SC2020

1 hour ago, tidecat said:

The Triumph (now Sunrise) and Conquest have docked in Mobile, so Sunshine docking in Mobile isn't an issue. The size of the terminal is the bigger constraint, which is why I think we'd be more likely to see Sunshine redeployed to Port Canaveral or Miami to serve the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean, freeing up a larger ship for seasonal service to Alaska, and Spirit staying put year-round in Mobile.

 

The other solution would be to put a second ship in Jacksonville, but the height restriction limits the available inventory. It would probably mean moving Miracle out of Long Beach given the constraints elsewhere. As long as Elation and Sunshine weren't scheduled to depart on the same dates, this would allow no changes to be made to any planned port calls in the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean if Carnival has started making port reservations for mid-2024 and beyond.

 

From Atlanta, Mobile and Charleston are almost exactly the same drive time. Jacksonville is only about 15-20 minutes further. Norfolk is significantly further from Atlanta - Port Canaveral is actually closer.

 

Mobile wins pretty much everything on the I-65 corridor south of Louisville (Baltimore), but of course can't do short cruises to the east. If you ignore Baltimore, the cut point between Mobile and New Orleans falls somewhere in Chicago.

 

From Charlotte, Norfolk is only about a half-hour closer than Jacksonville. It's actually a tad less for the Knoxville area (and at that point, Baltimore is a very close third).

 

Norfolk wins when your start looking at Raleigh, Durham, and the Greensboro area, and of course Eastern Virginia.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Jacksonville gets the nod, at least seasonally. How Carnival plans to approach Alaska and Europe in 2024 might impact the decision.

The Spirit spent some time in Jax during a recent shuffle. Are the Spirit class ships shorter than the Sunshine class? 

53 minutes ago, Indytraveler83 said:

I really can't see Carnival "Sunshining" the Spirit class.  The most attractive thing about that class to Carnival, with the Fantasy class mostly cut up, is that they meet certain size requirements to go under various bridges and into places that other ships cannot go.  If you add much to them, it defeats that purpose.  

 

Various (totally non scientific) reports seem to suggest the least popular ships in the fleet are the Sunshine, Sunrise and Conquest, with both of the "Sun" ships being older than the Spirit class.  If Carnival is going to start cutting up more ships, I wouldn't be surprised to see them go after the Fantasy Class is done.

 

I think eventually Jacksonville will get a Spirit class once the Fantasy class is dead and gone, which will be sooner than later. 

I had been playing with the idea for a few months of taking a Carnival cruise, and one of those was on the Freedom. 

Do these events make anyone else have second thoughts about Carnival? Or do you think it would still be okay to sail?

5 hours ago, DebOinKC said:

I don't mean to hijack this thread...but is there any place to watch football on Sunday's? (Sailing in October)

A very important question! I don't know how often it happens or if it varies ship to ship but I've also seen photos of the Sunday night games being played by the pool. 

1 hour ago, mjschwammy said:

We just had a Grand Suite on the Magic a couple of weeks ago. It was our first time in this type of suite. Our biggest complaint(not really a complaint) was that there was so much storage, we forgot where we put things! LOL

Are your diamond shoes too tight? 

With the recent Carnival shuffling of ships, the ones out of Port Canaveral are the Freedom and Mardi Gras. The MG won't work (time and money), so what are some thoughts on the Freedom? Likes? Dislikes? What are the adult areas like? Food? Etc.

The itinerary I like is a 5 night Eastern Caribbean cruise to Amber Cove and Grand Turk. 

3 hours ago, mz-s said:

You're the second person I've read on here today that said the Sunshine is dirty/in poor repair. It's disappointing to hear because she just came out of a drydock in November.

 

Although I do think we'll disagree on the food, but I'll see on Monday when I embark for a 7-day cruise. I've never found Carnival's food to be lacking - and I don't expect any different next week.

 

The thing is the Sunshine is pretty much the best ship that Carnival can put in Charleston with their current agreement with the city.

At least they put the Sunshine there. For a while it was the Fantasy and Ecstasy, two of the oldest ships. The Fantasy doesn't exist anymore and I think the Ecstasy is on its way out. 

But yeah, there has always been opposition from the "old money" Charleston residents about having Carnival sail out of CHS. A lot of NIMBY's. Some of their complaints are valid, but a lot are them just being stubborn and trying to use their money/power to get what they want. 

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

There is a bridge to go under.  

I know. I mean that since there are limitations, the biggest ships that will be able to sail from Jacksonville must be the Spirit class ships. 

On 2/8/2022 at 9:32 AM, Bostwick girl said:

The problem in Jacksonville is not getting enough people to cruise from there, that’s not a problem. The problem is the ship has to be able to fit under the Dames Point Bridge, and the larger ships don’t fit. Interesting to go under the bridge on these smaller ships, looks like you can reach up and touch the bridge!

 

I guess the Spirit is the biggest class that can go there. 

If I were to cruise out of Miami, where are some of the best places to stay the night before? I would like to be reasonably close to the port, but I don't need anything fancy. A Hampton Inn or Courtyard-type hotel would be more than enough for just one night. I've never been to Miami so I'm very unfamiliar with the city. 

My guess is the Spirit goes to Tampa and the Paradise goes to Jacksonville. 

I'm not sure if Jax is enough of a draw for a bigger ship since they've always had Fantasy classes. 

