Aplmac

Progreso -because of the shipyard there?

1 hour ago, bamaone said:

I remember my first cruise in the early 80's on the Dolphin Cruise Line. We had to put cash in envelops for each individual and the cabin steward  picked them up on the last night.

The next day at breakfast our entire waiter crew were completely different individuals.

Very unfriendly. It didn't occur to me until later that the people at my table (8 others) probably didn't tip appropriately. I still feel bad thinking about that day.

This reminded me of a 3-day charter cruise we enjoyed on Caribbean Princess

back in early December of 2009,

when the wait-staff in their MDR was generally quite aloof and off-handed -

except for that last day, when the charm got turned-on!

It was kinds obvious........

8 hours ago, cruizergal70 said:

It's just branding. 

And it's working.

Sooner or later everything is going to go UP.

It's unavoidable,

and it'll get passed on to the ultimate consumer.
Me and You.

No need to sweat this, it's unavoidable. It's coming.

You're close to the nearest elevator bank, but not too close.

I reckon you chose well. Don't sweat it.

49 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Typically waiting on an extraordinary high tide

to get the ship as far up on the beach as possible.

^ Makes sense.

Many people don't realize

that hi and low tides fluctuate in their extent!

Here's an example from my local tide table.

Look how very little difference between low and hi tides

around the 8th. and 9th. of April!

and look how humongous the Hi Tides are...

at extreme right of the chart!

THAT's the time when you want to put her up on the beach!

I came across this great example

of what Carnival's new hull colours can look like..

Please post pics here, if you come across any new ones.

Carnival Magic

10 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Interesting!  Do you know why? 

 

I think other US based companies such as KFC

and Pizza Hut have done OK, if not well.  

Macdonalds failed in Barbados for two reasons

that we the public can figure out:

Barbados is a chicken-centric nation,

and MacD's plastic-beef offerings didn't go down well.

I don't think they realized the chicken-centric bit.

A successful local fast-food chain had (and still has)

local Gov't. in its back pocket, and they succeeded

in making life difficult for MacDs, which didn't help...

3 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

When I think of Barbados (based on my visits to your Country),

a Margaritaville seems incongruous for your island.  

Incongruous or not,

our economy welcomes the investment

and the jobs created, and I'm sure we'll assimilate nicely!

Only one big Corp. didn't make it here:
MacDonald's closed after about 2 years!

18 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

I wonder what happens if you call room service to pick up?

I'm sure they hurry right over - lol

I wonder too.    In fact next time I see a congregation like that

I'm going to call room service and arrange a pickup!

As should everyone reading this.

5 hours ago, ColeThornton said:

 

That's news to me and I spent 21 years in the U.S. Navy.   lol

It's an urban myth? that's been around a long time.

Thanks for your input. I believe you more than the myth

- given your 21 solid years.

If you're that excited sixty days out...

by the time you get to six days out, you won't be able to sleep!

On 4/2/2022 at 12:06 AM, GUT2407 said:

My wife swears by green apples

and almost any form of ginger for seasickness.

Drinks Ginger tea, sucks ginger candy,

she used to suffer badly, no longer the case.

I take a six-pack of Canada Dry ginger ale

stick it in the fridge, and sip that any time I feel thirsty.

I also take along some ginger snaps / ginger cookies and nibble them too.

Ginger Anything seems to work for many people.

The U.S.Navy hands out green apples when she starts rockin...

On 4/1/2022 at 1:55 PM, Ashland said:

This time what a disappointment downtown was...very rough looking and just had an uneasy feeling. We spent about 15-20 min and took a taxi back to the ship. Barbados isn't a favorite any longer. JMHO

Wow. Somebody was jumpy, this time - lol

Strange reality......

48 minutes ago, mpacker said:

We got off the Spirit in late March

and it was at 60% according to guest services (I asked).  

but it felt empty there were at least 6 balconies open in our section

 

It sounds Just Lovely!

54 minutes ago, rxlowry said:

First drinks on board at outside Havana Bar.   

I'm loving the way they can make the glasses stick horizontally -

 without spilling the contents!! That is so cool.

It looks like this.... Pier 90..

It still amazes me how/why people take reviews seriously!
I neither write not read the silly things

and suggest you do likewise.

They are never a true reflection of actual conditions

be they good or bad reviews.

Why are you torturing yourself?

It's not like you're taking a cruise on a car-carrier!

On 3/28/2022 at 11:34 AM, Essiesmom said:

Those were more than a few years ago.  

Lots of balconies added since then. And the cabins on the Grand deck.  

I believe that was 2017…. EM

You're right:    how time flies, etc.

I looked up the metadata for those pics of Elation above

and the date is 10th. April, 2016 - at around 8 a.m.

Here are a few pics

of Carnival Elation approaching Barbados

and docking in our Port - a few years ago..

Has this come to fruition??

As an aside,

we're expecting a Margaritaville, here in Barbados

along the Hastings, South coast-line     ... sometime

in the medium-term future, which is why this caught my eye.

This is the chosen site, although nothing's started yet.

These pics

of what it's like in the Bridgetown, Barbados Cruise Terminal

might be ten+ years old now,

but I doubt things have changed much.....

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

My big disappointment with Carnival

is the lack of enrichment lecturers on cruises with a lot of sea days.

This was standard on our longer cruises on Cunard, Princess, Celebrity, HAL but on the Carnival Dream transAtlantic in 2009, Rome to NYC there was no one.  EM

You get what you pay for!!

Cold-weather/temperate-clime cruises

are often a lot more staid than Caribbean cruises!

Our two Canada Cruises out of Manhattan NYC (2011 and 2013)

contrasted greatly with our several Southern Caribbean cruises

out of Barbados.

It was hard to believe it was a Carnival cruise
but also nice to have a quieter crowd!

We had fog going back to NYC

- a different experience for this Caribbean islander!

A few recent color-converts...