MadManOfBethesda

4 hours ago, pirate4me2 said:

I miss the fact that Carnival doesn’t change time to match the ports they’re visiting, they just stay on homeport time (for the most part). We fell back an hour the day we headed to Mexico, then jumped foward an hour today. However, my phone has been very slow about making the changes, so I’m having to make a conscious effort as to what time it really is. I guess when I cruise MSC again, I need to invest in a cheap watch. 

Wouldn't it be simpler just to go into your settings and manually make the adjustments? It should take no more than 5-10 seconds each time there is a time change.

3 hours ago, n6uqqq said:

The only good thing about the beer station is there are better plastic cups for me to use in the lido restaurant.

Hey, thanks for that tip! I hadn't even noticed that there were large plastic glasses there until I read your post. I hate those tiny green and/or yellow plastic cups that are in the Lido for water, juice, iced tea, etc. The "beer" glasses are much better to use. You've just improved the remainder of my cruise for me!

22 hours ago, jean87510 said:

Sure. We booked online with Amtrak a few months ago when we were pricing flights, rental cars and trains.  The one we chose was the 638 am train from Savannah to Jacksonville.  It was about 2 hours.  They load the big suitcases and we brought our carryons on the train.  We were in coach.  The seats were comfortable.  There was good wifi.  When we got off we got a Lyft to the cruise port which was about $20.  We are actually doing a similar scenario in Baltimore in October where we are taking a train from Wilmington DE to Baltimore for a cruise.

Thank you; that's interesting and helpful. 

25 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

I used to work in a casino many years ago and according to slot techs back then, they could be programmed according to the number of spins. And in recent years, I've heard that same determining process still exists. The main point I was making was, regardless of the process, the casino can program the machines to pay out more often. It's used as a marketing ploy ("loose slots") by many casinos.

I don't know how they worked back in the day, but in the era of computer chips, they operate using RNGs. You can Google the term "random number generator" for a complete explanation if you're interested. But there is no dispute when it comes to how tight or loose a casino wants it's slots to be; just how it goes about accomplishing that. It can set a slot machine to return 97 cents of every dollar or can make it tight and only have it return 80 or 85 cents for example. 

On 8/19/2023 at 7:33 AM, jean87510 said:

Very impressed so far.  We booked a JS as we like the bigger rooms and price was good at the time.  I'll give a brief summary of some topics.

 

Embarkation - Our check in was 10.  We were taking a train from Savannah (husband's work conference) to Jacksonville.  Inexpensive and comfortable.  We used paper sheets with a bar code.  This was new to us as we like digital.  Then we waited in a suite room at the port.  We did have to wait a bit as there was some water damage on deck 5.  Once we did board at 1050, we went directly to our room to unpack our check in bags.  

 

This won't be of interest to many here, but would you mind going into a bit more detail about your train experience? We moved to Savannah from Miami last year and we're looking for alternative ways to get to embarkation ports. Last Thanksgiving we drove to Port Canaveral, but the parking situation was horrendous. There were 4 ships in port and they ran out of regular parking and eventually opened an employee surface lot for us and many others to use. Then in April we chose to fly to Tampa, but there were no direct flights from Savannah and we had to change planes in Atlanta. It would have been quicker to drive! Then, due to a bad experience last month when we again had to go through Atlanta for a (non-cruise) trip to Montreal (we ended up sleeping in the airport when our delayed flight was finally cancelled at 1:00am & rescheduled for 8:00am), we decided to drive the 600 miles to Baltimore to board our current cruise on Legend.

We love living in Savannah now but miss the easy access to nonstop flights to almost anywhere from Miami's international airport, not to mention the close proximity to the cruise ports. I'd be interested to learn more about your experience taking a train out of Savannah to nearby ports such as Jacksonville (and perhaps others on the East Coast).

On 8/17/2023 at 6:23 PM, Organized Chaos said:

 

The machine's computer adjusts how much power is applied to the grip strength of the claw and how long that power lasts during a play. And it's all determined by settings that are adjusted by the machine's owner. Much like modern slot machines...the computer is set to pay off after so many spins, which is set by the casino. If slot machines are considered "loose," it's because the owner has set them to pay out more often. In the end, the house always wins.

