RoperDK

All right, I'll chime in.  We avoid drinks with ice in certain ports unless we trust that they use purified water. We also avoid salads and other items that are rinsed with local water.  We thought we were safe until DH got sick from what we suspect was a contaminated cut lime in a beer.  It hit him a few hours after we left port.  He was pretty miserable for a couple of days. He was mildly sick for several weeks after that.  He only improved with 3 weeks of antibiotics.  While we are tempted to try local foods, we are very cautious now. 

Any truth to the rumor that Prime drinks will only be while playing starting on May 1st.  This is a deal breaker for us and the reason we gave up on Carnival.  I can count on one hand the number of times a waiter offered a drink in the casino while playing slots.  If you are playing tables there is more access.  I can cruise on Carnival for a lot less and buy the drink package.  Hope it isn't so.  

On 4/2/2023 at 7:50 AM, island lady said:

IMHO..it could possibly be JS  not listed any longer as a suite on set sail pass...since technically they are not "full suites".    JS pax had suite priority check in and boarding probably a bit longer than they were meant to be.  

 

You will not have keyed access to CK or the SL either, and no guarantees to dine in CK (dinner only on available basis).  

 

On last check JS still had priority embarkation listed as an amenity.  Haven't seen anything to contradict that fact.    

I used to buy internet and shared it with my DH.  I wanted to keep in touch with deployed military family members, elderly parents, and fur baby sitters.  It gave me peace of mind and worth every penny.  We now buy internet for both of us and I can text and call my DH instead of using the inconsistent chat feature on the app.  Not really necessary but we are used to instant communication.  

3 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Star class as you stated but much more, tangibles and intangibles.

 

Your suite is stocked every day, all day with non-alcoholic drinks and beer, no limit.  The suite is stocked on regular bases or as needed with cold cuts. sandwiches, cakes, ice cream sundae bar, finger foods, pizza, meals from whatever restaurant you want.  All handled by the Genie.

 

Some of the intangibles:  Priority access to almost every activity, and reserved seating in almost all activities, shows, and events.  Genie is always there to sort out any and all issues that may arise.  Escort to events, shows, and off the ship at ports of call.  Need to do something with the Customer Service desk, Genie will take care of it.  Genie will meet you upon embarkation day in front of the terminal with a ship's porter, not a port porter, who takes your luggage directly to your suite after security.  That is done while your Genie escorts you to your suit and giving a little tour of the ship.  Your suit and luggage are waiting on you when you first get on the ship and several welcome fruit plates (including chocolate cover strawberries), cold cut plates, and whatever you specifically asked for to be there.  And so so so much more.  Every Genie we've had so far gave every member of our party a fairly decent gift, not just a key chain type thing.  On Symphony each of us got one of those ceramic models of the ship.  Can't remember the others right now.  And, from what we've experienced, the word NO isn't spoken by a crew member, that would be handled by the Genie, but they are there to say yes.  

 

Thanks for adding in all of the extra details.  We will hopefully be able to try Star Class one day!  

9 hours ago, Pandamonia said:

I often wonder who pays 20k for a suite on a floating budget hotel (which is what cruise ships are) 

 

You essentially pay 20k for the almost same experience someone who paid $600 gets. 

 

 

 

 

I disagree.  Suites on Royal have more amenities than inside cabins. On newer ships ( where you are more likely to pay that $20k) suites have many amenities that add dollar value to your cruise.  Star class has included drink packages, ultimate dining package, internet, a private Genie to cater to your wishes, the private suite restaurant, the private suite lounge and pool deck.  The suites are spacious and have luxurious added touches.  We personally have never splurged for Star class, but we always travel in at least a Junior Suite and mostly Grand Suites.  We look for bargains and have a dollar limit for our cabin costs.  That works for us.  

8 hours ago, mcurban said:

Do they every do the beef tenderloin- just for one? My husband would get it with me just because he's a kind fellow, but I'm sure he would enjoy the lamb or lobster more. 

