Therobielyn's

First NCL cruise this December, so a question for experienced NCL cruisers here.

Can you please tell me how the room upgrade bid works?

When are we eligible to place a bid for an upgrade?

We are booked in a standard balcony room. What are we eligible to upgrade to?

What are the starting bids for each upgrade?

Thanks everyone!!

On 11/14/2022 at 9:57 PM, mondello said:

Thank you for the update on the shows. I just booked Spirit for Spring Break, 4/3/23, 6 days. I know the cast of performers may differ by then but, I’d like to see 88 Keys; haven’t seen it before.

This is a good show, featuring Billy Joel, Elton John, basically anything to do with "Piano Men".

The only super weak show is Getaway Island. Even the best cast cannot possibly do this tire fire of a show any good.

We just returned our survey and made sure we mentioned that.

We expressed that even though Carnival really does cate a lot to the new cruiser, they need to start updating their shows so that repeat Carnival cruisers can look forward to something as well.

On 11/15/2022 at 9:05 PM, knagl said:

 

Were you doing fixed-time dining or anytime?

We were fixed. 5:30 pm.

Table Empire Dining room - table 172

25 minutes ago, Island Dog said:

Sailing Spirit soon. Thanks for the review, just made me even more psyched. We love St Kitts but the "beaches" there leave a lot to be desired. The fort there is amazing with the views high above the hilltop.

 

How were the lines to get a drink? Heard that long lines were experienced recently. Particularly on Lido. Hope this was an aberration and not the new norm.

For the most part, it wasn't a huge issue EXCEPT in the casino, where drink service was hard to come by.

We asked one of the dealers we were playing with and he said that the lack of service seemed to happen beginning the cruise prior to ours.

He said that before then, the service was excellent and then boom, the servers were all but gone.

Weird.

Been a lurker and minor contributor on this site for a few years and have never really been compelled to do a review, but our recent cruise aboard the Spirit is one to talk about, so here is a brief review.

DW and I along with a couple of close friends set foot aboard the Carnival Spirit on Saturday, November 5th for an 8 day sojourn that took us from Miami to the islands of St. Maarten, St. Kitts, the city of San Juan and the beautiful port of Grand Turk.

Day 1 - Miami

Embarkation was the easiest we have ever encountered. We are Platinum with Carnival (and Royal) and were able to book our arrival time a couple of days before others, so we were able to book the 10-10:30 arrival time. Our friends (their first Carnival cruise) were able to get the 10:30 - 11:00 arrival time, so we waited to arrive with them.

We arrived into the lineup at 10:25 and were quickly through security by 10:40.

By the time we got upstairs (10:45 am) into the boarding area, they were already calling Platinum to board. 

We asked if our friends could come with us and were told, "Yes, absolutely", so the 4 of us were on board by 10:50 and went directly to our muster station to get that done.

With that out of the way, we dropped off our luggage into our room and were up on Lido by 11:05.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, unpacking, eating (of course) and in the Serenity pool (people soup, we called it).

It was stinking hot outside!!!!!!

Day 2-3 - Sea Days

We did the normal sea day stuff of lounging, eating, "pooling". napping etc.

The one thing that I will mention is that even though we have seen every Carnival show (except for the new Celebration ones) there was something different about this cast.

They were tighter, more in sync, were better singers and dancers than we had remembered.

Day 2 brought 88 Keys. A great show and great performance.

Day 4 - St. Maarten

Today we did the America's Cup sailing regatta.

We have done this one before and told our friends about it and they wanted to do it as well.

It did not disappoint!!!

Racing those yachts and actually being part of the crew is a great feeling.

If you get a chance to do this excursion, do it!!

The show tonight was 80's Pop to the Max. Another fantastic performance.

Day 5 - St. Kitts

The ATV and beach adventure excursion was on tap today.

This was a blast (at least the ATV's were). We off-roaded for quite a while and saw some great views. 

The ATV's were easy to ride and the scenery amazing.

The disappointment was the beach time.

They gave us one hour at one of their "best" beaches. I can't remember the name but it was horrible.

The beach was rocky and almost unenterable.

