PrettyPenny7

3 hours ago, Jelly_Toast said:

First of all, I think it's a very sad state of affairs that when discussing a global pandemic there has to be a request to not be political. Is that really where we are, that coming together as humans to reduce the effects of the pandemic is controversial?

 

I haven't really thought about it, but I don't see Carnival not allowing Travel Agents.  They can still implement checks at boarding to take temperatures, health questionnaires and verification of vaccines or recent tests. As far as I'm concerned, this is all welcome to me.  Perhaps I'm in the minority but the more stringent they are that passengers are healthy (including me), the less likely I will leave the cruise ill.

 

Bring on (safe!) cruising. The quicker we come together to reduce the spread of the virus the sooner we will be toasting at sail away.

Sadly yes, this is really where we are (politically). 😔 

But definitely agree with everything else in your post.

Pre order and they call it a delivery charge, on board they call it a gratuity. Purely semantics, the charge is the same either way. Ridiculous.

Oh wow :( welp... I rescind my statement.

Yes. It's what I always use when traveling solo :)

It's nice to be able to board early, and not have to lug your bags around.

Experience will vary by ship. Got FTTF on my 1st Victory cruise last October, and yes getting to the food before there were huge lines was nice. Luggage delivery was an absolute fail on that particular voyage, however; my sister and I had to go hunting for the cart that had our luggage AFTER the muster, AFTER we ate dinner!:rolleyes: Many people were fed up and were out there trying to get their luggage. A snafu happened somewhere, who knows....

Most recent cruise was a weekend on the Imagination this February. I didn't get FTTF for this one. I could fit everything into my carry-on rolling luggage, and as luck would also have it, there were not a lot of Diamond or Platinum cruisers on this trip, so I just boarded right after the other FTTF people and still didn't wait in line for food. And as soon as my room was ready, I just walked there with my stuff.

I am doing a B2B this October on the Victory; I might get FTTF for the 1st leg of the trip since my family did. I will be solo on the 2nd leg, and probably won't mind waiting to re-board the ship.

Sorry, I re-read the question. Ignore me lol

I am going to do my first solo cruise in just over 8 weeks . I am looking forward to it , but also a little apprehensive. I am not the sort of person that enjoys the main dinning even if I am traveling with someone, so it will be the lido deck for me . As much a I am looking forward to having time to myself I would also like to mix with others when it suits me. It seems that the best way to meet people is in the dinning room , because I will be dinning in the lido meeting people will be harder for me .

If you hang out in the casino or in Serenity, you might easily meet a few people. I am not much of a gambler, but I love Serenity and my last cruise I met a lot of other solos just hanging out in the jacuzzi.:)

You can only buy Cheers on day 1 or 2 for the entire remaining cruise. You can’t buy for just the last night or two.

 

 

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I know... it's a 4-day cruise :)

what do you mean 'part of the 1st cruise.?

Buying the package during the cruise, instead of beforehand... so paying a little less since I will only use for the last night or last 2 nights.

Also from the Midwest originally before moving to Florida. Also love seafood, but 2 apps and 2 entrees isn’t greedy. They used to have lobster, and then I ate all the lobster and now they don’t have lobster anymore

 

The food I am looking most forward to is a shrimp taco from Blue Iguana with habanero salsa as soon as I board

Thank you, kindred spirit! ;)

And yes, those shrimp tacos were AMAZING. Wish I had been smart enough to try them when I 1st boarded my last cruise... didn't try them until lunch the next day:(

Why would someone with cheers want to buy a bottle when they can get that same amount already free? You can even have the same wine or try other types

In my case, I am doing a B2B in October and would rather not leave the port in search of a bottle of wine to bring on the next cruise. So I am considering doing the CHEERS! package for part of the 1st cruise, drinking, buying the wine and taking it off the ship with me.... to take on the next ship later that day.

Not set in stone though... I could still utilize this plan without the CHEERS! package :D

Let me start by saying, I agree that people can do whatever they want on a cruise, it is their cruise.

 

I am very interested though in the reasoning of people who seem to do things on a cruise that they can do on land much cheaper. If you like just reading a book, watching TV, drinking to excess, playing cards, working on a puzzle. Why spend the money on a cruise to do this?

I mean... what SHOULD one be doing on a cruise, in order to justify the cost? Is laying in the sun drinking margaritas all day not a reasonable choice on a cruise, simply because I can do that at home on my deck on a Saturday? :rolleyes:

I never would've thought to bother with a CHEERS! package before today... look at all this great info! I assumed the steakhouse bar was only for the patrons dining there... I am absolutely gonna post up in there in October! :')

I live in Indiana so I am always looking forward to fresh seafood! ;pI am that greedy person who gets 2 apps and 2 entrees. I don't need dessert, I need clams, shrimp, crab, octopus, ceviche... ;p

First, ordered liqueur IS pricey. (Approximately $90 compared to $20 at home.)

