mpcaruth

I read another's post that stated NCL only books 30% reservation capacity pre-cruise, and the remainder spots are to be booked on board.  Can anyone confirm this?  I would prefer to schedule my entertainment first and then make dinner reservations around show preferences and port days.  Anyone have success getting their preferred dinner and show reservations once they board the ship? 

Also, can you use the App once you board the ship to make reservations?  Or must you use the board/kiosk?  I haven't sailed NCL in 4-5 years and am not used to the process.  Thanks in advanced!

I have a hyphenated last name and my Carnival reduced-size last name is very different than my passport name.  In 12 Carnival cruises, I have never had an issue even through their website and emails always stress the names have to match exactly.  It's Carnival's computer system that will not take a hyphenated name correctly and they know it.

1 hour ago, styxfire said:

 But BOTH passengers have to buy it, so if one doesn’t drink, the other has to drink 5 a day or more just because of the tip costs.

 

I can see both sides of the economic argument.  For me personally, I can’t consume that much alcohol for that many days in a row.  So I like to save stomach space for the food instead, LOL.

Yes, stomach space for food!  Plus, I get sleepy when I drink and end up going to bed early and I feel like I am missing out.  At home, I drink a glass of wine to relax myself if I have had a stressful day at work.  I am already relaxed on a cruise.

We are all different in our preferences and priorities.  Can you imagine how boring the world would be if we were all the same?

3 hours ago, JCDCA said:

Your math doesn’t make any sense.  Drink package with free at sea is what 20 dollars a day gratuity?  That’s like 2 drinks.  Not 4 a day.  

I should have clarified it better: 2 people equals 4 a day

Unpopular opinions:

• Sea days are my least favorite, and as such, I choose port intensive itineraries. 
• I love walking the ship and outside decks early in the morning before it gets crowded. 
• I dislike hanging out by the cramped and crowded pool decks during the day. Chairs hogs do not bother me.
• I turned down the Free at Sea drink package! 1) keeps us from drinking too much just to get our money's worth, and 2) I don't think my husband and I would drink 28+ drinks on a 7 day cruise to equal the price of the gratuity. 
• I always wonder if the Haven guests really have that much better time than us bargain hunters.
• NCL cruising appears to be the furthest from "freestyle". I always end up over planning, making reservations before cruise, during cruise, stressing because reservations are not available, and during the cruise always checking my watch to make sure we are not late for reservations.  Perhaps, that's just a reflection of mega-ship sailing logistics.
• And sailing a family of four in a single cabin is not so bad. We've done it 14 times. I call it family bonding and learning life skills of compromise and being considerate. 🙂  The kids think it is better than being left back at home.

There are still some good deals on NCL.  3rd & 4th guest sailing free (non prime dates), make a quad cabin very economical. We are booked in a quad balcony cabin on the Escape in January for less than $2450. However, my husband and I sailed Carnival to Bermuda in an oceanview earlier this year for less than $700.

We had a quad balcony cabin on the Getaway a few years ago and there was no overhead bunk.  The couch pulled out to a double bed.  We currently have a quad Balcony GTY booked for January and would love to get a cabin with a pull down bunk.  Anyone have information on quad room setups on the Escape, and if there are cabins with the double bed couch?  Hoping we can get a cabin with a bunk to allow more floor space and more comfort the kids.

I just booked a cruise and declined the drink package. My husband and I do drink, but not during the day. We may have a couple of drinks at the comedy club a few nights. Never more than 10 drinks in the week.  We had the drink package once, and two of the days (busy port days) we did not even get a single drink.  Drinking relaxes me, and I am already on a relaxing cruise, so drinking just makes me sleepy.  I don't want to sleep my cruise away just to get my money's worth.

Being that there is much confusion on the process, I thought I'd share the timeline for our Bermuda travel authorization.  We will embark for our cruise on May 26 with first stop in Bermuda on May 28.

• I received an email from Carnival May 5, notifying that a Bermuda Travel Authorization was required.
• I had intended on holding off applying until after I had my negative test results. (Did not want to spend $40 on each of us, if we could not sail).
• After reading on this forum of the new changes for Authorization beginning on May 21, I read on the Bermuda website that applications for authorization should be submitted two weeks prior to sailing.  So...
• I applied for Bermuda Travel Authorization on May 21 and received an email stating "Application pending review" with a link to "Upload and view your documents".
• On May 23, I received an email  "Once your pre-departure test and vaccination documents are uploaded, your application will be reviewed and your Traveller Authorization will be emailed."  What?  The website specifically states you do not need to upload test results after May 21.  So, I ignored the email assuming they just had not updated the automatic email push.
• On May 24, I received an email stating, "APPROVED BERMUDA TRAVEL AUTHORISATION " . The email contained a link to the website and form.  I had to type in my initials in the waiver box  and hit continue to get the completed form.  The completed form (which includes a bar code) is downloadable to a pdf and ready for printing.  Below is a screen shot of the instruction and waiver portion of the Travel Authorization.
• I tested negative for COVID this evening. Woo hoo! I am ready to cruise.

Thanks for sharing.  Looks like uploading of the COVID test results will no longer be required (after May 24).  It must have been a processing bottleneck for them,.

4 hours ago, letstrythisplace said:

Prices from per guest (prices are subject to change and exclude Europe cruises)
Daily Pass: $40
4 day cruise $79
5 day cruise $99
6 day cruise: $119
7 day cruise: $139
8 day cruise: $159
9 day cruise: $179
10 day cruise: $199
12 day cruise: $239
13 day cruise: $259
14 day cruise: $279

  I just checked my cruise manager for pricing for a 4 day cruise on the Magic, and the price is $118 per person.

