grumplin

I wish I could remember our room number! We were that deck, midship balcony. The only thing we ever heard at all was the kids next door in the morning. It was a family of four and it occasional sounded like they were moving furniture in the morning. We just turned up the white noise app.

We were in the same area last Feb and heard none.

The only issue I had last February was I was in guest services line. After I was helped I heard the guy behind me complain about me. The attendant had to explain to him I was in the correct line and had the right to be helped. I just shook my head and walked away. It's things like that you can't help, or go in the long general line. (Which I wasn't about to do)

Do you know what makes people think you are in the wrong line? Are they looking over your shoulder at your card??

I almost wonder if I am going to have someone want to kick us out of the lounge for not being platinum after seeing some of the views here. We get VIP because we booked 2 grand suites for us and the kids. Also booked FTTF. :eek:

In all honesty we had FTTF last time too and everything was very fast and orderly. We had no waiting and we never even saw the lounge because we boarded right away.

I am most looking forward to the looks of amazement on my 17 and 20 year old faces:)

A few times I have seen " I earned it." In response to the platinum perks. You "paid" for it with multiple cruises. The rules had changed and people pay for fttf now too. I don't really think one can say they paid x amount more for that status than someone not at that status. One could be booking the least expensive room on very good sales vs someone booking nothing ever but the best suite who pays no attention to sales. One could pay a lot more for less cruises. This is a perk. Rewards programs change or go away frequently. I sure didn't cry when my great perk program in my financial life lift and boycott that bank. Things change.

I have to fly to KY a lot. I sure don't worry about how the other passenger got first class. I don't care as long as we all get to KY. I find it down right childish that people blessed enough to take regular vacations worry about who might get more but didn't get it in such and such a way. We are all blessed and lucky!

What bothers me most about FTTF is that it is like the caste system where the richer deserve and get more than the poorer instead of all being created equal.

 

Sure, the richer deserve to be able to eat in the steak house while the poorer eat in the main dining room but FTTF is a trend that we don't know where it will stop as long as it keeps making more money for the cruise line

I'm sorry but I just scared my dog when I started laughing and choked on my coffee. I can't see how faster to the fun is like a chaste system. It is $49.95 not $1000. I do not think too many truly poor people are cruising often. We we very poor earlier in our life and there was definitely no money for going out to dinner EVER let alone a nice vacation. It seems to me if Carnival had enough platinum and diamond cruising on each voyage this might not be occurring at all. Maybe they wanted to make paying staff to work the VIP lines pay off???? Who knows. They are in the business to makes $. If any of the things you listed in your post occurred we would all be able to vote with our dollars and go elsewhere.

Actually suites board with plats and diamonds,at least they did when I had a suite last August on The Freedom.

Same for our upcoming trip. Our paper work says VIP and we purchased the FTTF for both suites.

Ours stayed the same but thanks for the heads up:)

Sweet!!!!!

I called and upgraded both our rooms from junior suites to grand suites. I have 2 suites and the total upgrade was $800 for both rooms. I figure we won't likely be bringing our adult and almost adult child again so we splurged. Also the junior suites were up front and veranda. Brands are mid ship. I got seasick last time mid ship and supposedly up high and up front is worse.

I caught a nasty cold on our last cruise. I was just glad the symptoms waited until the last day to pop up.

So, I am trying to plan a cruise for my family of 4 for next Christmas or NYE (I'm looking at either the 8 night Breeze or the 6 night Breeze). I really want to sail out of Miami because I'd like to be on the newer ship - my kids would LOVE waterworks, I want to try Guy's Burgers, etc. We have never sailed with our kids (except in the med, while we lived in Europe) and the airfare seriously is putting a damper on my plans.

 

We would fly out of O'Hare and right now it looks like flights to MIA are $500! I suppose we could make it happen but I just cringe at the idea of spending that much on a flight. We are considering driving but 20 hours in the car...

 

Anyone have any suggestions on finding cheaper flights or is this just the day and age? We used to fly to Miami for $250!

 

And maybe I'm being too picky about the ship but am afraid if we sail from anywhere further north, we won't get far enough south in the winter to be warm enough to enjoy the Caribbean. Am I being silly?

