tx121

It seems Princess Cruises has not handled certain situations well such as environmental crimes and violating their probation, the handling of Covid 19 on the Diamond Princess and the current situation on the Ruby, using the Crown Princesss (which has been layed up for 2 years) to Alaska that has propulsion issues and informing the guests last minute before they can cancel or switch ships, just poor communication overall with their customers, etc

Who is responsible for Princess' poor way of handling these issues? The CEO? The shipboard management? Carnival Corporation? Recently Carnival and Royal Caribbean have replaced their CEOs, is it time for Princess to change theirs?

Would you be excited if Carnival did a 180 and went back to "its roots" and did a Joe Farcus inspired design for the Carnival Jubilee? 

I think it would be quite interesting and welcome change. Yes it's gaudy and "neon-y" but that's kind of what separated Carnival in the first place from other lines. I do love how the Mardi Gras turned out, but it seems more like a NCL or RCL modern design inside. I think it would be a FUN concept.

What are your thoughts? 

So I would like to know what my options are to cancel my cruise or transfer it to a new sail date. I am on the crown princess in late May and we received the email about the propulsion issues and change in itinerary leaving us disappointed that we will be only visiting 2 Alaskan ports. There has been also a concern with the high covid cases on the Ruby Princess. 

My question is how do we approach this in our favor where we want to cancel the cruise on the Crown Princess and receive future cruise credit or move it to a new booking? Should we bring up the Princess Covid cruise with confidence when pleading our case to cancel the cruise within 30 days? Or should we say we just want to change our sail date and ship due to itinerary change? Would they even allow this switch? 

2 hours ago, woodey said:

yep! this last year has been crazy 4 cruise's taken and 2 more booked...my cruise next month was booked prior to the great deals but it was from a covid canceled cruise so i have almost as much OBC then what the cruise cost. the other 5 free well two cost $50 plus tax but i got free drinks and $250 casino cash...last August i did Alaska on Miracle for $200 got $200 obc free drinks $250 casino cash....i had a chance to do the 23 day splendor reposition cruise for $200 with $200 obc free drinks...but i cant get that much time off...

For the $250 casino cash, was it just for you or for your guest in your cabin as well?

We will be cruising on the Carnival Splendour to Alaska on May 2nd. I just saw this on the Royal Caribbean info page for arrivals in to Canada but I cannot seem to find any info for Carnivals protocols to Canada.

"All travelers to Canada, or their legal guardians, must download the ArriveCAN app or complete the mandatory travel information via the ArriveCAN website prior to your entry into Canada.

This applies whether guests are departing on their cruise from Canada, ending the cruise in Canada, or visiting the country as a port of call.

Royal Caribbean says they are working with the Canadian government to make this process easier for guests arriving by cruise ship, and will ensure guests have guidance to complete this process smoothly onboard."

Do we need to also fill this out even if we don't plan on getting off the ship in Victoria? Thanks for any info!

I ended up winning on the tables. I accumulated 1000 points. On the last day of the cruise, they send you a list of cruises to choose from for free interior room or $200 off next cruise. 

We just got off the Wonder of the Seas on Friday and thought we would share our thoughts on the Unlimited Dining Package and if it was worth the extra cost. Now we did miss the special where you could prebook online for 35% off but it was sold out by the time we decided to purchase. So we figured to try our luck and see if we could book onboard. We were approached by many waiters around the ship trying to sell the 3 restaurant dining package but when we inquired about the unlimited dining package, they all said sorry it is all sold out. So we went to Giovannis and talked to the host to see if she had a different answer. After calling her manager, she said yes we can book you the unlimited dining package. The cost was $217 per person plus 18% gratuity --totaling around $256 per person. This was a much steeper cost than the special they had online which was $75 cheaper after the discount but we wanted to try the specialty restaurants on Royal's brand new ship. Since we were only doing the specialty restaurants, we went to guest relations and removed our automatic gratuities from our bill. Of course we paid our stateroom attendant in cash. I know this is a very controversial subject and discussion, but all I have to say is you do you. My thought is that Royal is already charging me $75 more for the unlimited dining package then the ones who booked online and 18% gratuity on top of that. Booking the restaurants can be done on the app and also at any specialty restaurant host stand. I think there is a glitch on the app because there were 2 restaurants that said no availability but when we went to the host, it was available. We tried every specialty restaurant onboard and here is our review.

