casinostreer

2 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

FTTF only helps at the ports of call if there's a tender involved.

 

FTTF really isn't worth the money these days in my opinion, especially since the room is no longer ready at embarkation. That was the biggest benefit when it was $50. Now that it's more than twice that price and that benefit is gone I don't see the point.

 I totally agree. I was trying to soften the blow if they had already purchased FTTF. We purchased it once - back pre-Covid and found it was totally unnecessary. We do our best to get the boarding time we need/want and then we pack a little patience and know that we're getting on the ship. The other 5+ Sunshine cruises - we've been on board before 12pm - without FTTF. 

On 3/15/2024 at 5:33 PM, vwrestler171 said:

You cannot add it on before the cruise.  You will have to wait until the casino opens so that guest services can confirm that you have the offer.

Fortunately, you don't have to wait until the casino opens. I have DOUE for just myself, so on our cruise in August, we purchased it for my husband at the Havana Bar within the first hour after boarding. It took about 10 minutes, but they were able to confirm that I had the drinks on us - so we were only charged for my husband (at the "on board" price. :-() 

Have you already booked FTTF? If so - it does help with getting off at ports and debarkation. If you haven't booked - there's really no need. We've sailed on Sunshine 6 times in the past 3 years and have never purchased it and have always been parked, through security and on the ship, having our drink in the Havana Bar in about an hour. 

Call8675309,

I agree! We need to stop raving about Jiji's and Havanna Bar! Too many people will find out and ruin EVERYTHING!!

But seriously - we like to stay on deck 9 just so that we can be close to coffee and Cuban snacks. I'm glad you enjoyed Jijis - especially after a disappointing night at the Steakhouse. Our cruise is never complete without some Kung Pao Chicken, some crispy pork belly and of course, the duck!

Thanks for taking us with you on your cruise. We hope to return the favor in a week or so!

You claim that you had attentive service at the BEGINING of the meal. Did the service wane as the meal progress? If so - that's unfortunate. We've dined in the steakhouse a number of times and our experiences have ranged from good to excellent, but the service has always been top notch. Dining again on our next cruise in 10 days - so I'm hoping for great service. 🙂

Still loving this review. I'm thinking of writing a live review of our upcoming 8 day - and I hope it's as well written and entertaining as yours. 🙂

First - it will depend on the length of your cruise. Buying the Cheers package at $59.95 plus gratuity for a 12 night cruise PER PERSON can be breathtakingly expensive. However - for us - it it always 100% worth it. I build it into the "cost of the cruise" - and it's still usually cheaper than a Disney or Celebrity cruise. 

I start with some Baileys in my cappuccino (both included in cheers) . . . . . maybe two.

I usually have my first cocktail around 10 or 11am as I'm starting to think about lunch. 

Rum and Diet Pepsi (meh) with lunch . . . maybe two

Something fruity or margarita-y on the pool deck or at the casino on sea days mid afternoon.

When they kick in - I'm always up for an espresso martini. (I get a double espresso from Java Blue and bring it to the Alchemy Bar if they're open.) 

Vodka martini just before dinner. 

Glass of wine with dinner

After dinner aperitif (Drambuie, Frangelico, Amaretto, etc.) with coffee

Nightcap cocktail in the casino or at the production or comedy show. 

Plus all the soda, premium coffee, bottled water and milkshakes I can drink throughout the day. 🙂

If that's not your typical(ish) day - don't get the Cheers package. 

Can't wait to hear the rest. We sail on the Sunshine quite a bit, next week in fact!

First time getting a casino survey a couple of days ago before going on an Elite next week. I thought it was just because it was an Elite cruise that was coming up. I'll be interested to see how they use the information. I asked them to please remove the non-playing loitering smokers in the casino so that the people who really wanted to play could actually find an open machine. 🙂

Anyone still following this thread? Tagging along on an Elite cruise this coming February (19 days to go) and am just looking to see what to expect. 🙂 We'll be on a small ship for this Elite - so I'm hoping the casino isn't ridiculously packed. But - it's an 8 day so I'm sure there will be plenty of time for playing. Anyone sailed on an Elite recently than the last post in January of 23?

Brother here! Not nearly as eloquent a writer as my sister, but here to enjoy and revisit a city that I visited 23 years ago. Needless to say, a lot has changed, but the feel of the city remains the same. Singapore is an eclectic, beautiful and vibrant city known for its thriving street food, clean streets and spectacular monuments and buildings. I'll be posting along with Rachel -so let us know if you have any questions! 

Sadly, no one knows the answer to that question. It depends on many, many factors. Each country visited (Bahamas, Mexico, etc) has their own rules regarding cruise ships and vaccination rates. The CDC updates their policy quite often. It could be sometime this summer. Or, if another powerful variant starts to spread, it could be years. 

We've had totally different experiences with the Alchemy Bar - both on Ecstasy, Mardi Gras and Sunshine. In fact, in January, we got shots of espresso from the Java Blue cafe and brought them to the Alchemy bar and they made the world's best martini we'd ever had! On Ecstasy, we told the bartender/s what we were in the mood for (sweet, herbal, spicy, dry, etc.) and they made some amazing drinks. I'm thinking it depends on the bartender and the crowd level. 

But - we (almost) always get the drink package. 

I stick with clear rum and diet soda. Zero net carbs. Stay away from any of the tropical drinks with sugary fruit juices. 

Correct - the 15 drink limit is for alcoholic beverages only. 

