Any see or hear about this 'NEW' development from the Bahamas?

COVID-19 Status - The Bahamas

Does this also apply to cruise ships?

Cheers

Len

Olivia Munn

Really, we are happy that most seem to enjoy using the App. Maybe we will also if we cruise on Carnival again.

I know that several said that they don't mind not getting the bulletin every day. That may be fine for the ship, but for some reason we always have saved most of the dailies from all our cruises and we like to look back on them and see what we did during a lot of our cruises. Just something you can't do with the App. (Or, I think you can't)

Cheers

Len

On 12/23/2021 at 6:13 PM, Earthworm Jim said:

It sounds like traditional fixed time dining would be a better fit for you since it would eliminate the need to check in for a table, and would also solve your "table not a booth" problem once you got the maître d' to assign you a table the first day. 

Last time some one told me when I HAD to eat, I was in Viet Nam un the service. Since then I eat when I feel like and my DW agrees.

I wasn't trying to be 'cute' but this is what I tell most people when asked why we don't do regular seating on cruises.

Cheers 

Len

19 hours ago, Earthworm Jim said:

It sounds like traditional fixed time dining would be a better fit for you since it would eliminate the need to check in for a table, and would also solve your "table not a booth" problem once you got the maître d' to assign you a table the first day. 

From what I understand they also had to 'check in'?

Cheers

Len

Thanks for all the wonderful replies and helpful hints. Very much appreciated.

I think we can get our son to take off from work and drive us to the terminal, but then that leaves us needing transportation back to Long Island. I did a quick Uber search, and I probably can get a ride for about $100.

So, to any that have been to Cape Liberty, can I just exit the terminal and call Uber and they will pick us up right there? Or is there a section designated for ride pickups like that? And, if so, about how far might it be from exiting the terminal?

Again thanks to all who replied.

Cheers

Len

I do not want to hijack this thread, but I never understood what the fascination is about planes flying over your head.

 I lived for 17 years, right behind JFK airport, and I basically cursed just about every plane that flew over our house. 

I didn't realize I could have opened a bar and sold tickets for people to stick their heads out and get busted eardrums. I'd be rich now and enjoying the owners' suites.  😀

Cheers

Len

We are just off the Legend this past Sunday and got to experience this 'new way' of cruising, using the Carnival app for basically everything on board. We read these boards but maybe we didn't read this, as I'm sure it has been mentioned, that you have to use the App for basically everything on the ship. It was a complete surprise to us. I had downloaded the app before boarding. 

My DW and I are what might be referred to as 'older' seniors and honestly, we aren't big time smart phone people. We have them but they aren't our lives, so when we were told that we basically had to use the App to eat, to find out what is happening on the ship and basically for everything else, I can't say we were big fans. I am curious as to how others feel about this new way to cruise. I assume all Carnival ships are doing it, not just the Legend.

One thing we really missed were the daily papers that told us about the next day on the ship, in ports and what is happening aboard the following day. I know you used to return to your cabin at night and it is waiting for you on the bed. We loved to browse it and see what we would like to do the next day. Now, you have to use your phone for that. I'm sure for many, it's a good thing, but we really missed the paperwork.

Also, we had Anytime Dining, and you couldn't just go to the Dining Room, you had to check in and wait to be called when your table is ready. Maybe that's not so bad, but we need to sit at a real table, and it seemed every night we got the note that our table was ready, it was a booth, and we had to have it changed. We told them every night; we need a table from now on. They marked it down but every night, a booth. We also found a table in an area where we loved the wait staff and asked if we could possibly be seated in this area most nights. Again, we were told, basically no, we have to take whatever gets assigned to us. And, in the Dining room, call us really old fashioned but we like to look at a real menu, something that seemed foreign to the staff. When we dine out, we really hate to see people glaring at their phones while seated and eating, but here you have to because that's where the menu is.

 I'm sure there are a lot of positives for the App also. It does keep people from gathering at the Dining room entrance, but for us, I really didn't enjoy using it for everything.

Cheers

Len

We boarded in Baltimore last week. As people lined up to get into the terminal, they call out times, 11:30, 12:00 as so on. As they were calling times, it was also called that anyone with a suite can board now. Seems many didn't know this as when it was announced they all made a mad dash for entry. 

Cheers

Len

While Carnival, as with most other cruise lines, doesn't have to pay anything, it has become common practice and good public relations, to make a nice gesture. If some think $50 OBC is fine, well and good. 

We did an NCL cruise a few years ago, we were supposed to overnite in Aruba, but because of two separate circumstances, we never made it to Aruba. NCL gave every passenger a 25% credit for a future cruise, and it was much appreciated by most. 

Cheers

Len

I posted this on another board and didn't get much of response, so here goes. We are doing an 11 day cruise out of Cape Liberty. Terminal parking there is $25 PD which means almost $300 just to park. Are there other options out there? I have been trying to find alternate parking and the best I can come up with is Newark Airport and Uber over to the terminal. 

Has anyone had any experience with parking at Cape Liberty other than the terminal?

