nascartony20fan1

14 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Assuming the service is working as it should, any Zoom or video based teleconferencing app should work just fine.

Will Wi-Fi enabled calling with Verizon work? Thx

9 hours ago, mdin said:

Hello everyone! My wife and I are freshly off of the Mardi Gras and I figure I'll try to post a review and thoughts of our sailing around the Western Caribbean. I'll try my best to cover our experiences and what we did on and off the ship. Plus I'll add some pics along the way. Also, I'll do my best to answer any questions. 

 

We are both in our late 30's and this was my 8th cruise and her 7th, all with Carnival. This sailing was a 7 day Western Caribbean with stops in Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. This was my first time in Roatan since 2007, and our first time in Cozumel since 2010. Neither of us have been to Costa Maya, so essentially it was a new itinerary for us to experience. 

 

We originally booked Mardi Gras for February 2021, but obviously that didn't happen. Jump forward 2 years and we finally got to experience Mardi Gras. This was the most hyped either of us have been for a ship. Bigger than anything we've ever been on. We watched a bunch of YouTube videos about Mardi Gras to get a head start on learning the ship, plus it's fun to do when it's cold out 😆. 

 

 

Quick question. How was the internet? Could you make wifi enabled calls? Thanks. 

On 1/19/2023 at 11:59 PM, ohioNCLcruiser said:

Thank you for this information! I have done three weeks on the Celebration (2 on the transatlantic and one in the Caribbean) and on all 3 the internet was great. I was able to conduct work video meetings without issue.

Hi I was wondering while you were on Celebration were you able to make wifi calls? We need to work from Mardi Gras and making phone calls is important. Thank you! 

On 2/23/2023 at 10:20 PM, tcneal said:

Very good explanation.  The only update I have is the 2500 point level is Prime, not Choice.   You get Choice when you sign up for the program.   I'm currently Prime and have 1 more cruise in 2 weeks on the Explorer before the calendar resets.  They calculate your points from Apr-Apr.  If you are a gambler you can get to Prime in 1-2 cruises.  People who play Slots get there faster.  And the drinks alone make it worth it.  I haven't bought a drink package since I reached Prime for the first time.  I don't think I'll ever reach Signature, I don't cruise enough but I have met Signature players in the Casino.  And the cruises are free, usually inside cabins, but you can upgrade to any room for the difference.

Yes. You are right. It is Prime, not Choice @ 2500 points. As a Signature, I am offered balconies with an occasional Jr Suite or ocean view in the mix. But you are right about royal up. You can always bid for something better. 

On 2/21/2023 at 10:37 AM, Saab4444 said:

How much money do you have to spend in casinos every month to get this number of free cruises?

There is no set amount of money. Once you have gambled once on a cruise and accumulate 800 points you get a free cruise, 2500 points is choice level and 25,000 points is signature, and so on upward. Works like land based casinos with yearly tier credit and status. Points add up over a year. They randomly send lists of free cruises weekly that you have to choose by a certain date. I don’t have unlimited travel time, so from the free choices, I would like to pick the best option for me. Back to your question, the $$ spent to reach 800, 2500, 25,000 etc if you don’t win at all, I think is  $5 for 1 point. Which is a ton of money to spend, but if you like gambling and spend the winnings, $100 or $1000, you quickly reach 800 for a free cruise. 2500 points gives you free drinks in the casino for the year. 25,000 points gets free internet in addition to drinks. Points add on for a year and guarantee you one free 7 day cruise a year in addition to the offers mailed/emailed throughout the year. They like to fill cruises to capacity with gamblers. If you’re smart, you can go on many cruises for way less than the cost of paying for them. 

On 2/19/2023 at 9:04 PM, fredmdcruisers said:

Gotta love how people on free cruises want the world!

If you were so lucky to choose from free cruises every month, available on every ship, you would want to choose the best ship and itinerary. I’ll let you know how fun my second and third cruise are on Wonder of the Seas this March and May. Unless you have information on EOS, you can keep your snarky comments to your self. 

