SeeBurd

Yes, our last cruise was the first one for us with no golds. The group was so small they had it in a lounge. It was a completely different atmosphere and very much relaxed. :/

That's what we found on our second cruise years ago. It was in a small lounge, and we were actually surprised to find the people withe the most cruises under their belt had nine only them. And then thinking who goes on nine cruises? And then passing nine myself in the mid nineties,

And yet all I curing way before it was any perk in a loyalty program.

To quote Gino Marella sometimes John Heald is a fountain of MISinformation :D:D

Odd logic is when someone makes a mistake, and it's pointed out, one must be jealous of the person that made the mistake.

I've read it all.

Recently off the Glory...I really love watching the stars and was looking forward to seeing tons on my trip. But the light emission from the middle of the Lido deck made it very difficult. The hammock in the serenity area allowed for a bit better experience, but not fantastic like I was hoping. The last night I decided to venture out to the front of the boat on deck six. IT WAS AMAZING. Completely stunning, there was a bit of lightning in the clouds that made for a great experience. I was wondering if any of you have any great spots to watch for stars, perhaps on a balcony??

The best place is the bow of the ship, and Carnival still doesn't make them accessible. There always seems to be a light somewhere that ruins the view.

i love the benches they have in the RCCL bows, where you can view to your hearts content.

We have 6:00 dining. I'm not sure what time we will be back from our trip to Playa Mia. They have shuttles that leave Playa Mia every hour on the hour.

 

I think they are open until 7:00 ships time (not sure). If they are' date=' we may decide to skip MDR, and just eat at Lido buffet. We won't be getting there until around 12:30 ships time. But, if we're getting tired and want to head back, I'd like to know which shuttle would work so we could eat at the MDR.

 

I assume the 5:00 shuttle would get us back in time to change in our cabin before dinner.

 

But, what if we bring our change of clothes with us to Playa Mia? This way, if we catch the 6:00 shuttle, we can go right to the MDR after boarding. When would we arrive at the MDR? Would they still serve us? Would it help if we spoke to our server the night before, maybe even pre-order?

 

Just trying to figure out all of our options.

 

We're using the shuttles instead of a cab so we won't need car seats.

 

If it matters, we're scheduled to depart Cozumel at 8:00.

 

Thanks![/quote']

 

They used to close the doors 10 minutes after the start of the meal.

 

A late party just doesn't affect your table, but all the tables services by your staff.theyve gotten very lax in recent years, seemingly catering to the rule breakers at the expense of the rule followers.

Heading on our first cruise where we will be travelling without a group. Dinner in the MDR has always been the highlight of our day. When booking we selected a table for 6 which means we will be with 4 strangers and are a bit apprehensive about this. Just wondering what experiences others may have had in a similar situation. Thanks

All positive. A couple of minutes of small talk, we have made many life long friends, some going back 30 years.

We love getting the biggest table possible to meet the most amount of people.

I used to get those pop ups all the time from various sites. Just use ad-block and go to your internet settings and put a block on the specific pop-ups. Works like a charm.

 

I have been on cruise critic for a long time (long before I registered) and have never had a problem.

Unless you're on a laptop where you don't have admin rights.

Had a fine run, but the warnings are back.

A full ship indicates most people don't care about whatever trivial complaint some folks are whining about and see Carnival as the best bang for the buck.

 

.

I will respectfully disagree. Just like the markdown basket at the store.

If the ships continue to sail full, there is no public relations hit. If the ships start to not sail full, then Carnival will change things.

A full ship does not indicate anything. They can easily fill a ship by constantly dropping rates until that is accomplished. There s nothing difficult about doing that.

Really...do folks book and pay for a vacation because of a slide? Really?

I don't think that's what they're saying, but I look forward to the slide. When it's not open I'm disappointed. If it's out and out broken, I'd probably be a little more than upset.

Did you forget a smilie or just trying to get people riled up more?:confused:

Why would I put a smilie? It's a fact.

you can't bring any alcohol aboard, they will hold it until the end of the cruise.

 

There are no laws broken. You claim your liquor with C&I.

That's not true. It they take it, you'll never get it back,

On whether it is a rule to keep the balcony doors shut. There is a sign posted that says to keep the balcony door closed. The big debate is that some people feel that it is ok to keep them open and others are adamant that it affects the AC in the room as well as the surrounding rooms. John Heald (Carnival's Brand Ambassador) was asked today and he replied.

 

 

From JH: "I spoke with some people on the ships about the balcony door situation and if we ask guests not to do this. The answer is that it is a recommendation, not a "rule" for the reasons I listed in my post - it cuts off most of the air ( not all) to your cabin and it is a safety issue if the wind blows it shot or their is a sudden movement of the ship. Just wanted to clarify that. I don't always know everything so I always like to ask those on the ship in situations where I am not certain."

We also have our CC resident ship engineer pcheng that says quite the opposite.

Hi All,

 

We would like to go on a cruise at the end of next summer so I've found some that will work. I'm having a hard time picking the best one and I'm just curious which you would pick and why?

