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joe/jack

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    Margaritaville June 24th-June 26th

    in Margaritaville at Sea

    Posted

    On 6/27/2023 at 12:06 PM, Kevin said:

    Just back from my first Margaritaville at Sea cruise and had a good time!

     

    My expectation for the trip was that I was getting transported to a beach day in the Bahamas. I feel like I got more than a ferry experience, I got a true short cruise experience. 

     

    Boarding was easy. We showed up about 1pm. The whole boarding process took about 30 mins. We have waited longer on other cruises. There was no pressure to buy the drink package or make dining reservations while in the terminal. 

     

    Once on board we were able to go straight to our cabin. That was nice. There was a sewage smell in the hallways near our cabin but not in our cabin. That smell was only there on embarkation day. 

     

    It was great that the bed was a full sized bed and not two twins pushed together. Everything in our cabin worked, though the refrigerator had been removed, not that we needed one. 

     

    We like it cold, the cabin was not cold, just cool but we had brought a usb powered fan and some magnetic hooks that we used to create our own ceiling fan. 

     

    The mandatory lifeboat drill was done at the muster station, which are all located indoors.  We arrived 15 minutes early so we could have a seat.  At our muster station the guides struggled to get everyone quiet so the announcement could be heard.  It took about 20 minutes once started to complete.  There did not appear to be a process to ensure everyone attended.

     

    We never ate anything at the buffet except deserts and ice cream. The food looked good though, I was surprised to see the panini station, the sandwiches made looked good. There was also a pasta bar that looked good. I had not read or seen any reviews that mentioned either feature of the buffet.

     

    The desserts at the buffet were good. I also got a soft serve ice cream which was served by the staff like RCCL. So much better than what can be on the self serve Carnival ships. 

     

    We split a burger and fries from the 5 o’clock somewhere bar. It was tasty. 

     

    We ate dinner both nights in Fins. I had a pineapple chicken the first night that was great and a bbq pork chop the second night that was pull apart tender. Service was quick and attentive. 

     

    We liked the two production shows. They have a couple, aerialists, strong man and woman, not sure what they are called, that are part of both shows. Their part of the show was incorporated very well into the musical part of the shows. 

     

    There was also a comedian who did a family friendly show that was meh and a late night adult only show that was much funnier. 

     

    We also watched the Quest game show. It was very similar to RCCL’s version of Quest. I was expecting more raunchiness based on the level of drinking on the ship but it was comparatively tame compared to what I have seen on RCCL. 

     

    We also attended karaoke and dueling pianos. Both had lots of audience participation and were entertaining. 

     

    We walked out of the casino up $60. 

     

    For our day in Freeport we had an all inclusive day pass at the Grand Lucyan at Lighthouse Pointe. We were off the ship by 8:45 in the pouring rain and tried to get a private cab. We ended up with a semi private cab for the way there and a private ride on the way back but were charged $30 each like it was private. Annoying but our fault for not insisting on a full private cab. 

     

    The resort was great. After checking in we went to the breakfast buffet. It was really good. Cooked to order omelets, pancakes, bacon, potatoes, pastries, cereals, fruit, and more. 

     

    After eating we went to the beach and got a couple chairs under an umbrella on the beach. Drink servers came immediately to take our orders. We were some of the first there and drink service was very fast. Then many more people showed up and drink service slowed way, way down. 

     

    The lunch buffet was good as well. I enjoyed the chicken fingers. There was also nachos, French fries, hamburgers, hotdogs, turkey sandwiches, fruit, and salad fixings. 

     

    In both cases it was all you can eat. 

     

    Towels were plentiful and easy to get. 

     

    There was a DJ who played lots of beach games with the guests. Water balloon toss, musical chairs, dance contests, etc. 

     

    The weather turned out sunny to cloudy while we were at the resort. Much better than the pouring rain when we left the port and arrived back to at the port. 

     

    Dress was very laid back on the ship. There were people in bathing suits at dinner if that is something that would bother you.  Lots of people wearing the provided robes around the ship as cover ups or coats. Lots of Hawaiian shirts worn Magnum PI TC style, fully unbuttoned. 

     

    There were a lot of groups on the ship having what seemed like good times. At least five different bachelorette groups and three different just married groups. 

     

    I witnessed one very angry guest trying to get a refund for the all inclusive day at Taino Beach Resorts. He had booked swim with the pigs which was cancelled due to weather, Taino was a second choice for an excursion. He described it as a stank a** resort with a swampy pool. He was irate and wanted his $392 refunded. Not sure he got his money as I left before it got really ugly. 

     

    I was at guest services because I had received a letter stating there was an issue with my credit card. Turns out they just needed to swipe it again as the swipe was lost from check in.  