Playmakers - We decided to eat here for embarkation lunch and ordered the poke nachos, regular nachos with chili, wings (BBQ and Jerk),Jalapeno poppers, and truffled fries. We thought all were good....typical bar food. Even if you don't have the dining package, the prices are reasonable. Our favorite was the dessert-- The Campfire Cookie. It was sooo good! If you have a sweet tooth, you will enjoy this. 

Wonderland- For Dinner Day 1, we went to Wonderland. I have been here 2x on other ships but it was my friend's first time. The atmosphere is nicer on the Wonder of the Seas than the previous ships I have been on so that was a nice change. In Wonderland, usually the waiter guides you through the menu and brings out his recommendations which is always the same on every ship. Now my friend doesn't eat seafood and the appetizers are very seafood heavy. So if you let the waiter know this, you are allowed to order 2 items from the entree section. The first item being a smaller version of the entree and the 2nd one being the full entree. For my courses, they came out with the smoked deviled eggs, crab filled cone, fried shrimp, lobster bisque and for the entree I had the Short Ribs. All were very good as usual.My friend ordered the Pork Entree and the Short Ribs. I tried the Pork entree and it was very good as well. For dessert we had the Chocolate Globe and the Forbidden Apple. One being very light and refreshing and the other being very rich and sweet. We enjoyed our experience at Wonderland. 

Izumi - We LOVE Izumi! We went here 2x for sit down and 3 times for take out. You have a $35 credit here which is more than enough especially if you do the Prix Fix which includes 1 small plate, 2 large plates and 1 dessert. All of the sushi rolls we tried here were excellent. They also have chicken teryaki, noodles, ramen, gyoza, and most dishes you see at a Japanese restaurant. If you wanted to do hibachi it was $10 extra with the dining package. For dessert, we had the sesame balls and the mochi ice cream. The mochi ice cream is a must try!

Mason Jar- Oh Mason Jar.....I had high hopes but you were meh. I say if you have the unlimited dining package, I say try it for yourself, but I do NOT recommend it if you are going to pay for the cover charge or only have the 3 restaurant dining package. We went here for Brunch and Dinner and also did take out. Our first experience was dinner. We ordered the Johnny Cakes --too sweet /BBQ sauce overpowered everything, Crab Beignets-- These were soooooo good--a must order, the Watermelon Salad--this was also very good and I highly recommend. The issue comes with the entrees....We ordered the Fried Chicken and Ribs. The fried chicken literally tasted like Golden Corrals chicken but even greasier. The Ribs were ok but a little on the dry side. The mac and cheese seemed like out of a box and collard greens were bitter. For dessert we got the Banana Pudding which was warm-- not good and the twice fried oreo which was terrible. We saw a lot of plates from other tables being left with a lot of food. The funny thing is we went to the Windjammer one night and the items you can get at the Mason Jar, you can get at the buffet AND it is 100% much better there! The ribs in the buffet were tender and fall off the bone, the fried chicken wings were crispy and had a nice flavor, the mac and cheese was cheesy and rich. As far as brunch at the Mason Jar... we ordered the Cinnamon Roll--dry, The stuffed French Toast-- that was very good, and red velvet pancakes--seemed to be frozen pancakes they heated back up in the microwave. We did do take out on the last day and got the watermelon salad and crab beignets which again were delicious. 

Johnny Rockets- The usual Johnny Rockets menu but it seems like the hamburger patties are much thinner now. I would recommend ordering a double burger patty. Also ordered chili cheese fries and the grilled chicken club sandwich. The fries seemed to be smaller as well. Overall still an enjoyable experience. 