Cheers

Len

On 12/21/2021 at 10:48 AM, alexgtp said:

leaving on Anthem NYE. No concern what so ever. We sailed in OCT and felt very safe. And the 1300 occupancy on Freedom was amazing.

We are also on this cruise and are watching every day to make a final decision. We just got off a Carnival cruise (please, never again) and they are so lax as to masking, cleaning and serving, it is scary. They let you serve yourself in the buffet, issue mask mandates and never enforce them and when people do comply, they wear the darn things on their chins.

For what I read, RCCL is much better. I sure hope so or we will cancel.

Cheers

Len

3 hours ago, JMKreno said:

While I don't disagree with you on the likely nasty hygiene of many people STILL after almost 2 years of this pandemic, we know with certainty that Covid is airborne and really doesn't transmit through surface contamination. Touching utensils, etc doesn't really change anything regarding Covid but still allows for flu/noro/etc so regular precautions from before the pandemic should be applied now as well as Covid precautions. Masking and distancing as best as possible IS far more useful (despite contrarians). Our family is now pretty accustomed to using sanitizer whenever we cannot wash our hands when entering a restaurant, after sitting down/prior to eating, and once complete with food. Almost religiously at this point. Will be no different on our upcoming Carnival Miracle cruise. So far, knock on wood, we've been as healthy as ever since the start of the pandemic (minimal colds/flus/GI issues). Just wash up/sanitize often, don't touch your nose/mouth, and you should be good. 

I agree with what you say. My DW, while also no germophobe, always carries hand sanitizer wherever we go especially in restaurants. Touch the menu, get a spray of sanitizer. Funny, before the virus, she used to offer it to others sitting at our table and most said no thank you, now, most accept it graciously. 

Cheers

Len

We just got off the Legend where we spent a week trying to avoid many, many passengers who thought their chins were the required place for a mask, if they had any on at all. Even during the cruise, something must have happened along the way and everyone was issued a letter stating that masks MUST be worn in ALL indoor venues and in all outdoor venues where there is a crowd. I think the people who were maskless before just took this letter and threw it in the trash as nothing changed. 

We did our best to try and avoid many of these situations, like always eat at a table for 2, we sat high in the balcony for shows and we really did try to avoid a lot of contact with others. But places like Punchliner are a mess, especially the late shows. We went to 2 and I would say about 1/4 of the people were maskless and if they had them on, it was on their chins. I even mentioned this to the person in charge of Punchliner and he basically shrugged his shoulders. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink it. Carnival refuses to enforce any sort of mask mandate.

Cheers

Len

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Most of the time it’s 48 hours.
 

BTW, while that is “policy “ for Barbados and St Lucia, there’s no actual restriction on you leaving the port as of this week. 

That is good to know.

Just to clarify, if I book a shore excursion online thru RCCL, I have until 48 before the excursion to cancel it with no penalty? I would just go to the shore excursion desk and tell them I want to cancel?

Cheers

Len

45 minutes ago, Colorado Cruzer said:

I believe it is up to you to protect yourself from illness, especially if on vacation. We take hand sanitizer wipes for situations where you can't wash your hands (before eating your buffet selections for example) or just go wash hands before you eat in a cruise ship scenario.  Even if it's not the Rona on the tongs, it could be something else I don't want.  Or do a good job of selecting foods that you only eat with utensils, no tyour hands. Things like that can definitely help avoid illness at a buffet. The cruise line can't even guarantee the staff doesn't have something on their hands you don't want so wash or sanitize as a rule. And remember the general public is extremely dirty!

We do the same thing, even before this virus, basically because of Noro etc. We usually try and avoid the buffet. The point I was trying to make is that Carnival seems to be taking shortcuts on certain things and leaving it up to you to do the protecting. I just spoke to a friend who came off a Celebrity cruise and when I told him about what Carnival does, he laughed as Celebrity is doing a lot more to protect it's passengers. He said you can't even access a pat of butter by yourself, it has to be served to you.

Cheers

Len

We are sailing on the Anthem Jan 20. At last report, a couple of the ports we will be visiting have restrictions for passengers just wanted to get off and wander by themselves. My question is, if we book a shore excursion with RCCL and later we find we can get off on our own, when is the latest we can cancel the shore excursion, if at all, and incur no penalty? We haven't booked a ship's shore excursion in maybe 15 years, so we have no idea of what the policy is these days. 

Cheers

Len

We were on the Legend last week and we felt the people aren't doing a good enough job trying to keep people safe. Like in the buffet, where the staff takes away your dirty dishes and then with the same hands, wipes the tables down and arranges salt and pepper on the table. Is this sanitary as they are not using disincentive wipes just an ordinary cloth. Same can be said for many venues on the ship. Ho9w sanitary is letting everyone help themselves to the food and not even checking if anyone used and sanitizer before entering the buffer?

Cheers

Len

Sorry to hear about the bad weather and rough seas. Every week has something different. As I said, we sailed last week, and the seas were like a lake. We even commented that the ship hardly rolled at all. Plus, we never had a drop of rain except when returning to Baltimore. Funny, the Carnival app said Partly sunny with periods of rain for every day, and it just never happened. The skies were as blue as can be, so I hope you will encounter the same thing for your port days. 

