ummgood

We were just in Galveston the past few days 'social distancing' by ourselves on the beach.  It got the kids out of the house since we can drive to Galveston and back on a tank of gas.

Anyway when we were there on Friday we drove by the cruise port to see what ships where there and the Carnival Dream and RCCL Enchantment of the Seas were docked.  The Dream looked really worse for wear.  I wish I would have taken photos.  The RCCL ship looked old because of its styling but the Dream looked very rusted and off color.

I am sure Carnival is having issues with keeping a float (pun intended) but I would have thought now would be a good time to actually fix the paint situation.  I know from seeing other ships we have cruised on (we have only been on 3 cruises) and other ships in port the Dream on Friday looked worse than I have seen in a long time.

16 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

Only one person mentions I think because the others have read other reviews of mine. I think i started bringing my own ketchup three cruises ago. I did a ziplock bag the first time and had a 50% survival rate. Now I use this and it’s 100%.

Smart!  I'll probably bring on some whataburger spicy with me.  We also really like the sriracha ketchup.

We are participating in a gift exchange type thing (our first time) and I was considering giving everyone small portions of local hot sauce.  My concern is not having it burst in the bag and also will security have a cow.  This idea comes from partially me thinking all the food is bland so I tend to bring my own hot sauce places and I figured since we are cruising out of Texas it would be generally well received.  Maybe I am wrong but as long as I justify it in my mind I'll be good with it.

1 hour ago, grandmarnnurse said:

I cruised 5 Carnival ships before deciding to try RCCL and NCL. I’m glad I got the experience, and was able to compare, and we agree with you, Carnival is way more fun. We returned to Carnival one year ago sailing the Breeze, and have since cruised the Glory this past February and are leaving soon for a B2B on the Magic on April 5. I am looking for a Panama Canal cruise for 2021. We have never sailed Disney, but did price it one year, as our daughter wanted us to sail with them. I could get a balcony or suite on Carnival for what an inside cabin was on Disney! And Royal is also getting too pricey, and they loved to nickel and dime you once onboard, not to mention reserving for all shows prior to cruise. Same thing happened with NCL. We are very happy to be back with Carnival where the food is great and plentiful, the music is everywhere, the price point fits our retirement budget, and it is fun all day and night. 

Thanks for the positive feedback on your trips!  I was always nervous to book Carnival because of the Triumph fiasco honestly.  As I have been reading reviews that concern has gone away and then add on the Havana area and it sealed it for us so we booked the Vista.  One of our biggest issues with cruising is not being able to get chairs or enjoy the pool because of the crowds so the Havana area seems to be the perfect compromise.  We love the pool and lounging and usually our vacations are at an all inclusive where we can relax.  

Disney was expensive when we went.  Now for our family of 5 it would be over 10k when we can cruise so it is just out of the question.  Our kids are 16, 11, and 8.  We are taking them to the Dominican Republic this year and the total cost of that with the all inclusive and airfare was about 4k.  Before the Disney cruises were around that same price range if we found a cruise we didn't have to fly to (we drove to the Mexican Riviera cruise from Texas to LA).  The second Disney cruise was out of Galveston and it was around 5k so in the same ball park.  It also helped when we could cruise when they were younger and didn't have to go during prime season.  Now our teen cannot afford to miss school so we have to go during summer or prime vacation weeks.

Anyway thanks for the encouragement!  I'm looking forward to the fun.  Sorry to hijack Saint Greg's post.

I’m a little late but I loved your review. We live in Texas too and I loved the whataburger ketchup. I was wondering if someone would notice and one person mentioned it. Did you put them in ziplock bags?

We have our first carnival trip booked for Sept on the Vista. The more I read about Carnival trips is they do seem more fun. We will see. We have had two DCL Cruises With our three kids and then a RCCL just the two of us. Disney is getting crazy expensive and RCCL was a bit too slow for us so I am hoping that Carnival will be a good combination of fun and price. 
 

Anyway it was fun following along. One of our DCL Cruises was this exact itinerary so it was fun to compare. I plan on going back now and reading your Vista report. 

2 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

LOL....that is one funky state you live in.

I don't live in California I live in Texas.  I was just stating that my car was made in California so it has weak paint 😉

10 hours ago, cjknox said:

Paint vendors often tout "new formulas", which can be easily created; it seems Carnival tried one and it's causing this. 

