California Restart Thread - Panorama Departing 8/21/21

[Wanna_Cruize]

After having a grand total of 8 cruises cancelled due to Covid, we ended up by chance booked on the first cruise out of California. Panorama departing 8/21/21 to the Mexican Riviera. I'm starting this thread now, to document the protocols that end up being put in place for our cruise, and how it progresses. 

 

Feel free to follow along, and ask any questions you would like to have answered. 

 

Here's the situation so far:

 

This cruise was originally booked for April 11, 2020 as a John Heald Blogger's cruise. DH and I (early 60s) had been on a mission to get ourselves to Diamond status on that trip. We ended up taking 6 weekend cruises in the last 4 months of 2019, 3 more the first 2 months of 2020, and then our last 3 day in March got cancelled, and that started the chain reaction. When it all closed down, we were 10 days away from Diamond. Oh well, we'll get there soon.

 

Right now, we're cruising alone on Panorama on 8/21. It was the earliest we could rebook after our July 17th booking got cancelled. Fortunately for us, it ended up being the first cruise (fingers crossed that we actually sail).

 

After reading the tea leaves, we figured vaccinations would be required in order to sail, so we ended up getting our 2nd shots earlier this month. We've been boosing our immune system all through covid, so didn't have any real side-effects from the vaccinations, and were very thankful for that. I actually think we caught it very early, before they knew what it was, but that's another story. 

[Wanna_Cruize]

Here's some observations so far. 

 

We originally booked a Havana Interior because we wanted to check out the Havana area that we've heard so much about, but I'm pretty frugal, and told DH that we would book the interior for this one, since we didn't have as much FCC to apply to this one. We have another trip planned in September, same ship, same itinerary, but with another couple. That was was the actual rebooking of the original April 2020 cruise, so we had much more FCC to apply, so we splurged on the Havana Cabana. 

 

DH isn't aware that I had my PVP switch us into a Cabana for this August cruise also, as a surprise for him. I handle the cruise financials, so he won't know, and he doesn't obsess over cabin numbers, etc. so I'm pretty sure I can keep it a secret. He doesn't read CC either so my secret is safe with you guys. 

 

Anyway, we're very excited about this trip, and any hints that people have on Panorama, I'd love to hear about them. 

 

Just today it appears that all the Havana Cabana cabins are now booked, only Havana Balconies remain. There are still cabins available, so I'm not sure what the total capacity will be. 

 

I've made a reservation for Bonsai Teppanyaki for lunch on the last sea day, because I figured it might sell out before the cruise and we really wanted to try it. 

[Wanna_Cruize]

Another change i noticed today is that our online Check-In date was moved forward by two days. I wondered if that was in response to the decision to remove the word "Priority" from the documents and luggage tags during this restart. I was able to confirm with a February group booking we have that the date change only affected cabins with Platinum guests. I think it's a great idea, to give us a 2 day start, so those P&D guests who want an early time can get one. 

 

We LOVE getting on the ship as early as possible, and many times have been one of the first couple of ones onboard. We will be doing the same thing again here. I'll do the online checkin as soon as possible on the day it's available.

[Wanna_Cruize]

This was the first notice we got on this cruise. we received it on May 24th:

 

 

Final Payment Extension for August 2021 Sailings Cruise Departures from U.S. Homeports (excluding Carnival Breeze, Horizon, Miracle and Vista)

Dear Carnival Guest: We are very excited about our upcoming restart and have been working hard for the return of guest operations.  We are in the process of finalizing our August sailing schedule and hope to have this completed soon. We know you are eager to understand our plans for your sailing in August and appreciate your patience.  In the meantime, we are making the following accommodations to provide you with maximum flexibility: Final payments due in May have been extended until June 14. You may cancel without penalty by June 14 and receive a full refund. If you booked a refundable fare with final payment due after June 14, you have until that later date to cancel for refund, consistent with your original fare rules. If you exercise your ability to cancel without penalty under these flexible rules, you will not be eligible for any offer made to guests should the sailing ultimately be cancelled.  We are hoping to be able to provide further information to you prior to June 14 but this action will allow those who have not yet made final payment to wait until we have greater clarity on sailing before making payment. Additionally, in consultation with the cruise industry, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has developed a revised set of guidelines to balance protecting public health while providing for an enjoyable vacation.   Among the CDC requirements we are working to implement is the operation of simulated cruises to test our protocols.  This will allow us more flexibility to allow unvaccinated children to sail, among other key procedures.  As we start to communicate with our guests who are scheduled to sail in July about our Have Fun. Be Safe.TM protocols, they may differ slightly for August as those procedures continue to evolve.  Once we have more information about your cruise, we will be back to you with another update. Thank you for your patience and support.  We are dedicated to welcoming you aboard a Carnival ship just as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Christine Duffy President, Carnival Cruise Line

