ray98

That seems reasonable.

Each sailing is different.

Scam.

Thank you. It was very painful to even get to that! Their website was not good to begin with and they made it worse!

Yup.....too 'bubbly' and spaced out with large images. Just make a simple list with easy to click options.

I'm trying to check rates on the Carnival website. It used to give options for the different rates. Now I'm only getting Early Saver. I don't book Early Saver. How do I get the other rates to show up?

It comes up for me after you pick GTY or 'pick my room'.

Why would you worry? Cabin assignments can come as late as at the port. You will have a cabin.

This is just one of those things in life you just have to deal with. As far as I know Carnival doesn't have a magic wand.

We go when hungry.....6pm one day and maybe 8pm the next. If we get a late start that leads to a late lunch and late dinner. Early start leads to an early lunch and early dinner.

That is what is so great about Freestyle dining.

I am sharing my experience and after seven cruises, we've never had noisy neighbors on any other cruise but our one time on Riviera deck we had multiple noisy neighbors - and when I say "noisy" I am being kind in my choice of words. That has been our experience, although I see from others' we are in the minority. :)

 

Another way to say it would be that we have been unhappy with our cabin 100% of the time we have been on Riviera, but happy 100% of the time we have been on any other deck.

Sounds like you have it all figured out.

Last time we stayed on the Lido a lady fell and broke her ankle so you know what that means....Be careful...if you stay on the Lido you will break your ankle.

Good evening, noticed the post stating no OV on Vista, we will be sailing the Vista in April, 2017 and booked an OV last that didn't say obstructed view but it is on Deck 3, hopefully the noise level won't be unbearable. Didn't realize they weren't as many as on most ships.:)

Totally different cabin type.

This really changes nothing in your circumstance since Dad is still going.

I for one refuse to support companies that are offshoring jobs from American workers. I have just reached Platinum level with Carnival but I will not sail on them again until they reverse this decision. You can write this off all you want as a business decision, but the livelihood of American workers are at stake here. If you can't stand up for the Carnival workers now, who do you think is going to stand up next time when it your job on the line? I urge all of you to boycott Carnival, including all of their brands, until bring these workers back. Respond here on this blog as well as to Carnival directly so that they can see what they are losing. It worked, to some extent, with Disney, and it will work with Carnival. I'm willing to pay a little more on another cruise line or reduce the amount of cruising I do in order to help my neighbor.

LOL....there isn't a cruise line in business that hasn't moved jobs around. They are all global companies. Actually, their entire business practice revolves around non-American workers as their ship are virtually 100% staffed with foreigners.

Where is your outrage that your cabin attendant, bartender, waiter, ship officer or even captain are anything but American? Those jobs were the first version of outsourcing.

There are about a dozen street parking spaces along a small section of E 5th Ave in Ybor City without any posted time or residency restrictions (Nov 2016). The spaces are super convenient to the street car which you can take all the way to the port for $2.50 a person. Plug 1220 E 5th Ave 33605 into your GPS/phone to find the location. These spots are between N 13th St & Nuccio Parkway.

 

Once you've parked, walk 2 blocks north to the Cadrecha Plaza Station #4 to catch the street car.

 

You can check the hours below, but are friendly for cruise schedules in my opionion.

 

http://www.tecolinestreetcar.org/about/hours/index.htm

 

Cheers!

Good way to get towed.

http://www.tampagov.net/parking/programs/parking-meters

 

In Ybor City, all on-street parking spaces are free, however, are restricted to a 2-hr maximum time limit. Additional restrictions also apply in residential parking areas within Ybor City. All restrictions are displayed prominently with signs located on each block.

 

Sec. 15-41. - Parking in city lots, garages, public streets and other property.

 

(f)

It is unlawful for the operator of a vehicle to stop, park or leave standing a vehicle on a city owned or operated parking lot, garage, public street or other property, using pay stations, other electronic devices, mechanical equipment, meters or gates for revenue control, for a period longer than twenty-four (24) hours without first making arrangements in advance with the parking division.

Named after Kevin Sheehan who envisioned it creation in the theme of an Irish Pub.

If budget is remotely a factor I always choose the lowest cost cabin. We have sailed in OV's and balconies a number of times but the funds were there so nothing else was impacted or limited.

So...if the $700 could be used elsewhere to make it more enjoyable then go with the inside.

Thanks as always for your input. I got this one from Amazon and used it successfully last cruise. If need be I could plug my Belkin that it replaced into its AC outlet and since this device is not grounded it would isolate the ground return on the Belkin.

That is a horrible idea.

Yeah....I feel the same way. The only reason I want to know their name on board is so I have a mental picture of how to be annoyed with on a daily basis.

I always book direct. I have no need for a middleman to hold my hand.

I had a suite and didn't tip extra but to each their own.

LOL....so you stiffed them. Great job, pat yourself on the back.

This is another of those "just because you want it to work that way does not mean it does in real life". You pay the service charge just like everyone else on the ship because many of the services are shared. However, in a suite, you are provided with a more personal level of service which is one on the main perks. Those servers, such as the butler, aren't included in the DSC and the custom is to tip them accordingly. You can stomp your feet and claim otherwise, but that does not change reality.

On the subject of guaranteed cabins I have a BB balcony guarantee on a March sailing of the Spirit. According to NCL website all cabins apart from interior are sold out. Can someone explain how they will be able to fulfil the guarantee?

There may be blocks of cabins still held back in inventory and they may expect a certain percentage of those already booked to upgrade or cancel.

That won't happen. Obviously the two scenarios you describe aren't related. If someone purchases something that isn't included on a package they will charge it to the appropriate card.

Not condoning leaving the doors open, but aren't all the rooms on the Vista set up with their own thermostat and A/C? Propping them open, while I am sure is frowned upon for safety reasons (?), would not affect anyone else's air temperature.

Sure it will. The AC units run in sections, each cabin doesn't have its own. There is a limited potential cooling capacity on each circuit. When that is reached the temperature rises, no way around it.

What is your budget? Everyone is going to tell you to get the balcony because it isn't their money being spent.

I have went both way, insides when trying to stretch the budget and balcony when there was extra to play with.

Technically, no, hence the 4 part of the cabin type. But it does have a window just like PT cabins.

I understand that. It still isn't an OV, that should've been glaringly obvious.

....but a 4J isn't an OV cabin.