Schoifmom

Sometimes I'd get an email and sometimes I wouldn't.  Refunds could take up to 10 business days.

I have never heard of Carnival charging a fee to cancel a cruise.  Yes, you will lose anything paid (you are in the 100% penalty phase).  If you are the only other person in the room with the person cancelling, you will be charged a single supplement (which is likely what the $600 is).  Your insurance will cover that single supplement.  They are correct, though, that it will all have to be paid and then you submit all of the supporting documents to the insurance company, who will reimburse you. If the person simply doesn't show up for the cruise, you will still be out their cruise fare, but the insurance will not reimburse anything.

32 minutes ago, JOHN 57 said:

did some checking and it is said to be 2d elegant night on 10 March, a Friday.  we can only order 2 lobsters.

 

You can order more if you want.  Any entree after your second will be a $5 charge.

Included lobster will be during the second elegant night in the MDR.  You can always pay the upcharge for the "steakhouse selections" lobster in the MDR on any evening.

17 hours ago, mom2tcdx2 said:

Interesting thread, guess it lets me know we just have no ability to get my mother a scooter for an upcoming cruise.  Our sailing is sold out and they have just an inside cabin, no way a scooter will fit in there.  Her feet and knees have just gotten a lot worse since we booked and we were hoping that a scooter could just help her get around a bit more, otherwise she just can't do much walking.  Just getting to and from the restaurants will be quite the chore for her.  Hopefully the little fold up walker she has will be enough of a help.  

Call Scootaround.  They DO have scooters that will fit through the doorways of regular cabins, unless she is severely obese.  It will require some maneuvering, but you can get it into a regular cabin.  I don't know how many people are in the cabin, but for an inside, there will be room to store it in there if there are no more than 2 people.  Again, it will require some maneuvering around it, but it can be done.  I speak from experience.

1 hour ago, luvswater said:

I’m still confused. So if I leave from Miami, do I pay for drinks when I get on the boat, or will my cheers package cover it?

Cheers will cover it from the second you step onto the ship in Miami.  As @ninjacat123said, there will be a small charge for state sales tax until you hit international waters.  They will scan the bar code on your boarding pass for drinks until you have your S&S card, which will be when rooms are ready around 1:30.

Because you are in a suite, your cabin will be (should be) ready when you board.  That is one of the suite perks.  For all "normal" (read: non-suite) Diamond/Platinum cruisers, you would have access to drop off luggage in the staterooms, but there is no early ready any longer.

On a 6 day cruise, you will have 2 cruise elegant evenings.  

The length of the cruise determines the number of Cruise Elegant evenings in the Dining Room. The first Cruise Elegant evening is scheduled for the 2nd or 3rd day of the cruise; the second Cruise Elegant evening is scheduled for the 2nd or 3rd day prior to the end of the cruise, schedules permitting.

• 1 Day cruise: none
• 2 Day to 5-day cruise: one Cruise Elegant evening
• 6 Day or longer cruise: two Cruise Elegant evenings

19 hours ago, Buffalofirsttimer4 said:

At Port Everglades scooter was in our cabin. For Port of Miami (Celebration), we’ve been advised that scooter pick up is actually in the terminal prior to boarding and has to be returned to the terminal after disembarking. 

I'm assuming your Port Everglades trip was pre-Covid.  The change to picking them up at the terminal was a post-Covid change.

15 hours ago, cowprintrabbit said:

Except in Alabama, apparently. I’m still fighting with Scootaround because they want me to disembark during my wedding to pick up my scooter.

This all changed with Covid.  I've cruised out of 3 ports since the restart and at all of them they had a kiosk where you pick up the scooter prior to going through the check-in/boarding process.

On 2/10/2023 at 12:30 PM, BonnieH said:

So I am getting conflicting information from Carnival and Scootaround. BF is eligible for a scooter from the VA that is too wide to fit through the doors of our cabin for our October cruise. 

 

When I called Carnival this morning, I was told we cannot leave the scooter outside our cabin. However, the woman I spoke with today from Scootaround said that Carnival will allow you to park the scooter outside your room (remove battery so it can't be moved).  On previous cruises, I have seen scooters in the hallways. Which is it? 

 

Please do not share Carnival's policy, I already read it and I spoke with a representative today. Also, please don't tell me to get a handicap accessible room. We don't need all the other amenities that come with an HA room and we don't want an aft cabin. We selected our specific cabin for specific reasons prior to the need of a scooter.  

Full confession, I haven't read all of the other responses yet, so I apologize if this is repetitive.

The reason that you cannot leave a scooter in the hallway for storage or charging is because it is against the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) regulations.  If Carnival were to allow it, or if they were inspected and one is found to be there, Carnival will receive heavy fines.  

This is a safety issue for everyone.  Please do NOT leave your scooter in the hallway.  Others can comply, so can you.  You don't want to be told to get a handicapped accessible room, so your only other options are to (1) cruise without the scooter, (2) rent a scooter from Scootaround that will fit into a regular cabin, or (3) leave your husband at home.

Whatever your choice, I hope you have a great cruise.

