Brkintx

We were on this sailing! Substantial movement, more than I recall on my previous Radiance sailing. I do wish they'd change the pre-set itinerary for this ship as it always visits the same two ports on shorter cruises... I get why they stop there, but one trip to Ensenada (over a lifetime) is enough... Especially knowing they could run just a bit further south on the peninsula where there's something worth visiting instead of zig-zagging around on the sea day... (my opinion anyway)

I have strong opinions on illicit drug use, but honestly those opinions aren’t the issue in play for me. Wanna toke up on board? Do it in the smoking area. Smoking pot (or anything else) on your balcony could actually kill people (fire started from a stray floating bit of ash actually has).

Note that while you can order multiple appetizers and multiple sides, even multiple deserts… unlike the MDR, ordering multiple mains in the steakhouse would result in an additional charge.

Not sure on your sailing, but CdeCap is open and taking reservations on my Vista Aug 13 sailing… as is Chef’s table. Might be worth checking. Last official communication I got from CCL on topic said ‘thru July 31’ so I suppose an extension email would be coming any time now if one is coming..

Also, if your play is sufficient… the hosts can express all manner of discretion for waiving charges on your folio…

Yep. IMO at least. The information is correct on the website, included in the checkin process, and any misinformation is not Carnival’s responsibility.

Note that in both cases mentioned (Texas and New York) departing ships... The Casino drinks program (either DoU or DoUE, whichever comes with your offer), the T&C says it does not start until day two at 6 a.m. In practice, however, it most often starts when the casino opens (which is when the ship hits international waters and New York law no longer controls. So while YMMV, generally you're fine about an hour or two after departure. Prior to that, drinks you order will be billed to your S&S account in either port.

To be blunt... I think if you are used to eating in the MDR, going to the steakhouse will change your entire perspective of eating on a Carnival ship. Everything is cooked to order in the steakhouse. In the MDR, they have to feed so many, nearly all at once, that everything is prepped and pre-cooked, then held just below the ready to serve threshold until it's time to finish and send out hundreds of plates at once - like the buffet but on separate plates instead of a bin. Even if you were to directly compare the upcharge steak in the MDR to the steakhouse... the rest of your meal is prepared to order from the salad to the main course. Yes, the service is better also, but honestly that is just because there are fewer tables per staff team. Now that CdCap is reopened, between that and the steakhouse, I typically won't eat dinner in the MDR but one time per cruise.

They've never failed to send me a disapproval email. I still ask on every cruise just in case (they're casino bookings, so expectations are low).

Nothing in your linked article indicates that testing is no longer required by Carnival. The article mentions CDC actions and the reopen of kids clubs on Carnival ships... As of now... Carnival DOES still require testing. From the Carnival protocols website, just now: " Carnival welcomes the CDC’s decision to replace its current public health protocols with a new set of guidelines for health operations on cruise ships. We will review these once they’re available, but there are no immediate changes to Carnival’s COVID-19 protocols. While planning an upcoming cruise, guests should continue to follow this page, as well as any pre-cruise communications from Carnival. "

Not sure when he'll make the decision, but you can also leave the reservation as "TBA" (book for 2 but not enter his info) until the online checkin process. If he'll know by then, you can either delete the TBA with a quick call or add his name to continue the online check in.

At the kiosk, after you log in, and manage account, click add funds. Options include CC, Cash, and Carnival Gift Card (choice obvious). Then it asks for the GC number and pin. Then enter and it provides you with the balance. Click to apply the entire (or partial) amount to your S&S account. Done with card 1. Repeat for other cards. When you have more than a couple, the screen will show them by last four and dollar amount. In this case you have to scroll the screen to the bottom to find the add funds button. The screen scrolls like a computer or android phone and not like an apple phone (where you scroll the view instead of the content). The trick isn't really a trick, it's learning where the navigation buttons are. My description above makes it seem simple, but the buttons to select aren't the most obvious and can blend in.

I choose YTD. Admittedly, I have little experience in the MDR comparatively. At most, I eat dinner in the MDR one or two times per sailing. Generally it's only once. Going to a specialty one time (where food is cooked to order) does a lot to create perspective for the bulk assembly line experience in the MDRs. All but one of the ships I have sailed on had a completely separate dining room for YTD vs. fixed time, so the tabling / etc. As for downsides, the wait for a table that some experience would be a factor. Nowadays, every booking I have is an ocean suite, and my experience is that the app handles the prioritization well and I don't really wait for a table. I add myself to the list, and start heading to the YTD dining room. Almost without fail, before I arrive, I've been notified that my table is ready. I've walked past dozens and dozens of people waiting outside the YTD dining room, so I know this is a thing even if I have not experienced it. Another downside is the wait once seated. While still not a 'prepared to order' experience... it can appear to be. E.g., at times this means your salad will take a few extra minutes as your order is aligned with the production tempo in the galley, such as when they're currently rushing to serve desert to 450 guests in the Early dining MDR. I can also see where a larger group would be more difficult to accommodate. As I'm walked through the restaurant to my table I have taken note at how few large tables there are in the YTD MDR vs. the fixed MDR. (I cannot confirm this is an actual thing, however, as I've not tried to take a group in for dinner...)

