xitappers2bx

I would love to hear the pros and cons of both

TIA

 

 

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Regardless of what anyone says, at the end of the day, the PVP works for Carnival, and Carnival is the person who pays them, and the travel agent works for you, and they only get paid when you book with them and work to ensure you are happy.

I had one awful experience with multiple PVPs and never a bad experience with my TA. she has secured upgrades, better room categories, gifts in the room, and recognition that carnival won't give me until I'm platinum.

I personally would never use a PVP, after dealing with them for this last cruise just trying to get a straight answer to a question was a brain hurting experience that almost left me saying fudge it.

And there are just as many people who would say they love their PVP.

We booked several months ago on the Magic, which leaves in 11 days. We have been waitlisted for early dining since we booked ( we requested early dining). I have never been waitlisted before and wondered if we will know before we board? or not?

Chances are you are not getting early dining at this point; just when you board go right to the dining room and maitre'd who will potentially be able to change your dining time.

First cruise - waited a long time. I know we are taking the "bottom rung" ship for our first one, but it's a good starter. (Carnival Fantasy) Going with a group, so it will be fun. From what I'm reading, we will have no where to go but up from here, as far as cruise lines are concerned, it looks like! (like Carnival Breeze and Dream and Magic...?) But we'll certainly have fun on this maiden voyage regardless.

 

My first cruise was on the Sensation, and it was wonderful so don't worry too much about being on one of the older ships

 

Anyway - one reason we have waited so long is to get our boys through college (two graduating debt free in a matter of months now) and a very active business. Being business owners, there are no "down days". We just take our business with us via our laptops.

 

Me too. Me too.

 

First question - I've read that internet is an extra fee. Anyone know how much that fee is and are there restricted times we can access the internet?

 

It is kind of pricey, as per the CCL website:

 

Value ($16 USD per day) – Surf all your favorite sites, including e-mail, news, sports, weather, banking and finance. Note: Does not support Skype calling or music streaming (such as Spotify).

Premium ($25 USD per day) – From e-mail to Skype, our Premium plan promises the fastest possible connection, at speeds up to 3 times faster than our Value Plan. Supports Skype video calling, where coverage allows.

 

Second question - I've heard differing opinions on the dress code. We are doing the Cozumel/Progreso cruise, so I know it'll be summer casual dress 99% of the time. But what about the one nice-dinner dress night? Suit for him/dress for me, or is it even more casual than that?

 

I tell my daughter "JUST LOOK NICE" for the dress up evenings

 

Third question - it's pretty obvious we are not youngsters anymore - we like nice relaxing, little romantic venues. We also ballroom dance. I'm thinking Fantasy may not be our top pick for those types of things. Anyone have recommendations for future cruises that cater more to us "older" folks who don't want to do the ropes course or the water park? We are still very active, though - hikes, dancing, runners, etc, etc.

 

I feel like other than the steakhouse, I don't recall ever seeing anyone doing any sort of ballroom dancing, romantic things. That doesn't mean you won't have romance... something simple like walking the open decks after dinner with a stellar sunset would be romantic in my world.

 

Thanks for any tips!

Bon Voyage and all those fun words!!

welcome to a great way to vacation!

It's remarkable how little has changed. I loved our OS on the pride, but we had one of the ones at the back of the ship.

We booked military rate and know there is a chance my son will not be able to go. Will we get a refund for him? Has anyone ever booked using military rate and if so what was your experience? We do have carnival's insurance. I hope everything works out for him but wanted to check into it just in case. Thanks in advance for the help. Proud Air Force mom

This is sort of a complex answer. So I'll give the short version. If he would not be going for a reason outlined as acceptable under Carnival's insurance, then you'd likely be able to get a refund so long as you have all the documentation. But, if the reason he would have to miss were not to be covered, you would lose your fare. Unless you cancelled before final payment there will be some amount that you lose. This is copied and pasted from the CCL website:

Once your booking is within our cancellation penalty period, the amount of penalty will increase as the cruise departure approaches. When calculating the days prior to sailing, the day of sailing should not be considered as one of the days. The day of sailing is considered the first day of the cruise.

