AV8rix

Lenda, I was also at UT -- but Arlington, not "The University" (Austin). Few other women in Engineering in most submajors but I was the only one in aeronautical -- at that time. You never told me that you had a daughter in engineering -- what specialty? Don't know what happened there. I was trying to make "The University" in burnt orange but seems to have come out red. OK, here's some proper burnt orange. See? I can still post here occasionally 😉.

Of course I can book my cruises directly on the website (anyone can) but my PCC has always taken good care of me so I want him to get his commission. Of course, I'm one of the fortunate ones. I've had the same PCC for 14 years and he knows my preferences well. Hope I'm too old to cruise before he retires but if I lose him, I'll probably do it via the website or a TA or something.

Ewww! This will DEFINITELY affect Alaska cruises. We're very often barely 12 miles out, even during the night between lower Alaska ports. Might as well not even open the casinos at all on the Alaska itineraries if this bill passes.

That's because Princess and HAL (my line) are operated by the Ocean Players Club, a subsidiary of CCL (Carnival corporate). NCL and their lines (Casinos at Sea) and RCCI and their lines (Casino Royale) corporate are transparent. I've never sailed on either of them but I have looked at their casino web sites. They openly list their tiers for anyone to see. Now go to the Ocean Players Club site. No such listings. Their tier structure is completely opaque. It's really aggravating! Doubly aggravating for me because I'm a blackjack player. Folks who play slots tell me that at least you can see your points being accrued when you access your casino account when you sit down to play a machine. Not so at the tables. Sorry about the late reply. I rarely look at the casino subforum. End of rant.

Had to pop in here today to wish Jacqui @kazu happy birthday and to echo everyone else's hopes and prayers that this coming year will be a healing one for you.

Absolutely right on ALL counts!!! And before we had Adagio strings we had Rosario strings, same afternoon/evening schedules in Explorers Lounge. Now ALL GONE!

This ⬆️. Ya beat me to it 😉😉😉

You are correct in your statement "don't think anyone is actually ever assigned....". I'm solo -- so have to pay the supplement. Therefore, to save money have been booking interior gtys on HAL for 14 years! Have NEVER gotten one of the "N" category because they are ALWAYS assigned to contract entertainers, comped clergymen or other comped folks, etc.

Burger and fries at Dive In, eat at table by windows at midship pool or aft (seaview) pool.

Yeah, but they weren't transitioned, were they? The CCL IT folks were umm, "transitioned" to Capgemini just long enough (about 6 mos or so) to teach the offshore coders their jobs, then were jettisoned.

<sigh> It's me again. I have to post this EVERY time there's a thread about the ABYSMAL CCL (corporate, not only HAL) IT issues: In late 2016 Carnival corporate outsourced IT to Capgemini, a firm based in France but uses personnel in India to do the actual coding and maintenance. Just google keywords "Carnival Capgemini outsourcing" and read all about it.

I can't do any of the luxury-class lines because I don't drink alcohol except for an occasional glass of wine with dinner if I'm dining with friends. So not interested in underwriting the bar tabs of others. Otherwise I'd really like to check out some of those lines because I have noticed that most of them have reduced or sometimes zero solo supplement.

@nonstopcruz1 I too have been thinking about switching to Azamara for all of the reasons that you have put forth, PARTICULARLY the small ships -- which we used to have with HAL. Only thing stopping me is that I'll be 5* on HAL probably before the end of the year and I think I'm just too old to start at the bottom rung of a new loyalty program. BTW, some of our old-time HAL regulars have indeed switched to Azamara and sing their praises of that line.

Solo 4-star also and agree almost 100% (see my last paragraph) with your comments. In addition to missing the Yum Yum Man chiming us into dinner, classical music, nightly pillow chocolates, chilled soups, etc, I really miss the terrific crew show that they used to stage! Can't really understand about the classical music thing. OK, so they ended the contract with Lincoln Center. But that was a very new thing anyway. In the past, we ALWAYS had classical music in the Explorers Lounge with Adagio strings, Rosario strings, etc. And back onto the solo thing -- would never book one of those new expensive solo staterooms on the Pinnacle-class ships. They're small, down in the bilge, and up in the bow just aft of the anchor and hawser winch spaces. For just a bit more I can be in a roomier interior or OV in a much more desirable location. But I don't really think it's an "industry" issue -- just a HAL issue. I'd chew ground glass before I'd ever sail on NCL or RCCL but they apparently have solo staterooms that are in desirable locations, not just stuffed into the bow as an afterthought.

