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Tallyfins

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Posts posted by Tallyfins

    Wine cost - FS vs. onboard

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    I realize all wines are priced differently, but has anyone compared the Fun Shop price vs the onboard price? I plan to bring 2 bottles in my carry-on and thought about purchasing 2 more to be delivered to my room vs buying them at dinner. Any thoughts? We are going on an 8-day cruise lol, hence the "volume" :)

     

     

    TIA,

     

    Tallyfins

    Cooler Package in Funshops?

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    I'm trying to figure out if it's just because I have already purchased one for my upcoming cruise, but I cannot see the "cooler package" where the Funshops sell a cooler, a few koozies, and then either beer, sodas or water. Can anyone else see them as an option for sale?

     

    Thanks in advance,

     

    TF

    Carnival Splendor formal night? - 8 day (St. Marteen, St. Kitts, PR, & Grand Turk)

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    I've searched the board and it looks like the posts are either old or for a different itinerary.

     

    Has anyone been on the 8-day Splendor recently (St. Marteen, St. Kittts, PR, Grand Turk) that remembers which nights were the formal nights? I'm looking to book one night in the Steakhouse but didn't want to book it on one of the formal nights. The first 2 full days we are At Sea, so my guess is one of them is then. Our stop in PR is only from 7a-2p, so that would be my guess for the 2nd night. Any help would be appreciated...

     

    Also - does anyone know if it still holds true that if you book a reservation in the Steakhouse the first night of the cruise that they give you a free bottle of wine?

     

    Thanks in advance!

     

    TF

    Casino rate vs. regular rate

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    I like to gamble and do so sparingly on a cruise, but I frequent table games in Vegas or other casino cities. On my recent cruise I spent about the same amount of time (and $) in the casino as I normally do.

     

    I just noticed I had a "casino rate" under my VIFP section, so decided to check out a cruise I was thinking about doing. After running through it logged in as me and then again, anonymously, the cruise total differential was a whopping $82...

     

    So I beg to ask the question. Does Carnival think this works? As a regular cruiser and a regular cruiser of Carnival, do they really expect me to think that is such a great discount and that I will book right away...?

     

    I guess my main complaint is that Carnival really doesn't care about saving their return customers money because they know if you want to take a "budget" cruise with them, they are still cheaper than most other lines...:eek:

    FTTF questions

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    You'll be able to board right after the Platinum guests and wedding parties. We did this last Summer and were on board by about 11:30. Our room was ready soon after we boarded (around Noon).

     

    The main perk we used was the guest services line. If you have FTTF, you don't have to wait in the line with the other folks. I think you can use it for priority boarding on tenders (if applicable) on your cruise as well.

     

    I wouldn't recommend it for shorter cruises but I liked it because we could get on sooner than others and go ahead and get our carry on stuff stowed in the room. It was worth it to me since a) I'm not Platinum and b) we don't cruise often enough to get to that level anytime soon :)

     

    Hope that helps!

     

    TF

    First Time On Victory From Port canaveral

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted · Edited by Tallyfins

    Sorry you don't believe me. Feel free to check out the Sensation Fun Times, which I posted here: http://susancrow.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html?_sm_au_=iMVHNsCjWq6ps84P

     

    No - it's not that I don't believe you, I just can't understand why Carnival would do its only formal dinner on a 4-day cruise on the same day they are in their only port - and the ship is not scheduled to leave until 8pm on top of that? Just weird is all...Especially when you have a Sea Day the following day. Maybe they figure if they do it that way, it cuts down on food costs if some guests miss it :)

     

    We don't plan on doing any excursions that day, but our friends are, and I would hate for them to miss the only formal night because they're still on land :)

    First Time On Victory From Port canaveral

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    We haven't done the new itinerary on Victory yet but we did it on Sensation (which Victory is replacing). Elegant night was the night we were in Nassau.

     

    You've obviously been on the ship, but I find it hard to believe that they would do formal night on the only day they are in port, and the fact that the ship is not scheduled to depart port until 8pm. The next day, Saturday, is a Sea Day and the more likely day to have the formal night.

