jwjax

41 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

I like the specificity of SbyS vs B2B: it clear delineates that one means you get off one ship and onto another, while the other implies that one stays on the same ship for both.

 

Regarding B2Bs and staying on board:

 

 

 

So, which is it?  Do you have to leave the ship for a B2B or not?  These two posts conflict.

We did a B2B and all met near the Casino and allowed to stay on the ship.   I think it depends on the ship and crew?   Of course, not all B2B's will be like this. 

2 hours ago, Retired_to_Cruise said:

No, the tower is a cellphone tower that does not belong to CCL and does not support wifi. You forgot to include your pictures of the "towers" that you claims are wifi towers. Let's see them.

Good to know!   So how does CCL communicate with the islands?  Walkie Talkie?😎

Look at your own pics..... you will see!   

I am not going to spend time sorting through thousands of pics, to make a point.  😎

23 minutes ago, Retired_to_Cruise said:

I have physically been to both places over the last two weeks, and there is no WIFI infra-structure either place. Show me your pictures. On half Moon Cay you will have a picture of one cellphone tower owned by a cellphone network, and that is it. It is not a wifi tower and there are not wifi towers anywhere on that island. 

If you say so?    They have international phone service and other satellite services...  So the towers are "just for show" ?

2 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

That's it, right there.  Royal does it on both Coco Cay and Labadee, and NCL does it on Great Stirrup Cay.  Carnival Corp chooses not to, similar to how NCL chooses not to on their other private island, Harvest Cay.  Heck, NCL doesn't even provide free food on Harvest Cay.  It has nothing to do with ability.  They do this by choice.

It's all about $$$$!     They can get more $$ by not allowing the network and prepaid options. 

On 5/5/2019 at 9:50 PM, Retired_to_Cruise said:

They do the same thing on Princess Cay. It also HAS NO WIFI INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE. I do not understand why people do not get this. Let me repeat, THERE IS NO WIFI INFRASTRUCTURE in place at either port. Get over it. 

And you know this because??   You are a CCL employee, or what?

I have pics of the towers etc. on "all" of the islands, I have been to, including Princess Cay!  
 

I guess the towers with xmitters/rec'rs are just for show?     If I owned CCL I would certainly use them!!   

Just smuggle it onboard......😎      No delivery charge and no up charge!    Or at least bring some wine......😎

10 minutes ago, crooooze said:

I really wish that annoying Hairy Chest contest would fade into history!!!

Me too....   Change it to big B___B___ contest.    You can fill in the blanks...... as you wish! 🙊  

On 5/1/2019 at 1:44 PM, stobe1 said:

They manage to charge your sail and sign account for drinks, so you would think they would be able to either see you have cheers on the island or once the data is transferred back to the ship, that they could credit your account for the drinks.

They can do it,  CCL chooses $$ over everything else.      And there is a network on HMC, CCL chooses to use the $$ (cash) method to collect more revenue on the islands they visit.   Just check for the wiring and sat dishes while in port.  You will see that unless it is a desert island  like "Gilligans" ,  they are all wired these days....😎

2 minutes ago, beachbum53 said:

 

If there is, I've never heard of it. I know that HMC was originally developed many years ago for Holland America (also owned by Carnival). We've never cruised on Holland America, so I don't know if they have something similar to the Cheers package and Bottomless Bubbles on their ships or not. If there is indeed a wireless system  set up on the island, I would think that Carnival's ships would be making use of it when going there.  And by the way, you cannot use Cheers or Bottomless Bubbles on Grand Turk either. 

Yes, there is a network setup on HMC.   CCL not using it??  Puzzling.... no $$$$ling.

I don't think I have seen any island, except maybe Gilligan's, that did not have a network setup.

1 hour ago, beachbum53 said:

Unfortunately, the Carnival Corporation has never set up a wireless system on HMC  to make it possible for your beverage purchases on the island to be recorded on the ship's computers. So, as stobe1 already said,  "No. Drinks on HMC are pay as you go."

I am pretty sure there is a wireless system setup on HMC.....Whether or not CCL can use it??   Anyway,  so many other islands have systems setup for recording drinks.....so why not HMC??   $$$$$$

If you say so, but I have never seen a cruise bill for less than $2K, unless you book the dudgeon?

15 hours ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

I don't know how much, I can tell you that we both have come home with more money we left with, so, its not all about getting these offers because we lost, maybe we getting these offers because many times we won and they want their money back lol.

 

No way does he spend even 3k on a cruise no way, I believe he always brings 2k but always comes back with money.

Where do I deposit my $$$$ for one of these "free" casino cruises?

Oh.....I got it.... in the casino!!😊

Just my kind of humor!!    "Free...Free....Free....Free!!!   

Has anyone ever had a "totally free" cruise???   Except on your motorboat!😎

29 minutes ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

Well, quite honestly, a comp cruise is great, because you do not have to pay for two people in the cabin....our upcoming cruise on the Breeze the actual cost for two people in a cove balcony would be $2615 so that is comp, free.  Depending upon which casino offer you have also gives you other benefits.

 

There are a number of casino offers

 

Dealers Choice generally gives my other half a discounted priced cabin, 1k in casino cash and they give you a list of cruises that offer this program

 

Exclusive casino rates gives you a very inexpensive cost for your cabin plus 500-1k casino cash, priority boarding

 

Premier Cruises give a free interior cabin we upgraded to the cove balcony for just $220,  my other half will get $500 cash and we both get gifts in our cabin each night (champagne, wine, chocolate covered strawberries, beach towel, lanyards, tumblers, cookies, etc). we also get other things such as dinner at the steakhouse and tournaments and drawings for cash prizes plus spa treatments, shipboard credit, etc.  We also both get the drinks on us car and invitation to cocktail parties.

