ChrisNCruiser

4 hours ago, icft said:

I also have a greater fear of testing positive than I have of getting Omicron. We're boosted and in good health so Omicron will probably give us sniffles at worst, produce no symptoms at best. But a positive test stops your life.

 

One of my concerns is that the normal cycle of these things is they mutate into non-live-threatening diseases, like the Spanish Flu did. But with today's science we can still track them after they are harmless. With all the hysteria about covid I see the possibility that our brilliant politicians will have our lives shut down due to "covid" long after covid has mutated into nothing worse than the common cold. If one obese, diabetic, 80 year old cancer patient dies "with" covid they will still consider it a threat to public health worthy of masks, self isolation and all the rest for everyone.

I'd be on board with hoping to get it if it was limited to sniffles. However, a code work friend, who is mega-vaccinated, young, and careful tested positive last week. She feels 100% fine but the only reason she got tested was because she completely lost her sense of taste and smell. It's probably / hopefully temporary but if not that would suck. I'm still planning to go on my January 9 Magic cruise for now.

3 hours ago, trulytracy said:

I am a non-smoker who would love to try out the casino if it didn't stink in there. This is my chance. There must be more like me.

Based on how many people I've seen in the Magic's small new secondary smokeless casino, I would agree. 

technically yes, but for most of the attempts I tried I found the quality / bitrate to be so low it's not worth the effort.

19 minutes ago, my kids mama said:

Sailing on the Pride in January.  Instead of Grand Cayman, we get Costa Maya.  Never been there. We have another cruise scheduled in December that was already supposed to go to Costa Maya.  I reserved space for us at Maya Chan.  What are your thoughts on the replacement port? 

Having been to both, I prefer Costa Maya to Grand Cayman.

3 hours ago, JHCruiser123 said:

I wonder if you purchased a shore excursion or cheers package with Carnival using your Southwest Chase credit card if you could get the $35 back.

That's my plan - prepay for internet and tasty beverages (to slightly past $100) for our early Jan cruise

4 hours ago, mesee said:

I know the Amex promo is usually posted however I found a offer on my Chase card. Its spend $100 get $35 back so a really good return. I have the Chase Southwest card. Not sure if it's on their other cards but if you have Chase you should check it out. It appeared today and expires 1/15/22.

Thanks for the tip! I just found it on my Southwest Chase, but not my Marriott Bonvoy or World of Hyatt Chase cards...

18 hours ago, geaux_aces said:

Until a few weeks ago, our last few cruises had been on newer ships. We really like the toned down, resort style designs of the newer ships. We were back on a Joe Farcus designed ship, Carnival Freedom, a couple weeks ago and thought the design was really showing its age. Of course, design is subjective, but we certainly prefer the new look. Everything I've seen from John Heald's videos on the Radiance look like improvements to me. 

I've been on 20 Carnival ships and Freedom had my least-favorite decor. As with another poster I also loved the toned-down Sunrise so I'm hoping Radiance is similar. 

On 12/5/2021 at 2:00 PM, icft said:

I find it hilarious that people are talking about lawsuits over this. What are your damages? They can’t be more than you paid for the cruise plus perhaps “pain and suffering.” Do you really see a judge or jury awarding “pain and suffering” to someone having to ride “Jungle Cruise” rather than “Kali River Rapids?” That is not pain and suffering; that is disappointment. But courts don’t award damages for disappointment. If they did a lot of women would be headed to the courthouse the morning after they lost their virginity.

 

Next, what is the cost of litigation? You’re probably talking $5,000 minimum to even get in the courthouse door unless you are an attorney representing yourself in which case you still have court fees.

Having just returned from a week at Disney World yesterday I just laughed out loud at this. People plan entire trips around seeing the new attractions, but there's no guarantee. We were at Hollywood Studios on Thursday and were fortunately able to get on Ride of the Resistance during the few hours the ride was functioning that day, but there had to be hundreds of P.O.ed folks who also wanted to sue. If you do your homework you'll know that these things can and do happen, and to be prepared to be happy with what you CAN do.

1 hour ago, htkodiak said:

My DW will be Diamond on our upcoming Magic cruise in Dec.I won't be Diamond until Jan.My DW has told me that I have to walk behind her as we board the Magic.Sounds fishy to me.😁   I'm not sure I believe her.😅Happy Thanksgiving to all.

LOL On my first Diamond cruise in 2019 I did the same thing to antagonize and embarrass my Platinum Better Half but took it a step farther: <holding Sign and Sail card up while walking down crowded Promenade deck> "Excuse me, Diamond coming through."..."Can you please direct me to the Diamond buffet line?..."What's today's Diamond drink special? - In all seriousness, congratulations to your DW and to you in January. The service I've received as a Diamond VIFP on my five applicable cruises has been exceptional, not that I received cruddy service when I wasn't Diamond. More than anything we're mostly excited about the unlimited free wash & fold laundry and the more intimate Diamond get-togethers (don't worry, you'll be able to join DW on the Magic in December).

BTW, my Platinum Better Half STILL gets better cruise offers than I do!

6 minutes ago, BamaMomRollTide said:

 

Are you a TA?  How are you seeing what cabins are available for that sailing?

