Linsuesue

3 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

I don’t see any repo cruises listed for Carnival right now. It might be easier to start with where you want to cruise to. How many days are you looking at? Most Carnival cruises over 9 days are called Journey cruises. Even a 3/4 day combined is a B2B, so narrowing down your choices might help.

Now you are asking the hard questions!🤪 I would be happy with anything in the 14-31 range. As long as the itineraries are different, I am game. I wonder if it is possible to cruise to Europe and then get right on a European cruise. Me knees are telling me that tons of hours in an economy seat on a plane to Europe is not so fun.

4 minutes ago, cellfree said:

Perhaps they never use the word “repositioning.” For instance, we are cruising from Rome to Tampa in October and our confirmation refers to it as a Transatlantic.”

Is there such a thing as a transatlantic that will leave the US and get you to Rome, then you could book the Rome to Tampa and not need to have transatlantic airfare?

4 minutes ago, cellfree said:

On Carnival website when you search for a cruise, repositioning are usually listed under “duration,” more than 12 days, etc. 

I just went on the Carnival website and found 49 cruises from 12-31 days. It looks like they are mostly Journeys cruises, but I didn’t see the word repositioning once-although I buzzed through them quickly. I guess I need to figure out what months the repositioning cruises start(like September is the last month in Alaska cruises) so I can start to narrow down which cruises are one after the other.

4 minutes ago, cellfree said:

I do my own research, decide on a cruise I like, then search for one before or after. We have done B2Bs on same ship (we don’t care if same cabin or not, if a different cabin the move is really easy and to us it feels like we are starting fresh again) and we have done Side to Sides (same port different ship) which is fun also. As I said I do all my research (that’s fun for me) and then call PVP to book. 

I love the research too! I have never heard of a side to side, but it would be fun to try 2 different ships.

17 minutes ago, CGinMTL said:

You can also look at repositioning cruises. And add the cruise before and/or after.

This is a good way to visit different parts of the world 

Are repositioning cruises listed on the Carnival website, or did you call Carnival to find them? I think “repositioning” is the word I was looking for to get 2 really different itineraries. Thanks!

2 minutes ago, Sea Raven said:

Just simply book two adjacent cruises on the same ship and you are doing a back to back. I have two consecutive trips booked on the Mardi Gras next May. The first leg is in a balcony cabin and the second leg is in the Ocean Suite next door. They are booked as two separate cruises.

Will there be different ports on your second cruise, or are you doing the same cruise twice?

  I am finally retired and have time to take a back to back cruise. I was hunting on the Carnival site and found specialty cruises, journey cruises, Christmas cruises… My goal would be to do a back to back with different itineraries. How do I find the choices for back to back cruises? Is it Alaska to Hawaii, Alaska to Australia, Panama Canal to ?? Do you book them with a cruise consultant so the 2 cruises are hooked together( although with separate reservation numbers)?

12 hours ago, chill6x6 said:

Thanks! I'll keep looking for deck 4 but currently do have 7298 booked. 😁

 

We've had some pretty nice balconies! I basically pick a cabin based on if there are two lounge chairs on it! LOL Here's a pic of one of the best I've been fortunate to experience:

 

OK -that balcony is pretty magnificent! I wish the Vista Views had a table and chairs where you could sit down and eat or play cards. 

On 6/24/2023 at 12:46 PM, chill6x6 said:

I'm going to be watching for one. I especially like an overhang to keep from getting TOO much sun AND in case it rains.  I went ahead and paid the deposit.  

 

I'm a huge fan of huge balconies.  For sure it's one of my top things I look for when picking a cabin.  

 

It will be fun to be on a Carnival ship after cruising with other cruise lines the past nine years.  

 

Thanks for all the feedback!

You have been warned! Once you have been in a Vista View Suite-especially Deck 4-you will be spoiled to get any other cabin on any cruiseline!😀 I really like the deck 4 cabins too, because you walk down the back staircase and you are directly in front of the dining room entrance. Decks 2 & 3 have much of the entertainment and some food.  Walk to the other end of deck 4 and you are at the theater entrance. A+ for convenience.

Vista View Suite for sure! The Grands cost more, but the Vista views are the best!

Thank you so much for posting this review with photos! I am booking a group to the Caribbean in 2025 and want to be able to show a tell about the ports. We will be hitting Great Stirrup Cay—Catalina Island, Dominican Republic—Willemstad, Curacao—Oranjestad, Aruba—Bridgetown, Barbados—St. John’s, Antigua—Basseterre, St. Kitts—St.Thomas, US Virgin Islands—Tortola, British Virgin Islands—& Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Anything you post about any of those you happen to visit will be welcomed tidbits for our group! 

