Petersonfcu

I am having trouble understanding this. Its seems that you don't really want to cruise Carnival . . . .but you have the Carnival Mastercard and you collect funpoints on the Mastercard from purchases and you have to use those funpoints to book Carnival cruises. I think, though, that the Carnival Mastercard only gives you funpoints worth about 1% back on nonCarnival purchases, which you can then only redeem toward Carnival cruise fare. Have you thought about getting a no annual fee 2% cash back card (like the Citi Doublecash Card)? More money back . . . and you wouldn't be forced to use it to cruise Carnival!! Or if you wanted to cruise Carnival, you could just pay the fare with 2% cash and still have money in your pocket left over. What am I missing here? Perhaps I am missing something, because 300,000 funpoints for $4,500 in cruise fare looks like the equivalent of about 1.5% cash back when used for the cruise . . . but that is still not as good as a card that earns a clear 2% cash that you can use anywhere.

Ah, this is what I figured.

Well, we did get our bags despite our run-in with the handler! Actuallly, though, our trip to Australia was quite a few years ago and I don't remember anything particularly good or bad about the service in Australian restaurants. I know we have been to other places like France that I would say have a minimal tipping culture. Our experience with waiters in these places is that they do their jobs well, but they don't smile and banter the way many American waiters and waitresses do. I don't really need my servers to entertain me though.

Australia has a strong anti-tipping culture. The only time I have ever had a cash tip rejected in connection with a cruise was by a baggage handler when boarding a Princess cruise out of Australia from Sydney to Singapore. The handler was quite indignant when I offered him a few Australian dollars, and it made quite an impression on me.

The booking offer code can be important. On one cruise I was sure I had booked a casino deal with free drinks in the casino. But once on board the ship the casino had nothing in their records that showed I was entitled to the free drinks. That was exasperating, and having the code in my possession -- which I didn't -- would have made it so much easier to get those drinks. Of course, the casino almost always knows correctly when you are entitled to the free drinks. It was just this one cruise that was messed up.

Yup. We also just got off the Miracle a couple of weeks ago. The Miracle needed a tug boat to spin around, so probably something wrong with the side thrusters.

Does anyone know if Carnival gift cards (which are sold and denominated in US Dollars) can be used for onboard spending on cruises out of Australia where, I believe, the sail and sign account is denominated in Australian dollars?

And I bet you had that sinking feeling when the dealer flipped that three card over . . .

Ouch. Looks like you had $20 (or more) out there playing for the dealer. So he/she could not have been happy with the result of the hand! And, yeah, doubling on an Ace Nine would raise some eyebrows!

This is true. As the Fun21 game does not have any Kings in the deck, the correct basic strategy differs somewhat from regular 21. https://wizardofodds.com/games/spanish-21/ On occasion someone will roll their eyes or complain about me interupting the flow when I make a play according to correct Fun21 strategy (such as hitting on a 12 when the dealer shows a bust card). I usually don't respond at the time . . . but of course about half the time my Fun21 strategy play leads to something good for the rest of the table. At that time I will say something about the positive outcome, and hope that folks who worry about flow leave me alone from then on!

On the Carnival Miracle right now. Many Miracle tables (including Fun21) still have a $6 min bet. And I had an opportunity to test out the "double on a double" idea at the Fun21 table. Guy next to me had a $50 bet out, and dealer dealt him a 9 with the dealer upcard being a 6. Guy doubled, and then got a 2 for a total of 11. Glum looks all around. I said "wait! wait! can he double again?" Dealer said no way, he can only stay or surrender. So he stayed of course. Oh well, worth asking.

You hit the nail on the head. I am a Spanish 21 player, and have read the definitive work on it by Katrina Walker. I get dirty looks when Spanish 21 (. . . . and so Fun 21) basic strategy varies from reguar BJ basic strategy. Like when the dealer is showing a four upcard, and I have a 12, and I hit it. I don't think that Carnival allows a double on a double at their version of Fun 21. But I may try it, like when maybe the dealer is showing a six, and I have an Ace and a four, and then double, and get another Ace. It doesn't hurt to ask if one can double again! The most important rule in Carnival's Fun 21, though, is that Carnival allows early surrender. This can save you a lot of $$$ when the dealer has an Ace upcard.

Dang. Was on the Miracle over Memorial Day and the Fun21 (also my preferred game) was still $6. Will be on the Miracle again in July, hopefully the Miracle will still have a $6 minimum.

The regular blackjack tables come in at least two minimums: $6 and $25. The $6 minimum table only pays a 6:5 blackjack (which, if you bet the minimum, becomes a 7:6 blackjack payout, not very good). The $25 minimum blackjack table pays blackjack at 3:2. Carnival also offers a blackjack variant called Fun21, which has a $6 minimum bet. I don't play craps, so am not sure what the minimum is at the craps table.