Slot machines are not set to pay off after a certain number of spins. They use a random number generator (RNG) that is constantly selecting combinations - even when no one is playing the machine - to determine when and how much a machine is going to pay out at any particular time. It is possible, although highly unlikely, for two successive spins to be jackpot wins. What is determined by the casino is the hold percentage, say 80%, 85%, 90%, etc., so that the RNG is programmed to pay out the remaining percentage over time on a completely random basis.

On 8/17/2023 at 10:48 AM, MisterOJ2 said:

So, I know when Carnival first announced the new menus, they said they would be bringing back beef Wellington. But the new menus I've seen posted in various places don't include it. Has anyone been on a cruise with the new menus yet? I'm wondering if anyone can confirm that it either is or is not on the new set of menus.

I am currently on the Legend on a 14-night cruise to Greenland and Newfoundland. Beef Wellington is on our menu for tonight, which is our 2nd elegant night and the 9th overall night of our cruise.

FWIW, the vegetarian entree tonight is Baked Vegetable Princess, which is described on the menu as "seasonable vegetables baked in a cheese sauce and topped with asparagus."

1 hour ago, Drazil65 said:

Do not know price.  

If it is the same as the price of the one on Legend, the cost is 50 cents per ounce with a 14oz maximum. 

1 hour ago, CentralNY1 said:

Internet has been great. No issues at all. 

I have been pleasantly surprised at how well the Internet service has been functioning on this cruise. I've been able to stream live tv, movies, and other videos with absolutely no buffering or other issues throughout the cruise so far. One of my best ever experiences.

22 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Need more info before I send up the sos flare….  DId they have tickets?  When did they get them?  Etc etc. Of course there will be back up with two tenders.  Let’s see how they respond after everyone back on baord.  Then we can run it up the ladder

Ticket distribution began at 6:30am, but some people got in line hours earlier. My wife originally went down at 6:00am, saw the line of people waiting, and came back to the cabin and climbed back into bed, lol. When we ultimately got tickets later in the morning, we were number 30. There was a delay in beginning the tender operation due to another helicopter medical evacuation at 4:30am. It was supposed to start at 7:00am but didn't begin until exactly 7:37am. (I looked at my watch.) They called our #30 at 12:10pm, which was fine, but what perturbed us to no end was that we then had to wait in a long line for well over another hour before actually boarding the shuttle. And while we were waiting in that long line that wasn't moving, they also called #31 & #32 to get in line. There was simply no reason to make all those people stand there and wait when there was already such a long delay. Some people didn't get off the ship until after 2pm, over 6 hours from when the process started. And the line to return was very long as well. Rather than wait in that line, we just hung out at the bar until it dissipated. Although the last shuttle was supposed to be at 5:15pm, there was still a long line at that time, so we stayed in the bar a while longer. When we returned the line was much shorter. I think it was around 6pm when we got back on board the ship.

And I don't agree with the posters above that the reason was there was only one dock yesterday. Today went much, much better. They began calling numbers at 7:00 and they came fast and furious. We were #23 today and when our number was called around two hours later, we walked right onto a shuttle with no waiting in line whatsoever.  And the line to return from port wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday either.

Yesterday's debacle aside, it has been a great cruise.

On 8/19/2023 at 2:49 AM, CruizinSusan70 said:

Of course, you're a gambler and have zero reality as to what the normal cruiser pays for a cruise.  This unique itinerary when it first came out sold out in like two days, so they came out with another date. 

As a stockholder I'd like to thank you for cruising on a 21 year old ship.  I've been cruising for over 35 years and the only time I've ever cruised on a ship that was over 10 years old was once, last year on the refurbished Oasis OTS. We took the Carnival blinders off years ago and spread the wealth around. 

 

I fully realize that certain cruisers like yourself like the smaller to mid size ships.  I will agree with you regarding sea days, we do like them, but it was highway robbery what Carnival was charging for these unique cruises.  They have 3 of them next year, the May 2024 is over 2000 for an inside, while the other two sailings in Aug and Sept are around 1800.  This is 10 times what you paid and the regular folk are not getting 300 in OBC or cash either unless they own Carnival stock.  Enjoy your cruise and good luck with the bones.

I certainly do know what "normal" cruisers pay for cruises. I paid the going rate for a "normal" cruiser on a Windstar cruise last October from Athens to Barcelona and I will be paying the going rate for a normal cruiser on a Celebrity transatlantic this October from Barcelona to Port Canaveral. What I said was that I didn't know what the going rate was for this particular cruise because I was traveling on a casino offer. As stated above, I don't always do so. Oh, and since you seem to be questioning my bona fides for giving my opinion, I've been cruising for 43 years, with my first Carnival cruise being on the original Mardi Gras 40 years ago in 1983.

