thundercrack

On 3/9/2024 at 1:03 PM, thundercrack said:

@kdr69 I hear ya Kdr, just like on these board, you can get 5 different answers but that also does not make any of them right.   I was just asking for suggestions to see all my options when I posted.  I've decided to gamble and have daughter be a no show.  If it needs to be repriced when I board and I have to pay the additional fare so be it.  Btw, my other daughter had the same offer when this cruise was booked 2 years ago.  It was not tied to any special code, just reduced deposits if booked by X date.

 

Hoping what happened to starstruck05's brother happens to me.  I will report back when I return in case anyone is interested in what happened.

Just to update, daughter was a no show and was reimbursed port fees and excursions booked.  No one mentioned anything, and only “penalty” was lost fare for her booking, which was expected.

Just got back yesterday.  Most of the food was good to very good.  A few stand outs in my eyes:

• Crab and Scrimp Cake
• Jambalaya Pasta
• Frog Legs
• Braised Beef Brisket
• Baked Alaska

6 minutes ago, Lilfeat said:

B2Bs and every guest is required to clear the ship, the only persons there are those responsible for cleaning the staterooms. The are diligently cleaning cabins for the next guests.
Are there any security cameras in the hallways of the cruise ship? 

You have no one to blame but yourself, move on.  Life lesson learned.

10 hours ago, Sabalon said:

 

I thought about getting the vinyl mat that they have for the luggage when you get to the room, but it got shoved way under the bed so we just hoped for the best.  Like the floormat idea - with a little light it should stand out.  In the past we've done the door thing and it does help.  

You can also get small magnetic hooks from amazon and run it up the wall, across the ceiling, and then back down the wall.  I do this with my Cpap, easy to do and never in the way.

3 hours ago, kdr69 said:

Yaaaaa highly unlikely.  You are right that you dont know what that has to do with it because unless your other daughter has the same offer you could end up paying the 2200 at the port.  You can ask 5 different agents this same scenario and get 5 different responses and they might be sure of their responses but that wont make them right. 

@kdr69 I hear ya Kdr, just like on these board, you can get 5 different answers but that also does not make any of them right.   I was just asking for suggestions to see all my options when I posted.  I've decided to gamble and have daughter be a no show.  If it needs to be repriced when I board and I have to pay the additional fare so be it.  Btw, my other daughter had the same offer when this cruise was booked 2 years ago.  It was not tied to any special code, just reduced deposits if booked by X date.

Hoping what happened to starstruck05's brother happens to me.  I will report back when I return in case anyone is interested in what happened.

@jxtgreek For what it's worth, I'm in a somewhat similar situation.  I have 3 rooms booked for an April cruise, 2 adults in each room.  One of my daughters can no longer go and she is the primary on the booking for one of the rooms along with another daughter.  I posted earlier on this site for suggestions about if she should just be a no show or what alternatives I had and received many good suggestions.

I called Carnival and was going to try and switch the names so the daughter that is going would be the first on the booking, and if that didn’t work, possibly rebook the room.  The Carnival representative told me that to switch the names she would have to do a rebooking and in would be $2,200 more that I would owe. 

She then said to just have my daughter be a now show since my other daughter is also a VIFP member (not sure what that has to do with it)  and all I would lose is the fare I currently paid for her since I am past final payment date and I would get the port charges refunded to original form of payment, they would not rebook the room because she was a no show.  I asked her if she was sure and she said yes, and it just makes economical sense for her to be a no show and I would save $2,200, plus the port fees.

It wasn't a Casino rate,  it was one of those VIFP offers and there was no Special Rate Code tagged to the offer.  The only blurb I see in the confirmation email is the below.

