CCL very small thing that hits big, for me

[firefly333]

3 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

Laundromats on ships. Many of the "higher end" cruises don't have them.  Was looking a 24-day Azmara cruise and no laundromat.  That won't work. Not for 24 days.  

Dont you get free laundry by now.?

 

my vacation used to start when I could see the ocean in Galveston. 

[luc122]

7 hours ago, audcc77 said:

I really wish they’d bring this back.  
 

When I was in my early 20’s I had no money nor did I understand how this worked.   
 

I’m ready to play now!!

They had this on our transatlantic. I had never seen it before. I loved it! 
 

it was so simple, but so much fun. And we won too!  
I would be ok with having it once each cruise. 

[Illbcruzn4life]

2 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Dont you get free laundry by now.?

 

my vacation used to start when I could see the ocean in Galveston. 

I think she was referring to Azamara cruise line.😀

[Eli_6]

19 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Dont you get free laundry by now.?

 

my vacation used to start when I could see the ocean in Galveston. 

On Carnival, but not Azamara. Azamara doesn't have laundry rooms and I shudder to think what they charge to launder clothing.  They probably chare $15 for each piece or something crazy like that.

 

Princess (which has laundry rooms) has a similar route but it is longer, more expensive, and currently sold out. Still, I would rather Princess because of bigger ship, more kids activities, supposedly the best internet on the seas (or so they claim), etc.

Edited December 8, 2023 by Eli_6

[john91498]

First plate of food in the buffet after muster...

[havanadaydreaming]

i agree with the first steps on ship off the gangway.  

 

we get to the gangway so fast now that it almost "robs" us of the anticipation of boarding while waiting in lines at the terminal.  not complaining, ha! 

 

 

[coondog99]

The gangway walk to the ship

First beverage on the Lido deck

Decor/ smell of the cabin hallway

Chime before the announcements

Walking onto the Lido deck first thing in the morning

Towel animals

[KmomChicago]

On 12/6/2023 at 2:34 PM, ninjacat123 said:

Seeing the whale tail for the first time as we approach port for embarkation!!  Woo hoo!!!🚢

 

THAT's when it gets real, baby!

[nwo4life]

On 12/6/2023 at 8:29 AM, havanadaydreaming said:

This may be evident but im a pretty big Parrothead. Probably world class. Not bragging just is what it proverbially is. 

 

Big thumbs up to CCL for including some Jimmy Buffett songs on the buffet background music. 

 

Anyone have a teeny tiny thing that is big to you? 

 

 

On recent long cruise i heard his songs most every day. Some were pretty deep album cuts, not hit songs.  Brought a smile to my face every time.  

 

For years i failed to hear a single recorded or live Jimmy song.  No biggie...like i said this is a very small thing in the big picture. 

 

But i am thankful.  Fins up!

I still remember being surprised when I heard "No Plane on Sunday" in Waterworks on Dream in 2014. Great song, but a very deep cut.

[nycruise1]

6 hours ago, coondog99 said:

Walking onto the Lido deck first thing in the morning

I love walking out onto Lido when we first arrive.  Getting through check in and boarding, going to muster, probably dropping off carry-ons in the room, then when I see the Lido as I come out of the stair case.  Warm air hits you, music is playing, pools look inviting, and the view of Guy's and Blue Iguana and passengers are particularly happy and excited.  That "we are here and there still are 7 or 8 days to enjoy" feeling.

[MsTabbyKats]

Not specific to Carnival...but I love going to the casino early in the am...before 7 am....and I have all machines to myself.

[ninjacat123]

9 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

 

THAT's when it gets real, baby!

That's right!!  Long time, no see posts Kmom.  Hope all is well😃

[KmomChicago]

1 hour ago, ninjacat123 said:

That's right!!  Long time, no see posts Kmom.  Hope all is well😃

Thanks, same to you, all is well.

[SASA13]

On 12/7/2023 at 4:35 PM, audcc77 said:

I really wish they’d bring this back.  
 

When I was in my early 20’s I had no money nor did I understand how this worked.   
 

I’m ready to play now!!

wow,  what a memory.  I forgot all about those, and yes, we loved them too.

[jedi bobs]

Welcome abord show, when the playlisters get to uptown Funk, thats when I finaly get into cruise mode.

 

[Pellaz]

 

Things unique to Carnival:  

 

-- having many of the crew remember you by name.  From room-stewards to Havana Area deck crew to bartenders, it's always a nice feeling.   I know other cruise line employees probably do this, but they consistently try on Carnival (and it's a focus for guest-facing crew training), and on my last few Royal cruises it has been nonexistent.  

 

-- Towel animals.  These are also not technically unique to Carnival but I seldom get more than one or two on Royal, if at all.  And of course the Towel Animal Invasion on the pool-deck one morning toward the end of the cruise.  ❤️  

 

-- "Sssssshowtime!"   And also sometimes having crew members sing during dinner.  One of the female crew singers in the MDR on the Mardi Gras was absolutely amazing.  

 

-- Mongolian Wok or JiJi's Asian for stir-fry on embark day.  I make a beeline for those, on ships so equipped.  

[seamomster]

I am always impress when the bar tenders are kind  and learn the name of my elementary school age son, who abuses his soda card on the ships.  I know it is such a hassle for the bar tender to deal with children. However the lido deck bar tenders and my son are all best friends by the end of the cruise.

