Life_Traveler

Twice when boarding passes were ready. Once on day of embarkation.

i would think day of embarkation would be difficult. What is on your luggage tag so they no which room to deliver it to.

Just got done booking out first ever Guarantee room. Couldn't pass up the 36 hour sail going on right now. Hopefully we get a decent room but then again its only 5 days so we can handle about anything if need be. Needed to fill the gap in January as it was only month this winter we didn't have one booked already.

From past experience, can someone tell me about how far out they actually got there room assignment.

Thanks

Thanks Buckeye;

But I have to ask. Are you on board now or do you actually take pictures of the menu when you do.

The problem with the above statement is very few islands have an embassy or any location able to issue you the documents necessary. You will more than likely be spending the night wherever you are waiting for approval to fly out.

I think you would be surprised. I lived on three different Caribbean islands over the past 15 years. Almost all of them do. They don't have a full blown embassy with Ambassadors, but they have a little office somewhere that handles these types of things. My daughter lost hers in Aruba when we lived there and she took her picture to the airport in Aruba and the US customs agents there gave her authorization to fly back into the US.

My wife and i like to order Wings and Fries around 11:30 every night. We pay for it but you get almost more than we can eat. We eat dinner at 5:30 so its a nice snack before we start our night out.

My wife have never had any bad issues. However, we do like to sit in the atrium next to guest services just to listen to some of the things people are complaining about behind us. I even heard a Diamond passenger complain about having to attend Muster. If your Diamond or even Platinum like we are. you should be use to going and understand its a miserable part of the cruise. At least they get it over with before the cruise starts so its all uphill after that.

My wife and I also have a picture of our passports on my phone. As if they are ever stolen or lost all you have to do is walk into the US embassy and they will issue you another one immediately if you have the photo of your previous one. otherwise you may be there a day or so trying to get a passport to get off the island.

They most likely will but those rates wont come available till close to 90 to 60 days before sailing. they do those only if there are a lot of unsold cabins and need to fill the ship.

Didn't realize that is how they figure the 50% off discount? I know we had a itinerary change last year on a cruise to Bermuda which resulted in a 25% off future cruise discount. We waited to apply it to a Southern Caribbean cruise which was of more value and use the discount then. They actually took the 25% off the cruise fare and didn't have anything to do with our original cruise fare. Don't understand why it would be different? :confused:

We were on that cruise last year also. I agree. I booked another one on the cruise and as long as you took the same room category they didn't look at costs. I think we were allowed to take up to a 8 day cruise with the 25% off. They also gave us OBC. Still a lot of people complained there and I was just glad we were safe and out of harms way.

i would assume they do as they did on Christmas day a couple years ago for us.

i have stood in that line many times. Now i have learned that many of them have a form you can just fill out and leave with them. They book it at at night or when he has time and then forwards the information to my room. You must know exactly what you want the the floor and area of the room you want for this. I wish all ships would do this but the last couple I have been on did have it.

i always take my Laptop with my movies digitally downloaded to it and plug the Laptop into the TV. I have never yet had any issues doing this since i started about 4 cruises ago. As every TV so far has had a HDMI port on it and i use a USB to HDMI adapter.

A very generous thing to do, and I considered doing the same thing when set check in times first rolled out. Here is why I don't do that...

 

You are actually doubling up the size of the crowd for the early check in times. The idea of the program is to minimize the crowds in the earlier hours. In doing so, they only allow X number of people to have that first half hour. Then another X number for the next half hour. Then....

 

So if, say, 200 diamond/platinum folks - that plan to show up early - take late time blocks so that their 200 spots are still open for the 10:30 arrivals, you will have an EXTRA 200 people showing up at 10:30. If each time block allows 400 people, then there would be 600 people checking in at 10:30, rather than the 400 Carnival was hoping for. By taking your 10:30 block - as is your right to do so by doing your online check in early - you help to prevent the overcrowding Carnival hoped to alleviate with their new system.

 

I know it sounds like a, "I got mine - $crew you" attitude, but I really am helping to make the system work the way Carnival set it up. If I plan to be at the dock early, then I take one of the early check in slots. If I plan to arrive later, then I take a later time block. It's not like my status gets me preferential treatment when choosing a time block online. I have to select from the available blocks. So I take the earliest time block (if I'm going to be there early), and my status doesn't skew the numbers.

 

Keeping the crowds to X number of people at any one time is the goal of the system, AND the way to make the system work.

 

Of course, this is just my 2 cents worth... :)

 

Bob

i see his point. However, the flaw i see in it is as a platinum, we check in at a different place and person, so it would not cause too many people checking in at the regular check in location for non Platinum and Diamond. This is of course unless Carnival is increasing the number of people with early time hopeing that platinum and diamond take those spots reducing there numbers in the other line.

i dont remember ever getting a confirmation back. I just check when i get aboard. Usually not an issue anyway as I attend the steakhouse on every cruise a couple times and have never once seen it full.

I think if it fits in a single glass then its a single serving.

Since I am Platinum. I chose the latest check in time available. This gives others chances to get the earlier ones if they want. Since I can actually check in at any time being Platinum.

Yesterday i mentioned it on John Healds facebook page. He said many people do in fact like them, and the gift is changing in November, something new.

Good. i am on a B2B in November and would hate to end up with two Crocs each.

I agree with calling your PVP. We love doing B2B but usually make them longer. We only do them if we can keep the same room as to not have to pack in between. We are doing a 6 and 8 day over thanksgiving on the Conquest.

Are these cards good for any expense on the Sail and Sign card. The reason i ask is i like to do a lot of Gambling and the stock holders credit cannot be used towards the casino. Can these cards be used towards the casino.

Where did you get the fact that more than 50% of the time you end up with a cabin you don't like?

I usually pick my cabin, but every once in a while I'll book a guarantee and, so far, I have been happy with my cabin assignments.

i was guessing thinking if 50% of the time you get a bad one. I have no idea the odds and that is why i posted this to see what others were getting . i always book at least 1 year in advance but was thinking of doing a couple last minute ones this winter along with my other 4 so just wondering if its worth it.

i know you can use these cards for your OBC but can you tell me if you can load them via the Kiosk on the ship or do you have to go to GS. I am platinum but i still hate to stand in that line.

I have never heard from mine either. The only reason i know i have one assigned is it is listed on my Carnival Flyer i get monthly via email. I assume its because i always have at least 1 or 2 cruises already booked at any time.

I actually have a different opinion of the ship. Yes the food was great and lots of choices. However, with the additional rooms and people they downsized many of the venues. Even the steakhouse is inside on a lower deck with no view. If you have YTD you have to check in at one location and then they send you to a MDR to eat from there.

The serenity deck is one the the nicest of all ships with a waterfall.

My wife and I have always booked our cruises a Year out and have always chosen the room. We have started thinking about possibly trying to book a cruise 1 or 2 weeks out and letting Carnival chose the room for the added discount. I understand how this works so not concerned with how they chose the room.

My question is, what is everyone experience with this? Is it worth the added savings if more than 50% of the time you end up with something you don't like? It would only be a 4 to 5 day cruise which i can put up with about anything if need be.

Depends on the cruise and how long till your it goes out. I find by booking early saver that the price goes down on about 50% of them. If its a high demand cruise like Alaska or Panama then you can guarantee the price will only go up as time goes. I always book early saver but its a chance i Take.