mz-s

A bottle of liquor is a little different since you're not digging into it to eat from it like a bag of oreos or what not. But still, I'm not sure I'd offer anything opened to somebody I don't know.

I'm confused I thought those who get cash are supposed to tip out all the behind the scenes people?? So who exactly "don't get it" ??? Please cite chapter and verse!

I would have declined it anyway, that's nasty. People should know better than to offer their leftovers to people they don't know and expect it to be received as a gift.

Well according to the rules, you're not supposed to bring homemade goods onto the ship in the first place. So this is just a restating of that policy to begin with.

I don't withhold anything. I just don't agree with automatic gratuities. Especially after Carnival hiked the rate and cut the service we get. Everyone gets all holier-than-thou when gratuities and tipping is discussed and everybody wants to argue. It's their way or the highway. Well I'm sorry but I don't see it that way. Some people go way overboard on gratuities and have all these speeches planned out when they hand over their pack of oreos, good for them, that's not me. I take the automatic tips off and pay cash the amount I think is fair to the people I think earned it. It works for me. What works for you, do it. Life goes on.

No I don't get paid daily, but I also don't hold out my palm when I do my basic job responsibilities.

I think $20+ drinks are not covered at all, rather you get a 25% discount on them. So if a drink is $21, you'd pay $15.75+gratuity for it. https://www.carnival.com/drink-packages/cheers-package/cheers-SUM

I appreciate the banter. My point is even if I can't control how the cash I hand over is split, I can control the proportion if I remove automatic gratuities. I may feel my steward deserves more of my gratuity, and dining staff less. Or whatever the case may be. And besides, even if I pay to the penny the same amount to the same people - cash can be spent that day, or tomorrow when we're in Nassau, etc., versus automatic gratuities that can't be spent until they get paid.

I don't know if there are cocktails that are $20 or more yet...most of the $20+ drinks are individual liquors, like some of the higher end cognacs and bourbons. I guess you could order a Manhattan made with one of the higher end bourbons from the steakhouse if you wanted to...that would be over $20 and thus not covered under Cheers.

See to me, I put myself in their shoes. I'd rather have cash than a baseball cap or a pack of oreos. So I give cash.

Devil's advocate. I may or may not feel that all those people deserve gratuities. It's up to me to decide who gets my money. Now they may end up pooling it after I hand over cash, but that is beyond my control. At least with cash, I know who I have handed gratuity to.

I think the crew just shrug off the gratuity thing. There is probably a relatively stable percentage of guests that remove gratuities every cruise. 15%, 20%, something to that effect. It comes out in the wash. What probably gets them talking in the crew mess is all the crazy stories people come up with to justify why they're removing gratuities instead of just being honest.

Yes, I think it's partially because I am getting a lot of offers that are for guarantee rooms. While I'm usually OK with guarantee rooms, sometimes I like to be able to pick my room too.

I am looking forward to this perhaps most of all for my upcoming cruise. I hate being around the smell of smoke.

If the bar has the ingredients, yes. A lot of Alchemy drinks are unique to them. For example, none of the other bars on the ship have cucumber so no Cucumber Sunrise elsewhere. I am not sure what's in a Beachcomber, but if it's relatively common stuff then you can order it elsewhere.

They did their first year, they've expanded their options.

I have not had luck with the roaming casino waiters go to other bars to order me drinks. They've always told me I have to order what they have available at the casino bar. Granted I have not asked in several cruises so perhaps things have changed.

I wish they'd cut the crap and just pour the "soup" into the Swirls machines on Lido...we all know it's just soft serve mix.

I'll be on Magic out of Norfolk later this year as well. Sadly it's a short term deal, as in 2025 when the Norfolk port opens for year-round service they will homeport Sunshine...

The casino bar can make most drinks. But there isn’t a coffee machine at the casino bar and they won’t have premium liquors (the casino bar pretty much tops out at Woodford generally for example)

The offer will typically state "drinks on us for you and a companion" if it covers your companion. Otherwise, the offer is only extended to you. Your companion may qualify on their own if they can get a status match from a land-based casino etc., they can reach out to the casino department. Or of course they can qualify based upon play once the cruise starts. I would LOVE to be on this cruise with you. But the long flight and the long time off work, just couldn't make it work. Maybe some day!

When you are actually onboard and connected to the ship's wifi, you should be able to see MDR menus for every night. Menus for longer cruises like yours do not follow a pattern so even if you found menus for last year's Northern Europe cruises they wouldn't necessarily be the same this year.

You should get a ship-specific pin if you are Platinum or Diamond. If not, ask. The generic pin is the Gold gift.

The Ocean Plaza is now just an open-air lounge, no more food etc. It's a shame.

They're not training with 3000+ panicked guests around them though. So in that sense, it is nothing like an actual emergency.