PhillyFan33579

I think your experience is why they are making this change. More often than not, reservations for the steakhouse are filled for most nights of a cruise. However, every night there are always no shows which is why there are usually open tables.

We usually book balconies at the front of the ship on the second highest deck level. I made the “mistake” of booking a balcony on the highest level possible and quickly learned people on the deck above you can easily look down on your balcony. Plus these balconies get direct sunlight most of the day since there is nothing above them providing any shade. Of course this could also be a positive if you like being in the sun all day.

When we were on Victory a few months ago the Atlantic dining room was open for lunch on embarkation day. There was a sign in front of the dining room that said “Family Fun Zone - Enjoy a relaxing lunch and family activities!”

Like the previous poster mentioned, there is supposed to be a dedicated elevator that only runs between decks 5 and 17. We have always enjoyed the location and views from thermal suites on Carnival ships that have this feature. Not sure I like the idea about the thermal suite being on a lower deck, but I won’t pass judgment until I experience it first hand.

What port do people show up at 9 AM? Most terminals do not allow passengers to enter the terminal until 10 AM. Even Carnival’s smallest ships usually don’t complete the debarkation process before then.

This is one of the best posts I have read addressing gratuities. No one, including the OP, is going to change the current gratuity structure used by Carnival and other cruise lines. Removing gratuities is taking money away from some of the hardest working people on a ship. Personally I don’t understand how people can do that and sleep well at night.

The bar looks smaller than the Skybox bar on Vista and Horizon. Is that the case or does it just look smaller based on the pictures you posted?

I have been on several different Carnival ships that stayed over night in Nassau, most recently a few weeks ago on Liberty. The casino is always open at night while the ship is still docked in Nassau.

From what I have been told, a lot has to do with each ship and how they are wired/configured. For example, Liberty only has the ability to show 4 different games at the same time In the sports bar while Miracle was able to show every Sunday game when we cruised on her.

The one exception I mentioned (Horizon) we booked a spa balcony some time in early 2017 for around $3000. By the time October 2018 came around the price was down to around $2400. That is a perfect example of what you said about new ships and balconies.

The time and location is usually listed in Fun Times. You can get a copy of one at Guest Sevices as soon as you board the ship.

From my experience the earlier you book, the lower the price. Most of our cruises on Carnival have been booked using ES. With one exception (Horizon in 2018), the price of every cruise has gone up, some significantly higher.

My experience is the same as yours. Carnival is great when it comes to showing NFL games, not very good showing college football games.

Saunas are free in both the men’s and women’s locker rooms. Everything else requires access to the thermal suite.

The last two years we did Christmas cruises and bowl games were shown almost every day of the week, with the exception of Christmas Day. What makes you think this year will be different?