At risk of being scolded for replying to my own post - AARP lifted their max # of cards per month for Carnival from 5 to 25. Still offering $500 cards as well.

Thanks for that bit of info - it's hard to keep track of something the interwebs don't seem so concerned about... 😉

Sorry missed this reply while I was on travel - but yeah, I spent several years in the (formerly named) TR program at the 7* level, and definitely enjoyed the travel and other benefits... But you know what I liked best - that their program had published rules, benefits, etc. You could easily determine whether spend of X was worth Y benefit, especially while playing because of the Tier bonuses. At the time I lived near a TR casino, so re-tiering only took a visit every few weeks. I moved thereafter and actually have only been in a land based casino 2 times since the shutdown. (Yet the mailers still come....) On Carnival, it's all a smoke screen. On some ships, I have had a host on my heels from three seconds after I slide a card into a machine forward, and I do appreciate the attention, spa treatments, etc. But on others - I hardly, if ever see them and if I want something I have to seek them out and ask (which feels like begging for something you've actually already paid for). Pretty frustrating to know that I'm in touch with my EH via text while on board and well, I'll stop whining. Despite that they have thresholds on their side, they don't publish those so you don't actually know what you're entitled to. I'm not whining about not getting another massage or having my ship store purchased comped off my S&S account in those cases - I'm more saying that it's impossible to make informed value decisions. I'm also interested in data points, so on this next cruise I'm going to soften my play and exposure a bit and see what type of reaction I receive program wise.

I know you were asking for someone else's experience, but I just did this again today for an August sailing. Left it TBA on the reservation, and paid for it in full (including gratuities and taxes / fees). Gonna be doing online checkin in the next few days and called to have the TBA removed. There was no additional 'penalty' charge added to the CC or S&S account - frankly I don't believe that happens (and there's no basis for it in the cruise contract, which I have in fact read). Instead, the TBA's port taxes, fees, and prepaid gratuities were refunded to me. Actual numbers: The booking went FROM: Cabin fare @ $100/ppdo (total = $200) Taxes & Fees @ $113.72 / pp (total = $227.44) Prepaid gratuities @ $16.5/pp ( total = $231) Grand total with me+TBA = $658.44 TO: Cabin fare @ $100/ppdo (total still because the total is based on double occupancy even though it's now only got one in it = $200) Taxes & Fees @ $113.72 / pp (now times only one, total = $113.72) Prepaid gratuities @ $16.5/ppdo (now times only one, total = $115.50) Grand total with me = $429.22 Resulting in an overpayment of $229.22 I chose to just have that $229.22 added as OBC rather than via CC to make it easier (and because I know I'll spend it). Waiting on hold took about 30 minutes. Doing the transaction took about 45 seconds. OBC is visible on my booking details. More explanation for those who care: Carnival charges cabin fare based on per person, double occupancy and does not charge a single supplement. In my example above, the fare was $200, based on that being $100 per person for double occupancy. In this way, it's done the same as a land based hotel and really SHOULD be less confusing - it's $200 for the room for the first two guests. Some cruise lines DO charge a single supplement for solo reservations. In that case, the same cabin would be $100 each for two people (per person double), thus that same booking for two would be $200. Dropping the second person after the refund period would result in the loss of the deposit for person #2 (no refund for them cancelling) AND THEN a single supplement charge being added. By way of example relevant to the above, (and using a cruise line that charges a single supplement of 50% for instance...) Cabin fare of $200, minus no refund of the second person's deposit when the second person dropped, plus a SS of 50% = $250. (($100x2=$200)-($100x0)+($100*50%)=$250). But Carnival does not charge a single supplement. You pay double occupancy for the room.

I use the GC to reduce the cost of my onboard gaming (AARP max GC purchase of $2500/month net's savings of $250/month). I do as Tim says above (use the kiosk) now that I understand the process well. Goes pretty quick and I choose a time when there's no one at the kiosk. I won't ever go to GS if I can help it. As for the account - my account is always backed by a CC that earns rewards, as even the casino slot play charged to the S&S card charges as a purchase.

The Google isn't cooperating - does anyone know when the new berthing (eliminating the need to tender) is supposed to be complete in GC? That will improve things dramatically...