Hi all. We just booked Explorer of the Seas for 4-15-23 while we were onboard Symphony of the Seas. Next Cruise manager stated EOS would not be amplified during dry dock, so no new restaurants. I hope she is wrong and they add Playmakers, but even El Loco Fresh or other quick, free dining option would be great. Still wondering if we should stick with EOS or choose something else. We have only done Oasis class over the last 5 years and really like the variety. It’s a free cruise with Casino so no penalty for cancelling. 
Hoping the EOS comes out of dry dock with some better than expected upgrades. 
 

On 12/5/2022 at 11:12 AM, Spaniel Lover said:

The speed test I showed you earlier was done at 6:38 AM...  before most of the other passengers were awake and using their devices.  I thought it would be a good idea to do another test at 11 AM when presumably I would be competing with a lot of other passengers for bandwidth.

 

The download speed was only a little bit slower, at 61 Mbps, but still excellent for a cruise ship.  Surprisingly, the upload speed was hugely better than it was earlier, and the ping time was improved by a bit.

All and all, a stellar connection...  and I was easily able to upload a short video clip to Facebook this morning.

Were you able to use a VPN by chance? With the faster internet on celebration, do they still not support VPN for remote workers? Thx for any info

On 6/21/2021 at 2:45 PM, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

I'll give my VPN (Hotspot Shield) a try on the 8/7/21 Mardi Gras sailing - and see if I am able to get it to work. I'll report back 🙂

 

Tom

Were you able to cruise? How did the VPN work? Thx

11 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

No help on the VPN, but we had the premium package on MG and it was great for us.

Glad it was great for you. To clarify, you could work remotely if you wanted but you are not sure about VPNs? 
Thx

On 2/19/2022 at 9:18 AM, BennyBrun said:

Thank you so much!  Have a fantastic cruise and enjoy the ship.  Don’t forget to pace yourself so you can fit as much food in as possible 😂 

Hi again. We are on Oasis and loving it. Husband is able to work remote as easily as he did from our home. We are thinking we are going book Mardi Gras next. Maybe. How is the internet connection on MG? Is it as fast and reliable as Voom Surf and Stream. Any tips for using a VPN? 
Thanks 

Christie

27 minutes ago, BennyBrun said:

Wow!  If you have never been on a Oasis Class ship and you have a free Wonder of the Sea Room offer I don’t even think that’s a hard decision.  GO TO WONDER! 😝 instead of Oasis!  But if you are deciding between Oasis and Mardi Gras and food and service don’t matter that much and you like the party atmosphere then go with Mardi Gras

How is the internet for remote working on Mardi Gras? Were you able to work online/call/zoom while onboard? Thanks so much for all your help!! 

21 hours ago, BennyBrun said:

Wow that is a loaded question!  It will depend on what you want from your cruise vacation.  If you like self service don’t mind the buffet and get food yourself at lots of quick service places, don’t care about the speed of MDR service, loud crowded pool decks, loud music, lots of entertainment then Mardi Gras is the way to go.  If you want to be semi pampered and enjoy a little bit more personal service, big production shows and Central Park setting with the specialty dinning options then Oasis will be a better fit.  I like them both for different reasons.

Thanks but now the question gets even more loaded.  LOL We do prefer Royal over Carnival. I got a free room offer for Wonder of the Seas this AM and booked for March. So it seems a no brainer to cancel Oasis and move to Mardi Gras since we are now going on Wonder of the Seas. However, we would be downgrading from a Grand Suite to a Cove Balcony. I like that Carnival has masks everywhere still and no smoking in the casino. Is the entertainment on Mardi Gras and the Bolt Coaster worth switching from Oasis? Food isn't really important. We prefer room service, take away and buffet on Carnival and en suite dining on Royal from MDR. It's so hard to decide when we have never sailed an Oasis class ship and Mardi Gras is so different for Carnival. 

Your opinion…. We are scheduled on Oasis but thinking of switching to Mardi Gras. Any advice? 

7 minutes ago, BennyBrun said:

It’s not fully enclosed.  There are gaps between the windows on the roof so when the air is chilly it’s chilly in the Solarium as well but still warmer than the pool deck.

Good to know. I an glad it is considered an outdoor venue. I am hoping they keep the mask requirement the same for late Feb. I think the masks are a big reason the covid numbers are down on ships. 

I was happy to see you are able to work from the ship. My husband is remote and we have been going back and forth about working or taking vacation. We want to cruise and vacation more than his vacation days allow. It has worked with condo rentals, but this would be the first time using the ships internet. How is your experience with wi-fi calling and webex/zoom type meetings on Oasis? Thank you.

