Retiredmedic

1 minute ago, The Shrike said:

I've been on CCL twice, one a seven-day, one a four-day booze cruise.  If you've only ever done the short booze cruises with CCL then the main difference is that on NCL you'll hardly see anyone vomiting in public places.  🤮😝😀

Only 4 day I have done was to Cozumel and back and it was a pretty tame cruise. 

I have 9 cruises on CCL and my girlfriend has 6 cruises on CCL. Have a cruise on NCL booked May 2023 on the Escape going to Puerto Plata, St Thomas, Tortola and GCS. I am sure there are some on here that have cruised both lines and can tell me the difference between the two lines. 

1 hour ago, 1025cruise said:

Unfortunately, its a combination of supply issues (they can't get the shells) and staffing issues (can't get the visas). Hopefully its only temporary.

Chef's unable to make taco shells on the ship?  Just need a corn tortilla and a fryer. I'm pretty sure they have deep fryers in the kitchens.

1 hour ago, klfrodo said:

Hopefully not for a while.

The Sars Cov 2 virus is still kicking the world in the butt. Once we get a better handle on the spread of the virus, I feel it's best to limit the unvaxed in social environments.

Most of Europe are lifting their testing and vaccine requirements. Italy which locked down the hardest just lifted theirs. It's out of pandemic and into endemic. It is never ever ever going away.

16 minutes ago, Purvis1231 said:

Is there much difference in Pepsi and coke especially when putting booze in it? 

Yes, very much so.

27 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

If you have the drink package why settle for a rum and coke? Order any of the concoctions that are offered at any of the bars (each bar has a slightly different menu). Try different drinks that you wouldn't ordinarily try because you don't want to spend money on something you may not like. That's one of the benefits of the package- if you don't like it you can order something else after 5 minutes (and if you bring the drink back and just tell the bartender you don't like it they may waive that). 

Because Rum and Coke is a traditional drink.

Rum and Pepsi is just gross and nasty. Rum is my favorite alcohol. I did find the Cuban Ice Teas in the Havana Bar very good. Tell em to hold the Pepsi.

16 minutes ago, skrufy said:

Go to the Alchemy Bar. The bartender can give you suggestions or mix up your own special drink. If you like martinis it's the place to go.

Must vary ship to ship, in March on the Vista I went to the Alchemy bar and asked for a Martinez, he just pointed at the QR code to scan for the menu and told only what's on the menu. Many people walked away from the Alchemy bar because would not make any drinks to order, menu only.

On 5/26/2022 at 6:43 PM, kona_wahine said:

We finally went on NCL, first time on another line other then Carnival. Food was far superior, the ship was gorgeous. We also paid 4x as much…..

We booked a NCL for 2023, 7 day, balcony room, drink package and 4 nights upgrade dining for the same price as our 7 day Vista cruise with the cheers package and no paid dining.

We test at home with an online proctor, since we cruise 2-3 times a year buy the six pack of test and get 3 cruises out it. On the medication it might vary from country to country. I know DEA rules if you have a scheduled narcotic it should be in bottle in prescription information. It's not hard to link reservations with the HUB app. Search for a recent thread on the Art at the table. Seems most said it was not worth the money. 

28 minutes ago, jetsfan58 said:

Carnival remains the number one Cruise brand in the World for a reason; they always provide a great value and entertainment for your hard earned dollars. I have been a Carnival loyalist for many years, have seen all of the negative rhetoric, have and am still recruiting new cruisers and have attempted to align all of us Carnival Cruise Nuts via these readings.   

 

Let the masses talk and out of respect I will listen. I will still continue to enjoy my Carnival cruises. 

I've seen better production of shows in my kids middle schools than I do on a Carnival ship.

They are sailing at full capacity and have for awhile now.

Cruise Ship Passengers Sick as Mysterious 'Chemical Smell' Reported (newsweek.com)

Carnival cruise ship that left Florida catches fire while docked in Grand Turk | WFLA

3 hours ago, stingray310 said:

This reminds me of a picture of a vessel I saw on my cruise in March, I know it's not a very good picture, but it kind of looked like it may have been military but I wasn't for sure. It seemed like it was possibly being towed by another smaller boat that was out of the picture to the left. Does anybody have any idea what this could be?

 

If there was a type of tub either pulling it or pushing it is most likely a lightering barge. 

What ever class of ship that has the Havana Bar so I can get my Cuban Ice Teas.

That is used to transport the men's department of U.S. Navy aka U.S. Marine Corps.

Just now, SgtFalstaff said:

 

Please do if you can! We are on the week after you, and while I can have a good time regardless some of the others in our group are getting nervous. 

Was on the Vista in March of this year, we made every port but was an hour late getting back to Galveston, once back it took them another hour and half to start debarking and it was 11 am before we got off the ship.

Probably depends on the port, my two cruises in Oct 21 and March 22 out of Galveston I was able to bring 16 ounce Monster Energy drinks on.

17 hours ago, Green4me said:

The octopus looks delicious 🙂 we get it grilled often.  Years ago, like 30 I was on a three week trip for business in Japan, out of the tourist areas.  We hit the Sake and beers with a customer one night and the fried grasshoppers came out in a big bowl, actually they were tasty.    Love escargot, take or leave the frog legs.   Love to have choices

 

 

Ate grasshoppers in SERE training, they weren't fried though, we ate them raw.

21 minutes ago, BallFour4 said:

We've seen an entire family put ashore in Jamaica, and they were still talking trash. This was on Royal Caribbean.
 Interesting to watch the webcams here in Galveston when the ships return. The deck zero gangway often has a couple or more escorted to the awaiting police cruiser with newly acquired handcuffs.
 "Went on vacation, wound up on probation..."

.

Don't cruise with open Felony warrants. Have LEO friends in Galveston, names get ran, you pop up with a warrant and off you go.

18 minutes ago, icft said:

I have rarely seen anyone threaten to leave Carnival. The fact a couple of people have done so does not mean everyone who says anything negative is threatening to leave.

 

But you sure skewered that straw man 😆

I've been on the internet since the early days of dial up modems. Seen a plethora of strawmen set and burned. My opinion is Carnival is product, to me a mediocre  product at that. Not the best, not the worst. Some just can not stand when not everyone shares their view.

49 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

You obviously never ate the Tomahawk Pork Chop at Cucina on the Horizon.  Best value in the fleet.

Never been on the Horizon as I live 20 minutes from the port of Galveston. Adding more money to cost of travel and extra days of time off for girlfriend just to cruise the Horizon?

37 minutes ago, Drazil65 said:

 I truly don't think we will ever see pre-Covid Carnival again.

 

LOL...manage expectations, covid has changed our world (like it or not) and it is pointless to wish and hope for pre covid anything at this point.  CCL and current cruising is just another byproduct of the virus which is still in charge for the most part.  At least CCL is offering some comp for current reservations as they could just refund and move on. 

 

This does not affect our cruise experience at all as we are not big fans of Italian food to begin with so no loss if they never bring it back truthfully.  

 

Expecations for Carnival are fairly low anyway, how much lower should we lower them?

24 minutes ago, ray98 said:

Oh great....here come the Italian food experts to tell us how closing the restaurant is a benefit.

Not saying it's a benefit, but it is not a great loss either.