Eskylady

We are currently on the Celebration and loving her. She is a beautiful ship with many amenities. Just wondering about a few things. I don't expect the in-room entertainment to be great, after all they aren't making much when we remain in our staterooms.

Am I remembering this correctly? I though that there were always some movies available to watch with others being released after they were shown outside on the big screen. Now they are available, but the most current or popular ones are available, but at a charge of $7.99. Not a huge deal really. I personally love to watch TCM (although for some reason on this cruise the films frequently stop and take several minutes to resume farther in to the movie).

And the cookies.... I miss the cookies in the bowls that you could get at the dessert station. They were melt-in-your-mouth good and now reside only in closed cookies jars just to tease me. It's so sad. Lol. 

Such are my problems. This is a good life I'm living. 🐵

Everyone is coming off now. 

Hello, 

I am currently on her waiting to disembark. They have let the people with priority, Diamonds, Suite, Platinum, and FTTF gather in their appointed place. As a platinum (strictly for reference) they have let the folk carrying their own luggage line up. The rest of us are still waiting for notification that our bags are in the terminal awaiting pick up.

I feel sorry for the next folks boarding. I hope that other than this they have a smooth wonderful cruise. In the meantime, it sucks for them. 

Eskylady

PS, as for those of us still on board from last week, Carnival has taken very good care of us. Breakfast and lunch venues open, some bars, gym, spa...

Thank you all for taking the time to read and reply. I appreciate all the different views. 

On 12/10/2023 at 7:57 AM, ray98 said:

I'm on the other side of this....if you don't want to be charged then don't throw pay venues in the mix.....stick with the MDR.

I don't really have a problem with the charges. I was just interested in other people's opinions. I still think cruising is wonderful and for the most part well worth the small extra costs.

I was looking for the quickest table so that I could meet a new friend at our previously agreed time. It just got me thinking. I had been to only one of the venues. I really had expected the MDR. Again, it wasn't about the money, more about the mechanism. 

So, now if you go to one of the included specialty restaurants a second time there is an eight dollar charge. No biggie, and for the most part well worth it.

The thing that bugs me just a bit is that if you check in, not at a specific restaurant, but for first available, (which also includes the MDR), and they give you a place you've already been they (surprise) charge you eight bucks whether it's your choice or theirs. I totally get it if you pick, but when they do....  it just makes me a little curious what the odds are of not getting placed somewhere they can charge you. 

Again, eight bucks isn't a big deal, just got me thinkin' a little. Thoughts?

1 hour ago, HolySpearit said:

St. Thomas

 

Up and at ‘em early in St. Thomas. We had purchased the Magan’s Bay and Skyride excursion via Carnival and had to meet on the pier at 7:30. We head up to Lido at 7. I stop by Shaq’s for a bacon egg and cheese biscuit (biscuit sucks but the eggs/cheese/bacon were fine), D just grabs some fruit from the still terrible buffet. Wolf that down and we are off the ship by about 7:20. Hop in a somewhat long line and are rather quickly lead to Alvin and his Love Chariot who will be our chauffer for the day. We drive up to Drake’s Seat and take a quick break for selfies or a smoke I guess based on what most people did. Beautiful up there.

 

Over to Meagan’s Bay. We arrive by about 8:15, beach is VERY uncrowded. Warm out but not sunny which is ok, I am very casper-esque and am not trying to get any more wrinkly than I already am now that my age starts with a 4. We spend 2 hours at the beach, in and out of the water, we stop by the beach bar for some waters. Alvin has us all rounded up by about 10:30am (he only had to go track one person down, time and Alvin wait for nobody apparently). He takes us on a small tour of the island and we see some sights and seriously I love it here so much. It’s my favorite Caribbean island. We got married here, I’d love to buy property here once we retire but I assume it’s not cheap. We’ll see.

 

We get to the sky rider and leave Alvin and his love chariot behind with a tip. Nice guy. Good thing about this excursion is when you get to the sky ride, you enter at the top which 1) saves you from a large part of the line 2) prevents you from having to walk up a bunch of stairs. SCORE. Up we go in the skyglider. I do not love heights and it was terrifying. They’re so swing-y and it always looks like you’re about to crash into the one in front of you. Have a much-needed banana daquiri at the top, D has a bushwhacker. Roughly $15/each, they do take credit cards. Walk around a bit for some views and back down we go. Honestly going up was scarier than down.

 

It is getting rather warm out (86 and humid again) so we just do some quick walking around the port, pick up a couple souvenirs, and head back to the ship. It’s about 1pm by then, we’re only in port til 3 today. Overall this excursion was overpriced for sure (I think we paid $60/person) and you could DIY it MUCHHH cheaper. But I am very lazy and will pay for convenience. I am also an anxious mess and like the reassurance I won’t get left behind. So to me it was worth it. Getting to skip the stair climb at the Sky Glider also was the move. Would recommend this excursion but realize you’re gonna overpay for what it is.