 

Ultra Cruises give what the premier cruise gives but give you a balcony cabin comp, free shore excursion, priority boarding, comp parking at the port or a private car service to and from the airport.

 

Supposedly they added for the premier cruises a comp gift and a goodbye gift and priority debarkation.

 

So it is worth getting these offers because on my next cruise I only had to pay the taxes fees and upgrade to the cove balcony and only cost us $600.

 

I wish they did give us a discount to the cheers package, the drinks on us card is only to be used in the casino, and when your docked at ports the casino is closed so we still have to pay for the drink package, and most of the nights at the steakhouse and the internet package, but heck, we saved $2k!

Hmmm.......     and how much $$ does it cost to qualify for a "Premier/Ultra/Casino cruise thingy???    I would love a "free cruise"  but not one for $6000!  

I must be missing the point here???   Is there even a point??

On 4/28/2019 at 2:20 PM, Cruisegirl6 said:

Jwjax- I have paid for 81 out of my soon to be 92nd cruise.  When I get a comp cruise, its not free, I still have to pay for dining at the steakhouse every night and for the drink and internet package and all the extra tips we give to the bartenders, so when I say a free cruise, it just means the cabin is comp.  They certainly are no secret at all.

 

I was thinking a comp'd cruise was pretty much free?      So, all the noise about it being "free" is just noise.     The cabin is free....everything else, you still pay for....dearly!😎

1 hour ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

Premier cruises is a separate program run thru the casinos. It is designed to “reward” passengers who spend a lot of time in the casinos. If you don’t gamble too often or never gamble at all, you will never receive any kind of casino offer(s). However, I have never heard anyone use the term regular cruiser for a non gambler. 

Huh??

17 hours ago, klfrodo said:

That’s ironic.

Posting a police post about post police 🤣

Policing posts about post police is a police post thing to post!!!

And now back to your previous station.......   😎

5 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

You don't become a Premier Cruiser.  People who frequent the casino get offers from the casino to go on cruises that are called Premier that just offer additional casino activities. 

So....  If I gamble enough, I become a "Premier Cruiser" ?    I do gamble a bit, but not enough to pay for a cruise!   So what are we?   "Regular Cruisers" ??😎 

SO, how does one become a "Premier" Cruiser?   I have cruised since 1995, mostly on CCL, but no "Premier" offers on my door or mailbox??

How much do "comp'd" cruises actually cost?   I keep reading about them, but find no really useful info?

Are they secret?    I don't really care just curious?   I pay for my cruises!😎

19 hours ago, coevan said:

why did you post this twice?

+

The post police!!!!   Oh My!!!

14 hours ago, Joebucks said:

Amazing that so many people base their vacation around fees/alcohol and would miss out on HMC because of this.

 

 

You can most certainly put a network there, and one day, they will. Even if they have to use crappy satellite network. Isn't there already something there? Don't they already charge your S&S card?

 

They could easily profit by adding Cheers to HMC. HMC doesn't even have that many expensive drinks. Plus, they could charge a few more dollars for cheers if demand is that much higher. They need to get rid of fixed Cheers pricing. A 4 day Cheers with HMC should cost more per day than a 7 day.

There is already a network there! It is CCL choosing not to use it to get more $$!

On 4/14/2019 at 9:35 PM, Retired_to_Cruise said:

Every one of Carnival Corporation's Cruise Lines has a different computer approach and they are not all the same S&S card approach.. They are separate companies within the parent company that were purchased at different times, and there is really no reason to spend the kind of money necessary to put them all on exactly the same system. Carnival Cruise Lines uses HMC when it is available and does not seem inclined to build an IT infrastructure there for the limited times they use the port. 

Again....hmmmm.....    A wireless xmitter/rec'r  is chump change to Carnival. 

The post above about getting more $$ on the islands without it, is the reason!  

I still can't fathom a large corp like CCL not combining their IT staff and using a single solution for all ports (when feasible).   It reduces duplicated efforts to achieve the same thing?

6 hours ago, ShakyBeef said:

According to my IT expert / company owner DH, it is certainly possible to put a functioning network in place for this.  It would cost at least $20,000 to $40,000 to do it properly.  But why would Carnival spend that money, just so that they could lose more money on all those drinks being purchased (that would otherwise be covered by Cheers!) on the island?  It makes no $en$e for them to do so.🤑

There is already a network on the island ( and other islands), and it works for other ships.....   But for CCL, it is a $$ thing.   A $20 network would work fine,  if Carnival chose to actually use it!😎

On 4/12/2019 at 9:29 AM, Retired_to_Cruise said:

Think about the number of individual transactions that would be processed per hour on HMC when a Carnival ship is there. Each transaction would have to get back to the ships system to check if this was a Cheers transaction and then send validation back to the terminal on the island and allow the transaction  to be completed and then send the completed transaction back to the ships S&S system  Having been in IT for 30+ years, I know that your $20 wifi widget wouldn't be able to handle  anything like the kind of volume that happens on HMC. By the fact that you stated that you had no idea what I was talking about clearly shows that you probably have no idea what you are talking about

Hmmm....   Other islands and I think even HMC have systems setup to use the S&S cards.   It is Carnival that is not using them for some reason?   Oh???  Yes !    $$$$$