sharkaymon

I sailed on the regal princess November 12 through November 19. There were massive delays on embarkation day and disembarkation day. Both having to do with getting passengers on and off the ship without the use of biometrics. We were told that CBP (customs and border protection) would not allow Princess to use facial biometrics either on embarkation or Disembarkation.

so princess and CBP don’t play well together. Why should the passengers and crew and the longshoreman have to suffer.

Is there any other information as to these massive delays?

My sister and I are trying to choose excursions for our next cruise in February, 2019. One of them is to Blue Lagoon in Nassau. Has anyone taken this excursion? Celebrity sponsored or third-party sponsored. I am specifically looking for one that provides clamshells, or palapas, etc.

The following statements are my personal opinion based on my personal experience.

This was the 4th sister cruise for my sister and I. We made arrangements to park in the Fulton Street parking garage. Our first mistake was assuming that someone would be there to help us unload our luggage as we entered the garage. I should have double checked with the garage to make sure. We parked on the 8th floor and had our first encounter with angels. We had five very heavy bags and my sister was wrestling the first bag from the trunk when two couples walked by and offered to help. Rick Wolfe and Bobby ? were true gentlemen and helped us unload, get down stairs and onto a shuttle. Our check-in time at the terminal was 12:30. We were in stateroom 8300 by 1:30. There were a few rude passengers at the muster drill who decided their conversation and raucous laughter was more important than listening to the very short presentation.

The first lunch at the Lido was as expected - chaotic. Over-filled plates, wasting of food and loud, inconsiderate diners were the norm at all week. I enjoyed all the choices. Guy’s burgers were awesome. Anytime dining was at the Crimson Restaurant and our team, Rony and Sherwin, were as attentive as possible under the restraints imposed by extra tables added as the result of Carnival cutback. We requested them every time we ate in the dining room. Our hostess Rachelle greeted us by name every time we entered the dining room. She was friendly and gracious and a true joy.

The Steakhouse and the Chef’s Table experience were delicious.

The music at the various venues was always enjoyable. The casino cheerfully took my $$ and gave me a drink card worth 15 drinks per day. The shows were impressive.

I was in a crowd at the end of the pier and was accidentally knocked out of my shoes. I landed hard on my right side and got a severe hematoma on my upper forearm. The Medical Department has limited hours and I had to wait 2 1/2 hours before they opened for the afternoon. $125 for a bandaid and the suggestion to visit my doctor when I got back home. When I got back home I had an infection requiring antibiotics.

Our cabin steward did his best, while servicing more cabins required by Carnival cutbacks. The hallways were often clogged with the cleaning carts.

I had fun, I enjoyed my cruise. I’d like to explore other cruise lines, seeking less chaos, fewer rude, wasteful passengers, clearer hallways and more peaceful dining rooms.

I'm probably gonna write something up this week as I took a lot of pics I know people will want (Odds and ends, back of the tv, model etc). I also was on the same cruise... in fact just down the hall, and passed your room many times (6142). I saw the key card is on the wall? Curious how that all worked?

 

Also, was it just me or was it balcony slamming kids running down the hall all the time for you too? 6142 put me right by the elevators but the hall was a dead end.

Krystm - I’m assuming the key card on the wall was because it was a handicapped-accessible room. When you put your key in, the door automatically opened; allowing enough time for someone in a wheelchair to enter and get beyond the door which automatically closed a minute or so later. There was also a doorbell. We had kids next door to us (I guess 6180) but they were elementary age, traveling with their grandparents and I never saw them out in the hall unaccompanied. Please let me know when you post your review. I would especially like to hear another person’s opinion who was on the same sailing as ours.:)

We are back from the best vacay we ever had and guess what? No pictures. I decided after walking into our cabin and taking a few pix that I didn’t want to experience everything from behind my camera lens, so that’s what I did. I never took another picture and I didn’t watch any news. The world went spinning on without me. We went July 12th on an Alaskan Cruise on Carnival Legend with my sister and DH’s brother and sister-in-law. We got up close and personal with Dawe’s Glacier, experienced an awesome whale watching excursion with Orcas and Humpbacks and Eagles, Oh my!