Day 6 - San Juan

The typical early arrival into San Juan and we simply walked around old San Juan and up to San Cristobal fort.

The only issue is that they do not take cash for admittance into the fort????????????

Both parties left their credit cards in the safe this morning and we only brought cash, so a long walk up a steep hill for no reason!!!!

Oh well, the city is beautiful and it was a nice morning (but waaaaayyyy too hot) for a walk.

Back to the ship for a 3 hour nap!!!!

Tonight was the Love and Marriage game show. Same old, same old, but still good for a few laughs.

Day 7 - Grand Turk

Well, the secret is out now and Jack's Shack ain't the quiet, out of the way beach bar that it used to be.

It was packed down there!!!

Of course the water was incredible and the sand soft and easy on the feet.

I will say that it was beyond hot today! Being in that water was a great way to cool down, but it masks the effect of the sun on you.

We all got way too much sun and our red bodies proved it!!

The show tonight was Getaway Island.

Even though the cast was so good, nothing can help this show. Easily the worst in the Carnival playlist (at least in our opinion).

Day 8 - Sea Day

Packing, eating, "pooling" were on tap today, always a sad day for us!!

The show tonight was Epic Rock and let's just say that this particular cast pulled this one off to the max!!!! Everyone was on their feet and it blew everyone away!!!

Day 9 - Debarkation

Off the ship and at Fort Lauderdale airport by 10 am. Easy Peasy.

Here are some highlights for me.

1) The staff and crew were OUTSTANDING!!!! Our wait team of Michael, Margo and Joeven was the best we have ever had!!! Spectacular!!

2) Our room Steward Ramel was great!! He was telling us that they now have 35 rooms to do each day. This is a corporate decision. These people are grossly overworked!!

3) The overall crew was so good!! Interaction, friendly, happy!!!

4) As I mentioned above, we are platinum on both Carnival and Royal and we both say that this was our favorite cruise, simply because there were no "misses" by anyone. The food was great, the entertainment was awesome, the crew (how many times can I say this?) was top notch.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate!!!

Hi Everyone,

Was just on RCCL and was looking forward to retiring one night, ordering some room service and watching a movie with DW.

Only one problem....RCCL has discontinued offering free in room movies.

We are sailing on Spirit in 3 weeks and remember that the last time we sailed Carnival (pre covid) we enjoyed watching a movie in the room.

Are these still offered? 

Hi Everyone,

We are looking forward to our December cruise on the Oasis and will be looking at booking a 10 day or longer Mediterranean cruise for 2022 (if it is available) while on board.

Does anyone know the $100 deposit rules while booking on board? What is the maximum fare and/or days sailing to take advantage of the $100 deposit? On their web site it says, "on certain sailings". 

Also, how much OBC are they currently offering if you book on board? We are probably looking at an Oceanview cabin.

Thanks so much everyone!!

1 minute ago, thesmiths said:

Good Morning Good Morning Good Morning.

 

 

LOL.....NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..........

Ciao, ciao...oh...but it's just for now!!!

Good grief!!!

Just the thought of hearing that right now makes me ill.

By far the worst CD we have had, but then again, there is only one MIKE PACK!!

We were on the same cruise and had a GREAT time.

1st time in St. Kitts and San Juan and loved both.

If we had one complain at all it was that MarQ (the cruise director) was the most obnoxious CD we have ever had.

His announcements were so annoying and often that it made us cringe every time we heard the "bing, bang, bong" of the announcement chime.

Other than him, the cruise was perfect.

Was at HMC four days ago and can tell you with certainty that they were voracious at the buffet area. Not the actual buffet itself but the nearby seating areas.

We live in Mosquito country in Canada and this rivaled our worst part of the season.

On the beach and near the tender area there were none.

Has anyone stayed at the Ramada Miami Springs and do you know if it has a shuttle service that serves the Port of Miami.

We know we would have to pay for the service, but we are just curious to see if there is a shuttle service available.

Hi C.C friends!!!

We will be cruising out of Miami aboard the Celebrity Equinox in January of 2019.

Upon our return to Miami, we will be taking a shuttle (taxi) to port Everglades to board the Independence of the Seas on the same day.