2 hours ago, hawaiikat said:

Just did the Horizon and Magic (one day between cruises.).  The Horizon was better prepared and staffed than the Magic.  Crew members were more pro-active and helpful on the Horizon.  Food was good on both ships, but the Magic buffets with its "international" days was better.

 

We had Aft Balconies on both ships.  The Horizon cabin was all good.  The Magic cabin had a broken toilet seat which took 3 maintenance visits to get fixed correctly.  The AC in the Magic cabin was warm and they were never able to get it to cool down.

 

Our preference for CD was Donkey on the Horizon, over Gary on the Magic, but that's a personal choice.

 

Non Smoking Casino Annex on the Magic was good for non-smokers and the area had newer machines, but less action.  Horizon casino was more lively and stayed open later.

 

Port Canavarel was much easier and faster for embark and disembark.  But both ports had us on the ship in less than an hour.

 

You should do great with either ship.  Lots of fun to be had for everyone!

Thanks! I am probably going with the Magic!

11 hours ago, pogoism9 said:

If you are going to PC, sail on Mardi Gras

I'd love to, but kind of on a budget and Mardi Gras is a little bit more than I'd like to spend. Probably could swing it, but I'm leaning towards 6 night Eastern Caribbean on the Magic (Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, Amber Cove). Both for the price and the fact that flying is even more of a hassle with COVID

15 minutes ago, groundloop said:

 

Ehhhhh..... it's about an additional 3 hours of driving.  I'f you're driving, say, 8 hours to get to Port Canaveral I can certainly see where you wouldn't want to drive 11 hours to Miami.

 

AND I'll add that Port Canaveral is one of my favorite cruise ports.

It's not the drive down, but rather the drive back up. It's nine hours one way

Maybe the first time a Disney ship has ever been in Port Everglades?

Also the Wonder was my first cruise ever (4 night Bahamas from PC) so it's always been my favorite on Disney 

I really like the Horizon, but a cruise out of Miami would require a flight and I'm already on a budget. Or I could drive to Port Canaveral and cruise on the Magic. Two very similar itineraries, so that part is kind of a wash.

For those who have cruised both, is the Horizon worth the extra cost/time of having to fly? I would be new to Carnival, but not new to cruising.

One of Disney's largest ships does only 3 and 4 night and I know RCL has mega ships that only do short ones too. IMO, getting rid of the Fantasy class is long overdue. I've never been on one but they always kinda turned me off. I know there's a lot of sentimental value with them for a lot of people but at the end of the day Carnival has to be competitive and those small ships just aren't what most people want anymore. They want all the bells and whistles. 

1 hour ago, xDisconnections said:

Thanks for the support ❤️
 

No doubt though, I’ve had some great experiences on Fantasy class ships and it’s sad to see them go. With that, the memories will live on forever. I just think it’s time for Carnival to evaluate its fleet and future company vision and determine what it, as a company, wants to shoot for. Do they want to be a true competitor or do they want to be the cruise line with an outdated fleet hoping to skirt by on alcohol sales.
 

When I first saw the Mardi Gras, it impressed me and I felt different about the brand. That should be the image Carnival wants as we push through this pandemic and see a rebound for the cruise industry. Not a 30 year old cruise ship that has seen better days. The only negative, to me, is the temporary loss of available jobs but as we progress, new jobs will be made on newer ships. Carnival’s primary competitor took the stance of being an industry leader focusing on technology, innovation and revolutionary ideas to provide a memorable experience. That’s what they need to compete against and cheap cruise fares won’t cut it.

I think they are trying to catch up to Royal. They got rid of the flashy decor, and are now building mega-ships that RCL has had for quite some time. Plus it wouldn't surprise me if they are trying to distance themselves from the perception of Carnival being the line you go on to not be sober for three straight days and then come back to Florida. 

On 11/24/2019 at 4:37 PM, Saint Greg said:

 

I just came across this thread and I'm looking forward to reading! But I am a Panthers fan and so far I'm not enjoying this.

On 7/29/2020 at 6:05 PM, dezertcruzer said:

I am heartbroken, and I guess, naive.  When I heard the ships had been sold, I had no idea this is what it meant.  I assumed it meant they were going to another cruise line to be rebranded and give other cruisers happy times.  I am so shocked I don't even know what to say.

 

"This process involves bringing the ship out to sea, putting the engines full throttle ahead, and running the vessel on shore until she stops."   Such a sad, brutal concept....

Is that why there's so much smoke coming from the smoke stacks?

That ship is gonna be awesome when cruising returns. Where will it be sailing from?

Maybe for the drill in the future, the presentation is on your TV in the stateroom instead of at your station somewhere else on the ship. And to make sure you actually go, you could either have some check in feature on the ship's app or the cabin steward has to knock on your door and report you as present. 

I could more likely see them doing check in on the app though. Not only would it be easier but it forces people to download the app, which is exactly what Carnival and every cruise line wants you to do anyway. 

Just now, Jamman54 said:

Including the beer right? 😁

Of course! Beer for breakfast 😂

When I went on Norwegian, I got the drink package and it was so nice to not worry about a bill. I drink at home and so to me it's worth it to have a package. I'll most likely get the package for my next cruise. I know that Carnival has a limit unlike NCL, but 15/day seems like plenty if you space it out

3 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

The breakfast of champions! 

 

 

I like the Mexican eggs, sausage, ham, potatoes, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, hot sauce, on the jalapeno tortilla. 😎

 

This is exactly what I'd get