AQW

Waving in your direction from a few miles away in Inglewood! Enjoy our lovely weather and have a fantastic vacation. 

12 hours ago, MisterOJ2 said:

Also.. this is going to be our first trip on a Spirit class ship. I've always seen that those are popular with a lot of people. If you like that particular class more than others, I'd love to hear what it is about it you enjoy.

I've never sailed at Christmas time, but my love for Spirit-class ships is limitless. I'd choose one of those four lovely ladies over any other ship in the fleet, 10 times out of 10. Not only do they have my beloved bowling alley balcony cabins, but the layout of the ships is excellent. I love being able to walk all the way around the ship on deck 3, I love the plethora of little sitting areas tucked away in various corners, I love the not-too-big, not-too-small size and the way they never feel crowded. Big fan.

3 hours ago, Cruisin 4 Ever said:

I wonder what if required means. Regardless that sounds very easy. I was afraid I'd somehow have to get to a Walgreens and back in a couple hours  

Per current Carnival policy/guidance, requiring tests between B2B cruises is at the discretion of the ship's doctor. From what I've seen recently, very few (if any?) ships are currently requiring testing between B2B.

My teen was able to participate in his synchronous college class via Zoom while on the Miracle last month with no trouble at all, using the ship's premium-level wifi. The big caveat is we were anchored in Catalina at the time.

On 5/13/2022 at 9:53 AM, crooooze said:

LOL - how many other people googled the video like me?

I didn't have to; it's my all-time favorite song and I've seen the video eleventy-billion times. 🤣

Every little thing is, indeed, gonna be all right. ♥️ Have a wonderful time!

12 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

That might be the cabin/cruise I cancelled.

Then I'll drink a toast to you from the balcony as we set sail!

I'm sure I'm not alone in historically mixing up Inspiration/Imagination, both of which were sailing the same 3- and 4-night Baja itineraries from Long Beach (pre-pandemic). 

My $550 solo bowling alley balcony for the 12-night Europe sailing was not a casino deal (I've never gambled in a Carnival casino). It was the Alaska/Europe VIFP deal from last month. I booked Alaska at a great rate too (6 nights, 2 people, bowling alley balcony, $875 with $200 OBC) but I don't think I'll ever beat that Europe deal. 

I'm sailing solo on a 12-night Scandinavian/Baltic cruise, in an 8K extended "bowling alley" balcony, for $550. 

The taxes, fees, and port charges ($290) were more than the cruise fare ($260).

Man, the ONE DAY that I don't go on Cruise Critic because I'm trying to focus and get work done... and I miss this.

Moral of the story: Work bad. Cruise good.

On 5/3/2022 at 4:19 PM, icft said:

Is this anytime dining problem something new and wide spread? We have sailed five times since reopening and I can understand that our earlier cruises might have missed the problem not being at capacity. But our early April cruise was pretty full. We have never had a problem with long waits.

 

Also, just what is the problem? Are people putting in their reservation request and immediately going to the dining room and having to wait? We always put in our request and continue doing what we are doing until we get the notification our table is ready. That is one of the things we like about the hub app, no standing around waiting.

 

So I'm just trying to understand this new problem that has suddenly become a topic of discussion. Any help appreciated.

Our problem with YTD recently was the app saying our wait would be "less than 10 minutes" and then the actual wait was 45+ minutes. I understand it's not an exact science, but the actual wait should not be 4-5 times the projected wait. 

Now that's a resource I would love to see... a comprehensive list of all cabins that have balcony loungers on each ship in the Carnival fleet. 😍

10 hours ago, ledges1 said:

Has anyone noticed that the thin plastic wrapper that is shrink wrapped on the S&S card is coming off the card during the cruise. My wife and I had to replace or cards due the plastic film coming off. Maybe I slid it through the coin pusher in the casino to many times.

On our Miracle B2B last month we had to get my companion's card replaced three times in nine days, and mine once. 

On 5/3/2022 at 12:26 PM, Pmb0526 said:

We recently booked a 4 day and 3 day back to back.  If I am reading things correctly we will be required to take a Covid test for the second leg of the cruise. Seems very strange given it only 7 total days. Any suggestions on best way to get the second test without costing several hundred dollars - there are 5 of us?  I cant wait for all of this to return to normal. 

