skridge

On 1/29/2024 at 8:14 PM, Kelownabccan said:

Carnival will automatically add $16.00 per day, per guest to your onboard account for standard accommodations

 

Do you have to wait to the last day to do anything or can you do adjustments during the cruise??....On HAL my wife can go to the front desk any time during the cruise and fill out a form to how much she wants to pay.....and then the bill at the end is automatically adjusted to the new amount as an example.....Thanks

Anyone that can afford to cruise on Holland America or any other cruise line can afford $16 a day per person to take care of all the hard working people involved in the tip pool.  There are many reasons given as to why people remove tips and not a single one is valid.  Even if you have a crew member treat you horribly, which in my double digit cruises has never happened there is no reason to remove tips.  Report the person to guest services and mention them in the survey at the end of the cruise.    If you don't like the way the cruise lines go about paying the employees don't cruise.  If you can't afford to tip, don't cruise.  If you for some reason don't like the hard working people on cruise ships.  Don't cruise.  It's very simple.  

3 hours ago, john91498 said:

 

Being a server was never meant to be a full time job. I did that when I was in college and after I graduated, I got a real job...

Many people in this country are servers for a living .  Saying it is not a real job is an extremely privileged position to take.

On 12/12/2023 at 7:10 AM, audcc77 said:

Not sure that’s a fair statement.  
 

Not everyone is removing tips. Some people are just having questions in general.  I go there sometimes to have my friend’s tips moved to my account, refund on wi-fi, questions about debarkation and a myriad of other things.  
 

I’m almost diamond and have never removed tips. Although, if I felt the need to do so, I’d do it.  

The lines are always longer right after the auto tips hit the folio.  Coincidence, I think not.

On 12/2/2023 at 8:55 PM, Rdclfamily said:

I can't wrap my head around tipping (how much) for this cruise.  It's time to make decisions and this particular cruise is nothing like any other cruise.  There are four of us.  Two adults and two teens.   We have mostly dined in a restaurant like Bonsai sushi where we paid for our meal and tipped accordingly.  We have paid tips on countless drinks.  We paid gratuity on things like fresh juice.  We have only eaten in the main dining room for breakfast and even then, it was just the two of us most of the time.  The teens are in the buffet.  I am just trying to wrap my head around paying $112 x four people plus all of the other gratuities.  They also only service the room once a day compared to two.  This is the first time where I just don't seem to be able to wrap my head around it. I'm easily swayed back to tipping, but wondering what protocol is now that so much dining is not in the main dining room.

The tips are dispersed to all people involved in the tipping pool.  If you remove the tips you are shafting the hard working people on the cruise ship.  It really is a very small amount in the grand scheme of things and is vital to the people who cater to your every need while on the ship.  It is absolutely sickening the amount of people that remove the automatic gratuity.  The line seems to wrap around the entire lobby when the gratuities hit the folio.

On 12/10/2023 at 10:25 AM, mz-s said:

 

Again with the "but everyone else is doing it too" broken record.

 

Yes we know the hospitality industry and cruises in particular were subjected to very heavy-handed regulations. That was then, this is now. We are all ready to move on. At least, I am. "I'm just happy to be cruising again" isn't good enough for me anymore.

What was heavy handed about not sailing during a pandemic? 

On 10/8/2023 at 11:59 AM, highSeas22 said:

This has nothing to do with cruise lines . That's passenger driven

They could debark people that hide ducks.

People that remove tips are lower than whale feces.

The best gift you can give the crew is to not remove tips and tip extra in cash.  

20 minutes ago, kayehall said:

Looking for a girls getaway.  Not Nassau.  Anyone have experience with Bimini, Half Moon Cay or Princess Cays?  Thanks

Bimini is really fun if you think renting a golf cart and exploring an island with good food and some cool beaches is a good time.  I have heard half moon cay and Princess Cay are really cool.

On 1/13/2023 at 12:14 PM, shotzyok said:

Taking grandsons (teens) on an Alaskan cruise in June. It’s always been just my husband and I and space already seems really tight! Need tips and tricks for 2 extra in the cabin and not totally going crazy. We have a king, sofa bed and pull down. Will be on Luminosa, so if anyone has information or tips, it would be greatly appreciated!

