Carnival Crazy Bill

When I left Miami everything was fine. I was on Carnival Vista during the last shutdown in January. We came back on a Sunday which was the first day of the shutdown . . . . . I think. When Vista (and several other ships) arrived there was apparently no Customs Agents and apparently no plan. Thank God Vista was 1st or 2nd in line. The Captain and all senior Staff could be seen scrambling around like crazy trying to figure it out and get a solution. I assume Vista was first in line because I was a Suite Guest with priority debarkation and I did not get off the ship before the disaster.
My mom and sister were joining the line which had stretched back to and past the Guest Services desk when debarkation was stopped in its tracks. I went to get some refreshments and on my return I was trapped on the deck above mom but at least I was across the atrium so we could communicate by sign language when my phone quit working. I was stuck for about 90 minutes when the line finally began to move a little. The Staff debarked guests by deck/room #/ and zone #. I was off the boat in about 20 more minutes.

There were like 4 Customs Agents for about 4000 guests on Vista alone. The Agents were doing the minimum they could and still be reasonably sure nobody was bringing in illegal stuff. People were screaming and yelling about missing flights and being stranded or whatever. Our flight was about 8 hours after scheduled arrival and we had resisted the temptation of an after the cruise tour excursion. All-in-all I call it a valuable lesson learned. Leave LOTS of extra time before and after your cruise and it is the government's fault! Carnival can't control the government! NOBODY can!

This time my cruise leaves January 19 from Galveston (Vista again!) and I am concerned because this shutdown is SOOOOOOO STUPID and shows no sign of being resolved.

LOL!!! I LOVE your review!!! That is great! I also agree about the complainers as I know soundproofing technology is pretty solid nowadays. I think some people just complain about everything in hopes of getting a discount on their next cruise. If they were really that dissatisfied they would vacation on land ;p

While I understand we all have our preferences and idiosyncrasies, I fail to understand why anyone would spend their valuable time complaining about the choices other people make. I think some of you belong on the "why I hate IMAX" thread. This thread is for people who want information to make a decision about a feature they may or may not choose to use.

People that impose their will on others reduce the joy in life with their ignorance

I got the information last night from a supervisor at Carnival's call center. I was thrilled because it was actually easy to get the info which is a new experience for me. She said it was feature films and explained that she could not provide examples because they are always changing :) I don't know about where you live but where I'm from going to the movies costs $15 - $18 a head. That is why I never go! I plan to do the IMAX but I also consider my time on a cruise as very valuable and generally do not do things there that I can also do at home.

Or you can just choose a ship that does not have IMAX . . . . BYE!

I just got off the phone with Carnival and I got a straight answer!!!

IMAX admission on Vista:

Adults for feature films $12.95

Children/Seniors (55+) $9.95

Classic Adventure films $5.95

:cool:

Another reason is that they don't often have the CD/ED schedule worked out that far in advance. There are similar events and activities across the board, but some CDs offer more trivia than others, etc....plus if there are major events going on (Halloween, super bowl, valentine's day....) the events might change to coordinate the holiday/time of year

 

 

 

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Last time (October 2016) I just found FunTimes for whatever boat was in the same port and figured the itinerary would be similar for any ship in the same port. I was pretty much correct in that there were the same schedules and port information. I also got FunTimes for the same length cruise sea days which was important to me because expecting when the formal nights are is something I want to know in advance. I got Funtimes for the ship 2 weeks in advance which was also helpful.

What I really wish I had been able to obtain would have been a review that told me the whole boat (Freedom) smelled of cigarette smoke throughout. It was so thick that it really put a damper on many of our fun activities. My mother suffered bronchitis complications and Carnival's response was less than satisfactory. I will never sail on that size boat again. I love Carnival but they screwed the pooch on that one.

Too hard! Carnival should be publishing this or at least emailing it to people in the weeks leading up to a cruise. I'm trying to dream about being at sea over here!

 

I believe they alternate between Bonaire and Curaçao.

My one complaint about Carnival is they refuse to allow this information out in advance. I plan my cruises over 1 year in advance and daydreaming is a big part of me getting my money's worth. The explanations I have been given in the past are that the schedule is customized each time. I think they just don't appreciate the value of just dreaming regardless of realistic expectations.