Another itinerary change - Mardi Gras

[TeresaJ]

We are on Mardi Gras 1/20/2024 and so far our itinerary has not changed. I see that the cruise before ours and the one after have switched to Nassau, so maybe it's just a matter of time when they switch ours.

 

We will be bummed if it gets switched. We've been to Nassau so many times so this would be a disappointing change for us too.

[Moviela]

I wish they would level with passengers when a port change is necessary. I was in San Juan two weeks ago on Mardi Gras. I did not notice any problems with the port, or ashore. We traveled out of the city sight seeing and did not see any trouble there. Seemed business as usual. Could be they are doing some work on the port, or the piers are needed to deliver infrastructure supplies, or there is too many ships to handle all the passengers, or Nassau made a financial contribution to get a large ship. 

[cruisingguy007]

41 minutes ago, Moviela said:

I wish they would level with passengers when a port change is necessary. I was in San Juan two weeks ago on Mardi Gras. I did not notice any problems with the port, or ashore. We traveled out of the city sight seeing and did not see any trouble there. Seemed business as usual. Could be they are doing some work on the port, or the piers are needed to deliver infrastructure supplies, or there is too many ships to handle all the passengers, or Nassau made a financial contribution to get a large ship. 

 

They need to pay for that new cruise terminal and what better way than jamming in as many ships as possible? Especially if a lot of folks simply stay on the ship, they still collect the port fee. It also saves a lot of fuel as well. It's the Ensenada of the Caribbean lol.  

Edited October 28, 2022 by cruisingguy007

[ronrythm]

Puerto Rico is having a lot of power problems. They still haven’t recovered from Maria when they got hit again this year. They are experiencing rolling blackouts across large portions of the island. Right now may not be the best time to visit.

https://apple.news/AWXIoawPMRC-2w4aNFWae_g

Edited October 28, 2022 by ronrythm
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[sra12574]

I am  sailing  on  Mardi  Gras   this  summer  .I have  not  received  an  email  and  my  itinary  has  not  changed  on  my  cruise planner . I  really  hope  that   this  change  does  not  happen .  My  activity  on  cruise  critic  picked  up  recently  because  we  were  debating  on  taking  another  short  cruise  before  our  7  day  but  many  of  the options seemed  to  have  Nassau  and  that  has  us  underwhelmed . if   the  change  was   for  weather or  something  that  was  a  temporary  issue  for  a  few  cruises  I   am  cool  with that  but  to  change  the  itinary  this  far  our  sucks .  We  booked  this  cruise  as a  replacement  for  a  Covid  Cancelled  trip . So  far  other  then the  ship  we   feel  downgraded   by  the  replacement  .

[crewsweeper]

On 10/26/2022 at 10:07 AM, kelkel2 said:

Our cruise has been affected too. We’re on the 1/21/23 sailing. I’m sad, but we will just have to make a point to book another cruise that goes there in the future. 

Haven't seen a notice for the 1/28/23 MG Eastern cruise.   But I thought the MG was going Western for 1/21, and Eastern for 1/14.

[ninjacat123]

On 10/25/2022 at 5:13 PM, IntrepidFromDC said:

On the bright side, if there's ANY Carnival ship that packs enough to satisfy a cruiser without getting off at ports, it's Mardi Gras!

More time to eat at Big Chicken and Emeril's!!👍

[ninjacat123]

On 10/25/2022 at 1:20 PM, IntrepidFromDC said:

I just got the itinerary change email from Colleen Olivero... for multiple Mardi Gras cruises San Juan is being replaced with NASSAU  WEEEEEEE!!!!

Sorry for your loss but I have to say I LOL'd at the WEEEEEEEE!!!!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Just now, ninjacat123 said:

More time to eat at Big Chicken and Emeril's!!👍

 

Absolutely !

[ninjacat123]

We are on Magic January 2023 with San Juan as a port.  Please Carnival, don't take my San Juan away (like you probably will do with my rum🏴‍☠️) and leave me with Nassau😱

[dbkruzr]

We are on the 1-28-23 sailing and so far it appears we are still going to San Juan. My main problem with going to Nassau is that I want to cruise not float doing 9 knots leaving PC on Saturday and not arriving till Monday in Nassau.

 

[kelkel2]

3 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

Haven't seen a notice for the 1/28/23 MG Eastern cruise.   But I thought the MG was going Western for 1/21, and Eastern for 1/14.

No, we’re the eastern route too. We were supposed to go to San Juan, Grand Turk and Amber cove. 

[MauiWowie57]

17 hours ago, pzsdd6 said:

Seriously, this is a terrible change. I understand that there may be issues with San Juan, but substituting Nassau. This has to be the most overdone, over visited, over hyped, and most importantly, underwhelming port in the so called Caribbean. I Say Caribbean because this was supposed to be a “Caribbean” cruise. Once again Carnival disappoints.

Why not just make it another sea day and refund the port charges, that way the majority would most likely be happy.

I'd definitely prefer a sea day to Nassau. It's the only port that has a Beach Boys song (Sloop John B which they covered) that, yes, aptly describes it. 

