sparks1093

Quick update- I contacted my PVP and asked about using the FCC for our Mardi Gras sailing next April. She put it through (didn't need a copy of anything, it was all in the system) and in a few weeks the amount was credited to our invoice. Carnival definitely exceed my expectations in this regard.

It's not that Carnival can do no wrong, it's that we can't see that they did anything wrong. The captain didn't make any announcements? Well, he did, he just didn't make "enough" for some. What is "enough"? What does he say that hasn't been said? I've flown on planes where the captain said there's going to be turbulence and nothing more for the flight. Yep, there was turbulence. I've also been on flights where the captain made more frequent announcements, but it didn't change anything at all. People still oohed and aahed when we hit turbulence. 20 foot waves? That used to be a normal day at the office for me and they are on the small side compared to what mother nature can blow up. These ships are designed to weather waves much, much larger then that. Could there be damage? Yep, superficial damage. I've seen waves bend metal from their force. But no matter how strong the waves are they can't puncture the hull and as long as the hull itself remains intact everything is okay. Are things going to be tossed around inside? Sure. In the Navy anything that wasn't tied down was called a "missile hazard" for a reason. When an announcement is made that things are going to be rough then it's a good idea to put everything away and clear your shelves in your cabin (lesson learned). I've seen the headlines and they certainly do seem sensationalized given the fact that the ship was able to get underway so soon after returning to port. They did offer oncoming passengers the opportunity to cancel and rebook. What should they offer the passengers onboard? For just being in rough seas, nothing. If they weren't able to use their cabin because of something wrong with it (and not just because they were afraid to be in it) then some sort of credit. The line in the song that says, "does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours" exists for a reason and anyone that goes to sea should be prepared to meet those waves, because sometimes the storms are just too big to get around which sounds like what happened here.

Maybe, maybe not. We had to sail through the remnants of a nor'easter once and no matter how much I reassured my wife she remained frightened. Granted, I'm not a captain but I've done my time at sea (in much smaller ships than a cruise ship and in much rougher seas, as I reminded her). It's like turbulence on an airplane- you can reassure all you want to but if it's rough enough it won't help too much. I personally would have taken the silence as a reassurance that everything was normal and there was nothing to worry about.

Perhaps the new employee misunderstood the "no food in the pool area" rule. Usually Carnival is pretty good about letting customers know what the rules are.

No doubt, but there may be enough people who would pay it (just as there are enough for all of the other services offered). People do all sorts of things for all sorts of reasons after all.

If it's a new rule I haven't heard of it, so until something is published I would chalk it up to inexperience. We've frequently had a bite sitting a a lounger.

I haven't read the entire thread but I am amused by the number of experts on this board that have enough experience to second guess a qualified Ships Master who was making the best decision the he could based on the data he had available. Of course there's guys like the Master of the Concordia that do something so hairbrained that it begs second guessing, but fortunately those are very few and far between. Ships are made to sail in storms and sometimes they just can't be avoided.

Each item on the menu has a cost and it varies. You will pay each time you order. It is also not limited to your room, you may order from anywhere on the ship and have if delivered to you. We had it delivered to us next to the Alchemy Bar on Glory once. We always ordered through the Hub App.

We find it just as easy to book with the cruise line. Our cruises aren't that expensive and TA's generally don't offer enough to make me want to spend the time to find a good one (I've read too many horror stories of bad ones to take that chance).

Absolutely! There is no reason not to. In thinking over this thread I don't believe that it's been mentioned why auto-gratuities are a thing to begin with. In the "olden" days passengers were given envelopes that they could use to leave tips for the staff on the last night of the cruise, along with the suggested amount. I've read on these boards that the MDR would be half empty on the last night because folks would skip out on dinner so they wouldn't have to leave a tip (and this was a similar thing on all cruise lines). When it got to a certain point the cruise lines started adding the tips to the invoice. When it gets to the point that too many people remove the gratuities they will come up with a method to fight that, as well. AFAIK NCL was the first to give that a try and the first thing they tried was making the passenger submit a form after the cruise to apply for a refund (went over like a lead balloon). I left the NCL board shortly after that but do pop in from time to time and I believe that has been changed but I'm not sure. My take away from this is that this form of compensating some of the crew is so ingrained that the cruise lines will go to great lengths to keep it and protect it, so I wouldn't expect it to change anytime soon.

