TheMettins

2 minutes ago, Indytraveler83 said:

 I also wouldn't be totally shocked if you end up with a different ship in 2024 at the rate they are shuffling things around.

Not a lot of options to fit under the Skyway- would love a swap to Spirit Class!

15 minutes ago, kdr69 said:

Not sure what he means by "package" pricing.  havent seen any offers that include Airfare yet.

Hmm.  HAL recently offered a promotion that included a flight credit... and they also offer the Have it All promotion.  Will Carnival soon offer something similar?

We base our cabin location (port or starboard) on the home-port we leave from as we enjoy a quiet sail-a-way from our balcony.  

I have a credit that needs to be used... so I'm looking to sail close to home and the only option is the good old Paradise... while we enjoy her, we miss the Specialty Restaurants (we aren't fond of the MDR... salads and sushi take-out get old even on a short 5 night cruise 😂) and Alchemy Bar.  Not sure where they could squeeze in a Specialty Restaurant, but Alchemy would be an easy update.  

Any upgrade chit chat out there?

🙂 

12 minutes ago, Vidimom said:

Was on the Pride in November and found it to be fine.  This ship has the art that everyone complains about with "nudes".  It's art ok.  Food was decent and staff were very friendly and helpful!  We sail again in two weeks on her and you may want to consider the cabin we selected if it's available.  We have an extended balcony on deck 7 aft but our balcony is 3 times as long.  We are in 7258 and the one below us and above are the same.  This cabin is a hidden gem not many know about!

I'm familiar w/ the 'bowling alley' balconies on Spirit Class- thank you!

1 hour ago, groundloop said:

I was on Pride last November and again in December.  The ship herself was perfectly fine. 

 

I was somewhat underwhelmed with our wait staff on the second cruise (every meal took f-o-r-e-v-e-r), the food was so-so, and I felt that our meal at the steakhouse wasn't up to snuff..... and I'm generally very easy to please.  (On the other hand I was on Valor last month and found our wait staff as well as the food to be fantastic).

 

 

Good to hear about the ship!  We never eat at the buffet and rarely eat in the MDR on Carnival (We are basic people but I guess we may be food snobs as our preference on Carnival is Specialty restaurants 🤨)... so your experience in the Steakhouse is worrisome.  

As to the Valor, she was my last solo cruise before marriage (from San Juan) in 2015 and the ship I turned Plat on in 2016- so she holds a special place in my heart for several reasons!  Thank you for chiming in, I appreciate it.

2 hours ago, May1cruiser said:

Just on her last week. Been on a lot of carnival ships. 

She was okay. I don't look hard for wear. Yes, some wear on couch in room, some spots of rust on balcony. 

 

Overall, she was fine. 

 

We are some of those cruisers that like the older decor and she has that old school Farkas funk. We liked it. Crew was good overall. 

 

We would sail her again with no hesitation. 

Thank you!!  We too enjoy the classic traditional decor... I often laugh when people post a picture of rust on a balcony and complain- but we are Floridians and understand what the salt air does to our homes.  My question comes from several Diamond friends, not in the same circle, that have been very unhappy recently on the Pride... so much so that one may never sail Carnival again.  Crew has always been fantastic on Carnival... MDR not so much- but we love the Steakhouse, Bonsai, JiJi (sadly not on the Pride)!  And the Pride has a fab Alchemy area!  Thank you for responding, I'm sure we will be fine!

2 hours ago, kctwinmommy said:

I can let you know in a month. Sailing on her next month. As far as I'm concerned at this point, I'll take anything that takes me away for a week in the sun! LOL!

I so get that... and know you will enjoy every minute!!  She is actually our favorite Carnival ship- great layout (never felt crowded) w/ our favorite specialty restaurants- Bonsai & Steakhouse... and a fab Alchemy area!  Please do report back if you think about it.  

We were married onboard in 2015 so she holds a special place in our hearts!  We never cared to sail her again, but it's sad to see her go.

Seeing a lot of complaints about the Pride from seasoned cruisers... is she in that bad a shape?  

Our stateroom preference (9B Premium Balcony) wasn't available when we booked for December last week so we went w/ an 8J Extended Balcony on deck 5 forward- any issues we should be aware of (besides the Taj Mahal below us)?

Just now, kruzerci said:

Avoid those rooms. The balconies are afterthoughts from a repurposed space. You can even look over the balcony because the glass goes above the rail. 

I understand the cabins were added during the last drydock, but are you speaking of all the balcony cabins on deck 11... or specifically the forward facing balcony cabins?

16 minutes ago, jaygatsby27 said:

There's a video on youtube of the junior suite 1108 that shows the overhang but thats at the corner and could be a special case.  Has anyone stayed in one of the balconies at the front of the ship?  its all glass in the front but appears to be larger than usual.  im tempted to book one. 

I've seen a few of those front facing balcony videos (mostly of the Navigator), but I think the port/starboard balconies won't have the same privacy issues from above.  We aren't interested in the front facing balconies as we like to look straight down into the water, and I think the lack of air flow would make the balcony space almost unbearable- similar to an aft facing... great for Alaska, not so much for the Caribbean!  The old school pricing on the few 2023 & 2024 sailings I looked at made it hard to pass-up!  We actually wanted panoramic OV #1864 but they wouldn't let us book it w/ only 2 people 😞 

The cabins on deck 11 forward, specifically 1170/1122, appear to have a larger balcony... is the balcony fully covered, or is it visible from the panoramic OVs above?

12 hours ago, joeyancho said:

Getting married on board is a paperwork nightmare.   I know because we are doing it.  They don't explain about all the obscure documents you will need, until after they have taken your $$$.  Take my advice and find another way to get married.   Especially if you have been married before or are a widow.  

