iheartmarshall

2 minutes ago, mlshum said:

Thanks so much for reading along!  I see that you are a Marshall fan from West Virginia!  My mom attended Marshall.  My nephew and brother are WVU fans.  Every time they sit down to watch any game between the two schools, she always crashes the party wearing her Marshall shirt.  LOL

I am!  Grew up in a Marshall household although I did work for WVU Extension for a few years so I like to think I support both haha.  I'll always choose that green and white though! 

Just now, mz-s said:

 

Part of the frustration is you don't really know what to expect all the time because new cutbacks and reductions in service happen all the time and with zero warning. The only way we would know about many of them is from people talking about it on here.

 

You can't really go into a cruise looking forward to anything in particular because it's all subject to change at any time.

Good point!  There's a lot that happens on a whim for sure.  It's definitely different than it used to be. 

I've definitely noticed the price increases and the little extras that no longer exist, to the point that after our last cruise in August, I started to wonder if cruising (or maybe just Carnival) isn't for me anymore.  However, that was short lived -- a cruise is what you make it and if you go into it knowing what to expect, then you should be okay.  Are there things I miss from 10 years ago?  Of course.  But, I understand that we have to adapt and no one is forcing me to cruise.  It's a choice we make, to either accept the changes and enjoy the new experience or choose a different vacation option. 

Thank you for sharing your adventures with us.  I'm excited to read it! 

What I want to book and what I actually booked are two different things. 😂

But I did just book the Paradise for December 2024.  I'm currently getting my doctorate and vacation times/funds are slim the next three years but we decided to plan now and do a short cruise for the holidays next year.  Timing worked out well too, as it's between semesters plus our jobs slow down this time of year.

We typically prefer smaller ships so I don't mind the Paradise.  Our last three cruises went to the Bahamas so I'm beyond ready to revisit the Western ports.  However at some point, I'd like to try the Celebration or Mardi Gras for a different vibe even though they're bigger ships.  I don't mind the older designs but I am curious how the newer ones feel. 

I board her this coming Sunday and will be happy to report back!  

I did notice in our cruise group that there's a ton of first-timers on board.  I wonder if that's throwing some of the reviews as well, just simply not knowing what to expect?  This will be my 5th or 6th cruise on Carnival and while I wouldn't call myself an expert, I would say I'm experienced and know what to expect and what is/is not the fault of the ship/staff.  Excursions are tricky though as Carnival doesn't usually have control over what happens on those, but I think I've only ever had one that was a "meh."  The rest have been great!  Fingers crossed for this cruise as well. 

We cruise mid-August however there's a possibility that I may receive a job offer in the next week or so, which is great! *fingers crossed* But if that happens, depending when my start date would be, we may or may not get to cruise.  Of course if offered, I will try to negotiate to start after the cruise but that's not guaranteed.

I'm familiar with Carnival's cancellation policy but I've never tried to cancel or change a booking this close to the cruise date.  Right now we're in the "deposit or 50%" of the penalty stage but are quickly approaching the "deposit or 75%" stage.  I really don't want to cancel because that's a ton of money lost.  If possible, I'd rather change the booking to a future cruise.

So my question is, has anyone changed to a different cruise this close to your original one?  Is that allowed, cheaper, or would the cancellation penalty still apply? I looked online but unfortunately couldn't find any answers relating to this (just info referencing full cancellations).  I do plan to call customer service this evening but I figured if anyone had experience with this, it was worth asking.  It may not even become an issue but I'm trying to plan what to do, just in case! 🙂 

I've had the Carnival card since 2017 and love it for cruises!  It's a regular card so you can use it anywhere that accepts MasterCard - just be mindful with the balances, as any credit card. Throughout the years, I've used it to book/pay for cruises (often with 0% APR offers), excursions (at least 10% off), and use the money from the points to "purchase" various cruise perks like additional OBC, beer, water, etc.  I love it! 

Just booked the Celebration for January 2025, woo!  And yes I know that's nearly two years away but we always book early and pay monthly -- makes it easier on us. 🙂 

I ended up booking one of the aft rooms that has a larger rounded balcony since it was the same price as other 8C/8D/8E cabins (11486, 11483, 12482, 12487, 14482, 14501, etc.).  I've seen a couple video tours of these rooms but I'd love to hear a full review if anyone has stayed in one.  I know they offer more balcony space but lack privacy beyond the partition, which has its pros and cons.  I'm also curious how bad the wind is since the one we booked is open facing forward.  If you've stayed in one, please share your experiences! 

Former TA here - book her as it is currently listed on her official birth certificate.  I'm not sure when you cruise, but it may or may not get corrected by then depending on how "easy" it is to fix.  Yes, her name will be misspelled on her S&S card but she will be okay and I'm sure there will probably be more S&S cards in the future (if she wants to collect them - I still have mine).  

