Towel Critter

This would seem to be covered by the Public Health Questionnaire in your online docs. It needs to be filled out just prior to arriving at the terminal by everyone 18+. It also gives space for those under 18 traveling with them. Quoting the relevant portion:

 

 

 

 

 

My advice is not to lie and let the process work itself through the way it's supposed to.

 

I wish you and your family well on your upcoming cruise.

Good post.

 

The questions is, I suppose, would a common cold be considered "of international public concern?" I wouldn't think it would be, but that's a guess. Maybe someone can answer that question definitively for us...factually, and not with opinion.

If the child gets this coughing mess every year at this time ... why book a cruise for this time?

 

 

I was wondering the same thing. Doesn't make sense.

I can think of a few rational reasons. Perhaps the OP was thinking one, or more, of the following:

 

1. The "coughing mess" doesn't appear on the same exact day each year, but may appear say, sometime between August and November, which would mean booking a cruise during that time would be a calculated risk, but not guaranteed to coincide with the illness.

 

2. He/She is a child. Perhaps he/she has outgrown this.

 

3. It's the only time of year I have to book, so I'll take a chance.

 

4. It's the only time of year cruises are cheap enough to be affordable for me.

 

5. This coughing only shows up once a year, so I forgot about it.

 

I'm not saying any of these reasons were what the OP was thinking, when he/she booked. But I have little doubt there WAS a reason that made sense, at least to the OP. We know far too little about the OP's circumstances to assume they were acting irrationally when they booked their cruise.

I found this at a University Medical Center site:

 

"Normal body temperature varies by person, age, activity, and time of day. The average normal body temperature is generally accepted as 98.6°F (37°C). Some studies have shown that the "normal" body temperature can have a wide range, from 97°F (36.1°C) to 99°F (37.2°C). "

 

"A temperature over 100.4°F (38°C) usually means you have a fever caused by an infection or illness."

 

I'm not saying the child doesn't have a cold. Nor am I saying the child does have a cold. It does seem, however, that a temp of 99.1 falls short of being an automatic indicator of infection or illness.

 

Just trying to inject a little fact here, among all the opinion. If the doctor does diagnose the child with a cold, or anything contagious, obviously the child shouldn't cruise. But lets let the doctor make that call. OP, I hope your child is okay and you get to cruise. But if your child does prove to have something contagious, please think of others. I'm hoping the best for you.

There isn't Lobster on formal night?

Even on a 7 night cruise?

Wow! My daughter will be upset' date=' that's her favorite .[/quote']No lobster on five night, or less, cruises. Still there - for now - on seven night cruises.

Don't think there can even be walk up sales any more? But frankly- I paid for the cabin- I'm not in any priority to bother canceling, in some cases, just so the cruise line can double book.

I'm curious. Do you purchase travel insurance? I'm getting the impression you do not, since you prefer to be a "no show" at times and do not go through the canceling process. I ask because I know that cancellation docs are part of the records travel insurance companies ask for. I'm not attempting to inject opinion here in regard to anything. I'm just curious how you handle insurance claims, if you do file them, on cruises you were a no show. Perhaps you just suffer a loss on those? If so, that's entirely your right. Like I said, I'm just curious.

 

You are right that Carnival does attempt to double book on cancelled reservations. I had to cancel very recently. The Carnival rep I spoke with said, he was worry I had to cancel, but that I had made someone on the waiting list's day. To which I replied, I imagine I've made Carnival's day too, since they are now getting to charge twice for one room. He didn't respond. I'm not thrilled either that they get to sometimes double book rooms, because of someone's misfortune. Unfortunately, if one has insurance, it is advisable to bite the bullet and do it on record though.

Best excursion is to stay on the ship and actually enjoy the day...

For some, but not for most.

Trunk Bay is slightly better than Magen's, but much more time consuming to get to. I'd choose Magen's simply because you will have more time there. If there was a huge difference between the two, maybe Trunk would be worth all the hassle and lost time getting there. But the difference is negligible.

Probably. Either that or the site is doing some sort of maintenance. I encounter strange things there regularly.

Prices are sure up from last year

 

Sadly so. And they don't appear to be changing directions in 2016-17, at least not the one's I'm interested in and have looked at. Maybe Carnival will have to resort to some sales... genuine sales... we can always hope. I'm currently looking at 8 night cruises from Florida to Aruba and Curacao (balcony) and they are over a hundred bucks per person more than the one I booked in March of this year... same time frame... older ship.:(

Could it be partly attributed to the the itinerary though? I know that the Magic currently sails out of Galveston. Perhaps Amber Cove, St. Thomas, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Grand Turk are more desirable than Roatan, Cozumel, Belize, Grand Cayman and Jamaica?

