scoobikins

Knew it was coming; still disappointing, all the same.

I wasn't actually sailing; I had purchased a cruise for my grandson's 13th birthday (something I did for his sisters) and his parents. 

Maybe some day this insanity will be over.

On 8/27/2020 at 11:38 AM, ObstructedView2 said:

 

😷

I would be just fine. I am a surgical nurse, and wear them as required, but there are multiple studies, done over multiple years that show that masks do NOT protect patients from surgical site infections. They are more to protect those at the sterile field from 'splash' from bodily fluids. 

I wear PPE as proscribed, because the people in my care tend to be at higher risk. But in my every day life? I don't think masks are of real benefit. As to cruising, I would not spend my vacation dollars if I was required to wear a mask.

I'm ready to cruise. We are approaching herd immunity, according to some. I doubt we ever see an effective vaccine for it anyway. 

My husband and I are leaving on the Glory out of New Orleans next Sunday, and I recently found out that my daughter and son in-law will be boarding the same ship the same day we will be disembarking. I would like to surprise them with a little anniversary gift, like a cake or something, to be given as they board.  I don't have their booking number, and don't want to ask, spoiling the surprise. 

Would it be possible to go to Guest Services when we're on board, and order something for them, even if I don't have their stateroom number or booking number? 

Aft extended balconies have been our favorite staterooms. We've had an OV, balcony cabins toward the front, cove balconies, and a suite. I will taken the aft extended over all of them.

I really enjoy the entertainment; it's part of the cruise experience, in my view. It's not like it lasts all that long anyway, it's just a few minutes.

I understand it's not everybody's taste, but that's the beauty of YTD. You have the opportunity to time your dinner in order to miss it. That's a win for everybody.

On 9/7/2019 at 6:14 AM, ray98 said:

I would eliminate the singing and dancing wait staff.  Dinner is already long enough....let them focus on their job.

I see a lot of comments like this. I guess I'm in the minority, as I find it kind of fun. Luckily, with YTD, people can choose to visit the dining room at a time that they will miss it. 

Good to hear! We will be boarding the Glory in October for the first time. Looking forward to seeing her for myself.

My first cruise was on the Ecstasy, probably 10 years ago. I have fond memories of her, but I doubt I would do a Fantasy class ship again simply due to their age. 

Probably my favorite class is the Conquest class. It seems to have the right balance of size and public areas. I recently was on the Dream, and while it boasts of more variety in food selections, it felt too crowded to me. 

I really hope Carnival doesn't decide to gradually 'Sunshine' the Conquest class ships.

Just had FTTF for my Dream cruise out of Galveston, and I was glad I got it. Long lines at guest services, and I didn't have to stand in them. However, I have resolved to not purchase it for our trip in October, as I felt the price point was a little too high. Hope I don't regret it.

4 hours ago, repo-cruiser said:

Now they need to raise Platinum to 150-350 VIFP Points and Diamond to 400 VIFP Points. 🙂

You need to hush that kind of talk!

🤐

Tried the Thalassotherapy pool for the first time last week on the Dream. When we first got there, the 'loungers' were full, but before long spots opened up. I tried to relax on the darn things, but if I lay back my head was in jeopardy of going under. So, it was either drown or sit up. The loungers don't accommodate short people very well.

I think given the choice I would  go with an aft extended balcony (not the aft wrap) over a suite. The draw for me is the extra space on the balcony, rather than the room. We don't spend a lot of time in the room itself.

Why is it so difficult for people to simply follow the dress code? It isn't that stringent, after all. Seems a lot of people think rules don't apply to them.

23 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

 

Make sure you check out the New Orleans board if you need help with anything. I have extensive experience with New Orleans hotels and have been known to give advice over there... and there are a few locals that hang around and answer questions as well.

I'm glad to hear some different and more positive perspectives on the ship, and am looking forward to seeing her for myself. This is my first visit to New Orleans, and I've been scouring the N.O. board for information of all kinds, trying to figure out what I want to see and experience in our short time window before the cruise. The info has been really helpful. I'm pretty excited about this trip.

Well, this thread sure sounds disappointing. We sail on her for the first time in October, and also our first trip out of New Orleans. I'm hoping our experience will not mirror those listed here. 

I can understand the judge's frustration and anger, but I think folks calling for the execs to be keelhauled and hung from the yardarm should look at one little phrase she uttered: "If I could....". If she really could, wouldn't she already have done so?

I look for Carnival to pay through the nose, and rightly so if the accusations are true.

My goodness, why even ask the question if you are going to ignore the rules that have been posted? Looks like you wanted validation instead of answers. 🙄

Whatever. It's your cruise.

5 hours ago, sfaaa said:

What is so wrong about this? Every indiviual and corporate citizen has the right to manage and prepare for an upcoming government audit before an auditor shows up. It is the auditor's job to find fault on the party being audited, not the other way around. 

Hospitals do this on an almost yearly basis, in preparation for Joint Commission. The only thing I can think is that they are saying they are 'scrubbing' their records in order to avoid getting cited.

We usually book an aft facing cabin when we sail, but we also mainly cruise in the fall. Depending on the season, it can get pretty warm back there. We like to use the balcony for our morning coffee, and to gaze at the wake at night. During the heat of the day, we are not in the cabin much.

There were plenty of people who weren't afraid to don costumes on our Halloween cruise. I had a blast just taking pictures of everybody on board. These are just a few.

It's been a few years, but this was a Halloween cruise aboard the Ecstasy. There's a picture of the Triumph coming in beside us in Cozumel.

Got the same notice; last month for October on the Glory out of N.O., and last week for the Dream out of Galveston in May. No mention of any changes in port time for Cozumel.

8 hours ago, Llamabear said:

I'll try it sometime! We're about 1 1/2 hours away from Springfield, so  we usually just go to OG cuz we know we love it. 

Used to work in West Plains about 15 years ago, at OMC. It was a nurse I used to work with there that put me on the idea of cruising. Nice little town.

Carnival may have changed the name of Formal night to Elegant night, but I have to say, there is nothing 'elegant' about a polo shirt.

Let the flaming begin.