CharlesKru

At present you have a credit to your cruise account, but not on a ship.

I believe if you do nothing, then eventually they will credit it back to the form of payment you used to pay for the cruise/insurance originally.

If you want it as an obc or just back now I would call carnival and ask them to process it asap.

I cant say how they are chosen, but can verify they are often different.

My wife is 4 days behind me in total days sailed and for some reason she gets better offers than me often. My PVP often laughs about it when we are talking.

Does not hurt my feelings, since we just use her offer. But it would be annoying if we were in your case,

I'm trying to plan a couples trip on the Carnival Elation for May,June or July 2018. I've been looking for the past two days and noticed there are no balcony room available. Are they no longer available on Carnival Elation? Any information will help. TIA

The Carnival Elation has very few balcony rooms to begin with. Fantasy class ships did not start with balconies, some ships had them "cut" into the side of them.

The Elation only had 54 balcony type rooms to start with.

She was also surprisingly booked up on inside rooms for a June 3rd sailing.

My suggestion is to do a park and cruise package with a hotel. We stayed at the Best Western several times now and the service is great, decent breakfast, and we get the first shuttle leaving about 11 am. We are usually on board no later than 11:45 give or take.

The price last time with tax was $130, the cost to park in the port is less, but you have to deal with them...

The other side of this is, when you debark the ship, you have to catch a shuttle back. Usually pretty quick, but last time we waited about 20 minutes for one to come back.

Have a great cruise!

The prices are usually better than what I can get in NC. I agree with everyone else that said to make sure you shop ahead of time.

One thing to note, most bottles sold in the islands and on the ship are 1 litter, where as the ones you buy at home are .75 litters. So if the price is the same, then you are actually saving money because you get more.

Two things though, as a primarily only bourbon drinker, the islands and the ship rarely have good deals. They also have very limited selection. Second, with the new changes to liquor delivery policies where I have to go pick it up on debarkation day I just dont feel it is as good a deal anymore. That basically means I have to repack my bags after sending them through customs.

"Ditto" I second that. I think it is there way of getting people into the dining room to eat. You would think they would just let us use the darn the thing anytime after that many cruises! lol!

 

I do know that they started having a little area just outside the dining room where you can just order your drink and get it without actually having to go in and eat. But, at this point I have actaully started looking forward to one Brunch in the dining room. The eggs benedict and fire roasted tomato soup are pretty darn yummy! :cool:

Sorry this is not related to the original posters question, but you can use the platinum coupon also after 5pm on the last day.

You do not have to use it in a dinning room. We have done this at least three times now.

I have had luck getting a drink a few hrs early on the last day one of these times. But my bartender knew me and told me she would put the coupon in after 5pm... So, if you go to the same bartender, and tip over time, they can take care of you with things like this every once in awhile.

Hope that helps.

This tip will not help you, but it will help others that book in the future. HAVANA.

 

 

 

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I was not going to say it.... but yes.. until 7pm every night it is very peaceful out in the Havana area...

Sad they got ride of breakfast at the bar. I really enjoyed that on the Trans-Atlantic cruise..

Received and completed. Suggested they look at smoking, and that they re-evaluate the point rating system for table games. I never get anything comped, but I play enough that at a vegas casino I am getting into their middle to higher tier point system each time I pay.

Would be nice to earn the DOU card from the Craps table... I am dropping usually around a grand a cruise on the table these days.

I almost always go with the cowboy. The flavor is very good, I get it cooked medium rare and the meat is usually almost as tender as most filets I get at home.

The ribeye is good as well, but I am not a huge fan of the seasoning that they put on it. I had an after taste for the entire next day when I got the ribeye last time.

I would post pictures, but my wife draws the line at food pictures when we go to the steak house... something about us focusing on us, not pictures....

Have a great trip! I am down to 9 days till my next Vista adventure!

Quick Tip....

 

If you have a fitbit you can connect it to your AARP account and get points that way.

I am only 30 and just signed up. Because of my fitbit I have over 10k points now. Will be grabbing a few Carnival cards as soon as they are back in stock!!

I thought they would not give me credit for my lifetime awards I already hit... then I refreshed and now have 17,925 points! Thats 3 $500 when they show up...

Now to setup a reminder to check ever day or so.

I've seen people ask for scrambled eggs at the omelette station but they were told they had to get the scrambled eggs from the regular buffet.

That is interesting, I have never had an issue and usually get them at least one time each cruise. I would probably ask to speak to the chef in charge of the area for an explanation.

As other posters have listed above, they consistency of the eggs on the buffet are just not appealing to me.. I like fresh scrambled or fresh fried eggs.

More than likely you will need the Value tier. I do not believe social media includes email.

