ashley@cruisecritic

Hi Karen. I was on in January. Soft-serve is free in cups or cones, with or without sprinkles. Ice cream sandwiches are available for a small fee. There are also for-fee coffee beverages (photo of menu below). I loved the beds -- some of the best sleep I had in a while. It was my first time on the ship, so I'm not sure where the leaks were that you speak of, but I didn't notice any. Hope this helps.

Hi guys. Norwegian made an official announcement last week. Here's Cruise Critic's coverage: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7564.

I was on Grand in January. Here's the photo:

I visited Harvest Caye with about a dozen other people before ships started calling there, so I can't speak to crowd issues or a lack of beach chairs, but I can say that there's definitely water sports equipment available for rent. There is a lagoon, but that's separate from the beach. The Land Shark restaurant on Harvest Caye is a Jimmy Buffett brand (as is Margaritaville), so it offers a similar vibe. Moho Chocolate, where they sell the aforementioned chocolate bars, is an organic, local chocolatier, which likely explains the price; if you go there, you can also learn how chocolate is made. Everyone who works on Harvest Caye is a local, and the island's development was the result of a partnership with the Belizean government. That's why you'll have to pay for things ashore (like food), just as if it were a regular port of call. There's currently no way to leave the island unless you're on a ship-sponsored excursion, but the line is considering setting up a water taxi that would allow cruisers to visit the Belizean mainland (Placencia) on their own. For more info about the island, our port profile is here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=8216.

We are sailing the Caribbean Princess in June and would like to dine at one of the finer restaurants.

Any recommendations and why.

 

Thanks,

David

I was blown away by both Crown Grill and Sabatini's. I guess it depends on whether you prefer steak or Italian. Sabatini's is supposed to be getting a new menu in March, so you might want to get input from people who have dined there after it changes.

As for Crab Shack, it was OK, but it's not really fancy, so if you're looking for a nice night out, it might not have the right vibe. The food there was certainly tasty, and the portions are generous, but I found it to be the same as any crab shack you could experience on land.

Did 10 days to Mexico out of SF in September. Great food, great service and great entertainment.

I was on the Grand last month. The ship was fine. Sabatini's received a complete remodel. There are new leather chairs in the One Five nightclub. The staterooms have the new beds. One of my favorite things is the brand new MUTS screen. The new production show, Born to Dance, is outstanding. No worries. :)

Just did the 10-night Mexico sailing from San Francisco last month. I agree completely with everything O2Bcrusin and partybarbie said. Born to Dance was fabulous and touching, and the magician they had onboard was phenomenal. The food was excellent. The biggest change from the refurb was the completely remodeled and rebranded kids' area, Camp Discovery. Sabatini's was also redone, and it's getting a brand-new menu in March.

Yes, the ship is showing wear in places, but it's minor and shouldn't at all impact your enjoyment of a cruise. The only gripe I had -- and it's structural so can't really be changed -- is that there isn't a full staircase at midship (where our cabin was), which meant we either had to wait several minutes for crowded and slow elevators to arrive or walk all the way forward or aft to use the stairs.

I'm not a huge fan of sea days, and I'm the type of person who always has to keep moving, so there were times when I was a little bored on this itinerary. That's completely subjective, though, and might not be an issue for you.

Really dumb question - do you txt each other as usual via cell no.?

Nope, you just have to know the name of the person you want to message via the service. You can search for them, and as long as they also have it, their name will show up. The messaging is done within the service. (If you want to text as usual, you'll need to either use data, which is crazy expensive at sea, or iMessage via Wi-Fi if you have an iPhone and purchase Internet minutes.)

Old prices were outrageous. New prices are still outrageous. Hey NCL - when we were on Carnival Breeze in Oct 2015 we pre-purchased a 12-pack of water to be delivered to the cabin - for $2.99. :rolleyes:

Carnival 12-packs are now $4.50, and they're 16.9-ounce bottles, not 1-liter like the NCL 12-packs are. Not agreeing or disagreeing that the prices are too high. Just pointing out that it's not a totally apples-to-apples comparison.

Here's a photo of the Coffee & Cones menu, taken on the Jan. 24th sailing. It's open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and coffee cards are accepted. (For those who like early-morning coffee, try the International Cafe, which makes specialty coffees and is open 24 hours.)

Could this free app be used to communicate with fellow cruisers (we have a group of 12) on board the Royal? Other than down the app before sailing, are there other thing needs to be done.

What everyone is saying about not needing the app is correct. You just turn your phone on airplane mode, activate the Wi-Fi and connect to your ship's service. You can message other passengers who are signed up (but you'll have to check to see if you have messages - no notifications). You can also access the Princess Patter each day, add your own events to the schedule (if you make dinner reservations, book a spa treatment, etc.) and view your onboard account. The best part is you don't even have to use Internet minutes to do it.

Considering this thread is 8 years old, it's possible the gentleman in question has shrunk an inch or two by now. :D:D

This is hilarious. I replied to the thread, saw your post and promptly facepalmed.

Since the conversation has been revived, hopefully it's at least helpful to someone. Here's my two cents:

As others have said, many suites tend to have higher ceilings. Depending on their budgets, tall cruisers might want to consider two-story (read: expensive) suites like those found on Cunard's Queen Mary 2 or on Royal Caribbean's Oasis- and Quantum-class ships. While the bathrooms and sleeping areas could still be a bit of a problem, at least the living areas have tons of head room. It likely also depends on how much time they want to spend in their cabin. If they plan to be out and about, it's probably not worth the expense.

I noticed drink prices have increased in a few 'live froms' I have been reading.

Post #60 in this thread is one example:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2445700

 

If someone already posted...sorry, but I hadn't seen it.