Apparently that's it. Eastern itineraries seem to almost always be higher than Western. Argh! HMC and the Saints are my favorite ports. I do like Cozumel. I wish it could be moved East. :)

If it were me, I'd book the cove balcony. It's $610 less, plus, I love cove balconies. It's nice being almost right on the water, plus there is much, much more privacy on a cove balcony.

These are averages and can vary somewhat depending on current weather. For example, one of the times I was in Nassau a huge cold front had come through and it felt like it might have been in the fifties. It was cloudy, damp, and windy, so it may have been in the low sixties and just felt chillier. In general though, you will be more likely to have warm to hot temps further South than Nassau in February.

 

 

 

High/Low Rain/Days

 

83 72 Antigua St John's 1.5 8

87 76 Aruba Beatrix Airport 0.8 5

85 76 Bonaire Flamingo Airport 0.7 4

78 63 Bahamas Nassau 1.9 6

83 73 Barbados Bridgetown 0.8 –

86 65 Cayman Islands – 1.9 10

79 65 Cuba Havana 2.7 5

86 76 Curaçao Hato Airport 1.0 5

82 71 Dominica Melville Hall Airport 4.2 –

82 71 Dominican Republic Punta Cana 2.1 7

84 68 Guadeloupe Pointe-a-Pitre 2.5 –

86 70 Jamaica Kingston 0.7 5

83 70 Martinique Lamentin 3.5 14

84 72 Puerto Rico San Juan 2.4 14

82 74 Saba The Bottom 3.0 10

83 73 St. Barthelemy Gustavia 1.9 9

83 72 St. Croix (US VI) Christiansted 1.5 11

83 72 St. Eustatius Oranjestad 2.0 9

83 70 St. John (US VI) Cruz Bay 1.8 14

84 73 St. Kitts Basseterre 1.8 –

84 74 St. Lucia Vieux Fort 2.0 15

84 74 St. Maarten Princess Juliana AP 2.0 9

85 73 St. Thomas (US VI) Charlotte Amalie 1.4 13

89 68 Trinidad Port of Spain 1.6 10

86 72 Tobago Scarborough 1.9 6

Cucina Del Capitano is on the Breeze, Sunshine, Magic, and Vista, per Carnival Website and at least one more site, which I will not name.

 

Pizzaria Del Capitano is on the Sunshine and Vista, per the same two sites.

OP, I don't think you are nuts at all, but it does seem like having the same décor in a room at home would detract a little from the experience of cruising. Maybe I'm nuts, but I love walking into my cabin on the first day of a cruise and seeing that décor for the first time in a while. It brings back a lot of good memories. If it were something I saw daily, it seems like some of the excitement might be absent. But that's me. You might feel differently about it.

Your gripe is about what other people do? Frankly it is none of your business what other people do. Just like it is none of our business what you do. If you want to stop cruising because you don't like the prices, then do that. But do not expect that other people will follow your lead when you continually say that your opinion is correct and theirs is not but don't want them to bother you by asking you to prove it. You cannot prove any point you made by just restating the premise that others are wrong and you are right. Using your logic, we would all have to stop doing anything that costs more than it did last year or the year before. Now, how logical is that? Never mind, I can already see you typing "I respectfully disagree that it implies that, at least not in my mind. But I don't have time to show you facts to prove my point. My major gripe is people saying "yes, thank you. May I have another."

 

I agree. In day to day life it is none of my business what other people do. But this is a public forum, is it not? It is a place where opinions are stated, agreed with, and disagreed with. Did the OP start a public thread with the assumption that everyone who disagrees with their opinion would just silently think, "I disagree with that," and move on to a different thread they happen to agree with? I hardly think disagreeing with someone's opinion on a CC board equates to nosing in on someone's business. Do I think you are putting your nose where it doesn't belong by openly disagreeing with things I've said on an internet forum? Of course not. This board is all about expressing opinions and agreeing and disagreeing with opinions. I find your statement that I should mind my own business while on an internet forum rather silly, to be honest.

 

No, I honestly don't have time to do an in depth analysis of current Carnival prices versus prior Carnival prices. I gave one example of it, then went on to state that comparing individual cruise prices is meaningless in arguing prices in general. You've already stated, multiple times, that prices go up and it's a fact of life. If you agree with me that Carnival prices have gone up, why should I spend hours doing research to try and prove it to you? You like to lean on the word, logic, so where would the logic be in that?

 

If I stop cruising, it won't be out of anger over Carnival's prices. It will be because I can't afford to do it any longer. I'm one to only use disposable income on vacations, luxuries that they are. I love cruising, but I won't borrow money, or pay credit card interest to do it. When cruising becomes something I can no longer do without using money I should be using to pay for necessities, that's when I will stop cruising. And I'll be much more sad than angry about it.