DW might consider it depending on the cost. I think it cost her $60 in Nassau. I don't think a "hair braiding professional" would be cost effective but if the hair stylist could also do it then it might work.

NCL Dream, 2 night cruise to nowhere out of Boston. We wanted to give cruising a try and it was the least expensive (in both time and money) to do that. Fell in love with it even though the Gulf of Maine was rough that time of year (and made rougher by the fact that the ship was only going fast enough to maintain steerage). Have been on NCL, Carnival and Royal Caribbean since, with Celebrity booked for 2025 (and a Carnival for 2024). (Of course the first cruise that got me hooked on the sea was on USS Boulder, but that's a different story and I didn't pay to be onboard.)

I've never had a staff member on any line that has even come remotely close to articulating they expect additional. If they have done something over and above for us they get extra. If they have only done the basic job they don't.

So they own the ships the way I own my house.

It could just be you misremembered. All Carnival Cruise Line ships are owned by Carnival Cruise Line, a separate and distinct Corporate entity than Carnival Corp. All of the other cruise lines under the Carnival Corp umbrella similarly own their own ships and their own subordinate corporation.

Ship -Glory Deck -7 Stateroom # -7274 Stateroom Category – Ocean Suite Starboard or Port Side -port Quiet Stateroom? –yes (it helps that they close the fire door at to minimize noise from the Atrium) Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? -no Balcony View -clear Balcony Size? oversize Was wind a problem? -no If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - Any specific problems with this cabin? - Any other comments? -Large cabin, shower and jetted tub/dressing room. The lamps beside the bed have a USB port for charging devices.

It wasn't pleasant but I was impressed with Carnival's response.