You are absolutely right about paint changing over time.  Most people don't realize that there are multiple factors why they change paint formulations but a major one is due to environmental requirements.  No way could you sell a paint from 10 years ago because of the amount of fumes etc... they emit.

My car is made in California and the paint is very weak on it due to the environmental requirements put on the paint they spray.  I have never had a car chip like this one does.

Thanks for the review.  We sailed on the Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston once and we found the entertainment to be lacking.  I can't wait to try Carnival.  We have a Havana Cabana booked too so we don't have to worry about the pool deck chair thing hopefully.

6 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Havana area is a home run.  In reference to your Disney comment, I will say they are the only cruise line I have seen virtually washing the entire ship in port.  Another consideration is what color are Disney ships?

You are right that the hull is black with yellow stripes (actually red below sea level too).  The entire top portion of the ship is white just like any other cruiseline.  Walking around the walking path on the promenade you could tell how well maintained it was and the ship is white from that level up.  Also we were on the Wonder before it's dry dock upgrade and it was a pretty old ship and it never looked it.  The Navigator of the Seas is newer and it looked older to us (not to the extent we would never sail on it again).  We just decided that it was too 'slow and quiet' for our taste.

With that said in no way do I expect any ship to come up to the maintenance quality of Disney.  I was a big Disney fan long before sailing on them and even in their parks they are constantly painting and maintaining if you pay attention.  The cleaning is over the top.

My post mainly was to point out that not keeping the state of the ships up really could hurt their business to some extent.  Until the Havana Cabana's came out it was really difficult to convince my wife to try a Carnival ship.  Add onto that when we were in port on our previous cruises it was obvious that the Carnival ships in port were more run down looking than the other ships (white or not).

I've never been on Carnival but I have cruised 3 times.

The first 2 cruises were on Disney.  The issue is their ships are IMMACULATE.  I literally saw them painting and restoring every port day on every cruise.  We always joked that the paint must be a foot thick on the Disney ships.  Then we went on RCCL Navigator of the Seas before it went in for dry dock.  The maintenance wasn't up to snuff either but I don't remember noticing much rust.  Just random garbage from the previous cruise when we boarded, frayed carpet, and the railings looked really worn.  The overall experience was good but it definitely was a difference between Disney and RCCL.  But then again I know that Disney is probably the best at maintaining their property and boats but if you really look you can find issues even at Disney.

The issue is people relate rust to poor maintenance.  Then you wonder what else is not being maintained.  Are the engines being maintained?  You are on a big vessel out in the middle of the ocean.  Carnival and other cruise lines have had their fair share of issues that are probably unrelated to maintenance, like the Carnival Liberty issues, but people do relate rust to poor maintenance.  Not only is it bad optics but it will prevent some cruisers from cruising on them.  I am one of those cruisers.  After the Liberty issue and seeing their ships in port I really couldn't get myself to book a Carnival cruise.  It might be shallow but when in port next to Carnival it is obvious their ships look more run down.  I don't know why that is but it is what I noticed.

With all that said the new Vista class with the Havana Cabana got me to change my mind.  We wanted a cruise out of Texas and RCCL really wasn't our cup of tea.  We are hoping the more fun vibe of  Carnival might want to make us return.  I hope the Vista isn't too torn up or it might discourage my wife.

19 hours ago, Jerseygirl1416 said:

I’d do Horizon in a Havana cabana. That’s next on my Carnival list.

This is my recommendation.  Especially since you like to relax and they have their own private shared pool/hot tubs.

If you have the funds save and get a Havana Cabana cabin on a Vista class ship. 

On 1/26/2020 at 3:46 AM, Too blessed to be stressed said:

Great idea, I'm going to do this!

I love it because it allows the kids to really see how money works and allows them to be part of the decision.  The funny thing is you can see what kid does well and what one doesn't.  I have one that has trouble spending anything and ends up taking the money home except for one small souvenir haha.  She actually bought herself an iPad with her money she has collected over the years.

They just changed the policy. You will not be allowed in the area at any time if you are not booked in a Havana room. 

3 hours ago, aknguyen said:

Go to the Gulf Coast Departures board for lots of parking info and recommendations.