Had lots of fun hanging out on our balcony with everyone. Ate too much, drank more alcohol than we usually do, enjoyed the sights and sounds of Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchican. Stayed up late laughing and talking and and woke up to absolutely stunning views from our balcony.

We got back to Seattle and spent three days there - you could spend three weeks and not see everything! Arrived back to reality last night. No more room service coffee and croissants on the balcony, I have to put my own napkin in my lap and I have to make up my own bed! We were ready to come home and our doggie greeted us with hops and barks and a wagging tail and no retributions about leaving her for 11 days. We still haven’t unpacked. We spent my birthday night having pizza and champagne and strawberries on the Lido Deck at midnight.

After cruising on Carnival Legend I’ve decided I like ships like Conquest and Valor. I liked having Guy’s Burgers and the Blue Iguana Cantina and the Fish and Chips place. There were not enough choices other than the Lido on Carnival Legend. We always ate breakfast in the MDR and the service was usually slow and the food good. The buffet on Lido was always very crowded so we kept a tray from room service and brought our food back to the cabin. Pizza and burgers, brats and fries were always good as were the desserts.

The casino was smaller than on Conquest and Valor.

The steakhouse was excellent! The service was delightful. And everyone enjoyed their selections. I had the lamb and it was prepared just the way I liked it.

There was a large group of teenagers on board and I was blown away with their great behavior. Never heard inappropriate language, no inconsiderate or rude actions. YeeHaw for Millennials!

We only went to one show at the Comedy Club. Funny enough but I don’t remember the comedians names.

Live entertainment at the Lobby Bar was good some days and bad on others.

The shopping in Skagway and Ketchikan was great. We shopped local whenever possible. We did find some tee shirts designed by local artists.

We ate at Twisted Fish in Juneau, right next to where we docked. VERY good food, especially the salmon. Ask for Howie as your server.

Both of our excursions, glaciers and whale watching were on the St. Aquilina, an Allen Marine boat. I bought a beautiful hand painted silk scarf on board during our whale-watching excursion. The artist was the mom of one of the deckhands.

We were supposed to take a glacier excursion from the boat into Tracy Arm but Tracy Arm was blocked with lots of ice so instead we went into Endicott Arm and got to get very close to Dawe’s Glacier.

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake with orange sherbet, Bitter and Blanc bread pudding, Grand Marnier soufflé, Indian vegetarian, Pumpkin-Cinnamon-Yam Pie, escargot, ox tongue . . . I had all my favorites.

We had Anytime dining and received wonderful service from I Wayans and his team, I Made and his team, and were greeted with a smile every night by the hostess Alaksandra. We only had to wait one night – the first elegant night.

We had cabin 6182 – a handicap accessible Grand Suite. Lots of room, very large bathroom. Storage was compromised, not enough for three people.

Pre and post-cruise stays at Embassy Suites Sea-Tac. We were in the Presidential Suite – divided by three it was a sweet deal but the air conditioning was terrible. The staff was friendly, the Shuttle driver, Bert, was helpful in recommending restaurants and the made-to-order breakfasts were good.

We used Uber for the first time, my grandchildren would be proud! The light rail and the monorail helped us get around downtown. We ate lunch one day at the Steelhead Diner, just across from Pike Place Market. We also had another lunch at the Armory (big giant food court with lots of choices), next to the Space Needle – two hamburgers and two chocolate malts = $48!

Seattle is expensive.

Congratulations!! We were in one of them in 2011 when the Ecstasy used to cruise out of Galveston. It's funny that so many people have no idea they exist. It was our anniversary so naturally I said yes when the Upgrade Fairy called. It was worth it to see the look on my wife's face when we stepped inside that suite!

 

Check out my wife's slideshow on her website if you have time. It will add to your excitement when you see it!

 

Carnival Ecstasy's Owner's Suite

 

Take lots of pictures. It's a once in a lifetime experience!