From the final payment date to 56 days prior to sailing (or 46 days prior to sailing for cruises 5 days or less), the penalty is the deposit amount.

From 55 days prior to sailing to 30 days prior to sailing (or 45 to 30 days prior to sailing on cruises 5 days or less), the penalty is 50% of the total fare or the deposit amount, whichever is greater.

From 29 to15 days prior to sailing, the penalty is 75% of the total fare or the deposit amount, whichever is greater.

From 14 days prior to sailing to the day of your cruise, the penalty is 100%* of the total fare.

No refunds will be made if you do not show up for your cruise or if you interrupt or cancel your vacation once it has begun.

" thousands of dollars in cell phone bills"

 

 

how do you suppose this could happen? At sea, there is no phone signal anywhere. At port most service I am aware of charge about $2 a minute. All need to do is turn off roaming data.

its like $18 a mb or something stupid. that's how you rack up thousands in cell phone bills.

I'm planning on getting the hub app on my upcoming Vista cruise. I've seen the directions and they state to put your phone on airplane mode and activate wifi. If I put my phone on airplane mode, I can't receive phone calls or texts. It's not that I'm planning on receiving calls or texts but I'd like to leave my phone number in case of emergency. The person watching my house doesn't use social media so could only call or text in an emergency. I know calls/texts are pricey, and I'm not expecting an emergency, but I'd like to be reachable, just in case. Are there any other options such as turning off mobile data? I have an android if that helps. Appreciate any advice.

If you don't put your phone on airplane mode, you can expect to get hit with an insane phone bill. All data that is sent and received on your phone (I'm assuming you have a smart phone) will be charged at some insane rate for all data and minutes used (and this is data that just goes to and from your phone when you turn it on). Not to mention the texts and calls you get as just part of your day as well.

There is really no greater way to rack up a several hundred dollar bill than keeping your cellular service on. If they need to reach you in case of an emergency there is a way to contact the ship, or you can call and check in each day, to use the phone provided in your stateroom it's like $1.99 a minute, which is very affordable.

The Miracle is probably my favorite ship. We cruised on her when she was out of NYC though so it's been a little while. The food was always Carnival standard, but the service was always the best we have ever day. The dining room is a little overwhelming, but the grapes grow on you. We've always had private tables for four, but if you want to be at a bigger table, that's always possible. I like that the dining room is at the aft, and there is no need to do the up down around thing on other ships.

As for the rooms, we always traveled in an ocean suite, so were midship deck six. The rooms are large, have more than enough storage, and the bathrooms are great with the tub/shower, a huge vanity, and then the dressing area. The room stewards were either great and personable, or just great and very focused on their work.

Room service was always fast, I am notorious for ordering food at obscure hours, and they were always very accommodating to us. Food was always delivered quickly and correctly.

The kids club is all the way forward, in what feels like a really awkward place, and if the seas are rough, that can be kind of tough on the kids and the crew. The same problem could be said for the theater, which is obviously up front too. I love the Gatsby area there as well, a good place to curl up with a book and be away from it all and not in the stateroom.

Up on deck nine, there is a 'secret' deck, which is where we would go to star gaze, since there's little light pollution from the stuff going on in the pool area. It was never crowded, and would be one of my daughter's favorite places.

Its been 2 or 3 years since I have been on a carnival ship. Not that I didn't have a great time on them just give the other lines a try also...

 

So I wanted to book a family cruise for September and try to make it affordable so I figure going back to carnival. When looking up prices they are not as cheap as I remember. The last time I booked a 7 day about 2 years ago it was like 1200$. Now we are looking at around 1800 for the same cruise.

 

So when did the rates jump and will they still drop as the day gets closer to the cruise.