     

    Debarkation was a little slow. We skipped breakfast as we planned to eat at the SkyClub at the airport. We entered the line on the ship about 8:15. They had not started letting the faster to chill people off yet. As the line started moving there were many people turned around to fix payment issues at guest services. Around 8:45 we walked off the ship and entered the CBP line for passports. I had not brought our Global Entry cards. There was zero line for those people with their cards. We ended up out on the curb at 9:15. There was very little room in the terminal for people so they were holding you on the ship until room opened up to queue in the terminal. 

     

    We grabbed a taxi instead of calling for an Uber or Lyft because it was right there, no wait. The cost was $45 with tip. Uber and Lyft would have both been in the $34 range with tip. 

     

    At the airport we got some breakfast and then volunteered to be bumped. Luckily we were bumped and received $800 each to catch a flight 5 hours later.  The $1600 from Delta puts us way ahead for the trip. 

     

    Ultimately I enjoyed the trip. 

     

    The ship is old but in decent shape.  There are places that could be improved.  It rained almost all the time we were sailing so we didn’t get to experience the outside of the ship. The layout was odd but that is because that is how ships were laid out 30+ years ago. I would not want to be on the ship for a longer cruise. It is fine for the 2 day itinerary it sails. 

     

    I wouldn’t hesitate to go again as long as I could go to the Grand Lucyan again. We had a great day on the beach. 

    Thank you for this review 

    we are going at the end of July and my expectations are so so after reading other reviews. We normally cruise RCI and Carnival but just wanted a weekend get away How much was the day trip to the day trip to the resort if you don’t mind sharing 

    thank you 

    Horizon vs. Vista

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    On 6/23/2023 at 4:25 PM, UGACamper said:

    Although the differences are likely small,

    please opine. 
     

    Havana Interior. Specifically looking at horizontal rooms backing up to elevators. 
     

    One big plus for Vista is driving distance. That haul to Miami gets rough. 
     

    Thanks!

    Agreed Port Canaveral is a cake walk compared to Miami

    Just glad I was not in the mess yesterday in Miami 

    15 k trying to get off 3 ships at 8pm

    15 k trying to get on 3 ships at 10pm

    very difficult time for 30 thousand 

    WOW 

     

    Gambling hoping for some promotions

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    Two months ago we were on Horizon 

    We booked a casino deal that gave us a great rate and drinks while playing and OBC. 1st night I put my card in a slot machine and I had a 250$ free play.

    when I asked the casino Mgr why she said it was just random.

    I ended up losing twice that much in 6 days it’s all relative. Just entertainment 

    for us. 

    So none of this makes any sense to me.

    Cheers Package Embarkation Day

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    8 minutes ago, mz-s said:

    Your boarding pass has the information necessary to charge things until you get your card.

     

    In case you were not aware you will pay sales tax on all purchases - including Cheers drinks - until you reach international waters. Typically 50 cents or so per drink.

    Is that only for New Your and Texas

    i believe I read that somewhere ? 

    Hockey in Sports Bar ?

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    2 hours ago, bguppies said:

    Make friends with the bartender in the sportsbar the first day and if they get the game you have a shot.

     

    Otherwise I'm sure there will be more people looking for NBA playoffs and MLB games. 

    (he who tips best gets heard the best)

    That’s a good thought. Every time I went in there before on this ship I had a choice between Soccer and Cricket   One drink and I was out of there. 🥅🏒

    Teenagers causing damage to ship this week

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    15 hours ago, CruisingHogFan said:


    We have heard it multiple times this week. I have no idea if that amount is true or not. Seems high to me but there’s been a lot of talk about it.  Those glass panels in the elevators are probably not cheap. I’ve see 2 of them broken personally. 

    We were on this cruise

    i heard 24.000$ total from a reliable source FN Crazy Kids out everywhere after curfew which I believe is 12:30am 

    but not enforced but security 

     

    Teenagers causing damage to ship this week

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    On 3/18/2023 at 2:28 AM, CruisingHogFan said:

    Currently on Odyssey. We have sailed Royal for 20 years and have done spring break cruises many times over the years with no issues. Yes, lots of kids but no problems other than crowds. The overall ship, shows, food, and service have been excellent!
     

    BUT the clientele is changing. Lots of rude families and large groups of teenagers causing issues every day. Apparently several families were forced to disembark in Aruba (one with $12,000 damage bill) and others have been locked in their cabins. We have seen people pushing scooters and older passengers out of the way, verbally abusing the staff. Several elevators have had the glass shattered and are not working now, security cameras have been broken around the ship, and apparently the teen area has damage. I left the casino at 2 am and there are still groups of teens ignoring the security officers tonight and running around the ship.
     

