cruisingguy007

I like the two new ships coming in and I'll be sailing on the one out of LBC for sure. The design is clean and bright with a touch of chic everywhere but not pretentious, seems very well done. I'm also not against big ships, it's strictly the floating mall/barracks design. Icon of the seas is huge and I really like that concept and design (legit game changer) and hope others follow suit with more sky, sunshine, sea views, and fresh air open design. I also like connectivity of spaces vs compartmentalization and dead end design.

That is a good point. It's either a quick jaunt to Ensenada, AK, Mex Riv or HA. It would be nice to have a northern port that could do some quick Canada runs but it may be wishful thinking. There is some potential for longer South America runs but I think you're right in that most folks want the shorter cruises of 7 days or under.

This doesn't look like Panorama specifically and this had to have been pre-covid, probably spring break or a holiday cruise and smack dab in the middle of a sea day (probably one of the first) because I've never seen Panorama lido that crowded or that many loungers put out. I've certainly seen it crowded pre-covid but not to that degree. This is not a regular representation of Panorama.

I don't see why not, California has a much bigger population and plenty of residents in surrounding states like AZ and NV that drive in regularly, we even have lots of folks from WA & OR who drive up and down I-5. If Florida can fill ships then there is no reason California couldn't do the same to a lesser degree (with FL being a retiree state). Folks already associate FL with cruising and there needs to be some more outreach/education out west, there are so many people who have never cruised or even really know about cruising. There is a huge untapped customer base out west. I have plenty of friends, family and acquaintances who have never stepped foot on a ship, the few I have introduced have loved it. Sure California does not have the port support that FL does but that is another opportunity as well. Grease some palms and work around the likes of hater Doris Matsui to get some port infrastructure improvements and public outreach. Get folks to try the product and the numbers will swell out west.

It's because of that "hurry up and take ten cruises and be Platinum" rule they had before. Some of these same folks complain about faster to the fun lol. From 30 days to platinum to 75 now, plus bumps from platinum to diamond before and it's no wonder there are so many. It's diluted and should be based on days sailed only.

Yeah it's strange this is still happening, on our last Carnival cruise they basically usher you to your muster station upon boarding, it's as easy as can be and there is no excuse for folks not doing it. That said, there were still folks that didn't ever go to muster and they did some announcement at the end of the procedure and then we took off. I don't really see how they can make it any easier than it is now, it's even on the stateroom tv as well. Some passengers are just knuckleheads and refuse to go with the program but I'm not sure returning to the old way would solve it as there were always passengers who didn't show up then too.

I'd hardly call it realistic, I think the drills that they do during port days are actual drills and preparedness training, not so much muster. The crew could just as easily practice the same way of old without herding passengers, it's only the herding of passengers that is a difference and that was already a hot mess with people taking forever to show up or not showing up at all. Hardly a substitute for an emergency but I guess there is some benefit to practice soft herding. If they want to simulate a real emergency, sound an alarm and offer passengers five free drinks for the first 200 passengers to each muster station. Then you'd have more hard realistic stampede response during an emergency lol. From a passenger perspective there is no practical difference but I can see the herding practice being viewed as a tangible benefit for the crew, and by extension the passengers.

From the Carnival website they make it sound like it will have all the same eateries as any of the other ships with the Italian flair of the ship. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts they put a Guys in, as well as the other core food expectations; maybe even a big chicken too. The space should be the same as other vista class ships (roughly).

It's essentially the same from a passenger standpoint, you still have to go to your muster station. It's not like the old way was anymore in-depth from a passenger perspective. It's not like we actually went through an emergency drill or anything. You herded in, sit around waiting, watch the short demo and then herd out. If anything, the new way makes people pay attention more. What safety benefits (from the passenger perspective) were there with the old system vs the new? It isn't like we practice getting into lifeboats or anything, it essentially the same from the passenger experience.

Feel free to check with chengkp75 before you have an opinion. I appreciate being able to have mine. I like it the way it is and didn't need all the snark, I'm a passenger, not a seafarer, he could have provided his insight without snark and smartassery. Have a great day!

Water slide video below. Not sure on kids club though.

I sure hope not, the old way was so inconvenient, people are always late/missing, people talking and it sucks being jammed in herd style. The new way is so much better, it's the your time dining of muster, no one wants to stand around in the hallways waiting on dinner and no one wants to be herded into crowds for muster. It's a terrible idea.

Seems like a free upgrade IMO, much nicer ship! I'd be stoked, especially with previous sailings under the belt, trying something new for the same cost is pretty awesome.

It's the longer cruises that Princess takes. It makes sense when you have folks on for long cruises, stopping at multiple ports, high passenger counts and being in close quarters for so long; odds go up dramatically. Most folks also spend much more time inside on longer cruises, in many instances in very close venues like shows and such. Stick to shorter cruises, warmer itineraries where you can spend more time outside and avoid shows/comedy where people are surrounding you laughing, drinking, talking and coughing. Shorter cruises seem to have way less problems, going on a long cruise is inherently multitudes of risk higher. Anyone really concerned about covid should stick to shorter cruises to mitigate risk or choose another vacation to even further reduce the risk.

