RMcoolX

4 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

1.  I'd keep watching to see if an earlier time pops up.  

 

2.  If that doesn't happen, I'd arrive at 1:30 for a 2:30 check-in time ... that's our comfort level for parking the car, getting our suitcases to the porters, getting in line.  In my experience, they do check the boarding times (on the other hand, we've always had the earliest check-in, and that's the one that's most likely to be checked).  Consider what'll happen if they deny you:  You'll be standing around literally for hours.  Focus on the positive:  You won't have to wait for your cabin to open. 

I need a little help please. We're cruising out of Miami on the Freedom OTS on Jun 7 2024 and currently have no idea which parking garage to set up parking at...Garage A or G? I assume the ship will leave and return to the same terminal. I know that may sound like a dumb question, but I can see that the Freedom OTS is the only RCCL ship in port Jun 7, but there are two there on the day it returns.

Also, I would like to reserve ahead of time if it's possible.

Lastly, can anyone give me a tip on how best to expedite the process of getting off the ship and out of Miami as fast as possible? I'm asking because we have a cruise leaving out on the same day in Tampa, so we need to make sure we get a good start heading due west.

Thx

Rio, Soulbound, and a brand new show that has Marriage in the title (can't remember the actual name. We enjoyed them all, especially the plot of Soulbound and the dancing of Rio.

Thx for your non-review review (lol). I'm looking forward to doing the Spirit in March. The bells-and-whistles on the newer ships are cool, but I have always preferred the smaller. It just sucks for me that I have to leave Texas to find them.

They are free for now.

On 11/3/2023 at 7:11 AM, AllgoodOnTheRoad said:

My go to is a balcony one floor under the buffet close to a stairwell. Coffee or breakfast to my balcony in short order. 

 

Ditto. Also any balcony on Lido, closest to the pool deck or closest to the forward elevators.

2 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

 

Not being able to request a table for two pre-cruise in the MDR. I think it's crazy to have to run down the Maitre'D as soon as you get onboard to try and make this request. 

On 10/9/2023 at 8:28 AM, LuCruise said:

I do wonder though when they release the next group that covers Dec 2025 and spring 2026, that the starting price will be closer to what we are seeing as current prices.

Any idea when they will finally release these dates? Is this normal for them to wait so long to do so?

Although I've primarily been a Carnival cruiser, I do have one Royal cruise under my belt and I have two booked. Royal is typically priced higher than Carnival, but I have noticed that the Spring Break cruises out of Galveston have been cheaper if you jump on them early. 

Overall, however, prices have jumped on Carnival in terms of percentage just as much as RCCL or any other similar cruise line. It is simple folks...supply and demand. Us nuts (to include me) are not deterred by the crazy prices, so they just keep on raising them on us. I'll sure be glad when YOU ALL start taking land-based vacays so that I can start affording balconies again, because now I have to give consideration to inside cabins to be able to keep this up! lol

On 8/30/2023 at 6:26 PM, Butterbean1000 said:

This is the only lobster I get.  I like it.

LOL...I can relate! 

I normally get 2 lobsters if I'm not too hungry. Otherwise, I get one lobster and the prime rib. Either way, I leave the MDR as one happy camper. 

The only real benefit that I personally get from the larger ships is that they tend to offer more 7+ day cruise options. I also acknowledge that the larger ships are better for the kids due to the increased number of activities for them.

Other than that, I am just as happy (if not happier) to hop onboard a Fantasy or Spirit class ship and hit the high seas. I really enjoy the nostalgic feel to them, cheaper fares, and the fact that the lines are typically shorter no matter where you're going.

Although I have mad love for all the Fantasy class ships, the one I would bring back is the Carnival ship that started it all for me...the Celebration.

On 9/11/2023 at 3:45 PM, CarnivalShips480 said:

...Carnival knows what ports and ships are booking the best, so they put each class of ships in the best fits.😉 ...

EXACTLY!!!  Money talks, bull sweat walks. It's all about supply and demand folks.

On 9/2/2023 at 7:41 AM, TeresaJ said:

You need to "add" the offer on your card before purchasing. Log into your online account and look for your offers. 

I have an Amazon Prime Chase card, but I do not see a Carnival offer. Maybe I already missed my specific window, assuming there are different offers for different folks at different times. Thx for your help.

On 8/24/2023 at 12:22 PM, TeresaJ said:

Thank you for the heads up, one of my Chase cards has it!

I have 3 Chase cards. How do I check to see which one has it?

Also, how do you go about redeeming the offer if one of them does have it?

We did the Dream last Dec, which was our 4th time on the ship. Loved it. No issues to report. 

On 4/17/2020 at 1:00 PM, Denverdonkeys said:

CCL has different votes allowed than CUK. that could explain it. I think CUK is also an ADR from the British exchange, and it might be FX related.

 

but they both qualify for the OBC, so if you were buying it short term for the OBC only, you could buy the CUK version.

I made the purchase of 100 shares of CUK several days ago. Assuming that America gets back to cruising by July 2020, I will likely have 3-4 cruises before the possibility of them canceling the program in July 2021. That should make the stock purchase worth it.

Thx for your response.

I appreciate the responses to my first questions. 

One more...Do CCL and CUK stock buys both qualify for the shareholder benefit? Assuming the answer is yes, I now wonder why would a person pay the higher CCL price versus the CUK price?

I'm interested in buying the 100 shares, but need to understand one thing first. The offer says:

"Only one onboard credit per shareholder-occupied stateroom."

I fully understand that this means I cannot use the shareholder benefit twice for the same sailing, but does it also mean I won't be able to combine the $100 shareholder OBC with the $300 OBC that I received for something totally unrelated?

One more question...how long has the shareholder offer been in effect? Is this something they just started doing because of the recent huge stock price drop?

Ship vs. ship, we enjoyed the Horizon a little better than the Magic. It was newer and had a bit more stuff on it. Both are great ships though. 

We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express (Midtown West 48th St) that was reasonably priced and located about an 8 min walk westward to the ship. Times Square was only about a 15 min walk in the opposite direction.There was also a similarly priced Comfort Inn next door.  Loved the location!!! 5 min walk to a Sightseeing Pass bus hub that is a great starting point for being transported to all the attractions throughout Manhattan.

oh man, it looks like fun, as long as I don't have to give my bra up, lol. If I don't have my husband with me, can I still play?

You don't HAVE to give it up, but if you're like most of the over-enthusiastic players of the game, you'll WANT to give it up after about 5 minutes! :evilsmile:

If you have a party-poop husband, leave him in the cabin. You and everyone else will have way more fun. He'll never understand why the following morning you're getting high-5's from the cruise director and every other passenger on the ship! :halo:

Feels like they've done many changes (more like tweaks), but nothing that makes me love or hate them anymore now than 10 years ago. For the most part, whatever you loved or hated about them 10 years ago is still there today. What does remain that keeps us coming back is the great bang 4 the buck factor that no one can seem to match IMO. :cool:

Cruising on the Horizon in June. Two questions concerning a specific table request...

1. What is the email address for the Maître D?

2. When is a good time to send the email?

Thx

I also love the smaller ships, and prefer them over the latest group of mega-ships. Less people, less fluff. Less activities = more time to enjoy being on the ship!

Ditto. I like the mega ships for the itineraries, but other than that I actually prefer the smaller Fantasy Class ships.