SeaScout

We've never booked through a PVP or TA. We never considered that they may throw some gifts our way. It's something to consider if we decide to go through the process of booking another cruise. 😉

On 12/24/2023 at 5:44 PM, Pellaz said:

 

Oh, no, this is definitely NOT the case.  

 

On Liberty OTS, the burgers at the back of the Windjammer were TERRIBLE.  I hadn't had a burger THAT bad since maybe college or high-school.  Not only was it a hockey-puck, but it tasted like it was 50% "fillers and extenders"...or more. 

 

This was also my experience on Adventure of the Seas in early September in the Wind Jammer. The burgers were inedible in my opinion. Just plain awful.  I'd take a Guy's Burger on Carnival any day of the week over the mystery meat thing I had on AOS.

A staff member came by while we were eating to (survey) ask us a few questions about our experience in the Wind Jammer. I gave it generally positive marks but did express how bad the burgers were. I'm not sure it went any further than him noting it on his note pad. 

3 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

What hotels are you staying at? Any hotel I've stayed at has had a check-out of 10 or 11. Hardly the "crack of dawn".

I was somewhat joking. Checking out at 10 or 11 means an arrival at the port shortly there after. We have yet to find a stress free, hassle free way to kill a couple of hours after checking out of the hotel and checking in at the ship while hauling a bunch of luggage around. leaving luggage at the hotel to be picked up later is a hassle. Might just as well kill the time getting on the ship. 

There are times I would have preferred a later boarding time but the pesky pre-cruise hotels always seem to want folks to checkout at the crack of dawn. 🕘

58 minutes ago, IndyKid said:

My wife recently signed us up for Disney+, so I've been binge watching it. Amazing the ingenuity and the lengths people will go to bring contraband into this country. 

I've watched that show many times and enjoyed it. The last few times we've cruised, when we got back to Florida for debarkation, we've had zero interaction with Customs and Border Patrol. We've hauled our luggage off with us, stuck our faces at a tablet until it said "approved" and we then walked ourselves and luggage through the doors into the country. Meanwhile on the other side of the terminal they are apparently busy rousting people with personal use amounts of a readily available commercial product, while leaving the country on vacation.  Consider me confused about priorities. 

Looks like a couple stole $13,000 worth of artwork from the art auction area at 2:00 AM.  The theft wasn't discovered until after the ship docked back in Baltimore and guests had disembarked. Authorities eventually caught them but apparently they have not yet been charged yet. Some folks are pretty ballsy.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/fbi-accuses-duo-swiping-sculptures-carnival-cruise-bermuda/story?id=104570589

They stopped sailing out of Puerto Rico. Those cruises were the best itineraries.

Having just sailed a different cruise line, apparently the "bacon shortage" has only affected Carnival. 

11 minutes ago, fredmdcruisers said:

We have those also. Does it light up the bathroom enough to find the toilet?

The item in the link appears to be just a tea light in a bigger housing. A tea light most certainly provides enough light to find the toilet. You could purchase a dozen tea lights for the price they are asking for the :electric candle" in the link above. 

1 minute ago, mjkacmom said:

I buy battery operated tea lights, use them at home during power outages.

We do the same. I also have a small, soft rubber suction cup "Toothbrush" holder that holds the tea light perfectly. I suction cup it to the mirror and place the tea light in it. The reflection of the tea light in the mirror gives plenty of light in the bathroom, and one tea light lasts for a 7 day cruise (if you turn it off during the day). Easy to pack, inexpensive, and does a good job for the intended purpose. 

We are just off the AOS 2 weeks ago. I'm supposed to limit my sugar intake so I asked at the Windjammer if the Strawberry Kiwi contained sugar. I was told yes. 

21 hours ago, wemjam said:

I am not sure that is 100% accurate.  Why would their Platinum benefit extend to people in two other completely different cabins that are not Platinum?  If that was the case 1/2 the ship would end up trying to get off under the Platinum benefit of Priority tender because they were "with" someone in another room who was.

 

 

We've been Platinum for quite a number of years. In the past, priority boarding for tenders DID include the perk of being able to bring a limited number of (non Platinum) guests with you. We've used it multiple times with family and friends that were not Platinum and did not share the cabin with us.  

Has Carnival changed this policy? 