Offer is valid for guests with a qualifying VIFP # only. Non-ref dep amounts: 2-9 day- $50pp. MD/CB/JB- $99pp. 10+ day/EU- $199pp. Deposits apply to sailings outside of final payment date and are valid for all ships/staterooms. Offer is capacity controlled and is not combinable with any other discount/promotion. Offer is applicable for 1st/2nd guests only, 3rd/4th/5th guests are responsible for prevailing rates. Cruise fare does not include Taxes/Fees/Port Expenses. Available for cabin assignment only. Guest may select stateroom but category restrictions/exclusions apply. Carnival reserves the right to withdraw and/or change offer at any time without notice. Carnival reserves the right to assess a change fee based on request date, cruise length, and requested cruise sail date. Cancellation penalties apply. Offer not available for group bookings. Offer is available to new bookings only. Offer is available on select sailings through August 2024. Offer ends 4/2/22

29 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

If rates have tripled, your best bet is to let D2 be a no-show.  Like that Carnival can't re-fare that cabin.  They'll just keep D2's half of the fare, which will be less than the increase in fare to rebook that room with just D3.  D2's taxes and fees should get refunded, but it's anyone's guess as to how and to whom. 

Thanks for the reply, that is how I am leaning, just be a no show

20 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

Can someone else go? If so pay the name change fee and put someone else in that room.

 

Is daughter 2 certain she can't go? If she no-show's you don't need to do anything so she has plenty of time to change her mind.

No one else can go and from what I understand (and I may be wrong), since the Cabin was booked using Daughter 2's VIFP Account, I believe any name change would still result in re-faring at 3 time the original cost.  I was leaning towards the no show but was a little concerned they may say Daughter 3 wouldn't be able to board until Daughter 2 shows up

28 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Please clarify:

 

Room 2; is the niece still expected to sail?  Is she the daughter of one of the adults in Room 3?  How old is the niece?

 

Room 3;  Are there two adults in this room?

All adults, only Daughter 2 cannot sail

Hi, looking for advice.  I have 3 rooms booked for April as below, with the primary bookie the first person listed:

Room 1 – Me and Wife

Room 2 – Daughter 1 and Niece

Room 3 – Daughter 2 and Daughter 3

Daughter 2 is no longer able to go on the cruise (just had first baby last night).  We booked this cruise almost 2 years ago with pretty good rates.  Rates are now 3 times of when originally booked.  Looking for suggestion on how to handle. 

Do I rebook the cruise for Daughter 3 as a solo and just pay the new rate?   Do we just have Daughter 2 be a no show and if (and from what I understand, it is a big if) guest services calls to tell us we need to pay the new price do it then.

Any other options besides these two?  Appreciate your responses

Difference between Value and Premium is less than $2.00 per day if purchases prior to cruise.  Well worth the upgrade.

Value Wi-Fi Plan 

• Access popular social websites, email and applications including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Snapchat and the most popular airline sites as well as news, entertainment (not including streaming sites), sports, weather, banking and finance. Post pictures of your trip and make your friends jealous (using the faster speeds of the Social Plan).
• Does not support Skype or video and music streaming (i.e., Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Pandora), cellular-network-dependent Wi-Fi calling and FaceTime services.

Pricing*

Pre-cruise:  $19.55 USD, per day
Onboard:  $23.00 USD, per day

 Premium Wi-Fi Plan

• Premium Wi-Fi plan provides access to all sites under the Social and Value Plans at the fastest possible connection (3 times faster than the Value Plan). Supports apps like Zoom, Skype and Team video calling, where coverage allows.
• Does not support video and music streaming (i.e. Hulu, Spotify, Pandora); Netflix can be viewed through your Netflix account/app. Cellular-network-dependent Wi-Fi calling and FaceTime services are also not supported.

Pricing*

Pre-cruise:  $21.25 USD, per day
Onboard:  $25.00 USD, per day

On the 2 NCL Cruises where the drinks were included, did you and your wife drink $1,000 worth of drinks, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic?  If not, probably not worth it and just pay as you go.  Instead of paying $1,000 up front, why not just deposit $1,000 in your sign and sail account, as what you do not use will get refunded?

9 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

That's not an issue. 

