GatorGirl57

This was being talked about in another thread. I believe the problem is that Carnival is saying you are trying to use the price drop on a different room that what you have. Price drops are only eligible on your exact room. I have heard that you can ask to get a non-assigned room and they will switch you and give you the OBC, then you wouldn't have had to lose your deposit.

I would like to second Ardastra Gardens & Zoo. We walked from the cruise ship, took about 30 minutes. Here is a detailed review I posted on trip advisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147416-d148528-r190191295-Ardastra_Gardens_Zoo_and_Conservation_Center-Nassau_New_Providence_Island_Bahamas.html

If you go to Carnival's site, they specifically say that tips are included. I have heard there is a line to leave more if you desire. It is charged to your S&S card after you go.

Ok the naming of this is very weird. When I first heard of it, I thought it was some Internet media cruise for people who run cruising blogs. I guess that is not the case. Interesting.

I think this is on purpose, only the people following John Heald on FB or his blog would know the real purpose.

I have let Carnival pick my room several times to save a few bucks. I always ended up on deck 2 - fine with me, I like it there. My DH and I brought his family on a cruise once and let Carnival pick the rooms. We were not "close" to each other, but it doesn't really matter. You can always call the other cabin on the phone if you want (it is free to another cabin). Of course, there are reasons you would want to be close (kids, watching older adults, etc), but we didn't have a problem with it.

Yes, and I love it, so I do suggest you go. You will find times in the Fun Times. Brunch has breakfast food and lunch food, so if you got up early enough (I never seemed to manage) you could have breakfast and then lunch in the MDR. On the Dream in Dec., MDR ran until 1:00pm on sea days.

Does he even blog any more? I thought it was all Facebook. So it's a Facebook Reader cruise.

That is why I put "blog" in quotations. He uses Facebook as his blog, and yes, those people that follow him are the "bloggers". I guess he just didn't change the name for continuity purposes.

Please no bashing, but what is a blogger cruise????

No worries - follow John Heald on Facebook and you will get a better idea (he is the head cruise director for Carnival - not sure his exact title). He has a lot of followers (over 50,000) and he asks them a lot of questions and posts funny stuff nearly every day. Once a year, he does a themed cruise and the people who follow his "blog" are the bloggers. I bet it would be fun to attend.

I think you have gotten a lot of good advice and I hope some of it works for you. Just one thing I want to say...I know it feels like forever now, but very soon you will be out of your parent's house and able to do whatever you want for a vacation. Enjoy the time with your family, and don't worry too much about this. You can take 100's of cruises if you want as an adult, and eat in the MDR all you want then.

My family never traveled when I was a child, and now I take 2-3 week vacations a year with my DH. It will be here before you know it.

I too would love to see responses on this, I can share what little I know. I live about 20 minutes from a port and have never heard of someone just walking on a day of for a great price...but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I believe the best prices to be a few weeks out, because they do not want to sail empty. My DH's stepgrandmother had a daughter who worked for Carnival corporate when my DH was young and he said they got some great deals a day or two out- so I think they often go to people who work for the company/their relatives.

I have always wondered if you could board "on call" - for example, if one room has not shown up by the end of boarding - will they sell you the room cheap? Or do they have people who live near port they call to sell those to??

I would try lesteakhouse@carnival.com. I booked the Legend Steakhouse for a few months from now and that was the address provided for "if my plans change". They can probably confirm your reservation too.

I've already paid tips when I paid the cruise.

Yay! Good. Then I am sure you can do it and have a great time!!

I think it can be done. Outside of tips, I have spent only the cost of a drink or two on the boat, and then I have done free/cheap things in port like go to a beach, snorkel at a free beach, etc, maybe just a taxi cab cost, or we walk many places.

Is the $150/pp is what you have left before or after tips? Tips will be about $161 for both of you for the cruise ($11.50x7x2), so you will want to keep that in mind.