[crewsweeper]

1 hour ago, kelkel2 said:

No, we’re the eastern route too. We were supposed to go to San Juan, Grand Turk and Amber cove. 

Yes, noticed that there are 3 Easterns in a row.  Not seeing any itinerary change for our cruise either on app or on website.  But if it happens it'll be the 3rd San Juan stop we've missed  since cruising restarted.

[CruizinSusan70]

11 hours ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 It's the Ensenada of the Caribbean lol.  

Always thought that Nassau was not in the Caribbean since it's the Bahamas, similar to Freeport.

[CruizinSusan70]

5 hours ago, sra12574 said:

I am  sailing  on  Mardi  Gras   this  summer  .I have  not  received  an  email  and  my  itinary  has  not  changed  on  my  cruise planner . I  really  hope  that   this  change  does  not  happen .  My  activity  on  cruise  critic  picked  up  recently  because  we  were  debating  on  taking  another  short  cruise  before  our  7  day  but  many  of  the options seemed  to  have  Nassau  and  that  has  us  underwhelmed . if   the  change  was   for  weather or  something  that  was  a  temporary  issue  for  a  few  cruises  I   am  cool  with that  but  to  change  the  itinary  this  far  our  sucks .  We  booked  this  cruise  as a  replacement  for  a  Covid  Cancelled  trip . So  far  other  then the  ship  we   feel  downgraded   by  the  replacement  .

Port changes happen all of the time and when you read the T&C's the cruise lines are under no obligation to offer OBC as compensation.  If you're looking to cruise just for the ship, other options would be the Celebration or the Horizon with a Havana area cabin.

[CruizinSusan70]

2 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

More time to eat at Big Chicken and Emeril's!!👍

Can't forget the broth bowls at Chibang during sea day lunch.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

7 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Can't forget the broth bowls at Chibang during sea day lunch.

 

That sounds too much like thin soup, but, I've never tried it !

 

Tom

[CruizinSusan70]

3 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

That sounds too much like thin soup, but, I've never tried it !

 

Tom

They come in shrimp, chicken and beef varieties with different types of noodles and veggies included.  Very flavorful.

[sra12574]

22 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Port changes happen all of the time and when you read the T&C's the cruise lines are under no obligation to offer OBC as compensation.  If you're looking to cruise just for the ship, other options would be the Celebration or the Horizon with a Havana area cabin.

   I  wasnt  looking  for  onboard  credit ,  never  stated ,  never  implied  I  was  looking for  it . I  never  sail  just  for  the  ship ,   I  shop  for  ports  and  price  . Not  always   looking  for  cheapest option at  the  time  but  what  we  are  in the  mood  to try . We  most likely  will enjoy  the  trip  but  it  is   a  let  down , as  I  stated  this  is  a makeup  trip  from  before  Covid  for  us . It  had  already  dropped  1  port  from  the  itinary  that   we  originally  booked and  most  likely  are  going to  swap  out  another  port , both  ports  were  ones  that  we  have  not  visited  . Replacing  it  with Nassua  is  not high  on  our  options because  it  is  offered  in  so  many short  cruises that  we  could  do that port  at  any  time plus  my  son  and  I  scubadive  and  its   a  place   that  we  fly  and  stay  a  few  days  while  diving  its  not  as  diver  friendly   to dive  when  cruising in Nassua ( not  impossible  but  more  of  a  hassle  then some  other places ) .  When  you  take a  port  is  only  on a  few  itinaries  and  replace  it  with one  that  is  on a  lot  itinaries it  is  underwhelming  . 

[IntrepidFromDC]

On 10/28/2022 at 8:12 AM, crewsweeper said:

Haven't seen a notice for the 1/28/23 MG Eastern cruise.   But I thought the MG was going Western for 1/21, and Eastern for 1/14.

No, Eastern for 1/21, to Nassau (weeEEE!), Amber Cove and Grand Turk.  Correct that 1/28 is also Eastern, but as of today on carnival.com still includes San Juan.

[Drazil65]

We are booked on MG 12/16/23 cruise and so far still showing San Juan on itinerary.  We enjoy this port and although we would rather have this port on this cruise we will adjust if it gets changed.  We have been to most of them anyway at this point so not a big deal, its still a cruise! 

[kelkel2]

I’m on one of the affected cruises in January. Does anyone have a guess when shore excursions will be loaded? 

[Knights on the Beach]

On 10/28/2022 at 12:46 PM, CruizinSusan70 said:

Can't forget the broth bowls at Chibang during sea day lunch.

 

On 10/28/2022 at 12:54 PM, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

That sounds too much like thin soup, but, I've never tried it !

 

Tom

 

On 10/28/2022 at 12:58 PM, CruizinSusan70 said:

They come in shrimp, chicken and beef varieties with different types of noodles and veggies included.  Very flavorful.

 

Maybe they had an off day, but we weren't fans of the broth bowls. I thought the stir fry was much better.

 

Stir fry vs broth bowl:

 

 

 

[IntrepidFromDC]

3 hours ago, cruisemom2 said:

 

 

 

Maybe they had an off day, but we weren't fans of the broth bowls. I thought the stir fry was much better.

 

Stir fry vs broth bowl:

 

 

 

BOTH, please!