Snick500

I feel like we should pay you for taking us along on your cruise!  It has been so enjoyable following along.  You should start a you-tube channel and get some money for your reviews of cruising/travel with ad revenue!  Thanks for the great week and Happy 50th!

You should write a book of your food and drink tours.  Beautiful pictures and the descriptions are so informative.  Sid’s culinary/beverage adventures on land and sea.

Happy Birthday, Sid!  Sounds like a great day.  I am really enjoying your trip.  Thanks!

Oh, Sid your poor back!

25 minutes ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

Oh wow, how cool is that.  The Bloody Mary I got at seaday brunch was basically vodka-laced tomato juice.  Little flavor and only green olives as a garnish; at least it had decent strength.  I never knew the Pig & Anchor branding made such a big difference.  

It is probably  “Guy F.” approved, and he loves his pork!  This review takes me back.  We never had a check-in line like that in Grand Turk. Wow!  When we were getting back on the ship in La Romana we got locked in the big shop area for at LEAST 30 minutes of agony.  Another ship came in (if I remember correctly) and we had to wait for them to unload before the doors would open to let us go.  It was around 2 p.m. we didn’t know if it was siesta time or wth was happening!  It was hot, crowded, and I think the lights were out.  People were ticked off and pounding on the glass doors to come in so they could go through the shop & down to the ship. Still not sure why lights and a/c went out.  It was miserable.

All these great drink pictures are making me thirsty!  Thanks for letting us enjoy your cruise too!

1 hour ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

Did she, by any chance, get it in Wisconsin?  Bloody Marys (Maries?) in Wisconsin are to die for!  The flavor is nice and spicy, and you get tons of garnishes with it and a 5-oz beer chaser.  Garnishes range from strips of bacon, to what's pretty much a dinner in a glass.  (Like a large kebob skewer, or even a burger.)  One bar, forgot which one or where, served an entire rotisserie chicken as a garnish.  But that was mostly a gimmick.

She got it at the Pig and Anchor there on the Horizon in January!  She got a bit looped from it!  It had strips of bacon, celery, and olives in it and had some heat! She loved it!.

My sister-in-law had a Bloody Mary there and it came with about 4 huge strips of bacon hanging off the top.  She loved it.  Great review.  Don’t forget the cakes at lunch.  They were awesome.  We ate somewhere else and went to the buffet for dessert!  We wished they had them at other times too!  The marble cake, on chocolate day, had wonderful icing.  Have fun.  

It seems like other people’s opinions/experience aren’t very welcome on this board if someone else has more cruises than them. The crew will help you when you have a problem, especially if you are patient. Your Time Dining desk is on deck 5 on the Horizon.  We went there first to get a dining time, and then went to the dining room at the time that suited them. We didn’t barge in.  If someone else had a different experience, ok.  It still doesn’t change my experience or stop me from telling someone not to worry because it can be worked out.  Heck, maybe they catered to us as first time Carnival cruisers?  We had a great time and the crew were extremely helpful and friendly.

5 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

Not to sound negative, but I wouldn’t pass on opinions on this site based on one cruise on Carnival. Before I turned Platinum, there were several times we didn’t get early dining, which we prefer, and the maitre’d was not able to accommodate us on the ship.

They are not asking for early dining if it is full.  They said Your Time Dining.  I have cruised other lines and they are going to get into a dining room under Your Time Dining.  I passed on MY experience, and there is no reason to have someone worry about Your Time, My Time, whatever time dining.  Someone will help them on board get into YT dining.  I had zero Carnival cruises before and was waitlisted.  We got in.  The cruise has free fine dining.  The buffet is not fine dining.  So many tables were empty every single night on our cruise.  To me, there would no dining staff that is going to send you to eat at the buffet or fast food.  You will be accommodated when you go to the Your Time desk.  No guarantee of time, but show up early and in you will go.  If not, there would be a real Problem.  Relax, be happy, and enjoy your cruise.  The crew is there to help you.

Since the Viking Crown is a “signature” lounge in advertisements, It should be open for everyone.  There are other places that can be used for the special lounges imo.

We had a 1:30-2:30 boarding time in January on the Horizon.  It was our first Carnival cruise.  We checked out of our hotel at 10:30 and we were picked up by an Uber driver at  10:45.  We arrived to the ship around 11:00 and figured we would read while waiting for our time to board.  Showed our paperwork and went through security and sat down.  15-20 minutes later we were called to board.  The screen goes through different boarding zones and ours came up and on we went.  Easiest boarding we ever had.  We were on the ship before noon.  

We were on waitlist for My time dining on the Horizon.  About a week before the cruise it was no longer waitlisted.  I wouldn't worry about it at all.  This was our first Carnival cruise and won't be our last!