Edited June 16, 2021 by Wanna_Cruize

[Wanna_Cruize]

The next update we got on this cruise was received June 11th, just a couple of days before our extended final payment date of June 14th. 

 

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING CRUISE

Dear Carnival Guest: We are excited about our summer restart and I wanted to follow up on our email from late Thursday about our plans to operate your cruise. Things are moving quickly, and in our desire to share information with you in timely fashion, we know that there a gaps to fill in. First, as we work through this restart process and our operations for August, we are extending final payment on your sailing to Monday, June 21. As we operate to meet the CDC guidelines, there is an exemption process to accommodate a small number of guests who are unable or ineligible to be vaccinated (children under 12 and other exceptions as required by federal law).  The current standard to meet the CDC’s criteria for a fully vaccinated cruise – under which guests can sail without a mask and other restrictions – is that at least 95 percent of all guests on board are fully vaccinated.  In addition, our crew will be fully vaccinated. We will be sending details next week about this exemption process, and additional protocols as they are finalized.  It’s important to note that the number of exemptions will be a very small subset, will largely be children under 12, and it will be less than 5 percent of guests to account for no shows and other operational matters.  And, we cannot begin to process these exemptions until after all final payments are received and we have certainty on the total number of guests on board – so that we can determine the number of exemptions.  But we are committed to moving as quickly as possible. In the meantime, it is important that you make sure your booking is up to date, which includes the names and ages of all guests in your party.  You can manage that in the MyCruisePlanner function on Carnival.com, with your Personal Vacation Planner, your travel agent or by calling us at 1-800-CARNIVAL. Thank you for your support and patience.  We are working hard to restart operations and welcome you and our other great guests back on board. Sincerely,

Christine Duffy President, Carnival Cruise Line

[CthyC]

We will be boarding when you get off. Thanks for keeping us up to date. I also have a Havana Cabana booked 4/2022 and 4/2023. I am looking forward to your perception of the Havana experience.

[bdever]

I will also follow along as I’m very interested in the protocols as they are executed onboard. 
 

I am also booked in a Havana Cabana for 9/18/21 & 12/31/21. 
 

thank you 🙏🏻 

[PaperSniper4]

Thanks for starting and continuing this thread as your experience continues. We're on a San Pedro cruise to Mexico also, but not until December 2021. Still, it's good to hear things are progressing for earlier cruises!😎

 

Doug

[K_e_short]

Thank you for starting this thread. I will be following.

 

I want to go on that ship in December and always love learning as much as possible about my vacations.

 

[ScottsSweetie]

Following along. We're booked on 9/4 and still feeling like it's a 50/50 shot that we'll be cruising. Our final payment was due on 6/6 and we were not given an opportunity to extend that.

 

I'm still in shock that California is opening up for cruising so quickly after Florida and Texas. I figured it would be several months behind.

[Slush]

26 minutes ago, ScottsSweetie said:

Following along. We're booked on 9/4 and still feeling like it's a 50/50 shot that we'll be cruising. Our final payment was due on 6/6 and we were not given an opportunity to extend that.

 

I'm still in shock that California is opening up for cruising so quickly after Florida and Texas. I figured it would be several months behind.

We too are on the 9/4 sailing. Rebooked January that was canceled. Figured this would all be behind us by now.

[cathyz]

4 hours ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Thanks for starting and continuing this thread as your experience continues. We're on a San Pedro cruise to Mexico also, but not until December 2021. Still, it's good to hear things are progressing for earlier cruises!😎

 

Doug

Doug, looks like your December 2021 cruise is on Carnival which cruises from Long Beach, not San Pedro, two different ports.

[PaperSniper4]

37 minutes ago, cathyz said:

Doug, looks like your December 2021 cruise is on Carnival which cruises from Long Beach, not San Pedro, two different ports.

