If you wait and book excursions on the ship,

[Midwifelife7]

Will there be plenty of options available to choose from or will all the good ones be full?  We have $1400 OBC at this time, and a family of 7, so I would really like to use that for a nice excursion that we would not normally get to purchase.  I am looking at a dolphin experience in amber cove/dominican republic that is roughtly $135 ish a piece....for our family that is a lot and we wouldn't ordinarily do that.  It would be great to use OBC to purchase it, but I didn't know if there would be much available if I wait until we board the ship.  

 

[shof515]

there is still plenty of options onboard the ship. in all of my years of cruising, i never seen a shore excursion sell out online before the cruise. make sure you book the excursion ASAP after getting onboard the ship as they do get sold out later on once more people is on the ship.

 

depending on the terminal. Download the Carnival HUB app to your device. while you are in the terminal waiting to board, see if you can connect to the ships WIFI network and then configure the hub app. once the hub app is configured, you can book excursions from the app.

[JT1962]

Not sure about Carnival, but you can purchase excursions and other items with Onboard Credit prior to sailing on Royal Caribbean. Any OBC is usually loaded to your account with them for use through the app or website when booking.

[firefly333]

7 minutes ago, Midwifelife7 said:

Will there be plenty of options available to choose from or will all the good ones be full?  We have $1400 OBC at this time, and a family of 7, so I would really like to use that for a nice excursion that we would not normally get to purchase.  I am looking at a dolphin experience in amber cove/dominican republic that is roughtly $135 ish a piece....for our family that is a lot and we wouldn't ordinarily do that.  It would be great to use OBC to purchase it, but I didn't know if there would be much available if I wait until we board the ship.  

 

I wait and never once had trouble booking excursions onboard, especially the higher priced ones. The cheapest ones are the only ones I see selling out.

 

I was thinking of chefs table myself, I got 800 to spend all by myself. And that speed boat in cozumel, twister and the air boat in Belize, still deciding.

[firefly333]

Just now, JT1962 said:

Not sure about Carnival, but you can purchase excursions and other items with Onboard Credit prior to sailing on Royal Caribbean. Any OBC is usually loaded to your account with them for use through the app or website when booking.

Carnival have to wait until you are onboard unfortunately.

[Saint Greg]

13 minutes ago, JT1962 said:

Not sure about Carnival, but you can purchase excursions and other items with Onboard Credit prior to sailing on Royal Caribbean. Any OBC is usually loaded to your account with them for use through the app or website when booking.

 

Not the case with Carnival.

[Saint Greg]

23 minutes ago, Midwifelife7 said:

Will there be plenty of options available to choose from or will all the good ones be full?  We have $1400 OBC at this time, and a family of 7, so I would really like to use that for a nice excursion that we would not normally get to purchase.  I am looking at a dolphin experience in amber cove/dominican republic that is roughtly $135 ish a piece....for our family that is a lot and we wouldn't ordinarily do that.  It would be great to use OBC to purchase it, but I didn't know if there would be much available if I wait until we board the ship.  

 

 

When I want to use OBC on an excursion I make sure I know what I want to book ahead of time and I go to the excursion desk right after I get on the ship. So far I've been able to get them all that way.

[JT1962]

Carnival have to wait until you are onboard unfortunately.

Ok, thanks. That doesn’t seem very user-friendly. With all of the onboard credit they are handing out, there will probably be lines everywhere once boarding with people trying to book excursions, make dinner reservations, etc. to use their credit.

[shof515]

15 minutes ago, JT1962 said:

 

Ok, thanks. That doesn’t seem very user-friendly. With all of the onboard credit they are handing out, there will probably be lines everywhere once boarding with people trying to book excursions, make dinner reservations, etc. to use their credit.

use the carnival hub app or your stateroom tv to book excursions. you do not need to visit the desk. The only excursion that can not be booked by the app or the tv is the behind the fun tour.

[evandbob]

47 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I wait and never once had trouble booking excursions onboard, especially the higher priced ones. The cheapest ones are the only ones I see selling out.

 

I was thinking of chefs table myself, I got 800 to spend all by myself. And that speed boat in cozumel, twister and the air boat in Belize, still deciding.

 

Here's a hint to make the speed boat seem less jarring on the spine:  Don't brace your feet on the floor and don't let your legs go rigid.  You feel every bump that way.  Just suspend your feet a few inches off the floor and sway with the motion, way more fun!

 

I learned that trick after spinal fusion operation.

[firefly333]

2 minutes ago, evandbob said:

 

Here's a hint to make the speed boat seem less jarring on the spine:  Don't brace your feet on the floor and don't let your legs go rigid.  You feel every bump that way.  Just suspend your feet a few inches off the floor and sway with the motion, way more fun!