150 Central Park- This restaurant has been a hit or miss but this time it was a hit. We started off with the scallops which were sweet and the sauce had a nice flavor. I had the ceasar salad and my friend had the pork belly which was delicious! For the entree I had Lobster Thermidor---it was amazing! Especially with that sauce. My friend had the Beef Tenderloin which was also very good. For dessert we both had the fried cheesecake. Highly recommend that! 

Giovannis- Truthfully, I miss the old Giovannis / Portofino. It seems like over the years Royal has cheapened the food for this restaurant and raised the prices. This is not worth the cover charge if paying separately. Basically you are getting salad, pizza and pasta for $45 a person. Think about it....$90 for 2 people for that plus gratuity?  The calamari was weird. It seemed more like octopus...more meaty and bland flavoring. The burrata salad was good. We ordered half giovannis signature pizza and other half meat lovers. We enjoyed the giovannis side but the meat lovers was waaaay too salty. My friend had the chicken parm and I ordered the linguini with clam sauce. They say the pasta is made fresh on board. It is TERRIBLE! I have never tasted pasta that was like that....rubbery if i can describe it. The chicken parm was ok but it tasted like the one you can get in the main dining room. The highlight was the dessert. We got the bananas and nutella stromboli, the pistachio panna cotta and the cannolis. We did do take out pizza one night and got the Giovannis signature pizza to go. Honestly the pizza at sorrentos (free pizza)  seemed to be on par with Giovannis pizza just it didn't have the same toppings. Again if you are paying the cover charge or have the 3 restaurant dining package, I do not recommend it here. 

Chops- Chops is always a good reliable choice. We started off with the mushroom soup, goat cheese salad, bacon, and beef carpaccio. All were delicious and very tasty. For the entrees, we got the bone in ribeye and jumbo shrimp. Both were excellent. My experience whenever I go to chops is that the meat isn't really seasoned. I think it's because they usually come around with different sauces to try which will bring out more flavor. My friend doesn't like the sauces so he just put salt and pepper and said it was much better. We were too full for dessert so we decided to skip. 

Hooked- Besides Mason Jar, this was another restaurant I was looking forward to. I have mixed feelings about this one. We went here for lunch and dinner. Since my friend doesn't like seafood, he was nice to sit with me and order some dishes i wanted to try. He basically ate french fries and i had some of mine and "his" courses. lol! I started off with the drunken mussels which were very good. My friend "had" oysters rockefeller....I wasn't a fan and only ate 2 of the 6 oysters. They were served luke warm and the texture wasn't to my liking. For the entree I ordered the Maine Lobster Roll. I was not a fan of this as I thought i was getting a hot lobster and butter sandwich. To my surprise when it arrived it was the cold lobster roll with mayo which i am not a fan of. I did try to gulp down some of it but ended up leaving about 2/3 of it. My friend "had" the Messy Fish Sandwich and that was delicious! I ate all of that. My friend did enjoy his cajun fries! lol! When we went back for dinner on another evening. "We had" the soft shelled crab--not too impressed as it just tasted like fried anything with no crab flavor, shrimp cocktail---nice big shrimp ..delicious, new england clam chowder--waaaay too salty and more cajun fries. For the entree I got the 2lb stuffed maine lobster and my friend got the turf and turf. The turf and turf is a filet mignion and a grilled chicken breast. The waiter informed me they didn't have anymore maine lobster but would use Caribbean lobster instead and also he didn't recommend getting the cheesy crab stuffing which i thought was weird. So basically I got a grilled Caribbean Lobster and you can tell the difference. To me I didn't care for it as it was dry and didn't have the taste and sweetness of a maine lobster. I think the lobster you get in the main dining room is better than what I got. My friend said his filet was just ok and the chicken breast was dry....but the fries were consistently good...lunch and dinner lol! We got the coconut cream pie dessert and chocolate cake. Both were good. 

