wo5m

I was on the Carnival Dream in December and I did a test using the premium package.  I was able to connect to our VPN(Using Global Protect). There was a lot a latency so if you using remote desktop like connections so it may be a little frustrating at times. 

On a side note one issue I did have is our VPN uses a Two factor authentication application on my phone that also requires internet(in addition to my laptop) to work. To get around this I used the hotspot on my phone to share my premium plan with my laptop so I had a connection on both devices. After I figured this out I also let my wife use my hotspot connection as well. 

I saw this a two weeks ago and put $100 down on a cruise we had booked. It took a while but we did get the $40 in cash back. The rest will be paied off right before the final payment is due or if I find another deal like this. 

7 minutes ago, wareaglefan444 said:

i believe that as long a someone is platinum in cabin, that all passengers in that cabin can board also

This is correct. And its also true if you have a handicap person everyone in that party can board with them. 

Rear extended balconies are one of my favorites. However there are a couple of thing about them most people don't know.

First as other people have mentioned they are partially covered.  If your on a cruise during a rainy season(like Alaska) expect everything to stay wet.

Second, There isn't much wind in the back, For Alaska its great, but in the Caribbean it can get hot in the sun. 

Third, if anyone and I mean anyone on the ship is smoking on their balconies, you will smell it in the back. This is because its a low pressure area that causes the smoke to accumulate. We had one cruise where my wife couldn't use it.  She has bad asthma and the smell of smoke gives her an asthma attack We called guest services multiple times and they never could identify who it was . 

33 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

Anyway, as for buffet tips/tricks - I honestly don't recall anything specific that we do, so I look forward to reading hints in this thread.  Though I'm also quite sure this isn't the first thread on this topic, if anyone want to go mining...

Agreed, but I don't mind seeing new threads. Things change over time and  taking the time to find posts that years old god know how many pages longs of stuff that isn't accurate any more. I remember a cruise hack thread several years ago that was at least a hundred pages, but because of it age and how long it people keep adding to it much of it wasn't valid any more. 

1. Go to Blue Iguana ask for Guacamole on the side in the Cup and add it to a Guys Burger

2. Use Green olives from the salad bar and make a Green Olive burger

3. Use items from the salad bar for topping on a cheese pizza

4. Haven't tried this one yet, but use Guacamole form Blue Iguana on an omelet(not sure they have Guacamole for breakfast at  Blue Iguana).

5. If on a ship with a fish sack order some of the shrimp and you can add it to just about anything like burgers, omelets, pizza, yes even soft serve ice cream if you want 🤔  

This ranks up there with the story they ran a few years back about people falling off left and right on cruise ships. 

Another thing to consider is just because they canceled a cruise on a specific date doesn't mean the ship will not be sailing on that date. Remember when the Carnival Vista had to unexpectedly go into dry dock(the floating dry dock) they canceled multiple cruises. In the end the work on the vista was completed as lot sooner than expected and carnival put together a short cruise at the last min. I expect them to do the same and if you thing about it makes since. Why start with 5 or 7 day cruises when you have have a few 3 - 4 day cruises to work out the kinks. Remember, when to do start back up,  you are going to have a lot a rusty and green crew members that haven't turned around a ship in over a year.  When they are ready to sail, I expect we will see a few pop-up out of thin air for quick bookings for each ship.    

I don't know when, but I fully expect this summers Legend's European cruises to be on the chopping block. While they are not under the jurisdiction of the CDC, I do expect it just due to that fact that nearly every one of them 8 days and longer. Also Since the majority of the passengers are going to be from the US, the logistics of getting everyone getting to over there with all travel restrictions  increases the pressure to cancel sooner rather than later

We are scheduled to be on the Legend out of Dover England on July for a 12 day cruise. All I have payed is the deposit and I'm holding out on paying the rest until the final due date(in April),. Even then My wife and I are thinking about Calling out PVP and see if we could get it moved the exact same cruise on the Pride in 2022.  I'm probably going to wait until the very last moment to buy airline tickets because I don't want to have tickets(that cost almost as much as the cruise) for a flight to a cruise that isn't happening. After learning the hard way in 2020 that travel insurance doesn't include pandemics(yes its in the fine print, even before this mess started), I can't count on it to recoup the cost of the airfare. 

The last Dry dock of the Legend was on May 2018 and it was in Portland, Oregon. This was sort of a minimum drydock due to the cost of doing it in the United States and if you remember it was a rather quick one at that.  I think this is the main reason this is sooner and more extensive  than most drydocks is they are doing things that they were forced to postpone. As for what all they have planed, no idea.

I don't see how the simulated cruise will be free. Carnival is already losing a lot a money with empty ships with skeleton crews. They can't afford to have everything up running(as the CSO says)  and still be free to all the volunteers with the cruises operating a full staff. I think the volunteers will have to pay something and for me it is not going to be worth spending money if I one of the people who has been chosen to to the "simulated infected passenger" and gets locked in one of the isolation area they are required to have.

1 hour ago, evandbob said:

 

There's a huge difference between a noro outbreak and a COVID infection spread. 

Tell that to the media. This is why they call cruises "A Floating Petri dish" even thought you are much as likely to get noro on land than on a cruise. 

I think when cruises start back up they will be much safer than on land. Just think about it, is there any place else in the world where you know with confidence that everyone around you has tested negative for the virus? No its not fool proof, but it does catch most of the asymptomatic infections who spared it the most.  

On 10/19/2020 at 10:21 AM, tytanbri said:

We are scheduled on the Legend out of Baltimore in March 2022. It would be really nice to have the Seafood Shack added during dry dock! 