Thank you

8 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Polo shirt or button shirt with dockers/chinos are fine for all nights at dinner on Celebrity including Chic Nights when jackets aren't required for men. By the book shorts are never allowed in any restaurant during dinner time. I phrase it that way since there will always be times when you see someone allowed in wearing shorts at dinner even though it's against the rules. 

Thanks kwokpot.  How about Polo Shirt and jeans?

What is the suggested dress attire for Dinner on Celebrity?  Definitely interested in Celebrity, but I am more a Polo Shirt/Dress Shorts most nights and Button Down Shirt/Dockers for "Elegant" Night.  Definitely do not like to "Dress up" for dinner, and definitely do not want to wear a tie!!

I have tried multiple times to get the 20% off Wi-Fi with CWIF23 code on my 11/24/24 cruise and keep getting not a valid code. If anyone was able to apply this discount please let me know what I am doing wrong.

Google "cruise ships in port" and you will find plenty

8 hours ago, Pellaz said:

 

My mom and her husband were included in those "suckers."   They bought a lot of art pieces aboard various cruise ships and lines.  Personally, I thought most of them were garish and kinda jarring, but I don't collect "fine art," just fantasy and sci-fi prints and artist-proofs.  

 

Came time for the estate sale.  The artwork was discounted pretty heavily...and still, NOT ONE piece sold.    😮  

 

 

I am also in the boat (no pun intended😊) of your mom and husband and have bought quite a few pieces from the Park West Auction.  Mostly Thomas Kinkade and Disney prints,  but have bought others.  I would not consider myself or your mom and husband “suckers”, If I see something I think that I would get many years enjoyment from, at what I am willing to pay, I will buy it.  I have never considered them an investment, and am very realistic that they would not be worth much if my kids decide to sell after our passing (which I don’t think will happen as they already called dibs on the ones they want).

I think it is pretty funny that people call art buying cruisers “suckers”, and I am not saying you do Pellaz, but think that purchasing a Cheers package, of which you would only get a weeks worth on enjoyment from (if they even remember) is smart.  To me they are the suckers, but to each their own.  I have no qualms on how/what people spend money on, it is the value to them.

I’m sure everyone in their life has made a purchase that other would think foolish, can’t we just keep the negative opinions to ourselves?

I see it under In Room Food and Beverages, 12 pack 9.95.  

8 hours ago, latebloomer56 said:

So we have an 11:00 check out time but will ask to move that to a later time. We need to get our check in time this Thursday. If we request 11:30 but don't show up until 12:30-1:00 that would be ok? We don't want to be on to early with no cabin until 1:30.

Thanks

That is my understanding, you can arrive after your designated time, just not before (actually you can arrive before, you will just not be let in until your block of time).  If you know you don't want to board early due to cabins not available until 1:30, why don't you just choose the 12:30-1:30 arrival time?

You need to go at your assigned time or later, not earlier than assigned time.

What if there is no second person?  I have a cabin booked for my adult child with second guest as TBD.  I realize I will be paying both fares, but can I leave the second guest as tbd and not even complete boarding information if we don’t get someone to go? Do I need to call carnival and let them know that it will be a solo passenger in that cabin?

7 hours ago, vwrestler171 said:

Where you will be sailing from Port Canaveral and not Galveston like this cruise, this is not the best spot for the correct information.  If possible, try and get a later flight.  MCO is a horrible airport.  I was there at 9:00 AM for a 1:00 PM flight and was still worried about missing it.  Finally got passed security around Noon.

@vwrestler171 Thank you, didn't realize this cruise was out of Galveston and for the info on MCO.  I may also look to see flights out of Sanford, just a little further but a small airport.  I have flown from there many times going to Orlando and never had a problem. 

On 7/21/2023 at 1:24 PM, kimandtim said:

@kimandtim Was supposed to have priority disembarkation and it took me 2 hours of waiting in Lounge to get off the ship.

 

I am booked on the Vista for next April and am starting to look at airfare back.  Is a noon flight too early?