 

You are putting a lot of words in my mouth, btw. I've never once stated I think anyone should stop cruising, nor have I IMPLIED it, another of your favorite debate words. I think I mentioned something about Carnival's prices going down, perhaps, if they were to start having difficulty in filling their ships. I asked no one to become a part of that. I simply think it's something that might happen in time, given that the majority of Carnival's customers are working, middle class people with a finite vacation budget. Besides, it really wouldn't take people ceasing to cruise altogether to do it. A large number of people cruising, say once every 14 months, instead of once every 9 months would have an impact. But, for the record, I'm not suggesting people do that either as some sort of protest. I just think it might happen naturally.

 

The reason I'm having to continue to restate my initial point, isn't because I hope to win an argument by doing so. It's because you continue to say I'm saying/doing things that I'm just not saying/doing. Again, let me say it one more time. This was my initial stated opinion (and remains so). I think it is counterproductive for a consumer to congratulate a company for raising prices, while simultaneously making cutbacks. And that was, and is, aimed at the OP. I won't ask you to reread that post yourself, I'll go to the trouble of quoting part of for you.

 

"What Carnival is doing and providing is nothing short of a logistical miracle, and a tribute to the commitment of providing passenger happiness."

 

That sounds like a hardy congratulations to me. Perhaps my opinion on it is dead wrong. Perhaps it isn't. Either way, stating it is NOT trying to mind someone else's business in the context of this forum. BTW, just out of curiosity, do YOU think patting a company on the back for raising prices and cutting back is a wise thing for a consumer to do? Does it not IMPLY that the company continuing to do so - to almost any extent - would also be fine and dandy? Don't you think any for profit business would indeed continue to cut costs and raise prices beyond what is financially necessary, if their customers gave them their blessing to do so?

 

I'll ignore your remark about knowing what I'm going to type before I type it. As tempting as it is to respond to that little insult, I'll refrain, and hopefully prevent this exchange from continuing and escalting. I think we both have better things to do. Instead, I'll just say, best wishes and happy cruising.

Complaining that prices are going up despite cutbacks implies that the price should be going down because of cutbacks. "

 

I respectfully disagree that it implies that, at least not in my mind. I've complained that they are doing both, but that's my lesser gripe. My major gripe is people saying "yes, thank you. May I have another.":)

I think we all get basic economics and inflation, so I'm not sure the refresher courses and reminders that everything is higher now is really necessary. What gets me is people wanting to pat companies on the back for selling products inferior to past products, while charging more for them. Maybe it's a necessity for staying in business. I don't know that it's not. I don't know that it is. I just know that saying, "oh well," and even congratulating them for it makes no sense from a consumer standpoint.

The thing that confuses me about this kind of comment (which I see all over the boards here so this is not entirely directed at you) is why everyone thinks prices should be going down? Sure, there are some cutbacks and oil prices are down (which seem to be the only two arguments I ever see about why prices should be going down) but Carnival doesn't exist in a vacuum. Those are not the only factors that determine prices. Prices are rising in general, so logic tells us that if cruise prices are to stay the same or close to the same, there needs to be some give in other areas.

 

Excuse me if this sounds snarky. I honestly don't mean it that way, but who said anything about wanting prices to go down? :confused:Sure it would be nice, but that ain't happening. I'd be thrilled if they had just stayed where they were a few months ago for another year or so, especially considering cutbacks have been/continue to be implemented.

I have 5 cruises booked on Carnival between now and November of 2016, and I have not seen any indication that prices are going up any more than would be reasonable based on the increases in the commodities that they buy for use on the ships or the booking rates for the individual cruises. And that is very little. I constantly check for price reductions since I have booked every one of these cruises as Early Saver. While I have not received any drops to date, the biggest difference I have seen between my costs and the current pricing is $20.00 for the entire cruise, not per day. On three of my cruises, all of the balcony cabins at the level I have booked are sold out, so we are probably seeing the normal price creep that occurs as the ships fill up. Just like you see on the airlines as the seats fill up. Oh, by the way, 4 of the cruises are out of Miami and the 5th is out of Fort Lauderdale. That's in Florida!

 

I just now looked at an identical itinerary to the one I would have been sailing on earlier this month (cancelled), only I looked at September 2016. It isn't the same ship - an older one in fact - and the price is $138 higher than I paid for the same cruise - balcony stateroom - back in March of this year. Whether or not the $138 increase, per person, is reasonable based upon forecasted increased in the price of commodities is up for debate. BTW, It's also from the same port, Port Canaveral. I believe that is in Florida, but I can't be sure, since my geography is obviously lacking.

