ScottsSweetie

Thanks SO MUCH for your response, @geneparmesan! Now I can finish my planning.

THIS ^^!! As far as Cucina goes, I have not enjoyed it for lunch, and the only time I've visited for dinner was comped by Carnival (for a leaky toilet situation). But we can all realize that if it is offered, and then not available, then Carnival has indeed reduced the value of their product, whether I personally use it or not. BUT - many of us here on CC are repeat cruisers who are sailing at greatly reduced or even free prices, so we are willing to put up with a slightly diminished product. I'll be stepping onto an Alaska cruise next week with a free balcony room (not a casino offer), and I'm sure I'll be able to overlook some deterioration because of that. But when prices return to normal, we'll see just how much people are willing to put up with when there are other choices to be had out there in the big wide world of cruising.

I've cruised 3 times since the restart - they haven't had a single platinum event yet. Can't suspend it if they already aren't doing it.

I have found several videos on you tube with packing tips. Simply search "Alaska cruise" and take your pick of videos!

We are staying at the Hilton Garden Inn/Airport on the night we arrive, as our arrival is 12:55am. Their website reflects that the shuttle is available 24 hours.

That's a great route!

I had several great offers from the east coast as well. Carnival may well be confused because I just relocated to Phoenix at the very beginning of the pandemic, so all of my previous cruises have been from the east coast (have cruised this side since the restart, though). I also rec'd great offers on the Australia and Europe cruises as well. And our best offers were under my husbands number - sometimes mine were the same but most of the time they were not as good as his offers. Try as we might I don't think there is any way to figure out the algorithm being used - though I can't help thinking that if you have 7 cruises booked they really have no incentive to offer you anything special at all. I had 0 cruises booked when I received these offers.

My free room was not a casino offer. Never set foot inside the casino, and we've had several free or severely reduced offers.

But you have no way of knowing how many cabins they have held back to attain the capacity that they want. We know that they hold some cabins back for covid isolation at the least.

Mine is on upcoming Alaska cruise on Spirit - $100pp for balcony room + $100pp OBC, which equals free room - paying only port fees & taxes.

You would think that people would not be cruising for the first time right now, but I'm not sure that's true. JH has been highlighting one ship each weekend and giving stats on the passengers on the ship. On May 7 he highlighted the Elation out of Jacksonville, and his numbers reflected 906 blue cards and 821 total for red, gold, plats & diamonds. On April 30 he highlighted the Miracle out of San Fran, with 1035 blue cards and 991 total for all others. I noticed more blue cards on my personal sailings since the restart than I had seen in recent cruising pre-covid. I say "wow" to myself almost every week when he posts these numbers, as I am not sure that I would be cruising for the first time in this atmosphere. However - the marketing campaigns for almost all lines included the fact that you couldn't go anywhere else and have everyone vaxxed and negative tested, so people may have indeed felt safe cruising for the first time.

But now that the ships are not sailing (seemingly) at that reduced capacity, the amount of staffing does not appear to be adequate. Carnival themselves have admitted staffing issues as the reason for closing the pizza place for several hours a day and ending afternoon tea on cruises less than 7 days. If they can't hire the staff then they absolutely should not increase capacity.

Sounds to me like those people over on Oceania have a drinking problem! 🤣

The TSA will also allow me to transport liquor and unloaded hand guns in my checked luggage - but I don't think Carnival would appreciate that. 😏 TSA rules do not apply here.

Are you saying that the cruise line is responsible for taking care of sick passengers, or that the cruise line is responsible for cruisers getting covid? If I go to a restaurant and am served by a waiter who tests positive 24 hours after my visit, they are surely not responsible if I test positive 4 days later. Immediately after the re-open (2 weeks to slow the spread?), every store I went into had a sign saying basically we will not be held responsible for you catching covid. I cannot imagine that this is not addressed in Carnival's contract about them not being held liable if someone catches covid. No one forces us to visit restaurants and stores; none of us is being forced to go on a cruise.

Thanks so much!!

There is a phone and website. Apparently, last August, a poster here signed up to use them. Carnival was listed as a participant on their website. The poster sent an email for confirmation, and rec'd such from Port Valet confirming that Carnival was participating. Then the poster rec'd notice on the last night of the cruise that Carnival did not participate in the program. I found this deep in one of the threads on the West Coast departure boards.

I just started a thread about this on the West Coast departures board to ask any early cruisers for their experience. It was definitely not being offered last August, and since the first cruises just started out of Seattle there's been no feedback yet.

I understand, by looking through several threads here, that Carnival was not participating in the Port Valet service at SeaTac in August of last year. If any of you early (May) cruisers have first hand knowledge of this service for the 2022 cruise season please swing by and let us know what your experience is. Thanks in advance!

Current CDC recommendations for those who are up to date on vaccinations and have a close contact who tests positive: No quarantine. You do not need to stay home unless you develop symptoms. Wear a mask for 10 days. Test at least five days after exposure (or after your close contact tests positive). https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html Note that the CDC definition of "up to date" is two vaccines + 1 booster, which I believe was the minimum accepted on this cruise.

On that we can agree.

Sure. Because if only everyone were vaccinated and tested before boarding the ship then no one would get covid. 😏