Duh, yeah. That's what I get for posting here before I've had enough coffee.😝

 

Yeah, good catch - our Mexico cruise isn't until February 2022! I'm reasonably sure all will be well by then. I THINK San Pedro cruises before then have a good chance of sailing, and I' be monitoring this thread to see how it goes. But to be on the safe side, I've gotten Princess and Carnival's vacation protection insurance to provide some protection in case I want to cancel after the final payment.

 

Doug

[cathyz]

4 hours ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Duh, yeah. That's what I get for posting here before I've had enough coffee.😝

 

Yeah, good catch - our Mexico cruise isn't until February 2022! I'm reasonably sure all will be well by then. I THINK San Pedro cruises before then have a good chance of sailing, and I' be monitoring this thread to see how it goes. But to be on the safe side, I've gotten Princess and Carnival's vacation protection insurance to provide some protection in case I want to cancel after the final payment.

 

Doug

Haha, I only noticed that because I've run into a couple cruisers over the years who never cruised out of CA before and had hotels in San Pedro area and were surprised the hotel shuttles wouldn't go to Long Beach!   Ooops.....

 

[Wanna_Cruize]

17 hours ago, bdever said:

I will also follow along as I’m very interested in the protocols as they are executed onboard. 
 

I am also booked in a Havana Cabana for 9/18/21 & 12/31/21. 
 

thank you 🙏🏻 

Cool, we'll be getting off in September as you are getting on, also in a Havana Cabana #5215

[Wanna_Cruize]

19 hours ago, CthyC said:

We will be boarding when you get off. Thanks for keeping us up to date. I also have a Havana Cabana booked 4/2022 and 4/2023. I am looking forward to your perception of the Havana experience.

That's cool - we're in 5219 on that one. We'll keep the lights on for 'ya!.

[PaperSniper4]

12 hours ago, cathyz said:

Haha, I only noticed that because I've run into a couple cruisers over the years who never cruised out of CA before and had hotels in San Pedro area and were surprised the hotel shuttles wouldn't go to Long Beach!   Ooops.....

 

Heck, I usually over analyze and over plan our vacations. I book most cruises about a year in advance. I booked three Princess cruises between December 2021 and November 2022, pretty close to the day their schedule was published. Two are the longer Princess cruises in my signature below, another was a 7 day Princess in December 2021 from Port Everglades.  I made EZ-Fare reservations the first day it was available for the December 2021 Port Everglades and 2022 Mexico cruise from San Pedro. I also booked hotels <pay at the door>, making sure it was reasonably close to the Princess pier. We are pretty familiar with SoCal since my wife was born and raised there, and I lived there during college, so I know what you mean about booking something in the Las Angeles area. It's a HUGE place with lots of options for everything, including airports, cruise terminals and hotels.

 

Our travel plans for this summer changed a couple of weeks ago, so I cancelled the December Princess, and substituted that shorter Carnival one from NOLA. It's an easy drive from home, no airfare or hotel involved, lesser category cabin, etc. IOW, less expensive! We were unwilling to wait to cruise until February 2022!😎

 

Doug

[kdr69]

On 6/15/2021 at 9:26 PM, Wanna_Cruize said:

Here's some observations so far. 

 

We originally booked a Havana Interior because we wanted to check out the Havana area that we've heard so much about, but I'm pretty frugal, and told DH that we would book the interior for this one, since we didn't have as much FCC to apply to this one. We have another trip planned in September, same ship, same itinerary, but with another couple. That was was the actual rebooking of the original April 2020 cruise, so we had much more FCC to apply, so we splurged on the Havana Cabana. 

 

DH isn't aware that I had my PVP switch us into a Cabana for this August cruise also, as a surprise for him. I handle the cruise financials, so he won't know, and he doesn't obsess over cabin numbers, etc. so I'm pretty sure I can keep it a secret. He doesn't read CC either so my secret is safe with you guys. 

 

Anyway, we're very excited about this trip, and any hints that people have on Panorama, I'd love to hear about them. 

 

Just today it appears that all the Havana Cabana cabins are now booked, only Havana Balconies remain. There are still cabins available, so I'm not sure what the total capacity will be. 

 

I've made a reservation for Bonsai Teppanyaki for lunch on the last sea day, because I figured it might sell out before the cruise and we really wanted to try it. 