I went to a cruise presentation onboard the Dream in Dec. and I think normally the only benefit to booking on the ship is onboard credit, which can be acquired through various promotions as well. Sometimes, a few cruises that are not selling well are on special, but those are normally within a few months of the current sailing. HTH!

Check out all of the different ways to use the points - I figured it was better to use 7,500 points for the $75 bar credit than to use $1250 points for another $100 OBC. ;) I am sure there are lots of creative ways to string together the points to get a bit more bang for the buck! :) It's fun! :D

Could you explain to me how to do this? I know how to get a statement credit when you buy the cruise, and I know how to get onboard credit. For this sailing, we will have about 5,000 pts or so before we go. How do we use that for bar credit?

I have two thoughts on this:

1. On my second cruise, my BF insisted on bringing a space shuttle coin to give to the room steward. I told him it was silly, but he would not listen (he worked at NASA and thought it was cool). He gave it with a $20 tip, and I could tell the room steward did not really understand the coin and probably just threw it away - a waste of $3.95.

2. What does it hurt to leave a candy bar or something with a cash tip? Who cares if someone does this? They are less than $1 at Wal-Mart. I work in education (not a teacher) and I would love it if one of my students brought me a candy bar or something as thanks. That would be nice! It's just a gesture, what is the big deal?! If they don't like it, they will most likely give it to someone else (bet the guys in laundry would love a candy bar). Worst case scenario, it gets ground up for fish food with the rest of the waste all over the ship, no big deal.

I have found out at embarkation what my cabin number was. Also, every time I have done guarantee I have been on the bottom deck...so it certainly is possible, although I don't mind it down there.

I see your next cruise is on the Legend. You'll go under the Skyway bridge around 6-6:20pm. It's something to see the ship just miss the bridge if you're interested in that. Crowd gathers on the highest deck for the show. Can't see it from the Steakhouse, except marginally. If you make the reservation for 7pm you'll be able to do that and have time to fix your hair as it's really, really windy!

Thanks for the tip!! I will make sure to do that.

I am trying to talk my DH into the steakhouse on the first night of our cruise for a 6pm reservation when it opens. He is considering it, and has two questions:

1. Can you get additional food like in the MDR? (I know that he probably will not want them in the end...but he just wants to know)

2. We have Your Time Dining. Can we go to the MDR at 9:00 pm and get food if we want? (like Warm Chocolate Melting cake...)

Yes, on the Behind the Fun tour they talked about leftover food being pumped out as fish food.

People have got to stop beating a dead horse about the free cabins! Besides, I wouldn't say I Told You So yet. Many of the people who got the free cruise (myself included) did not book for the very next week - my cruise is still almost three months away, along with many other people's. Who knows what it will look like when people go. I am also tired of the "not rewarding loyal customers" line. This will be my 5th Carnival cruise in less than 10 years. How is that not a loyal customer? I am not able to go all the time, anytime, I have a full-time job, but I have chosen them for most of my cruises. On two of those cruises, we went with about 20 different family members, some who had never sailed Carnival before. How is that not bringing people to the brand? I am tired of people picking on the people who got the free cruise. It just showed up in the mail! What, did you want me to turn it down!

-end rant- Now I feel better. I am seriously tired of people talking about this.

When I went on the Behind the Fun tour, they did say that all paper will be recycled. One of the things room stewards are in charge of is basically organizing our trash. Paper, metal is recycled, lighters and razors go in their own special bins.

Yes, they are still giving out the drink coupons.

It does seem a little unlikely to me than in 2+ months they will not fill that room.

I can tell you that we were once given a two person room when we specifically booked at three person room. We went to guest services, they said there was nothing they could do, all the rooms were full. They brought us a cot for the floor.

First off, I love this thread. New favorite. Second, I think most of the people who cruise carnival (non-cc members) haven't even noticed this stuff. I use the "SOAP" soap and couldn't care less, I use the pumps they have in the shower. Whatever! If I wanted something better, I would bring it or go to a more expensive line. I am glad Carnival cuts costs. I don't need a bunch of stuff included, I just want to get out on the water, and I can pay for extras I need.