CruizinSusan70

Don't really care about free brewed coffee. My DH drinks iced espresso from the IC and the buffet location. I already gave you reasons why WE think the Plus package is a great value. In general, those that imbibe usually get the package and those that don't, don't get it. There are exceptions, but the line in the sand is usually whether you're a teetotaler or not. The name brands available on Princess are satisfactory to us especially since all of the nighttime menu items are included with the Plus package at Good Spirits at Sea.

Then you just need to go to the buffet to get your pizza.🍕

This should only come into play if the person is traveling solo. Otherwise their cabinmate can procure food for them.

Pizza is the one thing that MSC does well. They usually only have three choices available, but we thought it was the second best pizza at sea, behind Alfredo's on Princess. Followed by Carnival, NCL, X, RCI.

NCL has solo cabins on their Breakaway, Breakaway Plus and Prima Class ships. RCI has them on their newer builds, Celebrity also has them on their newer builds and finally Virgin Voyages.

It is kind of easy to do. Do you really need to have room service? I did it twice on a cruise back in the 80's and have not done it since. Do you really need to have a drink delivered to you? You can just walk up to a bar, and this would be infrequent anyway since you don't have a drinks package. The only change that really hurts the basic fare cruiser is the charge at Alfredo's and this can be circumvented by eating the inferior pizza at Slice.

So, now we know who lusts after starboard.

After factoring out the 16.00 for gratuities, the remaining 44.00 a day for the drinks package is the cheapest amongst the main stream cruise lines. And that includes Celebrity, HAL, Carnival, NCL, MSC and RCI. Virgin and Disney do not have drink packages. That covers all 9 US based main stream lines. And I'm not even including wifi, if that is factored in, then the drinks package is even cheaper. And if you're referring to the quality of the alcohol, Vodkas are Grey Goose and Absolute Elyx, Gins are Aviation and Tangueray 10, Rum is Pyrat XO, Scotch is Glenmorangie, Tequila is Patron Anejo, Bourbon is Blantons and Gentleman Jack. Not a cheap one in the bunch and all covered under the Plus package.

Things that make you go hmmm. Do you possibly think that the powers that be want to cut out some of the base fare only cruisers that don't spend a dime on board to make room for the families that will enjoy the new amenities on the top deck of the Sphere Class ships?

Havana interior, in a heartbeat. You can relax in the Havana area and treat it like a balcony since it's rarely crowded. You have the bar, hot tubs, pool and tiki huts there. Many more options than 40 sq ft of balcony space.

I made my statement regarding the Excel Class because the Excel Class are the first ships that compare to the newer builds on NCL or RCI, Carnival' s main competitors. I've sailed on NCL 8 times and RCI 7 times so I have first hand experience comparing the various lines and what they offer. Have also sailed on every class of ship Carnival has. We have 4 future cruises on the Celebration as well as a 10 day on the Venezia over the next 10 months. Many cruisers that have only sailed on Carnival don't like the Excel Class because they get overwhelmed by the size of the ship or the 6000 on board. This is great because that will keep the older ships in the fleet full which is a good thing for the Corporation. Some people like vanilla and others like chocolate. As to the MSC Seaside, be prepared for a European skewed affair. The ship is nice and glitzy and has the wow factor with the crystals in their staircases.

The capacity at Slice is only limited by the seating capacity on the entire Lido deck.

I'll be on six different cruise lines this year, so I've already found other ones to cruise on besides Carnival. And if the epitome of someone's cruise is to consume 15 beers on Cheers and try to finagle other ways to consume more, then they should really choose another way of vacationing. The mentality that goes into the need to drink over 15 beers over the course of a day could possibly run hand in hand with the proclivity of fighting that occurs on some Carnival cruises. If someone needs more than 15 drinks per day, they can cruise on MSC, NCL or RCI, since none of them have a 15 drink maximum policy.

Glad to hear that you have me best by 3 years since my first was on the Jubilee in July of 86. Those cruisers that cancelled before final payment were smart to do so in my opinion since the prices that Carnival were charging were highway robbery compared to a normal cruise. Carnival is the gateway cruise line for many, primarily because of their rock bottom prices. The bean counters decided to inflate the price because of the unique itinerary it provided compared to where Carnival normally cruises. Unique and different out of the way ports are never synonymous with CCL.

Unfortunately the Havana area was an after thought by the powers that be with regards to the Excel Class. On the Vista Class, it was deck 5 aft, with a great view and many amenities and a good sized area. On the Excel Class, it was relegated to the starboard side of deck 8, with a much smaller footprint, fewer amenities and a postage stamp sized pool. It seems like Carnival was more concerned with the Excel Suites and the Loft 19 area than they were with the Havana area.

Go to eat sleep cruise.com. They have a 2023 list of every bar menu on the Majestic

In a minute on the Vista Class, only you can decide on the Excel Class.

The Excel Class has four pools. Two up on deck 16, one on the aft of 8 and the 4th one in Serenity.

Great call regarding RCI and their pizza survey right after Alfredo-gate on Princess. They did it as a jab towards Princess and no question they see Princess as competition in the future because of the family oriented sections on the top deck of the Sphere Class. With the grandparents sometimes paying for a multigenerational cruise, the Sphere Class could be seen as a replacement to some of the RCI ships since the people paying for the cruise would enjoy Princess.

Go ahead and do a comparison on a handful of sailings. I'm pretty spot on with my assumption. I just did a quick comparison in order to prove my point. A sailing in October of 2024 on the Horizon, the difference was 580. In June of 2024, the difference was 850. These were each 8 night sailings. We've cruised in the Havana area twice prior to the shutdown, so we're familiar with the pricing.

The only area of comparison is when you go into the general pop area on MSC. There is nothing on Carnival that can be compared to the Yacht Club. If you're apprehensive these days about Carnival, cruise on one of the three Excel Class ships. Totally different from the rest of the fleet and very comparable to the newer builds of NCL and RCI.

Sorry to hear that. Just trying to inject some humor to counterbalance a bit of the negativity that is prevalent on the boards.

The best line for solos would be NCL, since they have an entire section on their breakaway, breakaway plus and prima class ships specifically for solos. The newer builds on Celebrity and RCI also have solo cabins, even some with balconies.

Those that have the blinders on and primarily cruise on Princess don't realize that all of the main stream cruise lines are doing different things with cutting back services in order to save money to make up for the billions bled because of the stoppage. We have also sailed on the same four lines that you did as well as the new Excel Class of Carnival. If anybody is seriously thinking about leaving Princess because of the nonsense they are doing, peruse the boards of whatever line you're contemplating, you'll get an education.

One shareholder OBC would be more beneficial. You'd get 250 for 14 days, but only 200 if booked separately (100 x each 7 day leg)