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Thanks kaisatsu for the visual! Glad we will not be on that 1st portion! My husband and daughter are athletic and will have no problem. I am budgeting lots of time for myself to complete the ride! 

On 2/7/2024 at 11:01 AM, petuniaflower said:

If we hiked, would we hike back to the original station of Vatnahalsen?  And about how long would that take, and is there a route/signs that we would know where to go?  And if we did this, and bought the zip/train package would the train ticket back also be included?

Trying to make a half day or so at least out of it so we dont just do the zipline, so a hike would be nice to add..because I think commiting to a 2 hr bike ride may be a bit much for us.

We booked the train, zipline, bike combo ticket for June. I don’t think the bike ride is 2 hours. It looks to be about 11 miles and downhill so I figure it shouldn’t take more than an hour. My husband and teen daughter are much more athletic than me so I told them I would see them at the bottom!

We booked this tour with them towards the end of June. Let me know how you like the tour. So far the company has been great at communication and I am looking forward to exploring Olden!

My daughter’s spring break is always the last week of March. Agree I would avoid the entire months of March and April. I dream of the day we aren’t constrained by a school calendar!

I started looking at the Holland America website. They seem to have similar tours but actually show the reviews. I have become very picky with what cruise ship tours I book.

Love JiJis! It is our favorite specialty restaurant on the Vista class ships.

We stayed in a room that was designated for 3 people according to the deck plan. It had a couch that made into a double bed and the pull down upper single bed above the couch. So technically sleeping spaces for 5. My daughter used the couch bed and said it was comfortable.

We turned down an upgrade offer for a presidential suite to stay in our aft one. No regrets. We use our balcony a lot and worried about wind/lack of shade at the front. Also I liked the layout of the bathroom better on the aft one.

Sailed both. I think they are pretty comparable but between the 2 I typically choose Royal. NCL I admittedly have only chosen because of of a specific itinerary I wanted. I always read ship reviews before booking so I know any perceived “problem areas” going in. To me a cruise is what you make of it so I have loved every one that I have been on.

Thanks for the review! We are booked on a June 2024 fjord sailing so I love to read about other’s experiences!

9 hours ago, Cruisin4aBruisin73 said:

So you might take my opinion with a grain of salt since I haven't actually BEEN in one, but I WILL be reserving one for the whole week on my Christmas cruise on the Celebration.

 

1.  I need shade/sun in rotation.  And I don't want to ever have to look for either.  I love the idea of a spot that is ALL mine for a whole week.

2.  The bottle of champagne is calling my name.  Mimosa anyone?  

3. My teen/tweens can come find me for regular check ins and I can stay put, reading my book, unlike Serenity.

4. A quiet spot is my sanctuary.  This feels like that. I'm not the life of the party, nor is my 15 year old.  This is perfect for us.

5. Fresh fruit and water delivered every day

6. Virgin Frozen drinks gratis

7. a menu and food delivery service.

 

 

We had one on the Celebration in March for our spring break cruise and agree with all of this. Especially the dedicated shady spot!

We were just on a completely sold out spring break sailing the end of March. For our cruise it looked like cabanas didn’t completely sell out till 1-2 weeks before the sailing. I assume you could call and ask but not sure if you would get an accurate answer. We loved the loft 19 area. It never felt crowded and I enjoyed being able to sit in the shade!

I admittedly use coffee makers in hotel rooms and wish that Carnival had them. Especially now that door hanger cards are gone. I wonder how many less room service orders they would get if they added them. I likely would cut down on my danish and croissant consumption if I just made coffee in my room myself vs being able to easily tack items onto a room service order! As others have said though there is no way Carnival is adding anything at this point. I totally get cost control in a business in this day and age. It’s ultimately their operation and product and their choice.

We are in a suite on the Celebration leaving 3/26. Just got an email today and this was part of the letter. I interpret it as we can go to the room and drop off stuff but we have no expectations that it is fully ready.

Once on board, you will be able to access your stateroom

9 hours ago, cmichael1221 said:

I don't get the appeal of these photos either!  They look cheap and horribly staged...

My husband loves to randomly pose for a couple of photos each evening when he is wandering on his own and then let us “discover” them on the pixels album the next day. I especially love when we see one on the photo wall lol.