Does the Owner’s Suite have a balcony that only overlooks the pool area or is there one that also overlooks the water?

We will be flying Southwest from Denver to Seattle for our upcoming cruise. It will cost us a total of $60. Have you ever used this service and would you recommend it?

6182 on any same class ship will be exactly the same on your ship. carnival does not deviate away from the mold. it will be a hc cabin on all the ships in its class

 

Your balcony sits back in the indentation. you will not be able to see towards the back. The person next to you can see into your balcony

Thank you

I would like to see pix of this cabin please. Not similar cabins, not 6182 on other ships in the same class. This is a handicap accessible cabin. What are the thoughts of those who have sailed in this cabin?

On our July 12th Alaskan cruise we will be visiting Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchican. DBIL want to eat a Salmon Dinner and purchase smoked salmon at one of those ports. Any suggestions?

How was embarkation? We will be arriving by hotel shuttle. Will we be able to go directly to the terminal or will we have to be dropped off in a parking area and then board a Carnival shuttle to the terminal? The information I have so far is a little confusing.:confused:

This is what the OP is talking about... It's in every 7-11 and other convenience stores up here. :)

Yipee Skipee! You got it! And I can order it here in the states. So silly:roll eyes:but that will be the reason I get off the ship in Victoria BC

Our last cruise had Prince Rupert as the last port of call before Seattle. We stepped off the ship and took a nice long walk, admiring stunning displays of flowering trees and bushes. We stopped at a local restaurant where my nephew asked the server what kind of Canadian Food they had on the menu. She chuckled and said, "Well I guess fried potatoes and gravy could be considered Canadian Food." Nephew ordered fried potatoes and gravy and was happy knowing he had eaten "Canadian Food".

On our way back to the ship we stopped in to a convenience store where I discovered a most delicious candy bar. It was made by Nestle and named Turkish Delight. It had a dark-pink jellied filling enrobed in chocolate. This chocolate bar was, indeed, delightful. I am sad to say that, despite exhaustive online searches, I have never found this candy bar again.

Oh there are all sorts of versions of Turkish Delight. In The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Turkish Delight was said to have brought peace to a sultan's quarreling harem.

I'm not part of a harem but I certainly seek the peace brought by this particular version of Turkish Delight. Have you ever seen or heard of this particular candy bar whenever you stopped in Canada on your way back from Alaska.

On our upcoming Alaskan Cruise ;)Victoria B.C. is our last port of call before arriving back in Seattle. "Help me Obi Wan Kenobi (Cruise Critic posters and readers), your my only hope." (to find this elusive candy bar)

You can see by my countdown clock that the time for out cruise is getting close. I'm starting to pack now and I have gloves, rain jacket and sweaters. Should I pack my Columbia double jacket - inner jacket of heavy fleece unzips from outer hooded windbreaker. I know early in the season it can be cold but I'm not sure about mid-summer. We have a whale watching excursion and the Tracy Arm excursion scheduled.

2014, maybe. I don't think it was too long ago. If you click on "Reviews" up at the very top you can find out.:)

We have booked the same excursion for our July 12th sailing and I was told it would be taken care of once we boarded the ship. The email from the vender says this:

Good Day xxx,

Attached is your email confirmation sent back in February for 5 spots on the Tracy Arm tour.

Please be advised that your tickets will be charged to your onboard Sail & Sign Account on the day of embarkation and will be printed and delivered to your stateroom on the first sea day of the cruise.

Best Regards,

Tour Operations

Carnival Cruise Line

Then the attachment says this:

Good Day xxx,

We are happy to confirm your reservation for the Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer excursion at 11:00am on 07/14/2016 for your upcoming Alaska cruise for

- 5 adults (aged 13 and above);

- 0 children (aged 5 - 12).

The minimum age of this excursions is 5 years old.

At this current time we are unable to charge online ahead of time however we will reserve tickets for you. Your tickets will be charged to your onboard Sail & Sign Account on the day of embarkation and will be printed and delivered to your stateroom on the first sea day of the cruise.

