ScottsSweetie

I tested the last time at CVS, and for some reason it would not show up under my "dashboard" so that I could print it.

I showed the form on my phone and had no issue (Long Beach port, Panorama). No ick factor - I held my own phone - did not have to give anyone my phone to hold.

11 hours ago, icft said:

. . .  That is what the "smart" people do. Us plain ol' Carnival Cruisers just say the heck with that bologna. I can't understand how you bear to be around us.

Well, good luck with that, because there are no buttons on the inside of the elevator. You can't just run up and get in one because it may not be going where you want to be.

On 2/21/2022 at 1:32 PM, Virga said:

 

It sounds (to me) like you unfortunately booked your cruise before/after the time a 'hail mary' offer was targeted to you.  We were receiving them all summer, and the one that got us to bite was a one time use that I 'wasted' on a short Sunrise cruise.  Fortunately, my husband had also been given a great one time use offer, and we were able to use it 'well' on a MG sailing.  We didn't get any new (great) offers until our gambling from that Sunrise cruise cycled into the system. 

 

It doesn't actually help, but can you check your old emails for the OV8 code or other excellent offers that may have expired before you booked?  Your situations sound very much like ours (no gambling history with Carnival, no sailing since 2014, me with several more cruises than my partner) and I'd be surprised if you weren't targeted for great offers at some point - but I do know those offers all but dried up for us once we'd actually booked one each.  Thankfully our gambling was enough to get them coming again, and we're booking pretty much everything they let us book because I know these plague promotions won't last forever.  

I would have thought this way, too - but we've sailed twice since the restart and currently have several great rate code offers (interior rooms as low as $26pp or balcony rooms to Alaska for $270pp).

10 hours ago, RWolver672 said:

 

I question why the cabin hadn't been cleaned by 2:00 pm.  All cabins are normally cleaned by 1:30 pm.  Even if the steward thought the other couple was staying in the same cabin, it still should have been cleaned by 1:30 pm.  

Not necessarily - they may have chosen evening cleaning as their once a day on the first leg, and the steward may have assumed the same schedule would apply for the second leg.

On 1/24/2022 at 8:14 AM, Babr said:

 

It is up to the port authorities and the local health department once passengers are disembarked. If passengers are released to go about their business as usual, then it is because of lax enforcement by local authorities. The guidelines still advise against public contact.

 

 

I know that the cruise line has to notify the CDC, but are we sure that they are legally bound to notify the port authorities and/or the local health department? I'm pretty sure that my local health department was not notified when I tested positive (other than recording me as 1 positive case). No local authorities checked to see if I was leaving my house, or if I followed any guidelines or regulations. How would local authorities even begin to enforce?

I recently sailed on Panorama and the thermal spa passes were indeed listed under the spa section and sold pre-sailing. In fact, they will be a good deal cheaper if purchased before your sailing. 

16 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

If your rate required the gratuities be prepaid (an offer that I have never seen ) then no, you will not be able to remove them.  It is part of your fare.  

If you "needed" to prepay them because you were moving funds from another cruise that was cancelled so you had to use them and you already maxxed your extra OBC of $500 (not the add $600), still the answer is no.  

^^^THIS^^^

Your fare has a rate code attached to it (usually 3 letters). The only way to get the rate that you got was by including pre-paid grats, so I'm pretty sure you would not be able to remove it.

I also booked under this fare. I was looking at inside rooms and balcony rooms, and there appeared to be about $200 difference in the rate. However, upon closer inspection, what I was seeing was that the inside rate was room + port fees & taxes, while the balcony rate was room + port fees & taxes + grats. When I did the math, the balcony was only around $80 more, so a no-brainer to book the balcony (and our first ever cove).

17 minutes ago, staceyglow said:

For the record, Long Beach is the absolute worst of all the places I have embarked.  By far.  I would not use it as the example for all Carnival ports.  I have been on 3 cruises since the pandemic and in every case, have gone from Uber to the ship in under 30 minutes.

^^ THIS ^^

5 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I did not mean tips directly given to fun squad members. What I was referring to was it is my understanding that all tips are pooled. If say you keep the auto tip on those are pooled including some crew members that normally are not given tips. I wondered if the fun squad (probably not, but possible) are included in that. It is also my undestanding that if you tip extra, those are also turned in, but then returned to the person tipped as long as the auto tip was not taken off, but go into the pool  if it was removed.

I cannot find it now, but there used to be a list of positions that your gratuities go to - the Fun Squad is not and has never been included in that list.

5 hours ago, BamaMomRollTide said:

So, when people are sitting inside watching a show, they’re wearing masks? Or are they not because drinks are being served?

Official policy as cut and pasted from the Have Fun Be Safe Protocols:

We strongly encourage all guests to wear face masks in all indoor public areas, particularly guests who are unvaccinated, except when eating or drinking. All guests age 2 and older will be required to wear face masks in elevators and in designated indoor entertainment venues, all retail shops, in the casino and at any indoor activity with children under 12 years (i.e., Captain’s Welcome, Build-A-Bear^®, Family Harbor and Sky Zone^®). Guests will be required to wear face masks prior to being seated in our main dining rooms and in the Lido Buffet area and in other designated areas where signs are posted, such as in the gym, unless exercising on cardio equipment.

All guests must wear masks during the entire embarkation and debarkation process (at the home port and ports of call, including the onboard pre-debarkation process), during any Carnival-approved shore excursions and while on any transportation vehicles, including water shuttles. Additionally, when going ashore, guests must be prepared to follow all local guidance regarding masks and physical distancing. The status of local guidelines will be shared with guests prior to debarkation at the destination.
 

I wish they would add a level between Platinum (at 75 days) and Diamond (at 200).