*If* the test is required, Carnival will arrange it for you. (Things do change often, so the details here may not be relevant when you sail.) On our Miracle B2B last month, we got a letter in our cabin telling us to report to the comedy lounge on the second-to-last day of our first cruise, sometime between 9:00-11:00am. We showed up, they found our names on a list, and directed us to the front of the lounge where a makeshift testing area was set up. Less than five minutes later, we were called to step forward, they swabbed us, and less than 10 minutes after that we were given the green light and handed certificates saying our tests were negative. No fuss, no muss, no hassle, and no cost. 

2 hours ago, Abr155 said:

Don't mean to hijack this post BUT, so many here received upgrade offers.  Just curious, how many Carnival sailings have you sailed?  Just wondering if it's something typically reserved for repeat, loyal guests.  

29 Carnival cruises and I've received two upsell offers, both 8+ years ago, both bad enough that I didn't even consider accepting either one.

2 hours ago, cruisin*tigger said:

and then you look at the picture which has a three-sided cabana. 😂

That was my thought too! Do we get x-ray glasses to look through the back wall for that 360° view? 

On 4/27/2022 at 8:27 AM, wanderlust0713 said:

Is there an onboard spa service you absolutely love and feel like it’s worth the money? I’m going on my first solo cruise and I’m wanting to do a spa service. 

I was planning to ask this *exact* question, all the way down to the first-solo-cruise detail. Following along!

I just ordered water yesterday for a June cruise. Click on Manage My Cruise, then enter "water" in the search box on the top left. 

9 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

We paid to get our granddaughter's passport for our cruise. I felt comfortable taking my own kids out of the country with just their birth certs, but someone else's kid is a different matter. 

We've brought our kids' friends along on several cruises and that was always my policy -- no passport, no cruise. I required each friend to have a valid passport and a notarized letter from their parents outlining the trip and stating we could act in loco parentis as needed. We were never asked for any documentation, but I wouldn't dream of traveling without it. 

4 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

I mean, don’t get me wrong, it was tasty and quickly slurped right on into soupblivion. But I’m apparently a VERY literal creature and I didn’t see any mention of soup on the menu and so soup never occurred to me. 

I had the *exact* same experience on our Miracle B2B last month. I mused aloud about yummy roasted broccoli covered in gooey cheese... then when they set that bowl of soup in front of me, my 16yo and I looked at each other and busted out laughing! 

2 hours ago, Out of Iowa said:

We have frequently done 2 parents + 2 college-aged "adult kids" in an inside without any difficulty.  I learned here to choose a location with ready-access to public restrooms (outside the main theatre) and/or handy to the gym showers which makes it even easier when getting ready for dinner, etc.  We do not spend much time in the cabin, except to sleep. 

 

This has worked for us  on 7-12 night voyages - and it does for others, too. 

Same here... we've sailed with four in a cabin on cruises from 2 nights to 15 nights and wouldn't hesitate to do so again. A little organization goes a looooong way toward making life easier! 

Our first NCL cruise will be July 2023, Encore to Alaska. We know nothing about the cabin categories on NCL, and are trying to determine what our options are for a cabin that has at least one balcony lounger. Info and tips would be appreciated, thank you!

I only attended one production show on our Miracle B2B last month, the 80's pop show. Due to technical difficulties they were not able to put on the regular show, so the performers sat on tall stools in a line on the stage and sang together, with featured performers stepping forward for their solos. No dancing. 

Clearly the overall effect suffered from this situation--I'm sure that costumes and dancing would have helped to mask how subpar some of the performers were. The male lead in particular was... struggling. On the flip side, both the secondary male lead and secondary female lead were quite good.

Hopefully you will be able to see the shows as they are intended; should be a fun experience.

1 hour ago, TravelBluebird said:

I realize that the fitness I gained will help THIS recovery and for that I am grateful, but I also know that not being able to continue being so active will set me back overall, just when I was feeling so body-competent. So, yes, I am maintaining my positive attitude, but I figured you all would want to know what I am struggling with. 

 THIS BOLDED PART RIGHT HERE. Every single step, every single Zumba class, every single yoga pose has made you stronger, healthier, and better able to weather this setback. You've put in the work and it is going to pay dividends, both in unexpected ways (like aiding your recovery) and expected ways (when you get back out there traveling, sooner than you know it). 

Safe and easy travels home; hugs to you and your hubby.