 

I didn't stay up until midnight to do the check-in. I did it the next morning when I woke up at my usual time of 5:30 AM. I still got the first boarding slot (not FTTF) with no issue. We showed up 2 minutes into the approved time slot and never stopped moving. We showed our boarding passes at the beginning of the line, walked through the barriers, went right up to the x-ray machine, went right onto the ramp, and done. It was almost TOO fast as I had my young son with me who wasn't quite as good with keeping up. Meanwhile, the early/late arrival line snaked around the building and wasn't moving very fast.

Thanks!  I have checked that out.  I am not too worried about parking all I was saying is that my ability to guarantee charging will determine where I park.  I have parked once across the street from the port and that was nice.  I'll be contacting them first.

1 hour ago, TxShipShape said:

I think EzCruise has charging stations.  At least I have seen signs that say so.  You might want to check their web site.  And I have never had a bad experience with them.  Service has always been great.

Thanks for the info!

1 hour ago, LuckyStar said:

The Havana area on the Vista is awesome. It is so close to everything.  I absolutely love this boat.  I hope you all have a marvelous time. 

Thanks we are excited to try it.  Honestly that Havana area is the reason we booked with Carnival this time.

On 1/22/2020 at 12:21 AM, Too blessed to be stressed said:

Game rooms are crazy expensive. $3 a game. Taking grandkids and want them to have fun. Dont want to be too cheap. I remember on Carnival sunshine they had one evening it was half price for a couple of hours. Does anyone know if Carnival Vista has such a night?

My wife and I realized awhile back that we give the kids spending money before any vacation.  For Disney we typically give them about $50 per kid for souvenirs.  Then we also let them know they are welcome to save additional money if they want even more spending money.  Then when we are on vacation we don't have to worry about small costs adding up and the kids do a really good job deciding what they want to spend it on.  Before when we just had them ask and we would buy they would want anything and everything and a lot of the stuff they would get they wouldn't even look at again.  Now they are very selective and spend the money pretty wisely.

Anyway with that said if there was a gameroom my kids wanted to play I would let them know there was a night where it was 1/2 off if they really wanted to play and they could use their souvenir money for that purpose.

I was told midnight Eastern Time. 

12 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

The comments you're quoting are almost 3 years old. The Hub app and chat feature worked differently back then. Those discussions aren't necessarily relevant to today's version of the app.

 

For what it's worth, I always leave the Hub app running in the background, but I have Background App Refresh completely turned off on my iPhone, which disables it for all apps. Granted, I don't use Hub chat, but the information within the Hub app still updates in the background and I still receive alerts for the Fun Times activities that I've marked as favorite. Background App Refresh does not need to be turned on for apps to actually update themselves in the background. Background App Refresh simply streamlines that process by adding intelligence to help make it more efficient.

Oh sorry someone bumped it so I thought it was newer.

I have found that sometimes if you don't have that turned on the iPhone can bump things out of memory and then it won't get updates until you turn that on.  My car uses the phone as its key so it is obvious to me when it happens.  I could be wrong but turning that setting on helps prevent that from happening.  With that feature on if my car stops responding to the phone then I need a reboot.

A bobble head of the cruise director. 

On 4/1/2017 at 10:21 AM, MikeMSD said:

 

 

I'm betting it has to do with not having an internet connection. Messages to iPhones and Androids rely on push notification services. For Apple I know those messages go through Apples servers. I believe it's the same for Android through Google.

 

If there is no Internet access, then you can't receive the push notifications. If they allowed push notifications, then people would be seeing other alerts like Facebook and stuff that use the push service even if they didn't pay for Internet.

 

I'm betting the app stays running in the background and checks every so often to the server for updates using background app refresh. I would think best case to make sure it works is to leave the app running in the background. If you're one of those people that has to swipe up and close every app after you use it, it'll probably break the background refresh and prevent you from getting messages.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

You are right. If you go to settings app and chose the carnival hub settings you need to make sure that background app refresh is turned on. This is what allows it to update itself when you have it in the background. Not sure how this works on Android. 

On 4/1/2017 at 3:55 PM, Organized Chaos said:

bUU said:

I would be shocked to learn that Hub chat went through either Apple or Google. I believe the point of the $5 per device per cruise level of service is to provide access to resources that are served from aboard the ship itself.

I don't think they meant Hub chat went through Apple/Google servers. I think they were referring to Apple's proprietary messaging (aka iMessages). Those do go through Apple's servers. I think they were implying that the unreliable nature of Hub chat may have something to do with its inability to use Push Notifications.

