ScottsSweetie

OP wasn't asking everyone's opinion on whether or not to go dining with her child. She was asking if there were kid's menus.

Op, I'm with you...my child(ren) has no problem sitting through a proper dinner. They have manners. I raised them that way.

 

If they are never in a proper environment, how do we expect them to ever learn it?

 

It would be nice if there were a child's menu available. Children like eating great food too.

 

I do believe it's to discourage children as well. But hey, if you want to splurge, go for it.

 

sometimes i'd rather sit next to a child than some other loud, obnoxious fool snorting and laughing and talking loudly.

 

Enjoy whatever you decide.

So you nudge people for giving the OP opinions that she didn't ask for, and then you go on to give the OP opinions she didn't ask for? :rolleyes:

I've been in the steakhouse seated next to a large party where the under 10 crowd were the best behaved ones at the table! And, as others have said, sadly no kids menu.

I'd be interested to know what your booking deadline and your "sail by" date is on your letter.

Here too. Not exactly the letter I was hoping to get from Carnival. :rolleyes:

Last time I checked, this is a public message board where registered users are able to join in on discussions. It shouldn't matter if I currently sail with them or not, anyone is allowed to join in. After fourteen cruises with Carnival in three years, I feel that I am pretty seasoned with Carnival Cruise Lines and that is enough of a reason, at the minimum, to be able to join in and respond to topics or start new topics, without planning a future Carnival cruise.

 

In addition, I am a shareholder with Carnival Corporation & Plc. and feel I should continue reading the Carnival boards to see how a company I invested in, is doing. I do look at the boards for other Carnival Corporation lines occasionally, as well.

 

Unfortunately, this is not like your significant other situation. Obviously that would be something involving a personal relationship. However, Carnival Cruise Lines is a business. If someone has a great dining experience, hotel stay, cruise, etc. they may not tell anyone, or just tell a few people. However, when someone has a bad experience, they tell more people and it spreads from word of mouth. Not only am I a member on Cruise Critic, but I also partake in Flyertalk (Starwood/Hilton/various airlines,) DISboards (Disney,) Yelp and Tripadvisor. It is important that these websites exist so that guests may share their experiences with certain companies or restaurants so that other people do not go in blindly.

 

Also, not all of my posts are negative. Sometimes, I respond to questions on the Carnival boards. Thanks for noticing my posts.

I also partake in Trip Advisor - but understand that someone may discount any information or review I have submitted if my experience is 2 years old.

I certainly wasn't insinuating that you weren't allowed, I was just curious as to why it would matter to you.

And, you answered my question - if I was an interested shareholder, I would also be keeping up with discussions about my investment. Thank you for sharing.

That must have been so disappointing for both of you! :(

Carnival does not care if you're Platinum. Carnival does not care about guest loyalty. If they are trying to reward their loyal guests, why would they remove benefits that they have earned, all the while claiming the changes are "brilliant," nothing will be removed, milestone would be grandfathered into Diamond and other similar statements? Your Platinum status, to them, is worth only $50.

I'd like to ask you a question, and I'm not trying to be rude - I am looking for a serious answer. According to your list of past cruises, you last cruised on Carnival in March of 2012, but you continue to post (negative) responses on the Carnival board. Why do you visit the Carnival board when you've had nothing to do with them for 2 years? :confused: I have sailed RCCL - I perused the RCCL boards during that time. Same with NCL. As I have no current cruises scheduled with either of those cruise lines, I usually don't pop over to those boards to disparage any aspect of a cruise I took with them years ago.

I'm truly curious why someone who has sworn off Carnival just can't seem to let it go? Kind of like saying you're over an ex, you don't like them anymore - but you want to make sure that everyone is aware of all their negative traits so no one else will like them, either.

Would love to know where their next contract is, if anyone can get that info.

Your baggage must all be the correct carry-on size in order to carry it on yourself - otherwise it must be checked.

You can only go right to your cabin if you arrive after 1:30pm; purchase FTTF; hold platinum status or have a suite booked.