     

    Just my 2 cents :)

    First Time On Victory From Port canaveral

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    Thanks for the menus!

     

    This is my first time on Victory, and first time on a cruise.

     

    I’m wondering if the elegant night is the night we will be in Nassau or if its on our sea day.

    We leave at 4 on a Thursday

    Nassau from 12-8 on Friday

    Sea Day Saturday

    And back to port at 8am Sunday morning.

     

    So is our elegant night on Friday or Saturday?

     

    Saturday night most likely since the ship doesn't leave Nassau until 8pm on Friday night

    Beer/liquor policy in ports

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    GTK :)

     

    Thanks

     

    There is a major disconnect between security and the crew at the booze turn in table. Not advocating this at all, but you certainly could buy a cheap bottle of booze to go with your beer, have the beer in the bottom of your bag, cheap booze on top, and only turn in the cheap booze at the table. Again, not advocating, but also not saying this hasn't worked for me countless times in the past.

    Carnival Victory arrival time in Nassau

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    I know Carnival is about to move the Victory from Miami to Port Canaveral, so maybe their times for Nassau are not up to date. I just booked out of PC on 3/17 and it shows us in Nassau from 12p-8p on 3/18.

     

    However, when I go into the Excursions and look at several of them, most have departure times before Noon (9:30, 10:45, etc.) Is maybe the arrival time under "Itinerary" off?

     

    Thanks, TF

    Is FTTF worth it? Yes...

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    There are several current threads asking is FTTF worth it. In a word - YES.

     

    My family and I recently sailed on the Conquest out of FLL on an 8-day Southern Caribbean itinerary - so this is my basis for my most recent FTTF review below.

     

    I have been on 8 Carnival cruises in the past 15 years, so I am at the lowly "Gold" status (43 VIFP points). I only have 32 more days to reach Platinum (here comes the sarcasm)...so given my current progression, I should make Platinum by the time I'm 60 and hopefully Diamond by the time I'm 75. Or...I can get many of the same benefits for $60 more on a cruise that I've already spent thousands of dollars on...and not have to wait 15 more years...(In "Carnival Math", $60= one night at the Steakhouse, ~5 cocktails, or about 10 minutes in the casino).

     

    On my most recent cruise, we jumped to the head of the queue for Embarkation, were the first FTTF's in line (right after about 20-25 Platinum and Diamond), our room was ready (~ 11:30 when we boarded), and we were one of the first up on the Lido deck for lunch.

     

    Several times during the 8 days I needed to go to Guest Services, and while there were typically 10-15 people in line, I was always the next to be waited on.

     

    For Debarkation we chose to do self-assist. It said to be in one of the Dining Rooms at 7am the morning of. I was a little skeptical that we would be getting through customs that quickly, but they promptly called us at 7:05 to debark. There were approximately 50+ people ahead of us in the immigration line, which only took about 15 minutes to get through. We were in our car and on the road by 7:30. I heard from someone I met on the cruise that they were in a much later zone and the immigration line was about 2 hrs long.

     

    So is spending an extra $60 worth it? For my time, it certainly was - and I'll do it on my next cruise too!

    Staggered Embarkation and FTTF

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    I purchased FTTF a few months ago and still received the email and phone call yesterday stating my time was 1:30. I called and spoke directly to a Carnival rep and they assured me that the time stated on my FTTF (11am) was the time I could arrive.

     

    Hopefully I won't have to sit with the Platinums (lol) :rolleyes: smh

     

    4 days until Bon Voyage! :)

    FTTF Timing

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    I purchased mine about 2 weeks ago for my sailing on 7/12. I was just persistent and checked back whenever I thought about it. :)

     

    I have another question. When I go to print my boarding documents, is my FTTF status supposed to show up on there, because I don't see it. I'm wondering what I'm supposed to show the Carnival staff at the port in order to have some sort of document to present to them.

     

    Thanks, TF

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