taszmom

Tomorrow!!!!

If you purchase snorkel equipment for GSC and they don't go, they will refund your money.

The waterslide said "Teen Slide" but I never got over there to see who was was actually on it or if it was even open. It was a windy day.

I was just on the Divina and I remember reading that there is a small charge for room service after 11pm or so. I think it was $3.50.

I have been on many CCL cruises, most recently the Breeze. I have been on the MSC Poesia twice and just sailed on the Divina. I don't what type of cruise experience you are looking for, but I found the food to be horrible both in the buffet and in the MDR. Language / communication still a problem in some cases. We had dinner at 9pm. They said they were going to change all these things. I did not experience that. Good luck.

We must have been on different cruises because I thought the food was horrible. Everything was mush, including the pastas, bland and unappealing. I left a lot of plates unfinished because I couldn't eat it. The inconsistency in the drinks is a problem. My Bloody Mary's were not too good. I would order a Bacardi and diet and they would bring it in a small glass and when I order a second, I got it in a large glass which = too much soda. I too had been on the Poesia, twice and was so looking forward to see what changes they had made. It certainly wasn't the food and eating dinner at 9pm is not going to go over well with the U.S. clients.

I know this is a remote possibility, but the reason why you take your passport off the ship is if in case you don't get back to the ship in time. It does happen. You are in a foreign country. If you have to fly back home, you will need those passports.

Confiscated Items

· Alcohol (hard liquor)/sealed, unopened bottles

· Beer/sealed, unopened bottles/cans

· Wine or champagne/sealed, unopened bottles - beyond the allowable limit of one bottle per adult 21 years of age (brought on at embarkation time only)

· Excessive quantities of non-alcoholic beverages (over 12 per person, sealed, unopened bottles/cans, 20 ounces each or less)

· Clothing irons and steamers (all Carnival ships offer laundry facilities with irons and ironing boards. Fleet-wide valet laundry service is also available for a nominal fee.)

· Electrical and household appliances (i.e. coffee makers, hot plates, toasters, etc.)

· Candles

· Heating Pads

· Incense

· Hookahs

Prohibited Items – will be disposed of prior to boarding

· Large coolers

· Alcohol in unsealed containers

· Firearms (i.e., non-firing weapons and starter pistols)

· Ammunition (i.e., bullets, shot or missile that can be fired using a propellant)

· Imitation or replica weapons (i.e., de-commissioned weapons or those not capable of being fired, toy weapons, or any other item made, intended or adapted to be used as a weapon)

· Explosives or explosive component parts, (i.e., detonators)

· Fireworks or pyrotechnics (except those previously approved in connection with a company stage production which have been properly manifested)

· Taser or electronic stun guns

· Pepper or mace sprays

· Telescopic or regular batons

· Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)

· Lasers

· Martial arts equipment (i.e., flails, throwing stars, belt buckle knives, etc.)

· Handcuffs, brass knuckles

· Compressed gas bottles/cylinders

· Knives with blades longer than four (4) inches ( Recreational dive knives are allowed but must be held in the custody of the Guest Services Manager or Chief Security Officer and must be checked out/in by the owner for dive excursions during the cruise.)

· Dive tanks (empty or full), diver spears/slings

· Household goods or tools of trade

· Volatile and highly flammable liquids such as cigarette lighter fluid

· Scissors with blades longer than four (4) inches (Large scissors of the type used by scrapbook and quilting enthusiasts are at times permitted with prior notification from the Security Services Department, but are held onboard in the same manner as dive knives.)

· Bicycles (this includes travel bicycles that can be folded up)

· Surfboards

· Scooters (only permitted if used for mobility – must be stored in guest’s stateroom)

· Boats/canoes

· Segways

· Any footwear with wheels, i.e. Heely’s type shoes

· Marijuana - We know some states passed legislation allowing the smoking of marijuana for medical or recreational purposes. However, federal law supersedes state law and marijuana, whether for medical or recreational uses is still prohibited on our ships.

· Kava

Miscellaneous Concerns:

· Personal grooming devices such as hair dryers, flat and curling irons, shavers, etc., are allowed on board when used with proper caution. These devices should not be used when other electrical appliances are plugged in. However, if such devices are determined to pose a hazard, they will be removed and returned the last day of the cruise prior to debark.

· Electronics such as laptops, cameras, cellular phones, etc. are allowed on board when used with proper caution.