If the BC is changed before the cruise, you can call and have them update the spelling. 

I haven't been on the Magic yet but am going on her in August and have done some research.  So here's what I can share based on that and my experience on other Carnival ships:

Specialty Coffee Card - no; regular coffee is free but specialty coffees are additional and like typical cafe prices.  However if you have CHEERS!, specialty coffees are included.

Elegant Nights - there will be two on your cruise.  The first is typically your second night/first sea day.  The second varies but if I remember right when I did an 8-day Eastern before, it was on the 5th or 6th night. 

Menus - I don't have any for Magic specifically but you can find current menus if you search the boards.

Guys' Burgers - Free always (limited hours)
Guys' Pig & Anchor BBQ - Free always (limited hours)
Cucina del Captiano - Free lunch on sea days and embarkation day; must pay other times but I think it's less than $20pp

Juice - Yes, but as someone said it's more like Hi-C and not true orange juice.

Sushi - I believe there is a Sushi Bar however it's not a full Bonsai Sushi restaurant. 
 

Your reviews have always been my favorite!  I told my husband that I want to be like you and Patti when we grow up. 😂

We did a DIY walking tour of Nassau back in 2018 when we first visited and it was a lot of fun!  However, we did a LOT of walking so it was a tiring by the end.  We did a loop and followed something similar to the image below (hopefully it shows up).  We walked up toward the Queen's Staircase and Fort Fincastle (some uphill walking), crossed over toward the Government House, walked down and over to Junkanoo Beach, and then ended by checking out W Bay Street and all the shops.  It was a long day but we also spent some time at the beach (lunch, drinks) and went in a ton of shops.  

I'll also add that we did this in February and the weather was perfect -- 75-80 degrees with low humidity.  But this past June, we had a similar plan but it was so hot/humid that we didn't get very far before we abandoned our walking tour and went to the brewery instead.  So, the overall experience may vary depending when you're going. 

I haven't been to Bimini or Princess Cays yet but I have been to HMC and Freeport.  Here's my thoughts on both:

Half Moon Cay
There's nothing here but a beach so definitely plan a beach day.  It's also a tender port, so make sure you bring everything you'd need with you as you won't be able to easily hop back on the ship.  However, for a beach day, it's amazing!  There's plenty of chairs but the area near the entrance gets crowded so if you want something more relaxing, walk further down the beach for those chairs (I'd get an early tender if you can so you have your pick).  There's a few restrooms along the beach, water sports you can pay extra for, and some bars.  Since it is a Carnival-owned port, they also have a free buffet lunch that will be open at your leisure for 2-3 hours.  Carnival does offer some excursions here (horseback riding, etc.) but the beach itself is free and that's really all there is. There are no traditional port shops aside from some gift shops at the entrance.  

Freeport

You'll definitely want to take an excursion here as it's an industrial port and there's nothing at the docking location besides some souvenir stands.  However, Freeport offers a variety of excursions depending on what you want -- mangrove kayaking, beautiful beach days, garden tours, island tours, and even shopping at the Grand Lucayan Marketplace.  I'm not sure what excursions are offered on your cruise but on my upcoming one to Freeport, there's several that have a beach day and/or shopping so I think you can find what you're looking for.  And on a side note, Freeport seems to get a bad rep but we loved our time there previously and are actually having a hard time deciding what to do on our upcoming cruise there because there's several excursions we're interested in.  I guess it depends on your interests but we enjoyed it. 

I was on the Vista in 2017 and hated it!  I didn't like the layout and I remember thinking everything was so sterile, like I was in a mall that was going out of business.  I know many hate the elaborate decor of the older Carnival ships and while I agree that they're at times over the top, I just couldn't get settled on the Vista.

I agree about the food quality going downhill too.  We cruised in June (our first since 2018 thanks to the pandemic/cancellations) and I was not impressed with the food at all.  I usually enjoy Carnival's options but something was off.  Now does that stop me from future cruises?  No; I have two more coming up within the year as we like cruising and can find good in even "bad" cruises.  But there's definitely a noticeable difference in the quality. 

I did this excursion pre-Covid so some things may have changed but here's what I remember from my experience.  I also did the South Beach/MIA dropoff tour this past June and it operated fairly similar as far as debarking/arriving at the airport. 

1 & 2. You'll be given your excursion tickets designating a time/place to meet to debark the ship (usually it's the theatre or lounge).  This should be around 7:30am and once cleared, they'll let you off the ship by your excursion group and direct you to which bus is yours.  You will have to take your luggage with you and they'll load it under the bus for the duration of the tour. 

3. Yes; you'll receive your tickets in advance that tell you when and where to meet in the morning as well as what to do with your luggage (although you'll keep it with you).  You may get those tickets at the beginning of your cruise with the rest of your excursion tickets (if purchased) or they may arrive in your cabin the day before you leave. 
 

