vintagegarage

I agree with LifeonMars, and went back to edit my original reply in this topic.  I also use the priority boarding, robes and slippers, in addition to the free meal for two at the specialty restaurant.  Here is the complete list with gold below.  I definitely wouldn't call them all worthless:

The free meal for two at the specialty restaurant, priority boarding, robes and slippers, priority disembarkation, late stateroom check out as a MSC Diamond Member. I use the free dinner, robes and slippers, and priority boarding and disembarkation.

I took advantage of the loyalty match and used my Princess Elite status to get Diamond on MSC,

That's the great news I have been waiting for.  I'll be booking a short cruise on Carnival tonight to show my support for their decision.

'

My guess is that you "safety above all else, including experiencing life and the fun it can give you" probably don't ride scooters around your neighborhoods when you are home.  Please correct me if I am wrong about that.  If you think a taxi ride around Bermuda is more enjoyable than a scooter ride around Bermuda, then you are missing out on life, while protecting it.

I have used Oleander Cycles in Bermuda, and they have locations in several places besides right at the Royal Dockyard.  The Dockyard location has a small test loop that you ride while they watch you to make sure you feel comfortable riding the motor scooter.  Last time I was there was three years ago, and I was on a trans-Atlantic cruise and so only had one day in Bermuda that time.  Oleander rents PGO scooters, essentially the same as the Genuine Buddy sold in the USA.  They are very easy to ride, and very well maintained.  I recommend them highly, and a scooter is the best way to see Bermuda.  The only people in cars are locals, and they expect to see a lot of out-of-town rookies on scooters.  Speed limits are very slow.  Have fun while seeing the three attractions normally done by bus excursion in three days. You can easily go from the Dockyard through Hamilton to St. George and see the Crystal Caves and the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo in a single day if you don't waste time having a long lunch.

I didn't make it to the top.  The route is well marked, and Norwegian kids are running up and down the trail with glee, laughing and jumping, no problems in an hour or less.   The advice from our tour guide was to expect that the trip down was harder than the trip up.  I was a fit 68 at the time, but a slow but steady walker.  There are meter posts every so often, so it is obvious when you pass the halfway point.  I was about at the 4/5 point, when I had used up half of the time for the climb.  Going on the advice of the guide, I turned back, even though it looked like the final 1/5 was easier than much of the earlier climb.  As it turned out, the walk back down was much easier than the climb up, and I arrived back at the bus with more than a half hour to spare.  I am sure if I had planned better, I could have made it to the top at the speed I was walking.  My advice is to start climbing as soon as you get off the bus, and don't dilly dally.  The ones on the tour who made it to the top, said they had about a half hour to spend at the top.  I may have been in the same group as lorif.

1 hour ago, travellovers2 said:

We're cruising on the Rotterdam Feb 13-20. We received a notice that Key West was changed to Bimini.

You can learn about a lot of things to do in Nassau and Bimini that you may not have thought about, including details about the tram in Bimini by reading my trip report from Carnival Magic at:

After trying all afternoon to see my cruise planner with no luck for my cruise in February, I was able to finally logon and get to my cruise planner just now.  There is no place to attest to my vaccination status.  My choices are: Pay Balance, Online Check in (available at the end of January).  

Have a look at this topic, and scroll down for photos and information about Bimini, the tram, and the casino:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2785688-carnival-magic-august-7-2021/page/3/

Start here, and scroll down to Day 5 if you are only interested in Bimini.:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2785688-carnival-magic-august-7-2021/page/3/

On 8/24/2021 at 11:57 AM, pattycake08 said:

I am sailing on the Devina on 9/16/22021 However, I received all my cruise ticket, luggage tags etc (19 pages) from my Travel Agency on 8/21/2021. Maybe it depends on the TA. I will tell you though if I sign in to my MSC account is still states, " your cruise does not depart within 20 days, E tickets are only available within 20 days".  Go Figure

I am on the same cruise and booked online without a travel agent.  I received an email on 8/20/2021 directly from MSC with a .pdf attachment with my 19 pages of cruise documentation.