Yes, I had the tenderloin for just one on Wonder 3 weeks ago.  My husband wanted the Halibut, so they brought me out the tenderloin for one.  I also mentioned that I was curious about the lamb and they brought me a small portion to sample, also. 

On 7/22/2022 at 8:04 PM, Ozark_Kid said:

Has anyone eaten there for the Halibut? 

My husband had the Halibut on Wonder 3 weeks ago.  He said it was good.  Not fresh off the boat in Alaska good, but just fine. 

Is this benefit for any D+ or when you reach 340?  

6 hours ago, Pratique said:

Out of curiosity I spent a few hours researching Celebration. Although the Excel ships have added many suites, they are all modest in size. The forward and aft suites have incredible balconies but all of the cabins are somewhat ordinary for a such a large ship. As far as I can tell, there is no dedicated suite lounge other than Loft 19 which is open air (?), and not much more in perks other than concierge services, free soda, and free room/laundry service. Overall it would be a step down from Royal's offerings.

Mardi Gras/Celebration have 2 levels of suites.  They all include priority embarkation, 2 large bottles of water, a dedicated guest service line, and priority debarkation.  The upper (Excel) suites also include laundry, soda package and free room service.  The room service is only from the very limited room service menu.  Excel suites have access to Loft 19 but have to pay for cabanas.  Loft 19 has a pool, hot tub, and drink service.  The benefit of booking with Carnival is price. Royal has better perks especially on Oasis and Quantum class ships.  We prefer Royal, but Sky and Star class is soooo expensive right now.  

12 hours ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

On Wonder they did have breakfast, it must vary by ship.

They do have breakfast, but it is American style.  Think eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and waffles.  It was good, but not like Blue Iguana.  There you have empanadas, breakfast burritos and huevos rancheros.  They also have the Mexican fixins bar set up, too. Quite good!      

If he enjoys Dad time and is active and fit, then Wonder has soooo much to do.  We just got off the March 5th Wonder cruise and it was full to the brim with young families.  I saw so many Dads spending time with their kids (suspect Mom wanted some quiet time 😉).  Saw many Grandmas and Grandpas spending time with their grands, too.  The ship was maxed out and while there were lines at mealtimes and when shows let out at the elevators, the crowds were pretty well spread out. The trick is to go to the venues either early or after prime time.  I truly hope that he decides to go and has an amazing time. Wouldn't that prove him wrong.  

We just did lunch a couple of weeks ago on Wonder.  The only green cooked veggie was asparagus.  They did have a wedge and Caesar salad option.  The other sides were mac and cheese or fried, mashed, or tot potatoes.

We are booked on Wonder on Jan. 28, 2024. Since Wonder did B2B Yeshiva cruises last year, where could I find info on what will happen in 2024?  We accidentally sailed on this week a few years ago on Oasis.  We didn't have any venues (Solarium Bistro) closed and really had no issues.  Perhaps the group is much larger now.  I don't care to cruise with any extremely large group on a cruise.  Too much of a chance that they will impact the venues and enjoyment of the cruise.  

9 hours ago, Sun Lover said:

What is the main difference between the main dining room and Coastal Kitchen?  We will be on Anthem in a few weeks and have a JS booked for the first time.  We are thinking of trying to book dinner in Coastal Kitchen at least one night just to see what it's like. I assume it's much smaller than the main dining room but is the food or service upgraded?  

Coastal Kitchen is an upgrade from the MDR.  Perhaps not quite specialty dining, but we are a fan.  Look at the CK menu on the app and you will see what they offer.  We enjoy the filet on night 1 and the veal chop on night 7.  The old everyday menu is still offered in CK.  It's a smaller venue with better service.  Hope you enjoy it!

On 3/11/2023 at 5:18 PM, ZoeyVictoria said:

This is not exactly what you asked about, but I think it is related.  I wanted to book a cruise in advance and convert it to my Prime cruise once it becomes available. I was told that I had to use another casino offer to book the cruise initially, then switch offers to the Prime offer once it becomes available.  A booking with no casino offer could not be converted.  