Yes the Bonsai Teppanyaki is a great entertainment and dinner.  I will be booking it many more times where its available.  Pig and Anchor was also a really good place to eat not only lunch but supper as well.  DH might like the Heroes Tribute Bar if hes into watching some sports.  IMO Carnival really did this Tribute up well to your Armed Forces.  Shows are also a must see.

[cathyz]

6 hours ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Heck, I usually over analyze and over plan our vacations. I book most cruises about a year in advance. I booked three Princess cruises between December 2021 and November 2022, pretty close to the day their schedule was published. Two are the longer Princess cruises in my signature below, another was a 7 day Princess in December 2021 from Port Everglades.  I made EZ-Fare reservations the first day it was available for the December 2021 Port Everglades and 2022 Mexico cruise from San Pedro. I also booked hotels <pay at the door>, making sure it was reasonably close to the Princess pier. We are pretty familiar with SoCal since my wife was born and raised there, and I lived there during college, so I know what you mean about booking something in the Las Angeles area. It's a HUGE place with lots of options for everything, including airports, cruise terminals and hotels.

 

Our travel plans for this summer changed a couple of weeks ago, so I cancelled the December Princess, and substituted that shorter Carnival one from NOLA. It's an easy drive from home, no airfare or hotel involved, lesser category cabin, etc. IOW, less expensive! We were unwilling to wait to cruise until February 2022!😎

 

Doug

Doug, I think you're covered!!   That's why we cruise so much out of Long Beach, about a 5 hour drive from home, way easier than flights, etc, etc.....  Have fun on all your upcoming cruises!

[Wanna_Cruize]

Ok, here's the latest communication from Carnival, regarding our August cruise from California

Part 1: 

 

OPERATIONAL UPDATE MARDI GRAS JULY 31 AND AUGUST 2021 SAILINGS

Dear Carnival Guest: We are excited about getting to welcome you aboard your upcoming cruise in August. We know you are awaiting more details about pre-cruise and onboard protocols and procedures and we want to thank you for your patience while we finalized our plans. Our Have Fun. Be Safe. protocols and procedures have been designed to maximize the health and safety of our guests and crew while delivering a fun and memorable vacation experience. Please take note of our Have Fun. Be Safe. guidelines we expect to follow: Guests, including children who are age-eligible for vaccines, will need to be vaccinated and show proof of vaccination in advance of boarding. (As a reminder, fully vaccinated is defined as receiving the final dose of a vaccine at least 14 days before embarkation.) For your reference, any vaccine approved by either the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO) meets this requirement. According to current CDC guidelines, vaccinated guests on your sailing will not be required to wear face masks or physical distance while on board. However, masks are required at the cruise terminal during embarkation. Vaccinated guests may participate in Carnival-sponsored tours or independent activities. We are in the process of finalizing our tours and expect more availability to be added in the next few weeks. Please check back on Carnival.com by the end of the month. All guests are required to follow the protocols and requirements for each destination while ashore. These restrictions are under the control of local government and are subject to change without advance notice. We encourage you to come prepared for potential requirements ashore which may apply to health screening/testing, masks, physical distancing, organized tours/independent activities, etc. A Know Before You Go email will be sent to you the week before sailing with additional information on embarkation related matters.  Please watch for and read that email carefully, as it will be specific about vaccination verification and other details.

[Wanna_Cruize]

Here's Part 2 of the latest communication from Carnival, regarding our August cruise from California: 

 

