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hillbillycruisers

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  • Posts

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About Me

  • Location
    MISSOURI
  • Interests
    sports,cooking,reading,antiques and flea markets
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Carnival, Royal Caribbean
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    Cozumel

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Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. My complaint isn't that it's too crisp...and it isn't that it's too limp...but that every other day, it simply ISN'T period. Our last two cruises...on the Vista and the Dream...the Lido buffet only served bacon every other day...and you couldn't get your own...they had a ' Bacon Sheriff ' doling it out.
  2. I have to agree about the quality of the food....it has absolutely went downhill from pre covid standards...at least on the ships we've sailed on. It's still a cruise...still a good time..and still decent food for the most part...just not as good as before. I'm definitely a foodie person, and if Carnival ever reaches the point where I don't like the food, it'll be syanara...but it's nowhere near that point yet.
  3. We cruised Carnival Vista last November without FTTF...and Carnival Dream last month with FTTF. I'll compare our experiences...boarding wasn't as quick without, but since we had an early time it wasn't a big deal. What was a big deal was having to drag our carry-ons and backpacks all over the ship without FTTF...especially since all the elevators are horribly busy and taking stairs with luggage is very tough. Our cabin wasn't available until right at 1:30. With FTTF, we boarded early, and was at our cabin at 10:45 dropping off our stuff. Our cabin attendant was cleaning our cabin, and he told us if we wanted full access to our room, he would be finished by 11 am. On the Vista, I had to wait once at the service desk almost 20 minutes...on the Dream...with FTTF, I had priority service at the service desk, and skipped the long line. And, our self assist debarkation was horrible on the Vista without FTTF. We had to wait on the floor above the gangway until they called our turn...then we had to drag everything down stairs...with a throng of pushy people ( getting an elevator was impossible).it was HORRIBLE!!....with FTTF on the Dream, we were allowed to wait on the gangway floor with the priority people...and debarkation was super easy and fast. We have used FTTF six times...have it booked again for our next cruise in November...and we love it.
  4. I guess some people have such sad, dreamless lives that they must complain about other people who are actually enjoying themselves. Bless their hearts!
  5. I've had bogus charges added to my account on four different cruises...most were fairly small...$15-$25 ...probably drinks....but one was over $200....a spa charge. They always remove the charges with a smile and an apology. I told the lady at the customer service desk that I could barely SPELL spa...and had no idea where on the boat the damn thing was. With the new hub app, it's easier tracking your expenses.
  6. Shorts are indeed allowed in the MDR during regular nights...but...supposedly...not cutoffs, swim trunks, or athletic shorts. Shorts are not supposed to be allowed on Elegant nights, but on our Vista cruise last November, one of the guys at our table wore shorts every single night. He also wore a T shirt one of the Elegant nights...supposedly not allowed. He was a great, fun table companion, and his clothing choices didn't bother me in the least.
  7. FTTF initially included cabin ready upon boarding...and every cruise prior to covid that we had, our cabin was always fully ready...and we are early boarders. Since covid, they apparently are operating with less staff, and are not guaranteeing your FTTF cabin will be ready. On our Dream cruise last month...with FTTF...we boarded at 10:45...went directly to our cabin to drop off our carry-ons and backpacks...and our cabin attendant was in the process of cleaning our cabin. I told him we would just drop our stuff off and be off for lunch...and he said our cabin would be fully ready for us in less than 15 minutes...which means if we wanted access to it at 11 am...it was available. He told me they always do up the platinum diamond and FTTF cabins first. Our friends who cruise with us also had FTTF...was on board at 12:15...went directly to their cabin ...and it was completely ready. So for those who say even with FTTF you can't have your cabin before 1:30....you are apparently not correct.
  8. And....keep in mind...as some have already stated...it's midnight Eastern Standard time. Which means us hillbillies in Missouri only need stay up until 11 pm to do online check in. 😀
  9. Something to keep in mind....when you are doing your online check in, you do not have to wait until midnight to do so, unless you are in the Eastern Time zone. I live in Missouri...Central Time...and do ours at 11 pm. 😀
