OceanZena

3 minutes ago, haehaehaley said:

I think it might be a glitch with 4 day sailings. I went to look for one out of Charleston and it is showing no 4 days from there which I know is wrong. 

I cleared my cookies as recommended in the posts above and now the 4 day sailing is showing again...but only for 4/28/25 so hopefully my 4/24/25 sailing will eventually come back. Pricing thankfully seems to be the same with no crazy increases. 

My sailing has disappeared from the website yet it's thankfully still showing up in my planner. I have a 4 day Radiance sailing booked for 4/24/25 but only 6 & 8 day sailings show up when I choose April 2025 from Los Angeles in the search box. I hope it's just a site glitch and they didn't cancel my sailing. 

5 hours ago, nascartim said:

On the topic of receiving these upgrades, does your booking need to be paid in full? Or does that not matter? I have 4 booked but none of them are paid in full yet, I can if I thought it might improve my chances.

For my situation, i'm not paid in full so Carnival must really want to resell my cabin. It will be interesting to see if I get any more offers from them to move and if they'll be sweeter than the first one. 

Why they think anyone would actually PAY $42 to move from a long balcony over to a regular sized one is pretty hysterical. 

35 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Not like that...for example, a family needs rooms close by for minor children, if a travel group is buying a block of rooms, if you are in a connecting cabin but not linked to the second cabin.  There is no need to offer an aft balcony for an upsell.  They can sell coves twice over so maybe obstructed balconies on a higher deck aren't selling  so send out offers to all coves and maybe someone will bite.  

Ok those scenarios make a lot more sense than just someone calling Carnival and saying "I want that cabin someone has booked. Get it for me!" 😄

I always thought upsell/upgrade meant to a "better" cabin, which is why I naively thought there would be an offer for a suite or something before I opened the e mail and I got all excited. Now I know that's far from the reality and even moving one measly deck up is considered an upgrade to them. 

11 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

5 hours ago, OceanZena said:

Now I wonder if they're trying to bump me from it because someone else wants it if they're highly sought after. This will be my first time in one of these cabins and I can't wait to try it. I spend a lot of time out on the balcony so the extra space will be really nice. 

 

11 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

yes

I had no idea they actually did that. Wow. So if someone calls Carnival and says they really want so and so cabin that's already booked by someone else, they will try and entice the booked passenger to move with the "upgrade" so they can sell that cabin to them? 

I don't mind that they do it, but if they're going to ask me to move from my long balcony, they could at least make the offer more enticing than to move down to a regular balcony that's only one deck up...and ask me to pay for it lol. If the offer was to move to an aft balcony I probably would've jumped on it. 

8 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

We actually book early so we can snag one of these cabins since there are only a few of them. On this class of ships, they are priced the same as a regular balcony. You lose the couch, but you get double the balcony. We just grabbed cabin # 6450 for both legs of a B2B on the Valor in April 2025! 

Now I wonder if they're trying to bump me from it because someone else wants it if they're highly sought after. This will be my first time in one of these cabins and I can't wait to try it. I spend a lot of time out on the balcony so the extra space will be really nice. 

Just now, Jamman54 said:

Nope! I would never swap a "bowling alley" balcony for a regular balcony. You made the right choice. 

Thanks! I actually laughed when I saw what they were offering. Nope is right! 

8 minutes ago, deelightfull said:

For our last cruise hubby got a phone call offering him an upgrade to higher floor, for like $20, which we didn't do.  However, when we logged on, in the cruise planet there was that higher floor offer, but there was an additional offer for an upgrade to a room with spa access for the same price as a thermal suite for one. That offer we took.

Now I know, always check the planner!

I checked my planner after reading this to see if an additional offer may be there as you had, but it was the same midship 8301 cabin offer so I made sure to click "No thanks, i'll keep my own room" to ensure I didn't accidentally lose my 7439 long balcony from any gremlin glitches. After that the offer disappeared.

Has anyone ever received a second offer after declining the first? I'm happy with what I have, but just curious if I should expect to see any more. I'd only accept it if it were a Jr. Suite, or even an aft balcony which i've always wanted to try. 

1 minute ago, Joebucks said:

Higher decks are more money. It's one of the few "upgrades" I personally do most of the time as it is nice being within walking distance of Lido. 

 

I think sometimes people overdo it with booking their cabins by "predicting noise." In 10 rooms I've never had an issue, minus the occasional jerk in the hallway. 

I think Deck 7 is perfect for me since it's 2 floors between Lido and Casino which are my 2 favorite places. I stay away from midship not for the noise (a party could be going outside my door at 3am and i'd never hear it).