Can someone please help to let me know if there is a shuttle service or how much a taxi would cost?

How about Uber?

No, it is a very intelligent challenge to your quite petty complaint.

 

I asked you, very specifically, whether would you expect the crew to intercede for you so you could get your turn playing the games. This is because many of us have made clear in this thread that parents are responsible for the behavior of their children and you relayed that the family was there together. You are therefore asking the cruise line to scold parents for not parenting their children the way you would want them to parent their children. I'm all for more adult-only areas but your complaint as you presented it is simply petty.

 

Actually, my "complaint" is simply that kids do not need to be everywhere that adults are at all hours of the day and that adults should be able to have some space where they can have some drinks, play some games, dance and listen to music where the kids simply do not take over everything. Kids already have so many places and activities designed just for them.

 

I'm beginning to think you don't know what the word "pub" means, but that's immaterial.

Well......I don't know about you, but a pub in my world (and anybody else I know) is a drinking establishment and a place where adults can go to unwind. Drinks, food and such.

Pubs in our area are open to families (on the restaurant side only) until 8 pm, then kids are not allowed.

Nor would I want my kids in there to see adults at their best...haha.

Honestly the solution here is very simple and that is it's best for adults who want adult time to cruise while school is in session and that solves the problem

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

It DOES NOT solve the problem as there are ALWAYS kids on board at every time of year as people take their kids out of school to vacation on down time.

The cruise in question was in February when the kids are all back in school, and the ship had lots of kids on board.

Maybe there are less kids, but still a lot of kids.

So what you're complaining about is a family using a space that is designated for use by families. Interesting. Let me ask you a question: What if these were adults? Would you expect the crew to intercede for you so you could get your turn playing the games?

 

I would love a more child-free cruising environment, but not because I think I deserve to kick families with children out of facilities that they paid for just as much I did. Your cruise ship provides the Serenity Adult-only Retreat. That's where your expectations would be reasonable.

That is just a silly statement.

If it were adults playing the games (or even getting the opportunity) then I would expect them to act like adults and not hog things that EVERYONE can enjoy, and not just me.

Taking turns? Hmmmmm....now THAT'S A NOVEL IDEA and something that most adults would think of. Not all...but most.

As for saying that "Your cruise ship provides the Serenity Adult-only Retreat"? What does that have to do with wanting to have some fun, playing some games in an ADULT setting? A place where you can hang out with "like" individuals, have a few drinks, maybe let loose a little and enjoy the cruise that YOU PAID FOR.

As the original post said, I am simply wondering if they can designate the Red Frog Pub (after all....it is called a PUB) as either adult only or at least after a certain time, have it adult only.

It would not be "kicking out" families as they would know that they can bring their kids in before a certain time and then allow adults/ cruisers without kids to be able to have their fun too.

It would be like saying, "Families and people with children can only cruise aboard Disney Cruise Lines".

That would be a ridiculous statement but there should be some times when kids do not have to be everywhere that adults are. The Serenity area is simply a "relaxation" area. What about when people want to have a little more fun than that?

As I mentioned, we have cruised with our kids/teens and DID NOT allow them into the bars, nightclubs or pubs as we considered this out of bounds to them and gave adults "their" time.

It's not even that they were unsupervised. A lot of times they were but some times parents were in there with their kids allowing them to basically take over and play the games over and over and over without letting others have a turn.

We have children too and have cruised with them' date=' but kept them out of the bars and pubs and nightclubs.

There is SO MUCH for kids to do on board the ship that they don't need to be everywhere that adults are.

As I mentioned, even a "curfew" of sorts would be awesome and allow EVERYONE to have the type of fun they want.[/quote']

 

What I mean about "curfew" is allowing kids in areas up until a certain time of day/night and then make it adult only.

Another instance where parenting is not always a verb. I would not allow any child that I was supervising to hog any type of game. But then again, I also wouldn't let them run wild all over the ship, jump in & out of hot tubs, etc. Unfortunately, many parents seem to take a break from parenting when they cruise. I absolutely adore kids, but they are just kids & need guidance & supervision.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Forums mobile app

It's not even that they were unsupervised. A lot of times they were but some times parents were in there with their kids allowing them to basically take over and play the games over and over and over without letting others have a turn.