16 hours ago, 13cheermom said:

So just curious, we just got back from our first cruise since covid on MG (7 night).  We prepaid our gratuities with our final payment prior to sailing.  We usually give additional for room steward for the extra work the they do.  However, never saw anything on our sail and sign account where gratuity were aded and marked as prepaid.  Is that the way they are done now?  I thought previously they showed on your account and then marked as paid.  Anyone help clear this up for me?

I've never seen it done that way and I always prepay my grats.

7 hours ago, mz-s said:

yes and you only get 1 shot in a patron margarita for example...

True.  If you have Cheers, though, wait 5 minutes, order a second shot, pour into the drink 😉 

9 minutes ago, Woody14 said:

as noted above it was the same ship, room, same date, both same deposits, allowed to pick the same room.    Maybe it was just luck that I picked a cruise where both offers applied but on random clicking it seemed that they overlapped a whole lot.

Is one a refundable deposit?  If so, it's just the luck of the draw.  The only reason someone would pick the less desirable option is that they lack critical thinking skills.

According to JH, they are coming back soon, but I've not seen a definite date.

I would need more information to determine if comparing these offers is apples-to-apples.  Same cruise?  Same fare restrictions (is one refundable and one not)?  Same deposit?  Does one allow you to pick your room and one not?  

8 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

The OP booked a room for two passengers, and paid for it.  When the second guest cancelled, the single supplement kicked in, and likely that is 100% of the second guest's fare, so yes, the OP paid double for going alone, as all singles do.

 

The agreement between the OP and friend about paying for the cruise is just that, an agreement between them.

 

The insurance company won't pay out for the friend's cruise, since there is no proof that she paid anything for the cruise.  That insurance was a waste of money.  The insurance company won't pay out for the OP's cruise, because she took the cruise, and the single supplement took up the friend's fare.

Agreed.  However, Carnival's policy does have a clause that reimburses the cabinmate for the single supplement when their cruise companion cannot sail for a covered reason.  It seems as though she needs a full, detailed accounting from Carnival to prove that she was charged a single supplement and then file a claim for that provision under the policy.

18 hours ago, Tiger0613 said:

I don't have an unlimited data plan.  I have a 5GB plan.  My mom is on my account, and she doesn't even have a smartphone to be able to use the data plan.  I've offered more than once to get her a smartphone, but she refuses every time.

 

Also, I have paid to be able to use the wifi from the moment I get on the ship until the moment I get off.  I want what I have paid for.

Well, then use the alternative methods of getting your folio number prior to getting your S&S cards and get logged in.  

1 hour ago, SSGFYCC said:

Probably decided not to make it public becuase I remember back in the day hundreds of threads about people going to guest services to try to shift money from housekeeping to dining, other services to dining, pulling back gratutitues and handing out cash tips, etc.

I have to confess.  I am a huge proponent of the auto-gratuities (for selfish reasons, it's just easier for me).  There was one cruise, though, where I was in the line at GS moving grats from housekeeping to dining because our steward was simply awful.  

In Puerto Vallarta (on Carnival), we took the Rhythm of the Night excursion.  The boat picked us up at the ship and they have accessible routes on the island and accessible seating for the show.  With a rollator, you should have no issue as long as you are able to transfer from the ship to the boat.

In Mazatlan, we did a city tour that stopped at a few places.  It was on a tour bus with storage underneat, so they should be able to accomodate your rollator if it wouldn't fit on the bus with you.

14 hours ago, Tiger0613 said:

Everyone seems to be forgetting or not realizing that you get your folio number when you get your card.  To get your folio number before that, go to Guest Services.

14 hours ago, BarbieGee said:

Shouldn't you get your folio number at Check-in at the terminal?

You can certainly ask for your folio number when you check in at the terminal and they can write it on your boarding pass (they've done this for us for a different reason).  You will still have cellular service for a while after boarding, though, so I would just hold off on connecting to the internet through the ship's wifi until I get into my room.

Sorry for your loss.

We removed our DD from a 3 person room once.  We were warned that they "could" change our room.  They didn't.  It's highly unlikely that they will change your room if they don't do it at the time you cancel.  I would call and speak with them.

Log into the HUB app while on board. Click the link to log into the internet.  A page will appear asking for your folio number.  It will also give you upgrade options (if applicable).  Just sign in.

How are things in Amish Country???

IMO, rent the car and take your time.  The last time we did this in PC, it really didn't take long at all to pick up the car.  As long as you don't rush, you won't feel rushed 🙂 

In my experience, as long as you don't do the "don'ts" you're fine.

Cruise Casual - Not permitted: cut-off jeans, men’s sleeveless shirts, tee-shirts, gym or basketball shorts, baseball hats, flip-flops and bathing suit attire.

Cruise Elegant - Not permitted: jeans, men’s sleeveless shirts, shorts, tee-shirts, sportswear, shorts, baseball hats, flip-flops and bathing suit attire.

Having said that, I have noticed the the HUB app does not say no jeans on cruise elegant night and we have worn them.  I have seen others dressed in "dressy" shorts on elegant night.