On 3/1/2023 at 10:38 AM, Cayman1 said:

We sleep around quite a bit... so here are my personal opinions/observations in no particular order. While your opinions may vary, that is ok too.

 

1) Shows/Entertainment - RC

2) Live Music - Carnival

3) General stuff to do (Bingo, misc activities, etc.) - Carnival

4) Overall food quality - RC

5) Buffet - RC

6) Pizza - RC (and much faster than Carnival)

7) Food Options - Generally RC but with the Mardi Gras and Celebration, may give this one a tie

😎 Pool parties and pool activities/events - Carnival

9) Cruise Directors - Carnival

10) Innovative Ships - RC

11) Price - Carnival

12) Private Island - RC w/ CoCoCay

13) Excursions - RC

14) Variety of different room types - RC (though Carnival has stepped their game up some on Mardi Gras)

15) Onboard shopping - Tie

16) Loyalty Program - RC

17) Itineraries - Tie

 

I think that covers a lot, but I am sure I am missing something. We actually made a comparison a while back and both my wife and I agreed to mostly everything.

 

At the end of the day, there is no "Perfect" cruise line. They all have their specialties and strengths/weaknesses. It's about choosing what is right for YOU and YOUR FAMILY, or whomever you travel with. And while I think one thing is better on RC, someone else may feel Carnival is better. That is ok too... that's why they make chocolate and vanilla ice cream, or even Neapolitan. 🙂

 

 

 

We have sailed both and have upcoming reservations on both. Completely agree with this assessment!

3 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

I believe that I am incorrect on that front.  I think the lack of Fjord cruises is probably because they changed the requirements in 2024 for the pollution so I doubt Carnival's oldest ships meet that criteria.

Bummer. We are looking to do a 2024 cruise of the fjords. I guess I need to pull the trigger on the Royal Caribbean one I have been eyeing while the Carnival schedule wasn’t out yet.

I just recently signed up for a Carnival tour in March that sounds similiar. Below is the description. Attached is a map I found online when trying to figure out where this tour will actually go. It shows a couple of the listed stops. Looks like this is a new tour for Carnival and there were zero reviews. My daughter really wants to see El Yunque so figure we will give this tour a try!

El Yunque Rainforset: Don’t miss this great opportunity to visit El Yunque National Rainforest, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. An approximate 45-minute drive will bring you to enjoy the panoramic view of the tropical woodland with a vast variety of flora and crystalline waterfalls that spread over hills and valleys. 

Coca’s Waterfall: You’ll stop briefly at one of its kind 100 feet waterfall - Coca’s Waterfall of volcanic rock. You will have the opportunity to take a picture of the beautiful scenic area. 

Yokahu Tower: At this stop, you will mesmerize yourself with this beautiful view, where the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea unites and enjoy the view of the canopies of the Rainforest. 

Overlook Bridge: You will enjoy one of the eleven rivers located at the Rainforest, and its different and unique species of rocks. The river sounds in this area has a combination with the fauna and flora, brings peacefulness to those seeking more than just scenery. Choose to visit El Yunque and experience nature and its true beauty! 

I thought I saw that the gratuity cost was going to increase. Is that the case and when does the new price become effective? Will pre-pay for my cruise this year if they are going up.

I thought I saw that Royal Caribbean had an itinerary that stopped in Egypt. We are looking to do a Norwegian Fjords cruise in summer 2024. Since Carnival doesn’t have a Europe schedule out that far yet I started looking at Royal options.

Loved loved loved our Havana cabana on deck 5. We were right by the band area and surprisingly could not hear it at all in our cabin. Having the Havana area, Havana bar, ocean plaza, coffee shop, etc. all on the same floor and close by was amazing. Would be hard for us to sail on a Vista class ship and not choose the same area again.

Thanks for the responses. Looks like we will choose #2!

We are looking to book a Norwegian fjord cruise on Royal Caribbean in June 2024. Based on our travel dates available below are the 2 choices that could work. Both are on Anthem of the Seas and price is same. Would you choose one itinerary over the other?

Itinerary #1 Ports

Haugesund

Flam

Molde

Stavanger

Itinerary #2 Ports

Stavanger

Olden

Flam

Bruges, Belgium

I’m the same about wanting to avoid guest services! I think you can use them to buy cruise cash online before you sail. I would only buy though what you are certain you will use.

Love Jiji!