· Electrical devices such as fans, power strips, multi plug box outlets/adaptors, and extension cords will be removed if determined to pose a hazard and returned the last day of the cruise prior to debark.

· Medical gas bottles/oxygen cylinders: Allowed in connection with a certified medical condition but cannot be packed in baggage. Oxygen cylinders must be delivered to guest services and stored in a designated safe area.

· Coolers: Small, personal-sized coolers no larger than 12” x 12” x 12” for the purpose of housing small quantities of non-alcoholic beverages and/or medications are permitted as carry-on luggage.

· Live Animals: Only qualified service animals once approved by Guest Access Services at time of booking.

· Flowers and Plants: Only permitted on board if ordered through Carnival’s Fun Shops or delivered by a florist in the port of embarkation but are not permitted to be taken off the ship in the United States, per the U.S Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Agricultural Division.

· Musical Instruments: We will allow musical instruments on board, however, if a noise complaint is received, the instrument will be confiscated by shipboard security and returned to the guest on the morning of debarkation.

· Radios/Boom Boxes: For the comfort of all our guests, radios and boom boxes can be used with headphones or earpieces when used in public areas.

· Ham Radios/Amateur Radio Equipment: Permitted to be used on board.

· Floatation Devices: For the comfort of all our guests, rafts, tubes and floatation devices other than those used as life preservers (water wings) cannot be used in the swimming pools on board.

· Wrapped Gifts: Guests may bring wrapped gifts on board; however, due to heightened security, the gift may have to be unwrapped, upon request.

· DVDs/VCRs/Nintendo/Play Units: Due to compatibility issues with stateroom televisions, these items can only be utilized in suites and guests must provide their own RCA cables.

· Fish Caught on Fishing Expeditions: The fish cannot be brought on board; it must be shipped home.

· Items for In Port Use only (Note: all must be stored in the guest’s stateroom)

Ø Snorkel gear

Ø Skateboards

Ø Golf clubs

Ø Fishing rods (packed)

Ø Tennis rackets

Ø Kites (packed)

Ø Roller blades/skates

Ø Metal detectors

Ø Boogie Boards (maximum 42” in length)

Items Not Permitted to be Taken Off the Ship in the United States

· U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Port Officers perform agricultural inspections to protect the U.S from potential carriers of animal and plant pests or diseases that could cause serious damage to America's crops, livestock, pets and the environment.

Ø Animal products

Ø Unsealed food items

Ø Fruits and vegetables

Ø Agriculture and Horticulture products

Ø Plants / cut flowers

· Cuban cigars

· Illegal drugs

· Ship property

I have been on the Poesia twice and will be on the Divina on 11/20. I have to agree with your same observations from your 1st 2 cruises so I am looking forward to seeing the changes that were needed for the U.S. market on the Divina.

There was definitely some language/cultural issues with the staff. One of the bartenders didn't know what a Rum Runner was. I agree with you about the ship being impeccably clean. They had a big screen poolside, but never showed anything on it except a repeated video of how they were helping Brazil. Didn't understand why they didn't show movies, TV sports or something else on it. And the pool needed some sort of music so I am looking forward to the live band.

We found that we saved $$. Everyone is different. If you are only drinking beer, not worth it. If you like your drinks stronger, you can ask for a shot in 5 minutes and add it in. We only got 14 drinks on one of the sea days. I always got the best wine by the glass for under $10. You can also try drinks and/or wines you may not have otherwise. Here is just a sample of what we did :

A.M. Bloody Mary $10

3 drinks poolside @ $8 ea

Pre-dinner wine/martini $9

Wine at Dinner $9 (2-3 glasses)

After dinner drink $9

9 drinks for a total $79 for the day.

If you purchase it, wait until after the ship is out to see otherwise they charge you state sales tax. FL = 6%.

The statement has to be dated within 90 days of your sailing. Any older and they won't do it. You also get OBC with the other CCL brands HAL, Princess, etc.

It takes about 5 days for them to process. They do it in order it is received.

I have a client who uses eTrade and we just faxed in the screen shot.

You can ask for the can.