Sorry you are having a bad experience. 

We were married onboard while docked in the Bahamas back in 2015 and the process couldn't have been any easier.  It was a second marriage for both of us... Carnival emailed the forms to fill out and told us exactly what legal documents were needed from our divorce.  Actually, Carnival took care of everything- including the Bahamian marriage license!  Easy peasy and super affordable!  

Best of luck ⚓

5 hours ago, Jelly_Toast said:

I was on Freedom last month and while I did not visit the piano bar, I can confirm sushi is found on the lido.

Well darn 😞 we avoid the Lido area at all costs... but Bonsai is one of our favorites.  Were the cabins upgraded to the new décor?  

2 hours ago, txgal08 said:

These are NOT my photos (I am a neat freak, even on vacation) but I found them on Cruise Deck Plans for this cabin.  I would keep the cabin just for the big balcony.

Thanks so much!  I was hoping for a wider balcony like the 9B Premium Balconies on Spirit Class... but for the cost this cabin was a good find.  Hubs enjoys a sofa, but he'll get over it!!!

Thanks again for your reply, I appreciate your time :) 

Were the Freedom cabins updated during the last drydock, or is it still the tired coral/peach decor?  

It's been a while since we were on a Conquest Class ship and I don't remember how large the OS balconies are....  being cheap I booked an L shaped cabin on deck 7 (7434), but I'm second guessing myself since it's a 9 night cruise, and that cabin does not have a sofa.  Considering a deck 7 aft-wrap (again, no sofa) for the balcony space or OS... is the balcony on the OS larger than the balcony I currently have?

TIA 🙂 

We are booked on that cruise and it's my understanding the ship does not go through the locks.  We were booked on a MSC repo that was somewhat similar, but was canceled due to the Global Suspension... so when I noticed that itinerary on the Freedom I booked immediately. 

11 hours ago, tap_out said:

Yeah this was kind of a once in a lifetime for us.  Under normal circumstances we would never be able to swing a cabana in the Havana. Really looking forward to everything.  The only downside for us on our last horizon cruise was the overcrowding.  Hoping capacity stays fairly low and we're shaping up for a one of a kind cruise.  

Oh no :(  That's why we haven't tried the Vista Class ships- hubs isn't a fan of crowds.  We tried the NCL Breakaway thinking we'd be fine since the GT/pax ratio was decent... boy were we wrong!  I figured start-up capacity would be similar to what RC and Celebrity are doing, but per John Heald's numbers, I figured wrong!  I'm noticing a trend here 🤣 stick w/ what we know and like!!

Oh well, I'm sure we'll be so happy to be on a ship we won't notice everyone else!  It'll be the hubs first time experiencing a Cove, I hope he likes them as much as I do!  I enjoyed the Breeze during my single years, so I should be fine... and I'll just make sure the hubs has a spot at the Alchemy Bar!!

Have a great cruise ⚓

I was shocked when I logged in to see those VIFP deals too!  We don't gamble, so I haven't received a decent offer since 2016!  We actually canceled our Celebrity & HAL cruises to book Horizon 8/15 & 10/2... saved over $6,000 after purchasing Cheers, Wifi, and Specialty Dining for both cruises!!  The hold feature wasn't active for that rate code, so my sweet PVP quickly booked them for me as she waited for her dinner to be delivered.  Excited to get my Alchemy and Steakhouse fix! 

18 hours ago, elaineb said:

So will Reflection be doing the Caribbean instead of the Med and staying there?  We have a Nov 6th out of FLL.  We are going with my son and his then new wife as a wedding gift.  I really hope it is a go!  

LoL, that was what this thread was about... but I guess many didn't notice that part!

"Haven't seen Reflection mentioned in the bulk emails from Celebrity... any inside information?  Predictions if she will be up and running from US waters in 2021?"

Based on the phased approach to the resumption of cruising, I believe only certain ships will be up and running in 2021- just my opinion though.  I just switched my December Reflection sailing to the Summit to be safe. 

Ugghhh!  I am waiting to be assigned a cabin (8/14/2021 sailing) and I'm worried as not all FVs are created equal!!!  I hadn't planned on upgrading from my Sweet 16... but when a large balcony FV on deck 8 came available I did, and now I'm worried I'll be assigned the small balcony FV.  It's been reported by several people on another site that they simply called X and finalized the switch while on the phone... my TA called and was told no.  So here I wait... hoping for the best!  I'm glad everything worked out for you, enjoy your cruise ⚓

48 minutes ago, Antropos said:

I've got my eye on the Sep 4 sailing Amsterdam - Civitavecchia. But to be honest, I don't think it will happen anymore. Reflection only has three sailings left on her schedule from Amsterdam and then only four in the Med (including the TA). I don't know how long it takes to go from "skeleton crew" to a "vaccinated, trained and fully operational crew", but since her first scheduled sailing out of Amsterdam is Aug 11, time is running out... I just don't think it's cost-effective to cross the Atlantic twice for only six cruises. Especially since they also have Constellation in the area litterally doing nothing - the first CS sailing is in November in the Caribbean. Therefore, my guess is IF the sailings from Amsterdam and Civitavecchia can continue as planned those will be carried out by Constellation instead of Reflection.

I hope I am wrong, though.... 

I wonder how that would work given the size (capacity) difference of the ships. 

Funny you mention that though- my TA has 148 cabins booked for the short Constellation sailing from Tampa 11/7/2021... this morning she confirmed it would be the first sailing from Tampa... no clue her source, possibly her BDM.  

Haven't seen Reflection mentioned in the bulk emails from Celebrity... any inside information?  Predictions if she will be up and running from US waters in 2021?

We booked our flights to SXM w/ Celebrity on the cheap... booking direct w/ AA was over $800pp- we paid $399pp.