    It’s sad that parents let their kids behave this way. Royal should adopt a zero tolerance policy and immediately kick the entire family off the ship if their kids are causing issues like this. I understand teenagers will be teenagers (we have a 13 year old) but causing property damage and assaulting older guests is not right.

    Just returned from this cruise 

    This was a absolutely horrible seen

    And people criticize Carnival 

    Been on 30 cruises and never any thing like this 

    Beautiful ship being destroyed by teenagers 

    Guests spend a lot of hard earned money and don’t deserve this from 

    parents that don’t give a s… what there kids are doing 

    Very Say 

     

     

     

    • Like 3

    Bionic bar charges warning

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    7 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

     

    I totally agree -- anything but the BB in that spot would be much better. That's a ginormous waste of space and $$$ as they have it now.

    Humans make a much better drink

    Tried it once on Harmony 

    It’s nice to observe but that’s as far as I will go. Going on Odyssey this week but will skip the BB 

    Cannot Purchase Liquor for Cabin Anymore

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    2 hours ago, mz-s said:

    Carnival is now only allowing you to buy liquor for the cabin for cruises 7 days and longer I believe.

     

    Too many behavioral issues on the shorter cruises. https://www.thestreet.com/travel/carnival-cruise-line-changes-unpopular-beverage-policy

    Our 6 day in May you can purchase liter bottles 

    Titos was like 120$ 

    Grey Goose was like 150$

    expensive 

    There’s alway other options 

    • Like 1

    Haven't cruised in almost 15 years -- will I be disappointed?

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    On 1/26/2023 at 12:29 PM, Mic101680 said:

    As far as being disappointed - I think it's more what you make of it. If you're going to expect a high level of service and mind blowing food experiences, you probably will be highly disappointed. If you look at it as an inexpensive vacation and can roll with whatever happens, you'll likely enjoy yourself.

     

    Yes, the food quality has gone way down compared to "the old days", but you definitely won't starve and you'll find that it's also a much more relaxed atmosphere. The specialty dining, and dining outside the buffet and main dining rooms are going to be your better bets for quality and taste.

     

    The longer the cruise, the less likely you'll run into rowdy party crowds, but like others have said, with yours being over a holiday you'll likely see a lot more kids than you would at other times (awesome for the kids though as they'll have more company in the kids' clubs). I've found that the younger adults (20s-early 30s) are more annoying than the packs of kids running around, but that's been more of an issue on 4 days or less cruises in my experience.

     

    There are lots of activities scheduled throughout the day - mostly I've seen trivia, live music, and scheduled but not organized meet ups for different demographics. The larger ships will have more to do (mini golf, movies, more games, etc) than the smaller ships will.

     

    And yes, you'll find quiet areas of the ship (mainly the adult only areas), but not necessarily less crowded.

     

    Perfect Assessment for Cruising in todays world

    This year we have been on Princess

    Royal and Carnival 

    So far all Cruise Lines have cut costs to try and absorb their the losses during Covid 

    At the end of the day Cruising in 2023 is still a great value for your vacation dollar.

     

    • Like 2

    Princess casino comp offers (for table gamblers)

    in Princess Cruises

    Posted

    41 minutes ago, Dreamer333 said:

    We mostly play the tables, but how do they keep track of how much you're gambling at the tables? We spend a fair amount but have never received any offers.

    It seems to me that everyone I've spoken with who have received comped cruises tend to spend all their time at the slots.

    Speak with the Casino Mgr. In person. Let him know how much you play and you will begin to

    get offers via email. Also let him or her know when you plan to cruise again 

    I know a few people when have done this with great success 

    cruise got cancelled because it was past final payment?

    in Princess Cruises

    Posted

    16 hours ago, Pam in CA said:

    Princess used to have a “grace” period of five days after final payment is due but quite a few years ago, they eliminated that. Final payment is due the date they say and the system will automatically cancel the booking. It’s on every statement or invoice I’ve received. (My TA sends me the Princess invoice and then her invoice since she always saves me money.) 
     

    Travel agents almost always ask their customers to authorize final payment 3-5 days before the Princess final payment date. That’s in case there’s a glitch, credit card error, charge doesn’t go through, error in giving the TA your credit card, etc. 

     

    The bottom line is that there’s always a final payment date and the responsibility is always the passenger’s to authorize and make final payment on time. Doesn’t matter whether you book directly or with a TA. 

    It’s as simple as to adding it to your calendar on you phone 2 days prior to the final payment And let it prompt you to finalize your arrangements 

    48 hours gives you plenty of time 

    • Like 3
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