ChinaShrek

You should never assume what a business advertises is what they will actually do or deliver.

You can always drop some money into the slots on your next cruise and pray for an offer a few weeks after you get back. Since Covid, I find that I get free interior cabin offers on many of the short cruises (Alaska, Caribbean) but not on the cruises I really wish to take. I usually spend (lose) $500-700 on each cruise so they aren't really free anyway.

Yes, I figured that but I also think an animal or two on a ship could really help with morale or provide therapy to anxious people. A lot of millennials suffer from anxiety. Goats could also work.

I was on the Rotterdam in a Vista Suite, Deck 8 and loved the bed near the balcony. I could sit or lie in the bed all day long and watch the ocean. When i it is further away, the view isn't as good.

I actually wish the ships had a ship cat or a ship dog. That would be cool,

A lot of people will not go on a cruise if the weather is going to be bad.

Do these lines offer cheap or "free" casino cruises for gamblers? If not, I'll pass thank you.

Yeah, that makes sense.

Why did HAL stop using bars of soap or making them available? I hate body wash but most bars of soap are for my needs.

Lots of bars around me don't even have a menu with prices posted anywhere for beverages. Prices change all the time. Sometimes prices are at the whim of the bartender or business that day. I have also found several bars in Maine charge more in the summer when the tourists are around and less in the winter when just locals come in. It would be interesting if cruise lines adjusted drink prices based on the demand from cruise to cruise.

Pinnacle Grill was completely sold out on the Koningsdam and Rotterdam for lunch about 36 hours into my cruises. I would book as soon as you are on the ship if you desire lunch,

What is the control panel for in the cabin? Are we supposed to navigate as well?

I have definitely seen it in the Lido this year.

I saved well over $1000 (even after the Club Orange fee) upgrading from an Obstructed Verandah Cabin to Unobstructed on Deck 8. I haven't even decided if I will use the restaurant for dinner.

Mandatory attendance at a certain time is a thing of the past. The muster drill is simply having your card scanned before the ship will sail.

It is actually $250 off each way. You do not get the full value of the credit if you wish to use miles for one direction and cash for the other.

That's a great way to look at it and I never thought of it that way.

$350 for a 7-day cruise is a steal if I am going to buy WiFi anyway, eat in the Pinnacle Grill, and use the shore excursion credit. That means I paying I am paying less than $100 for booze for a week!! It's almost like they are paying me to drink!

I guess if people didn't buy the WiFi Carnival wouldn't keep raising prices but I intend to look at cruise lines that include it as part of the total price.

You keep saying that as if it justifies price increases. One fewer comedian or production show will easily pay for free WiFi and attract millions of millennials who need to be connected to the internet to enjoy life. Carnival needs to think outside the box if it wants to survive.

I haven't seen any enhanced cleaning protocols since the masks came off. They used to happily provide room cleaning twice a day - a full cleaning and now it is done begrudgingly once a day. They used to have wine stewards that knew about wine and now the waiter has to deal with the wine, That's reduction of service. They used to put napkins on my lap and unfold them as I sat down. Now, they do not. The list goes on and on. I see less work being done.

The reality is the service charge is used to pay the worker's salaries. It has nothing to do with how much or how little service you receive on the ship unfortunately. That's one of the problems I have with calling them gratuities or tips. If I (the customer) really paid people on the basis of their worth on a cruise, the amount I give would vary immensely from cruise to cruise and worker to worker. I suggest you adjust the gratuity amount as you please.

They (whoever they are) have reduced service since Covid, however.

I think the term Asian food is too broad. I would prefer a true Chinese restaurant with Kung Pao Chicken, Peking Duck, mapu tofu, egg fried rice, etc. I like Chinese food. I like Thai food. I like Vietnamese food. However, for some reason, I dislike Asian fusion. A Chinese restaurant with a small $10 up charge would be packed each night.

Complimentary WiFi is standard at hotels and restaurants throughout the United States. Delta will have free WiFi on all flights next year. Young people today wish to be connected to the world 24/7. WiFi will be a standard amenity on cruise ships within 10 years.