It's the heavy foot traffic that I like to keep away from as on my last sailing i'd have to poke my head out the door before exiting or else collide with someone passing outside. Aft location is much less traffic.  

22 minutes ago, skywalkr2 said:

I have never heard of upgrade via e-mail. Is this new?

I got an upgrade e mail back in 2019 so I don't think it's new. However, I now wonder if Carnival sends me the offers via e mail due to my hearing disability since they have that on record and know they can't call me. That's pretty neat if they do. 

Has anyone else received their offers via e mail or is it always usually by phone? 

When I saw the subject of the e mail saying "You qualify for a stateroom upgrade.", I thought it would be at least a Junior Suite lol. I'm an eternal optimist....maybe the next one will have that! 🙂 

Carnival sent me an upgrade e mail today for my December Liberty cruise, but I don't see how they view it as an upgrade. 

I currently have cabin 7439 booked which has a nice long balcony and they're offering to "upgrade" me to cabin 8301 which is a midship regular balcony for $42!! I had to laugh when I saw the deck plan and location because the cabin is pretty much exactly where I hate because it has so much foot traffic in the hallways. And no long balcony either. 

Does anyone actually view this as an upgrade? Needless to say, I didn't accept it! I'm keeping my long balcony! 🙂 

I've never been to Amsterdam but after seeing these wonderful pics I now want to visit. Thanks for sharing your trip. I'm really enjoying it!! 🙂 

1 minute ago, Honolulu Blue said:

i guess I'm from the new school - I sometimes like those pretty video slots and the old 3-reel slots mostly bore me to tears.💤

 

Sometimes the video slots can be tough to figure out what pays what and when.  I'm also unusual in that I occasionally glance at the instructions to help me understand how I'm going to lose my money.  But mostly I trust in the machine, its manufacturer, and its lessee to give me proper payouts.  So far I've lost within normal limits, so I must be doing something right. 🙏

I'm glad to see that you have to look at the instructions at times because I sometimes feel i'm the only clueless one in the casino with these new slots lol. I look around at others playing them and I helplessly wonder "How the heck do they know what they're doing?!".

It gives me hope that I can eventually learn and get more comfortable with them over time. 

4 hours ago, sgttami said:

I get the offers too but detest the video slots that have taken over the casino.

 

The good, old Vegas reel slots are long gone.

 

No interest anymore and I used to live in the casino on sea days (LOL)

I couldn't agree more! The old reel slots are becoming more scarce with each cruise and I dread the day they're gone forever because I won't be in the casino much either anymore after that.

I just can't understand how to play those giant computerized slots with the big cartoons and videos playing and I never know what the heck i'm supposed to be going for when spinning. 

I guess i'm just getting old..."Back in my day the slots were only 3 reels. That's the way it was and we liked it!" lol

"Social Media Influencer" lol. I wonder who comes up with these wacky titles. I never heard of the guy until I started getting the e mails but they're always for Australia and that's just a bit too far away for me. I couldn't stand being on a plane for that long...even for a free cruise. 

39 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

I had a hard time finding a tour company that would allow me to book 1 person.

Wow, that's surprising. I wonder why that is?! As a solo traveler myself, i'd be a bit offended but i'm glad you found one that accommodated you. 

26 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

There actually were some people in the port buying alcohol. But i stopped and took these pictures and allowed them to pass me so I could be last.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm so glad you stopped to snap these pics because it's the clearest view i've seen yet of those Deck 2 aft balconies. I booked the same one on Firenze for next year and seeing them up close like this makes me like them even more! Thank you! 🙂 

5 hours ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

Casino is small,  maybe a little smaller than Pride's. If Mardi Gras casino is an envelope,  Venezia casino is a postage stamp. 

Oh no. Would you say it's smaller than the Conquest class casinos too? I love the ship casinos but don't think I can have fun in a postage stamp sized one lol. I booked the Firenze for next year and I believe that will be the exact same layout as Venezia is, but if the casino is similar in size to the Conquest class ships like the Liberty casino then i'll be fine. 

12 hours ago, socialsea said:

Every time we sail out of Port Canaveral my husband and I stay at the Days Inn, Cocoa Beach. We have always been very satisfied with this hotel and will continue to stay there in the future. It is nothing fancy but definitely is not a rats hole as you put it. It is clean, the beds are comfy and it is within walking distance to a lot of different amenities. The Cocoa Beach Pier is right across the street which includes 4 different restaurants. There is a Dunkin Doughnuts just down the street. Across the street is a Publix, a Walgreens, a Jersey Mike's and a few other stores that I can't think of right now. It is also a 5 minute drive to the cruise port. The staff at the front desk have always been pleasant and helpful. The hotel has a very nice pool and a laundromat with 2 washers and dryers. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Enjoy!!

