honestguy

First cruise we took our son on 6 years ago he was a hair under 42 inches. They let him ride the first day, and stopped him On other days. What I found at least on fantasy class ships the line to measure is at least an inch over 42 inches. My son was so close to 42 had the sign been correct he would’ve been fine.

Fast forward a few years and we are cruising with my son and daughter.  My daughter was 42.5 inches verified at the doctors office a few weeks before the cruise. First time in line they tried to keep her off the slide. Dad was prepared I had a tape measure. Proved her height and never had problems that cruise 

We surprised our kids. We live in North Carolina and they were 7 and 4 we drove to Jacksonville and told them it was for dentist appointments, and if they were good, maybe we would go to the zoo. We stayed in a hotel the night before, and didn’t tell them until we were leaving the hotel to board the ship. We got some good videos of their reactions 

15 alcoholic drinks unlimited other drinks

You know the story of Tito’s is a myth. It’s marketing genius. There’s no dog or copper pot stills. It’s distilled in a big factory like every other American made vodka in column stills. You wouldn’t want a vodka made in copper stills

Been to both. Having been to almost every top ten beach in the Caribbean, and to Hawaii. Half moon key gets my nod for the best beach I’ve been to. Now princess was no dog, and there was decent snorkeling right off the beach.

Gotta start the vaca with the fun ship special. After that who knows

WHY would it turn your stomach? It’s well done prime rib. Prime rib never has char marks it’s slow roasted in an oven. You were given two well done pieces. Well done prime rib is gray. It’s quite clear you do t understand how it’s cooked. This isn’t a thread worthy topic.

Sailed her before her upgrade on a 4 day. The family and I had a grand time. Will be on her again for her aug 5th cruise. I’ve sailed 4 different lines, on ships all larger than the elation. The fantasy class is one of my favorite class of ship. It speaks volumes they are still sailing. The loud vocal critics are clearly the minority.

People need to get a grip, and understand cruising. I wanted to see grand cayman. First two sailings we missed it. Stuff happens it’s vacation go have a good time. If you don’t like sea days book an AI to one of the islands, and the problem is solved. FYI st Thomas isn’t all that. Sailed there at least 6 times, and spent a week there as well. I can think of 5 or 6 spots in the carribean I like better.

Omg people, the ship doesn't move more because it's smaller. Rough seas and high winds will rock any ship. High winds and not seas is the primary culprit for a rocking ship. Newer and larger ships have a larger profile a can rock more. Also cruising out of Charleston in the middle of the Atlantic can have a lot to do with it depending on the weather!

I love the fantasy class ships. I think they are awesome, and I don't get the hate for them. I've sailed the larger ships and like them as well, but I always enjoy my time on fantasy class ships

A good pvp is priceless imo. I had a great one. (Alerted me to a free cruise offer) never bugged me: got a new one, and right away, calling bugging the crap out of me. Once I trained him, not to bug me.(unless I have a free cruise offer) he's been great. I booked a journeys cruise last week, and the price dropped 200 bucks. Called and quickly got the price changed.

Why not a 5 day out of Jacksonville half moon key and Nassau. Half moon key blow princess keys out of the water imo

Shouldn't be too bad. She will rock a lil, but you will be heading away from the storm. Hopefully the wind isn't too bad.

Okay - I know we are all experts on the site so anything Said will be questioned -

 

Your 28 cruises don’t constitute knowing everything people see and do and all things that go on in the deep areas of the ship or on every gangways and in every bar.

 

The carnival sunshine has all the officers and staff coming up to the coffee area to the left of the line and bypassing the passengers. I was on he ship 3 times and saw it everyday x the 20 total days I was on the ship. Is was disgusting and left us paying folks very upset.

 

In the same ship I had a child who was suffering from heat and we were having a very hard time getting back on the ship. There was not a designated line and we saw plenty of crew not waiting in the line and moving ahead of us common paying folks - you know the ones who have 13pps/pd bilked on our credit cards daily.

 

When ships are loading especially early in the day they use all gangways even ones that are designated for staff. I have seen this on many ships.

 

It’s doesn’t change any facts. You don’t have to leave the tips on. Everyone acts the way they want and everyone is free to make their own decisions. Calling them names and telling them they don’t see what they seem to see may be the cruise critic way but doesn’t change the facts.

 

The cruise lines are to blame for this whole stupid thread on gratuities.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

You're cheap and looking for a reason to remove the grats. Never mind that countless cruisers have called bs on your claims, and I call bs in your claims. I have 65 days at sea as a guest and 140 as a crew member. I know fact from fiction

No reason to get so upset at the messenger here. But let me ask all you righteous tippers a question because it seams you all know the answers. When Someone is waiting to get back on a ship and the help staff is cutting the line to go ahead of you or Your waiting at the coffee bar and the staff comes and buds the line to get their coffee ahead of you how much of a tip should one leave their friends. This happens on every ship and I always think to myself that they are so considerate of our tipping I am shocked.

 

And by the way is there a law broken about holding back gratuities to buy carnival gear?? It’s advertisement for others to know where you came from.

 

Cheap this cheap that. It’s fun to give tips just so you can comment on this thread. Worth every penny of the $13 x 6 x 8 days it cost me on the last cruise

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Well you will never see a waiter or a room steward getting coffee at the coffee bar. That's an officer or someone on the entertainment staff.