We have children too and have cruised with them, but kept them out of the bars and pubs and nightclubs.

There is SO MUCH for kids to do on board the ship that they don't need to be everywhere that adults are.

As I mentioned, even a "curfew" of sorts would be awesome and allow EVERYONE to have the type of fun they want.

Carnival has been reducing adult only areas. You do have the casino, spa, gym, nightclub, and serenity deck as well.

I understand that but a pub is SUPPOSED to be adult oriented, is it not?

I would actually have zero issue if they allowed kids until maybe 7 pm, after that, make it adult only. Allow the adults time to play.

Remember, the kids also have the pool decks, the arcade, all of the kids clubs, etc as well, so the argument goes both ways.

Okay all, before I get flamed I just want to give a little background.

My wife and I were recently on the Miracle and upon embarkation made our way to the Red Frog Pub where we enjoyed an adult beverage and played darts, foosball and shuffleboard. We decided that during the cruise we would try and spend more time there because we were having a great time.

Well....every time after that when we wanted to go in and play shuffleboard or darts the place was overrun by families and especially kids taking over and playing those games. We could never get on the,.

This is a pub after all, right?

My question to the amazing crew out here is......do you think that Carnival should make the pubs off limits to kids or at least limit the times when they can be in them?

We have children too but we spend good money to take some couple time away from our kids.

Thoughts?

Our son is currently in the Shore Excursion department with RCI. The is now on his second contract.

They are on for 7 months at a time then home for 2 months.

His first contract sent him to Europe (where he did the Mediterranean for the first 3 months, then the last 4 doing 5 day Caribbean cruises out of Tampa.

Being in the Shore Excursion department has it's perks.

He regularly got to go on the excursion of his choice and also got LOTS of time to tour on his own when he was not assigned to be on the pier and assisting during excursion co-ordination.

He is now doing the first 4 months of this contract doing the Alaska season, then following that up with Hawaii, Tahiti, the South Pacific and finally New Zealand and Australia.

For some reason he is not enjoying this tour as much as his first tour. Finds the passengers to be very different and the staff of course varies from ship to ship.

The officers and the managers are not nearly as nice and friendly as his first tour.

Hello,

Going on the Miracle on the Feb 18 sailing of the Miracle and am hoping that the pools may be heated?

Haven't cruised in February out of Long Beach before.

Any experienced cruisers?

I get that it's pumped in from the ocean, but have been on the Paradise and the Splendor out of Long Beach and both were heated (slightly..haha) depending on the dates of travel

Hi everyone,

We are headed down to Cabo on the Miracle in February 2017 and it has been a life long dream to do some deep sea fishing and potentially snag one of those Marlins.

Question - has anyone ever taken a fishing trip from one of the guys on the pier? I know there are tons of guys there begging you to take one of their tours (snorkel, water taxi etc) but has anyone ever said "To heck with it, let's take this guy up on it and do some fishing"? If so, how much did you pay? Did you do any actual fishing or was it just a glorified water taxi tour?

I have been doing some research on line and have found a few charters but some times there are good deals to be had on the pier.

Anyone?

Thanks everyone!!

Outstanding video!!! It is AWESOME to hear some narration.

We watch cruise videos every night and this is one of the best for sure!

We were on Inspiration in May and out of all of our cruises, it is our second favourite we have been on.

LOVED IT a lot!!!!

Hi guys,

Anybody back recently from the Miracle with staggered check in?

We have an early flight in from Seattle (8:45 am) and were planning on heading right to the pier.

We are typically early boarders anyways (we also have Faster to the Fun), so we are wondering what the current experience was with check in times, specifically with FTTF.

We know that boarding time totally depends on the other guests' disembarkation, so that's cool.

Sometimes the weather in February in Long Beach can be a little cold and rainy, so just need to prepare.

Thanks so much everyone!!!

If you google The office cabo san lucas or sand bar cabo san lucas, you will probably find all the info you want.

I did that and the Sand Bar website is still under construction and The Office Website only has menu items, no prices.

I am looking for drink and food prices as well if they are listed in Pesos or U.S Dollars