EngIceDave

I just got off Liberty and saw no sign of anything Seuss

Do you have a picture of Triple Diamond Strike on the Fantasy so I have a visual point of reference before I board the ship?

Because a machine hits today is no indication it will hit tomorrow, and because a machine has a single large hit is not an indicator of it being, "loose."

So even if you find that machine (and I am willing to bet there is only one of that particular machine on the ship), there is no assurance of it's performance.

Do bear this in mind, that was a multi-denomination machine and the winner won on both max bet and max denom, the EPROM (memory chip) can be variable from denomination to denomination, so, for example, the machine may be more "loose" at the max denomination, but not so much at the lower denomination.

So my point is, don't pump a lot of money into it expecting it to win because someone else won on it once.

My advice, as someone who plays a lot of slots, avoid games that have a progressive jackpot, avoid games that are "buy a pay" (games you have to spend extra to get the bonus round, like Wheel of Fortune or Top Dollar) and find games that are fun and entertaining.

Please post back your thoughts, we got off the Sunshine 2 wks ago and thought the food and service was wonderful!! And there is a chilled soup each and every night! ( bleh!)

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Be happy to report back, but I don't do chilled soups, as a matter of fact, in my opinion, a "chilled soup" is really something "juiced" and put in a bowl

We just got off Liberty, and they actually had put the new robes for the next guests in our cabin the night before disembarkation, which I thought odd, so I asked the Steward (because technically, I now had four robes in my cabin) and he said it was to get a head start on readying the cabin for the next day's embarking passengers.

So on one hand you go, "Oh, ok," and then on the other hand you do think there are some disgusting people in the world with sick little minds.

Wife and I just got off Liberty on July 6th, it was our first look, taste and even knowledge of the "American Table Menu" because we hadn't been on a cruise in a few years (though we were Gold, we just took a couple years off) so it was a bit different but not wildly different, as there were table cloths (cloths, not "clothes") and the usual attentive wait staff. Sure the menu looked different, but it wasn't as if they turned the place upside down.

That said, we did notice a couple things;

The wait staff seemed disorganized and un-timed. There was no pattern or rhythm within my team or overall in watching other teams. In the past, it seemed as if everything had an order and a timing to it, I did not experience or see it on the Liberty a week ago.

Secondly, it is my opinion, as well as that of my wife, that the overall food quality has diminished. Whether this has to do with the new menu or economic reasons, I do not know. My parents are regular cruisers, and they've commented on the slip in food quality.

Now, I am going on a second cruise with my son this coming saturday on the Carnival Sunshine, so we'll see what if any difference there really is.

I am a balcony junkie, but part of being that balcony junkie is having my coffee and some breakfast stuffs delivered and sitting on my balcony and peacefully enjoying my coffee in the morning, when and where it's nice and quiet, before the insanity of the day's activities begin.

Ft Lauderdale Everglades would be a good place to airboat, but it's out of your way....have to go way west.

On your way to Daytona, you'll pass Cocoa (SR528/King St) and just go west a couple miles and there are a few airboat tour places there. You'll ride the St Johns River, which is a swampy river of grass. So use the google machine for "Cocoa Airboat tours"

If you really want to do something "Florida" that you'll remember forever, take an airboat ride.

Everyone does KSC and Daytona and the beach, but nothing with be more exhilarating and get you closer to florida nature than an airboat ride.

I am a NASCAR fan, but honestly, the speedway is a bit of a yawn, unless you do the Petty ride along.

Yes, fly out of PBI than MCO

You'll be killing yourself to make the flight out of Orlando (MCO) while you can get to PBI in an hour or so, depending on time and traffic

I live near a stone's throw from Port Canaveral and can drive to Hard Rock Casino in Tampa in 1.5 hr flat, port is maybe another 15-20 minutes past that.

