jsglow

Whatever. I have more important issues in my life. Have a nice day.

No, it was an inartfully chosen phrase; not a 'lie'. 🙄

So here's what I'm remembering. Boarding began as normal about 11a if memory serves. But unlike in Miami (or any other American port for that matter), there isn't a crush of people at the outset. Rather, they trickle in throughout the day. We took the train down in the morning, had coffee and pastries at the local shop in town, then walked to the port bus loading area and went to the ship. We were surprised NOT to find a big crowd as one normally would here in the US. There were people, sure, but not the masses early in the boarding process. I'm thinking that our train might have left Rome at 8:30a and arrived in Civitavecchia around 9:30a. Further details are sketchy for me as this was in '22. Also understand that because most folks board mid afternoon or later, Carnival MAY have simply pushed the start into the afternoon so I can't comment on the most recent procedure from the '23 season.

Yes, it is free. As to open every day, certainly sea days.... no clue on port days but guessing perhaps not.

Awesome. I think I need to tune in. So much more fun than dock runners in Cozumel.

Welcome @JPALJ. You'll have a Final Boarding time printed on your Boarding Pass when you check-in 2 weeks before the cruise. That time is a HARD deadline. The doors to the terminal will be thereafter locked and will not re-open. Think of it like the airline door closing. Miss it and you won't cruise. I'm guessing that will be about an hour (maybe 90 minutes?) prior to the scheduled departure time. Others who like arriving late will know better. Most folks will already be onboard if you arrive at the terminal by 1:30pm, I'd guess. And as mentioned, by 2pm porters are no longer available. Don't push it. If your underlying question is more about flight delays and folks are arriving from numerous places across the country, please do fly the night before and pay the price for a modest hotel. In contrast, don't let anyone in your group consider some form of connecting flight the morning of the cruise that lands at MIA or FLL at noon thinking they have time! I promise, someone in your large group will be delayed and left on the pier. As to disembarkation. you likely be off the ship by 9a, even with checked luggage. By 10a the last of the passengers will be politely told to leave.

Wow, very surprised by this. I must admit that my info is 15 years old.

One thing to note. I do recall that there was a 'no exceptions' policy once a teen turns 18. I'm sure this is for liability reasons.

What I take from the chart Blerk posted above is that small ships will continue to get built, if not for Carnival than somebody. I'd love to do a Viking cruise someday. Yes, I'll have to pay for it. I agree with the notion that Carnival Corp will likely do this via greater brand distinction.

I'm going to agree with those pointing you to the Panorama. Especially with kids, the 'low impact' of getting there from home makes that a winner. If everyone ends up loving it, then your next trip is to the Caribbean.

Certainly their most 'senior' CDs get assigned to the new ships. No one here knows about any pay differential but it seems likely. That's not to say that certain cruise directors aren't better suited for smaller ships or more seasoned cruisers in Europe, for example. Frankie routinely works aboard Pride, a perfect fit for him.

We travel worldwide for weeks on end with a carry-on plus backpack each. We are always sensitive to the clothing we bring making sure it's appropriately 'weathered'. Still, there are items we will hand wash in the sink. We typically send out a modest bag of laundry every 2-3 days. In what probably now approaches 100 total laundry bags on Carnival, we've probably had 2-3 items that were slightly impacted but it is worth noting that general fading does occur over time. I've noticed a few polos that I often take where after a half dozen trips through the ship's laundry it is somewhat noticeable when compared against brand new. We take the approach that clothes do wear out over time and industrial washers are hard on them. We're blessed to be able to travel and that's a small price to pay. Oh, and I must strenuously object to the thread title!!!! I'm a guy and am routinely responsible for our laundry onboard. (Just pullin' your chain OP. 😁) Sail on.

It may help a little in that immediate out of pocket costs might be quickly covered and victims might not need to instantly come out of pocket. But in the long term you are 100% correct. Attorneys and courts will be resolving the damages down the line. They'll be significant. Of course none of this really matters in the grand scheme and nothing brings the deceased person back. Prayers for the families. I even feel sad for the remaining passengers to whom these folks were complete strangers as I know I would feel guilty for simply trying to enjoy the rest of my cruise. Good reminder that kindness and graceful living are the only way as today might be our last.