As for the popularity of this itinerary and the original date selling out in two days; I booked this casino rate roughly 6 weeks before sailing around the end of June. And I could have booked the same itinerary in September, so some of those early bookers must have just put deposits down and then ultimately cancelled before final payment. 

3 hours ago, maryann2 said:

I wish people would stop bragging about their casino rates.

When solos would have to pay $4000   Shocking prices for most.

First of all, I wasn't bragging about anything; I was making a simple statement as to why I couldn't address that one aspect of the previous poster's complaint about the ship, the cruise, and the itinerary. Secondly, if you don't like the fact that some people get discounted or free cruises because they spend a significant portion of their cruise gambling in the casino while you apparently have to pay full price for the same cruise, there is a simple way to change that dynamic. I'm sure that given enough time, you'll be able to figure it out.

On 8/16/2023 at 2:23 AM, CruizinSusan70 said:

Not gonna happen.  It's an overpriced 14 day cruise out of Baltimore on a 21 year old ship that has 8 sea days and makes 3 port stops in Canada and 2 port stops in Greenland.  Doesn't stop in Iceland.

What's wrong with a 21-year-old ship? I'm on it right now and it is absolutely fine. Great crew, good food, plenty to do. I think it is the perfect size. Some of us don't want to sail on a ship with 5,000 people on it.  And I also happen to like the ratio of 8 sea days to 5 port days. That sounds ideal to me. It's why I enjoy transatlantic and other repositioning cruises the best. I don't much care for cruises where you're in port 5 or 6 days out of 7.

I can't address the overpriced aspect of your comment as I am here on a casino offer and don't know what the going rate was. Or what you consider "overpriced" for that matter. I paid $200 for my cabin and in return received $200obc + $100 in cash from the casino. 

As the OP of this thread, let me refer everyone back to my first post. The reason the change was made has never been in question. In fact, I specifically stated in that first post that I was told why it was made. I have no idea why people then started giving their opinion on why they thought the change was made. Once again, my one and only question was whether anyone else had ever encountered a similar situation where the confirmed late dining time was subsequently changed to 7:30pm.

But since we're talking demographics, I've been on longer (30 days) Holland America cruises where most of the passengers not only were American, but the average age was much older than this particular Carnival cruise. And yet, late seating was still kept at the usual "late" seating time.

I simply found this change unusual.

Another reason not to complain about the little things: we've just been informed by the captain that there is a passenger in medical distress and that the Coast Guard will be flying out here and landing a helicopter shortly to come pick him or her up. Passengers were asked to stay off of the outside deck areas and to refrain from taking any photos once the helicopter gets here. Thoughts and prayers go out to that passenger and family.

2 hours ago, kwokpot said:

I would LOVE for late seating to be 7:30. That's our preferred time to eat dinner, which is why we always choose mytime dining on every cruiseline so we can dine between 7-7:30.

Yes, just to be clear, I wasn't complaining about the 7:30pm late seating time; it is just that I've never seen it before. Especially given the fact that it was originally designated to be 8:15pm. But I'm perfectly happy with the 7:30pm seating.

On a somewhat related note, I've come across a couple of other items that are new to us: 1) there are no cards to hang on your doorknob the night before when ordering room service for the following morning. You can call the night before (which we did) or use the app. We've used the cards on all of our previous cruises, including our most recent cruise on Pride two months ago. Interestingly, our room steward informed me that they haven't been available on Legend since before the pandemic.

The other unusual thing I found on this cruise is the self-serve beer dispenser up near the buffet on Lido deck. The cost is 50 cents per ounce with a 14oz maximum. Again, something that I've never seen before.

21 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

It obviously shows that your cruise was all Americans and from areas that eat dinner early. 

We've been on dozens of cruises that were mostly Americans of the same age and demographic, but this is still the only one we've been on where late seating was changed to 7:30pm.

This is a first for us. We boarded Legend today in Baltimore for a two-week cruise to Greenland and Newfoundland. We normally request late seating, and this cruise was no exception. Our confirmation shows Late Seating 8:15pm. However, after boarding we discovered that "late" seating is actually only 7:30pm, with early seating at 5:00pm. When we ate dinner earlier this evening, I inquired at the host stand about the time change and was informed that out of 2,000 passengers on this cruise, 1,800 had requested early seating. So the dining times were moved up to accommodate the preference of most passengers to eat earlier.