Yes they can block you from anything they want. Basically, the block ports and they block socket traffic which is how all internet traffic works. This is a common practice, to keep you from going places that the host provider does not want you to go to at the level you are paying for.

We're taking the Miracle to the Mexican Riviera July 8th and I expect it to be hot and humid in Mexico but I'm wondering if anyone knows what it will be like on the ship or at sea? Is it too hot and humid at sea to use the balcony? We're from Denver so we have what seems like 15% humidity here and the heat/humidity really slaps me in the face while in Mexico! It's my husband's birthday so we chose to sail on the actual date to get some friends to go.

 

Do they allow kids in the new sports bar or the red frog bar? We never vacation when kids are out of school so this one will be a new adventure all around I think.

 

Thanks.

When the ship is docked it will be just as humid on the balcony as when you are walking in port. When you are moving however the breeze really draws most of the humility away. As long as you are not on the top most set of balconies you should have some shade on your balcony from above as well to help with the heat.

The ship is well air conditioned and should not have much humidity problems inside. Usually just where you come in and out of the outside decks.

As to the bars, If they are with their parents they are allowed in the bars. The are not just allowed to roam around on their own in there. I have actually never seen it be a problem, as the kids clubs provide a great set of things for them to do, and most dont want to hang around in the pub or sports bar.

Thanks to all who have replied.

While this cruise on July 1st was not our ideal week, it was the only time that we could all get 6 peoples schedules to line up with. This is a graduation present for our daughter who is graduating from college in May but starts Nursing school two days later and her only break was in July. I knew it would be hot but we are gluttons for punishment I guess because being from Colorado where there is no humidity, we have opted for this cruise then 3 days at Universal studios! We should get our fill of humidity for the next 2 years! LOL! So thanks for the info so far to everyone who has offered up any.

 

My next question is Do they do anything special for 4th of July on board? I can't imagine that fireworks being shot off a boat is a great idea but you never know!

We have done 1 July 4th cruise. They had a special party, a special "American" Themed frozen drink, a couple of other small things. They were giving out mini flags, and other party favors.. It was a fun party.

I am pretty sure the MDR had something special for dinner that night too.

The only line that is allowed to shoot of fireworks is Disney. Carnival will not be sending up any fireworks.

Not PTC. That is the lowest rate there is as far as I can tell. I have used that rate a few times as well as my family members and didn't get a DOU Card. They hit the 1500 points in the casino on a couple specific cruises and then earned it. I have received $25 Casino Cash, and they have gotten $50. You can tell who spends more time in there.

 

I understand that if you reach a certain amount of points (possibly 5000 or more, but I can't really remember the denomination so I'm taking a stab at it), that you will automatically have the DOU card at the beginning of the next cruise. But I can tell you for sure that it's not a part of the PTC rate. At least not as of earlier in the year.

Your stab is right.

1500 - to earn DOU card on the ship.

5000 to have it available when you get on the next cruise, within 12 months

over 10,000 there is a good chance you will get offered a bounce back cruise. ( free cruise, you just pay port fees) This however is based on how much others are gambling... I was told it is only give out to at most 15 people each cruise, and they are the top players.

I believe they do offer steakhouse selections in the MDR for a cost each night. I've never taken advantage nor have I eaten in a steakhouse aboard the larger ships.

You are correct.

For $20 you get a steak house selection... The cut is usually better than what is offered in the normal menu, however it is not the Steak house atmosphere or any of the apps/desserts that you get there..

While we do not attend these anymore. I have never been on a Carnival Cruise where they have not had this talk.

As the last poster said it is usually on the first Sea day, and it usually is around 11am. Just look at your Funtimes when you get back from diner on Embarkation day and it should be listed.

There is a buffet station that makes omelets to order. You can ask them to use just egg whites there, and it comes out pretty good.

If you wanted fresh eggs prepped any other way, they also have them as well. Just ask and they get them from the cooler for you.

sir, do you own a boat in the Caribbean? This is their rates and have been for over 20 years. I am just glad I don't have 2 extra months of hurricane charges. You have no idea, we are talking apples and oranges. Noaa has their official dates but the insurance companies do not enforce their rules until July 1, let it go. Call Bobbies in St.Martin, $600 a month until July 1, $700 until november 1.

This will be my last post to you, ever.

I just want to say that posts like this from people like you are why Cruise Critic gets a bad name.

The poster asked for information regarding the time of year they are sailing, not your insurance. Telling me I don't know what I am talking about because I am not a boat owner in the Caribbean is just plain rude. It is also an insult. Try living through a direct hit of a hurricane then tell me I do not know what I am talking about.