Thanks so much for the information. I was beginning to worry that I was stuck there and figured i'll make the best of it anyway if it winds up to be a dump, but your post has eased my worries. I'm glad to get info from someone who has actually stayed there before and liked it. 

I've stayed at the next door Best Western before and liked that but their prices are outrageously high since my previous stay, and I know the area is great having the Publix right across the street and the pier a few steps away. I'm now breathing a sigh of relief after seeing your post lol. Thanks! 🙂 

I could never do a ship that big, but that Magnificent Circus Show looks like a lot of fun and the photos of it are beautiful. Is this show only on the Celebration? 

11 minutes ago, GTO-Girl said:

It gets very mixed reviews on Trip Advisor…..and some are not good!

I used to go to Trip Advisor many years ago for info, but that site has changed so much I don't trust it much anymore. But "mixed reviews" can mean some of them are good lol, so i'll try and keep positive that it's not a total flea bag place. 

I've stayed at the Best Western right next door from it so I know the location is excellent and the website room pictures look ok, but I know you can't really trust those. I'll just keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. If it's really that bad I guess I can just sleep on the beach. 😂

Has anyone personally stayed here and can share what it was like? I originally had the Best Western next door booked for 1 night before my December cruise in an oceanfront balcony for $191, but decided i'd rather spend 2 nights pre cruise instead of 1 and make things more relaxing. 

But hotel prices are so expensive so I tried Priceline's $99/night pay before knowing your hotel and I got the Days Inn. I'll lose my oceanfront balcony at BW, but for 99 bucks I can afford to extend my stay to 2 nights now. I'm just hoping this place isn't a rathole lol. 

Either way i'm stuck there so I hope to hear good things about it! 

BTW, if anyone is interested, Priceline is having a 25th birthday sale and giving $25 off coupons over $150 with code BDAY25 until 5/22. 

My total 2 night stay was just $222.98 total with tax and coupon which is only about $30 bucks more than I was going to pay for just 1 night at BW. So even if it's a dump, I think I got a good deal! 🙂 

31 minutes ago, LaRue1975 said:

That’s fantastic, I think you will really enjoy it! I have been looking at the Firenze too, Long Beach is our home port. What itinerary are you doing? The Long Beach port is very nice too and well run. The terminal is spacious and comfortable, it is the in the dome they built to house the Spruce Goose, Howard Hughs plane. Also, the Queen Mary is adjacent, is newly renovated and the hotel is re-opening this month. I highly recommend staying there before or after your cruise. I don’t think I can squeeze Firenze in until 2025 but I definitely look forward to sailing on her. Enjoy your cruise and time in California! 😎

I've been busy lately and out of the loop so I only learned about the Firenze this week and loved what I read and saw of it so had to book it. I love the idea of an Italian themed ship and can't wait to do this one. 

The itinerary is the 4 day Catalina/Ensenada sailing and both places i'd really love to see. Catalina especially as I love places you can easily walk around on foot sightseeing and shopping. 

I will check out the Queen Mary hotel since i've always wanted to visit there. This will be a Thursday embarkation, so I plan to arrive L.A. on Tuesday evening and have all day Wednesday to do a quick Hollywood tour (I have my heart set on visiting the Santa Monica Pier) so I may do Tuesday night in a Hollywood area hotel and then Wednesday at Queen Mary. 

I decided to just go for it sight unseen and e mailed my PVP this morning to change the booking. I was too afraid of choosing one of those oddly shaped cabins, and they looked weird inside them on You Tube videos of the cabins on the Horizon (which btw has a video of each and every one of those aft deck 2 balconies on Cruisedeckplans, so if you're interested in what they look like inside, that's the place to look!)

I chose cabin 2478 and think i'll be happy with it. I've never had an aft facing balcony, nor one so close to the water before so it'll be a whole new experience along with the different itinerary out of L.A. 

After doing so many sailings from my home port of Pt. Canaveral to the Bahamas, it's definitely time for a change of scenery. 

1 hour ago, Eli_6 said:

My biggest concern would be noise. Otherwise, I would think they would be awesome.

Noise won't be a problem with me. I can sleep in the engine room and not hear a thing. 😂

16 minutes ago, Heartgrove said:

Probably a lot of vibration and movement being that far back. Those two odd-shaped staterooms with the bed on a 45 degree angle are different for motion. 

I decided against those odd shaped rooms and play it safe with one of the middle standard size cabins. I am curious about those, but i'm not bold enough to chance it. When I sail, i'll try and take a peek in one of them and see if I dodged a bullet or not.