We know there are some guests who are ineligible or unable to meet the vaccination requirements and we want to provide them with more information on our decision. The current CDC requirements for cruising with a guest base that is unvaccinated are much more restrictive and will make it very difficult to deliver the experience our guests expect especially given the large number of families with younger children who sail with us.  Specifically, the current CDC requirements for cruises with unvaccinated guests require that vaccinated guests wear a face mask indoors and that all unvaccinated guests undergo testing at the embarkation terminal (and within 24 hours of debark if the cruise is longer than 4 days).  This requirement applies to all unvaccinated guests, including children, along with physical distancing requirements that will have to be maintained between guests on board. We are in regular communication with the CDC requesting that more manageable guidelines be adopted, especially as it relates to families traveling with children under the age of 12 who are ineligible for vaccination. Until those guidelines are revised, our only alternative is to sail with vaccinated guests.  We also continue to work with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on our plans for our Florida based ships.  We know this is disappointing to those guests who are unable to be or have not been vaccinated, including the many children who are booked to sail with us for their summer vacation.  We had to make some difficult decisions based on where we are with the CDC, general public health guidelines, and the overall health and safety of our guests and crew. We remain optimistic that requirements for cruising from the U.S. will continue to evolve and our approach to future sailings will become more flexible. However, at this time we must follow the guidance we have as of today.  As we operate to meet the CDC guidelines, there is an exemption process to accommodate a small number of guests who are unable or ineligible to be vaccinated (children under 12 and other exceptions as required by federal law).  The current standard to meet the CDC’s criteria for a fully vaccinated cruise – under which guests can sail without a mask and other restrictions – is that at least 95 percent of all guests on board are fully vaccinated.  Please click here to submit  an application for an exemption if a member of your party meets our criteria. Exemption request must be completed by end of day June 25. It’s important to note that the number of exemptions will be a very small subset, will largely be children under 12, and it will be less than 5 percent of guests to account for no shows and other operational matters.  And, we cannot begin to process these requests until after all final payments are received on June 21 and we have certainty on the total number of guests on board – so that we can determine the number of exemptions.  But we are committed to moving as quickly as possible. In the meantime, it is important that you make sure your booking is up to date, which includes the names and ages of all guests in your party.  You can manage that in the MyCruisePlanner function on Carnival.com, with your Personal Vacation Planner, your travel agent or by calling us at 1-800-CARNIVAL. If you determine the time is not right for you to sail, please call 1-800-CARNIVAL, your Personal Vacation Planner or your travel advisor who can help you rebook for a later date. We have ship itineraries open through 2024 and as previously communicated, we have extended your ability to rebook or request a full refund until Monday, June 21.  After that date, our regular fare rules will apply.  Ultimately, we are focused and committed to following all guidelines, protecting public health, AND delivering to our guests, a FUN Carnival cruise vacation.  We look forward to seeing you on a Carnival cruise next month. Sincerely,

http://image.carnivalcruiselineemail.com/lib/fe9513727761047c7c/m/16/bd3f70f3-0423-4959-8e06-f79b51e6b9d9.jpg

Christine Duffy President, Carnival Cruise Line

[Wanna_Cruize]

I wanted to add some notes about what we decided on Travel Insurance. Perhaps it might be useful information for someone. 

 

Pre-Covid, we had been traveling under an annual medical travel policy through GeoBlue - Trekker Choice. I wanted to have medical care/evacuation coverage and wasn't so concerned about trip interruption/cancellation insurance. As I said, we're in our early 60's DH, is retired and I work from home, so we would rarely need to cancel our trip, and we were concentrating on small 3-4 cruises exclusively out of CA that were pretty cheap. 

 

Now, with the restart, we are splurging for the first time, trying out Havana Cabana cabins on multiple cruises. Some are covered in large part by FCC, but some are not, like this August one; we are paying pretty much full freight on this one. I had purchased a one-trip insurance plan for it a week or so ago. DH has a health condition that could go south unexpectedly that could put a major crimp in our travel plans, and I wanted to have a little more protection. 

 

However, I also started researching more about new annual plans I heard about that have both trip cancellation and medical expense/evacuation, and also would cover expenses relate to Covid if it becomes an issue. We actually have a total of 5 cruises already scheduled between now and February '22, with more to come once they restart the weekend cruises at a cheap price, so buying a separate policy each time becomes pricey. 

 

Also, another wrinkle is that family members/friends are going along with us on some of these trips On those, we have two cabins booked, one under my husband's name and one under mine. We're platinum (almost diamond) and this way our family members can share in our perks, such as priority boarding, laundry, in room amenities, etc. I know Carnival doesn't care/need to know where we sleep at night, but I wondered if that could cause issues with travel insurance coverage in the event we had a claim. Would a normal single-trip plan cover both of us on each trip in that instance; would it matter if we are not 'in' the same cabin? 

