falkcor

I don't know why anyone would want to cruise to Freeport or any effected port at this point even if you could. It's going to be trashed and they are going to be in survival mode. Let them recover then go and enjoy their island when it's cleaned up and ready for visitors. Right now Freeport is a safe haven for thousands of people from the tiny islands riding out the storm. Many won't have a home to return to anytime soon. I wouldn't want to go there for a while unless it was to help.

i've seen you post this on other threads. don't you realize that the ship going there does help? 'these people' rely on cruise ship traffic for their livelihood - the shops, the tours, etc. if all cruise ships stopped going there for some period of time you think would be appropriate, 'surviving' would be a lot harder for them.

When Vista sailed from NYC last year it docked and left from Manhattan pier 90.

 

Only Cunard's Queen Mary 2 docks in Red Hook since it is too long to fit in Manhattan. It will only dock in Manhattan if it is in transit. But if it starting/ending its voyage, Red Hook.

 

 

MARAPRINCE

vista has never been to the united states.

vista is only a few months old and has never left europe / the mediterranean.

you are thinking of another ship.

vista has never been to the united states, and thereby, never sailed from anywhere in the united states, manhattan cruise terminal included. but that is where she will sail from WHEN she gets here.

agree with others it will be the manhattan cruise terminal.

i don't think carnival cruise line has ever used the brooklyn terminal.

vista is not much larger than the dream class ships that have come to NY, and dream definitely used the manhattan pier, although as i recall dream couldn't 'fit' to the normal gangway (because of overhanging lifeboats and lanai deck) and they had to use deck 0 to embark.

http://gadling.com/2009/11/17/gadling-reviews-the-new-carnival-dream/

i don't remember if they ever rectified that.

also splendor sailed year round from manhattan for a while and she's not much smaller than vista either. but i'd say with 99% certainty it will be in manhattan.

looks like matthew will be off the coast of SC / NC at 8am on sunday.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/154742.shtml?5-daynl#contents

pride will be coming in from NY / North so i would bet it makes it to port... however, look where matthew is - the ship might not be able to go south. also, several models show it looping back around and back toward bahamas / florida...

they might re-route it north again to new york / canada like they did the previous cruise. for the last cruise, people were given the option to cancel with full refund / re-book, or take generous OBC and % off future cruise.

i'm actually watching this - i'd be ok with a 'last minute' deal if the price was right.

it is also yet to be seen exactly what damages to half moon cay and freeport will be in full. i read / heard somewhere grand turk was spared for the most part but even at that i haven't seen any full account of potential damages. they might not even be able to call on those ports.

here's what carnival has said about pride, they say they will make an announcement by saturday morning:

'Carnival Pride – 10/9/16 departure

We are monitoring the storm very closely and will be in a position to let you know about any needed itinerary changes by Saturday morning. Given our experience with hurricanes and their propensity for unexpected shifts, this time allows us the opportunity to make the best decisions for your vacation once we have greater clarity on the timing of the forecasted track.'

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4091

in short, i don't know, and neither does anyone else right now - it's too unpredictable.

Strange , I just did a mock booking on Ecstasy Oct 8th, Carnival's site. Sure enough it shows availability in all categories :eek:

a cruise sailing in a few days should be sold out and not taking bookings at all right? maybe there are a lot of cancellations... and they may be taking reservations for whatever it ends up being.

I can be in Baltimore in a few hours. I'd do it

me too. i looked into it and was discouraged. didn't feel like following up on the phone for potentially a few hours to have to race to port the same morning.

i'm wondering if anybody did. good on them if they did lol ;)

Interesting question, would be interested in the replies as well. How did they find out about it last time (in order to book)?

it happened a few times as i recall on gulf coast sailings. things like fog and tropical storm delays. basically, that's how they 'found out about it' - in that the port was closed so ship would stay out an extra day and next cruise would be affected.