 

Thanks for any input/insight. I'm new to this planning for 4 thing!

 

Thanks!

angie

We drove to Florida from Wisconsin last winter and will be driving to New Orleans next month. We like taking more time and driving. There is always stuff to do on the way. When we chose to fly for vacation Southwest almost always has the lowest for us.

I hope you have a great cruise. I have to tell you your title of this post make me smile!!! Good for YOU!!! No matter how you get it.

Thanks!

I'm new here but sure have noticed this topic pop up repeatedly. I'm not paying for priority boarding because that comes with the suites. I'm paying to get to the rooms asap. I saw no one trampling anyone last year. I saw very polite orderly people in both lines. I however did meet someone at diner that had to tell us a bazillion times they were platinum. Not sure why.

I expect nothing but good memories when I reach platinum. I dont care about the priority or status. I think it is far easier to roll with life's changes than worry over sour grapes.

OOP! :eek: Missed the 'Grand Suite' mention..:rolleyes:

Out of my league, but I understand your reasoning..:)

Booked an aft Penthouse suite for our next, and maybe last, sailing on the NCL Dawn!;):p

Neat! What is a penthouse suite like? Hope you love it! I so do not understand all the categories. I was perfectly thrilled with a midship balcony on the Sensation. I was surprised we had to book a suite on the Elation to get a balcony. I wouldn't have upgraded to grand suite if there wasn't the fear of sea sick. Now we probably just spoiled ourselves for future bookings :)

Call. hope it is something good!:D

If you tend to get 'seasick' I'd hope your 'suites' aren't aft.. Or too far forward!:eek:

Mid-ship and on a lower deck would be my choice in that situation!:) Hope it works out for you!:D

Nope the grand suites are mid ship. The junior suites we had were veranda deck and right up front. Reading you tended to feel more motion up there in the front had me getting very nervous. I spent one day of our cruise last year not able to leave the bathroom. I dont want to repeat that. I really debated spending the extra $400 per suite but the vacation would be a total waste if one was sick. This also likely be our last big family trip because of the kids ages, 2 colleges etc so we want to make it good:)

I didnt clarify well:o. We have 27 days to go. Last year they called 42 days in advance of our Feb 17 cruise. I really didnt want to wait as over the weekend there was the pick of grand suites. Not so today. There were just a few left.

I know we will just love it! I so cant wait to see the kids faces as we pull up and they see those big ships. Dh and I were awestruck last year when we first saw them.

I just upgraded our rooms today. It doesn't hurt to call. When I looked online I didn't see two suites next to each other but the Carnival agent did.

I had posted the other day asking how often up-sells happen. We got lucky it seems on our last cruise (first cruise). I checked last year's records to see when we got the call. 42 days before sailing. We have under a month too go. I didn't see anyone mention an up-sell when booking two suites. Just single suites. So we bit the bullet today and I called and changed both rooms from Jr suites to grand suites.

I was pretty worried about getting sea sick on the veranda deck since I did one day last cruise at mid level balcony when the waters were very choppy. My adult child also gets sick on rides. I am so darn excited for our kids to get to experience a cruise. I can't wait to go!!!!! Time needs to go quickly.

So far both of ours have gone up not had price drops.

I really enjoyed Freeport:D However I didnt like Atlantis at all on the next stop.

Has anyone gotten an upsell call when you have two rooms booked?

I have been on 14 cruises and never got an upsell call. I have booked with a balcony cabin free upgrade, but that isn't the same thing.

 

A co-worker went on a 16 day Panama Canal on Princess and booked an inside. It was their first cruise. They got a call from their TA that Princess upgraded them FREE to a balcony cabin. Second cruise was a 16 day Asia cruise on Holland America. They booked an inside and were upgraded to an OV. Third cruise was a 12 day South American cruise to South America from California on Princess. I was so flipped freaked cuz they got, yet again, another cabin upgrade from a OV to a balcony.....three cruises and three upgrades. They didn't go on a cruise this year, but if they did, I am sure they would have gotten an upgrade......I was happy for them because she works her behind off and gets little respect or recognition.

Quite a lucky streak!!