mom2tcdx2

1 minute ago, Asawi said:

It's a European booking. I travel solo so I don't know the full rules, but there is no automatic package applied to us.We buy it separately (and it's all or nothing, you cannot opt out of just drinks), and only passengers 1+2 can buy it as I understand it. 

Ah, I just saw the poster saying they had the free at sea package, didn't realize its conditions were different than for US Bookings.  I was thinking anyone booking the free at sea package would have the same terms/conditions.  

• Applicable to guests 1-8 on the reservation for the entire length of the cruise. If 3-8 guest is under 21 years of age, Unlimited Open Bar Package does not apply, and soda package will not be given as a substitution.

I am a bit curious how they didn't automatically apply the drink package to your third guest?  Every time we have looked the drink package included the third person and they got a soda package if under the age of 21. 

I am not bothered by no table cloths, honestly I don't think they help or hinder the dining experience.  Though I have seen a few people drag the table clothes when getting in or out of like booths and sometimes they could be a pain.

35 minutes ago, Jeafl said:

I'm guessing it is because of people like the guy we had at our table last time who had ELEVEN lobster tails on elegant night.  All of the sides that came with the lobster went uneaten.  The amount of wasted food was unreal.  Not to mention that his having the waiter go back and forth to get him 10 extra entrees delayed everyone else's dinner.

My dad can do several of the lobster tails and he doesn't want all the broccoli etc, even when he asked the staff to just put the lobster tails on one plate and NO sides they still brought them on multiple plates and with all the sides.  So even when you attempt to not have them bring you something you won't eat, you still get it.  

Soda package (bottomless bubbles) does not need to be purchased by everyone in the cabin, cheers does however for those over 21.  

As for the machines when we were on the Celebration (I know different ship), we almost never found them to actually work.  They will also charge you when they don't work, my husband essentially tried and got nothing but water and we were billed for it.  While minimal because we had package, but it charged us sales tax while we were in port. I would just say you have to watch them especially if you are paying for the ounce.  

As for cokes, if you can just take a few of your own on board.  My mom would do this for diet coke.  

1 hour ago, Brenda Ollman said:

European market.  Made in France, I think.

NCL was trying to be bold and different when they came up with the Epic class, which I believe might have been called F1 originally.  The design really seemed to be a flop to the market and then I think issues with the shipyard as well, had them never making the other two ships.  

1 hour ago, pirate4me2 said:

Ok cool, thanks for the info Jeff! I will look into that next time/if we cruise from Miami again!

We never stay in Miami when we cruise out of there.  If flying we have stayed in Ft. Lauderdale, when we drive we choose to stay a couple hours away from Miami and drive the rest of the way into Miami the morning of the cruise.  Hotel prices are way too crazy and no way I would ever pay $592 for a hotel room.  

On 2/21/2023 at 10:31 AM, Schoifmom said:

Call Scootaround.  They DO have scooters that will fit through the doorways of regular cabins, unless she is severely obese.  It will require some maneuvering, but you can get it into a regular cabin.  I don't know how many people are in the cabin, but for an inside, there will be room to store it in there if there are no more than 2 people.  Again, it will require some maneuvering around it, but it can be done.  I speak from experience.

Unfortunately she is overweight, around 240?  Some of the smaller sizes I read that could fit seemed to have a weight of 200.  Both her and my father don't have the greatest mobility so them trying to maneuver a scooter around an inside cabin will probably be on the tougher side.  She just may not get to wander around as much as she might like, but we will see how it goes.

Interesting thread, guess it lets me know we just have no ability to get my mother a scooter for an upcoming cruise.  Our sailing is sold out and they have just an inside cabin, no way a scooter will fit in there.  Her feet and knees have just gotten a lot worse since we booked and we were hoping that a scooter could just help her get around a bit more, otherwise she just can't do much walking.  Just getting to and from the restaurants will be quite the chore for her.  Hopefully the little fold up walker she has will be enough of a help.  

8 minutes ago, pirate4me2 said:

I think this is the Voyager burger....one of my favs! They have 2 burgers, one with an egg and one without. It's super messy and DELICIOUS!!!

That might be, though the Voyage burger says it has hash browns on it.  Which I like hash browns, but not so sure I want on my burger and don't seem to see those in the photo?  

On 2/17/2023 at 11:36 AM, ObstructedView2 said:

Hi 🙂

 

I rather have a Carnival 'Brunch Buger' than a Guy's burger.

 

 'Carnival Brunch Burger'

 

 

 

 

🍔 🍔 🍔 🍔 🍔 🍔 🍔 🍔 🍔

Interesting though on the recent brunch menu someone posted, there was no mention of the brunch burger coming with an egg.  Just the cheese, bacon, pickles, lettuce.  Did you have the egg added?  Or is that also now another menu change?

1 minute ago, pirate4me2 said:

See you onboard! I am all packed and ready to go....although I have not done my usual pre-cruise "unpack and repack to make sure I didn't forget anything/make sure I didn't overpack" routine yet. That'll most likely happen Friday night. 

We will also be driving down Saturday, we plan to start our bright (not really) and early at 5 a.m. Safe travels to you and your group! 

Our goal is to be on the road by 5 am as well, though coming from Virginia.  Hoping that we can get past St. Augustine at least before we stop on Saturday.  We will have two three year olds so we shall see how they do with the car ride.  I have a work dinner tonight, and then hoping I get to packing a little this evening and tomorrow and then finish up by Thursday.  Doing our nails on Friday and hopefully all luggage will be packed into the cars that night, with just our carryon bags left.  Only thing I have actually done is to tag my ducks that we will be hiding, printed my luggage tags.  

