BamaLady#13

January 2022

Thank you.  You made my day.  And as to “what will you do”, I’ll stay at home, cherish some wonderful cruise memories and wait this out.  The smartest people in the world are looking for a cure.  Until that happens, I’ll follow your lead and look forward to the day that we can all SAFELY cruise again.

Are there any venues for late night snacks other than pizza?  I don’t want to pay for room service if I can easily go pick up something myself.

Yes, I purchased an 8D GTY thru one of the big box TA’s a few months ago.  I’ve used this same TA many times and never had a problem, but I got such a great deal compared to current pricing that I began to wonder if there was a big negative that I wasn’t aware of.  Thanks everyone for the reassuring comments.

I booked a GTY balcony on deck 6,7,8 or 9.  At this point, it looks like the only remaining unsold cabins for two occupants are on 6, so I am assuming that’s what I will be assigned.  Still over 6 months out, so that’s purely a guess and maybe worse case.  Are we going to hear noise from the deck below?  I’ve always had cabins below and above and never had a problem, so now I’m getting a little worried.

43 minutes ago, RazorbackIslandGirl said:

I have never had an issue getting a fan. I travel with someone often that cannot sleep without one. She quit bringing a battery operated one years ago & just asks the cabin steward as soon as we meet them (with a nice tip😉) & she has never been told no. Also keep a card of some sort in the slot next to the door at all times & ask your steward not to remove it. This will help keep your cabin much cooler.

Thanks for the tip.  It’s sure worth a few dollars to stay cool.

What are the chances of getting a fan if the room is hot?

Another vote for NCL.  I haven’t tried Harmony yet, but can say that we never had trouble getting served at any of the bars.  I asked the bartender for a Bloody Mary with a small shot of liquor and this was what I got.  Got lots of laughs and lots of photos.  Absolutely the most fun we’ve ever had on a cruise.  No negatives, good food, good drinks and outstanding service.  Set a tall bar for our upcoming Harmony cruise.

I booked a guaranteed ocean view balcony, 8D, on decks 6,7,8 or 9 on Harmony for next February.    Is there a chance this will be an obstructed view?   My last cruise with RC was on the Oasis over 10 years ago and I said never again because our cabin was unbearably hot even though it was during the winter.  How is the air conditioning on the Harmony?  Our cruise will be during Valentine week, so I’d like to decorate our door.  Is that allowed?  Are the doors magnetic?  I know, that’s lots of questions, but after several cruises on Carnival and Norwegian, I’ve decided to give Royal another chance.

I just booked thru one of the big box, online sites with no deposit, other than their standard $24.99 booking fee.  So there was no deposit to refund, should I decide prior to final payment that we should cancel.  Since I cannot name the site, it is the one that rhymes with mice mine.   I’ve used this vendor many times and never had a problem.

On embarkation day, what food options are available for lunch?  Also, are small fans still allowed?

Whoo Hoo, Double Whoo Hoo. I too had Nationwide Choice and less than a week after filing paperwork I received two checks for $750 each. Many thanks to the posters on Cruise Critic that made me aware that the Nationwide Choice plan had the provision for changed ports. I purchased that particular plan because of the pre-existing condition waiver and would never have known that I had a valid claim due to the ports being changed because of the storms.

I've been putting colas in checked luggage for years. Never a problem. If for some reason they are confiscated, I'm out less than $10 for drinks I purchased on sale. I like to bring my own light weight blanket because I hate comforters. I wrap the colas in the blanket to make sure they don't get busted and ruin mine or anyone else's luggage.

We rip the tape off immediately before we leave the port. Our suitcases are all softsided fabric and I suppose because the tape has only been stuck on them for a very short period of time, I've never noticed any sticky residue. I've used this method at least a dozen times with no problems at all.

I purchase a roll of brightly colored and patterned duck tape and pack it in my suitcase. Before putting our bags out in the hall on the last night, we put a loop completely around each bag both horizontal and vertical. Makes the bags super easy to spot and pretty hard for someone else to take by mistake. I also put my name, address and phone numbers inside the bags.

I use iMessage or email to connect with my family. Which WiFi package will work. I'm not interested in any other websites or anything else, just being able to contact family while I'm on board.

Not doubting you at all, but when I look at Carnival website, there is nothing listed for Magic cruise of November 4. I am booked on this cruise and purchased Nationwide Choice, so have been watching intently for changes of ports.

Thanks Cruise Critic and all you smart posters for alerting me to a clause in the policy that I had never noticed. I have Nationwide Choice for my upcoming November 4 cruise that was scheduled for an eastern route. Looks like all of my ports have been changed so I should have a valid claim for $750 (X2), which will just about mean I will be cruising free. Has anyone actually had a claim validated and received reimbursement in the past few weeks?

If you are trying to cancel that cruise, you could try calling your credit card company. They should be able to block the payment.

The only problems I've encountered with the pillows or any bedding is odors. Sheets and duvets are changed between occupants, but heaven only knows when the pillows are replaced. I always take a can of Sanitizer, Deodorizer such as Lysol or Fabrize. Give everything a good spritz and that takes care of the problem.

I always bring a spray that can also be used on fabrics. Nearly every cabin we've stayed in on over 10 cruises had smelly pillows and bedding. The sheets and duvet covers have always been clean, but pillows and blankets are not changed out between guests. I give it all a good spritz. Also, I bring a couple of the small deodorizers that come in a dual pack. I put one in the bathroom and the other in the closet. That pretty well takes care of unpleasant odors.

I've just given up on Carnivals ability to repair the damage they did when they "redesigned" their site. When I need to check prices or do any kind of search for a carnival sailing, I go to the world famous, rhymes with niceline site. Easy to use and has the exact same prices as carnival, with a few perks like extra OBC or hotel vouchers.

www.insuremytrip.com We like Nationwide cruise insurance. We own a business so we have cancel for any reason. We also would not buy insurance with less than 250K on medical evac. Carnivals insurance is woefully inadequate. 14 days was only $250 and the insurance is based on how much you spent, so if you want to insure 1/2 the value it's OK. Example: the cruise is about $5000, we could insure all or $2500 and take your chances, the coverage will not change.

Coevan, I just purchased Nationwide cruise insurance last week thru insuremytrip and was told by their agent that I must purchase insurance for the entire prepaid cost of the trip to include hotel bills, etc. Not doing so would void my coverage including medical and evacuation. Why would you think it's ok to only purchase insurance for half the value without voiding coverage. Please, I'm not trying to start an argument, just don't understand why I was told the exact opposite.

This week I purchased 3 $500 gift cards from Verizon to finish paying for an upcoming cruise that I purchased from the site that rhymes with diceline. I had to call one of their cruise consultants to complete the transaction but it worked great. I had $60.00 left on one of the cards, but can have that applied to my shipboard account after I board. I saved $150.

Is the gratuity added to the cost of each drink or can we just tip the waiters with cash?