 

The things I enjoy most at ports are snorkeling, food, and beaches :-) Also, this would by my 3rd Carnival Cruise...I've never sailed on any of these ships before so any input on them would be great! :D

 

7 Day on Magic (Port Canaveral)

Visits: Amber Cove, St. Thomas (been there), San Juan (been there), & Grand Turk

$484/person

 

7 Day on Glory (Miami)

Visits: Grand Cayman (been there), Mahogany Bay (been there), Belize (been there), Cozumel (been there)

$444/person

 

8 Day on Splendor (Miami)

Visits: Grand Turk, San Juan (been there), St. Kitts, & St. Maarten

$514/person

 

8 Day on Valor (Port Canaveral)

Visits: Aruba, Curacao, and Grand Turk

$524/person

I would take the Valor just for the stops, as well as the extra day.

Yes, sad but true. Most ships now have a DJ. But, there is hope! It has been said that Carnival is bringing back the steel drums and Caribbean music! :D

Caribbean music yes. Steel drums no.

I just reported what was stated as people were asking. If you want to get all picky, please send your questions to Carnival or post on FB and get an answer like I did.

 

If you will note, my title specified two "policies" people were questioning.

Nah. I always follow suggestions.

"I suggest you take an umbrella"

"I suggest you take the stairs"

Etc.

I just don't think any thought is ever put into any of those questions. Which is why, at Carnival, you can get 6 different answers to the same question from 6 different people.

Just read on FB that JH checked about the balcony door situation. Per John, "The answer is that it is a recommendation, not a rule for the reasons I listed in my post....". So there you go on that. Not a Rule!

 

The official word on the sodas at port is that technically the rule has always been that drinks could only be brought on at embarktion, however it was never actually enforced. They are now enforcing it per John. They are working on getting the FAQ updated.

 

So, we have answers to a couple of questions floating around on CC. Even though I am sure there are those who will argue.

So the recommendation by the toilet is just that, a recommendation? We can throw a thing we like down the toilet.

How about other signs around the ship. Like windy! 0r no chogging? Just recommendations?

On this facebook page from this Carnival spokesperson (John) is there an indication that he is the official "voice" of Carnival and that his posts are "straight from the horses mouth". If his page says that then people could have a case for bringing along a screen shot of the post. If he is just another blogger filling in the gaps then I wouldn't be so quick to take his word over specific Carnival policy.

 

ETA: oh I checked his blog and: "Hi, I’m John, these are my underpants and this is my blog. So please don’t mistake my opinions — or those of my dear friends, fans or commenters — for those of Carnival Cruise Line or Carnival Corporation…………. even if they do pay the bills."

 

Guess he isn't the voice of Carnival.

That's his blog. What about his Facebook page where all he does is process Carnival business, and is monitored and managed by Csrnival employees?

So now you are a customs expert and know that there are no requirements for Carnival to disclose their management of duty-free materials that people have purchased or brought on the ship. Duty-free regulations are laws, not a rule. Check it out before you make any more silly statements.

No they are not. Do you disclose any other duty free purchases to Carnival, or is that between you and customs on the form you are personally responsible for?

I do not know if there are any possible penalties that could be inflicted on Carnival if people consume duty-free purchases on the ship rather than taking them off and reporting them to customs. I know that Carnival has to record all of the turned in duty-free purchases that they manage in order to make sure that it is returned to the owners. I am not sure if those records have to be shown to the customs during the ship clearing process at debarkation, or not. Everyone assumes that there is no possible liability to Carnival for people on the ship violating laws. But there could be, and we don't know it.

None exist. There are still lines that allow any alcohol. This is all a rule, not a regulation or law.

What I'm finding odd is they are already contaminating their own policy. I see people posting specific needs to bring on board, the latest being Ensure. JH gave that the green light. Still not sure if that's even his call.

Which means anyone can easily now fill Ensure bottles, which are not clear, with anything and reseal the bottles.

I am sorry but I don't believe that part.

 

I worked in a bank in the days before PCs and we did a lot of foreign exchange, even then I had a book that I could open and check on any currency in the world as to what notes were legal tender. In the day and age of the internet I do not believe that any bank wouldn't be able,within a few minutes, to confirm if the US issued $2 notes. t would even give guidance to spoting counterfeits, including serial number information.

We had a a local Burger King call the cops on a guy who was trying to "pass" a $2 bill.

I know I was in my 20's before I encountered my first one, and thought it was a joke.

Actually, it's a liter bottle that you get free. Not the smaller bottles for 23 cents. So, more like 46 cents, and that's all maybe some whiners deserve.

 

I am sure glad I am Platinum already so I don't sound like a whiner. Are you really booking a cruise just for the few drinks you get at a 45 minute party?

I stand corrected. $.46

I received an email and a phone call stating that after they debark everyone, they were going to be conducting tests on board so I should not arrive until 1pm. Considering that I have to check out of my hotel by 11am AND I purchased FTTF, I will be arriving at the port as previously planned. If indeed my entry is delayed until 1pm, then they best credit me something for not being able to use an aspect of my FTTF.

Your FTTF is priority boarding, not early boarding.

So even if embarkation starts at 6PM, you will boards after earned VIP, and before general admission. They will owe you nothing should embarkation start late or is delayed.

Received my text with my assigned check-in time of between 2:00 and 3:00 PM. Since the ship leaves at 4:00 I would guess that this is the last boarding time. Under what criteria does Carnival use to make the assigned. Cuz this sucks!

Fear not. Delete the text and show up when you like. They have not developed a way to match the times to anything. They even send these to diamond guests, as well as those that have paid for FTTF.