RoperDK

We use FaceTime, Messenger, What'sApp and Gmail. They are great for people you expect to have contact with. It doesn't help for a random call that you might get that you weren't expecting such as a Dr's office, appt. scheduling, or a neighbor trying to get in touch with you about your property. I've gotten used to that communication on other lines. If you have an IPhone, then I think a lot of texts still go through. I haven't had that luck with Android.

Someone could also turn that around to say that Carnival bribes its upper tier cruisers with the laundry perk. The "free" laundry that Carnival "gives" to upper level cruisers is a consideration for some to book Carnival. It's all just perks to me. I don't label them differently depending on what cruise line I'm talking about.

We have an OV cabin on deck 4 mid-ship starboard side. Is there cabin hallway access from the casino escalator area or is it closed off. In other words, from the cabin hall areas can you only access the casino from both elevator banks or is there also a shortcut near the escalator side to the cabin hallway?

I think Carnival blocks wifi calling and texting for some financial reason that is as bizarre as no bacon or sauteed mushrooms. Other cruise lines have these items and with Carnival's full ships and higher prices there really isn't a reasonable explanation. I just complain on my surveys and prepare a workaround. When I think it is a big enough issue, I will cruise elsewhere.

Well, I do agree with the first part of your post, but not that Royal bribes its past guests. We will be Diamond on Carnival and Diamond+ on Royal soon. The product is just different. I enjoy both for different reasons.

Carnival's loyalty program is nothing special. People cruise on Carnival because they like the Carnival product. Diamond on Carnival is nothing like Diamond, Diamond + and especially Pinnacle on Royal. If Carnival added another level above Diamond, then they would have to offer upgraded amenities that would go against the business model that everyone is the same and no one is more important than a first timer. Sure, we get benefits, but they aren't eye opening.

Here you go....why IS the bacon still on bacation? It annoys me to no end. Along with no sauteed mushrooms at Guys and WiFi calling and texting being blocked. It makes no sense. Can someone give a logical reason? I'll offer a suggestion...make those items an upcharge. I'll bet there won't be a shortage then!

You speak the truth!

Oh my, there would be a huge uproar if Carnival went to a "spend more, get more" business model. I do believe that many casino cruisers would then be royalty to Carnival. Carnival basically treats everyone the same. That's why suites have very little benefits other than a larger cabin. On Royal, a suite gets double points and a ton of special amenities. They do cost more, but Carnival's suite prices have been rising and the benefits have decreased (where are my free cookies!). We cruise mostly in suites and get the same loyalty points on Carnival as someone who travels in an inside cabin. It never occurred to me to think that those who cruise in lower grade cabins should get less loyalty points than I do. I just go about my own business and enjoy my cruise.

Spending $100 in the casino will not get you a free cruise or a reduced cabin price. I know people think it does, but it's just not true. You have to put a fair amount of time in the casino to get comps. It's all about the points you accumulate. The more points, the better the comp. Also, many of those free cabins are last minute offers to fill up ships that aren't sailing full.

Me, too. There seems to be quite the resentment towards casino offers. Even with a logical counter argument, there is no way to sway their opinion. It's just better to not try.

We were just notified that our September Adventure cruise will skip Labadee and go to Grand Turk instead. The casino is open at Grand Turk when you sail on Carnival. Does Royal keep it open while in port, also?

Icon class connecting cabins don't have an extra door in the cabin, but you still start with a connecting room and then alternate from there? The OVs do alternate where the bed is, so I'm hoping that it is the same as balconies. Does anyone know if there is a deckplan site that shows the notches in the cabin? It would be so much easier to figure this out.

We are looking to book an OV cabin on Star. I want the bed by the bath configuration. How can you tell? Connecting rooms aren't like other classes of ships.

I'll bet that was her. We were on in Jan. 2023. She was a standout! She was right up there with "Nicola" a bar server from the Breeze in 2019. He was amazing. If you knew him, you would remember.

Oh, how I wish that Carnival would add wifi calling and texting. I would pay for the premium package to get it. If Royal can do it, so can Carnival! We have full access with WhatsApp, but my 96 year old father just understands to pick up the phone and call. 😔

I wonder if it is "our" Melissa. This was a couple of years ago at the Brass Magnolia on Mardi Gras. She made our cruise special along with the BEST drinks!

Perhaps it is an urban myth, but I find my swollen ankles are not a problem when I drink bottled water instead of ship water. I still drink ship water during meals, but other than that it is bottled water. I haven't changed my food or alcohol choices, so that isn't a variable. I do drink a lot of water and I think the ship's water still contains more sodium than bottled. So, I fall on the bottled water side and I love that I don't have cankles anymore.

ABC is a clear winner for us. Salt mines, flamingos, desert landscapes, amazing snorkeling, cool night life, tons of history. So much more than another beach stop. Amber Cove, Grand Turk, and Nassau are common. Carnival goes there time after time. Yawn. The ABC itineraries are harder to find. The only negative may be that there are more sea days. That's a plus for us. We love sea days.

We were on a 4 day Mariner cruise a week ago. Full spring break mode. There were 2 dedicated crew members serving cones non-stop outside of Windjammer. The lines moved quickly. The crew were like a well-oiled machine. I doubt that the kids and adults could have served themselves that quickly. A big plus was there wasn't a big mess left behind.

We will be D+ soon. We enjoy lunch at specialty restaurants. I assume that you can use the benefit for lunches, too?

Doing a B2B on Royal next month. Was going to prepay to park at the terminal, but I didn't see any way to add the next cruise. Valet was sold out, also. How does it work?

We are thinking of using the trade in value on an already booked cruise. If you use the trade in value of $500, will they just reduce the current booking price or will they have to reprice to the current value? What about an instant cruise certificate? Hoping that you can just reduce the booked cost because repricing wouldn't help at all.

Thanks for the valuable info. If we did spend the night in Biloxi and head over in the morning, can we drop our luggage at the ship (Brilliance) and then proceed to the Fulton Garage? I know this is a Carnival thread, but this will be the first time we sail with Royal out of NOLA and I can't get a good feel for where everything is. Also, when have we cruised with Carnival in the past, we just parked at the port. Is port parking for Carnival not a good option anymore? Thanks so much for your help!

We are searching for a way to safely park our car for a Brilliance cruise in January. We usually stay overnight in Biloxi and then park at the port, but I am getting nervous about secure parking. We are Diamond with Hilton, so a free room night is easy for us. Don't know about timely shuttles though. I sometimes have a gimpy knee so hauling luggage and walking is iffy. Looking forward to your input.