I apologize for the lateness of this review but life got crazy after we got home.. There are 5 of us on this sailing- DW and I (7th Carnival cruise), our two youngest sons (3rd and 2nd Carnival) and a family friend (first trip of any kind), R for this review. Both DW and R have allergies and dietary restrictions and the staff did a great job accommodating both of them. We booked this cruise to celebrate our 30th anniversary (which was last August). We had been on Glory for our 25th so it was good to see an old friend. We flew in the day before to spend a little time in New Orleans but were so tuckered out that we didn’t do much of anything. Used Door Dash to get some food and just chilled in the hotel. Stayed at the Comfort Inn Saint Rose both before and after the cruise. They had an airport shuttle so that’s what we used to get there when we arrived. 4/16/23 Embarkation Up and to the lobby in time for our Uber, about $40 to the port. We arrived at 1045 and were checked in an seated by 11. We had priority since we had a suite for this trip and the others joined us at 1110. I can’t remember our check in time but we were a little early but they didn’t even look at that. The NO port waiting area is well laid out and spacious and they had vending machines for drinks and a shop selling Carnival gear such as lanyards and such. Things moved quickly and I was so excited that I forgot to look at my watch but we were onboard by noon. Went to the muster station to get that out of the way and then grabbed a drink at the Atrium bar. We have Cheers this time thanks to our sons who bought it for us for our anniversary. We were in cabin 7274, the boys in 7345 (interior) and R is in 7336 (balcony). Our cabin is a spacious suite with a sitting room and a jacuzzi tub with plenty of storage. Unpacked and walked around a bit, including grabbing a bite to eat on lido and watching sail away. I don’t really have a bucket list but if I did sailing on the Mississippi would have been on it and now that is checked off. Eventually went to the Atrium and listened to Scott Lucille on guitar. Good act and he does take requests. Had early dining and went to our table, a booth for 4 with a chair at the end. I had the calamari, shrimp cocktail, braised brisket and tiramisu. DW had the tomato soup, veggie lasagna and WCMC. Food is well prepared and is very tasty and my memory tells me that it is better than our other cruises. Suraj came by for some close-up magic. R has many foods on her list that she can’t eat but is finding plenty of options for food. We sat in the cabin roughly planning the next two sea days and then went to the PG comedy of Dino Vigo. He was funny but I had the impression that the R rated show would be where he shined. Went to the Welcome Aboard show and our CD is Mike from NJ. He’s got good energy and he’s only onboard through this week and is an emergency replacement. K had a headache so we called it an early night. We all got the chat in the Hub App and it is much improved over what it used to be. I really like Glory’s new look. Our steward is Clemente and he took great care of us throughout this cruise. DW had a dress that she wanted dry cleaned, but they no longer offer dry cleaning services onboard. Boys said they stopped charging tax around midnight or so. 4/17 Sea Day I’m up at 5a.m. and enjoyed a great shower. The tub provides much more room than the standard balcony shower. Had to use something to keep the dressing room door from sliding back open. Made it up to Lido at around 5:30 and the coffee was ready. Typical Carnival Lido coffee, nothing to write about (even though I kind of am). R joined me and we chatted until the buffet opened at 7:10 (20 minutes early). The ham was really delicious. Went back to the cabin at 8:30 to wake DW. Once she was up we played a couple rounds of trivia and then went to brunch. Had the brunch burger, beignets and banana cream pie. DW ordered a fresh juice and it wasn’t until it was delivered that we found out that juice is not covered under Cheers any longer. Very tasty burger and close to what a Guy’s burger is. R is really enjoying herself and likes being at sea. Went back to the cabin and put our swimwear on then spent some time up on the pool deck by the Azure pool. This is where Serenity used to be but they moved it to an upper deck. The adults only signs are still up and the area is relatively quiet. The dining room now has an app called Menu Mate that allows the staff to put in each person’s allergies and restrictions, so both girls did that to make ordering easier. Played Wheely Big Trivia then dressed for dinner. Had some photos (elegant night) taken before dinner. We had asked to be moved given the cramped nature of our table and we are now at a 10 top with some folks we had met on Legend (no accident, they had booked the cruise so we could sail together again). Our head waiter is Gordana, assisted by Mung and Victarino. Had the crab cake, shrimp cocktail, filet mignon and grand mariner souffle. DW went with stuffed mushrooms, fettucine alfredo, and key lime mousse. Show time was one of the waiters singing and we found out that he is Gordana’s husband, which was cool. Changed after dinner and browsed the Fun Shops before resting a bit before the show. Went to Motor City and it is an act we’ve seen before and this cast did well. Went to Dino’s R rated show and he wasn’t as funny as I had hoped but still good. Grabbed drinks at Alchemy and chatted. Since the Hub app allows you to order food to be delivered anywhere on the ship we decided to order pizza since we didn’t want to go up to stand in line at Pizza Pirate. You put in your location and