3 hours ago, bmc alabama said:

Funny, we had the exact opposite opinion after sailing Oasis and Mardi Gras within 2 months of each other.  We all drastically preferred the Mardi Gras.  That said, we didn't care about any of the "bells and whistles" quite honestly on either ship.  What we did prefer, though, was that the food, in our opinion, was far superior on Mardi Gras.

 

Now, we didn't do the "Unlimited Dining Package" on Royal, but I felt that if you wanted decent food on Royal, you had to pay extra for it.  I didn't get that feeling on Mardi Gras.

I understand where you are coming from.  The reason we didn't care for Mardi Gras was a quirk that I have concerning the food.  I prefer when all of the "lido type" venues are on one deck.  I like to get a salad with my slice of pizza or sandwich.  On Mardi Gras the deli and pizza place don't have any extras.  No Ceasar salad for the pizza.  No potato salad or fries with the sandwich.  Everything was separated by several decks.  Great to break up the crowds, not so good for variety.  We enjoyed our first Mardi Gras cruise, which was close to the restart and without crowds. On the second one, the dining service was consistently poor. Many times our food was not warm and with many mistakes on orders. There were obvious staffing problems and the ship was packed.  I really wanted to like the Excel class, but it just isn't for me.  I like Oasis class ships for their neighborhoods, activities, and entertainment.  However, we book Junior Suites and eat dinner in Coastal Kitchen and also book some specialty dining.  It does make a huge difference. I am on the Spirit next week and I love that class of ship.  I am also eyeing the Vista for a future cruise.              

I'll add my 2 cents.  We've been sailing on Carnival for over 20 years.  We are Platinum and Diamond is not far away.  We haven't attended the P/D event in many years.  It's just not important to us anymore.  I wonder how many of the P/D onboard actually go to the parties?   

10 hours ago, DukeASUGirl said:

We generally make a standing dining reservation during Anytime Dining, which then works out to the same table and waitstaff each night.

I could be wrong, but I don't think Carnival does that.  You can reserve dining times on Royal in advance.  We do this and get the same waitstaff every night.  We don't eat in the dining room each night on Carnival and don't try and get the same waitstaff.  If we had great service on the nights we go, we usually leave some cash on the table and don't tip at the end.  

Husband drinks Sprite and hates Sierra Mist.  Heard Carnival is switching to Starry and that it tastes more like Sprite.  Question is....what is Spirit currently serving and do they have a diet version? 

11 hours ago, bowen9475 said:

So, you think deck 8 aft is a good location? How loud is that area being under the Lido Deck?

If you don't have any mobility issues then I would pick a deck 7 balcony over deck 8.  You will get some deck chair scraping noises under the serenity deck and the dreaded rolling cart sounds from under lido. We've dealt with those noises before because we like the bowling alley balconies or the premium balconies and if deck 8 has the only ones available then so be it.  I don't know what is available for your cruise, so I can't be specific.  You do want to be able to easily access the outer decks for viewing and waiting for an elevator can be the difference between seeing something or missing it.  If the Vista Suites on deck 4 are available and within your budget, then I would jump on them.  They are our favorite cabins on Spirit class.  Most people would say that higher decks are better, but our personal choice would be deck 4.  Pop down one deck and you have open viewing from the aft and most of the sides.       

Since aft isn't available, then I suggest you get a non-extended balcony on whichever side offers the best scenery (as stated above).  The extended balconies are recessed and do block your clear view fore and aft.  Deck 3 is an outside deck that wraps all the way around the aft and on both sides. It does not go all the way around forward though.  It is covered and it is nice to have quick access to this deck (deck 4 cabins) for scenery in rainy weather. Deck 9 (lido) has good aft viewing from the serenity area and the buffet by the windows offers climate-controlled viewing.  Deck 10 has good viewing outside, also.  It does seem true that the wildlife will always be on the other side from where you are.  So, having the ability to cross to the other side quickly is nice.  Of course, everyone else will be doing the same thing.  Depending on your mobility, I would get a balcony close to these decks (deck 8) and near the stairs or elevators.  I would pick a balcony towards the aft as you can access good viewing on the outer decks from there.  Forward is just too windy.  Hope this helps.      