Also push notifications for all apps go through apple’s servers when apps are in the background and not running. That is why you need to allow the app to run in the background in the settings app. 

21 hours ago, JQTravels said:

Hello we did the Vista 7 Day Cruise last January....it was awesome.  We did reviews of various restaurants, our room, the spa and the drink package if you would like to take a look 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiEUY5syMeu1_233dY7oZaWRrqs_o5Fta

Thanks I'll take a look!

17 hours ago, Ellusionz said:

To explain in a lil more detail too there's an ON TIME line and an EARLY/LATE line. If you don't pay extra for FTTF or have the other options, the quicker line is normally making sure you're there during your slotted time. But at least in Port Canaveral we've found even if we got there for the later line we were in pretty fast.

Thanks!  That helps.  We'll try to get there at the right time.

9 hours ago, dmdiver said:

If you really want FTTF, keep checking.  They open up a certain number of slots periodically.  We had friends who got it by just checking every day.  As far as whether it is worth it, I really don't know.  We tend to select an early check in time when it's available, but we are platinum now, so our cabin is ready when we board.  Prior to that, we would still select an early check in time, but we always had our luggage with us during lunch, which is not the end of the world, but a bit inconvenient.  The lines for check in move pretty quickly.  You go through the luggage scan, they check your wine/canned drinks, then on to the counter.  They board by zones.  I feel like they are much faster than they were 10 years ago for sure.  Stop & strike a pose for the welcome aboard photo if you want.  Sail & sign cards are at your cabin, so hang on to your boarding pass if you plan to buy a drink while waiting to sail.  You won't be able to get to the cabin until 1:30 (officially).  I have seen them ready sooner.

 

We have been using Galveston Park n Cruise across from the ship.  We always book online in advance.  The parking is inside, so the car stays cleaner.  Plus, it's not sitting in the sun so you don't bake when you get in the car after the cruise.

Thanks!  We'll probably have the cheers package so we won't have to carry on beverages.  I'll keep looking for FTTF but I don't check every day because I forget and sometimes my 3 kids change my life so much I have trouble remembering.  If I don't get it it isn't a big deal.  We won't be doing much that requires it anyway (there is only one tender port our cruise so if we do an excursion there we'll do it through the cruise line).

I'll be checking into parking shortly.  I have a Tesla so I need a place I can plug in so that will drive my decision.  Last time we cruised on RCCL we parked where you recommend.

4 hours ago, LuckyStar said:

I have sailed out of Galveston two times, I will not do it again without FTTF.  Our experience was not great the last time.  We got there in time for our boarding time but so did everyone else on the boat.  The lines were very long.  People cut in line and were generally pretty rude.  The FTTF line was so short.  So I'm just giving you a heads up for what you may expect and to be patient and keep a good attitude.  

Ok thanks!  We are pretty patient but if I can manage to get FTTF I'll probably purchase it.

23 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

I have sailed on the Vista twice out of Galveston.  Here is what I do: On the first day of check in (literally at midnight eastern time which I think is 11 pm here), I log in and get my preferred check in time....whether that is late or early.  Usually the first available window, if you are wanting to board early, it is either 11:30a.m. to noon OR 12:00-12:30. You don't even have to complete check in.  Just start it and select your time.  Then I arrive in that window. I have never had to wait when arriving during my window.  Even on a full ship at Christmas with 4,954 passengers boarding.  (The line was, however, long for those outside their window.)  You can usually access your room by about 1:30 p.m. If you check your luggage, it will be delivered later that evening. If you don't, you just have to carry it around until you can access your room. However, bring your wine bottle and your sodas in your carry on or they will confiscate your luggage and you will have to go down to guest services to claim it. My brother learned this the hard way.

 

Of course, you can always do a later check in time, too. We did the last check in time on the Vista back in October 2018 out of Galveston so my husband could see patients that morning and basically work half a day. On that one, there was literally NO ONE in either the on time or late/early lines. I think everyone was already on board. We were able to go straight to our room. We didn't even check our luggage that time. In fact, I don't recall even seeing porters there at that time since it was the last boarding window.

 

Unfortunately, the Havana rooms (unless your room is one of the Havana Cabana Suites), don't get priority boarding even though they are more expensive.  But we always LOVE the Havana area so it is well worth it. Quite frankly, though, if you get the first boarding time, you probably are boarding only 20-30 minutes after the priority folks anyway.