We have a cruise booked on the Magic in May.  I checked today for prices and potential price drops, only to discover none of the May and June sailings for Norfolk are showing up for bookings?  This has happened to me twice before: once when Carnival switched ships, and the other time when the cruise was cancelled.

Anyone know what may be happening?

I think it is very doable.  It's cramped and requires compromise and planning though.  My family of four always rooms in quad cabins.  I do prefer the larger OV cabins (of special PT, 4J, or 4K "interior" cabins).  Please also understand, we have traveled in the tiny overnight sleepers on Amtrak and have made a 16-day RV trek across the US with six of us in a 31' motorhome.  

Here is a link to one of my cruise reviews showing wo options for IS quad cabin set up on the fantasy class ships:  Go to page 3, post #59, if the link doesn't take you directly there.

I have sailed 19 cruises (13 with Carnival), and I have never received an offer to upgrade. I am sailing on a cruise this weekend and have been checking daily for upgrade offers, but nothing. 

I tried to book a spa treatment and then again a shore excursion for our January cruise on the Legend.  Sadly, there was no option for using OBC.

Do they hold a certain capacity for onboard bookings?  Can anyone confirm this with recent sailings, please?  We cruise next month and I am already seeing a few excursions listed as sold out online.  I am hoping to book my excursions once onboard to take advantage of using my OBC.

I booked my cruise as an Early Saver VIFP rate for our January cruise.  It was not a great deal, just the deal anyone could get.  I received my OBC Shareholder denial email stating "reduced rate promotions do not qualify for OBC".  I replied to the email asking specifically what rates would apply. 

Here is Carnival's response:

No one pays full price... even first time cruisers can get the VIFP rates (aka general public).  Pretty sure this means I will never be eligible for shareholder OBC.  It's unfortunate.  Though it will not deter me from Carnival, it doesn't maintain my loyalty to Carnival either. 

BTW, there are cheaper rates currently available on the website for my January booked cruise.  I tried to utilize my Early Saver benefit to get the lower rate (specific assigned room) and was told it was not eligible.  What?  It was suggested that I could cancel my current cruise (<45 days out), pay the penalty, and then rebook if I would like.  What?  I never had any issues with price lowering after final payment when I had booked Early Saver in the past. Another small disappointment with Carnival that may affect my brand loyalty. 

Please note,  I am still super excited to be sailing on Carnival in January!  I still believe in their value and fun.

18 hours ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

Our first stop was Taino Beach.  $12 to get in but you're told that covers some of the water sports and other attractions.  There's a zipline but they don't tell you until after you paid the beach entrance fee it's been closed for a  couple years. It was packed,  dirty and the beach was ok.

 

We have been to Lucaya a few times and to Deadman's Reef also.  I am considering going to Taino Beach in January to get a new experience. There is very little info on CC for Taino post-COVID shutdowns. Can you tell more about the "water sports and other attractions"?  More specifics on what's included with the $12 entry fee.    In particular, do they have free wifi, clean restrooms, free kayaks, beach chairs?  What are the food/drink options?

8 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

The 8 day cruises were pulled weeks ago, leaving only the 6 day cruises.

That makes sense now.  Thanks.

Looking at the Breeze out of Port Canaveral for March 2021 and there are only two cruises showing for that month (at every other week).  I checked other months and bookings are only available every other week on both the Breeze and Horizon from Feb to April. Anyone know why?  Is this a bad sign that they will likely change things up and not sail the listed itineraries?  Perhaps being flexible to add in 3-4 short cruises in between if all goes well? All indications that I have read indicate that the Breeze and Horizon will be the first Carnival ships to go live.

On 11/11/2020 at 9:41 AM, NameThatFunnel said:

I received this offer, but what is the point of limiting it to double occupancy rooms only. I'm sure they can code it to apply to just the first two guests in the room, like most cruise lines do with similar offers. Why should people traveling with their kids or more than two in room be excluded?

Perhaps to encourage families/friends to get two separate cabins.  

I am Gold and received the email with RU2.  My husband is Gold and received RU1, while my mom is Red and received RU1 also.  Not sure of the logic.

I logged into my account and this was located in my offers:  

I love these cabins!  There is no noise issue from the Lobby, but you may hear rolling carts from above in the Lounge entryway.  The cabins are bigger than the interior and have a couch and coffee table.  This extra room and the window are a huge perk over the standard interior.  I also enjoy sitting on a lounger directly outside my cabin window.  It's a short walk to the Deck 3 door, and there is almost never anyone that far up on the deck up by these cabins.

My family has sailed both the Sensation and Sunrise, and most definitely the Sunrise is an upgrade!  We sailed a 10-day Journey cruise on the Sunrise last summer and really enjoyed all the extra amenities from such a small ship.  BTW, we sailed the Sunshine (Sunrise's sister ship) a few years back and the port side outside deck 3 was a smoking area.  Not sure if this applies to your cruise.

We are planning a multi-generational family cruise out of Seattle next year.  In particular, we are looking at the last week of May to accommodate everyone's schedules.  I have it narrowed down to the following cruises:

1) Carnival Spirit:   Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria

2) Norwegian Bliss: Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria

3) Holland Oosterdam: Puget Sound, Stephens Passage, Juneau, Hubbard Glacier, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Victoria

Things that are important to us:

·         Seeing glaciers and breath-taking views

·         Wildlife (both in port and from the ship)

·         Wildlife and nature excursions in port (not really interested in shopping and dining in port)

·         Good public viewing spaces on ship, as not all of us will have balcony cabins

·         The highest priority is itinerary, followed by price, and the ship last

I would love to hear your recommendations.  Thanks!

5 hours ago, Jeanninecampos said:

hi does anyone know why the sunrise is sold out for the week of June 10 2019 never seen a cruise sold out for early June

This cruise has been sold out four about 4 months. It's a "new" ship and a Journey's cruise during the summer (families can go).