Mic101680

It's $5/cruise for each person who sets it up. You download the hub app, put your phone in airplane mode and connect to the ship's wifi, and follow the instructions to activate it. The cost will be charged to your onboard account. Then you can search anyone else who has it activated and add them to your contacts within the app for messaging, and there are options to make group chats too.

3 hours ago, jsglow said:

This raises a great point.  If I was in charge of putting together a cruise for 8 or more (say, extended family), I'd absolutely opt for a fixed dining time. No way I'd heard cats.

Normally I would too, but we had something like 30-40 people in a group of extended family/friends/coworkers/etc on that cruise. We got some great group rates through a local TA, a complimentary cocktail party, and set up a group chat so if anyone wanted company for a specific activity, they would just say when and where. The large group of us dining together w/ your time dining thing was a mistake and we only did that on two nights, but we had a great time on that trip.

It probably won't become active, unless there is some change to testing and/or vaccine requirements for your sailing. 2 days out I wouldn't expect it to activate.

7 hours ago, Riles34 said:

What's the longest wait time someone has experienced? 

This entirely depends on how many are in your party and what the table availability is at the time you check in for ATD, just like when you show up to a restaurant on land. I've been immediately seated (2-4 people) and have had to wait close to 45 minutes (8-12 people) after check in.

Yes, the fare will be adjusted to include the second person, which in most cases is really just adding the taxes and port fees to the total as those are charged per person.

5 hours ago, Sailin_Pirate said:

I don't think lobster on shorter cruise was ever a thing it was 1 of the elegant nights on cruises with 2 of them.

I've been on 4 and 5 night cruises with lobster on the menu on elegant nights. However, most recently (October 22), the lobster was an upcharge, but it was still available for a 4 nighter.

Literally whenever Carnival gets around to assigning it, which can be due to a lot of different factors (how well is your current cabin class selling for that sailing and what is available at or above your guaranteed cabin class, being a big one). My last guarantee cabin was assigned about 30ish days out, but I've heard some people get theirs immediately, while others have no clue until they check in at the port.

If your reservations are linked, it shouldn't be a problem as all of you should be listed in the app when you go to check in. You can always check in, in person at the dining room as well, and then go have a drink before heading to dinner if there is a wait.

7 hours ago, 13cheermom said:

That's kinda what I was thinking about the water temps.  On our Panama Canal cruise back last March, we put on bathing suits but I wore a cover up as well most of the time. We usually enjoy just getting in the pool to relax but I think it will be too cool for that this trip, lol.

We got rashguards a few years ago when we did a snorkel tour in January. For us, it was fine (we prefer cooler temps anyway), but some may find the water too cold for swimming without an extra layer. While on the ship, we stuck to the hot tubs because the wind was chilly on our sea days.

7 hours ago, Joebucks said:

Miami was 40 something degrees during Christmas and it is further south than most debarkation ports. We sailed out of LA last January. The first night and the last night weren't ideal weather. However, once you cruise down south enough, you generally hit decent weather. 

That's because the entire state of Florida had an unusually extreme cold snap. It hasn't been that cold that far south in Florida for a few years. Bad luck and I'm sorry anyone had to deal with it.

I cruise in January/February more than any other time of year. Typically you'll get mid 70s to high 80s in the day, and maybe as low as 60 at night and with far less humidity than the summer. Possible to see rain (but not super crazy storms) and overcast weather but is still generally pleasant.

I would also pack what you need for motion sickness as I've noticed the ocean tends to be a little rougher on the first and last days of the cruises this time of year. 

4 hours ago, markkw07 said:

Fax? Carnival really needs to update this, who uses fax's anymore that is not the government or insurance companies..?. Maybe I am wrong and will probably get 100 responses of " oh i still use fax's for blah and blah and blah blah lol..

A lot more than you'd think. I used to work at a print shop and it was amazing how many people used the fax machine instead of email. I work at a bank now, and we get TONS of faxes daily for things that really would be better via email due to unclear images and illegible documents.

Generally, I've had decent experiences with it, but it does get pretty buggy with different features. We've had problems with the messages not going through to everyone in a timely manner (some will get them right away, others hours later). Last cruise in October, mine didn't work at all the last day and I couldn't get the app to check us in for dinner. 

I'll be on the Paradise for a back to back beginning next week (the 14th). I've never sailed on her, but if you have any questions others can't answer, let me know and I will do my best to get answers while onboard 🙂

21 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

If you use one with ice/alcohol, they might question.

Maybe. But while on the ship, I've had servers and bartenders ask if I wanted to pour my drinks in my cup. Usually I just keep it for ice water only, but I have dumped drinks in it before with no issue. I've never tried to bring anything other than water in it back onboard from shore though.

I've never had a problem with a refillable cup/water bottle. Worst case is they may have you empty it before boarding, but I've personally never had that happen.

Not that we watched it much (usually just have the TV on when getting ready in the morning or while getting ready for bed in the evening, and more for background noise), but our last cruise in October on the Ecstasy, I don't recall seeing TCM in the channel lineup. In fact, I believe there were only about 10-15 channels total. Not sure if that was normal for that ship/ship class, or if it was because the ship was due to be scrapped in the following weeks, or if there was another reason.

1 hour ago, KKB said:

I will have coffee daily (how is that buffet coffee--NOT so good on other lines, but I will drink if OK), an occasional soda.