Next, let's do some math. I liter = 33 oz. A typical mixed drink uses 1.5 oz. alcohol. So, 33 0z. divided by 1.5 oz = 22. Times approx. $8.5 that the ship charges per drink comes to $187.

Either way you look at it, booze is spendy on a cruise, and the cruise line makes out either way.

Of course, we ALL consume our preordered libations in our cabins as is the rule , right?:confused:

Absolutely... just like we ALL only consume liquor we paid for on the ship :evilsmile:

Interesting opinion and idea for a solution you have there. You should propose is to them. Worth a shot.

I knew by this response, you were a person I would enjoy being friends with :')

221, and 225 :-D

Be aware there is no real beach at Money Bar if that is important, just sandy areas with some hammocks. - it is primarily a snorkeling bar although we have never snorkeled there, I don’t like the boat traffic.

That's actually perfect. I am debating whether or not to snorkel, but at least I can hop in and out of the water if I need to cool off. Some sand between my toes will still feel good, even if it isn't a real beach. It just makes more sense as far as time and money to head here instead

Our only other port is Key West. I know there are some decent beaches and snorkeling there too... but it's a morning stop. I'd rather sleep in, have a late breakfast and lay around in Serenity with a drink and a book :')

I would probably eat lunch on board, go to Money Bar mid-afternoon as cruisers from other ships are leaving. Catch Happy Hour, sunset and dinner at Money Bar and taxi back to ship.

Okay, I was all set to return to Nachi Cocom.... but this actually sounds like a much smarter plan since we dock from noon - 10pm this upcoming October. It actually would give me time to do souvenir shopping 1st, drop it off in my room and then head out to Happy Hour. :D

I love this place, you guys have all the good info!

Some places don't take cards, but all will take currency from US or Mexico. Doesn't hurt to have both on hand. As others already stated, check exchange rate and check with your card company.:)

Not saying you can't come here to vent (plenty of us do!), this isn't really a place where you will find many other cruise-haters....

Maybe once your initial frustration wears off, you will explore the site and find out the better things cruising has to offer. Wonderful resources here, if you glance through the threads. If not... *shrugs* enjoy the form of travel that works best for you.

Beer is included at Nachi Cocom - I alternated between Sol beer, margaritas and shots of tequila. :D

While I always wish I could go on the longer trips, that involves a lot. Using up more paid time off work and finding someone to care for my son (who has autism) and his cat are pretty big obstacles.

So for me, the shorter cruises are just right for a "long weekend" kind of trip, especially as I usually travel solo. :)

Anyway, looking forward to taking my 2nd ever cruise (1st solo) to Ensenada, and I hope to have as much fun as you did!

Oh hey, just wanted to report back and say this is a GREAT solo cruise to take! :D I met lot of other solos and nobody treated me weird. In fact I got the best dinner group one could ask for! A lot of people were from the L.A. area, or California in general... they clearly a much different vibe than what I am used to in the Midwest, but in a good way!

Thinking I will do this exact trip every February. It's a good escape from the cold winter weather, post-holidays and relatively inexpensive. (The flight costs more than the cruise, but even there I was able to find a good deal ;) )

Book Nachi Cocom. There were no rocks. That beach was like a DREAM. And they limit it to 100-some people, but when I went in October there were maybe 30 people there total, including us. Quiet, relaxing, great food, booze included.

I hope you loved it as much as I did! :-)

My sister went to Mr. Sancho's while on her honeyhoneymoon with my brother-in-law. Said it had more of a 'Spring Break' party vibe; could partially be due to them going around graduation time. They had fun and met lots of people, but she said it was VERY crowded.

We went to Nachi Cocom for my birthday last October. She notes everything was less crowded compared to early summer, but again this area allows less people and is more laid-back in general. We loved our cozy little spot, the food portions were GREAT! I eat my weight in food much like many men do... I was kind of embarrassed to still be full at dinner back on the ship!

Snorkeling was amazing, and that swim-up bar was heavenly. I am past the days of what Mr. Sancho's has to offer... not to say I wouldn't have LOVED it when younger! All you can eat, and fun times on the beach? I would have been there every year if I had money back then. But Nachi Cocom is where I will be returning this October for my birthday, again. Great service, great food, great relaxing atmosphere. ;)