bar1068

Interesting. When we did the rapid tests at CVS, we had the results before we got back home, which was like 5 minutes from CVS. In May we decided to not deal with any of the local places, and just went with the eMed proctored tests, which of course were very simple and also a quick turnaround. My health insurance reimburses for the tests, so in the end...quick and easy from home, and no cost. We have an Alaska cruise booked for later this month, have the eMeds ready to go....but I sure hope against hope they will end this testing. I saw something earlier today NCL has stopped precruise testing...C'mon Carnival!!

Absolutely on point. We are in the Washington DC area, and wanted to use CVS again for our Horizon cruise this past May, as we used them on 2 previous cruises. Our local CVS informed us they were no longer doing the tests as they had in the past, stating the demand for testing had fallen way off. They would now only do the rapid test with a Minute Clinic visit and the fees associated with that, plus the test cost.

Well, they got us on this one. Booked the 7 day Alaska cruise on the Splendor for a cabin rate of $40 pp, with $200 OBC. Probably not our "dream" Alaska cruise, but looks like we'll have a blast....plus we'd been looking to do something special to celebrate an anniversary, this should do it!!

You'll probably get glowing reviews of the drastic time savings using VeriFLY......we've cruise only 3 times post shutdown, On 2, we checked in the "old way" showing boarding pass, passport with vax card in same wallet, and then test results, was no fuss no muss. Cruised last month, used VeriFLY, saved a few seconds, but nothing "drastic". VeriFLY, verifies ahead of time your covid status"...vax info and recent test results you loaded into VeriFLY pre-cruise.

No snarks here, but could I ask if you wouldn't mind sharing a couple of highlights of that sailing that made it a favorite of yours? We are seriously thinking of taking advantage of one of these offers for an Alaskan cruise next month. Thanks!

Wine is allowed, one bottle per person in carry on.

For the 3 cruises we've done since the restart, we've had 3 different "experiences", but none were really priority, to us anyways, but all good. In Baltimore last September, we had our quickest door to on the ship check in yet. From parking the car, walking into the terminal, security check, then check in, then went straight onto ship, maybe took 15 minutes. We had the second earliest check in time, which they did check as we entered the parking lot, and I believe we had an A1 boarding zone, but that was not checked, as we just walked onto ship. Port Canaveral last November, nothing short of a cluster eff. Rental car shuttle dropped us off at port, and it was zoo city with folks debarking previous cruise and folks arriving for departing cruise. No organization on which way to go depending on check in time...plat/dia/whatever....nothing. We got in the line we figured that would a least get us in. However while in line, a terminal agent was "announcing" that plats/dias to just head in to the terminal, bust through the line, which we did. Guy at xray for luggage told us we could not bring our wine onboard, we were like *****, but then another agent said we were good. We then sat in terminal waiting for our A1 zone to get called...which it did about 30 minutes later. Last month in Miami, gave VeriFLY a go, worked ok, saved us like, 45 seconds checking in. We did have an earlier checkin time and terminal was fairly empty, so checked right in, and then, sat in terminal for boarding zone call. At that point the cluster eff ensued, but all was good, boarded ship and off we cruised. For each cruise we did stash our carry ons in our cabins...oh yea...we got the platinum colored cards, though one room steward on of of the sailing did ask we toss our luggage in the closets while he finished up. All good.

Absolutely seems to depend a PC!! We cruised outta there last November...Arrived a few minutes prior to our check-in time...was quite the cluster!!! Very disorganized. We just went with screw it..we're here we'll check in and board...when we check in and board...surely before the ship sails!! Standing in line there was some commotion behind us...a port Carnival rep was asking for all Plats and Diamonds to come forth, ushered us into the terminal to the shortest check in line..yeaaaa!!! But...alas...one more "hassle" before hitting the mass of chairs in the terminal to wait for them to call the boarding zones. Going through luggage check-in, dude made us take our 2 legit bottles of wine out of our carry-ons, he then went with, oh no, can't take these onboard...we're like...*****??? Fortunately another security person chimed in and told the dude...we're good, Carnival allows them...and off we went...to said chairs to wait....

Potato sticks on Guys fixin's bar...absolutely superb!!

We cruised last month on Horizon with the value package and the $5 chat feature of the Hub app. My wife and I shared the value package, one of us was always logged in to the value package. We both noticed when we were NOT actively logged on to the value package, we were able to receive app alerts and iMessages. Phones were in airplane mode and only wifi enabled. I've seen on other social media of folks noticing the same iMessage behavior. Not clear if this is intended or something else, or if because we did purchase one internet plan it "triggered" something, but we for sure noticed when not logged on to the internet package, iMessages worked.

Cruised last month. Single booster. Did the eMed proctored test 3 days prior to cruising. No fuss no muss. And while we are in that 50+ age group, i'm not sure that mattered as the requirement that we followed was, just that, the requirement. If there are age testing requirement differences based on age, I did not see them.