I'm the $ one in the family...so no package would make me a lot more conscious of my drink choices (from sodas to cocktails)

Buffet and MDR coffee is meh - very mixed reviews from friends of mine who are avid coffee drinkers. Pretty sure it's just instant coffee (but we've never asked).

Remember that you don't have to get alcohol - many of the virgin cocktails are also included, so it's possible you could still very well get your money's worth.

36 minutes ago, ObstructedView2 said:

Hi @KKB🙂

 

Give the drink package calculator a try. Click on the link below. 

 

Drink Package Calculator Located @:

https://cruisespotlight.com/drink-package-calculator/

 

🍷🍹🍺🍾🥂🍸🍹🍺🍷

^^^This is very helpful!

36 minutes ago, sgttami said:

Those so called all inclusive cruises are anything but.  You are definitely paying for your drinks and the other stuff they offer.  They are merely inflating your cruise fare.

 

Not always true. I had been pricing cruises for Hawaii for about 6 months. When I first looked, no deals, no extras, no all inclusives. Cost was looking around $10K for me. Same cruise line(s) with same cabin type selection, 6 months later with a sale, plus a ton of things included dropped down to about $5500. You just don't know until you track the pricing for awhile.

Call and ask. I've never had an issue adding a person to my room (usually just involves paying the port fees/taxes for that person, but sometimes is a higher rate change), but I've always had a room already large enough for the additional person.

If you're wanting a larger room or to split to two rooms, it will most likely be a price change, and of course be subject to availability. Depending on your sailing, the type of room(s) you want may not be available.

On 12/18/2022 at 5:44 PM, angela12345 said:

First time booking GTY for us ... do you mind sharing when you booked, when it was assigned, and when is your cruise ?  Mine hasn't been assigned yet, and I'm only seeing 4 cabins left available on the ship. 

When you get your assignment is going to depend on some combination of how well that sailing is selling, how well your guaranteed cabin class is selling, when you booked, and how many other rooms they need to assign. I did a GTY for my upcoming cruise in January and got my assignment about 60 days out (and then scored a super cheap upgrade to an even better room two weeks later), however, you may not know until you check in at the port. I've heard others sometimes get their assignment within days to a week of booking.

Also keep in mind that just because you can only see 4 available cabins, doesn't mean that's all that's actually available - Carnival only shows a handful of cabins at a time to someone who is looking. Any type of deal you're looking at can also change how many cabins are available. And then there are groups of cabins that get reserved for various TA's that can get released at any time if that TA doesn't sell all the cabins they had on hold.

49 minutes ago, Sailin_Pirate said:

"Spa hours carnival" in a search leads to carnival.com which says 8am to 10pm , but I guess the site could be wrong.

This actually sounds right with what it was on my last cruise in October. I suppose it could change slightly once onboard, but it would be in the Fun Times if anything changes.

Why not just book the cabin you want with a refundable deposit/fare? And if it's a go, have your TA keep an eye out for better rates since that's what they're supposed to do?

You'll have to call and ask. I have gotten into the habit of writing them down and keeping it with my travel planning documents if it's important for whatever reason.

It's Hawaii - EVERYthing there is more expensive than what you'll find on the mainland because they have to import so much and are so remote compared to most places. And then factor in what everyone else here has already said. 

I've never been to Hawaii, but it's been a bucket list trip for awhile and I've been saving money just for it knowing that it would require a larger budget. I priced out and been watching for deals for a land vacation vs a cruise for a few years now, and while there are pros/cons to both options, I decided that a cruise would work out better for me for a lot of reasons, especially logistically with me wanting to visit more than one island. For the price of the cruise, I could not find a hotel or a rental (and then factor in a meals budget) that was the same or better pricing. Add in flights between islands and a rental car for a week and my budget was destroyed, with nothing left for activities (unless I wanted to sit on a beach all day every day, which I can do at home here in Florida). I'd rather the cheaper price of the ship and spend the saved money on excursions or exploring on my own while in port.

I have POA booked for early 2024 and was lucky enough to snag one of the solo suites. I got the cruise rate at the cheapest I had ever seen it for the time I was watching the pricing, and it also included the free at sea offerings (which I know there is some debate about, but I personally feel it's a good value for what I paid). Yes, I know these are tiny rooms, but I really don't spend much time in my room when cruising. Mainly it's just a place to sleep and to shower. An inside cabin was only a few hundred dollars more, due to the 'solo supplement', which was still cheaper than booking everything on my land-based itinerary.

So basically this is a lot of words to say, do your homework, regularly check the pricing as it changes frequently, and book as early as you can. Booking the cruise last minute really isn't going to save you much, if anything, because the flight costs to get to Hawaii will be sky high by then.

I'm crying laughing at your humor! Thanks for making me smile today and giving me more reasons to look forward to my Vista sailing in 2023 🙂

And yes, TSA precheck is 100% a game changer. We have a small airport at home, but the TSA line can still be an hour or more at times. Since I got precheck, I've never stood in line more than 10 minutes. At bigger airports, I've been blessed that it's also been less than 20 minutes to get through. I've been flagged for extra security screening randomly, but it's so far been as easy as "do you have a cell phone in your bag?" "yes" "ok you're good" (they didn't physically check) or being wanded or walked through the body scanner, without having to go sock footed or half naked. After making derby hats in Kentucky, they even had me wear mine through the scanner so it wouldn't get crushed in the bag scanner. It's great!