jsglow

I just looked at the prices on Oceania. 🫣

Having too many that qualify certainly is a huge factor. They are going to find creative ways to trim that down. Journeys will always have more of course so the impact there will be marginal.

I'm going to guess that won't be the case. The problem Carnival currently has is that far too many cruisers have achieved Platinum, for example, meaning that far too often things like priority embarkation/tenders needs to be eliminated. When ALL have priority, none do. I do think folks will be given the 'opportunity' to be grandfathered. 'If you haven't sailed with us in 5 years you still have a chance in the next year to retain your VIFP status' kind of thing.

Exactly correct. John addressed this in a video chat yesterday. I will add that he said that he has ZERO info. He doesn't even mention what might be on the table. But they do need to cull the herd. Possible options (nothing JH said): - partial spend based - VIFP points expiry - portability - altered VIFP levels - altered level rewards - etc.

None of that will exist. She isn't even sailing as a Carnival ship yet. Your best alternative is to read Panorama threads for itinerary info and Venezia threads for menu items as there is a subtle difference for the two Italian themed ships. Enjoy.

Yep. We do every cruise. I think it pops up as an option right after putting in one's Passport info.

They don't anymore. They had already announced plans to leave the port prior to the pandemic. I think the last cruises had been scheduled for Spring '21. Obviously the shutdown accelerated that. We certainly had one booked to take advantage one last time.

The dress code and the menu selections are essentially identical to any standard Carnival Caribbean cruise. Most (all?) Med cruises are a bit longer than 7 days so there's some added menus you might not have seen but would be on a Journeys cruise, for example.

I guess they over compensated, eh? Hawaii is 2-3 hours behind Cali depending on DST. 🤨

For 'normal' cruises, yes. These unique situations are always tougher. We frequently email with our independent cruise operator once we know the ship time v local time situation onboard.

Absolutely correct. This is especially true as you will traverse 3 different time zones to your end destination. My GUESS is that Captain will move you back an hour on the initial sea day, then leave it until you pass through the Canal where he'll do 2 steps once out in the Pacific with numerous sea days to work with.

When your group is ready you check in on the App and get in the queue. Your group will be assigned a table when an appropriate one becomes available. There is no pre-arranged time. Enjoy.

The answer OP is Yes, you can drop and go.

Especially if you 'get to know' your bartenders I don't think this will be a problem. Obviously have him take both S&S cards.

Pride might be our favorite ship. I note that you said 'several' bottles of wine. That's incorrect. Each adult is allowed ONE 750ml bottle in carry-on luggage only.

Yeah, we'll eventually try out one of the Excels. But we're in no rush and will be watching prices.

So this is a good chance OP to decide if you are really a RCCL cruiser at heart meaning that if the ship is the destination and you could care less about the ports then Celebration is for you. Frankly, in that case, maybe Icon of the Seas (or some other mega) is even a better fit for you. My personal choice would be Magic by a very wide margin. She's a wonderful ship with plenty of features. I personally don't want 'Disney theme park' at sea. And the St. Maarten itinerary wins hands down. What you're looking at is perhaps Carnival's very best 8 night itinerary. Enjoy.

I'm going to speculate No. The Social Plan does not give you general internet access beyond certain social media sites such as FB, etc. It is not simply a throttled down access. To have full internet (at low speeds) one at least needs Value. For any type of real time streaming, Premium is necessary.

Yeah, early on it took some time for them to know where the selection was on various screens on their tablet. This was especially true with specific wines. With repetition they'll be fine.

We initially saw it on Radiance back in November. We saw it again on our 2 week Journeys in January.

And it's really not that much more expensive, at least back when we used to do it 15 years ago when our kids were teens. Plus that second bathroom is a huge advantage.

You're coming a long way and may never return. Certainly give yourself at least 3-4. And no, you can't squeeze in a visit to the Grand Canyon! Enjoy.

I do think a car is the way to go @cavaaller as it'll give you the most options. And our roads will feel sufficiently familiar to you. One day you could head to Mt. Rainier NP. The next day you could head out to Olympic NP. Personally, I'd want one day in the mountains, a second day on the seashore and possibly a 3rd day at one of Seattle's great museums followed by some urban time in Queen Anne, Fremont or Ballard. Seattle is a stunningly beautiful place to visit with loads of outdoor recreation at your fingertips. The locals can do a great job guiding you. Oh, they also brew some darn good beer! 🍺

The VAST majority of times one gets exactly what one books. Do note that there are 3 categories: Inside, Oceanview and Balcony. Options aren't sliced more granularly. I don't believe there's a Suite Gty but I could be incorrect.

So the reality with Texas is that the liquor must actually be purchased IN Texas. The ships have a completely separate bar supply that literally gets boxed up and stored away the moment they get to international waters. Total PIA. I'm guessing that the accounting for that is completely separate making the handling of Cheers a literal impossibility practically speaking.