Final Thoughts

Overall, If you can catch the online sale that is 35% off, I say that this is a great deal. For the price we paid for the 2 of us at $512...I'm not too sure. Again we felt like we were forced to eat at the specialty restaurants to get our money worth. After Day 4/5 we were tired of eating such rich foods and eating at a sit down restaurant. If we weren't able to get the unlimited dining package and bought the 3 restaurant dining package for $109 plus grats....we would've went to Hooked, Wonderland and Mason Jar. We would've been highly disappointed since we didn't care for 2 of the 3 restaurants. What I do like is the option to get take out orders with the unlimited dining plan. So like what we did...we enjoyed some of the items from mason jar, so we ordered them to go, giovannis--we got a pizza to eat in the room, izumi --got several take out orders. You don't need reservations to get take out...just go to the host stand and place your order and come back when they say and it will be ready. We felt the earlier you go, the quicker your food will be ready. Hope this helps for those interested. Any questions --even if its just asking about the wonder, ask away!

On 4/6/2022 at 2:51 PM, LEMJMcC said:

Just trying to get an idea of the cost of the unlimited dining plan on Wonder of the Seas for a 7-night eastern Caribbean cruise.  Anyone purchase one recently and willing to share the cost?  Did you find it worth the cost?  Are there any exclusions?

 

Thanks

Just got off the Wonder today and bought it onboard during embarkation. We asked several crew selling the 3 day packages and they said the unlimited dining package was not available and was sold out online. We went to Giovannis and asked the host and she called her manager who said she could sell it to us.  It was more expensive than online sale which we missed. They charged $217 plus 18% gratuity. So $256 a person. 

Truthfully I don't think it was worth the price. Yes it is nice to be able to go to any restaurant but 7 days of specialty dining is a bit much. You end up eating a lot more rich foods than you want to in a week just so you feel like you got your money worth. 

You can order food to go if u like at some of the restaurants if you don't want to do a sit down. 

We saw a price drop (about $230) on our cruise in May but the final payment is already paid. Besides upgrading to a cabin in a different category, does Princess offer any other options such as onboard credit, free gratuities, bottle of wine, etc? The cruise is more than 30 days away....would it be able to get the price reduction?

Currently sailing on the Carnival Conquest and I am shocked on the condition of this cruise ship. It is rusting pretty bad everywhere around the upper decks, there's a strong sewage smell around parts of the ship, the flooring and carpeting is stained....it really is in need of a overhaul. I am surprised they are letting this ship Sail in this condition.  I'm hoping there are dry dock plans in the near future.

Has anyone noticed that the Cruise Directors on Royal Caribbean seem to be less visible (even before pandemic)? It seems like the only time I see them is to open the shows or for special events to introduce the officers. I feel like over the years they have become more administrative than actually front of the house, especially the older Cruise Directors. 

In my opinion, I think  having them at more activities and being visible around the ship, makes a important connection to the guests. Former Cruise directors for RC like Richard Spacey, Jimmy Rhodes, Kirk Detweiler.....were always around for the events and seen around the ship. A current Cruise Director that still does this is Mike Szwajkowski. He was always seen around the ship and even hosted a game show called the Broken Link (which is hilarious) on our Odyssey Sailing last year. He is very polished and seems like the "old school" cruise Directors of the past. 

What is your opinion on Royals current Cruise Directors? Who is your favorite and were they "active" during your cruise?

Is there a starting date yet for Carnival Splendour? Right now all I see is a sailing for May 2 to Alaska. Is this a glitch?

We have 10 people traveling in our group and wondering if we need to link our reservations together to sit together in the main dining room? 

Is there open seating where we can choose we can sit with? 

Hey everyone.

So I am in a bit of a dilemma on whether we should book a transatlantic cruise on the Carnival Celebration. We have a great casino offer but we are questioning if this sailing will even take place or will be cancelled for other reasons than covid. We are prepared to deal with having some finishing touches and construction going on during the cruise or certain venues not being open. What is worrying is if there is a ship delay and the transatlantic cruise will not happen and the ship will start the cruises in the Caribbean. 

