Past guest party - go or not?

[tiffytutu99]

I was wondering if any of you have been to the past guest party and if you thought it was worth going or not... This will be our 2nd Carnival cruise.

 

Thanks!

[SouthernCaribbean]

I was wondering if any of you have been to the past guest party and if you thought it was worth going or not... This will be our 2nd Carnival cruise.

 

Thanks!

 

Only one way to find out :) Go and see for yourself. I dont always go, but I think everyone should go to at least one. Its just 45min-hour long.

[Catrin]

Oh go!!

 

It really is a nice hour.

 

On our last one, it was held in the main lounge. They had a few songs and dances.... and then the staff was introduced, and a raffle for a bottle of champagne (which my three year old won!.... and I had to accept!)

 

Then they showed the terrific movie and clips of all the Carnival ships, and the tradition of clapping and yelling when the ships you have been on come on the screen!

 

Plus, free drinks for an hour!!

 

We go each cruise, and really is a nice way to spend an afternoon.

 

Catrin

[MizzCard]

Might as well go and check it out...especially if it works into your schedule. Our last one on the Freedom was in the middle of the day and we completely forgot about it...obviously we weren't upset about it :rolleyes:

[Warrior64]

I have cruised before on carnival, but this is my husbands first cruise- can he go to the party with me??? Thanks

[misguidedangel]

Two words:

 

FREE DRINKS!!!!!!

 

I go each and every time. The last time I went there were so many past guests (1700 out of 3000) they had it in the big theater!

 

Loved the drink "melon ball." After six or seven they tasted even better....I stopped at nine......

 

Freddy shows up, the Captain shows up, the senior officers are there, and they show the short video....Well worth going...

[tiffytutu99]

you had me at free drinks............

[hockeyluver]

The begining of each cruise we tell each other "we have to remember the past guest and the captains party!!" Well we haven made it to either one yet :eek:

[redlef]

you had me at free drinks............

 

... and if you don't like what they're passing, you can go to the bar and they will mix whatever you want. Although they didn't seem to have premium brand liquor (I'm a martini drinker).

[angelkisses]

Free Drinks is always good however on our last cruise Carnival planned our past guest party the day we were in St. Maartin and in order to go we had to cut our port day short. Hopefully, next cruise it will be scheduled a little better.

[firefly333]

We usually skip it. My sister cant drink and I am not usually crazy about the drink choices. They sure didnt put much achohol in mine. Watered down. Im a light weight drinker too.

 

Its ok, but I wouldnt go out of my way to go. We skipped the Captains party this last time but went to the past guest. Both seem about the same to me.

[firefly333]

... and if you don't like what they're passing, you can go to the bar and they will mix whatever you want. Although they didn't seem to have premium brand liquor (I'm a martini drinker).

 

Ours was in the theater, no bar to go to.

[redlef]

Ours was in the theater, no bar to go to.

 

Ask the server for whatever you want, and hand them a buck. I guarantee they'll get it for you.

[MrPete]

I have cruised before on carnival, but this is my husbands first cruise- can he go to the party with me??? Thanks

 

Only if he gets an invitation, or yours says " and guest".

[Grits53]

Most of the hors d'vors are nothing to write home about. I don't drink alcohol, but they do have nonalcoholic drinks, which are good. "Meeting" the captain and some of the crew is nice. The Carnival ship film and cheering for the ships you've cruised on is fun. They always have some kind of entertainment. Overall, it's a pretty good way to spend an hour or less. Don't set your expectations too high, but go and enjoy yourself.

 

As for the past guest bringing their newbie cabin mate, this has been hashed and rehashed many times here. It always brings out the worst in some people who feel passionately that no one but actual past guests should attend. However, I feel that if a first timer is rooming with a past guest, the first timer should feel welcome to go to the party with the past guest. This is especially true when the newbie is a spouse. But some people here get very upset at this line of thinking, so prepare for them to show up and throw their little hissy fits about it. :rolleyes:

[firefly333]

Ask the server for whatever you want, and hand them a buck. I guarantee they'll get it for you.

 

Maybe some are better than our last one. I could hardly get a server to even come over, took 20 minutes to even get one to budge. I guess they were trying to meter out drinks. Not a great experience. Only past guest Iv been to for Carnival. They did have better drinks on the tray than RCL did, Ill give them that, they just wouldnt serve you, even from the tray. (I mean there were like 4 of them just standing there with trays but they were not coming around.)

 

Seems to me like a good party to skip.

[jakieemma]

Free drinks....cool

 

Clapping for your ship...lame

 

Bring your husband, enjoy the drinks, and don't you dare clap when you see the ship you sailed on before !!!:p

[barbevrn]

The #1 plus to the Past Guest Party is the free drinks. You do not have to take what is on the tray, you can order whatever you want. It may take a little longer. If you are fortunate enough to make friends with one of the servers beforehand, you are set. They will sometimes bring you 2 or 3.

 

The history of Carnival and ships past, present, and future can be interesting the first time or two. If there is something else that you or your party want to do, it isn't a big deal to skip the Past Guest Party. We rarely get to that OR the Captains party on time. I'm not a huge drinker so a couple of drinks is all I want anyway.

[mytwokidsmom]

I like going to the past guest party. It may sound corny, :o but I get nostalgic when they show the video of the history of cruise line, with some of the older ships I've been on....and I am proud to clap and shout for the Mardi Gras, Festivale, and Tropicale! :)

[pink roses]

We enjoy them. I figure it is a perk I enjoy and as long as it does not take away from anything important, and so far it has not for us. The wait staff comes around with drinks and snacks that are real similar to the Captain's Reception. As someone else said even if you are not a drinker they have a very nice punch that I enjoy.

[firefly333]

Two words:

 

FREE DRINKS!!!!!!

 

I go each and every time. The last time I went there were so many past guests (1700 out of 3000) they had it in the big theater!

 

Loved the drink "melon ball." After six or seven they tasted even better....I stopped at nine......

 

Freddy shows up, the Captain shows up, the senior officers are there, and they show the short video....Well worth going...

 

How did you manage to get 9?? They were stingy on the Conquest. The waiters stood around. If you got more than one or two you were very lucky. Did you just take extras when they went around each time??

[RAVI360]

How did you manage to get 9?? They were stingy on the Conquest. The waiters stood around. If you got more than one or two you were very lucky. Did you just take extras when they went around each time??

 

i do....when they come around with the tray i'll grab two drinks...lol

i always go.....

[Sthomp]

We usually go ... free drinks are the big draw. I agree with the "melon balls" they are tasty. And I usually take two at a time.

 

One time, several cruises ago, it was held after dinner. They served little desserts and after-dinner drinks. We really enjoyed that, but I've never heard of that again.

[charmy733]

We went to our first one a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was pretty neat watching the video.

 

As for the drinks, we tipped a couple of dollars to the first waiter that brought us something, and we were taken care of for the duration of the party. We then would tip a few dollars each time he came by. At one point the waiter gave me 3 glasses of champagne at once!

 

We did the same thing at the captain's reception and the waitress was SO incredibly appreciative. She took great care of us as well. A few dollars on our part went a long way. I got pretty tipsy at both parties! :D

[afcj1]

At the PG party I went to there were either lots of drink servers or the same one kept coming back. I had a fun time:D

The hors d'ourves weren't very good, so I had no problem partaking in the drinks.