Bookster99

1 hour ago, marci4tony said:

We just returned on the 11/16 sailing out of Galveston on Carnival Vista.

 

I will have a very detailed review coming in the next few days - but things that I think are very important to get out there before hand...

 

1) Transportation from IAH to Galveston.  It does not matter which method you choose - make sure and grab yourself a soda/water at the airport and go to the bathroom.  It is - and I am not even kidding - nearly an hour drive between the airport and the island.  Add construction (down to one lane coming OUT of Galveston) and other traffic...  much more.

 

2) Embarkation - the new scheduled times -  believe it or not, it works pretty good.  We entered the "on time" line, and after we got through security, did NOT STOP.  There was not waiting.  (we had 12:00-12:30)  Very impressed.  Disembarkation - you stay on the ship a little later...have to be out of the cabin by 8:30 but we didnt get off the ship until about 9:30.  It was not a rush rush morning, and I liked that much more.

 

3) Tendering in Grand Cayman - this is a joke.  They are "trying" a new method - You must pick up a "tender ticket" - aka 1 - 34 - and may NOT head down to the tender vessel until your number is called.  If you have an early non-Carnival tour, you better watch for the "tender" board and be prepared to wait in line in hopes to getting an early/lower ticket.  (We didnt even receive the letter that told us this is new procedure until the day OF the port stop.)

 

4) The sky ride is pretty cool - but you have to have closed toe shoes and NOTHING in your pockets.  It is not terribly physical as you have to pedal, like a bicycle.  If you are afraid of heights, this may not be your activity.  And yes, they do make you get on the scale before they put you in one of the cars.

 

5) The ropes course is also pretty cool - again, not for the heights challenged.  There are 2 options - an "easy" side and the "hard" side.  And you must commit to finish so if you are on the fence at all, don't do it.  You cannot turn around and be rescued mid way.  

 

6) If you don't like the smoke - stay out of the casino.  But the design of this ship really does a great job in keeping the smoke "in" that area - I did not notice it wafting up any of the other decks.

 

7) Yup - the elevator situation stinks.  Just sayin...Bigger ship, more people, less elevators.  You do the math.

 

8  The carnival app that you download on your phone is awesome.  Yes, you are able to text/chat one another if you both have the app open.   But you can pull menus, activities, and see all your photos from your phone as well.  As long as the phone is in airplane mode and then connected to the WiFi - no cell/roaming charges.  Well worth the 5$ imo

 

9) The Service was outstanding!  Outstanding

 

10) Dont forget to go to Customer Service around day 3 or 4 to get your free deck of playing cards.

 

11)  The sugar straws - nasty!  They get soggy, collapse, and do not function.

 

12)  Gellato is yummy!  In the front buffet, between the two sides.  The dessert section has got gorgeous cakes!  Little dry, but pretty tasty!

 

13)  Wouldn't do the steakhouse again....  sad.

 

14) If you like scotch, watch for the class!  I think the sign ups were in the alchemy bar on the first sea day - they fill up fast.  They actually put you in lab coats, and give you beakers of scotch to mix your own. Very educational, very different.  Eat something before hand...  just saying.

 

15) The scheduled dining room is mid ship, the YTD is aft.  The ship layout is not  "user friendly" - Just remember that deck 10, 5 and 4 are your friends.  They should take you from one end to the other.

 

16) Watch for all the dolphins in the Galveston Bay playing once you are on board.  Watch for passing vessels, or fishing trawlers.  If there are seagulls and birds everywhere near a vessel, chances are there will be dolphins too.

 

Have fun - and like I said, I am a writer - I will include a very detailed review of the ship very soon.

 

Peace out - and until next time, CHOOSE FUN!

 

 

Thanks! Great tips!

It will be in one of the dining rooms. It's well worth it!

They have them. They are members only. I was able to purchase a $100 gift card today, but am limited to 1 a month, and they did not have a $500 or $1000 available.

6 hours ago, Remus2010 said:

I don't want this to turn into a debate on proper attire (PLEASE)  But we are booked in the Steakhouse on one of the formal nights.  Is the attire in the Steak House different on those nights?

Thanks in advance.

I've been in the steakhouse on formal nights. Typically, I have always tried to at least have a jacket and tie. However, I have seen polo shirts and slacks. Probably you could get away with anything, but as a rule of thumb I would think long pants and a collar.

