mdempsey78

20 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

LOL, The issue is not being retired.  It is being "REALLY OLD".  I was going to leave all my money, the little I have, to my children.  Then I rethought that notion.  I had to work for it so they should too. SO, I am taking them in the Haven instead.  Not their choice but it is my cash and I want to die bankrupt. 

OK Boomer. 

Exactly!  We’d also be much more likely to try an expensive glass of something that we’ve never had before - and maybe discover a new favorite.  Things like this are much more valuable to me than whether or not I come out $50 ahead or behind.  I don’t go on vacation to have a running tally in my head.

It is hilarious how so many people assume that everyone drinks exactly way they themselves do, enjoy the things they themselves enjoy and find value only in the things they themselves value.

The up-charge on a glass of Veuve alone is $15.  I can drink more than 2 glasses I assure you...and that’s before lunch. Sometimes before the end of breakfast.  
 

We drink good wine and good scotch and a lot of it.  And while I expect we will be enjoying ourselves immensely each and every day, at no point will we be “sloshed.”  Well, not many points at least and even then, you’d never know it.
 

The upgraded beverage package is a no brainer for us.  Just as NOT getting it is a no brainer for others.  
 

What’s annoying is everyone who speaks so authoritatively about what “makes sense” for anyone other than themselves. 

31 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

 

Why would you change her cabin?  She's obviously handicapped if she uses a walker and a scooter.

I wasn’t sure if there was some official designation that she wouldn’t qualify for since she does not normally use a wheel chair.  She can walk, but not well for long distances.  

Now I am nervous and feel terrible....I booked a handicap room for my mother.  She uses a walker and has significant mobility and balance issues, and will likely use a scooter for the cruise.  The walk-in shower and higher toilet are must-haves for her.  However, she is not actually wheel-chair bound.   Did I do the wrong thing?  I will change her cabin but honestly thought she qualified. 
 

**Edited to add - this was booked through a PCC to whom I explained the situation, I didn’t just book it on my own.

A couple of questions on the premium plus package.  If we get a bottle of wine at dinner and don’t finish it, can we take it back to the room?  I know we can have it tagged for another dinner.  Could we order a bottle at a bar - like the Haven lounge- and take it back to the room?  

I’m assuming that if we order one of the included bottles at dinner that we wouldn’t be able to share the bottle with others at the table who don’t have premium plus.  But if we purchased a bottle with the 40% discount...we’d be able to share that, correct?  
 

For bottled water, Vitamin Water, etc - does the 2 drink limit per transaction apply?  We drink a LOT of water.
 

TIA!

Hello!  We’re sailing in February 2022 with a group of 10.  2 Haven cabins and 3 mini-suites.  When specialty dining reservations open for Haven passengers (130 days out, I believe) will I be able to make dinner reservations for the group to eat together?  I’ll be in one of the Haven rooms.  
 

TIA!!

We ended up deciding to stay over night in FL, but before we did we were struggling with this as well. None of the excursions appealed to us (we just wanted to go to the beach and hang out in South Beach) plus they all ended well before our scheduled flight. One thing we had considered was renting a car for the day - then we could keep our luggage in the car and be free to explore as we wished. It was pretty inexpensive if I recall, even including the taxi from the port to the airport to pick up the rental.

Following! We leave in 48 days!! Thanks so much for your review, it's great hearing about the ship we'll be on!

We got ours at AARP Rewards for Good. Took enough quizzes(?) in about 30 minutes to get more than enough points. Quick and easy. Got the cards in less than a week.

When you say you got the cards in less than a week, do you mean they were physically delivered to you? Is there an electronic option?

I ask because our final payment is due on March 9th, so if i need time for the cards to be physically delivered, then I'll only buy enough to cover extras, not our cruise payment.

Thanks!

That's awesome! Thanks so much for the info. How often do you check the website? How fast do they sell out?

We were planing on loading a few hundred dollars in Cruise Cash, but if we can score some gift cards, all the better!

I know it's not set times, but wondering if it's every few weeks? few months? No rhyme or reason?

thanks!

Is there any place to buy cheap beach chairs on the way to Cemetery Beach? We really want to go there, but DH has a bad back and finds laying on a towel all day to be uncomfortable.

Thanks!

get some ginger ale and ice to add to a cheap red blend-- it makes a helluva tasty day spritzer on sea days.

Ummmm...how have i never known about this in real life, forget about a cruise!? I love white wine spritzers and i love ginger ale...this sounds amazing!!

I think you'll be surprised how long it takes to get to 15 on vacation. We did the same thing by bringing a back up of 2 bottles of wine and ended up only drinking one bottle. To answer your question, though, I think the choices are the same-- but I could be wrong. Also if you plan on going to the steakhouse, you get a free bottle of wine on the first night and the first elegant night... I don't think this counts against your 15. Yes, it costs to eat in there-- but it's always our favorite experience together. I cruise with my husband, btw. Happy cruising.. Cheers!

You're probably right...for some reason, I am obsessing about this 15 drink limit thing. We'll definitely hit it on sea days, but between bringing wine on board and getting some beer for the room, I'm sure we'll be fine. I am definitely overthinking it :D

I'll pick up a nice bottle of champs to bring on board, and quit worrying!

Hi - If we want to order a bottle of champagne to our room (to celebrate our anniversary) are we stuck with the bottles they have listed in the In-Stateroom Beverages section of the website? These selections seem to be limited to Barefoot (which i really dislike) and much higher end bottles.

Or once onboard, can we order from a larger list that includes more of what's available in the dining room? This seems like something we should be able to arrange, but you never know.

I know we can also bring a bottle with us when we board, but i was planning on bringing a couple of bottles of our favorite red as a backup in case we reach our 15 drink max.

