wannagonow123

The last time I was on HAL, I asked about free drinks like Carnival, and I was told no, but if the Casino Host saw the amount of play you had, they have the ability to comp you a beverage.

Carnival has revised itineraries posted for this/next week, and Grand Turk is a stopping port.

Any chance HAL has been get lawsuit threats regarding port times (arrival & depart times) and that log I fuel for the fire?

I understand the Cruise Contract is in place, to avoid that kind of crap, but trust me, there are folks willing to sue and want money back because they did not get their 8 posted hours of beach time because the ship arrived late, and their entire vacation was ruined. That cruise log verifies their claim. And there are always lawyers willing to try.

For what it's worth.....

Don't stop in the middle of the walkways to look at the funtimes or map or to have a conversation. Stop at the side.

Dry off before sitting to have your lunch in Lido dining area.

And my favorite... SHUT UP AND LISTEN when attending muster drill. If there was an emergency, you are going to put me in harms way, because you could not keep quiet for 15 minutes, and you don't know what to do!

I read the contract, and it has a notation in it regarding ports of call, and if passengers have to disembark in a port not planned.

What I did not see is what happens if a ship leaves early like they did for Sandy (out of New York) and you do not make it in time to sail. Or if the cruise cannot leave on date planned and published. Sorry, I did not read all the posts regarding Harvey and delayed sailings. Are you entitled to refunds then?

In Curacao, we took a tuktuk tour that was fabulous. Small motorized cars that went through the city with narration. I think it is a max of 4 people per car and really knowledgeable drivers. Probably the best city tour I ever paid for, and the cheapest.

I promise, I really did search for this info, but all I found was old posts. (2015).

Last time I was on the Dream, there was a smoking area right outside of Ocean Plaza. Is that area still there?

We are experienced cruisers, but not too many on RCI.

Traveled on the Grandeur a few years ago, and luggage was delivered to our cabin. (In fact, we had an excellent attendant that put them in our room).We were then offered a complimentary cruise on the Oasis. (We play way too much in the casinos on ships). We kept checking our room to get our luggage so we could change for diner, and nothing. At 7pm, I made a wrong turn off the elevator, and there was out luggage, sitting out in the hallway. I wonder just how long it had been sitting there. Hallways on RCI ships are very narrow, and difficult to maneuver with other patrons walking down the corridors. Fast forward to another cruise on the Rhapsody, and again, the luggage was placed right outside the elevators, for us to gather. Reminded me of the staging areas when you get off the ship.

We re now set to travel on the Majesty. Does anyone know if luggage is delivered to your stateroom, or do we have retrieve our own again? I am sorry, but I think they need to find a better system rather than dumping off luggage off in elevator foyer. What is to prevent someone from hoping off the elevator, grabbing luggage that does not belong to them?

A lot of the problem is the failure of Cruise lines/ Airlines/ hotels and other establishments training their personnel to follow simple guidelines.(in the US of course- embarkation ports in US)

The US Department of Justice has a page CLEARLY explaining what is/ is not considered a service animal, and how to determine if the dog qualifies, and how staff can weed the non-compliance animals out. Very easy, but tricky and takes a small amount of training.

I worked for a transportation company for many years, and we had strict guidelines to make a determination as to whether the dog was able to travel. I turned down many animals, even with the "treats" of being sued by the ADA, an was never investigated, reprimanded or overturned.

A service animal is "TRAINED" to provide a specific service. You may ask what service your animal was trained to provide. Notice I did not ask what your disability was? (I'm not allowed to ask that). The latest scam is people saying their dog is a seizure dog. That is not what I asked. I asked what service is your dog trained to provide? The dog alerts me by nudging my leg I am going to have a seizure so I can takes medication. Have a nice trip. Individuals that are just traveling with the animals, not true service animals at this point start fussing about me violating their rights. I would simply deny them service, hand them a copy of the 1 page Department of justice ruling, and refund their ticket. It's not rocket science, but no one wants to step on anyone's toes.

The other question we were allowed to ask was " Is that your pet?" Of course no one says yes. They always say it's my service animal, so I start using the other question. With exception of a visually impaired guide dog, I never looked at vests. I never looked at documentation. Not needed. True service animal owners know the correct answers, and how to answer properly. An individual with PTSD will not answer with : It's my service dog". They will always answer, the dog does "whatever" when there are large noises.

Just go to ADA.gov and in the search box up top, type in service animals, and it will take you to the updated link.

One of my favorite things to do in port I to get a massage. Some ports have them available right at the beach. Any available that you know of? Or maybe a local resort?

We also got off Thursday. Use your card for laundry. $3 wash, $3 dry. Soap is $1.

First off, I am really sorry your mother got injured, and I hope she feels better. Just a few questions for you...

Did they charge you guys for the infirmary visit?

Did you get any names of the crew members that assisted, or knew about the slip?

Was it reported to Guest Services?

Your next step should be to send a "receipt Requested" letter to Carnival Headquarters detailing the events you described, leaving out emotions. ( I know it will be hard to do so) Make sure you include names if you have any, or really detailed descriptions of crewmembers that assisted. There are a lot of people on the ship wearing officer uniforms, and you want to pin-point those that know something about the situation. I would also leave out "someone" telling the sauce had been there a while, unless you have his contact info. "A while" is subjective to each person. Be as detailed as you can.

