2 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

So by denying access to cruising for some guests and lowering potential revenue for shareholders would lessen the impact?

Haven't they already been doing this to a degree? Can't cruise if you're not vaccinated. Can't cruise if you're on oxygen. For several months you couldn't cruise without an exemption if you needed one. I'm a shareholder, and a cruiser - and I do not want a diminished product when I'm on the ship. I want adequate staffing in proportion to passenger capacity. 

3 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Carnival has thousands of crew members hired but US govt visa processors are moving at the speed of government.  The CD on Mardi Gras said they are trying to bring crew members onboard via other countries since the US isn't helping.

That's all fine and well. None of us can make the government move any faster, including Carnival. But they could lessen the impact on the cruising customer by lowering capacity until staffing becomes a non-issue.

1 hour ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

The Port of Seattle's free Port Valet luggage to SeaTac may help you if your cruise line participates (Carnival may not, at least not so far this season), and there are airline departure times cutoffs.

https://www.portseattle.org/page/port-valet-enjoy-seattle-luggage-free

You will most likely have to check any handheld luggage with a curbside small luggage holder outside the stadium as part of their security measures.

This is the part I would worry about. A lot of stadiums / arenas have gone to a "clear bag only" policy - otherwise, no purses, no backpacks, no nothing!

If you are on Carnival, who is apparently not participating in Port Valet, there is a luggage storage facility at SeaTac, but then you would be adding another paid trip.

https://www.portseattle.org/services-amenities/bag-storage

It appears that CVS has stopped doing tests here in Phoenix through the Covid appointment system, and have moved to performing tests through the Minute Clinics. I wonder if they will begin charging now for travel tests with this move.

34 minutes ago, scoobysnacks70 said:

According to TSA you can take an unused Covid test in your carry-on or checked luggage onto a plane

 

12 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

 

I've seen that. You never know though. 

DH travels with his free government test that we got in the mail. He actually had to use one recently after a possible exposure and it was most convenient. Of course, the way things go it could be confiscated next time, but it hasn't been yet, and it's been in his carry on for several months.

On 5/14/2022 at 8:52 PM, Saint Greg said:

Keep an eye on that because it looks like they’re allowing Carnival people to book it online but JH is telling people Carnival isn’t doing it right now. 

I had posed the Port Valet question on the West Coast departures board a few weeks ago - here is a response received by @geneparmesan:

My Carnival Spirit cruise ended yesterday (May 18th). I did not receive any Port Valet information or luggage tags on my last night (even though I received the reminder email two days before), so I assume that means Carnival is still not participating. We ended up carrying our luggage off ourselves. 

So, looks like still no Carnival participation in Port Valet.

1 hour ago, geneparmesan said:

My Carnival Spirit cruise ended yesterday (May 18th). I did not receive any Port Valet information or luggage tags on my last night (even though I received the reminder email two days before), so I assume that means Carnival is still not participating. We ended up carrying our luggage off ourselves. 

Thanks SO MUCH for your response, @geneparmesan! Now I can finish my planning.

43 minutes ago, icft said:

. . . 

Very few are willing to just recognize Carnival has greatly reduced the value of its product, be it an avoidable or unavoidable reduction.

 

We recognize the value is greatly diminished but since we are sailing for fee we continue to sail. Even with a greatly reduced product it is worth the price of zero.

THIS ^^!!  As far as Cucina goes, I have not enjoyed it for lunch, and the only time I've visited for dinner was comped by Carnival (for a leaky toilet situation). But we can all realize that if it is offered, and then not available, then Carnival has indeed reduced the value of their product, whether I personally use it or not.

BUT - many of us here on CC are repeat cruisers who are sailing at greatly reduced or even free prices, so we are willing to put up with a slightly diminished product. I'll be stepping onto an Alaska cruise next week with a free balcony room (not a casino offer), and I'm sure I'll be able to overlook some deterioration because of that. But when prices return to normal, we'll see just how much people are willing to put up with when there are other choices to be had out there in the big wide world of cruising.

38 minutes ago, jerseygirlinAZ said:

Just saw a post on another site that said Diamond and Platinum events are being suspended as well (but drinks or OBC are being offered).  

I've cruised 3 times since the restart - they haven't had a single platinum event yet. Can't suspend it if they already aren't doing it.

I have found several videos on you tube with packing tips. Simply search "Alaska cruise" and take your pick of videos!

We are staying at the Hilton Garden Inn/Airport on the night we arrive, as our arrival is 12:55am. Their website reflects that the shuttle is available 24 hours.

4 hours ago, MardiGras10022021 said:

We got a great deal...10/01/22 on Horizon. 8 days   Aruba,  Curacao , La Romana and Amber Cove..499.00 for both of us. Ocean view deluxe. deck 2. very excited

 

That's a great route!

6 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

You're located in Arizona.  Were any of your deals for any cruises east of the Mississippi or were they on the Panorama, Radiance or to Alaska since that is where the west coasters get deals to. 

I live in the Northeast, have cruised Carnival 20 times since 1986 and currently have 7 cruises booked on the Excel Class.  Have never gotten a free deal or anything close to a free deal.

