KKB

I can't tell you for sure what Carnival will do. But let me share our experience. We sent our Caesars Diamond cards to Carnival via an ad I saw on FB. Immediately got a huge list of cruises we could book free--3-14 days Caribbean, MX, AK, Hawaii, Europe. SO we booked the longest cruise that fit in our schedule--14 days to Hawaii January 2023. Only cost us port taxes & fees. Now this cruise was selling for $3500 for an interior w/ no perks. HOLY COW PRICEY. We did gamble...we play .05-.25 video poker mostly. I dunno, we got 2K in points each? (over 14 days) We get CONSTANT emails from Carnival. A few free or $100/person. Haven't been back yet; have 2 to Aust/NZ booked for Feb. Just got another email this week--booked 10 day Venezia for $100pp (including $200 credit, plus drinks while gambling) plus port taxes & fees. I dunno--they keep coming for us!

Admittedly it didn't include EVERYTHING...😉 I just snagged the first reliable list I found on Google...I'm sure I could have gone down quite a rabbit hole. Some years ago Time magazine did an article on just this--real v. perceived risk. It really put things into perspective.

Exactly--average 8 people killed annually by alligators...150 by falling coconuts! (can ya'll tell I'm a retired librarian...love me some facts & reliable sources!)

Le Bistro doesn't have an outdoor space on Breakaway as it's on Deck 6, like the Getaway. I agree w/ Ocean Blue & Cagneys for my favs--and go when they open to get an Oceanfront seat. Especially lovely if it coordinates w/ sail away. Waterfront should be on EVERY ship. It is one of our fav spots. If you like late 70s/80s music, Syd Norman's is a MUST SEE. They do 4 different shows/week PLUS the entire Rumours album, 2 shows one night. It is an intimate venue, not nearly large enough for demand. My tip--grab a drink at the end of Maltings Bar at least an hour before show time. Once ANYONE gets in line--JUMP IN LINE. (yes, I'm a Syd's groupie & former Syd's Prom Queen🤪--yep, the last night is "Prom") It's my fav show at sea, on any line. It's not a production show, per se, more like the best cover band. TIP: if you don't get in, go to the Waterfront right outside & they pipe the music out there during the show.

We had a cruise booked October 2001. We had 3 little children. We cancelled that cruise after 9/11. We lost a lot of $, but that was a life altering event--even to watch unfold, as I did. Risk of dying in a car wreck are vastly higher than an airplane crash... (ZERO commercial US airline deaths since 2009) Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US... Risk of a terrorist attack is SO SO low...sadly, risk of a mass shooting in US is higher. We all have to live with the level of risk we are comfortable with--even if that is perceived risk. This is a few years old, but it gives a good overview of what are REAL risks in our lives. (but that may not matter to him...perceived risk is a real thing in one's mind)

Concierge is by & large a waste of $ over a regular balcony. If itinerary & price were comparable, Beyond EVERY TIME. Eclass is a step above in all areas. I don't feel those Reserve class "perks" are all that valuable for price paid, JMO. Now, if the price was a lot more on Celebrity, I'd like go Princess. Additionally, if a true balcony experience is important, you need a Sunset Balcony or a Sky Suite or above on Beyond. (I'm ambivalent about IVs...balconies in general, so I'm not a good just on that one) THAT BEING SAID,

I paid no attention to the % off...I just looked: is it cheaper than I paid originally? I just rebooked wifi for July trip from yesterday. Saved a few more $.

Oh, boy, this is an area we STRONGLY disagree. We find Princess to be at the bottom of specialty dining of Celebrity, RCCL, NCL & DCL. Celebrity is #1 for us.

I rebooked our Jan 2024 Ascent cruise & saved about $100 (appeared to be more...but my original booking included gratuities...still saved a bit!) I also had drink package, wifi & shore excursions drop in price this week so cancelled & rebooked at the cheaper price.

Sailed her in April & did not have any problems--we will be back on her next week. Apex is great too...honestly, ANY Eclass is fantastic!

We currently have an interior on the Regal Princess booked. It does not offer Oceanview rooms. Prices have dropped; we can reprice & save $500 or we could spend $100 more & get an obstructed balcony. We normally do not mind interiors as we are rarely in our room. But 7 sea days in a row+4 more between Lisbon & Southampton...imagine we could be in there a bit more (tho we are likely to be out & about the ship). We didn't book the balcony as we thought the weather might not be worth it...but I guess its warm out of FLL for a few days? And fairly warm in Azores/Lisbon/Balbao? Appreciate anyone's experiences doing a TA w/ an interior...and a balcony when cooler in the middle of the Atlantic for a few days. Thanks!

Oh, I did 28 days in N. Europe in May with 19" Carry on (22lbs packed) & backpack! I took Rick Steves approach: take what you NEED, not what you MIGHT need. I washed a few things in the sink & brought a lot of merino wool that is odor repellent--you can wear multiple times. (some inexpensive Costco tops, some pricier, but worth it, Wool& pieces)

My understanding is that you must book via AmEx (or a TA that can do that) to get the AmEx cruise perks.

Go figure...NOT there now!🙄 I haven't gotten a Move Up email either, & when I click on it on the app it says "not available" Others on this sailing (Jan Prima) have gotten Move Up offers. It was booked thru CAS--could that be it?

I'm lowly Select...and did exactly this. Had nothing to do w/ your status. Even newbies can do it! Cancelled excursions already booked...OBC came back immediately. Rebooked new ones. Did same w/ drink package upgrade a few weeks ago!

A woman on another social media spoke of this since u lose an hour each day. Is that common? (it would seem to me an hour/day is easier to tolerate than 7 hours in a day!)

Doesn't seem that way. @Saint Greg just did Chef's Table on the Regal within the last couple days & their menu was NOTHING like this.

LOL DH can relate...I sure was on the other side for a number of years w/ our kiddos too. Good times.

I was searching my posts & I only see a way to see the last year. Just wondering if there is a way to see more. Thanks!

Totally...but neither of us loves a center seat--he's quite tall & I have decided I no longer need the cheap seats...we usually choose 2 aisle seats across from each other. But they sure don't have to be! We figure we will be together 24/7 on a trip...NO problems being apart on a flight!

I have not sailed out of Tampa. FLL is the easiest by FAR--airport/port/hotels all within 10 min of each other typically. Few traffic issues. Port Canaveral is fine but since the airport is an hour away it is a pain. I found getting reliable shuttles challenging when I flew in the day before--the ones with good reviews only shuttle in the morning. I was able to get a good one to pick my up at my Orlando hotel on embarkation day. MIA--holy cow, road infrastructure is not sufficient for the current level of port traffic. Your time from hotel to port could be 20 min....or 45 min. I've experienced both. Luckily I realized this on the way. Had I not known & ordered a Lyft when I disembarked, I probably would have missed my flight. My tip is to grab a cab at the port for disembarkation, especially if you have a morning flight.

It has now been pushed to 2025

Bummer. Yesterday afternoon I called & was done repricing 2 cruises in 30 min.

My biggest complaint on Eclass is the large number of truly uncomfortable chairs. Furniture designers of any age should know function over form. That being said, no one else tried them before buying...or at least sailing??!! Seems to me someone signed a contract w/o testing the product first! (Makes me curious about IVs...while we are ambivalent about them, many despise them. Did they not do a market survey prior to spending all that money on these ships??)

I highly recommend the "fish pedicure" out there--even DH enjoyed it!