My group of 9 will literally be onboard the cruise with you.  We are so super excited and this will be my grandson's first ever cruise (he is 3).  I really need to get to packing my clothes.  We will begin our drive on Saturday morning to make our way to Miami.  So excited, though we only have inside cabins, I would have loved to have been able to splurge on a suite.  

On 2/19/2023 at 7:17 AM, pe4all said:

And horse races.  The fun we had "buying" a horse, naming it, decorating it and having our DD be the "jockey!"

Totally loved when they redid that on one of our Journey's cruises, but sadly the second Journey's cruise we went on the CD had no idea how it was done and they didn't do it the same and it was just awful.  First one we bought our horse, though we didn't get the option to decorate like they used to, but ours did when the final race.  

1 minute ago, mz-s said:

 

I'd say as long as the candy is individually sealed it should be fine. But candies that are just wrapped, like peppermints or mini reese's pieces, should be avoided. But that's just my personal opinion. I doubt Carnival gets that specific.

We would put out like the Hershey miniatures, reeses peanut butter cups, kit kats, hershey kisses, snickers. Kind of like the smaller sizes you see at Halloween or in Christmas stockings.  We bought some Valentines candy and I have also taken Easter candy when we sailed near Easter.  We have always found all of the candy taken, so kind of thought it seemed like an OK thing.  Even got thank you letters left from crew in our little basket.  

We tend to take candy that we have put outside our cabin. On prior cruises it has always been taken and also by a lot of crew members that would stop by as well.  I wonder if this would be frowned upon now as well, I mean I am sure some people thought it odd, but we started one year during a Halloween cruise it went over so well we just take bags of candy on each cruise we go on.  We set out a little metal basket by our cabin door and it gets emptied out rather regularly.  

I guess if they ask us to take it down we will, but I already had several bags to take on the ship with us.  

Yes I would say some small touches are gone.  I remember my first cruise on the Holiday in 2006, I had brought my own sodas and our room steward would put them on ice for me every time he changed the ice, he did that without my asking. First night at dinner a gentleman at our table removed his cucumbers from his salad rest of the cruise the wait staff had already removed them for him.  Enjoyed staff doing little magic tricks to help keep kids entertained and us adults too (they may still do this?).  When making my daughter's bed the steward folderd her pajamas and tucked them under her pillow along with setting out her stuffed animals.  Room steward sewing a button back on a suit, dining room server who loaned me her own camera when mine broke.  Just odd little service things that happened many years ago and we don't quite see the same as much anymore.  

As for the chocolates on the pillows I didn't eat those, but my husband would.  We truly don't mind the once a day service, but I really want a towel animal - those would be what I would miss.  Guys burgers I almost never at the fries, personally I never really cared for them.  I preferred to get the little potato sticks on the bar and I miss the crumbled bacon.  Just bring back the bacon and all would be good.  

I miss paper menus, and the daily in paper form.  Really not a fan of the looking up on my phone.  

I was never a fan of the Sierra Mist either, I have also never cared for 7-Up, but I can tolerate Sprite.  

On 12/31/2022 at 3:58 PM, FloridaGram said:

I might look able bodied because I do not use a scooter or walker but I have had 2 knee replacements and have balance issues and have been advised by my doctor not to use stairs. So some of those people who only use it for one floor need to use it.

 

My step mom is like that as well.  After her knee replacements, her knee doesn't bend at all. So for her to attempt even one flight of stairs is rather difficult, as she is very slow moving trying to take each step.  People then are behind her and she slows others down, so she will take the elevators for one flight as well.  

12 hours ago, staceyglow said:

Plenty of bacon in the MDR for breakfast.  Every day.

On our last cruise, dining in the dining room for breakfast took forever.  We got the wrong items, and then wait staff never even came back to our table to see how things were, drink refills, nothing.  Ended up just leaving and still trying to get food somewhere else.  Most awful experience I have had on Carnival when dining in the MDR for any meal.  

Essentially if your cruise was say 1000, and you check off to pay the gratuity your balance becomes say 1206. When you then make payments it goes towards the balance. Now if you decide after final payment was paid then you pay the full gratuity at the time you decide to add it.

I think I would rather see the filet back and the bacon. Got to say I miss the bacon. 

I seem to see complaints about all lines, and my favorite place being Disney, they have a ton of complaints.

Personally I don't expect a lot from my vacations, I like decent food (I am not a foodie), good drinks, friendly staff, and to just have a relaxing nice time. 

I do think sometimes however many of the CEO's and such should really spend a day like we do on these vacations that we often have to save up to even be able to take. Some of the cutbacks haven't bothered me, but they really are everywhere.

My daughter and boyfriend also have free drinks in the casino, but will have a 3 year old along as well. Not sure how much they will be able to take advantage of the drinks. Hoping that they will be able to occasionally get a drink without a huge wait. Especially since they won't have huge amounts of time to spend in the casino. 

Too bad they aren't like Royal in that you can still get drinks at the casino bar, and don't have to be playing.

I have to say I don't really recall what the buns looked like on the Guy's Burgers, on pretty much all of my sailings.  I do feel they were possibly buttered, toasted?  I miss the bacon that was on the toppings bar.  Overall I never liked the fries, though I can't say I really noticed them being different either, but again maybe doing 1 or 2 sailings a year I can't say I could remember those fries, from any other fries when I have eaten out.  Personally I like the small, skinny, shoestring fries with seasoning salt on them, and nice and hot.