NCTribeFan

Are there dominoes in the game room or do we need to bring a set? Are people saying that stroopwaffles are normally available in the MDR? How did I never know that? If they are, is there a charge, because there is in the Dutch Cafe.

I think I had noro once and pretty sure I picked it up on the travel day prior to sailing. It was not a good time. I've now had Covid twice. Got it while on the Zuiderdam Alaska B2B in June 2022 and got it a month ago while on Eurodam. And I'm as vaccinated/boosted as possible. Symptoms both times were mild and this time, none of my travel companions caught it. I did have to visit the infirmary during the first week for a UTI infection, so my resistance was probably low. Hope I'm done with Covid for a while. At least I don't seem to have the brain fog that really affected me the first time, for several months. That's good since it's tax season and that's tough enough when your brain is fully functional! I may have a look at excursions tomorrow evening (if I don't forget). Really enjoying all the pics. Keep them coming, please!

I think I did that ship excursion in Kauai way back on my first HAL cruise on Zaandam. I guess I should think about excursions for next January but first I have a Virgin TA & Med coming up in April/May, then the Carnival Bahamas, then the Nieuw Amsterdam western Carib and haven't done any real planning for any of those. The challenge will be the Virgin sailings. It wouldn't hurt to go ahead and book some for Mexico/Hawaii using my HIA. I can always change my mind later but it would be smart to lock in what I think I might want. Typically, I'm not a fan of ship excursions but since I have the HIA credit, makes sense to use it. That menu looks pretty interesting. I see a few dishes I'd like to try.

Princess may, but Carnival doesn't. Most of my 30+ cruises on Carnival have been as a solo. It's 1 point per night sailed, period. No credit for onboard spending, so I'm not going to complain about HAL's program at all. And you get some tangible benefits from HAL (as a 3 star, I'll take my 25% discounts, thanks). I have yet to figure out how my onboard spending points have been calculated. On Eurodam last month (11 nights) I had HIA. I also visited the spa. I got 8 spending points. Yes, I was solo, so that calculation for the signature drinks doesn't get me the max per day.

Just got caught up! I've been lax with my reading. Seems there's typically a mad rush at 5 pm for the MDR and then again after the first show time. I do know that I got terribly spoiled having the CO dining room for our 26 nights on Rotterdam. I cancelled my 1/11/25 Hawaii sailing and rebooked it as the 24-night 1/4 "collectors" sailing. I've never done the Mexican ports and figured that, hey, I'm flying to San Diego! I might as well go a week early and get a nice, long cruise. Booked HIA and added Club Orange. Got some OBC that hadn't come with my original booking. I seriously considered the solo OV but I just don't want to be that far forward since it seems there can be some high seas at this time of year and I just don't want to risk it. For me, the additional cost to get a window and a little more floor space wasn't worth it and I like my dark cabin for sleeping. I did make sure that my PCC flagged my booking to DO NOT UPGRADE after my cabin-switch fiasco on Eurodam last month. When I checked to see the cost to add a spa package, the only option that came up was for 7 nights although my sailing is, technically, 7 + 17. I wouldn't use the spa much, if at all, during the Mexico portion. For the first time in my 40+ cruises, I had dinner in the MDR on Eurodam one night. I was not impressed. I don't think we had any 2 hour MDR meals. The excessively-slow dining was in both Pinnacle and Tamarind. Hoping that won't be the case next January. We play dominoes (Mexican train). My friends usually bring a set, but if there's a set in the game room that we can use, it would be great if they didn't have to pack theirs.

We're not supposed to mention PCCs names, but I used to have Jim. I'd love to get him back. Gal I have is OK but I'd much prefer him. Going to try that this afternoon.

Another K'dam Hawaii thread. 😁 So envious of your itinerary. I'm on the 1/11/2025 sailing but I was just sitting here thinking I should cancel and rebook as the 24-night beginning 1/4 since I haven't done that Mexican portion. Would prefer your itinerary but I have to work by early February. No Gen Xer here. I'm a Boomer and still working (part-time, seasonally during tax season which is now-4/15 and again from early August-Oct 15). Got to pay for my travels somehow! I did a side-to-side on Carnival Magic & Eurodam last month (contracted Covid again (caught it during my Zuiderdam Alaska B2B in June 2022)). Had several issues on Eurodam that tainted the whole trip a bit. Not stopping me from sailing HAL again, though. I'm currently booked in an interior but considering the solo OV. My main concern is the location. I do have some issues with motion although Ginger Root has almost cured me. Still. Not sure I want to be that far forward for 24 nights. Personally, if I don't have a balcony (which I rarely do), I prefer an interior because I love the dark cabin for sleeping. Keeping the price down helps since I need to watch my budget if I want to sail 3-4 times a year! Hadn't decided on where to stay pre-cruise. I'll definitely have a look at the Best Western. Looking forward to following along. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