While the "recommendation" is to maybe use a DL or other credit card, a "card" is not totally neccessary, I keep a couple of used Carnival gift cards in my passport wallet to use, however you can use almost anything if it fits safely into the slot. First time we were on a ship that used this we used a folded up airline boarding pass.....that we had used in the hotel we stayed at prior to the cruise that used a similar system for the room lights.

This is actually a question?!?!? The 8 night Celebration to the ABC's....3 ports...4 sea days....just did that cruise last month on Horizon....nothing to not like there!!

To avoid printing and even accessing email, they can be saved to your Apple Wallet on iphone or Google Pay on Android devices...So if you decided not to use them prior to cruising or waited until ship left port and did not buy an internet package you could add them later in the cruise.

Curious to know, if refunds from canceled cruises back to gift cards are processed differently than "refunds" of unused gift cards that fund the onboard spending account. We've used gift cards on our past 3 cruises since last September (and others prior to covid), had a remaining balance at end of each cruise from using gc's to fund our onboard spending. Each remaining balance was refunded to an eGift card, which were emailed to us within 24 hours of cruise end. We debarked the Horizon May 9. The email with the eGift card refund was in my inbox at 1:30am on May 9. But again, no clue if those process quicker than cruise fares booked with gc's.

Ok, ya got me there!! Usually before I post or ask questions online, I search things out online. I think i was sort of too specific in my searches looking for how the funnels on, what are they called, the Excel class of ships, Mardi Gras etc...how those differ from most other diesel or whatever powered ships. I totally get how the Funnel is Carnival's brand identifier, and that they would probably put a "fake funnel" on any new ships even if there was no need for venting stuff, but I figured those things vent or exhaust "things" other than what's generated by the engines. Thanks.

Another social media group I follow had a little discussion about the function of the Funnel/Whale Tail on Carnival ships in the days following the Freedom incident. Someone in the group commented very factually, that the funnel on the Mardi Gras, Celebration and Jubilee is/will be for decoration only since those ships with those ships being powered by LNG. I thought wow, that is some piece of decoration. Not really knowing what all the funnel is there for, but thinking, can't be just for decoration on those ships i thought i'd see what anyone knows here. My thoughts are the funnel vents other "gases", steam, plumbing vents, something other than the engine exhaust, but I've really no clue. Figured, what the heck, post here, see maybe someone has a better clue than me, even thinking maybe chengkp75 could see this and

We've always enjoyed the Pride, sister ship to the Spirit, but I'd take Horizon over Sprit. While we are not what I'd describe as "foodies", but the Spirit class ships lack in dining options. We are not fans of the MDR on any ship, but do enjoy the specialty restaurant offerings on ships that have them.

Curious how you were able to get Cheers for $100/day for 2. Thats less than the cost of the package before the 18% gratuity is add in, even purchased before the cost went up..

I don't believe you'll see it on your printed documents, we didn't on our Horizon cruise earlier this month. We pre-purchased a wifi plan, couple cases of water and a specialty restaurant using OBC we had. The cruise manager showed those purchases, and the OBC minus those purchases, but none of that on any printed docs, although only printed docs we had were luggage tags and boarding passes. Got onboard, water was in cabin, wifi plan active and went to Cucina and it bill showed as prepaid.

Yes, the ones they will charge you for. We have seen this 4 times since the restart. The additional ones that are provided for I think, gold and above "VIFP" members are obtained from the bars onboard. Though I have wondered if someone used the ones in the cabin and thought, oh...I thought those were the ones for VIFP members, if the would get charged.

No, they have not, however they are not in the cabin when you get onboard. You have to go to a bar onboard and ask for it.

Check-in times for Baltimore are "off" when comparing to other ports. Overall checkin times in B'more start later than most other ports. We sailed out of Miami last week had a 10am checkin time, which was the earliest for that cruise. On Pride out of B'more last September has a 12noon checkin time also the earliest for that cruise. Ships arrive later to Port of Baltimore overall, have for as long as we've sailed from that port.

Nope, still free. The free "lobster" is still available on the first play dress up night. You do have an option most nights in the MDR to purchase an upgraded lobster. Though if I wanted to treat my kid to lobster, and had steakhouse reservations on dress up lobster night, I'd spend the $$ in the steakhouse and give him/her a better treat.

We had a similar situation on our Horizon cruise last week. My wife and I did share a value package throughout the cruise, and it did not matter which one of us was logged into the internet plan, we could still send and receive iMessages. We would also get various other alerts from other apps as well as Ring alerts. I must have checked at least a dozen times to be sure our phones were in airplane mode, all cellular data and roaming turned off. Was odd. But yes, chat feature of Hub app worked well when it worked, but we did have times it didn't.