Forgot to say it was on Horizon 

We had beautiful, delicious cakes at lunchtime in the MarketPlace!  They were awesome!

I tip $10 per day in a hotel. The housekeepers are very happy with this. They can use the extra money to feed their families. I have gotten hugs and tears of happiness from them. Then I usually give them $20 in person. I figure if they are that happy, they need the money more than I do. I am going on a vacation, something that is probably hard for them to do. I wouldn't want to do their job.

What ships have reserved areas for elites in the Windjammer ? I have never seen that.

BOS had a large area fall 2014. One table occupied, about 15 tables sitting empty. Rope across area and it said reserved.

Maybe they need to have ships dedicated to diamonds and above only? It would solve the crowding issue, and then "the masses" could enjoy other ships without being blocked from Viking Crown and reserved seating in the windjammer that are usually empty, but "the masses" keep circling trying to find a seat. High levels could have a ship with all the perks, and other ships could have cruisers who are happy having the whole ship to wander around in. They could also CHARGE for appetizers in the bars, and I am sure many would BUY them, drink more (no drink pkgs.), and bring in extra revenue. Jmo

Actually, initially they didn't increase the price but they started the BOGO offers and discount offers for restaurants. Since their price dropped, it appears the quality fell with it.

 

By raising the single prices and giving discounts for multiples, hopefully it will mean they raise the quality back again/

 

 

 

 

You'd think this is the case but it isn't like most cruisers cruise more than once a year -- if even that. RCI's tests and trials are put into effect to be monitored over the long haul, while us regular cruisers see changes happening quickly.

 

The average cruiser isn't seeing any problems. For them, getting on a castle on the seas once a year keeps them doe eyed and in fantasy land.

I think the only ones seeing a Fantasyland are the top tiers. All the perks, discounts, special lounges with the best views, special breakfasts and coffees, preferred seating choices, free drinks, free appetizers, etc, etc. There is nothing special for an average cruiser unless they book a suite. At some point there won't be enough new cruisers to pay for the perks at the top. Why come back when they get an "average" experience for a pretty chunk of change? 10+ years ago it was a Fantasyland for all IMO.

Wow. I never would have thought to look on Amazon for medication. Silly me. I just checked prices and :eek: you can get a bottle of 1,000 tablets for under $30. :eek: :D

 

I can't even imagine why I would need to buy the bottles of 100 tablets. I'm still working on the pack of Bonine I bought a few years ago, with 16 tablets. I guess since I only need it on small boats and/or rough seas, it might not be worth it to get a big bottle. The pills would expire long before I'd ever need them.

 

At any rate, thanks for the heads up about Amazon.

I got a bottle of 100 at Costco. It was behind the counter. Cost was $4.50! 3 dollars less than I paid for 10 pills at the drug store. Generic Bonine, and I even had the pharmacist compare it to Bonine to make sure it was exactly the same thing.

Very safe area. My son lived nearby and we never felt unsafe. It is outside of Baltimore by about 10 miles.

How did you lose ground? Did you move behind other C&A members, or did some C&A members move higher than you?

We took all longer cruises. 9-12 day cruises. When those days were transferred to the new system, we lost the days of the longer cruises. We got 2 bonus pts. But overall, would have made out the same if all our cruises had been shorter. We ALWAYS, have a great time when cruising, and always tip extremely well to the hard working crew.

We have been Cruising about 15 years and are at the Emerald level. We took all longer cruises, and when they changed to this new system, we lost ground. Oh, well. What is not, oh well, is not being able to find hors d'oeuvres anywhere on the ship unless you are Diamond and up. I will pay for them, but none are to be had. Our first cruise we got free chocolate covered strawberries in the champagne bar, deck party, midnight buffet, free nightly hors d'oeuvres in different lounges, and drinks of the day. Now there is none of that. I can accept change and cutbacks, but it is too much. The meals in the MDR used to be like those in the specialty restaurant...every night. Now I can't BUY a drink in the Viking Lounge before dinner, because it is reserved for upper tiers....say what? This is a signature part of the ship. I miss the library a lot too. It was so relaxing there. Most of all, I feel sorry for the new cruiser who will probably never experience any of the wows that we did when we started cruising. I don't know how cruise lines will retain future loyalists, because the wow is gone, especially for the lower tiers. Why wouldn't they try all the lines looking for something better? We started loyal, but as things got taken away, roped off, and just eliminated, we skip-hopped around the various lines.

There are no special drinks, appetizers, etc. like there used to be. Why would people feel like dressing to the nines for the lackluster experience they are given? Why pay extra to lug extra luggage? RC puts zero effort into formal nights imo. How about a real flower on a table?

I know the Solarium and the 270 venues are open to all.

Great! Thanks!