samiam0403

Day 3 on board Sirena - we should be just now starting our excursion to Nevis from Saint Kitts, but due to the time needed to transport our ill passenger to Puerto Plata, we now have a sea day today and are skipping Saint Kitts altogether. While a little disappointed (we hadn't yet visited SK), getting help for a fellow passenger who needed it will always be paramount in my mind. Happily, I haven't heard anyone complaining on the ship (yet), so that's a nice change of pace. Yesterday was (another) very lazy day. Room service for coffee and OJ, then alternated between reading on my balcony, reading in Horizons, and hanging out in the smoking areas. (I know, I know. But we've made so many new friends there!) We also tried the slot tournament after lunch, playing against only one other couple - yes, we lost. But I finished the book that I brought on board, and meandered around the library and found another to start today. Lunch yesterday for us was in the GDR and dinner was in the Tuscan Steakhouse. GDR was a tasty little lunch as usual, but Tuscan Steakhouse was rather underwhelming. We started with escargot and a crab cake - hubs said the escargot was overcooked and tasted fishy (and he LOVES escargot). My medium rare ribeye looked like it had been steamed instead of grilled and was very sinewy, while hubs' medium ribeye had a beautiful sear and was quite nice. Ah well, can't win 'em all. The bread was tasty, as were our salads and desserts. But I think we'll try the Italian side of the menu next time! Also stopped by the Cruise Ambassador's desk and booked a Transatlantic on Sirena for 2024. After a few days in our concierge cabin, I had to spring for a PH. The standard bathrooms, while adequate, are just a hair too small to maneuver in comfortably. We also received confirmation that our ship is indeed sailing at capacity - which is not a surprise to those of us who received offers to transfer our booking or take a downgrade. I think the only time it's felt fully booked was at Martinis during Happy Hour, and the Sirena Lounge on the Captain's shindig night. Other than that, there are always empty lounges by the pool or a quiet nook to curl up in and watch the waves go by. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find some wine lists to take pictures of for roadmaster, and to attempt to find the name of the flat topped almond apple pastry for SombraDeLuna. Enjoy your day - I know I will!

They definitely restocked - on day one, I ordered the French rosé, and was told they hadn't stocked it yet. She instead offered me a glass of White Zinfandel that I have seen at the grocery for ~$4 a bottle. I haven't been told they don't have any of the listed wines since. And I DEFINITELY watch to see what they're pouring now. 🤣

No wine list in the room - which I found odd. There's usually a list of bottles and 'bin ends' in the room on boarding day. Would a few pics of various bar menus from around the ship work for you? Can also grab pics of the room service wine/fizz menu from the TV. Off to find breakfast - and probably book another cruise with the Cruise Ambassador. More later!

Good morning from our detoured route in the Caribbean. Announcement from the captain this morning that due to an ill passenger needing more care than the ship's doctor can provide, we're diverting to Puerto Plata to offload the pax. He'll let us know how much that will delay arrival in St. Kitts tomorrow as soon as he knows. Day 2 was a lazy day of breakfast and lunch in the GDR, reading on the balcony, chatting with loads of people around the ship, and spending too much time in the casino. Tried the slot tournament at 1330 ($35 cash or ships charge), and did not win, sadly. Happily, later in the day after being up and down on the slots, I had 2 hand pays and am way way up. Last night was the Captain's reception with free cocktails from 1800-2000. The ship's passengers definitely showed up - we took a few steps into the Sirena Lounge and immediately walked out. A little too crowded for my tastes. Same with dinner when we strolled down to the GDR - line was out the door. We decided to just head to the room and order room service. I told my husband that my petit fillet was better than most steaks I have had in specialty restaurants on other cruiselines! Had shrimp cocktail and the fillet, and hubs had california rolls and a cheeseburger. We were both very happy with everything we ordered! Plans for today (now that I've checked NCAA football scores from yesterday - Go Buckeyes!) include trying to finish my book, and maybe taking a nap. Oh yes, last night, we turned the clocks forward one hour, which makes a nap much more likely today! It's a little too breezy on the balcony for my tastes this morning, but maybe I'll go find a nice chair to curl up in in the library or Horizons. You know it's a rough life when those are your toughest decisions to make in a day!

The Tom Kha Gai was wonderful! Definitely ordering that next time we dine at RG later this week.

Dottie is our CD. Don't know how long she's on, but I'll ask around today!

Let's try those pictures again. - this time as jpegs.

My husband just stepped out of the shower - his review is: I'm a small guy (5'6") and it's small. Tall enough, but no elbow room. You have to Tetris yourself in to fit.