 

Drake's Seat Views

 

Alvin and his Love Chariot

 

Glad we did this once but I will never do this again. 

 

I paid $15 each for these (pre tax/tip), Paradise Point swears she Vegas 

 

Legend is in port with us

 

I swear this is the prettiest place. I love it so much. Even the clouds look better like they're extra 3D or something. St. Thomas is my happy place straight up and if the world was ever ending this is where I would immediately head to spend my last hours. 

 

TAKING A BREAK HERE WE'LL BE BACK TO FINISH TOMORROW SHOUTOUT TO MY ONE READER IMMA KEEP GOING THOUGH!!!!!! 🙂

I'm loving it! Very entertaining. Thanks so much! (I have a B2B on her starting 12/3).

4 hours ago, carohs said:

Sounds like a great opportunity to extend some kindness and make a new bff with an acquaintance or coworker you like but haven't gotten to know. You could invite someone for just one of the two legs even. 

Either way, have a fabulous B2B. 

Hi carohs,

Actually I’ve done that before and it worked out well and she really needed the break. I have left that door open, but since I work in the medical field, trying to get any time off so close to Christmas with little notice is challenging. I had to do quite a bit of horse trading to do it myself months earlier. (Let’s just say I will be spending the holidays with my work family). 🙂
 

You have a lovely way of thinking. Thanks for the well wishes!

Thanks Elaine5715 and momof3cruisers. I appreciate you responding. I do love solo cruising. (Just didn't expect quite so much of it). 😉

Thanks VentureMan_200, canes20 and crzndeb. I guess the hubs name will go there. Who knows? Maybe he’ll get a break and be able to come after all. Doubtful, but hey, doesn’t hurt to wish.

Hmmm. I clearly can’t afford a *nice* gentleman. Lol  I don’t think I can complete inforrmation without a second party. Guess I’ll have to give Carnival a call and then if things change add them back. 

Yes. I will be alone. My husband used all his time up due to getting Covid when he was is Hawaii and my brother got bumped from his vacation request. 

Hi,

I booked a B2B leaving December 3rd, my first and I was really excited. My husband was going on one half and my brother on the other. It turns out neither can go. I never put a guest name in because I didn’t know who was doing what. So now I have no one to put in those spots. I am still planning on going as I wasn’t able to join my hubs when he went to Hawaii a month ago, (and well, because cruising is just the best thing ever).
 

I can’t leave them blank and print a boarding pass. (Can I?), Do I just call Carnival and tell them? Put their names in and hope some magic happens? 
 

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks so much!!

Hi. Personally I wouldn't take the risk of a flight being cancelled or delayed and possibly missing your cruise. There are a lot of basic hotels that are clean and comfortable for under $200. A good night's sleep, (or not if you get excited like me 🙂), and not having to rush cruise day is a really nice start to a vacation.

I just remembered one thing that may have significance to a few folks. Carnival has Pepsi, Princess has Coke. 😊

Hi,

We had a Havana Cabana on the Celebration. We were on the opposite side of the bar and quite small pool. Our side was mostly a ghost town.  The other side was populated, but there was always space. The pool seemed more like an afterthought, as in “Opps, we forgot the pool!”, based on the size and location. (It kind of reminded me of a cup of soup with a few solid elements in the broth). The stateroom was nice. I loved sitting on the hanging chair and watching the world go by. Loved the bar, but the poor servers were covering inside and outside at the same time. All this being said, I would book one again in a heartbeat, just not on that class of ship. It’s really nice to have a space of your own and not have to fight to get a deck chair or a drink. Have a great time!

Are.we.there.yet?Thanks so much. It sounds like we are in agreement. icft “enforced nursing home hours”, cracked me up. Gotta admit, it does take a little bit of “relax” out of relaxation…especially if you can’t hear the announcement clearly and crack open the door only to find it was nothing you wanted/needed to know anyway. 🙄

To the rest of you who acknowledged my post, thank you. There are of course other differences. I don’t know if the pools on Princess are still fresh water not salt. The glass doors on the newest Carnival ships are nice, the bathrooms (at least in a regular stateroom) are still small, but curtain or door, fully functional. The hairdryers? There are no winners. Probably could go on for pages. 😁 The best part is the similarities…they are both great.

lennythenose Thanks for reading. Have a great time on the Ruby Princess! I have been on her several times. She is lovely.

Hello,

I have been lucky enough to cruise twice in the last two months. I was on Carnival Celebration seven days and then Enchanted Princess for ten. For the longest time I was a Princess girl, and then I had the opportunity to try Carnival. Since these ships are new, I thought they would be good ones for comparison. For those of you willing to read on, please don’t get upset by anything I write. These are simply my observations, YMMV. Finally, I love both lines. 