Huge 'it depends' Karen. Here's what certainly IS true. Carnival will be happy to sell you an upgraded cabin. Going 'up town' is always easier than going 'down town'. As OFC said, give your representative or 1-800 a call.

It's a fairly long open hallway but no closed door.

We just did LGA off Venezia and I wouldn't attempt it. Total travel time from our ship cabin to the LGA curb was probably close to 2 hours. Pier 88 isn't nearly as efficient as Miami so the debark process is significantly slower. (The trick is to walk inland to 11th or 10th Ave to catch a cab.) Tack on another hour once you arrive at the airport to get from the curb to gate, even with TSA-Pre like we have. We started our departure from the ship about 10:15a and I think we sat down at our gate sometime around 1p. Our flight was at 3:40p. We do all carry-on too. I would have been totally comfortable with a 1p departure and would not have lingered on the ship like we did. Before noon? Nope.

Carnival would do well to reasonably enforce more rules. This ranges from everything to include theater seat saving, chair hogging, dinner promptness, and balcony smoking, among others. What they are not appreciating is that their lax attitude is actually negatively impacting those who reasonably follow the rules. Perfection isn't the goal. But too many over the line is a problem.

My wife and I always travel with a carry-on and a backpack per person. Still, we always hand the 2 carry on to the porters. I guess I'm sick of lugging them by that point. No reason we couldn't carry them on ourselves. Maybe I'll give that a try on our next 'short' cruise where they typically aren't as heavy. Old habits die hard I suppose.

25 days of Cheers would literally kill me. We travel to see new and interesting things. While we certainly partake onboard, we very much try to limit things. And signing that expensive ticket per round is a good way to do it.

It's gotten much, much faster relative to early '23. We had our renewals back via Expedited within 2-3 weeks in December. Now a word of caution. Summer travel season is approaching. I'm sure wait times have crept up.

I'm honestly glad it worked out for you @Old Fart Cruisers. Our absolute minimum cutoff for Europe is 36 hours meaning I'd consider the overnight from ORD (non-stop) landing at 8a on Friday for a Saturday cruise although our preference is more like 2-3 days. If you're ever going to London, try the AA-81 daytime flight. They're the only ones that do it. Leaves ORD at like 8a and gets to Heathrow at like 10p. Man did it save wear and tear on the body having a bed both before and after the flight.

OK, I noticed just now that this is a Looooong Beach departure on Panorama. Understand that Arrival Appointment times are STRICTLY enforced out there. It literally doesn't matter what one's Priority Status is. If your paperwork says 1:30-2p, you WILL stand in that queue outdoors. I have no experience with showing up later than one's scheduled appointment if everyone wants to ride the same shuttle bus but I can tell you as a Diamond that I've been told to 'kindly stand in the 10:30a line sir' and I've sailed from there a half dozen times. Your friend is unlikely to even enter the building before 1:30p. Food for thought.

@CruzerDeb, I actually think you'll be fine with your flight. In the meantime, learn to use a flight tracking app. Understand beforehand if your aircraft will be on the ground overnight in Cincy. That dramatically increases the chance it'll be mechanically good for an on-time, non-stop departure. Changing planes and landing at noon? No way in HE double hockey sticks. One more thing. That afternoon prior watch your weather situation. IF it looks problematic, the airlines will typically allow you to switch flights for free to avoid the storms. Drop what you're doing and get your butt to the airport. I've personally 'slept' at FLL in the wee hours when our night before flight was so delayed that we could no longer check into our budget hotel. But we were safely there and an Uber away from the port. We slept up in Serenity. Oh, and as for flying to Rome morning of...... Insane, like certifiably.

I still drink from the hose when working on something outside in the yard. 👍

I'm assuming the 'slow poke' is an adult (or couple) with a separate cabin. Your prompt group can board with them. They can't accelerate their position in the queue and board with you.