schazzy

17 hours ago, RWolver672 said:

 

Just remember, one of the  best things about taking a cruise is that you'll probably never see those people again.  😉

That was my philosophy on my last cruise and will be going forward, I think I really started to come out of my shell more and actually enjoyed myself more. It also helps when you see others dancing just as bad as I do 😄

Just now, DukeASUGirl said:

The Blue Iguana's shrimp burritos are delicious!

I didn't get around to the burritos last time, will definitely have to try one when I'm on the Sunshine in 31 days!

1 hour ago, Yayaof4andlovinit said:

Thanks! I only eat seafood. 

Well, I'm sure you'll find plenty to eat, I always find enough seafood to make me happy. Also, I highly recommend the fish tacos from Blue Iguana, they are my favorite, and I believe they have shrimp on the burrito side. 

Also, if you don't mind paying a little extra, there's Bonsai sushi and the Seafood Shack.

1 minute ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

I know the Mods like threads to stay on topic, but I think it's natural for conversation to veer off now & again. It can always be brought back on topic. I didn't have a say in booking the Horizon. My wife has been wanting a cruise with her family for a few years now and this is what they chose in order to meet certain criteria of others. I won't go into detail in case she reads this. 😝 I'll just say, yes, I've been curious what it'd be like on a Vista class, but am in no way thrilled about the amount of people.

 

One thing I do know...I'll be carrying on a 12-pack of soda.

 

Yeah, I understand that, between the drive to the port and the number of people and the mixed reviews of the Vista class, we decided against it. And I can kinda commiserate with you, had a similar situation last year, the Miracle wasn't exactly my first choice, but since my in-laws wanted to cruise from Tampa because they have family there, we were kinda stuck. We still had a good cruise, but it wasn't great. I really missed Blue Iguana that I fell in love with the year before, and the ship was in need of some TLC. 

5 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

It's a two sided bar, with both inside and outside access. These sodas are only available at the Havana Bar.

And there we go, I knew someone would know for sure. 🙂

25 minutes ago, Yayaof4andlovinit said:

Does anyone know if the buffets lunch and dinner have seafood on them at all?

Yes, especially at dinner, they always had some kind of fish like salmon or tilapia, other nights there might be fried shrimp, a seafood pasta dish, it just varies by night and kinda correlates with what's being served in the dining room.

12 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Gotcha! Thank you. I was thinking the bar was outside. I thought I saw photos of it outside after the Vista starting sailing, but I guess that was something else.

There may be a bar out there kinda like the ones several Serenity decks have, but I haven't been on a Vista-class, so I don't know for sure. I'm just going by the Havana info I've read, at one time we considered booking the Horizon and did a bunch of research. I'm really looking forward to visiting the Havana bar on the Sunshine, they have little snacks that the other ships Havana bars don't. 

I know we've gone off topic here, so I just wonder if your ship doesn't have a Havana bar, could you bring your own Cuban soda? 

7 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Is the Havana Bar in both areas, or just outside? And are these sodas only available there or any bar on the ship?

The Havana bar is inside, the Havana pool and deck is outside, the outside part has restricted access during certain hours, the inside Havana bar is open to everyone all the time. 

The cuban sodas I believe are only at the Havana bar, at least thats the only bar menu I've seen them on.

Well, we didn't cruise between 2010 and 2017, because life happened, so really didn't think much about it after a year or two in to the hiatus. But once we realized we were in a place financially to be able to book one again, the cruise fever set in and since we can only realistically do one a year, it makes for a long year in between. So, I feel ya on the "cruise crazies" 

22 minutes ago, nanabren2 said:

I research the ports online, I watch youtube videos of not only the ship but of the ports as well.  I spend a lot of time pre-planning!  I join the facebook page for the cruise I have booked and hope that the page is very active.  We usually cruise with family/friends, so  we get together to discuss excursions, the trip to the port, etc.  Oh yeah, and working to pay for the cruise keeps my pretty occupied too

This is pretty much what we do, and we will come home from work and watch cruise and port related youtube videos for a bit to remind us what we are working for!!

19 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Now you have me curious. What are these unique sodas you speak of? And unique in what way?

Cuban sodas, although I looked some of them up and it looks like they are actually made in the US by companies that produce products that cater to the Cuban-American community.

I've cutback on drinking soda, but I do plan to try these on the Sunshine soon.

12 hours ago, teknoge3k said:

Something to keep in mind, it's more for the experience than the taste. It was horrible. My wife and myself along with the table near us all thought the same thing. Nobody ate much of it.

Yeah, we haven't had it, but since I've already seen the show, I'll pass. I can make a mess on a cutting board at home if I really want to try it.

10 hours ago, yankinuk said:

Goes to show taste is very subjective. I will always pass on the lobster, I find it over rated.

Me too, I actually prefer shrimp and scallops over a lobster tail. Although I have enjoyed whole steamed fresh lobster a few times before when in New England, but the tails on cruises don't come anywhere close to that experience. 

10 hours ago, yankinuk said:

My sister has been cruising since the 80's, back in the day lobster was quite common on almost all cruises, now not so much.