The interest rate hikes, while painful, are already working and driving down prices. Lots of things have been dropping from pork bellies and wholesale used car prices to sundries and houses. I'm seeing it already. Certainly there are some trying to prolong the pain and gouge as long as possible but the market will find a equilibrium through market forces and competition. Folks (like many "major economist") complain about inflation and then complain about interest rate hikes in the same breath. It takes time, it's not a light switch. Fundamentals work, even when some work/bet against the fundamentals. There are also the bitter doomsayers who are upset at the outcome and project their negativity. Get ready for the santa clause rally, the new years rally and then the spring and summer rally! You heard it here first. 😉

It isn't too late, I think it was prudent to wait for the election results. I'd feel much more confidant now that a major recession will be avoided or minimized and the economic recovery will happen at a much faster clip. Things are certainly looking up, covid deaths are down and cruising seems to be 100% back. They have the best chance and conditions moving forward. It doesn't mean things won't turn down again but the long term outlook looks pretty good now IMO as the stars have aligned. People have cut back on stuff but are still spending on experiences and cruising certainly falls into that category!

Indeed. I think most of this is a visceral reaction to a culmination of cutbacks and changes. This is a pretty normal reaction actually, most folks with have a conniption fit when they feel something has been taken away or to changes they don't approve of (myself included). Upon further reflection, these cutbacks and changes should be seen as they are, careful scalpel (titration) work vs chopping. Most of these won't affect my cruising experience when I really think about it and cuts have to come from somewhere, better to trim fat than meat. Some are irritating, like the removal of bottles from the fun shops, 50% off happy hour and reducing brunch hours. Even some of these aren't so bad if you got a great rate or caught a sale, it's easier to justify paying for cheers, up-charge dining or paying for room service, etc., when you have a nice discounted rate already. I feel many will still find Carnival a good value in many cases, when they do the math anyways, some will try other lines and end up coming back also. In the end, cooler heads will prevail and most will end up realizing that they don't really miss these cutbacks/changes as much as they thought they would, they were just more irritated with the thought of them than the actual efficacy on their actual overall cruise experience.

Those who book grand suites do have access to the havana area. "Exclusive Access to the Havana Pool Area Guests in Grand Suites on board the Carnival Horizon, Carnival Panorama and Carnival Vista may take advantage of our exclusive Havana experience, which features a beautiful lanai, pool and hot tub spa. To utilize the amenities, guests must be 12 years of age or older. Suite guests will receive wristbands, delivered to their stateroom to wear when taking advantage of the exclusive daytime and nighttime access to the outdoor Havana area." https://help.goccl.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3593/~/suite-amenities-and-perks

I'll be trying out a family harbor suite with 5 of us in January. We are also apprehensive and second guessing the decision, but at the time it seemed like a smart move to book two cruises vs two cabins on one cruise with the special sale promotion. Actually, we have a Thanksgiving cruise next year in the same category so we will get to experience it twice no matter what since the rates have gone up so much that rebooking doesn't make sense (fiscally). My fingers are crossed also 😅.

I'd argue the opposite, too many bought the bottles and were bringing their per drink prices down and saving on additional tips per drink. Removing this is an effort to increase both the per drink prices and the additional per drink tipping. The bottles were cheaper per drink than even cheers (lowest price per being $8ish IF you max out), even though they were limited to two bottles per room and thus a few drinks per day per person over a week cruise but enough for many who don't want cheers but also don't want to pay $12-$15+ per drink a-la-carte. It's a money grab, pure and simple, by removing a middle tier between a-la-carte and cheers.

Starboard but would have no problem on a port side either, starboard just helps me keep my bearings better for some reason, seems to work out best (view wise) on cruises I'm likely to take and it's the smoking side.

It had to be, it was essentially cheers light if you will, cheers is a 105 drinks over seven days, divided by 22 (number of shots in a liter) and that is 4.77 bottles, considering each bottle was going for between $130-$150 (after fees/tax), it's still very profitable, even though each cabin was limited to two bottles. Personally, I don't think they will completely recover this revenue through individual drink sales and/or cheers conversions. Will some? Sure, but certainly not all. People will simply drink less on board, smuggle, drink more in ports ect, basically mitigate as best as possible. There are many many people who see cheers as a complete rip-off and those same folks will balk at paying $14-15 per drink also. Can't say I blame them, I don't drink at restaurants/bars anymore either, too rich for my blood these days. I've pre-purchased cheers for my next cruise but even I'm considering cancelling it and just going without because It's hard to stomach the costs, this from someone who could easily max out on most days and bring the average cost down to $8 after cheers/auto grats/additional delivery grats. $1200 for two is not a small chunk of change. Some folks cruise for less than that 'all in'.

Yes, you should be well away from it, I don't know of any schools going that late in 2024, usually Easter is the latest.

You'll care as soon as you see the new cruise prices without drinkers and gamblers!