Do you think a transatlantic cruise for a new ship is a risky choice? The issue really is taking time off work .

Does anyone have any information about which shows will be on Wonder of the Seas? I hope they don't use Showgirls again which they have recently used on a lot of their ships / version of it. 

7 hours ago, deliver42 said:

This isn't required by Celebrity, but by Roatan.

I just got off the Carnival Mardi Gras last week and we were able to disembark without a tour. We booked an excursion with a outside company and had to meet the tour guide outside the port area.

This week Celebrity is saying it is a red port for them so we need to take their excursions which so happened to be double the price.

For those stopping in Roatan, Celebrity is requiring a shore excursion through the cruise line to be allowed off of the ship. 

No independent tours allowed or getting off the ship to wander around the port.

7 hours ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

We also debarked yesterday and I wish I had seen your thread beforehand - I would have recommended the lamb chops medium-rare (see pic in my review).  But I also loved Teppanyaki, got Filet Mignon medium-rare and it was a TOUCHDOWN for flavor, juiciness, tenderness.  Just avoid the mayonnaisy sauce.  We also got a great deal on our Mardi Gras cruise and I can't wait to get back on board that ship!

I was thinking about the lamb chops but decided on the Cowboy Steak which was delicious! I saw your thread and jealous you got to try Rudis! Next time for me..lol

2 hours ago, Pellaz said:

OP, comparing the Oasis class to the Mardi Gras, I'm curious if the Oasis ships have as wide a variety of "free" (i.e., included) eats as the Mardi Gras?  

I've been on RCCL's Freedom class and was surprised at the lack of included dining options on a relatively big ship, but Oasis and her sisters ARE much bigger than those, so.....

 

Carnival Mardi Gras right now has many for free dining options that are usually charged for dinner like Guys BBQ, Cucinca del Capitano, Chibang. I am not sure if these venues will be free after the inaugural season, so we shall see. It definitely helps spread out the crowds and gives guests a lot more options for dinner. 

Comparing Oasis class to Mardi Gras for usual free venues:

Iguana Cantina = El Loco Fresh

Piazza Panini = Park Cafe / Cafe Promenade

Cucina del Capitano Pizza= Sorrentos

Carnival other free options like Guys Burgers, Street Eats

Royals other free options: 

Dog House (Hot dogs)

In my opinion Mardi Gras food was better than Royals Oasis class in these venues.  Royals Main Dining room is better than Mardi Gras. 

36 minutes ago, rabadipscavern said:

Thank you for this post! Will you be trying out the seafood specialty restaurant?

 

Youre welcome. The Seafood restaurant is Rudis which was full when we wanted to try it. But it's ok we will just try it next time we cruise the Mardi Gras or the sister ships. 👍

The cruise isn't even over yet and I am already writing a review of my experience on Carnival's Mardi Gras. That's how confident and impressed I am with this ship!  Watch out Royal and NCL, Carnival's out to get your  loyal members with this ship.  

Background 

I usually gravitate towards the Royal Caribbean / Celebrity brand (diamond/ elite status) and Norwegian Cruise Line (gold status). Since the cruise restart I have cruised 6 times, basically taking advantage of the great deals and lower capacities. My goal is also to try out cruise lines that I haven't experienced before like MSC and Carnival.

Prior to this cruise, my only experience on Carnival was on the Sunrise in November. Now expectations were low for that cruise and i was expecting the "typical reputation" Carnival gets. Well all of that was proven correct as the food wasn't that great, the entertainment/ production shows were just ok compared to other cruise lines, service was spotty. However what I did like which was surprising was the fellow guests. People from all backgrounds were there to just have a good time. The best way to describe the atmosphere was care free. 

Now after a few weeks at home, I got a email discount offer from Carnivals VIFP program. The cruise rate was about $350 per person WITH taxes and fees for this sailing on the Mardi Gras. This was a no brainer and I booked. 

