Palmetto Pilot

18 minutes ago, chewsifer1220 said:

I am also in the same boat with jumping from Celebrity to NCL. I have my first cruise with NCL booked for next December.  I did a lot of price comparisons between the two and NCL came out miles ahead. X has definitely priced themselves out IMO as others have said.  The only thing I even slightly worry about is the food quality. But I'm game to give it a try and if I don't like a dish I can always move on to others. 

 

 

I think the Royal Caribbean group is pricing themself out as a whole. Carnival and NCL are absolutely more of a value, at least on paper. 

On 3/12/2022 at 8:54 PM, MoCruiseFan said:

Not allowed on the ship at all, leave your little model airplane toy at home.

As an airline pilot there is nothing more I despise than drone operators. 

24 minutes ago, mitsugirly said:

 

Thank you so much.

 

 

Thank you! Happy Anniversary and I hope you have a great time! Wow, it's been awhile for you hasn't it? I was on the Seaward as well in 1989 for my very first cruise!

We've done RCCL and Carnival in the meantime but we need a change. Back to where it started, I suppose. 

I'm really enjoying your review. We're on the Encore in a week for our anniversary and NYE. My last NCL cruise was the Norway and Norwegian Sea in the early 1990s.  

my first cruise was the Norway in 1995, I did 2 more NCL cruises in the 1990s had a paper latitudes number and all that mess. Didn't cruise again until 2004 and NCL would not credit the cruises. It's a bummer for sure. 

11 hours ago, swemto said:

Ah, the joys of air travel – a delightful dance of uncertainty and spontaneity. Our saga begins with the thrilling news that our flight was gracefully rescheduled via the magical land of Germany and the city of Frankfurt to the sunshine state of Florida

 

Oh, the charm of airline punctuality – pushback scheduled for 06:45, and here we are at the edge of rebellion at 06:53.

 

The plane, a beacon of timeliness, is currently being scolded, and soon, it will embark on a journey to Frankfurt on what appears to be the aviation equivalent of a clown car – completely full, of course.

 

I can practically hear the collective sighs of those destined for Munich, forced to embark on the scenic train ride from Frankfurt to Munich, adding a touch of unexpected adventure to their travel plans.

 

Bless my fortunate stars, as I impulsively lunged for the phone upon receiving the cancellation email. After a mere two-hour chat with the geniuses at United, they miraculously conjured up seats for us on LH809 departing from Arlanda, with a layover leading to the grand finale – LH462 bound for Miami.

 

Pushing back from the gate at the remarkably precise time of 7:03 am, the captain, with an air of defiance, throttled the engines, and by 07:13, we were airborne.

 

The captain optimistically estimates a flight time of 1:55 hours, a figure that should guarantee a nearly punctual landing. Almost too good to be true, isn't it?

 

Fast forward to 08:45, and a voice, undoubtedly belonging to someone in authority, graces us through the speakers with the poetic announcement, "Cabin crew, prepare for landing." Thus, our descent into the wondrous embrace of Frankfurt Airport commences, culminating at airgate A17.

 

A spirited jog through the labyrinthine marvel that is Frankfurt Airport brings us to our gate just in time for boarding. The race against time, a truly riveting part of every travel escapade.

 

Now, with a leisurely 11 hours until touch down in Miami, I contemplate the gradual descent of my blood pressure and the potential transition from antacid tablets to the more refined company of rum and cola.

 

Surely, they serve alcohol on the plane; it's practically a flying cocktail lounge, isn't it?

 

Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment from us at 6:00 pm Miami time, where we may or may not be recounting tales of high-altitude mixology and navigating the intricacies of airline hospitality. Cheers to the unpredictable symphony of travel!

Munich airport is closed now and buried under snow! Good thing you didn't go to Munich!

14 hours ago, ColdCruise said:

Yes. 
I signed up via ID.me, linked from NCL’s veterans program oage

https://www.ncl.com/military?intcmp=pro_sl_military3

 

now when I am logged in, I always see the military discount rate (-10%)

 

Awesome I got verified today. I wish I would have known a few days ago before I booked! 

10 minutes ago, D_And_K_gocruising said:

That'll be up to the person going.. And I think really depends on where the cruise is going weather wise.. I think that would be more of a decision maker. 

We're doing a NYE and (10 year anniversary) cruise on the Encore to the eastern Caribbean. It's my first cruise on NCL since the Norway in 1995 or so. Typically we cruise Royal in a suite and have access to the suite deck.

Is vibe still worth it on port intensive itineraries? 

