Need-a-vacation

What about corkscrews? Do you pack them in your carryon, checked, or do you have to get one onboard or pay for corkage? Or bring screwtop?

For our cruise on the imagination in June, we have 2 midship OV cabins on the Upper deck. Those same cabins would be about $20 each less now. But midship OV cabins on the Main deck are $100 less each on the same fare sale. I'm not optimistic that Carnival would move us and refund or OBC the difference, but would it be worthwhile if they would? Is there a significant difference between the Main and Upper deck? I figure if there's no good reason to stay on Upper, certainly doesn't hurt to call and ask.

I think if I were booking new now, I would certainly book on the lower deck for the savings.

Have people used the Bolt Bus to get to Vancouver for cruising? Is it usually reliable and on schedule?

It's been 10 years, but check into doing the trolley on your own. We took the ships tour and they crammed us into the seats like sardines, even my grandfather who couldn't straighten his leg. It was miserably hot to be crammed in like that and it was hard to hear the tour guide with just the noise of that many people. Meanwhile , we were driving past trolleys doing the tour nearly with only a handful of people on the whole thing.

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I'm a tervis addict, but I suspect I won't be seeing them on the imagination this summer. I love then, but I will likely take cheaper knock offs for a cruise. They sell a couple types of lids. There are bright colored ones like in the pictures and they close. There are also some that are a clear-white plastic that are more basic and just have a small round hole. Both types are available at BB&B. I think they come in sets of 4.

I almost always use a lid on mine for different reasons. They aren't spill proof, but if they get knocked over with a lid there is usually less spilled. When I'm somewhere outside my home, the lid gives some protection from bugs, dirt, sneezes, etc. I keep trying to train the rest of the family to embrace the lids!

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I don't even know if my request is being submitted. I hit the submit button and nothing really happens. Do you normally get some sort change to a different page with something that tells you the form was submitted?

The last time I filled one out, I did not receive an e-mail, BUT, a couple of hours later, I checked my "manage my cruises" and the OBC was there already. :)

Where do you see the OBC in the Manage My Cruises page?

I think it sounds like a good question for your doctor to ask what is the expected protocol if the epi pen is used. That's probably good to know even if you aren't traveling. I would assume the need for a follow up to the ER is to monitor airway, bp, heart rate, maybe get some steroids going, etc and address any issues. Or give additional epi if the pen wasn't enough.

Depending on how long ago you booked the cruise, you might want to consider some sort of travel insurance that would cover you being transferred back to the states if the infirmary decides they can't address the problem adequately and wants to discharge her to a local hospital in port.

Also poke around on the special needs board. I bet you'll find folks that have had to use their epi pen on board.

Was randomly looking at Carnival cruises out of Florida.

 

Noticed on May 12th out of Miami on Ecstasy there is a concert with Martina Mcbride. Also on May 12th out of Tampa on Paradise is a concert with Martina Mcbride.

 

Is that an error or she just takes a helicopter from one ship to the other? Or boards the other ship in Mexico?

Looks like the concert is during the Cozumel port stop for each cruise, so she's probably staying in Cozumel. :)

I would love to go on one of these cruises and see her, but just can't happen!

I just did my 14-year-olds last december and I'm pretty sure they sent off the BC. We had to do it in person and both parents had to appear with ID or bring a notarized form from the absent parent.

Our 19-year-old just got his first adult passport and had to basically do a new application. The agent insisted he had to have his birth certificate. I really didn't think that was true but he was absolutely sure they would just send it back without a birth certificate even though he is an adult and had an existing passport. He said it was just like a new passport application and it didn't matter that he already had a passport. I wouldn't be surprised if he was wrong, but I gave in first. The purpose of the BC for an adult application is to prove citizenship, so I don't see why a current passport wouldn't be satisfactory. My guess is that particular acceptance office had people screw it up a couple times and they just decided to require a BC from everybody.

Her bottle will get pulled. Use rumrunners.

I actually wasn't asking for her - I was relating her experience. She doesn't cruise out of Long Beach at all and doesn't always try to bring anything, but when she does, it's a regular bottle and it usually makes it to her cabin. But since it is in the original sealed bottle, if it is taken she can go collect it at the end of her cruise rather than it being trashed.

I haven't asked, but I figured it was possible that the higher levels that get special baggage handling might have different baggage tags than others. I was just thinking aloud or hypothesizing that maybe different cruise lines are more aggressive about it than others or that they possibly use some discretion based on the cruise length, amount of alcohol, etc. I'm not in the baggage screening area - I have no idea what info they have available to them. But it doesn't seem impossible that they can pull up the info on who is booked in the cabin for that bag.