the one i remember with most clarity was a 4th of july sailing on ecstasy out of galveston... was going to be a 3 day cruise to nowhere as i remember it, and i looked into it the night before and they were still asking for market rate (same as when i looked at pride this time) but lo and behold the next morning when my pvp got back to me sure enough it was like $99pp, and i could get an oceanview instead of interior (free upgrade lol) because there were so many cancellations. of course we had a tropical storm (or what seemed like one) parked over us and torrential rains and i didn't think i could make it to port in time (i was still sitting at work). that is the cruise that was and was not meant to be (1 day vacation time / but couldn't get to port).

i'm just curious if anyone was able to take advantage of something similar this time around.

cnn just said that latest news says both the european and american models (for projecting trajectory, etc.) agree that the center of the storm is currently projected to hit at cape canaveral, which clearly is right around the corner from the port.

they didn't say it earlier, but now they say landfall at cape canaveral is friday 7am

I've just been wondering... On the last cruise, the itinerary change to NY and Canada (which didn't happen) was announced before sailing and refunds and rebooking options were offered.

I'm curious if anyone booked knowing what was going to happen, and got a last minute deal. Reading here I understand something like 1,000 people chose to cancel and re-schedule or take the refund.

I'm just wondering if anyone actually booked with that considered. I looked the day it was announced and fares were still something like 769 pp for an interior (but it was actually available for booking).

I remember when some of the sailings from the gulf coast were re-scheduled there were crazy fares like $99pp. You had to talk to them directly because online still showed the market fare.

I'm just curious if anyone here actually did that, and if so, what kind of deals were offered. I'd take a 'cruise to nowhere' or heck, better yet, 'cruise to new york' for the right deal.

yes, on cruises of 5+ days, for last day, after 5pm, anywhere.

https://www.carnival.com/loyalty/benefits.aspx

it is the consolation prize for being dis-invited from the past guest party. well, that and a bottle of water to be fair :rolleyes:

cnn just said that latest news says both the european and american models (for projecting trajectory, etc.) agree that the center of the storm is currently projected to hit at cape canaveral, which clearly is right around the corner from the port.

not looking awesome for port canaveral. when ike hit houston it knocked out galveston for a few weeks - thankfully houston had the foresight to build a cruise port that went unused for years just for that contingency. :rolleyes: lol. but sailings left from there for a while after damage to the terminal in galveston, which also took a direct hit.

it's possible but unlikely they would cancel entirely. more likely than not they may delay embarkation and shorten the cruise if the port is not open. keep an eye on carnival.com for updates. currently it says they will make decisions regarding additional changes tomorrow after 8pm.

We may have achieved Diamond status on Carnival, but our frequency of Carnival cruising has drastically plunged over the last few years.

 

It comes down to:

 

> Lack of suite perks compared to other lines

 

> Lack of hot room service breakfast

tom, totally understood and you are 'entitled' to your opinion. there is nothing wrong with that. those two points are facts.

i can't believe some of the responses. i get what you're saying, and know your cruising history and tenure on this board. it's just getting more rude by the day it seems, probably part of what drove away some of the good posters here (aside from change in cruise lines for personal preference). happy travels.

what do you think would be enough (over a coffee maker in suites on vista) that would bring you back? i'm not encouraging it or have any material interest, but i'm just interested in what would be a change that 'swayed' your perception enough to give it another go.

We purchased cheers on our second cruise in 2013. Based on our first cruise we figured out that we would “make out” financially on my husband and just about break even on me - as I did not drink as much. Also, being covered by cheers, I figured I would relax and probable drink a little more, not worrying so much about the “bottom line”.

 

We had an inside on the panorama deck, and could feel the motion of the ship much more than our first cruise – main deck – mid-ship. As it turned out, my husband became a little sea-sick for much of the cruise, and didn’t drink nearly as much as he normally would have. It makes me wonder what would happen if a large # of people became ill due to weather/ rough seas. Could be any type of compensation / refund for cheers?

highly unlikely. you could, however, utilize cheers to purchase ginger ale and rest up to get your drink on. lol

i don't mean to make light of this if this is a real concern of yours, but i think the situation would have to be particularly extreme and present for an extended period of time to a degree of which has been exceedingly rare for them to extend such a concession, and in which case i expect they would handle it on a case-by-case type basis.

