Eli_6

That's how I feel. I have spent as much as I am comfortable spending in the casino on numerous occassions and I don't get offers. I got a couple of crap ones during Covid and that was it. Even my husband and Mom get better offers and my husband gambles less than I do. And my Mom has only been on 1 cruise. What demographic am I that makes Carnival not want to give me offers? I don't know. Only thing I can think of is that I am younger than them and better looking. (I kid. I kid.)

It would have to be a terrible vacation to bail within 24 hours.

It is completely random. I have been approved on casino rates and denied on regular VIFP rates open to everyone. My theory: There is one jerk in the office who denies everyone over every little thing.

Yes. On the website, you have to book the night.

Or will they poo-poo us doing this because we have so much history with Carnival and they *know* we aren't big gamblers. Only reason we are Caesar's Diamond is we status matched from a Wyndham Business card that gave us high status.

DH and I are taking a 7 day on the Vista (in the Havana area) in September before we lose her to Florida. I want to book the Chef's Table. The port days are on days 4, 5, and 6. Day 4 is Roatan, Day 5 is Belize and Day 6 is Cozumel. Day 5 is definitely out because we are doing a really long excursion to some Mayan pyramids. If you consider embarkation day as Day 1, Sea Days are says 2,3 and 7. Days 2 and 3 (my preference) are already booked. DH wanted to book it on the last night and final sea day, but then we both looked at the menu in the MDR and it looked really good. Plus, I usually feel bloated and am not much in the mood to eat a big meal by the end of the cruise. I was thinking maybe day 1... or Roatan or Cozumel. We are doing the catamaran champagne cruise in Cozumel and a private tour snorkeling in Roatan.

I booked for the day after. Too risky to fly out the same day.

If there is availability, but if we had to push it back to the next day at the last minute I don't know if there would be availability that late.

Because we have to fly from Barcelona to London to Houston, the latest flight out that is available on our day of departure from our cruise next year (BCN-BCN) is 10:15 am. Ship is supposed to dock at 6 am. Is this too risky? Problem is, if we don't book this one, we are having to wait until the following day and get an additional night in a hotel and it puts us flying on Saturday which is always busier/crazier. Both times we have departed in Dover, we have been off the ship BEFORE 6 am. In fact, last year we were at Heathrow by 7:15 (and it is 90 minutes from port) and this year we were in Cambridge by 9 am after a 2 hours train ride. (We are platinum and in a suite.) Under this scenario, if we got off the ship even as late as 7:30 or 8, with only a 20-30 minute cab drive to BCN airport from the port, that would still puts us there with plenty of time to spare to make our 10:15 flight. (We also fly business so will have fast track through security lanes and usually get through security in 20-30 minutes.)

Same for us. Done it many times.

Wow! Is that John Heald? That must have been a bit ago. Someone on here once told the story that they were on a cruise and a guy took off his shoes and jumped in in front of everyone. And they did successfully rescue him.

Sorry. I stand corrected. So, I guess about 20 go over in a year about 5 of those will be rescued. So - question- if you went overboard in a regular boat (like an offshore fishing vessel) and for some reason got left or you got caught in a rip tide and ended up in the gulf: What should you do to try to survive?

No kidding. I will say that whatever happened, I don't think the widow had anything to do with it. She was like 88 when I had her as a client and actually passed away while I was representing her so was in her 70s (as was he) when this all happened. And they had been married like 40-50 years so it isn't like one of those things where a rich old man gets a young wife and then he suddenly has a "accident." But, yeah, totally agree with you- I would think Alaska would be one of the safest places to cruise!

Honestly, it was so long ago that I don't recall the exact story. And I recall my paralegal googling and finding a news article about the search (in the water) for the missing body (that probably had a lot of inaccurate information in it) and then hearing a totally different story from someone else in the office that more made it seem like they think he went missing when the ship was in port and it was suspected he was probably the victim of a random robbery gone bad. Although, I think that on some level they just don't know what happened. I was representing the widow on a matter entirely unrelated so it wasn't exactly like I could say "So...hey, heard your husband went missing off a cruise ship a few years ago...can you give me the deets?" They were just a little old couple cruising in Alaska so certainly not anyone who one would think would be the victim of a crime...other than the fact that he probably had on an expensive watch and nice clothes and probably looked like someone who if you robbed him might have money on him.

As an aside, many years ago I had a client whose husband went missing from an Alaskan cruise. Never found the body. I never got a clear indication of the exact story and I wasn't about to ask. I don't know exactly if they think he was abducted in the port or he was thrown from the cruise ship, etc. I do know they think there was foul play involved. He was wealthy.

Article states it is about 250. Last year, 42 were rescued and survived.

I think it is probably per person so I went ahead and booked the Bodden tour for $40 per person. That way we can get a little cultural history of the island and also maybe check out some snorkeling at Half Moon Bay as well.

@BrotherCraig A fellow Houstonian thanks you for this informative post. I am considering doing exactly what you suggested-- Do the Boden driver and then pay the $30 resort pass fee for use of the resort and snorkeling from the beach.

I am on the Vista in late September. Carnival advertises the "Tabyana Beach Break" as one of their excursions. I am told that this is the best beach for snorkeling. Is the same beach that is in front of the Infinity Bay Resort? When I looked on a map for Tabyana Beach, it appears to be the same beach...

Ok...I think I see it when you go to check out. Is it $35 per person or $35 total?

I don't see that about the prices for transportation. I just see the price for day passes and all inclusive day pass.

For those of you who have done Tabyana Beach and Jolly Roger - which do you rec? In looking at a map, it appears "Tabyana Beach" is just the beach by the Paradise Beach Hotel, Mayan Princess, etc. Should I do the Carnival excursion or the $39 package at Paradise Beach Hotel (that including transportation) and doing the day pass at Paradise beach Hotel that way I can also use their nice facilities and pool rather and can come/go as I please? Or is the area such that I should use Carnival excursions??? I also notice that it appears Half Moon Bay is just north of this so I suspect the snorkeling is similar.

Bummer. Was about to order some.

I don't think you will have a hard time doing it boarding day or the first sea day. I have done a lot of laundry aboard Carnival ships. Only time I had a problem was on recent Europe cruise when the ship was newly out of dry dock and laundry facilities weren't working the first 2-3 days (and lots of people with lost luggage as well) resulted in lots of people trying to do laundry.

I am going to report the post myself and ask it to be taken down because I am tired of getting alerts from people incapable of scrolling past a post they don't like. It's July 4th weekend! Have fun everyone!