We were on the Legend last summer(2019) for an Alaskan cruise. I can confirm that the Seafood Shack is on the Legend(expect its called Seafood Corner but essentially the same thing). It was added during the last dry dock that was done in Oregon. I got the impression when I was on board that because that dry dock(in 2018 I think) was done in the US, it was a minimal drydock(due to cost) so it make since that this Dry Dock will be more extensive.   

We are also scheduled to be on her again in July 2021 for the 12-day Baltic Sea cruise from Dover England. I'm Really looking forward to it since its the fist time Carnival has done this itinerary in 20-30 years.  

1 hour ago, Nvr2old2cruise said:

 

It is listed under FTTF, but does not state “This is also a benefit for VIFP Diamond and Platinum guests.” like some of the other benefits. Is it an unwritten benefit?

 

 

 

 

 

 I don't think it was ever listed there. I think its part of the "Priority check-in and boarding" perk. 

2 hours ago, Bgcruising said:

Seems there is 51 10+ day cruises listed on the site right now

 True, but what the original poster was pointing out, is that none of the 10+ day cruises leaving from the US from now until the 10'th of April are showing. The first 10+ day cruise originating form the US  is a 17 day repositioning cruise(Galveston -> Seattle) on the Freedom on April 10'th

My guess  is seeing that they are longer cruises they have to limit the number of passengers.  After all your in a confined space for a longer period of time and if one person had covid-19 more people will get it compared to a 5 or 7 day cruise.  

Chances of a Carnival ship sailing this year 100%

Chances of a Carnival ship sailing with passengers this year <25%

I just logged in and check and my Baltic Sea cruise on the Legend in July 2021  and the booking  is still showing on my profile(at least they are still willing to take my money). I'm wondering if they pulled some of them to give people who where booked on the magic priority to rebook.  I know when the first of the two Baltic Sea cruises became available they had so much demand it nearly sold out with in a week. That is why they added a second. From what I understand they haven't done a Baltic Sea cruise in a couple of decades.  

I'm not saying there isn't an environmental impact, I just think its not as great as people think. Having been a diver for over 20 years, I have dove many wrecks, some where intentional sinking while other where accidents, but they all have one thing in common. Marine life always flourishes around them. That is what makes them popular diving attractions. A while back I dove an small oil tanker(see two attached pictures from the dive) that went down in the last 10-15 years ago, yet with all that oil and everything else onboard, marine life in exploding around it. 

9 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

You might not have to purchase an excursion but the taxes/fees will certainly be much higher for a canal transit.

You beat me too it. A while back I looked at what I thought was  a cheap cruise partial transit from New Orleans (that has now been canceled). When I did a mock booking I was amazing how much they charged in port fees and taxes that were not included in the listed price. It Actually made it a little more pricey than what I was looking for. That is one advantage to docking on colon. If I have to pay the fee, I think I would rather do a full transit so I can experience the entire thing.  There is one on the Freedom going from Galveston to Seattle that I would love to do, but instead my wife has all my 2021 vacation time tied up for a 12 day July 2021 Baltic Sea cruise on the Legend out of Dover, England.  I can't be too disappointed about that as its an itinerary they haven't done in a few decades  🙂

A friend and I are looking at the Oct 22, 2022 cruise cruise on the Dream. Its listed as a "Panama Canal Cruise", but one thing is clearly missing. It doesn't mention actually transiting the Canal.  instead it say the port of call is "Colon (Panama canal)" from 8am -  6pm. Is the port where we dock inside or outside the Canal? I see you can do a Panama Canal shore excursion, but I think that would imply it doesn't. Any thought? 

I have thought about this before COVID-19 happened. To me I always thought it would be better to do it before your boarded. The Costa Concordia showed us what happens when you delay holding your muster drill. I know things would be different docked, but what happens if an abandon ship happened during or towards the end the boarding process. Getting everyone off the using the gangway in quick succession isn't going to be possible.  Why not have a video specific to your muster station tied to your booking. I do think this is a good idea, but there also need to be something in place to show that you know where exactly where your muster station is. 

1 hour ago, bury me at sea said:

Carnival seems to say Galveston is an important port but to treat it as a redheaded stepchild.

Galveston is important. The Radiance was going to be Galveston's 4'th Carnival ship, so for now we are suck at 3. I remember when we just had 1.  My guess in they have been looking at the demand in Galveston and removing the Radiance balanced things out and keep prices reasonable. Carnival is already losing a lot of money it would only make things worse if they had too much capacity in one port with week demand. 

I still think we will get a 4'th ship and I still think it may be an XL ship, even though there is no evidence of it yet.  The Galveston port has invested a lot in CNG and Texas is the CNG capital of the world.  The new president of the port authority(who came from Port Canaveral)  was brought on to attract an Oasis class ship to Galveston and has set a goal of making it the 2nd or 3'rd largest cruise port in the US. This is probably a set back, but I think Galveston will get more ships over time. So don't worry just yet.

Times have changed Galveston, I remember when there was a debate they brought the first ship if it would be good for the Galveston. Now Cruise traffic accounts for the largest portion of the port authority revenue(at least until this mess happened).  

I figure the Carnival Fascination and Carnival Imagination are done as well. I suspect the only reason they are not being scraped is that the scrapers are at full capacity. Anyone else get that impression?

I am really disappointed that Galveston lost the Radiance. I was thinking abut booking at 14 day cruise on her, but looks like Carnival made my mind up for me  

21 minutes ago, Cruiseboy06 said:

Chances are more cancellations and dancing of ships 

Maybe, but another thing I have been wondering is about the reduced capacity they have been promising. There are a few cruises coming up that either completely sold out or nearly sold out before the outbreak happened. They could be announcing they canceling some of those say 25%-50% of the of bookings.