link your bookings together and request a fixed time / assigned dining time (early or late). 13 is too large for a single standard table, they will *most likely* give you two tables adjacent to each other. also note, i said the fixed time, not your time dining. while you are free to do the your time dining and show up whenever you wish, the system does not work as well for large groups and you may have to wait to be seated near each other.

if you mean captain suite (9202), junior suite (9206) and balcony (9210) - or the inverse on the starboard side - one thing i wanted to check for you was whether the balconies for jr suite and balcony would connect, but they don't by standard... still though that's a great group of rooms, especially the captains suite.

it looks like the carnival hub app is live on freedom - you might consider getting that for at least a few in your party - it will allow you to communicate with each other via a chat type function on your cell phones - it's $5 per cruise per person, and i think would be very useful for you. here's more info about it:

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1152/~/carnivals-wi-fi-service-and-hub-app

not for the week that i've ever seen.

you can have individual items done for an a la carte price per piece. they will also run specials for a 'per bag' price (as much as fits in their standard bag - a better deal), or if you're platinum you'll get X number of free 'bags' based on length of the cruise.

they are at the front of the ship, and when you look out you will see a metal partition wall to railing height at the front of an open deck / observation area. so you can see the sky but not the water. you will see this referred to as the 'secret door' area as most people do not and never will know they exist. great area for arrivals or sail away, and it is basically a big shared balcony most people won't ever go out on.

Since it appears that you only sail on Carnival, you really have no point of reference as to value. Sometimes it is good to venture out and try something new. See what it costs and see what you get for the money.

since it appears that you only NEVER sail on carnival, you really have no point of reference as to value. sometimes you should try the product and try something new, before posting as if you know it all. see if you like it and how that compares to the non-relevant things you post regarding the product before you offer them up.

i seriously do not understand why you post in this forum at all.

to the OP - triumph never had the coolers. it's an old ship. i think the room steward situation is just crap. i'm not sure some of them know what they're supposed to do. you don't have to order the stuff with a charge from room service - but you could never get hot fries etc. that they added (for charge) either.

As we figured' date=' they will only talk to my TA. What I am ticked with is when I was booking there were 3 rooms I saw - 2 of them were just a regular room for 2 people (maybe 3?) and the one we ended up with apparently can handle 4 people. So I know why we got bumped- but why in the first place would my TA or Carnival even put us in that one? I didn't know what each one took, I just said "Hey i like the location of these 3 rooms - any of these would be great thanks". Originally I paid about an extra $40-60 to book a room - had one on deck 8 I liked, then saw these on lido deck and i paid $60 to move to those. With my 'upgrade' I may as well be back on deck 8 and have saved the $60!! I have asked my TA to try and get my extra upgrade money back in form of OBC, OR a bump up to spa balcony, which right now is only $25pp more than I paid anyway! Im not one of those 'entitled' people who will demand stuff, I just feel ripped off that I spent the extra money to ensure that deck, and didn't end up with what I wanted (and I know Im not going to get it back) - especially sucks because there were 3 options I liked and thats the one I was assigned :([/quote']

 

that's on your TA then.

 

carnival will have 'occupancy restrictions' which they enforce or relax depending on the sailing occupancy and bookings (and can change).

 

but why in the first place would my TA or Carnival even put us in that one?

 

your TA is the one that put you in that room. carnival would hold to their contract stipulations (which are explicated by many above), and in the case of booking rooms with greater occupancy than parties booked carnival representatives would have advised you could be moved.

 

i feel for you and am not trying to be be a 'contract specialist' or whatever someone else referred to above (i surely i am not), but i am advising you to take it up with your TA. the question is why would THEY (the TA) put you in that room if the specific selection was important. you will only get your potential recourse by TA working with carnival. and if the differences in cost to move you to another room are as nominal as you make it sound (and i'm sure it is), they oughta eat that.

 

it's on your TA though.

juices, teas, coffee, milks, etc. are available for no charge from room service. alcoholic beverages, bottled water, soda, etc. have never been included. basically - if they can sell it to from your in-room mini bar or the closest bar (and i guess you'd have to pay for the juice there, too), then it's not included.

here's the most recent room service menu (that i'm aware of) from carnival:

https://www.carnival.com/~/media/Images/explore/dining/menus/room-service-menu.pdf

the options are clearly listed there.