I had several great offers from the east coast as well. Carnival may well be confused because I just relocated to Phoenix at the very beginning of the pandemic, so all of my previous cruises have been from the east coast (have cruised this side since the restart, though). I also rec'd great offers on the Australia and Europe cruises as well. And our best offers were under my husbands number - sometimes mine were the same but most of the time they were not as good as his offers.

Try as we might I don't think there is any way to figure out the algorithm being used - though I can't help thinking that if you have 7 cruises booked they really have no incentive to offer you anything special at all. I had 0 cruises booked when I received these offers.

10 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

Bingo is not gambling.  Only the degenerates in the casino  get all the deals because of the way they add to the bottom line profit of Carnival.

My free room was not a casino offer. Never set foot inside the casino, and we've had several free or severely reduced offers. 

3 hours ago, txcruiser1234 said:

I just checked for available rooms on a 10-day June Miracle to Alaska and there were only a dozen or so cabins left to choose from across all categories. Suites were sold out. So, I expect this particular sailing to be full.

But you have no way of knowing how many cabins they have held back to attain the capacity that they want. We know that they hold some cabins back for covid isolation at the least.

Mine is on upcoming Alaska cruise on Spirit - $100pp for balcony room + $100pp OBC, which equals free room - paying only port fees & taxes.

11 minutes ago, pc_load_letter said:

I did not notice any more "blue cards" on our cruise in March than normal. Certain nothing I could quantify.

 

I would say that those who are not experienced with cruising are staying well away from cruises.

 

You would think that people would not be cruising for the first time right now, but I'm not sure that's true.

JH has been highlighting one ship each weekend and giving stats on the passengers on the ship. On May 7 he highlighted the Elation out of Jacksonville, and his numbers reflected 906 blue cards and 821 total for red, gold, plats & diamonds. On April 30 he highlighted the Miracle out of San Fran, with 1035 blue cards and 991 total for all others. I noticed more blue cards on my personal sailings since the restart than I had seen in recent cruising pre-covid. I say "wow" to myself almost every week when he posts these numbers, as I am not sure that I would be cruising for the first time in this atmosphere. However - the marketing campaigns for almost all lines included the fact that you couldn't go anywhere else and have everyone vaxxed and negative tested, so people may have indeed felt safe cruising for the first time.

12 minutes ago, Moviela said:

 

I don't agree with that at all. There was no "rush" to return to sailing. It was well planned and executed. Proper staffing was in place for the reduced passenger capacity. People were hired to add to staff as capacity was allowed to increase.

 

But now that the ships are not sailing (seemingly) at that reduced capacity, the amount of staffing does not appear to be adequate. Carnival themselves have admitted staffing issues as the reason for closing the pizza place for several hours a day and ending afternoon tea on cruises less than 7 days. If they can't hire the staff then they absolutely should not increase capacity.

Sounds to me like those people over on Oceania have a drinking problem! 🤣

9 minutes ago, yogibear said:

This is direct from TSA.gov website.   Karen

Scissors

Carry On Bags: Yes (Special Instructions)

Checked Bags: Yes

If packed in carry-on, they must be less than 4 inches from the pivot point.

Any sharp objects in checked bags should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors.

For more prohibited items, please go to the 'What Can I Bring?' page.

 

 

---

 

 

 

The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint.

The TSA will also allow me to transport liquor and unloaded hand guns in my checked luggage - but I don't think Carnival would appreciate that. 😏  TSA rules do not apply here.

2 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

If someone can't/won't follow the rules, they shouldn't be allowed on a cruise. But of course some are, and hell yes, the cruise line is responsible.

Are you saying that the cruise line is responsible for taking care of sick passengers, or that the cruise line is responsible for cruisers getting covid?

If I go to a restaurant and am served by a waiter who tests positive 24 hours after my visit, they are surely not responsible if I test positive 4 days later. Immediately after the re-open (2 weeks to slow the spread?), every store I went into had a sign saying basically we will not be held responsible for you catching covid. I cannot imagine that this is not addressed in Carnival's contract about them not being held liable if someone catches covid. No one forces us to visit restaurants and stores; none of us is being forced to go on a cruise.

2 hours ago, geneparmesan said:

I'll be trying to use it on my Carnival cruise returning to Seattle in two weeks... I'll post an update if it works or not.

Thanks so much!!

2 hours ago, Host Carolyn said:

Will leave here for now as well. No phone or website for this business?

There is a phone and website. Apparently, last August, a poster here signed up to use them. Carnival was listed as a participant on their website. The poster sent an email for confirmation, and rec'd such from Port Valet confirming that Carnival was participating. Then the poster rec'd notice on the last night of the cruise that Carnival did not participate in the program. I found this deep in one of the threads on the West Coast departure boards.

I just started a thread about this on the West Coast departures board to ask any early cruisers for their experience. It was definitely not being offered last August, and since the first cruises just started out of Seattle there's been no feedback yet.

I understand, by looking through several threads here, that Carnival was not participating in the Port Valet service at SeaTac in August of last year.

If any of you early (May) cruisers have first hand knowledge of this service for the 2022 cruise season please swing by and let us know what your experience is. Thanks in advance!