Wannacruise81

Which show do you think will end up on the Icon?

a) Paw Patrol on Ice

b) Free Willy Aqua Show

c) Cats — The Sequel

d) Elmo and Friends Live! 
 

For those who are currently sailing, how are the spring break crowds? We will be cruising on the Conquest out of Miami on Monday and wondering how crowded the ships are and if we will be experiencing a college spring break party atmosphere. (We hope not)

I agree. Carnivals cruise directors are more lively and present. They definitely earn their keep.

On 2/22/2022 at 2:12 PM, GA Dave said:

As of the latest cruise, yes.  We were on our January 9 cruise.  MSC has stated that they are announcing revisions to their health and safety protocols on Feb 25, so we will see what they are doing going forward.

 

Did you still have to take a covid test 48 hrs before the cruise as well?

There are more bells and whistles on the Navigator of the Seas. I think both lines will have a lively atmosphere since it is a 3 day holiday weekend cruise. Casino and night club will definitely be busy. 

There's more things to do and see on the Navigator vs Carnival Radiance.  RCL has better food quality in the main dining room and buffet.  Carnival is a better option if you are more of a grab and go  sandwich , burrito , pizza type of person.

If cost is the deciding factor go with Radiance. If the cost isn't a issue, go with Navigator. You get what you pay for. 

Are all passengers covid tested at the pier as well during embarkation?

If you are traveling in a Suite (not yacht club, Suite with whirl pool-Aurera exp). Do you get priority boarding and can show up at any time on embarkation day?

Looks like MSC Meraviglia is expecting more passengers on the 2/27 cruise. Just finished our online check in and it says to arrive at 2pm 😳😳

3 hours ago, kdr69 said:

I get the same thing and ive logged out and cleared cookies etc etc etc.  Of course its for the Celebration TA in November which is still being built so i wont start to worry until after my room is assigned to me.  It also shows i have Faster to the Fun on my luggage tags still YAY!!! lol shhhhh dont anyone jinx it.

Ok I am relieved now since we are also doing the Celebration TA! Whew. I got nervous there. I guess there's a glitch for that sailing. 

Is anyone else having issues with the health assessment online form? It says I need to fill it out 48 hours or booking is subject to cancel. When I answer the questions and check the box...it says internal error.  Anyone else experiencing this ? 

Is there another way I can complete this form or call Carnival?  

I would just like to see if I am getting this right about the embarkation procedures for my upcoming Disney cruise. 

When it comes to the safe passage website....I can download a picture of my vaccination card OR a negative test? So does this mean if I am vaccinated, I do not need to take a covid test before arriving to the pier like other cruise lines require 2 days before the cruise ?

It says all passengers will be tested at the pier. How was this experience? Was it a long wait? Do they charge for this test?

Thanks in advance for the information. 

14 hours ago, Bgcruising said:

They are not even coming after their own loyal guests, why go after anyone else's  loyal guests?

12 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

Exactly, other than the bells and whistles of Mardi Gras, Carnival doesn't have much to compete on these days other than price.  This is the reason they've been in a downward spiral of quality and onboard experience for several years, which has turned away formerly loyal guests.

I think that is the point of this thread that the Mardi Gras (and it's sister ships) will attract loyal customers from other cruise lines because it is so different than other Carnival ships. We have to agree that the food and entertainment is way better on the Mardi Gras and it offers a lot more variety. 

When we talked to die hard loyal Carnival fans on the Mardi Gras...some said that it "didn't feel" like a regular Carnival ship but more like Norwegian or Royal Caribbean. To us we were getting more NCL vibes. 

I think the Mardi Gras is a step in the right direction for Carnival to compete for other cruise line's passengers. But that's just my opinion. 

Hubbard Glacier is also a stop that is a must see

3 minutes ago, bajathree said:

The problems I saw on Allure a few weeks ago is that some of the protocols don't make sense or work. While a mask was required while walking around indoors I rarely walked next to anyone closer than 6 feet while walking around like the promenade. Only a very few times did I ride in an elevator over the limited capacity. HOWEVER....places like casino where a mask wasn't even required were packed like sardines. The slots were packed and there was no sanitizing between players as it just wasn't possible. Even though the casino is considered a vaccinated only zone it's also a walkway from forward to aft on deck 4 on Oasis class and there were groups of unvaccinated kids I saw walking through the crowds. It was so crowded in the casino in the evening that there just wasn't anyway to even control it. I said that if anyone on this ship was going to get sick it would be here in the casino. So thats a good example how they go crazy on some protocols and then have holes in them like in the Casino. Going forward I really think that the cruise lines are going to have to figure a way to deal with it as people just aren't  comfortable...or possibly even safe in a packed shoulder to shoulder environment anymore. While they are restricting reservations into the shows for crowding reasons....they aren't restricting anything in the the casino.

It's also weird that they have a vaxed area and unvaxed area only for the MDR....but a unvaxed (child) can be near you at Sorrentos or cafe promenade. I've been on 3 royal caribbean cruises since the restart and each ship had their own protocols. 