Granted I drive fast, and as long as there is no traffic tie ups, I can do in under 2 hours

Take the SR528 towards airport (westbound) (toll road) to SR417 southbound (toll road) to I-4 West (no tolls) until you get to port exit

On the ship

I know someone who bought an entire case of them on the ship. As cheap on ship, if not cheaper, than any port

If that is how US customs sniffer dogs are trained dont make a mistake and think this would be the case if on a visit to Australia anytime!:eek:

 

Plants animals seeds skins wood money guns ammunition explosives fruit Honey tobacco and the list goes on! Beagles have an amazing nose for it;)

 

On an Immigration/customs form you sign a declaration and there is no waiver to ignorance just as in Law! :)

I never claimed the dogs could not differentiate one item from another, and I am sure the dogs smell tobacco, but what I am saying is, hundreds of people (of say 2000 on a ship) have tobacco packed in their bags and that the dog cannot differentiate between a Dominican cigar from a Cuban Cigar, any more than the same dog can differentiate between a carton or Marlboros from a carton of Pall Mall.

If they yanked and searched every bag that smelled of tobacco, the ship would be impounded until noon or later as they hand searched hundreds of bags.

They don't have time for that, they're looking for drugs, not some guy's cigar, be it Dominican or Cuban

I AM NOT ADVOCATING ANY IMPROPER OR ILLEGAL ACTIONS:

That said, I know people who smuggle back cigarettes to avoid taxes because they're so much cheaper. If you bring back Dominican or Nicaraguan cigars, no one is ever going to know unless your bag is physically searched, and out of the bags physically checked and stowed the night before, it's hundreds and hundreds of bags. So, the customs dog comes in and sniffs the bags....now....

1. The dog is sniffing for illegal drugs...pot, hash, coke, heroin

2. Tobacco is tobacco. A dog is not going to be able to differentiate between where the tobacco is grown. Dog is not going to know if the tobacco came from North Carolina, Dominica or Cuba.

3. TONS of people have tobacco packed in their bags, just like their toiletries, because it's what they need to get through the week and many pack their own out of fear that "their brand" may not be available elsewhere.

4. IF, by some freak chance, you get caught with a box, you first claim ignorance "I didn't know they were Cuban made" and second all they'll do is throw them away. Nothing more. You won't go to prison, you won't get a fine, UNLESS you're trying to smuggle back an entire suitcase and then they might think you have intent to distribute, and again, worst you'll get is a fine.

Yes you can bring a case for two people in your carry-on. But why do it.... Water is free on the ship... Filtered just like the bottled water you buy and carry-on.. Not sure why anyone would want to lug around a case of water in plastic bottles, when the ship already has good filtered water for free on board..

Because I prefer to put a cap on my water and a bottle is easier to carry about as well as a chilled bottle of water is preferred to a glass/cup (I have to return somewhere) that's mostly full of ice.

Forget "allowed," what can you typically get away with?

Like for two, say a case of water and maybe a couple 4-packs of Red Bull or 12-pack of soda?

and do you pack in large carry checked bag or carry on.....I know what the rules say, but what do you do or have gotten away with?

We did a panorama on Valor a couple years back and we loved it.

One reason, that I didn't see mentioned, is that it's a smaller and more intimate.

Other decks are a mile long with a million doors, while the lido and panorama deck cabin areas are smaller and a bit more intimate since there are less cabins.

During the day, it can be a bit more active with people coming in from pool area to elevators, but typically in the evening, it seemed very quiet and very low traffic because less people really have a need to be there on that deck.

But overall, it just doesn't seem so massive and almost as if the ship is a bit smaller and almost all yours and that of the select few on your deck

My cousin is a slot tech at a local casino. He told me the only way to "loosen" up or "tighten" up a slot is to change computer chip inside it and that isn't a quick change. They couldn't conceiveably change all those chips. When would they do it? It's not as easy as just flipping a switch in the back room. I have 2 slot machines in my basement and can't change any settings on them.

