N7786W Flyer

We always stay at Comfort Suites Miami Airport North (305) 888-8404. They will pick you up at the airport and transport you to the hotel for the night...and they transport you (via bus) to the cruise port in the morning. However, the bus to the cruise port is first come, first serve...and with you arriving you so late, you'll be low man on the totem pole. They WILL get you to the port, but it may be much later than you want. Alternatively, you can take an Uber to the cruise port if you want an early cruise port arrival time. Garnett

Actually, Carnival did offer this many, many years ago. It was an option for our cruise on the Mardi Gras (the original one) back in 1984, but as I recall, Carnival insisted on 4 people being placed in the room if you participated in the program. While this sounds outlandish, many other things were offered back in the day that would be strictly taboo today...such as the beer drinking contest, skeet shooting off the stern (hey, combine shotguns and alcohol...what could go wrong?), and a men's nightgown contest. I also recall that the room steward would go into my wife's lingerie and layout her nightgown for her (usually twisted/configured into the shape of a flower...I guess the forerunner of the towel animals 😁) Can't imagine anyone offering such games/programs today...too many potential liabilities as well as offending others to even contemplate such an offering. Garnett

We were assigned dining.

My wife and I were on this cruise with you. Even though we and our traveling companions had 400+ days each, none of us were invited to this dinner...we didn't even know it had occurred until our Maitre'd told us (he didn't realize we were diamond) about the dinner that was taking place on deck. When I told him we were diamond as well, he jokingly remarked that only the 'special' diamonds were invited. I joked back, that I guess the changes to the VIFP program had finally arrived...Carnival had created a new tier within the program! While dining out on deck is nice, we really didn't mind not getting the invite. The Dining Room is fine for us. Garnett

Others here may have different methods, but I treat each cruise separately...that is, I check in for each as its own entity as you still have to set up your form of payment, immigration info, etc. on each cruise. Garnett

Hopefully, you should receive your passport/luggage tags and you letter for a free dinner in the Steak House (or similar). The luggage tag/passport holder, I can do without, but I'd definitely ask about the Steakhouse letter if you don't receive it. Garnett

Strangely enough, we embarked on the original Mardi Gras 40 years ago day-before-yesterday (July 29, 1984). We were celebrating our 5th anniversary. Here's a picture of me and my wife on the ship during that cruise Garnett

...and as most know, the Queen Anna Maria (shown in the brochures above) later became Carnival's second ship, the TSS Carnivale. Garnett

She had her best chance with NCL...and then later with Crystal Cruises. Unfortunately, I don't see anyone on the horizon coming to rescue her. The costs of restoration are too great and there's no guarantee she could ever turn a profit no matter what her end use might be. I think she's destined for the scrapyards. Garnett

I think you want to post in the "What Ever Happened To...?" folder... https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/34-what-ever-happened-to/ The SS Flavia, as I recall, sailed for Costa during the 1970's out of Miami. She was a small ship, around 12,000 tons, but relatively popular for her time. She ended up burning and capsizing while undergoing refit for a different cruise firm in Hong Kong in the late 1980's. Here's a detailed history of the ship. http://ssmaritime.com/flavia.htm Garnett

We also had Jake on the Sunshine a couple of years ago...and I agree, he's a good one. Also, this past November, he was in a transition period with Lei Lei Ross (he was leaving, while she was transitioning onboard) on the Glory. Anyway, since Lei Lei was the acting CD, he had a little more available time to speak with the passengers. During one evening's 30 minute conversation, he recounted (if I remember correctly) how he, Lei Lei, Andy Mercer, and one other CD had all been placed in the same Fun Squad shortly after their hiring. He remarked how rare it was for so many members of the same Fun Squad to make it to the level of CD. He struck me as a very intelligent, charismatic, while focused guy. Hopefully, we'll get to cruise with him again one day. Garnett

On our last cruise in November, my wife received the Diamond Gifts while on the cruise, but no letter. However, we had already achieved Diamond status back in 2021 and had sailed an additional 100+ days since then, so receiving the additional gifts seemed strange. Obviously, she wasn't the only one whose gifts were duplicated. Garnett

I'll beg to differ...I think the Pampers (I mean Panthers) take that high honor 😜

We just got off the last Greenland cruise and as the previous poster indicates, there is no priority debarkation due to the large amount of Platinum/Diamond guests. However, even without priority debark and basically taking our time, we were at the Baltimore airport by 11am without any issues at all. I'm speculating that if we had REALLY tried to get off the ship as quickly as possible, we could probably have made it to the airport as early at 10:15, but again, this is pure speculation....and I really wouldn't book air passage based on it. Garnett

No reason given for the removals...and at $700/cabana (at now without AC), I won't be renting one again. My opinion only. YMMV Garnett https://www.cruisehive.com/carnival-cruise-line-makes-change-at-private-island/111110?utm_source=Cruise+Hive+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ca15973a1d-CHV_RSS_News_InstantUpdates&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e04b47b456-ca15973a1d-633218579

We're "in the same boat" ourselves. Getting ready to head out the door to the airport on our way to Baltimore. See you on board! Garnett

Thanks! I learned something new! 😀 Garnett

I know they sometimes give Military discounts in the cruise fares, but am not aware of them granting any OBC for veterans...and maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see any mention of OBC in the link provided above either... Garnett

On our last cruise (we debarked 5/13/23), other than a free glass of wine, there were NO free drinks at the Platinum/Diamond party. However, they did put one free drink on your SNS card to be used at your discretion. Even at the Diamond party, you could order only 1 drink at a time. My wife tried to order two drinks when we entered the venue, but was quickly shut down. Garnett

Relative to the "other lines", MSC had zero comedy on the Meraviglia when we cruised on her earlier this month. Garnett

It was the original TSS Mardi Gras back in August 1984. Garnett

Of course, I'm being facetious, but on a serious note, I do miss when cruise ships would stay late at a port....sometimes until the very early morning. You still see it sometimes, but not nearly as frequently as it used to happen...

...and skeet shooting...

...and the beer drinking contest 😬

I miss... The men's nightgown contest...