I am a cheese plate guy. I'll eat whatever for dinner, but don't forget my cheese plate!

47 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

My guess is that it's a term that got its origins back who knows when and has simply been adopted by businesses and carried on over the years. A bit misleading. But then again, we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway. 😁

 

 

For the record, I was never questioning you. When you commented that you were charged for the bottles your brought with you, but never for the bottles you bought onboard, I guess in my head, it registered as a question when it really wasn't, so I offered an explanation. I apologize for misunderstanding you.

No apology necessary. For someone else considering this issue, your comments were absolutely necessary.

I sent AARP an email asking about the cards. They would not reply in writing, but invited me to call their customer service line. I declined.

This is intriguing. We are cruising over Christmas, so a Black Friday thing could affect our cruise. I have never seen one of interest, but anything is anything. YNK and YMMV.

49 minutes ago, pacruise804 said:

I also think "service" is a poor choice of word by the previous poster.  The value/benefit provided for the $15 is to have a wine of your choice outside of your cabin.

 

"Corkage" fee is also probably a poor word choice since it has nothing to do with a cork.

 

Here is one definition from a quick google search:

Corkage is the fee that restaurants charge customers who bring their own wine to a restaurant. If you sell wine, you know that it's highly profitable for your restaurant, and it's not unreasonable to charge a corkage fee to make up for lost profits if you're going to allow diners to bring their own.

 

@Bookster99, I don't understand why others are questioning you.  I read your posts as an explanation of policy (and how it applied to you), not you questioning policy.

I absolutely don't mind. I think I may have been confused with the OP. I just want to have a great cruise. Getting charged a corking fee isn't going to affect me one way or the other.

Just now, Organized Chaos said:

 

As we see with user MooNGaTe27's comment at the top of this page, they're willing to put up with a lot of crap and still not charge the corkage fee. Crew are always very eager to please, so behavior like that often is allowed to slide.

 

Regarding your wage comment, cruise ship crew members from places like the Philippines, for example, make a very good wage (even without tips) compared to their home countries. A majority of them will make far more working for a cruise line than they ever could back home. They bust their butts for it, have to be away from home for months at a time, and often do have to put up with unruly passengers, so it is amazing sometimes just how polite and kind they can be.

 

 

They didn't charge you for the bottles that you bought on board because, well, you bought them on board. The corkage fee helps compensate their "loss" for allowing passengers to drink from a bottle that wasn't purchased from Carnival.

Of course. Absolutely. And I'm happy to pay the fees.

Just now, jimbo5544 said:

Bingo. There is your answer.  

I don't have a problem paying the fee. It's fine. 

3 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Where did you drink the bottles you brought on?

Main dining room.

49 minutes ago, OC SeaPA said:

Just got our reservation for 1st night dining.  But it said either a free bottle of wine or 50% off any bottle from the wine list.  Didn't say only 1 for 50% off, but didn't sound like multiple bottles either.  Sent back an e-mail to confirm and get clarification.  also, with 4 is that 1 free bottle per table or per couple? 

 

 

Let us know what they say or what happens on the ship.

5 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

The rules are actually pretty clear, wine brought on the ship is meant to be consumed in your cabin.  Whether the staff decides to charge the corking fee (we can debate the name) and to the degree they do this seems of interest.

They charged me for both bottles I brought on board and took to the dining room. They charged me for none of the bottles I won/bought on board.

On 11/11/2019 at 3:45 PM, MooNGaTe27 said:

I just got off the Sunshine( my 2nd time on her) & I had something happen that hasnt' happen in 28 cruises.I bring an open bottle of wire to the MDR just like I always do & the waiter sees it & that I am pouring the wine myself when He says to me there is a corking fee for the bottle. I said to him that I opened it so why is there a fee. He says that there has always been a fee I said no there hasn't I I better no be charged. When I asked for the Matre D' he said just take the bottle off the table & there would be no charge .

 We left it on the table & finished the bottle & there was no charge .

 Has this happen to anyone?

 

I haven't had the experience of bringing in the open bottle. I have only been charged a corking fee for wine brought from home, and I just pay it if it's charged. There is no corking fee for wine bought on the ship.