I'm not a TA - I just go to Carnival's website and pretend to make a booking - as long as you select one of the rates that allow you to choose your own cabin, you can browse through the different cabin types and ship floors. Note that for any segment they show (For example - midship, Verandah floor), they'll only show a max of 10 available cabins, even if more are available. For example, I just checked on the Magic and it shows 10 balcony cabins available on one of the lower floors; my guess is there are more but they won't show up until someone books the others first. 

On your sailing, there was only one floor that had any balconies in the middle of the ship, and only 2 or 3 balcony cabins showed up for two people - that suggests that they're close to reaching their capacity. There were several floors on your sailing that had no balcony cabins available at all. 

I am VERY particular about my cabin location, which is why I usually book on Carnival's website. However, if the price is right they can stick me anywhere 😉 

1 hour ago, BamaMomRollTide said:

We’re cruising Valor out of NOLA in less than 2 weeks (Mon-Sat).  I hope it’s not full.  I wish there was a way to know.

I just looked at what cabins are available for the sailing on Monday the 29th. There appear to be few balconies available, so I assume they're sailing at close to their current threshold. 

For perspective, I've been on three sailings since the restart and performed the same exercise with each so I'd have a general idea of what to expect. On two of the sailings there were many balconies available and we were informed on the cruise that they were at about 55%, and they felt it! On our most recent sailing last month, there were few balconies available and we were informed they were right at 70% (their threshold at the time).

There are still plenty of Interior options on your sailing but that's likely because the balconies weren't much more expensive (or even the same price) based on some of the awesome offers many of us have recently received. 

In any case, it's likely your sailing will be capped and you'll still appreciate the shorter lines and additional elbow room throughout the ship. Happy sailing :-)

On 11/11/2021 at 5:36 PM, jetsfan58 said:

Sounds great. Our favorite Carnival Cruise Ship still remains the Pride. The perfect size and the atmosphere has always been very good aboard this one. We also get a big laugh when we see Mothers covering up their kids eyes when they are trying to stare at the Statue of David aboard the Pride! 

There's a fig leaf now...

Looking at the Radiance deck plans, my only potential concern is that you may be assigned a less desirable cabin location on Upper deck (deck 6) above either the Red Frog bar or the show theater, which I believe converts to the disco late night. Both have the potential for being noisy late into the night. I once received a guarantee balcony right above the Destiny's piano bar and we could hear every word sung. If you plan on staying up late it's not a big deal but if you go to bed earlier you might hear it. There's also a chance you could get a cabin on Verandah, underneath Lido, so you might hear chairs scraping, etc. (This personally doesn't bother me as much as the music playing.) As I'm sure you know, once you're assigned the cabin you're unlikely to have much luck getting reassigned. 

8 hours ago, nlktx49 said:

You shouldn't have to ask for this! It is clearly stated on Carnival's website as a benefit of becoming Diamond. Seems more and more lately that passengers have to keep track of their benefits and request them from Guest Services. Someone at Carnival is really falling down on their job. Certainly takes away from the "specialness" of a milestone ike this when you have to request it. Especially when you have to request it more than once. I think someone at Carnival owes you and your spouse an apology. And maybe another dinner at the Steakhouse!!

In my case, I unfortunately attribute it to the room steward. On that same Sunrise sailing (my first Diamond cruise), he didn't deliver the Diamond get-together invitation to our room until literally one hour before the get together (and we know this because we'd been in the cabin right before it was delivered). At the time I assumed that all Diamond invitees had received the invite late. I had been really looking foward to my first Diamond shindig, so I (professionally) provided feedback to guest services. It wasn't a complaint or a demand for restitution, but to their credit they arranged for me and my cabin mates to meet the captain on the bridge, and it was lovely. I felt bad at the time because based on my subsequent interactions with the room steward I could tell he'd been severely reprimanded. Based on my experiences, I do believe that onboard Guest Services associates will go the extra mile to right a wrong for their Diamond passengers - I can't say the same for the 20-ish cruises for which I was 'only' a Platinum, though.

5 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Sounds like you have to take your one time free pay dinner and use it the cruise you turn diamond? I was hoping to save it until I was ready to use it. 

You can save it and use it on the sailing of your choice - after finally getting mine we decided to burn it off immediately. You do need to bring the voucher to the steakhouse when you go, and they'll keep the voucher

Yes, but I had to fight like the dickens to get mine - I technically earned it in 2019 on the Sunrise's first cruise but never received the free dinner voucher or the leather luggage tags that were supposed to be delivered to the cabin. After the cruise I called the Diamond line several times, and they eventually sent the tags but not the voucher, and then COVID happened. 

This past August, we booked a last-minute cruise on the Magic and once again tried to call the Diamond line - they told us they'd contact us before our cruise, yet we didn't hear from them. 

Well, we went on the cruise, talked to Guest Services a few times, and on the last day of the cruise we FINALLY got the voucher, along with another set of the luggage tags (after they confirmed our numerous attempts with Carnival's home office). We enjoyed the Magic steakhouse that evening. It probably wasn't worth all of that effort over a two-year span but it became a matter of principle for my better half. 

