moviegal

I love packing light AND doing laundry (for real), so I even go so far as to book cabins by the laundry rooms. Makes it SO easy.

And this is crazy-- just today, I also got the same form letter, same $50 OBC offer -- for a complaint early last year about being charged $13 for a drink I didn't order on the last day. I think $50 is pretty awesome for that complaint, LOL, but not so much yours.

This is so helpful, thank you so much for taking the time to post this!!

Ron, loving your trip report! Looks like a blast!

Do you happen to have the Fun Times or remember the theme nights and parties on your cruise?

Sailed the Discovery three times over the last 12 months, and they are the WORST at charging you for drinks you didn't order. You have to check every single day, which is really irritating. I'm sorry that happened to you, it is a real problem on that ship.

My absolute favorite is the vegetable lasagna! I have never been disappointed with it, especially since they unveiled the new menu (it's even better than before)!

Husband uses a CPAP and on four different Carnival cruises, once we got onboard, we called our steward and he brought a new bottle of distilled water for him to use (no charge). I'd also highly recommend bringing a sturdy extension cord and duck tape so you can avoid trips and falls during the night, sometimes the power outlets aren't in the best locations depending on the ship and cabin type. 

Sailed the Escape a few weeks ago for the first time. I was able to get Tender #3 tickets (and I have zero status on NCL). After some running around as soon as we boarded, found out you made the tender reservations at the same place you made show reservations (the "Box Office"). Go straight there and make your tender reservation at the same time you do your shows. Oh, and the kicker: they ended up cancelling the tender port anyway, after we got a great number LOL!

I sailed in a cabin under the Seawalk once and had fun waving to people up there who could see down onto my balcony (I had to put a sticky note on the door to remind me to put on pants, ha ha). Not ideal, but neither is the noise and commotion that you'll hear under the pool deck. I'd just flip a coin.

The presentation of the shrimp hanging upside down like he's being tortured is...interesting. 😶 The rest of the food looks good, though! Thank you for sharing!

I cruise a lot with my elderly mom, who has spinal stenosis and needs a scooter to get around. We purchased a foldable travel scooter for her a few years ago, and it's been terrific! It fits in an interior cabin because you can fold it up, push it through the doorway, and stick it in the corner. Have to watch your toes at night so you don't trip on it, but I highly recommend getting one. Just search for "foldable travel scooter" and you'll find a bunch.

On 4/27/2024 at 4:33 AM, shipgeeks said:

I never understand why people seem to need more hooks. Every cabin we've been in had good, strong hooks in the entry hallway, more in the bathroom, and a drying line in the shower. Someone left their magnetic hooks in our cabin recently, and they didn't even support a ballcap.

 

They didn't buy the strong ones, lol! We use them for EVERYTHING - hanging up wet bathing suits in the bathroom, umbrellas, hats, lanyards, sweaters, beach tote bags, snorkeling equipment, etc. Gets all of that stuff off the counter and frees up a ton of cabinet space. You just have to buy the good hooks that hold more than a few pounds.

18 hours ago, moviegal said:

Can you use gift cards to upgrade to Plus / Premier after booking? I know it's not possible through the website, but if I call?

I know the answer, I called Princess and was able to pay to add Premier to my booking with gift cards (just in case anyone was wondering).

Hi fellow cruisers! I will be sailing the Discovery in a few months and have the Premier package. I'm on the app to book my specialty dinners that are included, but it's asking me to pay in full, up front, for the meals. It doesn't seem to recognize that I have the Premier package and two dinners are included. I called Princess and they told me to "go ahead and pay" and that once I'm onboard, I can get a full refund on my credit card used to book the dining reservations.

I'm a little wary about doing that because it's not cheap, and I've already paid a significant amount of money for the Premier package upgrade. At the same time, I want to make sure I have reservations at the specialty restaurants before the fill up. Does anyone have experience with this, and do they indeed refund you in full if you pay for reservations in advance?

Can you use gift cards to upgrade to Plus / Premier after booking? I know it's not possible through the website, but if I call?

A big, hearty "thank you" to  everyone who responded. Super useful information, and I really do appreciate it! Now I know my homework when I sail: try to find all of the "above $20" drinks and report back, LOL!

I sailed in E306 on Discovery Princess and I would not book that again unless it was a super cheap deal. Here are some photos from the balcony, for reference. The equipment really blocked our view towards the aft, and when sitting in the chairs on the balcony, you really couldn't see much of the ocean. Plus, we had a nice "surprise" when a worker was inside one of the lifeboats doing maintenance one morning, LOL!

Love the Radiance, one of our favorite Carnival ships. Small but fun. Sounds like you had a wonderful cruise!

Haven't sailed Carnival for a while, but I'm booked on the Panorama this spring. I see that the Cheers program has a stipulation that reads "25% discount off the menu price for any spirit or wine by the glass above $20.00."

My question is: what beverages / spirits / wine by the glass are priced above $20? Does anyone have any current menus?

I'm just curious what they have, and what would be over $20. I'm sure it's super premium liquors and wine, but I'd love to know specifics.

On 3/7/2024 at 7:22 AM, Noledad77 said:

I've got the wife and one of our adult children on board (no pun intended) with the magnetic hook part, but the full size trash bag idea is pretty genius to me. I may suggest that, since 3 of my kids are technically "adults" now, and they have the opportunity to be "responsible" haha!

Seriously, though. Thanks for the suggestions!

The trash bag idea is seriously the best for us! I love it because all the dirty clothes are corralled into one big trash bag after our trip. I tie it up and throw it in one suitcase (and it doesn't mix with the clean clothes that I move to our second suitcase). When I get home, I just unzip the suitcase, take out the garbage bag, and haul it straight to the laundry room! So, so easy! I need to start a "lazy travel tips" blog, LOL!!!!

I know this thread is old, but I was searching for this information too. Thanks to everyone for their answers (although I'm still going to try and see if milkshakes are included on the Premium Plus package on my Bliss cruise next month). It's kinda dumb that they aren't, to be honest.

Here's a photo of the premium dessert with only whipped cream and the brownie on top.

Just off the Discovery Princess and they would ONLY let us get those monster sundaes. I did have success JUST asking for whipped cream with the brownie on top, but the supposed "gelato" was icy and gross.

The employee didn't get "gelato" out of the case, but bent down and scooped it out of a giant container -- I think it was cheap ice cream, because it certainly didn't look or taste like real (creamy, rich) gelato. Just be aware of that.

I only got one and never again. It was so gross -- and I LOVE desserts, LOL.

This is VERY helpful, especially the MDR wine menu. I really appreciate you taking the time to post those! (If you have any other wine menus from other venues, please share them). Signed, a fellow champagne and fine wine lover. 🙂

Two things I'll never cruise without:

* Large, strong magnetic hooks come in handy and will stick to your cabin walls. Great for hanging umbrellas, lanyards, sweaters, backpacks, swimsuits, etc.

* Full size trash bags (they come in handy for wet swimsuits and make excellent dirty clothes "hampers"). At the end of the cruise, we just throw the entire trash bag full of dirty clothes in our suitcase, all sealed up in a trash bag. Makes packing a breeze!