13 hours ago, Beamafar said:

You just book your night when you’re onboard and tell them you’re using your Diamond perk.  It should be in the system.  If it’s not, you’ll need to see the Future Cruise Consultant who deals with Voyagers Club members. 
 

It’s no longer a tasting menu.  It’s a three course limited menu.  If it’s not posted here by someone else I’ll see if I can find a copy.  I’ve posted it in a couple of reviews on here over the years. 

Thanks for your quick reply.. much appreciated.  That menu looks fine.. it's not really about the food in my case, I am mainly looking for a quiet table for two for dinner.   Really any food will do, but I can see plenty of choices I like on that menu.

I am a new Diamond, and would appreciated knowing how to collect the perk (free Tasting Menu Dinner for two, ) at the Steakhouse.  First, what is the Tasting Menu?  Second, do I buy the experience online before the cruise, and not be charged for it, or do I book it in person at the Steakhouse once I am on board?  I would like to have a nice steak dinner for two on the only Gala Night on my upcoming cruise on Divina.  Any info or tips would be appreciated.

How hard is for someone who received the text to post the contents of it here.. this topic is just one big tease.... LOL

Carnival Magic just left Bimini a few hours ago.  As far as I could tell, everything was open.  Please read my trip report at:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2785688-carnival-magic-august-7-2021

The report from Bimini is at the end of page 3, and includes 36 pictures and current information.

7 minutes ago, trulytracy said:

Thanks so much for this! Your photos were great. My daughter and I would like to steal your idea and walk in your footsteps. Did you get off the ship and start walking from there or did you get a start on a tram? Also, it looked like you were walking on a path that was a bit away from the beach. Would it be possible to cover the same distance walking along the water or is it private property? About how long did your walk take? 

 

I appreciate your time if you get a chance to answer, but in any case, you've inspired us!

At Bimini, you can beat the tram to the end of the pier if you walk at a moderate pace, but it is a pretty long pier.  Alternatively, you can ride the tram, and I think the first stop will be close to plenty of golf cart rentals.  You can't walk the beach to get to Sue and Joy's.  Their shop is a block or two off the beach and you would have to walk through private yards.  I was just walking the sidewalk by the main road.  It is a five minute walk from the pier to Sue and Joy's.

If you haven't been following the trip reports form Carnival Magic, August 7, 2021, today we were in Bimini.  The last page in the Roll Call topic has three dozen photos from Bimini today and information about Bimini.  Please have a look at:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2785688-carnival-magic-august-7-2021

Page 2 has some information about embarkation and the first sea day.  Page 3 covers Half Moon Cay, Nassau, and then Bimini at the end.

We just passed the Mardi Gras 20 minutes ago as we left Port Canaveral on the Carnival Magic.. a lot of waving back and forth between the two ships, and a lot of horn blowing...

1

I received the same email and got up early this morning to enter my information.  I got as far as the choice of sailings screen and would have chosen Mariner of the Seas on August 11, but if all goes as planned, I should be on the Carnival Magic that day, in or around Bimini... drat.  September 18, I should be on MSC Divina's first cruise that I have already booked,   double drat!  New Jersey is a bit far for me to drive.. tripple drat! .. I bailed out of the contest at that point and didn't complete my entry. 

I was going to ask who John H is, but i see by reading the thread that he is a poster on Facebook.  I don't think I have ever seen a post from him on Cruise Critic.  Are we now saying that we should go to Facebook for information instead of Cruise Critic?  I don't get it..  If he's not on Cruise Critic, and least then why isn't his info on the Carnival Web site if his information is so important and "official"?  I get updates by mail at least once a week directly from Carnival, and trust them for the Company facts and updates to policy more than a Facebook poster who doesn't even seem to have an official connection to Carnival.

Now I have to admit that I was wrong when I said Carnival was better than Royal Caribbean.  Now they both equally stink..

Carnival is doing it right, Royal Caribbean is not.

"Do you think cruising will be paused again?"

No

Next time someone talks to John Heald, they should tell him to post his stories on Cruise Critic and also on the Carnival web site..  I'd never heard of him and wouldn't even know he existed without the reference on Cruise Critic.