mz-s

Half Moon Cay 100% Not much going on in Bimini frankly...I think once Nassau is done with their construction, no Carnival ship will ever stop in Bimini again. Carnival ships don't call at Coco Cay (you asked in a Carnival forum after all!)

Well the problem with a lot of casino offers lately is (at least mine) have said they're good for new bookings only, so you can't price match an existing booking. Or at least it would seem that way, I don't know how they'd react if you actually tried. The way things are going right now though I wouldn't hold my breath on the price going down. I am seeing some good offers for the average cruise but holiday/special cruise prices are generally only going one direction right now...up up and away...

You might want to consider the excursion that also includes a trip to the everglades since you have so much time until your flight.

Unlikely but possible, I don't think they've announced all the features of Jubilee yet.

It's probably not going to get any cheaper than it is now. If you get any offers they'll be in your account very soon, should already be there since you just got off a cruise.

You never could set a boarding time.

No, because you're paying your TA not Carnival. So the TA has your invoice details. Sounds like you picked a bad TA.

You could always carry on your birth certificate and driver's license as a backup in case your passport is questioned for your February cruise. You should send off for your renewal as soon as you get back from your February cruise.

Once the port of Nassau is fully open I don't think a Carnival ship will ever call at Bimini again.

Right that's essentially how it is, it's not a "30 minutes or less delivery" guarantee. But it is still expected that your suite will be ready when you board.

The way things are now is suite, VIFP, FTTF - hopefully their rooms will be ready by the time you board and they probably usually are. But it is not guaranteed like it was before. Now the only guarantee is your room will be ready when everyone else's is. However you can go through the doors to drop off your carry-ons if you wish.

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4529/~/back-to-back-cruises

You still had to select an arrival appointment in 2022, perhaps they were not enforcing them at that time because the ships were generally still not sailing full then. But they seem to be enforcing them now at every port, especially when it is the most busy in the terminals.

Arrival appointments have existed since probably 2018 or so. I'm not sure how this is news to you now. If you don't want to abide by the arrival time you select, purchase Faster to the Fun or a suite cabin and you can bypass the arrival appointment.

This has been policy forever but they've been more strict with it since the COVID restart I've noticed. As has been mentioned it is against the law to bring these goods on or off the ship so it's up to your individual morality what you do with that information.

There isn't much to Maho beach now after Irma.

I did the tour several years ago on Ecstasy and enjoyed it. Don't desire to do it again really but did enjoy it and do recommend it.

There is always misinformation in these threads, people really just need to call Carnival with issues like this because "well so and so said this on cruise critic" isn't going to do you any good when the rubber meets the road.

They are getting more strict about seeds and nuts in particular. At the port of embarkation they're really looking for alcohol and drugs so you'll probably be fine, but be prepared to have to toss it if questioned. Where you're most likely to have issues is if you carry some off in a port of call, you probably won't be able to bring it back onboard.

It's anyone's guess what the next cutback will be. Maybe Carnival will get rid of complimentary continental breakfast room service as I think NCL or Royal just did. Maybe guests will be expected to just eat over trash cans to avoid needing to wipe down tables. I mean, I don't need to sit down to eat so I don't see why anybody would have a problem with that. Maybe Carnival will outsource their Lido buffet to Ryan's to save money (actually, that might actually be an upgrade so nevermind).

Where's the free beach in St. Maarten? Walking distance from the pier?

Well there is a pool/beach right off the ship in Amber Cove on property. A very nice pool with a swim-up bar, wading area, etc. I don't think there is a beach or resort within walking distance of St Maarten cruise terminal.

It wouldn't make a difference, people wouldn't read it.

The cruise lines are really sleeping on this market. People who can work remotely could cruise much more often if only the internet on the ships was more reliable. Some lines are doing better in this regard but more could always be done. They can't afford to give this segment of the market to Hawaii, Vegas, Sandals, etc... I'm not sure I'd want to work on vacation even if I could (matter of fact I don't really like working at home, I like seeing different walls from time to time), but it's normal to a lot of people.

This comes up a lot and the general advice seems to be to just no show, don't say anything about them coming at the pier and when it comes time to set sail they'll probably call their name over the speaker and then that will be that. Taxes and port fees, and any pre-paid things like Cheers or tips, will be refunded to the original method of payment.