Lol, you’re not wrong. And correct on the coin in, but it’s not as dramatic as it sounds… as it’s the same money over and over so the same $1k of cash could be responsible for tens of thousands in coin in, in a rather short period of time… As for being on a cruise, certainly different people enjoy different activities… (e.g., trivia and onboard sales-ey shows don’t appeal to me at all, and the sun / pool… well I can only take so much of that in a day.) Some folks could spend every moment in the sun or partying or similar… To each their own I suppose. I actually don’t know what the threshold is for a free cruise - a buddy traveling with me spent $3k in real money and accrued only about 15k or so in points on a 5 nighter and he’s a minimum better generally. He gets the free offers now as well but at a much different level. (Free interior / ocean view + free drinks in casino only, etc.) He also has no land based play though…

Depends on your perspective… on my recent 7 night Vista trip, I left the ship with 22 tax forms (W2-G). Sounds amazing. And at one point a woman came up to me and said very sternly that I should leave so others can win (apparently assuming the wins that the host announced over the speakers were profit for me and not bringing be back to life after significant play). In reality, if it were a land based casino, that experience of 5 minutes after the casino opened and on my second spin aboard (and with free play, betting $25/spin on a Buffalo machine), where I won a couple thousand on a bonus round, I’d get up and leave entirely, with some decent profit… On ship - well, there’s 1. Not much to do during some periods of the day. 2. A propensity to think “I can play this just won money without actually losing anything”. 3. No way to leave really - sure you can leave the casino, but it’s not like you can just go home. So in reality, I set a “willing to lose” budget (bankroll) for the trip, and continue to play any winnings and that bankroll, but don’t exceed that. Sometimes I leave with cash in my pocket and a little profit even. Sometimes I leave with a loss within or right at my bankroll. Either way, I show a ton of play at high bet levels. And it generates a lot of attention with the hosts - I had 6 free (casino paid) spa treatments, free IMAX, free specialty dining, and lots of gifts added on by hosts as I hit their secret points earning thresholds. But it is just the same money, over and over - and the substantial number of hand pays is more due to my bet level than anything else. (Essentially, it’s not remarkable to hit $1200 when betting $20-$25/spin the way it is when betting $5-6/spin. A machine with a 97% payback only has to have 45-50 spins to reach a hand pay level win that maintains the payback %.) As for budgeting… Every cruise since my first has been a casino offer where the room was “free” and came with free play. My bankroll is set basically to an amount equivalent to what I would have paid for the cruise and inclusive items if I was paying for them… Which keeps me solidly in the category of not losing my shirt just to pay for the opportunity to lose my shirt so to speak… To reduce overall exposure, I also keep great records of my play so I can negate the extra income with losses, charge slot play to my S&S account even when I have the cash (earns points as a purchase), and buy the maximum monthly amount of Carnival gift cards ($2500) at 10% off, applying those to my account on board for additional savings.

It really has zero to do with demographics, it’s all analytics. You have a Theoretical Daily Loss based on your on board play, on land play at casinos that submit info to the data aggregators (just like the insurance industry has LexisNexis for the Clue report, the casinos have similar), your butt in seat time, etc. it also has zero to do with losses vs. wins - the casino ALWAYS makes their cut, if you win it means others lose. On an average 7 day cruise my points earned are well over 100k. Sometimes that happens with an overall profit and sometimes with a significant loss, but the risk amount (coin-in) is significant because the same money recycles over and over. Thus far, I am Gold (with 43 sailed nights) in Carnival’s VIFP program. Every cruise but my first was a “free” one (aka prepaid via play in the casino). Since that first cruise (Jan 2019), I’ve received offers at every casino tier level (Getaway, Premier, Premier Special Edition, Ultra, and Elite), and on that 4 night sailing I only had a bankroll of $5k. (But at the time was 7Stars with Caesars, so would have been in the data that way, etc…) My guess is that you’ll get a wide variety of offers starting about 4 to 5 months from now (well better than the rather garbage level offer of free room and drinks in casino only they leave in your stateroom on debarkation eve).

Carnival - Free suite + $2500 funplay, free airport trans or parking , wifi for 2, drinks everywhere on board for 2, platinum for 2 for that sailing, gifts in cabin, treats in cabin, early room access, priority embark/debark, waived room service charges, free excursion for 2, etc. (USA based cruises) Same offer as above with $4000 AUD (for Australia based cruises).

Doesn't take a ton of strength, but as mentioned above, there's not really much to the shock absorbers on the ATVs they use... Also, you may get dirty if there's any recent rain - which made it even more fun when we went. You basically ride in a line on a pretty pre-set course that's built to seem like you're not on a pre-set course through the woods, etc. I'd never been on one before my excursion either, and by the end of the ride, I was comfortable standing on the ATV during many of the straightaways...

I have to admit... I don't understand the use of the debit card as the S&S account mechanism. I get that some people don't have a CC, but if you don't - why not just set up cash account? What benefit does using a debit card provide (that offset's the risk of an authorization issue)?