Just got off tghe 6 day Breeze which went to Grand Turk, Ocho Rios and Nassau. We purchased Cheers. We only had a 1/2 day in GT, back on the ship by 2pm and Nassau we stayed on the ship, so we really only had 1 day off the ship. We saved like $500 between my and my DH. Here is a typical sea day for us :

a.m. Bloody Mary $10

afternoon at pool : 3-4 cocktails (Margaritas, Mojitos, Bacardi & Coke) $7.50-$10 ea

pre-dinner Martini : $10

pre-dinner wine : $10 (Murphy Goode Merlot or Hess Select Cab Sav)

wine with dinner (2-3 glasses) : $10ea

after dinner wine/cocktails (1-2) : $10ea

The program is $57.44/day so the list above is well over that amount. We drank the higher end wines and liquors. 90% of the bar menu items are under $10. We ordered wines by the glass in the MDR. We learned to walk in with a glass of wine in hand because the bar service was slow.

BTW if you are departing from a state with sales tax, i.e. Florida is 6%, wait until after you set sail before you purchase the program or you will be charged $18pp in tax. The drinks that you order that day get credited back after you purchase the program, minus the sales tax. Yes they tell you when you get to drink # 14. We only hit that 1 sea day but that was at midnight in the comedy club and it was the last drink we had planned on getting anyway. One day at the pool I ordered a margarita. I am pretty picky about my margaritas and it was way too sweet so I asked the server to bring me a shot of Hornitos and just added to my drink.

We just did the 6 Day Breeze and me and my DH bought the Cheers program. We decided we would benefit because we only had a half day in Grand Turk and planned on staying on the ship in Nassau, so the only day off the ship was Ocho Rios. We waited until after we set sail to purchase to avoid the 6% FL sales tax. We did pay taxes on drinks we ordered while in FL, but the drink charge and the gratuity were credited back to us. Every drink you order shows on your S&S account and then they give you the credit for it. We only hit the 15 limit on 1 sea day at midnight while in the comedy club so it wasn't a problem for us. One day at the pool, I ordered a margarita from one of the servers. It was too sweet for my liking so when I just ordered a shot of tequila. Since he was walking around, it took 5 minutes before he put in the next order so the 5 minute thing was never an issue. On our 1st day, my DH made the mistake of ordering a round of drinks for himself, me and my MIL (which I warned him not to do) so when they put the credits through after we purchased Cheers, he only got credited for 1 of the 3 drinks. We went down to Guest Services and asked them to move those charges to our respective S&S accounts and so that all got sorted out. I calculated that we saved about $500 between my and my DH. Here is what we ordered ona typical sea day :

A.M Bloody Mary - $10

Afternoon @ Pool 3-4 cocktails (Bacardi & diet coke, Margarita, Mojitos) $7.50-$10

Pre-dinner Martini : $10

Pre-dinner wine* : $10

Wine with dinner : $30 (3 glasses)

After dinner drinks/wine @ Piano Bar or comedy club 1-2 : $10/$20

* We learned that if we wanted a glass of wine in the MDR before our entrees were delivered, we walked in with a glass of wine because the bar servers in the MDR were slow and hard to find.

We also ordered the better wines and spirits which I might not have if we did not do the Cheers program.

Even though the price has gone up, I still think it is a good deal for us. I mostly order doubles and will take advantage and drink the higher end wines @ $9 a glass. We usually have a 2 glasses early evening and then around 3 glasses at dinner. Just for wine that's already $45 used up and that doesn't include maybe a morning Bloody Mary,a few drinks in the afternoon at the pool and after dinner drinks or later in the evening drinks.

We just cruised in May and purchased the cheers card. We found the loop hole. If you stop at 14 drinks and then pay for your drinks after that you do not get cut off. If you reach your 15 limit with the cheers card you are done even if you want to purchase a drink.

 

 

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Good tip! I heard that from others too.

They just updated this on the TA's site which now says $49.95 + gratuity and still says 15 drink limit in a 24hr period.

Applicable state & local taxes will be applied if purchased within US waters.

Here if Florida, that would be another 6% so I am waiting until late that evening to purchase.

Hmmmm sounds like you are an IBO;):)

Not sure if I am or not, cuz I don't know what that is! LOL!

I see some problems with your explanations. For example, early saver isn't necessarily the lowest price with cabin assignment as stated. I rarely book early saver because I find that waiting until closer to sail date often provides lower special rates without the hassle of trying to get Carnival to respond to multiple price drop requests. I also think referring to cruises as short cruises and long cruises isn't very helpful because the reader is left to make their own definitions of what short or long means when they try to apply the early saver rules. And saying that fares other than early saver don't have any price protection isn't necessarily true either. I have been able to obtain upgrades based on price drops when booked on fares other than early saver, and I would consider that a form of price protection. Newbies reading this thread should also be aware that early saver appears to be disappearing in some future sailings.