Just like with hotels and airlines, filling cruise staterooms is an issue of supply and demand. Now that more people are cruising, there is more demand, so prices go up. The cost of operating also increases, resulting in prices going up. Thats not to say you can't find a good deal. If you cruise during less desirable weeks it'll probably be a bit less, but you can definitely get an inside for about the price you're talking about...

I finally go my first call ever from the Upsell Fairy. I'm traveling on the Sunshine on Jan 8th. I was originally booked in an Inside 4J cabin with a front of ship walkway view. I upgraded to an Ocean Suite with a balcony. Upgrade cost a total of $400 for a 5 day cruise. I had originally booked Early Saver & got 3 different price reductions, so I think my total paid for this cruise was $1250 for two with the upgrade. Is this a good deal? I feel like it is, but just want some other opinions. I will be happy either way.

It was a good enough deal for you to take it... don't second guess yourself. You went from an inside to a suite. I'd say, without even knowing what was spent, it's a good deal.

Ok. this is new info for me. I just found out that Build-A-Bear workshop is going to be on our cruise.:D Now I'm NOT traveling with my kids this cruise, but I would like to get them a bear with the little Carnival t-shirt. I see that this is a Camp Carnival event.:( Can I go in to build a bear? and if so, am I'm going to get frown upon because I don't have a kid with me or will it just be OK? I really don't want to be "that person".:confused: Also, is there any way I can just get the shirt without buying a bear?

You should be able to get in without having a kid. I've done the Build a Bear thing many times, and Camp Carnival is NOT open with other kids during that time, so it's not like you're signing in or anything.

Honestly, I don't remember about just buying a shirt, when we did it, we bought the whole shebang, and it came with the shirt.

When cruising with no passport, how does the Port verify state ID/drivers license? One of our group has a possibly suspended (NOT expired) drivers license. We are leaving on the holiday so we can't verify before we leave. Does anyone know if they swipe the ID, or just visually check it?

We don't want to get to the port and be turned away!

If the license is suspended (as in cannot drive) it's still a valid ID... so even if they swipe it, it's not like that means they aren't allowed to go on vacation.

I only cruised once on a birth certificate, and I don't remember if they swiped it or not, but it's just to verify identity when checking in.

I'm hoping that when the Horizon itinerary is released she will sail the Mediterranean. If she is, I'd like to book a cruise in May but I'm not sure how much to budget for plane tickets. We would fly from Ohare to Barcelona. Can anyone offer some thoughts based on their own past experiences?

 

 

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We learned a lot about flying to Europe this summer...

When flying into an EU state, its about $600 per person just in taxes. For Spring/Summer you should probably budget anywhere from 900-1400 per person, depending if you want a layover on the east coast, direct, better times are more pricey, etc. We happened to find a random good deal on 'leap day' and our air to london nonstop from philly was 950 per person, and that was about 400 less a person than i had been seeing up to that point. To go to premium economy or business you'd add about 300 to premium and about 600 to business, or upgrade with miles (which admittedly, is getting harder and harder to do nowadays).

Now, if you're less worried about getting there quickly, I have heard of some people flying to the East Coast and then using Norwegian Air or WOW to get to Iceland or some spots in Europe for pretty cheap, but then you have to catch another flight from there to Barcelona, which adds on a good deal of time. Flying between countries was pretty cheap... we were thinking about spending the summer in Paris this year, and then traveling around the continent from there, and you can find one way flights for 50-100 (not using RyanAir, which adds so much in fees it's as expensive as a legacy carrier) per person.

Search Carnival Magic reviews, there are a few that have the funtimes included... just read the headings. I feel like I saw some not to long ago.

Sensation Room Question:

Do the Junior Suites Have Tubs or Shower Stalls?

Thanks

The only staterooms with tubs are the grand suites.

I am looking at taking the 5-day cruise on the Triumph from New Orleans Jan. 30. I am not worried about having a specific room, etc... any room will do. How long should I wait to book? At one time before I had decided on the cruise, the interline rate was down to $219 and now it is $274. I wouldn't think this is a busy time and doing a mock booking online shows a large amount of rooms left. Can i expect a price drop or any kind of incentive sale from Carnival coming up soon? Any advice?