How does one contact the Office of the President to report problems/issues experienced on a recent cruise? I have several problems on my recent Eurodam sailing, including poor service in bars and ridiculously slow service in both Pinnacle Grill and Tamarind. I managed to be moved to a different cabin (a lower category than I'd booked but I was "upgraded" to a cabin I hated and that was the only option). I talked to the Hotel Manager as well as Guest Services multiple times. I also did the post-cruise survey. I never even once considered removing the gratuities. No compensation was offered, not even a bottle of wine (which I didn't need since I had HIA, but the effort would've been appreciated). So, I'd like to write to Corporate about my experience.

Other thoughts... Not great bar service at times. Not at all impressed with the vocalists in the Rolling Stones lounge. I really missed having a BB Kings band. Freezing cold in places (including the casino). The piano bar guys weren't awful, like I feel most are, but I just don't like trying to play roulette and having the pounding piano and bellowing vocals right there. Wish they'd at least put up a plexiglass wall along that walkway. Didn't do anything in the casino until the last few attempts. Think I maybe left with a little more than I started but not sure. Missed my port day in St Lucia because I went to the infirmary that morning with a UTI infection. Not fun. Ship excursion in Dominica (it's one of my favorites) was a bit disappointing. The one from St Thomas to St John was good (just an island tour), but I was having a rapid heartbeat with palpitations (probably due to what I'll described in a minute). Absurdly long dinner in both Pinnacle and Tamarind. Food was good but just took way too long. Both places, those who ordered multiple appetizers had them delivered at the same time. Never had that happen before. Doesn't happen in the MDR. Then 2 of us were charged for our Pinnacle meals; 2 were not. We all had HIA. I was also charged for a drink at the Ocean Bar the next night. So, another visit to GS. Debarkation morning, I looked at my statement and discovered that I'd been double-charged for drinks and food on HMC the day before. We were trying to disembark early because we had lots of driving to do. But, hey, let's go do the CS one more time! At least they had it fully-manned and the person I dealt with was efficient, getting both my account and my friend's straightened out quickly. During the night between Sunday and Monday (21st & 22nd), I woke with burning, draining sinuses. Had that all day Monday. Thought it might be allergies since didn't develop any other cold symptoms. After we disembarked on Wednesday, we drove up to W Palm Beach to drop a friend, then we were heading down to Key West. We were having brunch in WPB and I was feeling really rough. Probably feverish, but just not feeling well. Felt so bad I went online and booked a flight home from FLL. We headed south and I started feeling much better and decided to continue on to KW. I'd never been and had tried several times to get there and it just never worked out. After we checked into our AirBnb, I pulled out a home Covid test. Uh oh. It was positive. I felt pretty rough on Thursday, but had nothing but a mild cough on Friday. We were supposed to stay with some Canadian friends near Port Charlotte on Saturday, but didn't want to expose them, so we rented a house in Cape Coral and just relaxed for a couple of day. I flew home from Ft Myers yesterday. Tested again this morning and I'm clear. None of my travel companions, or anyone I interacted with fairly closely, has had any symptoms and those that tested were all negative. I suspect that being on antibiotics for the UTI lowered my resistance. At least the symptoms were mild and it progressed very quickly. Just hoping that when I resume work tomorrow that I won't encounter the brain fog that was the biggest problem when I caught Covid at the end of my Zuiderdam Alaska sailing in June 2022. Despite the illnesses and the unwanted upgrade, it was a good cruise. There were just a lot of little things that weren't typical of my prior HAL sailings. And I think the whole business with the cabin change just made the other little things more noticeable. Going to catch up with the rest of OP's comments now.