 

I thought it might be helpful to note if someone is analyzing the AIBP as the spreadsheet used to do that doesn't have the new prices. :cool:

Prices can vary according to the length of the sailing, per the front desk on Grand Princess last week. On our 10-night sailing, it was $52/day for the alcohol package.

I'd be less worried about rowdy college kids onboard and more worried about encountering them in port. Mexico (Cabo in particular) is a HUGE spring break destination. I hate to generalize, but often they're interested in bars and beaches, so I'd suggest finding a nice restaurant to grab lunch or something interesting to do outside of the immediate port area. Maybe an excursion? If it gets too crazy, you can always get back on the ship and enjoy peace and quiet. Either way, I hope you go and have a great time!

Whats the best cruise line for buffet?

We don't give out an award for best buffet, but we do have one for best dining: http://www.cruisecritic.com/editors-picks/#BestDining. (Disney won for 2016.)

Here's our story on the 5 Best Cruise Ship Buffets: http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1944.

Since these are Cruise Critic's awards, I'm going to throw out links to them on our site, rather than CNN's. :)

U.S.: http://www.cruisecritic.com/editors-picks/

U.K.: http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/editors-picks/

AU: http://www.cruisecritic.com.au/editors-picks/

Be sure to check out the winners for river and luxury, as well.

Hi there,

Here's our article on back to back cruises. Hope it helps!

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2327

I need some creative help! I've booked, and almost paid off, a cruise for my husband's 40th birthday. He has no idea :) So, now that it's getting closer (not really that close but I did book it 6 months ago), I'm trying to come up with a fun, clever way to surprise him with it.

 

I will be telling him about it on his actual birthday which is 10 days before we sail. I would love to hear about anyone's experience if they have either given or received a surprise like this...or have a great idea how to make the surprise memorable. Although I'm open to any ideas, I think he would think a scavenger hunt might be cheezy, but maybe not :P

How fun! Maybe put some Carnival luggage tags into a box and wrap it?

We got the letter for our 7 day Halloween cruise, i seen some pics around the pool deck and it looked like it was all tore up, .... we booked this cruise like a year ago, got a good deal on it, we booked this one and our last one the same day ... just hope the ship isn't tore up everywhere ... looks like from pics i have seen though, it's just a section and there ...

Regarding the pool deck, they were working on it during my sailing, too. They use some sort of machinery (guessing a jackhammer?) to pry up the planks and replace them. They just do a smell section at a time, and they rope it off, but it does get a bit loud, especially if you're trying to relax.

Hi guys,

I just sailed on Victory in August. The head of housekeeping gave me a tour of some of the new cabins. There are photos in this album on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/47806071766/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10153683697221767. Photos 2-6 are of the cabin I had, which hasn't yet been redone. Photos 7-9 are of a cabin that's had a facelift.

The first round of cabin refurbs was completed in May of this year (204 cabins on Deck 2); phase 2 starts this month. All phases are slated to be completed by March of 2017, with the work being done while the ship sails. Affected corridors will be blocked off, and obviously the cabins will be left unbooked.

The ship had a dry dock last year but is scheduled for another one in early 2018. Although it hasn't yet been confirmed, the hotel director said it's possible we'll see some additional 2.0 upgrades. (Currently, the only ones available are the Alchemy Bar, Skybox Sports Bar and Punchliner.)

Our full ship review is here if you'd like more info on the vessel: http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=175.

Hope this is helpful!

Hi guys,

I haven't had time to read the entire thread, so apologies if anyone has already shared this info, but I contacted Carnival's PR folks, and here's what I was told:

Fish 'n' Chips (the eatery) has been replaced with a free BBQ restaurant (not Pig & Anchor).

A new for-fee venue, Seafood Corner, has been added to the ship. While Seafood Corner does sell fish 'n' chips for $6, free fish 'n' chips will still be offered in the lido buffet line on select days.

When I asked if this would be happening on other ships, I was told that, for now, it's a pilot program on Conquest only.

Hope this is helpful.

Norwegian actually sold HMC to Holland America, which of course was acquired by Carnival.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here's our port profile on Half Moon Cay: http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=531. Norwegian never owned it.

Also, here's Cruise Critic's coverage of the Great Stirrup Cay closure: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7188.

Hi guys,

I haven't had time to read the entire thread, so apologies if anyone has already shared this info, but I contacted Carnival's PR folks, and here's what I was told:

Fish 'n' Chips (the eatery) has been replaced with a free BBQ restaurant (not Pig & Anchor).

A new for-fee venue, Seafood Corner, has been added to the ship. While Seafood Corner does sell fish 'n' chips for $6, free fish 'n' chips will still be offered in the lido buffet line on select days.

When I asked if this would be happening on other ships, I was told that, for now, it's a pilot program on Conquest only.

Hope this is helpful.

A few years ago, I bumped into Bam Margera (former pro skatboarder, MTV star, etc.) on a sailing. Super nice guy but quieter and less obnoxious than I would've expected.

The following year, I did a baseball themed sailing and met Ken Griffey Sr. and Art Shamsky. Ended up sharing a cab back to the ship with Shamsky and his wife when we called on Montego Bay. All were lovely.

Neither of these were Carnival sailings, but they were on the more mainstream end of the spectrum.

Hi there. I'm not sure if it's the same on all Carnival ships, but I just got off of Carnival Victory, and those arcade games don't take tokens. You pay for them by swiping your Sail & Sign card. Because of that, I think your best bet would be onboard credit. However, that would have to be credited to the account of whoever gives the kids charging privileges, and once they have those privileges, it could be easy for them to go over the allotted amount.

The game isn't available on ships -- only on land in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. However, the Cruise Critic editorial staff compiled a small list of some places near U.S. homeports where you can find PokeStops, gyms and Pokemon: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7126. Enjoy!