ballarinamom

The point being, someone said they will tip 20@ of the cruise price- the discounted price. The reminder is that you do not tip in a restaurant on the bill AFTER discount. So if they are going to tip 20% of heir cruise rate, make sure its not the discount and where kids cruise free.

I agree. I think the shorter Carnival cruises tend to turn into booze cruises with the free drink package offers. I was just curious as the one comment said they were looking at other cruise lines but not Carnival.

Im curious as to why not Carnival? We've cruised on various lines for years. Or last cruise was Carnival. and it seems they have more/better free food options. more extended food options. Their app is amazing and MTD is actually that- you click on the app and they notify you when your table is ready. They have plenty of space in the dinning rooms for separate tables for two. he food was quality and variety in the MDR was very good but the price was good enough that he could pay for premium dining and still have money left over from the price of what we are paying for our next Royal cruise. And the clientele is beginning to look the same on both lines. So im just curios as to why so adamite about no Carnival? No trying to be rude, truly curious for your feedback.

Exactly. Look at the whole, total cost and see if it works for you. If not, wait for a sale or change plans. But you cant expect the cruise lines to add perks and refurbs without trying to make the money up somewhere. I live in San Antonio, Texas where chips and salsa used to be free at Mexican restaurants. Many now charge. Some places charge for bread or have stopped bringing it out. Things are getting expensive and if they can save from one area, they will do it. And keeping wages down on a cruise keeps the cruise line going. They are all in major debt after the shut down.

Ive been on this board for a long time. The fuel charges were noting like the DAILY gratuities debates. And the taxes, not necessarily port charges, do go up and affect everyone the same. Yet there's no outrage when the taxes and port charges can cost the same amount, sometimes more, than the actual cruise price

Then the threads will start about where have all the cheap cruises gone! LOL

Maybe they should not able to be removed is my point. For those who complain, why aren't they complaining about taxes and port costs? And for those who only want to pay 20% on a $200 sales price need to remember thats not the actually price but rather the "cost". It may seem like services arent affected with the labor issues but we dont see whats going on in the back ground. And by having two daily services, the attendants get less breaks. We visit with our attendants quite a bit and have learned they dont work 8 hour days. They dont get days off, just hours off. And their time off doesn't come in huge chunks. A few hours here and a few hours there. For the hours worked vs the money paid, its very little. I realize its more than they would make back home. But they are also isolated and away from family for months at a time and live in very cramped quarters

Has anyone noticed there are never any threads when taxes and port fees are increased? People probably never notice and never ask how to have them removed. Yet they are an addition to the cruise fare. I see the service charges in the same boat as taxes. Only I dont have to have them paid off 60 days prior to sailing. And people who say they will only tip 20% of the cruise fare, remember, you should tip on the retail/rack rate and not the sale price. When you go to a restaurant, you tip on the amount before the coupon is applied

Same. On our July Carnival cruise, we had daily towel animals even with the once a day service.

The first one we ever did was on the Monarch a long time ago! Unfortunately, we shipwrecked that same night and had to abandon ship in St Martin! LOL! NCL has one every night in a smaller bar and Carnival will do it on the first night in the Alchemy Bar. Was really hoping for one for this cruise as its a fun way to wrap up an evening. Thanks!

No offense but that's not what I asked. When they have "martini tastings" Its usually at a set time and a lot of fun. Bartenders will do tricks and usually a list of 10+ specialties. I know I can ask for any martini. But many cruise lines/ ships have specific martini bars or tastings that offer flights and I was curious If the Explorer had one. bartenders cant just make up 5 mini martinis and I dont want five full size ones for tastings. And I doubt those around us want to wait whole we sample.

Absolutely yes on the horizon part. I can get queasy in cars if I'm reading a book or looking down for long periods of time. Looking up at the horizon and taking a few deep breaths always helps. Ginger products, green apples and fresh limes can help settle your stomach naturally

we just took a Carnival cruise this summer and they were once a day. We actually preferred it and had a choice of morning or evening. We chose morning so we never had to worry about coming in after an evening activity and them being in there. We had everything we needed. Our steward had more rooms to attend to. Something to keep in mind, as these ships get bigger and bigger, less staff means more room for customer cabins and amenities around the ship. It also helps with immigration delay issues the lines are experiencing

We love trying new drinks and have enjoyed martini tastings on various ships and cruise lines. Usually you get a small version of several flavors and get to pick your favorite for a larger size. We have the drink package so we could try different flavors in the larger versions but would prefer to be able to walk out on our own! LOL! And recommendations for us on the Explorer?

We have done this a few times and they never question. Keep in mind onboard charges are tied to the Seapass which is also the room key. Their photo pops up for charges and boarding the ship in ports

We're on the Explorer in January. Got it for $18.99 a day. We were going to do two internet packages anyway so its a good deal for the two of us

Years ago, we did enjoy meeting and chatting with new people. As we are getting older, more tired, we just want to relax. A table for 4 would be ok but not ideal. We just dont want a table for 10 on embarkation day. Thank you for your response

This actually is not small stuff to us. I dont mean to sound rude, but we spend 40+ hours a week talking to 100s customers and clients each week. We would like to start our vacation by talking to EACH OTHER. If we have to spend the time at a table for 10, I would rather go straight to the WJ with our early boarding time and fins a small table and visit with my spouse. What may seem small to you is huge for us. We just want a break from small talk and thats whats great about a cruise. We can find ways to make it what we want. And a huge table of strangers isnt it. We have taken our share of cruises sitting at large tables and we prefer small ones.

First time getting the key. We have cruised many times and used to enjoy the large tables. But we are both in sales where we talk to so many clients/customers daily and now we just want to relax and decompress. That being said, at the Embarkation Lunch with the Key is there a possibility of a table for two? I know we want feel like socializing after traveling and boarding TIA

As the majority of people travel with at least one travel partner, a cruise is still the most bang for your buck. If you chose to travel alone then of course there are expenses that would normally be a shared cost that is solely on the person traveling. Thats the way a lot of things in life work. Technically these are not "imitation Lobster" as they are in that family classification. But as you stated, its your choose to not have it if you dont like it. When you break down the price of a basic cruise with no add ons, a reduced menu in the MDR seems on par. As for "skimpy" I have eaten at various restaurants around the world that offer one or two choices daily based on freshness, availability and chef's mood. Those have been my absolute favorite meals. Michelin stars have been awarded to food windows offering only two items. The "skimpy" doesnt bother me as long as the choices are good.

Agreed! Especially if you can drive to your port. You can drive to a ship and go to far away islands, be fed, entertained and sleep while others clean and cook for you. We vacation in various modes of travel. Cruising is still the bang for your buck. You can spend as much as you like or save where you can to make it fit your budget. I think we take a lot for granted

Do you call it in or use the door hanger?

We've done this before too. Do you order the night before as a backup wakeup call? If so do you leave the door hanger or call it in before bedtime?

I have no problem with it. Our last few cruises were with Carnival and NCL and just wanted to make sure I understood it correctly. Carnival was the same

Great! Thank you!