take a picture of yourself so the staff can find you. The App allows you to give an extra tip if you choose to, no need to carry money. It took about 40 minutes for the pizza to arrive and it beat standing in line, for sure. Turned in around 2a.m. 4/18 Sea day Up around 6:15 and up to Lido for coffee. Went to brunch at 9. The ladies had ordered their meals for the day the previous night through Gordana to make sure they were prepared in an area free of allergens so there wouldn’t be cross contamination. Played some trivia before going to the military appreciation gathering. There was great turnout, and the event took about an hour. Then we went to Groove for St Jude before grabbing Guy’s and Blue Iguana tacos. I chatted with the server at Guy’s and he said they go through 2000 burgers a day. Played some more trivia before getting ready for dinner. I started feeling sick so I decided not to go to dinner, which was a good decision since I did throw up. Just stayed in the cabin all night reading. 4/19 Jamaica Made it through the night only being sick once more. Even though we have excursions booked I decide to stay onboard. Tied up and first passengers ashore by 7:39a.m. Our excursion (Rose Hall) is at 9:30. I called medical to let them know that I had stomach issues and they told me to come on down, I was the next contestant. They took my vitals and gave me a COVID test. Positive on vitals, negative on COVID. Had to fill out a multi-page form that includes questions about everything I had eaten for 3 or 4 days. Of course I have to isolate until the next morning. There was no charge for the visit. Went back to the cabin and read some more and slept quite a bit. I had started feeling better earlier in the day and around lunch I got hungry and ordered a turkey wrap from room service. I forgot that medical told me that if I told room service I was isolated there would be no charge. Ate about half of the wrap which was delicious. At dinner time I remembered to tell room service that I was isolated and tried to order chicken tenders, but they said medical had me on a bland diet so I could only have plain rice and grilled chicken. I asked if I could have some fresh fruit and he wasn’t sure. The order came and they were able to include the fruit. Had two pieces of chicken and a cup of plain rice. It was all quite tasty and even though I’m not a plain rice fan it was seasoned well enough that I liked it. When I signed for it there was a nominal charge on the slip, but it never made it to my onboard account. The group loved Rose Hall and I was sorry I missed it. Hung out in the cabin dozing and reading. 4/20 Grand Cayman Up at 4:30 after sleeping really well. Feeling my normal self and ready to go. Grabbed coffee on Lido and a light breakfast. Went to medical at 7:50 and they took vitals and another COVID test. I didn’t have long to catch the tender for our excursion but the medic said I had to wait until 8:30 before I could leave. I really thought I was going to miss the excursion but he came in a couple minutes after 8 and told me I could go. Medical is right next to where the tender is boarded so I was on the tender at 8:05. I was nervous about missing the turtle excursion because the time for meeting was rapidly approaching. The tender docked and I wasted no time finding the check in table for the excursion. I was the last to check in and they sent someone to hold the bus, which had been boarded and was getting ready to leave. Got to the bus and was able to sit in the fold down middle seat next to my family. Whew! The turtles were really cool. They have 289 breeders and hatch eggs at the site and take eggs out to put on beaches for natural hatching. We got to touch the yearlings but they can no longer be picked up. K went for a dip after we finished walking around and then we ate the included lunch. Beans and rice, BBQ chicken, fried fish, veggies and plantains. You can also order off the menu if you choose to and want to pay for it. Walked around the gift shop a bit and then went out to wait for the bus. Got back aboard around 1:50pm. Went to the pool for a bit and then rested. When we went back to the cabin there was a letter advising that I was getting a future cruise credit of $185 for being isolated, which I thought was very nice of them and I wouldn’t have thought to ask for anything like that. (Fast forward to today, the FCC has been applied to our Mardi Gras sailing for 4/24. I called my PVP when we got home and she was glad to put it through. It took some time to go through but got the confirmation today that it did) Went down to the shore excursion desk and told them that I had been isolated and missed my excursion and was refunded for the excursion that I missed (medical had told me that I could do that). Had some pictures taken before dinner. Had the mushroom bisque, striped sea bass and fruit plate. DW had the bisque, carbonara and WCMC. Food was nicely prepared as usual and the bass was a good size and quite tasty. I can understand why people say it’s dry, although mine was just moist enough. A few more minutes under the warming lamp would have made it too dry, for sure. Put together a laundry bag, which is one of the few perks for a suite. Played trivia before going to the Epic Rock show. Too late to catch the first comedy show but caught Dave Goodman’s act and he is really funny and is now one of my favorites. Went back to the cabin and played some cards and ordered room service. The Quesada’s were really good but the tenders weren’t tender at all, even though they tasted good. It’s the only thing I ate the whole cruise that wasn’t really good. 4/21 Cozumel Woke at 7a.m. While