The recognized time for apparently everyone but your insurance company for Hurricane season is June 1 - Nov 30th. The OP should be aware of this, and not have to listen to you rant about your insurance... I can tell you I really don't care about your insurance, while on the flip side I do care about the fact that we can get Hurricane or Tropical storms starting in June.

To the OP. I think you will be fine in early July. Just as others have said, it will be hot, and lots of families. You might also get to see exciting new ports, if you get re-routed.

If you booked with a PVP, did you call them? Or did you just call the 1-800 number.

The 1-800 number is routed to customer support who don't always know what they are talking about.

I had several issues with them in the past, and now will only deal with my PVP, who can make these things work.

The price match should work on a casino offer, unless the offer says it has to be on a new booking.. ( they have done this in the past) You can push them to get you a supervisor, and often times I have gotten them to approve it that way.

But again, if you used a PVP then I would call that person. If not, you can always ask to be assigned one ( and routed to them).

Lately we have been doing more on the Fantasy class ships. With the 2.0 upgrades I actually like them about as much as the newer Vista/Dream class ships.

I have seen both size ship crowded. Basically, if they sail at full capacity either ship is gonna feel more crowded. The Fantasy class ships do tend to get more training staff, who it seems to me, work harder to get a good review.

The one thing I do find lacking is that there is no Steakhouse ( or really any premium dinning experience besides the chefs table). While I dont always want to eat at an up charge location, it is nice to have the option.

It's not a matter of right and wrong, beginning July 1 deductibles doubles in a named storm. All marinas I have been docked in St.Thomas, Tortola, and St.Maartan all use July 1 - November 1 as their hurricane guidelines as they all raise their dry dock fees. I know what Wikipedia says but in practicality these are the dates the boating community uses

Glad you feel confortable using insurance sites instead of NOAA.

Feel free to believe as you like, but I suggest you dont discredit people you dont know who like in an active area, and can site government resources that back up when the season is, as well as personal experiences.

Storms come early and tend to be unpredictable. By July it is active season, saying anything else is just wrong.

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But extremely rare to get any tropical activity that early in the season. And there has never been a named hurricane in April since record keeping began. Yet. Lol. Now watch and one will develop next year right during our cruise. Murpheys Law.

 

http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/E17.html

The OP is asking about July not April. April is usually fine, if a bit chilly for my tastes.

I won a boat in St Martin. The hurricane season, according to my insurance company starts July. Year round temps are 75-85. I have been down in January and have roasted. The only real difference is a little more rain and the water temp will be warm, sometimes too warm, notice the bleaching coral. As far as the sea urchin comment, what?

Living in an area affected by Hurricanes I can tell you your insurance company is wrong. It officially starts June 1st and runs to Nov 30th.

July is usually tame... but you are getting into the point where some interesting fronts are starting to form.

Dont get me wrong, I would still cruise in July/August/Sept just know you might not go where you planned too. All you have to be able to do is get on the ship at the home port, and they will keep you safe.

Hi,

We have sailed the Glory many times.. she is a great ship.

The Inside rooms are 185 sqf and the ocean views are 220 sqf, plus the ledge for the window. If I was sailing with a total of 4 in a cabin I would have to at least have an ocean view.

In Miami, we are doing a park, stay and cruise at Red Roof. I have not done it yet, so not sure how it will go, but parking at the port is $20 per day and the hotel is less than that for two of us...

HMC is a beautiful beach area. We have been twice now and I would go back any day of the week. The first time we got a clam shell so we would not burn ( you rent them when you get off the tender, $20 I think) the second time we knew where we wanted to be, that had shade under a canopy of trees so we just got off first and went straight there Head to the beach, then walk past the pirate ship bar, and there are alot of trees by the cabanas. I would not recommend doing any excursions here... Just relax and enjoy the water and view.

Saint Thomas, if you kids and you like to snorkel, one of the best spots I have ever been was to either Turtle cove or Christmas cove ( was a few years ago) here.. You can check the excursion info page to see if any are going there.. We saw lots of fish, and got lucky and saw a few Sea Turtles that day as well.

San Jaun has two forts within walking distance, you dock in old town, there are lots of shops and things to see. beyond that, most what we have done would not apply as it involves drinking rum.... The forts are pretty nice though!

Grand Turk, I have only been here one time, and that time I went horseback riding, that took us into the ocean. It was interesting, but I would probably not do it again. We plan to go to Jacks Shack and hang out on the beach when I go in about 2 weeks.

One tip I will give you, in the back of the lido buffet area, there is a seating area upstairs. The first 3 or so days it will not be very full at lunch time, as many people dont find it.

Let me know if you have any more questions I might be able to help with.

Have a great cruise.