4 hours ago, tksauter said:

Hi all.  Sorry if this has been a topic before, but we are cruising in April on the Miracle out of San Francisco, and I have a vegan daughter going on the trip with us.  Are there many vegan options for her other than fruit and salads?  I have heard about a vegan patty at the grill, but I haven't seen it on menu's when doing a google search.

 

Thank you!

I haven't been on the Miracle, but on the Fascination I found many vegetarian options. Vegan is available, too. Don't be afraid to ask. In the main dining room, my wait staff got to know my vegetarian needs and immediately pointed out menu choices. Even at the Blue Iguana, a vegetarian burrito was as easy as pointing. Just check the tortillas to make sure they have no egg or dairy. Lots of fruit and vegetable choices on the Lido deck. Hopefully, her experience will be as good as mine was!

On 11/10/2019 at 3:55 PM, bubbie74 said:

Is it possible to bring liquor in checked bags without being taken?

Anything is possible. I have often thought about trying the rum runners just to see. But in the end, I didn't. I am on vacation. If I want a drink, I can get one virtually any time. On the other hand, I think the worst that might happen if you got caught is you'd be brought to the naughty room, and your liquor would be confiscated. Maybe that could be sort of an early cheap excursion. Unless you were sneaking on expensive hooch?

On 11/9/2019 at 8:59 AM, Treyatl2006 said:

Eat at the steakhouse the first night (embarkation night) and get 50% off on all bottles of wine. You can take the wine you purchase back to your cabin. 

I get a free bottle with a first night steakhouse: Didn't know I could by additional at 50% off!

4 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

Try the Cozumel forum .

Thanks. I will. I tried searching for a thread, but didn't check the forums.

We loved that ship.

2 minutes ago, DryCreek said:

Maybe....

Just to be sure about some of the information I've gleaned from here, I made a call.  Actually, I made two calls.

I called Carnival directly, and queried them about ordering a bottle through room service.  The booking agent was hesitant to speak to me at first since we made our reservations through a TA.  I explained that it was a "general question", and she was suddenly very interested in helping me.  The Carnival agent had never heard of the ability to order a bottle of liquor through room service.  She even put me on hold in order to "ask the front desk".  Her reply was "No, room service ordering of liquor is not available".

 

So, I politely thanked her and hung up.  My next call was to the travel agency we booked our upcoming cruise through (100 day countdown!).  While my agent wasn't available, I did speak to another helpful lady there.  She put me on hold and queried someone there.  Here answer was that indeed I'd be able to order a bottle of liquor through room service once aboard.  She did caution me that the selection may not be as large as what I could order through the Fun Shops (previously known as the "Bon Voyage Program").

 

Two calls, two entirely different answers. 

I'll have to ask on my next cruise. I always thought you could, but never needed too. You may find there's a THIRD answer when you ask onboard! 

I suppose you could just buy alcohol on the ship?

1 hour ago, luci said:

It is a Deluxe Ocean View.  Deck 1. From midship to 20 rooms forward. 3 rooms from forward category. Now we notice they changed our booking from assigned dining to YTD. Just not happy with last minute changes. Not like we are 1st time cruisers with Carnival. Just need to rant. Thank you to all of you for your suggestions. 

I'm sure you will have a great cruise, but it is unsettling to have things changed from under you at the last minute.

Hey, Carnival Cruisers! Usually in Cozumel, the wife and I just wander around the shops, get a bite to eat at an overpriced restaurant, get annoyed at the hawking merchants, and get back on the ship. We are thinking of booking an excursion in Cozumel instead. What are your favorites? 

16 hours ago, N7786W Flyer said:

I put a cruise on 48 hours courtesy hold earlier today and, after discussing it with the wife, am now ready to pay our deposit to hold our cabin.  However, whenever I try to go to the "Manage My Cruise" tab on the Carnival Website, I get an error message saying either my browser sent a "Bad Request" (I get this message using Firefox) or nothing happens at all.

 

I've tried a couple of different browsers, but to no avail.  Best I can remember, this problem has existed...at least for me...since around 11am this morning...and after trying again just now, I still can't get in to make a payment.

 

Anyone else having this issue?

 

Garnett

I'm getting a bad request message this afternoon trying to look at excursions. Not sure if it's related...