DenaInWyo

Ah.  I had stopped in here to check, but hadn't gotten that far yet as to see the official word.  Well, at least I have a plan.  We knew it was coming anyway.  I'm honestly glad to be out of limbo, and glad my cruise was 5/3 and not 5/12 so I'd still be worrying.  Honestly wondering if 9/6 is going to be enough time.

On 3/28/2020 at 6:40 PM, Organized Chaos said:

 

Holds last 48 hours. Do you have a PVP? If so, you could call them and ask if they can extend the hold. Ours did that for us last year. We didn't even know it was possible, but he offered, so we took him up on it. He extended it from 48 hours to 5 days. I guess you could call their 800 number, but considering how busy their regular customer service reps. are, I don't know how far you'd get. Even if you have a PVP, I don't know if they'd do it for you now, what with everything that's going on.

Thanks OC.  I finally just got brave yesterday and cancelled my current hold.  The room was available again within about 3 hours when I checked back.  So now I'm good until tomorrow afternoon.  HOPEfully by then we'll know something.

Also, hope this helps someone else wondering the same thing.  I'm doing all I can to avoid calling them.  I used to have a PVP but he got pretty put out with me when I booked a cruise on the website once, and his reaction made me uncomfortable to continue using him.  Might seek another out one of these days.

Yeah, to "reset" my hold today, I had to log out and open a new browser, but I had originally booked a different cabin and on this second try, spotted my coveted spot.  Carnival does NOT make it easy to figure out how to cancel either, but finally have that all worked out.  I'm just wondering with that actually being held, how long it will take to release it.  

This is very frustrating.  I'm am scheduled to sail on the Freedom May 3rd.  Even if by some weird twist of foolishness Carnival doesn't cancel this sailing, I would cancel it myself.  Yes, I'm holding out for the better deal/possible refund.  

That said, I DO want to rebook for September (fingers crossed) and have a cruise picked out that is filling up FAST using the same casino deal I booked the current one on.  The hold I put on it only covers me to Sunday night, and unfortunately, the cabin I picked is the very last on the deck I very much want to be on.  Sigh..I SO wish they'd have just made the announcement today so I could have pressed play.

I managed to cancel and restart my hold today, but that always feels kind of iffy and I'm fairly sure if I try to do it again I won't be able to find that last cabin I'm talking about.  Anyone know how long after someone has put a room on hold it takes for it to be released to be booked again?  

2 hours ago, lensonlife said:

I too have worried about the financial impact  this will have on Carnival. They have had to pay some significant fines for the pollution matters. And now this. I can’t imagine they’re not bleeding a little. 

I am so worried for all the cruise ship staff.  I want to say I believe the cruise lines will do right by them..but...

Well darn.  1st confirmed case in Wyoming tonight.  So much for that.

2 minutes ago, mustang5050 said:

Don't hold me to this, but it seems like last year I saw an option to upgrade my plan from the hub app after I was on board and logged in.

Actually I remember that as well.

Just now, jimbo5544 said:

Not on my best day list...and its past Miller time here

I'm just teasing anyway.  I have had a couple of my own and have had waaaay past enough internet for the night.  It's starting to creep up on me a bit.  

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

Brief concise and to the point, their might be a word or two missing but still not bad.   

*there

Couldn't resist  <running and ducking...shots fired!>

But yeah, I think that's all any of us undecided people can do at this point.  Things seem to really be blowing up tonight.  

Keeping my holding pattern.  How things go over the next three weeks, the next couple of weekends in particular with the ships coming and going, will make my decision.  

This.  Just.  Sucks.

Thanks Jim, well deserved 😉  And give me SOME credit..there are at least 5,219 people here!

When I added my sister to our cruise, in order to add her to Cheers, I had to cancel and repurchase.  I had to cancel EVERYthing I'd added, which luckily only amounted to cheers and internet.  Refunded to my credit card in three days.  Wish they'd make it so you can pick and choose a little easier what to cancel.

