Top_of_the_Cube

Had an acquaintance who worked at Carnival Corp. He claimed that since HMC is owned and run exclusively by HAL, there wasn't really an option for Carnival Cruise Line to extend their CHEERS package to that island. Of course, even if CCL did have that option, doesn't mean they would do it. CHEERS does not work at Amber Cove, which is operated by Carnival Corp.

Once, I tried to book a cruise through Carnival and it was sold out. I tried the travel agent route. On my second agency, I got lucky. They happened to have the exact room that I wanted.

Hmm, "Who does this?" indeed... LIVE- Valiant Lady- 1/14/23-1/22/23 By MeganGC1983, January 8, 2023 in Virgin Voyage Posted January 19, 2023 Who does this?

One of those "islands" looks uncomfortable.

Wife and I like forward. Doesn't really matter what deck or which standard cabin; whether interior, OV, balcony, cove balcony. We love feeling the movement of the ship, which surprises me since I have always been prone to motion sickness. Yet, on a cruise ship, no issues and no medication. And we have been on some pretty choppy seas (our favorite)!

At lunch time, they call it a pasta bar. Options include a pretty good lasagna and chicken parmesan. I am not normally on the ship for lunch on port days, but a look at some of the posted Fun Times shows it is open on port and sea days. This is the Magic, but probably the same for all non-Excel class ships that have the Cucina del Capitano. I just don't know the situation on the Excels and the ships with different Italian restaurants.

Just one of many options: Prior to your cruise, use gift cards to purchase just enough Cruise Cash (general) to fund your on-board account. Then once you have boarded, at your leisure, you can apply gift cards to your account as needed. On more recent cruises, I have found the kiosk works well. Previously, I never could get them to accept my gift cards. For the few who may not fully spend the initial amount that was funded with Cruise Cash, this may not be a good idea as you will not get a refund of the unspent amount. But, you do have a great career ahead of you as a financial advisor.

Just a warning, when they start the event they do emphasize that if you are easily offended then you should leave NOW. I would suggest that if you are even mediumly offended you should seriously consider whether you want to attend. It can get kind of raunchy, at least prior to COVID. I only know this from the videos from people who did not follow the first rule of Quest.

A few of the fine folks that have posted "live" reviews over the last few months have included copies of the Fun Times. On at least some of those sailings, Quest was listed as one of the activities. Don't know this for a fact, but many have said that Quest is at the discretion of the Cruise Director. I love commenting on things of which I have no personal knowledge.

To be specific, it is Holland America Cruise Line that owns Half Moon Cay, not Carnival Cruise Line. But then, Carnival Corp. owns both lines. Still to your point, I am reading that Holland America's drink package also does not work on the island (per my internet search).

As I understand it, CBD derived from hemp (not marijuana) is federally legal as of 2018. Yet, may not be legal in certain states, and apparently not legal in some ports of call. I only share this in case it ever comes up on Jeopardy.

On the Vista, we had a cove balcony under Guest Services, which I assume would be more active than the Adventures desk. On that cruise, we never heard any noise from above during the times we were in our cabin.

Congrats on scoring a table with a view!

To "muster" just means getting to your assembly location. If you know your muster station and how to get there, not sure what more you need to know. Prior to the shut-down, when my muster station was at an inside venue, the required drill never actually entailed the crew escorting you to your survival craft. They just took roll. Which, as best I understand, is the actual intent of a call to muster. And I get the idea of training for the crew, but again, they take roll and report those passengers (and I assume other crew members) who are not accounted for. Not sure how the old way is significantly superior to the current system for them. I am not an experienced seaman, but I am familiar with Disaster and Relocation drills for business buildings. Of course it is not the same, but not really that dissimilar. I take the muster drill seriously. And I think all passengers should occasionally remind themselves of their assigned location, and periodically consider where that location is in relation to their current spot. I highly respect and appreciate those experts who post on these issues, this is just my observation and opinion.

Wife and I had decided to book a last-minute Caribbean cruise. We had a specific cabin (on a specific sailing) that we wanted, but it never appeared on Carnival's website as available. Maybe less than a month before embarkation, we finally went to an on-line TA who was able to hook us up with exactly what we wanted. It was during the capacity-limited phase (Oct. '21) of the restart, so I am sure there were some unusual forces in play, but still, I continue hearing about occasional last-minute successes in this sold-out era. Wouldn't put money on it, but wouldn't give up hope, either.