RjayB

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Do I think Carnival is still a great value for the money? Absolutely. Did we still have a great time? Absolutely. But you can not argue that many things have changed and not necessarily for the better. Most of us sincerely like the Carnival brand. It is just unfortunate it keeps getting watered down and that we are all so willing to keep accepting these downgrades and then feel the need to defend them while attacking those who speak out.

This post above reflects my feelings also. I have been a very loyal Carnival cruiser for 15 years, and will be sailing again in 4 weeks...but it might be my last on Carnival. We may try Princess next year and see how that goes.

I do not like how they consider the same category but on a higher deck to be an "upgrade" over an existing cabin.

In many cases it is really a downgrade if it is from a deck with just cabins above it to a deck with the galley/lido/theater/etc above!:eek:

I am very pro-interior stateroom and even I would have taken that offer. What a steal!

I don't understand...you mean you prefer interior over Oceanview or balcony? Or just that the money difference isn't worth it to you?

I cannot imagine a cruise with an inside cabin...

I would NEVER EVER book a guarantee, and here is why: While you aren't concerned with where they place you on the ship (forward, aft, midship) you SHOULD care where they place you in reference to certain areas of the ship. I have stayed under the galley once, and will never book there again! There are horror stories of being just above the casino band, disco, and other late-night loud venues.

Why would you risk your vacation over a few dollars which is a fraction of the amount you are already spending? Take the time to look at floor plans, and book a cabin that will allow you the down time you deserve! :)

Don't forget that suites (of any kind) will be 13.95 pp/per day :)

I haven't done Cheers (it doesn't make economic sense for me) but i thought even "doubles" were not allowed, much less a quintuple! :p

I'm a middle-namer too, and travel weekly for business.

It doesn't matter if you go by your middle name, a nick name, or "sir reginald fitzgerald the almighty," the only thing that maters on your travel documents (including S&S card) is your legal first name.

Which cabin did they give you? I hope it also a balcony? :)

We had a bad cabin on our 2nd cruise, so I am very careful and gladly pay extra to be in a better location!

I am glad to hear it is back, but sad that it is only on 8 night+ ...my work schedule doesn't really allow for more than 7 days off at a time anymore :(

Bitter and Blanc IS available. Certainly on 7 day cruises. Where do these false rumors come from?

No, it is not on the menu anymore unfortunately, and has not been for some time. :(

I prefer the menu from about 14 years ago before the cutbacks...but the new one is not that bad, just not as good.

And yes I prefer tablecloths also! The fact that it comes up so often in any American Table thread is proof that it is important :)

I would definitely not assume there will be appropriate seat belts for a booster seat. You cant go very far very fast in Grand Turk anyway....;)

I realize it is easier to just ask on this board, but really...this link is not hard to find on Carnival's site:

https://www.carnival.com/loyalty/benefits.aspx

You can take whichever one you want, regardless of the number of days in the cruise :p

We used to have a great PVP, and I think she arranged for us to have chocolate covered strawberries once...it was before we were platinum so pretty sure it was her. Unfortunately, she left and we had 3 bad PVPs in a row so now I just book on my own through the website. :)

I know some people swear by their TAs, and that is fine...but I like to have complete control over my booking so doing it myself works for me. :p

We stayed in 2315 on Breeze and loved it! I would hope that the experience would be similar in 2284 even though it is on the opposite side :)

Just to clarify something that was said, I am pretty sure Serenity is 21 and over, not 18. :)

The "southern" itineraries also have great beaches with clear water, but those might take more than 7 days.

I voted for Splendor based on the ports, but that is a personal preference as I have been to Coz and GC so many times. :)

For those who have not tried the steakhouse, if you leave hungry then it must take an awful lot of food to fill you up! :p

I can eat quite a bit, but after the steakhouse I always feel like i have had way too much. :)

To me, there is no way I would leave my cabin location up to chance...there are just way too many "bad" choices! :eek:

Thanks for the review! :)

FYI, while looking through the choices I noticed it was a better deal to put points directly to drinks rather than a generic OBC. $100 toward drinks is 10k points, but $100 OBC is 12,500 points.

No clue if a drink credit counts towards cheers...might be a good question for cheers people with the card :)

For both of you that were on this cruise, how was the embarkation?

What time did you arrive at the port? What time did you board? Did the staff have everything organized?

Thanks!:)