JerseyGirlJen

Some people are also completely oblivious to how loud they really are. They probably stomp like elephants all over at home too. 

I'm so excited to read another Willdra review!  

Good info, I'm going on the Independence in November.  

7 hours ago, bigdaddyyo said:

As much as I agree with what you are saying, I will say that the cruise line sees more than we think they see.  I think for them the actions fall between a safety issue and a nuisance issue.  I think the only ones they truly care about are the safety issues.  I had a crew member tell me that on the prior cruise that a boy held down the handles on the soft serve machine and emptied all of the ice cream onto the floor.  She mentioned that the biggest problem on the ship is always the ice cream machine.  Now that being said Carnival is aware of the issue, but does nothing about it.  On other cruise lines that I've been on (RCCL, Disney), when they had a problem with the soft serve machine, they posted an employee there and the employee is the one serving the ice cream.  Is it ideal? No, but that was the solution to stop all of the waste.  Another fix to a problem like this would be to send a bill to the stateroom of that child for the ice cream wasted and time to clean it up.  Guarantee that would fix that child and the parents would start paying more attention.  Another thing that is small but still speaks to the mindset of the crew was trash.  I saw numerous times where trash was in the stairwell.  Food wrappers, papers, etc and I watched time and time again how crew, both low level and officers would walk by the trash without even hesitating to pick it up.  I can't remember a time on RCCL or Disney in which I saw that happen.  If they saw trash they would stop what they are doing and grab it, but I didn't see that on this cruise.  Now in a perfect world it should be the passengers that dropped the trash are the ones that pick it up, but we know how that goes.  I think in the end it becomes a quantity over quality issue for Carnival.  You want your boats to be full, because that means more money, but if the product you are providing is suffering because of it, then you have to ask yourself if you are more worried about money or about your product.  I think we know the answer to that.

Some people behave very poorly, and unfortunately if the Parents are poorly behaved and set no standards for their kids at home then they'll continue to behave like animals on the ship. Some people don't have respect or take care of their space/stuff (litter their own neighborhoods and then come on a cruise, stay at a resort, etc. and emulate the same behavior).  Agree that Carnival's MO right now is financial, but I really hope that they start to set higher expectations for their guests....it's just not fair to the other 1500-3000 people on board who are behaving accordingly.

11 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

It all starts with a complaint. Let's face it, the passengers out number the staff, especially the security staff. It would be nice if they could have someone always available in every venue who was on watch to stop things before they start but that isn't realistic at all. The bar staff are being paid to serve drinks, not be on the look out for bad behavior and the same goes for the rest of the crew. To put the onus on them is expecting too much in many cases because they are busy enough. If what is happening isn't concerning enough for someone to pick up the phone and call guest services/security is it really that bothersome? (Of course if the behavior is egregious in nature, such as a fight, one would hope that the crew would make the call, although without specific training it's understandable that they don't directly intervene.)

 

I agree.  If people would start making complaints then Carnival would have to address it at some point. 

It's a combination of parents being negligent in parenting/controlling/disciplining their kids (I've had parents say to me, "They're not bothering anyone because no one is complaining"), and Carnival not enforcing the rules.  If Carnival took the first step and started to crack down and follow through with rules/consequenses, behavior would change because then parents would be affected in that they'd be stuck watching their kids all week when they aren't allowed out of their sight, or get escorted off the ship.  But Carnival won't do that.  God forbid they "offend" the incompetent parents.

A clamshell chair on Serenity does the trick for me because you can be oblivious to what is going on around you, and put some EarPods in and you're good.   If you have a balcony, of course that is also a nice option as well.  

It's real, and click the button if you find one you like.  I got an 8 day balcony for next year for ~$850 pre-tax.  And for someone that typically cruises solo I absolutely jumped on it because I typically sail inside since I have to pay double.  

You can absolutely find quieter kid free spots.  As others have mentioned, the Serenity Deck is on all, if not almost all, Carnival ships.  It's adults only and a relaxing place to read and relax in peace.  

I'm childfree and have never felt overrun by kids on Carnival ships...even on my first cruise, which I didn't realize I booked during April spring break...it really was fine.  Yes, kids are around, but I do like my quiet spots and it was never a problem finding one.

I'm also looking at MIA hotels for the end of April.... I'm early in my search but I was looking on Priceline under the Express Deals.  The Radisson RED, Wyndham Garden MIA, and Even Hotels Miami came up in one of those "pay $X and we'll guarantee you one of these 3" deals.  Still doing research but all 3 have very good ratings, so maybe look into one of them.

I'm a Hilton Marina fan.  Recently redone, great pool, nice Intracoastal vibe, poolside bar & grill has good food and drink, Water Taxi stops at the hotel, walking distance down 17th St to numerous restaurants, shops, liquor stores, pharmacy, etc, and it's right .  

I'm cruising out of Miami on my next one and planning on staying in Ft. Lauderdale.  I'm not a city person, FLL is my speed.