How confusing.  We just called and booked a refundable cabin on the Wonder for next January.  There were limited cabins in our category.  I asked every conceivable version of the question of whether we would be able to convert this booking to our prime free certificate (it would involve an upgrade fee).  The representative confirmed that all would be okay. I guess we will see how it works out, but I have been a victim of the fine print recently.  During the early COVID cruises there were no restrictions. Now it seems they change the rules all the time. We will see.....

2 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Each ship has a threshold number of Pinnacles that are not in a suite that will be allowed into CK/SL.  On the recent TA...there were over 300 Pinnacles. Those not in a suite...were not allowed in.  Solarium Bistro was set aside as Pinnacle only venue for an alternative.  

 

Those key access doors are supposed to be kept closed.  Those not in a suite must use the buzzer at the door for access.  Assuming someone in CK actually answers it.  

 

We were in a GS so it did not affect us, and we were not the only ones.  If you see a lot of Pinnacles in CK/SL on a Pinnacle heavy cruise...it could simply be they are Pinnacles in a full suite.   

I wish that Wonder had more full suites.  We have been trying to get a GS and no luck.  Even hard to find a JS.  We saw many Pinnacles in the Diamond lounge last week.  Don't know if they had access to the suite lounge or not.  Struck up a conversation with several while waiting for the maitre d to show up so we could make our CK reservations for dinner.

23 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

We are currently on board, I don’t know about Junior Suite availability, I know that Pinnacles are only allowed to book 2 nights.  
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I heard that Wonder was overbooked this week.  On our sailing last week, we could have eaten in CK every night if we wanted to.  Heard there were over 100 Pinnacles on our sailing.  Coastal Kitchen was super crowded with a lot of Pinnacles eating there on the nights we went.  We were happy that the doors to access the area were propped open during dinner hours.  

23 hours ago, jagsfan said:

When you say suites area, are you saying suite lounge/CK?

I’ve only ever done breakfast, so no res needed. We’ll be in a JS on Mariner. 

Coastal Kitchen is only on Oasis/Quantum class ships.  If you are in a JS on them, you can eat dinner if there is availability.  There is no access to the suite lounge if you are in a JS.  Mariner doesn't have CK and you can't access the suite lounge if in a JS on that ship.  If you are Diamond or above, the Diamond lounge is right next door to the suite lounge on Mariner.

We've been on 26 Carnival cruises.  We have decided that Royal is our cruise line of choice now.  We were just on Mardi Gras (new ship) and Wonder.  There was no comparison with the experience. Mardi Gras was understaffed and it showed.  Quality of food, drinks, and entertainment was not as good as on Wonder (and we were full of spring breakers).  HOWEVER, you are on a newer ship with many food options.  It's a longer itinerary so the experience will be totally different.  I think it would be a great option. The only negative I can see is that Carnival doesn't do this itinerary very often and I don't know how the excursion planning and execution would be.   

We just got off Wonder in a JS and could eat at Coastal Kitchen every night if we wished. I have always been able to eat at Coastal when in a JS as long as I am a bit flexible on dining times. Go to the suites area as soon as you get onboard and make your reservations. On Wonder, we made our first 2 reservations when we boarded and then added our other nights throughout the week. 

We are sailing on Mariner. The only cabins available are under lido.  Which side is the smoking area on?  Did a search and couldn't find a definitive answer. For future reference, are all ships the same?

As someone who struggles with anxiety and has had difficulty tackling traveling alone, I sympathize.  I have found that given a chance, people are usually helpful and understanding regardless of where they live.  Along with anxiety, I struggle with mobility issues and autoimmune colitis at times.  I love cruising and how healing being at sea is.  When I travel alone, I am uncomfortable in the beginning but always find my strength along the way. The confidence I get from the experience is exhilarating. Good luck and safe travels.    

We are new to using the diamond lounge.  Are you discouraged from taking a morning or evening plate of goodies out of the lounge to eat?   

We are in a JS on Wonder soon.  Since they aren't a full suite, do we pay the greater gratuity amount and get the twice a day service?  A JS lives in a gray area and I saw conflicting info on the Royal site during a search.