Pride is scheduled to dry dock in February 2019 for updates. I think size is a factor ... getting a ship under those bridges ... Pride scrapes by with just inches. I just took my first cruise on Pride on 2/4/18 and already booked again for 12/2018 and again for the journeys cruise in November 2019. I really love this ship!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

This right here. You have two options the pride or one of her 3 sisters or a fantasy class ship. They are the only ones that can get under the bridge. They most likely keep the pride since it always sails out at a good price. The prices on the pride always seems high to me.

I really hadn't looked at all of this that in-depth when booking and now understand it better. I had no idea it was split between all the workers, I thought it was just to clean my room and I would tip cash at the restaurants and bars. I know that I'm a good tipper and would never short-change anyone having worked at restaurants and in food service many times(and slipping the cook some extra cause he busted his butt for me). Now I'm trying to figure out what the best way to do this is. If I call back and have the gratuities added back in how do I know who's getting what and do the workers know they're getting it? I would still feel like I needed to leave cash in the room for housekeeping and cash on the table at dinner and cash at the bar everytime I got a drink. Just so used to doing that!!

That's the thing. U don't have to leave extra. The 13 bucks a day is good enough. If so incline slip your room steward a 20 and your servers. They will be happy bar drinks have 15 percent no need to tip extra unless u love the service. I normally give a buck extra per round of drinks

Well considering that when booking a cruise the site doesn't say oh by the way it will be another $26/day charged to you room in mandatory tips. I only have my friends' experience to go by and they have stated that after cruising for years and speaking to the staff on the ships that the staff would rather have you hand them a five here and a ten there than the other way. I would rather give someone extra money for cleaning my toilet than for handing me a glass of water in the MDR. I guess we will see how it goes since this is our first cruise. I don't feel that I'm a cheapskate because I want my tips to go to the right people in fair amounts. Also, this is supposed to be a reasonably inexpensive way for a couple to enjoy a vacation. Since my husband and I have worked hard for 30 years and have never had a vacation, we should be able to do this without spending our life's savings. There's already a ton of extra costs we had no idea about when first booking the cruise.

Perhaps if an extra 182 dollars is going to affect your life savings you shouldn't cruise. Sorry life isn't fair, and if you can not tip people who provide you service then you shouldn't cruise. Having worked on board a cruise ship I can also tell you that your friend is wrong, and probably just says this to justify his actions when he removes the gratituities.

There are times that I think the gratuities are a little high for a family of 4 in one stateroom, but having worked for tips for years I would never ever think of removing them. My wife is extremely tidy and our room is kept neat. I have a tendency not to tip extra though. It just depends on how great the service is. When it was just me and the wife we always tipped extra. My mom and dad just finished a b2b cruise on princess, and they gave their steward and waiter an extra hundred, and my mom said both were over the moon. I don't think 90 percent of people know how hard the shipboard staff works.( I do I was a waiter on a cruise ship) I also don't think most realize how poor these workers are and how much value a dollar has to them. Seriously you don't have to tip extra, but sn extra 20 bucks is like 200 to them.

Those crazy aussies. No excuse for the security staff. They should be trained in how to grapple, and to use pressure points to subdue suspects. Kicking someone in the butt and ribs isn't the way to go! Maybe the lapd trained them.

It's so hard to beat the value carnival offers. We have a cruise booked in 2019 for my parents 50th. There's 11 of going. 3 balconies. 11 people. 10,500 middle of June for 8 days. Great ports, great ship, We know the 5 kids will have a blast. The drinks are good. The food adequate. IMO for a vacation with kids it's tough to beat.

Just curious, do you tell your own customers at the Outback to mind their own dang business if they have a complaint about another table?

Well I don't work at outback, or anyplace of that caliber. I also don't have customers, I have guests. Being that the average guest spends over 100 dollars on dinner, we have very few issues.

On occasion I've had a comment made about an outfit. Usually by some uptight person that rarely visits our establishment, and when they do they spend very little money. I have pro football players come in wearing ball caps. Do I care no, because they are buying 500 dollar bottles of champagne, and the guy doing the complaining is sipping on a 10 dollar glass of wine. I normally inform the offended guest that the person they are complaining about is famous. At that point their tune changes, and they then beg for an autograph, and I reply mr so and so would rather not be bothered this evening.

I've never eaten at the Golden Corral and you guys are making me feel very left out lol...I don't think we have them in So Cal and if we do not near me...like Crackle Barrel...we don't have those either...but I guess maybe In N Out makes up for it...I couldn't say lol....

I doubt there has ever been a person reflect on their life and think dang I haven't ate at a Golden Corral. lol I don't think you're missing much;p

Jeans are rightfully allowed in Golden Corral and no, GC is not nicer than a Carnival MDR :D

 

So what are you saying, just enforce the Dress Code 95% of the time? Who are the 5% that are allowed a pass :confused:

 

How can you possibly know that "most" havent dined in a fine dining setting? :rolleyes:

 

Like i said honest, you dont disappoint....you just keep topping your previous posts by leaps and bounds :loudcry:

Let's see places I've worked Capital grille ocean aire. (Before it was owned by Tillman fertitta) Del frisco's a few local places you never heard of.

As for the dress code I don't know what's so hard about understanding that all rules don't have to be enforced 100% of time. It'a called managing in the gray. I do it everyday. Most great managers do it. Nobody's meal is being ruined by someone in a stylish pair of jeans on formal night, and if you're paying that much attention to somebody else you need to mind your own dang business.

As for folks that have ate in a fine dining establishment. I would bet it's less than ten percent of the population. There's very few true fine dining restaurants. i always chuckled when people think one of those great steakhouses I worked in was fine dining. Honestly Carnival's mdr is closer to Golden Corral than to a fine dining restaurant. Food and service is only a few notches above that found at Golden Corral.