I'm happy for the people who got the free cruises, and hopeful that I might still get one.

However, from a pure marketing standpoint, I would think that it would have made more sense to send only one to each address. Some people have posted that both spouses received a letter - common sense would say that the same household probably can't take 2 vacations in 4 months (with a June deadline) and even "free" isn't completely free (with port fees, gratuities, travel expenses, etc.). IMHO, reaching more households would have made more sense.

I will still anxiously await my mail each day, and hope that all of you who have received the offer and booked have a great cruise! :)

We have done several pack and go's, including from Charleston. It is highly likely that you will receive a room assignment before check-in - I would just check the website once a day.

Alternatively, you can always wait until you get to the port and the porters will tag your luggage with your room assignment.

Have a great cruise! Charleston was, in my opinion, one of the best embark locations we have experienced (conversely, disembark not so smooth).

That was "normal" folk then abusing the system...and in the end hurting those who legitimately needed it by the changes that occurred.

True that. People who don't need the privilege ruin things for the legitimate ones in need.

Next, you'll have people claiming that their pet is a "service animal", just because they don't want to be away from their precious darling for a week. Oh, wait . . . :rolleyes:

I guess if the other lines are showing the Olympics on their big screens then they'll get to see all the Carnival commercials! :)

They both do have a scent, but both are light and pleasant and not over-powering. Don't think I have noticed any lingering scent afterwards.

I leave my shampoo for colored hair at home for the week and use the one they provide, but bring a good conditioner.

I like their body wash - DH always uses the soap provided.

My experience with ATD:

PROS: *Go anytime you are ready

*Can choose to sit alone (table for 2) or with others

CONS: *Different wait staff (we tried to repeat staff - was never any room in their stations).

*One night we asked to share a table. Ended up sitting at an 8-top alone. Felt really weird.

*Can sometimes be a long wait.

*We found our service to be more hit-or-miss since the tables in any given waiter's area are at different parts of the service. I was served an appetizer 5-10 minutes before DH when we were seated alone.

*As others have said, tables for two are anything but private. A lot of the tables are along a banquette where one of you will sit on that and the other is in a chair across from you. When sliding into the banquette, you will be passing between 2 tables (or having someone doing that next to you). Tables are very close together!

Having said all of this, we have enjoyed ATD when cruising with our kids, but will not choose it when it's just the two of us - the traditional dining experience is a big part of our cruising enjoyment.

The first time we took kids we took all 4 - one college age, one high school and two 11 yr olds. They had a room across the hall.

Cruised with our twins in an adjoining room - when checking prices, it was only $50.00 more for the 2nd room so totally worth it.

Recently cruised with all 4 of us in the room - pretty tight since they are full size adult people now (high school seniors).

It not only depends on how your kids will adapt, but also the mix of kids in the group that week. Our boys loved it the first time, and hated it the second time.

Like!

 

Wait until we start sailing on ships full of fans of these acts and they are the teeny bopper type of act. Time to try another line I think after my next cruise.

Yeah, I bet those Olivia Newton-John fans are some real rabble rousers! :rolleyes:

And I wouldn't call Kansas, Foreigner, or Styx a "teeny bopper type of act".

Wait a minute. I'm just wondering but how can this be your first Carnival cruise when your signature line says you were on a Carnival cruise in 2011?

 

Your signature line:

Been there, Done that:

11/2013 - Norwegian Breakaway - visiting friends Port Canaveral Florida - cabana Great Stirrup Cay Bahamas [cancelled port stop] - shopping Nassau Bahamas - (New York City, aft-extended balcony)

 

11/2012 - Carnival Victory - 2-nights pre-cruise Old San Juan - snorkel Trunk Bay St. John - shopping St. Thomas - sea turtle snorkel Barbados - snorkel Pitons St. Lucia - Island Tour Shipwreck Beach St. Kitts - airplanes Maho Beach St. Maarten - (San Juan, aft-wrap balcony)