  10. Not sure if these qualify as " special touches "....but since I started cruising in 2005, these are some of the things that once was common but Carnival has since cut out: no more midnight Mexican ( or any other ) buffets..no more free hot items on room service ( meat...potatoes...eggs, sandwiches, etc. )...no more goodie baskets in the bathroom...no more 24 hour pizza....no more bacon every day at the Lido buffet....no more Fun Times...no more twice a day room cleaning. Tips have gone up...and up....food quality has gone down. Will I still cruise Carnival...yes. It's still a cruise...it's still fun and relaxing. We have cruised Carnival as recently as last month and last November...and look forward to our next cruise....which is so far not yet booked. So...yes...a Carnival cruise is still worth the money....but not as good a deal as it once was. And it's not all bad news...I love the new muster drill compared to the old way.
  11. I'm confident Carnival would never consider my suggestion...because as you stated, it would make the cost of THEIR cruise package somewhat higher. I just hate the fact that us as passengers have to pay a substantial amount of their employees wages....and since I fully realize their workers do work hard for their money, I hate the fact that passengers can remove their gratuities...for a good reason...bad reason...or simply no reason at all. Carnival doesn't seem to care about this. They say they do, but as long as people still book cruises under this system, and they ( Carnival) can make themselves look good compared to other companies...nothing will ever change. I am also fully aware other cruise lines follow the same practice...so there's that.
  12. I made a suggestion once on this topic, and was severely chastised...but what the hell...I have thick skin, so I'll try again. What say Carnival just eliminates tipping altogether. ...raise the price of the cruise to cover their employees income. People can either decide to go...and pay extra...or stay home. No prepaid gratuities...no removing gratuities...none of that drama. Now don't get me wrong...before any of you Rah Rahs want to assume I'm a cheapskate... like the last time I suggested this ...one lady went as far as to say she'd bet big money I'm a poor tipper. She would have lost big time....I once relied on a waiters income to make ends meet, and I always tip at least twenty percent...often more. I'm in no way trying to duck tipping. I have done 11 cruises...have always paid my regular gratuities and...except for one cruise stateroom attendant, I have always tipped extra. But...Carnival employs these people...let them pay their salaries...we'll pay Carnival. There is not much of a way to eliminate tipping extra, and probably for good reason...although I hate the fact that we are the ones making their income more sufficient, instead of their employer. I'm sure a lot of people think this idea could never work...and obviously Carnival won't consider it...but it would be interesting to see what would happen if they did.
  13. The lemonade and juice they serve is drinkable, but not very tasty in my opinion. However...both are way better than what they are serving for their ice tea in the MDR. I've been on several Carnival ships, and apparently they are all using the same nasty ice tea mix. It's definitely not brewed, and about the only way I can stomach it is by adding a little lemonade packet I bring from home. I don't understand why it is they have decent coffee and such horrible tea. I guess if I don't like it, I don't have to drink it...but it'd be nice if they served a better quality tea.
  14. A couple cruises ago, I had to go to guest services. I had FTTF, so didn't have to wait in the line twenty something deep. There was no one at the priority window, so I just went to it, waiting for one of the counter peeps to get free. A man at the back of the line hollered at me " Hey Buddy...the line ends here! " ... and pointed behind him. I just ignored him...and he said it a second time. About this time, one of the counter guys came over to help me...and as he was looking up my account on the computer, I glanced over at the guy. He was visibly upset. I was taken care of in less than a minute or two...while the regular line barely moved at all. As I walked away, the guy said to me..." Well...ain't you special!! "....Just one more reason I love FTTF.
  15. You most certainly do not have to show up at your set arrival time if you have FTTF...at least not in Galveston. You do have to get an arrival time selected, but you do not have to wait for that time. On our last cruise, we had FTTF, and a 10 am arrival time. We were directed to wait in the FTTF area, and I visited with people who had 11:30 times and a one who had a 1 pm time. We were all on board way before 11 am.
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