This is correct, UNLESS....they're on a server based system.

Several years ago, your cousin would be 100% correct....110%!!

BUT, the industry has developed and it is in use in some places, server based gaming, where the casino can alter the "hold percentage," which is the amount the house keeps or holds as a percentage of money wagered. But typically the systems and the gaming commissions that have approved them, have certain requirements, such as the machine has to be inactive for a certain period (typically 4 minutes) and upon its reboot, must say it is rebooting due to a systems change.

So can a casino make a machine looser today and tighter tomorrow?

Yes, they can, if they have the installed technology and considering casinos do close down every night, they'd easily meet the software criteria of inactivity and rebooting.

All that said, keep this in mind, all casinos have to have some winners, otherwise no one will play. So while one machine may be terrible, the one next to it might be the "looser" one, because if players never hear or see someone winning, it kills the positive vibe of the casino and overall play drops. So they may tighten them some, but they can't tighten to the point of never paying because then no one would be playing.

Video explaining it

But I like having the water cold (from being in ice cooler) and I like having a cap on my water to both prevent spilling and/or tampering

1. Post-it note pads. Use for the cabin attendant as well as to inform your co-inhabitant of your whereabouts. Can also use on a friend's door or even to create a party with people you've met "Party at XX Bar on deck 5 at 10pm" and stick them on all the doors of those you've met or know.

2. Bungee or strap to hold open balcony door. KEEP IN MIND, if you have balcony open and then open cabin door to hallway, a massive wind tunnel is created...stuff blows all over.

3. If you're in an interior cabin, they are PITCH BLACK DARK when the lights are out. Buy a cheap LED touch light to put on side table, so when you wake up, you just tap the light and it lights up cabin.

4. Yes, bring your own coffee/drink mug to use throughout the day, as the supplied ones are smallish. You can wash in cabin sink.

5. Tip attendant on day one, they'll remember you more and go the extra mile.

6. If you bring a small cooler for your carry on water and sodas, ask to have it iced on every service, they'll do it. It'll always be iced for you.

7. Spa treatments are discounted on port days. So if you don't feel like going to that port, again, don't. Make a spa day of it.

8. When you board, your first stop should be the main dining, find your table and if it's not to your liking or request (size, placement), go right to the maitre' d and request a change. Do not wait til later, it's first come first served. Do right away if it's important to you.

9. While your papers may say noon boarding, you can usually beat the rush and get on about 10:30-11am, but keep in mind, your luggage, since first in will likely be last out...bottom of the stack

10. Photocopy your flight itinerary and put in luggage on top as well as your cabin location on ship. Tags get torn and lost. That information can save your bags from being lost. Same for your return home. Always put airline, flt#, name and hotel/home address in your bag so if misdirected (lost), the airline knows where to send it.

11. I read earlier about whether to carry your passport or not, I do not recommend carrying your physical passport, but I do recommend you carry a photocopy of it. It's not the same, but it can get you out of a pinch at a local consulate/embassy much easier.

12. Buy all your on-board stuff late in cruise, it's cheaper

13. If you smoke, buy all the cigarettes you want in other ports or onboard, tax and duty-free, much cheaper. People always fear the customs people on this stuff, but the snifing dogs are not sniffing for cigarettes, they're sniffing for drugs. People pack cigarettes and over the week, their clothes smell like smoke in their bags. So don't sweat it. They're not looking for cigarettes, and worst case scenario in the event they find your "smuggled" cigarettes, you pay the tax...no biggie. They're not going to arrest you. Same goes for cigars. Do you think a dog can tell between a dominican cigar over a cuban cigar? They scare you, because that's their job, but use common sense. It's tobacco, not pot or heroin...that's the stuff dogs look for.

Excellent read. I'm not quite finished with it, but it states quite clearly that Carnival is hardly falling behind. In fact, as a "cash cow", it's doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing.