Hello all! I noticed there seemed to be a dearth of info from Sirena lately, so I figured I would offer to answer any questions. We boarded yesterday in Miami, and are on board for a 10-night sailing to the Caribbean. Have previously sailed on Riviera twice (Concierge Veranda and Penthouse), and are currently in a Concierge Veranda. So far, service, dining, and general upkeep has been impeccable. Slightly delayed boarding yesterday (as Sirena was coming off a Transatlantic), but boarding was quick and painless and started generally on schedule with the delayed 1200 boarding time that they notified us of. Dined last night in Red Ginger, and while I was sad to see the Tempura Vegetables were not on the menu, we were more than happy with our dinner choices. We have today and tomorrow at sea, so I'll have plenty of time to answer any questions if you have them! (Going to try to upload pics - let's see if it works!) Cabin.HEIC Pool Deck.HEIC

Cash. Just sailed in September on Liberty. Got my $1000 in cash from the casino cashier cage.

The bartenders are all really great, but Alchemy was the only bar where they didn't muddle the fruit and add club soda to my Old Fashioneds. 🤢

Alchemy Bar. They make great classics, with much better ingredients.

After I spent almost 26 years in the military, it was wonderful to take a loooooong trip without having to worry about leave!

Verrrrry close to $10k per person all in, but that was my retirement celebration trip in 2019. 24 day Transatlantic in an aft wrap suite on Costa ending in Venice, plus hotels, trains, food, etc for an additional 2.5 weeks in Venice, Milan, Paris, and London. And business class flights home to the US. (Happily, our suite on Costa included a full beverage package, and a separate restaurant for suite guests - so no costs for drinks or specialty dining.)

3 days until we're on beautiful Oceania Sirena!

Yes. I booked two from the latest round of offers. Perks include: Platinum status for you and your guest, drinks everywhere on board, a free shore excursion (or spa credit), black car service between hotel or airport and port (or parking at the port), 2 free bottles of your choice of alcohol in your cabin, waived room service fees, free Social wifi package, Drinks On Us everywhere on board for you and your guest, treats delivered to the cabin, a goodbye gift and priority debarkation, and usually dinner at a specialty restaurant. Ours included a free suite and $2500 free play. Past offers (for me) included a free balcony and $1000 free play.

Mine are F5E - free suite and $2500 in free play. Also have EE5 - Australia Elite with free suite and $4000 AUD free play.

Ultra cruises - no. Elite cruises - yes. It was listed as a perk on the last bazillion emails they've sent me, so I fully expect the bottles on my 2 Elite cruises next year. And if not, I'll wipe my tears with the $2500 they're giving me to play with on each cruise. 🤣

They usually put out small sandwiches and cookies in the afternoons/evenings - perfect snack after coming back from an excursion before getting ready for dinner. Pastries in the morning. They also have large refrigerators filled with water and sodas. They have couches and chairs for hanging out and watching the news, and provide newspapers. The concierge has set hours (always posted) for any assistance you might need. They have a few computers as well. Access is by key card, so is available 24 hours a day. Hope that helps!

I've sailed on Royal and Oceania post-COVID (as well as Carnival), and Carnival was the only one that had staffing issues still. My Carnival cruise in September had the longest lines I've seen out of 40+ cruises - I actually gave up on one bar because I had waited so long. Never done that before. Waited 30 minutes plus at seaday brunch to even have a waiter acknowledge me. I will say though, that drink service in the casino was still on point. Most of the time, the drink servers would bring me a bourbon as soon as I sat down, without even asking. (Had drinks everywhere from the casino, and tip $1-2 per drink.) On Royal and Oceania, I could walk up to any bar and maybe have to wait behind one or two other people. Maybe. So from my experience, Carnival is the only one so far that feels severely short-staffed. YMMV.

OP, try another cruise line. At best you'll find a new cruise line that meets your expectations, and at worst you'll miss little things about Carnival and go back to cruising CCL with fresh eyes. I was a little burnt out on Carnival a few years ago, and tried a few new lines. After some time away, I sailed on Horizon and fell back in like with Carnival. Since COVID, I've sailed on Carnival, Oceania, and Royal - unfortunately, Carnival was the only one that I really felt the staffing shortages on. Will I still sail Carnival? Absolutely - when the itinerary and the price work for me. But I go into those cruises with my expectations managed and still have a good time. Enjoy going out and exploring new lines!

Yep! I plan on a late checkout and a leisurely trip to the port. If I have to wait, I've got plenty of books on my Kindle to occupy my time. When I'm not people watching, of course. 🤣

For those boarding next week, just got the email that boarding on Sirena on the 18th is delayed an hour until noon due to a mandatory Coast Guard inspection.

Exactly. 26 year veteran here. I can sit and wait anywhere with the best of them.