I haven't gotten caught up with the entire thread but wanted to post a few of my thoughts about our 1/13 sailing. We disembarked Carnival Magic that morning, retrieved my travel companions' van and drove to Port Everglades. Parked at an off-site lot that was great. Got to the pier fairly early. Went to check-in, and when she took my photo, I noticed my cabin number was NOT what I'd booked! "Wait, that isn't my cabin!" Oh, but it is. I'd been "upgraded" from my wonderful Large interior on Main (that I'd selected when I booked last April while on Rotterdam) to an obstructed OV on Deck 4. I was not happy. Went directly to Guest Services and said I wanted my original cabin. No can do. Sold out! I was sure my account was flagged as Do Not Upgrade since I have every profile on every line that way. I'm very particular about my cabin selection. The cabin itself was fine and I'm sure many people consider it to be an upgrade. I never, ever book OV cabins. On rare occasions, I'll book a balcony. Otherwise, I want an inside. On top of the dismal view of the side of a lifeboat, the curtains weren't true blackout curtains and there are lights along the bottom of the catwalks out there, so I wasn't sleeping well thanks to the big, grey rectangle in the wall all night. Went to the Mariner party a couple of nights later and had a word with the Hotel Manager. I was very pleasant but expressed how disappointing it was to book a specific cabin and then, surprise! You've been moved to a cabin you would never book. Also noted that I had to chase down my suitcase because, of course, you aren't even sent an email recommending that you may need to reprint your luggage tags because, surprise! You've been upgraded! He said he'd see what he could do. Next night I had a VM from Daniel at GS. He said he could move me to a regular interior on 6, but I declined since it was all the way forward and I was concerned with movement. He called back later and said he had one aft on 7, so I agreed to move. So, there I was, at 9:30 at night packing up my stuff. Cabin was fine. Nice and dark. Small, but to be expected. Great cabin stewards. Still, I paid for a Large Interior and ended up in a lower category. Yes, I asked to be moved, but I never wanted the Surprise! Upgrade. Talked to Daniel again and he said my account was not marked for Do Not Upgrade and that I should make sure that I request that for every booking going forward.

LOL. Yes. I board Magic tomorrow then Eurodam next Saturday. I have no idea which ports we're visiting on which cruise. Somewhere I have a spreadsheet with it all. Just get me to Miami today and I'll figure it out then (maybe). 😁

I definitely am looking forward to having dinner in Tamarind again. So they're still giving out 150th Anniversary tote bags! Here I thought I had something that was going to be a collectible! 🤣 I had to ask for mine when I was actually ON the 150th Anniversary TA in April on Rotterdam. I had CO so got three of those (B2B2B) and left 2 behind. I requested the 150th bag from my steward and received one when I got my tiles. I'm heading to the airport in about 30 minutes. We're having some weather here but it appears my plane is coming up from FLL on time so, hopefully, there won't be any issues with the heavy rain and high winds that was forecast. Sailing tomorrow on Carnival Magic then boarding Eurodam on the 13th for an unusual side-to-side that includes changing ports as well as ships on the same day. I only have Social wi-fi on both sailings so probably won't be able to keep up with the rest of your journey after we board tomorrow, but I do have T-Mobile, so have data while in port. I'll try to check here for updates.

I board on the 13th Sailed Eurodam in November 2021 with only 500 passengers and it was fantastic. As for entertainment, I couldn't care less about the main theatre shows but think the BB Kings bands have consistently been the best live music I've heard on 40+ cruises on a half-dozen cruise lines. Looking forward to trying some of the new Emeril's offerings in the MDR. And really love Tamarind. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I'm really picky about music. I have many, many musician friends. I absolutely cannot listen to inferior singing/playing and want to hurl if someone is off key. It literally hurts me. Seems that the vast majority of people just have no ear for music and if something was a "hit" then it must be a great song, so let's dance and cheer to things that never, ever should've even got any air time. Yes, I'm harsh. 😄 I universally detest piano bars. Even talented singers/pianists pretty much HAVE to play the hits, whether it's their style or within their vocal range. So you end up with pounding on the keys and shouting into the mics and people sit there and just love it! Ugh. My main complaint on Vista/Signature class ships is that the piano bar is directly across from the casino and, especially, really right across from "my" roulette wheel. I can't stay in the casino when they're over there screeching and banging. Hey, probably keeps me from losing more money! I was able to pretty much avoid them entirely while on Rotterdam. Sadly, that won't be the case when I'm on Eurodam in about a week. I certainly hope I don't ever encounter any non-service dogs when I sail. I'll be a real "Karen" about it.

I'm going to seriously consider buying a spa pass for my sailing. I've only spent a few hours in the spa (I think that was back on Zuiderdam several years ago). I loved it. With so many sea days, and typically a few when it's cooler outside, I can see me taking advantage of those heated loungers.

