groundloop

I've only those deals during the restart, they've since disappeared.

On the deck 6 aft balcony cabins you'll hear music from the comedy club, but no crowd noise. It's mostly just at the start of the shows.

Hmmmmmm..... the last time I ate in the Steakhouse I asked about a second appetizer and was told no. There must be some inconsistency across the different ships.

NO.

This will be the first time Carnival has sailed to Greenland since 2013, so all the excursions are brand new. (I'm on the upcoming August cruise as well.) The "Difficult" Iceberg Boat Tour excursion is in a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat)..... a somewhat smallish boat that's gonna' give you a more exciting ride (in other words there's a good chance you're gonna' get beat up and wet). The other one looks to be in a larger boat. AND as of right now there are still tickets available for that one for 6 time slots ranging from 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM. OH WAIT... you said you've got a group of 4.... that'll limit your choices.

One time with priority self-debarkation we were on the road by 7 AM. The time after that there was some sort of hold-up and we didn't get through customs until nearly 9 AM. It's impossible to know when you'll get off so it would be a folly to make a ride reservation ahead of time. There will be plenty of Ubers, Lyfts, and taxis and you won't have to wait long.

Dang, how does Carnival make any money if people are always winning so much in the casino? 🤣

Was that for a 5:00 PM departure time? And what time could you go to your cabin? (I have a cruise on Legend out of Baltimore in a few months and will probably go for a late arrival time so that I can go straight to the cabin).

I hadn't quite reached Platinum status yet on my previous Journeys cruise, so I'm wondering about which normal perks will be suspended (I'm going on the first sailing to Greenland this coming August). I'm guessing Priority Water Shuttle won't be happening, but what about priority debarkation at the end of the cruise? I'll also go out on a limb and guess that the Platinum/Diamond party won't happen..... how could you possibly make space for half the guests on the ship 🤣 . How about dropping off luggage to our cabin when we board?

Just for grins I found the room service menu to ensure that my memory was correct..... you can get a pot of coffee for just $3, so that's another option.

As mentioned, keep all your meds in your carry-on luggage. In nearly 20 cruises those have never been checked, but I'd still have them in the original prescription bottles if possible.

Well, now we know who was complaining to John Heald this morning. 🤣 Seriously though, I doubt if all that many people would use them so Carnival would just be throwing millions of dollars away equipping cabins with something that nobody cares about. When I want a coup of coffee it's no big deal to head up to Lido and grab one.

I've been on both Valor and Glory out of New Orleans in the past, and will be on Glory again this Thanksgiving. Supposedly Glory is one of the ships that's already been converted to Starllink internet service..... I'd love to hear about your experience with that. Maybe see if you can run a speed test while you're at sea.

OR just do a later arrival time, breeze through check-in with no lines, and have access to your cabin as soon as you board.

In my most humble opinion the only "controversy" is coming from small numbers of relatively uneducated prudish people who have never been exposed to classical art. With my rant out of the way, I've been on both Spirit and Pride and really like them both. They're so similar that I'd have to chose based on itinerary, driving distance, cost, etc.

I just spent 57 minutes and 38 seconds on a call with Carnival. It turns out that any gift card refunds associated with a cruise that was originally booked through a travel agent must be handled manually by a Carnival agent, even if the customer made the purchase directly through Carnival's website. ALSO.... for any gift card purchases you make be sure to hang on to the gift card number and PIN (thankfully I do). This is absolutely nuts.

That's true for MOST, but not ALL cruises (even if they start and end at the same port). For instance, on our upcoming cruise that visits Greenland the ONLY acceptable proof of citizenship is a passport. (Carnival recently sent an email explaining this).

Thanks for that. I never knew which department was responsible for that, only that if you go to the extension for excursions that they're useless in offering any help.

Exactly. We sailed on Spirit on her second cruise back from restarting and had tablecloths. I asked about it and was told that they still had the old tabletops, so I suspect tablecloths will be going away after her next drydock. As I recall this was the only cruise where I've seen tablecloths since around 2018. While it's a nice touch, I don't think that a lack of tablecloths detracts from my dining experience.

Since my original purchase with with an e-gift card I'm certain the refund will come in that form also. And yes, I've been careful to check my email and spam folder. I've read reports that Carnival is seeing a record number of bookings so I'm sure their customer service people are very busy. Hopefully I don't fall through the cracks.

I'm curious if everyone is seeing long delays in getting excursion refunds. On March 14th I cancelled an excursion that had been paid for with e-gift cards. I received an email acknowledgement of the cancellation the next day, but 3 weeks later still don't have a refund.

Out of curiosity what's the departure time? And yes, I agree with the above suggestion.... if it's a "normal" 4 PM departure I'd show up around 1. The crowds will be greatly diminished by then and you'll be able to go to your cabin with a minimal wait.

I'll be surprised if many people purchase this (if in fact it ever goes live) since more and more cell phone plans offer data abroad and many phones can serve as hot spots. In my case my T-Mobile plan gives me free data while travelling, and my daughter's AT&T plan gives her data for $10 (if I remember correctly).

Nope, you're spot on. I'm just glad you beat me to being the kermudgeon.

That seems to be pretty normal..... Carnival knows that those of us who are Diamond and Platinum will keep booking cruises so no need to give us a good offer. (But we do get a plastic ship pin and a koozie !!!!!! )