stobe1

My thoughts exactly. Why would Carnival look for a solution to a problem that doesn't exist for them.

I havent seen anyone bashing the OP.

They accept the sail and sign cards now at Amber Cove? I have always had to use credit cards or cash at that big pool bar. If they accept sail and sign now, I can leave cash in my stateroom now. Is that a recent change? Granted, it has been about a year since our last visit to Amber Cove.

You can have 2 different people on the exact same cruise and have 2 completely different experiences and overall views of the cruise. Perfect example -- we were on the Jubilee 2 weeks ago for spring break. My wife and 15 year old daughter loved it and thought it was one of the better cruises we have ever had. I, on the other hand, just thought it was meh...ok. To me it wasn't great but also wasn't terrible. And I am a Carnival "cheerleader" ( or so I have been accused of being here on CC). I have noticed a huge decline in food quality and service over the years. We will be on the 2nd sailing of Firenze on May 2 in a few weeks and I am not expecting spectacular service and am expecting plenty of hic-cups since it will be a "new" ship and crew only on the 2nd sailing. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised but I am going into with my expectations moderated.

Leave the kids at home with the grandparents and you will save a lot right there. Then you can use what you would have spent on the kids to splurge on yourselves instead.

I usually post this anytime a Cheers question comes up. I should save it to my notes so I can just copy and paste it so I dont have to rewrite it everytime.. The 15 alcohol drink limit per day can go pretty quick, even on a port day. If you have a bloody mary or espresso martini or mimosa or michelada or 3 before and with breakfast, a beer or two with lunch, a few pina coladas or daquiris lounging by the pool late morning/early afternoon or a few cocktails trying your luck in the casino, a cocktail at Alchemy before dinner, a glass of wine with dinner and then a few PM cocktails or night caps at the piano bar, casino, Punchliner's or night club at night and you can blow through 15 fairly easily. Port days just take out the afternoon/lunch time drinks and have a few extra at Alchemy or one of the other specialty bars on the newer Excel class ships later at night and you can still get up to your limit without even trying.

Debarkation wise you will get off as fast as anyone with a passport. Clearing customs and immigration once off the ship is a different story...

No. They never put Cheers on sale and the price will only go up. In fact, based on the recent increase in the cost of a case of water, I fully expect Cheers prices will go up soon as well. If you waited until you board the ahip to get Cheers you definitely would be paying more since you dont get the pre-sailing discount. The only time Cheers ever went on sale was during the 'rona shutdown and that was just a way to keep some revenue coming in during the pandemic.

Upgrade yourself to a Havana area stateroom. Why mingle with the unwashed masses on your honeymoon when you can have an exclusive pool, hottub and bar? It's worth the extra $$$.

The best itinerary is which ever one I happen to be on at the time. Nassau, Grand Turk, or the obligatory call at Cozumel... I am at the point where I cruise just to cruise.

1:30 rooms open up. There is no rhyme or reason to when your bags show up. The Priority for Diamonds/Plats and FTTF are just feel good stamps on the luggage tags and dont mean too much. Bags show up when they show up.

Nights 2 and 6 are generally formal nights. MDR is included every night. Chibang and Cucina are included with YTD for one visit, but we visited Chibang once and Cucina twice on Jubilee last week and were not charged extra for the 2nd visit. YMMV. You just request a table on the HUB app in the restaurant you want to dine in when YTD dinner time begins. You can use the general number for guest services (usually extension 7777), but there is no dedicated # that I know of, or use the dedicated Diamond/Platinum line for guest services on deck 8 aft.

I don't know you from Adam, but based on your post here, I will take your word for it and would venture to say that yes, it is true that your Spanish is limited to those two words.

They were asking about their grandson spending the night in their cabin so his parents can presumably have some alone time. Not about taking him to the spa during the day and using the facilities.

Im sure its been done before. Just grab an extra pillow and throw him on the couch or in between you two grandparents and you will be set. No one will bat an eye. And if they do, better to ask forgivness than permission in this case. But I doubt anyone (including your cabin steward) would care. And it's nothing that an extra $20 being thrown your cabin steward's way couldn't solve and asking him/her to make up your couch for your grandson.

If this is accurate, looks like Frankie Portera.

Try getting to ANY cruise port from the west suburbs of Chicago. That's a challenge.

Did you look at HAL's website? A quick search there will show you the answer. I found it less than a minute. Usually going straight to the source is the best option.

It isn't a rumor. NCL announced a while back that they would begin sailing from JAX in 2025.

Go to YouTube and do a search and you will find more videos and tours of the ships than you can watch in your lifetime.

We have several Premier and Elite offers all the way into 2026. So Ultras are probably out there for certain sailings for those that qualify. Just keep checking your offers. We already have 5 booked with these offers through December next year.

Oh I agree. You did more back of the cocktail napkin math than I did there. I was just posing a "what if" scenario. I am personally not a fan of the "bigger is better" concept with modern ships now-a-days is all. I have been accused of living in the past, but I do that because rent was cheaper back then. 😆

Yeah. I am here for 2 more years until my daughter graduates high school then I am out and moving to the Florida panhandle. I can't escape Illinois and the Chicago area fast enough. I don't like talking politics on message boards so I will just leave it there lol.

Can you imagine 4 Excel class ships there at the same time at Celebration Key? Each ship can hold 6,400 passengers. If there are 4 Excel class in port at the same time, using my public school math, that is over 25,000 people there. Celebration Key will be 65 acres.