ChuckF

It's automatically coded onto your Sail-N-Sign card. You'll still have to present it to the bartender/waiter, but when they run it, it shows $0 charge.

It would be great if they would give everyone the $25, but still have the tournaments. If you want to spend that on a tourney entry, that's great. If not, that's fine too. Not sure why it has to be one or the other.

Someone said they can show whatever they want to pay for. In that vein, I think it depends on the home port and the demographics of the ship. We're going on the Dream out of Galveston in October, and I'm hopeful that the Astros will be playing their way to the World Series. I would expect many of the passengers sailing out of Galveston will have some level of interest in their progress, so I would expect them to have some venue where the games can be seen. As much as it repulses me, it is likely that the Dodgers will be on a similar tract. So, sailings out of Long Beach may be in the same boat, so to speak.

MDR food is nothing to write home about. But, most of the time the service is pretty good. Did cruise on the Breeze over last New Years with grandkids (5 & 8 ), and our waitress was superb with the kids. They couldn't wait to see Grace every night. Absolutely do Guy's Burgers and Blue Iguana for lunch at least once each. Kids weren't vaccinated, so they couldn't do Camp Ocean. But had blast on WaterWorks and shore excursions.

Need to understand that embarkation/debarkation employees working in any cruise terminal are NOT employees of the cruise line, but rather employees of a contractor hired by the cruise line. While the cruise line provides the IT tools and processes, it is the contractor's responsibility to hire, train, and supervise those folks. Not surprised that the first sailing out of a new port city with quite likely some new staff would be a bit rocky.

There is another thread. "Carnival Magic -- Few Questions". You might want to check that out.

I've always been a little unsure about La Romana. Plus, prefer Magic over Horizon.

When just my wife and I cruise, we generally get seated with strangers. Only once were we assigned a table by ourselves. This past April on the Miracle we sat at a table for 6 with another couple we did not know. The table mate dilemma is always a bit stressful on that first night. For the most part it has worked out well. Only once had table mates that made us not look forward to dinner.

Stated capacity for Magic is 3690.

Not an assigned time, but must be done before the ship sails. They will log your attendance. As stated above, knock it out as soon as you get onboard. Generally takes less than 5 minutes.

I agree that quality of Guy's Burgers has gone down. But on a recent cruise with son-in-law who never had one before. He thought the Ringer was still a pretty durn good burger. Regarding fruit bisques...How can you go wrong with a milkshake appetizer? I really look forward to those nights in the MDR.

I agree that quality of Guy's Burgers has gone down. But on a recent cruise with son-in-law who never had one before. He thought the Ringer was still a pretty durn good burger. Regarding fruit bisques...How can you go wrong with a milkshake appetizer? I really look forward to those nights in the MDR.

Had a friend just get back from a Viking cruise. He asked for an upgrade at Guest Services once on-board and got one. Has anyone ever heard of this working on Carnival??

If you've never had a Guy's Burger, you have to try one. But by far, the make-your-own burrito at the Blue Iguana is top of the line. Make sure to put some shrimp in there.

Seems like the last cruise I went on pre-pandemic, BJ tables were all $10. Definitely enjoyed the $6 minimum on the Miracle in April.

Definitely a Dreamer. I always worry about the Thur - Mon Breeze cruises out of Galveston because they can often be a 4-day drunk for a lot of folks. We took kids and grandkids on a 7-day on the Breeze over New Years. Although they were missing a lot of the entertainment staff due to Covid, still had a great time. Glad your grandson and wife had a good time.

I have yet to see a ship with more than 1 craps table. So, if I want to enjoy my casino experience, it's all about whether or not I can get on the table. With more people on the Vista, my odds of getting on the table at a peak period were not good. The smaller the ship, the easier it is to get on the table. Did go on the Breeze which had a non-smoking casino annex. They had several BJ tables there, which made it easy for me to get on a table with my daughters. We all lost our backsides, but at least we went down together.

I have yet to see a "free balcony", but I have seen some pretty good discounted rates on balcony rooms considering what we paid pre-pandemic. $100 per person for 5-day cruises and $450 for an 8 day cruise.

Higher caliber and definitely different. Gives the chefs an opportunity to get creative.

Have done several NYE cruises and they've all been a lot of fun. We don't do much for NYE when we're home, so it adds some excitement. Did one cruise out of NO that left Christmas Day. Best part was sailing down the Mississippi and seeing all the houses decked out with Christmas lights.

It's all about how you like to spend your time while on the ship. Went on the Miracle in April and my wife loved all of the places she could find to sit and read her book. That's not my deal. I want space for activities (i.e., trivia) and bigger music venues, therefore I go for Dream class. If you like different eating options, you'll probably go for one of the larger classes. It's just a matter of your cruising priorities.

A multi-plug adapter is on the top of our checklist, right there with extra hangers.

My wife always has to have at least one chocolate martini.

Did a recent CT on Miracle, and they asked several times about food allergies. One couple brought their teenage son, and it was obviously not for him. Fortunately after two courses, he excused himself and went to the buffet. They might do a little better job of setting expectations before people sign up and pay. But, all in all, had a great time.

Dream class. Love the Ocean Plaza (breakfast, activities, dancing), and Vista is bigger than we like. I think Dream class may have been one of the first to have Guy's Burgers, and that was (still is) a necessity.