I would opt against making smaller payments on a credit card.  I did that, and when cruises 2020 and 2021 sailings got cancelled it was a major PITA to track all those small payments and make sure they all got refunded.  In addition...if your card gets compromised you'll get issued a new CC#....eventually the prior card gets purged in the banks system (my bank is 6 months) and then when Carnival refunds those payments on that old card that were purged just float around the "the cloud".  It takes time to properly find them.  

Lesson learned.  I now make my deposit and then make one payment when final payment is due.  

I always pick midship, deck 7 or 8

Regarding you speaking to the girls parents......remember, It's not anything personal against their choice to not vaccinate....you're not refusing the child, Carnival is.  It's Carnival's rule.  

I think you should let them know that as of now Carnival still hasn't changed their requirements.  Your daughter would still like to bring a friend so as much as it completely sucks, you're going to have to choose another kid to tag along and need to be able to have that other family plan financially, make sure passports are in order, etc. so you can't wait until the last minute.

Sailed her in 2018, loved her!  The spa is excellent.  Consider getting a spa pass so you can use the thermal suites and thalassotherapy pool.  I felt like I got my moneys worth on an 8 day, with 4 sea days.  

I echo Ladysail with asking others in the taxi line.  Are you on your group Facebook page?   Maybe you can ask others if anyone has plans for taxi in those areas so you have something arranged ahead of time.  .  

On 4/16/2022 at 7:14 AM, csoud68 said:

 

1. Have breakfast in ocean plaza. Its so quiet and they have all the basics. While everyone is in line you are just relaxing.

 

 

 

Good advice.  I always forget about the Ocean Plaza breakfast.  Thank you for reminding me.

My next is the Magic and I'm definitely looking forward to the spa.  I bought a pass when I was on the Dream and really enjoyed it.  

If you choose early or late dining (not anytime dining) they will seat you at the "solo" table with the other solo cruisers.  

Yes, Magic 8 day for April 2024 got a balcony for the price of an inside....under $1100 including taxes and fees.  That's the price of an inside!! 😃

6 hours ago, Corby114 said:

I would consider staying in Fort Lauderdale at the Riverside Hotel on Las Olas Blvd. A nice hotel located close to the Water Taxi and some great restaurants. An approximately ten to fifteen minute ride to Port Everglades. Great restaurants include Louie Bossi’s or Tuscan Grill for Italian. American Social, Big City Tavern, Rocco’s Tacos and Luigi’s Pizza. Just an nice area not too far from Fort Lauderdale Beach.

I second this.  Since you want to explore and not just sit by the pool, Las Olas will give you a lot of options.  You can always do a cruise on the Intracoastal with the Carrie B that goes out of the Las Olas area.  You can take the Water Taxi to dinner that night, or just to enjoy the ride.

On 3/21/2022 at 9:07 AM, mouche said:

I would still go, I have my first solo coming up after my Mardi Gras cruise, my best friend who I cruise with the most passed away on Nov 7th😪 My husband is sailing Mardi Gras with but my Sunshine cruise will most likely be solo. 

So sorry for the loss of your friend.   I'm sure she'll be there right along with you though ❤️

I'm hoping by the end of 2023/2024, but time will tell.

I love cruising solo❤️  It's so relaxing.  I load up my Kindle and find a lounger and catch up on reading, people watch, and enjoy everything on the ship just like everybody else.  I go to the specialty restaurants, enjoy the dining room, enjoy the waterslides, go the shows, etc.  Once you travel solo it's actually really hard to go back to traveling with other people 🤣

Don't feel uncomfortable.....there are a lot of other solo cruisers on board, you just don't realize it.  If you want to eat with others go to your table on the first night in the dining room.  The Matre D will pair you and the other solo's up and seat you at one table (choose early or late, not anytime).  I've done that before and we had a variety of people of all ages from all over the country and we all did our own thing during the day and then shared our adventures over dinner with each other.  Sometimes we would go see a show together afterwards.  Don't cancel, you may realize that you'll have the best time ever.

10 minutes ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

Thanks for this. This is bumming me out. I need to cancel three cruises with multiple cabins, some with different names but booked by me and also book something lol. Sounds like it's going to be fun! Maybe I'll just do the cancels and then rebook online. Not booking anymore cruises except for my immediate nuclear family until things are normal again. Just glad to be able to get out from underneath all this. Thanks for taking the time to report back, much appreciated!  

Yeah me too.  I figured it was smart to take advantage of their no penalty refund offer because I can always rebook down the road.  I do believe they will eventually drop the mandate, and when they do I will be happy to book with them.  The cruise next January 2023 was going out of NOLA..I'm not disappointed only because they are under crazy restrictions, so no harm there.  My December '23 can easily be rebooked too.  Total bummer but it is what it is. I left $600 OBC on the table with my NOLA cancellation because that was my "incentive" for rebooking after the Covid cancellations.  In regards to the phone call, I started the phone call on the way home from an errand, came home, even took a shower...LOL, made lunch, did laundry....you get the picture.  At least it's done.