Is Tequila considered food? Asking for a friend. 🤪

15 hours ago, LilBlackDress said:

I mainly drink water... No Soda, No Tea, No Lemonade etc
The ship water is filtered and fine for consumption but I don't like the way it tastes!! To me, it tastes like dust. 

@SeaScout
Guests may also bring non-alcoholic beverages as carry-on items on boarding day. Non-alcoholic beverages may not exceed 12 standard (17 oz.) cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom. Milk and distilled water brought on for infant, medical, or dietary use are permitted. 
(It used to state that it must be carried on) 

RC Website FAQ

Thank you. This is the info I was looking for.  I'll plan on a 12 pack of 12 oz. bottles of water in my carry on. Thank you.

3 hours ago, ShillyShally said:

Yes you can, I think you can bring a 12 pack of regular size bottles, but you need to put it in a checked bag.

Can anyone verify this? The other cruise lines we've used specify only cans and they need to be in carry on luggage. 

1 hour ago, crewsweeper said:

So it's a toss up.  Your health, which is probably immune to any bacteria residual in a reusable water bottle because you've drank out of it for years, versus the overfilled landfills where plastic doesn't degrade or the oceans where plastic just floats around like sargassum.🤔

 

Additionally, lots of people comment on the taste ship versus bottle.  There really shouldn't be any "taste" from either unless something gets added. 

I was on a ship once where the water coming out of the tap was literally brown. I can assure you that water had a "taste". Yes we complained to guest services. (The jacuzzi tub in the suite was unusable due to the disgusting looking brown water). No, nothing was ever done to rectify the situation. My guess is there was scale or corrosion in the holding tanks or pipes going to the aft cabins. We had family members staying in a different suite, aft, on the opposite side of the ship. They also had disgusting brown water. 

I know people want to suggest that the tap water is perfectly fine to drink but that simply is not always the case. 

I liked the old Fun Times (and even older Cruise Capers). If they are coming back that's a plus in my book. 

I'm wondering if I'm in the minority when I bring a copy of Fun Times into port with me? The reason I do that is because it has the contact info for the port authorities should you have an issue while in port. I couldn't seem to find that info on the Hub APP. It could very well be there but I didn't find it. I also wasn't even sure if the Hub APP would work while miles away from the ship while touring or on an excursion. (I'm older and I don't have a huge affinity for cell phones). 

I'm an old guy. I bring a lanyard with me on the cruise. Sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't. It's nice to have available if I choose to use it at any particular time. I also bring a small leather wallet thing that can hold my sign and sail card, and I stick that in my pocket. 

For what it's worth, I've been know to bring a few bags of Smart Food popcorn on board with me. There was a vending machine in the embarkation waiting area. I think it was a dollar a bag. 😉

I'll toss out a couple.

-  I miss that red fruit punch they used to have at the drink dispensers on Lido deck. The ice tea and lemonade they have now are dreadful in my opinion.

- I miss the baskets of complimentary toiletries that they would leave in your bathroom.

- In my opinion the old Deli they had on lido deck was far superior. The sandwiches were made fresh and a real panini press was used for hot sandwiches. It was far better than the premade, toasted offerings now.  

- The entertainment was far better in the past.

- I miss the free room service.

- I miss the better television line up of the past. 

We just got off the Sunrise this past Thursday (10/27). Did not see any Pickleball courts on the sports deck. 

We have not set foot in the main dining room in at least our last 10 cruises. Long drawn out dinners is one of the reasons why. It's just not our thing.  We have other things to do with our limited vacation time. 

The last time we were on the Freedom (a few months ago) Security at the X-ray scanners flagged my bag for something suspicious. It was the picture magnets that I had brought for our door. Apparently they looked like knife blades on the X-ray. When security found them, they laughed and sent us on our way. 

The magnets did stick to our cabin door. 

Please consider bringing a small book light. Your balcony neighbors would appreciate it. 

I think they should take out the pools and add an adult version of Water Works instead. A place for adults to hang out, get wet, enjoy some water activity without having to climb into those over used, icky pools.  Some of us folks aren't really designed well enough for waterslides. 😉

56 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

 

It was a silly statement that deck parties should be held in the night club.

 

I've been on cruises where the "deck party" was held in the main atrium.