So I was trying to combine her experience with the experience of others that DO sail out of Long Beach to get an idea of why her bottles usually get ignored, but many on the boards are insistent that bottles would always get taken. Or maybe she's just been incredibly lucky and there's no logic to it at all.

SadieN -- the image of the booze pile is hilarious. I have to wonder if they really trash it all or if some of it gets re-homed at the end of the embarkation. ;)

Due to major drop on my cruise I have $1130 on OBC for two cabins (DH & I and kids). We rarely spend much on board ship and have already booked all our excursions with private parties. Do I lose this money if I don't use it?

I assume it could go towards tips? Not sure how long your cruise is, but that could eat up a big chunk

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Are you asking if a frequent, loyal cruiser is given a break for smuggling alcohol?

I don't know, but I think it's in the realm of possibility that they use some discretion for which passengers to overlook and which to call to the naughty room. It could be reasonable to ignore the small bottle of Bacardi in the bag of a 60-year-old that cruises your line 20-30 days a year compared to the occasional passenger with a gallon of rum runners for a 3 day cruise

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Additionally, rum runners are one of the most-discussed topics here on the boards. You could run a search on the Carnival board - that might be the best idea. :)

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Lol. I've noticed. I just haven't been around enough lately to notice any patterns. My mom prefers the original bottle when she tried it because it's usually fine and if they catch it, she gets it back at the end. But she's super frequent high grade on another line and maybe they are less aggressive about it ?

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So I think I've changed my mind... I'm going to go with the cheers program. On the days we're in port (and the first day we sail) I'm going to "bank" shots of liquor in my room (maybe in a water bottle or something) to make up for the other days. Probably round out with one bottle of liquor per room as a just-in-case sort of thing.

 

Thanks a lot, guys!!!

Probably want to make sure the "water bottle" is out of the way or clearly labeled or your very helpful and efficient cabin steward may accidentally dump and trash it. But that's an interesting variation on the beer bank plan.

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So are all checked bags put through an xray scanner like they do at airports? Is that done by the cruise line or the port security?

Any opinions on the general success rate of stashing liquor in the luggage at long beach? Do you think it makes much difference if it's in the original bottle or a rum runner? Are different cruise lines more aggressive about catching folks?

You shouldn't have to stand in the long line if you let them know you need assistance. You will be escorted through the line quickly and then allowed to sit until boarding begins. You will then board right after priority.

 

 

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And that is exactly what happened in our case. My Grandpa, his cabinmate, and my aunt/uncle that were helping them went straight to the front and boarded as soon as they could. My mom and I who had no special needs besides heat exhaustion got to stand in the line forever. :) Whatever was going on, it was so late when they started boarding anyone that the cabins were ready.

I don't need it, I was just a bit dismayed to think that someone would have to buy fttf for a disabled passenger to minimize standing in line. Especially if there is some embarkation snafu like we had in Galveston where we stood in the boarding line for nearly 2 hours.

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I've read a couple comments about people needing to buy FTTF to address the needs of disabled passengers in their party. Do they not provide any accommodation for disabled passengers? It was years ago, but when I cruised with several in my family, including my grandpa with a scooter, they brought him and part of our group (not us unfortunately!!) up to the front and had them board sooner as soon as people were allowed to board. Same with the security screening. They were settled in easily an hour or more before we boarded.

Are passengers with disabilities on their own for embarkation and disembarkation?

I think I was having a fried brain moment when I posted this last night. Odds are that the Pack Your Bags fare was available when I booked but I just never looked at it because we chose the "pick your room" option going through the booking engine. I think it has gone down $20 since then, but that's probably irrelevant if it was available and still cheaper than the fare I booked.

Well, I went ahead and added it to each room figuring I can cancel it later if we decide to pass. But I still never saw a specific number for availability.

So I just booked a couple weeks ago and we're past the final payment date. Today, I've noticed a Pack Your Bag fare that is appreciably less than what we paid. But I see it's a guarantee fare and we have selected cabins. Is there any point in calling them and asking them to match it?

I found the excursion, but I'm not seeing anything about how many are available. It just says "Limited Capacity". So I'm wondering if I'm looking in the right place?

I see posts where people mention they can see how many FTTF are available or how many have been sold. How do you see it?

I knew ours were linked this time when I went into the booking for our room to purchase a shore excursion and the kids' names popped up to be added along with ours. On our last cruise they weren't linked and I had to purchase shore excursions separately for each room. That was the only thing I noticed but we don't eat in the dining room or anything, so it didn't matter for that.

Thanks for the tip. I did a pretend shore excursion and all of us were listed, so hopefully that's a good sign that they are linked. Both bookings have Your Time Dining, so that's not an issue.