drinking coffee on Lido saw Gordana selling drinks. Went ashore at 10:15 and met up with the shore excursion folks. Our youngest stayed ashore so there were only 4 of us. Doing the Dolphin, Manatee and Sea Lion excursion. We had a great time with the dolphins and manatees. There is no shade while doing this so make sure you wear sunscreen if you choose to go. The included buffet is plentiful and decent. The fruit punch is tasty and they have Dos XX on draft, plus mixed drinks, all included in the excursion price. We decided on the photo package for 4. A single picture is $40. A package for one is $70 (includes all of the pictures of one person). A package for 4 is $220 ($55 per person). They email you a link and you are able to download your photos once you get home. We ended up getting a good number of photos so each photo only cost a few dollars each with the package. Back onboard around 2:45 and up to lido for snack and drinks. Did a speed test on DW’s internet package (she had the Social plan I think, it was the middle package of the three) and it was .5 mpbs. Hung out in Atrium until it was time to go to dinner. Had caprese salad, alligator beignets, shrimp creole and praline cake. DW had French onion soup, spaghetti (made special since she couldn’t have the lasagna due to sensitivities) and praline cake. Picked out our pictures then off to Punchliner. Watched JC Coccoli’s PG show and then Dave Goodman’s. Called it an early night. 4.22 Sea day Up at 5:30 for coffee. Walked around the ship taking pictures. Played trivia at 10 before going to brunch at 11. Played some more trivia and then grabbed tags for disembarkation. Got zone 24. Went to the cabin and pre-packed a little. Played trivia all afternoon. The Captain announced an on time arrival in the morning. Went to dinner and had the fried shrimp, shrimp cocktail (in case you haven’t discerned it, I like shrimp), enchiladas, sirloin steak and baked Alaska. DW had peach soup, fried chicken and WCMC. Both entrees were very good. Maitre’d announced that there are 65 nationalities in the crew. Put the luggage out, then caught the shows before calling it an early night. 4.23 Disembarkation Got up around 6 and had coffee on Lido before waking DW up to get out of the cabin by 8. We found a table on Lido and hung out until our zone was called at around 9:05. Got in line for Customs at 9:24. Three of us had passports and went through a different line and were cleared with facial recognition. We were all through Customs at the same time and made it to the hotel around 10:10. We took a cab to the hotel and it cost about $25 more than an Uber. Checked in to one room so we could drop off luggage. While we were unloading the cab we were talking about going in to see the city and an Uber driver was dropping off a large party. He offered to take us in to the city and we said we still needed to drop off our stuff. He said I’ll just go grab a coffee then come back and get you. So that’s what we did. He dropped us off at the beginning of the French Quarter and gave us some tips about what to see. Walked around gawking for a bit then went to Oceana for lunch and really enjoyed the Cajun food. Walked to the French Market for some souvenir shopping before heading back to the hotel. Confirmed with the hotel that their shuttle wouldn’t be running when we had to leave for the airport so we made a reservation in Uber. Uneventful flights home. Final thoughts. I know a lot of people say that Carnival has gone down hill but you couldn’t prove it by this cruise. The crew was super friendly and helpful, what we’ve come to expect from a Carnival crew. The ship is clean and well maintained. The food was good to great, with only one thing that I wouldn’t be in a hurry to have again (the chicken tenders). We definitely got our son’s money’s worth with Cheers, even with me being sick for a day. Carnival really impressed me with the way they handled me being sick and while it did suck being isolated it beat being at home and being isolated.

Yes, I know, this is a hold over from COVID days when they stopped handing out menus. I can see it as an efficiency to not return to handing out menus to everyone so this might be something they keep.

And there are people onboard now who are not compensated by tips and I'm pretty sure they aren't subject to payroll tax.

It's the price for staying put and not standing in line. At the end of a long day I was glad to pay it just so I didn't have to leave my cabin just to stand in a line. I can easily see someone else taking the opposite view and more power to them. We can choose to use it or not and either way it works for the person making the choice.

I felt the same about the MDR on Glory.

They have menus, you just need to ask for them.

And I would be willing to bet that it is expected by the staff.

I wouldn't call him a liar per se, but just because he's the spokesperson doesn't mean he knows everything, either (and I am aware of other situations where he said something that was wrong). If someone does remove tips I CAN believe that the staff would be asked why customer X removed tips, if only to find out if the customer voiced any complaints. So they aren't shown a list, but they are told which of their customers (if any) removed tips. The article does demonstrate that the tips are pooled, so thanks for sharing that. (It also could be they are obligated to ask if the customer removed the tips if they receive extra tips.) On a side note, when you order a drink in the MDR and leave an extra tip, who gets it? According to my head waiter on Glory the waitstaff team does and they share it. I have no reason to doubt her.