Garth2

On 6/28/2019 at 8:50 AM, nickynok1 said:

So first time cruising for many years & I have totally forgotten what it was like!  Couple of questions for you diehards! 🙂

 

So, I've just completed my online information for our Carnival Vista cruise.  What exactly is 'Open Dining"?

 

It also asks what time we would like to book for our check in - are we better off checking in earlier, rather than later?  If we check in early, I've seen from some of the earlier comments that the pool is open & the buffet for lunch, am I correct in assuming we will have to take our hand luggage with us, or should we be able to drop that off to the cabin???

Thanks in advance 🙂

There is "Your Time Dining" which means you don't have an assigned (early or late) dining time.  You just show up at your assigned dining room and they will seat you.  Some like to arrive early to start their vacation as soon as possible.  Others like to arrive later, when it is less crowded.  Either way, the pools and lunch venues will be open.  You will not have access to your cabin until 1:30.

For a cruise from New York we booked one way on United to Newark, and one way home on American from LaGuardia.  It was cheaper than a round trip ticket on either airline and we were able to get direct flights in economy.

Instead of flying late at night or early in the morning of your cruise, why not leave a few hours earlier?  We always fly the day before and stay at a hotel near the airport with a free shuttle.  That way we are rested and unstressed the day we sail and leave the hotel in time to catch a shuttle to the ship.

We prefer late seating for dinner, so we rarely eat in the wee small hours and everything is available to us during the day. 

Room service is not available during embarkation.  There is a lot of variety on the lunch and dinner buffets, less so for breakfast.  You can avoid being overwhelmed by taking small portions and/or going back for seconds.

Be aware that Carnival docks at 2 different places and you probably won't know which one you're docking at until you get there.  If you don't dock downtown you will need to take a taxi unless you're going on an excursion.

Usually, but not always, some time between 3 & 4.  They have to wait until everyone has boarded, and they try to do it before the ship sails.

If you sail from Manhattan you will be rewarded with the views of the skyline including the Freedom Tower, the Statue of Liberty and the Verazano Bridge.  The water in the Hudson river is very calm.  If you want to save money on a hotel fly in to Newark and stay there before taking a shuttle.

And gratuities.

You can also print by logging on to your cruise manager.

I doubt it.  Best bet would be to contact Carnival.

You can also get unlimited water for free 24/7 at the buffet and it tastes fine.

To us, the Breeze will always be special, because we had to cancel our booking when she needed surgery.  After she got a clean bill of health we rebooked it for the following year and enjoyed every single minute.

Sunrise no longer has a dedicated room just for disco.  There is similar type music and dancing, complete with a heavy presence of security, most nights in the Limelight Lounge at the rear of the ship across from the dining room entrance.

Sunrise has both Seafood Shack (near the aft pool) and Lucky Bowl (starboard side between the buffet and Guy's).  You won't know what issues there are, if any, until after the dry dock and a few Radiance cruises.

6:00-7:15 when I'm trying to shave and we're both trying to take showers before dinner.

If you're trying to save money, eat breakfast right before you leave the ship & lunch as soon as you get back.  Peanut butter and cream cheese are not available in sealed containers.

They might have the sail away party before the ship sails, right after the safety briefing, in order to accommodate all of the guests with early seating.

SNmaitred@carnival.com

You won't be able to pick the earliest arrival appointment until 90 days prior to the cruise so it might be a good idea to call Carnival.  The earliest is usually 11:30 for the standard 4:00 departure.

Carnival has the address of every port from which it sails on its website.

2 hours ago, Rach257 said:

People, I am SO bummed with all the horrible reviews about Sunrise. Between the overcrowding, casino smoke and sewage smell that is apparently permeating the entire ship, I'd love to cancel, but I didn't buy the insurance so I'm stuck. That said, does anyone have anything positive to say?? I get it that it's "the worst ship ever" and "smells like a toilet" and it takes 2 hours to get lunch - that blows. But some of us still have to sail on this ship and it would be nice to have something to look forward to.....so who has something positive to say?? Let's keep this thread to only shiny happy Sunrise thoughts and pictures! Help a sister out!

1. You can completely avoid the casino smoke by walking across on deck 6.  You won't smell it anywhere else on deck 5.
2. We did no smell any sewage.
3. It's not the worst ship ever.  It's clean and bright and the crew is fantastic.
4. There's no possible way it could take 2 hours for lunch if you're flexible.  There are many food options and lunch is served over several hours.
5. Yes, sometimes the buffet lines get long, because there are only 2 of them, and no one wants to pass someone if there is space ahead, but it's manageable.

We used SuperShuttle which is a shared ride and it was $35 for 2 of us.

I don't see it happening any time soon.  Some ships don't have enough room and on many wind would be an issue.

Actually, it's the Sunrise that was recently renovated and renamed from Triumph, and is now sailing from New York.  The Sunshine currently sails from Charleston and was renamed several years ago from Destiny.