When does the casino open after sail away?  Asking for a friend. 😉

I did try to search, but it seems that this perk is a moving target.  We're sailing on Spirit in 2 weeks and the Carnival site didn't mention this benefit anymore.  The website said "cabins can be accessed at 1:30. I am talking about just leaving our carry-ons in the closet and immediately leaving the cabin area.  I thought I remembered JH saying we could still drop off our carry-ons, but we haven't been on Carnival in over a year.  So, what is the latest "rule"? Thanks.    

I just disembarked from Wonder of the Seas on Sunday.  Like it or not, the "Monstrosity" ships offer more than anyone can possibly do in one week.  They truly are a destination in themselves.  The do plain vanilla itineraries and still sail full week after week.  I was hoping that the Excel class ships would be able to compete.  I don't feel the experience is even close.  We didn't really care for Mardi Gras after sailing on her twice.  When you compare other classes of Royal and Carnival ships, then the experience is more on par.  You might argue that one's food is better or service is friendlier, one is charging higher prices, one actually has straws, etc.  At that point, you are actually comparing apples to apples.   

On 1/31/2024 at 8:32 PM, silvercrikhix said:

Deck 4 has the biggest balcony.  The glass angles in the higher up you go.  The balconies get smaller as you go up. You also have an overhang on 4th deck for some occasional shade and great when raining in Alaska. We were able to be outside because of that. We’ve  sailed  4th deck many times.  Best rooms hands down on Spirit class. Never had stuff thrown down on us. Or soot. 

This!  Deck 4 is the way to go.

On 1/30/2024 at 4:28 PM, BlerkOne said:

Let me know the next time Oasis tenders passengers to Grand Cayman.

Oasis class never tenders.  They always dock.  I don't know how they do it, but Royal's embarkation, debarkation, and leaving the ship at ports is extremely organized and moves faster than Carnival.  

We just got off the Wonder in a GS.  We ate in CK most meals.  Frankly, not having to deal with the crowds on the rest of the ship made CK perfect for us.  We enjoyed the comradery of the waitstaff and there were plenty of options for us.  We customized our meals several times.  CK has the everyday classics that the MDR got rid of.  The MDR quality is no comparison to CK for us. We sometimes ate the suite lounge offerings for our other meals.  They were plentiful and a bit lighter that a full meal.  When you have a full suite you have free room service and we use that on non Oasis class ships quite often.  I would make your reservations each night at CK and you can easily modify them if you feel like eating at the MDR.  We don't ever get the UDP as that is just too much for us.  Enjoy your cruise.        

I just got the dreaded e-mail this morning about a Grandeur April cruise that is paid in full.  It shows I owe $187.  I will track down to see if it has to do with cruise planner refunds.  I have called twice today.  The first time the agent said we were paid in full (which I already knew) and to ignore the email.  I said no, that this is a back to back and final payment is in a couple of days and I will be on a cruise next week and don't want my cruise cancelled.  She said that she corrected the problem and resent my invoice.  Of course, the new invoice says that I owe $187.  So, I called back and the rep said that I don't owe anything and that they sent the info to resolutions and I would hear back in a day or two.  Ha!  Now I'll have to work on this during our cruise.  The funny thing is that when I check the planner online, it says that I don't owe anything.  If I check the app, it says that I owe $187.  Arggg!!    

I am surprised about all of the differing opinions on the "sir or ma'am" usage.  I grew up in Miami, spent 23 years in the Air Force traveling all over the world, and have now settled in Alabama.  We were taught and we taught our children, who have now taught their children to say sir and ma'am along with please and thank you, etc.  I can't imagine how being polite would be construed as sarcastic and I have never come across that in all of my travels.  Perhaps it is a generational thing, as I am in my sixties.  I have seen kids be sarcastic using sir and ma'am, but the tone in their voice gives that away.  Here in the south people can tell the difference between a heartfelt or sarcastic "bless your heart".  I don't expect anyone to say please, thank you, sir or ma'am around my family though.  Those things don't bother me and frankly, I haven't seen too much overly bad behavior on my cruises.         