Please have this email printed as a confirmation page.

Wishing you a very pleasant voyage on the Carnival Legend.

Best Regards,

Tour Operations

Carnival Cruise Line

I hope this helps.:)

What great responses! Will include our UBER experiences in my review: Carnival Legend to Alaska July 12-19.

More and more often I see references to UBER. I looked it up. Good information, but I need some real time stories here.

Have you used UBER? Do you think it is better than a taxi?

We will be staying one night in Seattle pre-cruise and three nights post cruise and i was wondering if UBER would be a good choice for getting us from our hotel, Embassy Suites near the airport, to the attractions in downtown. It is 13 miles from hotel to the pier. We are a group of 5 with the average amount of luggage for an eight day cruise.

We will be getting the shuttle to and from the airport. Everything else will require public transportation or taxis or maybe now UBER.

Dear Alex, As you can see from my signature, I've cruised several times and I've been on Cruise Critic for several years. I've read many reviews and many other posts and thread and I have never before read anything written with such pure, wholesome JOY. I look forward to seeing your pictures of course but more than that I look forward to the JOY in your words. I pray you keep this wonderful outlook on life.:)

You don't, boarding time is not there( except for final boarding time, when everyone has to be on the ship). If you are checking in at a port where Carnival has begun assigned check in times, you will see choices in "your on line check in". The box is on the left.

I guess I'm not using the right words. :o What is it called when you arrive at the terminal and you have an assigned check-in time? Staggered something-or-other? Thanks for your help

On My Cruise Manager, where do I find my boarding time?

Alaska is off the charts, incredible, fantastic. Words can not describe the beauty. The ship you are on is to a degree irrelevant as the experience is outside.

 

We were in Vista Suite 6260, one of the best cabins at sea. Back of the ship with wrap around balcony. Perfect for Alaska.

 

The ship was in good condition. Very clean. We had no complaints about anything.

 

There were children on the ship but were not a problem. Some were acting as children which was enjoyed by all except for perhaps a pathetic few.

 

Service for us was beyond 5 star. We fly 1st class. We stay in 5 star hotels. We could not have asked for better service either in the cabin or the dining room. We were traveling with other people in 5 different cabins and they all said the same.

 

Food was OK. Some better than other. Not a cruise if you are looking for gourmet dining. Definitely good eating to be found though. The made to order omelets are hard to beat with never a line. I would cruise again tomorrow for the salsa they have on the side.

Bacon, grilled tomatoes and the fried potato things were great at breakfast.

 

The hot sandwiches were good at lunch.

 

Would skip the lobster at dinner. The shrimp was pretty good though. Not beef eaters but fellow diners said the prime rib was good. Probably the best thing on the dinner menu, for those that like such things, was the Indian option.

 

Went to two shows and one comedy show. Not our thing but impressed with the effort.

 

We cruise Carnival because we like the live acoustic guitar music found only on Carnival. On this cruise Andy was great. Incredible classic guitarist in the afternoon but was equally as good at night with modern music. He allowed a couple of very talented passengers perform as well.

 

We absolutely had a fantastic time. We were in a group of 16 and all agree.

 

Bring gloves, hoods, layers of jackets. It is cold outside by the glaciers. You want to stay outside as much as possible.

 

We saw dozens of whales, some next to the ship. Hundred's of porpoises, hundred's of bald eagles, one brown bear, one moose, dozens of mountain goats including one baby hoping around on a ledge that I was sure was fixing to fall to his death. Also many birds and creatures at sea I did not know what they were.

 

All in all an experience of a lifetime.

 

Will be very glad to answer any positive questions.

What was embarkation like? We will be arriving on a hotel shuttle.

Aww..I'm sorry your chubby little heart was busted :(

 

My own chubby little heart feels the same way about bitter and blanc.

 

We will just have to soldier on I'm afraid. And learn how to make it ourselves :)

:eek:No Bitter and Blanc? Oh,no! Say it ain't so!:eek:

I found what I was looking for

Where may I find the different classes of Carnival ships and which ships are in which class?