We continue to provide turndown service the first evening of the cruise in a slightly modified format that enables the stewards to spend more time engaging and talking with the guests. The look of the bed is slightly different and guests continue to receive a towel animal and the Fun Times newsletter while at the same time the stewards have much greater opportunity to interact with the guests in a more personalized fashion. I hope this helps and please do ask me if you have anything further

op didn't make it clear when posting this, but i recognize this to be quoted from john heald a while back when this ruckus started. for as much as he is called on to clarify, this statement is really clear as mud, so i understand the op's confusion.

'The look of the bed is slightly different' - what the heck does that mean? it looks unmade? i mean seriously - just spit it out and be clear. that's one of the dumbest statements i've seen him make.

they don't do themselves any favors by being unclear, especially when under the guise of 'test programs' on 'select ships' which seem to last an inordinate amount of time, and in this particular instance, with entirely varied reports of service received (people on the same ship, same cruise, getting different offer of or service received without options extended). sometimes i really wonder about how they manage this company...

Hubby and I sailed RC in June then CCL in Sept. Hands down food is better on Royal. The buffet is 3 times larger. We found the shows more racy and not as family friends even during times when kids were there. The drink package on Royal let's you have a non alcohol option with smoothies and bottled water. Carnival only has soda nothing else not even a souviner mug. You have to buy them seperate.

 

Carnival has lots of activities and is a different feel than Royal.

the buffet being larger will vary from ship to ship within each line and versus each other. saying RC's buffets are '3 times larger' is not accurate or helpful without context.

your comment about the drink package including only soda is just plain wrong:

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1106/~/cheers!-beverage-program

The following beverages are now available within the enhanced CHEERS! program:

-All spirits, including cocktails, cognacs, whiskies and other spirits, as well as beer and glasses of wine, with a $50 USD or lower menu price per serving

-Zero-Proof frozen cocktails, sodas (including specialty sodas) and juices

-Specialty coffees and teas served in the main dining rooms, specialty restaurants and coffee bars

-Milkshakes, where applicable

-RockStar energy drinks, Powerade, Vitamin Water, Coconut Water and Honest Tea

-500ml bottles of water served in bars and lounges

-Large format (1 liter and 1.5-liter) bottles of water in the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants

-25 percent discount off the menu price for any spirit, cocktail or wine by the glass, costing above $50 USD per serving

-25 percent discount off the menu price for wine and champagne by the bottle and larger format water bottles purchased outside the main dining rooms or specialty restaurants

-25 percent discount off the menu price for all beverage classes and seminars

sure, it doesn't come with a souvenir mug, but it comes with a lot more than just 'soda nothing else'... i really hope you didn't just go on a cruise and operate under such a false assumption, regardless it certainly should not be spread as fact here.

nobody can say until you get your guarantee room assignment.

i've done it before and never got anything but good rooms a few (in category) upgrades (a-c type).

don't sweat it yet. and if you don't like what you get, pay to upgrade to what you want. it will be a nominal charge by comparison. chill.

Yeah, but have you tasted Fosters? :D

hey grady, happy to see you back around these parts.

i'm with the other posters suggesting fosters - the only time i'd ever drink it would be on a cruise - and given the 2-for-1 size tends to be my staple for the week... i kinda got used to the taste :D

i assume you're aware, did you try any of the 'work-arounds'? such as purchasing (instead of charging to cheers) drinks before you hit the limit, getting buckets of beer (which are not included), buying 'rounds' for friends (only one of which would be charged to cheers, the others a la carte)... there are a few ways to work within the restrictive policies.

i agree with your assessment of the motive for the cap, and agree it's crap. surprisingly i've never hit the cap (mostly thanks to the 2-for-1 size of fosters), but i agree with how you describe chafing at the thought of having to keep count. it's a pain and i kinda resent it. :rolleyes:

It is the real thing

 

 

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