Embarkation 

This went pretty fast. It took maybe 25 minutes from start to finish. I noticed that people were bringing a 12 pack of soda with them onboard. It's good to know for next time that this is allowed.

The Ship

It is Amazing!! The Mardi Gras ship design is in my Top 2 favorites, only behind the Oasis class ships on Royal Caribbean. I love how it flows, the massive amount of dining options (free and fee), the themeing of the venues and areas around the ship. Everything looks modern and designed to space people out. Now I think we are only sailing around 60% because of cancellations due to omicron surge. I am curious to know how it will be with 100% capacity and if the design still works for this ship. 

Activities and Entertainment 

Where do I begin?! There are so many activities on this ship that it is impossible to do them all. A lot of them overlap each other but i think that it's great to have options. You will not be bored. 

The production shows in the main theater are just ok but the shows at center stage are amazing! I thoroughly enjoy the different shows that are showcased here. 

Family Feud is a must see. Even the audition finals are entertaining to watch.

If you like comedy, this is the ship for you. There are many shows throughout the cruise with around 5 different comedians for the week. 

Everything is fun fun fun! The cruise director Mike has done a great job planning activities and events for this cruise. I love how visible he is around the ship and his energy. 

Food

There are so many food options available on this ship. Now I am not sure if certain places like Chibang, Guys BBQ dinner, Cucina del Capitano will be free after the inaugural season. These are great places to go besides the main dining room. They are all very good.

Shaqs chicken, Guys burgers, Iguana Cantina are good. 

The street eats area is hit or miss depending on the day.  

The pizza is fresh and surprisingly really good. The hidden gem is the panini /sandwich place next to the pizza. They are so good! 

The buffet has a limited options and isn't that big as far as variety...but with so many more options around, it's ok. 

I had Teppanyaki last nite and I thought it was decent.

Tonight we are headed to 555 Fareinheit Steakhouse.  Anyone have any recommendations of must try dishes? We really wanted to try Rudis but it was all booked up for the week. 😔

Overall Thoughts

I HIGHLY recommend the Mardi Gras. Carnival has done a great job with this ship and I really think this will attract loyal customers from other cruise lines who are hesitant to try Carnival because of the past reputation and style of their older ships. 

We are also currently sailing on Mardi Gras and looks like nice warm weather is ahead of us as we head to the ports! Yesterday for sure was the coldest sail away party in awhile. The last time I felt that cold was sailing out of Bayonne, New Jersey on a Royal ship to New England and Canada in Oct!

People were still dancing away in the cold Yesterday until the rain came.  Still had a good time! The last sea day though..... lol! Guess more time in the casino on the way back 😳🤣

We are sailing on the Jan 30th cruise on the Celebrity Edge and was interested in seeing Tulum Mayan Ruins. Pre covid I saw that Celebrity offered this excursion but now I don't see it offered. The travel agent that I booked with has a shore excursion I can book through them but we are worried about the ferry ride to Playa del Carmen. Depending on the waves and weather.....it can disrupt our chances to make it back to the ship. 

Has anyone had experience doing this type of tour in Cozumel? Thanks for any info. 

12 hours ago, pinklucky61 said:

Got offered an upgrade too, but we have balcony cabin next to family. Darn family!😆

Glad you could take advantage of it.

19 hours ago, sbestmann said:

Offered me an Ocean Suite for $278…we took it. Woot.

How does one get upgraded? Do they call or send a email or do you have to request? Also can you ask for a upgrade while on the ship? We have a terrible interior cabin in the front of the ship currently. 

We are looking to do a Alaska cruise on the Eurodam or Crown Princess. The Eurodam looked like a good fit since we wanted to see Icy strait and Sitka but then we saw the times in port for Icy Strait which was only from 6pm-10pm. Also in Victoria it is 6pm-11:30pm. Is that enough time in these ports or are they stops where passengers don't get off but the ship stops to refuel or something?