The Roasted Wild Mushroom Bisque is my absolute favorite. I even got the recipe while I was on the ship. I have never made it though. The recipe makes 100 portions so I would have to figure out how to significantly cut it down!

5 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

 

 

I was on the Bliss mexican Rivera cruise in March.The cruise was full because (unbeknownst to me)  it was spring break. 

debarkation was easy peasy. facial recognition machines was used. 
There were like a handful of people in front of me for like a 1min wait. 

And this ship had 4k pax.

 

Now the cruise before mine was a cluster like yours.
That cruise started somewhere else and ended in LA.

No facial recognition machines. Lines and 2+ hrs waits galore. 

 

It seems like facial recognition isn't used at that port if cruises don't start AND end in LA.

No idea why.

 

There are so many large cruise ships around now that it seems like a more streamlined system should have been refined and shared by the ports and cruise lines. Pre Covid, the port of Seattle had a service called Port Valet. We set our big luggage out in the hallway with the proper tags. The service was free, and the suitcases were taken directly to the airport for the guests. I set the suitcases out in the hallway the night before disembarking and then picked it up next at the carousel at my destination. What a great way to get the luggage out of the way for the disembarkation day. I would happily pay for that service at every port, if they would only contract to do that again!

1 hour ago, Panhandle Couple said:

I believe there was another canal cruise that ended up in LA over the winter months.  The same problem on disembarkation was also noted.  Others stated that because you stop in Columbia and Panama (known as drug running countries) the ship passengers and their luggage get extra attention in LA, causing delays and long lines.

 

NCL can request additional customs agents, but that is up to ICE for staffing.  As they say, write your congress person.

Maybe the luggage got extra attention, but it was already inspected and piled up downstairs when we got there. The customs agent spent about a minute going over our 2 passports so no extra time there. NCL could address it by letting people off in waves or staggering the throngs that hit the terminal at once. I realize the port staff were not NCL people, and port protocols are their own. NCL needs to address what they can do to streamline the process. It is another instance where people dont wait their turn to exit the ship, and NCL has no control over it. Why have a color coded system when everybody does what they feel like? Implement a system that can be enforced. 

We were on this cruise too, and similarly disappointed with the entertainment. We saw Choir of Man once, enjoyed it and moved on. The mentalist, magician, and juggler were at best mildly entertaining. The Nashville Tenors were good but there was no Wow Factor show that used to set NCL apart from the other cruise lines.  The day of the first port, people going on excursions were directed to go to the theater. That was a cluster of major proportions! A woman on a mike standing in front of a stage reading one or 2 numbers at a time that were for excursions lining up was ridiculous. Everyone was instructed to come in and take a seat, but the theater was full. One aisle was full of people for some excursions being released from the back of the theater. The other aisle was full of people lining up to get released from the front of the theater. Lines in the hallway to the theater were backed up the staircases and the elevator entryways. Disembarkation was the worst I have every experienced in 16 cruises. Because our NCL booked air fare had us leaving at 7:00 pm, we booked the Los Angeles 5 hour excursion. Because of the mess of debarkation, our bus left 1 1/2 hours late. The Los Angeles excursion group had to have 4 bus loads of people crammed in Los Lobos. Once they released us to go get our luggage and go to the buses, all of the hallways, elevators and staircases were loaded with people. We had to go down a floor to the Manhattan to exit-why didnt they just have us line up in the Manhattan to begin with? The luggage tags for our excursion were black. Once we got down to the terminal we discovered that black tags were used for more than one group! Black VIP and Black Tour tags. Why would one color be used for more than one group? There was such a small group of customs officials to release everyone! I think there were 6. The lines through the terminal were split in 2 so there were only 3 customs officials for each line. After us, there was somebody who passed out waiting for so long at the curb for their shuttle to the airport. Some people just gave up and called an Uber because there were not enough shuttle buses to handle that crowd. I was traveling with a group of 30 people. Thanks to NCL Air department, 8 of our people were flown to Ft. Lauderdale instead of Miami. Thanks to the flooding there, a whole new set of problems were created. None of the 30 would ever use that NCL airfare program again.  I would NEVER book another cruise that begins or ends in Los Angeles either. 

Here was Tracey’s menu from last August. My trip to Juneau wouldn't be complete if I didn’t stop there!

9 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

The older the ship, the larger the library.  The largest library for me was on the Holiday class, and next the Fantasy class.  Splendor had a smaller but decent library.  Pride/Spirit class had a nice library but I think those have been repurposed.  That is not to say that there are many books there.  EM

   We were on the Miracle in January. The game room used to have 2 cabinets dedicated to books. Now one of the cabinets is for games and the other one is for books. 