Hi. I have been enjoying your posts as we wait to board the Oasis for the first time later this month. Question about the solarium: It says mask free zone, but it appears to be enclosed.  Have they changed the mask all the time rules or is the Solarium an exception to the rule? Thank you! 

3 hours ago, toddcruise01 said:

We have done this many times and we are always just in a reg. balcony.  We just go to MDR, order and they bring it to us at the door.  Or you can show up at your table and ask to take it with you, done that both ways in the past.  They just put the covers on the plate and let you take it.

Awesome! Thanks so much! I was hoping with Covid it would be an option, but it sounds like it’s always been an option. Happy!! ☺️

Hello all. On the Sept 25 sailing and had a question for those of you on board. Can you get Specialty Dining food or MDR food to go? Pick up or delivered to room? Room Service menu is limited. Thanks in advance. 
Christie

We are on MS Roald Amundsen November 11 too. We are arriving Nov 9 to Santiago. The videos of the riots and military are very upsetting. If the situation continues, I can’t imagine Hurtigruten wouldn’t cancel or change the itinerary but this is our first time with Hurtigruten. We’ve been around the world and never been in this exact situation before. I really wish we could get some guidance. 

Following. We are scheduled to sail on Nov 12 on the Amundsen. Not happy about what I'm reading and the status of the ship.  

21 minutes ago, roaming_kiwi58 said:

FYI Here is the link to my full review of our Fram trip:

 

Fram Review by roaming_kiwi58 

Thank you!

However we decided to sail the new Roald Amundsen in November. Rooms are all outside and looked more hospitable. I’m super excited to sail this new ship to Antarctica. We are missing South Georgia Island but I think the trip will still be great!!

Christie  

15 minutes ago, clo said:

Did I miss something?  What was the route/itinerary for this 11 day cruise?  And what ship?

Hi again. I was just tying to get info on the Antarctica cruise aboard the MS Fram. It’s actually a 23 day cruise to Antarctica, Falkland Islands and South Georgia. 

15 minutes ago, clo said:

We were on Midnatsol so have no idea about individual cabins.  But here's ours.  The sofa made into the second bed.  We were completely comfortable.  It's such a glorious trip that I had to look for the cabin.  Couldn't even remember it 🙂

 

Thank you. This looks similar to the cabin we’re getting on the MS Fram. Was there a closet or drawers for your clothes? Where did you stow your suitcase? 

On 5/23/2019 at 5:40 PM, roaming_kiwi58 said:

We did a trip on Fram to Antarctica this last December/January.

When we were issued the jacket we were a bit disappointed, as it seemed quite flimsy. However, it turned out to be an excellent jacket - light but warm and comfortable to wear. It did a very good job on our trip. It is bright red in colour, with a fluro yellow hood! I have worn mine a lot here at home this autumn, but my husband won't wear his because of the colour!

Hi. Just noticed your post. We are considering Antarctica on the MS Fram this November. I am concerned about the compact size of the inside cabins. Can you give any advice or review of the cruise to help us to decide if this is the right cruise for us? I am having a hard time getting info. Thanks so much. 

Christie 

On 11/1/2018 at 9:39 AM, MMDown Under said:

I have recently cruised on MS Fram, where the delicious food was a cruise highlight.  Some evening meals were like an event linked to history, e.g. Jean Baptiste Charcot, Sir Francis Drake. 

 

As this is an Explorer ship, there is no cafe, nor is one needed. I think passengers, who haven't cruised with Hurtigruten, would be pleasantly surprised how good the food is.  

Hi. We are currently debating a cruise on the MS Fram to Antarctica. I really like the itinerary but we are hesitant due to lack of information. The cabins look very small online. We are getting a good price on a guarantee cabin which may very well be the smallest cabin on board. Any insight on the cabins, their size, and overall comfort? I was happy to see you liked the meals. I have read many reviews where people have complained about the food on MS Fram. You never know what to believe. If you would be so kind to share any information on the MS Fram and your Antarctic Cruise. I saw in your signature that you did the same itinerary we would like to do. Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and Antarctica. Thanks so much. 🙂

Christie