sparks1093

Exactly this, especially mentioning them by name in your comments.

We normally book the cruise line with the lowest fare going on the itinerary we want from our departure port. In the future we will be flying to the port versus driving so that opens up more possibilities for us. When I priced Princess compared to Carnival I was pleased to find out that when I added in the things to the Carnival fare that were included in the Princess fare (drink package, wifi, gratuities) they really weren't that far apart in price. Of course, if you don't routinely buy the drink package you wouldn't add that in but if you are spending that money anyway it should be considered. Which is all a long way of saying that Princess might not be that much more than Carnival when you factor everything in.

I've been able to see the stars well from our balcony as long as our neighbors don't have their balcony lights on. I would think that any place on the ship where you can get away from the lights would be okay as well (upper decks especially when passengers are asnooze).

Well, the 15 drink limit applies to all alcohol, not just Cheers. I have seen bartenders override this on the computer so I believe it's a "soft" limit, so as long as you don't appear too drunk they can still serve you. Other than what I've witnessed I have no evidence that this is so, but I would think if the limit were a hard and fast one they wouldn't be able to override the system at all. Anyway, for us the main reason to have the bottle in the cabin is so we can have a few drinks before turning in usually while sitting on the balcony.

The answers are probably going to vary by company but I would think as a general rule the premium would not be refunded. Whether or not the fare paid will be transferred to another booking is also subject to each company's policies. If you cancel for any reason and all of your money isn't refunded by the cruise line you should be reimbursed to the maximum allowed under the policy. (All of these statements are general in nature and while I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once I am not an expert.)

I would check out www.insuremytrip.com for insurance. You can usually get more robust insurance for less than what the cruise line charges. Insurance generally covers from when you leave home until you return home, but if you have to cancel for a covered reason it would pay anything that wasn't reimbursed. If you get your insurance from a third party you might be able to transfer the insurance to a different trip if you have to cancel, but reimbursement of the premium is unlikely to happen. I buy insurance as soon as we book a trip and that can save money over buying it just before the trip, but that is the only savings that I am aware of.

I'm the same way but DW has got to have her balcony. She gets to deal with a grumpy me if I don't get enough sleep so she can only blame herself.

And it doesn't count against your 15 drinks a day.🙂

It's a small sample size but they've always looked at what we were bringing on in the carry-on.

I agree, but as I pointed out there are some people that might read it as pertaining to the carton/case that holds the individual cans. In other words I was clarifying the point for others (clumsily I guess since a couple of people missed my point).

As far as saving money goes for an inside it's valid for some, but we only cruise once per year at best. If we were cruising several times per year then the savings from a few cruises might help fund another cruise, but we aren't there, yet. (And it could also be a valid consideration if the savings helped pay for something else on the cruise, such as Cheers, that otherwise would be out of reach.)

Welcome to CC! Since this post is specific to Carnival it may end up being moved to the Carnival forum. They do not check ID at Serenity and as long as neither of you are being loud and boisterous no one will say anything. As for the drink package you may get one drink at a time and must wait 5 minutes before ordering another one. Do note that sharing is not allowed and providing drinks to someone who is underage is not allowed, either. (Just providing info here.) If someone is caught sharing they could have their drink package revoked and if someone provides drinks to someone underage they may disembarked at the next port. Of course if things are done with discretion then it's likely no one will say anything. (And in case you didn't know it Carnival has a 15 drink per day limit on all alcohol whether under the package or purchased.)

You were able to answer before I was. Most of the bottles are 1L although there are exceptions.

The easiest thing to do is to buy a bottle from the online Fun Shops for the cabin. It is pricey but by the time you add up buying the containers and then buying the alcohol to put in them you aren't really saving much over the cost of the bottle and with buying the bottle you will know it's there. As I understand it liquor not in an original bottle is confiscated and destroyed, but you would also be called to the "naughty room" so they can open your bag in your presence. The thought of having to stand in a line wasting vacation time when I don't have to is what keeps me from even thinking about it.

I personally have no issue with inside cabins but DW likes to sit on the balcony at night and listen to the ocean (and a couple of dolphin/wildlife sightings have kind of sealed the deal). My current conundrum is this...on our last cruise the upsell fairy offered to put us in a Vista suite for an extra $300 and we jumped on that. Our next cruise on Glory is in a Grand Suite since we are celebrating a milestone anniversary. My fear is that DW will fall in love with the suite life and insist on that from now on. 🤪

I was going to point this out, the process (as I understand it) is if a passenger presents a DOR then they have to meet with the medical staff in the terminal to answer some questions. From what I've read this is very fast, but even with very fast if a lot of passengers are waiting then it can take some time. @klfhngrHow about doing this: present the negative test to board. Then once on the ship, at your leisure, go to medical and present your letter and ask them if it would have worked at embarkation. I would think that the nurse would be a good source for the info you are seeking.

Balcony cabin is a must for us as well. I'd be willing to try an ocean view but she who must be obeyed won't consider it.

The at home tests aren't as sensitive as the ones administered by a medical professional. I do not think that the letter would pass muster because the results need to be from a lab, not a provider. I had the documents ready for the CoR just in case but the at home test showed negative so there was no need to use it.

LOL.

Yes, I know, but there are many that would read it the other way.

I know that it says unopened cartons but we've always opened them up because it's easier to pack the cans in the carryon. I can't see them objecting to anyone having different flavors.

Sounds like it's hit or miss. We are a long way from doing a B2B but will definitely try it out if we do.

That would be my guess, as well. I have also heard of people receiving their purchases from the store after the first leg. I doubt this is so serious an issue that Carnival needs to worry about patching the loophole.

One would think so but from what I've read here on CC passengers do receive the alcohol at the end of the first leg of the trip. The staff doesn't know you are on a back to back.

I know several people in my community who are unable to go to Canada because of their record. While they might be able to get away with booking a cruise once (I'm not entirely sure when the manifest is turned over to the Canadian authorities) they would be prohibited from disembarking and blacklisted from booking future Canadian cruises with that cruise line. (I have a friend who entered Canada quite often but one day the border official ran his name through our system and an old arrest popped up. Since then he has not been able to cross the border.)