bowlinmoe

On 2/9/2019 at 10:57 AM, Doggielover68 said:

Usually all of the activities for the whole week, but sometimes they add something later on and sometimes it doesn't have the locations right away. It is a super useful app on board and even has the weather for all of the ports. 🙂

I think it's really cool that you can use the HUB app without having to pay for wifi/internet.  Thumbs up to Carnival for that.

9 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

We cruise in the summer so naturally we have on shorts, a t-shirt and sandals. We set our alarms to wake us up in our Airbnb around 8 or so. We take showers and get dressed then call for our Uber to pick us up around 9:00. 

 

We get to the port shortly after our Uber picks us up, drop our luggage off with the ports, then head inside to check-in. This is a fun process for us because it means our cruise is beginning. This is usually a quick process since we check-in online. Then we go to the FTTF waiting area, and wait until we can board. 

 

Once we board the ship, we go directly to our cabin to drop off our 48 sodas, 2 bottles of wine and 4 bookbags. Then we head to lido and grab a burger at Guy's. Then we get a good seat to sit down and eat and people watch. We like watching the people come out onto lido for the first time, seeing their expressions. We just sit at our table for a while, usually going back for seconds. 

 

Once we're done eating, we go back to our cabin to unpack and get settled in. Then we wonder around the ship just watching people. Then at 3:30 we head to muster. Then we will either head to lido for the sail-away party, or we'll go and relax on our balcony and watch the sail-away. 

 

After we are sailed away, we will find something going on around the ship to do to hold us over until dinner. 

Where's the line between "watching people" and "creepily staring"?   

They're teenage girls.  It'll be okay.  I'm sure they will fight at times and quickly make up.

I would just tell your daughter to be patient and mature if the friend gets bratty.

What do you like to do/eat/wear/etc. on your embarkation day?

I see some people board with their swim suits on and jump right in the pool!

We typically like to wear comfy casual clothes (shorts/tshirt) and use the afternoon to wander the ship.  Figure out where everything is.  We'll grab lunch at either the burger joint (Guys) or Blue Cantina for burritos and tacos.  Eventually getting some drinks and finding a good spot to watch the sail off.  After which, we go shower up and get ready for dinner in the MDR.

On my various cruises (next one will be my 8th), I've found that the steakhouses tend to be a little overrated.  Also, they happen to usually be the most expensive of the specialty restaurants.

If no kids and wanting to spend a relaxing time with the wife, I would suggest one of the newest ships (Vista or Horizon) and spend the money on a Havana cabin.  You'll pay more but you'll get access to a pool and jacuzzis that only Havana cabins can access (before 7 PM).

Nice shorts are fine.

Jeans are fine.  Jeans are probably even fine with a decent t-shirt.

I usually just do jeans or khakis with a collared polo shirt if I am doing the MDR.

I leave my confederate flag shirt and MAGA hat for other dining venues.

(kidding)

2 hours ago, JennyB1977 said:

Four days, zero.

Vegan?

If I double stack the patties, does that count as one burger or two?

Havana is awesome.  I can't recommend it enough.  Yes, it is quite a bit more money but it is well worth it, imo.

With all due respect, I would have looked at you funny if I was a Carnival employee and you gave me that story.

That being said, yes, they should have offered to either replace your bottle of wine or give you two free glasses (which they ended up doing).

I think going and looking at the cameras is a bit excessive.

Where was the bottle of wine left?  Was it locked in your cabin?  Out on your balcony?

11 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

 

yadda, yadda, yadda, no one said anything about TV dictating your vacation. Sometimes after a long day of excursions and drinking, you might want to kick back on the bed and turn on the TV and relax or nap before getting ready for dinner.

Exactly.  Whether it's just hanging out in bed watching TruTV's "Funniest" or "Impractical Jokers" while my wife gets ready....or watching some "Friends" reruns while munching on some room service late night eats....it's nice to have good channels to choose from.

And the beverage cans must be in your carry on.  You can't do it like the old days and just slap a tag on it.

I think sunrise a bit early to be leaving port, right?

Great thread with lots of good information...

What about the poker table in the Sports Bar?  Do you earn any points there?

1 minute ago, Mikew0805 said:

It was 1500 points on the Horizon 8 day, last month. 

 

I personally am not a fan of it. You have to wait for a server to come around, and cannot just go to the bar and get your drink. By the time a server comes back with the drink I could be done with the machine and moved to another, or be done and ready to leave the casino. Didn't get much use out of it.

Any idea on how easy or difficult it is to get 1500 points?

I forget how the points were calculated last time I was in a Carnival casino.

Some thoughts...

$56.40 - Current Carnival share price

$5,640.00 - Total cost to buy 100 shares (plus any trading fees)

Dividend is great now at about 3.6%.

Assuming you go on one 7 day cruise each year, that's an extra $100 for you which equates to about a 1.77% return ($100 dollars into your $5,640 cost of the stock).  This isn't factoring how much you spend on the actual cruise, of course.

This brings your total return up to about 5.37% BEFORE any possible stock price appreciation.

Not a bad deal.  

Thanks for the review.  I'll be on the Horizon in May.

Never worth it for me personally. I'll have a couple of beers, maybe a glass of wine with dinner...maybe a can of Coke....the drinks never total enough to make it worth it.

Even if you just did the soda package, you need to drink A LOT of soda to make it worthwhile.

19 minutes ago, let's go cruising said:

You know that it is one bottle PER PERSON! Screw top is great for the ship.  Our room steward always kept us supplied with wine glasses.  Once, we wanted to take our glass of wine to the hot tub on Serenity.  You need to have plastic there, so we trotted down the stairs to the bar in Serenity and the lady helped us out with CHILLED plastic glasses.

 

ALSO, there is a deal for bottles of wine at dinner.  Three bottles for $69 and something like $150 for five bottles.  For the two of us, we got the three bottle deal.  That was the right amount for us between the two bottles we'd brought on.  It seems like a decent choice for the people who don't think they'll use the Cheers fully.

 

Just off the Glory!

 

Can someone confirm this?  I always thought it was one bottle per cabin?

I have no problem with it.  Go for it!  

16 hours ago, comiso13 said:

Until you get on board and activate it, it is good just for a countdown clock.

Correct.

But even if you aren't on board yet, you should be able to log in and see the countdown clock.  Maybe reset your password?  Any trouble signing in on-line and seeing your booking number?

I think 4 people in any room, Havana or not, is too tight.  We (my wife and I) did a Havana balcony on the Vista and we loved it...but it would be rough with 4 people.

Any suggestions for the Horizon? (very similar to the Vista)

Best place to watch sail away?

8 minutes ago, WorkerBee74 said:

 

This "they'll be getting back pay" thing is no longer a fallback plan after 30+ days and no end in sight.  With all the other bills they have piling up, I'm sure it IS a big deal to put a large lump sum on a cruise whenever this pay comes.... not to mention that 'getting back pay' doesn't help you buy groceries and food today.

I hear you and groceries/food is obviously priority #1 but from everything I read, they will eventually get ALL of their back pay.  

Do you have a link that says otherwise?

If their cruise is in September, they have plenty of time before they have to pay it off.  If the government is not reopened for several months, they have bigger issues to deal with than a cruise, imo.