In the last paragraph, ask Carnival where they would like the medical bills sent. If you start with, I'll sue you guys, they are going to dig in and force you guys to go through a bunch off hoops, and draw things out. The reason you want to send US mail with receipt requested, is if you do have to go through legal channels, you will have the green stub showing Carnival got the notification. Since they have to sign for it, chances are it will get to the correct department ASAP, and someone will respond quickly.

Be prepared to respond to the question " What can we do t make this right?" I know this whole ordeal has been traumatic for both of you.

This problem exists on just abut every cruise line. We now try to self-assist every cruise, but I understand that is no an option for some folks. A lot of the problem lies with the disembarkation survey everyone is asked to fill in and turn into guest services. The first time I got it, I ignored it, and was assigned a late time to get off. Maybe it should be filled in at check-in, with instructions to contact gest services by XX day if changes need to be made.

And talk about disembarkation horror stories, on a Carnival ship not too long ago, we had priority disembarkation.(At least we were supposed to). Weather was not wonderful, so everyone was ready to get off, and no one paid attention to the schedule. We could not even get off the elevator because there were so many people trying to get off. It took us 30 min of riding an elevator because no one could get off.

We are now at our assigned waiting area at least 45 min early. ( We have priority, so we have a special area, that if you can get to it, you can sit& wait in comfort)

OK. Now I am confused. HAL's website says the Rotterdam's smoking area is on the Sport deck. he Lido deck will work. Thanks to all with answers.

One note to the individual that suggested I go to the smoking thread... I did try to look at the thread posted. I was unable to use a filter, and frankly it was easier to ask, rather than look at over 100 pages. I am very sorry it offended you that I dare ask a question. I will warn you that I will probably as some more, but I will be sure to do an extensive search first.

Is the smoking area covered on the Rotterdam? I know it is located on the Sport Deck, but when the casino is smoke-free, we will need to head up to the outside. We have not traveled with Holland since the balcony smoking ban.

Thanks.

Where exactly are you allowed to smoke on the Majesty OFS? I checked the website, and I could not find specifics.

Thank you.

Sit in a smoking area! Never any kids there.

If you want a nice quiet area to relax, try Holland America. In the dead of summer, there are very few kids. Pools are usually empty .

Face it. Carnival is a business and out to make money. They will make more money off the family with children, than with the "average" couple. If the kids in these families have no where to swim, they will go to another company. Oops, there go higher prices, and then everyone will complain about that.

I really do understand your point. I get frustrate to no end when parents do not watch their children on a cruise because "they are on vacation". Carnival should install the Freestyle soda machines like other cruise lines to keep kids away from the bars. But, I also get it, that it is not my ship, and I have choices other than Carnival. If I want culture, I travel Holland. Quiet. RCI or Holland and just to get away, Carnival.

On the Magic, one of the smoking areas is outside the Red Fog, directly under the balconies on deck 6.

I was told by the person giving out the pagers, that you could go as far forward as the coffee/shake shop, and aft to the elevators. In the beginning of the cruise you wil notice that most AT diners eat later, but by day 5, there is a line @ 6:00pm.

The wait really was not that long.

I have no idea what I was thinking, but I booked a quick getaway in August on the Ecstasy. 5 days, out of Charleston, in August, heading for the Bahamas. This, happening to folks that are not fond of humidity & heat.

Anyhow, can someone tell me how muster is handled on this ship? I was on the Fantasy a few years ago, and muster was indoors. That was great. Then again, on another cruise, it was outdoors, hot as Hades, and people were literally passing out, getting ill. Really bad.

Just kind of wondering what I can expect.

With the Freestyle machine, you get a large selection. Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Coke, Root beer (Diet & regular), Fanta orange(diet & regular), GingerAle (Diet & regular) Tropicana flavored, and many more Then you can add flavorings.

They have quite a few packages available. Royal also sends you an e-mail about a month before you trip , that if you buy the package within 48 hours of the notification, you get a dollar a day off, ad no taxes.

They also have a punch coffee card that gives you 15 specialty coffee for $31. This is also offered on the e-mail discount.

Golly, I sure wish Carnival would install these on their ships. It was really nice not having t go to a bar to get a soda on my last 3 RCCL cruises. You get a large selection and don't have to fight to get waited on. No signing slips of paper. Easy for kids to use.

You need to select Inside/Balcony/Oceanview/Suite as certain categories are sold out or not offered.

The last thing I would call that area is a "lounge". Chairs in a cramped area. When you enter, someone takes your boarding passes and tells you to sit & wait. After 20 minutes, I had to use the restroom, and the lady did not want to let me back in because I did not have my pass! Finally got back in, and we sat another 20 minutes. From start to finish, took us almost an hour.

It must be Miami, as every cruise out of there has been lackluster, confusing and I don't want to leave from there again. Every other port has been wonderful and smooth. No muss, no fuss. Port Canaveral being the best.

When we went, our muster station was in one of he dining rooms. I don't know what other pubic spaces ae utilized.

Was actually the best muster drill I have been on, ever.