We don't find dining at 7:30pm to be objectionable or a burden in any way, I just found it to be strange as it is not something that we've ever encountered. How about you? Have you been on a cruise where the pre-cruise announced dining times were subsequently changed to almost an hour earlier than the normal customary time?

57 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Why do you think I don't know what I'm talking about?

Try reading what you posted above.

I had stated that I received and booked offers for multiple free cruises even though I earned only 1,500 points during the course of a two-week cruise and you responded by posting that not only is no one getting free cruises for only spending $200 (which in and of itself is a non sequitur), but then implied that I was lying by underreporting how much I gambled. Neither one of your statements made any sense.

That's why I said that you didn't know what you were talking about,

1 hour ago, kwokpot said:

People also tend to underreport what they truly spend in the casino. NO ONE is going to give out a free cruise if all you spend is $200 gambling in the casino. I can guarantee you that. 

First of all, 1,500 points is a helluva lot more than $200. If you don't know what you're talking about, it's best to stay out of the discussion. Secondly, what would I have to gain by under reporting what I spent in the casino? All I am doing is correcting the wildly inaccurate information that a previous poster provided to someone who asked a question.

9 hours ago, weezal said:

My guess is you’d have to earn at least 1000 points per day, to get interior cabin offers. 

Your guess is wildly inaccurate.

I barely earn 1000 points in a week, much less in a day. In fact, on our last "free" cruise in April, I didn't even reach the 1,500 point mark until the last night of a two-week transatlantic trip from Tampa to Barcelona.  And then two months after that in June, I booked several more cruises on casino offers: next week we're taking a 14-night cruise to Greenland and Newfoundland out of Baltimore; next April we're taking another free transatlantic cruise, this time from Barcelona to Port Canaveral; and then in September 2024, we're taking a free 25-night transpacific cruise from Singapore to Los Angeles.

For each of the above cruises, we paid $200 up front and in return received $200 obc. To me, that constitutes a "free" cruise.

23 hours ago, StephPS79 said:

 

I agree, it's people ruining it for everyone, and everyone wants Carnival to do something about it, so they are.  What suggestions do you have for the above bad behavior you mentioned?  Maybe cutting someone off, but that is dicey too.  Being visibly inebriated means you shouldn't be served?  So no one is allowed to be drunk on a cruise?  That doesn't seem realistic.

 

Yes, you're allowed to be drunk on a cruise. You're just not allowed to continue drinking once you're drunk. That doesn't seem to be too unreasonable.

17 hours ago, William142 said:

Expensive buy ins? 1-3 game is 100 to 300 buy in. Same as in every single poker room in the country. Also there are not any profitable pros playing the 1-3 game. They are playing bigger games.

I can't speak for all LV poker rooms, but fwiw, the buy-in for Wynn's $1-$3 has been $100-$500 for at least a decade. But your point stands about not having to worry about too many "pros" in a $1/$3 game. 

15 hours ago, sgttami said:

My beers froze in the fridge on Pride every time I was on and I never stuck anything in the door to keep it open.  

When we were on the Pride two months ago, my wife and I both commented on how cold the mini-fridge was. Having such a cold mini-fridge was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. 

3 hours ago, SweetCinNY said:

I guess I’m surprised because on Norwegian it was taken care of in one contact and I got the restaurant manager’s name/extension to request more.

 

on RC they were in our fridge upon arrival; so expected the same from Carnival—guess I’m not dealing with same caliper cruise line? 🤷‍♀️

Maybe not, but then again, perhaps those cruise lines had those items available already. Carnival can't be expected to go out and purchase specific brands of various food items to satisfy the needs/requirements of every passenger.  And on a related matter, is there any reason that you can't simply bring these items onboard yourself? Especially the Carnation Instant Breakfast?! I'm sure that you would not encounter any problem if you so requested such an accommodation. In fact, I have personal experience with this. Just this past March, I wrote to Carnival at access@carnival.com requesting that my wife and I each be allowed to bring aboard 24 ready-to-drink single-serve cartons of Ensure Nutrition Shakes for our upcoming transatlantic cruise the following month due to our chronic digestive health issues. This request was approved in short order. (As someone else noted, Carnival normally allows only 12 non-alcoholic drinks/pp to be brought onboard.) It never even would have crossed my mind to demand that Carnival provide these drinks to us due to our medical condition!