Sorry you are finding Kdam this way, @Niagarawine. I'm finished with the Pinnacle-class ships (expand my signature). I've posted this before and I'll repeat here. If I were asked to characterize the Pinnacle-class ships using only one word, I'd reply: ***LOUD*** Don't know what the problem is with the MDR acoustics on those ships but I have found it impossible to converse with tablemates in that venue. I try to play blackjack in the afternoons only on sea days. If I MUST be in the casino in the evening hours I obtain ear plugs from Guest Services, as the noise from the Music Walk one deck below makes it impossible to chat with the dealers/hosts in the casino. Apparently Guest Services are used to being asked for ear plugs because, as soon as you ask, they pour a bunch of ear plugs into an envelope and hand it to you. They NEVER look surprised at the request. Food quality has definitely deteriorated. But I don't know if this is due to staffing problems post pandemic. Just seems worse on the Pinnacle-class ships. JMO.

Yeah, and I've been waiting for that to happen ever since then. I just don't use my phone for anything but phone/text and necessary travel-related apps like Navigator, airline boarding passes, Amtrak, etc. Thanks for your response.

Seriously? You were actually able to do it the old way? I sent mine in via email as I ususally do, and received the following response: Do not reply to this email as replies to this auto-response will not be received. We appreciate your request for onboard credit as part of the Carnival Corporation & plc Shareholder Benefit Program. To enhance your experience, Carnival Corporation has partnered with Stockperks to implement a more automated and streamlined process for onboard credit requests. Stockperks is a secure app-based marketplace connecting public companies with their retail investors. Carnival Corporation, in collaboration with Stockperks, ensures compliance with global regulatory requirements, prioritizing information security. Your privacy and data are of utmost importance and Stockperks uses end-to-end encryption to safeguard all communications and personal data. For a swift and secure confirmation of your Carnival Corporation & plc stock ownership, we recommend entering via brokerage connection. Stockperks does not access or keep your login credentials and does not sell users’ personal information. Your details are utilized to verify eligibility for the onboard credit benefit. Please download the Stockperks app through App Store or Google Play. You can apply for your onboard credit through the Stockperks app once you have created a user profile. When creating your Stockperks account, there's no need to use the same credentials as your brokerage account. Please visit www.stockperks.com/carnivalcorp for full program details. Should you have any questions about the process on the Stockperks app, please contact carnivalcorp@stockperks.com for assistance. Stockperks Customer Service hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 8am to 6pm US Eastern Standard/Daylight Time. We appreciate your continued support as a Carnival Corporation shareholder and look forward to welcoming you aboard. Or did you mean that you ended up having to do it with StockPerks? TIA for a response....or a response from anyone who was able to do it successfully through email.

!!!WOW!!! First time I've EVER seen steak tartare in the MDR!! I've always had to pay extra for it since it's generally only available in PG or Rudi's <-- where they actually put a quail egg on top. I'll watch for that MDR offering in the future. Thanks!

Thanks for a great "live from", Jacqui. Hope that some day we will sail together again. BTW, that's great to know about being able to use the Mariner drink cards for something other than a "Mariner cocktail". I don't really like mixed drinks so I always give my cards to friends. But nice to know that it can be used for a glass of wine. So thanks for that too. Safe travel home. Bet Ivan will be overjoyed when you arrive.

Y'know, I really like when the casino sends the selection you are showing or sometimes the selection of the after-dinner treats of the PG. But I HATE the platter of the six chocolate-dipped strawberries. JMO, but they are too messy to eat. I always give those to my housekeeping stewards. But that's just me.

I can't stand the tactics of the Steiner group (the folks that run the spa concession on many lines). After the first massage many years ago I started telling the person AS I ENTERED THE ROOM that I'm there to relax and that I DO NOT intend to purchase any extras. If they kept their mouths shut I would tip, otherwise no. But then it just got to be tedious (you shouldn't have to do that routine all the time) so, like Jacqui, I just completely quit patronizing Steiner.

Also be sure to attend the solo lunches held on 1 or more sea days of every cruise (in my experience). Watch for it on the daily program, they will always publish it.

Following

Ooops, might have been mistaken with my post #11, @Lovewandering. The OVs that have been updated all have the glass showers, because I've booked a lot of those. And I think that goes for the few verandahs also. But I might be wrong there. If I were you I'd check with my PCC to make certain if I were thinking about booking one of those. That is, if your PCC is one of the "old" pre-covid ones (mine is), not one of the new hires.

Ya beat me to it, Eric! That's exactly what I would have posted and it's TRUE! So I, too, don't book short cruises (unless I can't help it and they're fillers between longer B2B2Bs) and I also follow the excellent thread authored by @VMax1700 that keeps track of most groups/charters/drydocks.