Pricing is all supply and demand, so when there are lots of rooms open, rates drop to fill them up. Once the rooms fill up, prices go up. You're within the 90 days since final payment, so the ship probably isn't going to get any more less full, so this is probably a good time to book if you want to go on it. Plus, that's a pretty darn good rate, so I would imagine this is a good time to jump on if want to. Or you can do what I've now done twice... booked in the last 36 hours or so of a cruise... you get whatever last room they have available, and the rates are pretty cheap (depending on the line though, still pretty expensive).

I have heard that the Carnival Pride's Steak House is the best out of the entire fleet.

Any truth to this?

We have had ok to good experiences, but the Pride is supposed to be exceptional. We are sailing in January and it's our first time on the Pride.

What do you think?

It's been a handful of years since I've cruised on the Pride, but that was probably my best steakhouse experience. I doubt the crew are the same, bu everything about it was fantastic; the food, the service, the ambiance, the location. It was an all around great meal.

Please tell me that I didn't make a mistake in booking on this ship? I just finished reading at least 7 pages on this site of nothing but negative reviews. The timing and itinerary are what I was looking for most which is why I choose the Splendor but it seems that everyone that has gone, has nothing but bad

Things to say about every aspect of the cruise. Did anyone enjoy it?

Splendor is one of my favorite ships!

"...was very reminiscent of the music they would play on Titanic, especially when she actually played the Titanic Movie Theme Song...

 

Wow, choose one song that should never be played on a floating device:(

They seem to play this song on all the carnival cruises we've been on... on my very first cruise it left me feeling a little concerned but we all survived. But such a weird song to play.

In the Western Caribbean on the Magic, it is listing an extra value Cozumel Plus. Can anyone tell me what the extra value is? Thanks!

It just means that more time is spent in that port than "normal" stops to Cozumel. I think there might be some different excursions that are longer.

I'll be going on the Splendor on the 18th of this month for eight days and I will possibly be doing a review afterwards.

 

My question is that, is there anything that I should watch out for, like any warnings? Also any tips?

 

My next question is, is there anything that anybody wants we to look out for while I'm onboard and for me to tell them what I saw once I get back?

You should definitely spend time at night on the "secret" deck. all the way forward, deck 6 and 7. On either side there are wood doors, you just go out, and go towards the front, and it's always quiet. and always awesome.

I am trying to debate on getting a balcony and interior for my family or 2 interior rooms. We are going on the Vista and have never splurged for a balcony. Is it worth the extra $$$?

A balcony is always worth it. We used to only cruise in suites, until I realized it was the balcony, and not the space, that made the vacation.

Can you hear noise from deck 5 in cabins on deck 6.

We were deck 6 midship on the Splendor and did not hear any noise. What noise we did hear was from the people in the hallway banging on the doors as they walked down the hall screaming :eek:

We'll be on the Freedom for Christmas, and we plan to exchange a few small gifts to celebrate. According to Carnival's website, wrapped presents can be brought on board, but they also reserve the right to unwrap them when screening baggage. Does this happen often? I'd rather wrap things at home, but if it's likely that they will all be unwrapped while we go through security, I'll just wait. How has it worked for anyone else?

I have brought gifts on Carnival ships multiple times and never once has a gift ever been unwrapped. Once I had an entire suitcase filled with Hanukkah gifts for my daughter and figured that would get unwrapped and it was fine. Same with birthday gifts. I would just throw in a flat package of wrapping paper and tape just in case, but never needed it.

Does the newly remodled Carnival Miracle have the giant chess game? Also any ideas on why babies are not allowed to swim on the boat? Do they not have chemicals like other pools? Thanks!

No babies in the pool because of the diapers... and no swim diapers either. If there's a floater, they have to drain it all... and it's disgusting.