That's what I gleaned from it. They're filling ships, making money and not taking on massive levels of debt

In the long term, while Carnival has significant debt outstanding, we do not

believe its solvency to be seriously in question. Total long-term debt outstanding is

approximately $9B, which is only a fraction of its net asset value. In fact, it is

significantly less leveraged than its main competitor Royal Caribbean, which has a Total

Debt/Equity ratio of approximately 1, compared with Carnival’s .39.

Also bear in mind, CCL is not a single property cruise line, but it is the budget offering within their portfolio. With other properties like Cunard, Holland America, P&O and Seabourn, CCL offers many higher priced and higher tier properties, but CCL itself serves it's basic purpose, offering affordable cruising for families, first timers, seniors or those who are budget minded.

#1 in size is all

Look at ratings from different places. Here are some

The only one they are number one in is budget cruising

First timers - Budget

Top Rated

For Couples

For Families

Customer Satisfaction

Best ships - Not even listed

So other than maybe raising their customer service ratings, seems to me their nailing their target demographics

How does any of this matter to the customers experience? That's as odd as saying a visit to a house that's fully paid off is different than one with an 80%!mortgage.

Maybe I misunderstood, is the discussion about how they conduct business or your personal experiences as a customer?

RCI has 5 newbuilds on the books. NCL 2. Even Viking Ocean Cruises will go from 0 to 4 new ships by 2017. Meanwhile, Costa gets the old Celebration transferred from Ibero, who it looks likely will be shuttered by the end of 2015. Carnival has only the Vista to look forward to. Yeah, I'd say Carnival is falling behind.

and by doing so, how much is RCL leveraging themselves?

You and I both know they're not paying cash for them, so how much additional debt is that on the books? Is that necessary debt? Could RCL build more Freedom Class of ships at a lower cost, albeit more up to date, and keep more debt off the books?

Didn't we learn a few years ago that massive debt on the books is not a good thing?

Who's really being more fiscally responsible?

Carnival seems to have to real customer demand issues with the number of ships presently in their fleet.

So maybe more and newer isn't always better?

I can't remember all the ships I have been on, but I know I have sailed only CCL and RCL

For example been on CCL Triumph and Valor and been on RCL's Freedom and was on the inaugural sailing of the Allure

I don't think CCL is "falling behind," but rather choosing to not go the "mega-route" of ships like Oasis/Allure. Yes, the open center Central Park of those two is innovative or different, that doesn't create superiority or that one is tracking behind another.

Seems to me, CCL has pretty much always marketed themselves as the affordable and family oriented cruise line, especially since moving away from their "party ships" advertising campaign of years ago.

Yes, I can go on a larger RCL ship, but that doesn't automatically translate to a more superior cruise or a more superior level of service.

It's like arguments people have in my industry daily over a Honda being better than a Kawasaki, when the truth is, both are great products, it's just a personal preference of maybe the service you can get at your local shop.

It's the same thing here, both RCL and CCL offer great products, it's just that certain products will appeal to one over another for whatever particular reason. Some like the lower prices, some like the larger/different design, some think one has better food than another and some just like the kooky-ness of the staff or waiters and some others like feeling like they're cruising on a giant Bellagio Hotel/Casino

There's no "bad" or "behind," there's preference and CCL is offering an alternative to RCL, which is the smart move, because you never want to follow, always be different and always offer the customer a choice. CCL is offering a clear choice over their competitors, be it in price, packages or general "feel," but they're not "falling behind"

I live here (near port canaveral) and make the drive to the airport a LOT.

1. You can't ask for an easier route. It's one highway (toll road).

2. If traffic is light and no crashes, an easy 40-45 min drive

Now for the negatives

1. Once on that highway, you're locked on it. No way off, no way to go, so if there is a crash and it is shutdown westbound, you're dead.

2. If it's busy and full of out of towners, like yourself, the toll plazas can be long and busy, so you have to hope that isn't the case and that they have more than two lanes open