Zingy2

You are correct. U74 is the room I was referring to as adjoining ours. My error. 

Currently on the Imagination, Grand Suite U70. There IS in fact a divider that can be opened between our GS and the adjacent GS (U72). Hope this helps. 

I've viewed a variety of videos of the Grand Suites on the Imagination (we will be sailing on her in a GS on 17 November 2019).  From what I could tell, the partitions do not appear to to be openable.  We will know more once we embark.

Bigger is not necessarily better....We like the Spirit Class ships. Great layout and by far, the easiest ones to navigate.  Enlarge the Class a bit, but keep the same basic design. 

1 hour ago, JKrise said:

Given the current quality of the platinum loyalty gift,  and/or coupled with the company selling your loyalty perks via FTTF, thus diluting your value to CCL, do you regret having a future cruise booked with CCL?

Will you book a future cruise with CCL or move on to another line?

Honestly, these two factors have left DW and I feeling under appreciated as a long term loyal returning customer.

Guessing that the cost of new customer acquisition has dropped so significantly CCL is willing to wave good bye to a loyal customer base.

Those are our thoughts.

Just curious to hear from others.

 

We have no regrets whatsoever.  We cruise for the itineraries and the ships, not necessarily for what "perks" may be offered by any given cruise line.  Truth be told, other cruise lines are making similar modifications to their loyalty programs as well.  As an example, "The Key" program from RCCL (like CCL's FTTF) allows individuals priority access (for a fee - priority boarding, tenders, shows, etc.), which some folks believe "takes away" from the "perks" earned by passengers having more "status."  We are thankful for what we receive....As far as the "gift" is concerned, it is just that....a "gift." Cruise lines are streamlining and making cost saving changes across the board.  We shall continue cruising, regardless of cruise line and regardless of what the "perks" might be.  Where we are cruising to, who we cruise with, and the enjoyment we derive from those interactions are more important than any loyalty gift a cruise line or land based entity could ever provide to us. (We currently have six cruises scheduled, with five of them being with CCL.)

We have been on both the Vista and Horizon (sister ships for the still being built Panorama).  We were in Spa Suites and/or Ocean Suites on both ships.  There are no "freezer" slots in the refrigerator units.  The units are more of a "cooler" than they are a refrigerator anyway.  Best to get extra ice from your room steward.  They will be more than happy to accomodate you.

On ‎9‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 9:27 AM, Melissa623 said:

Hey everyone, my son, who is 24, and I will be sailing on the Conquest December 14th and he is trying to figure out what to wear for the two Elegant Night dinners. One of NCO's told him he should just wear his Army Dress Blues since he doesn't own a suit other than that one and not to waste the money to buy one. At 6'8 there really isn't such a thing as a cheap suit lol. However, he's worried he will strange or stick out if he wears it. For those of you have cruised a bit or are/were in the Army, or any branch of the military, what are your thoughts on him wearing his Dress Blues? Have you ever really noticed anyone in their military dress uniform? Thank you in advance for your thoughts. 

We have noticed nunerous military personnel from across all service branches wearing their dress uniforms, up to and including their Dress Mess, during all of our cruises.  Please, encourage your son to wear his Army Dress Blues with honor and distinction.  He will not look strange nor will he be out of place.  Please pass along out thanks and gratitide for his service to our country.

Primarily, the Military Appreciation Event is an occasion where CCL honors military members (Active Duty, Retired, Reservist, National Guard from all service branches) and their families for their service to our country.  Anyone can attend the event.  It is normally held during the late morning hours, but may be scheduled for early afternoon, depending upon the ship and other activities scheduled.  The event is normally held in the main showroom.  Activities onboard during Veteran's Day are also held, and vary ship to ship.  We have attended several of these events while cruising on CCL.  They are very moving moments, during which our military members and their spouses/significant others/family members/friends share their experiences during their times of service.  CCL also has a slide show, which is presented during the events. 

Congratulations on your upcoming cruise on the Panorama.  I'm sure you are going to have an enjoyable time.  I'm somewhat surprised the ship is even offering Spa Services that early on Embarkation Day, given the hectic nature and amount of preparation required on board prior to the Muster Drill and Sail Away.  Usually, nothing is scheduled service-wise at the Spa, until after the Muster Drill is completed.  We've never been able/allowed to book anything ourselves Spa-wise, prior to the Muster Drill being completed.  Perhaps things have changed with this new ship coming out.  That being said, if you are unable to resolve the issue with the CCL folks in Miami, you may want to try contacting the Spa Services staff on the Panorama (if you are able to acquire their ship email address.  Hopefully, the folks in Miami may have that information. The Spa Services folks are a Vendor and not affiliated/employed by Carnival.)  If, you are unable to get on board in a timely manner (and if you were unsuccessful contacting the Spa Staff ahead of time), then your only recourse would be to immediately proceed to the Spa once you do board and explain your delay in arriving for your appointment to them.  Absolute worst case scenario would be for you to reschedule.  Good luck in your quest and I hope you have a wonderful time exploring the Panorama!

I tried the Wagyu in the Steakhouse when it first came out on the new menu.  I also was not impressed.  The cut I had was flavorless and tough.  