Agree with your review of the Motown show. They tout the last production, Rock something or other as t heir premier show, but we aren't into Rock music per se and thought Motown and the Brits were the best shows. 

Cheers

Len

12 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

As I recall Miguel is the newest member of the Fun Squad.

Yes, he said he was on his first year with Carnival and he simply loves it. 

Cheers

Len

Just off the Legend and no survey.

Cheers

Len

2 hours ago, naturelovergirl said:

@Giantfan13I have always had a set time for dinner on cruises before.

This will be our first time with My Time Dining.

You mentioned that with reservations you will not need to stand in the line. If you don't mind me asking, where do you go if you do indeed have a reservation. Is there a separate place to check in? Thanks!

As has been said, there is a sign that basically says those with a reservation this side and with none, the other. We always ask to share a table and on mostly all our cruises we never had to wait more than 5 minutes (with a reservation). I guess it depends on the ship and when you want to go to eat. We like to eat about 6:30, and rarely have any lines, no matter which ship we are on.

Cheers

Len

8 hours ago, dcwalker said:

I appreciate your great attitude about the decor and so glad to know they're doing the individual muster drills. Your posts are wildly entertaining and informative, and so much more. Reading about your mom's scooter issues, as well as the motion of the ship,  I want to pick your brain a bit. My husband uses a walker for short distances, but has a wheelchair for anything more than a few hundred steps. We had already agreed that we need the wheelchair for the cruise, because there is so much walking on a ship, and because balance becomes such an issue when she starts wobbling. I have trouble staying upright on a ship under the calmest of seas! We already thought about getting in and out of the cabin  - I'll hold the door, he'll use his walker to get in and out. I'll fold up the chair and move that in and out. But now I'm wondering, will we have trouble navigating hallways and other public spaces? When we contacted Carnival's special needs handicapped accessibility people they didn't mention that at all.

If I may interject here. We were on the Legend last week. I am slightly handicapped in that I walk with a cane. As far as the stateroom doors are concerned, it could definitely be an issue. They are hard to open and trying to walk thru with just my cane proved challenging at times. Lucky my DW was there to hold it open for me at times.

The main areas of the ship are fine but the hallways towards the cabins are winding in spots and pretty narrow. There were many scooters and wheelchairs on board. Elevators are also fairly narrow but deep.

They did allow people with scooters on the tender to Ocean Cay.

Cheers

Len

Before disembarking, we spoke with Miguel, who, I believe is the assistant cruise director. We asked how full our cruise was and he said about 70-75%. Said the ship carries about 2200 and we had just bout 1800 or so.

Cheers

Len

Maybe I can help you with this. We always use the RCCL app or web site to make our reservations for MTD. What you see, 7:15, might be the earliest they have left for a reservation. They allow a certain number of reservations for each time block, so as not to have half the ship trying to eat at the same time. We like to eat at about 6:30 but several times the earliest that may come up is 7:00. We do make that reservation but, as MTD is just what it says it is, you can go down to eat whenever you want. With the reservation, if there is a line, you will not have to stand on it, you have a reservation for a certain time.

Say you reserve a 7:15 for day 3 and you feel like eating at 6:30. Either call the dining room or stop in and cancel your time and show up whenever you want. You might have to wait a short time if there are no tables available. Sharing a table will get you in quicker if there is any line.

Cheers

Len

6 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

Thanks for this review. We are sailing on the Legend this Sunday. A few questions if you don't mind...

 

1) A little confused when you said "no one else was performing". Do you mean the shows they normally have (e.g., Quest) weren't there and it was just the comedian and some variety shows?

 

2) Was the piano bar open?

 

3) For embarkation, are you saying if you have, say, a 12:30 boarding time, they were strict about not letting you in before that?

 

Thanks again and glad you enjoyed the cruise.

#1-- There was NO quest, no hairy man contest or anything like that. In the theater, out of the 7 nights, the dancers and singers were on for 5 of those nights. One night was the Newlywed Game or whatever they call it, and the last night were the comediennes from the Punchliner. (the 9:30 show was an R rated show.). We are NOT party people, but Carnival was always famous for having entertainment and music always by the pool. Not on this cruise. They had a couple of late nite dance themes but that was about it. 

#2-- Yes the Piano Bar was open and there was a lady doing the performing. We only stopped there once, and she wasn't bad. 

We spent more time in the Red Dog as they had a very good band there and it is literally, the only place to dance, if you wanted to. 

#3--YES, they are extremely strict on this. As I said, we had to line up outside the terminal, in no particular order, and whomever was in charge there, called out times. You had to show your boarding paper that said what time you are able to board. Just an example, while they were calling for the 12:00 people to board, a group of 4 people, who had a 2:00 time wanted to go in. They tried to be persistent but, I believe, security was called, and after a short bout of screaming by the passenger, they were still not allowed to check in. 

Cheers

Len