We usually sail on the Spirit Class ships. They have a bookshelf in the game room/library where you can take a book and leave a book. Some of the books have a Carnival book tag in them. Those I read and leave on the ship before I go. I always travel with some paperbacks and save books I have read to leave on those shelves. As soon as I get my suitcase unpacked, I go donate those books to the library shelf. The room they leave in my suitcase gets filled with souvenirs.  Every once in a while a book will have a message on the first page from the person who left it-like, “Bon Voyage” or “Happy Reading and Cruising!” 

2 hours ago, LibertyBella said:

What is your point in wanting to book this group cruise?

Are you trying to be kind-hearted? Do you think you will be getting some kind of travel agent experience? Do you think you are doing them a "favor?"

 

Well, unpaid work at this level is just silly. 

 

There is a reason most large group bookings give a free cabin to the organizer- that person deserves a gift for all the time spent organizing.  Nowadays most large group bookings are overseen by an expert agency that will work directly with all the individuals traveling to: discuss payment options and deadlines, take deposits by card or check, explain the different cabin sizes and prices, dining options, shore excursions, etc., etc. They may also have to address travel logistics, such as flights, insurance, extras, changes, etc.

 

I've been involved with several group cruise bookings, including with my own family, and I also second those above who say Never Again. I especially shudder at wondering why the previous booking was a "dismal failure,"--could it really be only the fault of the vacation planner, or did the retirees have too many demands and needs that could not be met easily. The fact that they all want to "share" the incentives is already sending a message.

 

There are agents who specialize in group travel, and they will receive a nice commission for doing all that work, so you should be happy to delegate to them.  If you put yourself in the middle, you could be legally liable as well as emotionally distraught for any and all unhappy outcomes.  Think this over carefully before you commit- the effort is not as "fun" as you may think.

 

Good luck!

   Thank you for your thoughtful response! I can tell you know your way around your cruise bookings.  The lady I will be helping planned the first cruise on her own with the help of a “Travel Planner”  30 people went in 15 cabins. This was not a Carnival cruise and the bogo airfare was arranged through the cruise line. Payments went through the travel agent. Two of the adults in our group were challenged and were traveling with their caretakers. I was not one of the original sign ups in the group and didnt get in until a couple of months after the group started. Airfare for our challenged guests was not connected to their caretakers-like it should have been. According to the airlines there was nothing noted that any disabilities were noted in their files. The Travel Planner led the lady to believe that it would be so much easier if she planned all of the hotel reservations. Well, one week before we cruised we called the hotel to check on a shuttle to the port and confirm the rooms. Guess what? The challenged adults never had a room booked. The travel planner said the members in our group could still collect their hotel points. That wasnt true either because the hotel wouldnt give the individuals their hotel points. The travel planner booked them on Expedia and I gather the travel planner got the rewards from that. She told us all we weren’t elegible for price drops in the cruise fares because we were in a group-not true. She told us that once the cruise line airfare department books the airline reservations that they couldnt be changed-not true. Hours after the Fort Lauderdale airport closed due to flooding, she sent out an email about it. Meanwhile the rest of us helped the Ft. Lauderdale arrival people to switch flights and transportation. I don’t think I am silly, but I think I can help people book a hotel reservation properly. We all pay for our education, and we learned a great deal about that travel planner being our helper! The gift she gave each one of us for booking with her was…One luggage tag and a hook magnet-per person. Should she have suggested that each challenged person should probably have been booked with 1 caretaker? That way any airline hang ups would have left 1 responsible person to help the challenged adult through airports and transportation to the hotel-Definitley! We werent a demanding bunch of entitled cruisers. Everything that our travel planner failed to do-we did on our own at monthly travel club meetings. We did videos of the rooms on board, made laminated credit card size lists of all venues on the ships and where they were located, went over the tender port, how and when to make reservations for the dinners and shows onboard, listed the miscellaneous venues and games that were available, investigated excursions, I went on cruise critic and read live reviews of people on board, went over which excursions listed that might be too strenuous for some of our group, I sent everyone links to check out the menus for the restaurants onboard, and I researched the answer for many of the questions people had. I think putting together a cruise group for our retirement community is a great thing. If us co-conductors can get a room discount, or a free room-great. If we can each get a Carnival gift for being part of a group-even better. If each person in our group of people with limited incomes can get some kind of group discount, that would be a delight! I have no desire to be a paid travel agent and I am not doing anybody a favor by helping. The goal is to get a great cruise booked at a great price and to enjoy a vacation with a group of friends and neighbors! 