17 minutes ago, Markmom18 said:

  ScottsSweetie thank you. I think you have haloed me out before. I guess I write how speak. I don’t mean to confuse. 

  But, to clarify we saw INSIDE most everybody was masked. NOT including the Lido Buffet and MDR. This meant the shops, the walkways meandering through the different public areas & the cabin hallways. People wore masks. 😷
 

  We didn’t go in the bars, so have no idea. But, people are drinking so …   Of course, Outside, not so much … we ARE outside in the fresh ocean air, right. 😁😁  

 

 It sure seems the ships are cruising with lots more people now.  For anyone going cruising shortly, take the advice of those JUST off the ships. 
  
 We all know the Covid protocols seem like a pretty fluid situation. Or at the least the interpretation is one of much debate!

 

🛳🛳

Bobbi 

 

Well, that's interesting. On the September 4 cruise, I would say it was about 50/50 when walking through halls and in areas where masking is not required. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out next week. And I saw from your earlier post that Panorama is now sailing at higher capacity than in September, so we'll see how that goes.

3 hours ago, BamaMomRollTide said:

 

99% wear masks?  Do you mean inside walking around?   I sure hope not while outside.   We’re fully vax’d with booster and don’t want to wear masks unless required.  (I can hardly think, see, or hear with a mask on. )

I'm reading this as 99% compliance with the mask requirements (which do not include masks 100% of the time inside the ship).

The Farmhouse Ale, on draft at Pig & Anchor (though maybe that's not technically a Thirsty Frog beer). They were out of the wheat in September - would like to try that one.

1 hour ago, Aplmac said:

Quite a few cruises back there now

I had the Indian Veggie thing in the MDR, and it was very good!

 

I'm wondering if that's still around to be had?

 

Yes - had it in September on the Panorama.

I've done a You Tube search and have come up empty on a video for the Panorama Thermal Suite (lots of others there).

Would love your thoughts on it, especially if you have cruised post-Covid restart. Are masks required in this area? I'm guessing the sauna and steam rooms that are included are co-ed? What did you like about it, and what did you dislike about it? 

I'm thinking about getting a weeklong pass for several reasons. #1 we are on Thanksgiving week, so I anticipate that capacity will be pretty close to the top of whatever is currently being called "full". #2 DH absolutely LOVES hot tubs, but I have a problem with either the kids in them, or the adults who haven't gotten out in 3 hours but have been drinking the entire time, so I'm hoping that this could be a great happy medium for us. (But is a thalassotherapy pool the same as a hot tub?) #3 I anticipate a little bit cooler weather on the first/last day of this cruise so thought this could be a great place to be.

I always thought the Punchliner, a specialty drink in the Comedy Club, looked weird as it is blue. A blue drink, I thought? Weird.

Then I tried it. Liked it a lot.

Because I was worried, I printed that page and brought it with me just in case. Didn't need it, but it made me feel better knowing I had proof.

Was it confirmed by cruisers specifically for Cabo? Wondering if perhaps it has to do with it being a tender port as opposed to being docked.

If you are willing to wait and see what happens, many people have reported being able to call and receive a delayed final payment date. Perhaps that can buy you some time to see what is happening in that time frame.

I just saw similar signage at a library in Arizona. Don't know all the details, just that they could be picked up there by curbside service.

When I signed up for my check-in time for my 11/20 cruise, I chose 12:00-12:30. We don't really feel the need to be the first on the ship, and in September when we chose 11:00 we were about an hour getting on the ship.

After signing up, and reading others experience on the roll call and facebook page, it appears that noon is the earliest check-in time available (A01). This would lead me to believe that the propulsion issue is still alive and kicking, since most other cruises start check-in at 10:30 or so. I have no idea what their arrival back to port time is, but it must be later than normal.

3 hours ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

. . . Now lets cover the other perks. Want your free bottle of water. Go get it yourself at the bar. Want the ships pin and gift. Go get it yourself at Pixels. By the way. No ships name on the pin any longer. Want the nice strawberries or cookies delivered to your room. Call room service. So I guess you going to get the items yourself is saving them money? How? There was nothing telling us any of this. If we did not ask, we would never have known. Remember the get together party. Free flowing drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Now you receive one glass of wine. No other choice. Then they give you a $10.50 voucher for a drink. Now! they are saving money and demoting our status at the same time. If you are not going to give something additional, at least do not take things away. I do understand they took a hit. They are charging more for the cruise plus other things. Maybe the Priority Boarding will just be temporary. What can they possibly be saving there? If you purchase a suite and you get priority boarding why not us that deserve it. Guess loyalty has been tossed overboard.

So did you ignore the paper on your desk when you arrived in your room that had a QR code to scan that was titled "VIFP Benefits"? 

1 hour ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

What savings are you referring to? Prices are higher than ever. The only free stuff as you say that I want is Priority boarding costing them zip zero.

If you are platinum then you should know that prices vary widely and there is no way to make that blanket statement. While I haven't gotten any offers for the really cheap cruises (that seem to be only for gamblers anyway), I just booked a Thanksgiving week 7 day cruise in a balcony room for less than $600.00. Not all ships and all dates are higher than ever. But, to each his own - if you don't feel like you are receiving the value for your dollar being spent, then by all means you should move on - I certainly would.

40 minutes ago, leitmotif said:

Personally, I don't think that is fair to the employees of the steakhouse. Maybe it is different on a cruise, I don't know but the menu is the menu for a reason. Maybe you two eat separately that evening?

 

Also, is she vegan or vegetarian? Big difference, as a vegetarian could easily eat several items on the menu at 555 without need for customization.

Yes - he said vegan in the title but used both words in his first post. I'm thinking a vegan would be hard pressed to find 4 appetizers on the menu.