 

There is parking immediately across the street from the port somewhere around $100-120 for the week. Very quick walk. There are cheaper places to park at that require a reservation, but we never plan that far ahead. 

 

Thanks for the detailed response!  That really helps to know about check in times etc...  That is exactly what I was looking for.  We have cruised out of Galveston on Disney and RCCL so we have an idea on parking.  I need a place to charge my car so that will dictate where I park.  I am hoping the Habana rooms are as nice as people say they are.  We are used to AFT balconies but we are excited for something different.

14 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

I wanted to get a bit down the road before crashing for the night.   I booked at Hever Castle, which is just a little south of the M25, as it appears to be more-or-less about halfway. (I wanted to book at Leeds Castle, but they are booked up already.)  I wanted to see it anyway.  Check in time is at 3 p.m. so with an 11:40 a.m. arrival, that will probably be about right. If we are early, we can take in the castle and gardens. I figured we could eat an early dinner, get a good night's rest and head out the next morning for Dover.

Sounds good!  I hope you have a great trip!  You should be fine with that time.  LHR has been much better lately for immigration lines.

Here is a couple photos I took.  You can see the cruise ship in the background.  The pebble beach is neat.

3 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

Thanks so much for this info.

 

As of right now, we are arriving the day before and going to rent a car. Pick up at Heathrow, drop off in Dover. It is 48 pounds more to do the different pick up/drop off locations, but still cheaper than anything else and will enable us to be able to see some sights.  My husband and I literally made a big circle from London, through the North and east of England and back to London two years ago so I feel ok about him driving.  

 

Now I just have to figure out plans for getting back to the airport. 

I am in London for work all the time and have a car most of the time.  I have also driven from the LHR area to Dover and that is nuts for them to pick you up at that time.  The M25 can back up so bad at random times.  If you are arriving the day before I highly recommend staying in Windsor.  It is so nice and you can walk around and site see.  I love that town.  I usually stay in the Castle Hotel by MGallery which usually has decent prices compared to staying in the city.

43 minutes ago, Garth2 said:

You can select your "Arrival Appointment" by logging in to your Cruise Manager beginning at midnight Eastern time 90 days prior to your sail date.  Your arrival appointment is a half hour window for you to arrive and check in.  If you arrive earlier or later than this period you might have to wait to board or might be able to board immediately.  Arrival appointments are staggered so that not everyone tries to board a the same time, and the earlier ones tend to fill up quickly.  Priority boarding is reserved for wedding parties, platinum and diamond guests, suiteholders and those who purchase Faster To The Fun.

Thank you!  So I will have some choices to chose from at 90 days out.  That is what I was looking for.  I am not sure if we need Faster To The Fun or not.  Plus it is sold out for our cruise.

I am new to Carnival.  Having never sailed on her before I am clueless on what goes on when you board a Carnival ship.

My wife and I are planning on driving to Galveston from Austin (about a 3 hour drive) the morning of the cruise.  Do we have a set time we get to board?  When does the cruise let us know what time we get to board?  I assume the boarding time allows frequent cruisers and suite passengers to go first.  Then after that is it based on Cabin booked or deck?  What is the typical time for a newbie to be able to board?  Just want to make sure we have plenty of time to arrive with some cushion.

I don't know if this helps but we are on deck 5 in a HE category room on Vista sailing out end of Sept.

On 1/13/2020 at 8:19 PM, shellster1 said:

Thinking about the 7-day on the Vista the first week of March. The first 2 days are sea days. I'm wondering if I'm risking the weather not being warm enough to use the pools on these days. I know out of Long Beach, it takes time to get far enough south to warm up. Obviously we can't predict the weather, but might someone be able to advise me on this? Also, I would be flying into the Houston-Bush airport. Anyone know how long the drive is to Galveston? Is an Uber possible? Thanks in advance!

We have cruised out of Galveston in the colder months and in all honesty it really depends on the weather those specific days.  Some days it can be crazy warm and the next couple days it can be freezing.  It is really hard to tell.  It also depends on where the low/high pressure systems are at in the gulf to decide where it will get warm.

With that said we like it HOT when we get in a pool so anything less than 90 to us is not really pool weather.  So if it was us we would focus on May or later.  Our kids on the other hand start swimming in March (we are in Austin and have a pool).  I like the pool temp mid 80's or higher so I don't usually get that until May.