Actually this is not "my" explanation, this is direct from CCL just condensed the wording.

That is very frustrating, but if it's because of your children's school schedule, you could always cruise over Thanksgiving, Christmas or Spring Break.

Can't do that either. DH is the hotel biz so he has to work holidays UNLESS I dare go without him! :eek: LOL!

I see that you decided to cruise on the Silhouette in January. We'll be on her at the end of the 123 promotion next March. With the Martini Bar, Michael's Pub with 50 beers and the Molecular Bar, we will certainly have an abundance of choices with high end drinks that Carnival could not come close to having and we will not be limited to only 15 per day. And of course Celebrity's version includes all of the espresso drinks, San Pellegrino and Evian, Red Bull and fresh squeezed OJ and grapefruit juice as well. The best thing is that it'll only cost us the upgrade from the Classic to the Premium package @ 11.50 per day.

 

It's really a shame that so many people are only loyal to Carnival or RCI or NCL. They need to take the blinders off and see for themselves what is out there promotion wise and take full advantage of it. I'm glad that you saw my original posting about the great 123 promotion and decided to book your next cruise on X. The Silhouette is a great looking ship and there are some great threads over on their boards about it that you should check out. Just remember not to drink any of the liquid nitrogen before it evaporates off the top of your drink at the Molecular Bar. ;)

I would GLADLY cruise on Celebrity if they did the caribbean in the summer. We have very limited choices CCL or RC out of Florida. Thank goodness Princess is coming next summer.

BTW I was able to make the change. I had only paid deposits and cruise is not unti September so maybe that's why this was possible?

 

The 1st Carnival Rep said I couldn't do anything since Super Saver - non transferable, no dep refundable.... Was completely a brick wall and not helpful even after I asked for his advice about what I can possibly do. He said I could maybe buy insurance and then file a grievance or write a letter to carnival admin -very mediocre solutions.... He said even if I spoke with his boss, it would be same result since Super Saver. None of these suggestions were guaranteed that I could remove my ex-roommate or get my deposit back.

I decided to call back a little later after stressing about this and got another rep who made the name change for a $50 fee.

 

Whew! What a relief and I still get to go on vacation.

Thank goodness for the inconsistencies in their reps LOL

 

Never again will I go Super Saver - that was a very stupid move. The fare was only $30 cheaper and locked me into everything.

If I would have went Early Saver, I would have also saved $75 on each person since the fares dropped in that 3 day special this week.

 

Live and learn.

 

Carnival Glory, here I come !!!!

Guess it was your lucky day! I would never book these types of fares with friends. Family, yes. Not friends. If you do, you should get the travel insurance to CYA.

Can someone clarify a point on the Early Saver guarantee?

 

The price of my cruise just dropped $50 AND they are offering a $50 OBC with booking.

 

I know I can get them to do the room rate adjustment, but can I also get them to throw in the additional OBC since it is now part of the booking for a total of $100 in credit?

What's the promotion with the OBC?

How does Friends and Family fall into the mix?

It's one of those one-time promotional fares and they have been extending it because it has been so successful.

List of Qualifying Companies

Arnold Worldwide

Zions Bank

General Produce

Church's Chicken

Tiger Direct

LNR

Ryder Corporation

Baptist Health South Florida

Resortcom.com

Miami Dade County

Kentucky State University

Grand Cypress Hyatt

Amtrak

West Jet Airlines

Silver Airways

ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)

Vacation Innovations

Express Jet/Atlantic Southeast Air

Pen Air

Air Wisconsin

Cayman Airways

Caribbean Airlines/Air Jamaica

Pinnacle Air

Air India

Copa Air

Hawaiian Air

Allegiant Air

Boone Hospital Center

Escot Bus Lines

Rosa Mexicano Brands

Progressive Insurance

PSE&G Utilities

Tallahassee Memorial Hospital

Universal Orlando

Razor Fish

Station Casino

Infinity Insurance

Liberty Health Group

Everest Online University

Huntsville Hospital/Healthcare Authority

Telemundo

Great Florida Bank

Marine Max

Peddlers Village

CBS Media Group

Eat’n Park Hospitality Group

Microsoft Corporation

White Castle System Inc