Another Carnival newbie question. Are we allowed to bring snacks on board with us at embarkation? Things I'm talking about are chips, candies, etc.

I'm also curious about the types of snacks -- can we bring something like a jar of olives? We're thinking of getting a Bon Voyage package with vodka and bloody mary mix, and wondering if it's ok to bring on garnishes.

Thanks everyone! I think the confusion stems from different people having different experiences - which is probably due to different bartenders and how they apply the rules. I appreciate people weighing in.

I'm sure we'll figure it out and have an awesome time. Can't wait!

Cheers is NOT to be shared, so NO you CAN'T buy other people drinks with your Cheers card. Read the actual rules instead of relying on information here.

Dude. I'm asking if I can BUY drinks for my husband if he's close to his limit.

BUY- as in PAY FOR. As in exchange currency for a product. As in SEPARATE from my Cheers card. As in, it will show up as a charge on my account. Which I am totally fine with and wanting to happen.

My question boils down to this: if we've parked ourselves on a couple of barstools for the evening and it's midnight and my husband is coming up on his limit, and the bartender knows we're both on Cheers, can i BUY a drink for him or do i need to find a different bartender and say I'm buying a round for people who aren't on Cheers.

Maybe I'm over thinking this situation and it's totally not an issue, but i am NOT trolling or being a jerk.

Im not seeing troll so I will try to answer as much as I can

 

we CAN buy other people drinks, correct? - YES

 

 

If we're sitting at a bar and neither of us have reached our limit, can I buy a drink for him - even if the bartender knows he's on Cheers? I don't think ive ever seen this answered but Im not sure its against the rules if a person who is NOT on cheers buys someone who is, a drink. Im not sure so I could be wrong but if both are on cheers it probably depends but might not be allowed

 

 

Can he buy himself a beer before he hits the limit, or does he need to say it's for a friend? its against the rules to buy himself one. Some people tell the bartender its for someone else but I disagree with that so I will say he is not allowed to

 

 

Can we definitely get unopened beers, or is this one of those "usually, BUT technically it's against the rules" things? If it's the latter, how hard is it to do? it depends... it is technically against the rules. YMMV

 

 

And one non-Cheers question...if we're doing ATD and order a bottle of wine with dinner can they still save the extra for the next night? We've done that when we had traditional dinner seating, but wasn't sure if they could do it with ATD. Sometimes we like to order a fancy-pants bottle for dinner. - yes you have them hold it for you.

Thank you SO much -- this was exactly the information I was looking for. Just trying to figure out how to navigate the system, not trying to rip off Carnival. And not trying to be redundant either :D

OK, now who's the troll?

I'm not talking about sharing anything. I have absolutely no need to try to squeeze an extra free drink out of Carnival. I specifically asked if I could BUY my husband a drink if the bartender knew that drink was for him and knew he was on the Cheers program. Or if he was BUYING himself a drink before he met his limit, if he needed to pretend it was for a non-Cheers friend. I know you can buy drinks for other people, I'm just trying to find out if it bartenders care if the drink you are BUYING for someone is meant to circumvent the 15-drinks per day limit for that person.

And if any question that's been asked and answered before -- or the answer to which can be found on Carnival's website -- is considered "trolling" - then half the questions on this forum are illegitimate.

Wait, what? What's trollish about this post??

I only have 2 posts because I just signed up to Cruise Critic because I just booked my cruise last night.

I'm asking these questions in good faith, and if I've broken a board rule, I apologize.

I know, I know - there are lots of Cheers threads out there...and I *have* been scouring them. But I can't seem to find definitive answers to my questions so I'm going to ask.

We understand that they are strict about the 15 drink limit once you've reached it. My husband (beer drinker) will easily reach that on a sea day.

So I have a few questions that I'd like confirmation on. I should state that we always tip and I know that goes a long way, but I'm a worry wart and need more concrete answers. I should ALSO state that I know that if we appear wasted, we'll get cut off...that will not be the case.

- Just to confirm -- we CAN buy other people drinks, correct? If we're sitting at a bar and neither of us have reached our limit, can I buy a drink for him - even if the bartender knows he's on Cheers? I know we could be sneaky about it (I could go to a different bartender and just say it's for a non-Cheers friend), but do we need to go to that length? Can I buy a drink for him if he has reached his limit, but I haven't?

- Can he buy himself a beer before he hits the limit, or does he need to say it's for a friend?

- Can we definitely get unopened beers, or is this one of those "usually, BUT technically it's against the rules" things? If it's the latter, how hard is it to do?

- Beer tubes aren't included in the package. But can we still buy them? If we split one at the pool during the day, that would go a long way to easing my mind that we won't hit the limit late night. Also - can we have them by the pool lounges or only at the tables close to the bar?

- I've seen reference to the Fosters Oil cans. Do they have them at all the bars? Those things are huge, so if he could drink those the limit would be less of an issue.

- And one non-Cheers question...if we're doing ATD and order a bottle of wine with dinner can they still save the extra for the next night? We've done that when we had traditional dinner seating, but wasn't sure if they could do it with ATD. Sometimes we like to order a fancy-pants bottle for dinner.

Thanks everyone for your patience for yet another Cheers thread :)

Hi All - We just booked the Carnival Sensation for May 8 (yay!) We were able to register for FTTF and reserve a spot at the Chef's Table with no problem even though it's less than 80 days out. I'd read that those two things usually sell out pretty quickly. Could this mean that it's not selling well? For inside and outside cabins, there seems to be plenty of capacity (no red "X Cabins Left" notes for any floor when we were picking our cabin.)

FYI, we don't mind a less full ship. I was more (a) curious and (b) wondering if it could mean there would be possible upgrade offers or price drops as the date gets closer. This is our first time on Carnival, so still learning the ins and outs!

Thanks!