Okay, I just need a vent here.

Because at least I'm venting somewhere people will get it.

I get that this is a serious disease and I'm not minimizing that..but I honestly feel like my current odds going on a cruise support me a) not catching it at all and b) at my age and health, very likely to recover after feeling pretty crappy for awhile.  

That said..my internal struggle on whether or not to cancel is based ENTIRELY on all the craziness.  I'm now worried my work is going to come up with a 2 week quarantine when I return because unfortunately they knew what my time off was booked for before all this went down.  They haven't mentioned anything yet, but I'm in Wyoming and we so far have no cases.  I'm seeing all over that workplaces are doing that..most without pay.  I've cautioned my travel mates not to talk about it and feel like social media posts of "look at our cool trip" are probably a bad idea.  Someone in my roll call posted about a friend who is getting backlash in their community on their return that they should have to be quarantined.  This is all.  just.  nuts.  It's so unfair that the only large group activity getting actually TESTED when someone gets ill seems to be the cruise lines.  I am 100% convinced there are SO many undiagnosed cases already out there..completely unrelated to cruising.  Hell, I have a strong gut feeling someone I know had it when they returned from a recent trip (they're fine, btw).

Stay away from Youtube, where the general public can comment on corona as related to cruising.  We're all a bunch of complete idiots for considering it, and this illness is entirely the fault of cruiselines.  Someone suggested anyone returning from a cruise right now should be put in prison for their quarantine.  

Scared of getting sick?  Nope.  Scared of the hysteria of our neighbors at home?  Starting to get kinda worried.  Normally I wouldn't give a damn what anyone thought of what I do with my time..but this could have actual consequences.

Still waiting to see what happens.  /end rant.

How are they supposed to add additional operators in time?  You can't just go snatch people off the street and throw them in a chair.  In a couple of weeks, things will be better because they might indeed hire more people.  There are still 3 weeks to go before cancelling.  Honestly, if people would stop calling to make sure they are really getting OBC, or to make sure the email they got was true, or any other number of silly, easily looked up things, it would probably help.  

Personally, I wouldn't want to be working that call center for anything..I bet they are getting their butts kicked.  

I don't think it's particularly popular at all.  On the Vista for two weeks (B2B) and it was never busy.

THAT SAID..my family and I love it.  I am very much looking forward to spending a portion of my OBC on buckets of crab to have with beer or mojitos while chilling on the aft deck.  My sister is a big fan of the peel and eat shrimp.  Is it spendy compared to included food?  Yep.  But with crab being one of my very favorite foods, and enjoying it in that atmosphere, it's worth it to me.

Unfortunately, I do realize I'm in the minority.  So yeah, kind of expect eventually it'll be gone.

One more note..if they'd get the fish and chips right they might have better luck.  They never cooked it crispy enough.  The fish was done, of course, but it was for sure not as good as the old fish place that was included.  The fries are amazing (better than Guys, imo), and if you're nice to the guys working there and a regular customer..they'll usually toss you a plate for free 😉 

Edited to add:  If they'd somehow swap it out to have JiJis on every ship, I would not cry.  Best cruise ship food I've ever had, even over the steakhouse.  

On 3/8/2020 at 11:03 PM, Organized Chaos said:

The R rated comic was very raunchy tonight. I’m no prude and I don’t get offended by that kinda thing, but I appreciate good comedy and you don’t need to be filthy to achieve it. He’s psaid he’ll be even worse on Tues. night when he has what he claims is the dirtiest comedy show Carnival’s ever approved. I didn’t find him funny so I doubt I find out.
 

I felt the same way about the last R show I went to.  I'm no prude either, but I'm too old to giggle just because something is nasty..the humor has to be there too.  

Enjoying your review!  Thanks for taking the time away from your cruise to post it!

6 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Naproxen is an anti-inflammatory drug that wouldn’t mask a fever if you had one. However, like others have already mentioned, there are drugs available that help reduce a fever if you have one. 