Spend as little time in the cabin as possible.

On 1/4/2023 at 8:35 PM, kdnurs said:

 Sorry to be a bother...didn't expect the latter comment...I was only asking a question...If it didn't mean anything to me I wouldn't have asked. 

Some people on here if you ask a question they are going to pick it apart and tear into you like a monkey on a banana.  Sadly some people are just horrible.  Absolutely nothing wrong with your question.  

On 9/22/2022 at 8:44 PM, DanOO said:

Do you know if there is a separate line or check in for suite guests before you go to the suite waiting area?

 

They have a separate waiting area and the suites check in first.

On 9/22/2022 at 6:21 PM, melz1010 said:

Last year I went on the Vista for Christmas and opted for Earliest possible check-in and found it to be such a breeze that next time I want to check in early if I can help it. This year Christmas, we're cruising on Mardi Gras. Is embarkation a quick and smooth process or will it be extremely long wait lines and over an hour to get on the ship? Do you recommend an early check-in time or is later the way to go. The ship leaves port at 4pm, when is the latest to check-in. We're going December 2022. 

It was very quick and easy.  I always like to get on early so I really don't care how long I have to wait.  The chairs are comfortable that you wait in.  As long as you keep in mind there is no way for Carnival to have it go smooth every time because there are about a thousand different things that are beyond there control that could cause a delay.    

5 hours ago, Crismess669 said:

We’re on our second Carnival cruise in December, and I realize my cruising partner and I need a tradition for after we dump our stuff off at our room. We were gonna make it Happy Hour at Red Frog, but Horizon doesn’t have Red Frog (which is ridiculous). 

 

What’s the first thing you always do (aside from dropping stuff off at the room)?

Order a drink then straight to the pool.  The first two hours is when the pool is the least crowded.

On 8/20/2022 at 11:27 AM, Tierun said:

Ok, I have not sailed on a fun ship since 2009, but just booked Celebration and looking at the cheers package it says that taxes are charged for drinks in US ports. I’ve sailed X, RCCL, and MSC (all multiple times) and never experienced this. Is this solely a Carnival thing, and why?

They have to pay taxes when docked in port.  They are going to pass that onto you every time.

1 hour ago, Dthomas1 said:

I cruise Carnival out of Charleston being only a 3 hour drive to the port. Just seeing who else uses this port often.

Been out of there 5 times.  The closest port and one of my favorite places in the world.  It's unfortunate they are shutting it down.

20 hours ago, skywonder said:

It is time to get back to normal and for all to cruise again! This is a good thing and many of us are very happy about it! 🥳

Many of us would rather them drop testing and still not allow unvaccinated passengers.

20 hours ago, skywonder said:

It is time to get back to normal and for all to cruise again! This is a good thing and many of us are very happy about it! 🥳

If normal means that you have to be vaccinated to cruise then I agree.

20 hours ago, SeaPink0409 said:

😏

 

I bet the dominos start to fall. Quickly. 

It's unfortunate that they are allowing unvaccinated passengers onto ships.  I wish they would have just stopped the testing of the vaccinated and continued to only let on a small percentage of unvaccinated.

yes

12 hours ago, land64shark said:

So, if I have a drink of two while gambling, are they counted in my daily Cheers total?

I was in the Casino and had drinks on us, but I was past my 15 drinks so the waitress said I couldn't get a drink.  It was probably for the best.

I had a great Sunshine cruise in March.  The crew was one of the best I have ever had.  Service was great.  I have never been on Elation.

On my March Cruise on Sunshine the fries were as good as they have been since the first time I had them.  

The rule is if one person in the room has cheers, everyone over the age of 21 has to have the Cheers package.  I would do whatever you can to cancel the package or you are going to get stuck with a package that supplies you with 15 alcohol drinks a day and you don't drink alcohol.  

I close the door gently in the morning not in deference to my neighbors, but because I don't want to wake up my wife as I am leaving.  I do think it is common courtesy early in the morning to not just let your door go.  I also think it is common courtesy to return your grocery cart and I seem to be in the minority opinion on that as people leave carts all over the place.