our money back and still have the goose, laying those golden eggs. We use it on Princess well as Carnival. It is good on all Carnival lines.

Thank you all for your comments and photos. I am a huge fan of chopping, but that serving is enormous! We have a lot of OBC so we are looking forward to several nice meals. Based on comments and the menu, I’ve booked two nights at Rudi’s. We now live in Texas, so we can get excellent steaks anywhere, so this will be a nice treat for us.