 

I learned that trick after spinal fusion operation.

Thanks.

 

I'll also bring a band for my hair, learned that on that fast ride to belize they call a shuttle. Some of those shuttles go faster than others and my hair was one big tangle. 

 

I love air boat rides too. So fun and noisy. 

[naxer]

With a little finagling, in the past I've been able to keep track on how excursions are selling from the website.  I kind of do a mock booking for excursions, where if I check on the scheduled time or times, it has let me know how many spaces were available.  

[ULCajunCruiser]

3 hours ago, shof515 said:

depending on the terminal. Download the Carnival HUB app to your device. while you are in the terminal waiting to board, see if you can connect to the ships WIFI network and then configure the hub app. once the hub app is configured, you can book excursions from the app.

Awesome trick!!!   Never would have thought of doing that.

[wardamnweagle]

3 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I wait and never once had trouble booking excursions onboard, especially the higher priced ones. The cheapest ones are the only ones I see selling out.

 

I was thinking of chefs table myself, I got 800 to spend all by myself. And that speed boat in cozumel, twister and the air boat in Belize, still deciding.

Did the “speed boat” in Cozumel some years ago. I’m not sure what I expected, but it was a small two seater boat with a lawnmower engine that went about 25mph and you stayed in a line. That may be fine for city folk, but growing up in the south with a lake house I was driving small fishing boats at age 10, personal water craft, etc. Current PWC is turbocharged and will do 70+ on a smooth lake. 
 

If you didn’t grow up around water it may be fun. If you did grow up around water it may induce yawns...

[firefly333]

43 minutes ago, wardamnweagle said:

Did the “speed boat” in Cozumel some years ago. I’m not sure what I expected, but it was a small two seater boat with a lawnmower engine that went about 25mph and you stayed in a line. That may be fine for city folk, but growing up in the south with a lake house I was driving small fishing boats at age 10, personal water craft, etc. Current PWC is turbocharged and will do 70+ on a smooth lake. 
 

If you didn’t grow up around water it may be fun. If you did grow up around water it may induce yawns...

This is the twister I mentioned above, more than 2 seats. I always thought $89 was a lot but heard it was fun.

 

It used to be private but carnival apparently bought them so now you can only book thru carnival 

[wardamnweagle]

Interesting. That looks more fun. 
 

these were the little speed boats we did. 

[DGP1111]

4 hours ago, firefly333 said:

. . .  I was thinking of chefs table myself, I got 800 to spend all by myself . . .

 

It is almost always a wonderful experience that I hope you'll get to fully enjoy. 😊

 

I've no clue which ship you're booked on, but I know a few vessels are going to have to re-think the design of this experience . . . specifically those offering the Chef's Table dining directly in the galley.  Some offer it in separate rooms (even the library on Fantasy class)

 

  A little birdy very recently advised me this would be a No-Go moving forward.  Even that initial galley experience (apps, and Melting Chocolate Cake lesson) would not take place there in the future.  That would make total sense.

 

They'll figure out something to make it still happen, but it will definitely be different.

 

.

Edited May 7, 2020 by DGP1111

[firefly333]

17 minutes ago, DGP1111 said:

 

It is almost always a wonderful experience that I hope you'll get to fully enjoy. 😊

 

I've no clue which ship you're booked on, but I know a few vessels are going to have to re-think the design of this experience . . . specifically those offering the Chef's Table dining directly in the galley.  Some offer it in separate rooms (even the library on Fantasy class)

 

  A little birdy very recently advised me this would be a No-Go moving forward.  Even that initial galley experience (apps, and Melting Chocolate Cake lesson) would not take place there in the future.  That would make total sense.

 

They'll figure out something to make it still happen, but it will definitely be different.

 

.

I'm booked on freedom. Did vista last time and a few things I liked better on freedom.

 

I figured I'd go first thing after boarding to sign up as I know it's hard to book.

[crusinpsychRN]

On 5/7/2020 at 10:57 AM, evandbob said:

 

Here's a hint to make the speed boat seem less jarring on the spine:  Don't brace your feet on the floor and don't let your legs go rigid.  You feel every bump that way.  Just suspend your feet a few inches off the floor and sway with the motion, way more fun!

 

I learned that trick after spinal fusion operation.

Your doctor must have been happy to know you knew that!😄

[crusinpsychRN]

When I did Chef's Table I was seated next to a woman who wouldn't shut up. She blabbered on about a trip to the Rocky mountains. The ordeal lasted 3 hours. Ugh!