Although it isn't really published, you can get free sodas, wine, and beer in the suite lounge from 11 to 11.  Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. 

3 minutes ago, vision14k said:

Can our two-year old son join us in the coastal kitchen? Or is that frowned upon or adults only?

Your son is included in your CK amenity.  You will find that some people will frown on a little one being there, however most people will accept your family just fine.  You are entitled to be there, so enjoy! 

5 hours ago, Pyxie said:

Does Pride have the upper food area above the buffet? On Spirit, they serve BBQ. If it has something like that, that area is nearly deserted on embarkation day as people haven't found it yet.

Does Spirit still have the BBQ place?  It doesn't show on Carnival's website.

I'm glad that menus are available if you ask for them.  I guess I'm old fashioned, but I like to peruse the menu before ordering.  Lol, we always look over the menu before going to the MDR and I basically have an idea of what I'm going to order.  Somehow though, I do change my mind once I sit down and physically look at the menu. 

We like to mix it up.  We usually sail in suites and love eating at CK.  If there is no CK, then we enjoy breakfast in a specialty restaurant.  We do a lot of specialty restaurants for lunch.  We haven't had dinner in a specialty restaurant in quite a while.  We'll do the MDR for dinner if we like the menu or we'll hit up the Windjammer. We've been known to have the happy hour snacks in the suite's lounge and find out we're full enough to skip dinner. We just don't eat as much as we used to.     

We are Platinum and will be on the Spirit out of Mobile next month.  We usually cruise in suites but are in a balcony on this cruise.  This is not a Journeys or special casino cruise.  What is the current boarding order?  Back in the day, I believe it used to be Suites, Diamonds, Platinum, FTTF, and then regular boarding.  Also, does Mobile still have a priority boarding lounge and are Platinums included in the lounge?  Thanks!

10 minutes ago, chamima said:

 

The cabin I was looking at is NOT a Cabana cabin at all. It's designated as a reserve collection mini suite. Check the deck plans. If you click on the cabin the diagram and description pop up.

 

Actually maybe it's Princess that should check their deck plans.

 

Stateroom Number: 15451
Type: Reserve Collection Mini-Suite

Category: M1
Location: Midship
Deck: 15 (Fifteen)
Bath Type: Shower
Connecting Room: 15449
Average Size: 304 sq. ft.

Special Notes:
Reserve Collection Reserve Mini-suite Sofa By Entrance

Vie

Contrast that with diagram on regular mini suite

*******

I noticed this, too. I guess someone did too much of a cut and paste job when they set up the cabin info on the Princess site.  The top layout is indeed a cabana mini suite.  The bottom is a regular (could be reserve) mini suite.  These are almost exactly the way the Carnival Mardi Gras lowest level suites look.  Instead of the sofa by the front door, you will either have the bed or closets by the front door.  My preference is the closet because the room seems larger that way.  The sofa should always be by the balcony door.  

Weren't there some odd problems with getting drinks while in Grand Cayman?  Something like only 1 bar onboard serving drinks?  Is that still going on?

9 hours ago, GimmeOcean said:

Get a suite and they will leave a plate of fruit. And then take it away in a few days when you don't eat it. Kind of wasteful, tbh. 

We don't eat fruit and I cringe when I see the fruit plate they provide for suites.  Is there a tactful way to "get rid" of it?  Would the cabin steward enjoy it?  We just throw away the fruit as it decays.  What a waste.  It is always in our cabin when we arrive, so doubt we could return it.      

I am no help here, other than to say that there is a big drawback to putting people in an inside cabin instead of your cabin.  They would not have access to your star class amenities such as the suite lounge and Coastal Kitchen.  Star Class is basically all inclusive and the others would only be in a standard cabin with nothing.  Hope someone can answer your questions.    

As you found out, Oasis class is great.  Only Mardi Gras could compete.  However, if Venezia is all you can swing, then give it a try and adjust expectations.  Only you know if your kids could adjust to the different amenities and still have a good time.