So, on port days, until sailaway Carnival tends to have mostly trivia, Princess has different things going on all day long no matter if a port day or not. If you really enjoy comedy, both have some great entertainment, but Carnival has many more comedy shows. I liked the production shows on both lines, but only see a few.

I found staterooms on both ships lovely, although I like the storage options on Carnival a bit better. (My husband and I had different closets where on Princess we had to share, (not that I’m concerned we don’t know whose clothes are whose😉). Beds are comfy on both. Carnival bathrooms have magnification mirrors while Princess does not.

Overhead announcements are fairly rare on Princess and in-room announcements practically non-existent unless there is a safety issue, port notice, or drills for the crew. I was pleasantly surprised that the art auctions are no longer a constant theme.

TV and Movie options on Princess are outstanding and free where as Carnivals seem to be more limited and there is a charge for some. Movies Under the Stars on Princess is a bit more cushy, cushions on the loungers and cozy red and black blankets are available. I found both experiences fun.

Activity-wise, both lines have plenty to do.
 

Princess has a 24 hour food option in the International cafe and Pizza at Slice until around 11 I believe. Carnival does not have a 24 hour food option, but pizza is available until the wee hours of the morning as is soft serve ice cream. Both lines have 24 hour room service with some/many items having a charge. I found the buffet on Princess to be better and never went hungry, (although it seemed occasionally difficult to find things that seemed to go together). The specialty restaurants are good on both lines. I found the Steakhouses comparable, but was really surprised that Princess was so much cheaper. The included food options on Carnival are more varied and (please bear in mind this is only my opinion), Princess burgers at Salty Dog can’t compete with Guy’s.

No roller coaster or water slides on Princess, however per staff, hot tubs are open 24 hours. Again, that may not be everyone’s experience. Beautiful?All ships I have been on have been beautiful in some way. The new Carnival ships are streamlined, modern and stunning , the older ones have a uniqueness that I love as well. Princess ships have an elegance that is not stuffy or confining, but welcoming and beautiful. The staff is incredible on both lines and I couldn’t ask for more smiling, helpful, excellence (with few exceptions). Stateroom care once daily on Carnival with a towel animal. Princess has one daily cleaning and provides turndown service, ( no chocolates on the pillow, but honestly, I just kept them for souvenirs anyway). Drinks are good (to me) everywhere, although I do love Alchemy on Carnival. Personally I have fun on both, I do find the casinos to be a bit nicer on Carnival (mostly due to size and variety of games). Carnival is a bit more relaxed fun, and Princess is relaxing. Both lines offer so much and I find the sea is equally beautiful no matter what ship I’m on.  Yes, I know things have changed a lot since I first started cruising years ago, but it’s still wonderful. Lol. I notice I’m not the same I WAS either.

I hate carrying around my cellphone on Carnival and keeping track of my cruise card. But the app is pretty great. I loved the Princess Medallion (it’s small and I wear it in a piece of jewelry)but found the app wonky at times.

All in all, both lines will give you a great experience. I have upcoming cruises on both and am so very happy about that.

 
Sorry this is so long. If you stayed to the end, thank you. I know everyone’s perspective is different. This is mine and mine alone. Happy cruising to you all no matter how, when, where, or what line. Savor it all.  
 

All Best,

Kelly

Hopefully not if he has a Big Front Seat….back somewhere…okay.

Wow. That was an amazing tale from a man on a great big ship, who shared his plans (what a busy man), on one fantastic trip. (Oh gad, the Gilligan’s Island theme will be stuck in my head for hours).    You manage to pack so much in a short amount of time! Thanks for all the pictures, commentary, observations and taking all that time to do it. I’ve followed you, (not in that creepy way) on Splendor and now Magic on Saturday. Any way you can sail Celebration before January?  😉

Thanks Broadway Girl. Looks like my Naat will work as well. The Carnival stuff was a bit confusing. I appreciate the help. 

Does this also apply when your cruise stops in Canada or do you still need to test? I’m doing New England/Canada and I’ve read, (but unfortunately am still confused) about the requirements. My cruise is in a month and I ‘m currently *enjoying* Covid I got after my last trip two weeks ago. Thanks!

Kelly

Was is worth it? The pre-testing stress? The pricey airfare? The planning and second guessing? Oh yeah. It was a fantastic trip. Alaska is stunning. The whales, wildlife and waterfalls are incredible. Glaciers, icebergs, great food, friendly folks and people-watching? So much to love. We got back late May and are going again in twenty days and I can’t wait. All that and cruising too?? Sign me up….anytime.

The excursions can be a little pricey. I wish we could have done more. Take a deep breath. Enjoy the ride and try not to stress too much. Get to the ship on time and then bask in all that beauty. Have a wonderful time.

Kelly

What an amazing review! I'm doing that same cruise in July and expect I will be referring to it often. The pictures are outstanding and it's great to have so much to look forward to. Thank you soooo much. Hope you have a comfortable, safe ride home.