lazydayz

I would NOT do this. The noise factor would weigh against the upgrade.

Sid, As always, loving your review. Please know we are sending you warm wishes today. Enjoy your second leg - I know you will!

We did a wedding cruise for my daughter with over 40 guests. Talk about herding cats! So the best advice I have is get a travel agent to take care of the details. Everyone books and pays for their own through the T.A. (you can pay the T.A. for your parents since you want to treat them). Have the TA link the reservations for dining, if you can all agree on a dining time. We did fixed dining and had several tables, and we switched up the seating arrangements on each night. People sat where they wanted at our tables. By using the same TA, we were awarded some goodies and OBC, which we split evenly between the cabins. As for excursion, we said we are doing X, if you want to join us, meet us at a specific place and time. Over half did that, the rest decided to stay on the ship, at the port or did something else. As for your parents, they will need to set boundaries if they want them. Many grandparents would enjoy spending some cruise time with their grands, others not so much. But I do agree for the older kids, the kids' club is a great option. If you do early dining, they used to pick them up from your table or sometimes had separate meals for them in Lido - this was all Pre-Covid so not sure what the rules are presently. My rule when traveling with family (excluding little ones) is everyone should do what they want, but we have our meals together. You might want to order t-shirts for everyone, and pick a day to wear them and have that big group picture taken on the stairs. All in all, I have enjoyed our group cruises, and am looking forward to a cruise in a few weeks with my husband and our three grands, ranging in age from 13 to 21. They are all experienced cruisers, so that does make it easier.

Really enjoying your review. Those last minute trips can be both stressful and fun!

Doesn’t have to be a named storm. Carnival will do its best to protect its ship and give you good weather.

I have never encountered this. But it could be a weird Early Saver rule. Did they give your no show guest a Future Cruise Credit?

I am trying to understand this. Let's say the cabin, double occupancy was $1,000 each, for a total of $2,000 plus taxes and fees for two. When the second person was a no show, Carnival keeps the entire $2,000, then refunds one person's taxes and fees. Are you saying they are now charging an additional penalty of $250, so the refund of taxes and fees was reduced by $250?

I like massages, but the couples massage is not romantic. If that is what you are looking for, book a few nights in the specialty restaurant. And I also like the idea of the spa passes, if offered on your ship. This way you actually get to spend some quality time together. Also note, that you will likely have to pay an additional 18% service charge on the ship, which was not included on our prepaid massages on the Mardi Gras.

We were in port with the Freedom on Thursday and both my husband and I noted it was in bad need of an exterior paint job. Of course all of that became old hat once its funnel caught on fire the next day. I hope Carnival takes this opportunity to paint the ship and add a new funnel. The unique funnel design is important Carnival trade dress and it needs to be protected and maintained. Ship happens, but sometimes it presents new opportunities.

On Mardi Gras last week, we had two dark blue surgical masks in our cabin. Crew still wearing masks, but was a lot more relaxed than three months ago. I really enjoyed one waiter at Rudi’s who were his on his chin the entire time we were there.

I hope some Freedom now Conquest cruisers update us on the transfer.

Agreed. Just an eerie sight, but so is a funnel fire.

Probably a good guess. They were belching lots of black some yesterday

Freedom’s Lido deck is empty.

Good new is the fire is out. Our view from the Mardi Gras.

Currently on the Mardi Gras in Grand Turk. Lee, our cruise director, made several announcements this morning and the Captain ordered everyone to clear the open decks and for guests in starboard balconies to go back inside their cabins. We are on the port side and everything appeared normal from there. According to Lee, the Carnival Freedom was having an issue with its funnel. However, since the wind was blowing away from us on the MG, our gangways opened abut 8 a.m. So the fire is out, thankfully. Hopefully everything is under control.

OP, You should be able to cancel the fourth and hopefully stay in your same room. Very sorry for the loss of your husband.

Agreed. Pretty clearly an IT error since the e-mail said "spa" but worked for us on cabana, specialty restaurants, and WIFI package. And we did use it on a couple of spa services.

Since everyone is connected to the same reservation (part of your travelling party), everyone could be cancelled so no cruise for anyone. If you didn't pay much for the second person, then the no show route ensures you still have a cruise vacation. That was our logic - we felt the price for our cabins were good enough for solo cruisers, so we kept both cabins and enjoyed the extra space and privacy.

So happy to see your review. We board MG on Saturday, our second cruise on her! So excited.

We had two cabins and one of the four cruisers tested positive. She and her mom were no shows (they don’t live with us) so my other granddaughter and I went and had our own rooms. It was lovely. Figured that was better than all four of us having to cancel. Taxes and fees were refunded for the no shows.

Pre-COVID I received a suite offer on an Elite cruise, which unfortunately got cancelled. Since then, all have been balcony or lower. And I too would chose the suite over free play, unless it was a lot of free play ($1,500 or more).

I was able to do it online. All of our reservations are linked and it was easy.

Have a great cruise, or two!

Book Rudi's online and use some of that OBC before boarding the ship. It fills up fast, and for me, the best dining experience in all of my 65+ cruises. It really is that good. Also, eat at least one meal at Emeril's. The prices are very good and the food is excellent. Agree with the tip about Your Time Dining (or My time, or whatever). We enjoyed our dinners at the Italian restaurant but will skip ChiBang this time. Just not our vibe. If the line at Java Blue is long, go up to Bar Della Rose. Excellent service and drinks without the long wait. If you want to see the shows in the grand atrium, get there early. The closest seats go fast. If you a gambler, the non-smoking side is huge and totally smoke-free. Check out the live music all over the ship. We loved the Brass Magnolia bar and tried to make it there whenever jazz was being played. And since you are a regular Royal cruiser, check out Guy's Burgers and compare theirs to Johnny Rocket's. The Guys free burgers are so much better than extra charge ones at JR. When is your cruise? We board next Saturday, May 21 and are so excited to get back on the Mardi Gras. It is a great ship.