Sorry, but naproxen does indeed reduce fever, just like other nsaids like ibuprofen.  Maybe not typically used specifically for that, but even my daily dose of mobic would reduce a fever.  It's just the way nsaids work.

I can totally see people popping something otc prior to get in line, "just in case" and obviously plenty of us out here treating arthritis.  

7 minutes ago, layteacher said:

I too am waiting to closer to march 31st since my cruise is April 5th.  I just wonder what the phone lines will be like on March 30 and March 31st since so many are waiting. I want to go on my cruise !!!

It can be done online.  Go to your Booking order and Details, then right below the listed names it has a link to view balance details.  At the bottom of that page, click on view cancellation information.  No way I am going to even attempt to call them later this month!  (at least I hope not!)

The worry I am having now is the 3/31 deadline.  I really wish it were a little longer, even another two weeks.  Maybe I'm just dreaming, but I feel like a lot can happen, EITHER direction, in two months.  I don't feel like I'm going to actually know by 3/31.  Oh well..will drag the decision out as long as I can.  I guess I'm waiting to see how things are looking over the next few weeks..if more ships are having trouble/people are getting quarantined, or if things seem to be going along okay.  

We are all focused on the handful of ships that have had problems, but in reality, a LOT of sailings have been going along just fine since this all blew up.  

And...I WANNA GO ON MY CRUISE DAMMIT!

/cry

Annnnd ..The Letter finally showed up tonight.  So I guess we're good to go.

10 minutes ago, waytoodeep03 said:

You know cruise ships aren't the most sanitary places on earth.

 

I have seen it all. Sneezing at the buffet, wiping of noses and then touching utensils, booger picking then picking up silverware. Coming out of the bathroom, not washing hands and going straight to the plates. I could go on.

 

I wonder how this is affecting carnivals stock and sales? I dont see any message about it on their homepage which is suprising

There are multiple threads about the stocks going down on this forum.

2 minutes ago, jdixon0631 said:

I  haven't recieved a letter, so I  called the casino department. Dont worry  she said every one would get the obc for not canceling

Thanks for the info!!  Pretty sweet deal if we get to go.  $916, 6 day for for 3 in a balcony cabin on the Lido (that includes grats, taxes blah blah) and we are now getting $400 OBC and I have 300 fun play.  So basically the cruise is costing us $216..or $72pp.  Now, if we can just manage to make it on the ship...

9 hours ago, Jasonsterling said:

 Plus people in this region just seem to be fun to hang out with. So unabashedly loud and active and just there for a good time. I've always had a good time out of Galveston.  

I know people hate the part about getting from Houston to the port, but Galveston is my favorite port to sail from for exactly this reason.  We always have a good time the night before too..lots of fun places to hang out.

1 minute ago, jimbo5544 said:

So much for hopes of ‘the meeting’ be of value.  

Nothing but a bunch of platitudes.  

1 hour ago, rudoja00 said:

I'm of the opinion that over the next few weeks the industry and government will settle in on a plan to mitigate this going forward that doesn't involve quarantine of entire ships.  For those of us sailing next month, that March 31st deadline to change plans is plenty of time to let the situation develop more.  No need to be hasty at this time.

 

 

I agree.  They can't (well they could but let's hope not) just keep sending ships back out to see to float around for two weeks and more.  THe other option, the one I'm worried about, is that they just put a temporary travel ban on cruising all together.  Now THAT is going to suck.  We don't sail until May 5th, out of Galveston, so I am REALLY hoping things are settled by then.  I honestly wish we had even two more weeks past that March deadline, just to see how things go. 

We've made kind of a consolation plan B in case we have to cancel.  We're going to hang out in Galveston for a few days.  Drink margaritas, eat shrimp, enjoy the ocean.  It makes it sting just a slight bit less knowing we'll at least get a little break from work.