 

We can compare prices for individual cruises all day. It doesn't prove anything for either of us. I still believe prices, overall, are rising, while cutbacks are also being made. If you want to go to the trouble of comparing say, 100 identical cruises, from the first half of this year, to next year, be my guest. I'm not up to it. :)

I've never laid eyes on Amber Cove (other than pics), but there is no way it can equal the clear waters and white beaches of HMC. If turquoise waters matter to you, then HMC is your place.

Prices may still be low, for a particular category, out of a particular port, and for a few select Journey's cruises, but my eyes tell me balcony stateroom prices and ocean view prices in general, especially from Florida ports, are on the rise. I don't know about inside cabins. I don't look at those. I'm just not willing to give Carnival my blessing to raise prices. On top of Carnival raising prices, airlines have been doing it too, both at a time when oil is lower than it's been in quite a while. The two together are a double whammy. I can deal with cutbacks, if they are indeed an attempt to keep cruises at a price level I, and other working middle class folks, can still manage. But prices going up, simultaneously with cutbacks, don't give me the warm fuzzies. I'm as big a Carnival fan as anyone, but to give them my blessing for what they are doing would be counterproductive and somewhat naïve. Yes, they are still cheaper than RCCL, but that means nothing to me, since I don't cruise with them. I do cruise with Carnival, so their prices are the ones that matter to me. Might their prices go back down a bit? Yes, they may, especially if they have a hard time filling up big white ships. Giving them my blessing wouldn't exactly encourage price drops. It's perfectly okay and even rational to be a fan of a product and still be unhappy with changes within that product. Carnival may price me out of cruising with them, and that's certainly their prerogative to do so, but I'm darn sure not going to pat them on the back for it. JMHO.

A.I.s don't work for us because we don't want to pay for alcohol that we won't drink --DH hates alcohol and I am a very moderate, take-it-or-leave-it drinker. If we could find an A.I. based on the cruise model, we would love to try it. My parents are very concerned about their favorite mid-price cruise lines going in the opposite direction, with free alcohol packages offered as "special deals."

 

My wife and I aren't drinkers either (maybe 2-3 drinks each per week long vacation), and I suppose there is some allowance for the "free" alcohol built into the price of an A.I. Still, they are starting to look more attractive to me. Last time we couldn't find a balcony stateroom on a 7 night cruise, within the time frame we were looking, at a price we liked, we booked our first and only A.I. vacation, a seven night one, for slightly less than we would have been willing to pay for a balcony on a fairly new Carnival ship, if it had been offered at that time. It was our first experience with A.I.s and we both enjoyed it. We do prefer cruising, when we can get a balcony (within our vacation budget) on one of the nicer Carnival ships, but when that isn't possible, for us, A.I.s are now an attractive option. One might think that with all the free flowing alcohol at A.I.s, that many guests would be boisterous and annoying. We didn't find this to be the case at all though. The grounds never felt crowded and were gorgeous, the food was comparable to that on a ship, and the beach only a short walk away. Of course, as with cruises, prices are seasonal.

I agree Towel Critter. I also like the lobster and am disappointed that it has been taken away for the shorter cruises. Would it be a deal breaker for me, no, but disappointing. With all the cut backs and changes Carnival has made recently it isn't the low budget vacation of the past. We have a cruise booked for early next year, but also are looking at A.I. for the fall. Times they are a changing.

 

Sadly, I agree that A.I.s are looking like a more attractive option, especially September through December. I prefer cruising, but A.I.s can be enjoyable too, if you book a few excursions to break up the monotony of being at the same location for five to seven days. They have certain advantages over cruising too. You feel less rushed and have more time to really explore an area. I do prefer the feeling of excitement you get with a cruise of always being in route to somewhere new, but A.I.s are a close #2, so close in fact, that price could soon push them into the #1 spot for some.

I couldn't find them all at one site, but apparently it is not allowed in St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Vincent,

and the Grenadines. There may be others... not sure. It seems their police uniforms sport at least some camo, so this makes sense. Interesting. I did not know this and had never given it a moments thought, since I don't wear the stuff.

In past years, yes there have been some bargains, especially right after TG and before Christmas. But with the way prices are right now, during hurricane season, I wouldn't bank on it this year. I hope I'm wrong and you do find a deal, but I've never seen Carnival prices this high, this time of year. It doesn't bode well for the near future. Again, I hope I'm wrong and you find what you're looking for. BTW, You might actually have better luck looking at cruises with NCL, or Princess, or maybe even Celebrity. It feels strange to say that, but that's where we stand at the moment. Best of luck.