 

Our last cruise, my son would wave over the gentleman carry shots in the MDR.  Ask for a shot for his mom.  As soon as I would drink it, he would ask to increase the spending limit on his card.  The last night in the MDR, the gentleman talked about how much fun he had listened to my son.  Little interactions like that I really cherish.

[backbiter]

On 12/6/2023 at 2:29 PM, havanadaydreaming said:

 

 

Anyone have a teeny tiny thing that is big to you? 

 

 

On recent long cruise i heard his songs most every day. Some were pretty deep album cuts, not hit songs.  Brought a smile to my face every time.  

 

But i am thankful.  Fins up!

Not a Jimmy Buffet fan, but on a Splendor cruise in February I had a similar experience with several of my favourite artists. It made a very welcome change to the over-played hit songs you normally hear time and again.

[Kudos2Fly]

On 12/9/2023 at 8:49 AM, havanadaydreaming said:

i agree with the first steps on ship off the gangway.  

 

we get to the gangway so fast now that it almost "robs" us of the anticipation of boarding while waiting in lines at the terminal.  not complaining, ha! 

 

 

Frankly that I don't miss. Faster on the ship the better.... 

[simplelife]

On 12/6/2023 at 9:29 AM, havanadaydreaming said:

This may be evident but im a pretty big Parrothead. Probably world class. Not bragging just is what it proverbially is. 

 

Big thumbs up to CCL for including some Jimmy Buffett songs on the buffet background music. 

 

Anyone have a teeny tiny thing that is big to you? 

 

 

On recent long cruise i heard his songs most every day. Some were pretty deep album cuts, not hit songs.  Brought a smile to my face every time.  

 

For years i failed to hear a single recorded or live Jimmy song.  No biggie...like i said this is a very small thing in the big picture. 

 

But i am thankful.  Fins up!

I was disappointed last cruise  (September, Sunshine) that not much Buffet music was played, especially because Jimmy has only recently died and his music was all over radio stations and the internet.

[simplelife]

On 12/6/2023 at 1:34 PM, tonit964 said:

Mine is a stupid one but huge to me and puts a big smile on my face.
Once rooms are ready on embarkation day, there is just something about the ship smell while walking down the hall to my cabin. It’s the same every time and I love it. 😁

 

On 12/6/2023 at 2:45 PM, stobe1 said:

I am a huge Fantasy class fan. I will miss them when they are all gone. The only one we have yet to sail on is Paradise. Imagination was my favorite of all of them. 

 

For the purposes of this thread, the "I have arrived" moment for me on every cruise is sipping my first cocktail at Alchemy or my first beer at the aft pool bar.

Imagination was out very first cruise (1999) , I am sorry we did not get to sail her again before she was retires. Paradise was our second cruise (2001) ; we will sail her again in two weeks/ Looking forward to it!

[simplelife]

On 12/7/2023 at 6:35 PM, Eli_6 said:

Laundromats on ships. Many of the "higher end" cruises don't have them.  Was looking a 24-day Azmara cruise and no laundromat.  That won't work. Not for 24 days.  

Carnival also used to offer a bag of laundry wash-and-fold for a fixed priced mid-cruise. I did not see it offered on my last cruise.

[APDMOM]

When I think Carnival, I think Arepas 😂 Have tried many on land and only one time did I find one that came “sort of” close. 

[angelsfort]

Its funny that so many mentioned having the staff know you by name...  on our last cruise, our server called me by the wrong name every single night.  Just once, when he had to look at our sign/sail cards to charge our bottomless bubbles, he actually said my name but never did it again.  He got my boyfriends name right every time!   LOL

 

we only saw our cabin steward on the first day, when he introduced himself

 

*************************

for me, the very small thing that hits big is the ducks.  I know that it's a bit controversial - some people love them, some people hate them...  I'm on team "love them" for sure.   We bring 20-30 ducks on board with us and hide maybe 10-12 of them - the rest we drop in mailboxes of cabins where we've seen little ones coming & going OR we'll put them directly on their tables while at lunch on the Lido deck or at dinner in the MDR, then we get to watch them light up when they find them.   

My ducks aren't the typical "rubber duck" though, I have little duck magnets and rubber duck keychains that I've made to hide/give away.  (the attached photo is the keychains - little ducks on water, with teeny tiny fish in the water below them)

[slavigne5577]

45 minutes ago, angelsfort said:

Its funny that so many mentioned having the staff know you by name...  on our last cruise, our server called me by the wrong name every single night.  Just once, when he had to look at our sign/sail cards to charge our bottomless bubbles, he actually said my name but never did it again.  He got my boyfriends name right every time!   LOL

 

we only saw our cabin steward on the first day, when he introduced himself

 

*************************

for me, the very small thing that hits big is the ducks.  I know that it's a bit controversial - some people love them, some people hate them...  I'm on team "love them" for sure.   We bring 20-30 ducks on board with us and hide maybe 10-12 of them - the rest we drop in mailboxes of cabins where we've seen little ones coming & going OR we'll put them directly on their tables while at lunch on the Lido deck or at dinner in the MDR, then we get to watch them light up when they find them.   

My ducks aren't the typical "rubber duck" though, I have little duck magnets and rubber duck keychains that I've made to hide/give away.  (the attached photo is the keychains - little ducks on water, with teeny tiny fish in the water below them)

Please explain the whole duck thing. Last cruise, we were sitting in lobby listening to band when someone dropped two ducks down that hit me in the head.