staceyglow

How is that getting screwed?

A few years ago I had to get stitches in the infirmary after I tripped on a curb in St. Lucia. I forgot exactly what the cost was, but it was under $200 (including a follow up visit), far less than what my hometown urgent care would have charged me.

Breakfast definitely. I don't know about lunch. A Journeys cruise with a lot of port stops might be different from a transatlantic, which I have never been on. Even if there is no lunch in the MDR, there will be lunch the other venues besides the buffet (Cucina del Capitano, Guys, etc.)

Same here. They may repeat a certain dish here and there, but the menus are different every night.

We primarily book ocean views. We don't think the additional price for a balcony is worth it. We have done it a few times, but we never spend as much time on the balcony as we think we will. And an oceanview is roomier, because the square footage that would otherwise be balcony space is actually inside the cabin.

The banana split is on the kids menu, but a grownup can certainly order it.

Yep. Not harder than any other type of dish. I am guessing mz-s doesn't do a lot of dishes. 😄

Just ask the first crew member you see once you step onto the ship. All of them are familiar with the locations of the muster stations.

The more time the better. Doesn't need to be more specific than that. Three to four months is definitely not enough time. People who are having a traditional wedding send out "save the date" cards further in advance than that. IMO it's pretty inconsiderate for the couple to plan a destination wedding with that little time to plan. What would happen if you just say "I can't go at that time"? Would they change their plans, or have the wedding without you?

Any person who expects anything to be "flawless" while traveling is only setting themselves up for disappointment. IMO the key to enjoying yourself while traveling is to assume that at least a few things aren't going to go your way, cope with them when they happen, and don't let it ruin your trip.

I sailed on the Radiance right after Thanksgiving and got the toiletry bag.

With all due respect, why are you even bothering to post here?

If my kids were ever "disappointed" about a cruise I took them on, it would be the last one. The fanciest vacation I ever had when I was a kid was a long weekend to Rock City and Ruby Falls, and we drove there in our woody wagon. They would be staying with Grandma and Grandpa while Dad and I enjoyed ourselves on the ship.

Retired CFO/CPA here. I am a little late to the party but let me clear up a few things. Paying off debt does not reduce profit. It reduces both debt and cash, which are balance sheet items, not profit and loss items. What it does do is increase net profit going forward, because you are lowering future interest costs. In a time when interest rates are relatively high, that is a good thing. Also, in the short to medium-term, cash flow is more important than net profit. It means that the company can pay its bills, which is key to the viability of the company. A company can have a huge paper profit, but if it doesn't have enough cash to meet its obligations when they come due, they are going to struggle. Also, if you have so much money tied up in Carnival stock that you spend time worrying about its price and/or dividend, your investments probably aren't properly diversified.

Did some quick calculating. 1% of Carnival cruises go to Bonaire, not one of which is less than 8 days. 26% go to the Bahamas. and many are 4 days or less. It's not like you can easily swap out Bonaire for the Bahamas at will.

Not to mention playing scratch-offs is something that nearly everyone can do at their local gas station - most likely with better odds! For me, going on vacation is all about doing things that I can't (or don't) do at home.

I cruised in the past month, and the Christmas festivities for the general holiday season are nothing special. Not that I am complaining; I am not a huge Christmas person like some people are, and I thought they were fine. The Christmas decorations were basically decorated trees on all of the stages and garlands hung on each level of the atrium. They were lovely, but there was no "wow" factor that some people might want. They played Christmas music over the PA system, but not every single song. I believe the Grinch made an appearance at the Seuss breakfast (I heard the theme song being played while I was at Seaday Brunch, and the Seuss breakfast was being held upstairs) but I didn't see him anywhere on the ship. I am guessing that there are a few extras for the actual Christmas cruise, but other than a special dinner and an extra program or two, I don't think it is going to be much. TLDR; If you are expecting Christmas on Carnival to be some sort of special, magical experience, you will be disappointed. As an adult with no young children in tow, I would go at another time when it is far less expensive and less overtaken with kids and teens.

There is no reason to think the trip to Hawaii is going to be any less casual than any other Carnival cruise. I haven't sailed with them to Hawaii, but I have done Europe a few times, and it wasn't any dressier than a Caribbean cruise. BTW, I only take a carry-on myself and I do just fine.

How are you "sure" about that? I have never seen anything that says that, official or unofficial. If anything, I would think they would be pushing that stuff much harder if they got a cut of the action.

I thought the port stop in Colon was fine. We took a shore excursion to the canal and enjoyed it.

IMO you shouldn't surprise her with any specific treatments. What people enjoy in that regard can vary widely, and you may end up making an expensive mistake. For example, I don't like facials. Strange people touching my face does not relax me, and I don't think they actually do anything. Even when I have had them in the past, I didn't see any significant difference in how my skin looked after the first day or so. If I were you, I would either get her a general gift certificate for the spa, or just send her up there and tell her to treat herself to whatever she wants.

Not all of them, but I can guarantee you that all of them have more experience than a person who books their own cruise a couple of times a year.

You had one bad experience, and I can am sorry that happened to you. But the overwhelming majority of PVP's are going to be better than trying to book on your own. Mine has worked for Carnival for two decades and really knows her stuff.

Glad it worked out for you. Going forward, I would highly recommend getting a PVP. They can look at all of the cabins at any time.