4. No; it's a charter bus and they grouped luggage by airline so it's an easy on/off when they drop you at the appropriate terminal. 
 

5. Yes; they will ask you which airline you're flying out of and will drop as close to that terminal as they can.  I say as close to because there's only certain areas that the buses are allowed so you may be dropped on the ground level but have to go up one for the ticket area.  However, they will drop you at the appropriate airline terminal. 
 

6. On both of our post-MIA airport transfer excursions, we were at the airport by 1:00pm at the latest. 
 

7. I did this one in December and remember wearing leggings, a tank top, and a cardigan.  That was also my travel attire so I wanted to be comfortable but dress in layers in case I got cold on the plane.  I remember it working well for the excursion too. 
 

8. Use the bathroom before you board the bus!  Depending on the bus, you may or may not be allowed to use the restroom.  I remember on our Everglades tour, they would not let us use it and I had to pee SO bad that I was about to burst when we finally got to the tour location.  However on our South Beach one this past June, they were open but it was preferred only for number one or emergencies. 
 

9. Don't stress about arriving to the airport on time or catching your bus.  As long as you follow the excursion instructions they give you, you'll be fine and you'll make it to your terminal in plenty of time.  I'd also take a snack with you since it might be a while before you're able to each lunch. 
 

10. I'd say 2-3.  I recall our driver/tour guide tips being together ($10 - $20) but we also tipped the airboat driver. 

Technically I would cruise at any time but my preference is the winter months (December/January/February) or early May before schools let out and it gets super hot. This past June, we cruised out of Miami and while we had a good time, there were so many kids running around that it was a bit overwhelming.  I can make any cruise a good one though so that doesn't really "ruin" it for me, but my preference is definitely when kids are still in school and not during spring break.  Plus it's usually cheaper. 

I'm excited for this, as I'm from West Virginia and Norfolk is the closest/easiest drive for us (we're not Baltimore fans).  I know the itineraries get old after a while but for affordable cruises, I'm all about it.  We prefer to fly to Miami or Tampa for the Caribbean itineraries but that's not always feasible. 

Thank you all for your feedback!  I went with the 4J.  🙂 

DH and I are wanting to book the Magic out of Norfolk this summer and at this point, my cabin options are fairly slim.  We're down to either a 4J or one of the aft OV cabins at the very back of the ship (like, very back -- 2472, 2474, etc.).

I've stayed in a 4J before on the Vista and loved it, although for longer cruises I do enjoy the extra catch-all space a couch provides.  I'm intrigued by the OV options  but have heard that the vibration back there can be a bit much.  If you had to choose, what would you pick?  

I'm so happy you're sharing this review!  Yours have been my favorite since I joined CC and it's been far too long since I've read a new one from you.  

35 minutes ago, iheartmarshall said:

Cruising to HMC in June 2022 and am debating purchasing a clamshell.  I've heard horror stories of people getting there late and there not being any clamshells left, but I'm pale AF and the shade would be a nice option.  If you've purchased one, are they worth it?  Any tips or things I should know?

 

Thanks in advance!

I meant to put clamshell in the title, not cabana.  I can't edit but I'm definitely asking about the clamshells. 🙂

Cruising to HMC in June 2022 and am debating purchasing a clamshell.  I've heard horror stories of people getting there late and there not being any clamshells left, but I'm pale AF and the shade would be a nice option.  If you've purchased one, are they worth it?  Any tips or things I should know?

Thanks in advance!

I might be the oddball, but the mega ships are very "meh" to me.  I cruised on the Vista in 2017 and felt like I was in a strip mall at Christmas, not a cruise ship.  Everything felt sterile and although we had fun, it was the first time I felt a touch claustrophobic with the way it was designed and how crowded it was. A lot of people hate on the older ships and decor but personally I prefer that layout with the open atrium (and less people). 

Will that stop me from ever cruising the newer, bigger ships?  No.  But if an older ship offers the same itinerary and costs less, then I will most likely choose that option.  The new ships do look beautiful though so I can't argue there. 

2 minutes ago, kleibo said:

 

I think what all cruisers want is fairness.  The required guidelines are excessive especially if they are going to have 95/98 vaccinated cruisers/workers.  Absolutely ridiculous.

 

I am vaccinated, I do wear a mask and I will take my money elsewhere and I think many others will too unless some of the requirements are loosened.

I totally understand that, and we have opted for more remote land vacations in lieu of cruising for the time being.  Our next cruise isn't even until Thanksgiving 2022.  

But what gets me is everyone complaining about how much they hate these guidelines when in reality, there's nothing they or Carnival can do about them.  People complained that they weren't allowed to sail and now that the restart is in sight, they're complaining about the restrictions.  The restrictions might seem excessive but they're necessary and shouldn't be of any surprise.  We're still in a pandemic.