Lobster was more common period back then, but like with some other seafood, due to increased demand, over fishing and new regulations, the availability isn't what it used to be and that increased prices and of course that caused lobster on a cruise to be less common.

12 hours ago, scpirate said:

No lobster .your lucky if you see a shrimp on lido.

I must have been lucky then on my last two cruises when we ate dinner there. 

Honestly, I really don't care if I get a pen or not in my cabin, between my DH and I, we have gotten enough free pens from vendors we deal with in our jobs to last us a lifetime and my DH always has pens, a sharpie and a highlighter in his bag that goes everywhere he goes, so we're good either way.

But, tell ya what, if anyone is going to be on one of our upcoming sailings listed in my signature below and wants a free pen, I'll happily bring one for you. Granted it won't be a Carnival pen, and will most likely have the name of some supply company name on it, but hey, it's free!

Now, whether or not this is a plastic reduction thing, a cost cutting thing or both, it's debatable, and I agree there's other things they could do to reduce waste and plastic usage, and we'll probably see some of those things happen in the coming years. I know the company I work for has been implementing several initiatives lately to reduce what we send to the landfill, and recycle as much as possible and to use as many products that contain recycled material as possible. I believe cruise lines are going to be doing more of the same as there's been more focus on these environmental issues in recent years than ever before.            

1 hour ago, Joebucks said:

Saw someone mention they bring rootbeer and make rootbeer floats with the free ice cream. Hmmm

Yeah, I think it was on either the "cruise hacks" or the "Lido creations" thread and I think it involved using one of the large glasses from the Self-serve beer station. Not a bad idea.

1 hour ago, summersigh said:

If CCL put lobster on the Lido Buffet they'd need "Lobster Police" just like the "Bacon Police" already in place at breakfast. 👮‍♂️🥓

Only because some people can't be trusted to not act like every meal is their last.

Never seen lobster on any Carnival buffet, but have read on another cruising website that it does happen on lines like Princess and HAL.

Also, I might add that if you plan to be there early, allow time for traffic. We sailed out of Tampa last year and had FTTF  and had picked the earliest time (DH wanted to get our monies worth). Wasn't so bad until we got close to Channelside Dr, then it turned into a mess, not only were people trying to get to both the Carnival and RC terminals, you had people leaving the terminals and there was something going on at the Florida Aquarium. I took us much longer to get down Channelside Dr and to park than it did to get checked in and board the ship.

9 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

I had one of those milkshakes once...and couldn’t eat dessert that night. I can’t see having two of those every day.

Yeah, we had them as a meal substitute one day after coming back from port starving and the lines for food were too long. we were both pretty full after those. 

19 minutes ago, Butterbean1000 said:

No more pens?! That's it, no more cruising for me.

Same here, I'm on the phone canceling my cruises as I'm typing this.

3 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

I agree the iced tea on board isn't good.  It used to be much better.

Same with the lemonade and I really miss the fruit punch they used to have.

33 minutes ago, alleghator said:

is it "a case of soda" for convenience, or does it literally have to be soda? Are we allowed to carry on anything in cans? Lemonade? Tea? Canned Starbucks drinks? Canned tomato juice?

any non-alcoholic beverage that comes in 12oz or less cans or cartons. 

2 hours ago, yankinuk said:

And yes, I noticed straight drinks such as voldka and OJ,  and Rum and Coke were not listed with prices.

Unless it's changed since last year, you just pay the menu price listed for the liquor, adding a mixer such as soda or juice doesn't change the price. 

4 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

The coffee shops carry great hot tea bags, also.

Yeah, I like hot tea and the Chai and the mint teas were good. DH will only drink southern sweet tea, I'd say what he thinks of the iced tea on the ship, but we're not supposed to use that kind of language on here 

1 hour ago, Shaded Lady said:

But then I'm not a tea connoisseur

No, that would be my DH, if it's from a mix or bottle, he won't touch it. He always blames me being a Yankee for why I have no problem drinking "fake tea" from a bottle. 

1 hour ago, SNJCruisers said:

The newer builds such as the Horizon carry at least two different varieties of bottled Honest T iced tea.  Included with Cheers, or sold a la carte.

They had them at the coffee bars on the Ecstasy and Miracle on our cruises in 2017 and 2018. I drank several of the Green Tea variety. 

5 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

Royal does that, why can’t Carnival?

Not arguing that they can't, I'm just pointing out that it would still cost $200+ for a 7 day cruise and depending how many you would actually drink if it would be a value to you to have such a package over just paying as you go.

I'm not saying such a package is a bad idea, we enjoy Cheers and find value in it, and as long as you can drink enough beverages for it to be of value, I'd see no problem in it.

30 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

So narrowminded you people. jUsT bUy ThEm. I wouldn't be posting this thread if I wanted to buy them! I do not know about you, but I don't like coming off the cruise and seeing a bill of $200+ when I could spend on a package!

Well, you suggested a daily rate of $25-30, so let's say $28 per day plus 18% gratuity would be $34 multiply that by, let's 7 days, and you are spending a little over $231 for a week of smoothies. You'd need to drink 5 a day to break even.