14 hours ago, ColdCruise said:

And the new Veterans appreciation package in our stateroom after checkin

 

 

 

 

 

Did you book under a military rate? or do you have to sign up?

How long to they typically stay up? Will we see them on a NYE cruise?

3 hours ago, jwlane said:

Who are you going to believe?  https://www.portcanaveral.com/About/Severe-Weather-Awareness

well, it's certainly closed now. 

We try to always sail at least sky class on Oasis class. Got a CLS for sub $7000 for our family of 4 in October. 

My parents are on that cruise with you. It's their first Oasis class ship and they are having a fantastic time. 

out of about 50 cruises the Mardi Gras was probably the absolute worst ship and most disappointing cruise I've ever taken. Too many people, not enough crew. If you like waiting for everything then I'd say the MG is for you. 

22 minutes ago, staceyglow said:

All I can say is that I have been on over 20 Carnival cruises  out of many different ports and I have never smelled pot or witnessed aggressive behavior.  Even if it is not happening on the vast majority of cruises, my guess is that Christine Duffy released this video to nip this problem in the bud.

 

As a general rule, longer cruises like your 8-dayer are more sedate than the weekend ships, anyway.  I am sure you will be fine.

Consider yourself lucky then. This is a reactionary response. We just sailed on the MG the whole ship reeked of weed. Guy tried to fight people at the Brass Magnolia because someone sat in front of him. These are carnival passengers, and these are the passengers the message is for.

Navigator is one of my favorites. We sailed on her right before the pandemic. We especially love the vibe and decor of the bamboo room on the Navigator and Mariner. 

Also tested positive for Covid yesterday. So many people coughing on that ship. 

On 2/2/2023 at 11:18 PM, IntrepidFromDC said:

As you are probably well aware, you are in for a TREAT!  Good luck trying to do everything!

 

If I could only give one tip for first-time Mardi Gras cruisers it would be about the food - check out the much-improved free food at places like Shaq's, Shawarma, Seadogs, Street Eats and choose any time dining so you can eat at Chibang and other places (help me people) at regular dining time instead of MDR.  Oh, and don't forget about Rudi's!

 

We found it definitely quantity over quality. Service was lacking and downright poor. Not because of the employees they were working so hard but there were too few of them and way too many people on Mardi Gras. 

On 2/4/2023 at 10:17 AM, Knights on the Beach said:

We can see Mardi Gras from our front door. I'm jealous you'll get to spend two weeks with our favorite bartender Melissa at Brass Magnolia. Have a great cruise, looking forward to following along!

We saw her last night. So nice! 

We’ll be on the first 1/2 of your trip with you. First carnival cruise in about 4 years. 

17 hours ago, Houst said:

Why do your tips more when staying in a suite if they don't do anything different? Like twice a day? Just wondering.

I agree the Excel Suite gratuities were every expensive for what exactly? At least on Royal suite class you get twice a day service.  

5 hours ago, geovet said:

My son is 19 years old. Can he drink beer or wine. Do I need to do anything?

 

Thanks 

Royal Caribbean allowed 18-year-olds to buy beer and wine years ago when I was 18. It was awesome having a beer with my dad. Unfortunately, carnival doesn't allow this. 

6 hours ago, SoBe2010 said:

Thanks everyone so far. I have a feeling... 😉

We are diamond on Royal, however we are in a mood for something new and might give celebration a try. It looks nice despite the "size/pax-ratio"...

 

 

I'm Diamond on Royal as well and generally my preference is Royal. We like the Sky class experience and all that the Oasis class has to offer. I'm by no means loyal to any particular company and we're headed out on the MG next week. I'm apprehensive about the amount of people and small size of the ship in comparison to the capacity. We'll see...

2 hours ago, kelkel2 said:

 

Kids club- my kids were in penguins. Patricia and Augustin were absolautly amazing. We will remember them for a long time. I really appreciate how they made me feel like they were going to care for my kids as if they were their own. Fantastic crew. My kids came back every night with some kind of project, facepaint, craft etc that they had done! 

Overall- the Mardi Gras is probably the best cruise we’ve ever done. We were pleasantly pleased that the ship never felt crowded. Everyone seemed to be spread out and even on a sea day we never struggledu to find a lounger or a chair near water works. We loved the ship and are thrilled to have a cruise booked on the Jubilee!

I'm gald to know the kids club was excellent. We're sailing next week on MG with the kids and they always look forward to the kids clubs on every line we sail on. 

I am worried about feeling crowded on the ship. MG is significantly smaller than Oasis class on Royal Caribbean but just about as many passengers at double occupancy and max occupancy.