11/2011 - Carnival Liberty 2.0 - all-inclusive beach Mr. Sanchos Cozumel Mexico - climbing Xunantunich Ruins Belize - snorkel Tabyana Beach Roatan Honduras - waverunner to Stingray City and snorkel Rum Point Grand Cayman - (Miami, balcony)

12/2005 - Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas - Atlantis Aquaventure Nassau Bahamas [cancelled port stop] - beach CocoCay Bahamas - shopping Key West Florida - (Miami, oceanview)

He was not the original poster - the 2011 cruise is the one he was referencing, I believe (his 2012 cruise had no tender ports).

I believe that there is 'X' number of people you are allowed to bring with you to priority tender. I thought I read this on the VIP sheet but I can't be 100% sure (and don't remember the number).

It might be just the way they do it at HMC, because I don't remember them doing it that way when I was at Grand Cayman

So, how did they do it?

It's been years since I've been to Grand Cayman, but I remember the ticket procedure there because we had booked a private excursion and had to get to the ticket place early to make sure we were off the ship quickly.

This procedure has been in place for quite some time - I'm thinking at least three years or so, if not longer.

DH and I sailed on the Valor in December. Here are a few thoughts:

* Had no issues with our steward. Met him on the first day; rarely saw him afterwards. Kept our ice bucket and our personal cooler filled.

*Ran across one hand sanitizer that was empty - I notified someone.

*Went into one public restroom that was absolutely TRASHED. Again, I notified someone. (Would love to know how many times people run across something, but just run here to complain instead of notifying someone who can rectify the situation.)

*I am not a fan of the jumbotron during the daytime, but would probably enjoy watching a movie under the stars (we did not do so on our trip).

*I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of chair hogging.

*Also noticed that often, one side of the buffet would be closed down, forcing the line on the other side to be very long.

*You can have eggs cooked any way at the omelet station if you don't want to eat the eggs at the buffet (also can order egg whites).

I am always amazed by people who, in their reviews, write how difficult the ship is to navigate because the dining rooms and galleys are in the way. :confused: Isn't it this way on every single ship on every single line?? This just doesn't make sense to me. My personal fix to that is that I always travel across the ship on Promenade - it goes the length of the ship and there are always things to see/hear/do (good people watching spot!).

DH and I decided that this cruise probably rates in our top 3 or so - based on a combination of ports / ship. We loved that we could find a lounger whenever we wanted; loved the sports bar / Thirsty Frog on draft; had great tablemates / wait staff / room steward; and just had no major complaints to speak of. Would definitely do this cruise again!

Hello to all - I will admit to having lurked long enough to have read this entire thread :eek: and it has been fun!

On the lipstick issue, I never wore lipstick on a regular basis until just a few years ago. I could never find the right color, texture, feel, etc. Until I found Cover Girl Outlast All Day Lipcolor (not the stain). This is the only thing I wear.

They have two different kinds - one comes with color on one end and gloss on the other end - I am not a fan of this one. The one I use comes with two applicators - one is the color; the other is a moisturizer that goes over the top and "sets" the color.

The lipstick is a little dry - you would not want to apply it without putting the moisturizing cover over it. But, it will last for hours!! I have this in two colors - one for casual/day wear, and a richer, darker color for more dressy times. I can drink, eat, talk all day, and this stuff stays on. Of course, being Cover Girl it is very reasonably priced. :)

Like the others said there are plenty of places for all those things. One hint though, if you do take the bus into OSJ the buses stop running at 9pm, so if you stay there later, you might get stuck and have to take a taxi back. Check what time the last bus leaves, it might be before 9. If you do venture into OSJ, go to Vaca Brava! YUM!

Thanks for that info!!

It can be purchased, but it's a little pricey. I don't remember the price as I did bring my own. I understand that they may have been discontinued, but someone made a 3-in-1 sheet that included detergent and fabric softener and was so great for travelling. I'm sorry I don't remember the brand name.