Mavrick_RN

We just purchased specialty dining on Carnival Panorama (Tappenyaki) for 6 persons. 18% gratuity was automatically added.

I thought Carnival Security can always check your bag for contraband. I found that out when my wife and I tried to sneak sealed bottles of Pre-mixed Margaritas on board in each of our checked bags. Hers made it through. My bag got searched and bottle seized and kept in Security for the duration of our trip. They did leave a printed note that said I could retrieve my "item" from Security upon debarkation. Got it back and we had Margaritas in the hotel post-cruise.

In April on Carnival Spirit $10 minimum on Roulette Table. Up from $5 pre-COVID.

For cargo the time of day doesn't matter. Cruise ship passengers wanna see stuff.

Brilliant. I am officially gonna copy this idea and call it my own!

Pre-cruise night 2009 on QM. We roamed all over the ship and snooped wherever we could get in a door. I thought it was historic, fantastic and fun. Wife not so much. We stayed in a first-class cabin and she was awakened by freezing cold air after having a "nightmare" involving children in old time clothing sitting on old time furniture. I don't know if there was anything super-natural going on or not but since she has had a couple other "experiences" and I have thought of her as a "portal" ever since. Yes, we are still married. Our profile picture is from that cruise on the Carnival Pride.

Fun topic for remembering. Started on the Pride in 2009 with aft balcony as recommended by our "Cruises Excusivly" agent. Always do balconies now. We like the smaller ships, Freedom, Glory, Legend, Spirit. Returning to aft balcony on a bigger ship, Carnival Panorama next year. We'll see. We always do a steakhouse night. Never dress-up for formal night. At least two soft serve cones per day usually with smallest amount of chocolate frozen yogurt cuz I like the cone part the best! Guys Burgers is my go-to. Two cheese burger/bacon patties, no bun and potato sticks, no fries. Always have Melting Chocolate Cake with orange sherbet (give the vanilla to my wife). Wash my own quik-dri clothes by wearing them into the gym shower and rolling them dry in a towel. I splurge on the Bottomless Bubbles package and make out like a bandit cuz I have a (soda) drinking problem. Tried all the sports/slide venues putt-putt, corn hole, basketball, chess, Green Thunder, even ping pong! Looking forward to air cycles and ropes course on the Panorama. Have one ship-on-a-stick and won the Casino Fire Raffle and Hot Seat. In a group slot-pull we won the $10,000 Jackpot. Are regulars at the non-smoking Roulette Table and can go through 4 or 5 croupiers while still breaking even. Our strategy is to "lose slowly" and sometimes we win. My wife plays and I'm the banker. We take the dance classes and I'm not bad (for a man) as they say. Been on two Journeys cruises and my wife has been selected each time for the 50's style Dancing with the Stars Show and been the best dancer. The audience goes wild. I am NOT making this up!

I am a big fan of the Bottomless Bubbles program and buy it everytime. What I have experienced: Does not come with a refillable cup. Buy or bring your own. It varies whether you get a can opened or unopened or a glass filled with ice and accompanying the can. Some bars will fill the glass from the dispenser they use for mixed drinks. The "glass" from the pool deck bars is plastic. Casino, atrium, theatre, lounge bars etc. are real glass. Purchases must technically be 5 minutes apart so you can't keep refilling a container. You can get soda with your meal in the MDR. Get it somewhere else if you eat at the Buffet. When in port you pay the tax, soda is therefore not "free". 4 sodas a day is about "break even". Don't force yourself to finish a warm/ice melted soda. Get another one! Carnival now serves Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Zero, Starry Zero and others that I don't drink. Now I want to go on a cruise!!!!!

You keep responding to opinions on your parenting style like it was the original question so I'm not surprised either that the internet experts chime in. It's tempting to chime in on the parent who keeps giving the overspending kid in the arcade more and more money to blow. What does that teach? And now, I'm moving on ..........

I believe OP did ask for strangers' opinions.

We got back from a 16 day cruise fully expecting to get COVID. We packed our own tests and had our Drs write a prescription for Paxlovid. I also pack a mini pharmacy for colds, pains and seasickness. Just add sunblock and bug spray. Being fully prepared we suffered NO ills.

My experience has been if I order a soda while in port, I am initially charged $3.24. $3.00 is subtracted as part of the package. $0.24 is not. Card has been swiped, I sign the receipt and account is charged $0.24 for that soda. When at sea, the receipt is initially $3.00, $3.00 subtracted for $0.00 balance charged to account. Each transaction will show up on your folio statement. Sometimes they don't swipe the card, give me the soda and it never shows up on the account statement. Once they did swipe and tried to charge me but my ever-vigilant wife caught that and it was corrected.

We had ours in the mail slot like clockwork on the Spirit for our April Panama Canal Transit. The phone app is invaluable for YTD sign in and on-the-go activities but it is so fun to catch up on my reading and planning for the next day while visiting the loo.

Yep, 4 sodas per day is just above break even since they charge $3.00 per can or glass. I always make out like a bandit since I can drink 8-9 sodas a day and then get a couple for my wife if the purchases are at least 5 minutes apart. No "Sprite" since the switch. It's "Starry". Pepsi Zero, Diet Pepsi and Starry Zero are no cal choices. Also juices at any bar. They're supposed to open the can even if they hand it to you with a glass of ice.. But if they don't, you can take the can back to your room and put it in the fridge for later and save a room service charge.

I seriously think they just forget or don't know how it got turned on in the first place. I don't want to believe people are being rude on purpose. Au contraire, once your eyes adjust there is always something to see like the glow of a critters' retina looking back at YOU! Or stars that were essential to guide sailors. Or ship lights in the distance. Or that one UFO everybody missed .......