1 hour ago, MississippiMom said:

My brother is the one who has handled our family cruise bookings in the past. 

- First time, smallest group.  No problems.

- Second time, largest group.  The shut down of 2020 was an issue and he heard from EVERYONE about the delay in getting refunds.

- Third time, only one cabin more than the first time, so what could happen?  A positive covid test, that's what.  My brother had to get the cabin canceled and submit his niece's test results.  Somehow, her credit card, which wasn't supposed to be linked to my cabin, was, and my charging privileges got shut down on the ship.  (Guest services fixed that, thank goodness.)  But this made it his "never again" group cruise coordinator effort.

- Fourth cruise, larger group.   My brother did find an online TA that specializes in groups and gave everyone that TA's contact information.  The TA has collected all of the payments, has handled the cabin changes, etc.  My brother is the group "conductor", but it is really hands off for him, except to remind people of final payment dates, as a courtesy.  Yes, there is "conductor" type additional discount, but he had the option to spread it across everyone's balance due.

 

Why set up as a "group"?  In our cases, it was in hopes of cabin discounts, of course.  But also to get all of our cabins linked up in the main dining room.  I think that the first time and the third time we might have received some kind of cabin credit, too.  (It varied by cabin, though.)

 

  Thank you so much for your response! What you posted is a great help to me. If there are discounts available, we would like to share that with the group. There are 2 of us willing to be co-conductors. If there is a bit of monetary value to knock off the amount we are paying for the cruise, that would be great! I am not sure we would need the big dining room group thing, but that could change and be a good option. Our goal by making it a group cruise is discount, of course, perhaps some group activities on the ship(maybe a group ship tour excursion), perhaps a group dinner in the steakhouse. If us co-conductors could be the only contacts with the Carnival group person, I think it could go smoothly with a bit of a benefit to us all. 

17 minutes ago, mmtska said:

OMG same! He's like why are you obsessing over it??? Um I have an obsessive personality and DO YOU NOT HAVE AN AMAZING TIME???? HMMMMMMM?? lol

My thoughts exactly! Us meticulous wives should start a travel planning group called, “Surprise Your Husband Cruises!”😀

25 minutes ago, wemjam said:

OMG hilarious.  24 years married and I tell everyone.  He just shows up.  He doesn't even pack his own clothes lol!  He doesn't even pick out what he is wearing when we leave for the airport (it is already on a hanger waiting for him).  

 

Works for us.  I am a meticulous person/planner.  He hates anything to do with it, is happy to just get dressed and go.  He does offer input on excursions, that's it.

You and I could be twins separated at birth!🤪 We just finished a cruise from Miami-Panama Canal-Los Angeles. I am anal about planning.  My husband even asked me which excursion we were doing in Seattle! He will never hear the end of that 😀

1 hour ago, mmtska said:

I will tell you from booking a group trip that wasn't a cruise, I won't do a bulk one again without getting paid (aka giving up on my current job and becoming a TA. Not that that's happening, but still). I would absolutely go through a TA and let them deal with the headache. Smaller groups? Like I planned for my 2 friends and us for 2023, and planning a cruise with friends (4 adults and 2 teens) and I'm ok with that. But even then, all I did was help my friend with the booking, and looking into some excursions. The rest? I have anxiety thinking about it lol. 

   There are an amazing amount of details to just booking 1 cabin for 2! My husband has never planned a vacation and just gets surprised with whatever I plan 😀

30 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

ESPECIALLY true if this is a family reunion type of thing...find a good TA or group guide or something, and give everyone that person's number. You are thinking you'll need 10 rooms, well that's before it comes down to brass tacks and people have to bust out their billfold. You might end up having 4 rooms booked. Everyone is all gung-ho to go until it's time to pay. Definitely don't book rooms on your dime.

   Great advice and I wont pay for any rooms other than my own!

20 minutes ago, Drazil65 said:

Trying to be fun, nice, and help others taught my wife a very valuable lesson when it came to putting together a "group" cruise.

Learned that everyone has a friend who says they could have found better pricing.

Found that half don't want to hang with a "group" while the other half won't step out of their house unless everything is pre-planned as a group.

Found that everyone wants to go, but at the end of the day, only a third will actually pay.

 

THIS...THIS...THIS...AND it does not end with the end of the cruise...anyone that had an issue on their account or found something that they were charged and shouldn't have been,  the phone calls after the cruise was over were just as bad as prior...

That sounds like a nightmare. I would hope once you stepped off the ship the group cruise was done. Some of our group has cruised quite a bit before, so I am thinking we would encounter less surprises from them.