 

I actually decided on RoamRight’s Multi-Trip Annual Trip Cancellation Insurance plan referenced on the Trip Insurance Store website. The plan seems to meet our needs, and I was able to confirm that we both would be covered individually, even in separate cabins, since the policy was purchased individually. It covers all pre-existing conditions, as long as the insured is medically able to travel at the time the policy is purchased. It even can be purchased AFTER the final payment, and you decide when you want it to become effective, anytime within 30 days of purchase.

 

It also covers Covid quarantine expenses if doctor-ordered. We had a range of choices of the trip cancellation annual limits for coverage, and the costs is dependent on that level. I think it is a good choice for us, and I got coverage for both of us with $5000 trip/cancellation annual limit for just over $600 for the year. I was still within my 10 day review time for the individual trip insurance policy I had purchased for our August trip, and got a refund of the $200 cost of that.  Yes the medical expense limit for the year is not that high ($25,000) but we have excellent medical insurance that covers us completely while traveling internationally, and if we end up using it all, I would consider it a great benefit, and re-purchase another annual plan when we could travel again. 

 

If anyone has any questions, feel free to post them here. 

[Wanna_Cruize]

Cross-posting this here for posterity's sake, since it applies to us: 

---------------------------

Just posted by John Heald comments on different delivery methods and procedures for different levels for the time being....

 

Today our Platinum and Diamond guests will start to hear about some modifications to the way they claim some of their VIFP benefits. Guests will receive their communications 16 days prior to sailing but I will share some of the highlights here since I know everyone is eager to get the information. To give you more choice and convenience, and also minimize the number of stateroom deliveries, certain VIFP amenities, will be linked to your Sail and Sign folio. So when you claim your benefit, say the complimentary bottle of water, you will see a credit for the water on your statement.

 

When you’re ready to get the Chocolate Delight, call room service to schedule delivery and visit our Photo Gallery to claim your Carnival logo gift and your Carnival ship pin.

 

Also, I want you to know that given our focus on meeting CDC requirements and implementation of new health and safety protocols, we are also making the following adjustments:

 

· ONLINE CHECK-IN – All guests will be required to complete Online Check-In, which will open 14 days prior to sailing. Platinum and Diamond guests will be given 48 hours advance access to select their preferred Arrival Appointment. So beginning 16 days prior to sailing, you can select your Arrival Appointment. Let me also stress that due to additional embarkation day processes, everyone will have to arrive promptly at their Arrival Appointment. Early arrivals will be turned away and asked to return at their assigned time.

 

· STATEROOM ACCESS – Due to enhanced cleaning and sanitation, staterooms may not be ready at the time of boarding for the early Arrival Appointments. While our team finishes working on your cabins, you can quickly drop off your luggage before heading to Lido for a bite to eat or complete your e-muster process.

 

· WATER SHUTTLE PRIORITY – Priority water shuttle debark will be provided subject to local guidance at the destinations we visit, which may change without prior notice. Our team on board will keep you informed of the debarkation plans for each port.

 

· CASINO – Although we are currently unable to host casino tournaments on board, you will be given US$25 in Casino FunPlay®.

 

· DEBARK – We will do our best to offer priority debarkation, however, this may not be possible if we have unusually high numbers of Platinum and Diamond guest on board.

 

I want to thank you for your understanding and support of these changes. Our terrific crew is really looking forward to welcoming all of you back and can’t wait to see you.

 

Oh and I almost forgot, there is no change the Diamond and Platinum laundry perks.

[Wanna_Cruize]

Also Carnival updated their Have Fun, Be Safe protocol document on their website. It has some good info, including what will be valid for proof of vaccination: 

 

https://www.carnival.com/Legal/covid-19-legal-notices/covid-19-guest-protocols?icid=advisory_cruisehealth_052521

[Wanna_Cruize]

16 hours ago, kdr69 said:

Yes the Bonsai Teppanyaki is a great entertainment and dinner.  I will be booking it many more times where its available.  Pig and Anchor was also a really good place to eat not only lunch but supper as well.  DH might like the Heroes Tribute Bar if hes into watching some sports.  IMO Carnival really did this Tribute up well to your Armed Forces.  Shows are also a must see.

 

Thanks, we'll definitely be checking out the Heroes Tribute bar. I love the fact that Carnival does the Armed Forces Salute, it's really well done. I'm hoping Pig & Anchor is open for lunch on embarkation, but if not we'll probably try out JiJis. We've done Guys Burger many times, and will probably avoid Lido deck until after SailAway.