I loved sitting up in the Silk Den and reading during the day. It was usually one of the only places I could find that didn't have piped in pop music blaring all day. I just don't understand why they can't/won't turn that nonsense down (or off) during the day when venues aren't in use. That looks like a fantastic cabin! I'm envious, but I'll be happy in my large interior on Main.

I have a pile of drink coupons that I've been collecting. I'm close to 4*. I've sailed HAL several times since the restart for about 60 nights total. I don't recall receiving Mariner lunch invitations, cocktail party invitations, or free wine tastings on any of my sailings post-Covid. I sail Eurodam on the 13th. We'll see if I receive any Mariner invitations then.

I'm sailing soon. Thought I'd already posted that but apparently not! And a new booking as well. Thanks! Eurodam 01/13/2024 11 day Eastern Caribbean Wayfarer Koningsdam 01/11/2025 17 day Circle Hawaii

I had a stop in Bimini on an MSC cruise. I didn't do anything; just rode the free trolley around to get an idea. Not built for "tourists" in that there isn't a bunch of Authentic Island Crafts and Chain Bars at the pier, so there will be folks who claim there's nothing to do. That was a couple of years ago and very few cruise ships were calling there, so it may be more developed. I know Virgin has a private beach for their pax. Oh, and speaking of Michigan, not only am I an Ohio State fan, but my Alma Mater is Appalachian State University. The little NC mountain college that, at the time, had won two consecutive national titles in whatever the 2nd tier of NCAA Football is called (bowl subdivision?). They went to Ann Arbor, blocked that last-second field goal and and beat Big Blue. I was so proud of them! Anyway, I've started walking through the house and when I see something I might need to pack, it goes in a pile in my bedroom. I fly to Miami on Saturday, so I won't pack until Friday morning, then will get my nails done that afternoon. I haven't sailed since I did 26 nights on Rotterdam in the spring (which was fantastic). I feel like it's been as long as we were grounded during Covid! I need some food porn!!

I'm also on the 1/11/25 sailing.

I board Carnival Magic on the 7th, then we disembark in Miami and drive up to Port Everglades to board Eurodam on the 13th. Looking forward to your thoughts. Well, other than the fact that you're Ravens and Michigan fans. What can I say. I'm originally from Cleveland. 😁 I sailed Eurodam solo in November 2021 when she first arrived from Europe. It was my first post-Covid sailing and we only had 500 passengers. It was fabulous. Everyone was just so happy to be sailing again and with so few passengers, the service was phenomenal. I'm really looking forward to sailing her again. Loved the ship. Bon voyage!

I didn't get any new offers. It's been a while. I board Eurodam on 1/13. We'll see if my casino play triggers any new offers after that. I've often wondered if when you have another cruise or 3 already booked, they see no reason for the incentives. It wasn't until I cut way back on my Carnival sailings (well over 30 sailings) that I began receiving better casino offers.

Thanks for sharing so much detail. Looking forward to trying some of those Emeril offerings in MDR. I have some friends that are boarding tomorrow. I have to wait until the 7th.

Love those J cabins on Vista and Signature class ships. Have one coming up on Eurodam in a few weeks. I use cruisedeckplans dot com. They have a "deck drag" option where you can see what's above or below, assuming the decks you're comparing are to scale (that aren't always). I prefer starboard (so you aren't under BB Kings) but a bit further aft than 1031. You'll be under the piano bar, but they don't play late into the night (I'm not sure about the schedules because I avoid piano bars like the plague but they keep me out of the casino some nights, so that's OK 😁 ). 1053 is my favorite.

35 foot seas? Yikes. I'd better stick with lower deck and midship for my cabin locations. I'm a huge proponent of Ginger Root. My first dozen or so sailings, I took only 4 or 5 nights because I couldn't handle the sea days. The "old" style Dramamine made me a zombie. I only read about Ginger Root after I discovered Cruise Critic. Either it's cured me or I sailed often enough that my inner ear decided it had been over-reacting. I start Ginger capsules 2 days before I sail and take 1 a.m. and 1 p.m. (with lots of water). I will also often take 1/2 meclizine on the first evening. Usually, I don't need any more after that. I will take 1/2 as needed (because even this makes me a bit drowsy and as I drink more when I sail, I try to avoid it). I don't recall the casino being closed for long periods during my Hawaii cruise way back about 13 years ago on Zaandam. But then again, there are a lot of things I don't remember from, oh, a week ago! 😁