5 hours ago, Christinampl said:

 

Lucky you, they would not allow us to take it out of Izumi on Brilliance in February. We were so bummed because we wasted about a roll each since it was SO MUCH food.  We decided we would do it again but only pay for one person to roll and both of us could share the eating part 😋

We are sailing on the Brilliance in May and have also booked the Sushi making class for the two of us.  Did the Izumi staff indicate why they would not allow you to take your creations to your room (health/sanitary reasons...not wanting people to share with those who may not have paid for the class or...)?  Seems like a lot of food to have to consume at one time.  It is curious that some ships allow it and other may not.

We've not sailed on her yet, but shall be sailing on her in May 2019 for a Transatlantic cruise.  While scrolling through the boards to get background information on the Brilliance, it was mentioned on several occasions of there being a lot of lingering cigarette smoke in and around the area of the Casino.  The posters of this information indicated the smoke/smell tended to spread out from the Casino area, into the immediate common areas surrounding the Casino.  Hope this helps.  We shall find out first hand in May.

What we decide to bring/wear on cruise elegant evenings is contingent upon:  1)  How many Elegant Nights there might be during the cruise we are on 2)  How we are traveling to the Port of Embarkation and how we are getting home (driving/flying, stateside versus overseas travel).  We've dressed to the nines (suits, ties, gowns and the like/usually on the first Elegant night at a minimum) and then modified our dress for the remaining cruise nights (slacks, dress shirts/ties, pantsuits, etc), dependant upon what we were able to bring with us (weight restrictions and luggage restrictions, when flying to/from). 

17 minutes ago, Saab4444 said:

This is offered on Brilliance as well? I thought is is limited to big ships as there is no flowrider, Ifly, waterslides or show reservation options on Brilliance. This really does not make sense!

 

Most people just compare the key to the price for Internet and a Chops lunch but both have nothing to do with the idea of a fast track pass.    

The Key is being offered on the BOTS as well.  We are going on the 15 Day, 04 May 2019 TA and the $19.95 Key option is available to us.....The cost would be $600.00 for the two of us.  Not cost effective, since there are minimal amenities on the Radiance Class ships, versus the larger ones. 

RCCL is currently offering a 20% discount ($19.99/day per person) for the "Key"  package for our upcoming May 2019, 15 Day Brilliance of the Seas TA to Amsterdam.  That being said, the cost for the wife and I would be almost $600.00.  Definitely not worth the price, especially on a ship that small, with limited amenities.

We will be on Brilliance of the Seas during her 04 May 2019 Transatlantic Cruise from Tampa to Amsterdam. Being our first time on Brilliance, we are curious as to the quality of the Spa services, in particular, the massage treatments (both individual and couples) provided on board. Having cruised numerous times over the past ten years, we are aware of the sales pitches and overpricing that other cruisers experience. Our focus is primarily on the quality of the treatments provided. We've been reading past reviews of the Brilliance of the Seas and get the feeling that people were less than pleased with the spa services they received. We are somewhat leery of booking/paying for treatments in advance, if the quality is lacking. Thank you all in advance for any information/insight you can provide.

If anyone is traveling on Southwest, they have just announced their flights through the first week in June 2019!! Bought my tickets today we are all set :cool::cool:.

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Have the laundry room washer and dryers on the Miracle been upgraded from being coin operated to the newer Sail and Sign Card operated machines?

We've been in Vista Suites 7298 and 7347 on the Spirit, as well as Vista Suite 6260 on the Miracle. We will be sailing on the Miracle again for the 01 Feb 2020 Panama Canal Cruise, in Vista Suite 5295. Our recollection of the Aft Wrap Balcony Vista Suites was that the majority of the vibration came during docking/departure operations, when the thrusters came into play. There was also some vibration during the cruise itself, but nothing of any note that we can recall. You may encounter occasional soot about the balcony area and lounge chairs, so be wary of that and cover the chairs with a towel if need be. Other then that, the Vista Aft Wrap balconies are awesome! More total square footage than a Grand Suite (room and balcony combined). We love them! We had 14 people on our aft wrap balcony, helping us celebrate our 35th Anniversary on the Miracle back in 2013. There was still room to accomodate more people. That is how large they are. (P.S. We are from California...so we may be desensitized from "vibrations".) :)

That's the one place I wouldn't recommend. Definitely not a 4* place. Our room was dirty, the air con was terrible despite two visits from maintenance. I have to admit breakfast was good and location superb.

Not sure when you stayed there. We were just there from 4-9 May 2018 and it was in pristine condition, especially after the completed renovation.

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Good review. It was unfortunate you became ill during the cruise. Hopefully, things in the areas you experienced dissatisfaction with will be addressed in short order. This is a good example of “bigger is not always better.”

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Tryp Apolo ☝️

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Tryp Apolo Barcelona. Newly renovated. Clean airy rooms. Breakfast in the morning. Awesome place. Great WiFi. Dinner service. Centrally located and just a few miles from the port if that. We’ve been there on October 2016 for 2 days and May 2018 for 5 days.

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Recently back off Brilliance. Our 'deal' included VOOM surf n stream for both of us. Got the access code card with our seapass cards.

 

 

 

If it hadn't been included in our package, and I had paid for it, I would have been seeking a refund. Throughout the entire cruise, it constantly disconnected, requiring a return to the login page and reentering the code

 

It once happened 6 times in 5 minutes. We also had two days where it was totally unavailable ("IT are working on it")

Good information to know, as we will be sailing on her in May 2019 for her Tampa-Amsterdam TA. May just forego bringing my laptop entirely and save on weight. Will just make valiant (albeit potentially futile) efforts to connect with our iPhones.

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