If you don't see the voucher /  tag set upon entering your cabin on your first eligible cruise, make sure to ask for them from your room steward and/or guest services ASAP - our mistake was waiting too late on our eligible cruise. 

4 hours ago, nlktx49 said:

On four times on Vista I've had laundry done. At first I was hesitant, had heard bad stories about the clothes being washed in hot water, items getting lost, etc. The first time, and every time since, has been a great experience. Nothing is lost, clothes smell fresh, and the items are folded so nicely they almost look as it they had been ironed. I only started using the laundry service after becoming Platinum so I could have it done for no charge. If you had an unsatisfactory experience with your laundry, I hope you took it down to Guest Services to show them and demand a refund, as well as a bottle of champagne or some other treat! "Carnival has always been very receptive to my complaints - and I complain a lot."

 

"Carnival has always been very receptive to my complaints - and I complain a lot." - I just laughed out loud at this, and I'm delighted that you're as big a fan of the free Platinum / Diamond wash & fold as I am. We've never had issues and send a bag out every day. I love discovering the bag of completed laundry on my bed more than the towel animal. We take advantage of this because it keeps packing to a minimum and is handy if you've pre-gamed your cruise a day or three in advance. we've joked that we'll take the curtains down and stick them in the bag if we need to fill one up. PRO TIP for those who don't get wash and fold for free: to maximize your bag size, first wrap each larger item burrito-style, and then lay them on top of each other in the bag (after you're flattened the bottom of the bag out so it stands upright by itself). Fill any small gaps with socks / smaller unmentionables. we still make sure to leave at least an inch on the top of the bag unfilled but you'll still be shocked at how much it'll hold. 

Since the restart my Platinum better half has been receiving better deals that I receive as Diamond. Before COVID, I would also check prices using different web browsers / computers within our house because of (more subtle) price differences they often provided. 

Interesting timing of this thread (for me) - last week in Port Canaveral we saw many crew members leaving a crew store with bags filled to the brim, and we noticed that many of the bags had cans of Pringles sticking out of the top. Ditto a crew store in Amber Cove, where they can also have currency exchanged. We were wondering why so many crew members were buying Pringles. In any case, we didn't have an opportunity to buy crew members any specific items on our itenerary, but we gave our room steward and our dining room service team cash with the hopes that if they couldn't leave the ship someone else would be able to make purchases at the crew stores for them. 

3 hours ago, crazy4themouse said:

We just got off of Breeze this past Thursday. I've no clue what the passenger count was, but it was significantly more crowded than our July 29 sailing on Breeze. Like night-and-day different. This recent cruise seemed barely less-crowded than any pre-Covid sailing. Pools were packed, typical lines at Guy's, pizza, etc. It wasn't horrible by any means and we were just as thrilled to be onboard as we were in July, but just wanted to toss our observations out there!

 

 

Our Magic cruise in August was at 55% (assuming two per cabin), and our Magic cruise last week was at almost 70%. We definitely noticed the additional people but it was still far from a typical cruise. 

21 hours ago, TequilaJane said:

Someone plugged in an electric kettle that they brought on board and blew the main fuse.

On my first cruise in 1997 (Fascination), I brought a travel iron. Within two minutes of plugging it in we lost all power to our cabin and had to call guest services. We got deservedly 'TSK'ed by the maintenance dude. I found the laundry room / learned to pack more effectively for future cruises 😛

I love the packing cubes, too! Using them on my current cruise. Prepare for disappointment - it's gonna be either a plastic luggage tag or a plastic card lanyard. (We were on the Pride two weeks ago and it was the luggage tag, and we're on the Magic now and it's the lanyard.)

I've been on the Magic and Pride since the reboot. If you're interested in what movies they're playing, rest assured that there will be no shortage of opportunities to see "Raya and the Last Dragon" - Carnival is really getting its money's worth for the licensing fee they paid to present it on Dive In Movies roughly 37 times per sailing 😛

I've been on two Carnival cruises since the restart. For disembarking, we were told that it would be based on the number of Platinum / Diamond guests, as the ratio was expected to be higher than before COVID (i.e. it's not feasible to offer it if a significant percentage of passengers on a particular sailing are Platinum / Diamond.) On a five-night Magic cruise in August, early disembarkation was offered to both Platinum and Diamond guests. On a seven-night Pride cruise in September, it was only offered to Diamond guests. 

1 hour ago, day-day said:

I scheduled CVS 13 days ahead of time.  In the mean time, I read some of the issues posted by others so I ordered the emed for online as a backup.  I received a test reminder yesterday from CVS so I felt good about being able to get tested today.

 

I arrived at CVS 15 minutes early today and was the only car in the test parking area.  I was greeted in less than a minute and completed the sampling procedures in just a couple of minutes.  My test result (NEGATIVE!!) was available once I got home after making a stop; maybe 30 minutes.

 

I feel a little guilty having the emed test kits now in case there ends up being a shortage any time soon.  I will probably keep them though in case I jump on another cruise deal within the next couple of months.

Please don't feel guilty; you paid for them and they're yours. And you never know - I hope this doesn't happen but you may need to use them before your cruise for other purposes.