Sorry - you're right. I was thinking of the Mardi Gras. 

It's the Mongolian Wok menu. (At least it was in January.) You pick your veggies, protein and sauce as you go through the line and they stir fry it with rice or noodles for you. Its pretty delicious for a buffet style lunch option. 

The Jiji's menu is only at night and usually requires reservations. It's an extra cost, which just went up in May. However . . . it's DELICIOUS - and beyond worth the price. 

As for the other concerns, we had a wonderful cruise in January. Great service, no smell, food ranged from "meh" at the buffet to OUTSTANDING at Jijis. We're back on the Sunshine in June. 

For the person asking about sodas and beers, there is a machine in the lido buffet near the coffee station where you can swipe your card and get a soda or beer.  But - you can get one at any of the bars nearby.

I know this is an older post, but I'm staying on deck 9 and would love to be able to grab a cappuccino in the morning without having to go all the way down to the Java Blue cafe in the morning. Any idea what time the Havana Bar opens??

So - we ARE stopping at Princess Cay, correct? Didn't they resume stops there on February 1st? 

I hope so. 

I play in the ship casinos most of the time they are open and have been rewarded a number of times with free bounce back cruises (just have to pay taxes/port charges) and low casino rates on other cruises (both on Carnival and Holland America). After 42 cruises, I don't go to the shows and I don't drink much so I don't go and sit in the bars (boring to me). On my last two cruises, I have brought home just about the same amount as I brought, so that was pretty lucky. That doesn't always happen, but going to the casinos is my entertainment and I budget around $200+ per day, which is what I also budget when going to land casinos. I don't think the ship casinos are any "tighter" than land casinos. If I don't win anything in $5, I move to another slot machine. If I'm winning on a slot, I stay. If I win double what I put in the slot, I take it out and move on. I look at gambling as entertainment and I enjoy it.

That's our philosophy as well (except for the drinking thing.)

We wouldn't cruise nearly as much if it weren't for the offers from the casino loyalty programs. My husband has been on ONE Carnival cruise, spent his normal amount of time in the casino and was recently called by CCL Casino host with new offers. It's not a place to "make money." It's a place to have fun, play games, relax and - for us - earn another cruise!

In terms of "tight" vs. "loose" - I've found that the ship casinos are a LITTLE tighter than the Vegas casinos. I think that's because there are just SO many casinos and slots in Vegas - all competing for your money. Only one casino on the ship - no competition. But I know that before I set foot in the casino and I only gamble money that I'm willing to lose.

So glad the little things didn't ruin your cruise!! :-) And thank you to your family for their service!

I love it when I read reviews like this. You KNEW it was an older ship. You KNEW you booked late. You KNEW what to expect. And - though there were still some issues, you had a great cruise. There was a loud noise, you KNEW to bring it to Guest Relations. They fixed it. However - there is no excuse for the "snootiness" you encountered. Glad it still worked out in the end. I've read too many reviews where people do not have realistic expectations, and they just complain about things that either could have been avoided or were beyond the control of the cruise line.

I'm cruising in 2 days and though I've never sailed on Carnival, I'm well aware of what to expect on Ecstasy - and I'm going to have a great time!! :-)

Thanks again for your review!!

This makes me even more excited about my cruise on Ecstasy next week. Thanks for the feedback. We started on the big ships (Allure) on RCL and slowly moved to the smaller ships (Majesty) and really preferred the smaller ships. This will be my first time on CCL and I'm STARTING with the smaller ship. Have always read mixed reviews (for all lines and ships) but this one is very balanced!! Thanks again for your review. I'll be at the slots!

It seems like you had a great time! My sister (EllaDuChien) and I will probably spend a good deal of time with this Rini person at the casino bar next week. Thanks for the info!! Hopefully I'll write a quick review after we return.

Raging alcoholics and professional drinkers here. We always get cheers. Sometimes we get close to our 15 drink limit and “buy rounds for our friends” so we can stash booze around the ship for later. Plus the convenience of being able to order a free Bloody Mary in the morning from whatever bar we passed out next to in a lounge chair/life boat is worth the convenience. Once the hangover shakes are gone, we head over to the coffee bar to get energized for another day of out of control drinking fueled by a strict 2 shots followed by a monster energy drink (also free) ratio to maximize our package. On port days we wake up an extra 30 minutes early to get a shot every 5 minutes so we can get in 6 shots before leaving for port. That way we’re ready for a fun day in the sun and warmed up for our all inclusive drinking and nacho excursion. On port days we rarely get in our full 15 but we will hit the bar before bed to fill our free water bottles up with booze for the morning (we pour that nasty water stuff out).

Cheers is totally worth it. ;p

It sounded exactly like I feel about cruising . . . . then I realized you were being sarcastic. I'm currently detoxing in preparation to "RETOX" on my cruise next week. :halo:

I'm sure others will post responses a little more specific to CCL. My experience is only on RCL - but many cruise ships operate in the same way. Have your friend contact the dining room manager and alert them to their dietary needs. Either the dining room attendant, head waiter or even a chef might come out during dinner and go over the options for the following night. I will tell you that there will probably be MANY vegetarian options, however true vegan options tend to harder to come by. I'm sure that your friend will be able to find things to eat (as there is always a salad bar) but there won't be a wide variety. And - as a chef - they MIGHT make substitutions for the Chef's Table dinner - but I wouldn't. The menu is usually set and contains a wide variety of meats, stocks, and non-vegan ingredients. Who knows - nothing ventured, nothing gained.