rdler

I love Celebrity. My 11 year old son was put off by it. The activities for his age group really existed only in theory, and he was put off by all the places that wouldn't let him enter or sit with me. All that said, he did recognize that the Reflection was a very fine ship.

I think it comes down to insensitivity on Carnival's part. Why show a commercial aimed at kids that shows kids having incredible fun on an activity that is strictly prohibited?

What if they had filmed a commercial of the kids at the Atrium Bar in gowns and suits sipping martinis with a faded disclaimer saying "Kids can only drink if they can prove they are old souls"?

What if they had a commercial for adults showing an empty lounge chair, right by the pool and next to the bar with a towel or a sandal or an apple on it. The lighting changes from morning to dusk. The tag line: "Your lounger, your throne," with the faded disclaimer, "Chairs may only be reserved for 30 minutes."?

Come on. Carnival should be above this.

That's interesting. I didn't see that disclaimer. Nor did I suspect that those children were professional bobsledders-- they looked young enough, I suppose, but not strong enough, say, to break out of a Russian bathroom.

But the disclaimer kind of adds to my point: Why air a commercial with a tag line that says, in essence, "Forget it. This was all B.S."

I had to love that new commercial Carnival is running. It has four lovely young children, having just met at the beginning of the cruise, bonding with a slide down the sliding board linked together. It looked so fun, that my son if we could do that next time we travel with his cousins.

"No," I had to confess. "They only allow one person down at a time. Liability issues."

It is a great commercial, but just wrong. I have to wonder if any folks from the c-wing in Carnival's Miami office have ever traveled with them.

Cocoa, I'd like to hear about how you get those deals. I've never gotten one, and my PVP is well aware that I'm the kind that can roll out of bed and be in a cabin 3 hours later.

I understand the OP's disappointment with her cruise. I suspect that the OP paid for the room and was led to believe it would have all the customary amenities, such as a fully functioning bathroom, beds, some minimal storage space, a door, etc. I don't think it's adequate for folks to suggest that if the shower wasn't working, she could have easily gotten out of the shower, changed into appropriate attire and trudged god knows where to the spa. If her bed had bedbugs, would it be okay to suggest that there are sofas available in the atrium? If you recall, people weren't too happy on the Triumph when they had to use buckets in lieu of functional toilets.

As far as the width of the stalls go, I would expect that Carnival would know generally the girth of its demographic. That is fairly obvious to the naked eye. I have read that because of the size of the population, stalls are increasingly becoming wine-glass shaped, rather than rectangular. I would expect Carnival and similar purveyors or services of a similar demographic to be "ahead of the curve" on this.

I do hope the OP's cut isn't infected and do think that stitches might have been a good idea.

I am very sorry that she had an unpleasant cruise and I can understand why Carnival might not be her cruise line of choice in the future.

In my experience, lots of people leave early. Just go up and ask people who seem to be leaving if you can have their Cabana.

How do you get 17 cartons in? I tried to bring 5 cartons into Miami and you would have thought I was Al Capone.

I so hope they bring back Kathie Lee Gifford to perform! She would be perfect.

I remember so well seeing her perform 25 years or so ago in the Rainbow Room high atop Rockefeller Center. She was charming and attracted a wealthy audience of bejeweled New Jersey women and their long-suffering husbands. I paid well over $100 for that, even back then.

If they can attract stars like her, I predict the shows will be a big hit.

I think the later departure will be welcomed by those who want to stay in Nassau longer. They can catch a real act at Atlantis.

It should really help out Senior Frogs and other local bars and clubs, and I'm sure Carnival has calculated in the extra revenue from their shops in Cozumel and else-where.

This, I think, is wonderful news for Carnival's shareholders. I would think, however, that performing for the buffet crowd would be kind of a downer for the stars.

No Katie Lee?

In Miami, at least, I'm told that you aren't allowed to pay tax on any extra cigarettes. They are seized and destroyed.

Yes. Be sure you specify the ingredients. This past summer on the Victory, my son ordered a BLT and got lettuce and cheese instead. It wasn't terribly good.

Actually, I saw a couple of diapered toddlers on the Reflection over Thanksgiving. I wouldn't say it is usual, but I wouldn't say it is rare, either.

Why should anyone criticize you for this?

I did not know this about tips. Thanks for sharing the information. It kind of makes a difference.

"On Reflection there's a covered smoking section at the aft section of the pool deck."

I tried to smoke there during my November cruise. I was chased upstairs to the Sunset Bar.

I was surprised at just how restrictive the smoking policies were. In very rainy weather, deck 5 was closed (far longer than the rain persisted), so no smoking there. Similarly, deck 15 and the Sunset Bar. Closed. No other place to go and no accommodation made.

I thought this was way, way harsh.

As a smoker, which I am and I am sorry for that, the rainy days at sea were torture. I wish I could quit smoking, and I am willing to live with designated smoking areas, but I don't think it's realistic for me to sail on Celebrity again, and that is a shame.

And I don't need to be told not to let the door hit me on the way out.

Wow! Judging by the pictures, I'd say Carnival's new strategy is attracting a far younger and more fit and attractive demographic than in the good old days of table cloths, loyalty perks and live music.

I know that this is all personal. For a long-time Carnival cruiser, the steady pricks of cutbacks just became too much. As far as I could tell, everything had diminished over the years until the poor food quality and customer-provided entertainment just became too much. I booked a trip with Celebrity and it was good. But I was still cruising with Carnival because they were cheap and convenient and I travel with my young son. I thought this sort of balance between a Celebrity Cruise here and a Carnival Cruise there would continue to be our pattern.

I viewed the removal of table cloths and the family style-- here is what we'll serve you-- as an insult, rather than a deal-breaker. Similar but somehow more offensive than the other cutbacks.

But the thing that became a deal breaker for me is Carnival appearing (I said "appearing" so don't roast me) to be deferring, cost cutting, ignoring-- you pick the word-- on safety and maintenance pushed me over the edge.

I have 3 cruises booked for the next 15 months. None are on Carnival. In fact, when booking them recently, Carnival wasn't even a thought. And I am one who freely admits that I like my Platinum benefits and they kept me cruising Carnival perhaps longer than I should have.

I'm not leaving Carnival lightly, and hopefully not forever. But come on. I expect a ship to be maintained.

I think the general number of people that have FTTF for any cruise ranges from 60 to 120 depending on how many people are in the rooms and how many are booked under the same card. In Miami, it seems, FTTF always gets on board earlier because of where the Platinum/Diamond room is relative to the staging area is for FTTF.

That picture looked kinda icky. And shouldn't the olives be served with a martini?

I got snagged coming into Miami a few weeks ago. I had 6 cartons of cigarettes, which I declared. I figured I'd pay the duty.

Well, they practically strip searched me, and I was with my son. They told me I couldn't pay duty and they would have to destroy the cigarettes.

And they actually did take them from me.

Sorry. "Acquire" not "Require". I need to learn how to type.

IIRC, when the FTC and DOJ were not too happy when Carnival topped RCI in its bid for Princess and made it quite clear that future acquisitions by Carnival were not going to get regulatory consent.

IMHO, Carnival would love to require NCL and position it as "the old Carnival" as they continue to position the current Carnival as "Ryanair of the Sea".