So this is probably a touchy subject and a gray area...but did Royal Caribbean increase the capacity levels too fast for the holiday cruises? A lot of passengers are spending a premium on these Christmas and New Years cruise and I see there are a lot of people on the boards saying that there is overcrowding and no social distancing. Staffing shortage is also a issue since there are dozens of crew who are being quarantined. Some are asymptomatic and others with mild cases. 

The omicron variant seems to be fast spreading but on the other hand very mild to the vaxed compared to other variants. South Africa which is where this variant "originated " has said this variant is all but gone and cases have declined as rapidly as it has started. Are the ports overreacting and not letting the cruise lines port because of the % of crew positive? I heard the crew aren't even allowed off in the ports except coco cay.  If the majority of the cases were among crew who test positive and are immediately quarantined, why are the ports worried about disembarking guests? Someone posted on the Odyssey that there are 60 cases. 57 being crew and 3 passengers. Since crew can't get off anyway then what's the issue? 

It's also weird that the production cast of the Odyssey and the Symphony are the ones who are positive.  Many of them have no guest interaction. Yes they could catch it from other crew but a whole cast being positive? I wonder if 1 cast member tests positive, if they quarantine the entire cast for being "exposed". 

I wonder if cruise lines will start fudging their numbers of cases amongst crew so they will be able to port. It seems like a trend that Curacao and Aruba has started. Now St Kitts, Grand Cayman, St Lucia, Puerto Vallerta have also turned away some ships. 

Has the media caused all this hype? Again there is 1% cases..but they are saying it is a "outbreak"....and most being crew who don't even get off the ship. Again each country can do what they want....but aren't we at the point where everyone has decided we have to live with this virus? Soon we will have to be tested if you have the common cold. 

We are looking to book the Odyssey for Nov 15th. Due to the current situation in Haiti, it doesn't seem like there will be stops there right now. 

For those who have had a itinerary change, what port did RCL replace it with? I'm looking at Cozumel on the date it is supposed to visit Labadee and it seems there are open berths where Royal ships usually port. 

What I do not want is Labadee becoming another sea day and we only stop at Coco Cay. 

Thanks in advance for any info!

I am trying to plan a cruise on Carnival Mardi Gras but not sure if my traveling partner (who lives in Peru) vaccine {Sinopharm) is accepted by Carnival.  I am vaccinated with the Pfizer which I know is accepted. Any help is greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

Some shows in the theater are boring, (ahem Cats on Oasis). Do you usually walk out of the show if it doesn't interest you? Or Do you take a nap and re-energize for the next activity on the daily planner? 

I always wonder if a performer thinks it is rude for a audience to walk out during the show or see them sleeping 😴? (In any type of venue-not specifically on a cruise ship theater)

I usually sit at the end of an aisle so I can make my escape!

After hearing the good news that cruises will start on Quantum of the Seas out of Singapore for locals in December, I am wondering if RCL could have started earlier in other countries? 

Like sending a RCL ship to Germany and doing cruises to nowhere for locals like TUI did. 

In some places like Bermuda, there are not many covid cases there. Should the cruise lines set a ship out of Bermuda for their local people to cruise? 

Some say the ship is a Destination itself, so this would be sort of a vacation for the locals to enjoy being out at sea and experiencing a cruise. 

Be prepared for the NY/NJ clientele.  It is much different than taking a cruise out of Florida.

If they replaced it with Shake Shack or Five Guys...I'd definitely pay the upcharge. I would rather have good tasting food then dancing waiters.

With the addition of playmakers bar and grill on RCL ships, I wonder how long Johnny Rockets will last since Playmakers serves similar menu items.

How have things changed since Sheehan was replaced by Del Rio for NCL? 

I see posts where people say things were better back in the times when Sheehan was CEO. What are some examples?

When cruising resumes, do you think NCL will start with the smaller ships sailing or their larger ships? 

If they use the larger ships, there is more outdoor spaces and more room to social distance, but is the cost to run them more expensive then a smaller ship?

As we wait to hear from the healthy cruising panel created by RCL and NCL, we can speculate that some of the protocols will mirror the same or similar policies developed by the European cruise companies that have started operations like MSC. 

So far it looks like MSC has successfully completed 4 cruises without any cases, but will the US market be the same way?

Wearing masks and social distancing will likely be part of the agreement in the guest vacation policy, but how much will be enforced when on the ship? Yes I like to think everyone could be adults about this and follow rules, but instances in the US have proved otherwise with some groups testing the boundaries and refusing to wear masks in public places or social distance. 

How do you think the cruise companies will deal with violators of the guest vacation policy? Will security now be policing around and telling people to wear their mask or will they just go with it with a blind eye? 

If the cruise lines want to have a successful come back, the passengers also need to do their part when onboard. If not, i don't think the cruise lines have a chance of surviving if another mass outbreak occurs. 

5 hours ago, bobsfamily said:

Sad that this is your view of the world... When the Titanic went under the 1918 pandemic was just a few short years away, do you think the sinking caused it? Wow that would be strange...

And your answer explains it all...went right over your head.